I remember reading an autism awareness sign in a doctor's office when Thatcher was just a baby. It said: 'Does your child point to show you things?' 'Does your child look when you point to things?' and 'Does your baby participate in imaginary play?'. I remember thinking that the imaginary play question was kind of funny and wondering how much 'imaginary play' most kids did.
Well...my question has been answered. I feel like I live in a make believe world. In this world I am usually Dory, but sometimes Mommy Incredible, and sometimes Sally. Thatcher is mostly Nemo these days, but still frequently likes to play the role of Dash or Buzz. Ty is Bruce the Shark and Incredible Dad. And James is either little Nemo or baby Jack Jack. In our pretend world we do a whole lot of swimming, running from sharks, running from bears who hide in funny places (Thatcher always likes to tell me where bears are hiding), and eating funny things. We build houses and play games with lots of silly rules. I love it. I never knew a 2-year-old could be so creative. It makes me laugh and makes life fun. I love seeing the things that Thatcher comes up with...and it is a lot. He really doesn't stop talking throughout most of the day and the majority of what he says these days is make believe.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Slitzerland...here we come!
We bought our tickets last week (well my mom paid for them, but I helped choose them) and the new stroller for the trip has arrived. Now we just need to wait 6 months and 6 days to be on the plane headed for Zurich. I can't wait. It is probably going to be the biggest adventure our family will ever do in the next 15 years or so. Thanks mom! We can't wait to see you in your new home. Thanks for moving to Switzerland and not anywhere else...I can't imagine many places I would rather visit!
The competition is on
Ty and I have a few problems...mine is baking. I am not your once a week baker who has a few cookies. I like to always have a treat available...and since I can eat a lot (and so can my boys) we got through baked goods very fast...that translates into many weeks where I bake something every other day. Ty's problem (aside from my baking) is traveling. He is on the road a lot which means he eats a fair amount of fast food, and a lot of gas station candy bars and drinks. So...in an effort to improve our health and our habits we have entered into a friendly competition. The first person to 1000 points gets $200.00 (maybe...we might have to wait till we have enough credit card rewards to get gift cards to give to the winner but the winner will be rewarded eventually).
Here is a list that we update each day:
No soda, energy drinks, sweetened fruit juices- 1point
No sweets or candy- 1 point
No desserts- 1 point
No dried or sweetened fruit (natural only)- 1 point
No high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners (natural 0 calorie sweeteners ok)- 1 point
No sweetened milk, milk products, or yogurt- 1 point
No added sugar (on cereal, etc.)- 1 point
No cereal or oatmeal with more than 6g of sugar per serving- 1 point
No protein or cereal bars with more than 8g sugar per serving- 1 point
At least 3 servings of fruit- 1 point
At least 3 servings of vegetables- 1 point
Exercise for 30 minute- (1 point per 30 minutes, max of 2 points)
Total: (add 5 points if completed all nutrition tasks)
Here is a list that we update each day:
No soda, energy drinks, sweetened fruit juices- 1point
No sweets or candy- 1 point
No desserts- 1 point
No dried or sweetened fruit (natural only)- 1 point
No high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners (natural 0 calorie sweeteners ok)- 1 point
No sweetened milk, milk products, or yogurt- 1 point
No added sugar (on cereal, etc.)- 1 point
No cereal or oatmeal with more than 6g of sugar per serving- 1 point
No protein or cereal bars with more than 8g sugar per serving- 1 point
At least 3 servings of fruit- 1 point
At least 3 servings of vegetables- 1 point
Exercise for 30 minute- (1 point per 30 minutes, max of 2 points)
Total: (add 5 points if completed all nutrition tasks)
Happy Spring
This is what it looked like outside my window today. And it was the first day of spring.
At least I have these (thank you Ty for the belated Valentines day flowers)....
and this (that I made Friday night)...
and this (that I made on Saturday)...
to remind me that Spring is hopefully just around the corner.
At least I have these (thank you Ty for the belated Valentines day flowers)....
and this (that I made Friday night)...
and this (that I made on Saturday)...
to remind me that Spring is hopefully just around the corner.
St. Patrick's Day
Thursday was definitely a St. Patrick's Day to remember. The library was hosting a bunch of St. Patrick's Day crafts, and after Thatcher ran into the corner of a table and cried hysterically for a while...we were able to make a few. Thatcher made a hat, a necklace, a snake and a wreath. Ok...so maybe I mostly made them, but Thatcher was proud of what he contributed. I love this kid.
I also love this kid who gave me a few heart attacks when he would crawl off and wander the library. Since everyone was wearing green it made it even harder to keep track of him.
And if that wasn't enough "festive-ness" for the day, we spent the afternoon at a St. Patrick's day party with all of Thatcher's friends.
