Long-winded. . .

Hello, Everyone!!

We survived our trip to California, and when we got back is when things really started to get busy for us. So, I apologize in advance, but this blog is going to turn into a novel in a quick hurry!!
Our vacation was AWESOME!!! The house we rented was perfect-- enough space to fit everyone and not feel crammed in, with a pool and spa to boot! I loved it, and hope that we can go back again someday. It was a very busy week! We started with the Wild Animal Park in San Diego, which was awesome. They had so many animals that I had never seen or heard of, and many that I had. They had lions, which were beautiful to watch and had a lot of energy. Gorillas, very stinky. Ben loved feeding the ducks, although while we were getting the duck food he didn't like it so much-- there was a goose standing right next to the machine, and it kept hissing at him! I can imagine it was scary, because it was eye-level. After we moved, though, he was okay. There was also a duck in the Flamingo territory, that was acting just like the Flamingos! It cracked me up to see this duck standing on one leg, imitating very closely the movements of the birds around him, despite the fact that he wasn't so graceful as they.

We also spent a day at SeaWorld, which was awesome!! Ben got a real kick out of the whales and dolphins splashing. There were Flamingos there, too, and they actually herded them down the street we were on. It was funny-- one of them got right in Ben's face (again, eye to eye), and made him a little nervous. He loved seeing Shamu (although until after the show he called him Shampoo), and the penguins. There was a Sea Lion and Otter show with a Halloween theme, that I particularly liked. Ben slept through that one, but he said he really liked it.

We spent two days at Disneyland, which were pretty fun, despite the fact that Claire pooped out of her diaper five times in the two days we spent there. Blast Von's Market for not having Luvs. Grrrr. . . Thank heavens for extra changes of clothes!! Anyway, Ben had lots of fun the second day particularly, because we went to California Adventure, and found the Bug's Life area. I was so glad to find a place for the little ones to have fun, because BOY was it dull for them most of the time. Ben did get to go on the Matterhorn, and his assessment of the ride was, "It go weally FAST!! PPPSSSHEEEEEW!! And it went wound and wound, and a scawy monster go RRRROOOAAARRRR, and got on wollercoaster, and HE GET ME!!! ON WOLLERCOASTER!!!"

Last the best of all, we got to spend two afternoons at the Beach. Claire loved eating the sand, while Ben loved digging holes with his cousins, and playing in the water. Josh and I loved the waves-- we didn't catch any huge ones, but we did get to do some body surfing on the waves we did get, with the surf boards they had at the house. I had forgotten how salty the seawater is.

Since we've been home, it's been crazy like I said. Claire had Croup when we got home, and luckily recovered from it before needing to see the doctor. It wasn't too serious. Then, this week she tried to stand up underneath my piano bench, and then she fell over and hit her nose so hard I thought it was broken!! To look at her bruises, you would think so too. I took her to the doctor that day, and they checked everything out, and it really isn't broken, but the poor girl looks like she was in a boxing match or something.

Ben has had big tonsils for a long time, but while we were in California I really could not believe how bad he was snoring. So, when we got back to Utah, we took him to see the doctor. Apparently he had strep, too (go figure-- the kid acts the same when he's sick as when he's well), and the doctor referred us to an ENT. We saw the ENT last week, and they said that his tonsils definitely need to come out. So, here's how the next two months are panning out for us: Next week, Ben will get some Lab work done so that he can have a follow-up appointment with an Endocrinologist (a growth doctor) in December. The week after next he will get his tonsils out. The week after that is Thanksgiving. The week after that, he has a follow-up appointment with the ENT. Two weeks after that are Ben and Claire's birthdays (yes, both), and that same week Ben has an appointment with the Endocrinologist about his Labs. The week after that, both Ben and Claire have their well-child checkups with their Pediatrician, and that just happens to be the week of Christmas as well. We definitely are in crazy mode!!!

Other than all of that, we are basically back to the same old routine-- get up, get fed, get ready, go to work/daycare, get home, get fed, go to bed. Ben and Claire have started their own morning routine, while I'm putting on my makeup and doing my hair. Claire either crawls around the floor and eats whatever she can find while I'm not looking (eeewww), or clings to my legs and stands up trying to balance herself on her feet while I do my thing. Ben is a different matter. He stands on the toilet, and for the first five minutes or so he brushes his teeth by himself. Then, he puts lotion on his hands and then on his face, then he rubs it on the bathroom counter. He always asks to put makeup on, and I always explain that it's only for girls and he's a boy. Then he says, "I'm Daddy!" or "I'm Claire!" and I'll respond with, "No, I'm Claire," and we go back and forth with that a little bit. Then he takes the squirt bottle and sprays a few spots along the front of his hair (because he hasn't figured out how to hold the bottle away from his head and still make it spray). Then he squirts me a couple of times. Then I take the squirt bottle away. He tries to steal my brush to brush his hair. He always loses that battle too. Then he tries to get hold of anything he can on the counter, and at this point he usually gets kicked out of the bathroom, and the door gets locked until I'm finished (two to three minutes later).

I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Love you all, and if I don't get to post again until after the holiday this month (I really will try, but I make no guarantees), then have a Happy Thanksgiving!! There really is a lot to be grateful for right now, even in this time of Economic and Political turmoil, and I want you all to know that I'm grateful for YOU, your friendship and for just being there!!!! AND for reading my blog, which gets longer and longer each time I post. Sorry again.

This is Halloween

Has it seriously been almost a month since I last posted? Crazy.

Josh has been hard at work this month, between his job and School. Thank goodness, this is finals week!!! WAHOO!!! He has a test on Saturday, and then we are free, FREE as the wind!! (Okay, at least for two weeks, until the next term begins. . . ) We'll put up with the business-- there are only a couple of more classes to go, and he's finished with his Bachelors!

We're really getting excited for a family vacation that is coming up-- On October 11, we're flying to San Diego for a week of fun and (hopefully!) SUN!!! We've been planning this trip for SO long, it felt like it would never come. Now, the excitement has set in, and Ben asks every day if tomorrow is the day we get to go in the plane. We're going to go to Disneyland, and I'm REALLY excited because it will be decked out for Halloween!! From what I hear, the Haunted Mansion is made up into a "Nightmare Before Christmas" theme, which I am REALLY excited to see!! I love the Nightmare Before Christmas-- particularly the music. GO DANNY ELFMAN!!! :o)

I bought Claire her first pair of shoes today-- some that I fell in love with about two months ago, and finally broke down and bought today for two reasons. 1. It was the last pair in the store. 2. They were on sale. Anyway, Claire hates them. I'm sure she'll get used to them-- we probably should have bought her shoes earlier! I think she hates the idea of having a shoe on her foot more than she hates the shoes themselves. Maybe she has my taste, and really likes them. . . Somewhere deep, deep down inside of her. . .

I'm also very excited for Halloween this year!! I loved trick-or-treating with my little spider last year. Yes, that is chocolate and caramel on his teeth. That was the first time we took him trick-or-treating, but we're really excited to go again! Maybe this year he'll learn to only grab one piece of candy, instead of taking as many as he could before people would take the bowl away from him . . . :o)

But, I think my favorite costume of all for Ben was his first Halloween-- A bag of Wonder Bread.

We haven't bought this year's costumes yet, but we're searching for that one perfect one for each of the kids. I'm sure they will turn up soon. . .

Until next week (or maybe two, or seven or four), Take care all!!