Mom's Visit

My mom was here for a week to help paint, take apart and put together furniture, finish a couple sewing projects for me... Basically help me get to a point where I didn't feel like I was living in chaos, and that it would be ok for this baby to come on or around her due date.  She was a huge help. Too big of a help really, because she was sick. :( We think she got food poisoning. She had one really bad day, and then the rest of the week she was really sensitive to food and motion and felt dizzy a lot. I felt so bad for her and frustrated with her! But she still did so much to help, and kept the kids happy and entertained. I don't mind painting, it's the getting started and finishing up that I struggle with. She's great at that, and honestly she did most of the in between part too.

The kids, patiently waiting for Mimi to get off the plane. 

I love Addie's sprint stance.

The night she got here we went to dinner at a buffet. (I don't like buffets, but this one exceeded my expectations.) We had to go here, because there was an arcade game that Garrett plays on my phone and on a previous visit to the mall where this restaurant is, Garrett spotted the game from the balcony and was so excited to see it. He asked if he could play and I told him yes. When we went downstairs to play it, I realized we had to pay for the buffet to get into the arcade and game area and it turned into a big frustrating mess. So I promised him we go back when Mimi was here. It was kind of like less trashy Chuck E. Cheese type place. Anyway, it was a lot of fun. And Garrett got to play the game as much as he wanted.

The next day we got painting. And that night Mimi babysat so Paul and I could go on a date.

I already covered Valentine's Day in the previous post, and that was the night my mom got sick, after Knott's. She also bought a Knott's pass so I hope that means she's coming out a lot this year to take the two older kids to the amusement park while I stay home with the baby. (Fingers crossed.)

After a couple of days of hard work, we went back to Knott's for a few hours one morning. This was the day that Addie decided she wasn't nervous to go on any of the kiddie rides by herself. She loved every bit of it and acted like it was nothing new. 

I didn't take a lot of pictures this week, because so much of it was spent in the same rooms painting, sanding, putting stuff together. It was a very productive week and I'm so thankful my mom was here. 

We tried some new styles on Addie's hair but she still prefers dirty, tangled, hanging in her eyes, over anything cute or practical. I'd take her for a cut, but I'm afraid it would require general anesthesia and a huge tip. 

She gives me a run for my money, but when I check on her at night before I go to sleep, I'm always overwhelmed with how much I love her. Both her and Garrett. Being their mom is my biggest blessing. 

Knott's "Merry" Farm

Paul had last Wednesday off because he worked the weekend. We wanted to do something fun, but hadn't decided what yet. But the car repair place and the dentist decided for us. We got our van paid off just in time for a $700 repair bill. (And a big scratch along the bottom of the back passenger door, but we won't talk about that. And no, that's not what the repair bill was for.) And Paul had to have a cavity filled that morning. I'll never complain about Paul's dentist bills because this was maybe the third he's had in his life and I'd just had a MUCH more expensive dentist visit the week before. Between dentists, doctors, prescriptions, and car repairs, December has cost us about $1500 more than we'd  planned. But we've survived! (So far.) 

Anyway, our family fun day needed to be free, or close to it. So we decided to use our Knott's passes, for probably the last

time before they expire. It was so Christmasy, warm and fun! One of the funnest times we've had there. 

The kids get more brave and more excited each time we go. There were no crowds and they went on everything they wanted to at least once. There's a free three hour lot that we never have to move from because a couple hours is usually enough, but this day we moved the car and stayed for almost six hours. 

The train conductor gave Garrett a ticket to be punched and Garrett was amazed. I think it was extra cool because he'd just seen The Polar Express for the first time a few days before. 

The kids fell asleep as soon as we got in the car. We could still see the Knott's sign in the back ground. It was a good day!

I love this boy. He's into collecting rocks and sticks right now. He fell asleep holding a stick. 

Halloween/Mall-oween

I decided the day before Thanksgiving would be a good time to post about Halloween.  I fall more and more behind everyday on blogging, but I'm so thankful for it so I won't give up.  I need a new computer!  I'm going to hit up every mall santa I can find this weekend, just to make sure he knows what I want for Christmas. 

I'm also struggling with phone blogging (obviously).  I can't get the pictures the size I want them.  I didn't realize they were taking up the whole screen until I looked at my blog on Paul's computer a few weeks ago, adn that discouraged me again.  Anyone only blog from your phone and have any good tips?  Photo size?  How to change the publish date?

Anyway, I wrote this on November 5th and I don't plan to change it, so if it doens't make sence, that's why. 

