The Griner Family: Life As It Is.....

2012-01-18T09:12:00.000-08:00

The Griner Christmas Letter 2011

Our yellow brick road has been quite the adventure. Swimming Lessons, Cheer, Summer Bible Camp, Soccer and more Soccer. The tooth fairy was in fine form this year coming, what seemed like, every week!! We took our first family vacation to St. Louis visiting The Arch, The zoo, The Spaghetti Factory, The Magic House, and Incredible Pizza!!

We also, had lots of visitors this year and met some new friends!!

Andrew (32) loves his job as an Occupational Therapist working with Alzheimer’s Patient, exercising, and his many daddy/daughter dates!!! He introduced the kids to Star Wars this year….every dvd!

Aubrey (7) loves 1st grade, learning to read and loves Library. She played 2 seasons of Soccer this year and was a great defender!! She has loved having friends over and loves sleepovers!!! She has become quite the swimmer and when she grows up she wants to be a librarian!! We found out (after Aubrey lost 2 more pounds) that she is allergic to milk, egg white, wheat, and sesame seed. Even though her diet has changed she is still as skinny as ever!!!!

Caleb (6) Started Kindergarten!!!! He loves science and counting to 100. He begs to do homework and loves practicing his sight words!! Caleb played two seasons of Soccer this year and loves his team and coach. Caleb finally sleeps through the night, jumped off the high dive, and cant keep himself from making people laugh. I am sure he is giving poor Mrs. Talb a run for her money this year!!! When he grows up he wants to be a scientist!

Ainsley (4) is a Sunbeam, she loves to color and passed 3 swimming classes this year!! She loves to run and play with legos!! She is a great big sister and although she does not sleep through the night she still takes a nap!! She had stitches on the back of her head this fall and countless bruises from trying to keep up with her big brother Caleb!! When she grows up she wants to be a painter!!!

Tate (2) aka. The Tater Tot is always smiling, laughing, and climbing. He weighs in at 35 pounds (3 pounds more than Ainsley). He loves to swim and play with trains. His pockets are never empty. He has also started potty training!!! He still doesn’t say Yes, only No but he talks and talks. Funny how he can say truck, tractor, tow truck, plow truck, and yellow car but still cant say Yes! He is a favorite among the older kids friends and his brother and sisters just love making him laugh and teaching him new things!!! He had tubes put in his ears in May and stitches over the summer on his forehead…I must say that it didn’t slow him down at all!

Sara (26) This year has been a year of new experiences! I have learned that neighbors are wonderful, play dates are life savers, and sleepovers involve no sleep whatsoever!!! I have learned that my IPOD is magical and the peanut butter song…well, there is only so many times a Mom can hear that in one day!!! I have learned that the flu circles back lasting weeks, homework comes by the hand full, and there is nothing better then watching your child play soccer!! I have learned that summer is the best time of the year, we never get tired of the pool hopping, and although I thought pillow pets were a phase… it looks like I am stuck with them for an unforeseen long time! I have learned that having your house on the market during the summer with 4 small children is very hard, keeping things spotless is an all day thing which involves following my children around, and stills somehow they manage to color on the wall!

We are so thankful for 2011 and this beautiful rainy Christmas Season. We have enjoyed Caroling, putting up Christmas lights, decorating, un-decorating, and redecorating the tree, and the beautiful Christmas stories about our Savior. We are so grateful that our family is forever because after all “There is no place like home”!Things for 2011...
Caleb's introduction to Bug Nano's now I seem to step on them everywhere.
Aubrey and Caleb's introduction to the game or trick "Made Ya Look!!"-they do not understand it but love saying it over and over and over
Ainsley phobia of blood....it would be hilarious if it was so serious!
Tate's obsession with shoes. He always has to have them on. Even if we can only find one...that is okay with him.
Wild Kratts...actually a pretty cool show and all 4 kids love it.
Super Garfield....thank you Netflix. Whenever its Ainlsey's or Tate's turn to pick a movie without a doubt they will pick that!
My little sister engagement...congrats!!

2011-06-09T19:07:00.000-07:00

Spring, Swim Lessons, Soccer, Sleep Overs, Smiles,
Sun, Summer, End Of School Party, Cheer, Sickness, Sun, and For Sale!

We've been oh so busy these last couple of months but I'll fill you in a little.
Over General Conference Weekend Toad-o joined our family. I can neither confirm nor deny how long he stayed or weather he lived but he is no longer with his as of the next day! Caleb was disappointment in the most DRAMATIC way, of course! Also, over General Conference Weekend the sun finally came! Hope, hope for an awesome summer!!- oh Caleb took out his first tooth!
Swim Lessons continued... what you cant see is the cow girl boots that are worn with the beautiful git up! Every Tuesday and Tuesday this is what Ainsley looked like walking into the Matt Ross Center. She did really good Passing Preschool 2 and moving onto Wave 1! Caleb passed Wave 1 and Wave 2 and gets to do Wave 3!! Way to go Griners!

The minute spring was officially coming into summer we were ready! Ready for summer weather... So happy! We got to spend Easter with Andy's sister's family and drove down to Windsor. Of course, not just the Easter Bunny came but Caleb took out his second tooth so the tooth fairy came also. Of course!

Soccer over took our spring...every Tuesday Wednesday and Saturday. Caleb was actually really good!

He used his down time to wiggle his teeth loose...of course!

Aubrey loved soccer. And her July birthday put her with the 7 year olds! We asked her if she like Monday cheer or soccer best and she said it was too close to tell!!

Oh the thing kids do at school! I was a bit surprise to receive calls talking about a sleep over at my house the upcoming Friday! Say what??! Oh my daughter is so excited, said the moms! Say what??! Well, okay...I can do it. Ice cream, put some tinker bell fruit snacks in pop corn, make your own crown, laughing, chase each other, Tangled, stories, songs...7 girls...

lots of laughing, lots of screaming, lots of ohs, and hahas! Lights out by 10:40 and I heard actually snoring by 10:50! I was shocked!! But 5am came and they were awake...I made them wait until 6 but they were rearing to go!!! Lots of pancakes, 18 eggs, a thing of bacon!! Yum Yum!!! Girl Time...I think I totally passed it off! Tater the Terror!!!End of the Year Party!!! Candy Bar Game, Dance Freeze, Present Game...good bye Kindergarten!!!Grandpa and Grandpa Clark flew up for a visit and Grandma helped with final homework!They took us to T-Rex! They took the kids to a play place, baby sat the kids Friday night, and had lunch with Aubrey at school on Friday during the day!!Ainsley took the digging for fossils very seriously

Grandpa did lots of wrestling!

Its Summer...Pool time and Ainsley is a swimmer. We spend most of our days at the pool and the other night a friend took the 3 older kids for the majority of the night after 30 minutes of being home she fell asleep bum up in the air! HA!

Tate..I am starting the think he has spent the last year and a half of his life watching, observing, and silently taking note...because he is so quick to cause disaster. Category 10. He can get into Andy's protein powder and 10 minutes later dump out 3 big containers of spices directly after he will wash his hands in the toilet! Blame it on his ear infections or the fact that he has thrown up almost ever day since January but he is driving me crazy!!! At 32 pounds he is built low to the ground and can move surprisingly fast! He can also say No fast! He wont go to Nursery, he will walk right into the deep end at the pool, and he finds a way out of the back yard every change he gets! He IS OUT OF CONTROL! He does take naps though, every day at noon. Best 2 hours of the day. 2 hours of clean quietness (well, it would be if Caleb, Ainlsey, Aubrey napped but beggars cant be choosers!)

2011-03-06T17:14:00.000-08:00

Terror of the Pool!
Dun Dun Dun!!The Tater loves the pool and since it takes up most of our Tuesdays and Thursdays I thought I'd share. Caleb is a Wave 1 graduate!! On to Wave 2. He is constantly testing the patience of the life guards doing "illegal" flips but he says he is just practicing for summer;) Ainsley is swimming underwater, on her back, and is the best belly flopper in town but must repet Preschool 2. Thats okay. We still have 3 more months until Summer! Tate is too young for winter swim lessons but likes to walk out (not holding onto anything) into the middle of the water until it comes up to his nose and just stand there, looking around. He likes to just look around and then come back. He loves the turtle slide and with is short statue and large weight he flys fast!!!!!!! We love the pool!! We Aubrey has the chance to come with us, she loves the lazy river and the hot tub! We are quite a group!!! We will start up with swim lessons at the end of the month...until then...watch out for Tater of the POOL!!!

2011-03-05T16:09:00.000-08:00

To the couch...:the term most often used this past month to describe the placement of the laundry.
(I had a picture of 11 loads of unfolded laundry on the couch...it was bad, that is only picture of 4 loads...thank goodness its taken care of now!)

This past month the big 26 was celebrated, along with multiple sickness' from children and husband, daily changes in the weather, and my own personal struggle we have had not a so good start to 2011. It has been rough, hence the few blogs and few pictures. We are here and we do have wonderful moments but there has been a cloud. Now that the cloud (metaphor) is clearing (minus the actual snow in the upcoming forecast:) hopefully, the pictures will start rolling and the blog with hop back into place. With the excitement of the big 26...closer to 30 not 20! I am a 26 year old mother of 4, living in Kansas with 3 kids at home and 1 in all day kindergarten. I haven't slept through the night in 6.5 years, I attend or host weekly play groups, swim lessons, cheer, up coming soccer, nightly homework, notes from the teacher, and having a child with a learning disability seems to challenge me on a daily hourly basis. I am surrounded by little people but lately I feel so alone. Its okay really. The spilled milk, super glue incident, leaving the hair gel in reach, and "what does that mean?" keeps me extremely busy. Someone is always laughing BUT someone seems to always be crying? And of course, now that the oldest two know how to sound out words spelling "secret" words to Andy is definitely SOOOOOOOOOOO 2 months ago! I do not seem to remember my mom saying being an adult was so hard? She never seemed tired, never complained, always had the laundry done, and her cinnamon rolls and seminary lessons were the bomb!!
Anyway, 10 years ago hanging out with the Stahura's or the Mullikin's was the biggest decision I had to make. First dates, driving the POS Rosebud to Shalimar, working the front window or as a runner, and how many friends we could fit in the wagon for the dance was top priority! HA! If I would have been asked where I would be 10 years from then I would have probably said married with a bunch of kids. Check...BUT I probably would have pictured it much easier with lots of sleep and my kids always clean and always happy!
Now, if you ask me: In 10 year what do I want? Well, Aubrey will be 16 (WO!), with no more babies it would be nice to start the school thing AND it will be nice to sleep through the night!! I know my children are destined for greatness. They have incredible souls, spirits, and hearts. If we can just make it to next fall without any more disaster, we're going to be just fine:) Although, if the next 10 year can be just a little bit easier that would be beneficial!
I guess the point of all of this is that I wouldn't change where I am, I love it. Even though I often feel alone I do sometime beg for some alone time..sneak into the shower and try to relax only to have Ainlsey flush the toilet (leaving me burning!!!!), Caleb running in crying because he poked his 2 eyes with his own finger, and Andy coming in frustrated because I am not using the fan he just fix after a year of me nagging! Its all just a crazy wonderful mess but I love it.
"We'll all grow up some day. We mine as well know what we want!"-says Amy on Little Women

Onto happiness...
On Tuesday after swim lessons we rushed to IHOP with the Nash family and Bethany for Free Pancakes! I wasn't sure what I had gotten myself into with 3 wild kids in a restaurant without a playplace. But the kids were wonderful and FREE FOOD!!!QUIET.... HAPPY....
(yes, Caleb is left handed...we really don't know..who really knows...he changes every day!) AND VERY HUNGRY....
Ainsley ate that entire plate of bacon and pancakes. Tate did too. Caleb ate most of his until he couldn't help himself any longer and doused the rest with a lake of syrup!! He was happy to have his Buddy Cello there!

The weather was so wonderful too! It was an almost perfect day!! We are looking forward to Spring Break, my sister STEFFANEY coming home from her mission, Easter, and SUMMER!!! It's gonna be BIG!!!
**great awesome surprise news..Aubrey bore her testimony for the first time last Sunday (it just happened to be my dad's 51st birthday too)! So proud!

The Tater's New Words: Baby Girl (I think just because we are surround by them and because he got to home one last Sunday)
Dance
(D)OGGY
Poop Yuck
Hungry
Cracky Peese
Gum
Ball
Light
Fan
Hair
Ouch
Go GoodBye

2011-02-09T07:56:00.000-08:00

Goodbye January, Hello February

To say that January was a bad month for us Griners was an understatement. We never really recovered from our Christmas sickness'. Instead we were overrun by "THE DOUBLE EAR INFECTION!" We did still manage to have a good new years. We got the kids really excited... Set all of our clocks ahead 4 hours so when "midnight" hit the kids went outside, banged pots and pans, sang the New Year song, danced, and had a speacial treat!!! Woot Woot to 2011!
Aubrey was excited to go back to school but with the upcoming PTC with the Principal, Teacher, Speech Therapist, Reading Therapist, and Psychologist I was less then excited. The meeting did go well, the correct interventions are put in place, and the next meeting is scheduled for the end of February! Aubrey started Cheerleading again, received her first trophy, and is group leader!!
Caleb went to his first pre-Kindergarten get together. For all the kindergartners for fall 2011! I was very excited and although he was a little overwhelmed at first he was glad to have his neighbor friend Nathan by his side!
Ainsley started up Preschool again. Adding another mom/child and house. After a long Christmas break getting Ainsley out of her footsie's just wasn't going to happen so I put a skirt over her footsies and called it a morning!!
Tater..has been sick but happy. His ear infections have not been able to heal or improve but his speach is incredible! Aubrey, KK, pee, Banana's, Go Bye, Ball..I hear him all day long! He loves to dance, and does really well with his breathing instrument as long as he gets to hold the piece that goes in his mouth! He loves to hug, hide, and he carries his pillow pet everywhere! We spent January going to the Johnson County Museum with friends and we were surprised with a big birthday party on the 28th along with a new painting! We have been without a main floor tv for 2 months now. I will say that I miss my morning Sesame Street and Syd the Science Kid! But is it so much more peaceful without it.

2 Snow Days and a "Too Cold" for school day...left me almost wishing that tv was back in the family room.The kids like the snow for about 30 minutes. The decision that sand is much more enjoyable was unanimous! Burrrrr!

After a week being stuck instead we decided to get out of the house and head into KC for the free Exhibit!

Tate was a little unsure about the uneven ground!

We are excited to have January gone. The snow is still here but it wont be much longer until Spring is here!!! Caleb and Ainsley both get to participate in preschool now and they are both signed up for swimming lessons!! Its going to be a fun February!!

2011-01-27T09:36:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve lost...Christmas day sick
For some reason all of the pictures from Christmas Eve are on a memory chip that is lost...But we sure did have fun! Andy worked Christmas Eve morning and then we headed down to Windsor for the usual Dinner, Christmas Nativity Program, and Presents!! The kids did pretty good this year as Mary, Jospeh, and the Angel...with Paul as the narrator!
The kids enjoyed the many presents from there Griner Grandparents and Aunt Judy and ate lots and lots of Black Berry Cheese Cake. On the drive home that night Aubrey was so excited...telling Caleb and Ainsley all about the excitement of Christmas Morning! 30 minutes from home excitement turned into the stomach flu for Tate. So for most of the night we rotated between holding him close and showers. Tate did not handle being sick very well and it was hard to get him to calm down. How could we not feel bad for poor Tater though!!!! We tried our best to set everything out and get everything ready!Our sad sad sad tree. Only the top half was decorated but it was a sad looking tree decorated or not.At midnight the fun began...Aubrey started throwing up...every 30 minutes all early morning!!By the time it was time to wake up, we finally got Tate to fall asleep. Ainsley was so excited (wearing the pj's she got from my parents and her tinker bell dress from Andy's parents)....down the stairs they went!!!
It might as well have been the best day of Ainsley's life! She loved everything, and was excited about everyone's gifts, and it was just wonderful to watch her!!

Aubrey was so very sick. Every 15 minutes she required the assistance of the ugly green trash can...she was pretty much out of it all morning.

Caleb was ready to destroy and the fact that Santa gave him Bakugans after Mom/Dad said no more made him very happy!

Tate woke up mid-present opening and was not happy. Still sick and NOT happy!

Not even Tate being sick and cranky could crash Ainsley magical excitement!!
Ainsley used her new Elmo doctor kit to try and make Tate feel better!

As soon as the presents were open Aubrey went to bed, waking up in the evening to be excited all over again!
Aubrey spent the rest of Christmas night cutting, drawing, and coloring...those scissors 10 minutes later were what she used to chop off the front of her hair!
Later on Christmas Night Ainsley got sick followed by Caleb. It wasn't exactly the Christmas we had imagined but it will definitely be one that we remember!!

2 days after Christmas everyone was all better and ready to play outside. Tate likes to sneak outside and jump/fall all over the trampoline!!

