Happy Halloween, 2009

Max and Emily were both so cute for Halloween this year. I didn't sew them costumes this year, but we made some unique costumes with some very cheap supplies. Max went as a robot and Emily went as a flower.

Emily was a little unsure about putting this big flower around her face, but she didn't mind once we got to the trick-or-treating and she realized that it would secure her a bucket full of candy. She got the trick-or-treating thing down right away, except that she didn't want to go the direction Mom wanted her to go.

I was really excited about Max's costume, but when it came time to actually trick-or-treating in it I realized how poorly I had thought it through. The poor kid could barely see for climbing up and down stairs. Since almost every single house in our neighborhood is split-entry, it only took us three houses to realize that we would need to relocate or it was going to be a long night. We decided that I should take the kids to the neighborhood next to ours were most of the houses don't have more than one or two steps and that worked a lot better. He was such a trooper, never complaining once, even when he couldn't get his candy from the bowl into his bucket. Oh well, he looked really cute and we got so many comments on his costume.

Back Seat Driver

Max pays attention when his mommy drives. He likes to give unsolicited driving advice. "Go faster, Mommy!" and "Why are you stopping?!" Are common things I hear from the back seat. Today it was, "Catch up to that trailer, Mommy!!" I was unable to follow through on this request (this is usually the case when Max is telling me how to drive). For this I was reprimanded.

Twice As Giving Holiday Boutique

I've been asked to participate in a Holiday Boutique on Saturday, November 7th. I am so excited and honored that I was asked, especially since I don't know the lady organizing the event. There will be over 15 vendors participating and 20% of the sales are going to be donated to A Golden Dawn Adoption Assistance. (They are a non-profit organization that helps families adopt orphans with special needs.)

It will be a great way to get some Christmas shopping done while helping out a wonderful organization and local artisans. Here are the details in case anyone would like to come check it out:

Saturday, November 7th
10:00 am to 7:00 pm
695 N 2475 W, Layton, Ut 84041

Directions:
Take the Hill Field Rd exit in Layton. Head west. Turn right onto 2200 West. Turn left onto 650 North. Turn right onto 2475 West.

Three Little Bugs in the Tub

We got to have our nephew Ryan visit us for a couple of days this week while his mom and dad were at the hospital having a baby. Of course lots of fun, running, screaming, fighting, and mess making was had. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of our beautiful new niece, Lily. In my hast to load up three little kids in the car for our trip to the hospital I forgot my camera. She is beautiful! We are so excited for you, Matt and Sherry!

Low Point - High Point

Low Point:

Yesterday I was having one of those days with Max. He woke up from his nap in a MOOD. He screamed he wanted a drink. I filled his sippy cup and he screamed because I was doing it. I stopped and he screamed because I didn't fill it up all the way. I filled it up all the way and he screamed because I filled it TOO full. I was loosing my temper and decided that I needed a time out, but it's hard to have an effective time out when you can still hear your 3 1/2 year old yelling at the top of his voice at you no matter were you go in the house. I was getting more upset so I tried to take Emmy with me to the park down the street to calm down, but Max followed behind us screaming at the top of his lungs. And apparently the weather was so nice that the ENTIRE street was outside to witness the spectacle. I felt like the Mother of the Year.

High Point:

Jeff and I went to The Scarlet Pimpernel tonight at the Hale Center Theatre. I've been wanting to go to this play for years and didn't buy tickets soon enough last time they did the production, so when I saw they were doing it again I immediately bought us tickets. (This was over a year ago.) It was amazing! I've never seen such an incredible set, the costumes were fantastic, and the actors (especially Percy) were wonderful. With the cost of tickets, dinner, and a babysitter it was a very spendy date (for us) and well worth it.

Under Attack

I've mentioned before that Emily goes by the nickname Goose or Goosey most of the time at our house. This nickname just kind of evolved from me calling her a silly goose and it just stuck. I knew that this name probably drove my mother crazy, even though she hadn't said anything, because she hates nicknames of any kind.

A couple of weeks ago, Jeff and I went rafting down Cataract Canyon and Jeff's parents were nice enough to watch the kids for us while we were gone. I mentioned something about my mother not liking the nickname Goose when we dropped them off. When we picked them up six days later, Jeff called Emily Goose, to which his mom replied, "Her name is Emily!" Apparently my mom isn't the only grandparent who isn't fond of Emily's nickname. Bill and Deanne had worked on getting Max to call his sister Emily the entire time they were at their house.

Jeff and I thought it was funny that three of Emily's grandparents are now on a mission to get her called by her given name. We have no intention to stop calling her Goose. I think they might be fighting a losing battle. (Apparently they're concerned she will be called Goose for the rest of her life.)

Tonight at dinner I was teasing Emily and asking her if I should call her Emily or Goose. (She emphatically shook her head no to being called Emily.)
Max interrupted me with, "We're not supposed to call her that!"
To which I replied, "Call her what?"
Max, "Goose. Her name is Emily!"
Me, "Who told you that?"
Max, "Grandma!"

Jeff and I thought this was hilarious, especially since Max calls her Goose more often than anyone else.

Burrito Baby Max

When Max was a baby I made up a song that I would sing to him when we laid him down in his crib. I called him my burrito baby because we would wrap him up like a burrito. The lyrics are very simple:

Burrito baby, burrito baby Max.
Burrito baby, burrito baby Max.
Burrito baby, burrito baby Max.
Burrito,
Burrito,
Burrito baby Max.

I've been singing it to him lately, which Max really enjoys. Well, last night Max wanted me to wrap him up like a burrito. I was being lazy and thought he would be happy if I just tucked his blankets around him, but no, he wanted to be wrapped up just like a burrito. So I wrapped him up in his dinosaur blankie just like I did when he was a baby, nice and tight.

Then this morning he was up early so I was trying to get him to come snuggle with me in bed. (I was tired after working on our blog book until about 1:30 in the morning.) He finally said he wanted to be wrapped up like a burrito again. I wrapped him up, nice and tight again, and just like when he was a baby, he zonked right out.

I love my little Burrito Baby Max!