Spring Break at Discovery Bay

(Warning: picture overload making for ridiculous long post. Sorry, I couldn't help myself) Ok, so it's been a week since we got back but I am finally getting around to adding pics from our awesome week of vacation. Thanks so much to Grandma and Grandpa for letting us come enjoy their time share with them up in Discovery Bay, WA. We were SO lucky with the most incredible beautiful weather the whole time that allowed us to go explore all there is to see in Sequim amd Port Townsend WA and to enjoy the beautiful view from our room:

One of the things that we did was go to the Olympic Game Farm. What an incredible experience! Here we looked over the whole park from a really cool observation tower.

Then we got out and "fed" the llamas. By that I mean the girls held out the bread but once the llamas got close they chucked it at them giggling nervously and running away despite the fence. My brave little soldiers.

Buddy enjoyed the ride tied to mom. He LOVES being outside.

Then we got back in the car to drive through the rest of the farm. We had bought some of their bread and the animals were ready for us. Every time you turned around there was some animal sticking his head in your window. Fun but kinda freaky. Lots more nervous giggling.

Even Buddy enjoyed looking out the window ... for awhile. And there were lots of animals outside of the car to enjoy:

Some didn't look as friendly as others. Nor did they seem to want to let us pass. Not without the bread tax at least.

Others just minded their own business, but none of these guys were more than 10 feet away. It was crazy. And rather funny to see animals that are usually from all different continents and climates intermingling. Later on we got to the wolves in cages and there were all these bunny rabbits hanging out right outside the cages. Odd place to hang out if you ask me.

We had been strongly urged to roll up the windows when we got to the zebras and NOT feed them. Apparently they are mean and fond of biting. This one snuck up on my mom and she barely got it closed in time!

And this guy was just chillin' on the other side of the fence less than 5 feet away. Those dudes are BIG. And they always look like they're smiling. Kind of endearing.

Before too long Buddy had had enough. This was one of his good moments. The rest were much noisier.

And more large animals right outside the window. These guys make me think of the funny moose commentary on the movie Brother Bear about the white bottoms in their Canadian talk where they're questioning the wisdom in that and conclude "that's just poor planning."

This little fella welcomed us at the gate and trotted circles around our car for a good 15 minutes until we came across some big fellas twice his size. Then he left. Quickly. In the buffalo part of the park we were urged to not stop moving or some of the buffalos might try to move us. More nervous giggling. When we came across the big fella larger than my grandparents' SUV the girlies weren't the one ones giggling.

I know these are just geese you'd see anywheres but they have the funniest looks on their faces to me. Especially that one on the right. She's looking at us so intelligently, like she's wondering why we look so funny.

The trip got a little less noisy when I FINALLY succeeded in doing this:

Poor little dude. It's tough to be out of routine and away from your crib. Back in the apartment the girls had some practice runs for Easter. They insisted on dressing in their pearl strands and frilly gloves before looking for the eggs. I'm not totally sure where they come from honestly.

M might want to consider getting taller before the real thing.

And all too soon, it was back home again. Although we got to take a ferry on a gorgemous day so that made it a little less of a downer. Plus we were going home to daddy. YEAH!

Told you it was gorgemous!

It was a perfect way to wrap up a great week! As was dropping by daddy's work on the way home for some good old-fashioned hugs. Buddy sure made him happy by being so excited to see him that he screamed when daddy walked away. So cute!

Turning my thoughts to Easter

http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?locale=0&vgnextoid=bd163ca6e9aa3210VgnVCM1000003a94610aRCRD&channelId=bd163ca6e9aa3210VgnVCM1000003a94610aRCRD&sourceId=04f3a899d5e92210VgnVCM100000176f620a____

Lovin' daddy

The kids and I left on a wonderful vacation for spring break (more on that later) but I meant to post this before we left. While I was running around getting us ready to leave on Monday, J and then later M took over my gmail chat with daddy. I thought this was too cute and had to share it. They love to use the hearts and smilies that you'll just have to imagine there. See if you can tell when M took over :) :

me: ile miss you so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so

9:35 AM much

Cooper: oh, man, I'm going to miss you!

you'll be having so much fun with nana though!

9:36 AM me: ime nirlley crying

Cooper: oh, don't cry! really! you're going to have so much fun!

make sure nana brings her computer, and we'll skype lots!

