Funny Frog

I just wanted to point out the underpants.  Too bad that only lasted 1 day...

We often go around the block together- The Frog on his bike and me in the stroller.  Well, the other day I thought it would be fun to go to the grocery store together, not thinking about what I would do with The Frog once I got there...  Well, he got his first trip to the store outside the shopping cart, and when I got to the checkout, we ended up with a bag of Dum Dums and some "Phineas & Ferb" bandaids that I didn't pick out.  Here he is making the most of his new bandaids...

A preview of my Halloween costume this year:

Kid Conversatoin

Today The Frog wanted an Otter Pop, and I always make him take off his clothes (for obvious reasons).  Once doing that, I immediately noticed the saggy state of his diaper and told him I needed to change it first.  He says to me:

The Frog: "Mom, don't you wanna know how I feel about it?"
Me: "Sure"
The Frog: (sincerely) "I like being squishy."

Then later today we walked to the grocery store (The Frog rode his new bike) to try and get some fennel (which they didn't have).  I realized to late that this meant I couldn't trap The Frog in a shopping cart (because I had to carry around his bike and push Peach in the stroller).  It could have been worse, but let's just say I ended up buying some character band aids and a bag of dum dums that I wasn't planning on purchasing...

When we first walked into the store, they had a little Halloween display and I kept calling to The Frog, trying to get him to join me in produce.  This is what he said to me:

"Mom, I'm just curious about this stuff!  I'm curious, mom!"

Iris maintains fame!

I had to miss a super intense volleyball game on Tuesday because Jay was presenting at a conference in Japan.  Timpview ended up beating Maple Mountain after a grueling 5 matches.  Luckily, a better photographer was there to show me some highlights.  Check out this article and these pictures!

Go Iris!

Kid Conversation

Peach is amidst her you're-welcome-to-try-to-change-my-diaper-but-heck-if-i'm-going-to-stay-here-while-you-replace-it stage.  Which means I usually have to pin her by the hips until I can get the second velcro tab in place (while she adamantly protests).

Yesterday, during said protestation, The Frog runs up to me with Spiderman in hand and in the best raspy voice a 3-year-old can muster says:
"Let her go!"
and shoots me with webbing.

General Update

I've realized that it's been awhile since I've documented some of the recent achievements of my munchkins.  I know I won't remember them all now, but maybe I'll add things as I think of them later...

 Peach has become quite strong-willed and she can't be denied of anything her brother gets anymore.  He asks for milk, she wants some too.  He has a car, she needs one.  He gets up from the table during dinner to run around (much to my chagrin and constant disapproval.)  Our once peaceable baby is giving me great incentive to get her older brother to be better behaved.  It's clear that his example has an effect on her.

 The Frogs latest endeavor is to build "castles" out of our sofa cushions.  I'm sure I put them back at least twice a day lately...  Peach, of course, likes to be involved as well.

 Peach has become more aware of speaking and often tries to mimic the last thing you said.  Just today The Frog got a banana for himself, so of course, she wanted one too.  She pointed at his banana and started fussing and so I asked her if she wanted a banana and she assured me with a "nana".

She's been saying "bye bye" for a long time, and says it constantly with any object she can find held up to her ear.  She's also started saying "baby" in the last month, usually while patting her own chest, or squeezing and patting any stuffed animal in sight.  It's completely adorable.

 She is threatening to walk every day- taking a step or two more than yesterday without falling.  Although I don't blame her for being hesitant because it seems like every time she's on a roll, her brother promptly crashes her to the ground.  You can tell by her cries of frustration that it hurts her pride more than her body.

The Frog also likes to use our kitchen chairs as a "spaceship" and whenever I try to put them away for us to eat he says, (in the classic whiney tone) "But MOOoooooOOM!" and then adds thoughtfully, "but what will I use as a spaceship?"

The Frog is constantly correcting me and punching holes in commands-
"Actually, it's a castle mom, not a house."

Me: "Please come sit down so I can change your diaper."
The Frog: "Actually, you want me to lie down, right?"

At dinner, The Frog keeps poking Peach,
Me: "Please keep your hands to yourself"
The Frog instantly begins kicking her legs...

He is very clever and pedantic, even at 3.  I wonder where he gets that from...

September Birthday's Party

Now that my parents are back from their mission, they like to have an almost-monthly dinner for local family to celebrate everyone who has a birthday.  We have amazingly accumulated 6 September birthdays in our family!  Here are a few pics:

Cousin S chasing Peach

Iris's Volleyball season starts!

