Trouble

One year olds are so much fun. But they are a lot of work. Fred is so busy. He is always getting into things he shouldn't (cupboards, drawers, plants, dishwasher) and out of things he shouldn't (strollers, highchairs, shopping carts). Eating things he shouldn't (crayons, erasers off pencils, markers, glue, batteries). Climbing on things (the table, our bed, the bunkbed, the playhouse, the trampoline). Here are a bunch of pictures of Fred in action. From newest to oldest.

His new favorite thing is climbing on the table. If there is nothing to get into then he dances.
He slipped in the water he spilled and made this funny face.

I pull the chairs away from the table but then he climbs on the chairs and rocks back and forth and I'm afraid he will tip over.

He is always getting into food. He is like a little squirrel. He is very quick at ripping through packaging with the few teeth that he has.

I do feed him. A lot. I don't know if he is ever full. If the pantry is open or the fridge then he is right there ready to scavenge some food. There are always crumbs on the floor.

He can climb on the trampoline and up in the playhouse by himself. He loves to be outside but it is not easy keeping up with him.

He still loves to play in the water. Everytime the girls are brushing their hair or teeth Fred is right there, pushing his way to the sink.

Dirt.

But that is okay because he likes to sweep.

This highchair didn't have a strap so we bought a new chair. But he can get out of the belt. The other day we had to stop in the middle of the busy cross-walk and the guard had to help me across because he wouldn't stay in his straps in the bike trailer and I couldn't handle the bike and him. Such a pain.

Our dishwasher opens by pulling on it. He always gets in it. It is cute when the dishes are clean. He'll find a pot and spoon to bang with. But usually he is just getting in the way of me trying to load it.

We have put safety latches on most of our cupboards. Then he'll find some that aren't locked and then Dan has to put latches on them too. When my girls were little I didn't mind if they went exploring through the cupboards but I can't keep up with Fred. The floor was constantly scattered with dishes and toothbrushes and baggies. I had to put an end to his fun (he still has access to the pots and pans).

Friday Flashback

I was tagged. Here is the 4th photo in the 4th file:

June, 2002. I was pregnant with Chloe. Fishing in the Boulder mountains near Escalante. Wearing some attractive hand-me-down-then-cut-off over-alls.

I tag Amy, Rowe, Cyndi, Jordan & Chanell

The Bash

It takes a village to throw a party. Thanks Mom for cleaning. Mom and Ashton for decorating. Rachel for baking the cake. Chanell for picking up the balloons and being the photographer. Ashton and Taylor for being the villians and helping with the games. And Dan for helping with the capes (I sewed about 9 capes) and scooping ice cream.

Here is how the party went...

Superheroes waiting their turn to save the day. We timed the kids through an obstacle course. First, they climbed into the playhouse to rescue a baby.

After returning the baby to her stroller they had to crawl through a tunnel to save some foxes.

After placing the foxes in a ventilated box they had to return a wallet to the rightful owner.

Then they safely detonated a bomb (popped the balloon).

And, finally, untie the hostage.

Superheroes replenish with sports drinks. (Most of them ditched their capes because they were choking them.)

While the heroes were saving the day the presents were stolen by villians. (I wish I would have filmed the screams when the villians rushed down the stairs.) The heroes captured the villians and received a clue which started them on a scavenger hunt to find the presents.

Placing the candles.

Ended the party with a pinata.

More photos on flickr.

Not Your Average Corn Maze Post

While at the corn maze Chanell captured a UFO in a photo. Why are photos of UFO's always poor quality?

At first, I assumed it was just some dust on the lense but after closer inspection, it seems to have a jet stream. And we were at a corn maze. You know the connection. (Plus, only a UFO would make my otherwise sleek and smooth hair look like this.) Then we were taken up.
And after things-I-will-not-talk-about they released me (into better lighting).


But not Fred. That's right, he is no longer part of our family.
The End.

Six

I asked Chloe to list six things she likes:

1. soccer


2. art projects


3. racing bikes


4. gymnastics


5. listening to my cd's


6. playing on the computer

Six things I like about Chloe:

1. She's pretty obedient (responds to threats).


2. She is determined. She gets frustrated easily but doesn't give up. She'll keep trying something until she can do it.


3. She likes giving hugs and kisses.


4. She is smart.


5. She is good at reaching her goals (or the goals I set for her).


6. She's potty trained.

Chloe found a furry caterpillar a month ago and was the most caring, interested master for one whole day until the caterpillar wrapped himself in a cacoon and never withdrew. Watching her with the caterpillar gave me the idea for her birthday present.

Chloe is not creative when it comes to giving names. If it is black, Blackie. Brown, is Brownie. She came up with Cutie for this cat. Because it is cute, duh. I know she can do better than that.

We've failed multiple times with dogs. Maybe we'll do better with a cat. Wish Cutie luck.

Next up:

Flashback Friday

Chloe turns six next week. Here is a small summary of her birthday:

My water broke in bed a week past her due date. I labored at home for a few hours. Dan dropped me off at the entrance to the hospital and I checked myself in while he parked the car. I declined the wheelchair and made my way up to labor and delivery. The nurse panicked when she checked me because I was dilated to 9+ and she was afraid the doctor wouldn't make it in time to delivery the baby. After six hours of pushing (no epidural) Chloe was delivered via c-section. She was sporting a prominent cone-head and a darling little face.

Almost ready for a mini-van

I'm finally a soccer mom. I'm very happy about that because it means my kids are getting old enough to actually do things. People always tell us to enjoy them now because they grow up so fast. Well, that was our plan. We had three kids pretty close together--the sooner you get 'em out the sooner they grow up. I love my babies. One year olds, especially (Fred is so stinkin' cute). But around age three they start to get more difficult, not so innocent. Then we just want them to grow up a little so we can start going on fun family outings--skiing, climbing, etc. We're getting closer.

Tiny Dancers