Dad's Best Bud

Tyler's littler personality is lovable. He has grown up so much this year and is just fun to watch as he figures out the world around him. It is becoming ever more apparent that he is a boy and has very different interests and like than his sisters!

This is quintessential Ty for you: his favorite "blue Daddy" shirt, two tractors, car slippers (that we scored at a friends' garage sale for a buck), and dirt. 

Little boys in overalls might just be the cutest thing.
 

This was the same day Ty learned to gallop (don't mind sister who got hot).

Naptime is a treasured moment with him each day. He loves his blankee (often abbreviated to "blank") and always wants to sleep with his tractors.  

Anything that moves, really, is his favorite. Grandma recently gave him these fun canvases to hang in his room, and I realized that I better quickly hang them up or they would be played with to tatters! He was so excited and proud to have them on the wall above his bed.

Speaking of beds, we are starting to think about a big boy bed. I am stymied about where to put my boys... Tyler loves his room, but Jake really needs the crib now, but it'd be silly to move all the nursery furniture into another room just to keep Ty there. I'm just not sure Ty will do well in a new room and a new bed! I'd really like to put them together in the bigger guest room in bunk beds eventually, but Jake still wakes up for an early morning feeding so that's a no go. Hm, hm, hm.

The best part about naptime is reading books with this cutie. I always love this age when they start learning lines from their favorite books and wanting them over and over.

His favorite books right now are the Llama Llama series, Dinosaurs Dig, Bear Wants More, and Otis the Tractor. He also loves Nursery Rhymes and counting books. And just this week he sang Twinkle Twinkle and ABC's word for word!
 

Lest you think so, he's not always an angel. Last weekend his favorite passtime was throwing food on the kitchen floor from his stool. He got some good practice with his mini broom and dust pan, and apparently thought it was funny to just eat it off the floor.

Last but not least on the Tyler report is that he is working on potty training!!! I decided to tackle it before the holidays, and because he is very aware of it right now. So we busted out the Thomas the Train undies and stayed home all last week to focus on it.

Though it's still rocky, I have to say he's done pretty well. He usually stays dry all day, including during naps, and has not had an accident when we have to run errands or take the girls to school and lessons. The main challenge is number two, trying to make is a positive experience instead of something to fear (also a reason I started now instead of waiting till he's three). This article really made sense to me and I love the matter-of-fact approach to potty training... it's just a skill to learn, yes there will be messes but use natural consequences instead of treats or rewards, but above all, keep calm and carry on! I just tell myself he will get better every day, and this too shall pass.

What a big boy!  Even so, he's still mommy's little sweetheart.

Stake Youth Events

Mr. Mike has been very busy in his calling, and while he doesn't care for recognition, I want to remember some of the neat memories made over the last few weeks.

His presidency was asked to host a stake scouting event to celebrate the church's involvement in scouting for 100 years. They had a fun party in the gym with representation from each ward, and then watched the broadcast from the Conference Center all together. (If you didn't see it you should check it out. It was absolutely amazing!)

He borrowed a knot-tying station from a work colleague with 8 different knot skills. Our family benefited from it too... maybe those knots will come in handy sometime!

(Incidentally, Maddie's hair was from crazy hair day at school, which started as this cute little robot with coils.)

About 12 years ago Mike's dad gave him all of his old scouting badges, awards, and handbooks. They made a very cool display of vintage scouting memorabilia.

One of our high councilman displayed his sons's scouting awards, which his wife had framed.

To keep things exciting, Mike also made a little team challenge activity which I call the "board walk", where everyone has to step with the same foot at the same time to get anywhere! It was quite entertaining.

He actually made the board walk for a scene about Girls' Camp in our recent stake Youth Cultural Event. The youth from our stake were invited to participate in a six week event culminating in three performances last weekend.

The theme was "We Stand: A Youth Celebration of Standing in Holy Places."

