Luke & Carson's Mom

Ahhhhh!

2012-02-07T12:58:00.000-08:00

I hate when my kids are bad sleepers!

We let Carson stay up 1 1/2 hrs later than usual on Sunday b/c we had so friends over for the Super Bowl. Low and behold he woke up at 5am the next morning. Last night he laid in bed for almost 2 hrs (calling for mom and dad on and off) before he finally fell asleep at 9pm. Of course he woke up at 5am again. So not only am I not getting much sleep, he is a grumpy, emotional boy all day. His naps are horrible too. It's my own fault. We shouldn't have let him stay up. That's what threw him off. He just isn't the kind of kid who can go off his sleeping schedule.

Luke is killing me too. He is in that horrible transition from two naps to one. I hate this time where two is too much and one isn't enough. It also doesn't help that I am trying to ween him too. Their naps haven't been overlapping lately either so that means no break for me. Yuck.

Luckily they are both down right now and hopefully they will both take great naps today. I deserve it. Maybe I'll go take a nap...

There's my complaining for the day. Thanks for listening.

Some of my favorite latest reads

2012-01-31T14:13:00.000-08:00

FAST READ. Lots of twist and turns.

There are 5 total in the series. It is the type of books you can read aloud to your kids. I loved the make believe world of Fablehaven.

Very interesing novel on Slavery. I think I liked it more then the Kitchen House. Plus it's only .99 on Kindle!

Amazing, makes you think about humanity, type book.

Super FAST READ. Anyone with kids, it will break your heart (in a good way.)

**If you have any favorites tell me in my comments. I'm always looking for suggestions. (Thanks again Lindsey for your suggestions.)

Popcorn Picnic

2012-01-29T20:54:00.000-08:00

Some how "popcorn picnic" has become a Sunday tradition. After dinner Steve pops popcorn (in a popcorn popper, not a microwave) and the boys watch a movie of Carson's choosing. I started laying down a blanket to help with the mess, but quickly learned that the blanket makes eating popcorn so much cooler. Luke has ended up in his high chair during popcorn picnic because the large bowl of popcorn was too much of a temptation to climb into. There is a lot more tranquility now that Luke is contained.

Just another Sunday night at the Bonner's, killing time until bedtime.

What a helper boy!

2012-01-29T20:33:00.000-08:00

Ahhhhh!

2012-01-23T22:24:00.000-08:00

I think naps are coming to an end with my three-year-old. Seriously, I don't know how I'm going to do it without a nap break. I feel like crying. Fellow Moms, how do you handle your pre-school age kids when they are done napping?

Leah look-a-like

2012-01-20T13:57:00.000-08:00

While I was visiting my parents they gave me a bunch of pictures of me as a kid. Here are a few I found where I look a lot like Carson. So crazy! I don't look much like Luke though. I'll have to compare Steve/Luke pictures and get back to you.

Such a Carson upset face

Totally a Carson happy face, and I think my Dad looks a lot like my brother.

A perfect Article about being a Mom

2012-01-18T18:51:00.000-08:00

My sister Annie posted this on her blog and I loved it. I know it is a little long, but if you are a Mom who sometimes feels guilty because you aren't loving every minute of it this is for you!

By Glennon Milton

Every time I'm out with my kids -- this seems to happen:

An older woman stops us, puts her hand over her heart and says something like, "Oh, Enjoy every moment. This time goes by so fast."

Everywhere I go, someone is telling me to seize the moment, raise my awareness,be happy, enjoy every second, etc, etc, etc.

I know that this message is right and good. But, I have finally allowed myself to admit that it just doesn't work for me. It bugs me. This CARPE DIEM message makes me paranoid and panicky. Especially during this phase of my life - while I'm raising young kids. Being told, in a million different ways to CARPE DIEM makes me worry that if I'm not in a constant state of intense gratitude and ecstasy, I'm doing something wrong.

I think parenting young children (and old ones, I've heard) is a little like climbing Mount Everest. Brave, adventurous souls try it because they've heard there's magic in the climb. They try because they believe that finishing, or even attempting the climb are impressive accomplishments. They try because during the climb, if they allow themselves to pause and lift their eyes and minds from the pain and drudgery, the views are breathtaking. They try because even though it hurts and it's hard, there are moments that make it worth the hard. These moments are so intense and unique that many people who reach the top start planning, almost immediately, to climb again. Even though any climber will tell you that most of the climb is treacherous, exhausting, killer. That they literally cried most of the way up.

And so I think that if there were people stationed, say, every thirty feet along Mount Everest yelling to the climbers -- "ARE YOU ENJOYING YOURSELF!? IF NOT, YOU SHOULD BE! ONE DAY YOU'LL BE SORRY YOU DIDN'T!" TRUST US!! IT'LL BE OVER TOO SOON! CARPE DIEM!" -- those well-meaning, nostalgic cheerleaders might be physically thrown from the mountain.

Now. I'm not suggesting that the sweet old ladies who tell me to ENJOY MYSELF be thrown from a mountain. These are wonderful ladies. Monkees, probably. But last week, a woman approached me in the Target line and said the following: "Sugar, I hope you are enjoying this. I loved every single second of parenting my two girls. Every single moment. These days go by so fast."

At that particular moment, Amma had arranged one of the new bras I was buying on top of her sweater and was sucking a lollipop that she must have found on the ground. She also had three shop-lifted clip-on neon feathers stuck in her hair. She looked exactly like a contestant from Toddlers and Tiaras. I couldn't find Chase anywhere, and Tish was grabbing the pen on the credit card swiper thing WHILE the woman in front of me was trying to use it. And so I just looked at the woman, smiled and said, "Thank you. Yes. Me too. I am enjoying every single moment. Especially this one. Yes. Thank you."

That's not exactly what I wanted to say, though.

There was a famous writer who, when asked if he loved writing, replied, "No. but I love having written." What I wanted to say to this sweet woman was, "Are you sure? Are you sure you don't mean you love having parented?"

I love having written. And I love having parented. My favorite part of each day is when the kids are put to sleep (to bed) and Craig and I sink into the couch to watch some quality TV, like Celebrity Wife Swap, and congratulate each other on a job well done. Or a job done, at least.

Every time I write a post like this, I get emails suggesting that I'm being negative. I have received this particular message four or five times -- G, if you can't handle the three you have, why do you want a fourth?

That one always stings, and I don't think it's quite fair. Parenting is hard. Just like lots of important jobs are hard. Why is it that the second a mother admits that it's hard, people feel the need to suggest that maybe she's not doing it right? Or that she certainly shouldn't add more to her load. Maybe the fact that it's so hard means she IS doing it right...in her own way...and she happens to be honest.

Craig is a software salesman. It's a hard job in this economy. And he comes home each day and talks a little bit about how hard it is. And I don't ever feel the need to suggest that he's not doing it right, or that he's negative for noticing that it's hard, or that maybe he shouldn't even consider taking on more responsibility. And I doubt anybody comes by his office to make sure he's ENJOYING HIMSELF. I doubt his boss peeks in his office and says: "This career stuff...it goes by so fast...ARE YOU ENJOYING EVERY MOMENT IN THERE, CRAIG???? CARPE DIEM, CRAIG!"

My point is this. I used to worry that not only was I failing to do a good enough job at parenting, but that I wasn't enjoying it enough. Double failure. I felt guilty because I wasn't in parental ecstasy every hour of every day and I wasn't MAKING THE MOST OF EVERY MOMENT like the mamas in the parenting magazines seemed to be doing. I felt guilty because honestly, I was tired and cranky and ready for the day to be over quite often. And because I knew that one day, I'd wake up and the kids would be gone, and I'd be the old lady in the grocery store with my hand over my heart. Would I be able to say I enjoyed every moment? No.

But the fact remains that I will be that nostalgic lady. I just hope to be one with a clear memory. And here's what I hope to say to the younger mama gritting her teeth in line:

"It's helluva hard, isn't it? You're a good mom, I can tell. And I like your kids, especially that one peeing in the corner. She's my favorite. Carry on, warrior. Six hours till bedtime." And hopefully, every once in a while, I'll add -- "Let me pick up that grocery bill for ya, sister. Go put those kids in the van and pull on up -- I'll have them bring your groceries out."

Anyway. Clearly, Carpe Diem doesn't work for me. I can't even carpe fifteen minutes in a row, so a whole diem is out of the question.

Here's what does work for me:

There are two different types of time. Chronos time is what we live in. It's regular time, it's one minute at a time, it's staring down the clock till bedtime time, it's ten excruciating minutes in the Target line time, it's four screaming minutes in time out time, it's two hours till daddy gets home time. Chronos is the hard, slow passing time we parents often live in.

Then there's Kairos time. Kairos is God's time. It's time outside of time. It's metaphysical time. It's those magical moments in which time stands still. I have a few of those moments each day. And I cherish them.

Like when I actually stop what I'm doing and really look at Tish. I notice how perfectly smooth and brownish her skin is. I notice the perfect curves of her teeny elf mouth and her asianish brown eyes, and I breathe in her soft Tishy smell. In these moments, I see that her mouth is moving but I can't hear her because all I can think is -- This is the first time I've really seen Tish all day, and my God -- she is so beautiful. Kairos.

