Dallin's 4 Year Old Pictures

We had Dallin's pictures done at JC Penny's today by our favorite photographer(Lisa). Somehow in the midst of Dallin's completely uncooperative mood, she turned out beautiful pictures of my handsome little man in his studly little suit which make it hard to believe that he was wallering on the floor and whining (and later bit his sister in the waiting area).....good times...good times....but how can I stay mad at a face like this? He is a tender little soul at heart, and he's my onery little mister :0)

PICTURES WE ORDERED

This was my favorite picture of Dallin. I thought the smile looked natural and I see it ALL the time. It is a look that says "Yes, I am about to do something naughty, but you love me anyways!" LOL

We ordered this enhancement and also have one of Kate. I like that is shows all their personalities in the little pictures on the side and has their names on it. We did not order prints of Dallin's little pictures in this one, but I will label them further down so you can get a better idea of what they look like.

Ok this was so hilarious that we had to buy it...especially since Dallin is obsessed with Spider Man and now has his very first poster (of Spidey) hanging in his room. This will be poster size and has all kinds of fun "movie" info on it like his birthday as the premiere date and Christopher and I as producers with Music By Uncle Willie Records and so on. Very cute. Also, Dallin was "shooting webs" in the picture with his very best Spidey face.

Not my favorite shot, but I wanted to order one where you could see his entire suit. He looks so handsome in it!

PICTURES WE DID NOT ORDER (included here for your viewing pleasure)

yes, he is being spider-man here

and here

and here.....

and lest we forget the spiderman image from the poster print...here it is again (though not ordered as a single) it is also in the personality print

this one was one of the little pictures on his personality print. he wanted to be silly and it was hard to NOT get a picture of him sticking his tongue out. he thought it was the height of humor to have his picture taken this way

yet another pose which Dallin insisted upon. he saw the soccer ball and wanted to pose with it. "stop position" was the only way we could get him to hold still

this one was included on the personality print. he will put his hands over his mouth and laugh like that sometimes when he gets really tickled (it is actually a long standing genetic quality on my mom's side). i also liked this shot because he was BRIGHT red from laughing so hard!

this one was the "4" print we used on the personality print. such a ham!

ENHANCEMENTS WE DID NOT ORDER (same pix you have seen above with different effects added for your viewing pleasure)

i actually thought this print was really cute, but our total was already getting up there and i didn't know where i would hang this . i consoled myself knowing this pose was also on the personality print. love that little mister!

To Dallin On Your 4th Birthday

Dear Dallin,
This is a couple of days early. Your birthday is actually still 2 days away, but I wanted to make sure that I had this finished for you before your birthday celebrations begin tomorrow. I can't believe how the years have flown by and you are turning 4. What a cute little man you are becoming. I can honestly say that I am enjoying you more and more every day.
I remember what a surprise it was to find out that we were expecting you. We found out right before our 4th anniversary and I had you right after my 26th birthday. (Daddy used to say that you were my anniversary gift and my birthday gift all rolled into one. I would always tell him that he'd never be able to top that one...and I've been right) I remember waiting for you to come...it seemed like you'd never get here and then suddenly my life was never the same. You were born and I became a mother. I tell you all the time that I became a mother because of you and that I love being your mom. :)
I love the way you feel every emotion so completely and so deeply. You are happy with your whole self, angry with your whole self, excited with your whole self, sad with your whole self, and even "in love" with your whole self. It can be overwhelming sometimes for everyone (even you), but it also makes you so dear to me. I see you put it all out there and sometimes your little soul seems so tender and vulnerable. I want everyone to love you like I do and I want to keep your pure little heart from being broken. I am already worried about letting you into the world. Daddy says I have a while. :)
I love the way you will use unusual phrases or walk in the room and act like such a big guy. "What's up?" "Is that cool?" "Jinkies!" "Hey daddy-o" "That's so sweet!" - these always make me giggle.
I love the way you LOVE clothes. It always makes me laugh that you get so excited about new shirts, pants, socks, underwear...it doesn't really matter, and that you can hardly wait to wear your new big boy suit. I love how you just sparkle in it because you feel like such a little stud (and, of course, you are!) I'll never forget the day you walked in and saw a pageant on tv...you told me you wanted to wear pretty clothes and be beautiful on the stage too. You are such a little ham, I'm sure you would win 'em all :)
I love the way you are starting to notice girls. Although you will almost never wear clothing around the house, when Shiloh (age 7) showed up, you shouted "oh no! I'm naked!" rushed off, put on your very best Mickey Mouse t shirt and proceeded to strut your stuff and act really chill "hey shiloh, what's up?" You are also currently very in love with "blonde Ava" and have already told me that "I love her, mom. I want to kiss her". I told you that when you are 4 years old and in love...you JUST HOLD HANDS! (That is the same advice I got at 5 :) You argued it for a bit explaining that you were a "BIG boy and want to give her a BIG kiss", but we finally saw eye to eye...I think. You asked me when you would be old enough for a girlfriend...the answer is 21. I think I told you 20 though...hey, I'm flexible!
I love how you are growing and maturing so much lately. I feel my preschooler slipping away and a little boy taking his place. The things you say, your logic, it is all changing so rapidly. You have also started to take more responsibility around the house. You love being my helper...and you REALLY do help! I am amazed at your level of competence at 4 years old. You can put away laundry, help wash clothes, clear the table, help load the dishwasher, wipe down the sinks, pick up your room, make your bed...and many other things I'm sure I am forgetting.
I love that you are becoming more and more affectionate. You were never a cuddler as a baby or toddler and you are becoming more and more so. You will come cuddle up by me and let me stroke your beautiful hair (I used to do that when you ate as a baby and you have loved it ever since) and sometimes you will look into my eyes with your big beautiful brown eyes and tell me how much you love me. It melts my heart. I love you too, Dallin....very very much. You have started telling me this more and more lately and thanking me for things I do for you. I love that, and I love you. I hope that you will always know that.