Halloween is over and we're going full speed ahead on holiday fun. I'm still giving thanksgiving it's day and I'm usually pretty strict about nothing Christmas before Thanksgiving. But this year November 1st meant ornament making, twinkle light buying, Christmas music, and moving a couple things around to make room for a Christmas tree.  Almost all of my Christmas decor is in Utah and I was hoping to get it from my parents over thanksgiving but now no one is coming out to visit us so I'm getting creative and also buying a few new things to make it merry and bright around here.

But Halloween. The two full buckets of candy are gone. The kids ate maybe two or three pieces each and the rest went to Paul's coworkers. (I may have eaten a couple mini candy bars.) Thankfully this year it was all about hunting and gathering and not so much about consuming. 

A couple days before Halloween we took the kids to Knott's thinking it would be cute and Halloween-y. It was decorated but more scary than fun. But they still enjoyed it. 

These ladies were...awkward. But the kids were amused. 

I hope these two always adore each other this much. 

Because we live in more a shopping part of town and less neighborhoody we went trick or treating at a mall. We had dinner first and then got plenty of candy in less than 15 minutes. That's the way to do it!

My mother in law bought the boots and shirts at a John Deere outlet a few months ago. I had the bandanas, and I picked up the hats at the dollar store. Next year they will probably care more, but I was happy this year to costume two kids for two bucks!

A week with Mimi and Papa.

My parents came out for a week at the end of August.  I checked the weather a couple days before they were coming.  It was supposed to be 81 the day they arrived and 82 every single day after that.  Turns out there may be something wrong with my weather app, because I don't think we saw anything below 95, and several days we broke 100.  And it was humid.  And it was in the upper 80's when it was dark outside.  But it didn't stop us from doing anything we had planned.  We just found a lot of sprinklers and fountains along the way.  

The came in on a Friday night, and Saturday I had two parties I'd committed to help with so that day was full.

In the afternoon it was a Minnie Mouse themed birthday for a one year old.

Then the kids went home for naps and I went on to help set up the next party.  My friend Kim, (who was friends with Paul in college, and then friends with my brother, Taylor, through BIOLA/WSU Mormon/Evangelical dialog conferences and missions trips, and then I finally got to meet her a couple years after that) had an American Citizenship party from her British husband who recently became a US citizen.  She did a great job and it was so much fun.  Paul had a Lion's Club party that night, so he went to that and my parents brought the kids to this party (because they knew Kim before I did, too).

 Jonny's in the middle and two of his brothers were here from England to help him celebrate.

Monday we went to the circle of Orange and wandered around.  Played in the fountain there.  Then went to the train station for lunch and played in that fountain too.  It was too hot that day, and it was kind of a bust.  But the kids seemed to have fun.

 They met a friend at the train station and had fun playing with him.  Until I told Garrett we had to go home for naps.  He went over to his friend and calmly explained that he had to go home now for a nap.  The boy DID NOT want him to go, and it turned into a back and forth 'arguement'.  "Don't go take a nap!"  Yes!  I'm going home to take a nap!"  "No!" "Yes!" "NO!" "YES!" "NOOO!"  "YEEEES!"  For a minute I thought I should step in and break it up, but Garrett was holding his own and they were cracking each other up.  When Addie saw that their friend wasn't getting it, she took over the YES/NO battle.  But she couldn't stop laughing.

My mom and I went and got Pedicures while the kids napped.

We went to Newport Beach. 

 Garrett looks so old here I think.

 Addie was being a sea monster.

 So hot and so tired, but not wanting to leave.

That night we went to the Street Market in Huntington Beach.  I was riding in the back of the van and Addie wanted to hold hands.  I couldn't reach, so she settled for a toe.

We went to Knott's Berry Farm.

 Addie wasn't tall enough for the log ride, so we watched from the side.

 We went on the old train ride and some cowboy 'bandits' came in the car and instructed us all to put our hands up.  Addie was very obedient and didn't cause any trouble during the 'robbery'.  

 Garrett was a lot more brave this time.  Tried new rides and went on more kid ones by himself.

 It was so hot that day, so hot.  We splashed a lot in the fountains, and soaked these bandanas every chance we got.  Still really fun though!

And of course we ended the day with Dots at Knott's.

We went to see Planes.  Garrett was glued to the screen the whole time and loved it.  Addie ate snacks and was facing the back of the theater just about the whole time.

We went to the Parnell Park zoo, but spent most of the time looking for shade and water to play in.

We're hoping the next visit is a little cooler!