Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Surprise and Disappointment
We had a wonderful time! The weather was perfect, the crowds were small, and the Fort Worth zoo is an amazing place. In the future, we'll plan on packing a lunch. Something about eating a burger at the zoo makes me feel uncomfortable... At the end of our trip we took the kids into a souvenir shop. They browsed for a minute but decided they would save their money for....Target. That's where the disppointment came in. As I explained that we're not really going to Target, I broke their sweet little hearts. Next time I feel like trying to be fun, we'll go to the dollar spot at Target.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Happy Birthday, Grandma!
Happy Birthday, Grandma Wallace! We wish we could be there to celebrate with you. We love you!
Kelsie, Jackson, and Chloe
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Anniversary
Last week marked the third anniversary of our arrival in Texas. It's amazing how fast the time has gone by and yet we still feel like newbies. Since we have been here, our family has grown by one (well two if you add the arrival of Wally's t.v.--we all spend plenty of quality time with Vizio). We have survived torrential rain, tornado warnings, summer heat, and ice storms. We have experienced loneliness, a few unexpected tragedies, and amazing growth. We have endured two road trips to Utah and have gained a greater sense of gratitude for the Pioneers. We have learned why we are told to "become as a little child" as we have watched our incredible kids grow and flourish. We have developed a deeper gratitude for our families. Oh yeah, and we have become Cowboys fans.
Since we have now been here for three years, here are three things we love about Texas:
- Winter, Spring, and Fall
- The people! We love our neighborhood, community, and ward.
- The schools.
Three things that we could really do without:
- All the creepy, crawly things (fireants, really big spiders, lizards)
- Having to pay to drive on the roads
- Year-round allergies
When we moved here, it was with the intent to stay for a couple of years and then go home. I never expected that this would become home, but as the years go by the roots go deeper. I still get homesick and miss my family, but I wouldn't trade this experience for anything.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Retraction
This week Chloe developed a major attitude. It all started when Wally came home from work on Monday. Chloe took one look at him and said "Daddy, I don't like you." (Time out for Chloe). Two days ago we were all eating dinner-- except for Chloe. She was spinning. I told her several times to sit down and eat her dinner. With a pout on her face she climbed up in her chair and yelled "You're ruining my life!" Last night she exclaimed that she was NOT happy. "What's the matter princess?" I asked. She angrily muttered something about her magic wand and then added "BUT I CAN'T WORRY ABOUT THAT!" Maybe she skipped the terrible twos and landed in the terrible teens. Any suggestions?
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Our Little Goblins
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Look Who's Two!
- Chocolate milk fixes everything. Her first words in the morning are "Mommy, chocolate."
- She LOVES puppies and babies. Too bad she will never have a real one of either.
- In addition to carrying around her puppy and her baby, she MUST HAVE her two pink blankies (clean b's as she calls them). Why 2 you ask? Because upon noticing her attachment to her pink blankie, we thought we were so smart to buy her a second, backup one. It has now become part of her regular entourage.
- She is a girly-girl. She likes getting her toenails painted, dressing up, wearing my shoes, putting on make-up, etc.
- She loves Blue's Clues, Dora, and Diego and unfortunately watches way more tv than the one hour limit recommended by the American Association of Pediatrics.
- Her favorite place is the mall. Last week as I was trying to get her dressed for church she said "No church! I go to mall!"
- She started showing interest in potty-training right around her second birthday but now....not so much. She may beat Jackson's record (of 3 and 1/2) for the oldest child to be potty-trained.
- She is obviously the baby of the family. A few weeks ago I observed her playing at the park. It was a busy night and there were a lot of kids there. After waiting her turn to go down the slide, Chloe exclaimed "Yeah! My turn!" to which, I beamed with pride. I patted myself on the back and thought that I had done a great job of teaching her that we have to take turns. She took her turn and ran straight back up to the top where she yelled "Hey kids, get out, it's my turn!"
- She doesn't walk she prances, hops, runs, and jumps.
