"I'm Freakin' Out!" - and other fun phrases

Dallin

• I think Dallin gets funnier and funnier every single day. I can barely keep up with all his creative thoughts and funny word usage. Other people seem to be amazed that he has such a good vocabulary and he is barely 3. It doesn't really seem that spectacular to me, but I guess I haven't really met that many 3 year olds who use the word "disrespectful" correctly on a consistent basis. LOL What a kick in the pants :)
  
• "I have brown hair mom" "No sweetheart, it's red" "No mom, it's BROWN! just like you!" "Nope, I don't think you'll be able to convince anyone it is brown" "I WANT it brown!" Poor kiddo, already wishing to drown in a sea of normalcy. I adore your red hair Dallin! I hope it never changes. I guess it must be awkward to have strangers touching your hair and pointing out the color everywhere you go.
• The kids have started telling on each other (which for now is mostly funny and makes my job a little easier most days) Today Dallin came tearing up the stairs to tell us this little tidbit.

Dallin: Kate touched the tv and turned off Mickey Mouse. Kate is in trouble. Kate is in BIG BIG BIG trouble. Kate not supposed to touch the tv. Kate is in BIG trouble (Kate comes up the stairs) There she is(points down the hall at his sister)!
Mom: Kate Alivia
Dallin: HA!
Christopher and I erupted in laughter over this one. Kate did get told not to touch the tv, but Dallin's moment of vindication was just too funny.

• "I am getting bigger everyday! I can go to work now? I go to work and Daddy stay home with Mommy" Are we raising this kid right or what!? Every day he asks at least once if he is old enough to go to work. He came up with the fact that he could work so Daddy could stay home! I was surprised, but thought it was sweet of him to be so concerned (too bad it won't last until he is ACTUALLY old enough to go to work...by then he will understand money, wants, and things!...ahh the sweetness of fleeting innocence"
  
• "Let's go to Nana's. She'll help us. Nana will save the day" Dallin has all the faith in the world in Nana and Papa to make things all better. Fortunately for him, he is usually right (it helps that his major crises are not earth-shattering issues) When I was trying to find my way to the sprinkler park for playgroup and just couldn't do it after an hour, Dallin said this when we passed nana's house on our way home. We stopped in and Nana hopped in the car and took us straight there. Hip Hip Hooray! Nana saved the day!
  
• "Grandpa lives far far away. Grandpa, you live far far away. You and Luke are far far away. Grandma is far away. The truck is far away" Dallin really misses Grandpa and Grandma K (and their truck...he LOVES that blue truck) and the Higginson family. He will often inform me (and anyone else) that they are "far far away". He will ask to call Grandpa or Grandma just to spend the whole 2 minutes telling them that they are far far away (bet that really lifts their spirits....sigh) Occasionally, Dallin will ask to go back to the brown house, but it is getting less and less and he is enjoying it here.
  
• "You figure it out mom! Good job!" Apparently, the lost for an hour sprinkler park incident really stuck with Dallin because the next time we were on our way to playgroup, he kept praising me for figuring out how to get there without getting us lost. LOL He is not like me direction wise (thank goodness) and he can already recognize how to get places and will often tell you if you made a wrong turn (and he's RIGHT!) It makes for a bit of a backseat driver for me since I am directionally challenged and get lost a lot. LOL He points out every time I have to backtrack. Sigh....maybe when he is older, I can just ask him how to get there instead of beating my head against a wall trying to figure it out myself.
• "Don't touch my hair. My mom combed it" We have really been working on personal hygiene and all of the sudden Dallin is very protective over his combed hair. He wants it to stay nice and makes no bones over telling ANYONE who thinks to touch his combed hair that I combed it that morning. LOL Funny little man.
• "I was freakin' out!" This is one of the funniest things that Dallin says. I don't think Christopher and I say this but he started using it one day when he was telling a story about a giant in his room. "There was a giant in my room, and I was FREAKIN' OUT!" LOL Since then he uses it periodically especially when he is pretending or when you startle him.
• This was Dallin's big announcement at the breakfast table the other day when he was talking about how much bigger/older he was getting.
  

Dallin: Today I am getting married.
Dad: Really? Who's the lucky girl.
Dallin: It's Kate.
Dad: Oh ok. Well she is a nice girl. What do you think about it Kate?
Kate: Yep.