We have survived 2010...it was not a good year for scissors or stamps. We did have a lot of fun and as we grow older we get to experience new things like...swim lessons, sleepovers, and loose teeth. 2010 will be the year we made friends and lots of them!!! Caleb learned a little Hebrew, Ainsley finally started to go to Nursery, and Aubrey's cheer team made regionals!!
Ending with the flu was like ending with a big bang!!! GOOD BYE 2010!!!Hopefully, we wont be so cranky in 2011!!!

2011-01-19T16:43:00.000-08:00

The Griner Family 2010

This year our yellow brick road has lead us through moments of stress, laughter, and messes. Along with our new discoveries, new milestones, and new priorities came obstacles and a party at every corner!! Sickness flooded our winter, therapy and evaluations challenged our spring, the pool overtook our summer, and the trampoline has been the highlight of our fall!

Andrew (31)- He loves going to work. He devotes himself to his patients and in September received the “Whatever It Takes Award” for going above and beyond to serve and take care of his patients! He has also enjoyed the occasional daddy/daughter date night!

Aubrey (6)- She loves kindergarten and she loves being 6! There is hardly a day that goes by without one of her friends coming over to play and she loves her weekly Cheerleading practice!! She spends her free time being a great big sister and drawing for hours! She loves swimming at the pool (in the deep end) and even went off the high dive!!! She especially loves her SHORT hair which she did herself! Aubrey loves going to church and at her school Thanksgiving program when she was asked what she was thankful for she said loud and clear “Jesus and Heavenly Father!” She is a wonderful example for her brothers and sister. Although, math seems to be hard for her we were excited to know that she was released from the IEP program.
Caleb (5)- Where do I start!!!! He never sleeps, eats non-stop, and learned how to whistle, really loud! He can count to 50, he remembers everything, and begs to do homework. His school teacher described him as kind and wonderful even though he had a tendency to tell jokes and make the class laugh! He loves to swim (even in the deep end) and the life guards were a little shocked to see a short little 4 year old jumping off the diving board!!! He like to do flips on the trampoline and enjoyed participating in karate and flag football!! When it came to football I do not think there was a single practice he didn’t get hurt and he even acquired his first bloody nose! Caleb has such a wonderful heart and in his mind “everyone” is his friend! I didn’t realize how true that was until 44 kids showed up at his birthday party!!! Caleb has made it very clear that he WILL BE a Tornado Chaser when he grows up!
Ainsley (3)- This year has been a big growing year for Ainsley! She has surpassed the 24 pound mark and is growing taller everyday! She loves Elmo, always wears dress up shoes, and she changes her clothes at least 3 times a day! She loves swimming and even swims underwater! In January Ainsley broke her elbow, she loved wearing a cast and was sad to have it taken off 6 weeks later! She loves having her own room, finally started to go to nursery alone, and she loves food. ALL FOOD! Along with attending nursery she also loves going to Preschool 2 times a week!! She has to do everything herself, she loves to build things, and she loves to play with the neighbors.

Tate (1)- Call him what you like…TD, Tater Tot, or Tater. He is a favorite among everyone. Friends from school, friends from church, neighbors, and even adults love to be around Tate! He is wonderful. He loves to clap, dance, jump, and give hi-fives! He weighs 27 pounds and I think it is mostly in his legs and rear end! He loves to say ball, go bye, mom, dad, santa, and hi-five!! He climbs on everything and seems to always have a black eye or bruised cheek but always with a smile! He loved spending time at the pool and goes down the kid slide. We thought he might grow up to be a chubby tackle but now that his obsession with clogging the toilet has started to cause problems (we have removed a mini batman, a domino, a dart, a my little pony, and the top of a toy speed boat all from just ONE clog) he might grow up to be a really chubby plumber! We love our Tater!

Sara (25)- This year I have learned that sometimes I am just right and as a mom I just know best. I have learned that preschool is wonderful and counting down the days until kindergarten 2011 probably isn’t good! I have learned that a $85 summer pool pass not only bought my sanity but a really great tan!! I have learned that craft time can end in cut hair, a broken elbow and cut hair can occur on the same day, and kid stamps are never really used on paper! I have learned that our trampolines can fly…right through our fence, that our pipes from the Washer can freeze, and that sometimes not even a plumbers snake can unclog the toilet! I have learned that every life, every moment, and every day matters. Every uh-oh!, oh no!, and I love you make the growing process that much more entertaining!! After all, our family is forever and there is truly “No Place Like Home!”

2010-11-26T17:09:00.000-08:00

September, October, and November

It's been a little hard to find time to sneak to the basement and update the blog but with Tate asleep, Aubrey at Grandma's, and Caleb/Ainsley watching Back to the Future with Andy now is the perfect time!
Our adjustment into fall was slow going. We missed our daily trips to the pool and endless playgroups with friends. We looked forward to the after school parties, new homework, and cooler nights! Wearing shoes again wasn't as fun though!Tate weighs 30 pounds! He is a tank. He is also completely wonderful! He loves his blanket and Ainsley's blanket! He moves and moves and climbs and moves....endlessly!

Ainsley turned 3! Elmo was a must along with 20 of her closest friends, pizza, and the park!

Ainsley's best friend is Raegan (the neighbor). For Ainlsey's birthday Raegan came over to play with her!!!

Without our trips to the pool I wasn't able to justify shoeless children. Tate loves wearing shoes though!!! If he cant find his shoes he will put on any shoes he can find!!!

With cooler weather our after school neighbor visits became routine! Aubrey looked forward to Uncle Bud and Aunt MaryLou's visits!

The first weekend in October instead of going to Windor we participated in the Walk to End Alzheimer's. It was a family filled morning with games, food, and activities!

We were able to stay in the middle of the pack during the walk!

Aubrey's school carnival!!

Surprisingly Ainsley had to try everything that everyone else did!!! She did great!

Ainsley's first day all by herself with Grandma! She was s

Caleb misses going to Preschool and he loves having Nathan stop by! Ainsley loves it too!

Halloween!!!
Aubrey was Glenda.
Ainsley was Dorthy.
Tate was the Lion.
Caleb was a Ghost.
(as much as I begged he would not be a part of our family Wizard of Oz theme"

Aubrey got to dress up for cheerleading, school, and the ward Trunk or Treat!

It took a lot of convincing for Ainsley to be Dorthy instead of Elmo. She looked great though!

Squeezing Tate into his outfit was a crack up!!! We laughed and laughed and love him!

With Halloween out of the way family pictures were a must. Unfortunately Tate wouldn't sit still so I'll have to try again in a couple of weeks.

Aubrey (6)

Caleb (5)

Ainsley (3)

It just so happened that a couple of days after family pictures take walked into a bench and acquired a MAJOR BLACK EYE!

Tate's black eye didn't stop him from moving a chair over to the counter, climbing onto the chair, and reaching for some hot chocolate!

I tried to sneak a quick shower before our doctor's appointment....he finds food so easily!

We were so excited to go and see Aubrey's school Thanksgiving Program. We practiced her line "Smash them until they are Soft and Smooth" and we practiced all of the songs. A surprise came with the teacher had each child stand up and say something they are thankful for....Aubrey stood and said "Jesus and Heavenly Father!" We were shocked and proud!!!

After her program they had a feast!

Tate always seems to know when the child lock isn't on the fridge. He heads right to it to open and look through!

Tate's favorite seat in the house. If ever I feel a draft I know that he is sitting in the fridge!

Thanksgiving Pie time! Each child gets to make one pie and they were excited. Ainsley made a Candy Bar Pie, Aubrey helped make the Apple Pie, and Caleb helped make the fresh pumpkin pie and Cherry Cheesecake! They all turned out wonderful!

Ainsley was very proud and her pie required the most steps so it took the longest to make!

Tate can climb up the slide onto the trampoline! He loves jumping with the big kids and loves running and falling into the net!
With Thanksgiving over Tis' the Season.... hopefully, we can keep up and stay healthy!!

2010-11-18T09:16:00.000-08:00

I started to post a new post the other day when I realized "Where are all the new pictures?" I went to get them off the memory card and I can not find the Camera that Andy had last....so in order for me to update Andy really needs to find the camera. Maybe someone should call him.
Love,
Kansas Mother of 4

2010-09-08T20:18:00.000-07:00

The End of August and the Beginning of School!

It has been a busy busy busy couple of weeks. With Tate sick/teething, the kids starting school, and the pools closing life is normal again....kind of!

We kicked off the end of summer and met a bunch of friends at The Children's Museum! A rainy day cant stop us from having fun with our friends!

Aubrey's first day of school!!!! I think she was most excited to wear her sketcher shoes. Andy caved and let her get them....too cool!

Aubrey's class has 24 kids this year!!! So fun!

After Aubrey's first day of school (while I finished painting Caleb's room for his birthday) Andy took the kids for a walk down the squirrel trail!

HAPPY 5TH BIRTHDAY CALEB!!!
For Caleb's party 44 kids showed up!! 10 pizza's, a Batman cake, a table of snack food, and the slip n' slide made the party rock!!! It was burning hot outside but the kids didn't mind!Not a good idea to hand out whistles... Whistles plus 44 kids...
sooooooooooooo loud!!

GO CALEB!!
The party was also the end of the slip n' slide...some how is blew up.

The only down side to 44 kids is 44 presents. 44 PRESENT!!!!!!!
I kind you not, you should have seen it! Hot Wheels, Water gun, Nerf gun, Machine Gun, Books, Zu Zu Pets, new clothes, loud car, Geo Tracks, PJ'S, and HOT WHEELS!!!
FUN FUN FUN!!
It really was a fun party and now Caleb is 5!!! I love my kk!!

After school the kids love when the Rudd kids come over!! Caleb started football practice!! He loves it!!! He is the shortest and youngest but its going to be great for him!!!!In Aubrey's eyes these bracelets are a "must have." Of course, you cant just wear one!

Friday morning it was just Ainsley, Tate, and Me. Boy is was quiet!!!

Taking just the 2 of them for a walk on the Squirrel trail was fun too!

Tate walked into the middle of the dug up soccer fields while I was putting the stroller back in the van. Why?!! He sure is fast when I am not looking!

He had no shame...just dirt all over his face!!

The first Saturday in September= Home Depot Kids Club!

Even Tate likes to get involved!!
This is his usual face. He is saying "UH-OH"!
The kids have started taking it really seriously!

Ainsley even did her all by herself!

After home depot he drop down to Windsor for the yearly September Fest!!! And of course, a stop by the "#1 dentist"!!!

Ainsley wasn't even scared!!!

Tate even saw Grandpa as a dentist for the first time!! 2 new teeth cutting through!!

After a yummy lunch the kids tried out a couple of rides at the carnival!!! Ainsley loved loved loved it!!!

After Labor Day, Tuesday, September 7th, Ainsley had her very first day of preschool!

"S" day!! "S" for school, start, silly, serious, sit, and stand. All very important for a Successful first day of preschool!!!

Caleb's 3rd day of football practice!!! He is the Left End!!!

Tate....if ever he gets quiet this is where we find him. He likes to play with the buttons of the phone and has learned how to repeat messages saved!!! TATE!!

It's been a fun couple of weeks.
** Tate is climbing on and into everything, going up and down the stairs super fast, and he like to carry the pots and pans around. If the bathroom doors aren't closed he will play in the toilet.... I think he searches the first chance he gets for an open bathroom door!! He weighs 26 1/2 pounds!!!
**Ainsley is talking a lot now. Using sentences, helping with everything, and still sucking her thumb! She is always asking Why?
**The kids are doing really well with their chore charts and Caleb loves having daily homework!! He doesn't nap, is hungry all day long, hyper all day long, and never wants to go to bed at night!!

I must say I am so sad to see summer go. The pools are closed, the grass is completely dead, and the big box of fun pops are almost gone!
Ode to the summer of 2010!! It was a blast!!

2010-08-21T19:19:00.000-07:00

The Beginning of August!

Swimming, the farm, 3 birthday parties, discovered allergies, and kids club!! The beginning of August has definitely kept us on our toes!

This picture was taken back before Aubrey turned 6 but I couldn't find the old camera! Aubrey going off the high dive!!!Caleb loves to jump off the diving board! He gives the life guards a scare with is slow but great swimming to the edge!!

We started the first of August off by going to the local farmstead. We tried to beat the heat by getting there at 9...boy was it super hot!!

Caleb loved watching them milk the cow!

I was surprised that Ainsley wanted to feed the goats...she loved it!! They pretty much attacked her and she put them in their place telling them to take turns and be nice!

After looking at all of the animals and playing on the play ground we went to the water area!! It was so hot!! Poor Caleb turns so red!

After the farm we decided to cool off by going to the pool. I sure love my Tater!

Tate loves the water! He loves to walk from toy structure to toy structure! If he falls down and goes under the water I just get him out, he smiles, and he starts walking all over again!FHE...running a little late from being at the pool with friends??? No problem, put dinner in a bag and walk down the street to meet some families for FHE!!!!!

(Caleb, Aubri, Spencer, Ainsley, and Aubrey)

Although, you can not see it very well in this picture Tate has a big BLACK EYE! Casualty of the pool kiddy slide! What a trooper! Happy 1st Birthday Tater! He weighs in at 25 pounds, walks, says UH-HO, YA, and HI!!! For Tate's birthday I had a couple of mom's over for a small play-group.
Pajama's and 1 year olds!!! Tate was a little tired though!

Amanda made cupcakes and Tate loved all of the attention!

Friday afternoon, still celebrating Tate's birthday...I took the kids to McDonald's to see the Magic show!!! Ainsley desperately wanted to be Ronald's assistant!!! When he called for his very last assistant Ainsley couldn't wait patiently anymore. She walked right up to him and declared herself the perfect assistant!!!When the Magic Show was over we got pictures and a free bag of toys and goodies!! Tate just wasn't sure about Ronald!!!

Saturday morning I took all 4 kids to Home Depot for the Free Kids Club!!! Making school bus pencil boxes and seeing all our summer friends was lots of fun!After home depot our we were invited to Monkey Business for our Neighbor Nathan's 5th birthday party!!! Tate walked UP the slide, Caleb playing basketball, Aubrey played in the tree house, and Ainsley played with HER best friend Reagan!

After Nathan's birthday party we walked 2 houses down to our Neighbor MaryLou's 80th birthday party!!! She is such a fun and wonderful neighbor and at the age of 80 having survived 8 kids she tells the best stories!

After MaryLou's party we drove to Lee's Summit to celebrate Tate's first birthday with Grandpa and Grandma Griner!! Caleb picked out the cake and the present!!

Tate loved his new airplane!Cake time was fun. It was hot but he loves to eat!!! Later we did regret letting him eat the cake because Tate is allergic to all dairy, eggs, and chocolate! Not not good! Poor little guy! Ainsley is a great big sister and is growing fast! She loves swings, climbing, and swimming!!!

Caleb is getting tan and his hair is turning white! He loves the eat, never sleeps, and plays all day long!

Last week we (along with Elena) joined Marlene and Aunt Judy at Starlight for her wards Mother Daughter!!! I love this tradition and have been to over 7 musicals with Marlene!!! This year we went and saw Beauty and The Beast!! It was wonderful and 103 degrees with no wind. HOT HOT HOT! We survived and had a great time!

It has been a fun first half of the month! Getting ready for school to start and taking Tate off the bottle. School supplies, new clothes, and teacher assignments. PTA fees, book fees, and trips to the doctor along with new SOY MILK.
I cant believe Tate is 1. He is such a blessing in my motherhood crazy world. Always happy, always laughing, and always wonderful. Tate is a kids favorite not only in our house but with neighbors and friends too! He loves to play with Ryan and Carson and managed to completely tackle a 14 month old (that was much bigger than him). I LOVE YOU TATE!

2010-07-31T18:26:00.000-07:00

PARTY-ING IT UP IN KANSAS!
With 3 birthday parties, a trip to Crown Center, a trip to the doctor, First Steps, the POOL, and play groups we have been pretty busy.
Over the last 2 weeks I have also learned the reality of actually being a mom. It's very hard. Maybe it is hard because I am young (although mid-20's is halfway to 30), the lack of sleep doesn't help...but these past two weeks I have found it hard because I am not a "cool fun hip" mom. I do not know the words to Justin Beiber songs, I think that light up sketcher twinkle toe shoes are to ugly to cost $49, and I had no idea that the child (whom I gave birth too)would be so embarrassed when I ran up to him and gave him a kiss for going off the diving board.

Enough about that and onto our week!!Somehow at Makiya's party modesty went right out the window. The heat set in with the humidity so fast...I felt bad for my poor heat stricken children! But I couldn't help but take this picture!

We started last week off by going to Crown Center for the Clifford exhibit!
3 wonderful things a mom would love about it:
1. It's free
2. Water
3. The candy store next door was closed due to flooding!!!

Tate had to fight for his turn on this toy! A big kid kept trying to take it from him! Tate held is ground though!!

Ainsley headed straight to the dress up clothes!

Aubrey loved reorganizing the flowers and playing in the drawing center!

Note: This is not the intended use for this display. But after Caleb did it, a line of toddlers started to form behind him! What a leader...now if only we can channel his leadership into something more parent friendly!!!