- She is very adventurous. We recently had dinner with some friends. After dinner the kids were playing and Chloe was following their puppy around the house. Soon she came downstairs and reported that their puppy had "stinky poos." We went up to investigate and Chloe showed us right where the "stinky poos" were and then non-chalantly admitted "I eat it." Naturally, I freaked out. "You ATE it? Like you put it in your mouth?" I asked. "No," she responded, "I spit it out." GROSS! I didn't know what to do, but I felt the need to take her into the bathroom and wash something.
- She likes to play with bugs (buggies). In Utah, we went swimming at Nellie and Danno's pool and Chloe's favorite activity was fishing the dead bugs out of the pool and wiping them on the grass.
- She really likes birthdays (especially hers!) For weeks before her birthday, she would tell people "My birthday's comin' " Actually, she still tells everybody that her birthday is coming. They usually ask "When?" and she replies "In April." Chloe and I went to the pharmacy and picked up some medicine. The pharmacist handed me the little white bag and I threw it in the cart. Chloe picked it up and exuberantly asked "Is it my birthday?" How disappointing it must have been that is was not her birthday and that the bag only contained allergy medicine!
- She is full of spunk, life, energy, and joy! She brings our family so much fun, excitement, and happiness!
At her two-year-old well-child checkup, her pediatrician asked me if she had hit the terrible two's yet. I thought about it for a minute and then realized that she hasn't. She is a happy little two-year-old that makes our lives rewarding.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Going WAY Back
This Thanksgiving, we had much to be grateful for. Wally finished his very last CPA exam (which, by the way, he PASSED!) As a way of thanking the kids and I for our support and endurance, he flew us home to Utah. It started out a little rocky with flight delays, a lost iPod, a screaming baby, and missing Natalie's baptism, but it only got better from there. The kids were in heaven playing with all of their cousins, having sleep-overs at Grandma's, and being spoiled 24/7. Wally and I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with our families, and also being spoiled 24/7. As always, the time flew by too quickly and before we knew it we were back on the plane with a screaming baby. We're counting down the days until we can go back!
Chrismas 2008 marked the very first Christmas that I was not at home. I missed being with our families, but I must admit that spending a quiet, simple Christmas here was pretty nice. On Christmas Eve we got together with a couple of families and our kids put on the cutest Nativity ever! Christmas morning the kids opened their presents and they got to play with them (we're usually rushing to the airport to catch a flight). While this Christmas was very different from what we're used to, I realized that I am stronger than I give myself credit for.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Catching Up
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Happy Birthday, Papa!
The hardest part about living in Texas is missing out on all of the family gatherings. Dad, we wish we could be there to sing to you in person, but for now, this will have to do! We love you, we miss you, and we wish you a very Happy Birthday!
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Daddy Daughter Dance
Little Miss Trouble
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Raisinets Ruined
I was cleaning my bathroom when Jackson ran in to find me. "Mom, Chloe's got stinkies!" he said. Wanting to get Chloe changed before she polluted the entire house, I moved quickly. I had Jackson get me a grocery bag and the wipes while I chased Chloe who was saying "No stinkies! No stinkies!" I caught her, pinned her down, and prepared for the worst. As I removed her diaper I was shocked to find a big handful of Raisnets in there. Jackson doubled over with laughter (he gets his mischievious side from Grandpa Miyasaki) and in one moment, I was cured of my Raisinet obsession.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Leave of Absence
Our modem suddenly died one Thursday afternoon. Wally, seeing an opportunity to upgrade, signed us up for AT&T Uverse. It turns out that Uverse is quite in demand right now and the soonest installation date was a good month and a half out. For a few weeks, I had to borrow my neighbor's wireless signal while sitting in my car in the driveway so I could check my e-mail. We asked everybody for an extra modem and finally found one which was great right up until the point where Windows Vista rejected the modem and refused to connect to the Internet.
But now, it's good to be back to blogging (and e-mailing and googling...)