Baby Steps

Nater has decided to start walking. Here is a sideways video clip for proof.

From the Mouth of My Babe

Photo by Becky Payne

Another quotable quote I overheard Davis say this afternoon while he and a new friend were trying to fix his remote control car:

Friend: "You should really have your dad fix that. My dad fixes my toys all the time."

Davis: "My dad is a FOOT doctor, NOT a TOY doctor, mmmkay?"

From the Mouth of My Babe

Taken August 2014 by the talented Becky Payne. 

I've mentioned before that speaking to my kids in Spanish has been much more difficult than I thought it would be. The older they get, the more inadequate my bilingual abilities seem to be in keeping up with their growing vocabularies. Regardless, I recommitted to speaking Spanish once again this morning. Not surprisingly, it doesn't affect my day with Davis all that much because, let's face it, he does about 90% of the talking. We were driving to the grocery store this morning when he asked me a question, to which I responded in Spanish. "Huh?" he replied. When I answered him again (in Spanish), I heard him sigh and then mutter under his breath, "I wish I understood Spanish..."

From the Mouth of My Babe

July 2014 on my parents' backyard slide.

Yesterday Davis asked me what a yard sale was while we walked by a sign advertising one. After explaining it to him, I asked if there is anything that he has at home that he would consider selling at a yard sale. He grinned sheepishly and replied, "There is one fing...my brudder, Isaac!"

I couldn't help by be reminded of the classic poem, Sister for Sale, by Shel Silverstein. 

Crazy

We know how to do crazy really well around here. 

Some Current Favorites...

It's time for a few of my latest favorites--heat of the summer addition!

• Blue Bell Ice Cream. Years ago, Ryan was in podiatry school and we were living in Iowa. Another couple lived across the hall from us in our little apartment complex and we became really close friends with them. Gavin, who was also a podiatry student at DMU (and from the great state of Texas), was always raving about Blue Bell ice cream. So much so, that I could still hear his voice in my head when I walked past the freezer isle of the grocery store shortly after moving to Arizona and saw it in the ice cream section. Of course I had to try it and of course he was right--it is pretty delicious ice cream. The best part about it is they have funky flavors like "Southern Hospitality" and "Magic Cookie Bar". Consuming our body weight in Blue Bell is one of the many things we are doing to stay cool this summer. 

• Contigo Water Bottles. My sister introduced me to these when were were visiting her this summer. I had been on a mad hunt for a sippy cup that doesn't leak (they all profess to be "leak-proof" and none of them are). Glory be, these don't leak! So we got rid of the sippy cups and Nater upgraded to these water bottles. We got the other kids hooked on them as well---just another way we are beating the heat. And as a bonus, they come in a three-pack at Costco for less than $13. Can't beat that. 

• Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! It's no secret that I'm a sucker for children's books. Knowing this, Ryan's dad often sends me links to articles of great book recommendations. Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! was on the most current must-read list he stumbled upon, so we checked it out after he passed the article onto me. It is Davy's new favorite---so much so that I lost track of how many times we have read it together. 

• Sophie's Squash. This is another one from Papa P's latest list, and I have to say that it's my favorite. If you have ever had a child who at one time or another was attached to an inanimate object, this is a must-read. 

• Question Boy Meets Little Miss Know-It-All. Months and months ago, after one of my "favorites" posts, my sister recommended this book to us. I'm so glad she did---it is nothing short of hilarious. All three of my older kids love it. And since Davis is very much a "Question Boy" (what 4-year-old isn't?), it's oh so familiar. Check it out, you'll love it too. 

• The Way Way Back. Both my sister and another friend recommended this movie, so when I came across it at our local library I had to give it a try. It's darling. And Ryan even tolerated it. Warning, it will make you want to punch Steve Carrell's character in the face, because he's pretty much the meanest person ever.
• Mormon Messages For Youth. Have you checked these out? They are so so great, and can make planning a Family Home Evening lesson a piece of cake, or give your kids something to do on a Sunday. Below is one of my current favorites: 

• For the first time since our newlywed days, Ryan and I live in a real neighborhood. It's my very favorite thing of all. Prior to moving into our current home, we have always lived in apartments or on a really busy street. But now we live in an area where kids ride their bikes up and down the streets, and there is more than one park just around the corner. It reminds me of my own childhood. It was the single most important factor I was looking for in a home this time around. And it's every bit as awesome as I thought it would be. Just today I was talking to a new friend at church. She asked where I had moved from and when I told her Connecticut, she responded, "Wow! It must have been quite a shock to move to the desert!" and then she went on, "Just you wait, Sara, in a couple of months when it cools down, you'll think you're in heaven. It's spectacular." 

I can't wait. 

From the Mouth of My Babe

Holy cactus, Batman!

You know your child has been watching too many shows on Netflix when the following conversation takes place while reading a picture book together:

Davis: "Mom! Will you pause da book so I can go potty?"

On My Mind...

Ryan and the kids on a hike in East Rock Park near our home in CT. I miss those trees!

