Call Family Productions

Christmas Highlights

2012-01-23T19:39:00.000-07:00

Here are some highlights from our Christmas in Blanding.

Christmas Sunday best

Opening presents!

Sanding and posing with walking sticks from Grandpa Worthy

Christmas pajamas.

Dancing!

2012-01-23T16:52:00.001-07:00

Last fall, Sophia was in her first dance class and she LOVED it! She didn't like us to watch her during class, and she was shy to show us anything she learned outside of class, but on her last day she had a mini recital that we were invited to, so we finally got to see her in action. It was a creative movement class, so she wasn't exactly learning technique, but she was very creative with her movement.

The class was really small, so the teacher let the other kids join in and there was dancing all over the place!

December Activities

2011-12-22T16:56:00.000-07:00

I knew I hadn't blogged for a while, but I didn't realize just how long until I saw on a friend's blog list that it has been 5 WEEKS! I didn't give up on my blog, and I hope you haven't either. I just haven't felt motivated lately, but I'm back now.

December is always full of things to do. We had a ward Christmas party where the kids participated in a live nativity. Richie was a shepherd and Sophia was an Angel. As soon as Richie saw me holding the camera, he started posing and smiling. Sophia is in the white dress and pink boots.

Richie also sang in a school Christmas concert. His class sang Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Jingle Bells. It was super cute, but you can't see him in the pictures I took, because he was in the back row.

One day Richie came home from school and asked if we could make gingerbread cookies. I had never done it before, but as far as I could tell, they were a success. Sophia helped me mix the dough while Richie was at school and they both helped decorate cookies.

The older kids decorated the tree almost all by themselves. It looked great, until Grace discovered it the next morning and started grabbing ornaments and running.

Now the tree looks like this. None of the ornaments are where she can reach them anymore, and I don't spend my day chasing Grace down to recover decorations.

We visited Burley last weekend and luckily for us, Santa was visiting, too!

2011-11-11T15:22:00.001-07:00

We finally joined the mini van club and we LOVE IT!

Only treats this Halloween

2011-11-02T11:40:00.002-06:00

We had an awesome Halloween!

It was a beautiful day here in Logan, perfect for trick-or-treating. After Richie got home from school we got costumes on and walked downtown to the treat walk at the businesses. Richie was pretty timid and nervous about talking to people he didn't know, but Sophia was not shy at all and loved the whole thing. We had dinner and then went out again. We walked up the road to Great Grandpa's house and then back to our house. The weather was so nice and we just took our time going from house to house and the kids had a great experience. They also got a lot of candy, which Sophia would have already eaten if I hadn't put her bucket up high. It was a pretty stress free day. The kids costumes were things we already own and didn't require anything special to get on, but they were happy with them. I never used to like Halloween very much, but having kids makes it a fun, family day.

Sophia was my sassy little ballerina. I don't know where all her posing comes from, but I enjoy it! Thanks for the little dress Stella and Eryka!

Grace was a tired little elephant before we even left the house, but she was such a trooper and never complained while we were out (probably because of the lollipop she was eating most of the way). We got this costume from Mandy Maldonado in New Jersey, Sophia wore it when she was about Grace's age, and I am glad we got to use it again.

Richie was G.I. Joe, a defender of our country. He has been a little obsessed with camo lately, so he was thrilled to get to wear it all over for Halloween.

It is nice to live in a community where we can walk up the street and trick-or-treat. The kids buckets were full to the brim with candy, but they were extra excited about the play dough they got at one house. It was a happy Halloween for all of us!

Celebrations

2011-10-29T16:15:00.002-06:00

It has been a little while, and I have some catching up to do. I had a birthday on September 28th and got this sparkly pink sapphire ring, lots of hugs and kisses from my family, and a surprise visit from my mom. It was a great birthday.

We celebrated our ninth wedding anniversary on October 12th.

Sophia had her fourth birthday last week. We have a birthday a month starting in July and she has been very excited for her day to arrive. I didn't think she was going to go to sleep the night before because she was giddy with anticipation. She slept-in the morning of her birthday and when she came out of her room she rubbed her eyes and asked why we were all awake. It was still dark so she didn't think it was morning yet. We told her we had been waiting for her because it was her birthday and the giddy excitement returned. She was so happy all day long and it really was her special day.

She opened some presents in the morning.

She opened some more presents in the afternoon.

We had her requested dinner of macaroni and cheese (not Kraft, the kind I make from scratch) and Sprite. I also made pizza to go along with her choice.

She wanted purple cake with pink frosting, so I made cupcakes. She liked the cupcakes, but has already asked that next year I make a BIG cake for her birthday. She wanted to invite guests to have cake and ice cream so we had a couple of her friends and their families come over.

Grace enjoyed Sophia's birthday, especially the cupcakes. She kept stealing cupcakes that party guests left lying around and would come in with a mischievous smile after eating them.

It was "crazy hair" day at school that day, and Richie wanted a mohawk. It took A LOT of gel, but I got it to stay and it lasted all day long. He thought it was pretty awesome.

So that is what we have been up to this month.

2011-10-06T14:49:00.000-06:00

I am not sure where she is going, but she has her pajamas and her bag, so I guess it will be over night.

Campout!

2011-09-12T14:39:00.001-06:00

We wanted to go camping all summer, but Dad's busy schedule didn't allow for it. We did try to go the first week of August with the Calls, but it was the first time in a month that it rained. We had our tents and everything set up and had already had one meal when the thunderstorm rolled in. We waited for a little while hoping it would pass, but it didn't let up and ended up lasting all night and the next day. We were all very disappointed, but you can't control the weather.

Last Friday we were finally able to go up the canyon. We wanted to go before the weather is too cold for camping, so even though we could only go for one night and had to come right back into town first thing in the morning, we took the chance. The kids were super excited, but nervous about it raining again. Little R was saying a prayer before we headed out and he asked that "Mom and the weather man would be right that it isn't going to rain." It was pretty cute, but he was completely serious.

Luckily we had great weather and it was a super fun family camp out! We set up our site while the kids played and then we built a fire and roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. After eating we were cleaning up and I spotted a moose crossing a bridge right next to our camp site. It looked like a young moose, but it was still pretty big and I got a little nervous. Dad pointed it out to the kids, but they didn't want to tear themselves away from playing, so they didn't pay much attention. After a little while we saw a second moose, and then suddenly the first moose got spooked and came jogging into our camp site. We are such city slickers that we freaked out a little and grabbed the kids and got in the car. It had been boxed in by a couple cars on the road and our area was one of its escape routes. It went the other direction when it saw us, but we were still super nervous about it. Don't judge, we didn't want to get trampled or anything, it was big! Anyway, we waited in the car for several minutes until we felt like it had made its way far enough away from us. We didn't get any pictures of it because we were too busy saving the lives of our children.

The moose sighting was the most exciting part of the trip. After that it started getting dark so we got in the tent and got ready for bed. It took a while to get the kids calmed down enough to sleep, but finally all three kids were asleep. It took me a couple hours to fall asleep, but it was so cool lying there listening to all my kids breath/snore as they slept. I was so happy to be camping with them. I never slept very deeply, and neither did Dad; we both woke up at the slightest sound, I think we were both a little nervous about moose coming back.

As it started to get light outside the older kids woke up and Sophia sat up and exclaimed, "Good mowning evewyone!" Grace's eyes popped open and she started clapping, she always wakes up cheerful, but she loved being in the tent with everyone. After we woke up we packed up and headed back into town. As I was rolling up sleeping bags and folding blankets Richie said to me, "Remember when Dad said that mooses are cool, and then we hid in the car because he was scared of one?" I guess he got a kick out of that.

It was a fun, but short camping trip. Maybe next summer we can go for more than one night.

The kids love to play by the river building sand castles. Notice Sophia's bare feet? I call her my little hobbit because she prefers to be bare foot and she is always eating.

Richie played on this rock the first time he went camping with the Calls a few summers ago.

Sophia wanted to wash her hands in the river before she ate her marshmallow.

This is one of the many, many sticks Sophia found and declared "The perfect camping stick!"

Grace loved it!

The kids made shadow puppets while Dad doused the fire.

Early Valentine

2011-09-09T09:23:00.000-06:00

Little R was working very hard on one of his art projects, and he did not want me to see what it was. Later I heard Richie and Sophia down in our bedroom giggling about something. That night when we went to bed this was hanging on the wall opposite our bed. He said he wanted us to see it when we went to bed and when we wake up.

Richie's Birthday

2011-08-31T16:06:00.001-06:00

Richie turned six on Sunday!

We had a wonderful day celebrating little Richie. He opened gifts, had a nice day at church, ate his special birthday dinner of spaghetti and Sprite, and had cake and ice cream.

After taking this picture I said, "Your eyes were closed." And he said, "I know, it's because I'm so happy!"

He was so happy with everything he got. Thanks Grandma Gail for the colossal art set and the easel. The art set is truly colossal and he has already had hours of enjoyment from it. As you can see, Sophia is enjoying Richie's birthday presents, too. Richie also got a camouflage shirt and pants and was super excited about that, because he believes camouflage makes you invisible. He also got a Disney Cars racing toy, which he has been asking for for over a month, and he reminded me that he wanted it almost every day, including the night before his birthday. Luckily he wasn't disappointed.

He requested a blue cake (inside) with a blue T-Rex on it. As he watched me decorate it on Saturday night, he started requesting a couple more dinos, but I wasn't up to that task, and at one point he said, "Awe, I wish I could decorate my own cake." I can only imagine the visions he had in his head, my little artist.

As his birthday ended I gave him one last, big birthday hug and said, "I am SO glad you came to join our family six years ago." He looked at me with his sweet little smile and said, "And I'm so glad . . . I got that present!" pointing at the Cars toy. I sure love this kid!

First day of first grade!

2011-08-27T23:03:00.000-06:00

Richie is a first grader!

His first day was Wednesday and he seemed to have a good day. School lunch was a new experience, and he didn't really like it, but he thought it was cool to sit across from his friend. He played basketball during recess, but didn't make any baskets (he did the next day, though). It took a couple days, but he told me on Friday that now he is glad that he is a first grader.

Lion in Winter

2011-08-27T22:53:00.001-06:00

Richie saw his dad play Henry in The Lion in Winter when he was twelve and he decided that some day he would play Richard to his Dad's Henry. I have known Richie long enough to know that when he gets an idea in his head, it is going to happen. At the beginning of the summer he started talking about doing the show after Lyric closed, and he asked his Dad to be in it and his Grandpa to direct it. It was a big project to tackle, but he made it happen and it was pretty great.

A Quick Trip

2011-08-18T19:32:00.000-06:00

Last week my oldest niece left for a year long foreign exchange in Belgium and the day before she flew out I decided to drive down to Blanding so I could see her before she went. It was a last minute decision and big Richie was too busy mounting a production of The Lion in Winter (which opened last night and he is great in, by-the-way) to come with us, so I made the drive with the three kids all by myself. I was a little nervous about that, but the kids were awesome and the trip wasn't bad, at all. I was so glad I got to see my niece, and then we had a few days to visit with Grandma and Grandpa. This was our last chance to make the trip before little R starts school next week.

At Grandma and Grandpa's house the kids played with kitties, and played in the dirt, and sometimes did both at the same time.

