Goobs Part II

Lately Elise:

-is still hilarious. She tries to make us laugh all the time. She put on these glasses and left them on until we looked at her. Then she'd laugh hysterically and rip them off

 

-will only eat raspberries off her pointer fingers

-loves animals. She gets down on all fours and lets dogs lick all over her face. It's cute, but I'm still not getting a dog. We returned to Jaker's Jack-o-lanterns in Springville last week and she pet the donkeys for a while until we all got a little spooked when it started chomping on poor little Emett's hand and wouldn't let go. She cried when I took her away from it.

 

-tries to pull her pants and diaper off constantly if not wearing a onesie

 -enjoys a little light reading. She let Sadie brush her hair for a good 10 minutes while reading this book. If I try to actually read a book to her she only allows 10 seconds per page. Either that or she turns the pages until she gets to one she likes. For example, her favorite page of Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See? is the second to last one with the pictures of every animal from the whole book.

-is saying words we can actually understand. Added recently: hi, doggy (calls all animals dogs), Sadie, banana, more, daddy, no, mmm (means moo for cow). She signs: more, thank you, please, dog, fish, star, baby, banana, mom, dad, all done, eat, cracker, milk, water/drink, dog, and actually pretty much anything I sign to her she will do it back. Now we just need to turn signs into actual spoken words.

Emma

Both of my girls are in love with a ten-year-old girl from our neighborhood named Emma. Emma is frequently making the block on a scooter, bike, or roller blades, so whenever we play outside she comes by. Elise gives her lots of hugs. Like, better than any hugs she gives me. Sadie insists that Emma either dig with her in the mud or spin her around. Sadie's not really into give and take relationships. You do what she wants or she doesn't play with you. One day Emma rang our doorbell and asked if Sadie could play. She ended up playing in our toy room with Sadie for 2 hours. The other day Emma told me she was really upset because she had the cutest pictures of Elise from a few months ago on her cell phone but she had to delete them because she didn't have enough room on her phone. What a funny girl. We like her.

Holly Day

This beautiful girl has been gone for one year. We love you, Nick, Lexie and Briz.

Happy Birthday LJJ

Our first and only niece, Lauren Jean turns one year old today. Just look at the face. She is one of the most beautiful baby girls I know. We are very excited for the 2011 three (Elise, Lauren, Weston) to get older and play more together. I cringe a little at the inevitable naughtiness that Elise will probably get them all into (she's a whole 5 months older and she's got bossy Sadie as an example), but we are so happy Lauren is part of our (extended) family.

Hee Haw Farms- Year 2

After boldly declaring we would not be returning after our visit in 2011, I jumped at the chance to go to Hee Haw Farms when Toni texted me. I am happy we went, but this time I really am sure we probably won't go back during Halloween time. I'm too cheap. The Fletcher penny-pincher genes run strong in my blood.

Of course, the girls enjoyed every second, especially Sadie. Here is Sadie with the Gaines girls on the candy hayride. They threw us very kid-friendly candy. By that, I mean candy that only kids like and adults hate. I came home with a purse load of pixie sticks. Gross. I added them to my stash for trick-or-treaters on Halloween.

Elise's main goal of the night was to get on the animal train as often as possible. I think they ended up riding it 5 or 6 times.

 Gaines girls in the front and Nielson girls in the back

It is all Elise wanted to do. She cried every time it was over.

Of course we tried a few other activities. We said a quick hello to the animals and Sadie and Anna went down the big slide many times. Elise rode the horse swing and Sadie rode Lacy the pony. Everyone's favorite pony, Bear, was taking a rest.

We spent a good 30 minutes playing in the corn box as well.

But we ended the night right with 2 train rides in a row and then a swift exit. 

Thanks for joining us Gaines family (and for listening to me complain 598 times about the price of admission). 

All I wanna do is have some fun

The weather during fall time in Utah is tricky. It's fairly cold in the mornings but by late afternoon it is somewhat warm. After gymnastics class one day we went to the park. 

Elise is a little more adventurous than Sadie was at 18 months so both girls enjoy every part of the park. As Elise climbed to the top of the stairs I had a little flashback to when I was 7 months pregnant with her and 18-month-old Sadie made her way up and just sat at the top instead of going down the slide. I had to squeeze my very round self up the skinny staircase, over a few kids, and then carry Sadie back down. A highlight of that pregnancy for sure.

