Grants first 6 months

I have not written enough about Grant!

Oh how I love him!

He is sweet and smiley.

He is cuddly and rarely fusses. 

He gets so much attention from his brother and sister.

He is rolling and sitting. 

First foods: peaches and sweet potatoes.

He loves walking around in his walker and rolling around on the floor with toys.

He is growing too fast. 

I LOVE this baby so much! 

Charlie is turning 5

WHAT?! When did my little baby boy turn into a kid!

A kid who runs around the neighborhood playing with friends.

A kid who gives us suggestions how to handle situations.

A kid who prays and really speaks his heart.

A kid who is constantly building forts.

A kid who loves being a big brother. 

A kid who loves learning and creating. 

Charlie's favorites:

 color: blue and red.

food: papusas

sport: soccer

books: any dinosaur book

scripture hero: Nephi

friends: Gwenyth, Clark, Mitch, Jethro, Henry, Leif

what he does well: runs fast, front flips, and having good idea's

Charlie is a great big brother!

He loves climbing trees and riding his bike.

He can be the sweetest thing and biggest helper!

One day he unloaded a trunk full of groceries (and it was raining!) while i nursed Grant.

Charlie is still my refiners fire. 

Each new attitude or "stage" has my head spinning with what to do. 

He has locked us out of the house and out of the bathroom.

He use to sneak food (Popsicles, chocolate, crackers, string cheese) into his bedroom early in the morning and gobble it up before anyone was awake. 

He pushes my buttons, ones i didn't even knew existed.

He is silly and loves to laugh. 

He is officially 5 years old! 

He is also a champion of the swings! 

A day never to be forgotten!

Today is a day never to be forgotten. As a mother of two little ones, i feel like i don't really get time to really think or take care of myself. I do love being a mother! I love taking care of my kids needs. But it is also a job that sucks the life out of me. This morning Andy took the kids to his parents house for the day and night. So from 9am thru tomorrow around 11am I have and will be kid-less. This break has saved my soul. This break has strengthened me. I now feel ready to be a better mom and bring in another baby to our family. The highlights of my day:

-Temple Visit (new Provo City Temple!)

-Pedicure

-Eating Sushi

-Thinking 

(yes just having time and quiet to really think)

This baby is going to be joining us soon. Really any day now but could be as much as another 2 weeks, which isn't ideal but...you never know. I am really trying to make the arrival an exciting thing for the kids, a real birthday celebration! I got balloons today. I have stuff ready to make a cake. This little babe will either be (i am 99% sure) Eden Inez Lousie Watanabe or Grant Noboru Watanabe.

The reveal will be awesome!  

Preschool Co-op

Charlie loves preschool! 

I got connected with 4 other moms who had boys charlie's age last September.

We each take a turn teaching and have classes once a week.

We have been going through the alphabet.

I think I enjoy it as much as Charlie does.

I get to prepare fun lessons and he gets to meet new friends and learn from other moms.

This is just a glimpse into one of our classes on the letter Q.

The boys each got to slash the letter O to turn it into a Q. 

It turned out to be more challenging than i expected. But a good start to writing letters :) 

The boys painted using Q-tips. I love seeing there creativity and how different they each painted their pictures.

I took the boys on a BEAR QUEST, the same thing as, Going on a Bear Hunt, Book.

We played Q BINGO helping the boys recognize different Q word images.

We read books about being Quiet and about Ducks who were quick and quacked.

I love it!

Ugly Sweater Party

Andy and I attended an Ugly Sweater Party with a group of fellow MBA couples. 

I am super proud of our ugly sweaters. 

I looked on Pinterest for ideas a couple hours before the party.

I found some and went to work.

The sweaters were from the DI.

Tinsel and ornaments from the dollar store. 

Then lots of hot glue :) 

Sweater total: $5.50 per sweater

Thanksgiving 2014

We spent a lot of time with our family over the Thanksgiving Break. 

The first half was up in Logan. Now that the kids are all getting older things are louder and a lot more exciting. We went bowling. Andrue and Audrie enjoying that the most. 

The kids all sat down and had a Thanksgiving Dinner and for about 10 minutes they all sat and ate. All we could do was watch in amazement. 

We enjoyed movies, walks, cooking, and eating.

The second half was in North Salt Lake. Sundy prepared a beautiful set up with the china from her wedding. There was  a lot of colorful food. Once again, the kids had a great time playing and running around. Charlie loved playig with his older cousins Alia, Mel, and Harrison. The girls were also really cute with Olive getting her to laugh. 

Here's the updates on the kiddo's. 

 CHARLIE

is 3 and is still trying to get the three fingers together to show people. He is vibrant and funny. This morning he created a system where he had a string tied to our dresser and the other on the top of the bed. He was sending hangers with clothes down the line. I thought it was pretty creative. He is a great helper in the kitchen. He helps grade cheese, minces garlic, puts ingredients in the blender, etc. Its so fun and he's so excited to participate. He has been doing a pre-school co-op where me and 3 other moms take turns teaching our 3 year old boys. His two favorite letters are O (that's for Olive he yells!) and I, because he can write it all himself. I love seeing him learn!