Here are some facts about you as you enter your 4th year:
Age: 4
Height: 42 inches (well....41 3/4....but who's counting...except Six Flags)
Weight: 50.6 pounds
Favorite Color: yellow
Favorite Food: Pepperoni Pizza or Tacos
Favorite Superhero: Spiderman
Favorite Show: Spiderman, Dino Squad, or Scooby Doo
Favorite Song: I Am a Child of God or Scooby Doo theme song
Favorite Thing to Do: Anything active, loud, and especially outside!
Things You Love: your family, saying the prayer, playing Spiderman or Scooby Doo, reading, playing soccer
Other Fun Facts About Our Favorite Four Year Old:
*you are completely potty trained now...even at night!
*you love learning letters and numbers...you know over half of them
*you say that your name is "Dallin Christopher Dallin Kellogg" We have yet to convince you otherwise
*you spend an ungodly amount of time in your spiderman costume
*you make everyone put their hands in to do the SuperWhy cheer "Super Readers..to the Rescue!" It is funny when we are at Nana's house and the entire family will come running when it gets to that part of the show
*you pick on your little sister and she picks on you but you love her very much and are a good big brother--you will be embarrassed someday, but you LOVE to slow dance with your sister in the living room pretending that she is the princess and you are the handsome prince
*you insist on having your hair combed DOWN and not spiked up...even though combing it down with your double crown takes an act of congress (and A LOT of Got 2 Be Glued hair goop!)
*you love playing soccer with Papa as your coach...you especially like that you are allowed to call him Coach Craig!
*you are getting better and better at being a good boy in primary and maybe by the time you are baptized....mommy won't have to go with you anymore....maybe lol
*you are a master negotiator. you will even say "let's make a deal!" and tell me how you will say "ok" if I say no but you will say "oh thank you thank you!" if I say yes.
*you like to receive packages from grandma and grandpa, and you have started coloring pictures and mailing them to people. you think this is VERY special.

I love watching you grow and look forward to another big and changing year. I love you Dallin!
You and me Kid!
Love,
Mom

Sprinkler Fun!

I finally broke down and took the kids to the sprinkler park here. It is totally amazing and completely free, and they go completely beserk over it. We went with the Rockstar playgroup and had a wonderful time. We packed a lunch and totally chilled while the kids ran around through the sprinklers- playing with balls and buckets and each other. In the picture at the top you can see all of the kids running around. Kate is on the L in the pink suit. Tammy is in the blue shorts beside her holding hands with Maddie (in the pink), and Dallin is on the R in the spiderman trunks. It was way nice that Tammy, Maddie, and my mom were all able to come with us too. Dallin kept charging the sprinklers with his face, and eventually found a little friend to run around with. He and Kate also enjoyed filling buckets....just to take them someplace else and dump them out. Kate spent a lot of time "freezing". Poor little thing just doesn't have the body fat to keep herself warm all the time....LOL....and we live in TEXAS! I don't know if we will make it back to the big sprinkler park this year, but the pool by my parents' home has put in a small one, so maybe we'll check that out. Of course, before we left....Dallin had to have a COMPLETE meltdown...in public....that last 5 minutes can get ya every time. LOL