Like when I'm stuck in chronos time in the grocery line and I'm haggard and annoyed and angry at the slow check-out clerk. And then I look at my cart and I'm transported out of chronos. And suddenly I notice the piles and piles of healthy food I'll feed my children to grow their bodies and minds and I remember that most of the world's mamas would kill for this opportunity. This chance to stand in a grocery line with enough money to pay. And I just stare at my cart. At the abundance. The bounty. Thank you, God. Kairos.

Or when I curl up in my cozy bed with Theo asleep at my feet and Craig asleep by my side and I listen to them both breathing. And for a moment, I think- how did a girl like me get so lucky? To go to bed each night surrounded by this breath, this love, this peace, this warmth? Kairos.

These kairos moments leave as fast as they come- but I mark them. I say the word kairos in my head each time I leave chronos. And at the end of the day, I don't remember exactly what my kairos moments were, but I remember I had them. And that makes the pain of the daily parenting climb worth it.

If I had a couple Kairos moments during the day, I call it a success.

Carpe a couple of Kairoses a day.

Good enough for me.

Luke Twelve-Month Update (better late then never)

2012-01-11T18:07:00.000-08:00

I’m a year old now and what a fun boy I am! I am right around the 50^th percentile in height and weight. I have two bottom teeth and one top tooth. Mom says the other top tooth should come in any day now. I don’t stand on my own yet, but I do pull myself up using furniture and use it to help me walk. I think it will be a while before I take my first steps all on my own. For now I enjoy exploring my world via crawling.

I’ve really found my voice lately. I’ve been mimicking the words and sounds I hear around me. Even when I’m alone I talk and talk to myself. I also sing little “tunes”. It won’t be long until I start using real words to communicate. I’m really starting to get the chasing/catching game. When I see a grown-up I start to squeal and crawl away (preferably up stairs.) I love when they come after me and tickle me. Sometimes I love it so much that I forget to crawl because I want to be caught!

I continue to be the world’s best eater. I eat most everything Mom puts on my tray. My new favorite is cooked broccoli. I can’t get enough of it. I eat a lot and fast! The rascaly side of me is that I still want to nurse all the time. I will only take water out of a sippy cup and don’t want any milk from any type of cup. Mom is very ready to be done nursing and says that once we get home from all our trips she’s going to get more serious about cutting me off.

I take two naps a day, usually about 4 hours total. Mom is very lucky that Carson and I are both good nappers. She usually gets an hour or two where we are both asleep at the same time. I can only imagine how boring that must be for her…

Carson and I have so much fun together. He loves to play with me and show me things. He can get a little too rough and Mom says I’ve got to toughen up now that I am one. =) I’m no dummy though. If I feel like I am in any danger whatsoever I start squealing and calling out for Mom and she comes to my rescue. I learned really fast that that is the way to get immediate attention and have started doing it even when Carson isn’t hurting me. Every once and a while Carson gets in trouble for doing nothing at all. I don’t feel bad about it because he gets away with a lot too!

My family is so lucky to have me. I’ve been a wonderful baby and know I will be a great toddler too.

Sunset

2012-01-01T15:30:00.000-08:00

Carson insisting on wearing his sunglasses upside down

Luke and I

Ollie and Carson

Bath Time

2012-01-01T15:18:00.000-08:00

Dana Point Harbor

2012-01-01T15:11:00.000-08:00

Luke and Chelsea

Chelsea, Ryan, Laura, Becky

Ryan the surragate father

The look of shear joy!

Taking the boys for a walk in Laguna with Grandma

2011-12-29T13:56:00.000-08:00

Riding his new big boy scooter he got for Christmas

When trying to take a picture with my boys this is about as good as it gets!

I LOVE all of the foliage at the beach. The colors, textures, and variety of plant life is so beautiful.

Luke's Birthday

2011-12-27T20:52:00.000-08:00

Since Luke's Birthday is on Christmas Eve we decided to celebrate a few days late. We went to 5 Guys for dinner,

then back to Grandma and Grandpa's for cake and ice cream

Just look at that Face. What a happy birthday boy!

Christmas Day Walk

2011-12-25T21:03:00.000-08:00

Four of the sisters. Note the two on the left are ultra stylish college girls and the two on the right are just boring moms!No offense Becky =)

Merry Christmas Eve & Happy Birthday Luke!

2011-12-24T20:07:00.000-08:00

My sister, cousin and my kids.
Angel: Ami, Joseph: Ollie, Shepherds: Andin & Carson, Mary: Cam, Baby Jesus: Mara
(Luke was too busy playing in the fruit bowl to participate)

**Luke birthday pictures to come

Santa's SurpriseVisit

2011-12-24T20:03:00.000-08:00

A few nights ago we had a knock at the door and who was it? SANTA! Santa and a few of his helpers stopped by to give Luke and Carson a present. Carson was so excited, Luke not as much =). What wonderful friends we have!

The Boys Birthday Pictures

2011-12-22T13:17:00.000-08:00

Luke's 1-year-old pictures:

Carson's 3-year-old pictures:

The together shots (this is as good as they got.)

Christmas came a little early this year

2011-12-20T14:43:00.000-08:00

Steve has been gone all month working in Texas, yuck I know. I don't know how single moms do it, it sucks. My wonderful mother-in-law was here all last week helping out and the week before that I got babysitters for a few of the days so I could have a break. Anyway, Steve is home now for a few days and since he won't be home for Christmas, another yuck, we decided to celebrate a little early this year. Here are some pictures from this morning.

Luke is turning into such a big kid. I can't believe he'll be one on Saturday!

This was a real hit from Grandma Bonner. All the tools are even real!

For all you worried about me and the kids for real Christmas we will be with my family so we're good. I'm sure Carson will love having Christmas twice this year!

Christmas Morning Video:

Ornament Exchange 2011

2011-12-15T17:36:00.000-08:00

Every year a group of us do an ornament exchange. I love this tradition! Here is all of us from this year's exchange.

Pre-School Holiday Party

2011-12-14T21:17:00.000-08:00

Today was Carson's pre-school holiday party. I forgot my camera so here are a few from my phone. (I hate taking pictures on my phone.) Oh, well. I love his little class and all of his teachers. I'm so grateful there are people out there who LOVE to teach pre-school, because I wouldn't!

Dental check-up take 2

2011-12-14T21:14:00.000-08:00

6 months ago Carson had his first dentist appointment and it was a nightmare. Imagine screaming, crying, being pinned down, you get the picture. So I was more than a little hesitant when he had his second appointment yesterday. I am pleased to say he did amazingly well! He opened his mouth wide and let them do everything they needed to do. They even were able to take X-rays. (The hygienist promising him 4 prizes might have encouraged him a little too.) It's amazing how much they grow-up in 6 months.

(They ask them if they want to wear sunglasses because of the lights)

Christmas Card 2011

2011-12-11T15:31:00.000-08:00

2011 has been a year of changes for us. We turned into a family of four with the birth of our little Luke William, last Christmas Eve. He was quite the Christmas surprise! Luke is an angel baby. His is a good balance to Carson’s wildness. He loves to sit and watch his big brother play and is a really good sport when Carson plays a little too rough! Luke is good at entertaining himself. He just learned how to climb up the stairs and is very proud of himself. Luke is a snuggler. He loves to cuddle and hug and kiss and is just the happiest little guy.

Carson just turned three and is a ball of energy! He loves to climb, run, and jump on anything and anyone. He has been in speech for the last six months and has started pre-school this month. His speech is improving every day and he is so excited to start school! Carson learned to swim this summer and can swim from one end of the pool to the other. A few of Carson's favorite things are; Go Diego Go, Toy Story, library books, candy, nursery at church, playgroups, the beach, snuggling with Mom and Wrestling with Dad.

Steve continues to enjoy working for Shell Oil. We feel very blessed that he has a good, secure job. He is back in Young Men’s at church and working with the 14-15 year-old boys (all 16 of them). He got some water skiing in this season, but not nearly enough, in his opinion.

I’ve adjusted pretty well being a Mom of two. It is crazy how busy they keep me! I was released from Young Women’s President when Luke was born and am now a Relief Society instructor. I am lucky to have great girlfriends here and enjoy all the girl time Steve lets me have.

We wish each of you a wonderful and joyous holiday season as we celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. Love, The Bonners

**Here are some of our other pictures...

Conversations with a three-year old...

2011-12-09T23:17:00.000-08:00

Me: Good morning Carson

C: Hi mum (mom)

Me: Lets go get Luke

C: I lie (like) Loo (Luke) Mum

Me: I like Luke too

C: Lot of kisses?

Me: Yep, lets go give him a lots of kisses

Six Flags and Candy Cane Lane

2011-12-05T10:51:00.000-08:00

So far this Christmas season has been so fun because Carson is finally starting to 'get it'. Saturday we spent the evening at Six Flags. They have it all decked out for Christmas including a sledding hill with real snow! (Go ahead and laugh all you people from snowy places...) I tried to get some pictures on my phone and they turned out pretty crummy. It might have been Carson's most favorite thing he has ever done in this three years of life. Needless to say I think we will be going again next weekend.