Richie asked me to take both of these. He is such a boy!

Grace started walking!

And Sophia rescued this bird from a cat.

Hair!

2011-08-06T14:55:00.001-06:00

When we finally gave Richie his summer buzz cut, he said he wanted it cut "like a triangle." I finally figured out that he meant in a mohawk, so Dad tried his best to give him one but his hair is so thick and straight and it seems to have a mind of its own, so it didn't really work. We were not planning on him keeping a mohawk even if it did work, so I took a couple pictures of the attempt and then Dad finished the hair cut.

I put Sophia's hair in hot rollers before church a couple weeks ago. She thought it was quite an adventure. Little Richie thought she looked like a different person after they came out. The curls didn't last long, she has hair like her mom, but it was sure cute while they did.

Missing the Kids

2011-07-28T09:51:00.000-06:00

On Tuesday the two older kids went to Idaho to spend a few days with their Grandma. They have wanted to have this visit for weeks, so as soon as Dad told them Grandma was coming to get them, they ran to their rooms, got their backpacks, and started packing. I let them pack their own bags and just double-checked to make sure they had everything they would need. Grandma wasn't coming until the afternoon, but Sophia put her backpack on and waited impatiently all morning. They were SO excited.

When we told the kids that we were going to miss them, Sophia said she wouldn't miss us, but Richie came up with a great idea about what we could do if we were missing him. He said we should take a picture with him, and them we could look at it when we wanted to see him. Sometimes he is the sweetest little man.

They are having a great visit. Last night Richie called me from McDonalds to tell me that he got a new light saber in his happy meal! Sophia got one, too, and they both sounded thrilled. For most of the day yesterday Grace seemed to really enjoy being an only child, at first she liked all the undivided attention, but at the end of the day she was pretty grumpy and I think she was missing the kids. It just isn't as much fun to get into their toys if there is no danger of getting caught, I guess.

Yesterday morning I got the house cleaned up and it actually stayed clean all day. It makes me wonder why my house was ever messy before I had kids. I am enjoying this little break and I am so glad we live close enough that my kids can spend time with their Grandparents like this, but I will be really happy to see them on Saturday.

Grace's Birthday

2011-07-23T20:43:00.001-06:00

On Monday morning Sophia and Richie came out of their bedroom and Sophia exclaimed, "It's Gwace's boowt day!" They have been very excited about her birthday for a couple weeks, and were obviously very anxious for it to arrive, so on her actual birthday they were happy to help her open the presents they picked out for her. Richie picked a little purple cheetah, I think cheetahs might be his favorite animal at the moment, and Sophia got her a stuffed mermaid doll.

Later in the day we went swimming.

Richie and Sophia both had Carvel ice cream cakes for their first birthdays and I was a little sad that I wasn't going to be able to carry on the tradition. Then I discovered that Walmart has Carvel cakes and I was so happy. It wasn't as fresh as the ones we had in Jersey, but it was okay, and I was happy to not have to make a cake.

Grace approved of her cake, too.

After cake, the kids helped Grace open more presents.

Grace just wanted the mallet to come off the xylophone.

And Sophia just wanted the xylophone for herself.

Eventually she got the hang of it and seemed happy about the toy. It was a good day, and we were happy to celebrate our little one.

A Year of Grace

2011-07-21T12:47:00.001-06:00

Where were you one year ago today?

2011-07-20T10:06:00.000-06:00

This is where we were.

One year ago Grace joined our family.

We can't imagine life without her!

Happy Birthday Baby Grace!

Pink Rider

2011-07-15T09:43:00.000-06:00

Sophia left her tricycle behind one of the cars recently and Dad accidentally ran over it. Her little heart was broken when she found out; she LOVED riding around on her trike! Richie recently moved up to a bigger bike and he was really sweet to Sophia, telling her she could have his old bike. We adjusted the bike to fit her, got new training wheels (because Richie wore out the originals) and got her a new bike helmet that came with a bell. She is so happy to have a big girl bike. Maybe I will get around to spray painting it pink and purple one of these days.

Bed Time

2011-07-14T10:40:00.000-06:00

After my Grandmother passed away a few years ago, my Grandpa gave me her serger and sewing machine. I was so excited to have them, but it took me a while to finally use them. My Mom made a little fairy quilt for Sophia's bed and gave me the extra fabric when it was done. I used the serger to make a bed skirt, pillows and a ruffle for the quilt. It turned out fantastic and Sophia is thrilled with her fairy bed.

As soon as Sophia's bed was finished, Richie was feeling pretty jealous of her new stuff, so he asked Grandma Gail if she would make him a Batman blanket and pillows. Grandma got the fabric and then I put it all together and Richie is a happy little man, too.

The new-to-me sewing machines made these projects quick and easy and I am so glad they were left to me, and that I finally got the opportunity to use them. After the bedspreads were complete my husband asked why I don't do this for us more often. If only I had the time and the money.

Freedom Fire

2011-07-06T18:09:00.001-06:00

The fireworks in Logan take place a few days before the fourth because the company that does the show does another show on the fourth. Our stadium show is called "Freedom Fire" and this year we got to go into the stadium to see it because a friend gave us complimentary tickets. We usually watch it from somewhere outside the stadium so it was really nice to have tickets.

The main performers were Diamond Rio and they were fantastic, if maybe too loud. Sophia fell asleep halfway through the concert, even though it was so loud, but she woke up in time for the fireworks. Dad was in Salt Lake for rehearsal, but luckily our friend Annie was able to come with us. It was a great show. At one point in the evening Richie was eating a snow cone and enjoying the concert and he said, "Mom, I'm so glad we got to stay up late."

This was Grace's first fireworks, and I was unsure how she would do, but she loved them! She kept turning around and looking at me with such big smile. The other kids weren't scared either, I guess the noise didn't bother us because we lost some of our hearing during the concert.

Tee Ball

2011-06-24T11:40:00.000-06:00

As soon as soccer was over, Dad decided Richie needed another sport to do this summer. We found out about tee ball in just enough time to get him registered and he had his first game on June 8th. He was supposed to start on June 6th, but the game was cancelled for rain. His next two were called early because of rain, too, but he finally got to play a few games in good weather.

It was a good way to get him introduced to baseball because it was so noncompetitive. Every kid got a chance to hit and they didn't really have to know how to throw or catch yet. He had some really good hits, and in different games he got to play 1st base, 3rd base and catcher. Richie really enjoyed it, but it wasn't quite as fun to watch for me as soccer, but I don't really like watching real baseball, either. Now he is more interested in playing catch and asked me to play with him last night. That is nice, because he has already started saying he is bored and there is nothing fun to do except watch t.v. It is going to be a long summer if that keeps up.

Swim Like a Fish, Swim Like a Fish

2011-06-16T13:36:00.000-06:00

The week after we got back from Burley the kids started swimming lessons. The weather has not been ideal every day, one day was canceled because it was too cold and another day Grace and I sat in the pouring rain while the kids swam. The weather will eventually get unbearably hot and we plan on spending a lot of time at the pool.

Richie is becoming quite the little swimmer. He goes under water for a long time and is learning how to move around really well. He loves being in the water.

Sophia is not as brave. Today she finally put her whole head under water and says she "nevuh wants to do that again." She loves to be in the water, too, she just doesn't really swim.

Little mermaid moment.

May

2011-06-15T13:20:00.000-06:00

In May little Richie finished kindergarten. On his last day of class they did a presentation for parents and we got to see Richie assist his teacher and read a poem. He learned so much this year, he reads and writes and he says he loves writing so much that he wants to be a writer when he grows up.

After Richie finished school we had two weeks before Dad started working at Lyric so we took a trip to Blanding and had a great visit with almost all the cousins on the Glover side. It was great to see all the cousins, especially the ones that will live in Brazil soon.

The next week we went to Burley. It was a great visit, but Richie and Sophia caught a virus that we were afraid was strep throat. We still had a good time and are so glad to be living near family.

Winnie the Pooh

2011-06-13T12:48:00.000-06:00

Richie II assistant directed it for Unicorn Children's Theatre,

I designed and painted it,

and the kids played on it.

Mmmm, peas!

2011-05-07T10:30:00.000-06:00

Grace LOVES feeding herself!

Number 300

2011-05-04T09:36:00.000-06:00

"Mom, do I look fancy?"

Rock On!

2011-05-03T15:06:00.000-06:00

When I picked Richie up from school I asked him why his dad let him go to school with his hair looking like this and he said, "Don't worry, Mom. It's okay, cuz I'm a rock star."

Champs!

2011-05-02T14:06:00.000-06:00

Richie has finally played his first soccer games. The first game didn't go so well; his team didn't win and Richie didn't have any fun. He gets super upset when he doesn't make any goals, even in practice, and he just gets more an more intense as the game goes on. For his second game he decided that he would have fun because he wanted to earn one of the cookies we brought for the team treat. Each time he came off the field he said, "I am having fun! That means I am going to get a cookie!" He had so much fun, and it was fun to watch. To top it all off, his team won!

Go Butterflies! (That isn't actually his team's name, but one of the little girls on his team wanted it to be.)

This was his celebration dance after a goal by his team.

Spring Break in Blanding

2011-04-29T11:43:00.000-06:00

I got a little behind in my blogging and never posted about our spring break trip. Little Richie's spring break was April 4th through the 8th, so I decided to take the kids to Blanding for a visit. Dad's spring break was in March and he had to work, so he didn't get to come with us. Luckily I didn't have to drive all the way by myself because Grandpa Worthy met us in Salt Lake and drove us down. I had planned to go all the way alone, but I was really grateful that Grandpa came to help. It would have been quite a challenge without him.

We stopped at the dinosaur museum in Price and Richie worked very hard to excavate what he was convinced was a T-Rex fossil. I think it was probably a raptor, but I didn't argue. He was "scientifically uncovering the bones" and I did not want to upset the scientist.

Richie wanted to look like he was racing the Raptor in the background.

Richie and Sophia were thrilled that there were three kittens living at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Richie became especially attached. One day he told me, "Cats follow me. That means they like me." Then, after a short pause and a deep sigh he said, "I wish I could have one of those kitties." He was so gentle and sweet with the kittens, too bad we rent and can't have pets.

The kids named this kitten Meeyowss, and the other two Blackie and Heavy.

Sophia had a wonderful time with her cousin Timothy. He spent a couple days at Grandma's house and they had so much fun together. They shared some jellybeans and were "toasting" with the little cups they were in.

On one of the last days of the visit, Richie did an experiment to see what would happen if he put a kitten on Grace's face; it didn't turn out very well. I thought it was an accident, but Richie eventually told me the truth because he felt so badly about it. He felt so sad about hurting Grace and for lying, but I told him I was proud of him for telling me the truth and that I forgave him.

In these pictures you can see her wound and her little teeth that are growing in.

Grace had a great week spending time with Grandparents. She shared a clementine with Grandma...

...and watched some golf with Grandpa.

We had a fun week, but missed Daddy and were glad to get home to him. The weather was pretty terrible from Salt Lake to Logan, and of course that was the section I drove alone, but luckily there wasn't a single snowflake in Sardine canyon; that was the part of the drive I was most worried about. It was nice to go down, and hopefully Dad will get to go with us next time.

