I like to sit next to the boys

Todays conversation with Michael about pre-school:

Mom: How was pre-school?
Michael: Good.
Mom: Was Isac there?
Michael: Yes, and so was Jaxon and Jacob?
Mom: Did you sit next to them?
Michael: Yes.
Mom: Did you sit next to any girls?
Michael: No, I only like to sit next to the boys.
Mom: Oh... How come you don't like to sit next to any girls?
Michael: Because boys fart and if I need to fart I want to fart by the boys.

Just Stuff

"Yea, you found me"


"Hey-I'm in here"


Mattie's new glasses

This week the boys had their well checks.

Michael -age 5
Weight: 43 pounds
Height: 44.75 inches

David - age 11 months
Weight: 19.5 lbs
Height: 29.5 inches

Both boys are growing so much and I imagine {and hope} that they will both be tall. I'm not 100 sure on Mattie but when she was at the doctor at the beginning of October she weighed 21 lbs and i'm guessing she is about 3 inches taller than David.

Also this week Mattie got her new glasses and I have to say she looks so darn cute. She is a little bit better about wearing this pair. Also this week she has really worked hard on using the toy push walker. She is taking a few steps and is even starting to bend her knee when she takes the step. She is so proud of her self for doing it. The problem is little brother.... He loves this toy and has no problem pushing Mattie out of the way to use it.

On Thursday Mattie kept pointing at Michael's shows and I kept saying Michael. After many times of this she said "dichael" Oh... I was so excited. She has not said it since then but we are still working on it and soon it will be another word for her.

David has a new thing he likes to do. He will go into a room and close the door. Then start calling out to us. When we go and find him I will call his name and then he sticks his fingers under the door. I will open the door just a little bit and then he will open the rest stick his head around the door and give ya this big ol' smile. It is so funny.

Michael has been really enjoying pre-school and is doing really well. He has made some great friends and the rumor is a little girl in his class has a crush on him and she even gave him a kiss. He is a great little guy and a big helper to Dan and I. He loves to play with Mattie and David. He always has them laughing about something. Mattie and David find Michael funnier than Dan and I.

Fall Memories

When I think about fall I think about bright colors, cooler weather and the smell. In Arizona you look forward to this time with a glimmering hope that the 100 degree days are over. I get excited to think that it will start to cool off and the idea of buying things such as pumpkins, flowers, and apples. I get excited to buy fall decor and to decorate for the season and upcoming fall time holidays. For Halloween, the big mystery of what to be for Halloween this year dances in my head. As a parent it is fun to dress your kids ups and with older children to see their excitement of what they want to be is pure joy. As a little kid I grew up in a rural area and we did not have any neighbors that were close to us. For Halloween my parents would take us to the town carnival. It was not until I was 9 years old that I got to experience trick or treating for the first time.

There are many memories and thoughts that I associate with fall but I have one in particular that I want to share. Every year on Halloween my brother and I would receive a package from my Grandma and Grandpa Anderson. With the package was a note.

“The other night as I was getting ready for bed I heard a noise and then a knock on the door. It was an old ugly witch and she had a special treat for you. She wanted me to send this to you because she thought that you might like it. I told her thank you and that I’m sure my grand kids will enjoy it. As I took the package I watched her hop on her broom say her magic word and watch her fly off into the dark sky.”

I looked forward to this special package every year because it was always fudge. As a little kid I could not believe that a witch stopped at my Grandma and Grandpa’s house in Payson and brought my brother and I fudge. I always had a picture of what the witch would look like and how she looked on her broom. I guess I believed that it could really be a witch, because I used to think the lady who lived a few houses down from Grandma and Grandpa was a witch.

Grandma and Grandpa are gone and the package does not get delivered anymore but in my heart the memory still lives. There have been a few times I tried to re-create the fudge recipe and it never turns out. I guess there is only one person who has the magic touch.

David's new toy is the trash can because he can push it around the kitchen


The vacuum cleaner is the favorite toy. It is hard to tell in the picture but Mattie and David like to lick it. Weird? Gross? It is a great tool to use when I need to occupy them.


I love this picture of Mattie with her new shopping cart. The look on her face as she is looking at Dan is priceless. The cart will hopefully help her in getting to walk (notice the leg braces)

Typical Monday

Monday's are usually filled with doctor appointments or running errands. Yesterday was both but had some bonus fun added into it. My mom came over at 6 AM to watch the boys so Dan and I could take Mattie to Phoenix Children's Hospital for her barium swallow test. She did great and has some improvement but still has to use thickener in her liquids. I should clarify for people who don't know that a barium swallow for kid is different than adults. She sits in this funky looking chair and I feed her food and drinks with the barium mixture added into it. The test takes about 30 minutes. After the test we drove to Cracker Barrel at the 17 and Deer Valley Rd (I know crazy) for breakfast. It was a chore getting there because the freeway exit was closed. We had to back track use some side streets and after making a wrong turn finally figured it out and then realizing a huge billboard sign said "Cracker Barrel Turn Here". I told Dan I think someone is mocking us. After that we went to Easley's Fun Shop and looked around for Halloween costume ideas for all of us. We got some costume props for the kids and I'm so excited for Halloween so they can wear them because they will be so darn cute! After Easley's we went to Carolina's to get some delicious tortillas. If anyone has been there you know what I'm talking about. As we entered the tiny run down restaurant the smell of the savory food over-whelmed us and we decided to once again fill our already full stomachs. After we paid our OUCH 35 dollar bill. we walked OK wobbled away with very happy bellies and freshly made tortillas and tamales. After lunch we went to Chandler Mall to walk around. Before leaving we headed into See's Candies for our free sample and we left with a purchase of Pecan Clusters that we snacked on the way home. Mattie had the best spirit all day long. She has a great personality and waves at everyone but yesterday she was double happy. Dan and I think it was because it was just her and she was getting all the attention from mom and dad. When we got home we put Mattie's new shopping cart together and played with the kids for the afternoon. I feel the need to lose an additional 10 pounds for all of the eating but it was worth it for the wonderful day that I spent with Dan and Mattie. It was also wonderful to come home to my boys and play with them.

P.S. Any guesses on what we had for dinner?

MoNkEyS

I love these outfits so much and soooo describes their little personalities. They are all over the place, into everything and make the big messes. Dan and I crack up every time we see these little monkey butts. It makes me want to wash these outfits every night and have them wear them for bedtime every night. It was Michael who found the outfit for David and I checked and sure enough they had the girl version.

Binoculars

Last night Michael was playing with one of his police guys and he told Dan.

"Dad look my guy has a set of knockers just like you"

Dan and I both looked at him.

"What"

"He has a pair of knockers like you" "see"

"Oh,ya he does he has a pair binoculairs just like I do".

Notice Something Missing

I had a free cake coupon at Bashas and that it what I used for Michael's Birthday cake. Unfortunately they missed the word "birthday" on the cake. Dan and I thought it was funny and felt that we had no room to complain since it was a free cake.

I guess that is what I get for being cheap!