Fall Kickoff

 There's a new crispness in the air.  A few trees have leaves which have begun to change color.  We're wearing jackets in the morning and evening.  Fall is coming, hooray!

Hazel's preschool class has begun.  I'm doing a co-op with a couple of close friends.  Teaching just three kids is super easy, and these kids gel so well together.  It's been a blast so far.  I surprised myself with how much I enjoyed prepping my lessons for class.  Last year Hazel's co-op was mostly a playgroup, and the other moms and I in this group have made a big effort to structure it like an actual preschool class.  It made it so much more satisfying to host.  I am really happy about how it's turning out. 

Jack's attending a toddler gym class on Mondays when I never teach.  He loves it! 

 Every two weeks we've got a field trip scheduled since we don't have a fourth to teach and want to keep our rotation smooth.  For our first outing, we took a nature walk and made fall wreaths.  Hazel took a surprising amount of pride in her project.  She was quite selective about what items would make the cut and go in her collection bag, and she loved choosing where to place each piece on the wreath.  She is bursting with pride that I hung it on our front door. 

 Today we went apple picking at an orchard in Watsonville.  We're making pie after church tomorrow!  Hazel loved chomping on our picks and lounging in the wheelbarrow.

Jack did not want to ride in the wheelbarrow.  He trundled along at the rear, nibbling on apples and drawing in the dirt.  He was super content.  I think he could have stayed there all day long.

 

After picking all we wanted, we hung out in the picnic area, eating lunch and playing.  Hazel went crazy climbing on and jumping off of some hay bales while Jack pushed a toy cart all over Tarnation. 

 When we got home, we took the training wheels off of Hazel's bike.  Poor Todd had a rough time hobbling along next to her with his gimpy foot, but he was a man about it.

Last item of news for the day: we converted Jack's crib into a toddler bed.  Not sure if that was a splendid idea or not, but we felt so guilty seeing him with his legs sticking out of the bars night after night.  He always climbs into Hazel's bed first and lays down there while I sing to him.  He wants a big bed so bad.

 It took about three seconds for us to realize we were going to have to put a child lock on the doorknob, though.  He was out and squealing with joy the moment I left the room, headed straight for the door to break out.  Hazel gave up after ten or fifteen minutes and lay down on our bed so she didn't have to referee the J-bird.  Thankfully, he settled down pretty quickly once he didn't have an audience.  We'll see how it goes tomorrow. . .  I'm betting he doesn't take a nap for a few days. 

Staying Caught Up.....

 We bought Hazel a 14 inch bike with pedals this weekend.  We've been thinking about it for a while, and decided it would be worth it to get it now instead of for her birthday or Christmas, so she can get in a lot of riding time in the good weather.  We're keeping the training wheels on for a few weeks, for two reasons.  One, Todd's foot is still jacked up, and I'm getting more pregnant, so neither of us can jog next to her real well to help her learn to ride.  Two, she has next to no experience with pedals, so we're giving her a bit of time to figure out the logistics before we throw her to the wolves.  But the whole point of getting her a balance bike (last Christmas) was to skip the training wheels phase, so we're only giving her a couple of weeks. 

Hazel absolutely LOVES her bike!  We've been out riding every day except Sunday since she got it.  Monday morning she was very anxious for me to get showered and dressed quickly so she could head out asap.  We've mostly been doing loops around our apartment complex, but also have a couple small parks close by with sidewalks that border the playground, so we've been to each of those a couple of times as well so she can go around and around and around.  

For the most part, Jack has kept up on his bike, but he's falling further and further behind as Hazel gets better and faster, and he has lost excitement for the novelty of riding just to ride and not to head towards a final destination.  So I've started packing him in the stroller when he loses his drive.  He's mad about that, but it takes forever when he gets pokey, and Hazel just wants to move! 

 In other news, we finally gave Hazel a steak dinner.  She ate twice as much meat as me.  Todd generously passed me his T-bone so I could nibble off the goodness, and Hazel was intrigued.  We told her it was like how lions eat all the meat off the bones and then leave the rest for hyenas.  She wanted to give it a try, and boy, did she go to town!  Not only was she in character (she's growling like a lion in the picture) but she bit and tore at the tiny shreds for ten straight minutes.  She didn't leave anything for the hyenas!  I've said it before, and I'll say it again: this girl loves red meat! 

Random Pictures and Silly Stories

 Summer is wrapping up.  Hazel starts twice-a-week preschool after Labor Day (a co-op with some buddies from church).  I'll start taking Jack to toddler gym class when she's gone. 