Rockin' out at the front of the park

Lights all over his shirt you might ask?? He had on a cool flashing light snowman necklace.

Last night we went to Candy Cane Lane in Vacaville. Very exciting stuff. Luke was wide-eyed, and Carson ran around like a crazy man.

Riding the School Bus

2011-12-05T10:34:00.000-08:00

We are very lucky because the school bus comes and picks-up Carson at our house to take him to pre-school. This morning was his first time.

Waiting patiently

Getting buckled. (He is the first pick-up)

Waving at Mom and Luke through the window.

He'll be home in an hour. I hope it all went well!

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-12-05T10:19:00.000-08:00

We had a great Thanksgiving week visiting my parents. My sister Regan and her daughter Noelle were there visiting from Utah, as well as my other sister with her kiddos who live there. Here are some of the fun things we did.

Scooter's Jungle

Ollie and Carson

The whole Bonner Fam

Sweet Noelle loving Luke

Luke, Steve, Ryan, Ollie, Carson, Ami, and Becky

Chuck E. Cheese
We went to Chuck E. Cheese to celebrate Carson's birthday.

Bluebird Park in Laguna

Super cool rock slide

Add caption

Uncle Ryan getting all the kids dizzy

Beach Time

It was a wonderful trip. I'm so glad Regan was there because we don't get to see each other nearly enough. I am also grateful that we don't live too far to drive from my parents. 7 hours is very do-able! Another "I'm grateful topper" is for my cousin Andrea who lives 10 minutes from my parents. Her and her family were out of town and let Steve and I stay in their condo. It was WONDERFUL to have all that room. Thanks Andrea!

Sidenote: Thanksgiving dinner was delicious! Mom made THE BEST STUFFING I've ever had, and Becky made THE BEST CHOCOLATE DESERT I've ever eaten as well. (I'll make sure to post the recipes.) I hope all of you had a great holiday too. Now onto Christmas!

My boy is three!

2011-12-02T21:00:00.000-08:00

Carson celebrated his third birthday two weeks ago, and I still can't believe that we have a three-year-old! It was a pretty low key birthday because we were planning on celebrating the next week at Grandma and Grandpa Kelley's. Last minute I called a few friends and we met at a pizza place for pizza and cake.

If I had to pick just five words to describe Carson they would be:

Tenacious
Fearless
Determined
Tenderhearted
Tough

Carson is such a fun kid! He is a non-stop ball of energy and we are so lucky to share in his excitement about anything and everything. It is unbelievable how big this he is. Seriously, he is bigger then most 4-year-olds. I just love his big boy body-all his summer-salts, jumping, climbing, wrestling... boys are the best! Carson's been in speech for the past year and his speech is improving everyday. He constantly surprises me with the things he says. I love that he is getting better and better at communicating. It is wonderful that he starting to finally able to communicate what he is thinking and feeling. It's a whole new world for all of us.

Another exciting change for us is that Carson started pre-school this week! He wasn't scared at all. He walked right in the classroom, hung-up his backpack and sat down ready to learn. He has been begging to go to school and I am so glad it's finally started. He goes twice at week and gets speech services while he is there. Next week he is going to start taking the school bus, which he is THRILLED about.

Diego Backpack

I had grand plans of taking a classic "first day of school" picture. This is as good as it got.

Look at him with his hands folded. Nursery has taught him well =)

Carson has the best laugh (sorry all you other Moms out there, but it's true). He is so fun to tickle and chase. I love to watch him watch movies, especially when he knows a funny part is about to happen. So great. Carson has really turned into my little buddy. He is such a "helper". He loves to help me bake and help Dad with anything that includes tools. I LOVE that he likes to hug, kiss and cuddle. What a lucky Mama, I know. He is a wonderful older brother. He loves to play with and entertain Luke. Luke lights-up whenever his brother enters a room.

Carson, we love you more then words can express and are so happy that you are part of our family! Happy birthday little goose.

Luke Eleven-Month Update

2011-11-29T18:26:00.000-08:00

I’m sure getting big! I can climb up the stairs now and I am very proud of myself. Now if I could only climb down… I am getting much more confident in crawling and in pulling myself up onto things. Mom thinks it will still be a while before I start walking. I have discovered the toilet and love it when someone forgets to shut the door to the bathroom and I can stick my hands in the water. I love to play with the toilet paper too. It is so fun to un-roll and eat.

I’ve decided that I really love my Mom and Dad and am not very happy if they are not around. I’ll still go to anyone and am pretty friendly, but I want my Mom to still be in the room. I hate being left at Kids Club at the gym and get very upset. Mom and Dad can’t believe how much I can eat! We had pizza for Carson’s birthday and I ate an entire breadstick and a whole piece of pizza by myself. I not only eat a lot, but I’ll eat anything. Mom is so happy to have a kid that will eat anything.

I love to copy sounds I hear, especially high pitched, loud sounds. I am still a great sleeper, hooray. We flew and traveled a lot this month and I did very well. We drive to Grandma and Grandpa’s house frequently and I am a very good boy in the car (most of the time.) Mom is looking forward to my first birthday because she will be able to give me cow's milk. She is hoping I will drink it so she won't have to nurse forever. I don't know what the big deal is...I am just an easy going, content little boy and am excited to be one soon!

Texas

2011-11-19T14:54:00.000-08:00

Port Arthur boardwalk

Steve had an opportunity to help with a massive start-up of a new refinery in Port Arthur, Texas. Once completed it will be the largest oil refinery in North America. Shell brought in employees from all over to help and he was one of them. The start up was supposed to be 6 weeks so the kids and I decided to come for the first two weeks to try to break up the time. The kids did really good on the flight. At the time Steve wasn't sure if he would be able to fly back with us for the weekend, but once we got here he found out he could, THANK GOODNESS! It would have been terrible to do by myself. Actually, they aren't quite ready for him yet so the great news is he gets to come back with us through the end of November. Then, fingers crossed, he'll be done in time for Christmas.

We had a one-bedroom apartment, which wasn't as bad as we thought it was going to be, but boy am I grateful for my house now! We would drop Steve off at work so we could have the car and the kids and I explored. There isn't much to explore here...We went to a few parks, shopped a little, went to a few new resturants, nothing too exciting. The gulf coast is very interesting. Port Arthur is on the Louisiana boarder and everyone has thick accents. I stuck out like a sore thumb. It is lush and there is a lot of water. It is humid though, and tons of mosquitoes. If you want to go outside you have to spray on bug spray. The people weren't as friendly as I thought they would be, which was very surprising. We could easily move here if we wanted, and I sure don't.

**BOWLING WITH THE KIDS FOR THE FIRST TIME

Carson's victory dance

Luke keeping score

**THE DUCK PARK (as Carson named it)

We spent a weekend in Austin and met some of our dear Fairfield friends who had recently moved to Midland, Texas. I loved Austin! It was so lush and green with beautiful rivers. The city was very clean and welcoming. Plus there is amazing shopping there. Supposedly they have an amazing live music scene, which is right up my ally. I'd love to go back without kids sometime.

Xander, Zac, Carson (classic Carson picture), and Haven

I think Carson's favorite part of the weekend was riding in their big car!

Jennie and I

It was so wonderful to spend time with the Lovells. They are truly the nic est people I know. There kids LOVE Carson. You don't find big kids that are so willing and happy to play with little kids very often. Carson was in heaven being the center of attention. We went to the zoo, swam in the hotel pool, played at the park, ate out a lot. Nothing too exciting, it was just fun being together.

**AUSTIN ZOO

Jennie loving Luke

Carson LOVES his buddy Zac

**Playing at a Local Park

Filling up his shoes for the better good... (see below)

The better good being covering the slide with bark chips

In all I'm glad we decided to come with Steve, but I am so glad to be home. I missed the stability of our daily routine and my kids' behaviors and sleeping sure showed that too! Not knowing anyone here, and not having many people to talk to made me miss my friends. It was great going to Bunco last night and seeing everyone. Now all I am wishing for is that the kids will get off of Texas time and back to California time. Yesterday Carson woke up at 4:20 am and this morning it was 4:40...Needless to say Steve and I are exhausted!

Luke Ten-Month Update

2011-11-06T18:07:00.000-08:00

Standing at the top of the stairs.

I am finally crawling! I love being able to get around. I am a pretty slow, cautious crawler though. I've also started pulling myself up on furniture and standing. I’m not sure how to get down once I’m standing and my legs start to shake and it scares me. I yell for Mom and she always comes to my rescue. My second tooth came in just a few days ago. I love eating big kid food and am excited to see what else I can eat with more teeth. I will drink water out of a sippy cup now. Mom has tried to have me drink milk a few times, but I don’t like it…I love to go to the park and eat the bark. Now that I can crawl I am finding way more things to eat off the ground.

Mom’s only complaint is the hair pulling. I will pull and suck on Mom’s (and anyone else’s hair) any chance I get. Mom’s head hurts and her hair isn’t looking too great either, but I can’t help it. What can I say, I love hair. Hopefully I’ll grow out of it soon. I continue to be a great sleeper. Mom and Dad are very grateful for that. I have to get my two naps a day or I’m a very grumpy boy! I’ve started taking showers and think they are really fun. Mom puts the plug in the tub and lets it fill up so I can play. I’m getting very gutsy in the water. I love to hear my own voice echo in the shower.

