July 31, 2013

And here's Luke at swim lessons.  Part of the reason I chose Safe Swim again was because they allow other swimmers in the water during lessons.  I knew that Luke was not going to want to stay dry and just sit and watch for half an hour everyday.  He LOVES the pool!  And he's actually a pretty good little swimmer.  Everyday during lessons I would get comments from other swimmers about Luke.  Everyone wanted to know how old he was and they were always super impressed that he could get around so well.  Anyway, this picture is obviously before we got in the pool.  Luke has a thing for these glasses lately and wants to wear them all the time.  He calls them his "ga-ga" and likes wearing them up on his forehead more than on his eyes.  

July 30, 2013

This is Isaac with his swim instructor Melissa.  This is our second summer taking lessons with her.  She does a good job except Isaac is not always a very good listener and I wish that she were a little more "no nonsense" in her teaching style.  Anyway, Isaac has made some good progress this year.  He's not really interested in learning strokes or proper technique but at least I feel more comfortable about his water safety and that he probably won't drown!

July 29, 2013

Today Isaac learned about free samples at Costco and he was in heaven.  I remember being equally excited about all of the bite sized portions of food when I was a kid, but these days I rarely bother to stop and taste anything.  We normally go to Costco in the evenings or early in the morning to avoid the crowds.  Today I decided to go while Luke was at OT in the early afternoon.  I assume the lunch hours are also the peak sample hours.  Anyway, Isaac's favorite was this tangerine juice which we ended up buying.  He was simply delighted by this new discovery.  "Mom!" he said, "these people are so nice!  They just give you all the snacks for free!"  He's become quite picky about trying new foods in the last year, and that held true today.  He wouldn't eat just anything but he did try the tangerine juice, a chocolate chip cookie, a Fiber One brownie bite, some Pirate Booty, and a granola bar.  On the way to the car he declared "I LOVE COSTCO!"

July 28, 2013

Yes I'm posting this awful picture of myself for the day.  Because this has been me for the past four days now!  I've been sick with I don't even know what.  It started as a sore throat, fever, and chills and has progressed into a constant pounding headache, a cough, a couple of sleepless nights (even after taking Nyquil which I hate), and now today a horrible ear ache.  Charlie convinced me to go in to the urgent care.  The first thing the doctor did was look in my ears and notice that they were filled with wax.  Gross!  I know.  But I've always had this problem since I was a kid.  My ears get impacted way down deep where I couldn't ever reach with a q-tip and the doctor has to clean them for me every now and then.  So here I am laying with drops and cotton balls in my ears in between flushing treatments.  So much fun.  He really seemed more interested in the wax problem than anything I had to say about the symptoms that were actually bothering me, but he did send me away with a prescription for some amoxicillin.  (And again I really hate taking any kind of drugs at all, but I am feeling pretty desperate at this point.)  Let's hope tomorrow is a better day.  

July 27, 2013

Check out Luke's little white bottom!  He's built up a pretty good tan this summer going to the pool everyday.  He has had these whistling bath ducks forever but they have suddenly become fun again for him because they have "floaties!" Luke has an inflatable ring that he plays with at the pool and calls it his floatie.  Tonight he was so excited showing me over and over again how all of the ducks had floaties too.

July 26 , 2013

During Isaac's physical for Kindergarten he did poorly on his eye exam.  I think he just wasn't trying very hard.  Charlie & I both have good vision and have never needed glasses, but we were still a little worried that Isaac might not be seeing 20/20.  The doctor recommended that we take him for a formal eye exam.  Isaac wasn't very happy about the idea of getting glasses and was not looking forward to the appointment.  But the exam went well, his eyes are fine (though he does have a slight weakness in his right eye), and he doesn't need glasses.  Isaac was fascinated by all of the different machines and tools that Dr. Duzman used to check his eyes with.  When it was all over he told me "Hey Mom, that wasn't so bad after all.  It was fun!" 

Luke had fun running up and down the hallway while we were waiting and stopping each time to check in on this nurse, whom he kept referring to as "the guy!" 

July 25, 2013

Today during Isaac's swimming lessons Luke started pointing and getting really excited about a bird.  I looked and saw this little blue parakeet sitting a few feet from the pool.  Luke loves animals and was eager to get his hands on this bird, since it didn't appear to be going anywhere.  My sisters and I had parakeets growing up so I immediately took an interest in it.  He was obviously a pet that had somehow been let loose, and he couldn't fly (pet birds often have their wings clipped).  Poor thing.  I will never understand how people can be such irresponsible pet owners.  It makes me angry.  We ended up calling the Irvine Animal Shelter and they sent someone to come get him.  Isaac & Luke both loved watching the whole ordeal and talking with the officer.  He assured me that the little bird would either find his original home or be adopted out.  So we did our good deed for the day - saved the life of a parakeet!

