Callum walking at 9 mos.

Here is a video link that Philip and I took of Callum, walking earlier this morning. He is certainly a motivated little boy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JvoIfKWf-U

2009 is coming to an end

This year is almost over and Avery and Callum have grown so much. Callum is now standing and walking on his own, and to think he was born just 9 mos. ago. By the end of this month, the little guy should be a pro at walking. He loooves to eat and has a gift for being one of the world's messiest babies. He is such a boy!
He is constantly learning from his big sister and soaking it all in. Now if only the little munchkin can get a tooth in...hee hee.

It was a big year for Avery this year, as she turned 2. She has changed so much in just the past 3 mos.
She is now speaking in full sentences and is great at her ABC's. Her favorite word is LOVE, as she seems to looooove everything these days. Her stranger anxiety has gotten so much better and she has turned into quite the chatty Kathy. I'm still working with her on potty training, as I had taken a little break, but am back on track. (not on my top favorite list).

As for Phil and I, we are already starting to plan for Callum's 1st Birthday and are anticipating moving to a new home out in the Temecula area. This has been a great year for our family and we've been thankful for the all the blessings it has offered. Can't wait to see what next year has in store!

My little boy is growing up

 

 

Wow, I can't believe Callum is 9 mos. already. It seems like he's definately growing up a lot faster than Avery. I have to enjoy these last few months of having a baby in the house, as he will soon be a wild and crazy toddler. I'm excited to be able to share his first Christmas with him, that should be a lot of fun. Last year I was still pregnant with him and this year he is going to be old enough to rip open his own wrapping paper. Kinda crazy! He is still working on walking and is getting pretty good at standing at times. He is quite a bundle of energy and is ready to conquer the world.... so he thinks.

Things I'm thankful for at the moment.......

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and we should all be thankful for the special things in our
life. Here are a few things I'm thankful for at the moment.......

* being able to stay at home and raise my children
* having a home to raise my children in
* Phil's deployment almost being over and working soooo hard for our family
* having love and support from family and friends
* having a reason to eat lots of pumpkin pie
* my heater in the cold mornings
* having all my appliances working while Phil is out of town
* having happy, healthy children
* not having to go to the grocery store today...yeah!
* the beautiful fall weather we've had all month
* sharing a giant chocolate chip cookie with Avery for lunch

Enjoying the Simple Things

In these tough economic times, it's up to all of us to enjoy the simple things in life.

For Avery, it's indulging in the decadence of a chocolate truffle!

For Callum, it's making a work of art out of a simple sweet potato!

Happy Halloween

 

Halloween 2009 has come and gone. Our trick-or-treat athon was spent at Grandma Sue Sue's and Grandpa Gerry's house. Avery dressed in a ladybug fairy outfit and Callum sported Halloween PJ's with a big pumpkin on his butt. It was Avery's first Trick or Treating experience. She started out a little hesitant but soon warmed up to the idea when she realized people were giving her candy. Callum decided to catch some zzz's while his big sister ran around the neighborhood. Avery was dissapointed that after spending several hours sorting and re-sorting her candy, she didn't get any. She did walk away with a braclet and necklace for her troubles.  All in all I would say that it was a spooktacular Halloween!

Yummy Apple Crisp

Avery had fun today helping daddy make a very yummy apple crisp. It was her first time baking and she had a good time tasting all the ingredients before they went into the oven. She was quite an excellent little helper and didn't mind getting in there and getting her hands dirty. I am hoping she will inherit her daddy's cooking skills. I think her favorite part of all was eating it for dessert...mmmmmm.

Pumpkin City

 October is here and it's finally fall! Today we headed over to Pumpkin City's pumpkin patch, as they just opened yesterday. I remember working for Pumpkin City a long time ago when I was still in highschool. Oh, the memories. They had pony rides, a petting zoo, and games. Avery had fun taking silly pictures with her brother. She really wanted to ride on the little kids train and go in the jumpee, but she's still too little. I think 3 is going to be an awesome year for Avery! It was incredibly warm and we ended up loosing one of our cameras, but we all seemed to enjoy ourselves at the pumpkin patch.