Easter Photo Extravaganza!

2011-04-24T21:24:00.001-06:00

Happy Easter! We stayed home for Easter this year and had a lovely weekend. Saturday we colored eggs, which the kids could have done all day if I had let them. I only let them do sixteen eggs, but they would had kept on going if I had boiled more.

This morning I heard the kids get up and a few minutes later they came running down the stairs. They came in and exclaimed, "The Easter Bunny did come! And he brought us stuff we really wanted!" They were both so excited about their gifts, but poor Richie's color explosion, glow-in-the-dark marker set was missing the one marker that makes them glow, but he was a good sport and didn't pout at all. When Sophia saw her Easter dress she said, "Wow! It's a wedding dress!" She was still very happy with it when I told her it was not a wedding dress, but an Easter dress.

I got the kids to pose for some pictures before church.

Sophia strikes a "stylish pose" every time a camera comes out.

I made the little rose headband for Grace. I actually made a hair clip for Sophia, too, but she didn't want to wear it. I think it turned out so cute!

This is Richie's version of the "stylish pose."

After church we visited Great Grandpa Call and then when we got home we had our egg hunt. I convinced Sophia to stay in her dress, but I couldn't get Richie to keep his church clothes on. It was a short hunt because there weren't that many eggs, but there are only so many boiled eggs one family can eat.

It was a great day to be together. We haven't had a full day where we just get to spend time at home with each other. The kids loved the gifts and treats, but we also made sure they understood why we have this holiday. I told them about the Savior's Atonement and resurrection last night and this morning Dad asked them if they knew why we celebrate Easter and Sophia said, "Because Jesus was wesoowected."

Soccer Star!

2011-04-18T11:15:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago Richie finally started soccer practice. He has been very anxious to play since we signed him up a couple months ago, especially after we got his uniform and all his gear just before his first practice. He wanted to wear his uniform to practice, but I told him we save that for the games. When we drove up to the field, half the other kids on his team were wearing their uniforms and he gave me the worst look and said, "See!" I told him he could wear his uniform to his next practice. Richie really enjoys practice, but sometimes gets super frustrated when other kids get the ball away from him because he thinks he is supposed to get it into the goal every time the ball is in play. He gets really intense, but hopefully the more he plays, the less that will happen because he will start to understand how it works.

He was supposed to have two games last week, but they were cancelled because the fields weren't ready because we have had so much snow lately. He is supposed to have his first game this week, but it has been raining all weekend and is raining again today, so we will see if that actually happens.

His & Hers

2011-04-16T19:26:00.000-06:00

Baby Grace

2011-03-23T13:40:00.000-06:00

Grace is growing fast. She sits up, clicks her tongue, rolls her tongue, rolls over, she just cut her first tooth and she is probably going to start crawling soon. She loves her brother and sister and they adore her. We all love to make her laugh because she has such a cute little giggle. What a wonderful eight months we have had since she joined our family.

Sleeping Beauty

2011-03-11T09:57:00.000-07:00

Sophia has been phasing out her naps over the last few months. I still want her to nap most days, but some days she just doesn't feel like it. She was actually taking really long naps and it was making bedtime a bit of a struggle because she wasn't tired enough to go to sleep, so I was letting her skip naps every few days. After a couple days without her afternoon nap I found her one evening like this . . .

. . . and another evening like this.

I love that she was in the middle of eating cookie when she fell asleep this time. Can you see the cookie sitting on her tummy?

A few weeks ago she put herself to bed an hour before her bed time. She came out with her binkie and I told her she could only have it when she was sleeping, and the next thing we knew she had tucked herself in and was fast asleep in her bed. She had never put herself to bed like that, she was tired from not having had a nap the past couple days, but she also needed her binkie fix.

Sophia has been officially binkie free for a whole week now! We have wanted to get rid of them for several months, but she was seriously addicted, so we were taking it slowly. First we only let her have them for naps and bedtime, then we weened her from five binkies down to one. She had to have one in her mouth, one in each hand and then back-ups in case she lost them in the night, but she still sometimes woke us up in the middle of the night because she couldn't find them. She was really attached and I wasn't sure we were ever going to get her binkie free. Even though we established the "only when sleeping" rule, she often tried to get away with sucking on one at other times, especially if she was upset. More than once she snuck into her room to secretly suck on one and then would have a meltdown when I took it away.

I thought it was going to be extremely difficult for her to get rid of the binkies and I just didn't know how to go about it and then last week an opportunity presented itself. An hour before bedtime she came out of the room with her binkie and said she was ready for bed. I told her it wasn't time yet and she couldn't have the binkie, and she said she would just hold it. Several times she tried to hide from me while sucking on the binkie really quickly, but I always caught her and made her take it out of her mouth. We went through our bedtime routine, going potty, brushing teeth, washing up, putting on p.j.s, and then as we started reading books (the point in the night where she is allowed to have the binkie), Sophia realized that she didn't know where the binkie was. I looked for it, but decided that instead of going crazy to find it, I would use this to break the habit. She hadn't napped that day, so I knew she would be tired enough to go to sleep without, but it was still going to be a struggle.

Poor Sophia was heart-broken! She sobbed and sobbed for her binkie and I explained to her that it was lost. It helped that there wasn't really a bad guy in the situation; Mom and Dad hadn't taken it or made her throw it away, it was just gone. She was so sad and cried and cried, "Biiiiinkeeeee! Biiiiinkeeeee!" I had to sit in the room with her until she fell asleep, but that didn't take as long as I was afraid it might. The next day she said to me, "I'n glad I'n not sleeping with a binkie anymowuh."

She was proud of herself for being such a big girl, but she got sad again at bedtime. It wasn't a problem until right before she got into bed. We had just finished reading books and she said, "I'n not feeling happy." When I asked why she started to wimper a little and said, "Because I don't have my binkie!" And she started crying again.

It was hard to watch her mourning the loss, but that night it was not as hard for her to go to sleep without it and it has just gotten easier and easier every day. Of course, now she is not napping at all, but I am trying to give her quiet time instead, and it is a trade I am willing to make to get rid of those binkies. Our house is a binkie-free zone and I love it!

Maybe we need to be a marker-free zone too. Hey, nobody's perfect, right?

Red Velvet

2011-02-14T14:17:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be fun to make red velvet cake as a Valentine's treat and I found a recipe online to try. When I went shopping for ingredients on Saturday I discovered that red food coloring is hard to come by so close to Valentine's Day and red velvet cake requires a lot of red food coloring. I bought a couple boxes with the four colors and squeezed out all the red and mixed up a little from the gel coloring I use for decorating cakes. It turned out fine in the end and the cupcakes were AWESOME! I am really happy how well my first attempt at red velvet cake went. However, twenty four cupcakes is a lot for one family, and I think they were a little too rich for the kids who didn't end up liking them much. But all the adults we shared them with really liked them. Sophia asked me if next time I can make blue cupcakes, so instead of red velvet, how about blue suede? What flavor would those be?

It looks . . . reddish

2011-02-07T10:08:00.001-07:00

I have been finding more and more gray hairs lately. I used to color my hair all the time but stopped after I got married because Richie wanted to see what my natural color was. He is actually the one who encouraged me to color my hair and he said if I was going to do it, I might as well really go for it. So I colored my hair RED! And it came out really red. When I asked little Richie what he thought of it he said, "It looks . . . reddish." At least he didn't start crying like Grace did when she saw it for the first time.

6 Months

2011-01-27T17:55:00.000-07:00

Baby Grace is six months old already! She is big and healthy weighing 18 lbs. 1 oz. and is 27 inches long! This little girl is so much fun to have around and always has a smile to share. She is working on rolling over from her back to her tummy and has actually done it once, but I missed it. I set her on her back, went into another room and when I came back she was on her tummy. I knew that would probably happen, but I was still disappointed. Grace has a super cute little laugh and she is quite ticklish, so I tickle her a lot so I can hear her laugh. She loves to chew on anything she can get her hands on, this includes toys, books, fingers and especially Mom's hair. She is such a great baby and we all adore her.

Girl Time

2011-01-25T10:29:00.000-07:00

The other night I gave Sophia a mani/pedi. She LOVES IT when I do this. She loves it so much that she usually asks me to polish them in a new color as soon as they are dry. Richie gets a little jealous of the attention. As Sophia's feet were soaking he asked if the foot bath was only for girls. I need to figure out something to do with him that doesn't end with polish on his nails.

Sophia goes to Primary

2011-01-24T13:53:00.000-07:00

Sophia had mixed feelings about starting primary. We tried to prepare her for it by telling her how much fun it was and that she was going to be a big girl. I think she was kind of excited to go but ultimately she didn't like the idea of not going to nursery any more. That transition from nursery to sunbeam is pretty hard. The first Sunday went pretty well. She went into the primary room without any complaints or sadness. The next Sunday wasn't as smooth, when I tried telling her that Jesus wants her for a sunbeam she yelled, "I don't want to be a sunbeam!" And it has been hard each week since, If I linger for too long she clings to me and cries that she wants me to stay. But she is always cheerful when it is time to go home and she says she had a good time, so it will get easier as time goes on. I am sure my little Sophia is a handful for her teacher, but how can you not love all her spunk?

I took these pictures on her first day of primary. She is such a poser!

Sometimes they are so sweet together.

Sledding on Old Main Hill

2010-12-31T15:23:00.000-07:00

We took the kids sledding yesterday for the first time. A friend called and asked if we wanted to meet him and his kids at Old Main Hill and we thought it would be fun, especially since the kids had never been before. It was super cold, but we bundled up and went out. We didn't stay long, and even though the kids were frozen by the time we were done, Sophia asked if we could go again as soon as we got home.

Richie's first time down the hill scared him a little, but not enough to keep him from trying again. Sophia had fun going down with her friend and followed her up and down the hill. Grace and I spent most of the time in the car because it was just too cold for her to be outside, but I put her down on the seat when she fell asleep so I could get some pictures.

Temple Square

2010-12-31T10:31:00.000-07:00

While living in New Jersey we would go into Rockefeller Center at Christmas to see the tree. Now that we are in Utah again we wanted to take the kids to see the lights at Temple Square. The trip to Salt Lake is about as long as the trip into New York City, but the parking is much easier. The kids were ready to go home after seeing lights on the side of the interstate, but I think they were glad we went all the way to Temple Square. I have such fond memories of going to Temple Square as a child, and I hope my kids will have good memories of it, too.

Grace did not enjoy the outing very much. I think she was just too cold and over tired. So we ended up holding her most of the time and Sophia took over the stroller on our way back to the car.

Christmas

2010-12-31T10:18:00.001-07:00

Santa found us at Grandpa and Grandma's house, and everyone had a very merry Christmas. Sophia couldn't get enough of opening presents. Richie loved it too, but he periodically said, "Presents are really nice, but the reason we are doing this is that it is Jesus' birthday." It is nice to know that he is paying attention to us, sometimes.

Christmas Eve

2010-12-30T18:50:00.000-07:00

On Christmas Eve Aunt Giselle helped the kids make cookies for Santa.

Sophia really enjoyed decorating hers. She practically sprinkled half the bottle of sugar on her cookie and she sampled the frosting to make sure it was okay. I am pretty sure it all met with her approval.