Hazel just finished eight weeks of soccer.  She liked it better than dance, but not nearly as much as gymnastics.  It was cute to see her running around in shin guards, giving the ball power kicks.  I'd like to do it again next summer. 

The kids love riding their bikes.  I finally came up with the genius idea of having them ride back and forth on the sidewalk between our stairs and our garage, instead of making Hazel stop at check points along the way to the park while Jack slowly caught up.  It's been much better.  No more worrying about cars.  They're actually playing together (usually Hazel pretends they're Peter Pan and Tink, dodging cannonballs).  Jack's only made one escape attempt so far (on the stair end where I couldn't see them), and Hazel alerted me to it in time. 

 Climbing trees has been a big deal this summer.  I'm glad.  I was always too scared to climb trees.  I love how brave and adventurous Hazel is. 

 Jack's been using the play kitchen a lot.  He makes things that are "hah, hah" (hot) and sticks them in the fridge to cool off before giving everyone a taste.  His vocabulary is starting to take off.  He says mama, da for Dad and helicopter, Ja for Jack, bluh for balloon, puh for poop, uh-uh, uh-oh, and has his own words for dog, truck, bye bye, night night, blanket, Hazel, outside, bath, ball, van, car, book, and a few others.  He is also starting to make animal sounds.  My favorite is a growl for jaguars and other wild cats. 

 Hazel is suddenly quite taken with coloring and will invest a lot of time in it.  Right now she's getting better at staying in the lines, and is far more interested in making her pictures colorful than making them look realistic.  Here is a sample of her current style:

 She's also starting to free-style draw a bit.  She likes it best when Todd draws with her, teamwork style.  The other night they drew a leopard and a cheetah together.  It was cute to hear them talking about how to shape the tail and what the pattern on the fur ought to look like. 

Hazel's still fascinated with getting tied up in our pretend play, but she's finally starting to expand beyond that plot-line on occasion.  Here she is being Tiger Lily tied up at Skull Rock:

 

 It's kind of boring for me when she plays Tiger Lily, because I have to hold up all the dialogue.  She's really good at staying silent and looking away from Captain Hook (me) just like in the movie, but she says almost nothing and expects me to continue to beg her to tell me where Peter Pan's hideout is. 

My mom and sister Kathryn came to visit last week.  My poor mom spent a ton of time trying to get this ancient sewing machine an old co-worker gave me to work.  No dice.  But it made me realize how much I want one, and ordered a machine on Amazon.  I can't wait for it to get here! 

I love this picture.  Mom impressed me with how patient she was, trying to figure this thing out while my kids were all over her.  She just lovingly showed Jack what she was doing and chattered right along with Hazel's make-believe.  I always feel like I can't get any "real" work done while the kids are awake, but obviously, that's not a problem for my mom!  With six kids, she probably had no other choice but to develop that skill. 

 Todd went boating with the Scouts and sprained his ankle doing a wakeboard flip.  Now he's on a serious evening routine of elevating, icing, and making me do his bidding.  Notice that impressive snack platter he's sporting?  Yeah, I'm a good wife.  I even napped on the floor on Sunday and let him monopolize the couch.  (Hazel uses our room for quiet time.) I expect a full return on my investment when I'm in my third trimester!

 Speaking of quiet time, it is going magnificently.  Hazel loves it.  I take a nap almost every day. 

 

On laundry days, the kids love to commandeer the laundry baskets.  This week, they were puppy crates.  Arf!  

That same day, I woke up groggy from a too-long nap.  Usually, Hazel wakes me up by about 3:30 as she decides she's done with quiet time.  This time, I wandered back to peek in at her and this is what I found:

 She swears she wasn't really asleep, just pretending to be the sleeping puppy, but she was out cold for half an hour after I took this picture.  I had to wake her up.  That looks so uncomfortable!

Hazel thinks she doesn't have enough coins in her collection of special things, so she's been doing a few odd jobs around the house to earn more.  She's dusted, cleaned the toilet, and washed the sliding class door.  I could get used to this!  

 So, her special things... Hazel's got this ongoing collection of small toys, shiny ribbons, jewelry, and other odds and ends that she guards possessively.  Todd finally bought her a little stationary chest with a code lock, so she can stop hoarding her stuff in all the high places in the house and FREAKING OUT any time Jack comes close to her stash.  It is a serious obsession.  She asked if she'd be able to have her special things in heaven, and I was torn between lying so she'd still think heaven was a great place, and telling her the truth so she'd start to learn that possessions aren't the most important things in life.  Now she says she's scared to die, because she figured out she might not have them with her up there. 

