Creativity in a 2 year old

Look at the empty plate. Hunter was told he could not have a sweet treat without finishing his lunch. I take the laundry to my bedroom and come back to this empty plate. It appears empty. As if he had finished his food.

"Hunter all done." Hunter says proudly. I look under his plate to see all of his lunch.

He simply thought that if it was not on the plate, it was all gone, therefore he is all done.

Our last full day!

Here are some posed family photos on our last day! (Yesterday)

Brothers... Len (age 37), Chris (age 34) and Jimmy (age 28)


The girls... Chenoa, Stef and Jenna.... Note that I am not giving our ages...

Today we fly home!

At the bottom are two pictures of our flight to TN. Both kids slept and were AWESOME on the plane! We are praying for the same behavior on the flight home :).

Our Thanksgiving in TN

Hey y'all ! :)
We are having a blast with family out here in Tennessee! Chenoa made a fabulous dinner! The dessert (which I helped a little with) was to die for... Chenoa really knows what she is doing in the kitchen :).

Here are a few more pictures of what it is like out here. The picture of our family is right down the street from Chris and Chenoa's. Hunter kept asking uncle Chris to see cows, so Chris took us on a walk to see cows :)... after he saw the cows Hunter looks up at Chris and says, "Want horses"

Hunter has won the hearts of his Uncle and family out here :) he makes us all laugh.

I got to play with Maizie's hair :) She wasn't feeling very well :(

Preparing for Thanksgiving in TN

Adam (age 12) and his younger cousin, Hunter (age 2) go for a walk out back while us girls prepare dessert for Thanksgiving. Yes... that is right folks... I cooked :) Here are more pictures...

The last picture is of the back of Chris and Chenoa's house... I will try and get a picture of the front of the house for tomorrow's blog update!

A bit from our Trip...

Here are just a few pictures from today!

Hunter took a nap with Chris :)

Hunter loves his cousin Caleb :)

The girls have just hit it off :)

Jumping on the trampoline :)

boys vs girls...

I don't have any pictures for this one, but I think they are pretty good stories none the less :)

Having a boy after having a girl is so different. Here are two stories to prove...

Six plus months ago... I know, it is an older story, but funny, still :)
It was after night time baths and I was getting Hunter into his PJ's. Haley comesinto the room and this is the dialoge we have...
"Mommy, Hunter's peepee looks different then me."
"It does?"
"Yeah, I don't have boobies on my peepee."

Just a few days ago...
Hunter and Haley were having lunch like always at our kitchen bar. This is the conversation I hear going on....
Haley: "I am four, Hunter."
Hunter: "Hunter FIVE!!!" He says with gusto :)
Haley: "NO, Hunter you are two."
Hunter: "NO HUNTER FIVE"
Haley begins to cry... "NOOOOOOO Hunter you are TWO."
HUnter: "FIIIIIIIIVVVVVEEEEE" he says with a Huge smile on his face. This sends Haley into hystrics running to me. Like most kids her age, she tattle tails on her brother. Hunter, totally loved the whole interaction and was continuing with his lunch. He officially is my brother... the button pusher!

Cookie jars For Sale :)

I am trying to make a few extra dollars for this tight holiday season... so I am making Holiday cookie and Brownie mixes in a jar. They are going for $10. The choices are

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie
Chocolate PB Chip Cookie
Butterscotch Brownie Mix
Country Homemade Cookie Mix

Let me know :) They make great gifts for extended family, teachers, neighbors, Sunday school teachers, friends....

Happy November... Post Halloween

Oct 30, Haley's preschool class had a Halloween carnival and parade. Haley went as Pocahontas. I was able to go and help out in her class. She had a blast. Watching her in class amazes me at how calm and still she can sit and listen to her teacher and wait for instruction. I was so proud of my daughter!

Halloween night... We went trick or treating at only a few friends and families homes. We, then, headed up to CBC to their carnival for the kids to enjoy. Hunter threw a fit when we wouldn't just let him eat all of his candy!

Our car ride to the homes we visited and to the church was interesting. Hunter went as a doggy and acted like one in the car. Haley went on to give us a lecture on Halloween safety that she had learned by the safety batroll :) Her facts were these:

1. Do not go up to a dark house. They are sleeping and we cannot wake them. It isn't safe.
2. If you are sleeping you cannot trick or treat.
3. If you cannot find your parents, find any other adult around because they will help you. (I had to correct this fact).
4. Do not cross the street because cars do not see you and make want to hurt you.
5. If you sleep and it is dark out then you cannot eat your candy!
6. Do not eat your candy without your mom or dad to look at it... it may be bad stuff!

