Father's Day Weekend

In our house, Father's and Mother's day is all weekend long. We started our weekend off a bit early by taking Brody to see Toy Story 3 late afternoon last Friday. John was originally going to do a Father/Son outing, but I wanted to see it too, so we got a babysitter for Piper. Since most of our tickets were free from buying the Toy Story Blu-ray's, we bought Brody a kids meal of popcorn, drink and fruit snacks to keep him entertained. He did great and the movie was SO good! We all loved it!

John asked me to plan our Saturday for him since he is usually the planner of most of our outings. He is very selfless and refuses to do anything for himself, but rather always does what I want to do. I know I have a great guy, but it makes it hard for me to do anything for him unless I surprise him. So, I had the whole day planned and he had no idea. We first went to get some breakfast: donuts for the kids, a bagel for me, and then off to his favorite Chronic Taco for their famous breakfast burritos.

The kids loved their donuts and milk.

Then we were off to Nickel-Nickel for some arcade games. We have been wanting to go for a while and I thought that Brody would love it. To our disappointment, it went out of business. It has only been there the last 7 years we have lived here and now, when we decide to go, it is gone? It must have just happened because the website still shows it was at that location and the sign was still up. Too bad. Instead we drove around an area we hadn't ever been to before and dreamed of living in there gorgeous million dollar homes. By this time Piper had fallen asleep, so we headed home to rest, get ready for out next adventure, and wait for the singing telegram. The YW in our ward had a fundraiser for camp and brought the dad's chocolate-covered pretzels, a card from the kids and me, and serenaded them. John said it was pretty awkward being sung to by YW, but loved the gifts.

Brody thought it was funny that Piper was wearing his Toy Story "packpack' There he is in the background. Doesn't Piper look so cute and grownup?!
In the early afternoon, I told John I would be back in a minute, but to be ready to go when I got back. I tried throwing him off by saying I need to stop by a store while he was home with the kids and that we were all going somewhere after. Instead I picked up our babysitter, came back and then we were off on a date together. He may have caught on to what I was doing. He was very excited though when we got to the theater and he saw we were going to watch A-team. Truthfully, I was very excited to go see it too :) It sure didn't disappoint either. We really enjoyed every second of it. Great movie!After the movie, my plan was to go to dinner at his favorite Mexican restaurant Miguel's. We weren't as hungry as we expected after our breakfast, so we went to Claim Jumper instead and shared an appetizer and dessert. After dinner, we came home and spent the rest of the evening with the kids and then just relaxed. It wasn't a big extravagant day, but it was just a fun time together.

On Sunday it was more low key. I made him a big breakfast of an omelet, sausages, and toast. Then he got to open his gifts from the kids and me. He got new work/church shoes, a tie that he is wearing below, and a little monster looking toy that is squishy and lights up. The toy was in the dollar aisle of Target and Brody insisted on getting it for Daddy. Brody was so excited about all the gifts. He couldn't contain his excitement and blurted out when John was opening his tie that he was also getting shoes. Too bad John hadn't opened the shoes yet. I was actually impressed that he kept it in that long. Oh how I LOVE kids!

John with his little munchkins after church. I wanted to take pictures before church, but I was holding us all up and we ran out the door just to make it in time. Good thing we found a padded bench or I could have been in hot water on Father's Day. Since our church gets out at 5 pm, we don't do any big Sunday dinners. I asked John all week what he wanted for to eat, but he never gave me any ideas, so we had . . . . . . . . . .sandwiches for dinner! I thought my breakfast was good enough, but he still likes to remind and tell people that is what he had for Father's Day dinner just to see how I react. I made up for it the next night and made him his favorite, Chicken Cordon Bleu. After dinner, John shared his chocolate covered pretzels with the family and it got kind of messy.The kids are so lucky to have such a wonderful Daddy and I to have the best husband ever! He is a great provider, hardworking, very smart, puts his family first and always there for us, selfless, loves to make us laugh, reliable, helpful, and of course very handsome :). The list goes on and on. We have also been blessed with amazing dads and grandfathers that have and do bless our lives. I am thankful for my own dad that is such a good example to me on how to live my life right. Hope all you dads had a wonderful Father's Day too.

