Beautiful Autumns

Last year I took pictures of Caleb in the leaves and Friday was such a beautiful day I wanted to get some good pictures of Caleb with the colorful leaves. I had a hard time just catching cute looks since he was so busy playing, but that's okay, that's what toddler hood is all about, right?

We found a cat while wandering around the apartments. It was a somewhat friendly cat and I got it to come to me and let me pet it. Caleb wanted the cat to come back and we couldn't get it to come so I showed him how to wiggle a stick and get the cat to chase it. When I let him have the stick he didn't quite get it and held the stick over his head and ran after the cat. His intentions were good, but much to his dismay, and no one else's surprise, the cat didn't come after the stick. He really loves animals but runs to love them and can't understand why they run away.

Needless to say, the cat ran away.

Linder Farms

On Friday we took a trip to Linder Farms with the Boise Mom's club. The weather, as you can guess from the pictures, was fantastic. First we had a hay ride pulled by a tractor. Caleb seemed to really enjoy it and we sat so we could see the tractor. Not a very attractive picture of me, but that's okay. We also passed some animals that are sometimes available to pet--but not that day.


After the hay ride the kids got to run though a hay maze. It was mostly a track because there were only two dead ends and the kids loved it!! It was so funny and surprising to me. Caleb just took off running and followed the kids. It was so cute. I would never have guessed how much little kids would love running through hay tunnels.


Then we tooled around and Caleb saw tables and people eating at them so he climbed up on a chair with a family and decided it was time to eat and he wanted to eat with them. They were very nice and let us have a snack there. (They probably thought it a bit odd, but that's okay. :)) We also wandered through the corn and pumpkins and got to take a pumpkin home. Caleb would've stayed all day playing in the dirt, but we did have to go.

We went with our new friends Kaedra (Kay-dra) and Jasper. For the most part Jasper and Caleb got along great but near the end Caleb was getting tired and Jasper wanted to lead him around. Caleb wouldn't let him. Kaedra and I met at the park about a month ago but our schedules (which are usually very free) haven't worked out. We finally got together and really enjoyed it. She is due on November 9th with number 2 and is from Boston MA (moved here about the same time we did). I think we were both looking for friends so we exchanged numbers and I kept telling Andy about my friend I met at the park. :)

Halloween Preview

Yesterday we got a package containing the Halloween costume my mom made for Caleb this year. We tried it on and Caleb loved it! He also insisted in taking the pictures in a box. Maybe the mouse needed a home. The hat is a little small but if you tuck the flaps in it works great. (Caleb has a head circumference that is much higher on the charts than his weight or height.) Thanks Mom (Grammy), we love it!!

There are a lot of pictures so my mom can see them.




Looking for the tail:
Found it!

Imagination...

Caleb made this out of Legos and started flying it around.

Then he showed me and said, "sky" his word for airplane. I'm happy that my son has entered the realm of imagination.

Adventure at the Zoo

On Thursday Grandma Hyer, Caleb and I had an adventure at the zoo. We set off with Caleb walking and Grandma bundled in the wheelchair. It was in the lower fifties when we started but soon warmed up. Caleb was really excited even though this picture doesn't capture it. The fall colors were beautiful and the weather was actually wonderful. We saw the giraffe and it got out and walked around for us!
Recently an African exhibit was added to Zoo Boise and it is roomier and thus further to walk. I thought I'd let Caleb walk around but should've put him in the back pack for this part because we spent a lot of time with me saying, "Caleb, this way" "Come on Caleb, let's go." He didn't want to go by himself for some reason and didn't like that he couldn't hold my hand (not that he usually wants to anyway...but when it's unavailable it's all the more desirable.) We also saw the lions pretty close up.


Grandma was very easy going and patient just waiting as I had to run back and forth between her and Caleb when Caleb didn't want to walk. We spent quite a while watching the penguins because they were playing and swimming back and forth altogether and diving now and then. They can really move quickly in the water and I was fascinated. The penguins are set up so you can see under the water as well. We also got to see the zebra up close and I think both Grandma Hyer and Caleb liked that.


