Happy Halloween a Little Late

Okay I know I have been a slacker blogger.  Life has been busy and I have been spending way too much time on Facebook (should I admit that).  These posts have been sitting in my box ready to be written for over a month.  So I am finally getting to them.  I am impressed with myself.  This year for Halloween we went to Bakersfield to spend it with family.  When we asked Lexie what she wanted to be she said Jessie (from Toy Story 2). So I decided to have them all as cowboys/girls.  But Josh then wanted to be Buzz.  And so I decided to make Ryan Woody.  Well that was the plan at least.  But that plan was made when life seemed easy.  I was going to make all of their costumes but then I was at the Disney Store with my friend who gets me a discount and we were able to get the Disney Jessie Costume for under $20.  That made me so excited and I was glad not to have to spend any time on it.  Then I found Josh a Buzz costume that he could ruin and I wouldn't care at Party City.  So now all I had to make was Ryan.  Eric actually went with me to the fabric store to find the material and we bought it and then I proceeded to put it off until Halloween day.  But fortunately I went to retrieve Josh's cowboy costume I made when he was 3 weeks old to see how I sewed it and then I got the bright idea to try it on Ryan.  It FIT!!!  I was happy and surprised.  Ryan was 6 months fitting into a costume I had measured to fit a newborn.   It gives you an idea how small Ryan is.  So there you have it I didn't make a single costume and they all looked great.  

The after with the candy.  They wouldn't combine their piles for the picture.  The brats.Lexie in front of her pile.  She made out and fortunately doesn't like chocolate so we got all of hers.  

Josh running from house to house.  We have taught our kids to get there and get the candy and get out.  But like most things they haven't listened.  Often times I found them admiring things on the porch and not ringing the doorbell or knocking until I reminded them that that was what we were doing. 
We started the night at my parent's ward Trunk or Treat.  So the way to go.  Not much walking but tons of candy.  And then finished it by trick or treating in the neighborhood and getting the rest of our haul.  

He is just so adorable.  we love having him.  But he didn't earn any candy this year.  Dang it.  

Lexie wouldn't smile. But she looked cute in her costume anyways.  The hat was a little too big but since it was free with the costume I am  not going to complain. 
Doing the practice run at my parents house.  we wanted to make sure they knew what to say :)

Halloween was fun this year and they got lots of candy and the scale shows it for Eric and I.  I couldn't say no to myself and they really didn't get any bad candy.  I thought there was a recession going on but most people gave great candy.  

Random Pics of Ryan

Our One and Only Trip to the Beach with the Kids

For whatever reason Eric and I never took the kids all summer.  We live close to one but never had the time nor the inclination to drive and hang out.  So at the end of September it was in the high 90's by us so we took them.  It seemed like in one mile the temperature dropped 20 degrees.  The beach we went to was really really foggy and cold.  We couldn't believe that 25 miles away it was in the 90's.  Anyways the kids were really excited to play in the sand and in the waves.   The waves were really really strong and the kids had to hold onto us most of the time.  They loved how strong they were because they liked being knocked down.  Ryan didn't go in the water but he got his first taste of sand.  

The waves were so powerful.  I was using all of my strength (and yes I am strong) to keep Josh from being taken under.  The kids loved it though.  

There is nothing better than being knocked down.

Isn't he cute?

He fell over the second I let go.

Happy Third Birthday Josh

Okay this is very late as Josh's birthday was at the beginning of October.   The pictures aren't going to be in order because I am too lazy.  For this birthday my parents were out of town so we didn't spend it with any extended family except my grandpa who was spending the week with us.  When I asked Josh what kind of cake he wanted he said a Thomas cake.  I had no idea how to do that until I found a 3-D cake pan online.  I wasn't sure how to work it so I made a "practice" cake first so the actual cake would turn out.  Though the pan was really easy to use so I just ended up with lots of cake.  Anyways in the morning the boys and I went and volunteered at Lexie's school where they sang to him.  Then Eric came home and took him to Disneyland (for free because it was his birthday). I worked my bum off trying to decorate his cake before he got home.  I was excited to see his reaction to it.  I wasn't too happy with how it turned out but I figured Josh would be okay with it.  But he wasn't.  I had the cake sitting on the table when he walked in the door and this was his reaction.Doesn't look like he was too happy.  And he wasn't.  He was mad I hadn't waited for him to decorate it.  A mother can never win.  We had pizza for his dinner (thinking he would be happy), this was his face during that:

Once again not too happy. 