Downtown Disney with Old and New Friends

The Saturday before last, we met up with one of John's old mission companions who was in town vacationing at Disneyland with his family. We met them at Downtown Disney and walked around. Before all the fun, we were hanging out at home and I was just with Piper in the back and then came to the front room. After a few minutes I noticed that she was still back there and it was suspiciously quiet. John asked me where Piper was and then headed back to check on her. I was fully expecting her caked in makeup and lipstick everywhere (she LOVES my makeup), or something like that. John calls me back, my heart stops, and I find this.
Of course I had to take a picture! It was so cute! She barely (and I mean barely since this is probably the 2nd time she has ever done this) ever falls asleep while playing. I knew she was tired, but not this tired. You have to know Piper, she is not a great sleeper and fights a nap or even at nighttime. She cries and cries when she is put in her crib and now that she is more vocal, she will tell me "no!" when I tell her it is night nights time. I really think she just doesn't like to sleep alone, because cuddled next to John or me, she sleeps great. It is a real problem sometimes. Just today she learned how to climb out of her crib. And at nap time today, she climbed out 4 times!!! I locked her in her room and let her cry for a while, so she knew I wasn't letting her out. After a while, I got her out, held her for a while and she crashed on my bed. Oh man, life just got a little bit harder!

After her nap, it was off to Downtown Disney. The kids had a lot of fun playing in the fountains while us parents caught up on life. This was the first time I had met Paul and his family and it was really fun getting to know them. Piper would have jumped right in if I had let her. She loved that water!Brody having so much fun playing with his new friend Joshua. Brody told us later as we were leaving, "I really like my new friend Joshua" Too bad they don't live closer or we would have more fun together. Just after this picture was taken. . . . . . .

. . . . .this happened. It is hard to tell, but Joshua fell straight in to the fountain. It was really hard not to laugh. Poor guy was not very happy though.Piper checking things out. and more things.We made our way down to the Lego store. It is pretty amazing to see the lego built statues on display. I would hate to be in charge of constructing those. Can you tell what Piper is sitting on?
A 15 ft giraffe of course!
Woody was there too. He was pretty popular. Everyone wanted to get a picture with him.Once Brody saw the Legos table, he was hooked. He has really loved playing with the little Legos lately. Maybe it is time to get him some. I have been holding off because Piper still loves to stash things in her mouth.Paul and John, still great friends after all this time.We had a great time with their family and hope to get together again soon!

Trip to the Doctor

We took our first trip to the doctor for stitches 2 weeks ago. With how active Brody is, I am actually surprised, but still grateful, that it took this long. It all started at park day when he fell climbing the stairs in the playground and hit his head on the rubber ground. It really wasn't that bad, but since it was on the forehead it bled a lot and created quite the commotion. He was in tears too, of course. I worked on stopping the bleeding as my wonderful friend Angela ran home to get some band aids. You would think I would be fully supplied with all of that, but I was not and STILL am not. I need to get a bit more prepared. Shame on me!

It wasn't until we came home and got showered up did we go over to the doctor. Most of the bleeding had stopped, but it was still in need of a stitch or two to keep it closed. Luckily for Brody, the doctor used Dermabond to glue it shut. Brody was pretty excited to be at the doctor. He always loves going there. We'll just wait and see when he goes back for his kindergarten shots if he'll still be loving it.

Goofing off as usual. He was pretty demanding and asked the nurse for TWO stickers and one for Piper. She was nice enough to comply with his demands. We had lots of time to talk about manners while waiting for the doctor.

Piper was great too while we waited.

John had met us at the doctor after work and took the kids home after we were done while I went to our Stake's annual blood drive. Is it weird that I look forward to those things? It probably is. I try and donate every chance I get. If I forgot the Red Cross is always calling to remind me. I guess I feel like it is one way I can serving others.

Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Weekend was full of surprises and relaxation. That Saturday, John told me to get dressed nice and that we were going out. I love his surprises! I thought for sure it was dinner at our favorite place, Scott's, since we were driving that way, but no. As we passed the Orange County Performing Arts buildings I noticed a very large sign hanging on its building like the one above. I only hoped that it was where we were headed and, sure enough, it was. I have been wanting to see this show for SO long! We had talked about wanting to go see it, but I had no idea that he actually bought tickets back in January. We had great seats a few rows back and just to the left of the stage. The show was AMAZING! I was in awe of the elaborate costumes and the engineering of props was fascinating. That was probably the best part of the whole show for me and worth paying the money to go. The cast was great too. My favorite character was Rafiki. For those who can't remember, he was the old, wise mandrill that was kind of the narrator in the movie. For the Broadway show, they change the character into a female and gave her more of a role. The person who played her was outstanding. She sang the popular songs, Circle of Life and He Lives In You, and all the African cultural sounds and songs. I felt like I was really in Africa hanging with the locals. They added more songs to the show which were just ok, but he rest was great. I would completely recommend seeing if you have a chance. I was a bit bummed thought that I didn't bring my camera and at least take a picture of John and I. Oh well.

One Monday, we hung out and played at Grandma and Papa Brown's house with Tyler, Kristi and kids. As always, we had a lot of fun eating a good BBQ and swimming. Here is the kids table.

Brody and Piper enjoying the hotdogs.

Caught mid smile and mid bite.

After we ate, it was into the pool. The water was freezing, but the kids didn't seem to mind, especially Piper who jumped right in. This girl loves the water!Brody braved the slide and went at his usual snail pace due to his water shoes.Look at those freckles! He has definitely been in the sun the last 2 weeks.

Goofball Central

With all this fun, we didn't forget the importance of the day and all those who have died in the service of this country. We remember you and thank you.

Half Way There

Piper turned 18 months two weeks ago. She is already feeling older to us. It seems like she understands everything we say. She will answer your questions with a firm NO and even purse her lips out, or answer a sweet yesssss, yep, or ya. She repeats all words we say or ask her to say. Our favorite words she says at the moment are yummy, cheese (when taking pictures), DVD, Nemo, Caillou and Eva (Wall-E) and our all time favorite is "BOBBY". That is her name for Brody. She loves to yell his name wherever we are. We all get a kick out of it. Her vocabulary seems so much more advanced then Brody was at that age, so it has been very fun to see her learn new words.

I took her to her 18 month check up at last week and she passed. He has stayed on her growth curve and here are her stats.
Weight: 24.6 lbs (53%)
Height: 32.5 in. (70%)
Her only concern was that her soft spot is still there, but barely. Usually it closes about now, but her Dr wanted me to have her back in a month to see if it has closed. It isn't a reason to be concerned, just a precaution right now.

This is a long lost photo shoot that I took two months ago. They turned out too cute not to post.

"Here Mommy!"
"No Piper!"
She loves to take out and hand me her bows. Sigh.

I may have lost the battle with the bow, but got a perfect smiling little girl instead.

"All done!"

Piper isn't too bad about getting into things. I usually can keep up with her messes. She does though do some things that drive me nuts. I am constantly finding my dish towels on the floor. She takes them off oven when they are drying. I guess I should learn my lesson and move them somewhere else. She also loves to take off her booster seat tray and throw it on the ground. This day she thought it was fun to stand on it like a surf board. Usually 18 months signifies a very exciting time and milestone of going to her first day of nursery at church. Not so much this time. She actually has been going since she was 10 months old. John works in there 2nd hour and would take her with him. She started staying in there both hours since the beginning of the year because she was so good. I would pass by just to see if she was ok and she would be eating snacks like the rest of them in their little seats. It was SO cute! So once her first official Sunday came, it was nothing special. I am glad we didn't have to worry about any transitions or meltdowns this time around.

