2!

Two years ago I was staring at this:
My last, sweet, tiny baby.

Last year, I woke up looking at this:
That precious baby grew up into an equally sweet and precious one year old.

This morning I woke up to see this:
My darling baby girl has become a sassy, sweet, funny, stubborn two year old!

I'm kind of sentimental today because this is my last "baby" and I sure do hate to see her get bigger (although there are lots of fun perks that come along with it).

This girl melts my heart. Here are a few fun facts about my sweet Sammie girl:
- She loves to eat. She's not a picky eater either. Love that about her!
-She has discovered a love of Elmo. Sammie is not a girl that watches TV (bless her heart), but today I turned an episode of 'Elmo's World' on the iPad and she watched at least a solid 10 minutes of it! She constantly points Elmo out when she sees him. She's a fan!
-She loves to sing/be sung to. She loves to hear music and dance to it.
-She speaks in sentences now. I find it delightful! Her sentences are so cute and the way she says her words is so fun (I love when babies learn to speak! One of my favorite things for sure.). However, she can't always verbalize what she wants and that can make her a little cranky.
-She loves baby dolls (well, babies of all sort really, but I only let her hold the toy ones). She loves to hold them and say, 'wok da baby' (rock the baby), 'kiss da baby', 'pa da baby bum' (pat the baby's bum). She actually does rock, kiss, and pat her baby too. It's really cute. I think she'd be a great big sister (but we're not going to test that theory).
-She adores Disco. Sam and the dog. She's such a dog person. She especially loves Disco. I think Disco would rather she love someone else, but he has her heart.
-She loves her siblings. She doesn't quite understand how to play their games with them yet, but she's trying. She loves to be around them and they are (mostly) so sweet to her. I love their relationship and hope it continues to stay strong.

We love our spunky, sassy, sweet, silly 2 year old. Not a day goes by that I don't thank my Heavenly Father for sending us this little surprise. She's a great kid (even though she's entered the tantrum phase). I love her so fiercely that I worry I may just eat her face.

Happy birthday Sammie. You're amazing. We love you!

The one where Ariane rants for no apparent reason

I'm getting old. Not one foot in the grave old or anything, but old enough to where dinner at 4 and bedtime at 8 is starting to sound pretty good. Plus my sister and I recently had a discussion on how nice it would be to wear adult diapers (but only for road trips and night time, so it's not weird or anything). So yeah, getting old.

The way I see it, there are several perks to getting old. You get to hang out in a muumuu, you sleep when you want, you can go ahead and diet but no one is going to comment on it if you just decide to let yourself go instead, you can ignore people and they just assume you don't hear them, no one asks you to use technology, and you can pretty much say whatever you want and people just let it go because - you know - you're old and might not be all there.

Like I said, I'm not that old yet (sigh), but I do have some elderly-type ranting stuff on my mind and I thought, "Hey, I have a blog! I'm gonna get some of this stuff off my chest!"

So here goes:

1. Hashtags. What's their purpose? Why does everyone use them for everything. I don't get it. Are we too lazy to put spaces and capitol letters in our sentences now? I say we just get rid of them. #thingsidontunderstand

2. Socks. If I have to ask the question(s), "Where is your sock?"/"Where are your socks?" one more time, I swear my head will explode. We're only three days into the school year and already I'm waging a sock war with my boys. It's giving me a nervous tick. #thissockthingreallybothersme

3. Preggo and Jelly. I love a good abbreviation. I like to abbrev all sorts of things. It's fun, it's fast, it's cute...most of the time. I take specific issue with preggo (and preggie, preggers, any abbreviation of the word pregnant really) and jelly. If you're pregnant, just say pregnant. Preggo is a spaghetti sauce, preggie sounds like piggy (which is NOT something you want to be compared to when you're with child), and preggers is just obnoxious. Along the same vein, if you're jealous, just say so. Jelly goes on a sandwich or it's something your legs can turn to when you're scared/in love/etc. So don't abbreviate those words. It's foolish. #preggoandjellyarereallydumbabbreviations

4. Moustaches. What is the fascination with them? Do we all secretly harbor a desire to look like porn stars? Some men can pull off a moustache. I've seen it. Tom Selleck - absolutely. Burt Reynolds - sure, why not. However, the rest of us can't. Why are they on t-shirts and dinnerware and attached to sunglasses and everything else in America? It's a moustache. Unless you're using it to play a rousing game of 'pin-the-dirty-stache-on-(fill in the blank)' let's just leave them to the professionals. Mmm-kay?
#moustachesareuselessbutpeoplekeepputtingthemonstuff