There were cupcakes and jello jigglers and rainbows made out of airheads. The kids made necklaces and Thatcher loved following a path a leprechaun had left that lead to a pot of gold. James did his share participating when he devoured a cupcake and a green smoothie and that ended up all over his shirt. It is always so fun to see kids get excited about these holidays!
I also love this kid who gave me a few heart attacks when he would crawl off and wander the library. Since everyone was wearing green it made it even harder to keep track of him.
And if that wasn't enough "festive-ness" for the day, we spent the afternoon at a St. Patrick's day party with all of Thatcher's friends.
There were cupcakes and jello jigglers and rainbows made out of airheads. The kids made necklaces and Thatcher loved following a path a leprechaun had left that lead to a pot of gold. James did his share participating when he devoured a cupcake and a green smoothie and that ended up all over his shirt. It is always so fun to see kids get excited about these holidays!
Happenings here...
"Oh my goodness" has been Thatcher's phrase of the week and it is probably because he hears me saying it all the time. It is usually in the context of, "Oh my goodness, I love you so much," or "Oh my goodness, how did you get so cute?". That is how I have been feeling a lot lately. I just can't get enough of my kids. There are definitely moments when James is crawling away from me through the church halls or climbing up onto the table to drink Ty's Mountain Dew at a restaurant that life feels hectic...but I really just love my boys and feel like they give so much joy to my life.
Thatcher has also been saying, "of course" a lot. It is usually in response to questions about desserts or treats. If we ask him if he wants a brownie, "of course" is the common response. He has also been very open about telling me when he is happy and what makes him happy. Today I gave him something he wanted and he said, "Mom, that makes me happy that you gave me that." Does it get any cuter? Thatcher is getting excited about all the talking we have been doing about Switzerland. He calls is "Slitzerland" and is already asking about when we can go. Yesterday he was looking at pictures of Switzerland with his dad and said, "Look, it's Utah." Pretty perceptive for a 2-year-old.
Thatcher's little obsession with babies continues. It abates when he isn't around them, but after seeing my friend Bridget's baby, he found a rock that he decided was his baby and took care of it all Saturday afternoon. It was quite an ordeal when the baby (rock) got lost or stuck.
We have spent a lot of time outside recently. We have been bird watching (thanks to our bird feeder), kite flying, we spent a morning feeding the ducks, and have spent tons of time riding wiggle cars and bikes outside. We love nice weather! James is always so happy when he is outside and if there are animals to look at it makes it even better.
But today has been spent inside because of the nasty weather. I love this picture because it shows what the boys spend the majority of their time doing...riding their cars. If James is sleeping Thatcher asks me if we can wake him up so they can ride cars together. It gets pretty crazy sometimes, but it is so funny. Notice the "hat" James is wearing (it is a sticker of a leprechaun hat that Thatcher stuck in his hair) and the backwards shirt and pants that Thatcher is wearing (he was super determined to get his Incredibles costume on no matter what it took!).
Yesterday Thatcher got what is probably his worst injury to date. He was redecorating his egg tree and fell off of our bed. Instead of just falling onto the carpet, he slid down, scraping his naked belly on the corner of our nightstand poor kid. Today at the gym though he was very excited to lift up his shirt and show all the day care workers his hurt.
James continues to keep me on my toes. No progress in the walking department, but he is adding to his word repertoire. He has started saying "boo" when playing peek-a-boo, and he says what I think is "ball" when referring to balls and books. I think he has a word for car but I am not sure and he is great at car noises. Every animal sounds like a monkey and "cheese" and "uh-oh" continue to be the consistent ones. He loves to hide in his special spot in my tupperware cupboard and gets really excited when he can tell we are looking for him. He continues to be the snuggliest kid in the world and I just love him. I can't get enough of his funny, mischievous, happy personality.
Last week Thatcher went to his friend Skyler's birthday party. He was so excited to give Skyler his present and was extremely helpful providing aid in unwrapping the present. He had a blast bouncing in a bounce house and eating two helpings of cake. His friends really love him and it shows!
I love this picture. I told Thatcher to go stand next to Skyler, so he did. And he stayed there while all the other kids were running around and even when Lexi stood in front of him. He is so obedient.
It's funny how keeping a blog or journal or any record really helps me to recognize the blessings in my life and the fun things I get to do. We just got home from swimming at the auquaplex for family night and even though our life isn't a party all the time we really do get to do a lot of fun things. Especially thanks to my kids who keep things interesting.