It has been so fun to go to Iris's volleyball games (it helps that they have won every game so far...) and I have certainly gained a great respect for sports photographers.  It is HARD to get a good picture of the action!  They start every game lined up and name the players.  At home games, when their name is called, they wave and throw a t-shirt into the crowd.  Iris (6) always gets called first and the first game was at Provo High and they totally butchered the pronunciation (basically they made took a Japanese name, removed a syllable and made it an American name.) and she didn't realize they were announcing her. haha

I really really really wanted to get a reel of photos that showed her serving, but it's pretty hard.  Jay and I both took over 200 pictures trying to get a couple that show you how awesome she is, but everything goes so fast it's super hard.  (and they move so fast they're almost always blurry...)  Here is a conglomeration of more than one serve to make a mini "reel" from their game agains Provo:

We call this next one the "crazy hair" shot:

 I think it's so awesome that even though she's only 5'3", she's one of their main hitters.

ka-BAM!

aaand she does it again...

We brought the whole family to watch her JV game and decided we will never do that again...  Now we just take turns going to JV and Varsity (the games she plays) for home games (or Provo 'cause it's close too).

Timpview and Provo are rivals and I think Provo has been the best in the league in the past, but we beat them this year- much to everyone's surprise.  It was epic.  They had to play 4 matches- won the first 2, lost #3, and won #4.

This is game 2 at Timpview against Timpanogos.

Again, they had to play 4 matches- it was intense.  Well worth being an hour late to my book club. :)

Game 3 vs. Springville, I gave up trying to take pictures BUT here is a link on The Daily Herald of a MOVIE of shots from the game and an interview with the coach.  Iris is pictured many times.  (it's obvious who she is because she's the only Asian...) I would just like to point out that I am in the background when the coach is talking- orange shirt, crazy crimped hair, and turquoise bag.  oh yeah.  I wasn't even trying.  I don't think they mentioned it, but Timpview beat Springville pretty easily, which is awesome considering their past (which they mention).

The Deseret News picks out names of players that were especially helpful in each game, and Iris is specifically mentioned vs. Provo and Timpanogos.

Though it's hard to pinpoint one thing that has made this year so successful for Timp, I'm willing to bet that Iris is at least one of those reasons :)

Too bad I can't claim any of her talent is because of me...

Nice job Iris!

Happy Birthday Frog!

The Frog turned 3!  3 is the first odd prime, so that's pretty cool...  I couldn't stand to make The Frog wait until dinner to open our present to him, so I wheeled it in first thing:

 We got him a Strider PREbike!  He really has been talking a lot about bikes lately, but he has a really hard time with the pedals on his tricycle, so when I saw these, I thought it would be perfect.  It helps you learn how to ride a two-wheeler, without the pedals- so it's appropriate for younger kids.



I had been asking The Frog all week what he wanted to eat for his birthday dinner and breakfast and he kept saying "an apple".  Finally I started suggesting things "how about pizza?" and he finally decided he wanted to have pizza for breakfast.  So here we are.  (notice the apple too)

Whenever we eat The Frog always asks me, "mom, does it stain?" and if I say "yes" he takes off his shirt and requests that Jay do the same.

Surprise, Iris!

The Frog often likes to "make cupcakes" when I'm cooking which means he climbs up on to the counter, gets out the cupcake papers, and fills them with sprinkles.  So long ago I asked him what kind of birthday cake he wanted this year and he said "pink."  I asked him several times since then and every time he says the same thing so I just dyed a white cake pink.

He, of course, wanted to put in his own candles.

Here he is getting ready to eat his requested birthday dinner- pancakes.  (I think the 3 turned out pretty well if I do say so myself...)  He's still learning how to put up 3 fingers- quite the challenge!

And finally, the moment The Frog has been waiting for...

He just loves to blow out the candles (on everyone's cake...) and they didn't even make it through "Happy Birthday".

The girls.

The pink cake.

The ever messy...

sugar coated...

I think this is the first year The Frog knew exactly what to do with the wrapped objects.

Nanie & Gampie sent these.  Thanks!! He loves them!

The matching set!  He has tons of fun in the sandbox, and now I get to find piles of sand all over the yard.  Hurray!  ;)  (ok, I admit it, I can't help but smile...)

And he's also showcasing something an older neighbor kid gave to him- a Spiderman car with a spiderman action figure inside (that can come out to play with).  He was going to take it to the DI because when you turn it on, it no longer drives around on it's own, though the headlights still turn on.  Our neighbor was holding it when The Frog rode by on his new bike and The Frog wanted to play with it.  Our neighbor gave it to him for his birthday and he has no clue that it doesn't even work properly.  As far as he's concerned, it's awesome.  He takes great pleasure running around the house saving things and casting webs at his sister.  (better than casting toys...) 

Happy Birthday Frog!  I can't believe how big you are and how much fun it is to have you around.