Catching Up

Well, it has been awhile since my last post and I'm behind on several things so I'm just going to post them all in one and have it done with! So first of all, going back a couple of weeks, we finally started Kaya on rice cereal. I know, at six months that's kind of late to be giving her solids for the first time, but after the terrible experience we had with Spencer's allergies, I am being really cautious. But mostly, after doing this with my four previous children, I was really not in a hurry at all. It's messy and time-consuming and MESSY. But Kaya was ready. And I mean really ready! For the past couple of months, she's been grabbing at any item of food she can get and sometimes she's successful until we take it away from her. I know, I'm totally mean. So she was beyond excited when I brought that first mouthful of food right up to her face. And then, she wasn't so sure it was all that she'd thought it would be!

Here she is right before the feeding began and she wasn't sure what was going on:


And then here she is after that first bite:
But after a few more tastes, she decided that was pretty good and she was ready to feed herself:


Now she is a pro--albeit a messy one and we are about ready to venture into other baby cuisine! Oh, and on a side note, this morning we discovered that our "baby" has cut her first tooth! I was shocked. My other kids teethed for months but didn't actually get the first tooth until closer to 8 or 9 months of age. I was totally not expecting my 6 month old to have a tooth yet and I can't say I'm too excited at this latest diplay of her aging-faster-than-I'm-ready-for behavior!

Anyway, to continue...Christmas happened at our house. It was an absolutely wonderful time once I got the last package in the mail and sent out the last of our newsletters, and purchased the last of our gifts. Which pretty much left Christmas Eve and Christmas day to enjoy. But we really did enjoy it. Christmas Eve we spent at home wrapping the rest of the gifts and listening to Christmas music. We started a new Christmas Eve dinner tradition. At least I think it will be since everyone really liked it. I made chicken noodle soup but even the noodles were homemade. I've never made noodles before! But they were SO delicious. Everyone ate their dinner and most had seconds. With the picky children I have that is nothing short of miraculous! That night we watched Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer and one of the many repeating airings of A Christmas Story and laughed like it was the first time we'd ever seen it. And not forgetting the spiritual aspect, we watched the dramatized Christmas story on BYU TV . Then it was time for hanging our stockings and saying our prayers 'cause Santa Claus was coming that night. It took him awhile to show up though because Taylor decided that he was going to have the tooth fairy come that night too by pulling out one of his loose molars. However, the thing was mighty stubborn. One spot just wouldn't budge and it took him till about midnight to get the thing out! Finally with the tooth out, Mom was able to go to bed and Santa could finally come (though not quite in that order).

Christmas day dawned bright and early. Well, actually not super early. Our kids are a phenomenon when it comes to Christmas. Usually they don't wake up until around 8 or later! What kid does that??? I'm just fine with it however.


Everyone got what they asked Santa for--Lynnsey got a Leapster L-Max, Spencer got a Little Einsteins piano, Kendall got an interactive globe, Kaya got a little musical elephant stacking toy that has balls that drop down the center, and Taylor got a Havoc Heli remote control helicopter. No one got an Official Carbide Action Red Ryder BB Gun with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time though. Darn! Maybe next year. Unfortunately the camera batteries died right after this picture so this is the only digital documentation we have of the day. We had lots more great gifts though and our traditional omelet breakfast and a YUMMY Christmas dinner which was made mostly by Kalen. It was so great to just stay home and relax with nowhere to go and a temporary break from all our day to day worries.

