Mothers Who Know

Sunday morning as I was saying my prayers I prayed specifically that Lincoln and Logan would be content and happy during church so I could listen to part of the talks.

One of the sisters who spoke is one of the women that I admire and look up to the most in my ward. And amazingly, I was able to pay attention to portions of her talk in between books, baby wipes, snacks, blocks, farm animals and coloring with the little folk.

Anyway, during her talk she referenced an address given by Julie Beck titled "Mothers Who Know." It piqued my interest so I read sister Beck's talk the next day and it was just what I needed to hear. I love it when that happens.

My favorite quote from her talk:

"Mothers who know are willing to live on less and consume less of the world’s goods in order to spend more time with their children—more time eating together, more time working together, more time reading together, more time talking, laughing, singing, and exemplifying. These mothers choose carefully and do not try to choose it all."

I'm so grateful for the powerful examples of amazing women I have all around me, including firstly my own mom.

According to Logan

I was on the computer looking at movie times just now while Logan was around the corner playing with Lego guys at the kitchen table. All of a sudden I tuned in to his conversation he was creating amongst his Lego men and I just started typing what I heard. He had no idea I was taking notes. :)

It sounded like an intense battle between two people. At least. Each line is a different voice:

"I have a super saw. Oh look at you.

I can use a vacuum to get you.

Hurry get that saw before he did!

I’ll vacuum up you! This will vacuum up you!

Oh not it won’t!

[now singing star wars theme]

I’m the master of the 'Univorse'! (Yes, he does watch Heman...)

You. Can’t. Stop. Me! Brah brah brah brah jaw jaw jaw

Grinch Grinch grinchy.

[Lots of sound effects]

This is a gun.

Now I”ll try to stop you!

Oh no you can’t.

[Machine gun sound.] (This part was intense...)

Shoot left! Shoot right! Shoot left!

Go Logan! Go logan! Go logan! You’re doing it You’re doing it! Go Logan! Go Logan!

YEA LOGAN!!!!! You did it boy. You did, it, buoooy. And I’m soo proud of that.

I have nothing left.

You 'Octomus Prime.' You have to go in time-out.

I have nothing left. Well you can, sort of.

Because I have the problem gun. (What's a "problem gun"? Sounds a bit dangerous...)

No! You can’t have mine… because... saw fight!!

You have an awfully terrified ballick."

The battle is still going... I have to make dinner now. And Lincoln spilled the whole box of Lego guys/accessories.

Lincoln's Words

I'm waiting for pictures of Thanksgiving that are on Ben's lap top (hint, hint honey). And I also have a fun trip to Zions and a trip to Disneyland waiting too. But until then here's Lincoln!

We've been enrolled in the PEIP program (Provo Early Intervention Program) since September and it has been so fascinating to me. I'd never imagined all that goes into the process of little ones learning to speak. We've had a child development specialist coming to our home twice per month, teaching us different techniques to get Lincoln involved and engaged. It really has been a whole family process, not just focused on Linc. Shay is SO great with the boys and they love it when she comes.

I also just finished a series of 12 child development classes, and we're enrolled in a floor-time model class right now. Then at the beginning of the new year we're taking a Hanen: It Takes Two to Talk class which will be wonderful.

He's been communicating a lot more lately and has a couple more words. He's really latched onto signing lately and it has been a life saver being able to know what he needs. He's now bringing toys to us to try to engage us and also for help. He will stay engaged in activities for longer now and tonight I was actually able to read a book to him... mostly. His attention span is getting a bit longer and I love it. He actually has more desire to interact with us. And the boys are actually able to play side by side in the same room (without us present) for a little bit now without crying and shouting ensuing. Overall, he has been a much happier boy these past 3 months.

Anyway, I was able to capture most of Linc's latest words on video. I posted two videos here, they have some of the same things, but are different. This is mostly for the grandmas :)

He Is His Father's Child...

This has Ben written all over it.

This is Logan's dinner-time box (a recommendation from Linc's PEIP worker - they're just toys the boys play side-by-side with, and they only get them while I'm making dinner).
Ben walked in the room to find Logan not only cleaning up the boxes, but he wouldn't stop until they were completely organized and color coded.

I can't deny this does give me an itch to get up and start organizing :)

And as soon as I can choose some of my favorites (because I can't post all 83 on here) I'll post our family photos and also some pics of our new roof! Wahoo!

Halloween

We try to make the month of October fun around here, filled with fun and spooky window clings, a basket full of Halloween books that come out only for the month of October, a few Halloween movies, lots of candy corn eating and plenty of Halloween songs at nap and bed time. And this year there was a lot of "Arrrgghh Matey!" and "Yo-ho! Yo-ho! A pirate's life for me" going on.

(Except it sounded more like "Ho-ho, Ho-ho! A pirate's life for me" ha ha.)