 When I went into a room to wrap his presents I came out and finally he was happy with his cake.  I think Eric payed him or something.

The train I copied.  It is the face I am mad about.  It was too dark a gray and I was too lazy to open another thing of frosting to make it lighter.  I wish I had because it ruined the whole cake for me. 

 About to cut into it . It was really good even if it was funny looking. 

One of his favorite books.  It is a great book and I enjoy reading it to them.

Overall he had a good birthday and loved all of his presents.  He especially liked being at Disneyland with his dad where he got to ride the train.  And now he says he wants another train cake for his fourth birthday.  Maybe by then I won't be so lazy and actually make the face the right shade of gray.  

Lexie's First Day of School

I have been dreading this day for forever.  I can't believe that Lexie is actually old enough to go to school.  Her school actually started the Wed. after Labor Day which I was really grateful for because I was in denial that she was actually started school and so didn't actually shop for her until that Sat. before.  You may ask why I was so sad about her starting.  It is all about how helpful she is.  She is a huge help with her brothers and generally is a great listener and I was sad to have her go.  Not to mention her school starts at 8.  What stinking school starts at 8.  I thought I wouldn't be able to drop her off without being showered but after the first day that one ended real fast.  I also thought I would walk her to school, but that also ended after the first day when I chose to sleep in for 20 more min each day.  When I dropped her off I didn't cry.  It was so chaotic in getting there on time and stuff that I was just relieved she did so well.  Lexie has been looking forward to going to school all summer.  But the night before she started crying after Eric gave her a Father's Blessing.  We asked her what was wrong and she said that she didn't want to go to school because then who would help me with Ryan.  How sweet is that.  I assured her that we would be fine and she could help me tons when she got home.  

The outfit she picked out.  How grown-up they look
This is pretty much how Joshua goes to school to drop her off each day.  If he didn't throw such a fit about having to be dressed he would be in his jammies as well.  But I make sure to have his hair combed when I pick her up.  (You know for appearances sake)

Standing outside her classroom.  (Okay here comes my rant--her class is right next to the drop off lane.  I mean it is the closest classroom there is to the drop off.  But Kindergarteners have to be dropped off at the door and picked up at the door.  Not a big deal for families with one or two kids and they are their youngest.  But she is my oldest and that means that I have to get all the kids out of car seats and carry Ryan in and constantly drag Josh or tell him to stop running into the street.  Not to mention a few times when I have picked her up her and Josh both have screaming fits and I am having to drag them back to the car--I can't wait for 1st grade)

Sitting at a desk waiting for her teacher to get there.  She is in a k/1 combo and the teacher was getting the first graders.  


So excited to be up close and personal on the rug.  Attentive and ready to learn.  I think that lasted all of 3 seconds and then she was hopping around.

Okay another thing to make her starting school so hard was that Eric also started working on the recovery of the big fire here in California and he was working some serious overtime.  We had planned on Eric taking the day off and then going to Disneyland when we picked her up.  But he had to go straight into work after taking her and then we didn't see him  for days.  He was pretty much working from 6 to 10:30 everyday for 2 weeks.  Some days I screamed loud enough that he took off a little time.  But being a single parent with 3 little kids is exhausting work.  Not to mention he had to work weekends and so I got no break then either and taking 3 kids to church by myself is not easy.  So having him gone all the time and then starting school made for a very hard two weeks for both of us.  I don't mean to negate that he wasn't working hard and tired also--but the kids were so needy with him being gone and there was constant whining and crying and that really wears on someone.  Though I must admit that for the whole two weeks I didn't cook once.  I just piled the kids in the car and took them to the next drive thru.  I wasn't going to cook when I was going to have to fight with them to eat it and then have to clean it up.  But now we are getting back into the swing of things.