A few days ago, we read a book about a family whose house caught fire and they had to save money to buy a new chair because all their possessions were burned up.  It really got the wheels turning in Hazel's head.  Later that day, she announced that if our house caught on fire, she would run and save her special things, and not Jack.  She specifically said that!  So we had a couple big talks about how Jack is our family and our family (and people in general) are far more important than any of our stuff, even our special things.  Finally, we got her to say she'd grab Jack AND her special things at the same time to save them in the fire.  And the next day, she'd figured out a better answer: she'd save Jack first, carry him under his arms to me, and then run back real fast to get her special things before they burned up.  We're getting there... ;) 

 

Jack's had a wart on his foot.  His pediatrician said to cover it with duct tape.  It's actually worked, but the funny thing is how hard I've had to work to keep the tape on Jacks' foot.  It got to the point where it was only worth the effort after Jack was asleep.  Well, that only worked for a few weeks.  Jack has now trained himself to half wake up when he hears us come in to check on them at night, and pull the tape off right after I put it on, without even opening his eyes!  It's hilarious.  Now I'm taking a break for a week or two to get him out of the cycle before starting up again.  Funny boy.  

 Sorry for how long this post is!  Apparently, I need to blog more frequently. Kudos to anyone who read the whole thing! 

Baby Bonner #3 is a .......

We had our big ultrasound this afternoon.  Todd took work off early and we brought the kids along, so it was a big family affair.  We were in the room for over an hour, so thank goodness for goldfish and games on the iPhone, or Hazel and Jack might not have made it. 

Sticking with tradition (see here and here) we planned to go out to eat to celebrate after finding out if the baby's a boy or a girl.  Hazel has been totally gunning for a sister since she found out I was pregnant, because she "already has a little brother."  But when we told her we'd get sandwiches and salads and cheesecake if it was a girl, and steak if it was a boy, she totally switched teams!  That girl loves her red meat. 

She only slipped once in the past three days.  Last night, she put her hands on my belly and said she hoped the baby was a girl.  Then she said, "Wait, I mean I want it to be a BOY!  Because I really, really want to eat steak!!!"  She had a major short term/long term battle with herself this week! 

And so, it is quite funny to announce that Hazel was seriously disappointed to find out that the baby is a....

GIRL! 

 We celebrated at The Cheesecake Factory.  I had my favorite food, a chicken salad sandwich (and an enormous salad that will mostly be tomorrow's lunch).  The kids had sliders and corn dogs - kid food doesn't really count.  

Todd had an Asian cashew chicken salad.  (Also, he never seems to know what to look at when I take his picture...)

We finished it off with a knock-out divine German chocolate cheesecake. 

 We are stuffed, and pleased. 

Pregnancy Update

We find out on Tuesday if we've got a boy or a girl.  We're pretty excited!  I've been running three times a week solid for about a month now.  I've gotten myself up to two miles at a time, and have stagnated there for a week or so. This week, it's time to go a bit longer!  I've got four weeks to get myself up to three miles, all the while fighting my ever-growing belly and lowered energy levels.  I feel optimistic about it so far, but am being fair to myself and recognizing that I'm doing really well for myself, whether or not I manage to complete a 5K at a run by September 8th.  Some of my family members have been training along with me, via a google doc spreadsheet.  We're keeping track of our exercise and eating habits, and it's totally helped me to start eating a ton more vegetables and far fewer sweets.  Good things are happening.  My weight gain has been a lot slower this month than this point in my other pregnancies, so we're doing the right thing!  Here's to a smaller baby!  Hoo-rah!  (Hoping.)

Camping at Portola Redwoods

 We took the kids camping this weekend and lived to tell the tale.  I figured the kids would love it, but was surprised by how much I enjoyed it as well.  I was getting hit with all sorts of nostalgia from my childhood.  It was great to be unplugged from the world and truly together as a family unit. 

There were a few unexpected bumps, like not thinking to bring a spatula to cook our scrambled eggs with, and failing to realize Jack wouldn't eat a single bite of healthy food without being strapped into his booster seat. 

And we had no clue just how close an eye we'd have to keep an eye on Jack every. second. we. were. there to keep him nearby and away from the fire.  Jacko made me a pretty useless assistant to Todd.  Combine that with the handful of times I couldn't remember where I'd put something, and I totally called Todd out and said I bet he wished I was a man right about then. 

The kids were stoked that I bought them camping chairs their size. 

Even cooler were the "tree hollows" all over the camp grounds, including a pretty sweet one right in our campsite that was deemed "The Cave." 

 Like I stated before, Jack was completely obsessed with the fire.  Give this kid a fire, a stick, and a patch of mud, and he's happy as a clam.  What a boy! 