5. Gym creepers. There are people at the gym who will sit and watch me while I use a machine. I realize that it's because they're (hopefully) waiting for me to get off of it so they can use it, but it's still creepy. Either ask me how long I'll be or go find a different machine. Truthfully, if you're a creeper I'm going to take my sweet time on the machine, just to teach you a lesson. I may never get off! I may take it home with me! Ha! #allmygymcreepersseemtobeelderlymen

6. Made up names. I would hate for us all to be Sue or John and I like name diversity but some people go too far. Plate? Not a name. Mister? Are you serious? Banjo? North? Come on people. Have some class. And don't get me started on what (some) people in Utah are doing to their poor kids (not making any generalizations, but for real, it's disturbing). If you don't understand, you can watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfIehCrO4Zs
#wherehaveallthenormalnamesandspellingsgone

7. Blogging. All of a sudden everyone quit on me. There are still a few (very few) of us out there who keep it up but for the most part, ya'll stopped. Riddle me this: how am I supposed to effectively stalk you when you don't blog? Facebook is great for finding out your political affiliation and for engaging in lengthy debates that no one cares about but otherwise, it's not as cool as a blog. And since I don't do instagram or the twitter I rely on blogs to find out all the goings on in your lives. I beg you, blog more. Help me be a better stalker. #ificantblogstalkyouimayjusthavetoshowupatyourdoor

8. Babies who think they can grow up. Sammie will be two next week. I don't care for that at all. #sweetandcutebabiesneedtostaybabiesespeciallywhenmamaainthavingnomore

9. Netflix. Our Netflix is currently not working. If it were, I might be watching a Bones marathon instead of ranting to you like a 90 year old woman. #bonesisagreatshowbutmanalivetheyshowsomegrossstuff

10. Eating healthy. I've recently (last March) started making changes to my diet. It worked great for a few months but now I'm sort of off the wagon. I still start every day with a green smoothie, and I try to be careful, but let's face it - homegirl wants a bag of chips and a carton of ice cream - every day. I keep trying to get back on the wagon and I'll have one or two good days in a row...but then...I see a package of chips, or I'm an idiot and make homemade bread (which isn't unhealthy - unless you eat a whole loaf by yourself in one sitting), or I'll find a bag of M&M's stashed in the pantry. I'm not trying to deprive myself. I'm just trying to do a moderation thing and I don't do moderate very well when junk food is involved. It's a vicious cycle and I just can't seem to get on top of it. I wish I was one of those people who was just naturally thin no matter what she ate. I'd be the least healthy skinny person in the world. And happy about it! #eatinghealthyruinslives

I think I'll stop there. Ten rants is a good number I think. I effectively filled my 'elderly' quota for the night.

Just so you don't find this post a total waste, here's a picture of one of my cute offspring:

Beautiful and bookish. That's how we do it over here! #shesawesome

Next up for me: a muumuu and an 8:30 bedtime! Ahhh, the perks of being old!

#bythewaydidimakeyouhatehashtagsbecauseiwasreallytryingto

First Day of School!

Well, it happened. School started and I am still two posts behind. Oh well, I suppose you don't need to hear about our completely uneventful drive home from Vegas (though huge shout out to my dad for driving with us again - he apparently didn't have enough road trip fun the first time). The boys and I ran in a color run 5k the day after we got back to Indiana and I think I will probably still post about that at some point for two reasons: 1. It was the boys first 5k. 2. It was tons of fun. It will be a good post - but not a post for today.

Yesterday was the day we had all been simultaneously looking forward to and dreading. School started! I say looking forward to because it's another school year, it gets us back into our school year routine (which I love), and the boys always grow so much (physically and mentally) and it's really fun to see how far they come. I say dreading because I'm one of those moms who genuinely enjoys having my kids home. My boys are big helpers. They can unload the dishwasher, vacuum, read to the girls, etc., etc., etc. Aside from the fact that I think they're super cool people to hang out with, it really helps that they're such big helpers!

We began the school year with the boys' back to school nights. When we went to Noah's we were really excited to learn that his teacher was the one that Clayton had had for reading flex his first grade year. I LOVED her and secretly had wished that she was his homeroom teacher instead of just his reading group teacher. Clayton loved her too (Justin and I think she was his first crush). Anyway, I am super excited for Noah's first grade year. The next night we went to find out who Clayton's teacher was. He was really wishing and hoping for one teacher in particular. Like, REALLY hoping for her. I was prepared for some major tears when he didn't get her (because, let's face it, the odds weren't in his favor). However, he got the teacher he wanted! It was so fun for me to watch as the students filled into Mrs. Harmon's room. Clayton knew almost all of them! At one point, I heard two little girls say, "Oh no! Clayton is in our class!" and then giggle in that little girl way that they do when they secretly like a boy. Made me chuckle a little myself.

