An Attempt at Christmas Spirit

We talked about the true meaning of Christmas. We talked about the Nativity and who was present. We attempted to create a little Nativity that he could color. Which he did - in Spiderman red, blue, and black - and only after putting on Spiderman paraphernalia and saving 'MJ' from the likes of "robbers" on the kitchen floor.

A Christmas Night with H

Building a gingerbread house with a three-year-old for the first time = magical. Harrison was in heaven putting everything on "right right right." He only ate five (or so) pieces of candy, and even asked me before putting each one in his mouth. It was fun. Just plain fun. We followed it up with games on the kitchen counter, which he of course won - every time. :) We missed our little Ava-lovey, but I'm sure she was much happier getting her beauty sleep.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

The Lights on Temple Square

Driving up to see the lights, Harrison would shout from the backseat EVERY time we saw ANY lights on houses...."MOMMY! LOOK AT THAT CHRISTMAS!" So, needless to say, his mind was sufficiently blown at the millions of lights on temple square. It was a little chilly, but we had a great time. Harrison ran around like a maniac at first climbing into any and every bush he could find. He was on an "adventure" that eventually became too "muddy and smelly", so he resorted to running as fast as he could and yelling at the top of his lungs. Isn't it great to be three and not care what anyone else thinks?

And my little Ava got her first two teeth yesterday....at the same time. Two bottom chompers right in the middle. She spent most of the day flicking them with her tongue trying to figure out what is happening in her mouth. And it couldn't be any cuter.

Harrisonisms

Just ran across these little doozies from Harrison that I wrote down just before Halloween....

H: Nanna and I got married last night when I was older.
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H: Where is our video camera?
Me: It's gone honey. We need to buy a new one.
H: Did the robbers take it?
Me: Yes.
H: I guess I need to hit the robbers down. Mommy? Is it OK if I hit them down? I'll find them and hit them down. With swords. And daddy.
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H: A-N-N-I-E. Do you know what that spells?
Me: Yes - Annie.
H: No. It spells Football Stadium Months. Where you were born. I was born there too last night. Football Stadium Months.
Me: Oh.
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H: (giving me a giant hug...) Annie? I sure love you. And I am sorry that the robbers made you sad.
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SO...here is the question. My child is obviously quite shaken up by the whole break-in thing. He talks about it almost daily even though Jordan and I never do. What should I do? We try to explain that we are all safe and that the things taken don't matter, but he always brings it up.

SUGGESTIONS??

11 Months

This little one had a big month.......a lot of firsts. Clapping on cue, giving kisses, waving on cue, and signing 'milk' and 'all done!' But she is most proud of her new found standing abilities. Any time she can, she tries to show you this little trick of hers. We of course clap and cheer - causing her to clap and then fall down. Love her.

Thankful

Thankful for my Harrison - who corrected me each time I said Thanksgiving DINNER - "It's a FEAST mom." Being the world's pickiest eater.....his FEAST consisted of goldfish and ice cream.

Thankful for my Ava - who ate both her share and her brothers share of the FEAST.

Thankful for my Jordan - who loves Thanksgiving FEAST day above all other days of the year....

Thankful. Thankful. Thankful.

Happenings

So.....I put up the Christmas Decor.....on November 16th. I know - ridiculous. But my kiddos sure love it.

Cute Cousin Claire came over and entertained us all with Harrison.......

Dan and Cat came for a visit - we LOVE it when that happens!

Saturday we did this......

24 hours later we did this in 10 inches of snow.......

Harrisonisms

While passing a large rack of black bras at Target the other day he shouted: "WOW! Mom! Look at all these mask-es!

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Just before his third birthday while being potty trained, Harrison was sitting on the toilet deep in thought when he wowed me with this.....

"I just don't get it mom. Does the poop start in my toes, go up my legs, into my tummy and out my bottom?"

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While trying to get him to try something new the other day, I told him he would like it because it was sweet. To which he replied.....

"Mom. Boys are handsome. Not sweet. I won't like that."