• "Drive safely!" Since Christopher works nights, the kids make a big deal of seeing him off in the evenings and welcoming him home in the mornings. I must say this a lot because Dallin will wave and say "bye dad, drive safely! I love you!" as Kate stands by the window and waves/blows kisses and says "Bye!" LOL It is so sweet. Every morning the kids run out in whatever they are wearing (or not wearing...hmmm) and jump into Christopher's arms screaming "Dad! Dad! Dad's home" (even Kate)
• "It's just a dog dad" At dinner one night, Christopher heard the washer filling and asked "what's that?" right as a dog barked. Dallin didn't miss a beat! He looked so smug.
  
• (after putting on his sister's tiara) "Look Mom, I'm a princess! I need you to take me to the ball" Oh yes, every mother waits for the day when her son will utter these words. I'm so proud. LOL
  
• "Don't worry mom. It's just a little pee" Should that make a difference? I mean really...when you pee your pants and get it on the carpet, does it Matter if you just let out a little pee or released the flood gates? Apparently though, this is supposed to make me fine with the fact that he just wet his pants....again. He can use the bathroom, but we are really struggling with him consistently initiating when he needs to go. I won't let him sit on the nice kitchen chairs (with the cushions) if he has had an accident that day and I am starting to set the timer and make him go every hour and pee. I hope he has it down before high school.
• (as we were brushing teeth/doing hair one morning)

Mom: It is important to brush our teeth and comb our hair. We want to look nice so we can feel proud and confident about the way we look. It also keeps us healthy. (yes, I actually talk like this to the kids when we are doing mundane tasks like brushing our teeth)Heavenly Father gave us our bodies. They are a very special gift and we need to take care of them. (see how I casually slip in a gospel lesson...mom points!)
Dallin: (pauses for a moment, then looks horrified) Jesus take my body away if I no take care of it!!! Jesus take it away! (umm...ok gospel lesson backfired when confused with parenting lesson of not take care of things = mom takes them away)
Mom: (trying HARD not to laugh) No, Dallin. Jesus loves us very much and so does Heavenly Father. Heavenly Father would not take our bodies away if we don't take care of them. If we don't take care of our bodies, we can get sick and it makes Heavenly Father sad when we don't take care of our bodies since he gave them to us. ( at least his misunderstandings take some critical thinking skills)
Dallin: Oh. Ok.

• "It's somewhere" This is now the standard answer that I get whenever I ask Dallin where something is. "It's somewhere"--completely serious, non sarcastic, innocent and hopeful kind of way...thank you Dallin for all your "help"
• Dallin is discovering family relationships and how different people are related to each other and himself. It took weeks to convince him that Aunt Tammy could be Mommy to Madison and still be his Aunt Tammy. We were talking about sending a box to Aunt Carrie and this is what he came up with.
  

Dallin: I have Aunt Carrie?
Mom: Yes, Dallin. Aunt Carrie lives in California
Dallin: I want to go see Aunt Carrie.
Mom: California is really far away Dallin so we won't be able to go visit for a long time.
Dallin: Aunt Tammy turned into Aunt Carrie?
Mom: No, Dallin. Aunt Carrie is Daddy's sister. Aunt Tammy is different than Aunt Carrie.
Dallin: I want to go visit Aunt Carrie in California.
Mom: We can't right now Dallin. It is really far away.
Dallin: Just take a right and a left and go to Aunt Carrie's.
LOL If only it were that easy. I love his logic.

Kate Alivia

• Kate is TALKING!!! New words are appearing so many times every day I can't even keep up with them all. Here is a list (well what I can remember of individual words she says drink, hi-eeee(hi), bye-eeee(bye), no, don't, mine, sorry, my turn, some more, wash hands, up, bahn(banana), yummy, bapple (apple), boo, pee pee, see ya, pease (please), dah (thanks), ball, there!, Dallin, mom, da (dad), aunt tammy, madison, book, yep, yay, train

• "Juice" Kate is an addict. She learned this word and now brings her cup to me all the time "juice, juice juice!" If it was up to her, that would be a staple of her diet. Fortunately (for us) we don't have juice in the house often at all.
  
