Kid Update

Hazel has a fascination with words. Her ears are magnets for new vocabulary and fun phrases. She's already a major chatterbox, and then how she throws in all sorts of unexpected words is just too funny.

One night at dinner, Hazel saw that I was almost finished eating and said, "Dude, you are goin' to town!"

Earlier that day, she had asked me to put a bunch of clips in her hair, and after the fourth or fifth one, she started calling out, "We are really goin' to town here!" "Why are we goin' to town on my hair?" "Woah, we are totally goin' to town with these clips!"

Every morning before Todd leaves for work, we all say, "Cheerio!" I tried to change it to "adios" or something else one day, and Hazel insisted that Todd not leave until I had said "cheerio."

One day we were at the park and she was pretending a section of trees were some dark woods. She said, "It's a little scary. Come with me and comfort me."

The other day she wanted some privacy in the bathroom, and as I took my leave, she insisted that I "leave the door open just a smidge."

She loves words like terrible, mischief, nibble, and fascinating. I notice her speaking in terms she heard in Berenstein Bears books, like "Dear me, no!' and starting sentences with "Say." I just think it's the most adorable thing ever.

In other Hazel news, she has been taking a gymnastics class and is a super star at spider walks (precurser to handstands), bear walking, and forward rolls. Her favorite part of class is jumping on the trampoline. The class is a good outlet for her energy and channels her impressive strength and balance. She talks non-stop through the whole thing, and the teachers are constantly calling her name to get her to remember to keep moving (as the line of kids waiting behind her backs up!) She's a bit of a daydreamer, turns out. We went to Happy Hollow a week ago (a local amusement park/zoo for little kids) and we saw that Hazel's just barely tall enough to ride the roller coaster all by herself. She wanted to give it a go, and I was thrilled, since that would mean she could ride it when we don't go with a friend who can watch Jack while I ride with her. I was so proud of her. She felt so big and excited and she totally held her arms in the air as it climbed its first hill. Maybe we desensitized her at Disneyland??? Whatever the reason, she was totally brave and LOVED going on her own. Make the picture bigger so you can see the fantastic look on her face!Jack got his first haircut today. Crazy that he and Hazel got their first haircuts within months of each other. He was hitting the point where his hair looked more feminine and/or rockstar mullet than I would like. So I got out the buzzers and popped a no. 8 on. That's all there was to it. Super easy.

Before:After:

Jack's turning into a bit of a menace. He doesn't really choke anymore, but he still sticks non-food items in his mouth all the time. Then he'll walk towards me, already shaking his head and saying, "uh, uh," as he spits said item out. He waits until I'm watching before dropping food onto the floor when he's in his highchair. Again with the "uh, uh."

If the bathroom door is open, he makes a beeline for the toilet every time. And today's unfortunate accomplishment is that he figured out how to lift both bathroom's toilet lids. Yes, he likes to go fishing. It's going to be harder to manage this bad habit now that he can lift the lid. I hate hearing the lid open, followed by his happy swish, swish. He loves it so much. It's so disgusting.

Jack's started to love having books read to him. He'll grab one out of the book basket, carry it over to me, and climb right onto my lap. He rarely makes it through til the end of the book (even board books) but I'm happy that he's beginning to love books and reading. His current absolute favorite toy is a quart-size ziplock bag of Littlest Pet Shop pieces. He brings it to me several times a day so I can open the bag and he can get all the pieces out. Yesterday I had to put all the smallest pieces inside a snack-size bag inside the big bag because I got tired of taking them out of his mouth. He loves the little animals. When I hold up the cat, he leans in for three or four kisses.

Disneyland

We went to Disneyland last week with Todd's sister Missy's family and his parents. Todd hadn't been since he was a teen, and it was my very first time ever. There is far too much I could say about it, which is why I've been home for five days and still haven't posted. It's highlights today, or nothing, so here goes.

Loved:

* the characters! There were plenty of them around, and we usually didn't have to wait long in line to meet them. I swear Hazel thought they were the real deal. Her hugs for them all were so sincere. We met Tigger and Winnie the Pooh, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Tinkerbell, Cinderella and the Fairy Godmother, Aladdin and Jasmine, Rapunzel, Ariel, Aurora, Mulon, and Belle. We bumped into Cinderella four different times! * the parade our last night. We got a great character sweep, seeing everyone we hadn't found already, so Hazel walked away satisfied that she'd also seen Peter Pan and Captain Hook, Tiana, and Snow White. I don't think she would have felt complete otherwise, as she'd been "keeping her eyes peeled" for those guys the whole time we were there.