 Hazel's going through this phase (I hope it's just a phase!) where she won't eat hot dogs.  So we made tin foil dinners instead.  They were bueno.  The best part is that Todd assembled them at home before we left, so they were ready to go as soon as the coals were hot. 

Jack's very first s'more.  It was a hit.  And yet, he didn't seem to notice when we demoted him to plain graham crackers after his first one.  Perhaps he was too ravenous after boycotting his dinner...

We only stayed one night.  My pregnant body could have used some more padding on the ground, and Jack could have used a couple more layers since he was in a pack-and-play instead of a sleeping bag, but all told, it wasn't a bad night.  Maybe we'll go for two nights next time. 

News

We bought a van.  It is a 2012 Honda Odyssey and we are totally loving it.  I get scared every time I pull in or out of our garage because it's a tight fit, but other than that, it is a joy to drive. 

 My favorite features so far are:

1. Automatic sliding doors - they open with just a push of a button, and no worries about Hazel bumping the cars we park next to.  It is so nice to open the doors with the buttons on the key while I"m holding Jack and a trillion other things at the same time. 

2. Sunroof!  I was disappointed to realize how often the sun is glaring right overhead and I choose to keep it closed, but when it is open, Hazel and I pretend we're in a convertible and bask in the extra light and the overhead view. 

3. There's a USB port in the glove box that I keep my iPod plugged into.  All my favorite music, with me all the time.  Divine.  Also, it has memory space to burn 16 CDs so I can store all our favorite songs and easily meet Hazel's request for "Poor Unfortunate Souls" without having to take CDs in and out while driving.  I love it!!! 

Now you're probably wondering the same thing that all our neighbors were, and if so, you are correct.  I am pregnant!  Baby #3 is expected to arrive in early January and we are both thrilled and scared.

I had no idea this photo I texted to Todd was so shiny and bad until tonight.  Oh well.

 At my doctor appointment last month, the doctor who saw me was surprised that I hadn't had gestational diabetes with Hazel or Jack because they were both so huge.  (8.14 and 9.9)  She suggested that I try to gain less weight this pregnancy (aim for 25 lbs instead of the 35-37 I gained previously) and see if that gives me a smaller baby.  She said I may not be able to gain that little, as some women are predisposed to gain a certain amount no matter what, and she said it may not give me a smaller baby, either.  But it is serious motivation for me, so I'm trying hard to be better about what I eat and get off my duff and exercise.  If you see me, please ask me how I'm doing so I won't slack off!!!  Please help me not have a 10 pound baby!

Speaking of exercising, I was working my tail off January through April.  I was attending a boot camp workout class four mornings a week and finally got over my hatred of sweating.  It started feeling good to work hard!  I was just starting to make some real progress.  Then I got pregnant and started feeling sick and fatigued and totally lost my mojo lying on the couch all the time. 

Then they announced at church that there's going to be a Stake Relief Society/Young Women's 5K in September and I decided I want to do it.  Now that I'm starting to feel better I'm trying to run three times a week.  Am I crazy to try to do my very first 5K five months pregnant?  I figure I can always walk instead of run if I really can't do it, but I'd like to try. 

In other news, we drove to Utah the last weekend in June to attend Todd's sister Kelsi's wedding.  (Congrats again Kelsi and David!) Hazel had just barely earned Peter Pan from completing a goal-oriented sticker chart and was so excited to watch it on the drive.  I love the enraptured look in her eyes.  She totally loved it. 

 The drive was long and rough, but totally worth it, if only to snatch these darling pictures of the kids sleeping.  Melt my heart! 

 For the 4th of July, we went to Half Moon Bay.  They had an excellent parade.  We left after an hour and a half and it was still going strong!  They threw enough candy to call it Halloween.  The kids' favorite part was an enormous group of dogs and their owners. 

 After the parade we played at the beach for a while, grabbed some fresh fish for lunch, then drove home.  That night we watched fireworks and lit some of our own with our friends the Naseaths.  Hazel called it "the best day ever." 

Update on my Offspring

 Jack will be 18 months on the 4th of July.  He is such an adorable mix of cuddly, teasing sweetness.  He is finding new ways to capture Hazel's attention (like screaming and making faces), and they are finally, finally, becoming true friends that actually play with each other.  Jack's always adored Hazel and followed her around, but I suppose now that he can run and joke and sort of communicate, he has become an appealing companion instead of just someone who can't keep his chubby fingers off of all of Hazel's "special things."   

