Thanksgiving . 2012

With no out-of-state visits to family, or extended family coming to Utah to visit, our Thanksgiving was different for the first time in at least 5-6 years.  Because we didn't have to work around any guests schedules, early in November I sent an invite to our in-state family about our Thanksgiving plans.  We had received a reminder in the mail (thanks to our membership - thanks Julie!) about Hogle Zoo's annual "Feast with the Beast" event, and thought this would be fun for the boys.  We invited any family to join us, if they would like, then to meet at Golden Coral in Layton for lunch at 12:30.

It worked out that Jody & Ann joined us at the Zoo, but that we were on our own for lunch.

Not the typical Thanksgiving, but it was great nonetheless!

I expected a small crowd at the Zoo, but it was PACKED!  Turns out this is their biggest single day event (something Patrick was expecting, but I was shocked with how many people were there).

Walking around the Zoo.  And, yes, the boys have matching handmade dinosaur hats, in their colors!

Jarrett!

Watching the elephants with their Thanksgiving treat - pumpkins!  Ryder got such a kick out of watching the elephants stomp on the pumpkins to get them to break into smaller pieces.  His favorite elephant was the "little" one - Zuri (who is actually just 2-3 weeks younger than Ryder!).

Ryder!

We visited the "Rocky Shores" exhibit, where Ryder got to see the polar bears eating their treat (fish in a pumpkin), but it was so incredibly crowded, it was impossible to get a picture.  We found some seating in the same area where the boys could take a juice break.

Harvick!

We didn't take a stroller with us - 4 adults with 3 kids - we figured we could handle letting them walk!

Ryder is such a great big brother - as Patrick was walking with Harvick, he walked up, grabbed his hand, then turned to hug him before walking with him again!  

The train is under construction (good thing I knew about it early, and we could prep Ryder!), but the Carousel was working.  Ryder, of course, wanted to ride on the "little" elephant.  I don't think he has ever been on a different animal there.

Cutest thing ever!  Look how much they have grown!
(Harvick, Jarrett, and Ryder)

Walking out of the Zoo.  Patrick jokingly told Harvick & Jarrett to hold hands...and they did!

And, lunch...

Thanksgiving Feast at Golden Coral!

While our Thanksgiving wasn't the "typical" traditional holiday, it was great for our family.  I know it's cliche, but it's hard not to think of all the things you are thankful for on Thanksgiving.  And, while my list is (very!) long, being with my family is something I am so grateful for.  On the November 22nd, 4 years prior, Patrick and I found out we were pregnant with Ryder.  Life has changed in innumerable ways since that morning, but I couldn't be happier for our 3 babies!

We rounded out our day with some time at home, naps for the boys, and a quick dinner for the boys.  My parents came over to watch them while Patrick and I went to "Lincoln" (GREAT movie!), and Black Friday shopping!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Vacuuming Fun

We had the best Thanksgiving, and I have many pictures to share...but...while they are still on the camera, let's go back a few weeks...

Two weeks ago, we had our carpets cleaned.  To prepare, Patrick and I moved the big furniture off of the carpet (yes, we do know that the company cleaning the carpet will do it, but we like everything to be off, and stay off until the carpet is completely dry!).  Patrick pulled out the vacuum, and was quickly joined by the cutest helpers ever!

(Harvick in the gray shirt, Jarrett in the blue)

It took him at least 2-3 times long as it typically would, but they boys were all so excited to be helping him, there was no way he could turn them down!

Then, after vacuuming, I stripped the boys down in preparation for jammies (3 less outfits to fill the hampers in their bedrooms!), but they boys had other plans...more playing...

Ryder was asked to take a shoebox to Preschool for a "Teddy Bear Parade", and then the week following, a stuffed animal (he chose his puppy, "Lucy" (the neighbor dog's name)).  He brought home his box, and his brothers instantly became jealous of their big brother having something they wanted - good thing I had extra boxes!

