Oaklen's 4th Birthday Review

Here is a follow-up to Oaklen's birthday. It was a great day!

It was also Memorial Day so Darrell had the day off for fun filled adventures of playing with trains, nerf guns, and the water slip-n-slide. The weather was a little cold for outdoor wet activities but Oaklen convinced me to let him try it out since he go the slip-n-slide for his birthday. The ultimate was the Geotrax train that he played with for hours. I gave him a "Wendy" doll to go with his "Bob the Builder."


The evening was our annual Memorial Day BBQ with the extended family but first we had Oaklen's birthday party. His cake was actually "Cake Bites" that he helped me make then I spelled out his initials. (Equal parts cake and frosting rolled into balls, frozen, then dipped in chocolate...yum!)

Thank you all for coming and enjoying his day!

Enjoy the pics...

For Oaklen's Four

Happy Birthday Oaklen! His 3 year old days are over now he's 4 years old!

He likes garbage trucks, orange, construction trucks, trains, team geotrax, mickey & the trailer, Hi-Ho song, Jungle Book, Reading books, adding numbers, riding his tricycle, watching Dad mow the lawn, cooking, baking, eating, singing,

Here are some of the many faces of Oaklen, quite the character. You'll notice that in half of these pictures he's wearing orange, and even the same orange sweatshirt and pants. He wears them all the time, I really do wash them, I promise.

Here are some videos of Oaklen. I had a hard time deciding which ones to post, he's such a hilarious kid and a fun age.

This one is of him playing with moon sand. He is singing as he's doing it. Sorry for the runny/stuffy nose...


This one is the second version of the moon sand. He is known for saying "ah, absolutely right!" and he does it at the end of this video:


This clip is one of his performances on our front porch. He is singing Bob the Builder. He did it once without the camera then I asked him to do it again, the first time was better but this is still cute.

Lessons learned from a coconut

I went to the store the other day and Oaklen convinced me to buy a coconut. I have never had one and thought it would be fun to try something new, especially since Oaklen had an interest in it and could be a learning experience. Well, I didn't realize that it would be a learning experience for all of us...

We decided to open and eat it tonight. We looked on youtube to learn how to open it and felt confident that it was easy as pie (er, coconut pie.) I struggled, to get it open. It cracked fairly easily but pulling it apart was the challenge. Oaklen said a prayer that we could get it open and the boys had quite the laugh watching me grunt with all my strength to pry it open.

Finally we called in the big guns (Darrell) and he opened it with his golden touch. To our dismay the opened coconut was moldy! Salem took a drink of the water/juice and Darrell tried a bite of the non-moldy part. It was gross and fermented! We threw the whole thing in the garbage. Did we waste $1.49? I'm not sure, it may have been worth the lessons learned:

* No impulse buying - don't give in to your kid's requests at the store, stick to the list.
* Do your research before you buy - I didn't know how to pick the right one.
* Prayers are answered - we finally got the darn thing open, though we should have "blessed" it and maybe it wouldn't have been moldy. :)
*Strength and perseverance will get you through - My strength was challenged and Darrell's strength got it open.
* You can find fun family moments at unexpected times - Although the outcome was disappointing, the act of learning how to open and opening the coconut was a fun family experience.
* Youtube is informational - It's amazing how much you can learn from how-to clips.
* Have more than one learning resource - Although the youtube clip that we watched was informational, it would have been  better for us to look at a couple different clips and generate their ideas too.
* Looks are deceiving - That coconut looked good but was rotten!
* How-to videos look easy but may not be - Usually how-to videos teach someone how to do something under the best circumstances. That coconut was probably hard to open since it was too old. Sometimes the expert doesn't realize to mention a few points because he's so used to doing it.

Now, there must be an object lesson in this somewhere that I can use for school or church. Any ideas?

Who moved my cheese?

Here is the story that goes along with the last blog... I tried to have you guess the story behind the image but most of you were trying to interpret what the drawing was on the window. Good guesses! :)

Last Friday we, as a family, spent many hours outside enjoying the warmer weather. Oaklen liked being outside but kept going in for various reasons and I'd have to go inside and tell him to come back out. Finally it was getting late enough that when he went in the last time, I didn't go get him. He was inside for a matter of 10-15 minutes. (Hmm...now if I was Oaklen, what would I do with 10 minutes to myself?)