*Tower of Terror. Nothing like free-falling twenty stories or whatever it was. Got my heart pounding. It was probably the only ride that gave me a rush. Poor Hazel. I think she was too young for that. She was sitting next to me. There I was, body off the seat, before I realized Hazel was totally mid-air as well, and probably freaked out. But I loved it!*Autopia, Go Go Gadget Coaster, Ariel's Undersea Adventure, Silly Swings, Peter Pan's Flight, Dumbo - those were probably Hazel's favorite rides.

*spending time with family. Hazel and Jack both seemed totally happy to be with everyone we came with. I feel like we really strengthened bonds and made memories with them, and we had a ton more fun than we would have if we had gone alone.* pineapple soft-serve ice cream outside the Tiki Room. Delish!

* the Hotel Disney swimming pool we played at our last morning before driving home. We found out Hazel and Jack both love water slides!

Unimpressed by:

* most of the rides. I suppose I had this idea that Disneyland is the end-all for amusement parks, but most of the rides were just eh. Lots of sitting and looking at recreated movie scenes. The perfect customer would be six years old and familiar with every movie featured on the rides.
Hated:

* the noise! All the rides were way too loud, and there was music being piped in throughout the entire park, so there was nowhere to go to have some peace and quiet. I got a migraine. :(

* the crowds! It was serious low-season and I was still feeling claustrophobia. There were way too many people there. And it boggled my mind how we'd get on rides with no line, but we had to walk for five minutes from the entrance to the actual ride just getting through space dedicated to ride lines! Mark my words, I will NEVER go in the summer!Overall, I don't think you'll ever be able to classify me and Todd as major Disneyland fans, but it was a blast and everyone had a good time. We're glad we went, if only to give Hazel a place where she could wear her dress-ups all day long and fit right in!

Yarn Wreath

I've had the hardest time finding some way I like to dress up this yarn wreath I started. I was just playing around with it a couple of days ago and made it up into a Valentine's Day wreath with a boa of Hazel's and some scrapbook paper. So that'll dress up the door for a couple of weeks, but after that, it's back to the drawing board. It might wind up under my bed. We'll see.
Also, I think my front door is not awesome for wreath hanging. All that address-label/huge doorbell box business really detracts from the overall balance of it. Ug. Wreaths on pinterest are always hung on gorgeous front doors. Where's mine? Oh well. Work with what you've got.

A Chocolate Morning

Today is the kind of day chocolate was made for. Too bad I made a vow to go ten days without dessert or candy, 'cause I could sure use some right now.

Hazel was just a super whiner all morning. She wanted me to do everything for her right now. She wanted me to make her eggs, set up her play house, and read her a book all at the same time. It frustrated me to no end that while I was working on something she asked me to do, she was yelling at me for not doing something else she wanted right then. I finally had to threaten to take away every single one of her dress-ups if she didn't stop yelling at me. Luckily for the both of us, we've made it to nap time without having to resort to that.

We made it to the grocery store, where I had the kids in one of those enormous two-seater, pretend-you're-driving-a-car shopping carts, and it's snack time and so it's not completely terrible that Hazel and Jack are both loudly grunting for crackers every fifteen feet or so. But it still annoyed me. Hazel told me I had the "gimmies" because I was putting so much stuff in the cart. Thank you, dear, but that's not exactly what the Bearenstein Bears were trying to say.

Back in the parking lot, I got Hazel out and told her to hop in her carseat. Then I took Jack out and started to load him in. Hazel started whining that she couldn't get her door shut. I looked over and saw an elderly man (veteran, we were at the military commissary) sitting in his car. He couldn't get out until Hazel's door was shut. So I left Jack unbuckled and bounded over there to help Hazel shut her door, which I thought was just open so wide she didn't have the strength to swing it shut. Not quite. It was lodged against the man's car. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I loosened it and saw two lovely paint stripes on his car door. I was panicked and stressed and v-e-r-y close to bursting into tears as I hurried back to Jack to buckle him in before he climbed out and fell on the pavement or something. Mentally, I geared up to get yelled at and swap insurance information.

The man stepped out - I was still on the other side of the car with Jack - and I said, "I am so, so sorry." He reached over, touched the marks, said, "Aw, it'll just wipe off," and walked into the grocery store. Nothing more. I was floored. I walked back over to buckle Hazel in and could see that it was not just paint marks; there was a dent in his door. I took in how new and expensive his car looked. I took a few steps backward to look at his bumper. Yep, a Lexus. That was a miracle. For reals, a miracle. Right then and there, I bowed my head and said a prayer of gratitude for that man's mercy. Then I found a scrap of paper in my purse and wrote him a thank you note.

