Sunday, March 29, 2009
A Crazy, Busy, Fun Week
I have so many pictures from so many different things we did this week, but I just haven't had a chance to post them. We stayed extremely busy and the week just flew by. So, here is my megapost from this week...
Tuesday, Jon, Emma, and I went to a pre-screening of Dreamworks latest movie, Monsters vs Aliens. We really enjoyed our time with just Emma and we all enjoyed the movie. It really was a good movie. We watched it in 3D, which Emma thought was pretty cool. The movie didn't start till 8 pm but she stayed awake and on the edge of her seat the whole time.
And one of me to show that I really was there
We didn't leave the theater in San Francisco until about 10 pm, so Emma crashed on the way home.
Wednesday, we ran some errands and tried to clean up the house. In the afternoon we went and got a membership at the YMCA. Several people had recommended it to me so we decided to give it a shot. An hour and a half of free babysitting everyday is enough motivation to get me to the gym. :) Really though, they have a nice, clean facility, great child care service, and an awesome swimming pool that Emma can't wait to try out. AND since I'm still a young adult (according to them) I get a reduced rate.
Thursday was busy! We got up bright and early to go with some friends to the de Young Museum in San Francisco. We were crazy enough to take four kids age 2 and under to an art museum, but they all did well and we had a good time. We did the speed through tour and took a break to let the kids run around outside, but I still enjoyed it.
This was from the observation tower 9 stories up
Emma admiring the fruit
and the shinies
Playing with Ella in front of the...statue...thing???
After the museum we went to the botanical gardens across the street and had a little picnic. It was a beautiful day, a beautiful park, just an all around perfect morning.
Emma and Ella "fishing" in the mud
Friday we had lunch with Jon at Dreamworks like we usually do, but this time we brought some friends. Monsters vs Aliens came out on Friday so they had lots of fun props and decorations.
The movie takes place in San Francisco so they had the Golden Gate Bridge in the lobby.
This is Bob, Emma's favorite monster. This is actually a cake. Cool, huh? And for those of you who are fans of the cakewrecks blog, this is the same one that she posted yesterday.
This is the giant robot that the monsters have to fight. (Notice the cheese smile again)
And this is insectasaurus, another friendly monster.
They have this arcade game in the cafeteria and Emma likes to play it when we go. This is Emma and her friend Samuel.
Saturday was another busy busy day. We started the day by going to get pictures-family pictures, pictures of the kids, pictures of each of us with the kids...basically a whole lot of pictures. We got some really good ones and should hopefully have the proofs soon to post.
In the afternoon we went to a birthday party for Samuel (above) and his sister, Juliet. It was a prince/princess party and they requested that the royal guests come in their best prince/princess attire. Emma is not usually very girly or princessy, but she was so excited to wear her princess dress and the crown that Jon made for her.
The guests blew bubbles with their special wands
and enjoyed the spoils of not one, but two pinatas.
Matthew hung out and was happy as long as he had his apple slice.
Tuesday, Jon, Emma, and I went to a pre-screening of Dreamworks latest movie, Monsters vs Aliens. We really enjoyed our time with just Emma and we all enjoyed the movie. It really was a good movie. We watched it in 3D, which Emma thought was pretty cool. The movie didn't start till 8 pm but she stayed awake and on the edge of her seat the whole time.
We didn't get any pictures while we were there because we weren't supposed to have cameras, so these are on the way home. This is the face Emma makes when we tell her to smile.
The man who made the evening possible
And one of me to show that I really was there
We didn't leave the theater in San Francisco until about 10 pm, so Emma crashed on the way home.
Wednesday, we ran some errands and tried to clean up the house. In the afternoon we went and got a membership at the YMCA. Several people had recommended it to me so we decided to give it a shot. An hour and a half of free babysitting everyday is enough motivation to get me to the gym. :) Really though, they have a nice, clean facility, great child care service, and an awesome swimming pool that Emma can't wait to try out. AND since I'm still a young adult (according to them) I get a reduced rate.