After dinner the kids put on their Christmas pajamas and modeled them for us.

Then Grandpa Call read "The Night Before Christmas" and the kids opened one present. The kids were so excited to finally open presents and after playing with his toy for a little while Richie yelled, "This is the best Christmas EVER!"

Just before bed we heard Santa's bells jingling and took the kids outside to investigate. When we told them that Santa couldn't come to our house until they were asleep both kids got very anxious to go upstairs to bed. Richie ran inside and to the room and Sophia kept yelling, "GRANDMA, I HAVE TO GO TO BED!!!" as Grandma was taking her picture.

When Dad put her down she was upstairs faster than lightning. When we went in to tuck them in Richie said, "No books, no songs!" He was really nervous that Santa was going to skip our house because they were still awake. We assured them that Santa would still stop at our house and they went right to sleep after we tucked them in. They were SO excited for Santa and it made our Christmas Eve so much fun. I love experiencing this season through their eyes, it makes it magical again.

"Your Voice Smells Like Tacos."

2010-12-28T16:03:00.003-07:00

Things said by Richie and Sophia in 2010 that we posted on facebook:

Sophia's snack request: "I tell you what I want, um...sumpeen like gwaham cwackas...owah, cheese cwackas...owah, any kind of cwackas I want."   She proceeded to refuse all crackers in the house and went with fruit snacks.

Sophia just said, "Raisins, I want raisins!" So I went and got raisins and she said, "Not raisins, I said raissins!" I was a little puzzled, and told her these were raisins, but she continued to protest.   Finally I said, "Do you mean you want what Richie has?" and she said, "Yeah."
  "That's a boiled egg."
  "Oh, yeah, boyed eck."

Sophia turns 3 this month. We asked her what she wanted for her birthday, she thought for a while, and then said, "... ummm... i think... presents."

When Sophia saw her cake this morning she said, "OH MY GOONESS! THIS IS THE BEST BIWTHDAY EVAH!"

At the end of a wonderful, but long day, I said to Sophia, "Happy birthday, baby." And she said, "Happy biwt-day to you Mommy."

Sophia just chased Dad and Richie out the door because she wanted to give Richie a hug and a kiss before he went to school. While hugging him she said, "Because you ah da best bwuda in da wold."

It was raining a little while ago, and little Richie said, "This rainy day is good for flowers... but not for things that can rust."

Chrislynn and Sophia just had a very serious discussion:
 "Sophia, do you know you're not the boss?" 
"Yes I yam."
 "No you're not, Sophia. I'm the boss."
 "No, I'm the boss."
 "No, I'm the boss."
 "No, I'm the boss. I'M THE BOSS!!!"

I asked Sophia for a kiss today, and she said: "NO! I don't want to!"
 "Sophia, please give me a kiss."
 "NO!"
 "Sophia, DON'T give me a kiss."
 "Don't?"
 "Yeah. DON'T give me a kiss. I won't let you." 
She then attacked me with kisses.

I just overheard Sophia have this conversation with the toy train she was playing with:  "You are so beautiful."  "Thank you Thomas, I think you are VERY handsome!"

Conversation from this morning: 
Sophia: Dad, when I grow up I want to be a star catcher.
Little Richie: You can't. 
Sophia: Yes I can! 
Little Richie: No you can't. 
Sophia: I can, and I will!!!
 Little Richie: Stars are made out of gas and they're really hot. You should be a mom.

I had a tea party with Sophia this morning. After my third cup of tea (or hot cocoa) I told her I needed to go to work. She said, "But Darling, we're not done."

Yesterday, Richie was sitting on my lap and we were cuddling. I said something to him, and he said, "Dad, your voice smells like tacos."

We were heading out to take Richie to school, and Sophia was trying to give him a hug. Richie didn't want a hug. Sophia said, "Richie, if you don't give me a hug I'm going to freak out!"

I dropped Richie off at school this morning, and when I came back Sophia was standing in the doorway and said, "Back so soon?"

I need to get an advent calendar. The first thing little R said to me this morning was, "Mom, now how many days is it until Christmas?"

This morning Richie groaned and said, "I don't want to go to school today." When I asked why, he replied, "I JUST WANT A DAY OFF!"

Chrislynn was in the middle of doing laundry, and Sophia kept asking her to change her doll's clothes. After about the 10th time, Chrislynn said, "Sophia, I can't change any more clothes!" Sophia replied, "Settle down mom. Settle down. Just settle down mom. Just settle down."

The kids were being babysat tonight, and Richie requested a snack before bed. They gave him some Goldfish, and when Richie saw how much was in the bowl he said, "C'mon, I can count that high, give me more."

Sophia and I were watching the Dora Christmas Carol episode on Nick Jr. this morning. There was a very large Santa Claus speaking when she turned to me, looked at me for a while, and then said, "Dad, you look like Santa Claus." So maybe it's time to start thinking about those New Year's resolutions.

I was just playing Wii Bowling with Richie. He bowled a 200, and I got 94. At one point he turned to me and very seriously said, "Wow. You're horrible."

Richie was practicing his counting, and Sophia was trying to keep up. Richie said, "Mom, I don't think Sophia can count to 29." Sophia quickly replied, "1...2...3...4...29!"

North Pole Express

2010-12-24T13:03:00.001-07:00

For Christmas Grandma Call wanted all of us to go to the North Pole together, so she got us tickets to the North Pole Express that leaves out of a little town in Idaho. It was a great day with the whole family.

I had to wake the kids up to get them ready to leave, which I hardly ever have to do, they are usually our alarm clock, but they were reluctant to wake up until I told them we had to go get on a train to the North Pole to see Santa. They both perked right up and started chattering. Sophia exclaimed, "The Polah Expwess?!!!" and Richie said, "Oh, I had a different idea. I was going to hide somewhere in the house where Santa can't see me." He was talking about trying to catch Santa on Christmas Eve, but he decided taking the train to see him was a good idea, too. They were both so excited and anxious. Richie said he had never met the real Santa, and seemed really happy that he was going to. It took about three and a half hours to get to the little town where we boarded the train and Sophia kept saying, "We ah nevah going to get to Santa!" They were both very relieved when we got to the train station and boarded the train.

The joy and excitement of the kids made it so fun for all of us. As the train started moving Richie turned to me and asked, "Mom, whose idea was it to go to the North Pole?" I told him it was Grandma's idea and he turned and very sincerely said, "Thanks for bringing us to the North Pole Grandma." and gave her a huge hug. It was so sweet because it came completely from him without any prompting from us. Grandma said, "What five-year-old would say thank you like that?" I was so proud of my little man, and so happy to see his joy in the experience.

We were on the train for an hour and a half. It was a beautiful, scenic ride up the mountain. There was a car with snacks and open cars so you could get a good view, and Christmas carolers came through the train singing songs. It all helped the time go by so quickly and before we knew it we were at the North Pole. Richie didn't think that the North Pole had any trees and he wasn't convinced that the stop on the side of the mountain was actually the North Pole, but Santa was there, so he accepted it in the end.

We waited in line to see Santa and Sophia got a little shy when we met Mrs. Claus.

They both told Santa what they want for Christmas . . .

. . . and then we all got together for a picture with him.

On the way back down the mountain Santa came through the train and talked to everyone again. It was nice that he was able to spend more time with the kids and they enjoyed it.

Grace was oblivious to it all and was just a sweetheart all day. She is five months old now and I can't believe how quickly she is growing up.

The kids were really good considering how much driving we had to do. They were very tired in the end, but they behaved most of the way home. At one point Richie was talking about numbers and for some reason he said, "Mom, I don't think Sophia can count to 29." To which Sophia responded, "One, two, fwee, fowa, (pause) 29!" She showed him, didn't she?

Going on the North Pole Express was a great way to kick off Christmas. Thanks Grandma Call! The kids are SO excited about Christmas. Sophia asked if today is Christmas Eve and when I told her yes she said, "DOES THAT MEAN WE CAN OPEN PWESENTS?!" She was a little disappointed when I told her that we don't open presents until tomorrow, but tomorrow will be here before we know it. Having kids at Christmas really helps make the season magical. Merry Christmas Eve!

'Tis the Season

2010-12-21T18:19:00.000-07:00

It has been too long since I posted, but we had a busy month! Dad turned 30 and the kids helped me make him a cake from scratch.

We took pictures to give him as a gift. . .

. . . and helped him open his presents.

We went to Blanding for Grace's first Thanksgiving.

Richie has started reading and read one of his books to Sophia before one of her naps.

We decorated for Christmas.

Dad directed an amazing production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. . .

. . . and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, which was Richie and Sophia's first play, and I also designed the set and did the props.

This is how they felt after a LONG week of rehearsals and performances.

Now our Christmas vacation has begun!

Dreamer vs Scientist

2010-11-17T08:46:00.000-07:00

Sophia: "Dad, when I gwoh up, I'n goin' to be a stah catcha."

Little Richie: "You can't."

"Yes I can!"

"No you can't"

"Yes I can! And I will!!!"

"No you can't. Stars are made of gas and are really hot . . . Why don't you be a mom. That's easier."

2010-11-16T11:18:00.000-07:00

Winter is fast approaching. Today is blustery, cold and gray. Fall was beautiful here in Logan with warm sunny days and cozy nights, but I can feel the cold of winter creeping in, and I am not sure I am ready.

This is how our house looked just a few weeks ago.

The kids were still playing outside in the evening.

I love the angle of the light in the autumn, it makes everything look so warm, even though there is a little bit of a chill in the air. Let's hope I make it through another dreary Logan winter.

I forgot to mention in the last post that even though Richie is smitten with little Grace, he has already started to tell Sophia that "Mom is going to have another baby and this time it is going to be a brother." What do I do about that?

A Love Story

2010-11-12T14:02:00.001-07:00

Richie is in love. From the day he met Grace he has been completely smitten. He loves her so much he wants to kiss her every minute of the day and sometimes I have to prevent him from smothering her. He just can't get enough!

It started in the hospital. . .

. . . and continued when she came home.

He requests pictures with her as often as he can.

August

September

October

Grace thinks Richie is pretty great, too. She almost always smiles and giggles when she sees him. Richie says he will always love Grace, and he will never be mean to her. That is quite the promise. Do you think I will be able to keep him to it?

p.s. Sophia also loves Grace, she just doesn't have the photo documentation that Richie has.

Halloween

2010-11-04T17:58:00.000-06:00

The kids helped scoop out the pumpkins and then I carved them into jack-o-lanterns.

This one is named, Scary Scary Scary Scary.

This one is named, Happy Happy Happy Happy. (Sophia named them.)

Sophia originally wanted to be a princess but couldn't pass up this Tinkerbell costume when she saw it in the store.

Richie takes his Halloween costumes very seriously! Isn't he the coolest ninja ever?

Grace was not thrilled about her costume so she only wore it long enough to get these pictures.

We went trick-or-treating with a group of friends. It was pretty wet and cold and afterward Richie said he would never go outside when it is raining again! Sophia didn't let the rain get her down and was very unhappy when we went home. She really loves her candy! She also really liked yelling "trick-or-treat!"