After playing at the Exhibit, we headed across the street to the water shoots!!!It was the perfect day!! We were so lucky to have the Nash family, Ogle family, and AubreyAnna there to play with!

Of course, Ainsley spent most of her time eating per usual! That would explain her 5 pound weight gain in just 2 months! Chunky 27 pounder!!!

AUBREY TURNS 6!!
For her 6th birthday she wanted a pool party! So we invited everyone to come and play! Making it more like a big playgroup was the perfect idea!!
Our "Royal Splash Party" almost became an indoor party... we were lucky!

23 kids, 11 mom's, Andy, plus us at the neighborhood pool!!! 10 pizza's, skittles, juice boxes, watermelon, cheese crackers, and a melted cupcake princess cake rounded out the party nicely! We loved having all of our friends there! There was never a dull moment!! OR QUIET!!!

Ainsley had fun too!! Although that night she ended up falling and getting really hurt...ending in a trip to the doctor the next morning. Always fun!

On Friday Paul and Marlene came up for Aubrey's birthday! Marlene made her favorite Strawberry cake!

After spending the day at the water park it was time for the CINDERELLA MUSICAL @ Theater in the Park! Marlene treated us and we met up with the Nash family! The weather was perfect!

I think his facial expression says it all...Ooooooo!

While waiting for the musical to start we walked over to the stands and Aubrey got a free "birthday popcorn!" The kids also got free bubbles, treasure chest toys, candy necklaces, and a glow bracelet that Caleb ended up leaking all over his clothes! We had a lot of fun and the kids were asleep before we got home!!

Saturday Morning we woke up early and headed to Sean's Birthday Party at Monkey Business!! Ainsley was in heaven!! All the jumping and falling...right down her ally! After Sean's party we started the 2nd and 3rd floor transformation....all the kids rooms moved around and switched. Aubrey got Caleb's old room, Ainsley got Tate's old room, Caleb got the girls old room, and Tate gets the 5th(ish) bedroom!Ainsley loves her new room! She loves being by herself with all things Elmo! She slept in until 8am and woke up happy and cheerful!! She couldn't wait to tell Carson all about her room during Nursery!5 days later... the finished product. All painted, all cleaned, all moved in, all decorated, and all organized. One of the main reason for the room switch was the TENT that her friends gave her for her birthday. Not to mention the year supply of paper, markers, and other coloring utensils!Yes, that really is light purple on the wall (Andy thought it was white for at least 16 hours but I proved him wrong). I cant believe Aubrey is 6. She loves to swim, color, draw, paint, play dress up, and put together puzzles! She is looking forward to Kindergarten and meeting new friends!!
Happy Birthday Aubrey Jean!
This ends our July but not without excitement from TATE!
He has started officially walking! He took 8 steps during Sunday School and has been walking little by little all week. He loves to give kisses and he loves to point and wave! We love our Tater...he's almost 1!!!

2010-07-18T18:57:00.000-07:00

HEAT IT UP!

Since the 4th of July we have been very busy with things that are extremely important like going to the pool, playing at the pool, and swimming at the pool. Going to bed late and sleeping in until 7:00am is the norm, and hanging out with friends is a daily "of course!" Pool by morning and Pool by night, new adventures like big slides, deep end, and The Diving Board. Cousin sleep overs, friend sleep overs, and a fixed dishwasher....woot woot!
A birthday party, a new tooth, a sweet tan line, and sugar snap peas along with Israel snack food. "I love yous", first steps, and "oh for goodness sakes!" Bracelets with shapes, diving sticks, and melted fruit roll ups. All of these things describe the month of July! We love July!!On Monday night our cousins arrived in time for a bbq, playing with the neighbors, and bed!! Tuesday morning came and the 3 older cousins stayed while the younger one headed home to Kentucky with Uncle Dave and Aunt Clair!!! Then the fun began. With 7 kids pool toys fly, sunscreen runs out, and chicken nuggets dissolve right before my eyes!! With 7 kids the laughter is louder, the playing is rowdier, and the sleepovers are a blast!!!! With 7 kids $.75 for an ice cream cone adds up but watching all 7 kids with ice cream on their faces is hilarious!! With the weather hot HOT we hopped form pool to pool!!! By night time....no mount of excitement could stop the inevitable...crash

not even the excitement of "Uncle" Andy buying The Lightning Thief could stop them!20 minutes into the movie...everyone was asleep!The only problem with everyone falling asleep downstairs is waking them up and taking the too bed!!! 6 times up and down the stairs....that's a lot of stairs and a lot of carrying!! Tate is just awesome!!! He took his first 3 steps and cut a new tooth in the back!!! He waves and points. He plays catch and hide n' seek. He is a climber and an eater!!! He is now wearing 18 month clothes!!Thursday and Friday with 7 kids in toe we went to the pool in the evening but in the morning 3 additional friends joined us for playing!!! Ainsley loves having Yonny over to play!! She is quit the entertainer...twirling, singing Elmo's World, and jumping!!Aubrey kepts to herself playing with play-doh!No amount of heat or humidity stopped the younger kids from playing outside! They played "Greek Gods" and battled.
(Faith, Liam, Micha'el, Paul, and Caleb)It was a fun week!!! Lots of new excitement too!
Caleb opens his eyes under water and jumped off the diving board without a life jacket and swam to the ladder all by himself!!!!
Aubrey did too!!!
Ainsley only managed to obtain small bruises this week...she is crazy and always falling or bumping into things!!!
We love July and we loved spending time with our cousins!!!!

News:
Happy Birthday Mom and Aunt Bonnie!!!!

2010-07-04T14:24:00.000-07:00

Summer Summer Summer
June June June

All dressed up and ready for church. Record time I must add...Everything prepared the day before, nails painted, hair done, and teeth brushed!

I squeezed Tate into sandals (his feet cant fit into normal shoes they are to wide from top to bottom) and he cant fit into his church pants any more so shorts it was!

Caleb's hair is growing perfectly and turning white from all of the sun!

After church during nap time...of course Caleb doesn't nap.Monday at swim lessons. Ainsley and her best friend Makiya!

On Monday after swimming lessons a bunch of extra friends joined us for a full day at Splash Cove! It was perfectly hot, the water was full of kids, and we packed extra food!

Ainsley and Carson were together constantly. Holding hands, going deaper and deeper in the water, and sun bathing together!

Ainsley loves bandaids. She always wants one and says she hurts in the weirdest spots!

July 1st

Pretty Ainlsey! All dressed up and ready for her friends 3rd Birthday Party at Diana Rose Farmstead! I wanted to make it extra special for her so I dropped the 2 older kids off at The Alons house and Ainsley got more and more excited the closer we got!

Once we got to the Farm I held Tate and Ainsley waiting in line with her friends to ride the pony!

You were suppose to be 3 but Ainsley was brave enough to hop right now! She loved and was so excited!

She has a blast waiting and watching with her friends. Looking at all the animals and playing.

She loved the goats. Feeding them, chasing them, and pulling their tails! Sandwiches, Slides, Cupcakes, a pinata, and most importantly the present she picked out just for Lucy!

July 2nd...what do you do when it's perfect outside?
Clean out to van and lounge around until our friends arrived to swim!

The neighborhood was quiet with almost everyone out of town...so we could be a silly and loud as we wanted! 5 families met us and we headed to the neighborhood pool for a long swim and a yummy lunch! Then after everyone left for the pool our day turned terrifying.

Ainsley had a bad fall. A really BAD fall. Blood everywhere and coming quickly. I am so thankful I was able to get a hold of my neighbor who rushed right over. Once the bleeding stopped and she was all cleaned up I was relieved to find no broken bones and all of her teeth still in. An hour later she was running around asking for her favorite friend Reagan!

With Aubrey and Caleb gone to see Toy Story 3 (again) with their friend Sean, Ainsley's friend Reagan came over to play with her and cheer her up! They played for over an hour and then Ainsley went over to their house to see their Vacation RV!!!

July 3rd!!! Grandpa, Grandma, and Aunt Judy came up and then ......
THE DICKSONS arrived from Kentucky!!!!!
Yummy food, the swing set, and air hockey tables helped the kids get re-acquainted!!!

Then off to the neighborhood pool! Caleb wanted a life jacket because Faith had a life jacket. Ainsley sat on a chair next to Aunt Judy and ate candy, and swimming swimming and swimming took place!!

Livvy, Aubrey, Seth, Paul, Faith, and Caleb!

Inseparable Caleb and Faith!

Finally after fireworks, Grandma and Uncle Dave's Birthday celebration, and playing it was time to go to bed! All together! Of course, this is not how it ended up....Paul and Olivia ended up in the top bunk, Ainsley and Aubrey ended up in my bed and Caleb ended up in Ainsley blanket by the door!

Faith and Caleb...as always!

Also this past week we took the kids at night to see ToyStory3 (so cute). A friend watched Tate while we took the 3 older kids...they loved it!
Aubrey and Caleb finished and passed swim lessons! They even get to skip the next level for the one ahead!!!!! Way to go!!! The house is clean, the van is clean, and we are heading into July head first!!! Tate also acquired a next giant tooth and is constantly saying Uh-Oh and gives kisses!

2010-06-24T16:32:00.000-07:00

DOWN AND OUT!
I have been meaning to blog. I really have, but along with the stories you are about to read our camera has halfway broke and our brand new computer crashed. It's okay, I was able to get some good pictures but not as many as usual;)

SCHOOLS OUT FOR THE SUMMER!I have waited for this day since a week into school. No more taking and picking up the kids, No more homework, No more "where are my shoes?, where is my library book?, But today is green day?" I have been looking towards summer as FREEDOM! So what better way to start off freedom then throwing a party!!!

Ainsley, Mikial, Caleb, and Alec...ready to start off Summer!Unfortunately freedom was short lived because sickness struck hard two days later. 3 children with Croup and a Tater with RSV. It was so sad. The coughing, the crying, the plea for waffles. I told the kids that they wouldn't be able to swallow them but they pleaded so I made them....of course I was right. Poor kids.

The problem with everyone being sick is that I realized how completely unorganized and dirty my house is. Also, since no one has left the house all of the kids shoes are suddenly found!

Poor Tate. He got sick so quickly and had trouble breathing. I quickly rushed all 3 kids to the doctor and Tate was given a shot and put on an inhaler.After 4 days of sickness had passed with no sign of anyone getting better, my hopes of a tan at the pool vanished and survival mode kicked in. Keeping the kids down, monitored, and comfortable was almost impossible until I cared holes in boxes so that every child could have their own house! Pretty smart! The next 4 days were spent watching movies in boxes!

After 2 weeks of sickness we were ready for some fun. Aubrey went to spend the weekend at Grandma Griner's house so we let Caleb have a boys night!
Alec, Ainsley, Liam, Mikial, Malcolm, and Caleb!!
Icecream, The Incredibles, Pizza, Cookies, and Juices Boxes!! What a party!

Ainsley loves the water. I was surprised when she kept sticking her head all the way under the water! Swimming Playgroups...we have had a lot of friends come swimming with us. Yes, I let them walk to the pool while I follow them in the van. I see nothing wrong with it. Not only does it provide exercise, it wears them out!!!!

Tate loves the pool. He especially loves the snacks that I take to the pools!

After weeks of begging Andy finally said okay to Shawnee Pool Passes! For $110 we can go to any Shawnee Pool all summer!!!! That included the water park: SPLASH COVE!!!
Neighborhood pool in the morning and then off to Splash Cove in the afternoon!
We have acquired quite the tans and swimming skills while hopping from pool to pool to pool! Twice a day we go to the pool and it has been a blast!

I love Tate. Everything about Tate. He goes to bed at 5:00 pm and wakes up at 6:00am. He eats, laughs, stands without holding onto anything, climbs all of the stairs, take one really good nap, and loves his mom! There are 2 downfalls....the nakedness. When changing his diaper he wiggles and moves and climbs. While I was reaching for the desitin he climbed up the couch and tried to open the back door!!!! Changing Tate really should be a 3 person job! The other problem is my front door 4th of July Star...every time I take him out the front door he reaches for it and tears off a part!!! EVERY TIME! Its amazing how much will power a little toot has!

Ainsley and Tate. If Ainsley ever sees that Tate is out of food she will place food on the floor in front of him!

The other day I watched a friends 4 kids (all under the age of 5). Tate loves the company!

Some times going to the pool just makes the kids tired!
Ainsley still sucks on her thumb and takes her bunny blanket everywhere along with something Elmo related!
We have had a busy June. Not in the pictures is SWIMMING LESSONS for Aubrey and Caleb! They love them! They practice and now they can both swim in the deep end without life jackets! The both jump into the pool without life jackets and Aubrey can dive!

Aubrey- Colors constantly and loves to take care of Tate! She has started a new Speech Therapy Program at CMHS and loves spending 2 nights at Grandma's house!
Caleb- Is so funny, he is constantly talking, and making everyone laugh!
"Mom, if you poke your eye out will you grow a new one?"
"Why is Malcolms hair never messy? Can I use oil in my hair?"
Caleb whistles and snaps his fingers VERY LOUD.
At weird hours of the nights I hear Caleb whistling and very very very early in the morning!
Caleb also had his first sleepover! He spend the night at the Alon's house!!!!
Ainsley- Or should I say ELMO'S #1 FAN! Elmo cup, Elmo bowl, Elmo cartoon, Elmo cereal...Elmo Elmo Elmo! Usually all I have to say is Oh, this is Elmo cereal or I draw a picture of Elmo on a cup. This Elmo obsession is out of control!
Ainsley is successfully potty trained, talking in sentences, and very independent.
Tate- Well, Tate is perfect! He goes OH AND AW with his little lips and gives kisses!

What a month...also, we held a baby shower for a Spanish Speaking mom from Caleb's preschool. I was the only one who spoke english out of 10 moms!

Congrats!
Congrats to Seth and Karalee on their handsome baby Dallen!!

2010-05-26T18:12:00.000-07:00

What is lame?

Since my sister "kindly" reminded me to update my blog let me quickly state why it has taken me so long. In the last two weeks I have done 5 play groups, 2 trips to the museum, re-done the landscaping, painted the front door, stained the wood in the family room, re-pained the dinning room, re-stained the cabinets in the kitchen, added a final glaze/seal, and patched up the holes in the main floor walls!
I have subbed twice in Primary, watched Aubrey give an excellent Talk, attended a 5 teacher Parent Teacher Conference, and helped Ainsley become diaper free! I have picked weeds, cleaned bathrooms, and landed some awesome toys at the neighbor hood free garage sale! Sweet!

I'll skip over the hours(that have turned into days) I have spent arguing with the insurance company over autism/ LD health care benefits or being shuffled from waiting list to waiting list for the programs and evaluations need to continue in the right direction....sigh!
Onto happiness!!!Our old house. With a little bit of color it looks much better. I still have to paint the trim and stucco but.... much better!

We ended last week with a fun play group at the Adkin house. Ainsley was in heaven with all the climbing! It was nice to get out of the house after being stuck inside with the rain!!!Saturday afternoon's Luau!
38 people, 3 languages, and a pinata makes for the perfect end of the year party! 87 degrees, The classroom teacher, and a trampoline only made the party MORE fun!
Tate was a big fan of the party but not a big fan of his toes touching the grass!

Aubrey patiently waiting for Nakisha to arrive!

Alec took a swing at the pinata while a line started forming!

After each child had hit the pinata 5 times Caleb just wanted the candy out already!

Caleb: Enjoying the pinata treats on the trampoline with Kayli and her little sister!

All dressed up, clean, and stain free....for now!

Caleb...full of excitement and ready for his last day of school!

How could he go to his last day without flowers for his teacher?!

Caleb his usual silly self!

Caleb shook Miss Susan's hand upon receiving his diploma!

Caleb's preschool class!

Caleb and his best friend Alec!

Miss Susan, Caleb, Aubrey, and a distracted Ainsley!

After the "graduation" we headed to Chuck-e-cheese with the Marinov family for a little fun!!!

After 2 hours of playing, the ride home proved to be enough for one day!!
Will I survive summer with 4 kids??
With tomorrow starting DAY 1....I guess I better go get some sleep!

Also exciting...
Ainsley is potty trained!! WOOT WOOT!
Tate can wave and hold his own! He is still wonderful but do not stick your finger in his mouth! You will loose it!!!
A big congrats to Spencer for graduating BYU and starting PT school!

Things you stick at the end..
While I do not mean to get emotional I cant NOT forget to say how much our little family has grown this school year. All of the challenges, the tears, the therapy's. All of the new friends, parties, and the feeling of not being alone. It's nice. Pathetic that, as a mom, it has taken me 5 years to finally find a friend. The kind of friend that knows I hate to use the dust pan, our masted bedroom is the room that everything get thrown, and one the knows that an invitation (especially on a bad day)is never needed so just come over!

2010-05-09T17:21:00.000-07:00

I'll love you forever...