Thursday was busy! We got up bright and early to go with some friends to the de Young Museum in San Francisco. We were crazy enough to take four kids age 2 and under to an art museum, but they all did well and we had a good time. We did the speed through tour and took a break to let the kids run around outside, but I still enjoyed it.
This was from the observation tower 9 stories up
Emma admiring the fruit
and the shinies
Playing with Ella in front of the...statue...thing???
After the museum we went to the botanical gardens across the street and had a little picnic. It was a beautiful day, a beautiful park, just an all around perfect morning.
Emma and Ella "fishing" in the mud
Friday we had lunch with Jon at Dreamworks like we usually do, but this time we brought some friends. Monsters vs Aliens came out on Friday so they had lots of fun props and decorations.
The movie takes place in San Francisco so they had the Golden Gate Bridge in the lobby.
This is Bob, Emma's favorite monster. This is actually a cake. Cool, huh? And for those of you who are fans of the cakewrecks blog, this is the same one that she posted yesterday.
This is the giant robot that the monsters have to fight. (Notice the cheese smile again)
And this is insectasaurus, another friendly monster.
They have this arcade game in the cafeteria and Emma likes to play it when we go. This is Emma and her friend Samuel.
Saturday was another busy busy day. We started the day by going to get pictures-family pictures, pictures of the kids, pictures of each of us with the kids...basically a whole lot of pictures. We got some really good ones and should hopefully have the proofs soon to post.
In the afternoon we went to a birthday party for Samuel (above) and his sister, Juliet. It was a prince/princess party and they requested that the royal guests come in their best prince/princess attire. Emma is not usually very girly or princessy, but she was so excited to wear her princess dress and the crown that Jon made for her.
The guests blew bubbles with their special wands
and enjoyed the spoils of not one, but two pinatas.
Matthew hung out and was happy as long as he had his apple slice.
We went to the playground after the party and played for awhile to wear the kids out and then headed home.
And that brings us to today. We had a great day today. Our church meetings were really good and were just what we needed. Our bishop has challenged our ward to read the Book of Mormon in 4 months (from May to August) so we are excited to start that. And just an interesting fact...he said he's read the Book of Mormon out loud 5 times just to see how long it takes. The consistent result was 33 hours, which figures out to 2 1/2 hours a week in order to finish in 4 months. Totally doable, right?
After church we let the kids take naps and just enjoyed our afternoon. For dinner we tried a new recipe, Zucchini Soup with Oatmeal, which describes pretty well what was in it. It was really good. Jon also made some rolls which were delicious. We realized after starting them that we were out of eggs. After a little online searching we found out that you can substitute a mixture of oil, water, and baking powder for eggs. It worked surprisingly well.
Anyway, this has gotten really long so I'll finish up with a few random pictures of our handsome little guy.
This is what happens when we leave our bedroom door open.
And that brings us to today. We had a great day today. Our church meetings were really good and were just what we needed. Our bishop has challenged our ward to read the Book of Mormon in 4 months (from May to August) so we are excited to start that. And just an interesting fact...he said he's read the Book of Mormon out loud 5 times just to see how long it takes. The consistent result was 33 hours, which figures out to 2 1/2 hours a week in order to finish in 4 months. Totally doable, right?
After church we let the kids take naps and just enjoyed our afternoon. For dinner we tried a new recipe, Zucchini Soup with Oatmeal, which describes pretty well what was in it. It was really good. Jon also made some rolls which were delicious. We realized after starting them that we were out of eggs. After a little online searching we found out that you can substitute a mixture of oil, water, and baking powder for eggs. It worked surprisingly well.
Anyway, this has gotten really long so I'll finish up with a few random pictures of our handsome little guy.
This is what happens when we leave our bedroom door open.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
The Buds of Creativity
Jon Post:
Recently Emma has been really starting to surprise us with her creativity and intellect. I don't mean just being smarter in what she says, or how she trys to manipulate us into getting things she wants, but she is making real creative choices. She makes concerted efforts to color inside the lines and often draws interesting patterns and shapes and tells us what they are. She identifies and knows how to draw triangles and circles. She has also started to write several letters of the alphabet. Her favorites are Q and A. She also now insists on taking photos with Mom's new camera and does a decent job at shooting pictures. She also loves to "color on the computer" with daddy's pen tablet and paint software. Here are some pictures of her creativity in bloom.
