Fun New Trick

So lately Jackson has started a fun new thing. He throws up when we try to feed him dinner. It's crazy. He starts out by refusing the food -- won't even try it. Then we try to bribe him with -- "if you eat this, then you get this". He'll take a bite -- chew it up and then spit it out. So then we get frustrated and really push him to take a bite. After a lot of struggle -- he finally will open his mouth -- but before the food even touches his mouth -- he starts gagging and then throws up. He has done this the past 3 nights. And it's not like I am trying out new, weird, gross food on him. The past 3 nights we tried hot dogs, hamburgers and pizza on him. These are things he has eaten before and liked -- especially pizza. He also doesn't do this for breakfast or lunch -- just dinner. I can't figure it out. Anyone have any suggestions?? I'm open.............

friend or foe?????

My friend - LISA-- is quite the character and loves to play pranks on people. Well Sat. was Gwenny's 5th birthday. After Gwenny's birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese I sent the kids home to be babysat by Lisa. I felt really guilty about this since it was Gwenny's birthday and I was sending her home to be babysat -- but Sam and I had tickets to go see the comedian Brian Regan -- and I couldn't pass that up.

While I was at the show I got a picture texted to my phone from Lisa. At first I couldn't open the picture -- so I texted Lisa to ask her what it was. She told me that it had something to do with Gwen's present from her - but I shouldn't look at it anyways because I would be mad. Well this drove me nuts not knowing -- so I had Sam figure out how to open the picture. Well guess what Lisa got my 5 year old for her birthday............. 3 real live baby chicks!! Complete with a bucket, food/water tray and a heat lamp. When I saw that this is what she got her - my stomach dropped. I was already feeling guilty for not being with my little girl on her birthday night -- but now I had to go home and be the bad guy and tell my children that they could not keep their beloved new pets.

Well good thing I had a comedy show to calm me down before I went home -- because I came home in a much better mood then when I initially found out. :) Turns out she had already warned them that these would be temporary pets and we would be finding them another place to live soon. So I didn't have to do all the dirty work. :) The kids have been pretty understanding -- they know that our backyard is tiny and this would not be a good home for them. But that doesn't keep them from becoming attached to the cute little chicks. All three are named and they play with them any free time they have. I have to admit that they are pretty cute. But then they will grown up and be ugly chickens -- so I can get over it too. :)

As for Lisa -- I love my Lisa. She is a great friend -- and despite what it may appear to look like to the outside world -- I know she really does love me -- and my family. You only tease the ones you love right?!?!?!

This birthday will definitely be one that we will remember :)

Mini vacation with the Ward's

Sam's parents and sister Raeleen and her cute family came to visit this weekend. We had some jobs scheduled over on the coast - in Florence, so we had rented a place to stay for the weekend and it worked out that his family got to come stay with us. His parents live down in Cali and his sister lives up in Washington now -- so it's always fun to get together and visit. My girls and her girls are close in age and love each other very much. It was a quick trip but we made the best of it.

The girls got really good at the art of chop sticks --- here they are eating cereal out of cups with their chop sticks. I think they look so cute. :)

We went to the beach -- we were so lucky that we had the perfect weather while we were there.

Lots of playing in the sand happened.......
Some relaxing (Sam's mom).............
Some visiting (Sam's dad and sister)..............
Jackson throwing rocks -- pretty much the whole time............
Some exploring (bro-on-law Dan, with my niece Devyn and Addie following behind)........
Some loving.....................
Some hiking-- this is on the way up to see the lighthouse. Since Sam had to work -- they pitched in and helped me with my kids on our way up .......
half way up -- you can see the light house behind us.......
checking out the view at the top..........
made it!!
On our way back home we stop and took a little walk down to see the Devil's Churn in Yachats. It's always a cool place to go - but at the same time keeping the kids at a safe distance from the water. Sam was done working (obviously since this was on our way home) -- so at least he got to have some fun with us. Although -- the look on his face isn't exactly showing "fun" :)
and the girls just being themselves :) -- We love our cousins!!
Fun weekend -- hopefully we will have plenty more -- since Sam's sister is only 5 hours away now vs. 10 hours.

Easter fun

We had lots of Easter fun this year. We started it off on the Sat. before Easter Sunday at our friends house. They put on an annual Easter Egg hunt at their house. It's awesome -- they put out about 1,000 eggs for all the kids and the kids love it and have so much fun. This year just Gwen and Jackson got to go because Addie woke up not feeling so good - I didn't want to chance it so she stayed home with Sam. She was sad to miss it. But Gwen and Jackson both shared their treats. It was a fun day -- thanks Farrars!!

