April 22, 2009

Easter in Boise

The kid's and I took a little road trip over Easter weekend to visit my aunt and cousin's in Idaho. Ryan wasn't feeling very well and since my cousin's little baby is still so tiny I didn't want him to come and get her sick.

My aunt had lots of fun things planned and included my kids in all the fun activities. We all had a so much fun!! Here are the highlights:

Decorating cake pops:

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Eating Cake Pops:

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Cake Pop:

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Egg hunt

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Easter baskets:

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Eating Peeps:

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Other fun things we did: Ate at Primos Pizza, watched Bedtime Stories and The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. stayed up late every night, playing Rockband and WII fit, just playing, and relaxing!

Thanks Sandra and Kevin. It's always so fun to come visit.

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The kids and I then rushed home Sunday to make it to Ryan's parent's house for Easter dinner and Egg Hunt.

easter pageEaster egg hunt at the Teeples' 

We had a great Easter weekend.

April 15, 2009

Sleepovers

Two weekends ago we decided to have some fun with Eli and have sleepovers as a whole family at a couple of his grandparents house. No reason. Just for fun!

Friday night we slept at Ryan's grandparent's house in Orem. I honestly don't know who was more excited about it, Eli or Ryan's grandparents.

We ordered pizza , played with grandma and grandpa, watched Bolt and stayed up late. During the movie I realized how tender little Eli is, during the part of the fire (if you've seen it you know what I am talking about) Eli got a little choked up. He told us he thought Penny was going to die. I have never seen him react like that. It was kind of cute.

During the night poor Hallie got a fever and could not sleep. She would lay for a little bit and try to sleep and then just start crying and saying, "mommy, mommy." It was so sad. Of course we didn't have any Tylenol or anything, so finally at about 4:00am Ryan saved the day, he ran to Wal-mart to get Tylenol. After we gave her the Tylenol she laid right back down and slept the rest of the night.

Saturday we slept in a little (that's what I love about grandma's they get up early and take care of the kids), then had a yummy breakfast and watched a session of conference. Hallie still wasn't feeling great and so she sat and cuddled me the whole time. It was kind of one of those bttersweet moments- I was sad she was sick, but loved that she would just sit and cuddle me.

We went home took naps and then me and the kids headed to my parent's to have a sleep over  while Ryan went with his dad and brother's to the Priesthood session.

At my parent's house we played, watched Bedtime Stories, and stayed up late. Ryan came later that night and slept over with us. On Sunday we slept in again (gotta love grandma).

We then had our Easter festivities with my family. We died Easter eggs, had dinner, and our annual Easter egg hunt. (One for the adults, and one for the kids).  We all got quite the loot. Ryan and I scored about $20, and lots of candy, and Eli & Hallie made out with about $12 combined, and lots of candy. Not too shabby.

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hunt

hallie chocHallie tried to eat a Hershey's kiss that had melted. When she opened it, it got on her hand and she sat there paralyzed and disgusted. She would not move or make a sound. She just sat there completely still staring at it. It was hilarious.

It was a fun weekend and a nice change from our normal everyday.

April 13, 2009

Hallie is so outdoorsey...and we're mean parents

Hallie has some wierd thing about the grass. Funny videos, if you don't mind watching parents tease their kids.


April 07, 2009

Eli explains the Pretend Birthday thing

This is Ryan, and I'm putting up a video as a follow-up to Lessley's recent post about her pretend birthday party.

It's about three minutes long, but gives a little insight into the mind of a four year old who randomly decides to throw his Mom a party. The decorations are hilarious.


The Build a Bear Miracle

As previously mentioned Eli had a bad a habit of sucking his fingers.

I decided he was just too old and that he needed to stop. I would talk to him about it and tell him that he needed to stop. Well, about 2 months before he turned four he told me he would stop sucking them when he turned four. I decided to let it go, and see if he really would. Well, his fourth birthday came and went and he continued to suck. I decided I better get serious and do some serious bribing.

