Moab

For UEA, the Trapnell family (everyone but Russ/Julie and Brian/Susan) took a trip to Moab. Jeff had already planned to be out of town that weekend (reliving the glory days with his 259 buddies), so he wasn't going to be able to make it. I wasn't thrilled with the idea of going by myself with the kids, but when my friend, April, who lives in Colorado, said she would drive over with her three kids and meet us, the trip was instantly appealing to me.

We have been friends with the Ferguson's for a long time. Jeff and Dave were in dental school together in Ohio, so we met shortly after our first babies were born. After four years of friendship, we both ended up in Jacksonville, living around the corner from each other. Two years later, when Jeff finished ortho and we moved away, saying good-bye to April was the hardest good-bye of all. We were so sad that our kids weren't going to be able to grow up together anymore, but I was especially sad to lose the closeness we had taken for granted for six years.

So, a year later, when the Ferguson's moved to Colorado (with Dave working part of the time in Kansas City, MO, leaving April home alone a lot), we knew we had to get together. The trip to Moab was the perfect excuse, and April willingly made the 6 hour drive with her three boys to be there with us. And I am so glad she did.

We had the BEST time, and it didn't take the kids long to reconnect. Even the craziness of being outnumbered 3 to 1 wasn't enough to dampen our spirits at all. The days went way too fast, and now we are missing the Ferguson's even more!

The six kids (Ethan, Allie, Kyla, Mason, Damon and Isaac) at Arches. Too bad we forced them to look into the sun.

April and me (with Mason on her shoulders).

Mason and Kyla. These two got along very well for not knowing each other. Maybe a future match? Allie has her choice of Isaac or Ethan.

A Jacksonville reunion with Greg and Noel's family. Because two of Jeff's brothers were going to JU, April knows the whole family, and is practically family, too.

The kids taking a quick shower after a night of swimming at the "mo-tail."

Sad to say, there was a little of this. Allie had to hike more than she liked.

Kyla enjoying the sand dunes.

Damon's climbing skills

Cute one of Allie, Kyla and Ethan (with cousin Aubrie looking on)

And proof that I was there, too. Please no commens about my tree trunk legs.

Let's do it again!

Picture/Update Overload

I hired Jeff to take pictures of the kids this year. I opted out of school pictures, and put all my faith in my husband, who in no way claims to be a "child photographer." I even got my sister, Tara, to bring her kids along for the fun. We were both really happy with the way the pictures turned out. These are some of my favorite shots of the kids.


Tara's idea to take one of them together from behind. Damon is a little stiff, but still cute.

The best of the three of them together. Kyla looks like she is just about to answer the call, "Will the real Slim Shady please stand up."

Love this one.

Sort of what I had in mind when I went searching all over for the lollipops. At least Damon's expression is what I was going for. Tara's kids got some great lollipop shots, so it was worth it.

DAMON:
At seven years old, Damon is in some ways the boy he has always been. He has the most tender heart, and has to remind himself that movies aren't real and will end happy. He is really into the Magic Treehouse books right now, and will read one in about 40 minutes. He thrives on having a schedule and sticking to it. He needs to know what we're going to do and what, exactly, to expect from any situation he is going to be in.

He is still a major collector, and I am constantly trying to talk him out of bringing things home. He is also the only reason I need to check pockets when doing laundry. He is notorious for stuffing things in his pants that he might need later, and then forgetting all about them. I had to spend the afternoon scraping an entire package of gum off the inside of the dryer when I forgot to check his pockets. He is super competitive and really wants to be the best at everything. He worked really hard at soccer this year, never wanting to come off the field. He may not have the most talent, but he has the determination to succeed at whatever it is he chooses to do.


His favorite color is yellow, which I think says a lot about him. He is a very happy kid (as long as he knows what to expect) and loves life. He loves hiking, fishing, riding his bike, leading the neighborhood kids in all kinds of activities, and anything we do together as a family. He really is so much fun to be around and has absolutely the best laugh I have ever heard.

