Valen's Birthday Party

Valen had Karate first thing this morning. While her and Justin were gone to that I put the finishing touches on the birthday party. When they got home there was just enough time for Valen to change into her Ash costume. Garrett Jones—from her primary class, Ilona Lukina and Kailynn—both from her school—came to the party. There weren’t many, but I think they had fun. They colored pictures and did Pokemon word searches. Then we played ‘Whose That Pokemon?’ We had Justin draw pictures of different Pokemon and the kids guessed who they were. Valen ended up guessing most of them. Then, we played pin the tail on Pikachu.




After that, we opened presents. She got a Pokemon action figure, a stuffed animal monkey and blanket, Sponge Bob Life and glitter glue pens. After that, the kids watched a Pokemon movie while we got the Pokemon monkey cheese ready. The kids ate lunch while they continued to watch the movie.

Then we had Pokeball cupcakes and handed out the Pokemon party favors—a bookmark, a marshmallow sucker, a bookmark and a Pokemon card.

They ended the party with a game of Pokemon Sorry.

After the party we went to the mall. We tried to find snow pants for Valen, but there were none in her size. So we got Aunt Annie’s cinnamon sugar pretzel sticks instead. Then we went to Target to get Valen a Pokeball to finish her Pokemon Trainer outfit for Halloween.
Justin took Valen over the Zach and Zaden Webber’s house. They couldn’t come to the birthday party, so they invited Valen over to their house to play. They also gave her an ant farm for her birthday present.
We also went to Barnes and Nobles this evening.

Riley

Riley spent most of that time being chased by the kids that were invited. She did also enjoy the Pokemon macaroni and cheese, a Pokeball cupcake and watching the Pokemon movie. She did color a word search as well.
After the birthday party we went to the mall to look for shoes for Justin. We didn’t have much luck finding shoes, but we did get to ride the elevator several times and we went to Aunt Annie’s and got cinnamon sugar pretzel sticks.
After dinner and a quick bath, we picked Valen up at the Webber’s house. On the way there Riley and I were singing all of the Halloween songs that we learned at library story time. Riley enjoyed the stirring song, helping me say words like stir, whoo and boo. While at the Webber’s house, Annie came running downstairs to tell us that the little girl was playing in the toilet upstairs.
After picking Valen up we went to Barnes and Noble and got to play with the Thomas the Train set. As we were leaving I had Riley on my shoulders. She was pointing out the Curious George poster in the corner when she sneezed on my head. I could feel the spray of it on my arms. Two ladies that were watching us were commenting on how cute Riley was up on my shoulders; as soon as she sneezed they both let out an, “EEEWW.”

Lions say "ROAR"

Valen
After getting dressed and not eating breakfast, we went to Riley’s play group/preschool. Valen enjoyed making the pumpkin craft—gluing on ripped pieces of construction paper onto a paper plate to make a pumpkin. Valen went beyond making a pumpkin and made a pumpkin creature with legs and arms. She also really enjoyed snack time. When we went to the play room afterward, she told me that she felt too old to be there, but then spent quite a bit of time on the zip line and in the sand box and ball pit. I think she had fun.



After a quick lunch, Valen and I headed off to a consignment sale at a local church. Valen found all of the toys immediately. She gathered up all of the Rescue Hero toys and wanted to get all of them. She settled for a packet of write your own books. Just as we were about to leave, we found a bike that was perfect for her, just bigger than her other bike, but not so big she can’t ride it now, so we got it. She rode it around the church several times to make sure that she fit on it. She was so excited to have it that she didn’t complain when we had to cram it into the back seat with her.

After a quick dinner, we went to Grant Richards baptism.

After that we had Valen change into her Halloween costume—Ash, the Pokemon trainer, so we could go to her Girl Scout activity. We went out to the Amherst Museum for some Halloween fun. Basically you go Trick-or-Treating to all of the different buildings on the Museum lot. All of the buildings were decorated and had lights and scary music and noises playing. At first, Valen wasn’t so sure about it, but nothing was too scary, so she was ok with it. After the Trick-or-Treating, we headed to a building for doughnuts and cider.

