Firetruck party

Grey had been requesting a firetruck birthday party for several months.  He is really into firetrucks, police cars and ambulances.  As the party got closer we talked about who he wanted to invite and what he wanted to do at his party. Paul had to work the night shift on Grey's birthday and the next day, so we decided to hold the party on Friday morning since Paul would be home.  Leila was at school and I was really surprised she didn't throw a fit that she wouldn't be at the party, she just told us to save her some cake and a treat bag. 

 

 

Grey invited Alanna, Austin and Jocilyn.  They all said they would be there but then Jocilyn didn't show up, we found out the next day that they thought the party was on Saturday.  So Jocilyn and Grey played on Saturday and ate leftover cake.  

 Grey told me he wanted to color, play with play dough, read his firetruck book, and eat lunch.  It worked out perfect, the activities were all things three year olds like to do and kept their attention.  They also went and played in the basement for a little bit while I made their lunch.  After lunch we opened presents and then had cake and ice cream. 

 Greydon had been asking for this Fire house rescue set since he saw it at the store, so he was pretty ecstatic when he got it. 

 Grey loved opening presents and was moving so fast I could barely get pictures of him.  He got some transformers, Imaginext dinosaurs, clothes and pajamas, hat and gloves, trucks, and little creative creatures, he loves everything he got!

He struggled a little bit trying to blow out the candles, it took him several blows but he finally got it.   

Grey claims he likes cake but really all he likes is the frosting and he just leaves the cake.  I caught him sneaking frosting off the cake on several occasions. 

It was a small and quiet little party but we had a lot of fun.  It definitely made me miss having family and good friends around to help us celebrate.  Happy 3rd Birthday Greydon!



the big 3

I seriously don't know what we would do without this little boy, he knows just how to push Leila's buttons, is teaching Asher how to be tough and just makes us laugh all the time.

*I will update Grey's height and weight when we go to the doctor next week
*He has brown eyes with flecks of green, sometimes they look a mossy color.  He has brownish blond hair and has had so many haircuts I can't even count.  He has nice thick hair that we are all jealous of.  He likes his hair long and does not want us to cut it short.
*He has no opinion on what he wears, unless he sees one of his super hero shirts and then he insists on wearing it.
*He is a great sleeper, he doesn't fight going to bed and is content after 1 book is read.  He sometimes can't fall asleep right away but will usually just lay in his bed talking to himself or he will come down stairs and talk to mom or dad for a few minutes and then just put himself back to bed.  He loves to nap and sometimes asks if it is nap time yet.  He wakes up early in the morning but I think Leila actually wakes him up.
He loves breakfast foods, any kind of cereal, oatmeal, pancakes, french toast, fried eggs (not scrambled), bacon, sausage and hash browns.  He sometimes asks for cereal for lunch.  He also loves soup, pizza, spaghetti, any kind of pasta, tacos, anything with meat, smoothies, strawberries, bananas, apples, oranges, grapes and lunch meat.  He does not like cheese or sandwiches.  His drink of choice is milk or ice water and he loves a juice box but I rarely buy them.
*He is pretty good at sharing and gets along well with other kids.  He pretty much only fights with his sister.  He also likes to bug Asher especially when he is bored or is not getting enough attention (like when I'm trying to make dinner).  He is known to tackle Asher and put blankets over his head and push him down.
*He hates helping clean up his toys or any messes he makes.  He ends up just playing with his toys instead of cleaning them up.  He is really good at clearing his plate from the table, throwing things in the garbage, helping clean the toilet and unloading the silverware from the dishwasher.
*Greydon loves to help me cook, he is my little cooking and baking buddy while Leila is at school.  He also loves play dough, painting and doing crafts.
*Greydon has a great imagination and can play for a long time with his dinosaurs or cars making up stories and scenarios as he plays.  It's so fun to listen to him play, he comes up with some crazy ideas.
*Greydon loves books, he doesn't have any favorites because he picks a new one each night.  I also find him in his room just looking at books.
*Greydon has a great memory and can remember song lyrics, names of people, any little thing I've told him, past events, random facts, and the first 4 Articles of Faith.  Last week we were looking at a toy magazine and he pointed to  picture and said, "Ryder has that toy," and it was totally a toy that Ryder had.  It has been almost a year since he has been at Ryder's house, I couldn't believe he could even remember it.
*He is turning in to quite the daddy's boy.  He is always asking for his daddy and has even been calling out for daddy during the night if he needs something.
*Greydon is quite sensitive and hates getting in trouble, he falls to pieces if he gets in trouble.  He is also very concerned about others, if someone is crying he is very worried.  He hates to hear Asher crying in his bed, the minute Asher wakes up Greydon is busting in to his room to save him.  He is also very protective, if we are playing outside he gets very concerned about Asher's safety, if Asher even looks at the street he begins yelling to me that Asher is getting to close to the road.
*Anyone that is ever around Greydon just falls in love with him.  People are always telling me that he is so funny and such a character (which is how I would describe him).  He is just so darn lovable!
We love our big cuddly guy so much!

