Life As We Know It

Silly Riker

2011-11-17T15:54:00.000-08:00

Christmas Crafts

2011-11-17T08:06:00.000-08:00

I found myself with some "free" time the other day (ignoring the dishes, laundry, errands, and kids for a few hours) and was feeling crafty...

I'm not allowed to really display them until after Thanksgiving, but I'm getting ready for Christmas!

Leaves...

2011-11-16T18:57:00.000-08:00

One Thing I love About These Kids...

2011-11-16T18:32:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I forget that I love my kids, that I'm lucky to have them. I'm thankful to be home with them, but its not easy, so lately I've been trying to get ready for Thanksgiving my trying to remember what I'm thankful for. So this past week I wanted to capture a moment with each kid that is special to me...

I clip coupons, and when I pull out the paper to get started the kids get really excited to help, I let them cut up adds and stuff that I won't use. The other day the Special Target Toy book came and Tucker snatched it right away (I also love that he waits to see the picture of "the football guys" on the sports page and snatches that up right away every week) He spent at least an hour carefully checking out each and every page. What I loved, is that he didn't ask for any of the toys, he didn't say "I want this" about anything. He made comments and he showed me the things he thought were awesome, but he was just studying the toys. He's such a sweetheart, but we rarely have moments of peace and calm, and this was so special to sit with him and work on our paper together.

Riker is getting so much personality and is determined to be independent. Lately, this has manifested itself with clothing. He's trying to do more and more himself. In this case he was wearing one of Tucker's shirts and trying to put on one of Maeli's shirts as pants. I found him and said "what are are you wearing?" and he said "Pretty." He was quite determined to wear this outfit to do our errands, my only saving grace was that its so cold he wanted "more" clothes on. I love watching him grow and become more of an individual and so much just a generic baby. He's so cute.

Miss Maeli has so much attitude. A blessing and a burden. She's very stubborn and quick tempered (a bit like her Daddy). I love that she is confident in herself, I love that she has a strong belief in right and wrong and won't let anyone get away with what she thinks is wrong. Including me. She reminds me daily of all the things that I can work on, but she's also always willing to help me be a better mom, and help me hold it together when things are a little too crazy. She knows me so well and picks up on all my cues that I can't handle another moment. She tries to help the boys stay busy so I can try to be productive, but she really only wants to help with whatever I'm working. I love my sweet Maeli, and in spite of the doors slamming and screaming how Daddy is better than me, I know she loves me too.

Kicked out

2011-11-16T18:28:00.000-08:00

I've been kicked out of the office/Maeli's room...I've moved myself in to the closet, still getting used to the set-up and figuring out the best way to arrange everything. I think it'll be okay.

Trick Or Treat

2011-11-16T18:14:00.000-08:00

Could we be anymore excited!?

We were lucky enough to have Grandma Terry with us for the whole weekend before Halloween, she was so much fun! She's a devil for leaving us with most of a cake though....Devil indeed!

We went to Trunk or treat at the church, and then our little town had a small trunk-or-treat at the park. Just enough candy to feel like a ton without actually having to eat a ton...perfect!

Here Comes Halloween, Here Comes Halloween!

2011-10-28T07:26:00.000-07:00

We've been trying to get into the Halloween mood at our house! These are some of the crafts ideas of I got of Pinterest: The Ribbon banner-the lady actually used tissue streamers, but I opted for ribbon hoping it'll last a while longer. The "BOO" letters in the middle are paper mache letters covered in ribbon, they are really cute! Maeli and I did the eye ball frames together during our girls weekend.

Its not Halloween without candy corn!
And for weeks Maeli has wanted to be an evil witch. We had trouble finding a costume that was modest and in our price range, so we pieced it together from a few different places.
Riker can't voice his opinion so the other kids voted for him to be a Handy Many/Bob the Builder kind of guy. This was what we came up with:
And had there ever been a more excited Buzz Lightyear any where in the world? Tuck got the wings for his birthday, so we only had to buy the official jumpsuit. He looks awesome and is so ready to rescue everyone!
The only thing we're missing is Pumpkins. Somehow this year the pumpkins just didn't make it to our house.

Just Some Pics

2011-10-28T07:18:00.000-07:00

Maeli was very concerned about Riker falling asleep during lunch, on this particular occasion he actually was snoring and I had this vision of years and years to come in church.

Sometimes Maeli and Tucker are just the best friends in the whole world. Sometimes.

All Aboard!

2011-10-28T07:10:00.000-07:00

For about an hour, with a ton of team effort and being lead by their fearless sister--The McLain Kids were able to successfully build and ride on their own Dinosaur train.

Props to my handy man

2011-10-15T20:21:00.000-07:00

Despite his best efforts to spend the summer fishing, Jeremy did manage to sneak in a few projects here and there. He ripped out the carpet in our dining room and replaced it with this hardwood that matches our entry way and hall. Awesome! I don't know why thought carpet under the table was a good idea.
He did a few jobs off my honey-do list (I really do have a list for Jeremy on the fridge where I put the things that are bugging me so I don't have to nag, I just keep making his list longer...He's okay with it...I am super glad he doesn't have one for me though). On the list: replace broken fan in bathroom-CHECK!

And he made this awesome beachy fence for my sister's wedding. I'm waiting for the real photos from the reception and I'll post the finished product. This doesn't do it justice at all. It was a ton of work, and he really stressed about making it perfect for her on her special day. It meant so much to me that cared so much for my sister, and he did an amazing job! This was the "see if my idea would work" trial run. The actual fence was in two chunks and went all the way across the gym. The boxes were full of beach sand and had tall wild grass coming out. Looked awesome!

Harvest on the Palouse!

2011-10-15T20:19:00.001-07:00

True Story

2011-10-15T20:13:00.000-07:00

So I spent a morning cleaning the boys room. Really cleaning-dumped out every bin, cleaned the bins, resorted every single item in their room into the bin...a big deal. So I get everything put away and go to get the vacuum. Down the hall, to the closet, back to the boys room...maybe 45 seconds, and this is what I return to:

Now as soon as I said , "Are you kidding me?!" (and went to get the camera to prove my exasperation to Jeremy) Tucker puts his hands on his hips (just like me) and says, "oh, Riker, why did you make this mess?" Cute. Maeli comes running in to see why mom is mad, and she puts her hand on my arm, nodding in disbelief and says as she shrugs her shoulders, "A boys gunna do what a boys guuna do." Clicks her tongue and walks off.