As it should be.
(take 12 of 21)
This Mothers Day is especially emotional for me. Not because I have been up since 3am sick but because our little family has some major changes starting and we have come so far in the last 5 years.
Let's be honest I wish I was a great mom like in the 70's...
the fluffy neatly ironed dress, incredibly clean house, delicious extravagant meals (that of course every child and husband loves), and the beautifully untouched updo. I could say "How was school today Beaver...I bet you got 2 A's on your math homework and I just know you answered every question right in Reading!" That of course, is when Beaver is handed a warm plate of chocolate chip cookies and iced milk while I sat next to him reading the afternoon paper.

I'll think I am missing something.

I think that the most misleading period of motherhood must have been in the 90's...
here's an example (I will call this mother...hum...Cherrie Clark)
In the world of the 90's one, Cherrie Clark, could wake up and have a seminary lesson prepared, hot homemade cinnamon rolls ready to eat, and all the kid up and in the car by 5:45am. She would spend the next hour teaching half awake teenagers the Book of Mormon by memorizing, or an intense game of soccer pong. After dropping 17 kids off at school between the hours of 7:00 am and 3:00 pm she would.....clean, do laundry (not only the regular daily laundry but the football laundry and the McDonald and Domino's uniform laundry), she would go to the store, clean rooms, vacuum, dust, plan and organize girls camp, complete visiting teaching, and make an extravagant family dinner. She would pick 2 kids up from Middle School and then spend the next hour or 2 picking up and dropping off 3 other kids from sports practice or work. Before she went to bed she would have family scripture study and make sure everyone had the right uniforms or clothes for the next day...all of this she made look easy and effortless.

I definitely think I missed something.
My entire life I have been surrounded by incredible women and mothers and I don't think I ever thought twice about it. I wish I had. My Mother, my Aunts (alive and deceased), and my Grandmothers are exceptional women giving endlessly of their gifts, love, and time. Encouraging loving and showing me (without saying) how to be the best mother and women possible. Giving me everything I need to succeed as a mother. just through their examples.

My mother in-law is also a great example of love and patience.

I am so thankful for the opportunity I have to be a mother.
This is how it should be. Eventually I'll get it right;)
because...
I'll love you forever, I'll love you for always.
As long as I'm living my babies you'll be.

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-02T12:25:00.000-07:00

April showers of FUN!!

Swimming at the Rec Center, playing at the park, 3 trips to the Museum, Bingo at Chick-fil-a, Diana Rose Farmstead, Play groups here, there, and everywhere!
WHY DO I KEEP A LOCK ON THE FRIDGE AND PANTRY?? HUM!

Ainsley and Caleb all showered and clean...
it doesn't last more then an episode of Charlie and Lola but it sure is nice to see them clean!
(Yes, that is bacon Ainsley is holding. That is what happens when I do not lock the fridge...she eats ALL DAY LONG!)

Tate is the highlight of all that is wonderful. He has 8 (almost 9 and 10) teeth, he walks while holding onto things, he climbs stairs, and sleeps through the night. He smiles on Q and eats everything and anything he can get a hold of!

What happens when Caleb leaves his bag of cereal in Tate's room??

Having the neighbors over now that the weather is nice is great! We feel like we haven't seen them since Halloween!

FHE...During the month of April we have started Family Home Evening night with a couple of families. Everyone bring food for BBQ. The kids really love playing together and it is always fun when FHE runs long and the wives get to watch DWTS together!!!
Carson, Kina, and Aubrey

During the week our house is often full of friends for playgroups. If we aren't going and doing we are staying and playing!

TATE!!! I ran upstairs to answer the phone and I guessed he missed me! Tate is awesome!

I just know that 22 pound Tate will be great friends with 16 pound (3 month old)Ryan!!

After a morning playgroup we rounded up the kids, picked Aubrey up from school, and met more friends at Diana Rose Farmstead!!!

Ainsley. Yes, that is an entire box of Animal cookies.

Because even a "terrible two" get tired too!!! This has never happened. I was folding laundry during Elmo and is was very VERY very quiet! I ran in the room looking for Ainsley...where was she? I yelled outside and when I turned around I found a quiet beautiful angel Ainsley!

On Saturday we were invited to 2 birthday parties! Andy took Caleb too Nakisha's and I took Aubrey, Ainsley, and Tate to Nolands. It was so fun...a craft, fun games, a cake, and morning donuts included!!!

Heading down to Grandma's house. Ainsley still sucks her thumb. She has to do everything herself, dress herself, and you rarely see her without a swimsuit on or underneath her clothes! We always have fun spending Sunday afternoon at Andy's parents!
The rest of the week included another FHE night, "p" day at school which (for Aubrey) meant a purple dress, a purse purse with a princess paper sack that included a peanut butter sandwich, peanuts, a pizza lunchable, pink punch, and pringles, 3 playgoups, and Friday night at the Watts Families hosue!!

MAY 1ST 2010

Saturday morning at Home Depot!! The kids had a blast with their friends. I think Ainsley takes it the most serious. She has to nail everything by herself and she loves it!
Ainsley, Alec, Sea, Caleb, Malcolm, Aubrey, and Marcello!
After Home Depot we headed to Chuck-e-cheese to have some fun!Tate had fun looking at all of the lights and eating all the pizza that the kids would secretly hand to him!

After a fun morning out and about we came home to relax and I let the kids have a cookie. Aubrey bit into her "spring time" oreo.....there goes her first tooth!!

Hopefully, May will be just as fun as April!!! With the school year coming to an end I can smell summer getting closer!!! Thank goodness!

Also, not included in the blog... I re landscaped the front yard and painted the front door lime green!!! I scored 10 new awesome toys at a free garage sale, and Aubrey completed the first 12 weeks of her speech program...excelling from a 56% to 91%!! We are so proud of her and how far she has come!!

2010-04-05T07:04:00.000-07:00

All the Krazy here in Kansas!

Where should I start?

Should I start with the 3 Parent Teacher Conferences or the massive pile of homework?

How about Ainsley falling off her bed (Again) and the big slice on the bottom of my foot?

Or maybe the trip to the pool that was followed by a trip to the doctor??
I could mention taking the kids to see How to Train your Dragon only to find out the 1:00 showing had been canceled and the next 3D showing wasn't until 3:00!!

NO. No, I think Will start with the Friday morning Fright that made us famous!!!

What happens on a perfect windy morning??
I decided to open all of the windows and paint in the kitchen while the weather was cool and the kids were calm....minute by minute it kept getting darker and darker outside. Hum. The cable was out but and it started to sprinkle. I closed the windows and suddenly they started shaking....then a whistle sound....then a yell from Caleb saying
"WHY IS OUR TRAMPOLINE IN THE FONT OF OUR HOUSE??"An 80 mph wind or mini tornado flew threw the side of our house lifting the 2 week old trampoline threw the side fence and into the street! Along with all of the house decorations and large branches that were in the way! Have you ever felt scared, in a panic, and confused at the same time??? A call to my neighbor was not reassuring since instant yelling occurred when she looked out her window and saw the disaster so I called Andy (who of course thought I was joking). I saw some neighbors running to get the trampoline out of the road (in the hail) so I ran out to help and got hit by a LARGE branch and multiple other flying objects! I also, put all the decorations back in place. And then calm.....sudden quiet windless calm.

Once the calm hit and the kids calmed down they were devastated and excited all in one. Of course, there was no school due to Parent Teacher Conferences.

This is the picture that was featured on the 6:00 oclock news! Awesome right?!! That big branch is the one that hit me. The trampoline was un-fixable. I was able to put it back together but when Andy started jumping on it (in hopes of straitening it out) it starting falling apart.
We are so grateful that the trampoline didn't go threw the house, land on the roof, or fly into a car. We are all safe and healthy.

After a very crazy Friday morning, Babysitting a friends little boy in the afternoon, and cleaning up the yard/fence/trampoline in the evening the kids were excited to go Saturday Morning to Andy's yearly Easter party with all the grandpa's and grandma's. Ainsley loved the Easter Bunny and Tate couldn't stop starring!

I am so glad they were able to dye Easter Eggs at the party! It wasn't really something I wanted to do at home!

While the 3 other kids dyed eggs, colored pictures, and made butterflies Tate entertained!!! He also waved for the first time!!!

After the Easter Egg Hunt we headed to Home Depot to make a Butterfly House!!! This is the 4th time we have gone and the kids get better and better every time!!!

Easter Morning! Fun Easter Baskets filled with Targets $1 bin items!!! And of course the coveted ELEFUN!! We were excited to have Grandpa Griner with us in the morning! After showering all of the kids, dressing all the kids, and watching the morning General Conference session "a couple" of families joined us for an Easter BBQ and Egg Hunt!!

You know how you invite people but only a couple ever show up?!! Well, NOT ON EASTER!!! 24 children and 23 adults, Ribs, Chicken, Hot Dogs, salads, peas, beans, fruits, sparkling grape juice, and magnificent deserts filled the house!
(Lonni, Sydney, Caleb, Tiavi, and Ainsley)

Kids surrounded the swing set, trampoline, and basement hockey table!
(Raegan, Sydney, Caleb, and in the back Makiya)
While the adults were able to socialize in the 72 degree weather!!
After a lunch we headed out in the front yard for the Easter Egg Hunt....
(Kyle, Allison, Bunni, Andy, Kina, Ainsley, Tiavi, and Nauni)

Aubrey found 8 eggs and was able to do the Easter Egg Hunt with the older kids this year!!

Caleb found 10 eggs....(he said he found 1000)! He wouldn't let me do his hair.

Ainsley found 7 eggs!! She was very competitive and quite the socialite!! It was a wonderful party and we were so lucky to be able to share it with friends (since family is so far away). The weather was incredible, as always on General Conference Weekend!

So, as the Krazy in Kansas continues on I would like to note that I have become an expert on putting Trampolines together....putting the new trampoline together Saturday made that the 3 times in 2 weeks!!!
Parent Teacher Conferences went really well for both Aubrey who really has
"Shown significant amount of improvement and is Such a Sweet Girl!"
and Caleb
"I wish I had an entire class of Calebs!"
A note about Caleb. Caleb's parent teacher conference was interesting. I thought every child had parent teacher conference until I asked another mom when her's was and she said her son didn't need one. WHAT?!!!! OH NO!! I asked Miss Susan about it so I could be prepared because I thought he was in the top of the class and she said...oh no. He is very bright but "tells jokes at inappropriate times and is constantly making the class laugh!"
DEJAVU RIGHT?!!
Who does that sound like??? (hint...HIS DAD and I am sure everyone knows the story of 2008)
After talking with Caleb. He has done really good. No more jokes and No more making the class laugh!! Miss Susan was impressed!!! I remind Caleb every day before I drop him off and when I pick him he tells me all the times he could have made everyone laugh but didn't. Miss Susan said she doesn't want to loose the sweet little Caleb though....so now its just a matter of finding a balance.
Balance would be nice.....now if only we could balance out the crazy with the calm!!!
Things that I have said this week:
Why are you Naked?
If you aren't good we aren't going to the pool?
If you don't buckle I am calling the police?
Drink all of your milk so you can look like HULK!
Andy! Get the poop out of the fridge!!
(don't ask...gross...the things a mom has to do for their children)

2010-03-26T07:57:00.000-07:00

Back in the "spring" of things!

This week has not gone as smoothly as predicted. Spending a week without bedtimes, nap times, and our 4 year regular schedule was wonderful....going back to our regular schedule has been very hard. So, I guess you could say we "fell off the wagon!"
First wrong move...not putting the kids to bed early the night before school started again.
Second wrong move...not putting them to bed early the 2nd night.
It just kept going down hill from there.
Onto happier things...
Happiness #1 Good bye Cast!!! Ainsley was pretty sad. She wanted a new one but since it hadn't healed as much as they thought she was put in a removable splint. I was told to keep her in it ONLY when she is rough housing!!! Really, that is like all day. Some doctors....I wonder if they understand a 2 year old at all!
Saying goodbye to the cast was sad for Ainsley. She pointed to every name on it....Raegan, Sydney, Ashton, Nathan, Aubrey, A picture of Dad, a Flower from Mom, and C A L (written 2 times by Caleb).
Ready to roll!!! It only took her 3 minutes before she fell. I think I need to put her in a bubble for the next 4 weeks!!! Oh, has anyone noticed that doctors seem to look a lot younger these days?? I think its great but wow!!! They look young!Happiness #2. Tate
TATE is "My Man!" He is so perfect in every way. Wonderful, not naggy, happy, rarely cries. Has 6 teeth, crawls, lifts him self up back to sitting, and now standing! Happiness #3
Monday nights DWTS party!!! I love to watch DWTS. I love the outfits, the glitter, and the dancing!!! It has been along time since I have got to watch it in HD so 3 months in advance I "called it!" (not mature but what can you do) To celebrate the occasion of me getting to watch it on the tv in the basement I threw a party! Everyone was instructed to wear sparkles or be prepare to be sparkled!!! Glitter spray provided!
Tali, Heather, Aubrey, Bethany, and AllisonCherry showed up in her prom dress!!! How stinkin' AWESOME!!
It was a long running joke....that was even more hilarious in person!!!
All in all everyone stayed until midnight and DWTS was really good!! I wish I had a picture of the game we played and everyone that ended showing up. It was lots of fun and a big thanks to Andy who helped me clean when life got crazy the 30 minutes prior! Andy also spent the night on a daddy daughter date with Aubrey and reading a new book.Tuesday... with the kids back to school that meant extra daily homework...
Also, a breakdown in command. (Thanks Seth) When all was said and done it went pretty well. The letter "G" is very hard to write. After 25 minutes of frustrations...I had a plan. We formed a "G" with cereal and then traced it with our fingers. After that homework went pretty smoothly. I think, after 7 tries, Aubrey wrote it really good!!!
A U B R E Y G R I N E RTate is mobile!! He took his first step yesterday (while holding onto the couch/andy's foot)!!! My excitement scared him a little and he fell but Andy and Caleb both saw it!!!! YAHOO TATER!

Other news...
I keep calling Ainsley bug. I do not know if it is because she Bugs me endlessly or just because I lover her "bug-ches!"

2010-03-21T08:46:00.000-07:00

Because... I'm THAT mom!

What a busy spring break we have had. Van accident, Time Change, Pool hopping, Explorer Room, Family Night, and the Mall all followed by snow snow SNOW!!! To be honest I was 50/50 for spring break. I was dreading the early mornings, long days, and sleepless night but happy to not have to worry about shuttling the kids off to school/sport activities!

Right before spring break (on our 7 year anniversary) Andy was bringing Aubrey home from Cheerleading and wrecked the van. MY VAN...my mode of transportation and my vehicle to freedom. Luckily it wasn't too bad just the loss of a bumper, a head light smashed, and a strange strange sound coming from the front area. It was suppose to be fixed by Wednesday but now they are saying next Wednesday. They must not understand the important part a van plays in the life of a mom during spring break! Maybe I should write them a letter because talking to them over the phone has not seemed to help.Friday morning our spring break began bright and early!!! Clean house, clean clothes, and packed lunches....we were on our way to Crown Center with The Nash Family, The Adkins Family, and The Birdsaw Family!!! It was packed so crowded but the kids didn't care. Tate had fun looking at all the different colors at the Fairy Tale Exhibit!

And you wonder why Ainsley has a broken arm....After a couple of hours we headed home and got dressed to meet The Watts Family at the pool. It was fun to see our neighbors their too!

Day 1 of our pool membership! I wasn't sure how the kids would do. But they loved the water. Taking 4 kids to the pool was 10x easier then I thought it would be! Ainsley loved to stick her face in the water....odd!

Tate loved everything. He was so easy going. I could set him down every where and any where and he was happy. Curious and Happy! He loved playing with the water spout and splashing water in his face!

When it was time to go home Tate was tired!! Aubrey and Caleb spent the evening at The Watt's house and came home just in time for bed!!!

Tuesday morning we headed to the Rec Center for "play gym." It was basically a big gym filled with toys and lots of kids!

A broken arm doesn't stop Ainsley but after 45 minutes the kids were ready to go swimming!

On the second day the kids wouldn't wear life jackets because none of their friends had them. Since the water is only 2 inches deep I just kept a really close eye on them.

Tate loves Makiya's hair!

Aubrey, Ipo, and Kina!

The Never Ending Story Movie night! After a long day at the pool (we went in the morning on Tuesday and then we went back in the evening) sitting down to watch a movie with dad but a nice change!
Wednesday morning with the house clean we had a Spring Party! 8 mom's, a lot of kids, and lots of fun food rounded out our 4 hours of non-stop fun! It was a little bit rainy outside but that didn't stop the kids from jumping on the trampoline! Wednesday night we went back to the pool!

Ainsley, Kina, Makiya, Nauni, Ipo, Tate, Aubrey, Tiava, Malcolm, Caleb, and Marcello! This was our little pool group for the week (minus Alec, Ryan, Carson, and AubreyAnna). Thursday we went in the morning and then back in the evening until closing time!

