Birthday and other fun

Went down south to celebrate Alicia's birthday.
"Aw man, locked out of the pool!"

Jayden's big cousin teaching her how to color.

"Run!"

Jayden:  "Ok, I've got this."
Carter:  "Oh no!  You're going the wrong way!  Just let me drive."

"Come on guys!  Kiss!"

"My life is over!  I will never feel joy again!"

"Fine, I'll sit here, but I won't be happy about it."

Getting ready to try out their new skates!

"Whoa!  This is trickier than I thought!"

Meanwhile, the little sisters enjoy a nice quiet game of chutes and ladders.

Daddy came home for Carter's birthday!
Too bad the kids were more interested in the balloons than Dad.

Taking Carter to his birthday surprise.
"Come on guys, where are we going?"

Carter's first movie in a movie theater.  He loved it (and those comfy chairs!)

Making a wish

Lots of helpers for lots of presents.

Trying out some of his new birthday stuff.

"I do NOT want to take pictures on my birthday!"
(notice Alicia's face versus Carter's.  One pleasant, one not so much)

Now compare again. 

Carter and Alicia: "This IS my happy face"
Kaycee:  "Oooh a bird"
Jayden:  "Oooh a rock"
Melody:  "I just threw up in my mouth a little"

Workin' with Grammy

Little skeletons

"Why did no one tell me I had two different shoes on!"

Dolly cuddles

More cuddles

Talking to Daddy
(Not really, she just wandered around the room with the phone to her ear saying "Da")

"Ta-Da!"

"Look at my masterpiece.  Isn't it wonderful?"

"Ahhh!  Godzilla!"

Playing with pipe cleaners during conference

Learning about octopus ink

Carter's special place where he does his "Study-work"

Boo!

Carter wanted a turn to be the villain (not bad guy, villain), so Jayden got to be the hero.

Pumpkin bowling!

Jayden is a serious bowler

After a while, Carter decided to try pumpkin soccer.
His first response:  "Ow!"

Jayden was a good helper.
"Here, let me set those pins up for you"

"Oh man, this is heavy!"

Carter teaching his little sis how to drive

Carter's favorite way to skateboard.
Or is it his favorite way to go sledding?

Serious helmet head

"Come on, lets go get married!"

"Wait, I was just kidding!  Don't run away!"

Such a big girl.

Made me think of this picture

Whee!

Carter isn't sliding down backwards.
He is climbing up with just his arms!  Mom was surprised when he made it all the way to the top!

Jayden craft shopping
"Ooh, I like this, and this, and this...."

Carter craft shopping
"This is comfy."
(Actually he was singing "Ten in the bed" as he rolled down to the end of the row)

Playing with his car tracks.
(notice where it ends.  The cars actually go through that little hole in the box and collect inside.)

"Please!  I just want more grapes!"

"Ok.  This will do."

Jayden practicing wearing a hat so she will leave one on for Halloween.
"Take it offs us!  It burnses us!"

How Jayden sleeps in her brace

How Jayden wakes up in her brace.
(Mommy was surprised the first time she walked in to this)

How Jayden sleeps without her brace.

Pajama parties and Preschool Projects

I found this cute 1 year old at the store and decided she should come home with me :)

Pajama Party!!
(Carter had waited all day for this)

A for apple painting!

Jayden's first finger painting

Carter's crown of leaves
(From the book The Giving Tree)

Eating apples from the Giving Tree
(Carter actually spent quite a while just sitting in this tree.  We need one in our living room)

"Mom, I told you I'm not Carter!  I'm adventure dragon guy!"

"No mom, it's not sour at all!"
Carter begged and begged for this lemon at the store.
He and Jayden both gobbled it right up.  Weird kids.

Starting the morning in style

E is for Excited!

Carter made a book about himself, modeled after the book Giraffes Can't Dance.
This first page has a drawing of himself.  As he was scribbling all over it he informed me that it was mud all over him.  Apparently he views himself as very dirty.

Maybe this is why.

Here's how little princesses play in the sand.

This is what big brothers do to princesses in the sand

Mommy decided to do this experiment after one too many times of telling Carter to stop drinking the bath water.

The baby is clean now, the water isn't!

Ice fishing, Arizona style
(fishing for ice, no bait required, just a pinch of salt)

Jayden.....I see you!

After mommy took the ice out of her mouth

Ice painting 

We tried to let Jayden participate, but the first thing she did was try to eat it.

It's always the paint-eaters that get left out

Looking at the Supermoon lunar eclipse
(It's that tiny little speck above and to the left of Carter's head :)

Where's Jayden?

There she is!

Halloween is coming!!
Carter is teaching Jayden his love of all things scary.

Back for a Blessing and a Birthday

When we got back to Arizona when headed down to Tuscon for our little niece's baby blessing and to spend time with the gang down there.  When we finally got back to our apartment we had a birthday to celebrate.

All five cousins together.
It's just getting more and more difficult to get them all to cooperate.

Peek-a-boo Jayden!!

Group shot at the Tuscon Children's Museum.
One little boy needs a nap.

Jayden has learned that she likes sticking her lips out like this.
Not sure why that started.

Imagine chasing this many Carter's around.

"This contraption is a lot trickier than it looks."

Carter picked up a new hobby.

"No!  What are you doing?!!!!"

"Ooh!  Ok I approve"

"You mean I get to eat this whole piece?"

"Can do!"
(I wish we could upload the video of this.  It was hilarious.  She loved her cake!)

It's my birthday and I can cry if I want to.

Our little 1 year old.

"Hey, I'm One now.  I can do what I want."

"How many more pictures do I have to smile for?  I just want to play with this rock."

Several weeks ago Mommy called Jayden Princess. Carter said she couldn't be a princess because she didn't have a crown.  So Carter made Jayden this crown for her birthday.

Happy Birthday Princess!