Then there was the excitement of Easter morning!! The Easter Bunny came!!!


The Easter Bunny brought these little towel wraps that the girls had seen at Costco and really wanted -- thank you Easter Bunny........ how did you know???

And Jackson got this sword. And LOVES to hit everyone and laughs his head off while doing it
Then we headed out to my parents house to meet up with the family and do some hunting!!

Here's the gang ready to go hunt them some eggs.......
Found some bunny ears! So excited about the whole thing
And I had to put this picture in of Jackson -- it just makes me laugh. He had a blast being able to run around and hunt his own eggs this year. He kept running around saying "eggs, eggs" in his little Jackson voice. This pic shows just a glimpse of his excitement -- he can barely contain himself :)

She finally did it!!

Two Christmas's ago we got Gwen the gift to go get her ears pierced because that is what she wanted. We went down to the place and got all ready. She sat there and they but the little blue dots on her ears to prep them for where they were gonna pierce them. Then the lady told her that she was going to count to 3 and then she would feel a little "pinch". Well that killed it. Gwen panicked and would not go thru with it (despite all my efforts). So over the past 2 years every time we would pass by Claire's in the mall -- I would ask if she wanted to go in and get her ears pierced. No, No, No.

So last week I am not sure the conversation that went on between her and Addie -- but some how Addie convinced her to go do it. She was all pumped up for it -- so I took her right then. I didn't want to miss my window of opportunity.

She did great. She sat on my lap and didn't whine, flinch or anything. She was so great and the earrings look so cute on her.

I tried to video the whole thing but for some reason my camera wouldn't work during it. I got a little before and after but not the actual thing. But it wouldn't matter anyway because I can't get any video to upload on here any more for some reason.

When Mamma takes a shower......

Wildlife Safari

We've heard great things about the Wildlife Safari down by Rosberg, Or and have been wanting to go for a while. We finally made it down and it was a fun trip. You drive thru acres and acres of land where tons of animals are roaming free. Well -- not all of them were entirely free -- thank goodness -- the bears, lions, cheetahs and tigers were all behind bars -- but we got to be really close to them. It was a fun day.

the girls petting a snake..............

an ostrich that didn't like Sam so much - kept pecking at his window...............
some buffaloes...................

Piggyback

Last weekend we signed the whole family up to run a 5k (well not Jackson --although he was with us - just not running). Sam and I have done them but the girls have never run them except for running the last leg with me and running thru the finish line with me. So this was a big deal. They were SOOO excited about it. We got them some new running shoes and picked out their little outfits and set them out the night before. I kept trying to prep them by telling them to take it slow. I told them that they would want to run really fast at the beginning but if they did that it would wear their little bodies out.

Well the race started -- and all my tips flew out the window. There was no jogging for Gwen -- it was either all out sprinting or nothing. Addie did a better job at pacing herself -- but she still was pushing herself pretty hard. They did awesome for the first mile -- AND in that first mile there was a HUGE hill that lasted forever! So just with that I was extremely proud of them.

A little after that 1st mile Gwen was really struggling. She said her legs and feet were hurting so bad. So I threw her on my back and we walked. Sam pushed Jackson in the stroller and I had Gwen on my back -- but my little Addie stuck it out and finished the whole thing without ever being carried or stopping. Great Job to Addie. And great job to Gwenny too -- I really am proud of what her little body did do. One mile for a little 4 year old is a long way to go -- especially while running your heart out.

** Funny side story: As we ran there was a little over weight kid -- he was probably 10 or 11. Well I guess he must have been very competitive because anytime my kids would come close to him -- he would block their way. The girls got pretty frustrated with this. So Sam and I helped veer them around him and Sam even teased him by blocking him back. This went on for a long time. It was funny. But the chubby kid won out in the end since I ended up carrying Gwen and there were a few stops to adjust clothing -- he finished before us. But he was there to give each of us a High 5 at the finish line. It was cute. :)

Pre-race excitement........................

stopped to pose for a family picture.............
if you click to enlarge this pic - you can see Gwenny on my back :) ..............
Addie running thru the Finish!! (you can click to enlarge to see the chubby boy reaching out to High 5)...................
Gwenny got off my back to run it in ( again notice the boy giving 5) ...........
After the race they provided us with a pancake breakfast. The kids each had 4 and Sam had 5!! guess they worked up an appetite................