I eventually asked him if he wanted to go in the backpack and I think he was tired so he readily agreed. I was really glad because that's when we went to the other side of the park and had to go up a big hill. This is us in front of the llamas


Then of course we played in the sandbox--I think Caleb's favorite thing at the zoo. He'd really be conent to just dig all day long. This sandbox is supposed to be a play archeologist dig for dinosaur bones. Caleb just likes the shovels and sand.





Somehow we managed to help Caleb forget about the sandbox and see the desert tortoises (which, yes, I just call turtles--Caleb really likes turtles) and some other exotic animals. It was time to eat and we got out food but I was the only one who was really hungry. I had packed a ton of food not wanting anyone to be hungry but I needn't have worried. (Caleb sometimes likes to wear his hood.)


At the end I thought Grandma like watching Caleb on the carosel so we took a ride on it. By the time we found the zoo person that ran it Caleb had lost interest and we should've headed back but I thought it would be fun for Grandma and I like the carosel. The only problem was that we were the only ones. I the past lots of kids have been on and when the ride ends Caleb will be more likely to follow all the kids off. As the only ones it appeared that mommy had stopped it and was tearing him away from the most amazing ride on a monkey. He left screaming and very tired. He was asleep by the time we got to the car. All in all a very successful day!

Oh and I found out that mockeys and apes are different. Apes don't have tails and monkeys do. I'm still not sure how they're related but maybe next trip to the zoo. :)

As Promised

So here are some ultrasound pictures of our baby girl. As I said in my email, I was mentally prepared for a boy and the idea of having a girl is still sinking in. We had an ultrasound when I was 14 weeks to get a better idea of the due date and at that time the lady doing our ultrasounds thought it was a boy but said that you really can't be accurate at 14 weeks. I think we were just seeing the umbilical cord. However, I started thinking that we would have another boy and how convenient that would be, etc.



Now that we know more or less that we are having a girl, it makes me want to cherish all the time I have with Caleb. What if I never have another boy? Boys are so fun! I'm sure girls are too, but it just makes me want to get the most of my experience with Caleb.

Oh and the due date is somewhere around the 4th of March although this ultrasound said the 8th.

Best Laid Plans...

This morning I got caught up in finishing a book I was reading (a very bad habit of mine and leading to neglect in other areas of life), but I finished the book and took Caleb on a stroller ride to for his nap. He was peacefully asleep and I had all sorts of plans for his nap: cleaning the bathroom, paying bills, and organizing the drawers in our desk. Unfortunately, our apartment complex must be doing some landscaping and there was a little loader outside Caleb's window who was moving a pile of rocks. It was very noisy and woke Caleb up just as I'd gotten everything ready to clean the bathroom. He did not go back to sleep, but I did discover that I can now clean the bathroom while Caleb is awake--something I haven't been able to do for a long time because Caleb loves squirt bottles and loves to help and I don't want him near chemicals even if some of them are environmentally friendly. However, today I decided to give him a squirt bottle of water--I recently bought a new one that is easier for him to squirt--and a rag and he happily cleaned the floor while I cleaned the rest of the bathroom. He did get a hold of a tile brush but that was not dangerous. I was able to clean without interruption and he was able to squirt a water bottle to his heart's content--a dream come true. :) The bills are still not paid and the drawers unorganized...

Oh, and we spent some time watching the guy scoop up rocks and carry them away. Very cool.

Adjectives

Caleb has three adjectives that I can think of in his vocabulary: hot, big, and sticky.

He's known hot for quite some time, but I first noticed he knew big last week when we were throwing rocks off a little hill and he saw some big rocks and picked up ones I didn't think he'd be able to, and then he told me they were big. He continued to point out big rocks for the rest of the hike. He also knows when they're stuck which is sort of an adjective in the way he uses it--that is a big rock and that is a stuck rock or that is a big stuck rock. :)

Sticky became noticeable recently as we've been eating pancakes for breakfast (he can eat 5 or 6! smaller pancakes at breakfast). His hands are "stick" because of the peanut butter and maple syrup.

Although he does not say the actually words, he is fully aware of wet and messy/dirty as well. There may be other adjectives he knows but those were the ones I've been noticing lately.

Let it Snow!