And finally we arrive at today. Today was Spencer's last day in Nursery. For months he has been so excited to be in Sunbeams and has talked about how much fun it was going to be. And then last week, he and the other three-year-olds got to go to primary for the last 20 minutes as an orientation. Not a good experience. Suddenly Spencer did not want to go. He threw a fit and they had to carry him in yelling that he was staying in nursery. Well, today they did it again. We knew they were planning to and so we've been talking it up all week. The nursery teacher even made little caps for them and asked them to wear a "gown" (Daddy's shirt) as they walked into primary from the nursery. They had Kalen come to escort Spencer so they could avoid the scene from last week. It didn't work. I came out into the foyer so I could see what happened. I heard him before I saw him. He was yelling as Kalen carried him through the priesthood meeting: "I'm not going to Primary!!!" and as they came out into the hall I see the nursery leader followed by the two little girls in caps and gowns with arms folded and looking so pleased to be so grown-up and then bringing up the rear is Kalen carrying Spencer who will NOT wear his cap and is ripping at his gown all the while yelling: "I don't want to be a Sunbeam!". I quickly went back to Relief Society to pretend I didn't have any idea what had just happened. Oh, what are we going to do??? We've had difficult children before, but they usually do their tantruming before we are in public. Spencer is so very vocal about his dislikes and he doesn't care who happens to witness his antics. I talked to him after church and told him being a Sunbeam wasn't a choice. The only choice he has is to be a happy Sunbeam or a sad Sunbeam. Guess what he said. He scowled at me and said "NO! I'm gonna be a MAD Sunbeam!" Aargh!!! I did get him to wear his cap and gown for a quick picture by promising to let him watch his Thomas the Train movie that he got for Christmas. At least he can still be bribed! I'll have to think up a good one to get him to go to class next week...

Lynnsey's School Pictures--finally!

Well, it took awhile since the first set didn't turn out so well (she looked like she was trying to smile but really wanted to cry!), but here she finally is. I don't make a practice of quoting the late Steve Irwin, but "Isn't she a beauty?". Seriously, what I wouldn't give for skin like that. Or those beautiful long eylashes. Crazy to think she has my genes at all! Anyway, just look at her beautiful face and ignore the little ketchup marks on her shirt because I'm not sending these ones back. (What were they thinking having the photographer come after lunch???)

Happy 9th Birthday Kendall

Kendall and his birthday pie and cupcake (I'll explain later.)

It seems impossible that nine years have passed since that wild car ride to the hospital and the whirlwind labor and delivery that brought Kendall into this world. But it has been the most delightful 9 years we could have ever wished for. Kendall quickly earned the nickname "Sunshine Boy" as a baby because of his easy-going temperament and a smile that could light up the entire room. He's still definitely full of sunshine. He is our little jokester and loves to make us laugh. He is quick to help out whenever he sees a need and is such a peacemaker with his brothers and sisters. They all love playing with Kendall and he gets along with them all really well. Kendall has an amazing spirit about him that seems to draw others to him and he really is a light to everyone he come in contact with. We wonder sometimes if it is because of the heart problems he was born with and the times that even at a terribly young age he knew he had to rely on the Lord to help him through, that makes him such a spriritual giant to us. Whatever the reason, he is amazing and we are so blessed to have him in our family.

In primary, they did the following spotlight on him:

Full Name: Kendall Royce Oswald (in keeping with our tradition of giving our children middle names of relatives, Kendall shares his middle name with his dad)

Age: 9 Birthdate/Place: December 7, 1999 / Tucson, Arizona

School: He is in 3rd grade at Harrington Elementary School which is right across the street from our house.

Favorite things:

Color: red and blue

Food: strawberries (and if they are covered with chocolate, that's even better!); he loves just about every kind of food that he tries.

TV show: Spongebob Squarepants and The Suite Life of Zach and Cody

Movie: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Book: The Harry Potter series, Magic Treehouse series, Series of Unfortunate Events

Activities: reading, writing stories, camping, playing soccer, board games, puzzles, playing with friends, arts and crafts, watching movies and TV, going to the playground, family vacations, listening to music.

