Aaron's Faces

Oh my boy Aaron. 2 years and 9 months old. He is a joy and a pain-depends on who you ask and at what time. He's been sick this last week and we are all grateful he's on the mend.

Sweet face. Emily is the photographer. And Aaron is posing so nicely b/c he knows she will let him see the picture immediately after she takes it. Silly Face. This is the one he knows how to make best. He really loves to make this face on Bryan.

Sleepy Face. Here he's in his new big boy bed. Whenever he is sleepy, riding in the car, sad, hungry, or being snuggled up you can almost bet he will have either hand in his mouth. Three fingers- which three depends on the hand. And if there is a long hair wound around his fingers he will be content for a long time. If there are two hairs the better.

Train/Truck/Car Heaven Face. This boy is a train-o-holic. One night while Daddy was reading to the girls, he and I made a huge track of cars. It lasted 5 minutes before being crashed.
Cheese face. Usually he isn't the happiest in the morning b/c he's tired, and the girls are getting more attention while they get ready for school. You can see Ash filling in her morning chart. But for the camera- cheese!

Lotion Face. After bath. Lotion within reach. My friend Lightening could use some cream- we are in a dry climate. After all, mom puts lotion on my cheeks. And Lightening (who robotically talks) loves to say "Not the Face!" so why not put lotion on his face.

It's a good thing he's so darn cute, talkative, and that he's my third because otherwise he'd be in a lot more trouble. Instead of putting him in time out a lot, he gets a lot of hugs. Daddy being home is another great other lap for sitting on.

I needed to buy new diapers at Costco. I figured Aaron's about 30-35 lbs. Size 4 (what I have been getting) is up to 35 lbs. Size 5 is 27 lbs+. I've never had a child of mine wear size 5 diapers yet, but I thought maybe they'd be fine, I was being a cheap-skate (b/c size 5 is .02 more per diaper) and really my son could use some more room. I bought size 5 Costco brand- kind with an elephant (which I thought was a little insulting so I checked size 6 dprs and was pleased to see a giraffe and not a hippo or pig). We loved the new elephant diapers and Aaron named the elephant Blumpo. He leaked out four times in a row. We are not a size 5 diaper family yet.

Fairy Houses

Last night we decorated fairy houses. Bryan and Emily bought the supplies a week ago and last night we started the painting.

Ashley's first house has a picket fence around it. She has another one she started working on that is mostly blue.

Emily's first house is kind of castleish on the top and she painted the inside all pink.

Since the paints are acrylic Aaron got to have Bryan help him out. He went for the multi colored look and since he was a little sick and Bryan likes neat lines, he didn't paint too much.

My job was to keep the paint pallet full, monitor the messes and take some pictures.

The plan is for the houses to go out back. The girls love fairies! Their favorites are the fairy books by Daisy Meadows and the Disney series.

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss

Today the girls had an assembly at school. The theme was Dr. Seuss and the kids all got to bring their favorite book and dress as a Seuss character. Lunch menu: Green Eggs & Ham with M&M cookie.

Ashley is Cindy Lou Who from The Grinch. (Christmas bow, red outfit, two pigtails, fluffy socks)

Emily is a Which-What-Who from I Wish that I had Duck Feet. (Green Eggs shirt, whale spout, pipe cleaner antlers, shoelace tail)

Both were really happy about leaving for school and came reporting there were a lot of Things 1 and Things 2 around Wilson Elementary today.

Soccer Girls

The girls started their first soccer season Feb. 1st. They had one practice before their first game on Feb 4th. Needless to say, they are learning a lot!

For the first game Ashley tried a running position but at first felt more comfortable doing goalie, while Emily skipped and pranced around learning how to play mid-fielder. Both girls like soccer and are on a team of 10 kids- 3 boys and the rest girls, seven kids are on the field at a time. The season lasts 2 months. I like how Ashley is trying something new and working out how to be brave even though she doesn't always know what to do. I like how Emily is getting lots of running in because she doesn't always like to exercise but while chasing a soccer ball she has a good incentive.

The picture was during the first game as they are waiting their turn to go in. During the movie Aaron asks "Where's the shooting star?" He was seeing the airplane's long white tail in the sky and thought it was a shooting star.

Aaron's prayer

In the last couple of weeks I have been praying with the girls at bedtime. Aaron has been noticing. Usually we help him say prayers by encouraging him to tell God thanks for his "trucks and trains", which he happily does.

Tonight he offered one of his first prayers without help while laying in his bed:

"Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for dirt in the water. Thank you for gushy. Thanks you for this guy (while holding up his tractor he was cuddling with). Thank you for trains that can go backwards. Vrrrm Vrrrm Rrrrr. (long pause) Mom, can I have a drink of water?"

What I loved was that is the way his brain works coming out in sentences to God. I know I didn't talk to him about mud, gushy, or trains that go backwards today.

What I love too is when I am talking to the girls about something (like what they learned in class, or about a plan we are making), Aaron gets insistent that he have a turn to say his idea. And his idea is usually always "There was a big strong rocket. And it was orange and big and strong and goes up in the sky- pshhhhhhhhh!" I think our trip to NASA over Christmas really had an impression. Everything cool/good enough is 'big and strong'. Like how much mashed potatoes he wanted tonight at dinner for his second scoop was a big and strong scoop.

Potty training is going well which to me means few accidents and few tears. I have him sit and pee on the potty once or twice a day and each time he goes. He has pooped too sometimes. I just am the initiator. He doesn't even need marshmallow treats anymore but does like it when I read to him. Wearing big boy train undies is still really cool and worth running over to dad to show him his 'undie buns' each time. I love that I am teaching all the routine parts of toilet training before actually pulling the trigger on undies all day. So far he can: pull down his own pants, take off his diaper, climb up on the stool backwards to sit down, scoot back to get in position, hold onto the toilet so he's not wobbly, shake before getting off, flush, close the lid, to wash because we have germs on our hands, with soap, and scrub, enough to make a bubbly lather, rinse, dry and that something needs to go on your bottom afterwards. Each one is a major success! Next step in procedure is turning off lights. I know his wife will thank me someday.

I am also starting to have him take his drink to the fridge after each meal and help with the velcro on his shoes. Cleaning up messes is really hard for him right now. But it's responsibility time dude.

He favorite toy is Thomas (the train). He thinks trainese. Brushing his teeth and riding his bike are both more fun when we are pretending we are trains. He asked Bryan tonight what he favorite train was and he wasn't satisfied with Victor or Percy, but Hero was good enough (you have to seen Thomas shows to know these names). He is a picky man.

Fancied Up

Taken this morning in front of our house before church. Girls got new dresses from Costco yesterday and Aaron is sporting a tie for the first time ever. We were looking good! 11 a.m. church is truer.

New Year, New Attempt

I am feeling updatish on my blog. In part because my first attempted family skype conference call is failing.

And it's a new year, why not?


Hair styling time in the bathtub. All my cuties in a row being stylists.

We woke up to snow falling while we were visiting Utah. Aaron on his way to the "O-bells" (Zobells house with 2 boys and all their toys) neighbor's house. He loves their whole family and their trains and gogurts.

Sending out some Hanks art love to Wes and Kristen as they are starting the chemo process.

Ashley and Aaron having a jam session in our living room on the pots and pans.

Bryan's 33rd birthday party, co-celebrated with a double birthday party with Spencer. They are laughing because Bryan blew out the candles on 2 of 1-2-3, instead of 3. Oops. No wish for Spencer this year.