The night before school, we made sure backpacks and brand new supplies were ready to go. We had grocery shopped and gotten all the things we needed for awesome back-to-school lunches and snacks. The boys had even picked out what clothes they wanted to wear (which isn't really that cool since they wear uniforms, but still).

The morning of, we had the traditional chocolate chip pancake breakfast (which both boys were really excited about)!
(**No, Clayton isn't naked, he's just in that phase where he sleeps exclusively in underwear. Sigh.**)

This year we had applied to try to get the boys into an elementary school in a different district. It's a school that is literally blocks from our house, but because we're on the wrong side of the boundry, my boys aren't zoned for it. Long story short, they have too many 4th graders so we didn't get in. I was bummed about it because since the school is so close, my boys could have more time in the morning instead of being so rushed. However, this year Kennedy reversed their bus route! The boys are one of the last ones on and one of the first ones off! So, while going to Prairie Vista would have saved us a little more time, we found that we have about 15 extra minutes in the morning. I love it, we've been taking our time in the morning this week and it's so pleasant. Plus, we really do love Kennedy so now we get the best of both worlds!

While we were waiting for the bus, the boys posed for some pictures:

 Doesn't he look excited to be a first grader?

Clayton chose those colorful high top sneakers for his school shoes this year. They fit me and I covet them. I hope he's not too hard on them this year because I'm totally taking them once he's grown out of them (if they're not too trashed).

 Love this. So symbolic of their attitudes this year. Clayton, the big bad 4th grader. Noah, the super excited and enthusiastic 1st grader.

 Silly poses:

Clayton was trying to do one of those pictures where it looked like he was holding Noah in his hand.

 Noah didn't understand what was happening.

 Walking to the bus stop.

 Getting on the bus!

 And just like that, they were gone (and on time too, I might add).

The girls and I missed them like crazy and tried to take our minds off their absence by going swimming. After school, we greeted our boys with homemade cookies and a glass of milk and talked about their days.

They both had a great first day of school and couldn't wait to go back. I know the novelty will wear off as the year progresses, but I think they both have phenomenal teachers and they are going to have an awesome year!

Happy back to school!

Now if someone would like to volunteer their services to come unload my dishwasher...

9!

Clayton was a lucky duck and got to spend his birthday in Vegas. When I'd asked him what he wanted to do for his birthday he had a whole list! He wanted to swim, light fireworks, slip 'n' slide, eat pizza, open presents, and play with his presents. There may have been other stuff in there, but I forgot (nor did I remember to take a picture of his 'birthday schedule' where everything was all timed out down to the minute - this boy man of mine is hilarious).

Tradition is tradition, so even though we weren't at our house, we still had muffins and eggs...

...and a little birthday shirt action:

Then there were a few presents...

...and swimming!

Where he opened even more presents:

When swimming had worn us out, we headed back to Grammy and Opa's for some nap/quiet time while Clayton got to play with his presents. There was definitely a gift giving theme this year: building. He got a lot of legos/k'nex this year.

 

After quiet time it was slip 'n' slide time followed by pizza for dinner.

Then it was time for cake:

 Making a wish:

 Followed by even more presents (holy cow, what a lucky kid)!

Then it was back to the yard for fireworks in pajamas (my firework pictures are less than stellar, which is why there aren't many):

 I sure do love this 9 year old of mine.

 Here are 9 facts about 9 year old Clayton:
1. Nutella is his favorite food. He'd eat it on anything.
2. His favorite sport is basketball. He loves to play.
3. He loves to go for bike rides on his new BMX bike (a belated birthday gift from Justin and me).
4. Right now his best friends are Noah, Landon, and Nile (a neighbor kid).
5. He is still the sweetest, most innocent, naïve (in a good way) kid ever. He's maturing every day but I love that he's still my little boy in a lot of important ways.
6. He's outgoing. He loves making friends and meeting new people.
7. He's a bit jaded about school now that he's going to be a big bad 4th grader. Quick story: I asked the boys if they were excited to start school. Noah quickly answered, "Yes!" to which Clayton replied, "Why? It's just school.". Sigh.
8. He's helpful and obedient. I know he doesn't love chores but he does them when I ask (almost always the first time). He likes being relied on and I love being able to rely on him!
9. He's an amazing older brother. He fits the role perfectly. The other kids naturally gravitate to him. He loves to play with them and isn't embarrassed to be out playing with them in public. I hope this never changes.