July 24, 2013

This is Isaac's Lego "fort" that he's spent the last couple of days building and playing with.  It's been built up even more since I took this picture, but I still think it's cool to see how he creates things all on his own.  There are different command stations with computers and in the bottom right corner is the generator.  I don't know why all of the guys are bald...

July 23, 2013

The Tooth Fairy came!  And she was very generous.  When I was a kid she only ever left me a dollar.  Isaac was really excited to get $5 but then he stuck it in his piggy bank and said he was going to save it for later.  He is always telling me all kinds of things that he wants to buy, but apparently he wants us to buy them with our money.  His is being saved for something more important.

July 22, 2013

Isaac lost his first baby tooth!  His bottom tooth has been loose and wiggly for a few weeks, but we knew it was getting really close to coming out the last couple of days.  Charlie & I both tried to persuade him to pull it out but Isaac would hear nothing of that.  Tonight during dinner he was eating a hamburger and he swallowed his tooth!!!  He told me he tried chewing it and he thought that I had given him a really hard hamburger and he was mad, but then he realized that it was the tooth.  Ooops!  Then he got really upset because he didn't think the tooth fairy would come if he didn't leave his tooth for her.  I told him we'd write her a note and that seemed to ease his anxiety.  

July 21, 2013

We rarely use Red Box but since we were already picking up a movie last night we went ahead and got two.  Charlie's brother Chris had recommended "Pitch Perfect" to us.  We waited until after the boys were in bed to turn it on, but of course Isaac always gets up out of bed.  He was laying on the couch watching the opening scene where an all girl glee club is performing on stage wearing matching outfits.  Isaac turned to me and says "Mom, were all of those girls in their mom's belly at the same time?!"  Charlie and I both bust out laughing.  And that was probably the highlight of the movie for both of us.

July 20, 2013

Tonight we had dinner at Super Mex.  Luke can never sit in his seat long enough for me to finish my meal, so I sent him over to sit with Charlie and Isaac for a bit.  I forget what they were laughing at here - I think Isaac was talking some kind of nonsense boy humor.

On our way home from dinner we decided to go home and have a movie night, so we stopped by Red Box to pick up "Wiener Dog Nationals".  It was a silly movie but the boys both liked it and Charlie and I did get a few laughs out of some of the dachshund humor.

July 19, 2013

One of Luke's favorite things to eat lately are these little Stonyfield Farm's yogurts.  I do think he genuinely enjoys eating the yogurt but what really gets him excited is the pictures on the sides of the containers.  Each one has a kid holding fruit over their eyes, on their nose, and one has blueberry antennas on his head.  Luke thinks this is absolutely hilarious.  His favorite is the one with the strawberry nose.  We just bought a new pack of these yogurts today and he wanted to have them all on the table while he ate the strawberry nose one (always his first pick).

July 18, 2013

Isaac had his yearly check-up today with the doctor.  He had to have a physical for kindergarten.  They needed a urine sample and he was totally fascinated with the idea of peeing in a cup.  He was also really excited to see that his pee was "golden" which is his favorite color (yes, golden).  

After the doctor, Sandy and the cousins came out to visit.  First we went to the bike park, but after riding bikes and scooters for an hour or so the kids moved onto something much more exciting.  Snail races.  Ryan had seen the movie "Turbo" a few days before and introduced the rest of the kids to the idea of snail racing.  They were all intrigued by this and spent the next hour scouring the park for snails and checking back on the progress of the race.  

Here's cute Hailey with two of her snail racers.

Next it was on to the pool for a bit of swimming before dinner.  I forget how lucky we are to have our choice of over 20 pools open to us at anytime we want.  The cousins were really excited to get to swim and are already planning their next visit to come back.  

July 17, 2013

I think I've mentioned that Isaac is obsessed with Star Wars.  He really really wants me to buy him a toy light saber.  Actually he wants a "real" one.  And he wants two of them so he can fight with Luke.  For now he is using a glow stick/flash light thing and a miniature light saber from a kids meal.  He always gives Luke the kids meal one because it comes apart in two pieces so every time that they battle it immediately breaks.  But Luke doesn't seem to mind and they both are happy.

July 16, 2013

Charlie has been taking the boys to the pool every evening when he gets home from work.  They love going with him and I love it because it gives me a little quiet time to get dinner ready, clean up the house, or run an errand.  This evening I needed to go to Trader Joe's but it was probably a mistake to go while hungry.  I often buy TJ's pita chips (they are actually Stacy's but private labeled for TJ's) and I've always been tempted to try the cinnamon and sugar ones.  I ate about half the bag while driving home.  Not that they were that fantastic, but mostly because I was hungry.  They reminded me of the deep friend tortillas sprinkled with cinnamon & sugar that were always served at The Whole Enchilada (my family's favorite restaurant while growing up) after a meal.

