Last weeks...Boo HA HA!!!Last Tuesday Caleb got to dress up for his school Halloween party. He was very exciting to watch. I wanted him to be Batman so Tate could be Robin but no go! He had to be a skeleton! It took forever to squeeze his costume on! It said "age 4". Ya right..it should have said "for a very very skinny, no bummed, short, age 4!"

All ready to go! I am not sure what Miss Susan expected but pure laughter exploded from her proper face when she opened the van door!! The last 30 minutes of class was a party for family to come and observe/celebrate. Ainsley dressed up as Elmo (I wanted her to be Dorthy...we already had the costume but no go). She cried and cried and wanted Elmo to dress up as Tinkerbell. So here we go...a Tinkerbell Elmo holding a naked Bleeker!
**It was very interesting to see Caleb in his school environment. I expected him to be hyper with wondering eyes but it was just the opposite. He thrives in a learning environment!!! He follows directions, listens quietly, and beams when he answers a questions correctly!! He also manages the correct amount of joke telling while still following directions. He is awesome!

Tate! He was a mini skeleton underneath his bear sleeper! Aubrey all dressed up as snow white. No this isn't last years picture....Andy let her be Snow White again this year! He even caved and let her get a new Snow White dress. Daddy's girl...to say the least! She got to wear her costume to school last Wednesday where she was in a kindergarten Halloween play (her part was "OH MY!!! ITS GETTING LATE")and in a little parade! That night she went to her first Birthday Party!
Between school parties, plays, parades, a birthday party, no school, parent teacher conference, a play group, trunk or treat, and trick or treating...it was a crazy crazy week! I am so grateful that Marlene came up on Friday. It was nice to have the company and its amazing how much smoother my day goes when "Grandma" is around!We started trick or treating at 6 and were done by 7:30...Ainsley could have gone all night. "More nanny (candy). More nanny!" It was heaven for the kids!! Things that were very cool...a lot of our neighbors handed out scary plastic bugs, rings, and old maid/crazy eight/go fish cards!
We let the kids watch Labyrinth for Halloween! Not the best idea. They loved it but goblins, a goblin king, and weird 80's music might not have been age appropriate. Also, there were a couple of choice words and David Bowies pants were WAY WAY too tight!!! They spent the next 2 nights having bad dreams that goblins were in their dresser and the goblin king was going to get them! On a silly note they have been pretending to be "Sara" "Hoggle","Ludo",and "The Goblin King!" In the picture above: Ainsley on top of the counter with an entire brand new box of Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cereal dumped everywhere! (pretty much the best cereal ever made)
Not in the above picture: A very upset mom! I had just cleaned the kitchen floors the night before.
I have decided that the age of 2 is probably the worst. I was thrilled that Caleb (at age 4) grew out of the "terrible two" stage. With Ainsley being so quiet and wonderful I thought it would be rather peaceful. I was very very wrong! Caleb has passed on all of his "terrible two skills" to Ainsley along with Aiding and Abetting. She climbed on the counter tops, breaks child locks, is constantly throwing things, and always getting hurt. Add that to plugging Tate's nose, breaking Aubrey's table, and always crying....ahg!!! She has found a way to get undressed even with a onesie on. Because she cannot undo the tight buttons she squeezes out of the top! She is always spilling something, always wanting something, and has been having bad dreams at night. On a happy note she is talking a lot more!!! 2 words at a time!!! Very cool!!

"It's my turn to hold Tate!"
"But Tater love's for me to squeeze his cheeks!"
"She isn't sharing Tater Tot!"
"But I am Tate's older brother!"
"Tate smiled at me!"
"Tate always laughs with me!"

The problem...carrying Tate. NOT OKAY. Swinging Tate around in circles...NOT OKAY. Carrying Tate up the stairs....NOT OKAY!! Why cant the kids just love Tate from a distance?!