We told him he could earn toys, money, dates with mom and dad, a trip to Chuckee E Cheese, and I even told him we could go to Florida (we were already planning on going) if he would stop sucking for a week. NOTHING worked. None of it seemed worth giving up his habit.

A few weeks ago we were cleaning his room and he was putting a bear on his bed that my parents made for him at the Vermont Bear factory (it's like Build-a-Bear) I told him that Grandma and Grandpa made it for him. He of course asked, "how?" (I have never taken him to a Build-a-Bear, I figured that was a store we would stay away from as long as possible). I explained to him that there are stores that you can make bears. He seemed totally intrigued.

Then I had a brilliant idea!!

I asked Eli if he wanted to go to one of those stores and make his own bear. He said, "yes." I said, "If you don't suck your fingers for a week we will go pick out any bear you want." He didn't really say he would stop, but he seemed to be thinking about it.

The next day we just happen to be at the mall. We were walking past Build-a-Bear and so I took him in to show him what it was all about.

He was totally FASCINATED!! He loved the machine that put the stuffing in. We sat and watched 3 bears be filled. I then showed him the outfits and showed him the bins with the limp animals.

That night he stopped sucking! It was a miracle. He literally stopped sucking that day! Occasionally I would catch him in the middle of the night sucking them in his sleep, but when he was awake he rarely sucked them. And usually if he would start to suck, he would take them out himself and say, "mom, I was going to suck my fingers, but I stopped because I want a Build-a-Bear."

Sure enough he went a whole week with pretty much no sucking. (It was actually a week and a half, because we couldn't get there until then. Good thing he doesn't know the difference between 7 days and 10 days).

So of course I kept my end of the bargain and we had a fun little outing to Build-a-Bear. I realized how much like me he is in his decision making skills. He had the hardest time picking out a bear. For days before we went he told me that he wanted the Koala Bear. But once we got there he picked up the Koala started walking toward the machine, then put it back, grabbed the monkey, started walking toward the machine, then changed his mind, went back for the Koala, then changed his mind again. We did this about 4 times. Finally, he made the big decision and stuck with it. The Koala won! ( I was glad because it was actually one of the cheapest ones).

He was in heaven. Although in the pictures he looks so serious he really was so excited. (He's also like me in this regard, as we don't get outwardly excited even though we could be having the times of our lives).

He named him Zupter (don't know where that came from) and picked out some shorts and a camo tent.

When we were done I told him that because he had accomplished such a big task(breaking his habit, not building a bear) he could also pick out where we could eat for dinner. He chose Cafe Rio. Now that is my kind of kid. I was nervous he was going to say he just wanted Frosted Flakes (what he chose for his Birthday dinner).

march 23, 2009 057Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

march 23, 2009 029 Pumping the stuffing in

march 23, 2009 042 Washing him up

march 23, 2009 047 Making the Birth certificate

march 23, 2009 053 Best money ever spent!

He now doesn't even suck his fingers in his sleep. I am so excited. It was almost too easy.

Who knew a little stuffed Koala would cure a 4 year old from sucking his fingers?

April 02, 2009

Happy Birthday to me?

This morning when Eli woke up he told me it was my pretend  birthday today and that he was going to have a party. I just kind of shrugged it off and said, "ok".

Little did I know he was serious.

He decorated. (He made paper chains, and a picture of our family. He taped those and ribbon and balloons to the wall).

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He made and wrapped presents.

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He made me unwrap the presents

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He organized games.

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And he made us all eat ice cream bars and popsicles for my birthday dessert. (He wanted me to make a cake, but I wasn't really in the mood for that).

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He was so excited that he planned me a party. He did such a good job and it made me feel so special. I guess he knows how much I don't like my December birthday, so he decided to give me a party in April.

I now declare April 2 my new birthday.

I love this kid!!!