I came inside and after a while we went upstairs for our bedtime routine. I walked into the upstairs TV room and there staring at me was this drawing on the window:

Me: (looking at Oaklen) "Did you do that?"
Oaklen: (after looking sheepish and trying to deny it) "Yes."
Me: (stepping closer for a better look, and noticing that it had yellow residue) "Is this chapstick?" (We had just opened a new chapstick container that made your lips yellow.)
Oaklen: "No"
Then it dawned on me...this is Oaklen we're talking about...
Me: "Oaklen, is this cheese?"
Oaklen: (giggling) "Yes"
Me: Ei yei yei! :)

So then I asked him if he ate the whole entire cheese brick and he said yes. Later I asked him again to make sure.
Me: "Oaklen, are you sure you ate the whole thing, or did you hide it somewhere? It either needs to be in your belly or in the fridge because if it's hiding somewhere it's going to get moldy and gross and bugs could come."
Oaklen: "Oh, uh, there's some in the closet."

So, we ventured to the closet by Ezril's room. Oaklen poked around to find it but couldn't. Then I dug around to find a small piece of cheese leftover, unwrapped. He probably ate about 7 oz of sharp cheese!

I'm glad I found the missing cheese, and now I know that cheese is a good window crayon. :)

I love ya Oaklen, even if you're cheesy.

PS - I've never read "Who moved my cheese?" but maybe I should. I just reserved it at the library.

Morning thoughts

This morning Oaklen came into our room and the first thing uttered out of his mouth was "Mom, I dreamed about pasta last night." Then Salem came into the room and the first thing out of his mouth was "Mom, I'm planting the seed of education today."

You can get a glimpse of their personalities just by those sentences. :)


My morning thought: "Today is the last day in my 20's, what am I going to do?"

Happy February

I have been known among my friends to wish people "Happy [Month]" when it's a new month. Today I got a phone call from my friend to wish me a Happy February! :) It was so nice and I'm glad I've trained her to say that. :)

January flew by very fast, so here is a quick update...enjoy all the pictures, click on them to view larger versions.

Salem - His two front teeth came out on New Year's day. One while he was sledding down the hill. He walked back to the top of the hill and said "Hey, my tooth is gone!" Then later that day he wiggled the other one out. He had to write a letter to the tooth fairy to explain the missing tooth but assured her/him that he indeed lost 2 teeth. (By the way, is the tooth fair male or female? I've always thought that the fairy was female, but the Santa Clause 2 movie states otherwise.) He went skiing for the first time and  had a good time. Thanks Uncle Cabot for taking him!

Oaklen - He is still as funny as ever. Every day is an adventure for him (and me.) He is back in his Bob the Builder phase and is calling me Wendy. His imagination is quite cute. He started primary in January and has enjoyed it. His teacher is great, and his primary president is awesome! :) He still is always in the fridge and pantry. I happened to be holding the camera to go take a pic of Ezril and found Oaklen under the table eating to his heart's content. :)

I made my mom's cake, and let Oaklen lick the frosting off the beaters, he thoroughly enjoyed it.

Ezril - I can't believe he's already 11 months old today and it's interesting to watch how different each kid is. Ezril still does not crawl, he scoots along as he sits and is content with that. He has learned this week how to open cabinet doors and is starting his curious phase. He likes to stand while leaning on chairs and couches. He's just starting to cruise. He like his mega saucer and jumper and loves to jump. He babbles and has said momma, dadda, and other various baby words/sounds. He went swimming for the first time and loved it. He loves the water and baths. I call him my "little boy blue" because of his small stature and beautiful blue eyes.

Darrell - Darrell's company changed office buildings and it's been great all around. It's closer to home, and there is an on-site gym he can use for free. The desks, cubicles and computer hardware is better and it's got a great view out the windows. Darrell continues to get up every morning and run. He's very healthy and happy and a great example to all of us. He still serves as 1st counselor in the bishopric and still finds time to enjoy his guitar, children, wife and home.