18 Months!

2011-10-15T19:42:00.000-07:00

Our "Baby" isn't a baby at all anymore .
weight: 24.5 lbs (30%)
height: 32 in (42%)
head: 19.9in (98%)
All About Riker!
Riker is an early bird. He's a light sleeper, so any noise after 5am and he's ready to play. Luckily, Tucker is also an early bird, and they're pretty content to watch cartoons together for a little bit while Mom wakes up. He still naps, and prefers a mid-morning nap unless there is something really exciting going on, then he won't miss out for anything. He has no problem sleeping in the car, but isn't great at transitioning from a car into the house. If he can get 2 hours in around 10:30 he's good to go for the rest of the day. Bedtime at 7. He's very silly and loves to play! He'd prefer it if Maeli and Tucker would let him participate in their game without making him the "bad guy" or the "monster" or the "evil witch." But when they're not including him, he's pretty good at entertaining himself. He does LOVE an audience though and is happy to hide and flirt all afternoon if you let him. His favorite thing is the bath. He can't wait to get in! If anyone is in the bath or shower, he'll join you if you leave the door open. He doesn't usually sleep through the night yet, so Riker ends up snuggling with Dad in our Bed (Dad loves this and will be really sad when no one gets in our bed anymore). Mom does not love this. Riker recently saw the ocean for the first time ever. He liked digging in the sand, but didn't like touching the sand. He hated the water and once he got his feet wet he was ready to be done with the whole situation. He is such a great helper! One thing I have noticed and just love about Riker is that he doesn't ask to help, or wait until you ask him to do a specific job. If I'm unloading the dishwasher, he starts handing me plates. If we're picking up blocks, he starts scooping them into the block box. He pays a lot of attention to how other people are doing things, but gets super mad if he can't do it the same way. He's always happy when his helping goes well, and you can tell by the silverware, he's a very organized little guy. We love our sweet Riker and I am thankful every day that he is part of our family. I thought Heavenly Father was crazy for sending these boys so close together, but if he hadn't taken matters into his own hands I don't know that I'll every reach the point with Tucker where another one seems like a good idea. Riker is always at 100%. If he's playing its 100%, if he's mad its 100%, and if he's hugging its 100%, maybe 110%. The boy gives a great hug.

The Clark County Fair

2011-09-30T08:18:00.000-07:00

Tucker was so excited to get to drive!
And then he got to fly with "the big boy cousins!"
We got to try a fried snickers bar, deep fried oreos, and a fried twinkie!Tuck and I got some quality time at the Monster Truck show. He loved the smaller trucks and cars that "drove into the dirt and the mud" the huge monsters trucks were super exciting, but a bit on the loud side for him.
Tyler and I rode the sling shot! Awesome! The deal was I got to puke and he got to scream like a girl, but we switched it up a little once we were up there.

Miss Maeli and Kaitlyn had lots of fun together!
And its not a trip to the fair until you eat, and Riker LOVED frozen strawberry lemonade!

Later in the trip we got to play with my sister's Roy...we played hard on vacation!

I Remember!

2011-09-30T08:09:00.000-07:00

Tucking Maeli in last night:

Maeli, "Tell me the story about when I was born."
Mom, "...And you just didn't want to come out of my tummy"
"I remember! I didn't want to come out because it was snuggly and warm"
Mom, "Well, you didn't want to come out, and the medicine to help you come out wasn't really working."
Maeli, "Mom, you know what you should have done?"
"What?"
"You should have showed me some jewels and bracelets and then I would have come right out!"

~A Short Time Later~

Mom, "So when you were all cleaned up, the nurse gave you to Daddy and he brought you over to me-"
Maeli, "I remember! And the kisses you gave me were so, so, SO, sweet, and I thought, 'this is the only family I ever want to be in!"

2 cuties!

2011-09-16T09:13:00.001-07:00

The Maeli photo is from last summer, but I just noticed that she DOES look a little bit like me. I just wanted some proof known to the world.

Cheerleading Camp!

2011-08-03T11:07:00.000-07:00

All the little cheerleaders!

In the middle of her cheer--Pullman TOUCHDOWN

One of the little dances ended in a pyramid ish formation!

Our Cheer Leader!

At the park!

2011-08-03T10:57:00.000-07:00

Riker has no fear!

Tucker always sets up camp on a swing...he loves to swing!
Riker's first time on a big kid swing, he did awesome! He slipped once, and caught himself (Dude has so much upper body strength) and he thought it was super fun to swing by your arms with your feet dangling. Heaven help us!

Camping on the St. Joe River

2011-08-03T10:21:00.000-07:00

Jeremy recently became associated with the Clearwater FlyCasters, and every year they have a camp out on the St. Joe River for all the families. We decided to go and test out some of our Extreme Parenting Skills.

Riker was in heaven, this Dude loves to be outside, and camping was probably the most fun he's ever had. Luckily, pretty much the entire campground was with our group, and they were very aware of our 3 little people (most of the FlyCasters are retired-aged) so everyone was safe, and helped keep an eye on them.

Tucker loved being able to be dirty the whole time! And he seems to be a fan of dutch oven dessert!

Maeli was all about starting the fire. She gathered a lot of fire wood, and continued to gather for days after we got home.

The family across the way from us kind of took us under their wing. The Dad, Steve, took Jeremy out a few times, but the fishing wasn't great--the water was running high and fast) so they decided to just do some rafting in their pontoon boats.

Maeli adopted Tasha, and together, they adopted a hammock from some people that weren't with our group and spent a lot of their time on the water.

The only downside--lots of mosquitos!

This might be my most favorite picture ever!

See? I went camping too!

Maeli loved having so many adults around who all thought she was adorable. She had this guy wrapped around her finger...I'm not sure exactly what they were playing, but it involved a lot of sneaking up on people.

In the end, we all had fun, and we all needed a nap!

The Way To A Man's Heart

2011-08-03T10:16:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July!

2011-08-03T09:38:00.000-07:00

We've developed a few traditions for the 4th since we've moved out to Albion. We love that the parade comes right by our house. Riker was so excited for the parade this year, but he was ecstatic about the Doritos we munched on while we waited for it to start.

Maeli has the hang of parades now and she was waiting for the candy to start.

Tucker, also a fan of the chips, got really into the parade this year. He figured out the deal with the candy really fast, but he also really loved watching all the different cars and animals and stuff.
Then we headed over to the picnic in the park. A man with a restored old firetruck gave the kids a ride around the block. Whoa! It made Tucker's (and I think Jeremy's) year!

then we headed over to our friends house to watch the fireworks. Kate kept trying to get Riker to snuggle her, but it was mostly a no go.

Tucker and AJ had lots of Fun getting into Grandma Mertes' stuff while waiting for it to get really dark.

Maeli wanted in on all the action! She fell asleep before the grand finale' though. It was a great show put on by the "Husbands of those associated with Albion."

A day on the Snake River

2011-08-03T09:08:00.000-07:00

Jeremy wanted to take the kids fishing, so the other evening we all headed down to the snake. Riker and i enjoyed walking along the path that follows the river. it was a very beautiful day.

Maeli and Tucker really enjoyed their time with Dad.

Quite the fishermen!

Maeli even figured out how to cast!

Dad needed to spend some one on one time with Maeli, so I took the boys to play by the water. Tucker loves throwing rocks into water.

Riker figured out the game pretty fast and started looking for rocks that he could throw in too!

We had a fun day!

FHE

2011-08-03T08:57:00.000-07:00

For my birthday (months ago) my mom bought me all the supplies I needed to make a Family Home Evening board, and I finally got it all done and even on the wall!

Thanks mom, I love it!

Like Father Like Son

2011-08-03T08:52:00.000-07:00

I just thought this was a cute shot.

Bikes!

2011-08-03T08:23:00.000-07:00

Riker will not be left out of anything the big kids are doing, so when we headed to the park to ride bikes, he dragged his bike out of the garage so we'd bring it too.
Maeli is a natural, she loves riding her bike and she's very good at pedaling.
Tucker is great at the brakes, but so quite as good at moving forward. Every time he gets going, he stops himself...but this dude just loves the bike gear, gloves, pads, helmet....who need to actually be able to ride when you look that awesome.

