Inflatable Fun

We're going to be out of town again during Hyrum's Christmas birthday. I really wanted to give him a real invite-who-he-wants-and-choose-the-venue kind of party. His choice was the "balloon house" and his guests were 11 rowdy little buddies from church and school.

I don't know if this picture completely illustrates the dog pile of boys in the center. The party was "dinosaur" themed, but it should have been WWF. There was PLENTY of wrestling, kicking, punching, jumping on top of, and laughing all at the same time.

Even the babies got to play.




Hyrum's only melt-down. I was so happy there was only one!

Hyrum was always such a cautious and careful kid until he reached 4 years. I didn't ever know how lucky I was not to have a daredevil.

This pics for my sis Luci, she doesn't think I'm in enough pictures:)

Our great friends the Thornocks- Kellen had amazing insight and volunteered to come help out with parental supervision. I was so grateful to our friends who stayed. Not only was it helpful, but it was much more fun for the "big kids".

Here's the Mackay's- we SO love them!

And of course the Lamms. If you can't find Ivy, chances are she's with Brent, her boyfriend.

Such cute kids! (just don't tell them I called them cute)

Here's our purple fashion show (and yellow).

After EVERYONE was completely exhausted, we headed into the party room for some pizza and cake.

Hyrum had his own blow up thrown of course!

I have absolutely no idea what's on Ivy's shirt.

Hyrum doesn't like cake, he's weird, I know. But, he LOVES doughnuts, so I made him a cake out of doughnuts. It's supposed to look like a dinosaur volcano. I made it while he was at school, so excited to show him when he came home. When he saw it he just started crying, "But, Mom! I wanted a real cake!" Can't ever win I guess.

It's not gonna win Food Netword Cake Challenge, but it was pretty fun and yummy.

Opening presents was a crazy whirlwind of wrapping paper and tissue. At least I saw him open our gift (a train set and table). He was super excited and immediatly came over and thanked me with a big, excited hug.

It was a great party with lots of adorable kids and good friends.

And no, he didn't eat his doughnut, just in case you were wondering.

Halloween Fun

We had a terrific Halloween, starting with carving our pumpkins. Hyrum completely surprised us by doing his all by himself (besides the taking out the guts part). He drew out his plans ahead of time on his Magnidoodle, compared and contrasted each drawing to make sure it had the right amount of spookiness, cut open the beast, and completed the whole thing in no time. He carved Ivy's also (Ivy went to bed early and missed all the fun).

Bry's is the pirate, mine's Frankenstein, and Hyrum's are the cute little faces.

Next was the Ward shindig the night before Halloween.

I made Bry dress as Ace Ventura, his alter ego (yes, seriously).

There were tons of games and yummy chili. Hyrum loved running around with all his superhero friends. Ivy loved giving me a heart-attack by disappearing into the crowd. After dinner and games we went Trunk-or-Treating in the parking lot.

Finally Halloween day came with rain and hot, muggy temperatures! Welcome to Virginia! At least the kids didn't have to wear snow parkas and cover up their costumes.

We went Trick-or-Treating with our friends the Didlake's and had a blast with their darling little girl. Many of our neighbors gave us gallon size bags of goodies for Hyrum and Ivy. They even remembered Ivy's allergies and only included foods that were safe for her. I was so touched that they even remembered her allergies. We have such great neighbors!

We spent the day watching movies, eating spooky shaped pancakes, and telling scary stories (all of Hyrum's ended with the victim karate chopping the monster to victory). We ended the night playing with glow sticks in the pitch black until way after the kid's bedtime. It was a great Halloween weekend with all our Virginia friends.

A Day at the Farm

This year's Berry Farm excursion was a momentous occasion due to the fact that Bry actually took the day off of school. This is a huge deal for our favorite school-a-holic. It transformed a day that would have been exhausting and frustrating into one of the best family days EVER.

This is Ivy's special backpack. It holds her priceless EpiPen, just in case she gets an allergic reaction. Bry carried it for her all day- REAL men sport Strawberry Shortcake backpacks!