Sarah walked out on the porch where Emma was coloring with chalk. Emma said "Mommy look I made an A" Sarah was surprised when she looked down to see that she actually had.
After this first success Emma went on to fill the whole porch with A's.
Emma solves some difficult mental puzzle while practicing to get into her favorite college.
Photo courtesy of Emma.
Emma made this complex pattern of "roads" in her room the other day.
Emma coloring inside her house. She drew all over this box. We were surprised by the care she took to underline the text on the box instead of scribbling through it.
Recently Emma has been really starting to surprise us with her creativity and intellect. I don't mean just being smarter in what she says, or how she trys to manipulate us into getting things she wants, but she is making real creative choices. She makes concerted efforts to color inside the lines and often draws interesting patterns and shapes and tells us what they are. She identifies and knows how to draw triangles and circles. She has also started to write several letters of the alphabet. Her favorites are Q and A. She also now insists on taking photos with Mom's new camera and does a decent job at shooting pictures. She also loves to "color on the computer" with daddy's pen tablet and paint software. Here are some pictures of her creativity in bloom.
Sarah walked out on the porch where Emma was coloring with chalk. Emma said "Mommy look I made an A" Sarah was surprised when she looked down to see that she actually had.
After this first success Emma went on to fill the whole porch with A's.
Emma solves some difficult mental puzzle while practicing to get into her favorite college.
Photo courtesy of Emma.
Emma made this complex pattern of "roads" in her room the other day.
Emma coloring inside her house. She drew all over this box. We were surprised by the care she took to underline the text on the box instead of scribbling through it.
Friday, March 20, 2009
It's a Potty Party!
For: Emma
When: Friday, March 20-Saturday March 21, 2009
Where: Grandma's house!
Emma is now diaper-free (going on 3 days!) and chose to celebrate by having a sleepover at Grandma's house. Congratulations Emma and we hope you all have a fun party!
As for Jon and I, we will be having our own potty-free party here at home. I think we'll order some pizza, watch a movie, and enjoy our nice, little break from potty training. We are so happy for Emma, and of course happy to be buying and changing that many less diapers. And I have to say, potty training has been so much easier than I ever anticipated. I am now a firm believer that when the kid is ready, they will do it on their own...something just clicks for them when they're ready and you're done. At least I hope that's the case with every kid. Maybe I'm in for a rude awakening with Matthew. :)
Either way, it's a happy day at our house! Happy weekend everyone!
When: Friday, March 20-Saturday March 21, 2009
Where: Grandma's house!
Emma is now diaper-free (going on 3 days!) and chose to celebrate by having a sleepover at Grandma's house. Congratulations Emma and we hope you all have a fun party!
As for Jon and I, we will be having our own potty-free party here at home. I think we'll order some pizza, watch a movie, and enjoy our nice, little break from potty training. We are so happy for Emma, and of course happy to be buying and changing that many less diapers. And I have to say, potty training has been so much easier than I ever anticipated. I am now a firm believer that when the kid is ready, they will do it on their own...something just clicks for them when they're ready and you're done. At least I hope that's the case with every kid. Maybe I'm in for a rude awakening with Matthew. :)
Either way, it's a happy day at our house! Happy weekend everyone!
Saturday, March 14, 2009
He Walks!
This is the first real video we've been able to get of Matthew walking. He's still a little unsure so we haven't been able to get more than a couple steps at a time.
The video is a little long...just be patient. The walking is at the end. :)
The video is a little long...just be patient. The walking is at the end. :)
Friday, March 13, 2009
We love the park!
Every day, all week, it has felt like Monday. I don't know why, it just has. It hasn't been a bad week, and it has actually gone by really really fast. Either way, I was really happy to wake up this morning (but not so happy about getting up at 5:40 with Matthew) and realize it was Friday. Hooray!
