Memory Lane

Akiko and I spent an afternoon taking a stroll down Grandpa Fred's memory lane.

I got a negative and slide converter for my birthday a couple years ago and, while it was something I really wanted and was really excited for, I hadn't used it much. Once, when I was in Utah, I convinced my dad to give me all of his slides from his mission so that I could convert them to digital. I finally got around to getting that project off my plate.

Akiko helped me. We had a lot of fun. She had a lot of questions that I couldn't answer. All these pictures were about ten years older than I was. Grandpa Fred, be prepared to answer them if she asks next time we see you.

Once we figured out how to work everything and got our rhythm, the conversion went really quickly. Now I want to go through all our things and find as many negatives that I can find and convert them all and post them on FB so all my friends can reminisce with me. Maybe when I give the slides back to my dad, I'll trade those ones for any negatives he may have.

Anyway, my dad went to Japan on his mission. I love that country. So now, please enjoy some beautiful pictures of that beautiful country that my dad took.

Now, those are real vintage. Not an Instagram effect. Not that I have anything against Instagram or anything. There's just something so nostalgic about 35mm film that digital effects can't duplicate.

To Mom, From Moses

mom yowr the best and i love you so so so mec and i love you 10.00 tims mec

Preschool - Year 2, Day 1

Moses started preschool this morning. He's been so excited. He has asked me every day since Akiko started, "When is it my turn to start school?" Today was finally the day!

Look at how grown up this boy is getting!

Super excited!

We had kind of a hectic morning. Akiko was barely late to school (partly our fault, partly hers). Then I had to drive our friends to the airport. Then we took Moses to school. I was worried we'd get stuck in traffic and be late since it was rush hour. Though traffic was heavy, it was moving and we actually got to school with five minutes to spare.

We waited in the car for a couple minutes. I let Moses unbuckle from the back seat and sit in the front seat while we waited. I checked my email. When I looked over at Moses, he was bouncing in his seat with anticipation. "Okay, Moses. Let's get out of the car." He bolted. "Wait Mose! I still have to get the baby!"

Almost the first one in the door.

I couldn't even get him to stand still for a picture.

Moses told me he made friends at school already. I was happy for him. I wonder, though, how he'll react when he finds out that all the kids in his preschool class are also at church. They all just happen to be in the Sunbeam classes.

I finally cornered him and made him pose for a moment on his rug.

Ready to learn.

it is me moses thes es mi frst day ev pres sgool

My kids get really excited when they see me writing blog posts about them and they really want to write, too.

Anyway, Asher was up really late the night before and was actually still asleep when it was time to go. This is unusual. He's usually the first one up at the crack of dawn. Joseph stayed home with Asher while I took everyone to their destinations. Joseph told me when I got home that Asher was so upset when he found out that everyone was gone but him. Poor kid kept asking for Moses the whole two hours that Moses was at school. He was so excited to go pick him up.

Happy first day of school, Moses!!

In other school news, Akiko told me today that she and another boy in her class are the best readers. She says that there are twelve reading levels. Most of the kids are starting on level one. She and this other boy are starting on level ten. I'm so proud of her.

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'

Alternately titled, "Rollin' With My Homies," but I think my readership would catch onto a "Rawhide" reference better than a Coolio one.

I'm beginning to question the expert pediatricians around the country who tell us how absolutely important tummy time and floor time is for our little babies. They tell us that our babies need supervised tummy time for a certain amount of time every day so that the baby can learn to push himself up and strengthen his neck muscles and all sorts of other wonderful benefits.

Well, little Simon hardly gets any floor or tummy time. The second he's on the ground, Asher is on top of him. I simply don't have time to sit there and supervise tummy time and make sure my two year old doesn't smother the baby with love, or smother him in general. For the last few months, I've kind of been hard on myself for not giving Simon the exercise he's supposed to have.

Simon is always being held, in his bouncer, in his carseat, in the sling, in the carrier, etc., mostly to keep him safe from his over-attentive brother.

Guess what? Even with the lack of tummy time, Simon is able to push himself  up.

Don't you just want to pinch or kiss those cheeks? I get to. Several times a day.

I mean, think about it, did our frontiersmen ancestors ever take time out of their super busy, chore-laden lives to make sure that each of their twelve kids got tummy time on their packed-dirt floors? Probably not. I'm really beginning to think that holding your neck and pushing yourself up is instinctual.

So is rolling, apparently.

Simon has already stared rolling and squirming his way around to see different things around him. He has rolled tummy to back and back to tummy, but never with a purpose, yet. This kid is on the go, though. And here I thought Asher's five month old scooting was early. Simon is not quite four months and already squirming all over the place.

I leave him in his crib after a diaper change sometimes. He loves the little crib mirror. (Finally! One of my kids likes that mirror I bought when Akiko was a baby!) I'm always finding him all over the crib when I come back to get him.

