Kelsey bug

So Kelsey can sometimes be a little whiny but for the most part she is pretty dang cute.  The other day she was asking me how milk was made.  I explained that cows make milk and we get the milk from cows.  Her answer to this was "If I were a cow I wouldn't want to be milked. I would run away." No part of our conversation included how you milk a cow or where exactly you milked. I told Brian that story so the next day he was teasing her a bit and said "I heard you don't want to be a cow." She stated in a matter of fact way "No because I don't want to be milked. I would run away."

Today to make up for some of my other mothering areas I took the kids swimming.  They both had the day off of school. We were playing by some jets and small bubbles were created by the jets. Kelsey looks at them and says "We are in 7UP."

It is kind of sad. You would think that since we had a pool for 3 out of the 5 years of Kelsey's life that she would be quite the swimmer. She loves the water and can't get enough. But if you saw her at the pool or even tried to make her swim you would never guess that at one point in her short life she did know how to swim. She has even swam across a small pool and once pushed her sister in the pool so she could jump in faster. Guess I will have to find a really good teacher this year that will force her back into swimming.

Oh the Cuteness

So Braden just oozes cuteness. Actually all my kids oozed cuteness at this age. They are still cute but come with a little more attitude and whine (can I have a little cheese with that).

Any ways, Braden is quite the yaker and has many words in his vocabulary. He has reached the terrible twos and doesn't share with his cousin Ellie anymore. In fact when she is around you hear "No Eddie" quite a bit which is usually followed by crying because Braden has taken something away. The other night she came over and Braden had a whole tub of animal crackers in front of him. When he saw her he quickly pushed the tub behind his back and said "no Eddie". So she went for his lawn mower.  Braden made like lightening and reached the mower first. So Ellie eyed the crackers. He ran to the crackers. So she grabbed the lawn mower. Then he took it from her and she began to cry. And so it goes and now he fits in at nursery.

He is very active and quite the stinker. He makes twice the mess as I am cleaning up the first mess. He purposefully pees on the carpet. Last night he pulled his diaper off, ran away from me and within five seconds he had peed on the carpet with a huge grin and a laugh. Kelsey has taught him that it is funny to fart on purpose and one of his favorite places to do this is in the tub. He has to feed himself and has to have his own utensils. Definitely the terrible twos.

However, he can be polite. He will say "tank you", "welcome", and "'cuse me"(this one only when forced to). His other favorite phrases are "watch, mom watch me" and "nee' help".

The cutest thing he does is when I am hunched on the ground doing this or that he comes up behind me and wraps his arms around me and says "huggie". Of course I shake a little and say how much I love huggies so he gives me more. It has turned into quite the game and he now gives everyone huggies. Most of the time with others he gives huggies facing them but he always says "huggies". Tonight Brian asked for a huggie. Brian was kneeling on the ground so Braden pushed past him and went from behind, wrapped his arms around Brian's behind for a true huggie. Braden is quite the lover and most of the time freely gives away kisses (any guesses as to how we passed the illness). Luckily I am the receipient of many of these kisses. Sometimes they are sweet and sometimes they are forceful, but I love them all. 

He is quite the mama's boy and most of the time I like it. There is a point in every day when I hate it. This is usually when he wakes up from his nap and I am needing to start dinner. At this time of day he wants me to hold him and it takes a long time before he will allow me to put him down. Sometimes because of time issues I have to make him cry at my legs and trip me up. Sometimes I tell him to find someone else. Luckily he still loves me.

He is very good about going to sleep. When it is nap time or bed time all you have to do is get his blanket, say "nigh nigh", then he repeats that, give everyone kisses, and then he wants you to lay him in bed. Generally you don't hear another peep from him until he wakes up.

Christmas 2010

The holiday season has come and gone.  The decorations went up and have already come down. Except for the pathetic 3 strand light display in front of my house.  It is too dang cold to get to those just yet (whose idea was it to move back to a place that can remain below freezing for several days in a row).  Now is the time to get to work on those resolutions, de-clutter the house (a load went to the DI today), and start thinking about organizing those taxes.  Since I don't want to crack open the taxes I will procrastinate by giving a re-cap of the season. Then after that I will continue to procrastinate by reading a book.