Riley

First thing this morning we went to Monkey Around play group/preschool. Valen got to come with us today. The theme was the seasons and the color was orange—Riley brought in her pumpkin from the pumpkin patch. All of the kids came dressed up in their Halloween costumes—Riley came as a lion—we had to bribe her with a sucker just to put it on. She made a pumpkin picture. After class was over we went Trick-or-Treating to three of the doors in the building. I don’t think Riley really cared she just wanted to go to the playroom. We spent quite a bit of time playing in the playroom. Riley focused on the ball pit and the playhouse today.

Tonight after dinner we went to Grant Richards baptism. Riley saw Ellie Gruwell there and was determined to sit next to her. We sat behind Ellie, which gave Riley the excuse to play peek-a-boo with her.

After the baptism we grabbed some treats and headed out to the Amherst Museum for Valen’s Girl Scout activity. Basically you go Trick-or-Treating to all of the different buildings on the Museum lot. All of the buildings were decorated and had lights and scary music and noises playing. Riley had a lot of fun. I don’t know if she really understood what was going on, but she enjoyed it. She actually enjoyed wearing her costume this time—which was good because it helped give her en extra layer of warmth. She even roared when we asked her what a lion said. She had great concern over a blow-up ghost that we saw in front of one of the buildings. Not only did he have a sad look on his face, but he was outside in the cold. After getting all the treats we headed to a building for cider and doughnuts.

Happy Birthday Grandpa Mike!!

Valen's Baptism Annoucement

~
I love to see the temple.
I’m going there someday
To feel the Holy Spirit,
To listen and to pray.
For the temple is a house of God,
A place of love and beauty.
I’ll prepare myself while I am young;
This is my sacred duty.
~
I would like to announce that for my first step to the temple,

I have chosen to be baptized into the

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

on
November 1, 2008.

September 27, 2008

Valen
Valen came with me to a baby shower at Eliza Damstedt’s house. She got to play with Zack and Zaden Webber and had a good time. There is a bubble gum machine that was loaded up with Skittles; the kids were going crazy, getting as many as the could carry and then running off. I had to ask Valen to stop after I saw her at the machine three or four times. On the way home from the baby shower we stopped at a garage sale and found TWO Pokemon movies—Pokemon 2000 The Movie and Pokemon the First Movie.
After a lunch of Pokemon monkey cheese—macaroni and cheese—Valen went with Justin to see about a piano. We ended up not getting either of the ones they looked at.
We went outside for a while tonight so that Justin and Valen could play Frisbee and baseball.
We watched Daniel and Laurel Peterson tonight. Valen loves it when we watch them because Laurel is so little that she can carry her around like a little baby doll.


Riley
Riley has been very attached to waffles lately. Every meal she asks for waffles, and is then quite upset when she doesn’t get them. This morning I made waffles, she was thrilled!!
Riley was sick again today. She didn’t go anywhere. This afternoon we finally let her go outside and play. She spent a few minutes playing with the soccer ball and baseball, but then went to her backup—digging in the dirt. Then we went to the playground—Riley’s newest trick is climbing up the slide. She’s pretty good at it. She likes to get halfway up and pretend that she is slipping and falling; she screams and kicks her legs and then laughs.

What a Day

Valen
We went to Palmyra today so that I could baby-sit for those going to the Temple. Valen played outside for awhile, watched the new Barbie movie and went to the Family History Library to learn how to do family history. After about 5 minutes she came back and told me that wasn’t what she really wanted to do.
After we got home I decided that I was too tired to make dinner so we went to Olive Garden to pick dinner up. We came home and watched Nanny McFee while we ate. Then Valen and Riley turned into puppies and were barking and running around and panting. I even caught Valen licking Riley’s face—GROSS!!!

Riley
We went to Palmyra today so that I could baby-sit for those going to the Temple. There were a lot of kids crammed in one small room, but Riley enjoyed playing with all of the trucks, trains, cars and the chalkboard. She would go up to several of the kids and talk to them, or sit by them like they were old friends. She would talk and laugh just enjoying herself. On the chalkboard she drew circles and letters. The circles were real circles, and she knew what they were. I wrote her name and she just started drawing lines and saying random letter names and then yell “Riley!” She did point out several letters and it seemed that she really knew what they were.
When we got home I decided I was too tired to fix dinner so we went to Olive Garden to pick up dinner. Then, we came home and ate dinner while we watched Nanny McFee. After eating our dinner we had the mints that come with the food. Riley got so excited that she ran around the room yelling, “treats! Treats!”