Halloween part II

2011-11-01T20:06:00.000-07:00

Ready, set, let's trick or treat!!

The night after Halloween we checked out all the pumpkins at Craig Gillespie's house. Every year dozens of people carve, carve, carve to put on this amazing display for us to enjoy.

Halloween part I

2011-10-31T14:21:00.000-07:00

Our Halloween festivities started at the church Trunk or Treat Friday night. I was one of the people in charge, so it was a little stressful for me, but the evening was a great success. Luke was so sick that after 15 minutes there Steve took him home (which added to my stress, but what can you do?) Carson had wanted to be Buzz Lightyear for months, so I found a costume at the Goodwill, score I know, then out of the blue he changed his mind. He got a Halloween Go Diego, Go book from the library where Diego was a bat and decided he wanted to be a bat, ugh... Not just any type of bat, but the exact bat from the book. See picture:

So I go the the fabric store and do my best to replicate. It is a pretty stupid costume anyway, and my rendition didn't turn out great. Right before the Trunk or Treat he tried it on and realized it wasn't great and after a little bribing with candy he decided to go back to Buzz. I know he is glad he did because he felt so cool that night. He are a few pictures I snapped before. I didn't get any of Steve though. He went disco and looked amazing. Imagine the tightest pants you've ever seen on a guy, or maybe don't. =)

Don't you love this face? "That's right, I'm Buzz. Try to contain yourself."

Luke, the cutest little chunky monkey you've ever seen!

Poor Luke, you can tell he doesn't feel great. The costume stayed on all of 2 minutes.

Carson had the time of his life at the Trunk or Treat. I love this age because they don't remember Halloween last year and don't fully realize what they are in for. When all the sudden it clicks that all these people are JUST GIVING AWAY CANDY! I think he thought he'd died and gone to Heaven. It's so great re-living my life through the eyes of a two-year-old. Because the night was so crazy I wasn't able to take any pictures. Here are a few my friends took.

Ty, O.G. and Carson

Me (as Lucy) and Carrie holding Jillian (Jenny Wesley)

Today Carson had a little party that his Speech pathologist practice threw at an ice cream parlor. This is the best picture I could get of him and his speech teacher Nicole. We love Nicole. You might ask yourself is his costume different? Well, yes. My darling cousin Andrea mailed me her son's old Buzz costume on Saturday, which is way cooler then the one I had. Complete with gloves, wings and a head cap. Hopefully I can get him to put it all on tonight so I can get a picture. Anyway, I'm sure that is more than you wanted to know. Happy trick or treating tonight!

Lake Berryessa

2011-10-31T13:50:00.000-07:00

We spent a beautiful day on Saturday at Berryessa with the Gorings. Mike and Steve skied the course, while the boys, Diane, and I stayed nice and dry in the boat. I don't get into water that cold, and wouldn't let Carson get in either, mean Mom I know. Carson loved helping out with the rope and driving the boat. Every time Steve or Mike fell Carson was very concerned and would yell "you okay Dad/Mike?" So funny. Luke was a very good boy and couldn't help falling asleep every time the boat moved. We are so lucky to live 45 min away from this amazing lake! Not the best pictures, but I thought I'd post them anyway.

Ricks Forever!

2011-10-27T22:32:00.000-07:00

Do you see me???

I got something in the mail from Ricks (I refuse to call it BYU-I) saying that it's been 10 years since they changed it to BYU-I. That means it's been 10 years since I received my associates from there and left darling Rexburg and haven't been back, so sad I know. Anyway, it is UNBELIEVABLE how much has changed! It seems like every singe building has been remodeled and they've added so many new buildings. The student population has doubled.

Looking at all the before's made me so nostalgic for my Ricks days. I loved my time at BYU in Provo, I mean I met Steve there for Pete sake, and made life long friends, but my Ricks years were just special, you know? Anyone who went there back when it was smaller and there were only freshman and sophomores there knows what I'm talking about... I was lucky enough to have my sister Regan there with me and we were neighbors both years. I was also lucky enough to be roomies with Amanda Crane both years and she is still one of my favorite people, even though we don't see each other nearly enough anymore.

There isn't much to do in Rexburg, but because of that we created so many things to do! A few of my YW are there right now and I am trying to re-live the college days through them and it makes me so excited that they are experiencing what I did. Okay, enough of this I guess. If you want to check out all the changes over the past 10 years check out this link.

http://www.byui.edu/magazine/fall2011/features/The_Changing_Face_of_Campus/

Toy Chest Makeover

2011-10-20T16:33:00.000-07:00

I friend of mine gave us this cool treasure chest looking toy chest. I decided it needed a little refreshing.

Before...

After...

Don't you just love the color? (Thanks Tammy!)

Low-fat Pumpkin Spiced Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-10-19T14:35:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law sent me this recipe and if you love pumpkin and chocolate you'll love these. It says servings 12, but I made 24 smaller cookies instead and they are still a good size. FYI If you are doing WW Pointsplus I think about 2 cookies is 3 points.

Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 12 • Size: 2 cookies • Old Points: 4 pts • Points+: 5 pts
Calories: 171.4 • Fat: 5.0 g • Protein: 1.4 g • Carb: 34.7 g • Fiber: 1.5 g • Sugar:25.4 g
Sodium: 113 mg

Ingredients:

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 egg white
2 tbsp pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Line two cookie sheets with non-stick silicone baking liners such as Silpats (I highly recommend for best results) or lightly spray cookie sheets with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, salt and pumpkin spice; stir to blend. In another bowl, whisk the sugars, butter, egg white, pumpkin puree and vanilla together until light and fluffy.

Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in two additions until the batter is very well blended. If the batter looks more “crumbly” than smooth, add just a drop of water at a time (ONLY if needed) until it smooths out.

Drop by level spoonfuls about 1 inch apart onto baking sheets.

Bake 8 - 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, and let them stand 5 minutes before removing the cookies from the pans to cool on wire racks.

My etsy store

2011-10-18T13:19:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty late on the etsy bandwagon, but I've now finally opened a store. I've thought of putting my vinyl on it for quite a while, but the vinyl lettering market is pretty overly saturated so I held off. I recently started making these cute diaper/wipe holders and decided to open up a shop with those and my vinyl. It's too much work to put individual vinyl sayings on there, so I am just doing custom orders for the lettering. I'm not sure if I'll get much traffic, but I needed some sort of online ordering for my vinyl because whenever I do craft fairs people ask for it. Anyway, take a look at Loveybumpkins!

Oh, fall...Don't you just love it?

2011-10-12T00:34:00.000-07:00

We went to Larry's produce for playgroup today. It was a glorious day! It had rained before so everything looked so bright and clean. We bought way too many pumpkins. In the photo above: Ty, O.G., Luke and Carson.

P.S. Isn't the first picture of the post to die for? I RARELY get a picture with both boys not only looking at the camera, but somewhat smiling too. Actually, this could quite possibly be the first.

Book Review #2 The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom

2011-10-02T21:51:00.000-07:00

All I can say is fantastic. The story takes place in the late 1700/early 1800s in Virgina. It is a vivid and interesting perspective from not only the slaves of a tobacco plantation but a young white girl who because an indentured servant there. Overall if you want a heartwarming, lighthearted read, this isn't the book for you, although it does have moments of humor and happiness. The first quarter of it was a little slow, but I couldn't read the last half fast enough. I'm glad it's over because now I can get some stuff done! **Read it!

Luke Nine-Month Update

2011-10-01T13:35:00.001-07:00

My first tooth has arrived! I’ve had it for almost a month now, but so far it’s all by itself. I feel really grown-up with one tooth. I’m still not crawling. I get on my hands and knees and rock, but that’s as far as I’ve gotten. I can scoot backwards and roll to get what I want most of the time. I LOVE big kid food, and am not very interested in baby food anymore. My favorites are; bananas, cheerios, avocados, veggie sticks, pears, and pretzels.

I am such a love bug. I love to snuggle and kiss. I LOVE hair, other people’s hair. I will pull and suck on anyone’s hair when I get a chance. I am a pretty good sleeper. I wake up between 6:30-7:00 and take a morning nap at 8:30. Then I go down again when Carson takes a nap around 1:00. Lately I’ve been testing Mom to see if she is willing to come and get me at anytime during the night. She has been showing me that she won’t, so I’ve been starting to give up that endeavor.

I really love my Mom. I’ll still go to anyone who wants to hold me, but If I could choose I want Mom! I really love my brother too. He comes into my room every morning and I smile at him from ear-to-ear. He works hard to make me laugh and smile all day and it works! I love when Dad gets home from work. I love to listen to him talk and I watch him very intently. I like to watch whatever TV shows my brother is watching. I love to eat sand at the beach. I like to swim (as long as the water isn’t too cold). I love baths with my brother. I love when people smile and talk to me. I am a happy, delightful nine month old!

Weight: 19 lbs. 10 oz. (41%)
Height: 2feet 4 inches (49%)

check out my bottom tooth!!

