Our little talker

Tyler is just starting to repeat things we say or ask him to say and even has surprised us a time or two by answering questions we ask him. Today Jeff and I were shocked when we were looking at a picture of Christ and asked him "Is that Jesus, does He love you?" and he nodded his head and said "Yes." I've never heard him say yes before so we were shocked. It was such a precious moment and I will never forget it!
He has also said:
EIEI-O when we read the book
"Hello?" when he picked up the phone
"binki" when I asked him what he wanted
"more bubu" when he wanted us to keep playing with bubbles
"dide" when he wants to go outside at 2:00 pm and I have to tell him, "too hot, honey. sorry."
"glock" and points to his clock every morning when he wakes up...maybe the ticking bugs him!

It has been so fun to hear him say things that I had no idea he even realized. I guess it is a good thing that I just walk around the house talking constantly. It's amazing what kids pick up without formally teaching them. My favorite thing is when I ask him a question and he actually answers me...finally!! a conversation :)

I got chiggers :(

Ok, if you have a weak stomach do not read on. Otherwise, here I go: When I first got to Texas, I heard about this crazy invisible bug called chiggers. They jump up your leg and bite you, then lay eggs under your skin and it hurts. People say never go outside without shoes on. I'm from California. I always go outside without shoes on. I got chiggers. The good thing is, the story about the egg laying is false. A common misconception. The truth is that these tiny bugs (1/150th of an inch in diameter-yes I looked it up) bite you and instead of laying eggs or burying themselves in your skin, they start to digest the dead skin cells from the bite. Because they are a host bug (like a tick) they stay there until you get them off. The problem is, reactions don't occur for 6-8 hours after the bite. By this time, I had bites up and down my legs. I was advised by everyone to apply clear nail polish (to prevent them from breathing and the eggs die) which of course isn't proper treatment since there are no eggs. But it actually did stop the itching for a few hours. Now my legs are ugly and itchy. I guess I'm lucky though. The website I read said one of the most common places for them to bite is in the crotch area. I guess it could be worse!!!!

Tyler's ABCs

A- Attached or Single: Tyler's just starting to make the transition into being independent. He used to tug at my legs while I did everything, but now he'll play quietly if he knows I'm nearby.
B- Best Friend: Mom and Dad of course!
C-Cake or Pie: He's never had pie, but he loves cake
D- Day of Choice: Tuesdays and Thursdays we have playgroup, or anyday dad's home a lot or we get to the park.
E- Essential Item (s): binki. But I'll tell him to give it to me when its not bedtime and he'll pull it out of his mouth and hand it to me.
F- Favorite Color: Dont think he cares yet, but he looks super cute in orange & blue
G- Gummy Bears or Worms: I don't think he'd complain about either one. oh real worms, he likes.
H- Hometown: Allen, TX
I- Indulgence(s): lollipops and popsicles (only in the bathtub or outside!)
J- January or July: JULY, summer time is the best
K-Kids: He loves playing with other kids
L- Loud or soft: Um, he's not too loud, and he's pretty good about being soft
M- Movie: Does not care about the tv for one second.
N- Number of Siblings: one on the way
O- Oranges or Apples: apples. or should I say appa appa yum yum
P- Phobias or Fears: He's not really afraid of much. I guess sometimes dogs and cats, funny though cuz he loves to see them and really wants to pet them and then when he gets close kinda chickens out.
Q-Quote: "tah tah" (hot hot) anytime the oven or dishwasher is on, we get in the car or I microwave his food.
R- Reason To Smile: balls, cars, juice, mommy, daddy, airplanes, birds: simple joys in life!
S- Season: Anytime he can be outside (maybe not summertime in Tx or wintertime in ID!)
T- Tag: Zach Foust
U- Unknown Fact About Me: He gives kisses and hugs on demand (if you're lucky, you know that)
V- Vegetarian or Meat-lover: He's always loved his veggies and has never turned down any meat
W- Worst Habit: He tries to suck on our toes.
X- X-Rays or Ultrasounds: huh? not sure what this question is asking but Tyler's never had an x-ray but he had a few ultrasounds when he was in the womb.
Y- Your Favorite Food: turkey, cheese, lil crunchies, pretzels, pasta, hotdogs, milk! or anything someone else is having.
Z- Zodiac: Pisces: Sign of the fish. Imaginative, kind, secretive...

Pay It Forward

I recently won on Megan's blog! She made me a super cute handmade apron: THANKS MEG!
So now it's my turn to Pay It Forward. If you would like to be included in my drawing simply leave a comment on this post within the next couple weeks. I will have the drawing for winners Monday June 30th! And if you win, just be prepared to Pay It Forward!

My birthday with mom & dad!!