• The kids started school this week which has made Arizona feel a little bit more like home (we've still got a long way to go, but we are on our way). Thankfully, both Isaac and Maddie seem to be adjusting well. They like their teachers and they are both making friends. 
• With Isaac and Maddie in school, I have started reading lessons with Davis (from my favorite "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons" book). We call it his "school" (since we decided not to send him to preschool) and we do one lesson each afternoon during Nathan's nap. I had forgotten how much I like the first 50 lessons in the book! It's been awhile. It's the second 50 lessons that are anything but "easy". That said, the first three lessons have gone great. Three down, ninety-seven to go!

Maddie and "Ashley", the sister she never had. Thanks, Grandma, for giving Maddie an inanimate object that she thinks is alive. Lars and the Real Girl, anyone?

• I got a haircut last week and it's the shortest it's been in as long as I can remember. I figure now that I'm living in the desert I may as well be as comfortable as possible in the heat. I like it (sorry no pic, I'll take one soon). New state, new life, new haircut, right?
• Not related to hair at all, but scorpions freak me out. I saw my first one a week ago, climbing up the wall inside church, just a couple of feet in front of me. The lady behind me pointed it out and whispered to me right in the middle of the lesson, "How about you go kill that with your shoe?" Terrified, I tried to respond nonchalantly, "Uhhh, why don't you show me how it's done?" So she did. One swift whack with her shoe and the insect (are scorpions insects?) was obliterated. Only a couple of other ladies noticed what was going on---the teacher didn't have any idea and didn't skip a beat in the lesson. It still gives me chills to think about. 
• I re-activated my Facebook account tonight. Our church ward here in AZ communicates a lot through a Relief Society Facebook group and, to be quite honest, I need to make friends! So back to FB it is. I hope I can use it without using it too much this time around. 

Nater eating an ice cream cone like a big boy. I miss those curls!

• Have you read the following quote?

Listen earnestly to anything your children want to tell you, no matter what. If you don't listen eagerly to the little stuff when they are little, they won't tell you the big stuff when they are big, because to them all of it has always been big stuff. 

~Catherine M. Wallace~

I've been thinking a lot about this quote and trying to apply it in my life a little more and be a better listener to my children...but you guys...Davis talks NONSTOP...I can't keep up! I was making mental notes about his verbal stamina in Costco the other day and he seriously did not draw breath the entire shopping trip!! I love my boy but can't for the life of me figure out how to "listen earnestly" to everything he says because he Never.Stops.Talking!! Not to mention the other 3 little humans and their needs. What do you say to that, Ms. Wallace?

Ryan thinks we need to buy a necklace, and the kids are only allowed to talk when they are wearing it. "That way," he said, "Only one child will be able to talk to us at a time, and we'll get a little bit of silence each time they are busy transferring the necklace back and forth."

Nathan's New Look

Nathan and Uncle Matt. They became pretty good buddies while we stayed with them last week. This is one of the last pictures taken before we chopped all his darling curls off. It was time-he was starting to get mistaken for a little girl, but I really miss his crazy Einstein hairdo.

Getting ready for bed tonight. People comment on how he looks like Davis now. I think he just looks so old! 

On the Road

 At the end of June we packed up our family and drove 2,250 miles from our home in Connecticut to Utah. Just an FYI, driving cross-country is totally overrated. It was as crazy as it sounds and something that I never want to have to do again! We have since traveled back and forth from Utah to Arizona 3 times this summer (twice with kids, once with just Ryan and Mary-Ann and I to meet the movers and set up our new home here). We should dub this last month "The Summer of Driving." Here are just a few photos of our adventures.

Maddie and Davis, somewhere in middle America.

Isaac and his orange chicken.

Chrissy and I have been friends since Isaac and Alec were just months old. I'm so glad we were able to stop on our drive and spend some time with them one morning. We each have four kids now so a lot has changed. 

Nathan and Ryan at one of our many outdoor lunch stops. 

This picture more than any other sums up our trip. The older kids were champion travelers. Nathan, on the other hand, just couldn't understand why we were continually torturing him. He screamed just like this about 70% of the time, stopping occasionally when he got distracted or fell asleep (usually for 15 min. power naps, where he gained just enough strength and energy to start screaming again).

Once we detox from all our time on the road and give the kids a break for awhile, Ryan and I have decided that we need to make a trip to southern California with the kids before the year's end so that we will have traveled from coast to coast in 2014.

Back to School, Baby!

Maddie on her first day of 1st grade. She was so excited about the day that she woke up before 6am and started getting ready, then stood by the clock and counted down as each minute passed ("It's 7:35, ten more minutes until it's time to leave!...Now it's 7:36, nine more minutes until it's time to leave!"). 

Isaac on his first day of 2nd grade. He was cool as a cucumber all morning. I hope and pray they love their new school and their new teachers and that they make great friends. 

A Favorite Photo

I have many many photos to upload and share over our adventures from the past month with the move and our trip to Utah and our family reunion, but here is just a sneak peak of one of my favorite pics from our travels. This weekend we were able to get together with almost all of Ryan's siblings (we missed our California family!) as well as his parents. One afternoon in particular we did work at the temple for Mary-Ann's ancestors (including sealing both of her parents to their parents---such a neat experience that I hope I never forget). Here Ryan and I are with Shannon and Matt. We miss Utah and our family already.