Overall her facts weren't all that wrong... just needed clarification! :) I am glad she is paying attention!

Before we went to CBC, we had a family dinner at my parents house and met up with the Taylor's. They came by to trick or treat and then we all headed out for a night of fun! This is a picture of our cute kids.

Hunter - Dog
Grant - Robin
Haley - Pocahontas
Logan - Batman

A side picture...
My parents got back from a week in Georgia and TN on Monday. Pam McElrea (family to me somehow) sent these wax lips to Haley. She thought they were the greatest thing... Thanks Pam for thinking of Haley... we love you:)

Halloween questions...

Five years it has been since my last encounter with the pumpkin goo... FIVE years I have been BLESSED with NOT having to get gross and yucky! Then the Armstrongs had to go and invite us to a pumpkin carving party.... THANKS :)

Since our return from the pumpkin patch... Haley walks around carrying this pumpkin and asking me if we can make pumpkin pie.

When I told her I didn't know how... she came back with,
"Well, mom, who then knows how to make a pumpkin pie? I have a good pumpkin!"
"Well, when we go to Tennessee, Aunt Chenoa is going to make a pumpkin pie you can help her." She got a huge grin and asked,
"Will Shelby and Maizie help us too? Maybe Aunt Chenoa can teach you how to make a pumpkin pie."
When she found out how many days it was til we are going to go on our trip, she got sad... So Nana has promised to help her make her pumpkin pie.... :) Such a spoiled girl!

Halloween Questions:
1. What does your Halloween look like this year?
2. Are you adults dressing up?
3. Anyone not celebrate Halloween?

The Pumpkin Patch

Yesterday we headed out to the Pumpkin patch! The kids and I rode with our good friends.... Kelly, Logan and Grant in their Suburban. The kids had a blast on the drive both to and from. They listen to Veggie Tales... sang and "talked" to each other.... what fun!

In this picture.... I told them to make a funny face for the camera... both Hunter and Grant didn't really get it.... Logan and Haley understood (I think) and made silly faces.

We went with our MOPs group. We got on a big tractor and went for a little ride (a circle around the Patch). In this picture: Carrie, Wyatt, Wes, Haley, Logan and part me and Hunter are on the tractor...

After the tractor ride there was a "lesson" on the birds and the bees... and yes... they talked about impregnating the flower to get a pumpkin. Haley paid close attention and would even raise her hand when she knew an answer.

The kids got to pet animals. Hunter mostly liked to chase them. He wanted to hug the ducks. They really didn't like that :).

At the end we all got pumpkins :) FUN!!!

Thanks Kelly for driving us all out there... Tons of Fun!!!

SISTERS: Bella (Brown) Sophie (white) and Lucy (Black)

This week, Monday to Monday, we have my parents two puppies with us. Both of them come from my puppy, Lucy's, litter. Sisters! It is so fun to see them all play together and get along.... Sleeping is another story!

My parents are in Georgia visiting with some family out there.

Kiwi... our other dog laying on the bed as far away as she can be on the bed, secretly loves all the girls :)

My Links

As most of you know, I am a huge logic game gal. A few of my fellow blog friends have had blog entries to describe their links and I thought, I love my links so much, I want you all to love them like me, but I don't think that will happen :). I at least want to make you all aware of what they are. :)

In case you are clueless like I was, my links are on the righthand side of this blog, under the word "Link" :)

Most of my links are games... but let me tell you about each :)

The Flipside ...
This is Jim and I's home church, located in Rancho Cucamonga on Jersey inbetween Milliken and Haven. We have attended this church for as long as it has been a church and even a bit before, when it was just a college group. Pastor Kevin is a good friend and a great leader. Check out the website... When you click on it, you SHOULD see Haley on an advertisement for a Christmas musical coming up. I say SHOULD because on my home computer, I don't... but most people do :)

Playhouse Disney and Noggin and links to kid games, mostly designed for Haley's age. She LOVES these two links and could spend hours playing games and learning. I highly recommend these two links for kids. It really amazes me how Haley can get on the computer and knows what to do. WOW... when I was her age, Atari and the apple computer (Oregon Trail) was big :)...

Suduko ...
A numbers game :) This site tells you how to play and gives you free only games. It shows you clues, has different levels, and tells you if you made a mistake.