Potty Training Challenge

Okay, so I thought this potty training thing would be going a lot smoother than it has. How hard can it be to potty train your toddler, right? I had no idea I was up for a whole new challenge. So, I decided not to get the ever so popular, "fancy smancy princess potty chair" that makes music everytime your child goes potty. I figured all I needed was a basic potty chair and we could always decorate it with stickers. Avery seemed interested in her new potty at first and wanted to sit on it all the time, which was a good sign. The first week or so she was doing really well and was eager to try it out. I was trying so hard to be patient with her and explain it to her, in her "toddler language". She was doing very well and even went in the potty at one point. I was so happy, I almost cried tears of joy! It's kind of ridiculous what my life has come to these days!  So I thought we were on track and this was going to be a sinch, until one day Avery didn't want to use the potty anymore. Noooo! That wasn't supposed to happen....aaaahhhhh! Well, maybe I pushed her too much or maybe she just isn't ready yet. Now she doesn't even want to step foot in the bathroom....and I thought we were making progress. Having talked to other moms, I've heard all kinds of stories of the challenges of potty training. I figure, atleast I'm not alone, right? I guess I need to give it time and be patient. I mean, she'll eventually get the hang of it and I'm not exactly in a rush for my little girl to grow up. As for now, the potty chair challenge continues. Maybe a trip to the local book store for a potty training book isn't such a bad idea.

Callum is 6 months

Callum recently turned 6 mos. old, which means my little guy is already half a year old. It seemed just yesterday he was a teeny, tiny newborn new to the world. Where did the time go? I am having so much fun just seeing him grow from day to day and watching him explore so many new tastes and sounds. Eating new foods has been enjoyable for him, as he seems to like pretty much anything I make for him. He loves playing with his big sister and observes everything she does. He has sooo much energy and is already getting around, quite literally. He has gotten so good at rolling over from his back to his tummy now and has taken his first crawling steps. I can only imagine the energy this little boy will have when he is Avery's age! I guess I'm in for a surprise!

Staying Cool at the Water Park

 

 

 

 

 We took the kids down to the neighborhood Water park the other day to try and stay cool. We figured Avery would have a blast at the kids water park since we've never taken her before. We've lived here for 4 years now and just finally decided to head down there. Geez, it's about time, right? Sadly enough, it will probably be the first and last time we take Avery there for awhile. She wasn't very fond of being sprayed by the water jets or going near the giant bucket that dumps out gallons of water every few minutes. She was clinging onto daddy for dear life and was screaming for "momma" most of the time...lol. Hey, I'd probably be scared too if I was only two. Lounging inside the pool is more her cup of tea. Callum was a little trooper and enjoyed getting his little feet in the water. He seemed to have a good time relaxing by the poolside with his binkie. I was just glad the kids were able to stay cool!

Colorado Pictures

Colorado Adventure

So our adventure began when Philip was called to work out of town once again. We decided to pack our bags, take the kids, and travel as a family. We were headed off to Colorado! Honestly, we were a little hesitant driving for 14 plus hours with two little kids in the back, call us crazy, but decided to just go for it. Hey, you only live once, right? Plus, I was excited to get away from Orange County for awhile and experience something different. Two days later, after hours of driving and one stop in New Mexico, we had arrived in Pueblo, Colorado. Avery and Callum adjusted pretty well to the hotel life. They just needed to get a daily routine going and they were set. Hey, I was just happy I didn't have to clean for 3 weeks. We had our daily outtings that included shopping in Colorado Springs, parks, and our trips up to see Aunt Jeanette in Denver. Avery was ecstatic to see her Aunt! While up in Denver there was a huge, beautiful garden park that Avery got to run around and explore. Denver had quite a bit to offer! One of the days, Philip had gotten off work early and we decided to head over to the Royal Gorge Bridge in Canon City. While there, we got to walk across the world's highest suspension bridge and see the world's longest single span aerial tram. I must say, the view was absolutely breathtaking, but a little terrifying at the same time. Avery had a great time riding the carousel and there was a petting zoo where she got to pet ponies and baby goats. This was right down her alley. It was the perfect place to spend the day with two little ones. I must say, Colorado also has some interesting weather. From crazy thunder and lightening storms, to beautiful rainbows that light the sky....pretty incredible! Finally, after 3 long weeks of adventures, it was time to pack up the car and head home. Colorado was a success!

Avery just turned 2!

Wow, it has been one busy summer so far! Avery just turned two on July 28th and we took her to Sea World to celebrate! She had so much fun exploring all the sights and sea life. She got to see the whales, dolphins, seals, and enjoyed going on the kiddie rides with daddy. There was a spot where she could actually touch the starfish and thought it would be a good idea to take the poor starfish out of the water. Ummm...Yikes! She also got to see Elmo's Flying Fish show in 3D. Although she loved seeing Elmo, she wasn't too fond of getting sprayed by the water that suddenly pops out several times during the show. Each time she got sprayed she would let out a LOUD cry. Philip and I tried to be sensitive and not chuckle. I have to admit, it was pretty cute. As we made our way to the exit, we couldn't help but stop and take one last picture of Avery standing next to her most favorite thing in the world. Milk, of course. There was a huge statue of a bottle of milk. It was perfect! No better way to end a day than with a nice, tall bottle of milk. All said and done, Avery had a great time at Sea World!