12 months old

I know I just wrote a post about Asher about a week ago but I missed a bunch of things that I wanted to document about him.

*He weighs 18lbs 9 oz (10th percentile)
His is 29 1/4 inches tall (10th percentile)
His head is 19 inches (95th percentile)
*You should see him without any clothes, he's got a skinny little body and a giant head, but we just love our little peanut!
*He has brown eyes and brown hair, it seems a little darker then Leila or Greydon's.  He has had 3 haircuts so far besides a few little trims from me.  He has super straight hair that likes to stick up on top.  He has 7 teeth right now, 4 on top and 3 on the bottom, I'm sure an 8th tooth will pop through any time.
*He is sleeping great at night, he usually goes down at 7 pm and then is up at 7 am.  He takes a morning nap, that has been really long lately (like 3+ hours) and then a short afternoon nap.
*He still nurses 3-4 times a day.  He will drink from a sippy cup but doesn't love whole milk, he doesn't hate it but will only drink a little bit.  He loves table food and has pretty much moved beyond baby food other than applesauce, oatmeal and yogurt. He loves raspberries, cooked carrots, mandarin oranges, shredded meat, pasta, pizza, bananas, waffles, pancakes, bread, peas, pears, fruit loops, and Cheerios.  He loves when I put cereal in a snack cup for him, he has a death grip on the cup and will not give it up until all the cereal is gone. He doesn't really care for cheese or eggs.
*He is not super destructive, he definitely makes messes but not nearly like the other two did at his age.  I can leave cupboards and drawers open and he won't empty them in a matter of seconds.  He might grab something out of the cupboard and play with it but not a huge mess.
*He is also not a climber, both his siblings climbed everything at this age but it's nice to have a little one that likes to keep his feet on the ground.  
*He is beginning to run especially if he sees a door open and he wants to get outside
*He loves following his siblings around and tries to mimic what they do.  He loves to play with cars and trucks with Greydon. He likes carrying around spoons, a toy hammer, and travels size shampoo bottles, I know super odd but he finds them in the linen closet and always grabs one when the door gets left open
*He gives bonks, plays patty cake, throws his hands in the air when we say "so big", likes to play chase and signs all done.  He doesn't like to play hide and seek and does not like us to scare or surprise him.  He likes to be thrown in the air.
*He loves to throw things in the garbage, I'm always finding toys or other items in the garbage.  I'm pretty sure we have lost some toys because of this little game of his.
*He says mama, dada and kuka (for yucky) plus mimics sounds we make.
*He is definitely a mama's boy and loves to cuddle with me
He is seriously such a joy and we all love him so much!

1st Birthday

Asher Dasher turned 1 on November 1st.  We had a little party for him on Saturday.

He was a little unsure of opening presents but once his brother and sister showed him what to do he was so excited to open the rest of the gifts. 

This picture is on his actual birthday, he is opening some books he recieved from his Nana and Pop

 

 I made him this monster cake, it was a bit of a disaster at first and it's super lopsided but in the end turned out cute and was super tasty.

