I really want to be the type of person to throw great themed parties, make amazing themed foods and have planned, fun activities with my kids. Sometimes I get motivated and attempt to be a cute-sy mom, but usually I just feel like I 'failed'. Then I remember why I tend to shy away from doing elaborate activities. Luckily, kids don't really know the difference so maybe they can appreciate it anyway. And lets be honest, dear hubby doesn't care how his pizza is shaped when he eats it! Here's my attempt this week to make it more Halloween-ish.
Pathetic atempt to make a sensory activity with Spaghetti noodles:
Football Game night dinner - appetizers in a Halloween theme:
Top Row: Spider web 7 layer dip, spiders form ritz and PB; Mummies (lil smokies wrapped in bisquit)
Bottom row: Pumpkin vegi dish, Ghost potato skins, cookies and cream cupcakes (because they sounded good) put a topper on and now they are Halloween themed!
This was alot of work for only a husband and a 3 year old to enjoy, but I tried it and maybe will feel confident to do it for a bigger group next year . . .
I was actually happy with how most of them turned out (although they definitely don't look as cute as the online photos!
I also got to make Jack-o-latern pizza with my cousins kids while we watched them so they could go to the temple. Fun and EASY!
Hallie thinks it looks yummy!
I think it was fun and easier than I thought it would be to do some of these. Jackson and I have also been reading books, singing songs and doing different Halloween themed activities. It's been a fun season, even if we are missing the fall weather (I think the high is upper 90s today . . . no fleece costumes for us!)
As you may have noticed in past posts, my children's sleep habits have been 'making me lose sleep'. Mainly, my problems were: Jackson waking up in the middle of the night, Jackson and/or Hallie waking for the day at 5 am (and waking each other) and Jackson not taking naps or staying in his room for any sort of quiet time. That meant I was with Jackson from 5 am until 8 pm . . .no breaks. I was tired, he was tired. It was not a good combo.
I started searching the internet for answers and magical solutions to my problem. I found this clock created by a mom that was $65!! I was shocked and thought, "No one in their right mind would pay $65 for a Toddler clock!!" However, I happen to read the description on the clock. From then on, every night at 1 am, every morning at 5 am and every 'nap time' and 'time out' I began wishing for, hoping for and desperately wanting this clock. I just needed any hope that sleep life would get better! I now realize that being that deprived of sleep (for me and Jackson) made me 'not in my right mind' and I splurged on this clock. I had to wait for nearly 2 weeks to receive this in the mail, everyday I thought, this WILL get better! I visited my sister-in-law and she convinced me that I am the mom and I need to let my child know that I know whats best (sleep) and make it happen (i.e. locks, don't be manipulated, etc). When I got home from the visit with a plan of action, the clock had arrived.
I showed Jackson all the features. We did a practice bedtime, naptime, time out and encouragement time. This clock is very easy to change and use everyday and even for short "practice" periods. This mom thought of everything. From one-touch timeout to a child-proof turning off buttons, from bedtime music, option of wake up music on not, story time, etc, etc. I was amazed at this clock, but still wondered if it would help.
IT DID!! Jackson loved his clock. He carried it around and played with it all day the first day. I wondered if it would become the enemy once he actually used it to sleep or go to time out. But it has not worn off! Every morning he waits until the clock turns yellow to come out of his room and proudly exclaim "My clock is yellow . . .you wanna see???"
He will get up, go potty and head back to his room to stare at his clock and wait, even when daddy called for him to come out! Sometimes he sleeps past the turning of the clock to yellow, but when he wakes he sees yellow feels successful. I now send him to time out and he goes, moves his clock to where he can see it and HE PUSHES the button and sits in timeout for the full time.
He doesn't fight me for naps anymore, the clock tells him when it is time to sleep and wake up. He is so proud when he gets up. It is amazing! I haven't used the music or storytelling feature on it, mostly because Jackson prefers it to be quiet when he falls asleep, but I think these may come in handy in the future.
I haven't been paid to advertise or promote this, I am just so thankful that I have it. I realize most moms out there have their kids under control and are able to get their kids to sleep long and stay in their rooms, etc. BUT if not, If you are going out of your mind crazy like I was, I would highly recommend this clock!! It has been worth every penny! I feel better, Jackson is like an angel child I never realized existed! We don't fight at naps or bedtimes anymore. He doesn't cry to fall asleep. Life is good. Thank you Aunt Lori, Uncle Jim, locks on door (that I only had to use for 1 week) and My TOT clock!!