My favorite part of summer...

2011-09-29T15:35:00.000-07:00

Tan lines in the fat rolls! These pictures doesn't do them justice, but here are Luke's ankle and wrist roll tan lines.

Vacation

2011-09-26T15:46:00.000-07:00

We just got back from staying at my parent’s house in Dana Point. We actually only saw them for a day. They were going out of town so we came down to stay in their house while they were gone. We had a fun week. The weather was overcast and cooler for most of the week, but that didn’t stop us from having plenty of beach and pool time. We spent a lot of time with my sister and her kids. It’s nice having them live close to my parents. I was able to go out to lunch with a few high school friends, which was great! Laurel and Ryan came down one day to hang out. One highlight was we were able to go to Café Rio, yummy. I wish they had one up here! Anyway, it was a pretty low key vacation.

**Spending the afternoon at Aliso Creek in Laguna. One of my favorite beaches growing up.

** Spending time at the Irvine Regional Park. It's this huge park with a little zoo, pond, and there even was a Halloween pumpkin patch.

Luke having fun at the Zoo

Brushing the goats

Rarely am I able to get Carson to look at the camera and smile all at the same . Way to go me! =)

Facer Fam.

** Dinner at Rubies with the Plewes. Carson loves the old cars out front.

Carson, Luke (rockin' the grilled cheese) and Justin

**I had to add this one of the kids eating popcorn while watching a movie. Check out the 1st picture. See that Luke is on the couch?

After I took the picture, I went to show Becky and came back not even 30 seconds later. And this is how they were:

I don't know who picked him up and brought him down, but obviously they wanted Luke to be part of the fun.

He was mad at me though because I wouldn't let him eat popcorn like the big kids!

** Lunch with Julianne and Jackie. Two of my dearest friends from high school!

In regards to the previous post:

2011-09-18T15:16:00.000-07:00

It was nothing too exciting. Carson was chasing his cousin Oliver on my parent's patio. Ollie was jumping off of a patio chair and Carson followed suit. Apparently his balancing skills aren't as advanced as Ollie's... I'm not sure if he hit his head on the table on his way down or if it was just the blunt-force of hitting the concrete that busted it open. I think it was from hitting the ground. It didn't bleed too much and once we started roasting marshmallows he was all better. We let him stay up later than usual to watch for signs of a concussion, but luckily he was fine. To be honest I can't believe this was the first time he has cracked his head open. At least we didn't have to make a ER visit!

It's all fun and games until someone cracks their head open...

2011-09-16T20:06:00.001-07:00

Mimi Day

2011-09-13T13:57:00.000-07:00

Like promised, here is my Mimi post. We had so much fun, even though it wasn't enough time. I picked Mimi up at the BART station in Pleasant Hill and we got home in time for the babysitter to come. We left the boys and treated ourselves to mani/pedi's and a yummy lunch.

The only picture we got on our afternoon out. Bummer that it's blurry.

Later that evening Steve, Mimi, and I drove to meet her hubby Dan in Dublin (sort of a half way point from us to Mountain View and ate at Macaroni Grill. Here are a few pictures from outside the restaurant. I am so lucky to have such a great friend. Even though we don't see each other nearly enough it feels like it's only been a few weeks every time we are together.

Labor Day Fun

2011-09-08T13:22:00.000-07:00

We had a fantastic Labor Day Weekend. First, my dear friend and college roommate Mimi took BART up to spend the day with me. She lives in Arizona, but was in South Bay with her in-laws. I'll post more about her visit when she emails me the pictures...Hint, hint, Mimi...

Anyway, My other dear friend and college roommate Laurel (who I see much more often b/c I live near her parents and she lives near mine) told us that she and her hubby are moving from L.A. to Sacramento. We are so excited to only be an hour away! Ryan just finished Orthodontic school at UCLA and got a job in Roseville. Here are some pictures at the Labor Day BBQ we went to at her parents' house in Walnut Creek

Tyler, Justin, Carson, and Kira

*Bonners* McMillans* Plewes*

Leah & Laurel

Book Review #1 A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard

2011-09-07T15:02:00.000-07:00

I love to read and am always looking for suggestions of good books. I thought I would start writing little reviews on recent books I've read. My latest read was A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard. All I can say is holy crap! It is her biography/memoir of the 18 years she was held in captivity by the hands of a convicted rapist and child molester.

I couldn't put it down. I was worried that it would be a difficult read due to the disturbing nature, but it wasn't as bad as I thought. She is amazingly normal for all the things that happened to her. She had two children while in captivity and they are all currently doing well and living fairly normal lives. It focused a little too much on her cats and the animals she trains in her therapy for my taste. I'm not a huge animal person though so maybe those parts won't drag for you if you are a cat lover. I highly recommend this book. It will remind you of not only the evil in this world, but the good as well. Jaycee's experience exemplifies the strength of the human spirit and the power to overcome anything.

Don't you just wanna kiss that face?

2011-09-02T09:53:00.000-07:00

An (after dinner, light is good outside, while Dad and brother are pruning trees) photo shoot. Please note the single tear on his face as well as the pureed carrots.

Milestones

2011-09-01T14:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Carson pooped in the potty and Luke's first tooth popped through. More information than you probably wanted to hear, but I don't care. Way to go boys!

The latest form of discipline...

2011-08-28T21:06:00.000-07:00

J/K =) Steve's parents have been in town for a few days.Friday we went to Sandy Beach in Rio Vista. Carson experienced the joy of being buried in the sand. Luke experienced the joy of eating sand. There has been sandy poop in diapers today, but it was all worth it, right?

Luke Eighth-Month Update

2011-08-28T20:34:00.000-07:00

Always something in his mouth, I know...

Mom thinks my first tooth is about to pop through because I have been abnormally fussy this week. Hopefully it will come soon. If you don’t count this week I’ve been a happy and well contented little guy… as long as I get my naps. Mom can’t go anywhere in the morning anymore because I HAVE TO take my 8:30 am nap or else I am a grump for the rest of the day. Gone are the days of sleeping anywhere. I want my own bed in my own room! I usually sleep for an hour or so, and then I take another nap around 1:00 pm. I haven’t figured out the crawling thing yet, not even close. I have mastered the roll though. I can roll anywhere to get what I want. Mom told me to feel free to take my time with the crawling thing, that there was no rush. So I think I will.

I think my brother Carson is HILLARIOUS! He thinks he is pretty funny too. I am getting a lot tougher so we can play rougher. I like when mom and Dad flip me upside down, but I do not like to be thrown. That scares me. Nothing has changed with the bottle thing. (Hate them, refuse to put them in my mouth.) I do like baby food though. I am starting to get picky and only want the fruit ones. Mom says I have to eat veggies too. When I nurse I like to rub my little head and run my fingers through my little old man fringe. Speaking of hair, I love it! I always pull and suck on anyone’s hair that is holding me. Mom can’t wear her hair down anymore and she complains that it hurts when I pull it, big baby. I love to be tickled on my back, head, ribs and thighs. I have the cutest giggle and squeal when I am excited. Mom’s favorite thing about me right now is my chubby cheeks. Seriously, it looks like I am storing something in there.

Happy 30th to Me!

2011-08-23T13:25:00.000-07:00

I had a rad 30^th birthday extravaganza last week. 24 of my dear friends, well the ladies at least- I was kind enough to let their husbands tag along =), attended my “jumping” themed party. We went out to eat at Claim Jumper in Concord. After dinner about half of the group went to jump at Sky High Sports. Sky High is a large warehouse filled with trampolines. It was a lot of fun. I have to say that after a few tries I was able to land my front flip. (I was too chicken to try my back flip.) Steve wants me to mention that he landed his without any effort… The funniest thing was it was us and a ton of teenage boys, I'm sure they got a huge kick out of us.

I am so lucky to have such great friends to share my birthday with!!

Table Makeover

2011-08-21T20:44:00.000-07:00

Before...

After...

We got new chairs, stripped the top of the table to the natural wood, and painted the legs black. I love to jazz up something I already own. What do you think?

**Thanks to Mimi for the birthday flowers on the table! =)

Best part of my day

2011-08-16T21:18:00.000-07:00

This was my favorite birthday gift today...

BTW thanks for all the happy birthday texts, facebook messages, and phone calls. I felt very loved.

**A fun 30th birthday celebration post coming soon**

It's not easy being green

2011-08-14T10:53:00.000-07:00

Whenever we get to the end of a bag of water balloons (we do water balloons a lot) there seems to be only green ones left. Green seems to be Carson's least favorite color I guess.

Appreciation

2011-08-08T16:26:00.000-07:00

Teachers rarely get the appreciation they deserve. Especially high school teachers and especially, especially, special education high school teachers. By high school the students are too old and cool to ever think to be grateful for all you do for them. Most parents by this time think of sped teachers as the enemy. It can be disheartening at times, so any little thank you you get can mean a lot!

I got an email from an old student of mine today telling me he had a daughter and named her Leah after me. How sweet is that. This student was a pretty rough and tough guy with many behavior issues. He had a difficult family life and was close to dropping out of school. My goal from day one was to make sure he felt safe and comfortable in my classroom. I tried my best to give him a positive adult role model and to show him that I genuinely cared about him. His tough guy wall eventually came down and I got to know the real him. He turned out to be one of my favorite students. He did finish school and is now working and seems happy.

