Cookies anyone?

I came across this "100 Days of Holiday Cookies" and couldn't believe Christmas is only 2 months away. Officially 60 days from today. Shouldn't it only be May? I can't believe how quickly this month has gone! Anyway, I love holiday baking, even though I really don't do much. There's no way I could or would actually make cookies in the 100 days leading up to Christmas, but I'm sure there are delicious cookie ideas. I browsed back though a few that I think I'll have to try. There are some fun ones for Halloween and Thanksgiving too.

An update

I know most everyone was wondering about our delayed walker... He is taking steps! In fact, I think he quite enjoys this new method of transportation. He'll walk short little distances (10-20 steps) at a time without falling. He can even maneuver turns and a few backwards steps (those are mostly to keep his balance). He's been taking steps for about a week...maybe two weeks, but this last week he has really taken on the distances. Our activity for FHE on Monday was to watch and encourage Tyler to walk to each of us. It's only a matter of time before he starts running!

The Busy One

I know I've looked forward to Tyler reaching the typical milestones all infants and toddlers encounter in the first year or so of life (yes, we're still waiting for the first steps), but he is one BUSY BOY.

I can't leave any bathroom door open...what is it with the fascination with the toilet?!

I'm finally okay with him on the stairs, I had to be...he kept getting through the barricades. Although, he does fall down a few steps every once in a while.

Kenzie is very good to play with him, unless she's busy playing a certain "roleplay." It's obvious when he's not invited...she migrates herself and her toys into the spare room and closes the door.

I have a very short time limit when loading the dishwasher. When Tyler sees it open it's GO time for me. He loves to climb up into the dishwasher or take things out as I put them in.

He also loves the sippy cup drawer. I don't know if he's just practicing drinking out of the lids or if he's wishfully thinking there was something to drink.

The drawers under the oven with the baking dishes...loves those too. The other morning I came down the stairs after getting ready (Kenzie was looking after Tyler) and two of my glass pyrex dishes were in the living room and two metal dishes. Kenzie made sure to declare that "Tyler did it." (I had no doubt!)

Tyler loves music. The other day he discovered one of those plastic accordion straws for water bottles. He entertained himself quite well with the whistle it makes and danced along to his own music. Any time he hears music is a reason to "dance."

As far as walking goes...I can't convince him to take any steps alone. He'll push chairs around the kitchen. He'll push the office chair around the house. He'll push laundry baskets or anything else that can get him from Point A to Point B on his feet but not on his own. I know he'll get the walking thing down...eventually, but in the meantime, he keeps me hopping.

Little Ballerina

Kenzie is the one in the middle -- no skirt

Mackenzie started ballet last Thursday and I think she loves it. She looked so cute in her little tights, leotard, and ballet shoes with her hair back in a bun. Last week it was very difficult to really peek in and look at her because I had two boys with me. I was exhausted after class last week and I didn't even dance. Mackenzie is in class with three little cousins, Audrey, Jill, and Reece. That makes it fun for her but I think it complicates things a bit for the moms until we start carpooling. Audrey and Reece have big brothers, Jack and Garrett, and they are best buddies with Grant. I don't know if that takes any more explaining... 2- 5 year old boys and 1- 6 year old boy in a dance studio?!

But that's not all. In addition to that I have a 1 year old that doesn't walk yet but LOVES to explore and get into things. He doesn't want to be held anymore. He wants to crawl or walk along chairs, furniture, etc. We did take a little break to go walk around the Farmer's Market. Ballet class is only 45 minutes so it's not really worth the drive home and back. And if parking wasn't so crazy I would have considered it. This Thursday, however, was the last week of Farmer's Market for the summer, so thank goodness parking will be available again. This week worked out very nicely because Talmage was able to come right after his soccer game and take our boys home so I could stay and peek in on Kenzie a little more. It was so much easier to watch! Last week I had my camera but didn't take very many good pictures; hard to hold a camera steady while holding a squirmy little boy. Kenzie tries really hard and sits very still and quietly when waiting for her turn across the floor.

Teacher Leslie

Teacher Lauren

It's hard to believe I'm taking my own little girl to dance. Valley Oak School of Dance is the same dance studio I went to as a young girl and danced with for 12 years. Teacher Leslie was my teacher since I started. There was a bit of reminissing as I walked out of the studio with my little dancer. The class after Mackenzie's is the advanced ballet with the oldest girls dancing pointe. Those girls look so young! It doesn't seem that long ago that I was in their shoes, yet it feels like forever. I so enjoyed my years of dancing. My senior year I helped teach a few classes just like Kenzie's "Teacher Lauren." The memories... Those little girls are so cute and say and do the funniest things.

Kenzie and her cousin Jill

Earlier in the day before Kenzie's ballet class, I asked her to tell me her 3 favorite things to do. This is what she said.

1. Play
2. Ballet
3. Get Rocks

She actually added get married at the end, but I'll let her add that to her list when she's about 25. On a side note, she did tell a little boy her age that she's going to marry him. It left him speechless (and I'm sure very confused). She also tells me that she's going to be Minnie Mouse when she grows up. I would be okay with that. She'll probably be short enough. As far as getting rocks...I'm not sure where that comes from? She is a little girly but she likes to play in the dirt and collect rocks. Every time we're at the ranch she comes home with a few. That's my little ballerina.