The River Game...
RULES...
I have to tell you the rules because when you go to the site, it tells you think (I think) but in some different language I don't speak :)...
1. Get everyone across
2. Mom cannot be left alone with her sons
3. Dad cannot be left alone with his daughters
4. The thief must be with the police man or by himself (hint hint)
5. An adult can only work the raft.
If I am missing any rules I will up date this par tof my blog :)

The States Test...
You have a time limit to get all the states matched.... (Only 48)... When I started, I couldn't do it. I made myself practice over again because I was tired of feeling dumb about not knowing where all the states were (I was like Joey on Friends if that means anything to you) ... after practicing, I can get all 48 in ABC order with in the BLUE range in the timing thing :). I am so proud. Even more proud that when I watch FOX news I know where the state is that they are talking about.... YEA me!

Siana Photos...
My friend Megan is a photographer and is excellent. Check out her website for more details. We have used her and love our pictures!! Many friends of mine have gone with her and love her work!

I think that is all.... Enjoy!

QUILTS!!!

Wednesday thru Friday of last week was very busy for me. I was quilting...

When I found I was was pregnant with Haley (back in Jan of 2002) I went looking for bedding for my new daughter who was to come in Sept. My mom said, "Stef, it would be so easy to make her a quilt for her crib, and so much cheaper..." Key word here... CHEAPER :) It cost me $7 bucks to make my daughters crib quilt (not shown on this blog sorry). That quilt was so easy to make that I decided to make more. I made quilts for grandparents, for my aunt and mom for Christmas. I made quilted table runner for my mother in law. Once Haley got to sleep in a big girl bed, I made her a purple square quilt for her new bed.


When I found out I was pregnant with Hunter I made him this big boy quilt. (picture below) The denim is from old jeans of mine :) .. notice the old navy pocket square...

So going back to what I started saying... This past week I made a king size quilt for Jim and my bed. (No we do not have a king size bed, I just like a quilt that covers all the other bedding underneath.) I had made a quilt for a bed back when I made Haley's baby quilt. Purple, yellow, and green. (Jim can't really see the color purple... he thought it was blue... shhhhhh) When Haley was 18 months, she found scissors a and found my quilt and went scissor happy.... Yes, I had to call in the quilting paramedic for help.... MOM.... She patched it up... nicely too, but there was no way to hide that there was an incident. SO for a few more years, we slept with this quilt on our bed. Until recently when I was looking around our room and noticed that my purple, yellow and green quilt didn't really match the curtains and other accessories in our room very well. So I decided to make a new quilt. Whew.... A lot of words just to tell you about my new quilt huh?

Below is the purple, yellow and green quilt I made a few years back... the one that the scissors went too :( This, still, is my favorite quilt.... :) Scissors or not....

This is my new quilt for our bed. I made it out of curtains I had boughten for our house when we moved a year and a half ago. I had too many... so now I have a quilt that matches our curtains. This quilt cost me $0 dollars to make .... one... we had batting given to my mom and I from my dad's aunt... two, I used my moms thread... Thanks mom.... and three... the fabric I used I had already. I had the extra curtains, I had green fabric from two years ago when I was going to make a quilt for my trailer, and the blue is from one pair of Jimmy's old jeans (shhhh he doesn't know.. he hasn't worn them in over a year) and from an old navy skirt I never wore. So yes, it cost me something years back... so I guess it cost me something.... but years ago....

Anyways... I hope you like my quilts and if you don't ... that's ok cause I like them and I am the one who uses them :)

Out of the one's pictured... Which one is your favorite?

Our little Ballerina.... and Huntman flashbacks

Hunter's first time in a swing and he falls asleep. At this stage, his chin was A-wol. To find it, we had to dig deep, and once we got there, there were often surprises waiting :)

Hunter just days old... isn't he a cutie? In this picture he is wearing premie clothes... can you believe Hunter wore premie clothes?
Haley in her ballerina class. The pictures are not the greatest because we couldn't use a flash and shooting through a window... AND trying not to let the teacher see us :)

She is doing great... this coming week she is starting tap :)

ALL BOY

Is that not a cute boy??? We just got back from getting his hair cut. I actually had a lot of people tell me that I should let it grow out... and I tried... but it was DRIVING ME INSANE!!!! He has thick, wiry curly hair that sticks up in strange places... I couldn't take it anymore! I am so glad I did. I think he looks adorable :)

This is him right after dinner... as you can tell, he isn't the neatest eater. He gets that after his dad... just kidding, actually, he gets that from me. :( Me and my MILLIONS of napkins :).