On Saturday morning we went to the play-place at the University Mall because it was only 50 degrees.

Elise climbed right up to the slide. Slides bring her great joy. 

Do you know what this picture is? It's Sadie climbing across those dinosaur bones all by herself. We've been coming to this play place once every few months for a couple years now and Sadie finally got up the courage to climb this alone. Every time we come Sadie wants to climb them but insisted I help. This time I looked over and she was doing it. When I approached her at the end of the climb to tell her how proud I was she was shaking, but very excited. 

Sadie also climbed all around the dino's mouth by standing on the teeth and holding onto the teeth above. She saw some other kids do it and she had a lot of doubts about her ability, but I talked her through it and she was successful. 

I also absolutely love that Sadie has entered the stage where she plays with the kids she meets at the park. On this day she ran around with this pack of kids for an hour. 

Oh, and Elise spotted this ad with Tinkerbell and walked over every 10 minutes to talk to her.

Lifestyle Photography by Sadie Part II

This time Sadie documented a fancy dinner from Arby's on a busy day. Yep, the kitchen is a big mess. It's lifestyle photography. 

The back of Elise

Sadie's sandwich

Eating salad and laughing at Elise

Probably texting Daniel complaining about him being gone

Cleaning Elise up

Only included this for one reason: see that white piece of paper in the middle of the bulletin board? Yeah, that's a summons for jury duty. That is the second time I have gotten jury duty in the 10 years and one month since I turned 18. Last time I was 18 years old. I showed up thinking I'd be there for a few hours and go home, just like my dad said happened to him every time he got jury duty. I not only got chosen for the jury, but I was also the foreperson of the jury (randomly selected). The lawyers for both sides (it was a civil case) were thrilled when an 18-year-old was in charge. 

Risque Pandora Time

Lately Sadie has spent a lot of time listening to Pandora on my phone with Daniel's headphones for quiet time. Apparently this activity does not allow for clothes.  

*Note clothes on the floor

Hairy Situation

Milestone alert! 

Elise's hair has reached the point where I can stick it in piggie tails. When it sticks straight out it must be called piggie tails and not pig tails. The bonus of the piggie tails? They hide her extreme mullet.

 Sadie has reached a milestone with her hair too. She is finally willing to sit still for longer than 30 seconds for me to do her hair. Braided pig tails!

  This may blow your mind. Both of my girls with their hair done in more than a simple half-up side ponytail. I'm not kidding when I say I took this picture solely to document that fact.

Dance Class

We are still loving dance class. Sadie even let me do her hair in a little ballerina bun on top of her head a couple weeks ago. 

 Last week they made Halloween masks in class. 

 It's been a real hit in this house. 

Conference Weekend

This is what it looked like for us

 Oh, maybe paying a little attention.

 No, but at least they are playing nicely together. 

 Nevermind.

Banished to the Lightning McQueen box/car

All About Me

For my birthday in September my sister Hillary gave me a generous gift: a getaway in Midway with Daniel while she watched my kids. Hillary is one great gift-giver. We cashed in on the present Friday night. Daniel got home a littler later than planned so we went straight up to the outlets in Park City. Daniel indulged me in some shopping and then we grabbed dinner and headed back down to Midway so we could catch the rest of the BYU football game in our hotel room. We got there in the dark so when we woke up Saturday morning (after sleeping in, of course) we walked around enjoying the scenic resort grounds. 

I may have also stopped to pose for a few immature pictures as well. Sadie got very excited when she saw this picture of me with the frog.

Midway is one of the most beautiful places all year round, but especially in the fall.

On top of the night away, Hillary arranged for breakfast at the Homestead's restaurant. 

The view from the restaurant was beautiful. Cell phone pictures don't do a great job of capturing it. We stuffed our faces with a delicious meal and then Daniel indulged me again- driving the Alpine loop. 

I've been wanting to do this for a couple years but Daniel had no interest. I kept trying to manipulate him by reminding him it was my birthday weekend and he kept reminding me that I claimed our cruise was my birthday present. But it looks like I won since we did the things I wanted to do. :)

Man, that drive is gorgeous. A little windy in places, so we were both feeling a little nauseous, but well worth it.

Don't know that I convinced Daniel it is something we should do every year, but it sure was beautiful this year.