Hayrides are great for snuggles.

The kids were already getting photo-shooted-out.

They still had some cute smiles in them though!

Ivy kept screaming, "PUNKIN! PUNKIN!" People would look over to make sure she wasn't being murdered. Nope, that's just her volume.


Here's what everyone picked:



After pumpkin picking we explored the farm.

We enjoyed duck races (rubber ducks), chickens, turkeys, goats, cows, sheep, bunnies, and an emu- with Ivy screaming the names and sounds of the animals the whole time. But our favorite event, by far, was the pig races. The first one to the platform gets a cookie!

Who can resist the wooden signs with places to stick your head?

After lunch we were brave and tried our luck in the huge corn maze. This could have been a big mistake, but the kids loved it and we followed a parade of people that seemed to know what they were doing.

Our last stop is my favorite of the day. The corn pit. It was getting hot and the corn was cool and so dang fun. The whole family jumped in and laughed and played. We found corn in the funniest places for the rest of the day including Hyrum's ear, Ivy's diaper, and all our unmentionables. So if we ever get lost just follow the corn trail!

The Life of an Allergic Toddler

Our dear Ivy girl is officially one of those kids I always felt so bad for. (And I'm one of those moms I was so glad I wasn't.) She is allergic to peanuts, eggs, and milk. So her list of non life-threatening foods is pretty short.

We knew she had problems with milk from a very early age due to the unmistakable hint of vomiting every time she ingested dairy. I was sure we eliminated all dairy from her diet, but I still noticed a rash around her mouth on occasion. She also kept having tummy problems. I knew this because she would lift up her little shirt so I could see her bare belly and say "Urt, Urt". So I took her to a cruel Allergist who pricked her back, informed us of her diagnosis, and sent us packing without any advice, cookbooks, or enlightenment whatsoever as to what we were supposed to do next.



For the first month after I found out the terrible news I hardly let her leave the house, afraid she'd go into anaphylactic shock at any moment. She'd previously eaten peanuts and eggs and only had a mild reaction- but the doctor said, "She could have a serious reaction at any time!" Oh how those words haunt me!

Life is starting to get back to normal. I am finding lots of great recipes for the whole fam to enjoy. I never knew there were so many great vegan alternatives to "regular food". Bry, Hyrum and I still eat food she can't -especially eggs and milk. She is actually super sweet about the deprivation (surprisingly). She informs us when she wants the food we're currently eating by opening her mouth wide and saying "Ahhh". We only have to explain that it will give her a tummy ache and she drops it and moves on. I have a feeling she remembers all those tummy aches and long nights.

To Punish or Not to Punish

I love having a child who is not a baby. He can dress, feed, wash, wipe, and entertain himself. He doesn't scream at my feet if I'm trying to do the dishes or make dinner. He doesn't constantly ask for milk and then throw it on the floor and scream (again with the screaming) for no reason. Independence is a great thing. Very slowly a burden is being lifted off my shoulders.

For some reason babies make me feel claustrophobic, like I'm trapped forever with no escape. Hyrum is helping me realize babyhood doesn't last FOREVER, which in turn is helping me enjoy the baby years more.

Along with independence comes more complicated issues though. Nothing is black and white anymore. For example: The other day I went to pick up Hyrum at preschool and his teacher pulled me aside and explained that Hyrum had a problem pushing that day. I was surprised. Hyrum isn't an aggressive boy and we've never had an issue at his school before. I didn't take it too seriously though, I assumed the boys were playing a little rough and Hyrum was the one who got caught. So on the way home I explained in my most authoritative voice that we never push. Hyrum's anxious response startled me: "But, MOM! They wouldn't stop scaring Sara! Sara's my friend and I had to protect her!"

Ummm... do I punish my child for trying to protect a friend? Am I a "Zero Tolerance" Mom? I tried to explain that pushing is unacceptable if the offender is only teasing. BUT if someone is actually hurting him or another person he can kick and bite and push all he wants in order to get away. It's so difficult to teach kids to be polite, but if someone crosses a line, to become a super ninja.