I can't remember the last time I felt so overwhelmed with gratitude for something someone has done for me. Tears were coursing over my cheeks the whole drive home. I just couldn't pull it together. I almost pulled over to wait it out. That could have been so bad. I can't believe he just let it go. That man is an angel to me.

Feather Wreath

I made a wreath for Hazel's room out of a feather boa. It is absurdly girly, and she is in love with it. She requested that I hang it somewhere she can reach it so she can touch it and bury her face in its softness. We'll see how long it lasts before it's completely weather-worn! ps. I can't wait to get a phone that takes better pictures!

Half Moon Bay daytrip

We went to the beach on Saturday. Jack especially seemed to love it. It felt like it was his first time at the beach ever, even though it wasn't, because it's the first time we've taken him since he started to walk. He loved toddling along the sand exploring the whole place on his own terms. He loved walking close to the waves, then getting picked up to run away from the tide. He loved picking up handfuls of sand and watching the grains fall out of his fingers. He loved climbing on the rocks like Hazel. (That Hazel. It doesn't matter where we take her, she finds a way to climb something. She's such a monkey!)We packed a picnic lunch, but couldn't resist picking up some local fish and chips to eat, too. We brought the kids' heavy winter coats, thinking it'd be freezing, but our beach was sunny with no wind, so it was actually just perfect in long sleeved shirts. It was one of those days I didn't mind paying the "California weather tax." Beautiful!

Camera Advice

We need a new camera so bad. I hate how our pictures have been turning out lately. Our Canon PowerShot is dying, and it is not doing so gracefully. We're thinking about getting me an iPhone for everyday picture taking, and upgrading to an SLR for special photos. We don't really know what we're doing. So... I'm seeking recommendations/advice. What kind of camera should we get? We don't want something incredibly big and heavy, but we want great quality photos. What cameras should we be looking at? Please give us a direction to head in our camera research!

Baby Boy Turns One

Today is Jacky Boy's first birthday. Look how little he was the day he was born! (I think this is the first time I've ever referred to my 9lb 9oz newborn as little!) He's grown and changed so much. I have been reflecting all day on how much better he has made our family. We are very, very lucky to have him with us. Jack is a cheerful, loving little guy who never lets me out of his sight and is always ready to cuddle (and I crave cuddles, so it's perfect!). He follows Hazel around like she's the Queen Bee and he's just drooling to do whatever she commands, and he begs Todd to play rough and chase him down the hall. (Todd gets the biggest, best laughs out of Jack.) It was a mellow day. Between his two naps, Jack spent 4 1/2 hours sleeping today, so I don't have much action to report on. But we had about 45 minutes together after his morning nap while Hazel was still at preschool, so I took him outside and let him choose which way to wander. I used to do that every day with Hazel when she was his age, but I think it's the first time ever Jack's had the chance to lead the way outside. I'm always carrying him or pushing him in the stroller to keep up with Hazel on our way to the park or something. So it was really fun for Jack and me to just take a baby's pace and let him trundle around, checking out the plants and doorways and everything. I feel like that was the best gift I could give Jack today, and am so glad I used the time that way instead of getting something done in the house while he played by himself. He loved his cake. He dug his fingers in the frosting and reached right for the candle and would have touched the fire if Todd hadn't blown it out quickly. I remember Hazel being afraid of her candle and was surprised that Jack wasn't, because in general he is a lot more tentative and cautious than Hazel was at his age. Then he packed it in. He begged for seconds, and then thirds. We had to move the cake to the counter so he couldn't see it to get him to stop grunting for more.
He got a basketball hoop for his present. He's still a touch too young for it, but I think it'll be just right in a few months. In the meantime, Todd can't seem to stop playing with it. And we wouldn't mind if Hazel got inspired to improve her coordination a bit as well. We love our little man. Happy birthday, Jackster!

Crafts, etc

Pinterest inspired me to get a little creative with some of my Christmas presents this year. It was tons of fun for me to shop at craft stores and try to make something beautiful. I'll have to get more into projects this year.

Behold, the dry-erase marker calendars I made for Emily and Doug, and Scott and Caprice:

The initial wall-hanging for my 70's style lovin' sister Kathryn:
And the wreath I made for my mom:I've been v-e-r-y slowly working on a yarn wreath for my dining area. The covered section in the photo took 20 minutes, folks! Is there something I should know about more efficiently making a yarn wreath? I am wrapping a water weenie! Ha ha. I got it all covered, then decided it was too skinny to be so wide, so I unwrapped the whole thing, cut out a five or six inch chunk, and am about halfway done wrapping it again. Sigh. I'm still not sure how I'll adorn it when I'm done. It's not top priority right now.