OLIVE

is 15 months old. She is offcially a walker! For about 3 weeks now. She likes to stay close to me and i am often holding her while cleaning and cooking. But she has her alone time exploring the house and putting toys all over. She likes looking at books. Lately, she has been clicking her tongue and been a big time jabberer, although, we haven't heard any definite words yet. She is a sweet girl and give lots of kisses and snuggles. She is also a BIG eater. She'll eat almost anything and has a big appetite, which i am so grateful for. Also, a side note, she will NOT wear bows. Its a miracle i got a picture of her with this one that i made.

   

ANDY

is becoming an Entrepreneur. He is extending his schooling so he can focus on a start up he is working on with a partner. I love that he is getting to pursue his dream. And although i know it will be a challenge it will be a growing and learning experience he will have for the rest of his life. I love his ambition and passion to build and create great products. I am grateful for the time he takes to support me in mine as well. He's had many nights with the kids allowing me to pursue me interests.  

BLAIRE

I am enjoying teaching charlie letters and numbers. I love reading to him. I love playing with Olive. I am a ward missionary with a focus on Social Media. I visit teach two really great girls and gain so much from their experiences and thoughts. I am reading some great books, one about Harold B. Lee and miracles the other is called, 12 gifts for Christ. Andy and I have also been exercising everyday! We take turns going to the rec center at 6am. I have enjoyed the fitness classes: yoga, pilates, and zumba. I have never felt better! 

The Terrible 3's?

Charlie is sweet. Genuine. Funny. He has a contagious laugh. He's thoughtful and likable. 

Everyone talks about terrible two's. 

Charlie had his moments. 

But he was his lovable self most of the time. 

A week or two before his third birthday a monster has emerged! 

A day doesn't go by where he doesn't throw at least one major tantrum. 

And now the tantrums are happening in public! 

I'm embarrassed. I look like a deer in the headlights every time they erupt.

I'm not sure what to do with this screaming, hitting, kicking child.

At home its easy to lock him in a room until he sweetly says, "All better mom!" 

And it is very sweet, but with the tantrums, i feel like the life has been sucked out of me. 

And i'm not ready to pretend like it never happened.

In public, its much harder to know what to do so i just try to hide. 

I have to pray so hard to have the strength to love him despite these bursts of outrage.

I do receive help. 

And when i do my heart just aches to see him in so much distress with nothing to do to solve it. 

He just has to go through it and then he's back to normal.

I hope this stage passes quickly.

We had a great birthday. 

I was disappointed that he had tantrums even on his birthday when everything was planned to make him a happy boy. We still had a great day! Played with cousins at our house and then met up with other cousins for a train ride on the Heber Creeper. 

I love Charlie!

He can say the sweetest things.

Like tonight, he actually ate the dinner i prepared. Big SHOCKER!

He kept giving me hugs and saying thank you and saying "I like it Mom!"

He would like most things i fixed but he never bothers trying it.

Tonight was a big deal. 

He also said to me, "Does that make you happy mom?" 

Yes, it does Charlie. 

Thank you my Son, Happy Birthday! 

Provo Family

My Dad would hate to hear this but it's true right now: 

We are a Provo Family (ha ha!) 

I love autumn! 

I love the colors, smells, crispy air, and excitement of approaching holidays.

I have been trying to soak up every moment of the this short season 

because once winter hits, its harder for me to stay positive. 

Life right now is happy yet challenging.

Charlie is going through a BIG tantrum stage and it wears me to the bone, emotionally.

Olive's sweetness helps counter it.

Andy is more busy than ever and i miss having him around. 

I wish i had more time to cook healthy and yummy food but i feel lately that i am behind in everything, and i'm just trying to catch up.

Life seems so ideal from pictures...

but behind the pictures are real people 

trying to do their best with what they have been given. 

It's not easy and it's not suppose to be.

I'm grateful for all of it because i know that through these challenges,

I am growing.

Happy Birthday Olive

Olive turned one year old. 

I can't believe how fast my little girl has grown. 

She is active! She is crawling and climbing and walking with a push toy.

She has a big appetite and loves food, any food any time of the day.

She loves her mom and dad and clings tightly to us!

She will venture off on her own and when she does i see her watching us out of the corner of her eye. 

Charlie can make her giggle. 

When Andy walks in the door she goes wild kicking and screaming for him.

She is the sweetest and I absolutely adore her.

I enjoyed planning and hosting a party in her behalf along with 5 other friends. 

Olive was born the first week of school. 

Andy had 5 other classmates who also had babies born that same week.

So they are all days a part and i thought it would be fun to celebrate the first year all together, and to also get some priceless photos taken of the six of them.

 We had the party in our backyard. 

Its a beautiful backyard and this is the first time we have used it.

Left to right: Peter, Olive, Sadie, Ava, Jack, and Miriam

It was almost impossible to make this picture happen. 

But i think they turned out perfect!

I love seeing the different pictures and reactions of the babies.

Olive was just busy eating her cupcake the whole time. 

We had a game for the dads. Eating the doughnut off the string.

I have tons of pictures of this as well and they are hilarious, i am sure as you can imagine! 

The kids had a bubble blowing contest.

Except only one of the kids really knew how to blow a bubble.

Ava's oldest sister Isabelle was the winner! 

The others all got points for giving such a good effort. 

Then for the moms, we played Dizzy Mummy.

We had to see who could be the first to wrap a whole roll of toilet paper around them-self.

I took it seriously and spun so fast i couldn't stop when i was done. 

It was a weird feeling! 

I tied with Alicia, Sadie's mom. 

A few pictures from the last year...