9:39 AM me: i know bate there with out you will knot biy to gether

9:40 AM Cooper: you're right. we won't be together. But you will be home on Friday, and I'll see you then. And in the meantime, you will have SO MUCH FUN!!!

:D

9:41 AM me: ile cry for so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so long

9:43 AM Cooper: no, just think of all the fun you'll have and you'll be happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy

9:45 AM me: i know but you youst play with me ander the woter

9:47 AM Cooper: I love playing with you in the pool! We'll do it together soon. In the summer, for sure. Nana and Mommy will have so much fun with you this week in the pool.

9:51 AM me: daer daddy i <3 u

9:52 AM hhghbvghbvfgbngbgggggggf

Cooper: I love you too, girlies!

9:54 AM me: :) :) :) :) :) :'(

9:56 AM Cooper: B-)

9:57 AM me: feet

ykjfyhhkjkhglkjnkjh

Cooper: feet?

me: mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

9:58 AM Cooper: wow.

that's a lot of m's!

me: me

hjghjkbmghjkjjhujmn

0123456789-*+/=

9:59 AM ***************************************kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

Cooper: you're really going crazy there!

:-o

10:00 AM me: ++++++++++++++++++++++++----------------------------------------------**************************************////////////////////////////////////////////////========================

Why learning to spell is important

M: "Grilled cheese sandwiches are just for girl." (that's what I thought I heard)

J: "No they're not. Boys can have them too."

M: "Huh uh. Only girls. That's why they're called GIRLED cheese sandwiches, right mom?"

J: "You know you don't speak French M. But Fancy Nancy does."

M: "Fancy Nancy knows how to speak Futch? I wish I knew how to speak Futch."

Hide-n-seek aka nap time

Last night I mentioned to the girls that daddy would be home soon. Soon to me = 20 minutes. Soon to the girls = 20 seconds. They both started squealing and running around the house yelling hide, quick! Where should we hide? I quickly evaluated the situation. I'd just put dinner in the oven. Buddy was sleeping. If I could just convince the girlies to stay in a hiding spot, I might just be able to lie down and take a quick nap. Wouldn't that be great? But how to keep them excited to stay hidden for 20 minutes without them asking if he was here yet every 2 seconds, waking me up? Here you go:
Ta dah! I am a tricksy little hobbit, or I would be if I were a little hobbit. My brilliant scheme could only have worked better if getting them set up hadn't taken half of my power nap time.

Too Much Dora

Just looking at it gets me singing "I'm a Map, I'm a Map, I'm a Map ..." And when did she start using apostrophes? We should probably start working on spelling but it's hard to correct her when this way is SO dang cute! (For those not lucky enough to be familiar with Dora, they have a map to help them get somewhere and Dora explains the steps to get there, just like J did on these papers) And I love the teamwork. M drew the map and J wrote the directions/story line. I find maps like this drawn by M nearly daily. I will also occasionally hear little Swiper sounds behind couches. I love it.

His favorite new toy

And for $25 at a Used-Toy store, what's not to like? Love that smile!I wanted to insert some witty caption here but the face is just too good for anything I can think of. What do you think he's saying here?And is this not a crazy boy face? Looks like he's ready to be chasing his sisters around the playground with a worm laughing his mischevious little heart out. Fun times ahead. I can hear the squeals now.
J always had an extremely expressive face and still does actually. As a baby I remember my mom asking if I could get any normal pictures of her smiling since mostly I got crazy expressions and funny faces. While I get lots of smiles from Buddy, I don't think he's much behind her in expressiveness!

Was that in the job description?

M: Mooooooom! We didn't ever do _____ today.

Me: I know honey, but we did do ____ and ____ and ____ and ____ and well, Mommy just can't do everything.

M: (looking thunderstruck) But you're the MOM!

Moses and Minnie

This week J taught our Family Home Evening lesson (Family Home Evening is something we do once a week where it's basically a family night. We sing some songs together, have a lesson from the scriptures, play a game, have dessert, stuff like that). She prepared it all herself and was SO excited. M got to be the helper that held the pictures while J read her "talk." Here it is:In retrospect, not the best idea to let her learn the scriptures by watching movies. Prince of Egypt is very entertaining but what she got out of it was that God yelled at Moses so loud Moses took his shoes off. We might have to review the story in more detail next week. But so cute regardless!