July 15, 2013

Tonight we had our first real Family Home Evening.  I'm a little embarrassed to admit that.  We've always kind of gone with the philosophy that every night is family night at our house because our kids are young and we are usually all home together.  But we realized we needed to put a little more effort into having a formal FHE and teach a lesson, etc.  We started tonight with the Book of Mormon stories and talked about Lehi's family leaving Jerusalem (the block city) and pitching their (paper) tents in the wilderness.  Then we played Jenga and ate cookies.  Isaac loved it and Luke is always happy when cookies are involved.  

July 14, 2013

This evening we went to a mission farewell open house for our friend Pedro.  Charlie has been his home teaching companion for the past couple years and they became good friends.  Pedro is off to Brazil (where his family is from) and we are very excited for him!

Later on I took the boys out for a little walk/bike ride to burn off some energy.  Isaac's bike needed air in the tires and he thought it was really cool to use the pump and fill the tire himself.  Luke thought it was cool too and wanted to be the assistant.  

July 13, 2013

The Wood boys love the water.  This is true of Charlie and all of his brothers and the next generation of Woods is following suit.  Charlie plays all sorts of games with Isaac & Luke in the pool, which I'm sure is a large part of why they love it so much.  Luke especially loves the throws.

July 12, 2013

The nice thing about Luke's new schedule is that our days are a lot more open now to go do other things.  Today we drove out to Sandy's house to play with the cousins.  We hadn't had a play date in months due to busy schedules, so we were glad to be able to go.  Sandy's kids think Luke is the cutest and funniest little guy.  I have to agree.  They all gathered around to see him and play the question game.  A few months back Luke used to answer "yeah" to every question you asked him and the kids seemed to find this hilarious.  He is pretty much past that stage now but he cooperated with their game today by answering "yeah" to every crazy question they came up with, sending them all into fits of giggles.

July 11, 2013

Hard to believe that this cute face could be such a little trouble maker!  Today as we were driving (on the freeway) to speech, Luke decided to try climbing out of his seatbelt.  He got both of his arms through the top straps and then grabbed the seat in front of him trying to use it as leverage to push his little bottom out of the remaining lap belts.  We were in busy traffic and fairly close to our destination so I scolded him a bit and kept driving, keeping one eye on my rear view mirror and Luke the monkey.  Then, just as we got off our exit he leaned over and opened his door!!!  I about had a heart attack.  We have always kept the child safety locks on the back doors but for some reason this one had been switched off.  Thank goodness we were off the freeway by now.  I quickly pulled over, strapped him back in and re-locked the door.  And they say cell phones are too distracting?  

Isaac has always struggled a bit with fine motor skills and handwriting is no exception.  We have been working on it for the past year, but there is still much room for improvement.  I don't want him to fall behind too much in the coming school year so we are keeping up practice through the summer.  He kind of hates it, but I am bribing him with "points" to earn new toys.  Today he drew a picture and wrote about the play area at the new gym that he LOVES.  I've had to start going to the LA Fitness in Fountain Valley a few days a week (ghetto!) because Luke's appointments got moved to the morning during my regular gym time.  I have to miss some of my favorite classes and this other gym is not nearly as nice as our gym in Irvine.  So really the only upside is that Isaac thinks the kids club there is the coolest thing ever.  At least we have that.  

July 10, 2013

Since returning home from Utah I have put Luke on soda and pacifier detox.  Luke loves, loves, loves to drink but has never really liked water.  He is constantly begging for juice and soda.  He is obsessed with soda.  Any and all kind of soda.  And for awhile there he was drinking way too much of it.  The last few days have been rough but he has only had water to drink.  He hasn't used a sippy cup in months so I think the novelty of it makes drinking water kind of fun for him.  We've also relegated the pacifier to his crib for nap time and bed time only.  So yeah, tough week around here.  The scratch on his nose is from falling face first down the front steps at Grandma & Grandpa's house as we were loading up the car on Monday morning.

July 9, 2013

Isaac doesn't sleep well.  He has a hard time falling asleep and a hard time staying asleep.  Every night there is a new story of why he can't go to sleep or why he can't stay in his bed.  His pillows aren't cold enough, he needs water, he's scared of the dark, etc.  Tonight he told me that he needed the light on because he was scared but now he couldn't go to sleep because the light was too bright and he just didn't know what to do.  After a lot of drama I offered him this sleep mask.  Isaac had never seen one before and was intrigued.  He agreed to give it a try and was sound asleep a few minutes later.

