November 22 - We LOVE Grama & Grampa

Grama & Grampa got here last night and got to spend the night & then the day with us today!  As always, we love having them here and are so happy they're ours!

November 21 - Naughty, Grades, & Lights

Nora is the sweetest, happiest little girl.  BUT, she is turning in to - by far - the wiggliest/busiest/most curious of all of our babies!  Today at Target, she managed to turn around & pull herself up to a stand - WHILE SHE WAS BUCKLED IN!  She can make a pretty good mess pretty quickly, but she can get out of it just as quickly with that smile &
demeanor of her's.

 

Andlie came home with her report card today.  First one!  The grades were on a number scale.  The highest possible number was "4: Consistently & independently meets expectations with no support."  She got 4 on every single category!  We are so proud of Andlie for many reasons, but especially because she is very confident & happy with who she is!

Tonight we went to the Lighting of Riverwoods!  We got there in time to count down from ten and then watch the lights come on all at once!  It was spectacularly magic!

November 20 - Today

At Haze's request, we went to the pet store after we dropped Andlie off at school today.  He LOVED the ferrets!  He was squealing & touching his nose to theirs & laughing & jumping up & down!

Nora was pretty happy about his decision too!

 Next  we came home & sorted colored beads.  He loved this & asked to do it again after he spent a good 45 minutes doing it the first time!

And late tonight, Nora found herself an open bag of chips and went to town!  That little Nora is a quiet, mischievous one!  She sure has the smile to own it though!

November 19 - Loose Tooth!

Andlie has her first loose tooth!!  Today she told me, "I'm gonna lose two teeth and get two dollars and then I'm gonna be RICH!!!!!" 

Daddy is gone for the rest of the week.  Today we spent a lot of the afternoon/evening watching Christmas movies on the couch.  Nora didn't mind at all.

And since Daddy is away, I took some pics of the kids for him when I went to check on them before bed.  Love.

November 18 - Trucks, Glasses, & Binks

These two love waving good-bye to Daddy in the morning.  Today, it was a bit cold, so they stood back a bit.  I love the light on their tired faces & cute jammies on their tiny selves.

Andlie wore a button up shirt to school today, so Hazey wanted to wear one too.  I took her picture before school, so he wanted a picture too.  I took this right before we got in the car to go to school.  He was bringing four trucks with us to do that.  And that was a compromise.  Trucks for life!

New glasses!  On the monkey!  She climbed up the door frame like she was a real monkey!

One of my favorite noises is when she is sucking her bink and she takes a break to laugh or smile.  You can hear it in her bink.  It gets loose in her mouth & her tongue still holds it, but you can hear her sucking her spit up.

November 17 - Standing & Winning

NoNo is pulling herself up on everything!  She loves to be one of the big kids and stand up.  And she's even thinking about letting go and trying to walk!

I love her smile right now!  Just one big ol' tooth on the top!

Andlie won a book at the school assembly today!  She won because she is the Kindergartener with the most books read this year!  We are so proud of her!  (And she was pretty proud of herself, too!)

November 16 - The Tree

Hazey is growing up!  He's such a handsome little man.  I secretly love coming home early from church with him.  (Little man rebels against Nursery pretty hard during the last hour.)  I love playing trucks/trains/boy stuff with him - just Mommy & Hazey. 

We put up the Christmas tree tonight!  Nora was super helpful.  Like, super.  And then she was super helpful with leaving the ornaments on the tree, too.  She pulled every one she could reach off and threw it around & shook it.  Which made Haze's butt cheeks clench and he soon assumed the role of "Guardian of the Christmas Tree."

I love our tree so much.  It's the first tree we bought as a married couple.  And the decorations are so happy & bright.  I fall in love with it over & over every year when we put it up.

And now our house is suffering from an identity crisis.

November 15 - Visitors & Letters

Granny, Shennie, Mindy were at our house today!  They came last night & stayed until this afternoon.  We had a great time with them!  Andlie was especially proud & excited to show them her classroom!

Andlie is really learning to read & write.  Today, she wrote some letters to Grama & Grampa.  Grama's says:

Grama,  

Dear Grama, thanks Grama to get toys for me.

And Grampa's:

Grampa,

Thank you for bugging with your teeth.  But I love you.

Laugh out loud.  For reals.

November 14 - Happy Baby & Turkeys

This is literally how she wakes up.

And literally, how she stays through the entire day.  (Unless something isn't going her way.  Then, no.)  She was totally feeling like a big girl in this chair today.  She had a pretty proud smile on her face.