• Party, party, party with many sightings of Santa Claus.  Braden loves to point out any Santa and say "Santa" over and over.  He never did get comfortable enough to sit on his lap.  The two most memorable Santa stories feature Macy and Kelsey.  Macy and Kelsey went with Carol and Alan to their ward party.  When Santa asked Macy what she wanted she blurted out "a pink snuggie".  When she got back to grandma, she was almost in tears because she really didn't want a pink snuggie and she didn't know why she said that.  What she really wanted was a pink robe.  So she wrote him a letter with her correction and then the next night at our ward Christmas party she told him the right item.  Kelsey's story goes like this.  Dad asks her what she is going to ask Santa for.  Kelsey says "a GPS".  Trying not to laugh Brian asks her again.  "A GPS."  "Kelsey do you know what a GPS is?" "Yes. It is one of those pink things that you can play games on and write on." Brian had no clue and was trying to keep a straight face. This is when I come to the rescue and say "you mean a Nintendo DSI?"
• Gingerbread houses were a little pathetic. Maybe I was a little bah humbug or I decided not to stress myself out this year but I did not make real gingerbread and this night was a quick ad lib complete with Halloween candy. (The non-stress thing didn't work because the original Santa list was given right before Thanksgiving and all was bought. That was when we started to visit the Santa's and the truly desired came out. It was nothing close to the original list so back out to the stores I went trying to find the best deals because the lists now included big ticket items.) The girls went to a birthday party the next night and made another graham cracker gingerbread house. The second house turned out looking 10 times better, but my real buttercream frosting tasted 10 times better when I started to devour the houses.
  
  

  

  Kelsey's



Macy's houses, who got to the roof?

• Besides the pathetic gingerbread houses, I never sent out Christmas cards. Maybe New Year's cards or Valentine cards. Maybe you will have to wait until next year.
• There was lots of "nandy" (from the words of Braden) and a love candy canes blossomed and covered him on several occasions.

• Of course there was plenty of snow with some really cold nights.  There was also some warm nights, comparatively speaking.  One of the warm nights we made our way to Temple Square.  It is the only way to get this mom out to see the temple lights.



Macy getting a ride to the bus stop from the neighbor



Proof that dad sometimes shovels the driveway


• Macy had a school performance and sang "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" and another song I can't remember nor did I get a good video to help my memory.
• Braden was back to his normal self 3 days after Christmas. Not in time to really enjoy Christmas like he should have and not in time to make for a good family portrait session that was scheduled the Monday after Christmas. That was my mom's Christmas present.
• We thought everyone was all recovered when Kelsey threw up at grandma's on New Year's Eve.  She was fine the next day so maybe she ate too much junk.
• My sister has been back in town for the whole month of December and so we played a lot with her and Ellie. Braden passed on the bug to just in time to send it up to my sister's in-law's household. We like to share like that and it was the season of giving. Before getting sick we went to the Festival of Trees, shopped at the mall, watched the U of U football bowl game, went rock climbing, and made the gingerbread houses.

• Santa came so I guess the kids were good.  Need a pillow pet?  We have seven of them and yes we still only have 3 kids.  Brian got his camera. I never bought my treadmill (there is just too much I want to spend money on this upcoming year). Don't worry I did plenty of shopping to make up for my lack of gift. It just didn't come close to the treadmill I want. The girls received a DSI each, a pink robe, footed pajamas (Kelsey was so excited to get these), zoobles, a book, Guess Who, Chutes and Ladders, fingernail polish and a pretend hair salon.  The DSIs have been used everyday since. Braden opened cars, more cars, balls, more balls, a tool set, a lawn mower and the coolest shoes. You can't forget Buzz Lightyear.  That has been one of his favorites and we have heard it a lot. The family opened up a Wii and there have been many wakeboarding battles.



Christmas Eve we spent at home with just the kids.





Christmas Eve trying on the new duds. Braden wanted everyone else's PJs.





Don't let them fool you. Many times the threat came out "If you are not nice to your sister, I am calling Santa."



Braden was there too and he did wear his own PJs.



It may seem like night but it is really 7 AM. The girls got dressed before getting us up.



The new Sunday clothes from grandma. Don't mind the blur. It is something with our new camera and we are not happy about it.