The Big 3

2010-11-03T10:52:00.000-06:00

On October 20, Grace turned three months old! She is growing so quickly, I can hardly believe it. She has reached a few milestones in the last three months, like sleeping through the night, giggling and sucking her thumb. She is one of the happiest babies I have ever seen and has the most beautiful smile, which she shares with me just about every time she sees me. It makes me so happy. We love this chubby little girl so much!

A week later, Sophia turned three years old! She is such a sassy little thing, she is more like 30. She loves to play dress-up and playing with her princesses. She also loves getting into things she shouldn't and some days I think she is going to send me to the nut house, but she always keeps me on my toes. At one point on her birthday I said to her, "When did you grow up?" She looked at me and very seriously said, "I on't know." In the last year she has learned to talk, gotten potty trained, moved out of a crib into a bed and learned to ride a tricycle. She has also moved with us from New Jersey to Blanding to Logan. What a big year!

On the morning of her birthday Dad showed her the castle birthday cake I made and she exclaimed, "Oh my gooness! This is the best biwt day EVAH!"

Later I asked her what she wanted for breakfast and I said, "Do you want cereal, or eggs & toast, or oatmeal?" She pondered for a minute and then replied, "Uhhhhh. . . . . .BIWT DAY CAKE!" This girl would eat sweets from sunrise to sunset if we let her.

She opened a couple presents before Richie went to school and LOVED the doll Gramma Gail sent.

Later in the day Grandpa and Grandma Call surprised us with a visit. We went to the Fun Park where we had dinner and the kids played games and in a giant play gym. They had a great time and it so nice to have the family surprise us!

After the Fun Park we went home and had cake and ice cream and opened more presents. Sophia was so excited about all her gifts especially the dress up box and her new doll house.

Then we went to see the final dress rehearsal of Seussical the Musical. It was a long day, but a wonderful day. As the play was getting over I was snuggling with Sophia and I said to her, "Happy birthday, baby." And she said, "Happy biwt day to you, Mommy."

Pumpkin Patch

2010-11-01T17:23:00.000-06:00

I have a little catching up to do before I post birthday and Halloween. A few weeks ago we went to Idaho for a quick weekend visit with the Calls. We went out to a pumpkin patch Saturday morning and then went to a bowling alley that night for cousin Deacon's first birthday party. The kids had a blast! They loved riding the hay wagon, going through the maze, playing with the animals, playing mini golf and picking out pumpkins at the pumpkin patch, and they are always excited about bowling.

So sweet

2010-10-21T09:54:00.000-06:00

At 8:00 this morning Sophia said to me, "Make cookies Mommy, make cookies! I will help."

Yeah, right, maybe she'll help eat them.

Aubrey Allyn Call

2010-10-14T16:15:00.003-06:00

This is a picture of Aubrey on our wedding day, October 12, 2002.

When Chrislynn and I got married, Aubrey was 3 years old. Now, Sophia is about to turn 3, and we find ourselves laughing at things that remind us of Aubrey when she was Sophie's age.

Once while we were at church, I was sitting next to Aubrey when she looked at me and very seriously said, "You can kwatch my back if you want to." Chrislynn and I thought it was so funny! To this day, when I want Chrislynn to scratch my back I say, "You can kwatch my back if you want to."

Aubrey used to pronounce her f's with the sh sound. We have a good friend named Frank that she called, "Shank." She used to say, "Shanks" instead of thanks. And on more than one occasion I heard her announce that she had "sharted."

One of my favorite Aubrey stories is once when Chrislynn had a tummy ache Aubrey was very concerned about her. Aubrey had just had a bout of constipation. So after hearing Chrislynn moan about her stomach, Aubrey offered this advice: "Maybe you need to pyoop."

While Chrislynn and I were dating, I asked Aubrey what she thought of Chrislynn. Aubrey quickly replied, "I don't like her eyes." I laughed at the quick response and later learned that she must have been listening to my dad when he made a comment about Chrislynn's excessive blue eye make up. (That was Chrislynn's Depech Mode phase)

Aubrey, we think of you often as Sophia does all of her cute 3 year old things. I can't believe you're 11 years old now! WE LOVE YOU AUBS!

Apple picking time again

2010-10-06T10:46:00.005-06:00

It is that time of year again. The time when nights are cold but days are pleasant (lately they have been a little hot for fall, but I am not complaining; I haven't had to turn on the heater yet) the leaves are beginning to change color and I get excited about going apple picking. Just before Sophia was born we went apple picking for the first time at a farm in Princeton and I was hooked. Growing up we had apple trees in our own yard, but somehow I never appreciated how much fun it could be to pick them in the fall. It is a different experience going to a farm to do it, though. So I have been pining away for my apple orchard in New Jersey unitl I found out there is an orchard in a little town near Logan called Paradise where you can pick your own apples.

On Saturday morning we bundled up the kids and packed them up in the car feeling excited about going apple picking again. It took about twenty minutes to get there, but it was a beautiful drive to Paradise. My expectations may have been a little high, even though I tried not to get my hopes up. Paradise Valley Orchard is a small, family orchard, and it was charming but a little less than I was expecting. It was perfectly adequate for the family apple picking activity I wanted it to be, but I have to admit I missed Terhune and all the varieties of apples available there, as well as the cider donuts and farm animals that helped the kids get into the everything. It was a beautiful day! It turned out that we didn't need to bundle up because it was a lovely, warm morning. Richie and Sophia were not into picking apples AT ALL. They just wanted to play on the playground equipment at the edge of the orchard. That was okay with me because they were having fun, and that was what I wanted.

I was able to drag them away long enough to get a couple pictures of them with the apples

This is how Grace experienced the outing. She is such a sweetie!

What a Year

2010-10-01T22:05:00.002-06:00

My birthday was on Tuesday. I didn't have gifts to open because I got presents before the big day. Little Richie was very disappointed that I did not have presents, and when Dad told him that he could give me a hug and kiss, he very grumpily said, "That is NOT a present." Even though I didn't have things to open, I had a good day.

My birthday cake. Three candles and four candles to represent 34. There was no way I was putting 34 candles on my cake! (Little Richie took this picture because Dad had already gone to Salt Lake for Hamlet.)

If it has sugar, Sophia likes it.

Richie wasn't sure if he would like my cake, but he didn't complain. He would have preferred a cake with a picture on it because to him, that is a birthday cake.

Sophia strikes again.

Having a birthday made me reflect on this past year and everything we have gone through. Finding out we were having another baby at Thanksgiving; going to Utah for Christmas and then not going back to New Jersey after; spending two and a half months apart from Richie; finally reuniting in March and moving to Logan; Richie working for the Lyric and getting hired at Utah State for the year; having Grace; Little Richie starting kindergarten. It really has been a crazy year! It has been challenging, and hard at times but also joyful and full of blessings. I miss living in New Jersey, but I am happy to be where we are now. Who knows what the coming year has in store for us. As long as we can be together, it will be a great year, whatever comes our way.

Little Helper

2010-09-27T09:35:00.001-06:00

The other day Richie decided he wanted to help me do the dishes after dinner, but he didn't decide that until I had already finished. He still wanted to help me with something, so I gave him the sponge and told him to wipe off the table. Not only did he wipe of the table top, he kept on working for 20 minutes and wiped down just about every surface on the table and the chairs! He said he will do it every night after dinner. So far it has just happened once, but it is a start.

Self Soothing

2010-09-25T19:48:00.002-06:00

Grace is only two months old and she has already started sleeping through the night, and I think it is because of this...

My other kids were binkie babies, Grace tolerates the binkie, but seems to prefer her thumb and is getting pretty good at finding it all by herself. So instead of getting up to put a binkie back in, or nurse her back to sleep, she is just sucking away on her little thumb and giving me a full night of sleep. She is so good to me!

Phone pics

2010-09-22T18:57:00.002-06:00

Dad has been away a lot this month rehearsing Hamlet in Salt Lake City, so I have texted him pictures of Grace every so often. This is the most recent and my favorite.

So Much To Say

2010-09-12T19:17:00.009-06:00

I don't have internet at home so I am way behind on blogging. I wanted to put up some pictures of things that haved happenend recently that I haven't posted about.

After Lyric closed we wanted to go camping, but never got the chance. We did go up the canyon to roast hot dogs and marshmallows one Saturday night.

This is actually the first family picture of all five of us. I had forgotten about it when I put up the picture from Grace's blessing.

We saw this moose and her calf as we were leaving the camp site.

Little Richie turned 5!

He is really into dinosaurs right now and he wanted a dinosaur cake. Of course he didn't want your average, run-of-the-mill T Rex, he wanted a hadrosaur (duck billed dinosaur), so I designed and decorated this one for him. He thought it was pretty awesome.
He got lots of great dino gifts and was very excited about all of them.

He also started kindergarten at the same elementary school that his grandpa Call attended.

Sophia wished she started kindergarten, too.

But she is keeping busy with other things.

Labor Day weekend (Grace's blessing weekend) the kids did A LOT of swimming at the hotel my parents stayed at. Richie is getting braver and braver, putting his face all the way under the water. If we had a whole summer in front of us, we could teach him to swim.

Sophia has no fear, which actually scares me. She gave us all a scare by going under, but luckily Grandpa Worthy pulled her out. She told me afterward that she doesn't like breathing water. Hopefully it will make her a little more cautious next time.

After her scare in the water, she was getting out of the car when we got home and she had another accident. She hit her head right on the pavement and was pretty banged-up, but okay.

Grace's Blessing

2010-09-05T19:57:00.003-06:00

Today was Grace's blessing day. It was a nice day with lots of family and I have more pictures, but I just wanted to put a few up right now.

I knitted this dress for her.

This is the first picture of all five of us.

Update

2010-08-03T20:06:00.002-06:00

Today Grace is two weeks old. We went to her two week check-up and she is 8 lbs. 9 oz. and 20 3/4 in. long. She is growing fast and doing great.

A Baby Story

2010-08-02T20:21:00.005-06:00

The week before Grace was born felt like the longest of my life. On Monday, I thought it was Tuesday and had to keep reminding myself that it was Monday, and that continued all week; on Tuesday I thought it was Wednesday, on Wednesday I thought it was Thursday, etc. My c-section was scheduled for July 20th at 7:30 a.m. but I was not sure we would make it to that date, based on the fact that I had a scheduled c-section for Sophia, but went into labor five days before. Apparently, Grace is more patient, because she waited for my parents to arrive on Sunday night and let me go to the apprentice show on Monday. Just the first indication of what kind of baby we were in for.

We had to check into the hospital at 5:30 a.m. which meant that we had to wake up at 4:30 a.m. I went to bed later than I should have, but it was like the night before Christmas with all the anticipation, and I just couldn't settle down. Even so, I was not tired at 4:30 in the morning. I got up and showered, woke Richie up so he could shower and then he gave me a really nice blessing before we left to the hospital. I had been so nervous about the surgery and recovery, but his blessing really calmed me down.

Things at the hospital were so stress free. I answered medical history questions, had some blood drawn, got an IV, visited with my in-laws and waited for the surgery. We walked down to the operating room at about 7:40, I got my spinal block, Dr. Horsley and the doctor assisting him came in and Grace was born at 8:03. It went so quickly and so smoothly. Even the spinal wasn't so bad, and having a needle stuck into my spine was one of my biggest worries. After Grace was delivered I was able to watch them clean her off in a bassinet in the room and then they put her on my chest for several minutes. That was really nice.