A very small portion of her rock collection. Yes, just normal, find-in-the-driveway rocks.

**By the way...I almost didn't post any pictures when I saw how BLURRY they were. I can take pictures that aren't blurry but just not while holding a little boy. My dinky little camera doesn't help either.

Back to School

Back to school already. Grant loves school so he was excited to go back. I admit I was dreading it just a bit because of the transportation delima. Grant rode the bus home from school most days last year. I know it wasn't good of me to complain but I wished the bus could just drop him off in front of our house. It had to drive right in front of our house to circle the park to end up at the bus stop anyway. Most days I had to wake Tyler up from his naps...never fun to wake a peacefully sleeping baby.
Well this year, there is no bus transportation for kids within city limits. Makes sense...I know and I agree with it, however, I don't love it. I would rather take away buses than teachers. There are a LOT of kids that go to school and a LOT of cars that drive to drop them off and pick them up. I really shouldn't complain... It's wonderful that he has a great school to go to. So....first day of school. He was happy. He was excited. He met his wonderful teacher, Mrs. Harris. He has two friends from his class last year, Max and Ernesto. He is excited about his own desk. He thinks it's so fun to play on the big playground. It's a little weird having him gone all day. That hasn't been as exhausting for him as I anticipated. He's adjusted very well. I called my parents after Grant's first day of school and told them I just dropped off my First Grader for his first day of ALL day school. My dad replied that he had just sent his Twelfth Grader off to school...his last kid to send off for his last year of school. (Quickly I felt I wasn't going to get much sympathy for taking my first grader)I didn't hear much about his first day of school -- he doesn't divulge much information no matter how many questions I ask. I did hear that he chased some girls at recess. That was surprising! but it made me smile. Grant is such a shy and reserved boy that I didn't know he had that in him. Way to go Grant. Well...as always, this year will fly by and before we know it Summer will be here again. Talmage is convinced that Kenzie will start Kindergarten next Fall but I'm a little hesitant. I'm not ready for my kids to grow up so fast. Kenzie is so close to the deadline for starting school. Her birthday is November 8th and the cutoff is December 1st. My sister Brittany and I both have November birthdays. We started school early and seemed to turn out okay -- But my mom wishes she would have started us later. Why make kids grow up so fast? We'll see what happens.

Our Summer

Highlights of our summer. As always...it went by too fast but we had a lot of fun!!

• Swimming -- And the kids have no tan lines to prove it :: they just don't get color!
  
• Grass in the backyard -- Nice to have it GREEN
• County Fair -- Talmage's students did well and we all had a great time.
• Jelly Belly Factory -- Love free jelly bellys!
  
• Disneyland -- Kids had fun :: We had fun
  
• Tyler and Grant's birthdays -- What cute, good boys we have
  
• Jenn and kids visit -- So fun to play with cousins!
  
• Pinecrest -- Talmage's lone hike around the lake :: Yummy ice cream cones :: Party boat
  
• Santa Cruz -- Loved $.75 hot dogs, rides, drinks, cotton candy! And finally had a deep fried twinkie!
  
• Library reading program -- I love that my kids love to read
  
• Summer movie festival -- I love free movies!
  
• National Night Out at the park -- Conveniently located right across the street
• G&G Allen, Taylor & Shalie visit -- Columbia, Fun Works, Camping in the backyard, Farmer's Market, Chocolate Cake, Swimming... So much fun! We love having visitors
  

Grant's birthday party

I've never really had a birthday party for Grant. Maybe when he turned 3 we had a little family gathering with cake and ice cream and party hats (because that's all he said he wanted for his birthday--the party hats). Grant has gone to A LOT of birthday parties this year and has always had SO MUCH fun. Back in April he started making his own invitations. He only had to ask how to spell a few words and names but he did the rest. In fact, I didn't even know what he was doing until he had about 3 invitations all done. That was when I decided I should have a birthday party for him. I'm not one of those naturally creative people so being that Grant's birthday is in the middle of July it's perfect for a swim party and water games. Grant helped me plan his party and make his new invitations (although I think his original ones looked much better than mine). I always feel a little awkward about inviting people over and having parties--which is why I've never really done it before. BUT we pulled it off and had a great time. Grant was very worried when we got to my grandparents' house and we were the first ones there. He asked what happened and where everyone was. We explained that since it was his party we needed to be the first ones there. Thank goodness we have a lot of cousins close by and that they were in town because ALL of the other friends he invited were on vacation with their families--Middle of July=Family vacations! An extra special treat was that Mason and Kennedy (my sister's kids) were here visiting from Utah. Grant had a lot of fun.

We played a few games on the front lawn before breaking the Pinata. That was a TOUGH pinata! Then everyone enjoyed swimming. It was a HOT day...close to 100 if not hotter. Then of course time for cake and ice cream and opening presents. Thank you everyone for the gifts. Grant has had a BLAST playing with his new things. He woke up around 5:00 Sunday morning to play with his toys before church...what a kid!