• "Bum bum bum bum" Kate thinks it is really funny if I sing "bum bum bum bum...bum bum bum bum bum" (I think it is from dragnet or something) while I change her diaper and she will sporadically start singing it and giggle when I join in.
• "Go Dog Go" Kate LOVES the book Go Dog Go. I think it is because she can say most of the words and she ADORES dogs. She practically chases them down the street yelling "dog dog! woof" It is funny when she gets her Go Dog Go book and starts "reading it" "Dog! Go Dog! GO GO!"
  
• Kate is still a dancin fool, and will spontaneously burst into dance with or without music if she is especially happy. At times she will even provide her own music by singing. She really loves it if I sing "She's a maniac, maniac on the floor, and she's dancin like she's never danced before". She will shake her little head and giggle and dance super fast.
  
• "eye" Kate will say eye and poke her own eyeball. LOL Sometimes if you ask her where her eye is, she will point to her ear or nose first and then giggle and point to her eye.
• "I built it" Yes, ladies and gentlemen we are entering the world of simple sentences. It is still surprising to me when our little pixie comes up and all of this spills out of her mouth. She had put two legos together and kept taking them apart and putting them together to show me what she built. Wow! Maybe we have a future engineer!
  
• " all done" and "more" We haven't really done signing with Kate like we did with Dallin--she is pretty able to get her point across anyways..lol However, she does sign all done and more to get what she wants. She will say the words too which is helpful. It is funny when she chases you around the house "mo mo mo mo" putting her fingertips together.
• "cheese" Kate will say cheese for the camera, but also she LOVES to eat it (much to Dallin's chagrin) She gets really excited on the cheese aisle at the grocery store "Cheese! Cheese!" and she will ask for it constantly at dinner. We pretty much know we can get her to eat some of anything if it has cheese on it. I think she would live on it if we let her.
• "Melmo" Kate is obsessed with all things Elmo (melmo) She will even ask to watch it by going to the tv and saying it over and over and over while pointing at the screen until you put the DVD in. Then she will quickly grab her blankie, sit down, and spread it over her lap expectantly. She also loves her Melmo dolls.
• Kate pooped in the potty!! Twice! It is a big deal. It was mostly luck on my part since it is not hard to tell when she is trying to go. She is soooo excited and proud of herself when she does it. Plus it helps that Dallin is there to make a big deal of it too.
  
• Kate can walk downstairs and upstairs by herself UPRIGHT! She uses the wall or the handrail for balance, but she is doing it--what a big girl! We have been holding her hand so she could do it for some time (even Dallin has helped hold her hand on the stairs) but she has recently started to do it on her own. She is so stubby it takes her a long time to climb up and down them. Dallin gets tickled everytime she does it "Mom! Mom! Look at Kate! She is doing it all by herself! I'm so proud of you Kate!"
• "my teeth" Kate will ask to have her teeth brushed. She will go in the bathroom and try to climb up on the counter where the toothbrushes are saying "my teeth my teeth"
• "boots" Kate has a pair of girly rain boots that she want to wear all the time. She will go get them out of her drawer and follow me around with them "Boots, mommy, boots!" and when you ask her if she wants them on, she will nod so vigorously you wonder how she is still standing. They are cute boots, but sometimes she looks awfully funny in her dress or shorts with big ol rain boots up to her knees.
  
• Kate weighs 22 pounds now (I know, such a lightweight) and is really growing up. We sure love her.

My big kids- growing up fast!

Happy Birthday, Dallin!

We Made It! Dallin is 3!!