I'm sure it gets old hearing (reading?) me say it, but it's nights like these I am the happiest to have a camera at my disposal.  I love capturing the day-to-day life...even if the pictures will mortify the boys in years to come...

Ding Dongs

On Friday, when it was announced that Hostess was closing, I was joking with co-workers about the people who were rushing to the stores to get their last Hostess fix.  In the middle of our conversation, Patrick called me...he was on his way to the store to see what they had left.

He was able to grab 2 packages of Ding Dongs (his favorite!).  He finished one on Friday, but saved the last to share with the boys.

Ryder had no hesitation about eating his piece.  However, once he knew I was trying to get pictures, all he would do was show me what he was eating!

Harvick didn't really know what it was at first, but once I convinced him to try a bite, ate his piece in one giant mouthful!

Jarrett had to be coerced into trying his, but quickly realized he loved it!  Here, he is eating "conveyor belt" style...he just gnaws on something, slowing pushing it in, as he finishes what is in his mouth.

The empty package.

....so, if it turns out Hostess really does shut down, our boys were able to at least try a Ding Dong for the first (and last) time.

Lazy Saturday Morning . 10.27.2012

Lazy Saturday mornings, in our pajamas...one of my favorite things.  I mean, really, who can resist babies in footie pajamas?!  Even if it means disclosing my very messy house in pictures...

Jarrett, stacking the blocks together.

Ryder, upset with Harvick taking over his building space; and (left) Harvick, using the table to build on his own, when Ryder found a new spot.

Ryder loves to build TALL towers!

Ryder enlisted Patrick to help when the tower got so tall...notice the better engineered base, allowing the height!

Harvick (left) and Jarrett (right) emptying every container of toys that they can.

Harvick (left) and Jarrett (right) (and Ryder) are not allowed to sit in the containers...when I looked over, they were finding a way to fit in together...when they realized I caught them, they thought they were pretty clever...until they both tried to get out at the same time!

Brothers Shirts

Cute "brothers" shirts are always a favorite of mine, so I want to document them for me to remember!

A few weeks ago, I dressed the boys in their newest "brothers" shirts, but forgot all day to grab a picture.  By the time I remembered, they were about to get ready for bed, and the batteries in my flash were dead!  And, by now, I should expect for my impromptu photo shoots to not go as planned, but I can't seem to learn my lesson...

These were Ryder's first attempts to "stand STILL, show me your shirt, and SMILE!" - at least he was trying!

Ryder - "BEST BIG BRO"!

Harvick ("ROCKIN' LITTLE BROTHER") was not in the mood for pictures.  People often think Harvick is the "easy" baby - he is generally happy...but, here's proof he's quite the whiny kid when he wants to be!

Jarrett (obviously, also a "ROCKIN' LITTLE BROTHER") - only willing to cooperate if we let him brush his teeth (while holding a plastic hamburger patty) in the pictures!

Harvick & Jarrett . 18 Months Old

18 months old
.
27 pounds, 6 ounces; 33.75" tall (Harvick)
28 pounds, 6 ounces; 35.25' tall (Jarrett)
.
(Compare to Ryder at 18 Months)

It's hard to believe my babies are already 18 months old!  As they enter ages where, at the same time Ryder was this age, I was pregnant, I find myself thinking back to Ryder.  When Ryder was 18 months old, I was 6 months pregnant with Harvick and Jarrett - I can't imagine that now!

I am ready to be done with the teething stage.  Both boys are up to 12 each (6 on top, 6 on bottom) - that's TWENTY FOUR teeth that have been cut in a short TEN month span - that's about a tooth every other week!

Harvick has become our climber.  If you blink, you may have missed him climbing from the floor, up the chair, and on to the table!  Jarrett can also climb, but seems to find less excitement in doing so.  Harvick and Jarrett continue to LOVE their big brother, and enjoy copying most of his activities.  They both provide much more affection to us, especially when they get picked up from daycare or church, than Ryder did at this age!