And we had to swing, because we were at the park.

Tucker really wanted to be able to do the big kid swing...almost.

The Birthday Girl!

2011-06-08T15:22:00.000-07:00

Miss Maeli is 4! For about 6 weeks she's been trying to convince us she already had her birthday, but the day finally came! She did great at the doctor and didn't cry at all with her three pokes. She's in the 20th percentile all around, but passed all her tests with ease. She's a smart little drama princess! We asked her want she wanted to do on her birthday, her first choice was go to the zoo, but we just don't live close enough to make that happen (we could have if she had EVER mentioned that prior to her birthday). So she opted to have her "best friend Ali" over for a tea party.
They, of course, had to get dressed up for the occasion!
the menu: strawberry juice, pineapple, grapes, heart shaped cheese, marshmallows, chocolate and butterscotch chips, crunchy noodles, and jelly beans.
Their conversation took on a very "grown-up" attitude as they discussed how awful it is to have siblings, how much they both love Disney movies, and their common hobby of collecting random rocks.
She had some very specific requests as far as the cake went: "A Tinkerbell cake, wither Tinkerbell on top and pictures of me wearing Tinkerbell clothes all around the bottom. And really tall." I talked her into getting rid of the pictures of her, and came up with this. I know it would have been better with fondant, but I'm not an expert on cakes.
Some other friends joined us for cake and spoiled Maeli with presents galore!
Butter fly wings, and Tinkerbell shoes (not shown, but oh so cute!)
All kinds of Barbie stuff--she was pretty excited about that!
Her Rapunzel dress she requested specifically from Grandma Terry.
And her great grandparents sent money that we used to get her a big girl bike!Being 4 is awesome!

Garden Time!

2011-06-08T15:06:00.000-07:00

You have to have a good pair of gloves, a small shovel, and some really good helpers.

You can almost smell the salsa!

It was very hard to keep Riker out of the dirt, so we're getting a little fence.

nice tillin' Dad (and Mom, but I don't have a photo, I did till this year, and I can even start it by myself! Can I get a Woot Woot!)
Cutest crack ever! She was explaining to Dad that you dig the hole, but the seeds in, and then the water, then the sunshine, then the flowers. Just in case he wasn't sure about the order of things.

The Beach!

2011-06-08T14:37:00.000-07:00

6 years married!
deserves a romantic get-a-way with no kids!

For our 6 year anniversary, Jeremy and I ditched the kids and headed to Long Beach, WA (where we had gone on our honeymoon too!) We ate so much amazing Seafood, and this place let us try all kinds of stuff for free (I promised them I'd blog about it in exchange for the amazing deal they gave us on a Fresh Crab)

We raced go carts, the first time we went Jeremy smoked me ( I had NEVER driven a go cart before, but I do watch Top Gear, so I thought I could handle it), but then I did way better the second round. He still won, but I was for sure getting better.

There was some romance involved as well.

You can't go to the beach and not build a sand castle right? It would have been more amazing, but all but one of our tools snapped in half.

awe.

We attempted to fly a kite, but we didn't have enough wind (that or we really don't know what we're doing)

We had amazingly beautiful weather, and we were able to ride our bikes most of the time.
It was such a blast and the kids didn't even miss us. Thanks so much to the Grandmas that made our trip possible!

Whenever I hear the Song of a Bird

2011-06-08T09:22:00.000-07:00

All these Spring things are filling me with gratitude and admiration for this beautiful Earth we live on.

I'm thankful that we bought a lawn mower that I could start by myself (Jeremy has really bad Seasonal Allergies, so I mow most of the time) I LOVE the smell of fresh cut grass!

I'm thankful that I planted Tulips last Fall.

I'm thankful for my sweet kids that picked all my Tulips for me :0)

I'm thankful that we live on a very quiet street and almost no traffic.

And I'm thankful to be able to take a hot shower after we've been playing outside all day.

That was close!

2011-05-27T17:12:00.000-07:00

Can you believe Jeremy's hand was in this glove when it got shredded!?! So glad he didn't loose any fingers!

Swimming Lessons!

2011-05-23T06:56:00.000-07:00

Maeli just graduating from being a tadpole! She has really made so much progress in just the last few weeks, we are so proud of her!

Floating on her back

Practicing her kicks

Face in the water, blowing bubbles

Waiting for her life jacket

Jumping in (she wouldn't do this at all without holding her teacher's hands until just this last lesson)

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-23T06:48:00.000-07:00

We had Mother's Day brunch for me, my mom, and Jeremy's mom who were all here for graduation. I wish we could have had all our special moms here, we are so blessed to have Aunts, sisters, sister-in-law, and grandmothers that are all such wonderful examples to us. But it was so super fun to have my mom here. I love her so much!

So Happy and So Proud!

2011-05-23T06:35:00.000-07:00

Both sets of parents came over for Jeremy's graduation, and it was so fun to get to celebrate! We even got to see my Uncle Umesh who was over from WSU Vancouver for one of his PhD students who was graduating. I didn't take very many pictures because we were having too much fun.

I a so proud of Jeremy, who despite having a wife, three kids, and full-time and very mentally demanding job, a home to take care of, and the weight of the world on his shoulders, graduated with honors and on time! He's worked so hard this semester to try and balance everything, and still do the kind of school work that he can be proud of! I've seen him pushed to the breaking point a few times, and he's always come out on top. This semester was really rough for all of us. I'm so glad that its over, and that Jeremy agreed on giving me 2 years before we talk about "the next degree."

Lets Play!

2011-05-23T06:19:00.000-07:00

Maeli getting her prince all dressed up. I was very surprised at how willing Tucker was to wear whatever Maeli thought he should...I had a heard time getting him to wear this sweater back when it still fit him. And she insisted that the two of them together could handle the wardrobe, I didn't need to help do socks.

Everybody loves a good ride on the Carousel!

And that would be Tucker under that laundry basket...screaming that "the baby is squishing me!" Of course, as soon as I let him out, this scene replays almost instantly...boys!

I we got to pet Banner the pony while we were in Spokane--too fun!

Riker

2011-05-23T06:06:00.000-07:00

Riker loves Spring! Being outside, playing on the swings, eating dirt, wandering around the yard, eating Popsicles! Everything about it, except I think he might have some seasonal allergies-like his Daddy. But this kid will do anything to get outside. He also loves helping in the garden.

He's working on getting a few molars, which is no fun for any of us, but what are ya gunna do?

And this past weekend he road his first Carousel! About have way through he started doing the "make it go faster" dance...I think he liked it!
It seems like he's so big! He's walking everywhere, climbing everything, and is so stinking loud! He loves Maeli so much and just wants to be near her, He and Tucker have a love/torture relationship that they both seem to love most of the time. I just can't believe that my "Baby" isn't at all a baby...at least he still snuggles.

Tuck's First Fishing Trip

2011-04-24T20:02:00.000-07:00

We had some beautiful weather, so Jeremy and Tuck headed to Pampa Pond to do a little fishing. Tuck lasted over an hour, which is way better than Maeli ever does...I think Dad has found a new fishing buddy. And they brought home some almost-keepers, and we had trout for dinner!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T19:59:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Riker!