We celebrated Dallin's 3rd birthday on October 1 at the park near my parents' home. You have never seen a little boy so excited. It was pure magic for him. He had his party at the park with a Mickey Mouse cake (just like has been telling me for the past 6 months). We didn't know how many kids to expect so we made a bunch of cupcakes as well. I even tried to be creative and arrange the cupcakes so they looked like Mickey (kind of...use your imagination). Having a social outlet has really become important. I was so happy that Dallin had so many friends come. It was his first birthday party inviting kids outside of family and we are new in the area so I was really excited when about 15 kiddos showed up.
The playgroup kids, many of the kids from nursery, and Phillip (of course) were able to come. Every time someone came up the sidewalk, Dallin would yell "There are my friends!" and run towards them "Hi friends! Hi friends!" My entire family was also able to attend. This is the first birthday of Dallin's that they have all been able to be there. Nana, Papa (who postponed a business trip to be there), Uncle Willie (who scheduled his interviews around it), Aunt Tammy, Maddie, and Uncle Michael (who left school early to be there on time). Dallin was thrilled! He adores his extended family. He always asks if each person is going to be there. Is Papa coming? Is Uncle coming? Is Maddie coming?" and so on and so on. It was really sweet watching the cousins play together on the teeter totter.
The kids all played hard on the playground. Then they ate pizza and it was time for cake. Dallin was very excited. It was all we could do to keep the wind from blowing out the candles before they made it to Dallin. Christopher held the cake, Uncle Willie shielded the candles, and finally they had to call Dallin over to blow them out. Dallin then plucked the candles out of the cake, licked them, and carefully placed them in his cupcake. During this whole process, he kept singing "happy birthday to me. happy birthday to me." It was just precious. Kate enjoyed the cupcakes too....or the cupcake enjoyed Kate (we're not sure which).
Finally, it was time for presents. Dallin had so many wonderful gifts this year from family and friends. It was really fun to see his face light up and hear his little gasp after each gift. He got trucks, a garage with cars, a superhero cape, a helicopter, finger paints, playdoh, hungry hungry hippos, sesame street books, mickey mouse shirt, car race track, mickey cd, dinosaur head/feet that make sound, geotraks, geotrax train, my first leappad and books, crayolas, coloring book, and so much more!!! He was WAY spoledAfter a few gifts, Dallin wanted to quit and play and it got a bit long so in the future, I think that I will only have him open friend gifts at the party. I am learning about kid parties as I go so by the time my kids are grown, I will be a pro. It was funny because as he opened gifts, all the boys took off to go and play on the playground and all the little girls gathered around to see what he got. They gasped, they "oohed" and "aahed", they giggled, and jumped up and down as he opened presents. They even picked up the trash. LOL They were his little groupies. At one point, he he opened some Mickey mouse underwear and I remember thinking that he will be so embarrassed someday soon to get underwear for his bday, but ESPECIALLY in front of girls (who will probably have cooties and not be invited anyways) but this year....it was a WAY COOL gift and the girls were adorable. The kids played some more till they were exhausted.

We gave out goody bags and balloons at the end, (yes, Kate lost her balloon at the park....at the next one at the house...Dallin cried and cried because Kate lost her balloon...he still had his and she was fine..he was pretty broken up about it though)
Dallin was WAY excited to take everything home and tear into it after bathtime. At one point, he was a guitar playing super hero dinosaur.

It was really magical for him this year and he still talks about it.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DALLIN! We LOVE You!

Making Memories...........and cupcakes

Before I post Dallin's birthday pictures, I wanted to post these. The day before Dallin's party, I baked 40 cupcakes. My mom, Will, Tammy, and Maddie came over during nap time to help get ready for the party. Kate woke up early/never actually went to sleep and came down in time to "help" out. Nana immediately invited her up to help ice cupcakes. Kate was thrilled! It was really adorable to watch the two of them decorate cupcakes.


Nana would have Kate put out one finger and squirt a dob of frosting on it. Kate's eyes twinkled and she kept smiling and squealing with delight.









Kate kept leaning so far over the table that she was actually balancing on her belly with her little feet in the air. Nana would laugh and give her some more.


After all of the cupcakes were done, Nana let her have the spoon (more giggles erupted) and even put some sprinkles out for her to have.

While I was watching, I wanted to just freeze this moment forever. The way they were looking at each other, eyes sparkling, smiles on their face, and laughing together....it was a moment that you could see the bonding happening.




For me, it was like a dream come true. I always wanted that for my kids and it is happening right before my eyes. It was so beautiful. We ended the day with 40 iced and decorated cupcakes (which I am sure will be forgotten) and a beautiful memory for mother, daughter, and granddaughter.......which we will hold forever.

Sex Education - Preschool Style

(Both kids are in the bath tub)
Dallin - (looks concerned at Kate) Kate, no have a penis.
Mom - That's right, Dallin. It's ok. She is not supposed to have a penis. She is a girl. Girls do not have a penis.
Dallin - Mom no have a penis? Mom a girl.
Mom - That is right, Dallin. Mom and Kate do not have a penis because we are girls.
Dallin - Dad have a penis? Dad a boy.
Mom - Yes, Dallin. Dad is a boy so he has a penis. You and dad are both boys. You both have a penis.
Dallin - Mom and Kate no have a penis?
Mom - Yes Dallin. That is right. We are girls.
Dallin - Oh. I have penis! I a boy!
Mom - Yes, Dallin that is right.