I can't adequately describe how awesome it was to be a part of this. The performances were inspiring and many hearts were touched by the spirit and eyes were wet. The youth expressed their dedication to the Lord in song, dance, stories, and videos, showing how they can make everywhere they stand a holy place.

They talked about where they came from in heaven, ancestors who have prepared the way before them, what they are doing now to live and share the gospel, and how they will be ready and worthy to attend the temple and go on missions in the future. It is amazing how the youth of the church have such a strong desire to be good and do right. It gives us hope for a bright future despite the challenges they face in a darkening world. 

Our kids thought it was pretty cool to get onstage after the event. They idolize the youth, which makes me happy because I can't think of better role models! They were troopers during weeks of rehearsals and went to the provided nursery because Mike was a leader in the event, and I was asked to direct some small scenes.

Mike became good friends with this awesome lady, the director of the event and creative mind behind it. Hopefully she would say they are friends, as I'm sure Mike's engineering mind for details and spreadsheets drove her crazy at times! :)

Right after that busyness quieted down, Mike has had to travel a lot for work. We savor every minute we can get with him! All four kiddos got a little cameo on Daddy's lap.

Oh man, the cute pictures of all those people I love overwhelm me.

Halloween Happenings

We love Halloween! I appreciate that my kids have great enthusiasm for holidays... they get so excited over the little things and it makes celebrating so fun.

Maddie was having a pajama playdate when we decided to clean our our pumpkins.

 Ty and Ella did a lot of the scooping and gutting themselves!

When Daddy got home we broke out the stencils and knives. Our overarching theme this year was Mickey Mouse clubhouse (chosen by Maddie months ago, with assignments made in about August).
 

Daddy carved Minnie Mouse with great care.  

Mommy was more of a hack job, but he resembles Mickey!

Ella and Maddie drew their own jack-o-lantern faces and Daddy carved them. I think they are my favorite.

It is just so exciting to light the candles and see the first glow!

The morning of Halloween we dressed everybody up for their school activities. I had to share two takes of this picture because I love them both. The top one Mickey and Minnie are just perfect, but the bottom one Goofy cracks me up!! He thought it was so cool to dress up. (I think it might be time for some boy dress up clothes!)

Ella headed off to her preschool party and the boys and I went to the school to watch Maddie in the Halloween parade. It's fun to see all the costumes, but this is about all we saw of Maddie... a Mickey blur as she ran past! Next year I might have to try to go back to her classroom after.

Luckily baby Jake's costume arrived just in time from Auntie Em in Arizona, and he was the baby duck (to parents Daisy and Donald).

What a little cutie pie!!

Mickey and Minnie helped me make Halloween biscuits for our rushed chili feed before the evening festivities began.

We started with the ward trunk-or-treat, which I hear is a mormon thing. I have to admit, it's not my favorite because it's over in an hour and you hardly see anyone to visit with them, and then afterwards you can't trick-or-treat to your neighbors because they already gave you candy! But the kids love seeing their friends so we do it.
 

It was also fun to see teachers... this is Maddie's sweet Primary teacher whom she just adores.

All three of my kiddos love Ms. Jen, the preschool teacher across the street. Ty likes to yell hello to her anytime both our garages are open.

And we somehow missed Mrs. Terry so we had to go to her house and say hello. Maddie worships the ground she walks on.

The Donald trumped us all with his impressive getup! Although he couldn't walk very well... really neither could I, although I was grateful for my shoe lady friend who saved the day and had purple pumps! So after a few token houses we went home and changed into walking shoes. 

Most people couldn't tell who I was because I didn't have a beak, although I did try to mimic Mike's flippers with my yellow flipper earrings.  I loved my little duckie... he may have gotten a kiss or two.

The candy haul was over the top this year with three trick-or-treaters, but my kids were not interested in the "switch witch", switching candy for a toy! The truth of the matter is they so rarely get packaged treats that they treasure every morsel... besides the ones that sneak into mommy's mouth!