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He is very into referencing everything with some sort of age time line of when it happened or will happen - but he gets them all mixed up......for example:

"When I was 10 last night I flew on a plane to Disneyland."
"When I am seven I will eat spaghetti with sauce, but it is not for me. I'm three."
"Last night when I was older I turned 2."
"Yesterday I went to Oregon and I was twenty."
"Last year when I was a baby....well actually I was never a baby.....only Ava is a baby and she is crazy. And why does she have diarrhea?"

10 months

This little one has my heart. She is wild and all over the place - but sweet as can be, and we love her. Harrison told me today "Mommy, I love my little sister." Agreed.

She is starting to stand on her own, letting go for a few seconds at a time. And just today clapped on cue - and it made me smile. Love her.

Missing

For the past eight months (I think that is how long it has been since I blogged...) I have thought on multiple occasions - that I should just sit down and blog. Do a little here and a little there and eventually you will catch up. I took hundreds of pictures of my kids this summer, hundreds of Ava growing from a newborn to a crawling wild little one, hundreds of Harrison turning three and becoming my little man. I should have done it. About five weeks ago our home was broken into and amoungst all the replaceable items that were taken, it is the things I cannot replace that has caused my heart to ache. You see, I, like a lot of other people I know - do not print my pictures as I take them. Back in the days of film - this was not a problem. I kept meaning to, but I just never did. So my photos from the last two years are gone, as well as all the video I have taken over the last three years of my kids.

So I write this not for sympathy - but just as maybe a little kick start for others. Put your memories onto cd or external hard drives outside of your home. Because hard drives in the home get taken too. Anyway, I hope people don't mind if I take a picture or two off their blogs of things that involved my family in the past. I am going to try and piece together events from others photos.

Anyway - I have made a vow with myself to be more diligent about not only blogging, but printing pictures and becoming more organized altogether. So stick with me as I begin blog catch-up!

Halloween Festivities

Harrison was Spiderman for the second year in a row - so we thought it only fitting to spend Halloween with his cousins who are also obsessed with Spiderman. Alex and Harrison are just six months apart in age and looked like twins in their costumes. Jordan and I put together his Doctor Octopus costume the night before and the boys LOVED it!

Our little pumpkin Ava made it to three houses trick-or-treating and then lost it. I was secretly thrilled - and she and I headed back to the house where it was nice and warm. This was Harrison's first year trick-or-treating and he just couldn't believe he could just knock on doors and they gave him candy! It was so fun to see the boys together - wrestling, shooting webs, and of course eating all the candy possible!

Halloween at PreSchool

Getting to wear his Spiderman costume to school, a costume parade with their decorated pumpkins, donuts and witches brew for a snack, and Harrison's best friend Bjork, came dressed as EVE from WALL-E. Pretty much a perfect day in Harrison's book.

First Snow

A few days before Halloween we had a lovely dumping of snow - Harrison was in heaven and spent most of the day outside. It lasted one day and it was gone - for now. He is SO ready for winter and asks every day if he can put on his snow clothes, I wish it would stay fall forever.

Football and a visit from the Greats...

Football season is upon us, which means Harrison wears his football helmet more often than not and is constantly holding some object up to my mouth as a microphone so that I can do the play by play of his actions. He tackles himself, fumbles, catches, runs, stiff arms imaginary opponents - all right from our living room. Ava gets in on the action occasionally....

My grandmother and grandpa Frank also came for a visit - we loved having them here. Frank wired our garage we built last spring for lights and plugs - we are SO grateful! Harrison was obsessed with Franks cane and used it as a fire-knife while he spun it around in the living room. I am so happy that my kids are getting to know their great grandparents - I hope we didn't wear them out too much!

9 Months

My little one is nine months old. She crawls, opens any drawer or cupboard she can find, and is keeping me on my toes. She has started to answer with her own little coos and sounds when you talk to her - and melts her daddy's heart on a regular basis. Love this little one.

A trip to Southern California

We spent 5 days in Southern California with Jordan's family(most of which I think we secretly spent wishing we still lived at the beach :) and had a great time. We went for morning walks on the beach, spent a couple of days at a very hot disneyland, saw old friends, met my Uncle Peter at the Santa Monica pier for lunch at our favorite place WAHOO'S, went to a USC football game, and just enjoyed being away. Doesn't that picture of Ava in her Minnie ears just make your heart melt?