Tip Toe Through the Tulips

Actually it was more like running through them-this has got to be the kids favorite thing to do-find a wide open space and just take off!

We went to the Tulip Festival today and it was perfect as usual! The weather was great-not raining and not hot and a huge perk not crazy busy! Chad didn't get to go last year because he was working or something-so the kids were excited to show him around.

I let Chad take the camera for a change and I think he got some pretty dang good pictures! Look at those tulips-aren't they perfect?The kids had a blast playing on this tractor, Topher did not want to get off-he could have stayed there all day.It was muddy from earlier rain-and of course the kids had to run through the muddiest parts-and Topher fell into a good bit of it! He was pretty concerned about his "ditty" hands for about half a second, and then started running again.Here I am in all my prego glory...you're welcome...Then we had to take the traditional cheesey touristy pictures that you can't help but love...

The kids in the BIG wooden shoes...The Horse Tire Swings....The one in front of the Windmill...And then of course-The "look what flowers I picked at the tulip festival 2008" shot.We had a great afternoon playing in the tulips and doing all the other little fun things they had to do there, and even Chad who wasn't 100% sold on the idea of going really enjoyed it.

It's one of those things that you need to do when you live here, and one of those things you'll miss once you move away. It's going on until the end of this weekend-so if you live here and haven't been yet-you need to.

Whidbey & terrible 2's

We spent this last weekend out on Whidbey Island. Chad was doing a vendor booth at a marathon for MyoMed. We stayed with my sister and brother in law (thanks guys!) while we were there.

While we were there I was alone with the kids for most of the day-what a perfect time for Topher to really get into the terrible two's huh? He has always been somewhat of a troublemaker since about the time he could crawl-but more just a curious thing than a naughty thing. Now he is just plain naughty! At the park, he would run straight for the road every time Bekah would ask me to push her on the swing or anytime he saw I was more than 5 feet away from his side probably because he knows I can't run that fast anymore! Then he would laugh like crazy when I would come running at him to get him. We spent some time at the vendor fair walking around, more like me chasing him around because he would run behind the booths and play in the curtains and scream bloody murder if I tried to pick him up. If I asked him to do anything or even just call his name he would either say "NO" and run, or ignore me completely.

It was just one of those weekends!

It is amazing how much you can love your kids and wonder "what in the world was I thinking getting pregnant again" all at the same time. How I will manage with 2 little boys is an adventure I both look forward to and it also scares the heck out of me! At this time and stage in their lives I can definitely say my girl is lots easier than my boy-she has her attitude problems for sure, but she sure is an easy kid-she never does anything just for the sake of being naughty. Still that little boy has me wrapped around his finger with those huge eyes and grin-how could I ever stay mad at him for more than a few seconds?

The vendor fair wasn't all that productive for Chad-it wasn't terrible, but it was pretty small. There was a pretty positive spin on the weekend though-I entered his name in a drawing while walking around the booths and he won an iPod Shuffle! He was pretty excited about the whole thing!

Thanks Target, and a confession

While sitting in the pediatricians waiting room (forever!) waiting for Christopher's well child visit, Chad and I were perusingthe newspaper of things to do in Oregon for the month of April when the word FREE caught my eye. Target is sponsoring Free First Fridays at the Childrens Musuem every first Friday of the month from 5-8pm starting this month. Well it just so happenend that the next day was the first Friday of the month-so we decided to check it out. Please note in these pictures that Christopher did not have his nap, was very tired and did not feel like looking at me for a picture in the least.

The kids had a lot of fun, but there were SO many people there-Chad and I were feeling very clostraphobic. I think that place is a little crazy overcrowded on normal days-but you throw in a BUNCH of free seeking, get my kids out of the house they're driving me crazy, can't send them outside because it won't stop raining families and you've got a bit of mayhem! These families had a good reason to want to get their kids out of the house-I swear do you ever go to places like this and think you must have some of the best behaved children in the world?

Maybe I just don't like older kids-okay I know that's what it is! I REALLY don't like older kids-I know it's awful and many of you probably don't want to be my friends anymore for admitting that out loud-but they are soooo annoying! I felt like I had to keep my kids under my arms the whole time to keep them from getting trampled by the obnoxious little hellions! This is completely the reason I like OMSI so much more than this place-because they have a seperate place for the little kids that the big kids are not welcome at-of course there is the occasional parent that has to bring their older child in there because they have a younger and an older-but it just doesn't happen that much.