LAZY ME

So, I haven't gotten any pictures up from our trip yet, but I have been journaling Valen and Riley's day each day so far this month. I'm not going to put them all up, but from now on I will post them each day, hopefully. And eventually I will get to our trip pictures. **Warning** Valen's post for today does contain talk about sex from the view point of a seven year old--yes she has had "The Talk."

VALEN
September 18, 2008

The past few days, Riley and I have been playing outside just before Valen gets home from school. We catch Valen as she gets off the bus and she comes over to the playground to play with us. Today, as Valen was getting off the bus I yelled for her to come over to us, but she didn’t hear me. I told Riley that we needed to go home to get Sissy; by the time we got there Valen was hysterical and crying. She said she was worried and scared that we weren’t home. Riley ran up to her, and with a concerned look on her face gave Valen a hug and asked if she was “owie.”
Tonight at dinner, somehow we got talking about babies and I told Valen that I would have the next baby if she would be pregnant for me. She told me no way, and besides she couldn’t be pregnant anyway, “Eight year-olds can’t have babies Mom, that’s gross, I don’t want a penis stuck in my vagina. GROSS!” I laughed so hard.
Valen had Karate again tonight. She is still doing very well. She listens and does everything that she is asked. Her jumps kicks keep getting better and better.

Riley
Riley and I spent the whole morning running errands. For one we had to go on campus. Riley got so excited when we pulled up to the CFA building. She started yelling out, “Daddy, Daddy!!” She didn’t quite understand why he wasn’t there. But I think the ride in the elevator took her mind off of it. We also passed by Valen’s school; again she got really excited and started screaming, “Sissy, Sissy!! Hi Sissy!” We waved as we drove by.
Riley made her first fort today. While I was getting dinner ready she brought her blankie and several dishes into the kitchen and hung out under the table. The only way that I could get her to come out was to set up Valen’s little table in the living room.
Valen had Karate tonight, so we went to watch. Riley had to bring her bag full of dishes and set them up all over a chair. A little boy behind us kept looking at Riley and what she was doing. Riley gave him the evil eye and threw herself over the dishes, and then eventually covered them so he wouldn’t touch them.
Usually when I put Riley to bed she gets up several times and tries to come out of the room. I stand at the door and hold the doorknob so that she can’t turn it and get out. This usually deters her enough to go and get into bed. Tonight, however, after she tried the doorknob, she screamed out, was quiet for a moment and then yelled out, “Help you! Help you!” I opened the door to find her trying to climb the ladder to the top bunk; she was on the third rung, and got stuck.

I hope you enjoy my world through the lives of my children. Someday I may get my own life, but that's not very likely.

Finally, after two months

I know that I haven't been very good at posting anything lately, but I finally feel like my life is getting back on some type of schedule. We went on a month long trip to Utah/Wyoming--posts on that to follow. After getting back, we got Justin ready for school, which her started the 25th of August. Then, for our anniversary, the 27th of August, we went out for dinner at the Cheesecake Factory--I highly recomend the 30th anniversary special cheesecake. Valen started school on the 3rd of September. I can't believe that she is in second grade already. It's so crazy. She is growing up way too fast. I am trying to get things back in order and get us back on a schedule. I've been doing good for the past few days, but I've still got a ways to go.

Last night Valen had a Girl Scouts meeting. We made pins to trade up at camp. When all the pins were done, we let the girls run around outside. Me, and some of the moms were sitting and talking about different things. The conversation turned to child support and the fathers of the girls, and how they don't see their daughters and are dead beat dads. I didn't say very much, but just thought to myself. I am so greatful for the situation that I'm in. I have a wonderful husband who loves me and the daughters that he has had with me. He loves and supports us and does everything that he can to make us happy and make a better life for us. He enjoys being around his kids and with his wife--I think. I am greatful that I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I'm greatful to have a testamony that I have an eternal marriage and that I can be with Justin FOREVER!