It is getting so cold that it's not fun to be outside for very long now.  So today, we made macaroni noodle turkeys!  For the record, Haze HATES his hands to be messy.  He stops between each noodle to get off of his chair, go get a paper towel, wipe his fingers, throw the paper towel away, wipe his hands on the carpet, and get back up on his stool. 

November 13 - First Snow

Haze looked too cute in his hat & jams playing with his beloved trucks this morning.  He definitely needed a picture.

Went to Smith's this morning.  Nora was sure happy about something.  Probably the Christmas candy isle.

Haze was excited about his favorite isle: the truck isle.  It's the only reason he even agrees to go to Smith's with me.  We usually spend a good 10 - 20 minutes on this isle.  Today he lined up all the cars and then the trucks took turns jumping over/crushing them.

 

And the most exciting thing of the day today: our first snow!!  Haze COULD NOT WAIT to "tell Andlie about the snow" when she came out of class today!

November 12 - Just Like Mom

Andlie wanted to make a banner "just like Mommy's."  She chose the paper & star shapes and what words she wanted on hers.  She glued everything together & then helped me string them on the yarn.  And guess what Haze wanted to do after he saw hers?   So we made one that said, "Haze with monster trucks" at his request.  The Silhouette is fun.

November 11 - Helmets, Lunch, & Teethies

Mommy & Haze played monster trucks.  We made sure to wear helmets.  I wore a laundry basket and Haze wore Nora's bumbo.  Safety first.

Nora had fun watching us from her chair during lunch.

Nora has four teethies now!  Three on bottom and one on top with a second top to follow very shortly!

November 10 - Smartie Pants Kids

I went to Andlie's classroom to help with Take Home Readers today.  When I went to change out Andlie's book, I found this note from her teacher.  We're sure proud of her and how well she does in school!  She loves it so much!

Hazey got to try a science experiment while Andlie was at school today!  Soda + vinegar = Haze's mind blown.

November 9 - Primary Program

Nora's favorite spot in the house is under the table - especially after a meal.  She will find a way in.  No matter how many traps are set, she will find a way in.  She quietly sits under there eating crumbs & playing on/in the chair legs like she is in a jungle gym made just for her.

Today was the Primary Program!  Andlie's part was: Successful families are built on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, and forgiveness.  In my family, we have family prayer and say we're sorry when we do something wrong.  She said it (memorized) all by herself!  Everyone in the ward kept saying how neat it was that she memorized such a big part!  After church, Daddy said, "Andlie you did so good at the Program today!"  She shrugged her shoulders, nodded her head, rolled her eyes, and replied, "Gosh.  Everyone keeps saying that!!"

 

Hazey participated in the Primary Program for the first time today!  When it was time for the Nursery kids to sing, "Follow the Prophet" with the big kids, Haze marched right up to the stage.  He got in his spot, smiled & waved proudly, listened to the piano introduction, and ran off the stage, down the isle, and straight in to Mommy's arms.  All with a huge smile on his face!

November 8 - Glasses & Car Wash

Someone is getting new glasses!  Her purple ones broke while she was playing on the monkey bars at recess a few weeks ago.  Today we took her to choose some new ones and we let her pick all by herself!  She picked some dark purple/pink ones with flowers & sparkles on the sides.  She says they look "just like her 3rd grade reading buddy's glasses."  They should be ready in seven days and she's already counting down!

Hazey still doesn't love the car wash.  He didn't cry, but he kept throwing out lines like, "Wow, this car wash is pretty loud."  Or, "Okay, okay, okay, here it COMES by me!!!!"  His butt cheeks were definitely clenched.

November 7 - Turkey Disguise & Nipples

Andlie's assignment was to disguise the turkey so he wouldn't be eaten.  She came up with the idea, decorations, and story all by herself!  And she wrote the words all by herself!  She loves school!

"Look, Mom!  I have new different nipples!"

November 6 - Little Things

Glasses are fun.

Hazey drew a "dinosaur monster truck" today!  All by himself!

November 5 - 31

Bryan turned 31 today!  He woke up to a decorated house and headed to work where me, Haze, and Nora surprised him with balloons & donuts!  Then he came home early from work and we opened presents.  I should say, "Then he came home early from work and the kids opened his presents for him."  This afternoon, he went & hit a few tennis balls by himself.  And then we went on a family walk.  After that, we put the kids to bed.  I went & got some food and we ate Cafe Rio while we watched "Malificent."  I had a great day and I hope he did too.  He is loved and adored by every one of us and we are so lucky & thankful to have him!

Nora wearing a coat for the first time so we could go for our walk!