After the doctors sewed me back up, Grace and her dad went somewhere else and I went into a recovery room. With my previous c-sections I got really bad shivers after surgery that took a long time to go away, but I never did this time. I was so glad about that because it was one of the things I was dreading. After a while they brought Grace and Daddy back into the room and let me try nursing her. She was amazing and latched right on without any problem. It was wonderful to have that time with her in that first hour of her life. After Sophia's birth I didn't see her for hours because they kept her in the nursery waiting for her temperature to stabilize, and I was kind of expecting that again. Having a baby in Logan again was awesome!

The rest of my hospital stay was as uneventful, in a good way. I was pretty tired and tried to get some rest, and Grace was just the sweetest, calmest little thing; the only time she really cried was during diaper changes. Little Richie and Sophia came to visit and fell in love with her immediately. In the weeks leading up to the birth, Little Richie had decided that we should call the new baby Sophia, because it is such a beautiful name and because we have two Richies, so he figured we could also have two Sophias. He was a little disappointed when we told him her name was Grace, but cheered up when we told him her middle name was Emily. He told us that we could call her Grace, but he would call her Grace Emily, and Grace Emily Sophia. We also had other visitors including friends, family and especially grandparents. My mom and dad were here to help with the kids and my mother-in-law stayed with me that evening while my husband performed in The Mousetrap.

I was only in the hospital for two and a half days. I could have stayed one more day, but every time my other kids came to visit I felt like my family was complete, but they could only stay for 30 minutes because of hospital policy, and I was so sad to see them go. I was feeling well enough to go home on Thursday, so I did. It was nice to get home and sleep in my own bed and keep track of my pain medication on my own. My mom stayed with us for about a week and a half and I was so grateful to have her help during the most difficult and painful part of recovery.

Grace is a sweet and mellow baby and we are so happy to have her in our family. She makes the cutest faces while she sleeps and even giggles and smiles in her sleep. She is still nursing really well and is growing fast as a result. The kids just LOVE her. Sophia helped Grandma Gail give her her first bath and is always trying to help out with the "mothering".

Little Richie is especially smitten. I love the way he calls her "Grace Emily", not just Grace. Sometimes he calls her Gracie, but most of the time it is the full name. He is very sweet and gentle with her and it is really adorable.

Grace likes to sleep with her hands up by her face. I had suspicions that she liked to have her hands up by her head while I was carrying her, and now I am sure that she did and she often punched me in the bladder because of it. It sure is cute now that it doesn't affect any of my internal organs anymore.

Introducing...

2010-07-23T16:24:00.001-06:00

Grace Emily Call was born on July 20th at 8:03 a.m. She weighed 7 lbs 13 oz and was 20 inches long. The surgery went really well and we are all doing great. Mom and baby are home and brother and sister are very excited about the new addition. Sorry there aren't more details, I will hopefully do another blog soon.

FYI

2010-07-19T16:19:00.003-06:00

I just wanted to let you know that I am having a c-section tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. I am ready for Call baby #3 to join the family (we still haven't picked a name). We should be updating as soon as we can with pictures of the baby.

After Sophia got dressed this morning she told her dad, "Look Dad, I look like a movie star." Is she a diva, or what?

Richie is WAY into dinosaurs lately. His dad went down to Salt Lake to sign his contract with Pioneer Theatre Company (oh, yeah, he got cast in PTC's production of Hamlet this fall, YAY!), and he took little Richie with him so he could go to the natural history museum on U of U's campus. He LOVED it.

He is drawing a T-Rex.

Here he is digging for bones.

He asked to go back the next day, he really wanted the whole family to see the museum.

So, wish me luck tomorrow (and for the rest of my life, three kids is a little scary!).

We're Cookin' Now

2010-07-03T16:09:00.004-06:00

After a mild June, summer has finally arrived and it is HOT! We are doing our best to keep cool now.

It has been a while, so I have A LOT of pictures to share.

We got Richie a bike for $5 at a yard sale. Yay for yard sales!

Sophia threw her binkies away recently, and I wasn't sure I was ready. It turned out she wasn't actually ready, either, and they were retrieved soon after.

Richie LOVED putting the dinosaurs together that Grandpa Asay sent.

We went to Lagoon last weekend (thanks Bartons! We never could have afforded it without your discount tickets!) Sophia thought the hand stamp was awesome! Both the kids enjoyed the kiddie rides, especially the carousel. They did NOT like rattlesnake rapids, at all, and I did not like the hour and a half wait for that ride either.

The kids love to help make home-made pizza. They help me make the dough, roll out their own crusts and put all the toppings on. It is fun for all of us.

The fireworks were on the 2nd and we went up to the university to watch them. Sophia was not thrilled with the wait, at first...

Then she decided to make up a fireworks dance for us and then Richie joined in and kept us entertained until the fireworks started.

We watched the fireworks with our friends the Batemans. At first Sophia was scared and wanted to go home, but after a while she enjoyed it.

Sophia thinks she is a princess and loves dressing up in her friend's Cinderella costume. She wanted to make sure I got the shoe in the picture, too.

In other news, Richie has been offered a temporary teaching position at Utah State for next year! They keep saying it is only for a year, but we hope it will turn into something long-term. If not, we will figure something out, but for now we are just grateful for the job. I am only a few weeks away from having this baby, and I am feeling anxious and very ready. Hopefully we can update the blog soon after she gets here.

Waiting (not so patiently) for spring

2010-05-13T14:20:00.010-06:00

I know it has been a long time since I posted anything, but we don't have internet at home, so I don't get a lot of opportunities to get online and just do fun stuff. My kids are spending time with their grandparents in Burley right now, so I don't feel so badly about bringing the lap-top to Hastings and looking at facebook and blogs. It was really hard to not have internet at first, but it turns out, I don't actually need to know what my friend from college is having for lunch or that someone is tired and sad; life goes on without constantly checking facebook! I have missed being able work on my blog, though, so here is a long overdue update.

On April 1st, it snowed. How is that for an April Fool's joke? There were a couple warm days, but it has pretty much stayed cold and rainy and snowy for the last two months. It snowed on May 1st, too. I felt so badly for the bride on temple hill wrapped in a blanket to keep warm between pictures that day. I know I am pregnant and should be thankful for cool weather as long as it lasts, but I AM SICK OF BEING COLD! I forgot that Logan usually skips spring-like weather and just goes from winter temperatures to boiling hot temperatures over night. Anyway, complaining aside, we are enjoying being back in Cache Valley and have done a few fun things lately.

In April, we went to Baby Animal Days at the American West Heritage Center. We saw baby bears, took a little train ride, pet a bunch of baby animals and Richie and Sophia had their first pony rides.

There have been some nice days, and on one of them we went to First Dam and fed the ducks. There were more seagulls than ducks, but the kids still thought it was fun to throw bread into the water and watch the birds pick it up.

For Grandma Call's birthday she wanted to see her grandkids, so we got to help her celebrate. Sophia decided it was also her birthday, so Grandma let her share in her day.

Sophia decided to climb this dresser a few weeks ago.

Luckily this was the only major casualty.

The dresser actually fell on top of Sophia, but by some miracle, the drawers opened in a way that she was protected in a space under them, instead of smashed by them. It was VERY scary, and could have been so much worse but she didn't even have a bruise or a scratch to show for it. I learned how it is possible for mothers to lift cars off their children, but after my adrenaline wore off, I was pretty wiped-out from lifting the dresser off her.

Richie was actually very upset about his piggy bank; it was in a thousand peices and he was a little hysterical about it. I tried to tell him that a broken piggy bank is much better than a broken Sophia, but he couldn't quite grasp that concept. He was very happy when I was able to resurrect it for him.

Dad directed a children's show for Unicorn theatre this month. It was Androcles and the Lion and it turned out great. The audiences were much smaller than they should have been, but it was nice for him to have a fun project to work on.

Lyric starts next week, and Dad is really looking forward to that. He is going to be teaching the apprentices and acting in one show. It should be a fun summer.

So that is a little bit of what we have been up to. I hope it won't be another two months before I post again, but I won't promise anything.

Easter in Burley

2010-04-05T10:06:00.006-06:00

We are so happy to be close enough to family to be able to make quick weekend visits. This weekend we went to Burley, Idaho for Easter and general conference, and we had a fun, busy couple days. The kids were very excited about visiting Grandma and Grandpa and all their aunts, uncles and cousin, and they were especially looking forward to the Easter bunny's arrival. I think Richie was expecting Easter to be little more like Christmas, so the day started out a little rough for him, but the fun egg hunt and spending time with the family made up for it, and I think he ended up having a great day. It was wonderful to spend the holiday with family.

Here are Richie and Sophia's Easter outfits, dressed and ready for the hunt!

Painting eggs on Saturday.

The artist at work.

Filling the eggs with confetti.

Sunday morning Richie helped Grandma decorate a bunny cake.

Of course, Sophia wanted in on the action, too.

On Sunday afternoon we hunted for eggs and then cracked them on each others heads. The kids really got into it.

It took all of little Sophia's strength to break the eggs, but she did it.

They did some trampoline jumping, of course.

And, we took lots of pictures.

Meet Baby...Emily?

2010-03-26T12:00:00.002-06:00

I forgot to mention in my last post that we found out we are having another girl! We are very excited about it, even little Richie. He has actually been requesting a baby named Emily for a while, and the name is growing on us, so that may be her name. It was actually really hard to tell if she was a girl or not, because she was being very camera shy and VERY modest. Her foot was blocking her important anatomy, but she finally gave us a glimpse right at the end of the ultrasound. Her development all looks great. Her brain and heart and other major organs all look like they should, which is a huge relief.

This is the best shot we could get of the little one.

The morning after we found out we are having a girl, little Richie said, "Mom, I bet Emily, uhm, I mean, the baby girl in your tummy is going to be so cute." I agreed with him, because he and Sophia are so cute, too.

Reunited

2010-03-23T12:04:00.002-06:00

I am sorry I have been MIA lately. We are finally all back together and living in Logan in a cute little house. It is taking forever to unpack, I just don't have my normal amount of energy being pregnant, but it is coming together. We don't have internet at home so we go to Border's book store to check our e mail and pay bills, etc. So I don't have any pictures to post, but hopefully I can soon. We are really happy to be in Logan and to be with Daddy again!

Recent Pictures

2010-03-04T16:16:00.002-07:00

Richie worked on this picture of a crocodile for about an hour the other day. While he was working on it he said, "I am an artist boy!" And a little later he said, "Part of being an artist is getting messy." He did not get messy (although that usually is part of being an artist), and he is definitely a talented artist boy. He is always amazing me.

Sophia was drawing at the same time (she always wants to do whatever Richie is doing). When I asked Richie to pose with his picture, she ran to get her picture and wanted me to take her picture, too.

The kids are enjoying spending time with grandparents.

Richie has discovered the joys of Candyland and Chutes & Ladders thanks to Grandma. The other day Grandpa was nice enough to play with him.

Sophia and Grandma like to snuggle and watch nursery rhymes and The Wiggles on the iPod.