In other news, Todd and I have a tradition of buying a new game every year for New Year's Eve. We trade off whose turn it is to pick it out, and go into extensive research trying to find something we'll love. It's been tricky, but rewarding, looking for games that are fun to play with just two players. This year Todd bought Ticket to Ride. We played it four times in a row. Other successful games from past years include Carcassonne and Mr. Jack. Check them out!

Holiday Review

We got our Christmas cards in the mail before Christmas was over! I wrote the letter, Todd addressed and stuffed the envelopes (so let me know if you didn't get one and want one - we've got a few left over) and Hazel put on the stamps and address stickers. We flew to Utah. Hazel threw up at the airport. I didn't have to clean it up! But we brought the plague with us to my mom's house. Everyone got the stomach flu in shifts, a couple people per day. Sad.

Hazel was thrilled to see snow. There wasn't much, but lucky for us, it did snow our first full day in Logan. Hazel watched, mesmerized, from the window.
Then I bundled her up and took her outside to catch snowflakes on her tongue. It was the first of THREE TIMES that day that she got on her gear and tromped around in the snow.
Lucky for me, there were plenty of aunts, uncles, and grandparents dying to play with my kids, so I only had to go out once. It was C-O-L-D.
We decorated gingerbread houses. (Todd, Hazel, my brother Ryan, my mom Deon, and my brother-in-law Doug featured below)
Jack loved playing the piano. Hazel liked it, too, but Jack really went crazy for it.
We made sugar cookies. Hazel was in charge of sprinkles and did a mighty fine job.
My entire family was at my parents' house this year. We were so excited to have everyone together, but never got a group shot because someone was always down with the flu.

We put on a Nativity play Christmas Eve. Hazel got to be Mary and did a really great, reverent job. Jack was a sheep. He waddled around with a hoodie towel on his head, getting loved on by everyone because he is so cute.


Hazel was the last person awake Christmas morning. She's so ingrained in habit that she wanted to go potty and get dressed before she came out to the living room. I don't think she quite realized what was waiting for her out there!
Jack napped almost the whole time we opened presents.
I had to include this picture. Hazel's wearing three dress-ups on top of each other. "Triple Dress-Up!"
Christmas afternoon we drove down to Todd's parents' house in Midway to spend a few days with his family. Monday the 26th was Todd's birthday. He got Raspberry Delight for his birthday cake.We went ice skating. It was Hazel's first time, and honestly, we probably should have waited one more year, or at the very least, not gone during naptime. She lasted less than ten minutes on the ice, skating with a lot of help from Todd, then begged to go back to Grammie's to sleep. But while she was on the ice, she did have fun pretending to be Princess Frostine from the Candyland game. The next day we went sledding at Soldier Hollow. It was pricey, but worth it. They have a lift that your tube gets hooked onto, so you get a ride up the hill. if it weren't for that, Hazel would have been done after just one or two rounds, but because she got to sit in her tube the entire time, it was a party for everyone. I haven't had so much fun sledding in years. Sadly, nobody brought a camera, not even a cell phone, so no pictures. I am really bummed about that.

We played The Hunter and the Deer. (Don't remember what that is? Check this post for a refresher.) Hazel and Shaylee paired up for that one.
Jack has two cousins less than a year older than them. He followed Carly and Kenley around everywhere they went, completely fascinated that there are little people like him in the world.
We only took small presents with us to Utah, so we had Christmas again with just the four of us here in California on Saturday morning. That time around, Hazel knew what was going on and was anxious to run down the hall and see what Santa left for her. But she still had time to put on a dress-up first! (Obsessed)
Santa brought Hazel's much-anticipated new bike, which she has been tearing up the town on ever since. He also somehow knew Hazel would love having so many princess dollies! It's her dream come true. The other big hit for the Haz was a little tea party set. She's been using it for her snack every day. It's so much fun to shop for a 3-year-old girl!
I love this picture of me and Jacko, even though I look tired and my smile is dumb. I just think it's so cute how he's sitting cross-legged inside my crossed legs. He is totally a mama's boy, always checking to be sure I'm within his sights, often coming over for a quick snuggle before trundling over to his next adventure. He is tender and affectionate and I am so in love with him.
We had a very merry Christmas, and are sure glad to have had several days to recover before Todd goes back to work!