Tate always laughs when we sing "If your happy and you know it" and "Do as I am doing."
Not just once or twice but EVERY time. He always smiles when I ask him to, he always smiles when I change him, and he always smiles when I pick him up. He loves me!
Lately my life seems to go around in circles.
I always do the laundry but it always needs done.
I clean Ainsley/Aubreys room 3 times a day and every time I clean it the toys always end up on the floor in the same spots.
I always make Calebs bed but it never stays made.
I do the dishes every morning but the sink is always full.
I constantly change Tate/Ainsley diapers but I still smell poop.
I do go to the store but we are always running low on milk.
I vacuum the family room but it never seems clean.
Why??
News: I bought a new shirt 2 weeks ago while Andy was out of town. I was feeling kind of guilty about it because I never do that and I know with our Utah trip/Christmas coming up extra money should be set aside or be used to buy Andy a new suite. I hadn't bought a new "hip" shirt since...well it has been a long time. I tried it on and Caleb/Aubrey came in the room "I love that shirt mom. You are pretty. I really like you mom!" Clearly I was keeping the shirt! So, I am announcing that I bought a really pretty new purple shirt.
***Parent Teacher Conferences are over! Thank goodness. Calebs went wonderfully!! His report card was fun to read and Andy met with Miss Susan who thinks "Caleb is a joy to have in class!" Marlene was kind enough to come up and watch the kids while both Me/Andy went to Aubreys. Aubrey's teacher is wonderful and has been with the school for 30 years, we really like the principal, and the new speech therapist is really good. We are NOT a big fan of the reading therapist and I was surprise at how defensive/protective we both were. Overall we were really proud with how much Aubrey has progressed since the beginning of the school year. She plays well with others and loves to go to school!!!
To Aubrey: We love you through and through. Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow too!

***Caleb's Playdate was very interesting this past week. Caleb's friend Alec came over. Caleb is usually surrounded by girls and girl things so I was excited to have another little boy over to play with Caleb and extra excited to meet a new mom. I had met Alec's dad the day before but never his mom. I had no idea that Alec spoke Russian along with his mom until they showed up! They just moved here from Ukraine! It was so fun to see Alec and Caleb play together. Boy's will be boy's...loud, crazy, and hyper! It was really windy outside so they spent most of the morning down in the basement playing air hockey. It was lots of fun!! Who knows...with Caleb speaking English and now Spanish maybe he will end up speaking some Russian too!!!
***Aubrey had a dream that a boy kissed her. I wasn't sure what to say but before I could come up with an appropriate reaction she said "I told dad that a boy kissed me. Dad said that's gross!"
*** My coversation last Saturday with Caleb:
Caleb can you go clean your room?
"But mom. I am only 4!"
Oh! You are only 4?! I guess you cant go trick or treating if you are ONLY 4.
"But mom. I am big. I am 4!"
You are big? You are 4??
"Yes mom! I am big! I am 4! I love you!"
Oh, well. If you are big and you are 4 AND you love me....you should go and clean your room so you can go trick or treating!!

**Ainsleys new favorite word is: Why?
She insists on having an answer. Not just any answer....the right answer. By "right" answer I mean, the answer that Ainsley wants.

**On an embarrassing note. I find myself singing Sid the Science guy songs to the kids all day. When the kids get mad at me I sing:
I love my mom...My mom is cool. But now its time for having fun in school.
When I pick the kids up from school I sing:
I learned something cool. Something cool today.
When it is time for me to do homework with Aubrey I sing:
It's rug time. It's rug time grab a seat...its rug time!
When the kids need a good laugh I sing:
I'm looking for a friend. I'm looking for you. Hey, there's Caleb lets see what he can do... (then he dances and wiggles and laughs...and we continue on through each child)
I don't even think I have seen an entire episode before but my morning cleanings depend on the kids watching Sid the Science Guy and Sesame Street.
Question: Sesame Street has been on tv since FOREVER. Why do they show the same 4 episodes over and over again. I swear I know every word to the "No one is sharing today in Sesame Street" episode!!!

To end the crazy week...I was hoping for a week where (with the kids back in school and Halloween done) life could get back to normal. Wrong! Day Light Saving Time. Seriously!!! Everyone morning this week the kids have woke up at 5:00am!!! 5:00!!! There really is no need to change time....I never really gain an hour of sleep in the fall. I mean, seriously?!! Seriously, Uhg!!




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