• After Christmas the kids had a sleepover with each set of grandparents. 
• Brian and the girls went tubing at Soldier Hollow on one of the coldest days of the year.  They went with Jake's family (my sister's husband). While eyelashes froze together, snot froze to facial hair, and frostbite formed on anything it could; Braden, Ellie and I (and Kelsey after one run) sat warm and snug in the lodge.  Okay I did have on 2 jackets the whole time and sat by the fireplace. They had fun but it would have been 100 times better on a warmer day.

Emily, Brian, Kelsey, Stef and Macy each in 3 layers of clothing.



Bundling up for one last run at 5:45 PM. Craziness!



Braden trying on Uncle Jeff's goggles.

• There was the Peter Breinholt Christmas concert with our friends.
• The girls and I went to the Dickens Festival.
• And I sold my first home the middle of December. I hope to sell my second the end of January.

By the way, if you got through this give yourself a star and then take a break from the computer so you don't strain your eyes any longer.

What a Day

This post is not about Christmas nor is it for the weak of stomach.

Tuesday started out to be a great day.  I was pretty caught up on all the Christmas stuff.  I didn't have to be home at noon because Kelsey didn't have preschool.  So it was off to the mall with my sister for some wandering.  Everyone was happy.

My car has been acting up and on the way to the mall it did its silly little twitch.  This was sort of a good thing because now my check engine light was back on and I was near the dealership.  I decided to take care of this after my leisurely stroll in the mall.

After a good time it was time to get a certain kiddo back home for his nap.  So out to the car we go.  I start up the car and begin to leave the parking lot when in the middle of the lot my car just dies.  In my mind I am trying to figure out what to do.  I am blocking several parked cars whose owners are probably frantic last minute shoppers.  I am trying to imagine how I will be able to move my huge Tahoe into a parking stall all by myself.  Luckily I turn off the car and try to start it again.  It starts so I make my way to the chevy dealership.

At the dealership I am getting the car all checked in and begin to pile all the crap I need to transfer to the shuttle (I was not planning on doing this errand that day).  I pull Braden out of the car as I am waiting for the attendant to come back.  Braden is acting really tired and laying on me when all of the sudden he pukes all over me in the middle of the service garage.  It is all over my wool coat, in my hair and all over him.  At least it is not in my car nor in his car seat, right.  Now for those who don't know I can't stand hot dogs because one time when I was little I threw up hot dogs all over my Halloween costume because I was so excited to go trick or treating.  Guess what Braden had for lunch.  The poor shuttle driver had to drive this stinky crew to my house.  I was just praying that Braden would last until we got home.  I guess I didn't have enough faith because a minute from home Braden gets his car seat.  I felt so bad for that poor 19 year old driver.  Hopefully he thinks twice before doing something that could bring him a child too soon.

The rest of the day was okay once Braden was cleaned up and down for a nap and I was showered.  Then he woke up.  This one event created a longer chain of events that meant lots of laundry for me and a second car seat requiring cleaning, disinfecting, and deodorizing.

The next morning Braden woke up and seemed to be returning to normal.  He was not pale and had more energy and ate a little bit.  By night he was playing around and seemed to be close to mended.  Since this was the case we still had my family over to watch the Utah football game.  Well that was not all. 

This morning after waking up happy, energetic, and eating a good breakfast, Mr. Uker thought he better put on another show.  I cleaned him up and left him in his diaper to tackle the carpet.  Mr. Uker saw the perfect opportunity and seized it.  He stripped off his diaper and ran through the house to find his sisters. (He did throw the diaper away for me.)  My dilemma at this point; do I catch him, diaper him and cloth him before he pees on the floor (this is his knew trick after showers these days) or do I quickly tackle the awful stench emanating from the playroom? 

Don't worry it all worked out.  I just wish I knew what was going on with him.  He has been the most pleasant sick kid.  He laughs and plays (the energy is definitely diminished).  He eats and drinks some.  He has no fever and yesterday there was no symptoms.  All I am hoping for is this is not something anyone else will show up with on Christmas Eve, Christmas or the day we plan on doing family pictures.  I am working on my faith from the car ride from the dealership.  By the way the car is all fixed and it only cost me $600 at Christmas time.  The nissan was only $3500 when we were on our Disneyland trip.  We just love to throw money out the window during times of big spending.