These two are playing more and more together. It has been so fun to see them have fun together. She loves her brother "Bobby". Piper got the stacking rings for Easter from Grandma Pitta and she uses them mostly as bracelets on her arms. Such a girl!

She is quite the book worm. Piper loves to get right on your lap to have you read to her and is frequently seen sitting somewhere looking at books. I always have library books in the car too and it makes for great rides anywhere we go.Most often, we wake up to little voices talking to each other in the other room. One morning John snuck up on them with video camera. It is the best! Brody loves to climb in Piper's crib to read books and play.

My Likes:
She has started eating a more variety of foods, like oranges and avocados and is obsessed with yogurt.
Her kisses and hugs
She loves to pick out her own clothes and is the first to pick up her shoes when I say it's time to go.
Her dance moves and singing ability. She is quiet good for her age :)
She LOVES when daddy comes home or is on the phone and has to talk to him.
She loves to look at books.
She LOVES the water. She has no fear and I have to be in the water with her always.
When she imitates us, like putting on make up or doing my hair or Brody playing with his cars
Every time she calls "Bobby"
Every time she says "I wuv you daddy/mommy"
She is the sweetest, easiest at times, cutest little girl ever!

My Dislikes:
Her teething. She got her molars in the beginning of the year, her top incisors came last month and now her bottom incisors are coming in now. The poor thing has had the hardest couple of days. Those have been the most brutal out of any others.
Her constant, whinyiness and clinginess or so it seems. She is my shadow and always by my side. I guess that is a good thing though.

LOVE my Baby Girl!

Swimming Lessons

Two weeks ago, Brody started swimming lessons. This was his third year with his teacher, Bethany, and he has become a great swimmer. This year started much like the rest with the first day producing tears. He thinks he is one smart kid too. I purposely came very early before his lesson for him to get used to it all again, play with his friends, and remember what he learned last year. The whole time he refused to put his head under the water, which prevented him from even swimming. Over and over again, I reminded him that his lesson was soon and he better start practicing, but he would just tell me that he wasn't doing swimming lessons and pretty much stomp off. I said, "Alright, you wait and see" . He knew his time was soon and finally started putting his head under and swimming great. I am pretty sure he thought that if he showed everyone that he was a great swimmer, then he wouldn't have to have his lesson. Dead wrong! Little did he know, he has a lot more to learn. He cried for about 5 minutes until he realized he wasn't getting out of it.

As the week went on, he was less hesitant and more confident and enjoyed every minute of it. She has him working on proper arm and finger position, and coming up for air as he swam the width of the pool. Here is some picture and video from the last few days of his lessons. He first started practicing with the kick board until he got it down.

After Brody would swim across the pool, he would be able to pick a ring to throw in the water. He almost got a few kids on the process, but loved and looked forward to throwing the rings. Sorry if there are a lot of videos. They are mostly for the grandparents.







The hardest thing for him has always been floating. He just hates laying on his back. He did great though this year, probably because he is older, and was even floating by himself!

Until he started to sink. . . . . :)

Pretty proud of himself after his lesson.

Piper and I were cheering him on during his lesson.Having tons of fun!On his last day of lessons, Brody and I went early to practice swimming and have fun with friends, while John was home with Piper napping. After she got up, they came over to watch his lesson. He was so excited to have daddy there watching him. Watch closely on this video. He does some fish like move at the end that is pretty funny.



Piper was busy playing with everything she could find.Can't even contain his excitement. All the kids got ring pops for their last day of swimming lessons. He was in heaven because they are his absolute favorite. We had a great week of swimming. We love his teacher Bethany and not just because she is a friend either, but because she is such a great teacher. Brody really listens and learns so much from her.Brody has really improved this year. Lately, we have been at the pool or beach for the past 2 weeks. Last week, we were swimming with friends and he was treading water in the deep in the whole time. He would jump in the deep end, tread water for a while and then swim to the edge. What?! Who is this kid! Just this last Saturday too, we went as a family and John was teaching him how to dive. He did great with his hands up and everything. So amazing! Great job Brody! We are so proud of you!