Heather - I'm trying to keep my patience and temper on an hourly basis. I am a complainer by nature and it's a challenge for me to just be content and happy. :) (Thanks for putting up with me Darrell and kids.) I have cut back on eating sugar and only had one small taste of my mom's birthday cake for the entire month of January. (Although this may be why I've been ornery. :) ) It's not really a new year's resolution but just a "holiday-detox." I plan to continue this and only have sweets on a very rare basis. (Special occasions happen too often in our family, I can't use that as an excuse.) I still serve as Primary President in our ward, am the treasurer of the Utah Breastfeeding Coalition, and am a member of the school community council and PTA.

Spice up your life with Oaklen

Apparently Oaklen thought the dinner that I made tonight needed a little more spice...

It's ironic because I bought this huge container of Mrs. Dash and then regretted purchasing such a large container, thinking that I wouldn't use it up fast enough.

After dinner Darrell and Salem went to work on the laundry room/back porch. I went upstairs with Oaklen & Ezril to do bath and bedtime routine. After the bedtime routine Oaklen said that he wanted to go finish his food from dinner. I said "okay" since I had to put Ezril to bed and Darrell and Salem were still downstairs.Well, Salem happened to come into the kitchen to find Oaklen with a bowl full of Mrs. Dash (would you like turkey pot pie with your Mrs. Dash?) Salem grabbed the bowl and showed it to Darrell. Darrell didn't know what it was at first, then realized what Oaklen had done. He snapped this picture of the boys and now I'm blogging about it. :)

Oh the joy, there is never a dull moment when you've got Oaklen around.

Smile, it increases your face value!

I hope these make you smile...

Happiness is...Volume 2 Part 3

Happiness is...
* Ezril wiggling his whole body with excitment when we sing him the good morning song
* Darrell constantly wanting to get things done
* Darrell never complaining
* Oaklen's hiding place
* Eating a banana every day
* Ezril's smile when you don't expect it
* Oaklen praying by himself
* Salem reading to Oaklen & Ezril
* Oaklen "reading" the scriptures by himself - "And Jacob came into the house and killed them."
* Salem being in a great program at his school
* The front porch being done before winter
* Ezril getting excited whenever we pick Salem up for school
* Family Home Evening when everyone is happy and participating
* Ezril loving bath time
* Salem putting a note on the door for Santa, already!
* Christmas music in the middle of November (yes, I'm one of "those" people)
* Darrell, Salem & Oaklen having a fun time at the Home Depot Kids Club
* Salem not the least bit scared to do his part this year for the Primary Sacrament Presentation
* Watching our neighborhood squirrel scurry across the trees in the front yard
* Oaklen being self sufficient in the bathroom (except when he uses way too much toilet paper)
* Playing Candyland
* Having a warm coat
* Driving a nice van and being able to afford the gasoline
* Oaklen say "Mommy...ya know what?..." (In the middle of the night, in the morning, all the time.)
* The fact that my 6 year old boy still likes and wants to snuggle with me
* Dinners not made by me - they always taste twice as good when someone else makes them
* My boys learning how to "play rough" (Oaklen is finally old and big enough to take on his brother.)
* My boys remembering to pray for certain people who need extra blessings that day
* Being able to multi-task while wearing the baby sling
* Darrell and Ezril's striking blue eyes

* The boys having more fun giving out treats on Halloween than actually going trick-or-treating

Here is a glimpse of our beautiful porch. I'll post more pictures of the porch later.

* Salem's stories he writes for homework and the pictures that go with them.

I love the "wow" face that I have in this drawing. I'm so impressed with him sweeping the floor.

* Oaklen's motor going when he enjoys what he's eating (which is almost always.) (See video below)

This is Oaklen a while ago, but he still makes his motor sound whenever he is enjoying what he's eating.

It's Fall time but I haven't fallen off the planet

It's been over a month since I've posted, I'm sorry! I forget that I have a blog, I'm too busy reading other blogs and websites that I forget that I need to update mine! :)

Here's a quickie...

Here are a few pics from playing in the leaves last week.

 

I updated my food blog tonight with a fun Halloween recipe, check it out!

Ode to Oaklen - Sept 2009

Here's another round of Ode to Oaklen...

Imagination
I wasn't one of those kids with a huge imagination, so now as an adult I get to enjoy Oaklen's imagination.

Who needs toys when a 3-yr-old can do this?