Happy Birthday Kelsey

Not sure who decided to have a child a so soon after Halloween, but it can easily get lost in the Halloween chaos.  If that happens you have to quickly abandon all Halloween and get to the stores to buy some gifts.  If you wanted a friend party, good luck getting it organized.  Luckily this year I planned ahead.

Kelsey had a Scooby-Doo birthday.  She received Scooby-Doo movies, scooby-doo figures, a scooby-doo coloring book.  Braden even came dressed as Scooby.  Just kidding, he didn't.  Besides Scooby-Doo she received a dog she can walk. Mom is not ready to give in to real animals.  Not sure when that time will ever come.  (We still have fish if anyone wants fish.)  Grandma gave her a cowgirl hat and cowgirl boots (don't call them "cowboy").  She has worn those boots everyday since.  She even wears them to church.

She had her first friend birthday party and guess what the theme was.  If you guessed Tangled, you were wrong.  It was a Scooby-Doo party complete with a mystery that we had to solve.  While we were eating pizza someone took all the presents.  The kids had to find clues to find the presents.  They hunted down scooby snacks, popped balloon ghosts and broke open a pinta.  In the end it was dad with the laundry bag in the trunk of his car.

How's that for cake skills?  No judging.

PS I had every intention of having her send out Thank you cards.  I even took a picture with her and each guest to make the cards, but someone didn't have great follow through this year.  Christmas cards are falling into that category.

Halloween

Halloween was so long ago that I can't remember any cute stories.  I just remember it lasting forever because Halloween was on a Sunday.  The weekend went as follows.  Girls school Halloween parties on Thursday because there was no school on Friday.  Friday we visited dad's work for a little trick-or-treating.  Then it was "wear your costume to dance class"day followed by a church party with trunk-or-treating.  But that is not all, oh not that is not all.  After the church party we went to a neighbors Halloween party.  This was one event the whole family dressed up for.  Saturday was the day we took the kids trick-or-treating but we went out to grandma's neighborhood since we knew most people there.  Then the kids go to go with their cousin.  Macy outlasted them all.  It was a cold night and I think she could have gone all night.  The first ones to head back home were Brian and Braden (couldn't let the little man walk home alone).  Then Kelsey had to go to the bathroom (surprise, surprise).  After being in the house Kelsey and Jensen felt they had plenty of candy and didn't want to go back out in the cold.  Kelsey is a little like her mom in regards to the temperature. However people, take note as to who is still with Macy.  That's right, her mother stayed out in the cold for another 30 minutes to an hour.  That is the second year in a row.  The Utes have played on the trick-or-treating night last year and this year, so I sacrificed so Brian could watch.  I am a saint.

 The family before a Halloween party.  Macy was our photographer.

 The pictures are not the best.  Not sure why.  It could be because the camera was dropped 2 weeks before Halloween and isn't up to par anymore.  So guess what we bought ourselves for Christmas this year.

 The three amigos or witches.  Whatever you prefer.

 The cutest Scooby-Doo ever.  He could not get enough candy.  He was lovin' this holiday.  He would shout out and still does "nandy, nandy" until he was given more.  He was so good at wearing his costume.  I worried about the purchase because it was a little more than I like to spend for costumes.  I envisioned him screaming bloody murder and wearing it for only 5 seconds.  He spent many hours in the costume and it didn't seem to bother him.  It was a little more fitting than a tutu.  Which reminds me of a cute story. 


A shot from above.  Isn't the costume the cutest?

 The morning of the school parties the girls were getting into their costumes which included a tutu.  Braden saw Macy put hers on.  Then he saw Kelsey pull hers on.  He started throwing a fit and grabbing at the skirts yelling "tutu, tutu".  He was devastated that he couldn't wear a tutu.  I draw the line at letting him out in public in a purple or pink tutu.  He has been known to wear them around the house.

Ahhh! Vacation

When last I left off, we were getting ready for our California/Disneyland trip.  Of course we went with all of Utah and Gilbert,AZ school district because we chose to go over fall break.  It also happened to be Columbus day that week which was good and bad.  Good because the park was open later on one of the days, bad because there were more people there that day.

We stayed in a beach house at Surfside which is right by Huntington Beach. The minute we got there clothes were thrown off and swim suits were pulled on. The weather was nice, but not warm enough for me to get in the water. I am a cold wuss.