So, for all you teachers out there-you are changing someone's life, even if you think everything you are doing is going unnoticed.

A quick picture of my guys before church...

2011-08-07T20:35:00.000-07:00

We had just woken Carson up from a nap, can't you tell?

He knows he looks like such a big kid!

Is there anything much cuter than this?

2011-08-06T20:31:00.000-07:00

Luke Seven-Month Update

2011-08-06T20:26:00.000-07:00

This was as good as it got for this month... The card says 7 months by the way. Sucking on it kind of defeats the point I know. Hopefully next month will be better.

The day after mom wrote last month’s update I rolled over! I am a rolling machine now rolling from one end of the room to another. I am getting really close to being able to sit all by myself too. BIG NEWS this month is my tear ducts seemed to clear! Mom and Dad are so glad that I won’t have to get surgery.

I eat baby for twice a day and like it okay. I still prefer to nurse over anything else. Mom’s decided to try to get me to take milk out of a sippy cup. So far it hasn’t worked… I take two solid naps a day. One long 2 hour nap at 8:30 am, and a shorter 1-1 1.2 hour nap around 2:00. Mom is going to shorten my morning nap in hopes that I will fall asleep in the afternoon at 12:30 (that’s when Carson takes a nap.) For some reason she wants some time to herself…I can’t imagine why… I am really good at going to sleep though. Most of the time Mom can just lie me down awake in my crib and I’ll fall asleep on my own.

We have been driving a lot lately on trips to southern California and Oregon and I have become accustomed to long drives. I do very well in the car. I am getting so much sturdier so Carson can rough-house with me more. He likes to hold me and roll around on the floor. I think it is really fun and laugh and laugh. He usually doesn’t stop until I finally cry out. Mom says Carson doesn’t understand “social cues” yet. No teeth, but they should be here soon. It’s amazing how much I can chew off of a piece of apple without any teeth. I almost choked yesterday, so Mom said no more apples slices. My hair is finally growing. It looks like I have a buzz cut. My hair is very blonde. I am an extremely happy, well tempered baby boy!!

Girlfriends

2011-08-03T16:39:00.000-07:00

I don’t think there is a woman alive that can get through life without good girlfriends! Last night my friend Kelly threw a “slumber” party because her hubby and boys were off at scout camp. A few of us came over, brought yummy food, and watched 16 Candles. We decided that it would be much more comfortable to sleep in our own beds though =). I am so lucky to have such great friends!

By the way, how great is 16 Candles??? If you haven’t watched it in a while you’ve got to! Watching Jake Ryan all night almost makes you want to be a teenager again—being so excited over your latest huge crush. Oh, back in the day…

Bonner Family Reunion 2011

2011-08-01T16:58:00.000-07:00

Last week we returned from our Bonner family reunion in Seaside, Oregon. Steve has 3 siblings and with all of us combined there were 9 adults and 19 kids. Steve is the baby of the family which means a lot of cool big boy cousins for Carson to play with. We stayed at our timeshare in Seaside which was so wonderful because we all had our own space complete with kitchens. The Oregon Coast is BEAUTIFUL, but never warms up much. We made the best out of it though and had a lot of fun. Here is a summary of what we did:

***Rented two boats and went crabbing. The boys thought this was especially cool. We cooked our catches up for dinner, but seemed to have a lot leftover…

Isaac enjoying the ride

Cleaning the crabs after they've been boiled.

Does it look like enough crab for 28 people??

·
***Went to the tidepools at Cannon Beach.

Beth and Rebekah

·
*** Visited the Tillamook factory and ate delicious ice cream!

{Josh, Matt, Isaac, and Carson}

· *** Visited the Maritime Museum in Astoria.

Little boy Heaven!!

Making our own rope

· ***Checked out the Seaside Aquarium only a few blocks from our hotel.

· ***Plenty of playing on the beach. (Adults wearing sweatshirts and the kids playing in the water.) =)

Roasting hot dogs

·
***Swimming, swimming, and more swimming in the hotel pool.

Perfect location, right on the beach (except for the ocean wind!)

Piggyback ride thanks Matt

Swimming all by himself

· ***And of course, plenty more!!!

Checkout the shirts Ruth designed!

chaos known as dinner

Isaac, Allie and Megan

Grandpa eating a chocolate covered twinkie

Big girls being silly on the elevator

Carson initiating body slams during dinner. ( A common theme of the week...)

On the Promenade

Luke and Josh

A highlight of the trip, the luggage racks!

Luke's attitude concerning the beach...Not a fan of the wind, sun, and coldness.

A HUGE thanks to Steve’s parents, Bill and Ruth and his sister Janel for putting this all together. I am very lucky to have such a great family that I married into!

He can swim ladies and gentleman!

2011-07-28T19:28:00.000-07:00

It’s official, my two-year-old can swim! Not just hold his breath and blow bubbles swim, but real, take multiple breaths, kicking his legs, swimming. Here is a video of him this past week on our trip to Seaside Oregon. This was just a few days in. By the end of the trip he could swim from one end of the pool to the other. My kid rocks! =)

Man's Work

2011-07-19T21:21:00.000-07:00

Packing...

2011-07-19T14:01:00.000-07:00

I HATE packing! I dread it, it makes me not want to go on trips-But the fact is we are out of town a lot and it is a necessary evil. I decided to make things easier on myself (save time, not forget important things, etc.) I made a Master Packing List. It has 7 categories: Leah, Steve, Carson, Luke, Car/Plane Stuff, Baby Stuff, and Other. I have any and everything we'd need on a trip on there. Now when I have to pack I just print one up and start checking off the items. I highly recommend it!

Happy Birthday Baby!

2011-07-18T14:39:00.000-07:00

32 has never looked so good!

Classic

2011-07-16T16:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was in the Target parking lot and a man pulled over and said, "Excuse me miss, you have a lolly pop stuck to your back." This little episode best describes the period of life I am in right now. Carson pulled it off for my then stuck it right back in his mouth.

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-10T10:29:00.000-07:00

For the whole 4^th of July week we went to visit my parents in the house they are leasing in Dana Point. It was a fun filled week! My sister and her two kids live near-by so Carson got a lot of cousin time.

Carson helping Grandpa drive the little party boat we rented in the harbor

What a looker! ha ha

Luke loved sucking on his life jacket

Ollie, Ami and Carson enjoying their Ring Pops on Grandma and Grandpa's patio. (Check out that ocean view. I don't think my Mom can ever go back to LA County.)

My Dad celebrated his 60^th birthday on the 3^rd with this yummy chocolate cake! The grown-ups also got to go out to dinner to the Chart House. The food was amazing, but the best part was NO KIDS!

Dad blowing out his candles

My cousin Andrea and her hubby and kids joined us for the party too.

The community they live in (Niguel Shores) had all sorts of fun things organized on the 4^th. Our morning started with a parade.

Watching the flag being raised. I love this picture of all the men with the kids on their shoulders

Followed by swimming.

Carson is a fish. He can jump off the edge of the pool and swim back to the edge all by himself. Pretty impressive for a 2-yr-old. He can come up once for breath. Our little swimmer!

We spent the evening on the back patio roasting hotdogs and making S’mores. Nothing like a fire, metal sticks, and 2 and 4 year old boys!

Niguel Shores had a big party with music down on their grassy common area, while people are waiting for the fireworks. The kids had so much fun dancing and running around! I do have to say Steve and I opted for our kiddos to go to sleep long before the fireworks started. Mean Mom and Dad-I know. The fireworks were great. We could clearly see the Laguna, Newport, and off in the distance, the Huntington Beach firework shows from the patio.

Of course no trip to OC would be complete without plenty of beach time. Steve and I tried paddle boarding for the first time and loved it. Steve, my Dad and I even got some jet skiing in. After living up here for the past 6 years I am always shocked about how warm the ocean gets during the summer down there.

Luke wasn't the biggest fan of the beach. He did not like the sun in his face, all the wind, or cold water. He looks pretty happy here though.

The boys playing on the paddle board. Carson Loves his big boy cousin Ollie and copies everything he does. Everytime we visit they do better and better together.

It was a great week and we can’t wait to go back in September. In fact we might come in August too!

Luke's 6 Month Photo Shoot

2011-06-27T15:17:00.000-07:00

Little rascal scratched his forehead on the way there!

We took Carson along so they could get a few together. this is as good as it got...

Seriously, what is wrong with me?

2011-06-25T16:58:00.000-07:00

I made these baby shower invitations for a friend of mine. All printed, in envelopes ready to deliver...Then I realized she is having a boy...

Luke Six-Month Update

2011-06-24T13:28:00.000-07:00

Six months old already and Mom can’t believe it! I am almost rolling over now. I get about half way and then I’m not sure what to do. It doesn’t help that whenever I’m practicing brother rolls me back. I guess he doesn’t think I should be rolling…Just in the past week I have decided that I love baby food. I am still trying to figure out exactly what my tongue should be doing while I am trying to eat, but regardless it is very yummy. I have grown SO MUCH in the last month. I am so round and chunky. No one can believe how big I’ve gotten so quickly.