Thatcher has also been saying, "of course" a lot. It is usually in response to questions about desserts or treats. If we ask him if he wants a brownie, "of course" is the common response. He has also been very open about telling me when he is happy and what makes him happy. Today I gave him something he wanted and he said, "Mom, that makes me happy that you gave me that." Does it get any cuter? Thatcher is getting excited about all the talking we have been doing about Switzerland. He calls is "Slitzerland" and is already asking about when we can go. Yesterday he was looking at pictures of Switzerland with his dad and said, "Look, it's Utah." Pretty perceptive for a 2-year-old.
Thatcher's little obsession with babies continues. It abates when he isn't around them, but after seeing my friend Bridget's baby, he found a rock that he decided was his baby and took care of it all Saturday afternoon. It was quite an ordeal when the baby (rock) got lost or stuck.
We have spent a lot of time outside recently. We have been bird watching (thanks to our bird feeder), kite flying, we spent a morning feeding the ducks, and have spent tons of time riding wiggle cars and bikes outside. We love nice weather! James is always so happy when he is outside and if there are animals to look at it makes it even better.
But today has been spent inside because of the nasty weather. I love this picture because it shows what the boys spend the majority of their time doing...riding their cars. If James is sleeping Thatcher asks me if we can wake him up so they can ride cars together. It gets pretty crazy sometimes, but it is so funny. Notice the "hat" James is wearing (it is a sticker of a leprechaun hat that Thatcher stuck in his hair) and the backwards shirt and pants that Thatcher is wearing (he was super determined to get his Incredibles costume on no matter what it took!).
Yesterday Thatcher got what is probably his worst injury to date. He was redecorating his egg tree and fell off of our bed. Instead of just falling onto the carpet, he slid down, scraping his naked belly on the corner of our nightstand poor kid. Today at the gym though he was very excited to lift up his shirt and show all the day care workers his hurt.
James continues to keep me on my toes. No progress in the walking department, but he is adding to his word repertoire. He has started saying "boo" when playing peek-a-boo, and he says what I think is "ball" when referring to balls and books. I think he has a word for car but I am not sure and he is great at car noises. Every animal sounds like a monkey and "cheese" and "uh-oh" continue to be the consistent ones. He loves to hide in his special spot in my tupperware cupboard and gets really excited when he can tell we are looking for him. He continues to be the snuggliest kid in the world and I just love him. I can't get enough of his funny, mischievous, happy personality.
Last week Thatcher went to his friend Skyler's birthday party. He was so excited to give Skyler his present and was extremely helpful providing aid in unwrapping the present. He had a blast bouncing in a bounce house and eating two helpings of cake. His friends really love him and it shows!
I love this picture. I told Thatcher to go stand next to Skyler, so he did. And he stayed there while all the other kids were running around and even when Lexi stood in front of him. He is so obedient.
It's funny how keeping a blog or journal or any record really helps me to recognize the blessings in my life and the fun things I get to do. We just got home from swimming at the auquaplex for family night and even though our life isn't a party all the time we really do get to do a lot of fun things. Especially thanks to my kids who keep things interesting.
Monday, March 14, 2011
lucky day
When we found this horse shoe at my cabin I thought it was appropriate considering St. Patrick's day is just around the corner, and considering I felt lucky the whole day.
This Saturday was the first Saturday in a very very long time (since before Christmas) that we have been together as a family. Ty has either been studying for the bar or out of town every Saturday for months. It is funny because even though it wasn't anything spectacular, it was special and a much needed day for all of us.
We started off by cleaning the church, then we picked up our bountiful basket (a huge basket of fresh fruits and veggies). From there we went to the park for a while. The boys went on the slides, played on the swings, and James rode his wiggle car while Thatcher and Ty hung out at the skate park where Thatcher entertained the skate boarders with his pleas to go skating. After the park we went to WalMart where Thatcher rode around a number of little bikes. He is ready for it...and maybe he will get lucky for his third birthday and get to have one at his house (we will see). We got a pizza on the way home and ate more than we should have for lunch. We washed the cars when we got home (ok, so maybe Ty washed my car inside and out while I played with the boys). Then the boys took naps while Ty and I worked on the inside of the house (we cleaned our carpets thanks to a friend who lent us her steamer).
When the boys woke up we headed down to the cabin and Thathcer threw sticks in the creek while James went into a trance just watching the water. After our time in nature, we drove home and had a fabulous dinner of macaroni and cheese, then ate popcorn and watched Megamind.
It was a great day just spent with each other and I am excited for the spring weather and the fun months we have ahead of us.
This Saturday was the first Saturday in a very very long time (since before Christmas) that we have been together as a family. Ty has either been studying for the bar or out of town every Saturday for months. It is funny because even though it wasn't anything spectacular, it was special and a much needed day for all of us.
