Caiden's creations...and more

Oh, how Caiden loves his legos and oh, how I love his creations. Meet Crabby, the crab, Octo, the octopus, and Turd, the turtle. (For the record, I helped build the crab and octopus, but the turtle was all Caiden, and the naming too, of course).

"Mom, check out my turtle. He has a "A-B pattern" on his shell...gray,brown,gray,brown,gray,brown,gray,brown. His name is Turd."

Then later, I overhear this conversation between him and Paige that just about kills me with laughter:

P: "Caiden come here!"

C: "No."

P: "Caiden come HERE!"

C: "No."

P: "CAIDEN come HERE!"

C: "NO! I don't want to play with you! I just want to play with my little Turd!"

(Thankfully, I had already met these creations and knew just what he was talking about. Otherwise, I think I might have been really frightened and worried about his mental state.) Moving on....

Gingerbread wars....girls vs. boys....Personally, I think the girls won, but I might be a little bias.

....and one last thing....JASPER'S BACK! YAY! We (me, Caiden and Paige) are excited to have Jasper over the holidays. I'm sure he will love all the wrapping paper Christmas morning. He already loves the tree. I found him nearly sleeping inside the tree, just relaxing about 3 ft up on the branches. Let's just pray he doesn't knock the tree over....

Ode to my husband

Today is Casey's 31st birthday and therefore deserves a post dedicated to just him. I'm sure this is not at the top of his list, but being married to a blogging girl, he gets it anyway. Today we planned to go skiing but instead he had to go into work and so that has been delayed a few days. So I had the bright idea to wake up before him and make him breakfast, something he rarely gets from me....actually never gets from me. (I know, I'm a terrible wife. But let's face it, he didn't exactly marry me for my gourmet cooking skills or my cheery morning attitude.) However, I feared I would not wake up in time, and so I had to let him know last night "I love you so much that I'm going to get up and make you breakfast before work, but please, if you could, wake me." And to my complete astonishment, I woke up all by myself! Yay for me! So here's to wishing my awesome, hardworking, tolerant, and very patient husband a very happy birthday!

Maybe I should stay in bed....

So today I was feeling really proud of myself because I was up and showered and ready for the day before I even took Caiden to school. Now that might be a normal thing for most moms, but NOT ME. This is a huge accomplishment. No, not huge, more like colossal. I had to volunteer in his class and run a ton of errands which I knew I wouldn't get done after school because I was busy all afternoon, so I made the goal to get it all done before I was due in his class at 10 am. And guess what? I did it. And I was on time too. So after a pleasant visit to Caiden's kindergarten class and feeling like I was Supermom, we head to a friend's who was watching Paige and this is what I find out. "Um...Paige didn't have underwear on today, just her pants." Whoops....maybe I shouldn't get up so early.

NEVERTHELESS, I have redeemed myself (if you can do such a thing after forgetting to put underwear on your child) and caught up on my blogging. Wahoo! The next FIVE, count them...FIVE, posts are new. And now, I'm going to bed....

Are we ready for this?

Well, this has been the first snowfall to stick to the ground and at first I was excited. It feels a lot more like Christmas when the ground is covered in snow. But then the kids went out and played in it and came inside and trampled snow all over the house with their big annoying snow boots and snow clothes, and then I was totally over it and would like for it to leave thank you. And by the looks of it Caiden might be over it too. He went out to jump on the snow covered trampoline and then decided he was freezing, so freezing, in fact, that he couldn't jump off of it (which I know he can because he launches himself off it everyday). And being the mean mom that I am, I would not go get him, (because it was freezing) and so he cried until finally he jumped off and we haven't been outside since. Happy winter.

Caiden's Christmas Program

Caiden's kindergarten class had their Christmas program this past week. I was there early and got a front row seat, but of course he was on the opposite side of the room and the music teacher and camera lady were right in my line view. But I did get a few shots... Caiden (sitting on the floor, white and brown striped sweater)....

All the teachers...Caiden's is on the far right, Mrs. Nash, who I love, love, love....


Afterwards we went to his classroom for cookies and juice and Paige made herself right at home with 2 helpings of cookies and juice too....

Caiden and his best bud Hunter, who is moving this weekend. We are sad to see this little guy go. Caiden and him have become such great friends! The video below is of them singing. I loved this song because they do this cute little dance move with their shoulders. Caiden had been showing me this move all week. It was too cute!

Merry Christmas!

2nd Ward's Christmas Party....Caiden let Santa know what he wanted for Christmas. For the past couple of weeks he has been convinced that Santa is bringing him a Nintendo DS. I can barely handle him wanting to play the Wii nonstop and now he wants something that he can take everywhere??? No thank you. Then, one day last week when I was volunteering in his kindergarten class I heard him tell his teacher (very matter-of-factly) that he was getting Guitar Hero for Christmas. Now, don't get me wrong, I do love guitar hero, but I know Santa pretty well and he's not buying that either. Paige is also convinced that she is getting a pink leapster for Christmas. Since we have a perfectly fine yellow and green one, I'm thinking it's not necessary to buy another for the sake of it being pink. So I'm thinking my kids might have a disappointing Christmas morning...But to my surprise Caiden simply told Santa that he wanted "a lego set". Now that....I can handle.

Happy Hearts

Paige's Christmas program....this is the best shot I could get, but I do love how she is standing next to her best buddy, Adam. I was curious how this might go. Paige has a heck of time singing and dancing at home...but she's not really one for an audience. And I was right. She had some pretty serious stagefright. Not a whole lot singing going on from her, but still so cute. I love to watch my little girl....

