Kiersten’s Blog

We have had a fun halloween.  London gets so excited for any holiday, but I think Halloween is one of her favorites.  What child wouldn’t be excited to dress up and get free candy?  Dressing up is one of her favorite things to do and eating candy comes in a close second.  Since this is my first halloween with two kids, I decided to do a theme.  Long ago, London decided that she would be Jessie and Ashton could be Woody from Toy Story 2.  I wasn’t feeling ambitious enough to tackle making the costumes this year so when I ran across a generic cowboy costume at a consignment shop, I snatched it up for Ashton.  I started to worry after about a month, that he would be too big for it, but it worked out alright.  All except for the hat.  There was no way that tiny hat would fit on his huge noggin so we borrowed a hat from a friend.

I looked high and low for a Jessie costume for London, but couldn’t find one anywhere in her size (at a price I was willing to pay) so I bought some cow print fabric and applique’d it onto some old jeans.  I bought the shirt off of ebay, and my mother-in-law found the red hat at the Dollar Tree.  I added the yarn and I think her costume turned out darn cute.

Why she won't let me get a good picture of her with a decent face, I'll never know.

Luckily for me, she’s had those boots for years (literally) and also had the horse so I didn’t have to spring for those things either.  My kids looked darn cute, if I do say so myself.

This morning we started the festivities by eating pumpkin pancakes.  I think I need to make that a tradition.  They were yummy!

the cutest kids at the place: Samuel, Isabelle, London, Phillip, Addy

This evening we had a trunk-or-treat at the church.  We had a great time.  There were lots of games and lots of good food.  And, of course, there was lots of good candy.  London won not one, but two cakes in the cakewalk.  I tried to convince her the first time just to get a cupcake, but she had to have the spiderweb cake.  The second time I didn’t even know that she had jumped into the cake walk again.  She thought it was pretty cool, I guess.  She played one round before I found her and had just won.  I did convince her this time to just get a cupcake and give it to Isabelle.

We handed out candy from the back of our car.  Okay, we handed out halloween pretzels.  I decorated the best I could, with the pink spiderweb.  London decided today to paint some pictures earlier today to use to decorate “Comancho.”  (Comancho is what she named our car.)  So I hung up her paintings and stuck a pumpkin in the back.  That’s as creative as we got.

By the end of the night, we were all exhausted, especially our little cowboy.  He fell asleep long before the party was over and I carried him around in my mei tai.  Gotta love that!

Really, I don’t know what to say about this, but I see it every day and had to take a picture. Notice the details: the orange seat belt, the white and orange seats, the hood ornament (yes, those are orange wings on the hood ornament). I think the rims are just ridiculous. Of course the license plate is Texas. What would you say about this car? Send me a comment. Really, I want to know what you think.

I thought it would be fun to post some comparison pictures of my two kids.  I took some pictures of Ashton today in the same duck robe that London wore in some pictures at about the same age.  I was kind of surprised to see how different they look.

I think London really did look like a girl, with those long eyelashes, rosy cheeks, small nose and petite little hands.

Ashton, on the other hand, looks like a boy with his enormous head, big nose and sausage fingers.  I know big doesn’t equal “boy” and small doesn’t equal “girl.”  Those were just some observations.

I also noticed that Ashton’s a whole lot smilier than London was.

It’s fun to see how different these two kids are.

I have just a couple of suggestions to those of you who may think these things are okay. First of all, I don’t care how well your makeup is done, how pretty you are, how well-dressed you are, how good you smell, or how cute your dog is. You still look trashy if your bra straps are showing. I’m sorry. If you have to wear that racerback tank top, get a racerback bra! Really, it’s not that hard.

Secondly, if you are waiting for an elevator and the bell rings, informing you that the elevator has arrived to your floor, don’t stand right in front of the door and expect the lady with a four-year-0ld and a baby to shimmy past your large body. It’s just not possible. The polite thing to do would be to step aside and allow the people to get off the elevator before you try to get on.

There you have it.