I can’t decide if I want to take 2 or 3 naps a day. I am getting a little more scheduled though. I’ve been swimming a few times and really like it as long as the water isn’t too cold. I love to grab at toys now and love to chew and suck on them. Carson is starting to get jealous when I am playing with a toy and grabs it away from me (lucky Mom). Carson loves me a lot though. Whenever Mom or Dad says we are going to go somewhere Carson makes sure I will come too. He loves having me around. Overall I am a happy, good baby boy. Mom, Dad, and Carson are lucky to have me!

Stats:

Weight 17 lbs. 12 oz. (46%)
Height 28 in. (88%)
Head 44.5 cm. (17.5%)

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T19:09:00.000-07:00

"Dad, you're the best. Thanks for reading us stories before bed, wrestling, letting us mow the grass and fix cars with you, and all that other cool guy stuff. We love you" --Carson & Luke

Shoes...

2011-06-16T14:19:00.000-07:00

I think you can separate the different "eras" of your kid's life by their shoes. Carson has been wearing these for close to a year and has finally outgrown them, not to mention they are falling apart as well. He has changed so much since the first day he put these on! He has explored his world, learned so many new things, had fun every day in them, gotten in trouble in them...you get it, the list can go on and on. Now I look at him and he isn't that little toddler anymore, he is a full fledged boy!

While I'm not the type of person to keep these shoes for sentimental reasons, but I know that whenever I look at this picture I'll be reminded of my cute, rascally, sweet 2-year-old boy running around and laughing, with a dirty face, even dirtier hands, and all that bright blonde hair. Now I'm getting teary eyed!

Just in case you weren't sure how...

2011-06-11T15:25:00.000-07:00

Good thing these instructions came in my new box of garbage bags. I don't think I would have been able to figure it out on my own...

It was a beautiful day!

2011-06-08T13:39:00.000-07:00

After more than a year of waiting it finally came. I went to U2 last night and it was awesome! If you remember a few of my sisters were going to fly/drive here last June for a sisters weekend/U2 concert, but the concert got cancelled because Bono had to have back surgery. None of my sisters were able to make it this time around which was sad, but I was able to go with my friend Leah (same name crazy I know) and we had a blast. It was great to go with a fello U2 lover. One of my favorite things to do is go to concerts and out of all the concerts I've been to this was the one I was the most excited about.

It was a little stressful because Luke will not take a bottle and I was worried he would starve so Steve drove us down and I nursed Luke the second before we went into the coliseum. Steve said Luke did fine and wasn't hungry at all which was a relief.

The concert was amazing, no surprise there. I am more of a fan of smaller venues with less popular bands for the most part, but the cool thing about a band this huge is the stage/lights/pyrotechnics, etc. were incredible. Lenny Kravitz opened and he rocked.

It is so wonderful going to a concert where you love every song and are exciting and jumping around the whole time. I have so many memories that are connected to U2 songs. When they played "The Streets Have No Name" I felt like I was in Rattle and hum =). It was really cool to be in the stadium with 60,000 other U2 fans where everyone was singing and dancing along.

Lenny

Anyway, it rocked. I loved it. It was nice taking a Mommy break and feeling like a real person again. Thanks Steve for watching the boys and braving a hungry baby!

Luke Five-Month Update

2011-06-03T14:59:00.000-07:00

***New posts below this one...

(Believe it or not this was the best one I could get. Not very cooperative!)

I am a “big kid baby” now as Mom calls it. I’ve got so much personality. I smile all the time. Everyone comments on how happy I am. I love to jump in my little play seat. I am constantly chewing and sucking on my fists and anyone else’s who will let me. I am usually taking 3 naps a day, but they are still all over the place. Mom is starting to crack-down and make nap scheduling more of a priority. In the past I’ve been napping in my swing, but Mom is making me nap in my crib now and I don’t like it very much. I am a very stubborn boy and can cry for a LONG TIME before giving up and going to sleep. During the night I am a very good sleeper. I usually wake-up around 4 am to eat, and then go right back to sleep. On average I go to bed between 7:00-8:00. I still refuse to take a bottle. Mom really wants to go somewhere by herself for longer than an hour or two so she is starting me on solids very soon. I am getting very drooley and am constantly chewing on my fist or someone’s finger. Mom wonders when my teeth are coming in. I continue to be very entertained by my brother. Sometimes I just break into laughter while I am watching him. He is very funny. I love to be tickled on my chunky thighs and love taking baths.

PRIVATE

2011-06-02T13:53:00.000-07:00

Yep, I've been meaning to do it for a while...It's time. Post in comments your email address if you want to have access to my blog. If you don't want to post it you can mail it to my junk email address: leah_bonner@hotmail.com

I promise when I have a new post I will make my blog un-private, then post, then make it private again so it will show when I have a new post. (Make sense?) That's what I hate about private blogs, I never know if you have a new post or not!

Speech

2011-06-02T13:49:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I noticed that Carson's vocabulary and annunciation seemed to be lacking compared to other kids his age. He was learning and improving, but at a very slow rate. As a special ed teacher =) I decided to contact the Regional Center and request a speech evaluation. A few weeks later a speech pathologist and representative from the Regional Center came to our home and tested him...and yep, he definitely has a speech delay.

I was so interesting observing how they tested him. His cognitive levels are high for his age, but he has a delay in his expressive language. Because of budget cuts a kid can only qualify for services if they are:
a) 50% or more behind in one category, or
b) 1/3 behind in two categories.
He was identified with having a fine motor delay as well which was a surprise to me. His gross motor is so advanced that I didn't even notice his fine motor was lacking. He doesn't get services for this though. They just told me things I can do to help him improve. They wanted to put the two delays down in writing so he would qualify for the speech delay.

ANYWAY, He had his first speech appointment today and he loved it. His therapist is so great and she has a lot of toys! Carson had so much fun. I'm happy because it is very close to my house. He gets two 45 minute sessions twice a week. When he turns three the Regional Center turns him over to the school district and he will get to go to pre-school, YIPPY (for him and me!)

I know if Carson wasn't doing speech he would catch up eventually. I'm just so glad that I went through these steps so he can catch-up faster and before he starts getting frustrated. It's nice after paying taxes to fund all of the various government programs we can finally take advantage of one =).

FYI: If you think your kid might have some sort of delay it is much easier to get them services before they turn two. I'd contact your child's doctor and he can let you know who to contact. It might have been more information then you wanted, but there you go.

Luke's Nursery

2011-05-25T15:06:00.000-07:00

Check out:

http://dwellingbydesign.blogspot.com/

She's done a feature on Luke's nursery. This is a really fun blog, with great design ideas!

It's exhausting being me!

2011-05-23T21:17:00.000-07:00

The Pilgrim

2011-05-23T21:15:00.000-07:00

This is for all you La Canadains. In fourth grade in La Canada everyone takes a field trip to "The Pilgrim". It's a full sized replica of a boat from the mid-1800's that is a part of the California gold rush history. We took Carson to see it and it sure brought back memories!

The OC

2011-05-23T21:06:00.000-07:00

My parents are renting a house in Dana Point until they figure out where they will be. They are so close to the beach you can hear the waves crash, so wonderful! The weather finally cleared up and we had a lot of fun at the pool and the beach while we were waiting for Steve to come home. Carson was a little bit of a basket case (lots of crying, poor sleeping, and a lot of clinging to me). I guess he was making me pay for leaving him. Regardless he had a blast and sure loves his Grandma and Grandpa.

Becky holding Ollie, holding Luke. Ami just hanging out!

Steve and I can't wait to go back, but with that said it's always nice to be home. Carson is a kid who needs routine and structure. It's nice to get back into the groove of things.

Scooter's Jungle

2011-05-23T21:05:00.000-07:00

On one of the raining days while staying at my parents we took the kids to Scooter's Jungle in Aliso Viejo. It was SO FUN! Seriously I don't think Carson has ever had so much fun in his entire life!!!

I love Ollie doing the splits

That smile says it all!

Don't Mess with Texas

2011-05-17T21:02:00.000-07:00

Steve had business in Houston for the week and Luke and I decided to tag along for a few days. We left Carson at my parent's house and flew out of LA. It was my first time to Texas and I've got to say that I am a fan. It didn't hurt that the weather was perfect, I've been told Houston is UNBEARABLE in the summer.

Everyone was so nice, polite and friendly. I loved all the trees and greenery, and that there are churches on every corner. Don't even get me started on the food. Texans' can eat! I had THE BEST fajitas I've ever had in my life. Last night I had this incredible chocolate dessert. It was a box made out of dark chocolate, stuffed with white chocolate moose and fresh berries. I wish I would have taken a picture of it.

Just for fun we looked at a few homes while we were there and went to some open houses. It is crazy how much house you can get for your money. I'm talking beautiful, huge brick homes in super nice neighborhoods for $200,000. I don't know, maybe I could do the heat and humidity for an incredible home. Don't worry, we aren't planning on moving anytime in the near future. It's just fun to see what other options are out there.

