Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Updates On The Kids

It has been a long time since I have updated about all of the kids, so I thought I would dedicate this post to our adorable kids who can drive me crazy one minute and melt my heart the next. See?



Makayla- 5 years old
Surprisingly I didn't take any pictures of Makayla this month, but she did have school pictures taken, so here's her adorable Kindergarten picture (I don't have a digital photo, so here's a picture of a picture)

At 5, almost 6 years old Makayla:

-Loves school! She truly excels in the academic setting. Makayla loves going to school everyday and is so excited to tell me what she learned about when she gets home. She has made some great friends, including her current best friend, Haylie. 
-Is reading! And not just simple books, she is reading "Green Eggs and Ham" and more advanced books for her age. 
-Excels in tumbling and dance. She tries her very best and is learning some very cool tricks in tumbling and a very cute jazzy dance routine. 
-Is truly the best sister to Caden and Brynnli when she wants to be. She is like their second mom and helps me with so many things throughout the day. But, if she's not in the helping mood, you better watch out.
-Loves to color and make art projects. Seriously, she makes us at least 20 pictures a day. I love these pictures, but sometimes they can overwhelm our fridge and drawers, so every once in a while I have to recycle some of these gems. If Makayla happens to find out I recycled her stuff she gets so mad at me... to which I tell her that her father threw them away. 
-Makayla can be so sweet, but sometimes she can be a stink. She somehow inherited all of the worst characteristics from me and Tyler. I often say that she has Tyler's exact personality, which isn't a bad thing, but I don't know how to deal and reason with her when she gets in that mood, and Tyler has to swoop in and get her back to our sweet Kay-bugs. 
-She has her very first loose tooth! Makayla told me she thought her tooth was loose, and I dismissed her thinking she just wanted to be like her friends who were losing their teeth. Turns out, it really is loose, and she is so excited about it. 
-Loves church. Her teachers say she is the best and sweetest girl. 
-Is starting to try new foods. I think her taste buds are maturing. Finally! 

Caden- 4 years old

This is the sweetest picture of Caden and Brynnli that truly sums up Caden's personality. He is the sweetest and most thoughtful boy and is always trying to do what is best for the other person. 
 I have said it many times before on the blog, but being the only boy in our family, Caden usually does not get to choose who or what they play with. Makayla is pretty bossy, and luckily Caden is such a good tempered little boy, that he goes along with whatever. This was Caden as the "Dazzling Diamond Fairy."
And as Mickey Mouse...

 Caden loves Daniel Tiger. He wanted to go spend his chore money, and decided to buy a Daniel Tiger figurine set.

Some other things about Caden at 4 years old:
-Caden is doing so well in preschool. He has really blossomed this year. Last year he would have anxiety every time I would tell him he had to go to preschool, but this year he is so excited every time. His teacher even said that he raises his hand and answers questions. Caden has worked so hard this year and got his Alphabet Crown this month, which means he knows all of his letters and sounds. We are so proud of this little boy!
-He is making a lot of friends at school including Jagger and Ryker.
-Caden is the best snuggler. Sometimes we let Caden sleep in our bed and not the other kids because he is so snuggly that we literally fight over who gets to be right by him.
-He can be very sensitive. We often times have a hard time knowing how to deal with his melt downs and whining, but we try to be extra aware of his sensitive side.
-Caden is so thoughtful. He is always looking out for Brynnli and is such a good friend to Makayla.
-He loves church and loves to make his teachers pictures.
-My favorite thing is to watch Caden poop. He gets his whole bum in the toilet and is in there a good 10 minutes before he yells, "Mom-my! I need a wipe-e!"
-Caden is a picky eater, but he loves pickles. He still is a slow eater and is often sitting at the table even after everyone else is finished and cleaning up.
-Is our best little Buddy and my favorite little boy!

Brynnli- 2 years old. 

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays this cutie and I get to run errands just the two of us. It is so fun and so much easier to go running around with just one kid, and Brynn is hilarious and so cute when we go in stores. 
 Brynn is quite the silly girl. She is always doing something to get us to laugh.
 Brynnli is probably ready to potty train. She understands when she goes poopy and has expressed some interest in using the potty. The problem is that I am just not ready to do it. We thought we would gradually introduce her to potty training, so she got to go pick out her own potty seat and new big girl undies!


 She just looks so cute in those undies!
 Oh! That cute little bum!


In case you were wondering, we have not really been dedicated to the whole potty training thing, and Brynn is back in diapers full time (Read, we did not even attempt to seriously potty train). It was a great thought at the time, but I just keep reminding myself that no college student ever went to school in diapers. 