Then here are M's two favorite subjects. We see slight variations of these two pictures dozens of times each week. On the left we have princess M and princess J, obviously. Can you tell me what's on the paper on the right?
Why that's Minnie Mouse and Mickey Mouse of course. And in case you have ever wondered about their relationship, your questions are all answered here. Minnie, as you can see, is clearly pregnant. She draws a variation of this picture probably half a dozen times each week. Hey, when you find something that works, stick with it.

Eating Pros and Woes

As I think I've mentioned before buddy LOVES these new solid foods. You put him in the high chair and it's the highlight of his day. Although, you better be ready to get started because highchair = eating. Highchair does not in any way, shape, or form, equal patiently waiting until the food gets to him. But as long as the food is coming, he is an extremely happy camper.

He loves the food, he loves the cup (although he hasn't figured it out and just chomps on it), and he loves the spoon. Fortunately, we're not yet to the "I do" phase, just the quick-give-him-the-spoon-to-make-him-happy-before-he-notices-the-food's-all-gone phase.

In fact, there had yet to be a food he didn't liked. And then he met green beans. I'm not so sure about the looks of that stuff, says he.

What is this stuff? Do I like it?

Uhhhh, this tastes like ... I don't think I do.

Blah. Get it out of my mouth.

GET IT OUT! GET IT OUT! GET IT OUT!

Turns out he doesn't like green beans.

Still with the feeding thing, I need advice. Buddy has had nursing trouble since day one, having to do with his acid-reflux (he's been on medicine for it), and the fact that he prefers wrestling/biting/twisting/pulling/squirming/mashing/arching/pulling off every two gulps to nicely sucking. We struggle. And his weight percentage has just continued and continued to drop until the doctor just told me to call it quits and give him formula in bottles to try to get him more food and more weight. I don't think the problem has ever been me having enough milk, but he won't keep eating long enough to get enough and thus, isn't gaining weight as he should. This has been so difficult and frustrating and I was a bit emotional about it but it's what's best for him. But now that I've accepted that, he won't take a bottle. Won't take it if it has my milk, won't take it if it has formula. We've tried three different kind of bottles/nipples and he thinks they're fun toys for a few minutes, won't suck on them at all, lets most milk that comes out dribble down his neck, and then gets mad. Coop has tried giving them to him without me around so he doesn't want me instead. No go. So here's where the much-needed advice comes in. How do we get him to take a bottle? In the meantime I've been nursing him every 2 hours in hopes that he'll get more, but I'm not so sure that it doesn't just mean more time for him to scream at me. It's so draining trying to get him to eat. So can anybody tell me how to get him to take a bottle?? Help please!

My new trick!

What are you doing? Oh, I'm just sitting here.

What did you say? Oh nothing much. I'm just SITTING. Look! No hands! Hard to believe isn't it?

I'm pretty happy about it. I think I'm pretty cool now that I can sit up all by myself and go eye-to-eye with anything. Well, okay, anything that's about one foot tall. Still, pretty awesome.

And true, sometimes I fall over. But I'm no less cute when I do!

And plus, when I fall over, I can easily play with these really sweet feet. It's hard to grab them and get them in my mouth though with them kicking so fast. Oh well, it's fun to try!

Playground rules for the dolls

I especially love the last one. Very important that nobody be caught "playing dog." Who knows what would happen if we let them get away with that.

Our big/little boy

Here's a bunch of pictures for you to enjoy. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do!! He's just so cute.
Enjoying some sister time (lots of pics of the same thing, I know, but each face is different):
Watchin' Blazers with daddy time:
Is this not a "do-you-see-what-this-crazy-chick-is-doing-to-me" face?
Cool and knows it too:
We actually got a picture with Papa! Hurray!
He loves him his baby food! Do you see how he's attacking that spoon? Wish you could see him eating live. Before he's even swallowed he starts yelling for the next bite. It is not a pretty sight when the bowl is empty.
And no joke, he grabbed this out of my hands as I walked by. My mom was holding him and he just snatched it and then did this. How does he even know that's what you do??
We can't believe how darn fast the little peanut is growing. It's rather disturbing. He has been sitting by himself the last few days. Of course he falls if he gets distracted and quickly looks to the side or something (which makes the girls laugh hysterically), but the fact that he's doing it means he's getting big WAY too fast!