Turn a paper bag into an organ
Use a foam block as an inside lawnmower
Make the laundry basket into Scuffy the tug boat
Use my bedspread as a human ball
Open and close the closet as a cuckoo clock
Use cowboy boots and a fire hat for a fireman costume with his "fire package" backpack.
Aboard the stairs to drive his airplane (with a seatbelt and everything)

I've heard him playing with his Bob the Builder & Wendy figurines. He speaks in narrative like: " 'Oh no' said Bob. 'I'm coming to help' Wendy yelled." I can tell he's used to to reading books.


My little munchie
He's still always trying to get into the fridge and eat. He's made quesadillas, waffles, and has cracked eggs all by himself.

Here he is one morning with a bunch of string cheese. I got up early to go to the temple and came home to see him awake, sitting on the couch, happily eating cheese. I managed to catch him when he was on his second string cheese.

Oaklen is pretty good at cracking eggs. He doesn't even get any shell in it. This picture shows that he cracked an egg and the yolk made a heart shape. Isn't life grand? :)
One Sunday morning I got up and heard Oaklen downstairs and knew he was up to something in the kitchen. I managed to get the camera as I approached him...I ended up making waffles that morning even though I hadn't planned on it.



Toilet Training
It's been a week since he's been using the toilet. We've had a few accidents but I simply can't be mad at him because he's always so happy. 30 seconds after I clean him up he's running around happy as can be.

Singing
He loves to sing and is often singing at any given moment. Many people smile at him while we're shopping, and say to me "Well, at least he's a happy kid!" His favorite song is How Firm A Foundation. The primary is learning it this year and even though he's in nursery, he has learned it since we, as a family, sing it all the time.

Here is Oaklen singing the first few lines of How Firm a Foundation:



Orange - He still loves orange. In nursery he always chooses an orange crayon and he has used up almost all the orange stars that they get to put on their scripture verse each week.

He loves to be orange man and wear his orange backpack:

Heavy Machinery - He still loves to watch the garbage trucks, street sweepers, excavators, trains, you name it!

Pencils - Whenever he sees a big jet in the sky making a white line, he says "Hey there's a giant pencil!"

Oaklen's 3rd Birthday Review

Oaklen's birthday was a few weeks ago and he had a fun weekend!

Here is a movie about the adventure we went on the day before his birthday:


His birthday was on a Sunday so we did the usual church, then had family over for a party that evening. I made an orange cake with an "excavator" on it. (The excavator was part of his gift.) Click to view bigger pictures.

I did a photo shoot of him for his 3-yr-old pictures. This was the best one, he loves his orange garbage truck!

Happy Birthday Oaklen!

Oaklen is 3 years old today!

Ostentatious - Oaklen is very social and is not shy. He is quite the entertainer!
Always smiling - He has a contagious smile that will make anyone happy.
Kissable - Those cheeks are so kissable! He's so easy to love, even though he's a turkey at times! :)
Little - He may be a "big" three-year-old but as he says "I'm still little!"
Excavator - He is really into big trucks right now, he loves his garbage truck and his excavator shoes.
Non-stop - Oaklen is always doing something...eating, reading, playing... sometimes when he isn't supposed to. Guess who was the first one up this morning and already in the refrigerator? Yep, Oaklen!

Bob & Wendy

Oaklen has taken on a new identity and he's brought me & the fam with him.

Oaklen = Bob the Builder
Heather = Wendy
Darrell = Rolly
Salem = Scoop
Ezril = Muck

He often calls me Wendy and won't respond to me when I call him Oaklen, I have to call him Bob. This is rather funny since we have a neighbor named Bob and another neighbor named Wendy. I've told both of them our situation just in case they hear those names being called out and it's not implying them. :) It's a little embarrassing at the store when Oaklen calls me Wendy as I'm giving the cashier my credit card with "Heather" written on it; but so far, no one has raised an eyebrow.

I thought it was appropriate that Oaklen calls Ezril "Muck" since he watches me change his diapers. Darrell is usually Rolly but sometimes gets called other names from Bob & Wendy's machinery. Salem is usually Scoop.

We have been given a few Bob the Builder movies and he's watched them a few times; he mainly knows Bob the Builder from a few books that we have. One is an audio book so he gets to hear all the sound effects (much better than what mom or dad could do.) We also watch a youtube clip that has the theme song.

