Hallo-palooza II

Halloween is becoming bigger than Christmas around here. Joint birthday parties, carnivals, trick or treating, community events we did it all. The Jara + Jack birthday party is becoming a favorite of mine, this year may or may not have been as spectacular as last year (2 month-old-baby) but we still had a good time and everyone came through with costume wearing.

The cast...

We did not coordinate this year. I was a gypsy and Jed was a... Harlem globe trotter? Yes, Jed's costume still smells like Savers and yes, he actually wore that to school his Senior year. Sweeet. Ryan and Wendy were animal/wildlife photographers, perfectly complimenting their twins' costumes, Miles the tiger and Wade the monkey. Wendy is a creative genius.

Here is Spiderman Mason and Miles sans tiger chest piece. Here the outfit takes on a more caveman style, perfectly enhanced with a plastic bat. Adorable.

Gma and Gpa Grandpa turned out nicely as a wonderful witch and her wicked wizard,... Sitting Bull? Grandpa didn't have a choice in his costume. Sam was...I don't remember but take a close look at that boy's delight in bashing innocent little dinosaur pinatas.

Here are my parents on baby duty with Scarlet and Elise, the cousins one week apart. Sorry I cut off your head dad. (I thought I got ya) I still am not sure if his costume counts, since in the season I think he wears that outfit more than his regular clothes.

Ella was a party animal/fairy and Jack was well...an actual animal. Cute little monkey. The tail, padded tummy and banana were nice extra touches. Oh yes, must not forget Brent, he was a football State champ.

And of course my darling little witch, she's a good witch.

The treats: spider cupcakes and Frankenstein ice cream cups. Blowing out the candles. Jara's good about keeping Jack on cue.

AND afterwards, after the pinata, the fish pond, dinner, cake and ice cream, we had fireworks, because no Jed Wheeler party is complete without blowing something up.

Jack getting a little assistance, because he has too much daddy in him to be trusted with sparklers independently.

Hallo-palooza I

The Old Overton Gym holds an annual fund-raising carnival event. For the first time this year we attended. Perfect for small children, easy on the wallet and included popcorn (my kryptonite.) Favorite activities included the fish pond, penny toss and bean-bag throw and, most importantly, everyone won a prize. Even if the penny did hit the cute middle school girl in the head. oops

Not the best family picture, but quite festive, and no that is not a "man-bag" Jed is sporting, it's the camera bag. Does that make it better?


The kiddos with the traditional pocket-lady. Rumor has it she has been doing this for 40+ years, bless her heart.

Don't forget my perfect little sleeping kitty.

Dialogue

This morning in his morning grooming session Jack was "mining for gold" if you know what I mean. Upon finding a particularly fine specimen in a voice of reverenced awe I hear, "Wow, that's a good one." Boys.

Also-

Entering I-15 via the Blue Diamond on-ramp is a ginormous billboard of...what else in 'Vegas? Show-girl bootie.

Enter Jack...

"Me see her bum-bum."

Enough said.


P.S. I think we will be doing all of our shopping once he turns 12 in our friendly neighbor to the north, UTAH!

Three

The birthday boy is three. Look at that face. That smudged nose and kissable pouty lips so precious.

Jack's personality is quite entertaining. He is a happy little boy. He radiates adorable mischievousness. How could I not not adore him? He is his father's son, the similarities in mannerisms are frightening. Same naughty glint in their eyes. Same dogged persistence'ness'. I keep reminding myself if Jed's mom can survive Jed's middle school years, I'll make it through Jack's, hopefully. He has quite a repertoire of sayings...

Wooooow, awesome!!!
Me-everything is me, not I, "Me so excited, for me motorcycle bike!!!"
HeHeHe-he actually says this verbatim when he does something naughty and then looks at me and smiles. Yes, he knows how to manipulate the system.
NeeNee you little devil. This is just one of the many things he calls his poor, innocent sister.
Suwwr (sure)
Why??? Everything is why, that's when I have to take a breath and explain for the millionth time why the cat is mean, what the difference is between a helicopter and an airplane and why you can't pee in the front yard.

He is passionate about...

• anything with wheels, especially 4-wheelers, riding with Jed is his favorite past time


• friends, everyone is a friend, he loves to be around kids his age or older, especially his cousins, Sam and Mason


• people, he is so excited by a familiar face


• loving, he will squeeze a little too hard at times, which is not endearing to most of his victims, but it is truly because he loves you


• treats, he can't get enough sugar

Love you. Happy Birthday Jack!