On Sundays church goes right through Sophia's nap, so she usually ends up falling asleep at around 4 or 5. We were sitting together watching t.v. and I got up to get a snack and by the time I got back, she had fallen asleep like this.

Excuses, excuses.

2010-03-03T10:49:00.003-07:00

Since coming home from visiting grandparents in Idaho, Sophia has been climbing into bed with me every night between 2 and 4 a.m. The other day I told her she needs to sleep in her bed all night and she said to me, "I wake up because I miss you."

She is only two and already a master manipulator.

Dress Up

2010-02-24T20:58:00.002-07:00

The hats from my youth have been rediscovered and are now being used for dress-up by my kids. Richie likes the cowby hat my sister gave me as a birthday present fifteen years ago and Sophia loves the hat I bought at Disneyland twenty years ago. They also love posing.

I know I have been a little quiet lately, and I am especially sorry for not posting more pictures for big Richie. February has come and gone so quickly. I spent a little over a week in New Jersey with my husband and the kids spent that time with their grandparents in Idaho. We all had a great time; it was the first time since before the kids were born that we had time alone together and the kids had a blast with the Calls. To celebrate our "second honeymoon" we mostly stayed in, especially when we got snowed-in, and it was actually really nice to just be together. Richie and Sophia went to rehearsals for their grandpa's latest show and Sophia caught the acting bug when they let her be in a couple crowd scenes. It was a good week for all of us.

Good news! Richie is moving out to Utah in March! We will soon be all together again in Logan and we are all very excited about it.

King of the mountain

2010-02-04T17:27:00.002-07:00

This is the view from our front door.

This pile of snow is taller than me!

Careful!

Grandpa helping Sophia.

My parents live in the desert of Southern Utah, really, they do. But it feels more like Logan to me this winter with all the snow we have gotten. The kids love it, though, even when they come in with frozen fingers and toes.

Sophia the Covergirl

2010-02-03T18:12:00.003-07:00

This morning Grandma left her makeup unattended just long enough for Sophia to discover it. She LOVES playing with makeup, basically she loves to do anything that she sees mommy or grandma do. She was very proud of the makeup job she did on herself and was thrilled to strike a pose (or two, or three).

Tots and Technology

2010-01-25T15:03:00.003-07:00

Grandma showed Richie and Sophia her iPod touch and Richie quickly figured out how to use it by himself. He learned how to navigate youtube and he and Sophia spend lots of time watching favorite videos. He especially likes a couple spiderman videos he found, and Sophia likes nursery rhymes. I like it when they cuddle and share the iPod.

When I got home from the doctors office last week, Sophia was anxiously waiting and watching at the window. I thought she was just eager for me to get there, but my mom told me I was going to have a disappointed little girl on my hands, because she was expecting me to bring the baby home Luckily she didn't punish me too much.

Richie keeps asking "When is your baby going to come out?" and is very disappointed when I tell him not until the summer. When he is asked what kind of baby he wants he says, "One named Emily." He has even told his Dad this a couple times. We are not sure about that name, but we don't want to disappoint Richie either. Maybe we will have a boy and we won't have to worry about it.

A Special Announcement

2010-01-21T15:17:00.002-07:00

My due date is July 28, 2010!

This is a view of the baby's head, body and arm.

Here is a view of the baby's legs.

Thanksgiving weekend I wasn't feeling very well and I started assessing my symptoms in the recent days and became suspicious that I might be pregnant. I was pretty worried about our financial situation and our decision for me and the kids to stay here in Utah after the holidays, and I thought maybe I was just imagining my condition because of the stress, so I took a pregnancy test to ease my mind. Well, it didn't exactly ease my mind. Two lines showed up, one was very faint, but there were two lines. I took the test out to Richie and asked him what he saw. It took him by surprise (the fact that I was handing him a pregnancy test), and he said it looked like two lines, but he couldn't be sure. It was a Sunday night, so he couldn't go out and buy another test, but first thing in the morning, he went out and got another test. There was no denying the results of that test, I am definitely pregnant.

It was so close to our trip that I didn't see a doctor before we left New Jersey, and I finally had an appointment yesterday. The first trimester is so funny, because even though I feel terrible, reminding me constantly that I am pregnant, I don't look pregnant and I can't feel the baby, so I sometimes wonder if the baby is actually there. I like going to the doctor and hearing the heartbeat and seeing it move around on the ultrasound. I was sad that Richie wasn't there with me, but I texted him all during the appointment and let him know what was going on.

I wasn't sure how far along I was, because my cycle is a bit irregular. Based on the calendar, I am about 13 weeks along, but when the doctor examined me, he thought I look like I am more like 17 or 18 weeks along, or like I might be having twins. He wanted to get an ultrasound to confirm the due date and see how many babies there are. The ultrasound shows that there is only one baby and I am 14 weeks along. I guess I should stop eating all those treats.

This pregnancy took me a little by surprise and it took me a little while to accept it, but now I am really excited about it. I know it will be a challenge, but it will also be a great blessing. My mom has been helping so much with the kids and letting me rest a lot, which has been fantastic. Hopefully by the time the baby comes, our family will all be back together.

Stuck

2010-01-18T16:45:00.003-07:00

Yesterday was quite an eventful day. Before church the kids were left alone just long enough for Richie to get ahold of scissors and Sophia's hair (it is not pretty and I am not happy!), Sophia to get ahold of a black permanent marker and matches to get spread across the counter. I was in another room fixing the hem of Sophia's dress and Grandma and Grandpa were downstairs getting ready for church while all this was going on. I couldn't believe how much trouble these two got into with ten minutes to themselves. I heard Richie saying "Give me your head, Sophia." And then giggling and I couldn't figure out what he would be doing to her head. I don't have pictures, but he did quite a number to the top of her hair.

After church Grandma and Grandpa left for a quick trip up north to do some shopping. Everything was fine most of the day, I mean, it's not like I have never been alone with my own kids, but just before bed time, we had some major drama. I was talking with Richie (Dad) on the phone and the kids were playing and after a while I heard Sophia whining about something. When I went to investigate I found her head stuck between two posts. I tried to gently pull her out, I tried to knock the posts apart, I called Grandma Gail for advice, tried vaseline like she suggested, and eventually had to saw one of the posts apart to get her out.

In the middle of all this I took a moment to take some pictures, but that doesn't make me a bad mom, I promise! I was also hugging her and comforting her and working as hard as I could to get here out. She was so sad and upset and at one point while I was talking to my parents my dad said he could talk to her to see if she would calm down. She didn't exactly calm down but it was so cute and pathetic as she told him that her head was stuck. It was mostly crying and blubbering, but you could definitely make out the word "stuck" in there. Richie was very sweet, trying to help and comfort her the whole time saying "It's okay, Sophia. You'll be okay." And he held her head up for me while I sawed the post. It was quite the day for little Sophia's head. Today her head and ears are sore, and her hair is still slimy from the vaseline, but other than that she is great. Let's hope she learned her lesson!

New Year

2010-01-12T15:21:00.005-07:00

A week ago I dropped Richie off at the airport and he flew back to New Jersey while the kids and I headed back to Blanding to stay with my parents for a little while. In the last few months we realized we just can't afford to live in New Jersey any more, so to save some money the kids and are hanging out with my family while Richie tries to get things wrapped up in Jersey so he can head out west and join us. We have an apartment lease that goes until May, and we are hoping to find someone to sub-let from us so we can all be together again soon. The kids and I are enjoying having grandma and grandpa take care of us and having lots of cousins to play with, but we really miss Dad! We don't know how long we will be apart, but hopefully it won't be too long. That is just a quick update on what we are up to, sorry I haven't been blogging much but I just haven't been in the mood. I should update about New Year's Eve and things, I do have pictures, but for now enjoy this picture of my cute kids.

Hair Cuts

2009-12-31T17:11:00.005-07:00

Sophia's hair was getting very long and only looked good if it was put up in ponytails. Grandma put her hair in a very cute style the other day, but we knew it was time for her first hair cut.

Here is her shaggy hair before.

She was very good in the chair. She sat still and was very patient, and she does not usually hold still for anything.

This is the cute little bob she got. I think it is adorable, and she loves showing it off.

Richie's hair was getting really shaggy, too. The last hair cut he got was not very good (I did it myself) and as it grew out you could tell just how bad it really was.

He was not very excited about getting his hair cut, but eventually he cooperated.

After his cut he chose red hair gel and looked pretty cool.

Christmas, Christmas, Christmas!

2009-12-28T18:42:00.004-07:00

On Christmas Eve we told the kids they could open one present and they were bursting with excitement. They both tore into the packages and couldn't wait to see what was inside. Sophia was thrilled with her pink pajamas, especially when I opened mine that matched . . .

. . . but Richie was very disappointed with his blue ones. His face fell and he said, "I thought I wanted to open a toy!" Poor guy had been waiting so long for this and then it was a pair of fleece p.j.'s. It didn't even cheer him up that Dad also had matching ones. After a lot of moping we decided to let him open one toy, and he cheered right up.

Christmas morning Richie hurried into the living room and sat looking at the tree wanting to know which presents were his.

Then he discovered what Santa had left him on the couch.

Santa brought Neville the black train (which he has been asking for for a year) and a Batman toy. He was very happy.

It took Sophia a little while to get into the swing of things, but once she did, she wanted to open everyone's presents on top of her own.

She got a cute little tea set that kept her busy most of the day.

We drove to Burley, Idaho on the 27th and had another Christmas morning on the 28th. Richie and Sophia loved getting to open more presents. At one point in the middle of opening gifts Richie exclaimed, "Best Christmas Ever!"

We have been very blessed this Christmas season to spend time with family. I love watching the kids bond with their grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins. It really has been the best Christmas ever!

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

2009-12-24T17:03:00.002-07:00

Santa Claus made a special appearance today at our family Christmas Eve lunch today. It was very exciting for the kids.

Sophia has been telling everyone she sees for weeks that "Santa Claus is coming to town!" and she couldn't wait to have a little chat with him when he first came in.

We are lucky that Santa took a break from his busy schedule and brought one of his special elves, too.

I hope you have all been nice and not naughty, and that Santa visits you too! Merry Christmas Eve!

Frosty the Snowman

2009-12-24T16:16:00.003-07:00

Here are pictures of the kids and Dad building the snowman. Sophia actually gave up halfway through the process and came inside, but Richie put up with the cold until they were done. He wanted to make it "way up to the sky", so he and Dad worked really hard until it was just right.

He did take a quick break to make a snow angel.

The next day the sun was shining bright and they put the finishing touches on Frosty.

Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland

2009-12-22T15:33:00.004-07:00

This morning we woke up to half a foot of snow and another foot has fallen through the day. The kids were very excited to go out and play in it and had lots of fun throwing snowballs. This is the first time Sophia has played in snow and it has been a while since Richie has, so it was a big treat.

They went out again later and built a snowman with Dad (I haven't loaded those pictures yet). While Dad and Richie were working on Frosty, Richie said, "Grandma has wonderful things!" We are so happy to be in Blanding for Christmas and we are looking forward to going to Idaho for New Years.

Grandma had hot cocoa ready when we came in from the snow, and Sophia especially enjoyed the whipped cream.
Thanks for the snow suit Bonnie and Vilma!