And, as much as I only want to report the "good", Harvick and Jarrett have also made no verbal expression advancement.  At this age, they should have at least a few words...I remind myself (constantly) that boys talk later than girls, and multiples talk after singletons - meaning Harvick and Jarrett are at the bottom of the totem pole for starting to talk.  But, if I'm being honest, it's hard.  Both boys have a high level of comprehension, like Ryder, and are able to follow multi-step directions.  Jarrett does say something like "dye", while he waves, while Harvick makes a minimal grunt, if anything, when he waves.  

Enough words...on to the pictures...

Harvick LOVES to play peek-a-boo (top left); When a diaper velcro tab breaks, we duct tape it (we go through too many to just throw it out!) closed (top right); cute expression (bottom left), and a messy baby after enjoying a chocolate treat (bottom right)!

These pictures may be my current favorite series of Harvick and Jarrett.  I had Columbus Day off, and may have treated the boys to a special afternoon snack of cookies (Newtons Fruit Thins - they are the best!).  They, independent of my influence, chose to sick in the recliner together to eat their snack.  Just try to convince me that this isn't on your list of cutest things ever!

Jarrett, stacking rings.

Jarrett (left) and Harvick (right) won't sit with me often to drink their milk, so when they both wanted to one afternoon, I jumped at the chance...and wanted it documented...good thing Ryder is learning how to use my camera - Patrick wasn't available!

Jarrett, figuring out the "Olivia-in-a-box" (top left); posing for a picture with Patrick (taken by Ryder), following the pumpkin painting (bottom left); and, Jarrett must be going through a growth spurt this month - the kid is so sleepy - he has fallen asleep most times we are in the car, and stays alseep in our arms for a short time after.

Harvick is the best Mexican food eater.  The kid LOVES salsa, and always impresses the waitresses  at restaurants with just how much he will consume on his own.  Our favorite Mexican restaurant has even learned to bring him his OWN BOWL already!

Sunday Nights

Patrick and I, as often as possible, try to keep our Sunday evenings free from obligations.  Something about being at home at the end of our weekend, makes me feel more prepared for the week ahead.

On a recent Sunday night, I took a few pictures of our evening.  And, yes, I was given a flash for my birthday, but I don't always keep it attached to the camera...and sometimes I just don't want to take the time to get it...

(Jarrett on the left, Harvick on the right)

Ryder grabbed my camera, so he could take a picture himself.  Remembering to aim the camera correctly typical results in the first shot being misaligned/blurry.

The boys, playing trains, together.

I've said it in multiple posts, but it is nights like these that I love the most.  Our family, together.

Treehouse Museum . 10.27.2012

The weekend before Halloween, with no other pumpkin activity to do (since we had picked pumpkins and visited Black Island Farms), we decided to take the boys to the Treehouse Museum.  We invited Jody and Ann to join us (one of the benefits to membership is that it belongs to the boys, and each get 2 adults in with them).

We've learned the best way to navigate the Museum is to end with the trains - otherwise, Ryder gets stuck there, and does not want to participate in the other areas.

First, we headed upstairs, and made our way around the top floor.

Each of these large foam blocks has a number on them - if you stack them correctly, you are able to form an arch.  While all of the boys thought it was fun, Harvick and Jarrett thought the best part was knocking over a tower, over and over, and over again!

Harvick, building with the blocks.

We really don't let the boys climb on the furniture, but when I turned to help Harvick figure out the blocks, I turned back to catch Jarrett as he was trying to figure out how to get in the bag (hooked to the center of the table).  When his leg fell through, he thought it was funny, and just started to spin around...and, right after I snapped a few pictures, I got him down, and had him help me pick up all the blocks).

Playing in the music area.  Harvick (pictured on the bottom row) and Jarrett LOVE to copy other people's actions - so, when Ann sat down, to be at his level, he sat down too!