Happy, Happy, Happy

Happy, Happy Birthday ! Today Jara turns five.



Five seems monumental when I start thinking about all the things it leads to... Kindergarten/school then before you know it she'll be doing everything on her own and as I told Jed last night with teary eyes, "In 3 more years she probably won't even want to go trick or treating with US anymore!" sniff.
But for now...
We will enjoy that she is at a magical age where she enjoys helping me (fetching diapers and cell phones ringing wildly from within the couch) and thinks I'm beautiful in my dress-up makeup. She is tender and tough all at the same time. She is not quick to shed tears but yet she feels other people's sadness or pain and has sensitive feelings. Someone making fun of her hair would hurt a lot more than someone pulling her hair. She is very considerate of me and since Elise was born she asks me if my "owies" are okay and prays every night for me. She also prays that "Elise will not whine, Jack will not be a menace, and Jack's snot will go away." Obviously she also has a sense of humor. Wonderful child that she is, she even loves time out and will ask me if she can go there, the reason being she doesn't have "to see Jack in time out."
Jara's favorite things:
-friends and playing dress-up and tea-party
-princesses (don't get me started on my princess theory)
-dancing
-being the "boss of the world" Wonder where she gets that from?
-dirt, thank goodness, she loves making mud pies
-being with her family (read this when your 13 missy) after being gone from us one evening she came home and said "I hope you missed me because I really missed you guys."

Love you Jara! Happy Birthday!

2 Months

Smiley Face




Pouty Face

Both equally cute. It's the chubby cheeks!


She is growing so fast. Here are a few of my favorite moments...

• She growls-at night when she wakes up to eat if I don't get her fast enough she'll start growling, then when I comment about the growling, she will smile because she already "knows."


• Elise likes to smile, she started smiling a couple of weeks ago and is especially happy in the morning when she first wakes up.


• Nights are getting better, the last 5 nights she has only woken up once during the night! Hallelujah!


• She has a happy to sad speed of about 1 second. First a warning cry and then flat out angry yelps.


• Bath time is an intense work out. This little girl creates white caps in the tub with her vicious kicking/splashing.


• Elise is an "easy" baby, most of the time. She knows what she wants and is easily soothed. The only thing is, is sometimes its hard to hold her for hours at a time and she refuses a pacifier. sigh. However, it's a perfect reason not to do my dishes. Sorry can't clean holding my precious baby. Thank you Elise.


• Elise is a great communicator. Whenever I talk to her she will reply to all of my comments. She listens to me better than anyone and always says the right thing, "coo." She also grunts at me in the morning until I get out of bed, at which point she promptly burrows into my king size bed, ALONE, and goes back to sleep. I believe it is a sibling conspiracy to get me up in the morning. And no she isn't in my bed all night, she takes over Jed's spot when he goes to work.


• Swaddling comforts her and when she is tired and only wants to go to sleep, this is the best way to calm her.


• She is oh so snugly and loves to burrow.


• She still gets hiccups at least once a day, this has been going on since she was only 26 weeks into the cooker.


• Toys are starting to fascinate her. There is a bee rattle on her bouncy chair and she will stare at it for 20 minutes, talking to it and viciously kicking in its general direction. It's a love/hate relationship. I don't think she likes that it won't talk back to her and yet is so close to her face.

Jara and Jack are doing well. Jack has never intentionally hurt her and Jara loves to hold her and sing songs to her, and make fun of Jack with her, yes it's already started.

Hooray for two months!

The Farm

Staheli Farm that is, not that other place all my childhood animals disappeared to, or the place where I might end up, i.e. the funny farm. ANYWAY...
Over the weekend the Watson's were visiting, so the Watson's and Wheeler's made a field trip (get it "field" haha) to Farmland. I want a farm like this one complete with my very own...


Cottage
The kids were so fascinated as they peered into the witch's hut/cottage. Inside was decorated oh so wicked.


Bouncy Balloon
This has got to make animals of all shape and size very, very happy.


Haunted Furnishings (in front of the aforementioned witch's cottage)
HGTV couldn't have done it better. Don't I look comfortable in my natural environment?


Pumpkin Patch
Yes I subjected my children to the cheesy torture of pumpkin patch pictures. They are so adorable. How can one resist?


We had to take this beauty home for Jara, she really wanted a green pumpkin.

Farm Limousine

Or a trap meant to contain children while waiting in line for hay rides.

Scarecrow

Even Elise got in the picture to measure "How tall this fall?" She slept the rest of the time.