Various versions of this continued sporadically through bath time. We also had this discussion about a week ago when Dallin saw his dad get out of the shower and wanted to know what "that" was (he pointed...I'll leave it to the imagination) I am trying to take it seriously and answer his questions without making a big deal out of it (he is just barely 3 after all), but I know that someday very soon he will enlighten a crowd on his findings.
I am preparing myself to withstand the embarrassment.

Sprinkler Park-the best of BOTH worlds

I have recently discovered the sprinkler park (thanks to our ward playgroup) and I think it is definitely in the top 10 list of most inspired ideas of all time. They combined all the fun of running through the sprinklers and all the freedom of the park! This is awesome. There were all kinds of sprinklers that shot sideways and up and down - out of the ground and out of a pipe - from above and below- 20 ft high and 12 in. Not much standing water so it would be difficult to have any drowning scares. It was super fun. Plus it was fenced in and had little picnic tables so the kids could run around all crazy and be safe and in sight. Oh...and it is FREE! Hooray!

Dallin loved sticking his head in the water sprays, running with his friends, and dumping buckets of water on willing (and a couple of times not-so-willing) participants. At one point, he took Kate by the hand and stuck her right under a water spray coming out of a pipe. Then we she started to cry and walk off, he dumped a bucket of water over her head. Poor Kate. Yes, Dallin did get in trouble and did not do it again. No, Kate is not usually completely innocent (although it seemed so this time)

Kate enjoyed playing in the shorter sprays, running through the park, and putting the beach ball in the spray of water to see if it would take off (some of the kids got the water to take balls/buckets about 20 ft in the air!) I don't think Kate would have been willing to actually LET GO of the ball though.

Dallin was ecstatic that his friend, Phillip, came to playgroup. These boys get on like a house on fire. They are so cute together. Both very active, adventuresome, rough and tumble boys. Plus...do you see the resemblance? So did they, it was buds at first sight. Both boys were stunned that they had so much fun with the "boy that looks like me" Cute. They had a great time, and Dallin cried when Phillip left. I'm glad he has a good friend.