Dave's been dying to go back to his old stompin' grounds in San Diego and take our kids to the beach for the first time. the flights looked good this weekend, so we thought we'd venture out for a day trip. We left the minute the kids were up, caught the 9 am flight with no problems. After flying for 30 mins, the captain let us know that San Diego had fog and we would need to circle for a while. After 30 more minutes he let us know we would be flying BACK to Phoenix!! Can you believe that? So at 10:15 we landed back in Phx, everyone deplaned and tried to make new arrangements to get to San Diego (which means stand-by flyers will NOT be getting on flights because they are filled up with paying customers). We quickly ran through the airport and sneaked onto a flight going to Long Beach and FINALLY we made it to California. Long Beach Airport is about the size of a double wide trailer. But it was super fast to get off the plane and to our rental car . . . I'd estimate 5 mins total. The sad part was that our skim board flew to San Diego without us. (We picked it up on the way home) Its not often you fly to California twice in one day . . . with a layover, but we managed it.
We rented a car and hit the beach. It was a hit. We fully enjoyed the sunshine, the ocean, the sand and the smells and sounds of the beach and pier. It was beautiful. Hallie took one giant mouthful of sand and then kept it out of her mouth the rest of the time . . . she's pretty smart. Jackson ran away from the waves, played in the sand and really seemed to enjoy himself. It was fun to watch him!
After 3 hours on the beach we drove down to San Diego (that is the title of the post you know). The fog was REALLY bad and we were actually glad we went to the beach in Long Beach. San Diego beaches would have been colder and ugly. We saw La Jolla and the beautiful Temple.
We ate at Dave's favorite restaurant, Islands. Jackson FELL ASLEEP at the restaurant!!
My Uncle was kind enough to let us crash his in-the-process-of remodeling beach house in La Jolla. Jackson never even woke up! In the morning, he said, "Mom! the restaurant turned me into the beach house!" Hallie had a rough night. She was burning up with a fever and I kept praying that she wouldn't die because she ate sand on the beach. We cuddled and I held her safe (and felt her burning body) from 3 am until 6:30. We left for the airport, stopping at Dave' favorite spot at Crystal Pier before taking off. We got on the flight with no problem. Hallie fell asleep in my arms and I fully loved every second I got to cuddle and snuggle with her. Am I a bad mother if I enjoy my sick kids because they will cuddle with me? This is Hallie's first fever in 9 months of life, so she doesn't get sick often, thank goodness. We were home in time to clean up and go to church. Perfect Saturday, even if it didn't go as planned (Does flying stand-by EVER go as planned?!? So far it hasn't!)
P.S. When our server at Islands found out we were from AZ, she said, "I hope you have a great vacation!" We wondered if a Saturday outing to a different state counted as 'Vacation'. We decided it did. We don't have weekends, we have vacations . . . weekly.
Both Dave and I were feeling like we had done a lot of traveling and maybe it was time to take a break, but after 2 days home we were debating a trip to DC on Friday. We wanted to go before the weather turned too cold to do it. I was thinking it was an awfully far way to go for only 2 days. Dave mentioned he had a few days off this year and we were thinking we'd take a day off on Monday, but then remembered that Dave's brother had FRIDAY off. So, we decided (on Thursday morning) to head out on Thursday evening and spent three days with them. Once again, I had very little time to pack, ready the house and mentally prepare. I was a bit more worried about this trip because
1. It was a 5 hour flight!! (3 hours longer than anything we'd done before)
2. time change for kids aren't fun and DC is 3 hours earlier
3. We had to bring both car seats and asked Rich and Ashley to borrow other baby items to help the trip go smoother.
With Dave around, the luggage carrying and flight went well. Hallie slept for 1 1/2 hours. I watched a movie on the ipod. Everything was such a whirl wind, that when we finally calmed down on the plane and realized we were actually headed to DC, we remembered that EXACTLY 5 years ago to the day, Dave proposed to me in Washington DC with my real ring! We were so happy we chose to go back and relive some amazing memories we had there! By the end of the flight, both kids were totally zonked out (even though it was only 7:30 pm our time). It was heaven to hold my little boy like he was a baby and remember how big he's gotten. It was a torrential downpour when we got in Rich's car.
Friday we headed to downtown DC and saw the tourist stops. First, we visited the FDR memorial where Dave proposed.