ALLIE:
At four years old, Allie is starting to outgrow SOME of the drama she loved so much as a two and three year old. She is exceptional at entertaining herself, which is really nice for me in the afternoons when Kyla is still napping. She loves anything girlie, and we often remark that she was born into the wrong family for that. She reluctantly accompanies us on all sorts of adventures, but is becoming less lazy all the time. She still is a master manipulator, although Kyla seems to be catching on, and won't do nearly as much as she used to do for Allie.

She is working hard learning to read and write and I can see that it has finally clicked in her head. She is always wanting to cut and write and asking how to spell words, and I am so glad she has decided to be literate. She can still throw a fit with the best of them, but overall, she is a much happier girl than she was even a year ago. She likes to have things her way, but is learning to be more flexible and easy going.

KYLA:

At two years old, this little girl is one of my absolute favorite people. She is super happy and loves life. She is extremely well coordinated and has no problem riding a tricycle or a scooter. She is also very adventurous and happily goes along with anything we have going. She is, however, two and acts like it. She wants to do things for herself and her independence gets her into trouble all the time. But usually, she is instantly remorseful and timeouts work very well with her.

She still loves taking naps, but doesn't love bedtime, and is usually the first one up in the morning. She loves songs, books, games, puzzles and anything she can participate in.

I love being a mom to three very different kids, and I learn so much from each one of them. I can't wait to see what Baby Boy brings to our family dynamic, and hope he is as much fun as the other three.

Just KyKy and Me

A couple of weeks ago, Jeff took Allie fishing on a Friday when Damon was in school. I drove up to Gardner Village and met up with some friends (an Ohio reunion of sorts) with Kyla. She and I had so much fun together. She was in an extremely happy mood and wanted to pose with all the witches (and I mean ALL the witches). Here is my favorite shot.

And you can see how happy and smiley she was.

Here are the two of us. Don't mind my shirt trying to crawl up over my belly.

And one more of Kyla by herself.

I must say, Kyla is such a different little person than Allie is, even at two years old. Kyla is much more in control of her emotions and can easily go from being sad to being happy. She is so excited about everything in life (I took her grocery shopping, and everything I told her we needed to get, she cheered for. "Yay! Bananas! Yay! Bok Choy!"). She is always telling me, "That was too fun."

She loves animals, "chaskip (chapstick)," lotion and babies. She still loves taking an afternoon nap (she still has that binky) and is finally getting the hang of letters (she probably knows 15-20 of them). I found her in her room one afternoon after nap playing Ring around the Rosie with three Barbies. She loves to sing, and is crazy about just about any R&B song that comes on the radio (and insists I go back if I change the station). She loves music and is always saying, "Turn it up, please" in the car. Some of her favorite songs right now are Battlefield, I Gotta Feeling and Party in the USA.

She still loves to eat, but her appetite is not anything like it used to be. She is getting picky, but can (and will) eat anything if she is in the mood for dessert. She loves Allie with all her heart and wants to be just like her. Allie got some new undies and passed her old ones down to Kyla. Kyla, who is not potty training and will not be for some time, took her diaper off, put the undies on, and walked around for some time before she was discovered. She will poop and pee on the toilet whenever she is naked, and all she wants in return is a rock in the jar (we are trying to fill a jar with rocks for a family treat).

I still cannot get enough of this girl. I am so lucky to be her mom.

Magnetic Bathroom Principle

Remember way back when we talked about The Magnet Principle? Where I talked about how my kids and I must be equipped with some sort of magnetic device, because they are always following me around and having to touch me? I am beginning to put more of it together, and understanding it a little better.

It goes back to when I was a kid, and the times I desperately needed something from my mom. This was usually when I found her one of three places.

1. Kneeling by the side of her bed, praying (let's face it, she is a spiritual woman who spends a LOT of time praying).
2. On the telephone
3. Sitting on the toilet

When she was praying, there was no other option but to wait. When she was on the phone, we soon learned that we could write a note with our pressing questions, hand her a pencil, and get a quick answer to whatever it was we needed (for example: Mom, can I go play in the park? Yes or No, to which she would circle which ever option was most likely to get rid of us). And when she was sitting on the toilet, we could easily communicate with her through the door.