2011-04-06T17:08:00.000-07:00

The birthday boy spent the morning playing in the recycling, one of his favorite things to do!
The traditional Super chocolate cake from Costco!
Much more interested in tasting it than blowing out the candle.
That goes for Tucker too who was told many times not to touch the cake!How to eat a cake:
First, graciously smile at whoever brings the cake to within your reach

Next, with 2 hands, grab as much as you can, and shove it in your face.
Once you have consumed enough cake to satisfy the animal inside, take a moment to regroup with a refreshing cup of milk.
Licking your fingers will ensure that no cake is wasted!
And lastly, don't forget to give thanks to the heavens above that you have cake to eat.
We had a pretty good party to celebrate our baby turning one. Lots of friends that we've been meaning to get together with. Claytons also came, but specifically asked to not appear in any photos.

Our Sweet Baby
I admit it, I'm sad that our LAST baby turned one...But he's SO busy, there's no way I'd be ready for another...and I judging from his siblings, I don't think he'll be getting less busy anytime soon. We have his well-baby tomorrow, and I'll post all about Riker when we know how big he is and everything.

Walking Man!

2011-04-06T17:01:00.000-07:00

Big Kid Beds!

2011-04-06T16:57:00.000-07:00

Our Utah Adventure

2011-04-06T13:17:00.000-07:00

I guess I didn't take any pictures of us getting to Utah, but me and the kids had a great time...Seriously. They were amazing in the car, especially between home and Boise. We met up my Mom and Dad at a hotel in Boise and had lots of fun eating Pizza and playing in the pool! On day two we were so glad we had the DVD player, we lost Grandma and Grandpa en route to Lehi, but ended up getting to Brandi's just a few minutes behind them. We had lots and lots of fun, but here are a few of the highlights...
We went to Chuck E Cheese, which was so fun, the kids had a blast, and it wasn't very busy, so there were a little more free to run, which was awesome! the boys spent most of their time driving everything that had any kind of wheel.

Maeli fell in love with the "picture ride." It snaps a photo of you while you sit totally still and then it draws it for you...we have about 10 pictures of her and everyone else she could get to sit with her.
They didn't even mind when the ride weren't moving.
Even Grandma and Grandpa had fun.
This was my favorite, especially with the team effort.
Riker actually won all these tickets, although he didn't care too much about the prizes when all was said and done.
One day took the train to Salt Lake. The kids had a lot of fun, it was their first time on a train! It looks like Grandma is having lots of fun too!
My beautiful sister was such a great hostess...we invaded her house, had toys everywhere, tormented her dog, took over her bed, woke her up at all hours of the night, and she just kept smiling!
Maeli really wanted to see a temple. She was so mad that we couldn't go inside, but she loved seeing the Salt Lake Temple. There were a few weddings going on, so she also got to see some "beautiful brides."
Tucker thought the Organ at the Tabernacle was pretty cool, although the guy was either tuning, or repairing, and not playing any music...he sang along with the individual notes though.
The LDS church history museum has a whole part for kids where they can play with everything! Maeli loved dressing up and trying to dance with the video of Latin dancers.
The boys really loved harvesting all the veggies from the garden!
More things to drive--best vacation ever!
Grandma was the grand champion of the tortilla toss
A cookie break!
Best picture ever!

Funny

2011-04-06T12:58:00.000-07:00

So a while back, I suddenly realized that I hadn't seen Tucker for a while (less than 10 minutes, and the front door was locked, I'm not a totally bad mother). I looked all over the house and thought maybe he was hiding..."Tucker, where are you?" I heard a little noise, and followed..."Tucker, where are you?"....getting closer, "Tucker?"....

"I'm on the Blue Nuh-nuh-Cycle" you know because a motorcycle goes HuhNANANAhh when it starts.

And a different day, I found miss Maeli mopping the kitchen and singing a song about how she has to mop and clean all the time and her family is mean...I'm going to guess she was playing Cinderella and/or Annie...both of which we watch a lot. For the record, I've never made her mop the floor. I love that she's obviously singing to someone...

Which of These Things Doesn't Belong?

2011-04-06T12:49:00.000-07:00

PIZZA!
RIBS!

OATMEAL & TOAST!

CRAB LEGS!

A trip to the Dentist

2011-04-06T12:40:00.000-07:00

It was a while ago, but I thought I should mention that our brave girl had to go all the way under to have some dental work done. She was a trooper (so was Dad who opted to be the one waiting in the waiting room, rather than the one waiting at home). She did great and her teeth look wonderful!

After she was in the car, she just wanted to go home and watch care bears!

She didn't move for about 5 hours, and then all of the sudden, she was up and back to normal.

Oh so Sleepy!

2011-03-15T21:52:00.000-07:00

Sorry, its out of focus, but kids falling asleep are always cute!

My Helper

2011-03-12T14:20:00.000-08:00

Good thing he's cute!

So Cute Now...

2011-03-10T07:43:00.000-08:00

But in 20 years, not so much.

?

2011-03-10T07:37:00.000-08:00

I think they might be watching Star Trek...whatever it is, it is very interesting.

Every Girl's Crazy..

2011-03-10T07:25:00.000-08:00

Tuck's new "birthday suit"

Brothers!

2011-03-10T07:19:00.000-08:00

I am loving that the boys are getting big enough to play near/with each other...I wish they didn't start it at 6, but beggars can't be choosers. Tucker got this great new "big dump" for his birthday, and has thus passed on his fire truck to Riker. Such a sweet brother to share, as long as Riker is content with the toys of Tucker's choosing.

2!

2011-02-27T08:08:00.000-08:00

Our sweet Tucker is 2! At our house that means he's "officially a Big Boy!" A big boy bed, and no more bottles. I realize at most houses 2 is late to cut off the bottle, but our house is "special." He's done super well with it though, I've been very proud of him. As far as the big boy bed goes, as soon as we work out our "who's in which room" plan he'll be all set, complete with new Toy Story Bedding!

Tucker is a non-stop all-out Boy! He's very intense about whatever he's doing, if its running, playing, eating, loving, he's in all-or-nothing. He loves to play with Dad first thing in the morning, Jeremy has had to wake up a little earlier so that he has time to get in some Tucker time before work. Cars and Trucks are his favorite thing to play, but they always need rescued by Buzz Lightyear...and our trucks can get into some pretty crazy pickles! Luckily Buzz can always get them to safety. He picks up on a lot of things from Maeli, a blessing and a curse! He plays really well with her and would be so nice if she would just give him 110% of her attention. Sometimes she needs reminded that he's the most important thing! He's really loving having a brother that can hold his own, he's great about sharing trucks and blocks and things with Riker. A year from now, I think they will be an unstoppable hurricane of brotherly trouble! Tuck loves to read, especially book with lots of stuff going on in the pictures. He loves to lift-the flap, but we're still working on not ripping the flap off. His very favorite book is "Ham" (Green Eggs and Ham) and he wants it read 3-4 times every night. Tuck also loves movies, and will watch a show for about 30 minutes (such a blessing!) his favorites are Dora, anything Pixar, and Blues Clues. He's also recently become a fan of Psych (thanks to mom). He's also very hygiene conscious and loves to brush his teeth, wash his hands, and use chap stick...he also loves lotion!
This boy really never stops! If he does hold still for a moment, his mouth picks right up where his legs stopped...he's a constant maker of mouth-music, and his favorite songs are E-I-E-I-O and Jingle Bells...however, he also loves to "Shake his Bon Bon." The past 6 weeks or so, his vocabulary has been discovered. He talks all the time, and although he's still hard to understand, he's now considered to be in the normal range of both comprehension and verbalization. He still loves hats and gloves and now wings! He's getting particular about which shirt, what jammies, or how many pairs of pants he's willing to wear...this I think, is thanks to Maeli.
He's still such a sweetheart! He loves to snuggle, give "big hugs" (never just "hugs") and kisses. He's either very happy, or very upset...nothing in the middle. He has a lot of energy and we often have to go run laps in the mornings so that he can mellow out a little for the rest of the day! I cannot imagine our family without Tucker! Which is so funny because according to our original 10-year plan, we'd be expecting Tucker this May...crazy!
Weight- 27 1/2 pounds 43%
Height- 34.8 inches 61%
Head- 19.6 inches 77%