Us in 2006:
Now in 2011
"All because 2 people fell in love" (Aww! Cheesy!)
I've adapted the jogger to be like a sit and stand (even though it is only built for 1) This helps immensely when we need to get somewhere quickly, but Hallie doesn't always like her space to be taken by her older brother.
It was neat to see the Martin Luther King, Jr Memorial the very weekend it was being dedicated! It was magnificent! Jackson was so thrilled with all the 'big man' statues. He kept saying, "Oh look, there's the big white man!" "Look at the white man!!" and I really hoped no one was offended, but honestly, why make a tribute to a African-American Hero white? Irony!
Note to self: The Smithsonian's are NOT toddler friendly. Somewhat entertaining, but nothing to TOUCH or DO! Jackson was such a good sport about being dragged several miles and not really getting to DO anything. I really enjoy being in our Nations capital and being reminded of our roots.
Virginia is beautiful!! Rich and Ashley's home is beautiful! They were wonderful hosts! We had 2 rooms (and a walk in closet for the pack and play). We ate delicious food and loved the company. We loved the fall colors. I especially loved running with Ashley through the beautiful colors. We took a look through Babies R Us, in case a baby is in the future for these two. Then watched the BYU game (always great when we get a win!). Rich and Ashley were so kind to bend to our time zone. We lived as follows
8:00 wake up
10:30 breakfast
3:30 lunch
8:30 dinner
10:00 kids bedtime
1:00 am Adult bedtime
(This translates into a normal schedule if you lived on Phoenix time)
It was so fun to have so much time to get to know Rich and Ashley and their dog Roxy. Both kids were nervous at first around the dog. Hallie let out this high pitched scream the entire time she was around the dog . . .but she didn't actually cry. . . it was a scream of delight. By the end we were worried Hallie was going to hurt the dog. She loved stealing the dog toys right out of her mouth and confiscating the dog bed anytime she left it.
The beginning
Getting warmer
Blatant harassment
Foxy Roxy
Sorry there are so many videos, but we spent a lot of time watching these 2 gals interact. Hallie is so happy, expressive and fun! She lights up our life!
The flight home had 40 seats open, although we were getting a bit nervous because it was 50 seats fewer than when we planned the trip, we still had complete confidence we would get on with no problems. So we roused the kids at 5:00 am (that was 2:00 am PHX time!) and headed to the airport. We went through security with 4 bags, 2 carseats, stroller, 2 kids, and all the extra junk you always have and then found out that we had gone to the wrong gate and had to do a different security checkpoint all over again!! UGH! I hate security (and am so thankful for it at the same time!) When we finally got to the gate, the agents were asking people to give up seats for a $500 voucher! We were shocked, we thought there were plenty of seats. The kids were tired and hungry (Oh, yeah, so were we!) and we weren't getting on the flight because they had 'weight restrictions'. I was panicked about Dave missing work, and secondly, entertaining tired kids all day in the airport (We knew the next flights were full all day). I took Jackson to the bathroom and when I told him we couldn't get on the plane, he started crying like his heart was broken, "I want to get on the plane!!" I was secretly hoping that the agent would hear it and let us on! I also wanted Dave to ask if he could get on with no luggage, just sit in a seat so he could get back to work. After all the heart break and the panic, they lifted the weight restriction and all 25 of us flying standby got on with plenty of seats to spare. I was so thankful I didn't have to figure out what to do with 2 tired kids and tons of luggage all day! And that Dave got back to work. Three of us got naps on the plane (Are you guessing that Jackson was the one that DIDN'T nap? because you'd be right!) It was a turbulent flight, and guess what? I didn't even get scared!! Up until this past month, I've been pretty afraid of flying, but I am quickly leaving my fears behind! Dave headed to work, we unloaded and ate lunch at 10:30 Phx time and went to naps at 11!
Hallie actually flipped this shirt around enough to get it on and through her arms while I was doing laundry!
The flights to Utah were SO full this weekend. We were trying to figure out why everyone and their dog wanted to get to Utah (They were even more full than last weekend for General Conference). I took the 7 am morning flight with my kids to make sure I was in Utah for my race. There were 47 seats and 45 stand-bys!! As I watched all the gold and red walking on the plane, I learned that ASU was to play Utah. Everyone was trying to get to the ASU game. This was probably Hallie's worst flight. She cried for 5 minutes before falling asleep in her car seat. Five mins. seems like forever when you are stuck on an airplane.