As I was creating my birthday list this year, I realized all I really wanted was to see my parents. So they gave me the gift of them! :) I'm so lucky to get what I want. We had tons of fun relaxing, playing ticket to ride (which I never won- not even on my birthday, those meanies), eating yummy food and chocolate covered cinnamon bears, and ice cream cake! We didn't really get many pictures, but I loved watching my mom and dad play with Tyler.

Five years ago (holy cow!) Jeff gave me a rock for my birthday (a diamond!) This year I got one too. A live rock for our fish tank-it even has a clam shell on top. He also brought me 4 fishies! They are called chromis fish and if you only count 3 in the picture, its because Bilbo is gone. The only one I named! He is just missing. Where could he be? Oh well. There is a mommy, a daddy and a baby. So its perfect for now. We will see how long these guys survive before we buy super expensive ones, but so far the three are doing great!

Fun in the... styrofoam box!

We introduced Tyler to the simple pleasures of summertime! He loves being outside and he loves the hose. Everytime we go outside or walk by the hose he points and says "want dat".

The funniest part was when he realized we would jump out of the way when he "accidentally" pointed it in our direction. He started doing it on purpose!
and when he tried to take a drink but got it up his nose and everything. It was pretty funny.
Like I always say, he keeps us happy and having fun! Life has never a dull moment with tyler around!

Our Special News brought to you by Tyler

We just couldn't wait for you to see tyler's newest trick. So we decided to do a play-by-play for you to see how talented he is!

"tyler, where's your belly button?"

"good! where's mommy's belly button?" "wait, what does that say?" "YAY!!!"

We are due December 27th- I'm about 9 1/2 weeks along. Tyler will be 22 months old when this one's born!

I've been tagged

Thanks Jerai, I've been needing to update but I haven't had the energy to chase tyler around with a camera. So this was much needed:
3 Joys:
Being a Mommy. The best job in the world that is so instantly rewarding. I get kisses whenever I ask for them and a pal to play with all day.
Good weather. It's so nice to not have to worry about dying from frostbite when we take walks. And although it is starting to get hot and humid, at least it is sunny and cheerful.
Having a knowledge of the truth. I'm so lucky to know that families can be together forever and other blessings that the gospel brings.
3 Fears:
That my kids wont know/remember our relatives. That's one thing that scares me about living far from family.
I don't think a double stroller fits in our car.
That mean people will hurt my kids.
3 Goals:
To somehow become supermom
ok, actually its more like that I can get in control of the daily household tasks: dishes, laundry, cleaning...
To someday own my own art studio where kids take art classes
3 Current Obsessions/ Collections:
Obsession #1: food. But not in a good way. This haunts me 24/7. What am I gonna eat next? I am always hungry but in a very picky way. and then I have to consider what am I ok with dealing with a second time...not fun.
Obsession #2: baby. Yes I think about it a lot. Am I going to be able to do this with 2 kids? Luckily most of the time, I decide the answer is yes- eventually. and then by the time I figure it out, I'll probably have 3.
Obsession #3: fish tank. So far we are just in the cleaning/balancing stage but we are ready for a fish, so any day now...(Pictures to come) oh and I'm always thinking about what would happen if it overflowed somehow. that would be bad. 75 gallons of water. Jeff assures me it's impossible, but what if?
3 Random Facts:
I secretly want a girl next even though the practical answer is a boy so I don't have to want to buy new everything.
We went on a date last weekend & saw Indiana Jones. I even got to eat nachos and a pretzel during the movie. It was super nice to be out just me and Jeff, moments like that I'm reminded of why we love eachother and all the fun we have.
I love bedtime. Well, who doesn't really. I think because I've been sick, I look forward to the time when I can guiltlessly crawl in bed and not talk to anyone or move at all.
5 People I will tag:
Molly, Jessica, Kim, Sydni, Kara

The Cat in the Hat Visited my House

Remember the Dr. Suess book where the ring in the tub spread from the white towels to the bed and all around the house?

I was reminded of that story yesterday when I stepped out of the shower to see this...

the ring didn't start in the bathtub, but from a little piece of licorice. I found the handprints here:

and here...

and even here (along with a broken bowl from Jeff's tub-side dinner last night)...

I could tell as I was enjoying a peaceful shower that he was quietly making a mess. I knew when I heard the bowl break that it was time to be done, but not until I got out did I realize why he was so quiet. Licorice + Water = MESS!!

