October 15, 2014

For FHE this week I had the great idea to make gingerbread houses like you do at Christmas, but make them haunted.  A quick trip to the grocery store with the three youngest kids while Kate was at piano lessons we found all kinds of perfect things for it.  Chocolate Grahm Crackers to the houses were black, orange and black licorice, pumpkins, ghosts, frosting....  The kids were great at getting the houses to balance and decorated with as much candy and frosting as possible- knowing that the end result was them getting to eat the house.  I had a lot of fun with this activity too and made a house.  Jake helped Sam and I helped Marianne.  Kate managed all by herself, and Bethany mostly just sat there eating candy.  Also the kids could hardly take a picture of this activity without making a spooky face.  I love that they are into Halloween just like me, and don't mind a bit of scary or spooky in the Halloween spirit.  They are afraid of roller coasters at Disneyland, but they aren't afraid of the severed body parts and skulls that decorate our house right now... go figure.  I guess they are my kids :)

October 13, 2014

Zoo trip

Every since we left the zoo before doing anything when we discovered Marianne's ear injury, Marianne has been reminding us that her ear is better and that meant we could go back to the zoo.  She felt bad that everyone had to leave the last time I think.  We finally made it back.  It was the perfect fall weather too.  Sadly we still didn't get to ride the zoo train- which was what Marianne remembered not being able to do- because it was broken.  We saw animals and rode the carousel.  Somehow I have no pictures of animals and mostly just us at the gift shop and carousel, and the kids navigating with their maps- they always do that and it is so funny, even Beth did it this time.  We moved slowly around the zoo because Beth insisted on walking  and refused to sit in the stroller.  But we saw everything and it was a beautiful fall afternoon.  Beth even saw the elephant and did an elephant sound which was fun.  

October 2014

Sam's soccer season this year.
He plays in the Under 6 girls and boys league.  Where they play three players on the field from each time at a time.  He lucked out and had two of his best friends on his team.  Which was 3 boys who were almost 6.  Needless to say no other team stood a chance!  I think Sam made at least 3 goals in every game.  The three super star boys even learned to pass to one another, and also take the ball to the goal and then give it to one of the girls who didn't make many goals on their team.
Sam spent every single minute of the enter game smiling ear to ear.  Running and smiling.  Even when he didn't have the ball, even when they might not be winning- which was never.  For school clothes he picked out several soccer things, and at church recently when they were talking about talents Sam told his teacher that his talent was soccer.  Also we ran into Sam's kindergarten teacher in the community and that was the first thing she asked Sam "how was your soccer game"   He navigates what day of the week it is based on how many more days until his next soccer game. It is becoming his identity and his favorite thing. He spends a lot of time practicing with the kids in the neighborhood.  I love that he loves it so much, and its bonus that he is pretty good at it too.
It was so much fun to watch.  Usually Bethany and Marianne came and watched too while Kate was at gymnastics.  It only rained on us for one game- and we still played.  But for the most part it was a bunch of beautiful fall days spent watching Sam be awesome and visiting with all our friends on the sidelines cheering for our kids.

Marianne turns 3 August 16, 2014

Marianne turned three in August.
It took me a while to get to her birthday photo shoot.  Partially because she had several facial injuries- like her infected ear from the treadmill and a giant black eye from falling down the porch cement stairs.  So we waited and waited.

A little about Marianne at age 3.
She is in the 85% for height and the 50% for weight.
Her favorite color is green.  It is evident in the way she always picks out her green clothes to wear.  That or shirts with unicorns or Sophia the 1st of something else she has deemed her favorite and special that day.
She loves to have friends, but is such a great friend to each and every one of her family members.  In fact Kate and Sam sometimes fight over her- and try to get her to play whatever they want to play.  She is the person everybody wants to play with.  I think that is because she is so easy to get along with and so much fun.
She still brings so much joy to our house, and lots of silliness.  SO MUCH SILLINESS!  Doing these pictures was a bit of a challenge because we were by some water so she decided she better be a pirate- which meant only opening one eye.
She is such a love.  She loves to cuddle and hug and her blankie still.  She always gives Beth kisses when she is crying and wants to help.  If somebody has a problem it is her problem and she will try and help however she can.
She has a bit of a new fear for things- ever since her head/ ear got hurt so badly.  Now she is sometimes afraid of her room, outside,  that she won't say the right words in a prayer-whatever kind of things.
She is a smarty too.  Everywhere we go if she sees the letter "m" she says "M like my name Mari"  She can say every letter and has started to memorize the articles of faith along side her older siblings.
I was trying to think of a list of things she loves- but really Marianne loves everything!  One day she is over the moon about Spiderman,  and the next it is Panda Bears,  Mulan, Frozen, running shoes, miniature dolls, miniature animal figurines,  strawberry shortcake, riding her bike,  coloring, making cards for people, a particular friend... the list goes on and on.  She loves everything!  and loves whatever she loves until it consumes her every thought.  It makes for a very interesting little three year old with always something new on her mind and in her heart.
I can't say enough how dear she is to me!  It seems others notice how special she is as well, as people are always offering to trade their 3 year old for my 3 year old.  It seems like she is special to everybody that meets her.  I couldn't agree more.
We love you Marianne!