Friday....Tate stands!!! He pulls himself up and stands!!! I couldn't believe my eyes!!!
I wish I could say that nobody is wearing pants because it is Spring Break but that is usually how is goes around here!
Friday morning Caleb had a doctors appointment. It was suppose to be just a wellness check up so they would let him go back to school but it ended up being a Kindergarten Physical. Not good!! I didn't prepare poor Caleb...6 shots and the G test. Boy oh Boy! After the doctor we headed to the Hubble Families house to play until lunch and then nap time. Of course, no one took a nap so we packed a dinner and headed to the pool! Staying until close was fun and the kids never get tired! By closing time Aubrey and Caleb were brave enough to go under the water with their noes closed! Yahoo!!! No week is complete without an accident. Caleb fell in the Explorer room. Blood everywhere and a Massive Swollen Top Lip! Nothing that an ice cream cone cant fix but it was so sad!

Saturday Morning...this is crazy!!! After a wonderful sunny week waking up to snow is just sad! But it didn't stop us from our tradition trip to Crown Center to meet Grandpa and Grandma Griner!We love the train restaurant! You can kind of see Caleb's swollen lip here!

After a yummy lunch we headed over to the Fairy Tale exhibit! Ainsley and Grandpa!

It was fun to spend time with Grandpa and Grandma. The kids got so tired they actually took a nap! After nap time we headed to the pool one last time before our weekly member ship ended!This is what cranky looks like! After a long full week at the pool Caleb was finally brave enough to go in the snake river with Constantine!!!

We had such a fun week. We loved playing with our friends, living off of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and not having a schedule. The kids went to bed around 10:30pm and woke up around 8:00am! It was a wonderful week!
Also, this week Aubrey has decided that she wants to be an Artist when she grows up! She is taking it very seriously! Caleb says he want to be SuperMan but after Andy told Caleb that superman wasn't a job Caleb cried and cried and cried until finally I intervened!
"Caleb, guess what I want to be when I grow up?"
"What Mom?"
"I want to be Super Man's mom when I grow up!"

So there you have it. I often times don't make my kids wear pants, sometimes I let them eat taco's for breakfast, donuts and apples for lunch, and whatever we can find for dinner. I let Ainsley jump on the trampoline while wearing a cast, I let Tate suck on bread crust, and I do not use a dust pan while sweeping. I do not mind that Caleb still wants to be Super Man and spend the week wanting to be called Super Man. I think he is pretty super. I guess it is because I am "THAT mom" and for right now I think that's okay.

2010-03-07T16:26:00.000-08:00

7 years

The Griner Family
established on
March 8th, 2003
in the Nauvoo Temple

The start of a new life, a new way of thinking, a new way of living, and a new way of learning-growing-and changing. What a crazy ever changing 7 years it has been.

8 years ago priorities were different. Freedom was "living the college life". Manicures took priority over food, left over Frontier Pies and cans of soup helped us survive, and the fun never started before 10:00pm. Loud music, Andy and the "HONEST TO GEORGE" band, Craig David, Dollar Movies, Taco Time, The hall of Flags, Fires at the mines, Flat tires by Nutty Putty, and almost dying out by the Prison piles together the summer and fall of 2002.
When....White skittles, pool hopping, stadium singing, camping, Happy Texas and Zoolander ruled the nights! Life was freedom and the future "realistically" didn't factor in too much until "THAT" call to my dad.

My plan for the marriage life seemed pretty simple. Andy would finish his bachelors at CMSU and I would work full time until he finished Dental School at UMKC. HA!!! Kids were never talked about, not really. He said he wanted 4...I said I wanted 9 boys...and he said we would go to 6 and see from there! HA!!! I had never really seen any movies about how hard marriage was. All movies were about how funny the engagement is and then later they always show the couple, married, with a baby, in a cute little yellow house, with a white picket fence! HA!! Andy's parents seemed great and I figured since my parents had a good marriage....easy peasy!!! HA!

7 years later...from an apartment to a town house. From a town house to Andy's parents basement. From Andy's parents basement to Nate's house. From Nate's house to our house!

7 years later....from CMSU to dental prep...from dental prep to UMKC's new student orientation, from orientation to a phone call at work saying HUM...YA...I really don't want to go to dental school anymore. From WHAT THE HECK to....what are we going to do?!!! From searching.... to OT school. From OT school to a Masters in Occupational Therapy!

7 years later....from Claires to Claires to Icing to Claires to Claires to Icing to staying at home.

7 years later....from just the two of us to the two of us and a wonderful quiet perfect Aubrey! From just the three of us to a loud, chubby, and collici Caleb! From just the 4 of us to a quiet, small, wonderful Ainsley! From just the 5 of us to a chubby, awesome, happy TATE!!!

Over the last 7 years from the age of 18 to the age of 25 I have not personally accomplished very much. Although, I never thought I would spend 4 years making microbiology and medical terminology flash cards, spend the last 6 years carrying a diaper bag, and spend the last 5 years singing If your happy and you know it!
I never thought I would have an opinion on the importance of fragrance free detergent, know the impossible task of hiding destine, and the knowledge that teething never seems to end. I learn knew things as a wife and a mother every day. It doesn't seem to make the days easier, more predictable, or less drawn out but it helps.
After 7 years I still cant cook, laundry is still 50/50, and cleaning is not my strong suite. Poor Andy! On a good note...at least the cooking and cleaning can only getting better with the next 7 years!!!
There are some things I can do really well. I always know when Andy has all 3 sets of car keys in his coat pocket, I can find Andy's guitar pick just seconds after Andy had spend the last 45 minutes looking for it, and I always know where Andy stashes his spice drops, leaves his belt, or sets his toothbrush. I guess you could say....A wife just knows.
I am so thankful for the last 7 years and look forward to the next 7 years. I guess with the last 7 years gone I can honestly say that if tomorrow we had to start all over again there is no one I'd rather start all over again with. xoxoxo

Enough babel...onto life.
Monday did not start off good. Andy had ALL 3 sets of keys in his jacket (at work) so Aubrey was late for school and we were late for Ainsley OP appointment. After getting on the road I was sent to 4 different buildings until I reached the correct OP doctor. It was then decided that Ainsley's elbow was broken "but in a good way" so no surgery was needed! After paying for a water proof cast, Ainsley was so sad!!! It cheered her up when the neighbors came over and signed her cast though!!! Keeping Ainsley still is impossible!!! She jumps, she climbs, and she squeezes into everything!After a long crying Tuesday I decided that taking the kids to Bingo and Chick-fil-a was a great idea! Tate loved loved loved the food!Aubrey loves loves loves her hair!Ainsley falls falls falls! She weighs 25 pounds with the new cast! Awesome but I guess she isn't used to being so fat! Saturday morning I took Ainsley and Caleb to the Home Depot Kids Club and then we stopped by Krispy Cream to watch the donuts be made! Caleb could have watched for hours. It might have helped that the man was passing out free endless HOT NOW donuts!Tate officially crawled! His 4 top teeth are almost in!!!!!Tate and his new seat! He loves it! Aubrey and Sophia! Yes, I said SOPHIA! This being the same Sophia that makes or breaks Aubrey's lunch period! This being the same Sophia that Aubrey cut her hair to look like. Sophia Sophia Sophia!!! It was Sophia's 6 birthday and the party has been talked about in our house for over a month. It was at TREX and along with a yummy kids meal and a cookie cake Aubrey got to pick out a Build-a-Dino and sit right next to Sophia the entire time!!!
(Sophia is to the far left) I would also like to note that Sophia's hair is to her shoulders not her chin!!!!

Oh, and as for learning new things daily. I seem to become an even more UNCOOL mom by the week. Did you know Dora is "sooooooo only for preschoolers?" Or life for a preschool boy cant possibly be content without a bakugan? Did you know that Abby's flying fairy school is not okay? And did you know that if I do not get to the tv fast enough to fast forward through it life might as well be over??? Did you know Paper Dolls are the "it" item, spending over $300 on your childs birthday party is normal, and how can life possible exist without chocolate milk Fridays or Language for Learning Wednesday?? Did you know that using a dirty red cup is acceptable but a clean green cup with the exact same delicious product is not? And of course...it is completely NOT OKAY to sing the Sunbeam song when you are a CTR 5. All of these things I have learned just in the last couple of weeks. How will I keep up. I wish everything was black and white...cold or hot....fat or skinny....that would be very helpful. Very helpful indeed!

News:
Congrats to my little sister for getting accepted into the Masters Program. I cant remember what school but something about Forensic Psychology!!! WOOT WOOT!!
Congrats to Spencer on getting into PT school!

2010-02-27T17:18:00.000-08:00

DUN DUN DUN!!!
Girls and made out of sugar and spice and everything nice!
Boys are made out of snakes and snails and puppy dog tails!

After this past week I am not so sure the accuracy of that riddle!

The week did not start off on a good note. Aubrey missed Stunt Camp (due to Andy not checking his emails), Tate was up all Sunday night, and Monday morning Caleb learned how quickly a leaf catches on fire. I was thinking to myself...well, it cant get any worse.Tate is just wonderful. Despite being up all night 3 nights in a row, not taking regular naps, and cutting 4 teeth...he is just a joy!!! I knew something with Tate was off when he wasn't eating... HE LOVES ALL FOOD. Come to find out one big top tooth cut and 3 more are on the way!!! He'll be eating hamburgers by EASTER!!!

Crazy hair night at Cheerleading!!! An hour and a half curling, crimping, and braiding!!! Spraying pink was "MAGICAL!"

Tuesday night we had to choose between Karate or Family Night at Caleb's school....Family night it was!!! They learned about Booster Rooster and watched an egg that wasn't buckled crack! Pizza yum, friend yahoo, and a night around other parents enjoyable!

Tate and Caleb...wrestling! REALLY! I couldn't believe my eyes. They rolled over and over and Tate laughed and laughed!!!

Wednesday night Andy took Aubrey on a date!!! She was so excited!!!!!

And then we start THURSDAY!!!
DUN DUN DUN!!!

Thursday morning: Getting all the kids up, fed, dressed, loaded into the van with homework and snacks so we can make it to speech therapy by 9:00am went smoothly!!! I thought, "Wow!! This is going to be a good day!" Then we get there....
No parking! I had to park in a different parking lot, in the freezing, and wind!
Caleb kept knocking on the window/mirror and I had to drag him out!

On a good note...
Caleb made it to school on time.
Ainsley took a nap and Tate almost crawled.

DUN DUN DUN!!
When I picked Aubrey up from school she AGAIN cried about having her hair long. She wants short hair like Sophia. This has been an ongoing conversation since November. I said nope and she continued to cry (not unusual). I started Dinner right away because I knew everyone was cranky and tired. Andy came home and fed them while I worked out and then....Oh, Tate almost ALMOST almost crawled....

And then....DUN DUN DUN!!!
Sara! Why is there hair all over Aubrey's table.
What?
HAIR!
I walk into Aubrey's room and looked at Ainsley...I ask "Ainsley, what did you do?" Then I move one of the chairs and see long, beautiful, brown hair all over the ground!!!
A mixture of OH NO! Tears! OH NO! Tears!
Aubrey chopped off the right side of her hair...above her chin and in some parts half way up her head!!!
We didn't know what to do. It was too late to take her to get it fixed and it had been a very long and draining day so we put the kids right to bed!
30 minutes later....
DUN DUN DUN!!!

Sceams!!! Ainsley was up on the top bunk playing with Aubrey and fell off the top bunk onto legos. At first we thought it was Nurse Maids Elbow so I called the neighbor and he looked at it and said to take her to Urgent Care for Xrays. After driving to KU midwest they took one look at Ainsley and sent me to Children's Mercy South. After xrays, Ainsley had a broken Elbow! The swelling in her arm was 3x her normal size and her pj top had to be cut off! Poor Ainsley! A splint, a sling, and a slushy later it had really been a rough night!!Friday Ainsley's reality set in. She was in pain, very cranky, and kept falling right on her arm every time she walked! She quickly found Tate's snack but cranky was with her all day!While filling Ainsley pain medication....CHOP.... The hair stylist was unable to salvage the long hair. Tear! I thought I was going to cry!!! Aubrey was so excited!!!

Goodbye long hair. Good bye 4 long years of growth, brushing, and curling. Of course, Aubrey is extremely happy!!! I don't think she has stopped smiling!
Friday night Andy took Aubrey to stay with Grandma, we did a fun play group, and Ainsley was just so sad. She will meet with the Orthopedic Surgeon on Monday...until then keeping her still is the name of the game!

A long week, but we survived! Will I survive 10 days of Spring Break in March??? Its unlikely!!! With all the craziness, crankiness, and changes...at the end of this week I still find myself completely grateful, complete, and happy. I just hope that next week humbling experiences will come in a more mild form.

News:
Happy Birthday Dad!!!
Happy Birthday Elena!!!
Happy late-Birthday MATT!

2010-02-21T15:36:00.000-08:00

A weeks end....A new one begins!After a busy week we thought with the week ending it would quiet down a little. Wrong! Friday morning after hustling Aubrey off to school we waited for Alec to arrive so he would spend the morning with us while his parents were at the doctor/school.
So...what happens when it rains, snows, and it yucky outside?? I run out of diapers and milk. Now, milk I can go without...I think I could have distracted the kids long enough but diapers. Nope! So with 4 kids we headed out in the rain.After our shopping trip we came home, ate, laughed and headed to Caleb's school. I had to go early and talk the nurse into letting Caleb go to school from March 1st the March 11th and Tate got his HINI shot! He didn't even cry and the school nurse accepted Calebs 2008 physical until his March 11th one! Sweet! After school started parents were invited to stay and ask questions/observe! I loved it last year with Aubrey and it was so fun to do it again this year! They let parents stay in the room for over 30 minutes! When that was done I had an hour till I had to pick up the kids so we had the younger Nash family over for lunch! After school we had a play group and then we put the kids to bed and had Couples night. It was lots of fun and neat to meet a new couple and spend time with Marinov Family!

Baby finds toy.... what happens when you move the toy out of reach??

He tries to go and get it!

He goes from push up to his knees and starts looking!!!!!

Saturday in the rain I took Ainsley, Caleb, and Aubrey out to run errands! Walmart, Khols (I had to get Ainsley a coat because her winter coat was stolen), and then Chick-fil-a to have lunch with the Nash family! After lunch we went back to Walmart and then home. After being gone for 5 hours the kids were TIRED!!! They slept so good.

Story...I promised Caleb he could get a Bakugan if he was really good. I have recently learned what these are...Do you know? Everyone age 5 and boy loves them, has them, and apparently cant live without them. All of Caleb's friends have them, I think its a cartoon or movie. Not sure. Anyways, we finally get to walmart. He was sooooooooo sooooo good. I saw the toy isle with the Bakugan sign....we get to it and NOTHING! SOLD OUT! The entire section was bare!! Poor Caleb, he has spent the last 2 weeks dreaming, thinking, and talking about these Bakugans! He looked around and then at me and said "Mom, what am I going to do!" I had no idea what to say. I kept thinking, how could these be so popular. It's not even Christmas, what the heck are these things!!! After a deep thinking period (about 45 seconds) Caleb said, "I know MOM! I can get hungry hippo. Dad just would love hungry hippo!"

Sunday morning everyone slept in until 7am! They gathered around Hungry Hippo in yesterdays clothes and ate Sunday morning donuts and fruit!

Tate tested out his new teething snack! I think that made up for me waking him up. He wasn't too happy about that! But routine routine routine!

After watching the kids play he made his way over to play too!

This is going to be a good week!

News:
Congrats to Spencer!!! You got into PT school! WOOT WOOT! Although, I had to find out from Andy who saw on facebook. Not cool!

2010-02-18T16:51:00.000-08:00

When a kid can be a kid!

This past week and a half has been a lot of fun. Not much sleep, one half day, 2 trips to Crown Center, A birthday party, Doctors check up, 2 therapies, 1 evaluation, Cheer, Karate, Play Group, Valentines Day, and one day off of school.
As our weeks get busier they become more fun, more clean, and tend to "wipe me out." Its nice to have separate things to break up the day/week.Tate's naps haven't gone according to routine this past week. Everyone loves him too much. Caleb attended Karate and passed off his high kicks and punches!!! He got a yellow stripe on his belt and I got a "talkin' too" about the correct way to put on a white belt!There is no need for pants to make cup cakes!!!After a long night of homework Aubrey was excited to make her Valentines day box!On Friday we headed to Caleb's school for the Family Valentines Day party. While waiting for some friends Ainsley managed to get all dirty!Tate and his thumb!Ainsley and Makia! Those two have been spending alot of time together. They get along for the first 5 minutes and then...my sock or my elmo, or my french fry!! Girl fight!It was fun to see Caleb and his friends!After the parties...candy time!Saturday morning we headed to Chuck-e-Cheese for Malcolms birthday party!! Caleb split up right away to play. He left all his tickets behind!!! Aubrey's favorite was ski ball! We had so much fun at Malcolm's Chuck-e-cheese party!Ainsley after church. Still red puffy eyes....the minute she saw the church she started crying and didn't stop until the pancakes started!On Valentines Day night we had the Marinov Family over for a "heart" pancake feast! On my awesome new griddle that they gave me for my birthday!Always a mess!