Love that chub!

Have I ever mentioned how much I love this little chub-a-lub? He's such a happy baby. He eats well. He sleeps well. He loves to smile and talk. He's really easy going. He's been such a great baby. It makes me so happy.

He is so much huskier than all the petite little girl babies in our ward, even if they're a month or two older. All my friends keep telling me they wish they had a chubby baby to cuddle. I really think they're just jealous of my stone-hard biceps. I don't think they'd really trade their little darlings for mine. I will admit that chubby babies are more fun to cuddle (and don't have nearly as many leg blowouts).

I finally got around to switching out the NB-3M clothes for the 3-6M ones. As I folded the smaller outfits, I kept thinking, Boy, I can't wait to pass these clothes off to Kristen if she ever has a boy. I even texted that thought to her.

About to go into storage... for the third time.

But then I thought about how most of these outfits had been worn by all three of my boys. Am I ever going to see these tiny outfits on another one of my sons ever again? I suddenly got all emotional about little baby clothes.

Oh, I want another little boy so bad. These clothes are just so cute. So many memories.

What about all those adorable baby girl clothes you've been holding on to for the last seven years? Wouldn't you rather have another little girl? Akiko really, really needs a sister.

Ugh. So conflicted.

Green Eggs and Ham

It's not the best video in the world, but here we have proof that Moses is awesome and there's nothing he can do to stop being awesome. Besides, he just doesn't know how to stop being awesome.

Remember, he still has one more year till kindergarten. He was doing simple multiplication at breakfast. Can you believe this kid?

Double the Pleasure, Double the Fun

A few months ago, a bunch of us were sitting at book club when the subject of babies came up. It was bound to happen. Everyone in the room, except for two ladies, was either pregnant or had recently given birth.

Someone commented to our friend Olivia something like, "One baby is hard enough to take care of. I can't imagine how you did it with twins."

Olivia nervously laughed and replied, "Yeah, and I get to do it again." Our jaws dropped.

Seriously, she's pregnant with her second set of twins. A boy and a girl this time. Babies number 4 and 5 for her.

Our friend is throwing a baby shower for her and asked that we just bring diapers and wipes, since that's what babies need the most, especially with double diaper duty on the way. I knew I was going to have to do a couple diaper cakes for her.

A baby shower for twins means I get to make two!

For baby girl.

For baby boy.

Now that I have a few diaper cakes under my belt, I've found exactly how I like to decorate them. I like the simplicity of this design. The top tier gets covered with a baby hat that I knit and the ledges between the tiers get ringed with Lindt truffles. It's up to Olivia whether or not she wants to share the candy with her family.

I also made the platters that the cakes are on. I did this because I won't have to ask for my platter back (and I only have one that I inherited from Joseph's grandmother). They get to keep these ones and do what they want with them. I got a foam poster board, used my big platter as a template, and glued scrapbook paper in a checkerboard design with Mod Podge.

I'm really pleased with how these turned out. I can't wait to give them to Olivia.

Happy First Day of School

Summer vacation is over. 2nd grade has begun.

I had the forethought to ask Akiko what she wanted for breakfast last week. She wanted cinnamon rolls. I obliged. (Cinnabon clone recipe ==> here.)

After breakfast, Joseph gave her the traditional first day of school father's blessing. Then we all got ready for the traditional family walk to school.

Why, yes, that is a Hello Kitty suitcase that Asher is dragging along.

So excited for school.

This kid loves pulling suitcases. He has his own,
but it's not completely unpacked from our trip yet,
so he brought the old empty one we don't use anymore.

Joseph felt like Asher was slowing us down, so he gave him a ride.
Asher, however, refused to let go of the suitcase.

The first day of school is always a little chaotic at the school. No one quite knows where to go. You don't know what the teacher looks like. All the other parents are there, too. But we found out where to go and sent Akiko off.

Moses doesn't really like having Akiko in school all day, but he does have his own preschool to look forward to in a couple weeks.

So, Moses misses the deadline by 5 days. Most of his friends started kindergarten today (or earlier this week). He's still got a year of preschool. He's really excited.

Now, I present the outtakes, because they're just so darn funny:

Maybe it was too early. I mean, I hadn't even brushed her hair yet.

Akiko looks cute in this one, but Asher stole the show.

That's better, but then I realized I needed to brush her hair at this point.

My cute kids, first thing in the morning, eagerly awaiting breakfast.

"Cheese!"

The pre-flash for red eye reduction kept making Akiko blink in the pictures.

"Whoops, Aki. You're eyes are closed."

"Oh, Aki. You blinked again. Try to keep your eyes open, okay?"

Yes, that's one way to do it.

Asher loves getting his picture taken lately.

"Mommy? Cheese?"

"Cheese!"

Well, it will be nice having a routine again. But I am going to miss sleeping in.