Deep thoughts

I love watching the light bulb turn on, don't you?

Wellwood Orchard

'Tis fall in New England again. This is our 6th fall and just as beautiful. The boys and I took a little field trip to Wellwood Orchard in Springfield, Vermont on Friday while Claire was in school and we had a wonderful time. We had some lunch and tormented the petting zoo.

What could possibly scare 5 small children THIS much? Answer: a chicken. Yes, that is right, all kids climbed up on the table terrified of the chicken. You can see a picture of the GINORMOUS BEAST in the LAST picture posted.

Luckily they warmed up once we entered the petting zoo. Especially Adam. This kid CHASED the rabbits and chickens. Then in an effort to distract him and give the chickens a break, I showed him the pigs. Those poor, poor pigs. Adam sure got their blood boiling.

We moved on to the goats to give the pigs/rabbits and chickens a break. Lucky for Adam, he liked the goat just as much, if not more than the previously stated animals.

Then to the cow. Now the cow, he finally decided not to mess with. Good. He's getting smarter. Check out the goat in the background on TOP of the bunny house. How stinking cute is that?!

This is the chicken that was terrifying all the other children. HUGE, SCARY chicken! It seems we need to toughen those kids up a little huh?

Newton the Newt

Monday was one of the funnest days EVER. We went on a hike to a local lake and played in the water. We found all sorts of scary creepy crawlies to play with.

On our way up we stumbled upon a ...newt? Salamander? I have no idea what it was, but we kept telling the kids not to drop it and the little guy got dropped so many times he couldn't see straight. When I finally put my foot down and told Claire to "put it back" she TOSSED it into the woods. Really? What happened to gently placing him on the ground?

Anyway, it was ADORABLE seeing the kids exploring.

Crocs

On Mothers Day we went to Lake Sunapee and had a BBQ with our friends and their parents who were in town. It was SO WONDERFUL. The weather was windy but pleasant, but still cool enough to keep the crowd away. The food was great and the company is hard to beat. It was an AWESOME way to spend my birthday/Mothers day.

Ian was digging with "Grandpa" and the kids on the beach for a while. Grandpa came back and said, "Ian buried his shoe but can't remember where he put it." We dug up half the beach and never found it. THIS KID IS SO FUNNY! He was sobbing that he lost it, but it was a good laugh.

My little Pork Roast

And that was the last of that dish. He played with it on the ground for a while before he decided to pick it up...then drop it (NOT on himself thank goodness) What kind of mother lets her baby play with her glass corningware? Answer: A mother that wants dinner on the table before Caillou ends and Rob gets home.

Funny pictures

Ian sleeping in his "kitty bed" Looks comfy.
Adam's ADORABLE crack
Making bread one day Ian looks at them and says, "Dose wook wike bweasts!" Seriously, is ANYONE surprised?
Yes, that is Rob vacuuming the lawn.
Caillou anyone?

What a man he is

A few months ago I was in the kitchen putting together breakfast for the kids. I usually don't watch morning news shows but that morning the tv was on and I was in the other room. Then Claire starts yelling, "MOM! COME IN HERE! SOMETHING BAD IS ON TV!" I run into the room ready to turn it off when she starts complaining, "Mom, look at this picture! This girl is not modest! I do NOT like it!" It was a picture of this years SI swimsuit edition cover. On it is a girl in bikini bottoms and her top is around her neck and her arms are covering her...baby feeders. Ian takes one look at it and says, "WOW! I yike it!" His daddy is so proud.

Silly Ian

I wish I could show you a picture and you would see just how funny of a kid Ian is. This kid is hilarious sometimes. Often he isn't even trying to be funny, he's just being a little boy. Like this picture (down) for example, riding his bike in the snow? Check out his pants-they're on backwards :)
I have been thinking ALOT. Someday he isn't going to say, Qware, Jew-wee-ann, Wob, Incwedibles, Dino Chwain. There will be a day when he doesn't ask me to "Pway hide and seek" or ask me to make him muffins, hot dogs or Cheeweeo's-often in the same sentence, especially if he's hun-gwee. I am so much enjoying this time in our lives. I'd like to hit pause and keep everyone little. Keep Claire in kindergarten(with all her teeth), keep Ian riding his trike in the snow because he thinks it will work and keep Adam small enough so he is still sweet. These are simple times, filled with laughter. If not laughter than tears, but I like this simple life. I don't want them to get older and more complicated.

Projects

I was playing with the kids' nerf guns. Running around the house shooting people while cooking bacon this afternoon. I walked into Claire's room (where she is coloring peacefully on the floor) to shoot her and she asked,

"Mom, do you want to come color?"