For his party this year, it was just our family. A couple of years ago, I was going insane trying to plan so many birthday parties with all the kids' friends so we scaled back to every other year. So every even-numbered birthday, the kids can invite friends. The other years, it's just us. Guess which one I like best? Guess which one the kids like best? Anyway, it was a fun day even without Kendall inviting his entire class at school and all the kids from church, and all the kids from past classes... It was on a Sunday which he actually thought was pretty cool because he got to go to church and have lots of people wishing him a happy birthday. After church there was a recital that was being held at the United Methodist Church in Marshall where the music director there and one of the missionaries from our branch who is ultra-talented at the piano were teaming up to perform a really amazing program. We all wanted to go, but were sort of thinking of not going because it was two hours after church so by the time we went home and ate lunch, it's be time to turn right around and go back. But Kendall really wanted to go. So we packed a lunch and hung out at the church for a couple of hours and then went to the concert. We're all really glad we did because it really was a fabulous performance. That evening we had Nana come over to watch him open gifts and share some pie and ice cream before she had to go back home (Kayleigh was really sick that day) and then Timothy came over for a bit. We did a chocolate cream pie instead of a cake for a couple of reasons. 1. We made a whole bunch of cupcakes for Kendall's school class on Friday and we had lots of them left over so I really didn't want to make another cake on top of that and 2. I had some leftover pie crust from making chicken pot pie on Sat. night for dinner so this seemed like a good way to use it up. Kendall thought it was pretty cool anyway. He says he had a great day (although he says his 8th birthday was a little better but that was a huge party at the kids museum and you can't beat that!) Happy birthday Kendalito!

Belated Thanksgiving

Okay, now that we are well into December, I can finally get around to posting about our fun Thanksgiving celebration. (Although for anyone who reads Alison's blog this will most likely be a repeat. ) Alison and Mike and their kids were all able to join us from New Jersey and we were so excited to see them again so soon after their last visit a few months ago. We are so glad that our kids have at least one set of cousins that they know so well. They really are such good friends. Jonathan was also out for a visit and is was wonderful to have him back. As luck would have it, our furnace quit on the very day of his arrival and he was able to fix it for us! Thanks again Jonathan. We really miss having him around and not just for all the help he gives us when he's here.

Anyway, the weather being a bit chillier than it was when last we saw everyone and Bentley not feeling well, we didn't venture out quite as much, but I think we managed to have just as much fun staying indoors. We did make our usual trip to the kid's museum. That was lots of fun and it helped to work off some of their energy too.

The kids all had fun on the new play structure acting out an elaborate pirate tale.

We also spent an afternoon at the movie to see "Bolt" which is a really funny show and I think we all enjoyed it.

Of course Tripoly was an essential part of the visit as well. We may have left the children to their own devices a little more than we should have but that game is so addicting. Alison and I even decided to forgo our planned scrapbooking night in favor of another Tripoly match. And if we hadn't done that I would not have gotten the most amazing hand in Tripoly history. We were actually down to three players: Kalen, Mom, and me. Kalen was winning by a long way, Mom had barely enough chips to play with, and I had enough to play but no hope of catching up to Kalen anytime soon. And then I got "The Hand"! For all you Tripoly players out there, you can imagine the struggle I had to keep a poker face when I saw my cards contained the 8-9-10-Jack-Queen and the Ace of hearts! The only thing missing from the perfect hand was the King. As it was, I won the poker hand with my straight flush, and swept the rest of the board with the exception of the K and KQ . We should have taken a picture of it but none of us thought of it at the time. We did think about re-inacting the scene but thought it would be too difficult to portray my utter excitement and the shock of everyone else (including the cracker that sprayed out of Kalen's mouth when I put down all those cards!) so you'll just have to trust me, it was a very fun scene. I still didn't win enough chips to win the entire game, but I think we all know that with a hand like that, I really was the winner!

We also made a trip to the Sweet Tooth, our favorite ice cream establishment, that was great fun. It's been awhile since we've been and I rekindled my love affair with Denali Chocolate Moose Tracks ice cream...mmmm...chocolate paradise. The kids had fun playing the games they have on hand and Kalen, Mike, Jonathan, and Timothy (who after all the Triploy had Poker on the brain) played a round of poker using sugar packets as poker chips.

Our actual Thanksgiving dinner was scrumptious too. Kalen made his fabulous turkey (I love that he loves to make the turkey!) and fruit salad, Mom made a delicious ham and her heavenly rolls, and I made the side dishes and pies. It was a fabulous meal.

We just had a great time and are so glad that we were able to spend the time with family--our greatest blessing ever!