Clayton, you are the best firstborn a mother could ask for. We do have our moments (both of us), but I love you way more now than I did when you were born (and I was crazy in love with you then - so that says something) and I'm so glad that I get to watch you grow up and see the person you're turning out to be. I really love him! I think you're awesome in so many different ways and I am so blessed to be your mom! Love you C! Happy birthday!

**Next year he'll be 10! I'm mentally preparing for that now.**

So...Vegas

I have to hurry up and get my posts done! School starts next week and I'm afraid that if I don't get all our summer vacation posts done by then, I never will!

By now I think we've established that when I'm having a really good time, I don't really take pictures. Enter Vegas. I had a blast (we all did) so I'm short on pictures. Which is sad for those of you who were anxiously waiting to see every detail of our vacation but it will help me keep this post in check so I'm going to call it a win (although, don't fret, there are still a lot of pictures).

Vegas can be summed up like this:
1. Family, family, family. I had good intentions of seeing friends while we were out there but my parents and sisters are pretty much the best people I know (aside from Justin, of course) so I got caught up in the fun of hanging with them every day and I didn't call a single friend. I don't even feel bad about it either! (**Though, dear Vegas friends, don't take it personally. I still love you.)

2. Water. Basically your 4 S's: swimming pools, splash parks, slip 'n' slides, and sprinklers. This occupied the majority of our time.

3. Clayton's birthday. I'll do a whole post about that a different time (hopefully soon).

4. Lizards. Oh, we caught them. Yes we did.

5. Bikes. A pretty fair amount of bike riding occurred. Which was impressive given that it was eighty bajillion degrees outside.

And now - the photos:
Day 1: caught a lizard.

Lizard catching was on all the kids 'Vegas to do' lists. They were pretty excited to start catching them right away.

My parents love bikes. Especially my dad. He likes to buy them and fix them up (he has a couple really cool vintage ones). He bought this BMX bike off of Craigslist and then had Clayton help him restore it. Clayton loved working on this project with Opa.

 Just Sammie. Eating a banana. In Vegas.

All the kids LOVED my parent's dogs. Josie showed Georgie her love by sharing taggie (which, if you know Jo, is huge).

 Building a volcano with Opa.

My kids were always so worn out at the end of the day. Found Noah asleep like this. I'm not sure how this stuff happens.

Josie getting her nails done by Aunt Ash. Lucky little lady, there was no shortage of people ready to paint her nails.

Water fun (despite how it may seem, Sammie loved having Opa squirt her right in the face with the hose).

 Slippin' and slidin' in the backyard in your underwear. Nothing better.

 Aunt Nish was throwing kids left and right down that slip and slide. Clearly they loved it.

 But sometimes, an adult just wants to slip and slide too.

This one of Sam slays me (probably because I'm remembering how much she loved it - to everyone else it's just a weird picture of someone's baby).

 My cute nephew Max in his 'ready' position.

 And sometimes, you just gotta be naked.

While in Vegas, we spent a weekend visiting my brother and sister-in-law in Ely. While we were there Vegas had a crazy violent storm. It knocked a tree onto my parents house, breaking their porch overhang and smashing a part of their roof. Thankfully no one was hurt and the house was only minimally damaged. Here's Sam and Liam watching Opa assess the damage.

Ready for a swim. My kids have been taking swim lessons for years but have never really become great swimmer. Until this summer. Constant exposure to a pool is such a great thing. My kids learned more in a month than they have in years. They came a looooong way this summer. I am so proud of them!

 Dancing in the kitchen.

 Backfloat!

 Sweet, innocent face #1:

 Sweet, innocent face #2:

 Ahhh, this is more like it:

 Left unattended, these two are very sneaky.

 This is Josie's new "cheese" face. Not sure why she thinks it's cute, but we're going with it right now.

So that's all I have of Vegas (minus the bday pics, which I'll post soon). Ash, Nish, and I did spend a lovely sister's weekend in Cali, and I'll add those pictures to this post if I ever get them (cough, cough, Anisha, cough, cough).

We had a wonderful, adventure filled, busy month in Vegas. I hope we can do it again next summer (perhaps earlier in the summer though, when it's not mind meltingly hot).