Oaklen's math

Oaklen surprised me the other day...he sat down on the chair and started adding! I hadn't realized that he knew this and was pleased. :) I got the camera and had him do it again for me so I could share with all of you. (See video below.) We're still working on his speech ("free" instead of "three" and "foi" instead of "four") but hey, at least he knows his math! Atta boy...

Innocent Mischief

Oaklen is still my little munchie. If you remember last year, I had to get a fridge lock for Oaklen since he kept getting into the fridge. Now he knows how to open it and I am always catching him helping himself to food. Luckily there hasn't been too much damage, but he's just so funny.

Here are some recent stories -
Eggs in dough - A week ago I had made some pizza dough and had leftovers so I put the dough in the fridge. The next day I put it on the counter (in a bowl) to let rise again. Oaklen got the eggs out of the fridge, got the stool and successfully cracked 3 eggs into the dough. When I got to him he was poking the dough and trying to mix it. Since some dough recipes call for eggs, I just kneaded the eggs into the dough with more flour and made calzones.

Granola Bar - During general conference on Saturday I got out our 72-hr kits to rotate our food. I decided that we only needed to rotate the snack packs and the peaches and to leave the rest in the kits. Today I was vacuuming and when I was done I saw that Oaklen had gotten into Salem's 72-hr kit and eaten the granola bar.

Cheese - He and I were upstairs reading a book, when we finished he said "Mom, now you go somewhere." I wondered what he was up to, but I decided to obey his wishes and go help Ezril for a moment. He jetted downstairs, got in the fridge, and took out the block of cheddar cheese. By the time I got to him there were perfect teeth marks in the block of cheese. He said "I'm eating cheese mommy!"

String Cheese - Yesterday morning he woke me up and he had string cheese in each of his hands. He's able to open them but he still hasn't figured out how to push the wrapper down. He ends up just sticking his finger in until he can't reach the cheese anymore then asks me for help. He woke me up just for that reason.

Egg on the counter - Friday morning he rushed downstairs and got out the eggs. There was one egg cracked on the table. I was able to salvage it and cook it, I'm thankful for that.

Strawberries - We were at my mom's house and were going to eat fresh strawberries for dessert. The container of strawberries was out on the counter but we were going to wait a little bit before washing and preparing them. His cousin Megan was looking at the the strawberries to get them but she didn't get them. A few minutes later we turned to look and Oaklen had opened the container and was already on his second strawberry. We told him that we needed to wash and prepare them first and that he would get to eat them very soon!

Whipping Cream - I had a half-full container of whipping cream in the fridge, Oaklen thought it was a carton of milk. One morning he came downstairs minutes before Darrell did, and got out the whipping cream and a straw and started drinking it. He quickly learned that it wasn't milk! See picture below:

Adventures of the flying garbage can

I've mentioned before that Thursday is Oaklen's favorite day of the week because he gets to watch the garbage truck pick up the garbage cans.

Today I happened to grab the camera right when the garbage truck came. Oaklen and I were looking out the window as we witnessed the garbage truck accidentally pick up two garbage cans (the blue recycle and the green garbage) instead of one green can. The blue can (that had already been emptied previously) went flying over the truck and landed on the other side.

Oaklen immediately started crying. He was very concerned about the blue garbage can. After the garbage truck finished emptying our two green cans and went on it's way, I was able to see that the blue can was across the street, laying on it's side. Oaklen was still quite disturbed so I reassured him that the blue can was okay. I went outside and "rescued" the blue can. Now there is a dent at the top of the can, but other than that it looks okay. I'm surprised that the garbage man didn't stop to check anything. I'm glad that there wasn't a car parked across the street, there could have been damage done.

Now Oaklen likes to talk about the flying garbage can. Ask him about it sometime. :)

Here is a picture of the green and blue can just before they were picked up. (The image is bad since I was taking the picture with a window.)

Happy St. Patrick's Day 2009

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I had some fun with photoshop...
Have a Happy Valentine's Day! :)



We are having a primary activity today and will be going Valentine caroling, singing the following songs. You should sing these to someone you love today...they may be cheesy but I bet they'd still bring a smile to his/her face!