I thought this was funny because Dallin saw the other kids wearing goggles so he HAD to wear them too. Too bad the only pair we had with us was his sister's PINK goggles. The other kid looked at him all weird and said "why are your goggles pink?" to which I quipped...."well...REAL men wear pink". Dallin then proceeded to strut his stuff! LOL Funny mister.

Ok in this picture, Dallin is on the far L and Kate is on the far R. It was cute because all these little kids grabbed a bucket and sat down to chat for a while. Kate is freezing as usual. I think at least half the time...maybe more...she looked like she had to pee because she was all hunched over from being cold. Anyways, I don't know if you can really see it in the picture, but Dallin LOVED the little girl to his right. Unfortunately, she was totally ANNOYED by him. He kept talking to her and scooting closer and closer and bringing her little things he would find on the playground. I think you can kind of tell she is annoyed in this picture. She kept trying to tell him to go away, but he was so busy talking to her that he didn't notice. That's my boy....blindly in love, and way out of his league...I think she was like 6! Way older in preschool years!
Don't worry , Dallin, you were too much man for her anyways LOL

Kate's First Sleepover

Kate took the leap and had her very first sleepover!.....at nana's. She is a nana's girl and has loves her one on one time with nana. She will often cry when it is time to leave and is always asking to stay. We have even let Nana bring her home later on a few times. Since she seemed so content and so keen on staying....we decided to let her try sleeping over even though she is only 2. We figured we are only 3 mi down the road if she wants to come home. She was soooo excited when Nana asked her if she wanted to come and spend the night. She ran upstairs and helped mommy pack her princess bag, hopped right into Nana's car and barely looked back at her silly mom who was taking pictures and blowing kisses like a crazy woman. LOL She did great all night-loved every minute of it-and was slightly underwhelmed when she was brought back the next day. What a big girl! I was glad that she had a great time and that she has such a special bond with her Nana.

Mama's Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys

Ok...so Dallin dresses up and "pretends" a lot. While we were in Payson, Jenn passed down some spiderman snow boots. She knew we wouldn't really "use" them in Texas but Dallin LOVES Spiderman and boots....so it was a match made in heaven. I often think he looks like Napoleon Dynamite wearing his big puffy snowboots all around town in 100 degree weather. One day he came down the stairs dressed like this with a jumprope "lasso". I thought I was going to die laughing. He started walking around like a cowboy and talking like a cowboy and even roping and tying up his daddy. He sang the Wiggles song "We're a cowboy. We like to boot scoot all day. We wear cowboy hats. We like to boot scoot all day!" LOL He was having a great time. I knew I had to get some pictures of my little guy in his pajama top, underpants, and snow boots swinging a jump rope. Someday, he will be embarrassed, but today....he is too busy ropin and ridin!

Kiddo Update and Cute Pictures

Dallin

· Dallin is 42 inches and 46 pounds of pure dynamite! He is so tender and helpful and so crazy and out of control all at the same time. He keeps me humble and focused on what is really important.

· I think Dallin may eat us out of house and home. We joke about having to use his college fund in order to feed him when he is a teenager and starts eating even MORE! We are thankful he is so active…otherwise weight would be an issue. He can eat 5 adult tacos!

· Mommy: Dallin, did you know that your bellybutton is how you were connected to Mommy when you were in my belly?

Dallin: (fingers bellybutton, eyes me suspiciously) well…it’s , MINE now!

· We have been potty training Kate, so Dallin has been part of the “encourage Kate to use the potty committee” and has spent a lot of time with all of us gathered around her in the bathroom. Here was his enlightening discussion with Christopher.

Dallin: Where is Kate’s penis?

Daddy: Kate does not have a penis.

Dallin: How does Kate go pee-pee with no penis?

Daddy: Kate doesn’t need a penis to go pee pee.

Dallin: How will I go pee pee if I lose my penis?

Daddy: I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that.