Some other things about Brynnli at 2 years old: 
-Wow! The terrible twos have hit full force with this one. You would think I would know how to deal with a 2 year old (after all, I have had two already) but Brynn is like a whole new level. She is very independent and has a mind of her own. If you even try to help her do something, she says, "my do it" and goes back to do it by herself. If she doesn't get to do it by herself, she throws herself on the ground and throws monumental temper tantrums. If she's not throwing a temper tantrum, she trying to run away from me, usually in stores, which makes for a great shopping experience... not. 
-Brynnli is the worst eater. She literally lives off of milk and Cheeze-its. 
-She wakes up at 5 am on the dot and yells, "mommy!" I bring her into our bed and she says in a whisper, "ba-ba". I make her a bottle, she downs it, and then hands it to me and whispers, "bi-bi". She does eventually fall back asleep, but unlike Caden, is not fun to sleep next to. 
Brynnli adores her older sister and brother. She calls Makayla "Kay-da" and Caden "Cay-din"
Brynn can tell you that she has "two grandmas, two grandpas" and their names are "Grandma Kathy and Grandma Terry". Her Grandpas are simply "Bob" and "Craig".
-Brynn is the boss at our house. She is spoiled and gets what she wants because she trows temper tantrums, and everybody just gives her what she wants just to make her be quiet... ya, that needs to change FAST!
-When I take Makayla to school she says, "Watch-a Jake?"
-When any of the kids eat really well we tell them they were eating like champs. Brynn is a little confused by this and calls all of her food "champs", as in "I eating my champs!"
-She is talking so much and trying to talk in full sentences. A lot of times we can't understand it, but it is so cute when she tries to communicate with us. 
-Some of Brynn's new sayings lately include: 
-Brynn says, "right, mommy?" after almost every question and statement she tells me. 
-She calls a spoon "soap"
-If she gets hurt, she fake cries and then says, "don't touch it."
-When you ask her what you do with decorations, she says, "don touch, o look" (Don't touch, only look).

Yep, they drive us crazy, worry is sick, make us want to pull out our hair, but are the best things that have ever happened to us. We are so thankful for these sweet little kids. 


WE LOVE YOU MAKAYLA, CADEN, AND BRYNNLI!!

Monday, October 31, 2016

October Highlights

Our kids are the best. I swear everyday I am laughing at something funny they are doing. Here's some of the highlights from this month that didn't make it into the other posts: 

We went to see Carson play in one of his lacrosse games. 

 We got out all of our halloween costumes and decorations. Makayla is looking pretty cute in this ensemble.
 She loves dressing up.

 I was working out and Brynn trapped herself in the entertainment center.
 Caden went to his friend Bentley's birthday party.
 Our kids made up half of the guests.
 Isn't he so handsome with his new haircut?
 The sunrises and sunsets have been gorgeous this month.
 How cute is Brynn all dressed up for church!

 Brynn has shown some interest in potty training, but I am just not ready to train her yet, so Makayla decided she would do it. They were singing songs together.
 Somehow Brynn escaped outside without clothes or a diaper. So I grabbed the camera. I wonder what our neighbors think.
 I've said it before, but Caden needs a brother or friends that are boys. Makayla dressed him up in one of her old dance costumes and they put on a performance for us.

 Caden lost his quiet time privileges one day and I told him he had to take a nap with me. I didn't think he would really do it, but he snuggled up right next to me and fell asleep.

P.S. I look really rough in this picture; just don't look at me, and focus on cute Caden. 
 Library day and Menchies Frozen Yogurt.
 I took the kids to see the movie Storks. They loved it!
 Makayla's friend Kyra came over one day and they made this sign. It says, "Do not disturb or I will kill you. Do you know how to read?" They got a good lecture from me, but then Tyler and I laughed about it because disturb looks like a very different word. :)

Trick-or-Treat!

Halloween was so much fun this year! The kids were so excited the whole month and couldn't wait until it was time to go trick or treating. Halloween day was probably the busiest day. We started off the day at Makayla's school for the parade. 
 How cute is this cutie in her Halloween shirt and ghost bow?
Makayla was so excited and nervous.  She looked adorable as Ariel. 


 Then we had to rush over to Caden's preschool for his Halloween program. Caden did so well on his song and looked handsome as ever as Donatello from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.



 Camden even came to see Caden's program.

 Daddy ended up taking the day off and we went to lunch and to run a few errands. Finally it was time to get ready for trick-or-treating. I made the kids take even more pictures.




 Brynn was our little devil. How cute is she?



 Then they were off. They got way to much candy and we are still trying to recover from our sugar high.
Happy Halloween!