 

 

 He had no idea what blowing the candle out meant

 He downed the cake pop in two seconds, before I could even grab my camera and then sat and took little bites of the cake until it was all gone, he never smooshed the cake but just enjoyed every single bite.

 

 

He was happy and full of sugar by the time he finished his cake!

10 on tuesday

1.  I have felt pretty blah lately.  I'm really missing family and really missing Henderson.  The weather here has been pretty overcast and I'm use to sunshine everyday.  Don't get me wrong I love a good rainstorm but day after day of gloom is just so sad.  I'm really missing park days and just beautiful weather plus all my wonderful friends from Henderson.  It makes me so sad to read their blogs or see their Facebook posts of them enjoying 70 degree weather and sunshine. 
2.  I finally went to the dentist now that we have dental insurance.  It was really bad, I don't have great teeth anyway and going 4 years without an exam and cleaning was  just way to long.  It's frustrating because I brush several times a day and floss a least once a day but between 2 pregnancy's, lack of seeing a dentist and not great teeth it was bad news.   I'm so embarrassed about all the work that has to be done plus knowing how my teeth are I should have just paid out of pocket to see a dentist.  I am now kicking  myself for not just finding the time and money to get in while we were in medical school.  I have to have two root canals plus crowns, plus a tooth extracted, a bridge made and put in and several cavities filled.  And this all cost a fortune, insurance pays for some but I have a maximum amount they will pay and I've already almost used that up and still have a lot still to be done.  The other thing is finding babysitters for all the appointments.  And these are not quick appointments, one is over 3 hours long.  I only have a handful a people that I know well enough to ask to watch my kids.  And I already feel like I'm over using them.  All I can say is this has been frustrating with lots of tears.  How thankful I am for the church and the blessings from paying tithing.  I have been blessed with great visiting teachers who have stepped up and have been more then willing to help out. 
3.  As far as the dental work goes I had 1 root canal several weeks ago but then the tooth broke and so I had to have that fixed and then I had another tooth extracted last Thursday (it was a miserable experience).  It was surprisingly more painful then I thought it would be and they seriously did not give me enough pain medication but I'm finally starting to feel better.  And again I had a great friend take the boys while I was at the oral surgeons office and then she picked Leila up from school and kept her all evening and then she brought us dinner.  It really has been hard to ask others to babysit and help me out, I hate feeling this helpless and needy or that I am in debt to these people.  They don't make me feel that way it's just me making myself feel guilty.  I know if I was in their position I would be more than willing and happy to help and not expect anything in return it, it just really sucks asking for help all the time. 
4.  Paul has been really busy and working so much, October was a very busy month for him.  November was suppose to be an easy rotation with good hours but some how he got stuck covering peds transplant for a week plus a week of night float.  He has to work night float the week of Thanksgiving.  We will still be able to have Thanksgiving dinner but he will just have to go into work after dinner.  And Paul was awesome to volunteer me to make Thanksgiving dinner for the other residents that are working.  It totally puts the pressure on since I have never done the entire Thanksgiving dinner all by myself, I've never cooked a turkey or made stuffing and then trying to get everything else done all at the same time.  It will be interesting!
5.  Asher turned 1 last week, I can't believe how fast this last year flew by.  It's weird that he is turning into a toddler, I feel like he is still my little baby.

 
6.  Greydon seriously keeps me laughing all day long he is so imaginative and always has crazy ideas.  The other day I found him in a box with a pirate hat on  and looking through paper towel inside part, he was saying "Arhh matey, I'm searching for gold".  And then the other night Paul and I were telling Greydon something and he didn't believe us, he looked up and said, "for real, are you for real".

7.  I have said this before but I love when Leila brings her writing home from school.  It's fun to see what she writes about and how she spells things. 

8.  I love when it's my turn to volunteer in Leila's class.  I got to help with the fall party and once a month I go in and help with Math stations.  I love seeing her in class and seeing her interact with the other kids and her teacher.  Leila's class room aid also happens to be in our ward and last week she texted me to tell me what Leila said in class.  He teacher asked if anyone did anything fun over the weekend and she said Leila's hand shot up.  The teacher picked her and Leila said she got to participate in her primary program.  He teacher asked her what that meant and she said she got to sing and share scriptures with others to teach them about Jesus and Choosing the Right.