Birthday Extravaganza

2011-02-27T06:54:00.000-08:00

We had to start the festivities by making the dessert. Mae and Tuck both were so anxious to lick the spoon that they couldn't take turns....I for one cannot wait to pull this photo out in about 10 years and remind them just how much they love each other.
When we asked Tucker what he wanted for his special birthday dinner, he said, "MEAT!" Jeremy translated that into Ribs, which Tucker loves. He was so excited when I brought out in a huge tray of MEAT! I think both of them are pretty delighted!
He tried to snake some during the prayer...I know, I wasn't being reverent either, but it was so funny, he very carefully watched Jeremy until his eyes were closed, and then made his move.
Thanks to some help from Maeli, the full menu was Ribs, "Corn from outside" aka our garden, star biscuits with honey butter, and stuffed little "tapatoes" with pink juice to drink.

Jeremy had been giving Riker little bits of rib meat, and finally gave in and just gave the kid a bone to gnaw on...manna from heaven! Riker was thinking he was a pretty tough guy!
Maeli, who loves ribs, but prefers to not involve the bone, also devoured dinner!
Tuck loved it, but he wanted to make sure that he was doing everything just like Dad...Dad got cut out of this photo because he really LOVES ribs and had a very messy, albeit cute, face.
We didn't have cake on Tuck's actual birthday because he was having friends over on Saturday for a little party, so he got to blow out the candles on some chocolate rice krispie treats.

Dad then turned said treats into a monster truck!
Maeli and Tuck got to help in their own special way
After baths, Tuck opened presents from the Grandmas...he was so excited about his new books and new train!
For the friend party, our monster truck needed some terrain to drive on, that was my job!
While Dad put some finishing touches on the truck itself...awesome!
Tuck thought it was great, and loved having everyone sing to him!
As well as looking good, it seems that it must have tasted alright too. Jeremy was very impressed with his quality of workmanship as the truck stood upright even after 2 of its 4 doughnut wheels had been snaked by kids.
Pin the badge on Woody went way better than I thought it would...everyone who wanted to try was able to get their self-decorated badge on the poster, some were even really close to spot on! Everyone waited their turn and seemed to really like it.
Tuck got some great Trucks (by far his favorite kind of toy) and a pair of REAL buzz Lightyear wings. He's one Happy Camper. Thanks to everyone who helped our sweetie turn 2!

My Valentine's Day

2011-02-26T20:47:00.000-08:00

We had some friends over to decorate cupcakes (thanks for the mix grandma Terry, it was super fun)! Riker wanted to be part of the action, but settled for eating a cupcake on the floor (sans frosting, yet he managed to make a huge mess)
Janel, looking ever so festive in her pink and red ensemble, is by far Maeli's favorite adult. I think she'd choose Janel over me or Jeremy on any given day. I hope AJ had as much fun as Maeli did.
Tucker figured out what was going on really fast...eat the frosting, add more frosting, eat the frosting, add more frosting...cupcakes RULE!
And my sweet Valentine brought me flowers on his lunch break, and a card with a poem he had written himself! Impressive! Roses cuz he loves me, and Daisies cuz I love them-Perfect!
It was a very LOVEly day!

All About Riker

2011-01-31T07:34:00.000-08:00

Some people say this one looks more like me...
Riker had his 9 month appointment not too long ago (I guess its been a little while since he'll be 10 months this week) and I thought that I should report on our sweet "baby." He is doing really well, a solid 21 pounds at his appointment...he seems like such a chunky monk, but he's actually in the mid 50s for his percentile on height and weight...he's just so much more normal than the other kids he seems huge...he does still pack around that 91% head though.

He really is so funny. He loves to copy facial expressions, this is him trying to whistle.
He's a very happy and content fella. He loves to be part of the action, so as long as the big kids don't totally ignore him, he thinks he's playing.
He prefers to wear no pants, but who doesn't?
However, if for some reason he is disgruntled, he goes from 0-60 in 1 second flat, and he is not afraid to let you know that something is upsetting him. Luckily, he calms down just as quickly once the situation is remedied, its just a matter of figuring out what ticked him off. In this picture he's yelling at me because I locked the cupboard just as he was trying to open the door.

So Funny

2011-01-31T07:21:00.000-08:00

You know those times when you're kids are just being so funny...this was one of those times...

Its after church the other week and we're getting some food ready. Maeli is wondering around in her inside-out, backwards, jumper (can you tell she changed her own clothes?) looking the part of a white-trash cutie pie. When Tucker comes into the kitchen, rubber boots, no pants, and a motorcycle helmet...picked out his own accessories...not sure where the pants went.

The problem with a motorcycle helmet is when you're not using it, you don't really want to carry it around, however, our brilliant son figured out how to store it on his "hog" while he ate some dinner.

Hop on your bike, add a cute biker chick, and you're ready to go!

What could be better?

2011-01-31T07:13:00.000-08:00

Than Buzz Lightyear on a motorcycle!
And the best part is that Tuck got him to sit on the bike all by himself. Buzz drove around our house for at least an hour...awesome all around!

ChopSticks!

2011-01-31T07:03:00.000-08:00

the other night I made something kinds of Chinesey for dinner, and Jeremy got out the new fancy chopsticks he got for Christmas. The kids were so intrigued, I rounded up a few more sets and they actually did really well with them. Tucker went for the stab-it method, and then reverted to using his hands...
Maeli actually poked most of her dinner, but she couldn't manage to figure out how you use 2 at once...
Dad is an expert.
I was feeding Riker, so I didn't have to be shown up by Maeli.

Christmas Kids

2011-01-12T09:07:00.000-08:00

We all had a very good Christmas vacation..the kids got way too much loot and were spoiled by all the attention from the Grandmas, aunts, and all the cousins to play. I think we're just now getting back to normal, although Riker still thinks someone should snuggle him to sleep. We always wish we could stay longer and visit more and see more family, but we'll have to take what we can get. But it was indeed a Very Merry Christmas!

Are those my favorite?

2011-01-12T09:02:00.000-08:00

We are so lucky our kids have so many favorite Aunts!