I got to Utah and hung out with my sister, mom, watched my little sisters cross country race and saw my sister-in-law and kids. Dave was not so lucky. He waited in the airport for 5 hours and didn't get on the 2 flights that left (I think he was next in line for one, but the seats were filled). He had to go to the airport again the next morning and luckily got on that one. I raced Saturday morning. We had a delicious lunch at Dave's sisters house and then spent the evening with Dave's brothers family. I love seeing my kids enjoy their cousins. Family really has a special bond.
We went to church at our old ward (my parents ward). It is nice to visit and actually know people and have friends to look forward to talking to. All day we were very worried about Dave getting home. The flights were VERY full with lots of stand by (22-35 people). In the end he had to use a vacation pass (higher priority) to get the last seat on one flight, but luckily made it home for work the next day. I got to stay in Utah and go to a pumpkin patch with my friends and Jackson's friends. Utah weather was freezing and I was actually excited to go back to warmth. But it also made us sad that we were missing the Fall weather and activities. I was glad to experience the pumpkin patch and feel like we didn't totally miss autumn.
The flight home was a bit rough. Jackson is getting really loud on the plane and Hallie struggled to fall asleep again. When the flights are shorter I feel like they should go smoother, but this weekend that was not the case. We got home and were hungry!! (Maybe that was the problem!) Dave said, "Do you see anything that looks good to you?" I said, "Wendy's looks OK, I guess" Jackson piped up, "Dad, I think that Old McDonalds will look ok to me!" There in front of us appeared a McDonald's with a play place. Oh, how I hate that place! They thrive off our desire to make our kids happy!
And then we went to McDonalds.
The Pink Series 1/2 Marathon in Park City was so fun!! This was my 2nd 1/2 marathon and I finished with the same feeling I had on the first one . . . this is a GREAT race. It is long enough to feel like I accomplished something great, but short enough to be able to train in a reasonable amount of time and not lose toenails in races. I can't wait to try another 1/2 soon!
The race started off VERY cold. The rain (and even flurries of snow) were so foreign to one who trained in 90 degree Arizona weather. It was also a climb in 3000 feet of elevation. I was nervous about performing well. Unfortunately, I lost my ear warmers and found a 'substitute' in my luggage. Then I proceeded to lose my gloves. A kind woman let me borrow hers since she wasn't running. I started a bit late and spent the first mile trying to get my ipod to work right. There were so many runners! I sort of like starting late because I enjoy running with the pack of women. Is it bad that I also enjoy passing people? The beauty of Park City quickly made the weather and altitude seem just fine. The snow topped mountains and yellow leaves were gorgeous. The miles seemed to fly by (except mile 9 and apparently that was an uphill climb).
I finished in 1:46 (a minute slower than my goal). I was surprised that I was 15th place overall and 5th in my age group. The food, massages and finish line were awesome. I just love racing and wish I had the funds to do it every few weeks! It is so motivating. Every time I see or hear about a race, I want to do it! I hope to participate in another half soon (maybe warmer and on my elevation this time . . .)
We thought we might try to get to Utah to see conference with family (that is the only thing we have ever known to do on conference weekend). But when you fly standby, you fly where the open seats take you, and Friday, they took us to Houston, Texas (Yes, I did just fly home from San Antonio on Thursday) to see Dave's sister's family. It was another "We-are-leaving-in-one-hour-hurry-pack-and-change-to-Houston-weather-not-Utah" run around to get ready, but it works! It is easier to make sure you have everything when you are focused on getting it all quickly. The flight to Houston left 1 1/2 hours earlier than the Utah flight so we were unprepared. It was so nice to take a flight with Dave, I was so much more relaxed, I even watched a movie on my ipod. Dave got Hallie to sleep by rocking her in her carseat in the back area (apparently only 'employees' can go back there, so once again, I was thankful he was there!) We were on the very last row, but we were all together, so we weren't going to complain. I really feel like there is more room on airplanes than I remember. Maybe it is because Hallie and Jackson don't use up any leg room, so there is lots of extra.