It's snowing!!! I really can't believe it but it's coming down in big wet flakes. I love it! Good thing I just bought Caleb's winter coat.

Sock Piles

Caleb loves socks. Instead of a dresser we just have two little plastic drawer towers with three little drawers each for his clothes. The socks are in the top drawer in the left and Caleb loves to take them out and make piles of socks. Then he moves the piles. He brings the socks to you and says, "sock." Sometimes he'll put them on his head or his shoulders. He doesn't necessarily love wearing socks, just playing with them.

General Conference

On Saturday it poured in Boise. I guess it hadn't rained in fifty something days, and it all came at once. I absolutely LOVE rain and stormy weather! It was so cozy to sit at home and watch Conference while listening to the pounding rain through the open window and crocheting. I can't begin to describe how content I felt. The smells, the sound of rain, the inspiring messages, and time to myself (Caleb was napping and Andy was coming home from his trip to eastern ID).

It's been a while since I've done any projects and it was so fun to get back into it a bit. My mother and grandmother are project women and make all sorts of fun things. My Grammy carves dolls, quilts, does all sorts of art projects and old-world type crafts. She taught me how to card and dye wool and then spin it on a spinning wheel when I was younger. We always did such fun things when we visited her house. She is incredibly imaginative and invents games then makes the game boards and/or pieces for the game, makes puppets and puts on puppet shows, and all sorts of fun things for kids to do. I wish I could be a mom like her.

My own mother majored in clothing and textiles because she is a talented seamstress and loves the history and everything related. (She would get very insulted when people would make fun of her degree saying she was just at BYU to get married. And while she did get married to a very non-conventional guy--my father--she finished her degree despite having a terrible bought of cancer that almost took her life. Remarkable lady, my mother.) She taught us to sew and do lots of things with our hands. I am unfortunately a rather poor seamstress due to my impatience and desire to shortcut, but I did learn to enjoy projects that I make with my hands from my mom.

Listening to the messages delivered during Conference made me want to be such a better person. I want to be better with the use of my time, not to worry so much about things--laugh at tough situations like Elder Worthlin advised, and to be better with the resourses I'm given. All in all it was a wonderful conference and I hope those of you who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints also were able to watch and enjoy General Conference this October!

Oh, and during the Relief Society broadcast, I saw/felt number two move around for the first time. I've felt a few kicks since then but nothing really big. I'm excited for when we can really see the movement.

House Plants

The tops of our bookshelves needed something and I thought some nice plants would look great. The problem is I kill plants. And I don't like fake ones. I had been looking for the kind of plants you see on the ends of the bookshelves because I heard they are hard to kill but couldn't find them in the stores I looked. In college my plants died because I forgot to water them. Now it is because I over water them or am not consistent and when it rains it pours and the poor things can't survive. The one exception is the middle plant which is a peace lily that Andy bought me when we were dating. It has had many a near death expereince and hats off to the peace lily because it can turn black and have all of it's leaves lying pathetically on the dry soil, then be douced with water and come back to life. It is just a little bigger than when Andy bought it for me 3 years ago. But, by golly, it's still alive. (Peace Lilies grow to three feet or so) Here is a beatiful peace lily I bought thinking it might go on the shelves but it is too big. I wanted to buy big, beautiful plants since I knew I was not capable of getting them to that point on my own.

I did finally find the hard to kill very typical house plants to go on either end of our book cases and I also bought a nice fern. I'm not sure where to put the fern and the big peace lily, but I will do my best to keep them looking as nice as they do right now. Cross your fingers.

Plays Well (Mostly) With Others

Today I watched a two-year-old boy for a woman whose late husband was a member (mostly in paper only) of our church ward here in Boise. I was amazed at how well they played together. Ronan got here a little after 9:00 in the morning and they happily played while I mopped the floor and made rolls. It was wonderful!! I couldn't believe how much easier it was to get things done! Despite being younger Caleb is definitely more bossy and physical. He pushed Ronan more than once and usually won out if they wanted the same toy. But all in all I'd say it was a success. (I'm not sure how to teach Caleb not to hit, kick, push, or hit other kids on the head with things...we're working on it. However, no blood and no excessive crying.)

