Amy's Farm

Our friend Chelsea planned a fun outing for our playgroup to Amy's Farm.  Who knew somewhere so close could make me feel so at home.  We had a blast picking organic veggies, feeding and petting goats, horses, cats, pigs, sheep, bunnies and cows, picking pumpkins, and riding the "tractor."

(cowboy Liam exploring the farm)

(learning all about pumpkins and where they come from.  Fun!)

(she was pretty scared of the sheep for some reason)

(love these two)

(I am so blessed to have such a great set of kiddos)

(she kept doing this with her hat while saying HEE HAAAH)

(she got to pick some rainbow chard)

(the Fruits of her labor )

(these two have some pretty serious conversations)

(biggest cow I've ever seen)

(looks like he belongs, doesn't he?)

(pure joy is the only words to describe how my kids feel on a farm.  It is like home for us, that's why I am seriously considering up and moving to Ontario)

(brother and sister bond is so strong)

(this was the most popular thing on the farm)

(this poor, 9 month pregnant cow, was so patient as we "milked" her empty udders)

(feeding the bunny)

 

Just another day as stay-at-home mom

I love being a mom.  I love getting to spend everyday with my kiddos.  I love almost every minute of it.  I love seeing them learn and grow.  There is nothing like the feeling when you see your kid get something you've been trying to teach them.  Just this week Lexi has made three huge leaps cognitively.

The other morning I was cooking breakfast.  A sleep-looking lexi meanders into the kitchen and says matter-of-factly, "Mom.  I think I know my ABC's."  We have been singing them for months now and she always skips some, or adds some.  She had the basic just of the ABC's, but I wouldn't say she knew them.  I asked if she wanted to sing them to me.  She did.  She sang them all the way through pronouncing each letter perfectly, no mistakes.  I was so proud of her in that moment.

Then yesterday, at library, a little boy asked her how old she was.  She responded, "Hi.  I'm Lexi.  I'm two-in-a-half but on Feb-ary twenty three I be three."  I was shocked.  Again, I have been trying to teach her her birthday for a good month.  Then all the sudden, click.  She gets it.

She knows her name starts with an "L, uhl, L, Lexi. down. cross. L."

I am a good mom.  I am creative.  I try to play with my kids, minimize TV time, teach them the gospel, and other life lessons and skills I find important, but sometimes I feel like I'm running out of ideas.  (pintrest is great for that problem!).

One idea I had the other day was to have a picnic.  Lexi has been talking a lot about picnics lately (I don't know where she gets most of her ideas), so I decided we would pack a picnic lunch to enjoy in the backyard.  I wanted it to be special and make Lexi feel important. We brought out our "real" picnic kit.  It has glass dishes, "fancy" glass drinking glasses, and real, cloth, napkins.  :)  She was so excited!! We made lunch (chicken, sweet potatoes, grapes, and water to drink) then carried it, a blanket, and our picnic basket out to the back yard.  Lexi set our places and helped me get everything just right.

(gauge enjoyed this "outing" as much as lex)

Monster Mash

I had a little party for the kids in our playgroup.  It was chaotic and messy but it was also a lot of fun!  We had a sensory table, lots of tasty food, halloween music, a costume party, pumpkin puppet making, and a dance party.  Lex has some pretty adorable friends.  

(cutest cat I've ever seen)

(Ella Stewart is one of Lexi's best friends)

(who knew rice, beans, pasta, and some rubber creatures could keep kids occupied for so long?)

(Lexi loves babies (i.e. anything/anyone smaller then her))

(Tatum bustin some moves teaching the kids the Monster Mash)

(This adorable fireman is Liam Buhl.  Lexi adores him and his mama!)

(no party is complete without a ring around the rosie session)

Adventures at Oak Glen

I was oh so home sick for crisp fall air, changing leaves, and the mountains.  Someone mentioned Oak Glen was exactly what I needed to feel at home.  With our move to a new place, I felt like we needed to start some new traditions to help us feel more at home.  I decided to check out Oak Glen for a fun Saturday family outing.

(enjoying a picnic)

(enjoying the stroll)

(girl's got attitude)

(how can you not love that face?)

(hatchet throw.... some people frown upon giving a two year old a weapon, not this family)

(hayride)

When we got there I was a little disappointed. While it was a fun place (one I plan on revisiting every year), it was not at all what I expected.  I was expecting to feel crisp fall air, enjoy some change in seasons, and see some mountains.  It was on a hill, not a mountain, the 83 degree weather was not exactly the cool crisp air I had so desperately hoped for, and only a few trees had leaves changing on them.  It was fun to get sacks and collect our own apples, press our own cider, go on a hay ride,and visit an old working farm.  Now that I know what to expect, I won't be disappointed next year.  We ended up having so much fun!

Pumpkin Carving 2012

One of my favorite activities around halloween is carving pumpkins as a family.  I think it is a fun tradition and I won't lie, I get pretty into it.  This year,  carving pumpkins was different with two kids.  While Tyson enjoyed a leisurely evening carving his pumpkin, I got to help clean up dinner, clean up pee, hold Gauge while he screamed, then put the kids to bed.  Needless to say, my pumpkin did not get carved,  Lexi's got 1/2 carved (the guts are out, but that's it), and poor Gauge didn't get to participate in the festivities at all.  

(This kid had a blast crawling on all the pumpkins)

(Lexi chose two little pumpkins for her and gauge and a big one for me and ty.  She also had to have a gord)

(Lexi "helping" ty with his pumpkin)

(daddy hard at work)

(no-pants dance for this kid)

I couldn't let that be how this years pumpkin carving extravaganza ended, that's why I decided to have a redo pumpkin decorating day while daddy was a work.  Here are how ours turned out.

(This girl loves arts and crafts.  She is too cute for words sometimes.)

(I did the eyelashes on lexi's face.  Gauge just did his foot prints)

(Lex made sure to paint her ENTIRE pumpkin.  Her motto of the day was "no-side left unpainted")