Begonias- Our Saturday Adventure

For my Mother's Day present, Jeff took me to his wholesale gardener that he gets all the plants, shrubs and flowers from for their landscaping jobs. We picked out pink and red begonias for our yard. Yesterday we planted them and it is a perfect splash of color! It was pretty funny watching us try to plant them with a hammer (other end) and a cement trowel. Believe it or not, we do not own a shovel. Not even a play one!! We'll have to get one for Tyler this summer. And then, we hit a bunch of fire ant huts so we were freaking out! We sprayed our bug killer-which did nothing. Then Jeff sprayed with the expensive fire ant treatment and he said, "That'll do them!" Still they were everywhere! Jeff had to get back to work and I managed to wait it out long enough to be able to stick them in the ground without getting bit. Here Tyler is pointing at the flowers and then waving goodbye as we left for a walk.

A Few of Tyler's Favorite Things:

Tyler loves being outside. Yesterday during our daily (sometimes tri-daily) walk, he was so attentive to everything around us. He'd point out the birds and yell "ba, ba, ba!" and he waved to every car that drove by. It was pretty cute. Today I found a toddler bike at the used store for $4.50. He played on it the whole time I was there, so I figured we couldn't leave without it. As I pulled it out of the car when we got home, we saw a cat in the neighbor's yard. Tyler ran toward the cat, until the cat started running toward him (which is odd, cuz usually they run away). Tyler stopped in his tracks, turned around, started screaming and ran the other way. Now I had a crying baby and a cat running toward me. I was cracking up-I wish somehow I got it on tape. The other new thing Tyler does is he goes around the house and closes any opened doors. He can only push them shut, so sometimes he locks himself in the room. The other day, we heard a door shut and then a little whine. Jeff said, "Tyler" (like, Tyler, where are you?) and he answered "Dada" (like, Dada, I'm right here!)
Tyler loves the trampoline and will jump on demand. We say, "jump, tyler, jump" and he starts bending his legs and nodding his head. He loves his bubble gun from the Ormes and yells, bubu! everytime we play bubbles. Anything that is dangerous or messy is interesting to this little toddler... he tries to eat rolly pollies and rocks. Or sticks or flowers or grass. Everytime I come back outside if I have to grab the phone or something he has dirt smeared all over his face. Yum. He keeps me busy and happy and having fun!

Antie Em?

The weather here is crazy. Lately it has been so humid that I've had tiny curls all around my face. Not cute. And if I try to straighten them, I look like one of those penguins with the strands of hair that sticks out of its head! Today we have been on tornado watch (I'm watchin') and tomorrow we will be too with some thundershowers. Last week while I was teaching an art class at Studio Arthouse, the tornado sirens went off and a loud speaker stated: "This is an announcement for everyone to take shelter immediately, I repeat, take shelter immediately!" It was totally sunny outside, and although quite windy, I didn't think it was that serious. But because I was responsible for other people's kids, I took my class back to the kitchen for awhile. We waited until the sirens stopped, then went back to work. That was crazy.

Katie's Travel Blog

So those of you who know my sister is on a church history tour at the Jerusalem Center are probably dying to hear from her. or see her...I have been. She called me this morning! and told me where I could look at some pictures her friend took. It's really hard for them to get online, let alone download a picture. So I have created a travel blog for her so we can all see the fun she's having. Sorry that there's little commentary. I'll try to get better picture details next time she calls. But for now, at least we can see her face and try to imagine being there with her!

http://ktwolfe.blogspot.com/

the TRAIN GAME

This is our new favorite game. It's called Ticket to Ride and it is fun. Pretty much every time I call home to my parents they are playing it! In this particular match, Jeff and I were playing--notice the red marker (jeff) 3 squares above the yellow (me). Also notice the random yellow train to New York and that it is not connected to the rest of my train. This is because Jeff decided to block me so I couldn't get to New York and therefore missed out on my 22 pt. destination card. Of course I explained to him after the game was over (ok, and during the game) that it was not very nice and if it weren't for mean blocking I would have won again. This is the second time that I WOULD HAVE won if it weren't for mean blocking. (i.e. blocking that doesn't help you except by hurting the other --innocent--player). Its totally understandable if the blocking is actually somewhere you need to go, but when its not...I say I'm not a very competitive person, and really I'm not unless I'm super close to winning. Then I guess I am. Yeah, I should have won.

Kisses for Mama

Today my goal was to capture Tyler giving me a big kiss (open mouth/bad aim). I kept following him around and saying gimme a kiss, give mommy a kiss! Then I'd yell, Jeff get ready! It's moments like this that are hard to get on camera, but every once in awhile throughout the day, he'll just run up to me and give me a big one! I love it.

We've been trying to teach him I love you and I'm pretty sure he said it. Well it was more like Egugoo but I'll take it. It was one of those tender moments with a hug and I'm pretty sure that's exactly what he meant. I feel so lucky to be the mom of such a sweet and wonderful little guy.