Caleb also made me love him all the more when he was able to get Ronan to laugh when I couldn't get him to even stop crying. When Ronan's mom was still here dropping him off she gave him a sippy cup with orange juice in it and I told him he needed to drink it at the table. He wanted to go into the living room and I told him no. His mom tried to help but she had to leave after a few minutes so she wasn't late for work. Ronan was quite upset and clung to his sippy cup. I sat Caleb in the other chair and Caleb started making noises and faces at Ronan. All the sudden Ronan stopped crying and started to laugh. Then they sat there making noises at each other and laughing hysterically. It was great! They continued to make each other laugh all day.

So the day did go well, however, I'm not cut out for this baby-sitting business. In Twin Falls I ended up watching kids quite a bit (not for money--just for friends) and everytime it wears me out. Today was the first day in Caleb's little life that he did not take a nap. Neither of them did. I tried, but to no avail. Plus Caleb had a doctor's appt at two in the afternoon which wasn't the best time as far as toddler naps go. So by the end of the day we were all a little worn out. Everyone says it's different with your own kids. I sure hope so. I am also so glad that I have a degree that will allow me to find a job if the need arrises and a job that will allow me to be with my kids in the late afternoons, evenings, weekends, and holidays. Baby-sitting seems to be the need around me if I want to serve my neighbors, I just wish I were a little better at it. I find it exhausting!

Andy fixes the car

A short time before moving from Twin Falls, Andy (and I) bought a car from the other clerk Andy worked with. They were going to Boston and selling a Mitsubishi Lancer. Some time last week Andy and I were going to meet for lunch. It was exciting for me because it was like a date where we meet up and go to a fun restaurant (with lunch menu prices :)). However, Andy couldn't get the car to start. I picked him up, we had a very enjoyable lunch and Andy took the bus home. A couple days later we jumped the car and Andy drove it home. On Monday morning Andy woke up at 3:0o am, yes 3:00 am, to go to work early and get things done for the day. The car wouldn't start and since buses don't run at 4:00 am he rode his bike. We were able to jump start it the next day and drive it home. Figuring we needed a new battery Andy bought and installed a new battery and the car has run fine ever since. I know this might seem routine and simple to many of you, but I grew up with and academic father who fixed things out of necessity but you didn't want to be in the same room as him and hear him cuss at whatever he was working on. And when I married Andy I didn't have high expectations for a handyman. So I thought it was great!

(To my dad's credit he has fixed quite a bit and done his share of handy-man work)

Another of Caleb's stories

Today we spent a good part of the day at Grandma Hyer's in Nampa. (Grandma Hyer is Andy's dad's mom.) We were playing with dominoes and Grandma Hyer was laying on the couch watching. Her hearing aid began whistling and Caleb was fascinated. His new story is "Noise" as he pointed to Grandma's ear, and to his own ear when Grandma's not around. He even pointed to the right ear which is the one that was making the noise. :)

VP Debate

Yes, I'm posting something political and I don't know how Andy feels so he is not at all responsible for this. But I just have to say that I have really enjoyed watching this debate! I was not very impressed with the presidential debate and felt like the presidential candidates could learn a few things from their VP's

--Don't smirk while the other person is talking. It doesn't make you look like you're smart or better, it just makes you look like a smirker and not very nice. I guess it has something to do with how much trouble Biden would get in if he smirked at Palin, but still it was nice not to have it.

--Agree when you agree. Instead of making you look weak, it actually makes you look stronger because it makes it look like the other party sees things your way or something. Gracefully agree and compliment when it's due instead of dragging out issues unnecessarily because there's nothing to debate.

--Move on to a different topic when the horse is dead. I don't know about the rest of you but I got pretty sick of the whole precondition debate.

Anyway, I will try not to get too political on this blog...

Caleb running down the hill

I tried to get good footage on this but none of them were really that great but I thought I should put up some posts since I hadn't in a while.

Caleb Vacuuming

Caleb and Andy vacuumed our room for me. We have this little vacuum that Evie was getting rid of so we took it thinking it might come in handy. Caleb loves to push it around because it's his size.