Audrey

Audrey is liking school more and more. Her favorite classes are science and PE, but she also loves art, music, dance and drama (all of the cool classes). She has a few good friends in her class, and a boy that wants to be her boyfriend (she does not return the affection). She has learned how to snap her fingers, and to jumprope. She still cannot tie her shoes (I think I keep hoping she will magically learn how to). She knows how to write a few words, including: and, is, and the. She has been taking swim lessons since September, and she recently started to LOVE it, and she is also getting comfortable with going under the water (which is the hardest thing). I am so proud of my little girl! She has been such a great helper lately, and she is so fun to have around. She has a great sense of humor. I love this little lady!

Phoenix

Phoenix is loving school, since he has started he sits in one place better, he will eat goldfish (Hallelujah!!!), and he is constantly improving his speech. He still is not saying a lot, but his vocabulary includes:

Mamma (usually said in a frustrated grunting voice...)

Dadda

Sissy

Thomas

Choo-choo

Doggy

Car

HELP (he likes to use this word in public and he likes to yell it, like for example today in Target... when I was trying to keep him in the cart...and attempting to keep my cool...)

Bath

Fishy

NO! (also likes to use this word as loud as he can, in the most embarressing situations)

Night night

Here you go mamma

Wanna go side? (want to go outside?)

All done!

Baby

He has decided to more or less eliminate his naps, he will take about 1 per week, maybe 2. In some ways it is nice, like how I put him to bed earlier, but in other ways (like how he is way more grumpy) it is not so great. He loves to ride Audrey's jeep around (he sits in the passenger seat and pushes the pedal from there...meaning he does not steer), he still loves trains and cars, he loves to read Clifford stories, he has added Oatmeal to the foods he will eat. He is the funnest little guy, but he still has some whiny periods (when he is sick usually). He is definately loved!

Phoenix and Audrey

Almost a month ago is the first time Phoenix had willingly given Audrey a hug. Ever since Phoenix was born he had a (healthy) fear of Audrey, but I thought he would grow out of it sooner. I think he has...started to at least. They have been playing more together, Phoenix will let Audrey put his shoes on once in a while, and he loves interacting with "sissy" (still can't say Audrey). It makes things so much easier, and it warms my heart (cheesy alert), I am so glad to have these two adorable kiddos in my life!

Halloween Happenings

I had an advent countdown for Halloween, and before Halloween day we had only gotten through about half of them (out of 13), so we somehow managed to fit everything else into Halloween and it turned out great. The kids had a lot of fun, and I was really glad that we got everything done!

Carving Pumpkins, roasted the seeds (did not turn out great)

Delish Pumpkin Sugar cookies!

Posing with a witch (we hung her on our fan so that she was actually flying around the room, the kids loved it!!).

Halloween feast (mummy head pizza's did not look so mummyrific, but the toes wrapped in bandages and dipped in blood (aka ketchup) were a hit).

Halloween Party

Every year our church has a Halloween party. Our ward really goes all out, tons of the adults dress up so it is a lot of fun. Travis went as a silver street performer (a lot of people did not get it...I guess the street performers are a bigger city thing), I went as an experimental insane asylum escape (a lot of people did not get that either, but I knew they wouldn't), Audrey went as Eloise as a Police Office (costume within a costume, her idea), and Phoenix went as Justin Beiber. We had a lot of fun, and Phoenix's costume was perfect for him because he really does not like wearing costumes. Travis won an award. Yeah Baby!

I should mention that Travis went as a Stomp Pest Control Tech Silver street performer. Perfect, dontcha think? Someone asked how he got his hair to stay like this...lol...it's a wig.

Audrey's Field Trip

I got to go with Audrey on her first field trip (for Kindergarten at least)! It was back in October (and I am posting about it now because I still have not caught up). It was a frigid day. Luckily I thought to bring ALL of Audrey's coats, fleeces and sweatshirts because there were a bunch of kids in her class that needed to borrow them. We went to a corn maze, both mine and Audrey's first time. I was hoping it would be great, but after getting lost in the maze with 10 rowdy Kindergarteners for over 20 minutes I decided that corn mazes really are not that great. Audrey was so glad that I was there, and so was I. It was fun to get to meet some of her friends.

Annual Trip to the Pumpkin Farm

We of course went to our favorite pumpkin farm this year. Phoenix is getting to the stage that he does not need a stroller or a leash, it is soo nice!! Every year this farm adds something substantial and new, so it is always a different experience. The weather was perfect and so were the kids. We all had a wonderful time. Audrey's favorite part was the corn house, Phoenix loved the train ride, I liked the hayride, and Travis liked...probably the corn house the best.

Minnie!!