We started off by cleaning the church, then we picked up our bountiful basket (a huge basket of fresh fruits and veggies). From there we went to the park for a while. The boys went on the slides, played on the swings, and James rode his wiggle car while Thatcher and Ty hung out at the skate park where Thatcher entertained the skate boarders with his pleas to go skating. After the park we went to WalMart where Thatcher rode around a number of little bikes. He is ready for it...and maybe he will get lucky for his third birthday and get to have one at his house (we will see). We got a pizza on the way home and ate more than we should have for lunch. We washed the cars when we got home (ok, so maybe Ty washed my car inside and out while I played with the boys). Then the boys took naps while Ty and I worked on the inside of the house (we cleaned our carpets thanks to a friend who lent us her steamer).
When the boys woke up we headed down to the cabin and Thathcer threw sticks in the creek while James went into a trance just watching the water. After our time in nature, we drove home and had a fabulous dinner of macaroni and cheese, then ate popcorn and watched Megamind.
It was a great day just spent with each other and I am excited for the spring weather and the fun months we have ahead of us.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
fun at the park
We went to the park for the first time in a very long time on Thursday. It was gorgeous outside and the kids had so much fun. James was quite the daredevil and would go down all the big slides by himself. Thatcher thought it was hilarious swinging with Skyler, and was very compliant when Lexi insisted holding hands and walking around. Thatcher also cracked me up running all over the huge field and joining a couple different soccer games. I love how friendly and confident he is. He just assumes that everyone wants to be his friend and that he can play with the biggest and best of them.
mardi gras
I have been teaching french lessons to these two cute kids the last few months. I have been amazed at how quickly and how well they have caught on. We have made crepes and gingerbread cookies, learned the alphabet and numbers, played 'zoo' and acted out lots of stories. We have had a lot of fun and last week we had a Mardi Gras party. We ate green and purple cupcakes, made masks, and played traditional games. It was fun to celebrate a holiday I normally don't remember.
Oh, and when I came back upstairs after Sydney and Isaac left, I found this....cute James had climbed up on the chair that Thatcher had used and was helping himself to some cupcake.
Oh, and when I came back upstairs after Sydney and Isaac left, I found this....cute James had climbed up on the chair that Thatcher had used and was helping himself to some cupcake.
Friday, March 4, 2011
naked cuties
Could they be any cuter? This is James's favorite spot. He and Thatcher will sit at this little table and look at books for the longest time. I think James knows now that if he is sitting there he will get out of going to bed on time because it is so stinkin' cute that I let him sit there longer than I should.
Salt Lake memories
While in Salt Lake, uncle Jimmy offered to cut Thatcher's hair. I thought, 'why not?'...but Thatcher wasn't so sure. He did pretty good until Jimmy got close to Thatcher's ears. Thatcher had a rough time after that. Since then Ty and I have decided that we like Thatcher with long hair better anyway, so the lucky boy won't be getting another haircut for a long time.
While in Salt Lake, we spent a morning playing with Skyler, Thatcher's friend from Flagstaff who just happened to be in Salt Lake and very close to my mom's house. Thatcher was excited to show off his wiggle cars...which is what he and James spent the majority of their time doing the entire week in Salt Lake.
After Ty took the bar, we spent a night away at Valaise in Midway. My mom watched the boys and for a heavenly 24 hours Ty and I were alone. We went shopping, hot tubbing, we watched a movie, exercised, slept in, and didn't worry about our kids for one minute.
Here are some other cute pictures of our time spent with family. We got to see a lot of family at Krew's blessing and had fun with aunts, uncles, and cousins. I love it when my kids get to spend time with their family.
4 generations of Martin boys. Ty's Grandpa Woody was in town when we were and since Ty is the last Martin boy in a long line of Martins, the fact that we have had two boys has been a pretty big deal. So here are the Martin boys.
While in Salt Lake, we spent a morning playing with Skyler, Thatcher's friend from Flagstaff who just happened to be in Salt Lake and very close to my mom's house. Thatcher was excited to show off his wiggle cars...which is what he and James spent the majority of their time doing the entire week in Salt Lake.
After Ty took the bar, we spent a night away at Valaise in Midway. My mom watched the boys and for a heavenly 24 hours Ty and I were alone. We went shopping, hot tubbing, we watched a movie, exercised, slept in, and didn't worry about our kids for one minute.
Here are some other cute pictures of our time spent with family. We got to see a lot of family at Krew's blessing and had fun with aunts, uncles, and cousins. I love it when my kids get to spend time with their family.
4 generations of Martin boys. Ty's Grandpa Woody was in town when we were and since Ty is the last Martin boy in a long line of Martins, the fact that we have had two boys has been a pretty big deal. So here are the Martin boys.
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