I woke up this morning around 4 and noticed that there were more than just Taylor and I in our bed.  At first I thought that Taylor had brought Ashton to bed with us, but this didn’t add up because he never does that.  Plus, if Ashton was so upset that he had to come to bed with us, I’m sure I would have heard him.  This culprit was London.  I could tell that she wasn’t feeling well so I escorted her back to her own bed and lay down with her for a few minutes until she was asleep again.  Then I snuck off to my own bed.  Taylor, being the wonderful and supportive husband that he is, let me have a break the last couple of nights (because I haven’t been feeling well either) and has been getting up with needy children.  For some reason, Ashton wakes up every hour or more just to cry because his pacifier fell out of his mouth.  Last night, London was also up frequently.  I had no idea.  I slept through it all.  But I was sick, so I was tired too.  This morning when we got up, London kept telling us that her body hurt.  I could tell that she was miserable.  I made a comfy bed for her on the couch and plugged in a movie, sad that we would miss the pumpkin patch field trip with her pre-school class today.  At any given time this morning, I had at least one crying child.  Miraculously, around noon, they both fell asleep at the same time.  I called the doctor and set up an appointment for London this afternoon.  Diagnosis: ear infection.  And I really hope that’s it.  We started her on amoxicillin and she’s already feeling much better.  Her achy body is better and she’s no longer complaining about a sore throat or ear ache.  I hate it when she gets sick.  I feel so bad for her.  I could tell she was miserable today.  She didn’t want to move and she always wanted me there, rubbing her back or stroking her cheek.  Oh, and by the way, that tube that the ENT told us was out of her ear, it’s not.  How the ENT could miss that, I don’t know.  But it’s still there.  3 years, 3 months and counting.  When will the dumb thing fall out?  At least it’s keeping that ear from being infected.  I guess I shouldn’t complain too much.

Today was the day that I wait for all year.  It was the day of the primary program at church.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with this tradition, there is one Sunday every year when the children in the primary (ages 3-12) take over the sacrament meeting.  They sing and read scriptures and they have little parts they say.  I was especially excited for our program this year since it was London’s first.  She was really excited to get up on the stand and speak into the microphone.  They have been preparing for this program for quite some time.  In fact, they practice the songs all year.  London knew every song and sang so well.  She was so excited to be there and so proud of herself when she was done.  She has been singing the songs quite a bit around the house and she memorized the two lines she got to say.  I may be a little biased, but I think she was the cutest one up there.  Of course, she was also the youngest.  That makes them even more cute.  Her first line was, “My family is part of Heavenly Father’s plan.”  Later when she got up and had another chance, she said, “Be a good example.”  It’s so fun to see and hear the things that these children have been learning all year.  I love hearing the basic truths of the gospel taught by them.  Oh, and I wasn’t the one who had to keep her occupied all through sacrament meeting.  What a great Sunday!  I can’t wait for next year!

Ever since Ashton got his first tooth last week, he’s been sticking his tongue out.  I think he likes the way it feels on his new tooth.  It’s funny to watch him.  He’s either sticking his tongue out, stuffing his hands in his mouth or jabbering.  What a funny little guy.

London loves to hold him.  It’s too bad he’s almost as big as her already!  She’s such a good big sister.

Daddy wanted to show us that he and Ashton look alike.

Then London had to get in on the action.

We are a happy family!

Our huge fire

For Family Night tonight, we decided to have a bonfire at the beach and invite some friends.  For Taylor, it was an excuse to go surfing.

sand angels

For London, it was an excuse to get messy.  For Ashton, well, he just likes to hang out with anybody who will pay attention to him.

He looked so grown up and adorable in this little chair!

Bonfires at the beach are one of London’s favorite things.  We usually get there and hang out for a bit and when the sun starts to set, we start up the fire.  Then we roast hot dogs and marshmallows.  The kids play in the sand and we all have a great time.

Isabelle, Sam and London in the shark tent

Every time we go, we say how we need to do it again.  So we do.  And it’s fun again.  I’m excited to go back!

London loves gummy candy.  She loves chocolate.  And she loves cookies.  I thought dirt and worms would be a perfect treat for her.  How wrong I was.  If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you put some chocolate pudding in a cup, sprinkle with some crushed Oreos and add some gummy worms.  Yum!  For some reason, London ate the gummy worms but wanted nothing to do with the pudding.  How can that be my child?  She doesn’t like chocolate pudding?  I’m pretty sure she would like it if she just tried to like it, but that’s how it is with everything.  I make her try everything, but she won’t eat anything.  Anyway, I enjoyed our yummy treat, even if she didn’t.

On another note, I think I have the cutest kids!  Check these pictures out.

I love this picture of my big little man!

Of course I can't take pictures of just Ashton. London has to be in on the action too.

Don’t believe me?  Check it out here.