Ice Fishing

2011-01-12T08:03:00.000-08:00

Jeremy went out to try out some of his new fishing gear...looks like he had a blast!

He borrowed Maeli's fishing pole...I guess little is better when ice fishing...I think he just likes princesses!
Hog Canyon Lake
He also made a new fishing buddy who happens to speak Chinese...I think it'll be hard to keep these fellas home.

Snow Day!

2011-01-05T15:43:00.000-08:00

This past 3 day weekend was so fun! We got to spend so much time together as a family. Jeremy took the kids sledding on Friday and they loved it so much that we invited ourselves over to my friend Mary's house so we could all sled on Saturday too!
Tuck would have stayed out there all day!
Dad was a total trooper!
Mary had just finished building her new house, which is so lovely, so we had to clear our path for some serious sledding!
Riker and I made 3 runs down the big hill, and then he got too cold and grumpy, so we watched from the window for a while. Maeli quickly got cold too, but I think she mostly just wanted to play in Mary's house. I got to go back out after a while though, and Mary's husband even gave Jeremy and I a ride around their town on an inter tube...it was such a fun day!

Our Sweet Tucker

2011-01-04T19:58:00.001-08:00

Loves to clean! He's always talking about whatever "mess" he sees, and then will run to the cupboard and ask for the "spray" so he can clean it up. He cleaned up his mess from oatmeal this morning.
This Dude loves to copy everyone he sees, so here he is, Dad's hat & gloves, Riker's sweatshirt, and wearing a back pack that we had to tape a picture of dora onto so that it would look like Maeli's new back pack. Oh, and of course, the snow boots that haven't left his feet since November.

New Toys...

2010-12-28T13:14:00.001-08:00

And our kids would rather play with bins we already had....oh well!

Who Loves Licorice?!?

2010-12-20T20:41:00.000-08:00

Holiday Program

2010-12-20T20:21:00.000-08:00

Maeli's Pre-school had their "Holiday Program" on Thursday. It was right before they got out for the day, so Jeremy was able to come on his lunch break. They all marched in, and up onto the stage in a semi-organized manner.
Maeli was so not happy...we later found out that she was mad because she didn't want to wear the hat. This was her expression through pretty much the entire 20 minutes of singing.

Although part way through she got up and left...I guess she'd had enough, but her teach, Miss Jean, talked her into sitting back down without the hat.

Jeremy was surprised to see how little she is compared to the rest of the kids.

Afterwards they had refreshments the kids had helped make, and Maeli got to give up her ornament that she made for us with "lots and lots of sparkly glitters"

And Tucker found some of the other siblings and made himself at home with the chalk board.

Sleepy Kids

2010-12-20T20:17:00.000-08:00

Pretty self explanatory, right?

Ooooh la la

2010-12-20T20:14:00.000-08:00

Tucker found my mascara!

My Amazing Husband

2010-12-04T22:07:00.000-08:00

So my super cute husband asked me out on a date tonight--full service in that he called to get us a babysitter and everything, I had to do nothing but agree to go. He took me to an Indian Cultural Celebration Extravaganza. Lots of music, and dancing, and food. It was really fun, but what I found to be amazing is how much Jeremy loves learning about other cultures--which I already knew. But while I spent the entire evening trying to remember how to pronounce the name of the people sitting with us, by the end of the 3 hour program, Jeremy could tell the difference between the songs sung in Hindi and those in other Indian dialects. I enjoyed myself, a lot. But he was in total heaven! Absorbing everything around him, and asking questions and remembering names of little towns in India and which God is in charge of what, and where the best Indian restaurants are in Spokane. I am so impressed with his love of all people. He teaches me so much, and makes me want to be a better person. I'm so glad that he pushes me to try new things and on occasion even pops my little comfort bubble so that we, together, can explore the unknown. Of course, he has an ear for language, and a stomach for exotic cuisine, whereas I have neither. But I'm grateful that he wants me to be part of that side of him.
We've known each other for 12 years, and I'm still amazed by how sweet and kind he is. I sometimes forget how lucky I am to have him as my partner in this life, and the next. A good friend of mine lost her husband this week in a tragic accident at his work...the fragility of life is suddenly very real and scary to me. I cannot imagine my life without Jeremy. He is my best friend, my confidant, the best Father I could have ever hoped for for my children. The one who lets me cry on his shoulder for no reason at all, and makes me laugh at myself for being "such a girl." I take him for granted so often, relief when he walks in the door so the kids will bug him for a while, snuggling when I'm cold, sharing ice cream while we watch CSI, even having someone to put that one necklace on me that I can never get clasped. I am overwhelmed by the grief that my friend must be feeling, imagining the conversations she'll have to have with her kids as they get older, coming home every night and knowing that her husband won't ever be there. The only comfort I find, is in my knowledge that Families Can Be Together Forever. That no matter what happens here on Earth, no matter how short our time together is, that as long as we are faithful to the commandments and covenants that we've made with our Heavenly Father--then we can spend eternity as a family. I pray that the Zorb Family will be comforted in this time of heart break. I pray for Janine, Mattie, and Tristan--May the spirit of peace wrap his arms around you and hold on for as long as you need him to. In the weeks, months, and years ahead, may you know that there is a plan for each of us. A plan that leads to happiness beyond measure, where we can be reunited with loved ones we lost here on Earth, as well as those we knew before we came here. Know that God loves you, he knows the pain you are enduring every moment and if you let him, he will do all that he can to fill your lives with His love, and the love of those around you. The McLains love you too! If there is anything we can do to ease your suffering, please don't think twice about asking, we are here for you.

Christmas at the McLains!

2010-12-01T10:53:00.001-08:00

Maeli and Dad went to pick out the tree!

Maeli was excited about all the ornaments, I was surprised how many she remembered from last year.

Tucker was really into putting stuff on the tree, but he had a hard time with the branches and actually getting ornaments to stay on the tree...easily frustrated. Riker just thought that was a pretty exciting new thing to watch.

Ta Da!

Snow!

2010-11-30T13:23:00.000-08:00

Well, like most of the pacific Northwest, we have snow! Jeremy was so excited to get to play in the snow with the kids. He came home on his lunch break, and they all headed out. He gave Maeli a lesson in snowballs, which she though was so awesome, especially when he nailed me while I was trying to take a picture of Tucker-Nice.
This is the picture I took about 1 second before getting nailed by said snow ball. Tucker was very concerned about the carrot for the snowman.
Working on the snowman
Trying to recruit help for the snowman
Jumping on the snowman.

Brother and Sister

2010-11-30T13:09:00.000-08:00

Awe--don't ever tell Maeli that snow bibs come in anything other than black--we already had to go for pink boots and she is mad as all get out that her coat isn't pink...somethings have to be passed down to brothers and we can't make everyone where pink, can we?

Tucker wasn't completely trusting of this sudden "sweet sister" act.

And I just thought this is the cutest picture...so sweet!

Tucker's Chores

2010-11-30T13:00:00.000-08:00

Alright, if you want to go out and play, there are a few things you need to do first:
1-Shovel the porch

2-Finish the fence-Dad can help with the tall parts

Tea Party for the Princesses

2010-11-30T12:52:00.000-08:00

Maeli and her "best friend" Ali spent a good 45 minutes getting dressed up and then informed me that the "Princesses" needed a tea party with, "real water, chocolate chips, marshmallows, and some yummy other stuff." I did my best to comply. They played tea party for another hour or so...best bowl of chocolate chips I've ever contributed to anything.