1. If you love me and you know it
Sung to: "If you’re happy and you know it"
If you love me and you know it, Clap your hands.
If you love me and you know it, Clap your hands.
If you love me and you know it,
Then your face will surely show it.
If you love me and you know it, Clap your hands.
_____________________________________

2. Love your Friends
Sung to: "Row, Row, Row, your boat"
Love, Love, Love your Friends,
Love them all year long.
Especially on Valentine's Day,
As we sing this song!
_________________________________

3. The Primary Brings a Valentine
Sung to: "Mulberry Bush or Pop Goes the Weasel"
The primary brings a Valentine,
a Valentine, a Valentine.
The primary brings a Valentine,
It says we love you!
_____________________________________

4. You are my Valentine
Sung to: "You are my Sunshine"
You are my Valentine, My special Valentine,
And I do love you, oh yes I do.
You are my Valentine, My Special Valentine,
And please say you love me, too!
_____________________________________

5. Do you know my Valentine?
Sung to: "The Muffin Man"
Do you know my Valentine,
My valentine, my valentine?
Do you know my Valentine?
His/her name is _____________.
_____________________________________

6. Be my Valentine
Sung to: "London Bridges"
Will you be my Valentine, Valentine, Valentine?
Will you be my Valentine, Be a friend of mine.
_________________________________

7. Valentine for you
Sung to: "Farmer in the dell"
A valentine for you
A valentine for you.
A valentine, a valentine
A valentine for you.
__________________________________

8. 10 Little Hearts
Sung to: "One little, two little, three little Indians"
One little, two little, three little hearts,
Four little, five little, six little hearts,
Seven little, eight little, nine little hearts,
Bring love on Valentine's Day.
_____________________________________

9. We Wish You a Happy Valentines
Sung to: "We Wish You a Merry Christmas"
We wish you a Happy Valentines
We wish you a Happy Valentines
We wish you a Happy Valentines
and a smile your way!
_____________________________________

10. Hello, Hello
Sung to: "Hello, Hello" (Primary Song)
Hello, Hello! Hello Hello!
Have a Happy Valentine’s Day!
Hello, Hello! Hello Hello!
We’re glad to smile your way!
_____________________________________

Happiness is...Volume 2 Part 1

I haven't done a happiness post in a while. That must mean I'm miserable! :) Although these pregnancy hormones make me happy, sad, or miserable within seconds I still have things to be happy about.

(Some of these I wrote a while ago, so they may be Christmas related.)

Happiness is...
* Oaklen closing the door for me to use the bathroom and saying "You need your priva-seat?" (privacy.
* Coming up with silly names for the baby with my boys.
* Watching Frosty the Snowman with the fam for the first time.
* Oaklen yelling "Happy-yeah!" when we tell him something exciting.
* Teaching Salem what a commercial is (at 5 yrs old!)
* Getting Christmas cards from good friends.
* Knowing that I am a child of God.
* Feeling the Christmas spirit, all year long.
* Listening to Oaklen roll-play and pretend with his little people and toys.
* Watching our quail family in our backyard.
* Oaklen telling Darrell that he belongs at the man-village. (From the Jungle Book)
* The boys having fun with moonsand.
* Oaklen recounting or "reading" the book A Fish Out of Water.
* Picking Salem up from school every day and asking me "Do you have a surprise for me?"
* Oaklen then telling Salem "I don't have a surprise for you, Salem."
* Watching the garbage trucks with Oaklen on Thursday mornings.
* Oaklen realizing the difference between feel-good food and junk food.
* Salem making good choices with his eating.
* Salem making his own breakfast. He prepares ane egg from start to finish, and even puts his dish away.
* Oaklen looking at my hangnails and saying "I'm sorry!"
* Brother hugs and baby brother hugs.
* Giving 20 kisses to each boy before bed then singing the goodnight song.
* My boys giving me comfort when I start to cry. They come to hug me and give me a tissue.
* Oaklen wearing his pajamas and looking like Uncle Fester.
* Naked bums...then me saying "who has a naked bum?"
* Oaklen saying "Jesus Christ has wounds?" loud and clear during the sacrament ordinance at church. Then later saying "Is it time to go?"
* Salem finding joy in such simple things and projects for "mom & me" time.
* Staying up later and talking with Darrell.
* Salem wanting to reserve the same books at the library instead of spending money and buying the books from the school book order.
* Oaklen coming in my room early in the morning and saying "Mom, can I snuggle with you?"
* Having an eternal family.