When it is cold outside I always know where to find the kids. Huddled around the vent. Cozy!Tate just goes with the flow. Happy Tater!!
At 6 months he weighs 20 pounds and is 28 inches long!We made to trip to Crown Center's "Fairy Tale" exhibit! Once on the half day and the other on Presidents day. The kids played for hours!
Tate in "Mama Bear's" chair and Ainsley in "Baby Bear's" chair!
Aubrey had a blast and made a couple friends too!Tate loved the colors, noises, and craziness!
After a busy afternoon at the mall we headed home to take a nice, long, wonderful nap!After a great nap we joined the Watts family at Chuck-e-Cheese for FHE! Tate wasn't sure what to make of the roller coaster ride!Ainsley....slept from 7pm to 9:45am. NEVER had she EVER slept that long, NEVER! It was a sign of a bad, long, awful, cranky Ainsley day. She cried, she screamed, and she cried all day! Until finally she could cry no more! On this day the van battery died (again) and the upstairs toilet overflowed. Don't you love those days?
Tate is using his large 90% frame to do push ups! I guess since most of his weight is bumb and legs it might just be muscle pushing up that body! He is a wonderful baby and loves to play peek-a-boo, stare at sesame street, and grab his toes. He has 2 teeth and it looks like his brown hair is here to stay.

Lots of fun and lots done! Andy and I even managed to go out on a date. It was fun to go out and the kids had fun playing play-doh and memory cards with Grandpa and Grandma Griner. Aubrey had 2 speech therapy classes at CMHS and a 2 1/2 hour evaluation. We are so proud of her. She has loved her new class and loves cheerleading!
Also,
A big BIG thanks to Paul and Marlene for watching the kids and to Marlene for making an extra trip to watch the kids while I took Aubrey to her evaluation! Happy Anniversary!
Congrats to Aunt Jackie and Uncle Greg...we cant wait to meet a new HYDE baby!
On a weird note....I haven't talked to my parents all week....I hope they are having fun on their kidless vacation!!!!

2010-02-07T18:16:00.000-08:00

I can be a cool mom too!

What a crazy week! I feel like I say that with a big sigh every Sunday morning. Grateful that I survived and the house is still standing! I had high hopes for this past week though. I thought, I'm 25 now! I have been a mom for almost 6 years! I got this under complete and total control! I can do this! BAH HA HA!!!**why did I speak so soon?!!!Monday Tate was up all morning crying and sad from teething....and then comes the throw up. Monday night Andy made it home just in time for Aubrey to go to Cheer! She loves Cheer! Andy finally caved and bought her the $20 pom poms!

Since Aubreys coat got stolen Andy picked out a new coat for her. BRIGHT, BLUE, AND PUFFY!

Tuesday morning.. I caved and cut Calebs hair! Well, I took him to get it cut.

Tuesday morning after we got back from the store Ainsley threw up. I said...oh no. Oh no! We are not doing this again. I loaded the kids back into the car and into Caleb's school where everyone got the H1N1 shot. That is the only shot we haven't had....please let the sickness of winter pass! WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH!

Caleb got his Karate Uniform!! He loves Karate and can tell you all about it if you call!

Tate was so sick all day and for the past 2 days....his 2nd tooth is coming! He was so happy to play peak-a-boo though!

Thursday Aubrey and Caleb were playing after school. After a scream and lots of crying Aubrey revealed a bloody arm. She had a big long deap gash...
Oh, a happy note. I had Parent Teacher Conference with Aubrey's teacher, reading therapist, and speech therapist Thursday morning at 7:30. It went really well. Also, on Thursday Aubrey started her first session of Speech Therapy at Children's Mercy Hospital!!! She did great! We got to watch her through a window/mirror. It was a neat experience to get to watch her...I just wish the room was bigger then 8x8. It was cramped with my 3 kids, 2 other moms, and another child for an entire hour. But way to GO AUBREY!!

Friday morning...not a happy camper! She did show off her cut before being dragged to the car! After dropping Aubrey off at school and stopping by the store I drove Andy to the airport. There was a debate on how to get home. Andy told me to take 29N. We said goodbye, Ainsley cried, and the snow started coming down thicker and faster! I took 29N and ended up in St. Joseph, in my pj's, no shoes, and so lost!!! An hour and a half later we finally made it home and I unloaded everyone out of the car only to hear air leaking for my back tire! I got dress, dress the kids, and headed back out but the tire was flat! I do not know how to change a tire. Did not know where the spare was. Didn't have any of those tool things. And the snow was coming down like crazy. Luckily my neighbor had just gotten home from Florida and he pumped my tire back up so I could make it to Walmart. We'll when I got to walmart my tire was completely flat! They told me it was going to be a 3 hour wait. 3 HOURS WITH CALEB, AINSLEY, AND A SICK TATE! After a plea, a pretty please, and a hyper Caleb they said they would see what they could do but could make no promises. 30 minutes later I was on my way home, new tire, and oh so happy!!! THANK YOU TIRE GUYS! So, as you might be able to tell....this was not a good start to my weekend alone.

The roads were bad and I figured with no 4Wheel Drive my poor little van had been through enough so I wasn't able to take Caleb to school. I hid their shoes so they wouldn't go outside...no worries. They just borrowed mine and Andys.

10 minutes later I got upset and hid all the shoes...or so I thought. They found Andy's shoes outside under the Gazeebo! Ainsley decided she didn't need shoes! They lasted 2 seconds. Because of the snow our play group and "mom's movie" night was canceled! The kids were so sad so we had a gator golf tournament, played hide and seek, and ate taco's. It was a nice night. It is nice to be the "cool awesome mom" every once in a while! No homework, No green beans, and No "did you do that?" just love, laughing, and tickling!

Wiped out from loving mom too much!!!

Silence at night is rare but wonderful!

Shhhhh! With the kids sound asleep by 6:15 I held Tate and watched Love Happens. Bawled the entire time! Literally Bawled!

Saturday Morning 5:30am! Morning crashers...I really wanted to sleep in!

Saturday morning at 9:30 we headed to Home Depot for the Monthly kid club! Of course, I had to turn around half way there because I had forgotten to bring the CLUB aprons! Once inside Ainsley, got right to it!

Caleb geared and ready!

Aubrey was so excited that Marcello was there that she didn't want to make a car display.

Ainsley loved loved loved it!

Marcello, Aubrey, Malcolm, Makia, and Caleb...Ainsley had had enough and didn't want to take a picture. We were so happy to have the Nash family join us!

After home depot The Nash family joined us back at the house for lunch and playing!

Yes, that is a frozen pizza and a pancake/sausage on a stick. I am the cool mom this weekend remember?!! I did make Ainsley take a nap until the Watts family showed up. We had a fun play group and then....... dun dun dun............. ALEC'S party! We took Caleb's friend Max with us so his parents could go to the Saturday night Fireside. Max, Caleb, and Alec love hanging out and it is fun to see them pretend and rough house!

This party has been talked about for weeks. Non-stop, everyday, and all day! The kids love playing with Alec and love swimming. After pizza, the Happy Birthday song in English and Russian, cake, and strawberries we went swimming!!! Ainsley pointed to the deep end, I said no, and then she jumped in!!!! After that, she was pretty scared and just walked along the outskirts of the kids play pool!

Max, Caleb, Malcolm, and Sean!

Tate loved it too! It was a fun party and the kids were tired when we got home. Well, Caleb wasn't but what's new right?!!! After singing Caleb and Max a bed time jingle we all fell asleep until Max's mom came to pick him up around 10. It was a busy and fun weekend but we missed having Andy around!

Ainsley on Sunday morning....Covered in cake, reading Elmo, and waiting for dad to come home! He made it home around 5pm. We are so glad to have him back and I am glad that the house was still standing!!!

Important things to remember:
1.Caleb never comes home from school with his shirt on right. It is always backwards?! Weird boy!
2.Ainsley eats non-stop. I think she eats more then my brother Spencer right after a weightlifting meet!
3. The buddy system is in full affect. Every 5 minutes I yell for Caleb and ask what he is doing. If he says "Nothing" I need to RUN FAST and locate him. Because he is always doing something and when he says "Nothing" its always something HE knows he shouldn't be doing.

Something oh so funny:
While at Walmart my kids always head strait to the big $45 Valentines day Bears. Caleb grabbed one and I said, "Put that honkin' bear back!"
He looked really confused and asked, "Mom. How does the bear honk? The bear honks!!!!"
Everyone around laughed, including me. Poor choice of words.Pictured above: Matt, Jack, Ella, and Andy!
Congrats to Nate and Lia!!!

**A big super thanks to MY Grandma for the awesome valentines day/birthday package!!! I love having a cute watch and all the other items for me and the kids!!
**a BIG congrats to my mom on her 2 new callings!!!!! YAHOO!

2010-01-31T18:45:00.000-08:00

The last week of January...

Can we survive!!!???!!!Tate's hair cut!!!! What a handsome stud!

Ainsley.
Dressed herself to go to cheerleading. She was very sad to find out only Aubrey got to go.

Dressed and ready for Cheerleading!

She learned a cheer to a Miley Cyrus song. She loves cheerleading and practices everyday!

Tuesday KARATE!!! I signed Caleb up for Karate with his friend Malcolm.
It was pretty intense.
*not pictured...earlier that day my van battery died for the 2 time this week. My dirty van had to be pushed out of car line by 2 teachers, Amanda, and Constantine! After a jump start we were geared and ready for Karate!

After Karate nothing can heal a swollen eye like a bowl of cereal and an orange ribbon!

Tate can finally reach his toes and hold them. He never lets go!

Aubrey's 100 day of school breakdown. She doesn't like school and getting her to go these past few days has been horrible. She is very creative and caring but struggling with the daily homework. She loves pe, music, and her friends!

January 28th...
THE BIG 25!
What does 25 mean to me....
For $25 I can get half a tank of gas
For 25 cent Caleb can get a gum ball at Walmart.
For 25 minutes every afternoon I have to wait in the car line at Caleb's school.
Aproximately 25 days a year I get to sleep in more then 4 hour increments
$25 is how much I spend on formula a week
I am finally 25!! 25 with 4 kids sounds a lot better then 24 with 4 kids right?!
I should feel older, wiser, and wonderful. Right?!
Well...I do. 25 is going to be great!
We spent Thursday morning preparing for a brunch! 6 mom's and 18 kids under the age of 5!
2 surprise cakes, a dozen donuts, flowers, and a present the size of Caleb!
It was just a great day, probably the best birthday.
And even though I still haven't done the college thing, still cant cook a week of meals without a fire starting in the oven, or go an entire day without a disaster....life is good and with success coming in all different forms mine is simple my children and that is okay.Tate's 2nd bath. I have decided that Tate deserved a bath. He loves the shower but he also loves the bath!!!Since Tate took a bath Ainsley and Caleb got to too. You would never know because she wont let me do her hair and she insists on dressing herself....she has a kitty cat sleeper underneath her elmo sweats.

Tate's first tooth!!!!
Saturday, January 30th, 2010!!!
Everyone was very very excited! Tate had a slight fever so he spent part of the morning reading with dad!Aubrey spent almost all of Saturday tired. I guess having a "mom and daughter" night out should have ended a little earlier. It was lots of fun to have her with me at my volleyball tournament and it was fun to see her play and make friends with all of the other little girls!

Church...we made it on time!!! Andy had to work so "operation hustle" was in full swing!!!

Tate is so close to crawling....so so very close. He finally lifted up his stomach and did a push up!!!! He has been a little out of shorts the past 3 days because he's teething but he is still wonderful and always fun to entertain!!!

What a week. Onto February!!!!!!
About the 365 blog...
On an awesome note...this picture a day thing is very therapeutic. Instead of getting upset right away I take a picture. By the time I take the picture, whatever happened really isn't so bad!! I didn't even miss a day in January. Hopefully, I can keep it up. It really is fun!

2010-01-23T18:57:00.000-08:00

Where have I been?
January 4th-January 17th
2010

Well, 2 weeks out of school for Christmas Break, followed by a week of snow days, and followed by 3 days off of school for parent teacher conference can really take a toll on a mom! Include a major endless snow storm, freezing negative weather, and ear infections...can it get worse? Hold that thought*** our CRAPY, I want to run over with my van, Lap Top started on fire. All nice right?
Since it was so crazy (especially with Andy home from work sick and a toddlers ear infection) I took 3 days off from doing laundry. What do you think happens? When you finally start a load of laundry it just happens that you have 6 inches of frozen ice in your pipe that leads to your washing machine overflowing with so much water that it leaks out the back by the dryer, down the outside of the house, and into the basement windows...also leading the water to go down into the basement causing an indoor rain storm through your ceiling light fixtures. ARE YOU SERIOUS!!!

But hey! Lets bypass the crazy and start happy!

What do you do when your daughter is all decked out and ready for church only to find out that due to the really bad weather church is canceled for the second week in a row?You spend the day pretending!!!

First day back to school after Christmas break! Yahoo! Too bad the rest of the week school was canceled because of snow and negative weather.
Isn't it funny how skinny jeans are even too baggy on Aubrey?!!

Caleb has written many notes to Aunt Steffaney...I was beyond excited that he wrote his name and spelled it right!!! Go Caleb!!! He went on to draw outer space!!

This is what an Ainsley looks like with an ear infection. So sad:(
With Ainsleys ear infection and Andy's flu...it was a sick, sleepless, and very sad couple of days!!
I would like to say that I really try to brush and do Ainsley hair. It usually takes 30 minutes, 5 attempts and a lot of chasing...it still ends up blah!

But, Lego's cheer up all sadness. Maybe the fact that they are AUBREY'S lego's makes playing with them all that more enjoyable!

My friend aka "Malcolms Mom", "Mrs. Nash", or "Amanda" told me that she lets her kids have CRAFT TIME. She explained that craft time was when she throws crayons, markers, scissors, and multiple pieces of paper around and let them have at it. I thought... I can be a good mom too. I can do Craft Time. I wanted to take a picture of how well it was going...

It seriously went like this. Okay guys... 1....2....3 at that point he took the scissors from the paper to Ainsley hair!!!!!

Ainsley had no idea that a VERY LARGE chunk of hair was missing from the back of her head! Caleb knew right away he was in big dodo!!!
I would like to thank Amanda for her "CRAFT TIME" idea!

What can I do to entertain Caleb quietly during "nap time?" Creative Play!!!

Caleb thinks it his personal job to pick up Tate. He weighs 20 pounds...what a chunk!!

During the 3rd snow day...I was out of ideas to entertain the kids. No worries....the kids tore apart Caleb's room and made a slide out of the bed. Right after I had cleaned his room and made his bed.

During the process of "bed slide" Aubrey got hit by the bunk bed ladder. Result...swollen snowzer!

After a very long day it is always nice to see the soft peaceful side of a "Terrible Two!"Tate loves spending quality time with Andy while he is sick!!

During the long week off of school we had The Marinov Family over family Movie night!! We have a lot of fun hanging out with them. We introduced them to their very first Milk Shakes!! They were a bit skeptical and nervous about adding candy bars and milk to the ice cream I had in the blender but I think they really liked them!!!

Everyone wants to sit by Alec! They really loved Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.

I told Ainsley that we should probably go and take a nap. I went and put Tate in his crib and hurried back to where I left Ainsley. She was gone...I went to her room and she had already gotten in bed and fallen asleep.

We announced to Ainsley that Caleb's friend Alec was coming over to play because Elena had her baby! She insisted her hair be curled, bow in, and clean matching clothes.

Caleb got a hold of Andy's brand new bottle of hair product. That's the entire bottle.

Ainsley has been putting her shoes on all by herself!!

Tate loves to lean and reach!

I finally cut Ainsley hair. It was so sad but she couldn't walk around with a big chunk missing in the back forever!!! She sat pretty still and it turned out okay!

When mom says no what do you do? While she is bathing Tate you put on your own shoes and go outside in the dark. Funny how your kids can so quickly get shoes on all of a sudden!

Tate refused to keep his pants and socks on. He will kick and kick until he is naked!! My solution is THE SACK!!! These things are awesome!

Caleb...gross...ouch...oh no!!! He fell "accidentally" into entry way table. Result was a lot of tears, screams, blood, and a swollen lip. So sad!

Ainsley hates nursery. She hyperventilated for 10 minutes, then they give her back to us, and she continued to cry all through Sunday school, until we finally gave up and brought her home. She cried all the way home, at home for 5 minutes, and then every time I even mentioned nursery the rest of that day. Oh boy! This has been going on for weeks. Poor Ainsley!

Included in these 2 weeks are 4 play groups, 2 family nights, a successful 45 minute FHE (lesson included), and a fun family dinner at the Marinov house!

The rest of the month Continues below....