Now, I don't spend as much time praying or chatting on the phone as my mom did, but my kids have their magnetic beacons set to "FIND MOM" every time I try to slip away to the bathroom. I can barely close the door before someone is opening it, demanding my attention. The kids could be playing nicely or engrossed in a movie, but if they hear the bathroom door close, they suddenly need to be there, too. Usually, they have some immediate problem that needs solving, and only a face-to-face with mom will do. I have to answer questions like, "Can I have a snack?," "Where are my shoes?," and, if it's Kyla doing the asking, "Are you going poop?"

You'd think I'd take a hint and lock the door behind me, and believe me, I do. But I am still answering the same questions from the same children, only now they are irritated that they can't get in, and ask their questions in a whiney voice, while banging relentlessly on the door. I'm not sure that's much better.

One night a week or two ago, Jeff took all three kids on an errand so I could get dinner cleaned up. I took my sweet time, enjoying the peace and quiet I so rarely experience during the daylight hours, and then made my way upstairs to my bathroom with my phone (so I could check in on Facebook, of course). I'm not kidding you, within minutes, all three kids had returned home, looked all over for me, and joined me in there. I couldn't believe it, but at the same time, I wasn't the least bit surprised.

I wish I could say I don't understand what is so compelling about visiting with mom while she is sitting on the toilet. But then I think back to when I was a kid, and the many, many times I interrupted my own mother (who didn't have the luxury of taking Facebook to the bathroom with her), and I grudgingly admit that at one time, my own magnetic beacon sent me to the bathroom too. Only I'm sure the needs I had were much more pressing. Like, "Where is the cinnamon sugar for my toast?"

Squaw Peak

For the past few years, Jeff has taken an interest in photography and has dragged us around with him numerous times so he can take pictures. Mostly it is just a minor inconvenience, as we end up spending time waiting for him in the car when the kids have had enough scenery. Every now and then, though, it becomes much more than we bargained for.

Last night, Jeff really wanted to drive up to Squaw Peak and take pictures of the fall leaves with snow covered Timp in the background. Since it was family night, we all decided to tag along. In an effort to get there before the light was lost, we inhaled our dinner, grabbed coats, and headed out the door. I was completely unaware what we were going to actually be doing once we got there, but figured we would probably be alright since we had the kids heavy coats.

Allie fell asleep on the drive, which should have been the first warning sign that she was not going to have a fun time while we were there (she is hard to wake up and usually very upset when we get her awake). But, after parking on the side of the dirt road, we managed to coax her out of the car without too much complaint. Jeff carried Kyla (who was only wearing sandals) and took Damon ahead to scout out the perfect picture location while I encouraged Allie to walk on her own behind them. A little ways up the road, I realized this was going to be difficult. The road was extremely muddy from all the rain on Sunday, and Allie was wearing slip on shoes two sizes too big with no socks. She started to complain that her feet were getting stuck, and I noticed the mud was more like clay, and nearly impossible to rub off.

By this time, we had entirely lost sight of Jeff, Damon and Kyla, but followed the path they had taken, hoping we would catch up soon. We couldn't find them soon enough. Allie's sticky shoes kept coming off, and multiple times she stepped off into the mud. Her positive attitude had completely vanished and she was now crying, feet cold and muddy, with no end in sight. I tried to scrape the mud off, and was somewhat successful, and we managed to find the rest of the family ahead. I told them I didn't think we were going to make it, as the road was getting muddier the higher we climbed, but Jeff told us to just come to the top, because it was a beautiful view and he wanted to take our picture.

Somehow, we made it, but Allie completely lost it. Her shoes were now covered with mud, both inside and out, and her freezing feet were also muddy. Jeff positioned us all on a log and tried to get us to smile. But Allie wasn't going to do it. She was in complete meltdown mode, and was beginning to rub off on Kyla, who was also starting to complain about her own cold feet (to be fair, I know it was our fault that we were so completely unprepared for the trek we made through the mud, and Jeff and I were trying to be extra patient with them). No amount of bribery was going to get Allie to stop crying and at least pretend to smile for a picture. So, when I see this, I have to laugh. Enlarge it for the full effect.


After we made it back to our car (Jeff carried Allie and I carried Kyla back down), Jeff said, "this is a good story for your blog." Yes, it was something I will probably want to remember.