Shining Moments

Dallin
*Dallin keeps growing and growing! He is a big kid. We are starting to wonder if he is going to reach his full stature by the end of grammar school. He is bigger than most 4/5 year olds. People are constantly amazed that he is only 3. They often ask if he is in school yet or act like he is slow until they find out his age...then it is pure shock. It seems like I am always explaining. "I know he is ginormous, but he is only barely 3....he is going to act like he is 3."
*Dallin said that he wants to fix airplanes when he grows up just like his Grandpa. (He also wants to play the bass guitar in a band like Grandpa)
*It is no longer enough just to name his poops. He now empathizes with them and has full conversations with them about why they have to be flushed. "I'm sorry poop, but I have to go to nursery. I have to flush you now. Go with your family poop!" He wanted to give it a hug and a kiss, but I had to draw the line. It is kind of sweet, but sometimes I am jealous and wish that I was treated with as much respect and empathy as poop. :)
*Dallin found a cricket in the house and ushered it out to the porch. When he got it outside he explained to it "I'm sorry cricket, but you have to go back to your own time to be with your family." If you have seen "Meet the Robinsons" this is pretty funny.
*Dallin has discovered that we have NAMES! We have really been working hard to establish that he has to call us Mommy or Daddy and NOT by our first names. "Let's go check Christopher!" "Val! Val! Val-come over here!" It is funny though when he yells for Kate and uses her FULL name. LOL "Kate! Kate! Kate Wivia...come here!"
*We are REALLY working on manners and being respectful at our house (though my children act like this is not the case) so Dallin is repeating all of the phrases we use so often. He is like the respect police for everyone but himself....sigh...maybe it will sink in. "That is wude (rude) and spectful (disrespectful) No say that!" "That not a toy, mom, don't play with it" (This was when I poked his belly button LOL)
*"Are you proud of me? Is Dad proud of me? Is Kate proud of me?" Dallin is really into having his family be proud of him for his accomplishments. He will ask everyone if they are proud of him, and he just beams when they say yes. Dallin, my sweetie pie, I am very very proud of you!
*"I am so angry that I fall off my bike and got bleed!" Dallin rides his bike now. He pedals and everything. He really looks grown up! Today, Dallin lost control of his bike on a downhill corner and ended up driving off the edge of the sidewalk, toppling over his bike, and landing on his face....TWICE. The first time, he had a mouthful of blood and I was certain we would have to go to the ER or to the dentist, but it was just his lip. After the second time, he got up and balled up his little fists and gave the above statement. It broke my heart. Poor little man. He is a little more wary of bike riding, but I am trying to keep him doing it so he doesn't quit. He will ride if I am right beside him.
*Dallin "sings" to make people happy or to make Kate or Madison stop crying. He thinks it is magic because it was on SuperWhy. Maybe he is right. Every time I am mad at him and he starts squatting/bouncing along and "singing" (I use the term loosely since there are no words and he is a little tone deaf) I can't help myself and I end up smiling. See! Magic!
*"I use the potty all the time just like Elmo" Elmo is the standard by which we live. Dallin wears underwear during the day and STAYS DRY! Yippee! He even stays dry during naps. He still wears a pullup at night and when we go to church or nana's house. I hesitate to fully put him in underwear since just when I think it is a non issue, he pees on the floor at Wal-Mart or on nana's carpet. Sigh....well, 3 times out of 4 ain't bad!
*Dallin can recognize 2 of something. I know this may not seem like a big deal, but he is not quite 3 and I am impressed. He can count into the teens, but I have never really thought he grasped numbers as an amount of THINGS. The past couple of days, he will point and say "Look mommy, there are two ____" and he is right! What a smartie!
*Dallin is getting really good at playing soccer. He will kick the ball, and he has even gotten in a few good steals from me. He will also tell you "No touch the ball with your hands. Papa said." LOL
*Dallin got stuck IN the rocking chair! How might this happen? He wouldn't sit down on the chair and ended up tipping the whole thing over. I had just barely called my mom to ask a question. He landed with his knees in the slats on the back of the chair and started complaining that his legs hurt. I gruffly told him to get up and he said he couldn't. I thought he was kidding and tried to pull him up...he was good and STUCK. At first it was kind of funny because where his knees landed, he was suspended in mid-air by his knees on the back of the rocker. (This was when I took the pic) but I quickly began to freak out when I couldn't get his out and his legs turned reddish purple. I grabbed up my phone and told my mom I needed another adult, I couldn't get him out. By the time she got here, he was out (He told me to put him back though so nana could help him) but those legs were pretty red for the rest of the day.
Kate
*Kate is not quite as verbal so there are as many Kateisms. She can say "thank you" and loves to watch anything Elmo. She will also play with her Tickle Me Elmo all the time. It is really funny to watch her "tickle" him.
*Kate is becoming fiercely opinionated. She wants to do things her way when she wants. This has led to temper tantrums and timeouts.
*Kate LOVES Dallin and they play together quite a bit (mostly nicely). She can hold her own.
*Kate loves to play soccer in the backyard.
*Kate no longer looks like a baby. She has come into her own and has fully entered toddlerhood. She is getting taller and has more and more hair that I love to style.
Here are some pictures of some of the great dos we have tried.
Kate with bobbed piggy braids

Kate with criss cross hair

Dancin Queen

Our little darling LOVES to dance. Almost since she could walk, she would dance. Almost nothing makes her happier than when she is dancing with someone or on her own. When she dances it always brings smile to my face. She is so precious.
When she started dancing on her own, it was just high steps/stomps to the beat. Then it evolved into one arm up in the air while she stepped up and down on one foot. Now she does this...but in a circle. She has even done a little shoulder shimmy once or twice to Elmo. She usually laughs so hard she can barely stay upright. She will dance to ANYTHING, but especially loves the credits on the PBS show SuperWhy and gets downright upset if she missed her opportunity to dance to them. We were lucky enough for Tammy to catch Kate gettin down with her funky fresh self on a video snip. LOL What a sweet pea. I know I am biased, but look at the technique...that kid has talent :) LOL Enjoy!