July 8, 2013

Utah isn't necessarily high on the list of places that Charlie & I would like to live, but I think it got bumped up a few spots after this trip.  It is so beautiful there, especially in the summer.  This was at the beginning of our drive home, when the scenery was still pretty and the car was peaceful.  I wish I could say the same for the rest of our drive.  Luke had a rough time in the car today - which means we all had a rough time in the car.  We are glad to be home!  

July 7, 2013

Luke is absolutely obsessed with Grandpa's Jeep.  Karl has taken him on two Jeep rides a day since we got here and Luke still can't get enough.  He walks around the house looking for Grandpa and exclaiming "beep ride!" over and over.

July 6, 2013

We spent the morning in Ogden visiting with my sister-in-law and her new twin girls Natasha & Melody (Tyler is in DC so unfortunately we didn't get to see him this time).  The girls are now 8 months old and we were excited to finally get to meet them!  Right before it was time to leave Isaac asked if he could hold one of the babies and then of course Luke wanted to hold a baby too.  They were both very gentle and sweet with their baby cousins.  I love this picture of them all together.

July 5, 2013

Today we drove to American Fork and spent the day visiting with my family.  I really loved getting to spend time with my grandparents.  My parents have moved around a lot since I left home so going back to my Grandma & Grandpa's house is one place that kind of feels like "going home."  I remember the family vacations that we used to take to visit my grandparents in the summers.  And then my family moved to American Fork the summer before my Senior year of high school and I spent a lot of time over at my grandparents house that year before I moved to Provo.  I have so many wonderful memories of both of them.  I wish that I had a whole week to hang out in the garage with Grandpa drinking "pop" from his refrigerator and to sit at the kitchen table playing word games with Grandma, but I was happy just to be able to give them both a big hug and to visit for a little while.

July 4, 2013

We had a fun day celebrating the 4th of July with the Wood family.  We brought some fun dress-up stuff for the kids to wear, and Carly's mom brought M&M's and bubbles for them too.  Here are the cousins all decked out and ready to party:  Luke, Asher, Lucy, Isaac & Ginny.  

July 3, 2013

We arrived in Price in the early afternoon.  We got to take a tour of Karl & Janelle's new home, but I think the boys were more interested in the backyard.  Behind the house is all open land and since the yard is not landscaped yet there is just dirt and rocks all the way out.  Isaac and Luke could not get enough of digging in the dirt with Grandma's gardening spades, throwing rocks (Luke) and walking all around exploring.

July 2, 2013

My friend Erin & her family are visiting family in California for the 4th of July but we got the chance to hang out with them today.  Erin & Ben have four boys, plus they brought Becky's son Drew with them.  With the addition of Isaac & Luke we had seven little boys splashing around in the pool today.  Erin and I hung out in the little pool with the younger boys while Ben took on the role of diving coach with the older boys.  I was really proud of Isaac for jumping off the diving board over and over again and swimming to the edge all by himself.  He even tried the high dive!  Thanks Erin for coming to hang out with us.

Tonight we began our long journey to Utah.  After Charlie got off of work we drove to Vegas where we are staying the night.  

I also have to include this funny Isaac story for the day so that I don't forget it.  Today while driving home from Luke's speech session Isaac asked where we were going next.  I started singing the chorus of "Home on the Range," but after just one round Isaac stopped me.  "No no Mom, you are supposed to sing that song in a sweet lovely voice.  Not like Snuffaluffagus!"  Perhaps I should be insulted by him comparing me to a nasally sounding puppet, but I actually thought it was hilarious.  I've always known that I have a pretty awful singing voice - I just never expected my children to call me out on it at such a young age!  

July 1, 2013

On the rare occasion that I go to Wal-Mart, I usually walk away with a good reminder of why I don't shop there.  Tonight we needed an item that Target didn't have so we went to Wal-Mart.  I have a knack for picking the slowest lines ever.  Tonight takes the cake.  This woman in front of me had brought in an ad from a discount supermarket in another city and was price matching every single item in her cart.  EVERY SINGLE ITEM.  And they were not all in the ad, but she would argue with the checker on everything and eventually the checker just started scanning and then asking the lady "how much?" and typing in whatever she said.  It was outrageous!!!  The woman was obviously a total liar as she was naming ridiculously low prices for everything that she wanted.  A $21 Baby Einstein toy was suddenly only $9.  I couldn't believe it!  But the manager came over and approved everything.  Once it was all totaled up, she didn't have enough money and started taking things out.  Then she still didn't have enough and had to go to her car to get more cash.  I commented to the cashier on the audacity of it all, but she insisted that the store's policy is to price match - even without an ad.  It is too bad there are such dishonest people in the world.  And it is too bad that I had to wait 20 minutes in line behind one of them.