A Hallie first

*Sorry  pictures aren't very good. They are from Ryan's phone.

We love going to the BYU basketball games. Last weekend we went with Ryan's family, and took Hallie for the very first time. She was so good and loved being with the crowd, family, and eating lots of popcorn.

Eli loves to go to to the game to watch the cheerleaders. He plays around  and won't  sit still until the cheerleaders come out. As soon as they are on the floor he perks up and watches their whole little routine. He LOVES cheerleaders. I don't know if I should be proud or concerned.

Aunt Tiff and Eli

Happy Happy Birthday

I love birthdays! And I REALLY love when Ryan and the kids have birthdays. I love to go all out, have parties, make a fun cake, and just have fun.

This week was Eli's birthday and he turned four. I really got into Eli's birthday this year and made sure he knew  that I thought he and his birthday were special.

We started the week by celebrating Eli's birthday and Ryan's grandma's 80th birthday at Ryan's mom's house on Sunday. All of Ryan's family was there and we had such a good time.

 Party with Ryan's family

Opening presents

His actual birthday started out so fun. As I mentioned before Eli does not show a lot of excitement and emotion, but the night before I put some balloons in his room. When he woke up in the morning he came running in my room so excited that there were balloons. It was so fun to see him so excited, and we were just getting started.

When he went out to the living room I had one present for him to open. Through out the day I would pull out a present for him to open, so that it would last the whole day.

I let him choose what he wanted for breakfast. He chose cupcakes. I didn't want to make cupcakes so Ryan asked if he wanted to go to the bakery and pick out his very own donut. He thought that was a great idea, and so that is what we did.

The whole day I didn't do anything but what he wanted. He was in PURE heaven. For lunch we had macaroni and cheese, and for his grand birthday dinner... Frosted Flakes. Yes. Of all the places and choices of food all he wanted was a bowl of Frosted Flakes!  So we feasted upon the yummy goodness. To end the night we let him pick out a movie to rent, and my mom came over and watched it with us. He kept saying all day, "I can do this or that because it is my special day, huh?" I loved it! He got it! I wanted him to know what a special day it was, and I think by the end of the day he knew.

Tonight we had another birthday party for him at our house with my side of the family. It was a monster theme and it was so fun. Eli couldn't wait for HIS party to start.  We played Put the Eye on the monster, Don't munch the Monster, and the adults had races to see who could put the monster puzzle together the fastest. Eli  got many presents and had fun turning four. Thanks everyone that helped Eli have such a fun birthday!!

Opening presents with the Batman mask on that his cousins gave him

The party favors

I LOVE this kid. He truly brings so much joy to me and I am so glad he is mine!

How??

How  does something so cute and so little cause so much frustration???

A kiss

                                          

     Hallie is not a very affectionate child. Never has been. From day one she never liked being held very close, swaddled, and heaven forbid, snuggled, kissed or hugged.

When I try to give her hugs and kisses she will push me away quite forcefully and turn her head. Honestly this would bother me. I Love to snuggle, kiss, and squish my kids. And I was bugged she didn't want to love me back. Eli was never really into snuggling either, but he would  at least let me hug and kiss him.

Because I had to have some physical sign that she loved me, Hallie and I started this thing where I would stick my pointer finger out and say "I love you!!" After I said this she would stick her pointer finger out and touch it to mine. That became her way of showing me affection. (Now don't get me wrong I still squish, kiss, and give her big hugs, but this always made me feel  a little better, because at least she wasn't fighting me).

Well she has slowly come around. A day I was sure would never happen, happened. She gave ME a kiss. I didn't even have to beg. My heart totally melted and I realized she does love me.

This slow transformation of affection  all started about a month ago. My dad asked her for a hug, and she ran to him and gave him one. I was shocked, confused, and hurt. I have asked her MILLIONS of times for hugs and she would run away from me. But my dad asks and she runs right to him with a big grin? UNBELIEVABLE! And what's worse? She did it MULTIPLE times. I thought maybe she had figured the whole hugs thing out  and was now going to be my loving, affectionate daughter. So I immediately ask her to give me a hug. She looks  at me and runs away. Again the hurt.

Then two weeks ago I asked her for a kiss and she walked over to me and gave me one. Oh. It was a great day. She will now give me kisses. Sometimes. When I ask. And  even then she has to be in the right mood.

But yesterday topped it all, and gave me new hope.

I was sitting on the floor, she walked up to me and gave me a kiss. All by herself! No begging and pleading on my part. It was her idea, and to me that was her best idea yet. Maybe she is slowly figuring out that showing a little affection isn't the worst thing.

Our Halloween night

This year I wasn't in much of a dressing up or being creative mode, and so Ryan and I didn't dress up and our kids costumes aren't too exciting. Eli the dragon

Princess Hallie

We did have fun trick-or-treating tho. Eli was soo excited all day. He isn't a kid that shows much emotion, so I was a little surprised when he was so excited, and kept asking me if it was time to get dressed up and go.. But I LOVED seeing his excitement. He enjoyed trick-or-treating so much that he even went for awhile with no shoes on. In the rain. And didn't complain once. I guess the shoes he was wearing were hurting his feet, so Ryan told him to just take them off. Whatever, I guess he didn't mind. Heading out

Halloween is so much more fun for me now that I have kids. I was never a big fan of Halloween (I know your thinking, did Cindy's daughter just say that)? I didn't like costumes, going around in the cold, and asking people for candy. Now I LOVE it. I love every holiday. Watching Eli have so much enthusiasm makes everything so much more FUN! My mom and the kids