Our friends went to Idaho for a week, and we had the privelage of watching their adorable dog for them. Audrey is kinda obsessed with Minnie, Phoenix liked Minnie, but he left her alone for the most part. It was really nice having a dog around. She slept in our bed every night, and she followed me around (melted my heart). We are definately planning on getting a few dogs in the future (probably when we buy a house). When Jaxon came to pick Minnie up I looked at our kitchen floor and realized I hadn't swept it for a week (anyone with kids knows you have to sweep a kitchen floor about 2 times a day), but that sweet dog had kept my floor clean for me!!

"Thomas World"

I met a few friends last year through Audrey's preschool. I keep in touch with two of the Moms and we get together about once a month (sans kids). One of them has a son who LOVES Thomas, and as many of you know Phoenix loves Thomas as well. My friend gave me the heads up that Thomas was coming to town (meaning to a town 2 hours away). We surprised the kids (and as always Travis let it slip out before we got there). Audrey has been resistant to Thomas, I think she looks at it as Phoenix's thing, and I also think she is a little jealous of all of the trains that Phoenix has (even though he shares very well with her). Well, Audrey was jumping up and down with excitement when we told her that we were going to see the real Thomas.

We got to ride on a train "pulled" by Thomas. He is really more of a prop. We kept waiting for the train to pick up speed, but it never did. Lame!!

Sir Topham Hat was much shorter in real life than he looks on TV. Phoenix was a little freaked out by him (to be honest so was I).

At the end of the day Travis said that it was boring and he would not go back next year. Audrey said it was the best day ever, and she wants to go back to "Thomas world" again next year. I explained to Trav that it was geared towards kids 3-5 years old, and after looking back at all the fun the kids had, Trav agreed that he would go again next year (for the kids sake).

blog bulemia

I had a case of blog bulemia...now I am ready to purge. Brace yourself for the last two months of our goings ons....

Truth be told

So...it has been a while to say the least. It has been a big adjustment with Audrey starting school, most days I am still sad about it...which is why I haven't been in a "bloggy" mood for a while. She is getting more friends, and she is really enjoying her mandatory electives (dance, drama, art, science, PE, and music). She still does not like her teacher (still not a huge fan myself...but I remain positive about him for Audrey's sake). It just breaks my heart in so many different ways. Like, knowing that I am dropping her off at a school where she doesn't feel any love from her teacher, and she is constantly talking about how much she hates school. Her growing up, this is the first major step of her inevitable independence from me. If only this was half day kindergarten, if only I had just ONE more year to have Audrey in the house. If only she had a different teacher (not that her teacher is awful, she is learning things, but he is definitely not the nurturing type)...

I feel a lot of guilt and confusion. I can't help but think of how the situation could be different. I am constantly arguing with myself. Should I try to get her switched to a different teacher? Should we move to a better area to get her into a better school, or would pulling her out of her school half way through the year be more damaging? I know that she would miss all of the extra classes that her school offers if she switched schools, and I know that it is difficult to get students switched to a different teacher with out a good reason (and I know that we do not have a strong case).

There are some good things, like Audrey has gotten praise from a few different teachers about her artwork (which is REALLY good!), her science teacher is wonderful and Audrey loves her, Audrey is always showing me new dances that she learns in school (which is soo cute!). Things are definitely getting better as time passes.

My relationship with Audrey was really strained for the last few months as well. During the summer she started to be more insistent on wearing clothes that she picked out. I love Audrey, but we really do not agree on fashion. She loves to wear the UGLIEST things in her dresser. I like her to wear cute clothes (gasp!). Once school started things got a little out of control. I do not understand where she comes from because I ALWAYS wanted to dress in style, I knew what hair styles looked good, I knew what accessories were popular, and I have always wanted to look my best. Audrey's idea of what she'd like to wear to school is: high water, tapered, faux corduroy, elastic waist, saggy butt, navy blue pants pulled up no less than 6 inches above her belly button (which usually...always...results in a wedgie), paired with her bright pink crocs, and a hanes T-shirt that she painted last year, and she would be totally happy if I let her walk around with her bed hair (rat's nest). Needless to say there were many mornings before school that both me and her would literally be screaming at each other. Things have calmed down significantly, I have started the process of learning to accept the fact that my daughter has...ahem...very different taste than I do (even if I do not understand it) When I was younger I would have loved it if my Mom had made me flower headbands, and hair bows, and earrings, and necklaces, bought me knee high brown boots that make a clicking sound, and of course stylish clothes. I never considered that I would have a daughter that did not appreciate those things.

So in a nutshell, the above is my explanation for my long absence from blogging. My relationship with Audrey is on the mend, and I am feeling much better about that. Hopefully I can get back into the swing of things.