Now on to the real reason for my post. We had beautiful weather yesterday so we took a nice, long walk to a park that is farther away from our house. It's nice to mix things up a bit and go to new parks every once in awhile. Emma loved this park and hasn't stopped talking about it. I took the camera with us and got some cute pictures, but I couldn't decide which to post, so I'm posting my favorites.
Emma stayed in the sandbox most of the time. I can't believe she's big enough to use the digger by herself.
This is her new favorite way to swing. She swings and sings without a care in the world.
Matthew stayed in the sandbox most of the time too. He loved pushing his toes through the sand and was having a great time.
I LOVE this face...you know the face where they realize you're trying to take a picture and look away like they didn't see you.
Doesn't he have the cutest little face? I love it!
I know this isn't the greatest picture, but I just thought it was sweet. I know it kind of looks like she's trying to hurt him, but she was trying to give him a kiss.
Now on to the real reason for my post. We had beautiful weather yesterday so we took a nice, long walk to a park that is farther away from our house. It's nice to mix things up a bit and go to new parks every once in awhile. Emma loved this park and hasn't stopped talking about it. I took the camera with us and got some cute pictures, but I couldn't decide which to post, so I'm posting my favorites.
Emma stayed in the sandbox most of the time. I can't believe she's big enough to use the digger by herself.
This is her new favorite way to swing. She swings and sings without a care in the world.
Matthew stayed in the sandbox most of the time too. He loved pushing his toes through the sand and was having a great time.
I LOVE this face...you know the face where they realize you're trying to take a picture and look away like they didn't see you.
Doesn't he have the cutest little face? I love it!
I know this isn't the greatest picture, but I just thought it was sweet. I know it kind of looks like she's trying to hurt him, but she was trying to give him a kiss.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Placemat Purse Tutorial
Here are my unofficial instructions for the placemat purse. If something doesn't make sense let me know. It is really simple and there are so many different ways to make it, so get creative and have fun!
Sorry if I overexplain. I know you are all pro-sewers, but I'm a beginner so this was all new stuff to me.
What you need:
1 cloth placemat- I got ours at Target. One was $3.50 and one was $4.50
Thread to match
Ribbon or other material to make the handles. You choose the length that works for you.
To start fold the placemat in half inside out. Sew the sides together.
The next part is easy, I'm just not sure how to explain it. You will sew a triangle on each of the bottom sides. Push the bottom up until it forms a triangle with the corner. Then sew across. This gives it shape on the bottom.
Turn the bag right side out
You have a lot of flexibility with the next step. With the pink bag, we sewed along the bottom and sides so it would hold it's shape better.
On the red one, we didn't do any more sewing because it had the trim and was a thicker material so it holds it's shape pretty well.
Next you do the handles. Place the end of the ribbon just below the top of the bag facing down and sew across the width of the ribbon.
Then turn the ribbon back up and sew across again to reinforce it. Repeat on the other side.
Now you're done, unless you want to do anything else with it. I sewed snaps on the red one and really like it that way. I may add some to the pink one.
Sorry if I overexplain. I know you are all pro-sewers, but I'm a beginner so this was all new stuff to me.
What you need:
1 cloth placemat- I got ours at Target. One was $3.50 and one was $4.50
Thread to match
Ribbon or other material to make the handles. You choose the length that works for you.
To start fold the placemat in half inside out. Sew the sides together.
The next part is easy, I'm just not sure how to explain it. You will sew a triangle on each of the bottom sides. Push the bottom up until it forms a triangle with the corner. Then sew across. This gives it shape on the bottom.
Turn the bag right side out
On the red one, we didn't do any more sewing because it had the trim and was a thicker material so it holds it's shape pretty well.
Next you do the handles. Place the end of the ribbon just below the top of the bag facing down and sew across the width of the ribbon.
Then turn the ribbon back up and sew across again to reinforce it. Repeat on the other side.
Now you're done, unless you want to do anything else with it. I sewed snaps on the red one and really like it that way. I may add some to the pink one.
The finished products
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