Thanksgiving 2009

This year we spent Thanksgiving at my brother's home in Montana. Caiden and Paige had a great time with their cousins and Grandma and Grandpa...

Rebecca and Mom slaved away Thanksgiving day. I helped make a few easy dips and whatnot. Oh, and I helped set the table. But really, when it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, Kim and I aren't really involved in the yummy dishes. We leave that to the pros. Did I mention I'm so thankful for a mom and sister-in-law who know their way around the kitchen????? Well, I AM!!! I REALLY, REALLY AM!!!

Black Friday was certainly a SUCCESS! We (me, mom, Kim, Rebecca) all got up at 4:30 am!!! I don't believe I've ever seen my clock read "4:30 am" before, but shopping just might be the only thing that could get me out of bed that early. I considered this year to be my first official year of truly living out Black Friday to the fullest extent. (Last year I did get up early but when you only have one store to shop at, that being Walmart, there's not too much stress involved.) However, in Missoula, there were tons of stores to choose from, all of which had awesome deals. So how do you hit them all? Well, the night before we all planned out a route starting from most important gifts to least important gifts. Plus I learned it is all about TEAMWORK! First everyone MUST have a cell phone. Then, it helps to have a dropper-offer (someone who lets everyone out at the front of the store and then attempts to find a parking spot...thanks Rebecca) and someone who holds a place in line while the others shop. We literally shopped till we dropped. 16 hours later, we finally called it quits. This is definitely a first for me to be DONE with Christmas shopping this early. I love it!

And afterwards we had a mad wrapping party.....Speaking of "rapping" checkout the video below of the kids rockin out to Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer" with Kim on the drums and Kelley on guitar. We love our Guitar Hero!

I'm thankful for....

....MY FAMILY. I'm thankful for my 2 beautiful children who make me smile and laugh everyday. I'm thankful for my wonderful husband who works so hard to provide for us. I'm thankful for our health. I'm thankful for our freedom and that we live in a country where we can live and do as we please. I'm also thankful for a husband who realizes he'll get nowhere by trying to tell me what to do:) I'm thankful for the gospel and our Savior's sacrifice for us. I'm thankful I live in today's time with hospitals and modern medicine and epidurals. I'm thankful for our home. I'm thankful for friends. I'm thankful for a working automobile (even if it is a spaceship). I'm also thankful that my fantasy football team finally won after 8 straight losses. I'm thankful it was against my brother who beat me out of the playoffs 2 years ago. I'm thankful for my awesome sister, but NOT thankful that she won't move by me. I'm thankful for vacations. I'm thankful for color wonder markers that ONLY work on paper, and not walls, carpet, or clothes. I'm thankful for girls night out and weekend getaways. I'm REALLY thankful for a husband who feeds the kids breakfast every morning and lets me sleep in. I'm thankful for hot chocolate. I'm thankful for cameras and pictures and scrapbooks.

......just feeling thankful this holiday season.

My family

Thanks, Jami!

Jasper

(No, not Jasper from Twilight.....Jasper the kitty!!) About a week ago, we babysat a friend's kitty for the week. Meet Jasper. Caiden, Paige, and I fell in love with this kitty. Just look at that face! (Casey did not so much fall in love per say, but he did admit that the cat entertained the kids more than any toy on earth possibly could AND I caught him holding the kitty ONE time!)

Jasper loved Paige's blanket. He mostly lived in the garage but I would let him in for a couple of hours at a time. He just stayed downstairs, but there was one time we could not find him and I went upstairs and he had jumped on Paige's bed and fell asleep on her blanket.

I think it would be fair to say that Paige fell the hardest for the kitty. And a tolerant cat it was. Between both kids constantly wanting to hold him like he was a toy, there was only one scratch to each of them and it was the very last day (and I'm sure it was well deserved).

Paige loved for the kitty to sleep on her, even when the kitty wasn't tired. I caught her a few times with the kitty on her lap and her hand forcing his head down as if willing him to sleep. Needless to say, we had several "talks" on how to treat the kitty kindly. It was a sad day when the kitty went back home. Maybe...just maybe...we'll have a Jasper of our own someday.

Happy Birthday Caiden!!!

We celebrated Caiden's 6th birthday on November 11, which happens to be Veteran's day, which also means he is one lucky kid who will never have to go to school on his birthday.

We celebrated with Grandma and Papa Gubler and had some cupcakes....but the real party was last Saturday at the bowling alley with all Caiden's best buddies....

Tyler, Kade, Malcolm, Jackson, Keenen, Jett, Hunter, Ian, and Kylan

Malcolm gets a strike!

And Kylan helps Paige bowl....so cute.

There was unlimited root beer and the kids really loved that! I think we went through 5 pitchers. Between that and cupcakes (which I insisted the kids eat them all because I didn't want to take any home) I think I sent the kids home bouncing off the walls.....sorry parents!

After bowling for a while, they started getting ansy and I got a kick out of watching them come up with new things to do...

Who's the most ticklish???

Who can jump the highest??

Who's the tallest?? (Caiden didn't last too long in that game.)

The bowling alley gave Caiden his very own bowling pin which all his friends signed. When we got home and Caiden was able to look at all the things his friends gave him, he said to me "Mom, I LOVE my friends!" Ha!Ha! It was a great birthday and Caiden really does have some really AWESOME friends! Thanks to all who came!