Steve stays in Houston for a few more days and I am hear with the boys at my parents' house. They said Carson was a very good boy while we were gone. And get this, supposedly he slept great the whole time I was gone! I guess all that sleep exhaustion finally caught up with him. Let's hope he keeps it up once we get home. I'll have to take some pictures these next few days and post them. It is very fun staying so close to the beach, but it's been rainy. Hopefully there will be some sunny weather so we can play outside!

Sleep, how I miss you...

2011-05-09T12:44:00.000-07:00

For the past month or so Carson has been waking-up between 5am and 6am. In the past he's been about a 6:30am guy, which is a little early, but I can handle it. I can't handle the 5's! Especially when I am up 1-2/night with Luke PLUS Carson has been pulling the waking-up in the middle of the night thing too. He has been so winey and emotional because he is exhausted! Which makes me think he still needs the same amount of sleep, he's just not getting it anymore.

Last week we pushed back his bedtime in hopes of sleeping in. It didn't work, he is still waking-up at the same time, each day grumpier than the last. This week I am cutting his naps in half so I'll let you know if that helps.

If you have any tips or advice I am all ears. Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child gives a few suggestions such as moving up the bed time or keeping them up really late in hopes to shock their system to"reboot" their sleeping...I don't know, HELP!

Stinson Beach

2011-05-05T11:44:00.000-07:00

Beaches in Northern California are very beautiful, but for the most part they are cold. I mean even in the middle of the summer you are lucky when you find a warm beach day. Yesterday was one of those PERFECT Norcal beach days! Steve took the afternoon off and we headed to Stinson. The Hornfischers pulled their kids out of school (how great is that) and met us there. Mid-80's, no wind or clouds = fantastic. It felt so good to soak up the sun and heat of the day. All the kids has a lot of fun and Luke did really well.

Leah holding Luke (yes we are both named Leah!)

Carson and O.G. playing in the hole Steve dug

Sandy Boy!!

Say Cheese!

One of those days

2011-05-02T08:17:00.000-07:00

The other day I needed to run to Babies-R-Us and Trader Joes. Honestly, it is exhausting taking both kids to any stores now a days, but I decided to brave it. Things were going fine, I had timed everything to a tee. We were leaving Trader Joes, Luke was starting to get hungry, it was close to nap time for Carson, we'd get home at the perfect time. Then I realize that I LOCKED MY KEYS IN THE CAR.

I call AAA and our membership had expired. I get free road side assistance through Kia, but my VIN # is inside the car and they won't send anyone if you don't have it. It is then that I realize that my phone battery is almost dead. (Meanwhile Luke is screaming because he is hungry and Carson is running around like a wild man.) I call Steve in a panic and quickly explain what is going on and tell him to fix it. He renewed our membership and got someone out there to unlock my car 20 minutes later. Thanks baby!

The low point of the ordeal was me trying to nurse in the mother's lounge in Babies-R-Us, while trying to block the door so Carson couldn't run out. More then a few times I ended up chasing him up and down a toy isle with "body parts" dangling, a baby screaming, and a two-year-old laughing hysterically.

Luckily Steve gave me some sound advice "don't lock your keys in your car." Thanks babe, I'll remember that next time...

Luke Four-Month Update

2011-04-28T13:47:00.000-07:00

I am such a happy baby! I smile all the time, to anyone who looks at me. I get very excited and giggle and squeal. My favorite two places are in the baby carrier strapped to my Mom when we are out and about, and my swing when we are at home. Mom just got my bouncer out of the garage and I am having a lot of fun playing in it. At my 4 month check-up I was 14 lbs. 9 oz. and 25 inches (50-60% in both categories). I am getting so many rolls on my arms and legs. My cheeks are getting so chubby too. The doctor said Mom can start having me try real food, but Mom says she’s not ready for that yet. My eyes still water and goop-up all the time. The doctor said I might have to get surgery on my tear ducts when I am a year old. Mom has to keep my nails very short because I keep scratching my head. It looks like I fell in a rose bush!

Mom can’t believe what an easy baby I am during the day. I am very content just hanging out on my own and observing all that is going on around me. I love my brother and am very entertained by him. He is very loving and kind towards me (the majority of the time.) I don’t get much one-on-one time with Mom or Dad, but I don’t mind. It is nice when my brother is taking a nap or after he’s gone to bed because Mom will hold me and talk to me. I love when I have 100% of her attention. My night time sleep is still all over the place. For a week I was doing good waking up once around 4 am to eat and then going back to sleep until 7:30. Lately I’ve started waking up 2-3 times at night. Mom is about to make me start crying it out, which will be sad, but good for all of us in the long run. =) Mom also said that I need to start taking more naps in my crib rather in my swing. When I get overly hungry I have a freak out! I cry and scream and refuse to eat. Mom has to work hard to calm me down before I’ll eat. Needless to say Mom works really hard to make sure I eat and sleep before I am too tired or hungry. She said she did a much better job scheduling-wise with Carson then with me. I guess that’s what happens when you have a two-year-old brother. Sometimes life is hard when you are 4 months, but for the most part I am loving it!

Aren't little boys in sweater vests the best?

2011-04-24T18:29:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter!

(It's hard to get a good picture of one kid...It's impossible to get a good picture of two kids together. Enjoy the blurriness!)

Snapshots

2011-04-23T12:20:00.000-07:00

I had one of those "a-hah" (as Oprah would say) moments just now. I was driving home from a stressful grocery trip and it felt so wonderful to finally be sitting with both boys strapped in the back with no way of escape. A great song came on the radio as I glanced in my rear view mirror and noticed that both the boys were a sleep. All the sudden I had this overpowering rush of emotion, pure JOY, and sense of how lucky I am.

As much as I feel overwhelmed and exhausted as a mom with two young kids (one of them being Carson =)) I am so LUCKY to be living my life.

So, as I sit here with groceries still in the car and a sticky floor beneath my feet I thank the Lord for all that he has BLESSED me with. (And it doesn't help that both the boys are still asleep, in their beds, and the house is nice and quiet!)

Easter Extravaganzas!

2011-04-22T13:14:00.000-07:00

Carson has already participated in two Easter Egg hunts and it isn't even Easter yet. =) Last weekend Shell had their Easter party. There were over 500 eggs and the turn out was pretty poor, so he ended up with around 50 eggs. He also found an egg with a prize ticket in it and won a big basket. Even though he doesn't look happy in most of these pictures I promise he was. He doesn't like to humor his Mom with looking at the camera or, heaven forbid, smiling...

"Seriously Dad, you want me to sit on his lap?"

Decorating Easter eggs at home.

Today my friend Carrie had a bunch of kids over for a Easter egg hunt at her house. The kids had a blast. There were a lot more little toys and stickers then candy in the eggs. I think all the Moms were thinking the same thing. We didn't come home with much candy-which is a good thing (for Mom and Carson!)

Let the hunt begin!

The kids with their loot

Carson and Allie

Carson with the Godfrey kids and Brooklyn

My buddy Sadie

Don't you want to kiss that little face?

2011-04-20T18:42:00.000-07:00

Life When You're Two

2011-04-20T14:41:00.000-07:00

You can never be too safe while driving...

Finger Painting

Standing on the air conditioning unit, taking off your diaper, and knocking on the window while Mom is doing the dishes

Relaxing after a hard day.

Please & Thank Yous

2011-04-11T12:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Carson was finger painting. He went into the garage and wanted me to get the gallon size wall paint so he could paint with that instead. I said no, and he started crying and throwing a fit, so I walked into the house to ignore the tantrum. I heard him saying "thank you, thank you, thank you" (sounding like tan to) over and over while sobbing his eyes out. We've been working on please and thank yous and he occasionally gets them confused. It was the funniest/most pathetic thing I've heard in a long time.

Luke's Photo Shoot

2011-04-07T16:32:00.000-07:00

**Thanks Andrea!

Luke Three-Month Update

2011-03-31T18:39:00.000-07:00

I am getting so fun! I smile and coo all the time. I giggled for the first time this week and Mom missed it. She can’t wait to hear me do it again. I am starting to stick to sleeping schedule. I wake-up around 7 am, take 3 naps, and go to sleep around 8:30 pm. The last two nights I only woke up at 5:00 am to eat, way to go me! Mom forgot what it felt like to be well rested. I decided that I do sleep better being swaddled and don’t fight it anymore. Mom and Dad finally kicked Carson out of my nursery, so I am sleeping in my very own room now.

I am such a easy baby. I only cry when I am hungry or sleepy. I sure get a kick out of my brother. He loves to talk to me and I love to smile and talk back to him. This month we all went to visit my cousins and I enjoyed all the chaos. We went to Disneyland and I was very good. I love to be in the baby carrier faced outward to I can observe all that is going on.

I hate pacifiers and refuse to take them. I love riding in the car, it always puts me right to sleep. I love my baby swing. My eyes are always goopy and watering. The doctor said it should go away though. I had a horrible cold and cough last week. I sounded like an old man and my nose was so stuffy. I couldn’t eat very well and couldn’t sleep. Mom says it isn’t fair for little babies to get so sick. I am feeling better now. Mom and Dad are very lucky to have me!