A quick stop in the...well, I'm not sure which area.  Harvick (left top) and Jarrett (right top) spent a brief moment coloring.  While, Ryder convinced Ann to crawl through the log tunnel, and then he spent some time jumping off of the boat.

After making the rounds upstairs, we headed downstairs (as a side note, a friend posted a picture of her daughter's favorite area at the Museum - the nursery - and, I didn't even recognize it - Ryder primarily dictates the areas we spend time in, and after being upstairs in a few areas, he's anxious to get downstairs already - the next time we go, I'm going to search out the nursery, just so we can say we've explored it!).  

Jarrett, playing with Ann in the farm area.

TRAINS!  TRAINS!  TRAINS!

Taking turns driving the fire truck.
(Harvick, Jarrett, and Ryder)

Surprisingly, Ryder stepped away from the trains, and asked to go back to the farm area (which he had previously skipped over to get to the trains).

We love having the Treehouse membership (thanks, again, to Patrick's grandparents!) - the boys always have a great time visiting.

Halloween . 2012

Patrick and I have chosen not to celebrate Halloween with trick-or-treating.  When any of our boys are interested in wearing a costume, and participating in trick-or-treating, we will evaluate it again.  So, the month of October is centered around pumpkins/harvest, and not Halloween.

Because we painted the pumpkins in the evening, and with the boys not fully clothed, I couldn't get a picture of the boys and pumpkins together.  The next day, we took them outside, and remarkably, they all were willing to sit next to (or near) their pumpkin for a quick shot!

Painted Pumpkins . 2012
(Jarrett in blue, Harvick in red)

That evening Ryder helped me make "pumpkin cookies" - by adding chocolate chips to those pre-cut/designed cookies in a box.  He loves fitting as many chocolate chips as he can on each cookie!

Now that Ryder has become interested in taking pictures with my camera, he tends to be more willing to smile for the camera when I am trying to get a shot of him - but, you MUST BE FAST, it only lasts for a second!

On Halloween night, we picked up a Papa Murphy's Jack-o-lantern pizza for dinner, with our cookies for dessert.  It was a fun evening at home with the boys (with the blinds closed, and porch light off!) - the same as last year!

The cooked pizza; and the boys enjoying their cookies.
(Bottom row: Harvick on the left, Jarrett on the right)

A few nights previous, a co-worker of mine gave me a costume her son previously wore - a monster.  Although we knew we wouldn't be dressing the boys up for Halloween, I thought they may still enjoy dressing up at home.

Ryder did not find it amusing - at all.  After coercing him into putting it on, and letting me take a picture (without a smile), I thought it would be funny to put the pants on Jarrett, and the jacket on Harvick - they LOVED it!  I don't know if either would have wanted to wear the whole set, but they both thought it was hilarious that they were wearing part of it!

Wearing the monster costume.
(Ryder on the left, Harvick in the center, and Jarrett on the right).

Pumpkin Painting . 2012

To end our pumpkin-themed weekend activities, we decided to have the boys paint their pumpkins.  With the weather being so cold last weekend, we decided to just do it inside (with washable paint!).  We stripped the boys down to underwear/diapers, and did our best to protect the floor with a large canvas.

Harvick loved it immediately, Ryder was a bit hesitant, and Jarrett was not interested.

Getting started with the paint.

About half way through our painting, Patrick encouraged Ryder to make a handprint on his stomach.  He debated at first, but once he did it, there was no stopping any of the boys from getting super messy!

Ryder, making handprints on his stomach...then, when out of room, on his legs!

Getting messy!

Thankfully, we planned out the painting well - on a BATH NIGHT!  The boys literally turned the water a deep blue, almost black, when we washed the paint off of their bodies. 

Ryder , after completing his masterpiece!

Jarrett (left) and Harvick (right) were covered in paint!

Painting pumpkins was so much fun this year - we had fun last year too, but it was exciting to have Harvick & Jarrett understand, and enjoy it too.  The next day we took a handful of pictures with their pumpkins outside - I'll have to share those too.