3 Months

She is now interested in toys and grabbing and surprisingly strong. I love to see her little mind working as she claws and grasps at whatever is in her path. All of my kids have loved this play mat, good job Aunt Ashley. Elise will chill on the mat for a good 20 minutes kicking and playing and going bald. (Head movement for hairy babies leads to bald spots in the back.)


See I told you she was strong, she can lay on her tummy for quite some time before she...rolls over! (gasp) I have never had a baby roll over so early. She's a genius.



Don't you love her fuzzy hair? I have to embrace the permanent mohawk because there is no taming it. It's especially pretty in the sunlight.

Hallo-palooza III

And with this post we are done...finally

Trick or treating/Halloween night(Day 3 of Halloween fun)

The witch with her loot


Serious monkey business





Group shot



I had to include this picture because it is the only one I got of our pumpkins. Jara and I carved pumpkins this year. Jara wielded her own carving tool and created the ghost face pumpkin, her first ever! She is taking after her dear ol' mum. I love pumpkin carving, a creative outlet that involves knives muwhaahaahaa.

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!