Dad's idea of a bed-time snack?

2010-11-12T15:40:00.000-08:00

Garlic Shrimp!

too cute not to post

2010-10-27T20:21:00.000-07:00

Jeremy and I weren't really sure what the rules are about posting "nakey" pictures, but we figured tushes are probably okay, especially when they're this cute! And I love that they are totally glued to the Wizard of Oz. For the record, I had just gotten everyone out of the tub and went to grab jammies, when I came out, this is what I found...its not like we let our kids run around naked all the time, I promise!

Operation: Organization

2010-10-27T20:17:00.000-07:00

Its beginning to come together! A few more days and Jeremy will be ready to do some projects...I already have his first one assigned to him...a special Christmas project for the kids. It'll be cute, I'll blog all about it when its done!

A Trip To the Fire Station!

2010-10-27T20:07:00.000-07:00

Our friend Levi just turned 3, to celebrate, he invited everyone for a tour at the fire station. Whoa, was it just about the coolest thing ever? We think so!
I appreciated the fire man getting in full gear and explaining to the kids that this is what "the good guys" look like, so they don't need to be scared, and if they're ever in a fire, come right to him!
Tucker was so excited to see so many helmets and boots in one place!
Maeli had just seen the Fire Truck and Ambulance at pre-school, so she had no problem explaining to the EMT how things worked....at least we know she pays attention at school.
Jeremy decided that he would come along and help with the kids...hmmm, I think he, too, was a little excited about the firemen!

Reaping what we sew

2010-10-23T20:53:00.000-07:00

Harvest at the McLain's House:
Dad chucks corn into the grass and Tucker husks it, and put it in the box--thus making Tucker a chucked corn husker boxer boy

Maeli's job is to find the red tomatoes and bring the to mom--a ripe tomato picker sister

Mom and Dad turn this, into Salsa--mama mixin' salsa and daddy picks perfect peppers to add a little pizzaz

And we got lots of corn this year!

Cookies!

2010-10-23T20:32:00.000-07:00

For some Family Fun this week we decided to frost Pumpkin Sugar Cookies. Jeremy's not a huge fan of sugar cookies, so I used a recipe that is more like cakey-cookies, but really...its all about the frosting anyway, right?

And poor Riker really wanted his own cookie, how can you say no to that face?

Finally--A First Hair Cut

2010-10-23T20:27:00.000-07:00

Jeremy and I noticed that most of the time Maeli looks like an orphan, so we thought it was time to get her hair cut. She was super excited until we actually got to the place, then she got nervous. It took her about 5 minutes to warm up to Tonya "the lady" and then she would not stop talking. Everything in the hair place distracted her, and she had her head as far into her shoulders as she could get it most of the time, but she didn't freak out, or cry, so I thought it went pretty well. Maeli agreed when they brought her a sticker, candy, and a balloon. It looks pretty darn cute!

Maeli's Prince

2010-10-23T20:20:00.001-07:00

Maeli's Halloween costume arrived in the mail right before lunch time, she was so excited that she had to put in on right a way. As I was getting lunch ready, I caught her pouting in the corner. "what's the matter maeli?" Big Sigh..."I'm waiting for my Prince to come." "Who's your prince?" "Daddy is my best prince ever" So I had to call Jeremy and let him know that a very special princess was waiting for her prince and he better hurry so that she could eat lunch. Jeremy took his lunch break and came home, the second he walked in the door Maeli asked me to put on the "princess music" aka Beauty and the Beast so she could dance with her prince. She was beaming the whole time! I was a picture in my head of the not so far off future when they'll be dancing at her wedding... I hope she still thinks her Dad is the best prince ever, or at least in the top two!

Rub a Dub Dub

2010-10-23T20:18:00.000-07:00

3 Kids In The Tub!

Riker's first bath with all the kids. He really liked it for about 5 minutes and then the big kids got a little too crazy for him. Now, though, whenever they're in the tub he thinks he wants to be in there. He cracks up watching them splash and play.

Getting so Big!

2010-10-21T21:00:00.000-07:00

Just a little video of how big our sweet Riker is getting. Please ignore the mess, and Dora in the back ground but, well, this is how we live :0)

The Garage...continued...

2010-10-21T20:53:00.000-07:00

Trust me, we're sick of the garage too! But we are making progress and the end is in sight...its possible that I might even be able to park in there by the time it starts snowing! We had enough nice days in a row to get it painted, a very cheery lemony yellow that in no way matches the yellow of the house, but next summer we're repainting both some other shade of yellow. We just needed to get a coat of something on there before winter hit, and the lovely wal-mart paint matchers are not so awesome. I kind of like the lemon though...it grows on you for sure.

So now Jeremy is working on building a work bench so that he'll have some "man" space to actually do some of the projects he's been dreaming of, and hopefully some of the projects I've been dreaming of too. His little helper is super excited to have a wood-working project!

A "real" Tea Party

2010-10-21T20:48:00.000-07:00

I'm not really sure what makes it a "real" tea party, when we don't drink tea...I think maybe because I let Maeli put water in her little tea pot, and had real food on her dishes, she was in heaven! She very carefully set the table, helped Tucker to his seat, and then helped cut up his marshmallow for him. They both had a ton of fun!

Oh Brother!

2010-10-21T20:39:00.000-07:00

Who's been sleeping in my bed?

2010-10-02T23:03:00.001-07:00

I have reason to believe that Tucker's sudden ability to climb out of bed was inspired, and perhaps taught by his darling sister. Her favorite thing to do when she hears Tuck wake up from his nap is to "tell him the truth" which somehow always involves jumping in the bed.And low and behold, one day we learned that Tuck can man his way into Riker's crib, no matter where we put it, what-if anything- it is near, and regardless of what level we place the mattress...heaven help us.
Some friends and I sent our husbands off for a weekend of fishing/camping in the mountains. We got together for a little company on the Saturday night they were gone, a movie for the kids, and all kinds of fun (and food) for the moms

What we've been up to

2010-10-02T22:53:00.000-07:00

Went cruising for chicks, found a cute blond and took her for a spin

Made my way to the edge of the bed and discovered this super happy guy lives on the floor over there. He's a little strange, but I kind of like him.

Attempted to beat the record for the number of kids you can fit in an exer-saucer, but was thwarted by a mother.

Helping Dad train for the six-legged man relay summer of 2011, he's building muscle, but we still need to work on his endurance

Riker

2010-10-02T22:38:00.000-07:00

Our little Riker is getting SO BIG! Next week will be his 1/2 birthday and I can hardly believe how time has flow by. He's turning into a pretty good chunk, and has the world's most kissable cheeks. He's on the verge of being mobile, which, I'm afraid, will be my doom. He can't stand not being able to join in when the other kids are having fun without him. Although, he's still a little unsure if he likes it or not, when they join him in on their own. Maeli cracks him up, and when he's a little bigger, he will have no problem holding his own with Tucker on the wrestling mat. We started him on rice cereal, a little earlier than the other kids, but he really can't stand not being a part of dinner. The boy is all tongue and has thus not yet mastered the fine art of eating, but he' more than happy to continue his practice.