2010-01-23T17:02:00.002-08:00

Saturday, January 16th- Saturday, January 23rd

Playgroups, Party's, Destruction, and Lunch with Dad.
Aubrey wants to teach and show Tate everything. While Aubrey was waiting (patiently) to attend a friend's Hello Kitty party she decided to entertain Tate.
I took the girls to the Hello Kitty party and Andy stayed home with the boys + Alec. They watched Night at the Museum and played Fireman while Andy observed the cooking of the ribs. We had a fun day and when we dropped Alec off at home we got to see his new baby brother Ryan and leave them with a yummy dinner/desert!

We wont laugh...Yes, his pants are way to small, his shirt is way, way, way too short, and he now has to wear 12 month clothes. But...did you notice? He has mastered the lean!!!!!

I cant return her so I mine as well feed her!!! I am not sure how I will survive her "terrible two's" I am just so thankful she is finally feeling better!

Me along with another friend threw Elena a baby shower. With cars lined up and down the street, 8 moms, 18 kids, catered BBQ, and a "new born 2 weeks early" baby boy. It was the funnest party ever!! Jungle theme, fun decorations, and a clean house...what could be more fun. Since Andy had to work....a big shout out to Constantine and Levi for "supervising" the children (all 18 kids were under the age of 6). They were mighty grateful for KungFu Panda and the air hockey table!! We did let them come up for air to enjoy the awesome BBQ and treats!!

Tate enjoyed all the excitement of the baby shower.

Aubrey loves NO SNOW. She desperately was willing to tread the "gross" mud to go swing.

Tate loves to hold his toes.

Tate is such a good brother...always willing to play pretend. Even if that means headband, necklaces, and lip gloss.

A week of destruction:
Monday: Caleb took an orange crayon to his furniture and bedroom walls
Tuesday: Caleb and Ainsley emptied out the cleaning supplies all over Calebs bedroom carpet and furniture
Wednesday: Caleb colored all over his furniture with a glue stick.
Thursday: He took every single newly hung and ironed piece of clothing off the hangers on onto a crunched pile in my bedroom closet
"IS THEIR NO END TO HIS MADNESS!"
So, I think...hum, before I completely loose my mind what can I do. Time out is clearly not working and I spend many HOURS during the day playing with him.
Then it hit me!!! HOMEWORK!!

Friday morning after we dropped Aubrey off at school and vacuumed/cleaned out the van we went strait to the table. While Ainsley cut up a piece of paper Caleb did homework...cutting, gluing, spelling, matching, and coloring. Along with spelling and sounding out "sight words".

It was a very productive 45 minutes and he was excellent the rest of the day. I will continue to do this every day during the week...its just what he needs! Even if I end up piling the dirty lunch dishes on top of the dirty breakfast dishes.

I hid one of every shoe so the kids couldn't go outside in the cold and mud. I thought I was pretty smart. Clearly not! Matching means nothing to them.
*note that Ainsley dressed herself....a dress, her 4th of July shirt, and her Dora pj top.

This is what a Teething Tate looks like. He is so good but a little bit sad at times. Chewing constantly on everything!

When I picked Caleb up from school he was excited to drive to meet Grandma. It was his turn for special time with Grandpa and Grandma! When I handed him over to Marlene I had NO idea he was covered from head to toe in paint, chalk, and marker!!

Ainsleys slew of new words is a bit blunt...
go away.
I said hungry again.
again I said.
No nursery...mommy go nursery
Tater need Elmo.
No nap
Milk with Water in cup.
Also, included in the last 2 weeks.
1. Andy had fun going to lunch at Aubrey school to celebrate her "half" birthday. He finally met the much talked about Sophia and Ally and Aubrey got to show off her dad!
2. Caleb's Parent Teacher Conference!! Way to go buddy!!
3. Aubrey got accepted into a special developmental speech and reading program through Childrens Mercy Hospital. She attended her first evaluation and we are so grateful and excited for her to being the 12 week program! The therapists are wonderful and Aubrey is BEYOND excited to start!!!
4. Tate said MAMA! More then once and I have 2 witnesses along with Aubrey and Ainsley!!
5. Andy got a new calling. He is really excited to be in Young Mens again!
6. With all the snow and Andy being sick...I, Sara, shoveled the driveway. I pretty much hate snow. I was on the fence...it being so pretty and all...but any happy thoughts towards snow have now dissolved! Give me my white beaches any day!!!

We hope that the end of January can continue on calmly or at least end in a calmly manner. Aubrey will start Cheerleading on Monday, Caleb will start Karate on Tuesday and on Thursday a fun brunch is planned!

So, to all who have asked Where have I been?...
I have been a bit overwhelmed, a bit crazed, and just a tiny bit busy. But I DID SURVIVE!! It was close and I might have lost some sanity but I SURVIVED! Thankful every Friday night I have volleyball, all trouble off the week come out with my serve!!! GO OP2!

oh, a special thanks to Paul and Marlene. Caleb had a wonderful time spending the weekend with you guys. Thank you for not cutting his hair!
Also, Congrats to Spencer and Kristen...baby Ella coming soon!
and
Congrats to Seth and Karalee...baby boy coming soon!!

2010-01-02T19:13:00.000-08:00

Happy 2010

The week of the New Year has been a busy "eye opening" week!
On Monday I dropped Aubrey off in Pittsville to spend the night with "Grandpa and Grandma" Griner. With the other 3 kids excited in the back of the van we picked up Andy and headed to Chuck-e-Cheese to meet up with Caleb's little friend Alec and his parents Constantine and Elena! How fun is Chuck-e-Cheese!!! It was crowded and so fun!!!!!
On Tuesday we had a play group!! The kids enjoyed playing from 10-2 (cookies and chicken nuggets included) and I made the mom's Salmon while we ate really good tangerines, pumpkin cheesecake bread, and mounds! Late LATE Tuesday night I hid the last 5 tangerines for myself. The kids ate ate and ate them all day and I really wanted some for Wednesday. Well, Wednesday morning during Elmo's World I started folding laundry. The kids weren't singing or laughing...I thought that was strange so I went into the room. MY TANGERINES!!! Ainsley found them and wanted them so bad that she peeled them herself!!!!
Ainsley never does anything alone...Caleb is always close by.

Early Wednesday when all the tangerines were gone it was Aubreys turn to have a play group! They loved having the Hubble girls over but Caleb felt a little left out. 10am-2pm all things girls.....and Caleb!

Tate will do WHATEVER it takes for food. So, I said "What are you doing?"

"Gotchya!"
We rung in the New Year with style. At 6:30pm we put Ainsley to bed and started our little party! Chips n' dip in the basement, while watching Sid the Science Kid, and playing 5 rounds of Candy Land. At 8:30pm we counted down...10..9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1..HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! The kids ran around and acted crazy for 60 seconds and then bed time!!!! They couldn't believe they stayed up until "midnight" and that is was finally 2010!!

January 1st we decided to start the year off with a blast! Andy shoveled part of the deck, heated up the grill, and started on the ribs!!! After they were warmed on both side I sliced them up into servings!

Please let me have some?!!!

Yum...only 3 more hours until they will be done!!!

With the house clean, the kids dressed, and dinner almost done we awaited our guests!!

Elena brought a yummy Russian desert, Constantine helped Andy grill the chicken, and Alec ran around with Caleb until the Adkin family arrived. Then the food disappeared, house filled with laughter, and with 8 kids there was definitely never a dull moment!

Saturday morning we joined our friends at Home Depot for Calender building! Aubrey loved it! She was very careful to follow instructions and make her calender look perfect!

Alec did a great job!

Caleb...oh Caleb. He liked the nails and hammer....but mostly just laughing and running around with Alec!

Sometime during the party on New Years day Caleb acquired a bruised eye.

It was lots of fun! Very organized, free, and the kids loved the aprons!Tate grabs and rolls to grab everything and anything! He is constantly chewing on his hand and is still a very content, always happy little TateR!Ainsley has started to love Lego's. She ended 2009 by saying her name for the very first time! Not meme, but actually, Ainsley!!!! This past week she has been eating like crazy so we are hoping she has gained a little bit of weight!!!!
We are so excited for all the changes 2010 will bring. New Years resolutions and the melting of snow are fresh on our minds. I am going to try to do the 365 days of pictures. It will be neat to see how quickly the kids change....andrewandsarajean365.blogspot.com/
HAPPY NEW YEARS!

2009-12-27T17:55:00.000-08:00

WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
The start of the week of Christmas .....Andy had to work on Sunday so I ventured to church with the kids by myself. Not before a major disaster. A white kitchen. Caleb was REALLY REALLY hungry!! I hoped that this wasn't a sign telling me how crazy the upcoming week was going to be.
The kids had class parties on Monday the 21st. I took Ainsley and Tate with me to Caleb's and Andy headed to Aubrey's. Lots of fun! We spent the night cleaning, playing, and we finally hung the Christmas stockings!!
Tuesday the 22nd was a day to remember!!! At 10 o'clock 4 moms and 8 little friends from Caleb's school arrived with their siblings! 12 kids, 21 cupcakes, and 3 hours of total fun! The weather was nice so the kids ran from swing set to air hockey table and back again! 12 kids all under the age of 6 getting along, laughing, and acting crazy! It was nice to get to spend time with other moms talking and laughing too!! I didn't even burn the cup cakes!
*Caleb stated "Mom. (long pause) Alec and You are my very best friends.After everyone left the kids laid down for an hour of "quiet time!" I put a pillow over my head and woke up just in time to bundle up the kids and walk 2 houses down to the Rudd Families for the neighborhood gingerbread party! 25 kids, lots of candy, and a trampoline....what could be better!

Ainsley had a lot of fun (as long as I stayed in sight).

The kids had a blast eating, jumping, and playing with all of the neighborhood kids!

Ainsley ate her gingerbread house all the way home!

TATE!!! During the gingerbread party Andy picked up Tate and took him to the doctor for his 4 month check up. It was the first doctors appointment Tate has had since his Pneumonia and we were curious to see how much weight he lost. Well...none! Not an ounce....none! He weighs in at 18 pounds 10 ounces, in the 95%!!! He is in the 60% in height!!! Very very exciting! He is so big, cute, and perfect. The doctor suggest we start him on cereal. He loves it!!!! He wants more and more and more! Now if we could get Ainsley to gain weight?! At 20 pounds Tate is catching up. The doctor suggested a lot of Mac n' Cheese, high in fat! She loves it! Also Tuesday night the snow started. It snowed and snowed and snowed. By Wednesday night it was still snowing and we were worried that our traditional yearly trip to Windsor for Christmas Eve dinner was going to be cut short.....
Nope...but we had to move it to an earlier time. Instead of 5pm dinner was at 2pm. That left little time to dress the kids up fancy, let alone do my own hair. This is a scary picture not to mention I have my first and the worst ear infection of all time!
On an awesome note...we won 4 Bernstein Bear Stuffed Animals (Mama Bear, Papa Bear, Brother Bear, and Sister Bear) and a nice book from a drawing we entered the previous week at Chick-fil-a! Yahoo!! After a yummy dinner it was time for the main event!! While Grandpa Griner read the story of the Nativity from the Bible the kids acted it out! Aubrey was Mary, Caleb was Joseph, Ainsley was a sheep (she wanted so badly to be a pig), and Tate was a sheep.

After a couple of Christmas songs it was time to open presents! Ainsley loved her Elmo toy from Grandma and Grandpa!! She also got a little cheerleader from Aunt Judy!

Aubrey got the loudest disc man ever from Aunt Judy!!! So loud but she loved it! She also got the much desired play-doh hamburger maker from Grandma and Grandpa Griner! Caleb got a Robot that walks, turns, and talks from Aunt Judy, and a Nerf Dart Gun from Grandpa and Grandpa Griner!

Tate was pretty wiped out!

Christmas Eve night we made it home during the terrible snow fall just in time for Santa to clean up and get things ready! Finishing Ainsley Elmo blanket was tough but successful! We were in bed by midnight and I got my Christmas Present....a "SILENT NIGHT." It was magical, glorious, and wonderful! Thanks to Andy I slept uninterrupted from 12am to 5am. I woke up to terrible snow fall but I was so excited for the kids to wake up!!! We laid there just waiting for over an hour. Laughing and Talking.....

Christmas morning!!! Ainsley had a rough night (waking up crying 2 times) but by 6:30am all smiles!! Caleb was the first one awake and then he ran in and woke up Aubrey and Ainsley!!!

A vanity! It barely made it here in time for Christmas!

Caleb loved his magnetic letter and wanted to spell things right away!!

Tate did not appreciate me waking him up! Since we have added Rice Cereal to his bottles he sleeps contently and soundly...he loves to sleep.

Even seeing the other kids excited didn't change his mind. He didn't cry or wine though.....he just endured!

Caleb loved his "remote control that controls everything he needs it to control." The train goes backward and forward! The track is great also because you can step right on the track and it doesn't unsnap. SWEET!

After the kids played with their "Santa" gifts we headed into the front room to open presents!

Presents from Great Grandpa and Grandma Ras and Great Grandpa and Grandma Grayson! Also presents from Grandma and Grandpa Clark. It was so fun to see their faces, excitement, and happiness!

We got Aubrey a "dora" house. Actually, I couldn't find the one she wanted so we got her a precious princess one. A house is a house...she was so excited!!

Andy was pretty proud of this one! It took him at least 30 minutes of searching, comparing, and examining to pick out the perfect clear nerf gun for Caleb. The darts don't stick like the other nerf gun...this one hits and destroys! Aubrey and Caleb have had fun shooting his robot, train, and the windows. I have even had fun shooting the plastic darts too!! I really like that in order for them to shoot the gun they need Andy or me to cock the gun for them (always requiring adult supervision)!!!

Ainsley...Elmo! Books! Elmo!

Christmas night. All cleaned up and loving his train!

The snow continued Christmas day and all day on the 26th. I haven't seen this much snow during this time of year in the 6 years we have lived here. Crazy!!
Caleb. Half smile. Half cry. He desperately wanted to go outside but ABSOLUTELY didn't want to get cold.

Aubrey was the most excited to go out in the snow! She ended up staying outside the longest (25minutes).

Ainsley went outside at 3:44pm and at 3:44 and a half she was crying to come back in!

Aubrey and Caleb were excited to make their way to the fence to talk to the Rudd kids! The snow was deep and it kept coming! Burrr!!

Making a snow angle is much more fun to do in the white sand at the warm beach!

Tate is trying to crawl! He tries and tries but cant get his tummy off the ground. He ends up scooting backwards! No matter what...he never misses out on the Griner Action!!!

Finally. 3 days later. The track is completed correctly!! I think I spent at least 12 full hours (spread out into 3 days) trying to figure out that track with the additional parts. So worth it...the kids love it! I think the kids will always remember this Christmas...because of the snow, the excitment, and the love.
Now onto New Years....with no school I wonder if I will survive. The tree is down, Christmas put aways, and the house is almost back to normal. The snow is still high, the air is still crispy cold, and I have plenty of back up bateries.
This Christmas I learned that sleep is magical, snow is beautiful as long as I am looking through the window, and the kids are really growing up fast. I learned that to be a mom requires mulitple skills...for example...
beautition
baker, detective
singer, arcitect
cleaner, inventor
manicurist, chauffeur
nurse, teacher
explorer, pretender
decorator, stylist
inventor, carpenter
plummer, electrician
mathematition
This past year I have learned to do all of these things, not successfully but enough to get by (slide by). Next year I do not know what I will do, how I will survivor, or what new things I will have to learn to do. I am so thankful for these many challenges. Through all the craziness, crying, and insanity I love my little Griner family. I love being a mom and I am so thankful for the opportunity I have to be Aubrey, Caleb, Ainsley, and Tate's mom!

Congrats to Steffaney who is officially in Belgium!!
Happy 24th Birthday to my brothers Seth/Spencer....we are the same age for the next month!
Congrats to Spencer and Kristen!!!

Also, Dear little sister of mine-
You may have noticed that I am wearing your sweats in the youtube videos Andy posted of the kids. I admit it with honesty. I have every intention of mailing them back to you but for now I am holding them hostage until you mail me MY COAT!!!!!!

'TILL WE MEET AGAIN!

2009-12-20T19:22:00.000-08:00

A Griner Christmas 2009
After all….there’s no place like home.This year our yellow brick road has lead us on an incredible journey! Full of winter sickness, viruses, and the flu. Holidays, Birthday Parties, and Family Vacations. House discoveries, remodels, and “we’ll never do that again!” I would say we get closer to Oz every year!!Aubrey (5) started Kindergarten this year! She loves playing dress up, sharing a room with Ainsley, and all things “pretend”! She loves to write her name, talk all about the new things she learned in school, and she is a great friend and big sister!!Caleb (4) started afternoon Pre-school this year!!! He loves to spell, ask questions, and play! He enjoys having a little brother and I think he has passed on all of his “terrible two” tricks to Ainsley! He loves being a Sunbeam, learns quickly, and is still just as loud as ever!Ainsley (2) Oh Ainsley…she is total “terrible two” to the extreme. Into everything, cranky, but learning and talking more every day! She loves Elmo, Tater Tot (aka…little brother), dancing, and is always the first to help clean up messes as well as the first to make them!!! Who would have thought 20 pounds could drive me so crazy!!!
Tate (4 months) Call him what you like TD, Tater, or Tater Tot. He is the new addition to our little family. Born August 4th 2009 he is perfect in every way. He laughs, rarely cries, and smiles constantly! He loves to roll over, be naked, and he is a chunk!!