· It is a longtime coming, but Dallin is staying dry most nights and will wake up and go to the bathroom in the night ON HIS OWN! Woo-hoo! I think we are almost ready to try going it without pull-ups!

· I walk in to find Dallin with his pants around his ankles in Nana’s bathroom getting a drink with the little cups by the sink. “I was thirsty.” I look in the potty and ask him if he is all done and needs some help. “Nope, I’m not done. I just needed a drink” He climbs back on the potty and finishes the job. Who does that? Who gets THAT thirsty? Do you just sit there and think “Man, I am soooo thirsty…I need a drink RIGHT now!” LOL What a funny man!

· “I am the spectacular Spiderman!” Indeed it has come to pass. Dallin is into the action figure phase of boyhood. I noticed it creeping in this year with playgroup and now it is full-blown. He loves all things Spiderman. I was a bit weepy at Easter when I picked up Spiderman beach items instead of Mickey Mouse…it is the end of an era. Spiderman gets us in trouble a lot…from calling people “skinny little creep” to “webbing people” to jumping off furniture and even insisting in primary class that he in fact IS the spectacular Spiderman and refusing to sit in his chair. Good times. We are focusing on how NICE and WELL BEHAVED Spiderman is. I think I miss Handy Manny.

· Mommy: “Who made this mess?”

Dallin: It was Kate!

Hmmm…suuuure.

• Dallin loves spending time with his friends, although he is not 100% certain on how to BE a friend. I guess this comes later. Not everyone thinks that having Dallin put a ratty blanket over them is "special" like he does. LOL
  

· “I have to eat a lot of food to grow. If I don’t eat a lot of food, I will shrink.” This could explain the eating problem.

· Dallin loves to play pretend and play Memory with mommy and daddy. He also loves family scripture study and family prayer. He insists on “reading” his own Book of Mormon and loves saying the prayer. When he wants to make it longer he will just keep repeating “in Jesus name, bless this food. In Jesus name, bless this food…Amen! I said a long one!”

Kate

· Kate is 26 pounds and 30 inches tall. Yes, she is little. It has been quite amusing to have one on each end of the spectrum. She is just getting into 2T pants and 3T shirts. It is a challenge finding teeny tiny ballet clothes and teeny tiny training pants.

· “I pee pee in the poggy!” Kate is being potty trained! We are hoping to have her pretty much done by the end of the year. She is doing pretty well and is learning quickly how to pee on the potty. She LOVES to have people get excited when she is successful so it is often a mini party at our house with singing and dancing when anyone makes a pee pee in the potty. Kate will even walk in and to the pee pee dance for me when I go.

· “I preaking out!” Kate says this when she is “freaking” out. I just think it is cute because she substitutes p for f.

· Kate loves reading scriptures and saying prayers as well. I must confess that I melt when I hear her teeny tiny voice getting around words like Nephihah and Zarahemla.

· Kate loves to laugh and is experimenting with a new deeper more forced laugh. It makes me laugh every time.

· Kate still has her onery streak and will often pick on her brother until he nails her. (The picture of her with the bubbles on her face is after Dallin got tired of her splashing him and throwing bubbles at him and nailed her. She started to cry, but I thought it was so funny I took a picture. She definitely deserved it) She also still whines and has a piercing scream that can break glass. We are hoping this phase ends while our hearing is still somewhat in tact.

· Kate’s legs have sprouted recently and she looks so much older to me. She seems like she is going to have really looonng legs for her tiny body.

· “I wuv you!” I love it when she says this. She is very loving and loves to be held and cuddled. Every morning she crawls in bed to sleep/snuggle with us before it is time to get up.

· “Play castle with me, mommy” Kate is learning how to play pretend and loves to play castle with her Little People castle. It is very funny when she sits them at their little table and serves them her pretend food (which is as big as they are) She also plays Night at the Museum with Dallin and will run through the house yelling “Cecil! Cecil! Dinosoh!”

Let's Go Fly A Kite

Here are some fun pictures and videos I ran across that never got posted. Back in April, we took the kids out to fly kites for the very first time. They were very excited since they had gotten new kites from the Easter Bunny! We went to the park by Nana's house with Nana to try it out. It was the perfect blustery day. I was actually quite surprised with how well the kiddos did flying kites by themselves-even Kate. They were really good at running when the kite started to come down to get it to go back up again. We only had a kite get stuck in a tree one time and all the kites and kids came home in tact. A successsful outing! It was a super fun afternoon.