It's funny though-when I first got married-I just didn't like kids in general-I tried, my step kids, nieces and nephews were cute and all and sometimes funny-but most of all just overwhelming to me and I couldn't wait for them to go home. Then my sister in law had her first son-Connor, and it was then that I got baby hungry for one of my own. After I had Bekah I LOVED babies-and having Topher was no different-I have enjoyed all of their ages so far and for the most part I have loved other kids in their own age groups. Hopefully that continues and when Bekah turns 6 or 7 or so and turns into one of those big kids-I'll still like her and the other kids she associates with! I know there are some exceptions to the big kid rule-there are some older children that I can tolerate being around for more than a few minutes before I start getting itchy to get away from them-there are some really great kids in my own family who I love to pieces.

But for the most part if you are much over the age of about 5 and under the age of about 14-I'm proabably not going to like you all that much and I am going to be super protective of my kids around you, because I find you a little dirty (I know you didn't wash your hands good after you went to the bathroom!), a little annoying (honestly, have some self control around the candy dish, you could do with a LOT less sugar), and just too big to be all that cute anymore (maybe you're just going through an "awkward phase" for about 9 years).

Don't think that I like teenagers either-it's just that for the most part kids over the age of 14 think they are too cool to come to places like this and they usually ignore my kids because they are too busy looking in the mirror or at eachother.

Wow I am really not a mean person-I just would prefer to live in my own little protective bubble with my kids and the other cute, well cared for children their age would be welcome to come and play as long as they left their older siblings at home playing video games-because that's all they want to do anyway.

So maybe I am a mean person, please tell me I'm not the only one who feels this way-of course if you don't want to admit it, I completely understand-I'm wondering why I just did...

***

Okay so to sum up this post-

Thanks Target for the free admission.

I don't really like the childrens musuem.

I don't like older kids.

I might have to make some new friends who do not have access to the internet or at least don't know my blog address.

Beautiful Eternal Family

Chad's brother Matt and his wife Sandy were able to be married and sealed in the temple while we were in Utah. I am so grateful that we were able to be there to witness this most beautiful event. It was a wonderful and emotional experience I will never forget. Thanks you guys for including us in your special day! Most of Chad's brothers and sisters and spouses were able to attend-such a great family to be a part of! My sweet niece Jessica-it was so special to be able to see her and her sister in the temple with their mom and dad. Too perfect! My other niece Olivia-isn't she a doll? In order from left to right: Our brother in law Scott, Chad's brothers Tim, Matt, and Todd, our nephew and Matt's son-Hayden, that handsome young thing is my husband Chad and then our other brother in law Brian. Such a good lookin group! And these gorgeous ladies are from left to right top-Chad's sister Suzanna, our sister in law Susie, Chad's other sister Tiffany, me Tiffany, and then bottom right to left-our sister in law Priscilla, our nephews wife Jessica, our sisters in law Sandy and Stefanie, and of course Chad's lovely mother Mona. I couldn't ask for a better family!

Love you all!

Making a Splash

Bekah started swim lessons this week and she LOVES them! I am so proud of her-she is totally coming out of this chicken phase she went through that made me nuts. She was a little nervous while she was changing, but that all changed as soon as she saw her class and started talking to some of them. She was so so so excited after her first class she couldn't wait to go again-she did everything the teacher said including putting her face in the water for a second! I couldn't get her to do that in the bath just last week-now she thinks she is pro swimmer-and nobody better tell her different!

This is the place

For this guy to get into stuff...like this plant basket on the floor...

For sticky sucker faces and palying with cute cousins...

For Chuck E Cheese cheese-it grins...

For huggin your best pal on the rides on a week-day afternoon...

For big smiles...

For doggy piles on top of dad.... For friendships that picked up right where they left off....

For kids that are getting way too big....

For being with family we haven't seen forever...

 

We haven't done much of anything but play with cousins and family and it just doesn't get much better than that! Lovin our Utah spring break trip so far!

Saying Goodbye

The kids loved seeing their cousins even if it was for such a short time! I barely saw them all weekend they were always with each other playing, laughing, and of course a little fighting-but for the most part so much love. I don't even have any pictures of them playing since they were usually outside or at the park behind the house. Topher and Ryken had to stay in a lot since they are escape artists! It's amazing how much these kids get along together even after not seeing each other for so long. Isn't this a sweet picture? We hated saying goodbye, since we just barely said hello a day and a half before! It was such a short, last minute and surprise visit we didn't go see anyone else, we just stayed at the Ericksons ate some yummy Mona food and let the kids play together. We wish we could have stayed longer and went and saw all of our friends and family there, but I had to get back to work. SO if you live there and we didn't tell you we were there, or didn't see you, don't think we didn't want to-we SO wanted to. It was just too short of a weekend and we were just focusing on spending time with the kids for Easter. We are planning on coming out for longer in June though so we will let you all know about that trip! Loves!