Andy (30) received his very first raise, spent 2 months putting together a swing set, gutted the kitchen, replaced plumbing pipes, and sold his electric guitar amp to take up his new hobby...operation home theater!
Sara (24) This year I have learned what a full term pregnancy is like…Awful!! I have learned nail polish is impossible to hide, a new oven doesn’t guarantee an edible meal, and sending a child to school fully dressed does not guarantee they come home that way!! I have learned that tickles heal the tears, hugs heal the anger, and kisses help us grow! This year I have learned that socks, lego’s, and spoons really do disappear, that ONE bed time story always turns into 3, and a clean room would last longer if I just took a picture of it. This year I have learned that as our little family grows together, loves together, and learns together we get closer to happily ever after every day! We hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!

St. Luke 2:14
Glory to Gold in the highest,
and on earth peace,
good will toward men.

2009-12-17T07:23:00.000-08:00

Oh Christmas Tree Oh Christmas Tree!This year Andy threw away my fake tree and we headed to Lowe's and bought a real tree! The kids were excited! We put it up the day after Thanksgiving and decorated it a week later (a little slow but we had to get past all of the many sicknesses that consumed our little family).

I let the kids stand on chairs so they wouldn't clump all of the ornaments at the bottom...instead the clumped all the ornaments in the middle!

Not shown is the new star...

We got out all the Christmas books, toys, and stuff. Lots of fun for the kids. We also started the 25 days of Christmas book my Grandma Grayson made for us. It has a song, scripture, and story for each day.

The fun of decorating the tree lasted a long time....ornament after ornament. Tate loves to lay under the tree!!! He has started to grab at the ribbon though!!

Tate is now 4 months old. He loves to kick and keeps kicking off his socks. Solution...sleeper with no feet! Sweet! We have never had one of these before but Tate loves it. He only wakes up one time at night (4am on the dot) and we have started to put him to bed at 6:30pm.

Saturday we were suppose to go to the Windsor Ward party (I don't think we have missed it since we have been married...we love Andy's home ward, the fun skit, and Marlene's yearly piano playing) but the drive and the rainy/snowy weather had us looking for an alternative for the kids. So, we woke up really early and headed to The Speedway to see The Princess and the Frog.

Ainsley had to kiss everything....Caleb loved the movie! Loud Laughter almost through out. He was hillarious to sit next too!! Aubrey was a little scared with the VooDoo. Tate stayed awake almost the entire time and loved it!!

Since we missed Santa at the Windsor Ward Party we took the kids to NFM for a free picture with Santa! Ainsley was so excited...until it was her turn to sit on his lap.

Caleb was excited that we would get a 2nd chance to ask Santa for his Christmas present!

Awesome Santa!!! He talked to each child about all the good things they did during the year, things they could work harder on, and something they might want. He was so awesome!

Caleb finally got to ask..."I would like a remote control that controls everyting I need it to control!" Santa laughed and then gave him a high five!

Tate stayed awake long enough for the picture and then passed out almost immediatly after. It was a fun family day. We had grilled cheese sandwhiches for dinner and watched Yes, Virginia. `

2009-12-10T08:16:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving 2009
With all the craziness...I have finally found time to post Thanksgiving.
(I am actually doing this in place of vacuuming)

The weekend before Thanksgiving Ainsley's sickness declined. After calling the doctor and talking to the nurse they were able to fit me right in. After a check up and an x-ray Ainsley had Pneumonia. We are so thankful for our pediatrician who made it possible for us to bring Ainsley home instead of taking her to CMH. After a long weekend and long week her fever finally broke just in time for Thanksgiving! We were excited to travel down to Windsor for the Griner festivities!! It was the first time we had all been together in a while (minus Matt who was hard at work)!!

To our surprise Ainsley finally ate!!! After a week of no food she wasted no time chowing down!!
"More please...More please!"

Aubrey was excited for the Turkey and sweet potatoes!

Tate was having a bad hair day!

It was fun to have all the Griner Grandchildren together!
Caleb, Faith, Paul, Ainsley, Paris, Seth, Jack, Tate, Jane, Aubrey, and Olivia!
(Ainsley clearly still has anxiety issues)

After pie Marlene played Candy Land and put puzzles together with Aubrey, Paris, and Livvy!

Ainsley stayed close to the kitchen accepting food from anyone and everyone who would give her some!!

Caleb and Faith. They were together non-stop and busy playing.

The Friday after Thanksgiving Caleb waited patiently for his cousin (especially Faith) to arrive. Livvy, Paul, and Faith!! We have been talking about this sleepover for almost a year and waiting for them to finally arrive was the LONGEST WAIT of Caleb's life!!!

After craziness, air hockey, playing outside, food, tag, hide n' seek, and a cartoon the kids were "ready for bed!" This picture was taken at 10:30 pm. Paris, Faith, Caleb, and Paul in one room!!

Livvy, Ainsley, and Aubrey in one room (taken at 10:45pm). To my surprise Ainsley and Aubrey fell right asleep. Livvy and Paul ended up sleeping downstairs on the couch after Paul got sick, a long Horton Hears a Who, and some 7up.
Caleb, Paris, and Faith...after laughter, giggles, Why did you throw a cow at me?, and enough playing to last a month all three kids got scared and ended up sleeping on the floor in our room a little after 1:30am!!!
By 2am the house was silent...it was the calm before the storm of sickness because Ainsley started throwing up around 5.

Everyone was awake by 6! Ready for donuts, Saturday morning cartoons, and playing outside!! We pretty much didn't see them all morning!!! They played dragon-vampire house or something like that! It was a blast!!!! By 2pm everyone was loaded up in the van and ready to head back to Windsor for Midnight Madness!! Ainsley, Nate, and Andy were sick so Paris stayed behind with them and I headed down for the fun!!

After waiting in line to see an awesome looking Santa Aubrey asked for a Dora House.

With all of the excitement Caleb paused for a picture but forgot to ask Santa for "A dart Gun" or "A remote control that controls everything I need it to control"...he was devastated!! I reassured him that he could see Santa on a different day.

Tate was patient enough to sit on Santa...he had no requests but he really needs clothes that fit him. What a chub!!

After a fun and busy weekend Ainsley, Nate, and Andy were feeling better but Caleb started throwing up. Paris was nice enough to stay by his side and Caleb later proclaimed that Paris was his best friend. (note that I was sick the same day as Caleb..miserable)

Aubrey started throwing up on Wednesday...

Tate started throwing up on Thursday...and then after he didn't get better I called the doctor who fit us right in. Tate had a virus and mild Pneumonia. He was given an inhaler and medicine. I am so thankful for my wonderful pediatrician and the nursing staff. We were able to avoid CMH but with specific orders and instructions. So, for those thing about getting flu shots let me say....SICKNESS COMES WITH OR WITHOUT THEM!

Snow Snow. To say that I was unprepared for Tuesday nights snow storm...understatement. Late Tuesday night Aubrey and Caleb were outside playing in the dark! By Wednesday morning Caleb "really really really" wanted to play outside. It was freezing!!! I didn't have gloves or snow shoes for Caleb so I doubled up Andys socks and put them over Caleb's hands.Tate's hair is getting a bit out of control!

Tate loves to roll over. He rolls from front to back and back to front. I was in the middle of capturing it on camera when Caleb couldn't take the cold anymore!! By the time I let Caleb in Tate had already rolled over!!

Ainsley was tired of being left out so she put on her shoes, Caleb's socks, and her coat all by herself. She only lasted outside for 45 seconds or so. Burr...
*note that Ainsley is driving me crazy!! Her new favorite word is spilled. I think she keeps spilling things on purpose just so she can yell it around the house. Also, she loves to say Tater Tot...she will wake him up just so she can yell Tater Tot Awake. Uhg! Really!!

Tate...he loves to fall asleep at night on the floor spread out between Andy's speakers and subwoofer. He can sleep through anything!! Also, he is pretty awesome! He laughs all the time, loves Sesame Street, and is grabbing at things. He is a kicker and keeps kicking his socks off!! I thinks its only a matter of time until he says mom!

Well, what a week. Tate is finally feeling better, the washer/dryer are fixed and all signs of throw up have been cleaned. Andy paid $26 and took me to a packed theater to see New Moon on Thanksgiving night, we put up our first Real Christmas Tree, and the kids had fun at Chick-fil-a Family Fun night!! Now we move forward to Christmas.....boy oh boy!!!In the mist of it all I finished Tate's room. Sad, I know. It took me forever but there are other jungle animals hanging on the walls around the room.

Important News:
Sesame Street has new episodes. Wonderful!!
Congrats to Nate on the big engagement!
Num...you blame me for your phone bill and then call my blog lame. Crewl num...just crewl.

2009-11-25T11:11:00.000-08:00

This is how we Roll!
Utah Trip 2009
The Tuesday before we left Caleb had a "Family Fun Night" at his school. Pizza and Bingo Provided! It was lots of fun.

It was fun to see Caleb with all of his friends and it was nice to get out and not have to clean up or pay for dinner!!!

The kids really liked playing Bingo!
*also note that Ainsley is smiling...she does do that on occasion!

After "Family Fun Night" the count down to Utah began! Wednesday was a busy day...full of cleaning, laundry, packing, organizing, list making, dropping/picking the kids up from school, and play group. With everything going on there is bound to be a problem right?!! My washer broke on the last load. LAST LOAD!!! I didn't realize it because I had gone to pick up the kids. Everyone showed up for play group and I went downstairs to turn on the air hockey table only to feel wet carpet!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!! My washer had broken, leaking water down into the basement, out of a light from the ceiling, and onto the carpet. Why! I ran upstairs to look in the laundry room and the floor was thick with water! Uhgg! By the time play group was over, the laundry room cleaned up, the basement examined, and everything ready to go I was pretty much tired!By 6 am Wednesday morning we were on the road! The kids were still a bit sleep (Except Caleb). The van was loaded down and I could mentally breath the Mountain air!!!By 6:30am Ainsley and Caleb threw up! Nice. By the time we got to Ogallolla we thought we only had 5 hours left...come to find out we had 10 hours. And I realized that I forgot to pack "Pop 5" (only the best game know to man kind!!!)! The kids asked every 10 minutes...are we there yet?, we almost ran out of gas between Cheyenne and Laramie, and hit major snow from Rawlings to Park City. The kids were good until we got to Rocksprings and then crying began. At 7:50 pm I saw a Taco Time but Andy wouldn't stop...he said "We'll go to one later!"
(so sad because we never did stop at the best fast food place ever!!!) By 11:30pm we reached Taylorsville where we were greeted by Liz, a quiet basement, and hot showers. It was glorious! Thank you so much Hill Family!There was a double bed, a twin bed, and 3 sleeping bags...why did Ainsley, Elmo, and Aubrey all have to sleep with me in the single bed??
Friday morning we woke up excited! We were in Utah! What is Utah?
For Caleb I think Utah is more of a state of mind! He thought the Hill's fish was Utah, the Hill's house was Utah, Snow was Utah...a bit confused!
Friday morning our Van wouldn't start:( The battery had died. After a very late start we heading into SLC so Andy could go look at Garden Terrace (an Alzheimers and Dementia facility). Then we went to Chick-fil-a in Sandy. Awesome! The Chipmans, Nate, Ella with her kids, and Liz with her kids met us there. It was so fun to see the Chipmans and laugh about old times.After lunch we met my parents/sister and Grandpa and Grandma Grayson at the movies. My grandparents had never met Andy or the kids and it was so fun for them to finally meet!!! We went and saw A Christmas Carol in 3D. 3D is pretty Awesome! A Christmas Carol was stupid though! Sorry guys....I would much rather watch the Mickey Mouse one. The kids seems to like the 3D and Tate loved the movie!!! It gave Aubrey nightmares though.After the movie we headed to Chucky Cheese to meet up with my brothers/their wives, Aunt "Bon Bon", and Mike. I would like to add that Tate and Spencer DO look alike (Spencer...you are pretty much the only one who doesn't think so:)Aubrey and "Grandpa Clark" were buddies all weekend and as for Steffaney.....
With Calebs black eye still prominent on his left side Steffaney taught him the correct reply when people ask "What Happened to your eye Caleb?"
He us suppose to reply... "You should have seen the other guy!" Sydney was nice enough to play games with Aubrey/Ainsley and Seth played with Caleb. I think Seth really got into it because Caleb had a hand full of tickets!! After all the hugs, kisses, and different Aunts/Grandparents holding Tate he was tired!Saturday morning we got to go to the Jordan River Temple. It was neat to be there with all of my grandparents and see Steff go through for the first time!!! After the temple we had lunch with everyone and then headed to Syds. After hanging out at Syd's we headed to Uncle Gregs. The kids got to play with their cousin Berkeley (10 months old)! Karalee (Seth's cute pregnant wife) was really good with Tate!My parents took Aubrey/Caleb to run errands... I think chocolate was involved but I have no proof! Saturday night my parents watched Tate, we got a babysitter for Aubrey and Caleb, and headed out for a night on the town!! (We took Ainsley with us because she had had a rough day...she actually did really good) We met up with Shaun, Liz, Mike, Gerrilee, and Nate. It was lots of fun to be able to hang out...The Spaghetti Factory was as yummy as I remember!Sunday Morning we met at Oquirrh Mountain Temple to take family pictures!! I thought they turned out great considering it was freezing cold, Ainsley/Tate were sick the night before, and Caleb was hyper!This is our little family picture. Yah...it went that well!!! 3 Deltons! Great Grandpa Delton Clark, Grandpa Delton Clark, and Tate Delton Clark!!
It was really great to be able to have Tate's blessing in Utah at Steffaneys farewell. Thanks to Grandpa Clark, Grandpa Hyde, Grandpa Grayson, Grandpa Ras, Dad, Nate, Seth, my cousin Chase, and Shaun for being part of the blessing. We wish Andy's parents could have been there! After Steff's farewell (it was awesome to hear my dad and Steffaney speak!!! She is going to be an awesome missionary!!) we headed to Syds for a luncheon! The soups were delicious and it was awesome to be able to have cake in a bowl covered with milk!!! Gotta love Clark traditions! It was great to see my cousin Anna again and spend a little time with my cousin Chad and Clark.

Our trip home only took 15 hours!!! Sweet! We wanted to leave Sunday after church but because Ainsley/Tate were a little sick we waiting until early Monday morning. It was a nice ride home! We were a full load with the kids and the millions of things that were sent home with us.

Once we got home things started getting back to normal. Kind of...Caleb got a mini hair cut before he went back to school Wednesday! Speaking of back to school...
Caleb is like a mini tape recorder. His first day back to school I got everyone in the van. It was the first time they had ridden in the van since the big trip. All the way to school (out of no where) Caleb would repeat phrases that Andy and I had said while traveling like:
I know where we are Mom...Were in the middle of stinkin' no where!
What the heck!! Gas is $2.79!
We'll get there when we get there!
His memory is very good. I had no idea he was so observant! How much did he end up telling Miss Susan...hum...I guess we will find out at the next parent teacher conference!!!
Tate, Yummy Banana's!! Actually he hated them. I had to trick him into opening his mouth but once the food was inside he managed to eat it. Not happily:(

He ate half of a jar and then 30 minutes later spit it all up. In all honesty the banana baby food is one of the better smelling of all baby foods. I guess he would rather eat pumpkin pie!!

Too Pooped to Poop!

I went to put Tate's pants on him and they were not fitting. He was extremely easy going and content while I tried every which way to squeeze on his jeans.In the end Tate thought it was pretty funny that he is too chubbo to fit into his pants! From one turkey to the next...

Ainsley is finally over Pneumonia. Happy and smiling and wonderful!!! She lost a little bit of weight and is now back down to 20 pounds. 20 pounds is how much the turkey I was preparing weighed!! I got it on sale (the turkey not Ainsley:) for $8 at Walmart and plan to make turkey chili, soups, and hummy dinners with it for the next week or so!! Yum Yum!!
*note that behind Ainsley you can tell that the kitchen still needs caulked BUT I personally took care of the electric...maybe caulking will come soon. Maybe.

**I am not sure what I expected to gain from our Utah trip. I could say I learned that We will never drive in the van with our kids again OR I learned that the streets in Utah are confusing...come on!! Just follow the mountains??? There are mountains on all 4 sides of us!!! But I think what I brought back from this trip was how much I really miss my family. My brothers, sisters, cousins, sister-in-laws, aunts, uncles, parents, and grandparents. Being around them all again felt like HOME. With everything that has changed, the distance, and years we have been apart when we come together we're all just family and that never changes. Even if we are all just a bunch of nuts in a yummy piece of fudge!!!!

2009-11-05T08:12:00.000-08:00

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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