Christmas in New York

2009-12-15T12:55:00.005-07:00

Last night was our last chance to make it into Rockefeller Center, so Dad dragged us out at 7 p.m. to drive in to the city to see the tree. Honestly I was not thrilled about the idea of leaving so late, but I am glad we did it.

The kids were pretty amazed by the giant tree, especially Richie. When we turned the corner and saw the tree his mouth dropped open, his eyes got really wide and he said, "Whoa!"

They also liked the ice skaters and the snowflake light show on fifth avenue.

Richie liked the lights, but he REALLY wanted to go to the model train store that we passed on the way to the tree. When we got to the store on the way back to the car it was closing, but they let us in just for a minute to look at the trains, which was very nice of them.

It wasn't as cold as it has been, but it was pretty cold. I ended up wrapping my scarf around Sophia and putting my gloves on her as well. We didn't stay very long, but it was fun to go and have the kids really enjoy it. We have gone in years past, but the kids were so little they didn't really appreciate it. This year they are very excited about Christmas and this little trip added to that excitement.

Here are some pictures from our ward party. The random boy in the background is "Santa's" son.

Sunday School Announcement

2009-12-14T07:36:00.002-07:00

Yesterday, during Sunday School, Chrislynn and I were in class when the door opened and Sophia was in the arms of one of the nursery leaders. Sister Rockwell was trying to get our attention, but Sophia beat her to it. Sophie yelled out, "Mom! I pooped!"

Trimming the Tree

2009-11-30T19:44:00.002-07:00

Richie and Sophia were so excited to decorate our little tree tonight. I put on the lights, but the kids put most of the decorations on and I didn't even have to fix very much and the tree looks great.

Both kids are getting more and more anxious about Christmas. Sophia has just learned about Santa Claus, and ever since seeing him on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade she has been saying "Santa Claus is coming! Santa Claus is coming!" (Which actually sounds more like "Sa-uhcausicomeen.") We are looking forward to a great holiday season!

Sophia and Friend

2009-11-25T14:27:00.002-07:00

This morning I put on a DVD to "baby sit" while I worked on getting the house ready for Thanksgiving, and I guess Sophia invited a friend to watch with her.

I thought it was too cute how she sat her baby doll in the princess chair.

Lately this doll is always undressed; Sophia's new obsession seems to be undressing her dolls. So if anyone is wondering about what Sophia might like for Christmas, I think dress-up dolls would be a hit--they will probably be undressed all the time, but still a favorite.

One year older (and one day late).

2009-11-22T15:36:00.005-07:00

Yesterday was Dad's birthday!

Little Richie helped me make the cake. He was very pleased that he helped, but very impatient to eat it. Dad had to work most of the day, and he kept asking "When is Dad coming home so we can have his birthday cake?"

We didn't have enough candles for the all 29, so it just has 9.

When Dad got home we sang "Happy Birthday" and the kids helped him blow out the candles . . .

. . . and unwrap his presents.

Because of our limited budget, we made presents this year. Richie drew a picture of himself.

I drew polar bears.

Richie has wanted me to do this for him for years and he seemed really happy about it.

As an added bonus, Aunt Sissy and Raddick came for a quick visit.

We love you Dad! Hope your birthday was awesome!

. . . priceless.

2009-11-13T21:29:00.005-07:00

Tonight before going to bed, little Richie gave me a big hug and said, "Mom, I love you so much for all the fun things we do, so I want to give you something." I asked him what he was going to give me, and he thought about it for a while before he answered, "Uhmm, six dollars."

Revenge may be sweet, but sometimes Sophia isn't.

2009-11-12T10:12:00.005-07:00

Remember when Richie bit Sophia?

Well, she finally got him back, but much worse.

He was trying to give her a hug and she REALLY wanted her space. When it happened he screamed in pain and came running to me and told on her. I had told him to leave her alone, but he is obsessive about giving her hugs and kisses. I hope he has learned a lesson, but I have a feeling this is not the last of this kind of injury.

Playtime at the Park

2009-11-05T16:08:00.003-07:00

This morning we went to a park and played with some friends. It was a beautiful, crisp morning and the kids had lots of fun playing while we moms visited. We finished the day down by the lake feeding the ducks and geese. The kids have colds, Dad is getting over the flu, and we have been stuck in the house all week, so it was great to get out. We had a really fun morning.

Home Made Goodness

2009-11-03T18:33:00.004-07:00

Today I made bread, and I don't think it turned out as well as Great Grandma Call's--I just couldn't remember all the tricks she taught me--but as little Richie was eating a slice I asked him, "Do you like my bread?" and he said, "It's awesome!"

That's good enough for me.

Halloween, Halloween!

2009-11-01T08:42:00.003-07:00

We had a busy, fun Halloween weekend. It started on Friday morning with Richie's preschool Halloween party. He was beyond excited to finally wear his Spiderman costume and see what all his friends were wearing. In the last hour of school the parents were invited for a costume parade and some Halloween songs they have been practicing. I love seeing Richie at his school and to see how much he enjoys it.

Sophia enjoyed playing in the leaves outside the school, and other kids joined in the fun too.

Friday night we went to our ward Halloween party. There was food, crafts, and games. Richie and Sophia would have played the little bowling game all night if I would have let them. At the end of the party there was trick-or-treating in some of the class rooms of the church and it got the kids really excited about the real thing.
Saturday we took Dad to Hoboken for his show and a costume parade. We were going to walk the parade with him, but ended up not staying. It was nice to get to spend some time with him, since he would be in Hoboken all day.

Ready for TRICK-OR-TREATING!

Watch out! Here comes Spiderman!

We went to our friends house in Spotswood and went trick-or-treating in their neighborhood with them and some other friends from church. It was so much fun! Richie really got into it and was the first one at the door and off to the next house before half of our group was even to the house. He loved that he was with his friends and that he was getting so much CANDY!
Sophia was so cute! She was pretty slow, and we were always very last to the door, but she knew just what to do. She would hold out her pumpkin and say "Thank you," after she got her candy. People loved her little costume. At one house the lady giving out candy even called her whole family out to see her. She walked the whole way, and we walked a lot. We were two houses away from our destination when she decided she was done; she pulled out a lollipop from her pumpkin, sat down on the grass and started eating.
Trick-or-treating was great. It was 72 degrees out, but it was overcast and rainy, so it still felt like Halloween and I was glad we weren't freezing. Afterward, we went back to our friends house and had home made gumbo for dinner and the kids played. It was a great night. We missed Dad a lot, but we had a pretty good day.

Happy Birthday Sophia!

2009-10-28T08:47:00.008-06:00

Yesterday was Sophia's second birthday!

Our baby girl is turning into such a sassy little lady and we are so happy that she is part of our family. Even though some days she gives new meaning to "the terrible twos", she is also very loving, fun and happy, and she is constantly doing things that make us laugh.

We love you sweet Sophia!

It was a very low key day, I spent a lot of time decorating the cake, and we let her open presents throughout the day. She got books from Grandma Gail, play dough, crayons and drawing paper, and a toy barn and farm animals.

Whenever I said "Happy birthday Sophia," she responded, "Happy dappy, Mom!"

I decorated a Tinkerbell cake for her this year.

She blew out the candles all by herself.

And had the first bite of cake.

"MMMM, frosting!"

Even though we gave Richie some gifts so he wouldn't feel left out . . .

. . . this is how he felt most of the day.

He was pretty jealous of all the attention Sophia got, and he had a difficult day. It is hard not to feel any mommy guilt about that, but I suppose he is going to have to learn that he can't always be the center of attention. It was a good day and we were happy to celebrate our little girl. Next year I think we will try to make the day even more fun and special, somehow.

BOO!

2009-10-21T08:17:00.007-06:00

Richie was very excited about carving his pumpkin into a jack-o-lantern.

He practiced a bunch of faces for his pumpkin and eventually decided on the angry face (top left corner).

Sophia also practiced her funny face.

She really wanted to get in on the action.

He loves his jack-o-lantern and asks to hold it all the time.

Isn't he good at making that face?

Richie learned all about pumpkins last week in school and on Friday when Dad brought him home he said, "Richie, tell Mom what you learned about pumpkins today."

And he said, "They have beta-carotene and that's good for your eyes." So he knows that pumpkins are not just for carving at Halloween, he is going to the nutrition sciences preschool after all.

Field Trip to the Farm

2009-10-19T11:48:00.005-06:00

Last week Richie had his first field trip to a local farm and Sophia and I went along. We took a hay ride and stopped all around the farm and the farmer told us about the different things at the farm. Richie preferred the hay ride at this farm to the ride we took at the other farm, because for this one we were sitting on actual hay, and he thought that was pretty cool. We saw apple and peach trees, corn, tomatoes, greens, asparagus, trees for cutting for Christmas and of course, pumpkins. We also saw a horse, some pigs, turkeys, and we even got to pet a hen.

After the hay ride the kids got to choose one small pumpkin each, and then I had to take lots of pumpkin pictures. Richie is very excited about carving his pumpkin into a jack-o-lantern and toasting the seeds. I think we will finally do that tonight.

The final activity of the day was to have a snack and listen to a book read by the teacher. Here Richie and Sophia are anxiously waiting for their snack.
Richie is such a happy kid, I don't think it would have mattered where we went and he would have had fun. I love his joyful personality, it helps me have more fun too. I am glad I could go with him on his first field trip!

Awesome Autumn Activities!

2009-10-18T19:46:00.003-06:00

Last Saturday we found out that our favorite apples were ready for picking so we took spontaneous trip to the farm for some apple picking. Richie was very excited about the tractor that drives around the orchard, so even though we didn't actually need a ride to get to our apples, we took it anyway.

Richie discovered clover in the grass and picked a "lucky" one, or two or three. When we were done picking apples, he said, "This was my best day, and I don't even need my clover anymore."

After picking way more apples than we could afford, we went over to the farm for some dinner, cider donuts, and to see the farm animals. Richie REALLY wanted to take a pony ride, but we had just spent our last cash on dinner, so he had to settle for posing, petting sheep and trying to milk a fake cow. He couldn't figure out how to make it work and eventually ended up spraying himself in the face.
Sophia loves to smell flowers. If there are flowers along our path we have to stop at every one so she can take a whiff. She walked around this platform of mums about ten times, smelling every single pot.
Then she had to smell the pumpkin, too. When she finally decided she was done smelling, the two kids decided they each needed their own pot of mums. Mom and Dad did not agree, and we didn't bring any flowers home.

In school Richie has been learning all about the fall and things like apple picking and pumpkin picking, so going to the farm is not just fun, it is educational. He had his first feild trip to another farm on Wednesday that Sophia and I went on with him, and I will do a post about that later.

Happy Anniversary to Us!

2009-10-12T18:43:00.002-06:00

Today is our anniversary! Whenever little Richie heard us mention it throughout the day he would tell Sophia, "Yeah, it's our anniversary today!"

I love being married and having a family. I love that my husband will make phone calls for me, that he accepts all my craziness, that he and I have the cutest kids ever, how he makes me laugh, that we have fun together, and especially that he is my best friend and I never doubt that he loves me. It has been an awesome seven years!

These are from our honeymoon to Hawaii.