9.  We celebrated Paul's birthday a couple weeks ago.  I had his family and friends email me pictures of them wishing him Happy Birthday and then put all the pictures and notes up on our door to the garage so he could see it before leaving for work at 4:30 am.  He loved it except it made him homesick.  We were able to get a babysitter and go out to dinner that night, we tried a Thai restaurant and it was delicious!

 

10.   We have Greydon's birthday coming up on Friday and then we will be done with all of our birthday celebrations for a little while.  I'm a little birthdayed out, trying to plan 3 parties, cakes, surprises and presents in two weeks time is a bit overwhelming.  I'm excited to start getting ready for Christmas!  I want to put up the decorations this weekend but Paul's being a Scrooge and wants to wait until after Thanksgiving. I've started the Christmas shopping but still have a bunch to do.  Christmas for 3 kids is expensive good thing most of their wants are pretty cheap and they are pretty much happy with anything!

Halloween

This year Greydon was insistent on being Spiderman and we found his costume at Costco just like every other boy did, we saw a lot of spidermen this year.  Leila has a very specific idea for her witch costume.  We actually have a witch costume but it wasn't what she had in mind.  She wanted orange and black leggings, an orange a black tutu with a black shirt that had some kind of Halloween design on it and an orange and black hat.  I searched all over for orange and black leggings but could only find tights, luckily my mother in law found leggings for her.  I made the skirt for Leila and then bought a black shirt and got a Halloween iron-on for the shirt.  It turned out exactly how she wanted, thank goodness.  Asher of course was a gorilla, we bought this costume when Leila was a baby.  It was kind of pricey but we have gotten our money's worth.  All our kids have used it plus several friends and it still is in great condition. 

 

One night we went to the library Halloween party and the kids got her hear Halloween stories, watch a movie and make some crafts. 

We also attended our ward trunk or treat.  Paul got held up at work so it was just me and the kids.  I decorated our trunk and just put the bowl of candy out so that I could take the kids around.  It was freezing and windy so we only lasted about 30 minutes. 

 

So in Iowa and a lot of other places in the Midwest they have Beggar's night.  It is usually on a different night then Halloween and this is when trick or treating happens.  So weird to not trick or treat on Halloween but I guess we will have to get use to it.  Our Beggar's night was on October 30th. 

 On Beggar's night I realized we still had not carved our pumpkins.  I had being trying to find a time when we could do it as a family but Paul's schedule this month has been crazy so it never happened.  I decided we needed to have our pumpkins carved for all the trick or treaters.  I hurried and cleaned them out and as soon as Leila got home from school we started carving them.  We picked simple pumpkin faces so that I could do it quickly and still have time to get ready for trick or treating. 

 

 

 

 

 

 We went trick or treating with our neighbors the Bucks.  The have a daughter Madisyn that is Leila's age and a daughter Alanna that is Greydon's age.  It was so fun this year, Leila was finally really excited about trick or treating and didn't need us to walk her to each door.  She would run up yell trick or treat, pick out her treat, say thank you and run to the next house.  We could barely keep up with her.  Greydon was running along with Leila at first but soon got tired, by the end of the night he could barely walk straight or climb any stairs and he kept falling over.  They both came home, sorted their candy and went right to bed. 

 

 

Asher was nice and cozy in his gorilla costume plus some gloves and blankets.  It was pretty cold, the kids needed coats, gloves and hats, definitely different then what we were use to in Las Vegas. 

In the below picture Alanna is holding Greydon's hand and dragging him along and trying to keep him from falling over.  Most of the houses let the kids pick out what candy they wanted and it was funny to see what Leila picked.  She ended up with skittles, Kit Kat's, Reese's peanut butter cups and chocolate bars, she was obviously very particular when picking her candy because she pretty much ended up with all her favorites.  Greydon on the other hand didn't care and just grabbed whatever and ended up with quite the assortment of candy.