No matter what phase of life my kids are in, motherhood is HARD- in a beautiful, exciting and courageous sort of way.

Best Buds

Hyrum and Ivy have formed such a powerful bond in their short little lives. I feel so fortunate to witness their friendship blossom every day. We are SO LUCKY Hyrum is such a gentle and unselfish big brother. He sets the example and Ivy loves to follow.

The first word out of Ivy's mouth every morning is "HYWUM!" She CONSTANTLY asks where he is when he's at school. Whenever he is upset, (which is several times a day) you can easily see the concern and alarm on Ivy's face. She cries with him even though she has no idea what the drama is.

Hyrum is Ivy's constant protector. He explains to her that she can't run in the road or touch the hot oven in a little sing-song voice. He holds her hand while we're walking so she doesn't trip and fall. He even feeds Ivy breakfast when mom needs a few more minutes sleep. The other day Ivy wouldn't come when it was time to get in the car at the park. Hyrum and I started walking away (hoping Ivy would become frightened and run towards us-- she just kept playing) and Hyrum immediately became frantically upset thinking we were leaving his little sis. "I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE IVY, I NEED HER! (sob, sob, sob)" His absolute terror touched me so deeply, I almost broke down.

I will never be able express my gratitude that my fervent prayers have be answered positively. I can only keep praying this current felicity will continue into their teenage years!

Ivy Speaks

Every time I turn on the camera my rambunctious, talkative, and hilarious kids turn into little zombies. They'll be singing songs or playing a clever little game and I'll rush to find the dang thing, turn it on without them noticing, and then record five minutes of them staring at the camera. It's like they know there's pressure attached to the little device in mom's hands. Maybe they can sense my anxiety as I send the do something really cute and funny vibes. So every time you watch one of our videos, just remember, right before I turned on the camera they were doing something really entertaining!

Here's our little Ivy girl doing what she does best- Telling us over and over again what an object is just in case we forgot what she said two seconds ago:

Out to the Races

We won two free tickets (through our grocery store receipt) to the International Raceway in Richmond. Nascar is a huge deal around here and it was an great chance to see what all the hype was about. I so generously out of the love of my charitable heart gave up my tickets for Hyrum (who I knew would appreciate it much more than me).

Hyrum loved the parachute guy with the American flag.

Bry was BRILLIANT-as always- and brought ear plugs which were a lifesaver.


I didn't miss all the noise and the beer guzzling, cigar smoking, sailor mouthed men. But I sure wish I could have been there to see Hyrum's eyes light up with excitement to see the real Lighting McQueen. He really loved it. Now whenever he sees a checkered flag (which are all over the place all of a sudden) he thinks we're in a race.

Wecome to the Family

These last few months have been crazy busy for accumualting new members of the family.

First, my baby sis is engaged to a fun and handsome dude, Zack. We actually spent some time with him over the Summer and were very impressed. We think he'll be a great new brother. Welcome to the crazy Webb family Zack!

Next, I have a delectable new baby nephew James.

He's PAINFULLY CUTE.

And I promise I won't call him Jimmy, even if I really want to Tyler!

And last, but certainly not least is our new Betta Fish who thinks he's a shark.

He's a feisty little fish who devours his flake food like a piranha and even attacks the fish net. What name did Hyrum bestow on this belligerent fish?

Dorothy.

Meet the Crew

(For the Journal)

Captain Smarts of the Dawn Treader 2.

Also known as "the Dentist".

For this swashbuckler torments his prey by giving shots and filling cavities.

Madame Quartermaster

This feindish female uses tickle tourture to induce giggle fits. Has been known to poison unsuspecting victims with her cooking. Beware her craft room. Many a noble gent has entered never to be seen again...

Gripes

Don't be fooled by his piety and charm, this terror of the seas can mope and whine until the hardiest pirate will beg for Davy Jone's Locker!

Squirts

This red-headed spit fire pillages and plunders every cuboard, drawer, garbage and clean clothes pile in the land with no mercy.