I couldn't resist

Don't ask me how I was blog stalking briefly, and came across this, and thought it was cool.

Koodos to you if you can identify whose blog on your blog list this came from :)

This is so wrong!

As I was mowing the lawn today, I saw snow flakes. No wonder my hands were cold when I was done.

I'm not OK with this sudden change of events.

An Unbeatable Combination

Bad Combination: 

• A Blue Marker, 
• A couch, and 
• a 2 year old
  

A good combination: 

• A washable blue marker
• A leather (=wipable) couch
• an honest 2 year old, who guided me through the living room to show me all his markings--couch, ottoman, piano, piano bench, and window sill.

Fall Family Fotos

Taking family pictures is all fun and games.......until someone goes in a Burr Bush and ruins a favorite sweater...

Grrr!

Need a laugh?

Steve's new look

Happy Haunting!

Reason #83 that I love blogging: I get great ideas from other friends' of how to make my life more interesting. This week's cool adventure was making Bat Pumpkins! (Thanks Brandi!) Things are getting spooky around here:

First we painted the pumpkins black,then attached black wings made from craft foam, (they were surprisingly stubborn to get in...hence the hammer) and then made silly and scary eyes. So fun! Because we had such a blast doing this, we are now initiating a Block Pumpkin Fest, and inviting each house to compete in a Pumpkin Contest. I think it will be fun!

For instructions on how to make these yourself, click here.

Wise or Otherwise #1

Fun board game:  Wise or Otherwise...I give you half the quote, and you give me the rest.

In a great green room, there was a telephone and a red balloon, and a picture of....

That's what I call closure!

That's right! We up and did it!

We completed our Summer of Fun by finally going to Six Flags Great America!

With no kids--thanks Mom & Dad--it was the best date we'd been on in a long time! We a thrill seekers, for sure! We rode every roller coaster--the best ones twice--and screamed til we lost our voices. We ran through the park like it was a marathon!

It was fright fest now, too, for Halloween--How Spooky!

And did we mention this was all free!!!

I guess we still have the Madura Magic, after all!

That's right! The Summer of fun is complete! Now comes the Fall Ball and Winter of Wonders! ( No, I think I need new titles for that) Start looking for pics of our Snowmen Block Party!

You know you're a daddy if...

...the following has happened in your house:

Steve put Carter down for a nap before church while I was getting ready. 45 minutes later, Carter comes waltzing into the bathroom.

Carter: "Mommy! I'm awake!"

Me: "I see that. Where's daddy?"

Carter: "He's asleep on my floor!"

We went in to see that Carter had even graciously tucked him in with his own blanket. When it was time to wake up, Carter kissed daddy's eyes open.

You say it's your birthday! (name that tune)

Aren't we the coolest parents ever! For Carter's last birthday we...

went horseback riding [well, ponies, actually],

hired clowns,

went on a hay ride,

had a petting zoo with BIG bunnies that were mistaken as Kitty Cats,

and apparently had a kissing booth.

And as if that weren't enough for an awesome birthday, we also went bowling, played in the leaves, went out to eat at Noodles & Company, watched a Baseball game *and finally heard the klink of the metal bat I'd been waiting for all summer*.

OK, so that wasn't really his REAL birthday, but it seems that ever since August, we've had one birthday celebration after another, so now whenever we do something super exciting, Carter exclaims "It's my BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!" It's too cute for us to resist.

General Conference Success

Wait, what's that pic? Is Carter taking copious notes as he's attentively watching conference? Well, he seems reverent enough to be doing so.

Thanks for your ideas and comments about conference, guys! Good tips:

• Don't take away HIS Saturday just because you want two Sundays...that's too much reverence for a 2 1/2 year old.
• As long as he's letting YOU watch conference, that's most important.
• Apostle File Folder matching game: HUGE SUCCESS! Carter was able to look at the screen and find the apostle on the folder! And he remembered them on Monday night, too! We'd ask him a name and he'd find it! Way to go! We used this game at the church on Sunday morning.
• General Conference Coloring Book: HUGE SUCCESS! We used it at home on Sunday afternoon!
• We ditched the snack ideas, but they would have been fun if I had had more ambition.
• Best idea for Saturday: Go out and do something totally exciting and involved with the kids between sessions--this way we engaged with them for 2 hours and they were happier to play on their own for the next session. Going to the beach to play in the sand and chase seagulls worked WONDERS!
• Invite good friends who are really good parents themselves to come watch conference with you and help maintain reverence. (Not bad that they also brought a back up DVD for emergency entertainment)
• Oh yes, and don't miss silly moments because you're trying to keep things quiet. This was a RIOT when Christopher Harmon put the pom-pom on his head for hair! He even had the babies laughing!

Hooray for conference and successfully being able to watch *and enjoy* all four sessions!

General Conference Ideas?

I love General Conference! I can't help but notice a personal change in my experience with conferences now that I'm also attending to the needs of my small kids. There are so many packets and activities floating around right now for kids to be entertained and focused during conference, but they're geared to really 5 years and up. Do you have ideas for a 2 1/2 year old?

Also, your opinion as to what should be realistically expected out of a 2 year old for 4 2-hour sessions of conference would be greatly appreciated, too.

Here are some ideas I've come up with:

Have 1 new "Conference" activity per session. If I get really ambitious, 1 per half hour would be more appropriate.

1. Make a file folder game out of the 12 Apostle Matching Cards
2. Conference coloring book with images I get from the web, scripture people, prophets, temple, etc.
3. Print out footprints and make a trail around the house. "Follow the footsteps of Christ" and find a picture of Christ at the end--a game to play during a song, perhaps.
4. Have pictures of the apostles around the TV so he can look for them through Conference.
5. Conference snacks for each session during the intermediate hymn (any ideas???)

• Pretzel sticks in the shape of the SL Temple, then chow down during the intermediate hymn, Click Here for a SL Temple clipart.
• Cover a picture with Graham Cracker Squares. As they eat the squares, the picture appears! Click Here for the picture of the Savior we are using (and coloring in first).

Bottom's Up

Hooray!  I've updated my blog...therefore I'm no longer at the bottom of your blog list!

Sweet Escape

We went out to eat last night and discovered an awesome restaurant:

Key Wester, in Naperville.

It was like going here

...without spending this

We ate in a waterfall room, all decked out with Trees, sharks, swordfish, a waterfall, etc.  

It's worth going to this restaurant to just SEE the decor and their 2200 gallon Tropical Fish tank.

Our scrumptious meal?

Banana Crust Tilapia--Fresh tilapia fillet, topped with bananas & a sweet tropical crust, baked to a golden brown & served over coconut rice surrounded by a coconut milk & pepper sauce & a side of vegetables.

Sweet Potato Crusted Trout:  Rainbow trout topped with sweet potatoes & baked to a golden brown served in an apple cider butter sauce, with the coconut rice & Grilled aspargus.

Spinach & Artichoke Dip: The creamiest yummiest I've ever had, served with seasoned Pita Chips.

SOOO YUMMY!!!!

And they had such a tempting dessert: A chocolate treasure box filled with tropical fruit and white chocolate mousse.

We didn't order that.  Instead we went to Portillo's for the "infamous" Chocolate Cake Shake.  Sorry, folks.  I heard SO MANY RAVING reviews, and have to say, I'm not as excited about it like you are.  I guess I wasn't a fan of the cake crumbs all throughout the shake, and would have preferred, perhaps, a Brownie shake, with big clumps you have to spoon out at the end.  Yep, that's how I like it.  But, I'm glad I tried it.

All in all, if you want to try fish that DOESN'T taste like fish, this was the place to go :)