Logan decided fairly early on that he wanted to be a pirate for Halloween this year. I was thrilled when I went to DI one day at the beginning of October and found both a piratey shirt and pants for Logan in one shot. Beautiful!
The shirt just needed a little altering - no biggy. I made a little vest out of left over black felt, tore a rectangle from left over red fabric, snagged a pirate hat at a party store, found a gun and do-rag at the dollar store. I made a gun sling for him from left over fabric and heaven knows those boots are glued to his feet already. Voila, one crazed pirate ready for his preschool Halloween par-tay.
Oh, and the bag. He kept requesting a loot bag with skull and crossbones on it and I couldn't resist making one. And the patch has been hanging around ever since Monkey lost his eyeball.

And Lincoln. Well, he just didn't even have a say in his costume. When I saw a photo of a little candy corn costume a year ago I knew that's what Linc would be this year. His costume was a bit trickier, but not bad. I just got some yellow, orange and white fleece at JoAnns and created a little pull-over for him with matching pants. And I couldn't resist a little matching bag for him too.

On Saturday before Halloween we went to Gardner Village to hunt for witches (this is our tradition every year)

(we found a live witch wandering around and Logan was TERRIFIED of her - ha ha)

according to Logan the best part about being a pirate is having a gun
Lincoln is obsessed with dogs and cats

gobbling up their cookies from the bakery (prize for doing their witch scavenger hunt)

Then Halloween. One of our favorite days of the year!
Started the day out with pumpkin pancakes with chocolate chip faces, of course.

Logan had a Halloween party at preschool and came home with a brown bag full of loot.
After preschool the boys went trick-or-treating at Ben's work.

Then for dinner we had mummy dogs, banana ghosts, cheesy worm skins, vampire mouth apple and vampire blood jello.

And that night our ward had a quick trunk-or-treat. Lincoln caught on quickly :)

And then I took the boys to a few select homes in the ward - Logan LOVED this part of knocking on the doors and didn't want to stop.

Trick-or-treating at Grandma Kaye's
Almost everything in Lincoln's bag was half gnawed on because every time something new got put in his bag he'd fish it out right away and shove it in his mouth, wrapper and all. :)

The day was wonderfully magic and fun for the boys and Lo's already planning for next year.

Leading Up To Halloween

We love Halloween at our house. It's one of our favorite holidays of the year and we love having Halloween traditions. Here are some things we did this year to gear up for Halloween.

Logan took his first field trip with his preschool to the Vineyard Pumpkin Land. He was SO excited all month long for this field trip. He had so much fun with his buddies looking at pumpkins in the patch, looking for ghosts, witches, "square crows" and all things spooky and playing in their play ground.

I was in charge of watching Logan and Tobias.

This little climb on jungle gym thing was by far the favorite of the kiddos since they could climb on, around, under and through all of it.

and lastly they got to pick out a pumpkin to take home

It was funny to see all the kids struggling to hold up all the pumpkins they got to show them in the picture.

Earlier in the month we actually went to this same Vineyard Gardens to pick out our pumpkins for the season.

Linco loved the wagon ride

there were way too many pumpkins to choose from

the boys (big boy included) had so much fun trying to roll all the HUGE pumpkins over

The weekend of Halloween we decorated their pumpkins with cute little push-in face parts. Wonderful!

Linc didn't really love this part. He actually didn't want to have anything to do with his pumpkin. See? The pumpkin is air born here because he kept throwing it and rolling it away from him.
Logan, on the other hand, is completely proud of his creation.

After Lincoln went to bed Logan got down and dirty and carved his second pumpkin with Ben.

And last but not least we made Halloween cupcakes using pumpkin picks that I found at the dollar store - wonderful!

Logan sprinkled and poked all of cupcakes himself and licked plenty of fingers along the way. Don't worry, he also washed his hands plenty too :)

Church and Twister

The title pretty much says it all.

The newest in church news:

Logan participated in his first primary program a few weeks ago and it was so sweet. He had a long-ish part to memorize but he rocked it - I was so proud of him and I love how proud of himself he is at the end of the video.




Also, last Sunday was Lincoln's first Sunday in nursery! It was so wonderful to be hands-free in Relief Society and Sunday School. He walked right into the nursery and sat right down at the table to do puzzles. No problem, didn't even look back. And today he had just woken up from morning nap so he cried just a bit when we left but got right over it.


And I love that my great friend, Jackie King, happens to be his nursery leader. She is so good with the kids. We actually went to High School together and she was one of my bride's maids. And now she is attending the Spanish branch that happens to be combined with our ward (the youth and Primary are combined). And Linc knows her a bit, or at least she knows Linc, so that's made the transition easier.


Then last week for FHE we broke out a game of twister that I don't think we've even played before in our 9 years of marriage. Logan LOVED it and keeps asking to play it. It has been good practice for learning his lefts and rights, too.

And then Linc decided to join in too by tackling me. (If you're confused by the random cowboy boot in the picture, it's not on Logan's foot - it's on Lincoln's hand :)

And speaking of Lincoln, he has become constant trouble lately.
About a month ago he learned how to push a chair over and climb up to get what he wants.... and yes, that is a knife he's reaching toward in the pic below. Time to Lincoln-proof my counters.