The beach we played on.  The girls loved the park on the beach because they didn't have to wear their shoes.

Kelsey

 

Braden.  I was crossing my fingers that a rogue wave didn't come and drench him.

Loving the water.  He also loved the sand.  He and Macy are beach lovers.  They have been that way from the first moment they stepped onto a beach.

Kelsey boogie boarding with the help from dad.



Macy catching some waves.  The girl is an animal at the beach.  She loves everything about the beach.

 

Too cute not to post.  We were enjoying the sunset and Braden was enjoying the glass railing on the deck.



First night's sunset.

We spent 2 days at Disneyland.  The final verdict from me: that is not enough time.  Brian was probably okay.  I wanted one more day so the kids could go back and hit there favorite rides again.  It would have been nice to see some shows too.  We missed the new one Color my World.  We planned on going until we saw the hour + wait that formed the minute California Adventure opened.  And that was just for the fast pass and the show started at 9 PM that night.  Next time.

Macy was able to go on every ride and she loved them all.  I think she loved being a big kid.  Her favorite ride was Indian Jones.  Somehow she finagled a way on to the ride two times.  She tried for a third with her dad but the park was closing and the wait was still an hour long.  She loved all the big rides.

Kelsey was able to go on all of them except for Indian Jones.  We scared her on Tower of Terror and Space Mountain.  She started crying the minute Tower of Terror started.  Her favorite rides were Soarin' over California, Big Thunder Railroad and It's a Small World.  She also liked Go-go Gadget's Coaster.  Her big story was when she grabbed this huge leaf in Bug's Life.  Being a kid she tore it into pieces.  Well the sap caused an allergic reaction and her palms stung and itched tremendously.  After a trip to the first aid station, washing for five minutes continuously and then washing with calamine lotion for five minutes and then forgetting about the itching, she was fine.  Hopefully she will quit destroying leaves.

Braden was just the best kid and was really quite pleasant despite not having naps.  The second day we pushed him hard.  We hit Disneyland at 9 AM and left at 11 PM.  When it was naptime that day, stubborn met stubborn.  I pushed him back and forth in the stroller along Cannery Row in CA Adventure for a straight 20 to 30 minutes until he fell asleep.  I thought the cobblestones would help bump him to sleep.  He only had one major meltdown and that was in the hour + wait for the new Toy Story ride in California Adventure (loved it by the way, but they need a fast pass for that one).  This melt down started to occur when we were only 10 minutes from the front of the line.  It included throwing himself onto the ground.  It was grand.  To end the misery my dad slipped out of line and grabbed his blanket and then slipped back in somehow and then all was well.

It had been years (at least 15) since I had been to Sea World.  So we made the drive.  Kelsey loved it.  Macy wanted more rides.  My verdict: save your money and go to an aquarium.  We have been to the Long Beach Aquarium, which is just up from Huntington Beach, and it was so much better.  You can also do that in a half day for a third of the cost.  There is a whole lot more fish and a lot more to learn.  You do miss out on the dolphins and the whales at aquariums.

My mom filming us as we get off the Matterhorn.

 

Notice my mom still filming.  I think she filmed everything at Disneyland, including the rides.  She even filmed the entire time on the tea cups.  Anyone want to watch some home videos?



Finally crashed and burned right as we were leaving the park.

Waiting in line for the "Tower of Terror"



Coming out of the "Tower of Terror" and she is not going to let go of dad.



After the meltdown at Toy Story Mania. The blanket and glasses made him feel better.

Our only family photo and it was taken right after Brian dropped the camera.  It is broken and part of my excuse for taking so long to get this post was I could not get my pictures off the camera because of the accident.  Somehow my mom managed to get the camera to work long enough to snap this photo and a few others.

Finally getting her Minnie ears.  She had been begging all day.

Holding up the line.  Braden and I snuck in to catch up with the girls and the employees weren't thrilled but I don't think they understood we had gotten seperated.

Not sure what those looks are supposed to mean.

Kelsey feeding the seals real fish.  Macy wouldn't touch the fish.  I don't blame her.

These beggars were so funny.  These were the guys Kelsey was feeding.

The whole family petting the rays except for me and Macy.  Not my thing.  Braden tried and tried but they were always just past his reach.  Then he just wanted to splash in the water.