"Nope, I'm in the middle of a project." I shot her a few times and went to find my next victim. As I left she asked,

"What's your project, shooting people?"

Poor Ian

The following is more for my own personal journaling benefit. Don't say I didn't warn you!

Since Adam only woke up once last night (yes, that IS a GREAT improvement) I was FILLED to the brim with milk this morning. I dust off (not really, it WAS sanitary) my breast pump and plop down on the couch. Soon 2 small people are very interested in what was going on. Ian wants to help with the pump and Claire has 20 questions about breasts. Then following was heard,

Claire-Mom, when am I going to get breasts? When I'm 6 or 7?
Mom-More like when you are 12 or 13.
Claire-(giggling) 12! (turning to Ian) IAN, when I am 12 I'm going to have BREASTS!
Ian-Dat's good Qwaire, I'w have bweasts too!
Claire-(totally sympathetically) Ian, I'm so sorry, you will never have breasts.

Goodmorning Sunshine!

This morning Claire finished her cereal and ran into her room. I went in to help her pick out an outfit for the day. She kindly asked me to leave. When I asked why she said she had to say good morning to Jesus. I went out and closed the door and listened.

"Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for, OH GOOD MORNING JESUS! I slept good. I ate all my cereal first and then ate the marshmallows, then drank the milk..." Yada Yada Yada. It continued for a few minutes.

It was SO stinking funny. It was more of a conversation than a prayer, but I'll take it. Yesterday was a rough day for us, so I suspect Rob told Claire that when she needs to do excessive talking to talk to Jesus.

Claire-ism

You have to admit my kids are stinking funny. Yesterday we were driving past Wendy's and Ian is moaning, "Nuggets!" as usual. I told him we were trying to be a healthier family and nuggets aren't on the approved list. Then Claire chimes in,

"Mom, I remember that nuggets have chicken in them and chicken has proteins and proteins help our bodies be strong and have energy so we can run and play"

Wow. She almost had talked me into it until I remembered about the whole deep fried thing.

Time out!

Ian comes hop hop hop-ing down the stairs whining, while I'm trying to put Adam down.

"Mom, Quare twied to put me in time OUT!"

The thing that makes this story even more funny was he was in his Wall-E undies and snow boots.

Today's accomplishment

Today Ian learned one of life's very important lessons. If the soap SMELLS delicious, it doesn't mean it TASTES delicious.

Today I walked into my bathroom after he was done with the potty and he's got half a hand full of soap and making a terrible face. We rinsed his mouth for a little while before he stopped gagging.

Funny Boy.

Love. True love.

Parents, Lock up your daughters! Adam can be quite persuasive when he wants to nibble an arm. (He was actually trying to suck on her arm, but got angry when he realized that it wasn't a breast.) This is Adam's girl friend Kate. The other day we were out and about with her and her family, she was in the baby bjorn with her mom when Ian crashed. I handed Adam to Kate's mom and attended to Ian. After a few minutes, Kate was sucking on Adam's hand. These two babies are just SO stinkin' cute together!

Humpty dumpty sat on a wall

The other day I was nursing Adam and I could hear Ian whimpering a few rooms away. I figured if it was important he would come and find me. I finally finished nursing and I went to see what the problem was. He had climbed to the top of the "humpty dumpty wall" and couldn't get back down. I know your thinking, GREAT time out spot right?!

*the bricks he is sitting on are Bio-bricks for our fireplace. They are supposed to burn cleaner than wood, I think they are just more convienient. Don't worry, we still bought 3 cords of wood to keep us warm this winter.

Dress up

Claire is a typical girl. She LOVES playing dress up. Ian sometimes joins in, but not usually. Yesterday though, he brought me this dress that I wore when I was in 1st grade and wanted to wear it. Since Rob wasn't around I thought I'd give into his request. It was bound to happen, he hangs out with Claire all day. Don't let his face fool you, he was THRILLED to be wearing a dress.

Funny kid quotes of the week

I was at the computer and on the phone, when Ian walks into the boiler room and points up and says, "I need new diaper!" Or at least I thought. A few minutes later, I was off the phone and he points up again and says, "I need new diaper!" I'm thinking, I just changed him, grrr. Then he said it again, "I need srew-driber!" A screw-driver! What could Ian possibly need a screwdriver for? 
Claire was getting out of the tub while Ian was still in drinking cloudy bathwater, when Claire says, "Dad, did you know girl pribates and boy pribates are different?" It only took her 2 1/2 years living with Ian to figure that one out?

These kids are so entertaining.

General Conference

While the rest of us were listening to President Monson's talk, the girls were having their own lesson on make up application.

Does anyone have a kleenex?