He is an excellent sleeper, although our problem has been where to let him sleep to keep him safe from Tucker. We're still brain-storming our best situation for everyone, but when he's not interrupted, he'll sleep all night long-bless his little heart, he must love his mama!

Tucker

2010-10-02T22:22:00.001-07:00

Our sweet Tucker has turned into a monster boy, but he's still the sweetest ever. He had his 18-month check up last month and is doing very well. He doesn't use a lot of words, so they referred him for a speech evaluation. There was a little bit of concern that his difficulty may have some connection with oxygen deprivation and/or being intubated at birth. But he tested within normal limits for his age. His understanding portion was above average, but his communication is below average, although still all within "normal." We opted to have him re-evaluated in 3 months and see if the gap has closed at all.
He is always busy, running everywhere he goes. If he hears a good beat, he'll stop dead in his tracks to boogie a little bit, and recently has added a crazy jump-turn thing to his dance moves. He is all about Dad right now, although he'll go with anyone if you'll take him outside. We've discovered that if you channel his energy into something good, he's actually a really great helper. If you let him roam free, destruction is sure to follow. He has been a super eager helper as far as helping Dad finish the garage. This summer he learned to climb a ladder (made it up about 10 feet before Mom and Dad really got too nervous to let it continue), how to climb out of his bed, and how to move chairs around in order to reach things that you can't climb to. Here he is helping Dad:

And helping Mom (grandma is working on making a more manly apron for him :0)

Maeli

2010-10-02T22:12:00.000-07:00

Our sweet Maeli has vanished, and been replaced by a 3 year old! She knows best, has her own opinion on everything, and would rather people just not talk to her, unless she happens to be in the mood to talk in which case you better not try to get a word in. She has become super in dependant, including dressing herself, shown here:

She is just loving pre-school! This is her first day of school picture:

She goes to school on Tues/Thurs mornings, and is still in gymnastics on Wednesdays. She's totally potty trained now, even at night. She's at this wonderful age where everything she says is funny, and she's a master at making up stories, so you really have to pay attention to what she's saying, or you'll be totally lost by the end. She's all about princesses and girly things and right now, she's all about Dad (which I am totally fine with). If it were up to her, she'd spent her entire day like this:

Blast!

2010-09-22T22:04:00.001-07:00

I am trying to update my blog, but I'm having major issues getting my pictures loaded. We are still alive!

Cute Babies!

2010-08-12T14:15:00.000-07:00

I love the side-by-side of my cute cute babies. I think Riker looks a lot like Maeli, but everyone keeps telling me how much he's his "own." I think in this line up, Tuck is our odd man out.

Cute Kids!

2010-08-12T14:07:00.000-07:00

4th of July

2010-08-12T13:54:00.000-07:00

My niece Hayden flew out for a few days to help watch the kids so I could get some things done, it was so, SO wonderful to have her here, and she is more than welcome anytime. My sister and her family came out for the fourth, and not being one to miss a chance to see my kids (who are the farthest away) my mom bummed a ride. We all really loved the parade.
Riker had a great First Fourth.
All the kiddos got lots of candy
And our corn was almost "knee high by the fourth of July" It might have been taller had the family of ducks that moved in not chosen our garden as their path to and from our yard.

The Garage

2010-08-12T13:16:00.000-07:00

After a lot of stressing about it, the concrete was a total success.
Only with all of our amazing helpers!
Scott came over for the Fourth of July and he and Jeremy got the framing done for the door. They also got the back door, and the window in.
We had a little mishap on the 4th, but the damage was very minimal. The Albion parade was about to start, and the fireman smelled the smoke, so they walked on over to inspect our extinguishing abilities.

What's a garage without a car to park in it? Thanks Kaitlyn, we love it!
Our Brother-in-law Jason is the President of All About Doors so he came over from the West Side to install our new door for us. Thanks Jason!
Jeremy's Dad came over and the siding got started, we're hoping to be all done by the end of Labor Day Weekend.

Laugh

2010-06-29T17:41:00.000-07:00

I was trying to get Tucker to dance, which didn't really work, but I love the way that he laughs at the beginning of this video.

Just some photos

2010-06-06T21:51:00.000-07:00

Tucker is teething and is chewing on everything. It is just like having a puppy.
Maeli is all about "the truth" lately. We've been working on lies vs. being wrong...for example, "Maeli-go get your shoes, they're in your room." "No, my shoes aren't in my room, I found them in the hall, Mommy, you lied." Things like that. Anyway, she's always telling the boys "the truth." When Tucker wakes up from a nap, she goes into his room, shuts the door, and when I came in she tells me that she's not done telling him the truth yet...hmmm. And here, she's whispering, "what are you saying Maeli?" "Oh, I'm just telling him the truth." I'm just not sure what truth she's telling them.
Our sweet Riker is getting so big!
Maeli often spaces out when there is a movie on. Riker had been crying and when I came in she was giving him his binky and patting his head...her eyes never left the TV. I think she may have a problem...but for the record, she only watches one movie a day under normal circumstances.
Tucker has become the world's best "wish I could help"er. He loves to be outside, but mostly in the garage. If we're all out in the yard, he'll go in to check out the lawn mower or motorcycle. I caught him helping Jeremy dig the trench.
We have this play mat thing, and if you jiggle it a little, the star on top has flashy lights and plays music. Riker just figured out the kicking to keep the lights going and WOW! Can that boy kick. He loves it!

A day in the life of a 3 year old!

2010-06-06T21:26:00.000-07:00

We woke up our birthday girl by singing Happy Birthday, she informed us that she needed "just 5 more minutes of sleep." I told her we'd be having cinnamon rolls (her favorite) for breakfast, THAT got her out of bed.

Dad got her a fishing pole and tackle box. They had to test them out, so he took Maeli to Pompa pond to make sure it worked...she really like digging for worms the best, but she said fishing is fun.

While they were gone, I transformed her bed into a Princess Bed fit for a 3 year old. She knew she was getting a Princess bed, but she hadn't seen it before. She had to try it out to make sure that it would fit. It does.
Then we had to have meatballs and sauce, Maeli's favorite dinner, which was quickly followed by a bath for obvious reasons.

As requested, we had "a pink and purple cake, kind of like a cupcake, with sprinkles and sparkles, and fire."

It was a pretty amazing day to be 3.

Oregon Highlights

2010-06-06T21:01:00.000-07:00

We had a great time in Oregon and really enjoyed the vacation. Jeremy had to fly back on Monday and the kids and I stayed a while and drove back on Friday. We all enjoyed the time, but these are just some of the highlights:
Riker met Gramma Vi (Jeremy's grandma)

We got to celebrate the birthdays of Jeremy, Kaitlyn, and Maeli with banana splits!

We got to play with cousins! These are Jeremy's sister Amanda's youngest boys

We had a double-family picnic after the blessing

We got to play with cousins (this is Olivia, one of my brother's daughters)

We got to visit Grandma Opal, my Great-Grandma (who is turning 100 this summer and still knows how to tickle)

We got to play with cousins (this is Roy, my little sister's boy)

We had an amazing tea party put on by Grandma Terry

And we got to play with cousins (this is Kennedy, another of my brother's daughters)

Good times were had by all