Photo by Deon Bingham

A few nights ago, the kids and I got home from grocery shopping just minutes before we usually eat dinner.  Todd had just arrived home from work.  The kitchen was crowded, with Todd and I trying to simultaneously unpack groceries and throw together a meal.  Jack was up in my grill, begging to be held.  (He likes to watch what's happening in the kitchen.)  But there just was no time or space for it that night.  I said, all hopeful-like, "Jack, go find Hazel upstairs and play with her."  And he actually wiggled out of my arms and ran up to Hazel, giggling in anticipation of what she'd have in store for him.  Not to mention, they stayed up there, happily playing without me until we had food on the table.  It was a miracle and a milestone. 

Photo by Deon Bingham

Another night recently, there was an empty Huggies box in our living room and I put Jack in it and started pushing him around in it, trying to keep him happy and occupied while Todd vacuumed the main level.  He LOVED it.  Five seconds after Jack climbed out, Hazel got in, wanting a turn herself.  Jack immediately wanted to get back in as well, and I fully expected Hazel to protest, push him out, make a big fuss and have the whole thing end in tears.  Not so.  She lovingly pulled Jack onto her lap and used a real sweet voice to talk to him, and the two of them snuggled up tight and went for a ride.  Hazel integrated it into some storyline she was in the middle of imagining, and as she hopped out to go trick-or-treating called out, "Thanks for the ride, Jack!"  And Jack scrambled out right after her, crying and chasing her, wanting her to get back in with him.  Which she did (after putting on a dress-up for her Halloween costume).

I've been praising Hazel like crazy, hoping she'll pick up on how proud and impressed I am with what a great big sister she's being lately.  I think it's working.  Today, after a smattering of compliments from me, she told me she was happy and filled with a warm feeling.  Let's keep it up.  I so want them to be best friends.

Jack still doesn't talk much, but he sure hums a lot.  His most common tune is Twinkle Twinkle Little Star/ABCs.  He hums every single note.  He adores dogs and calls out "daw!" every time he sees or hears one.  He's also recently become very interested in trucks and airplanes, and loves to point them out.  He's usually pretty happy looking out his window while we drive around town.  There's a train track we cross over frequently, and he loves it when the train crossing arms come down and the lights flash to warm that a train is coming.  He's been wearing Hazel's shoes all over the house lately, even her dress-up heels.  He will do anything again and again if we think its funny. 

Hazel had her half-birthday (3 1/2) almost a month ago and we celebrated with a half a cake and a couple of presents.  My poor Christmas kids... We're excited to do something for them in the summer so it's not such a celebration drought and flood around here.

Hazel loves to learn new things and has recently taken to the nonfiction section of the library.  After Todd and I got back from our trip to Hawaii, we checked out a book on volcanoes that absolutely fascinated Hazel.  She has been talking constantly about lava, magma, and ash ever since.  This week we got a bunch of books on cheetahs and other wild cats, and it's been hilarious watching her slink around on all fours, growling, hiding behind furniture and then leaping out to take a nibble out of Todd's leg.  She's also very concerned about poachers and making sure big cats don't go extinct. 

Her imagination is really taking off in a fabulous new way that allows her to entertain herself for looooong stretches of time.  It is so fun for me to eavesdrop and listen as she carries on two-sided conversations with herself to keep her adventurous storylines alive.  Right now she just called out, "Help!  I am sinking from a bad-guy octopus!  Help!  I'm sinking.  Please help me." 

Photo by Deon Bingham

She is obsessed with collecting and loving loose change.  It is in piles all over among her toys.  She has her favorite quarters with pictures on the backs that she likes, and at least half of her, I'd say, seven dollar collection is covered in stickers.  Sometimes she lines them up on the ground, sticker side down, and plays a matching game with them, trying to pair up coins with the same color of sticker on them.  She always sweeps the car and the key box looking for new additions.  She will do almost anything you want if you promise her a coin as the reward.  It can even be a penny.  She doesn't care. 

Hazel's taking swimming lessons right now and is doing great.  She has turned into quite a little fish in the pool when she's got her floatie on, so it's time for her to learn to swim without one.  In class they've mainly focused on kicking on her back and her tummy, blowing bubbles with her nose, jumping in from the wall, and trying to dunk her whole head underwater.  (She does not like that part!)   Every day she yells out to me on the bench something along the lines of, "I am loving this!" or "I am having such a great time!"

 The swimming lessons have given her such confidence that she asked to jump off the diving board at a church pool party yesterday.  She had her floatie on and did a great job all on her own.  She didn't even expect me to catch her or anything.  She knew she'd go under the water but pop right back up.  I just about exploded with pride.  She is so brave!