We visited Dave's sister in Houston. Lori and Jim have 4 kids, who were thrilled to see Jackson and Aunt Ashley (thats me!) It was so fun to watch them get so excited to have us. I totally remember as a kid bouncing off the walls whenever anyone would come to visit. Jackson was in 7th heaven with all the attention and new toys. Hallie was a bit overwhelmed with all the attention. The time changes are throwing ours kids off. We keep them up until 8 pm our time (10 pm in Texas). But they have been getting up around 6 am (Yep, that is 4 AM our time!) They are tired and very resistant to naps, although bedtime has been a piece of cake (and it is getting earlier every night). I don't know how to help them sleep more, but I am worried about them . .. oh, yeah, AND I want to sleep more too!!
We must already be so use to the heat in Phoenix that I was COLD here (Yes, it is Houston . . . not Canada . . . but still, I'm cold!) I went running and did 2 extra miles just because it was cool, beautiful and had lots of shade. Conference was kind of a joke with so many kids around, but the bits I did catch were wonderful, inspiring and uplifting. I hope I get a chance to re-hear it soon. I've been listening to a conference talk while I run. Sometimes I get alot from them, sometimes it is difficult to listen. Hopefully, I'll be able to run and listen. I always like doing something fun in between sessions and this time we went to a festival. Jackson loved the pumpkin bowling, train ride and searching for coins in sand.
Hallie's funny faces keep me laughing!
Sunday afternoon we started to panic because the flight Dave wanted to take was filling up, then 2 hours before it was overbooked by 8!! So we looked into other flights (to Charlotte first, then on another airline) and renting a car to drive to Austin to fly out of there (did you know it costs $195 to drive one way?!?!) We were worried about missing work, or paying an arm and a leg for a weekend of fun. He decided to go to the airport and then make a decision after he was sure he couldn't get on the flight. He talked to the gate attendant and said he was willing to upgrade to first class if it would help him get on the flight. I don't know if that is what helped, but he got on and paid $20 to upgrade (and you can bet he ate his $20 worth in snacks!! j/k) and got back to Phx Sunday night! PHEW! I am so glad I get to fly on Tues-Thurs so I am not as stressed about making my flight. I just wonder WHAT happened to the 8 people who were overbooked? How do seats randomly open up? I wish I knew the system more so that I could make better plans for the future!
Jackson attended his cousins dance class . . . can you guess which one is him?
New toys are SO fun!
The kids and I got to stay for a couple days longer, to enjoy cousins and family bonding time. We didn't do alot per se, but we just enjoyed being together and getting to know each other more. Lori really helped me figure out a sleep plan for my kiddos and Jim helped ensure that it worked once so I have faith that it can work for my kids.
Our original flight plan filled up, but we knew we wouldn't make the flight so we didn't even go to the airport until later. We got on the plane with 3 seperate seats. luckily, people were kind and moved so that the kids and I could sit together (can you imagine me leaving my 8 mo old or 3 year old to sit alone next to you :) ) Hallie fell asleep about and hour into the flight. I love that I can take the car seat because I know she would really struggle to fall asleep if she wasn't confined. Jackson ate a scrumcious dinner and played with a play motorcycle. On our last flight we bought a 'napsac' which included a blanket, sleep mask and blow up neck pillow. Jackson LOVES playing nap time with all the get up. It occupied him for quite a while. He laid on my lap for the entire descent. We were on the run way for 30 mins. Hallie woke up and was sad for a while. We were all getting antsy. But Jackson was being patient. I kind of like flying because I really focus on keeping my kids happy. I am not distracted by anything else, but my kids. They have been great flyers. I love that I can explain things to Jackson and he gets it (like standing on the right, walking on the left side of a moving sidewalk). He is a good kid.
I really dislike the phx airport because there are 2 levels so I always have to take the elevators (way out of the way) because I have a stroller. We were home by 8 pm (10pm Texas time) and I was exhausted, but it was a great trip!
Get both kids up and ready and put one down for a nap
Unload, load and restart the dishwasher
Complete 2 loads of laundry
Play a game of basketball with your boy
Read a few library books
Run 3 miles
Unpack from recent trip
And after all that the clock reads 6:45 AM
Living on Texas time for a week really messed up my kiddos
(and me). Hopefully, we can get back on
track just in time to hit Utah for the weekend.
On a good note, I have a plan of action to get my kids
sleeping better and hopefully easier.
Having a plan makes me feel more in control of something I can’t totally
control (them falling and staying asleep) so hopefully I can handle naps and
nighttime with calm and patience. Here's hoping the plan (and new amazing ‘tot clock’) whip my kids into shape!
