Cowboy Boots

I bought these cowboy boots on sale for super cheap at the end of the season last year, hoping they would fit James this year. The other day I pulled them out and James fell in love with them. It was a bit of a struggle to get them on (I still don't understand how it is so hard to put a baby's shoe on and yet they come off/fall off so easily...) but once they were on James wanted them there to stay. I tried to take them off to put on some sandals, since it was hot that day, but he threw a fit when I reached for his boots. Even after his nap he brought the boots to me to put back on him. He's such a funny little guy.

He's been sick with a cold the past week or so and had a rough time with sleeping. The other night Al was on call and so it was just me and the kids. They went to bed really easily, but a couple of hours later James woke up crying. I let him cry for a while, because a lot of times he just snuggles back into his blankies and goes back to sleep. But he cried for quite a while and so I went to check on him. He was standing up in his crib and so I got him out and rocked him for bit and he fell asleep right away. As soon as I put him back in his crib though his eyes popped open and he started to cry again.

I let him cry it some more and then checked on him again after the crying didn't seem to be stopping. Then came more rocking, falling asleep, put him in the crib, then crying again. After that I took him to our bed thinking maybe he just needed to cuddle for a bit. Avery was asleep in there because she likes to do that when Al is gone. So I laid James down next to her and he was just so excited to see Avery that he just kept saying her name over and over, "Avery!! Avery!!!!! Avery!!" Oh brother...but cute too...

After a while he seemed to be settling down. And then I drifted off to sleep, even though it wasn't that late and I hadn't intended to go to bed yet. Shortly after I thought I could hear some kind of tinkling of music from downstairs. I was kind of in and out of sleep and I was starting to drift off to sleep again when I heard the bedroom door shut tight and then the distinct sound of James going down the stairs on his bum. I got up and went downstairs to find James playing with his musical Thomas the Train books. It's like he went downstairs, realized that he was making noise, and came back upstairs to shut the door so he could just keep on playing downstairs while Avery and I slept!

I think he could tell by the look on my face that he was for sure going to bed at that point. No more rocking, cuddling, etc. Because I picked him up, took him back to his crib, and he went back to sleep without another sound.

Time Out

So James got sent to time out for the first time the other day. For us time out means you have to go and sit on the stairs for a little while, or if you're Avery sometimes it means you have to go to your room for a little quiet time/settle down time.

Anyway, the other day he pulled Avery's hair and bit her and so I made him go and sit on the stairs. He had been there for just a bit when I decided to go and check on him. For all I knew he escaped to upstairs or whatever. I turned the corner and found him on the stair I had left him and he had a really fierce pout going on! He had his little lip tucked in so tight and was looking down at the ground. I couldn't help it...I started to chuckle. And then I went and got the camera because I just needed to capture that moment. These pictures don't even quite do it justice. He is trying not to smile in them. But before that he just had such a down on his luck look on his face. I realize that first laughing, then taking pictures, isn't really conducive to an effective time out...but we'll just have to work on that the next time I guess.

Mickey and Minnie

Halloween was so much fun this year! Friday night was the ward Trunk or Treat. They started with a dinner and then they did their usual carnival inside with all sorts of games-- donut eating, bean bag toss, fishing pond, cake walk, kissing booth (they just gave out Hershey's kisses), balloon room, etc. It was so chaotic inside! But fun too. There is always a huge turnout for this party. Then they end with the trunk or treat.

Saturday night we had a party with our friends. My friend, Paola, put together a mini trick or treating event just with the ward members in our neighborhood. Our neighborhood is divided into 2 sections. So in the first 45 minutes we went to one neighborhood and in the next 45 we went to the other one. Al went with us to the first part and then handed out candy for the second part. We drove in our friends' trucks, which the kids thought was pretty fantastic. They loved just hopping in the back together and then slowly driving around the neighborhoods, seeing all of the decorations and stopping and hopping out of the back of the truck when we got to a house that had a ghost picture on their door. That was how we designated who was participating. Avery is an old pro at trick or treating now and loved it. James caught on at the second house. He was so cute to watch! He picked out lollipops whenever he could and at one point had a tootsie pop in his mouth while holding another lollipop in his hand. He would eat the lollipop and then proudly hand me the stick and announce "Da!" which means done.

After the trick or treating we went back to Paola's house for appetizers and dessert and hot chocolate. Paola had a trampoline and a bounce house in the backyard and so all of the kids went out back. That was when we got into trouble...Avery has had a little cold for the past week or so. And whenever she has a cold she has a super sensitive gag reflex. Between the candy consumed and the jumping on the trampoline and the cold...plus she bumped into somebody on the trampoline. They were both crying, which then started the bad chain of reactions. Anyway, about 10 minutes into the party Al comes rushing through the house, discreetly, but with urgency. I was lucky I looked up and saw him. And so I went over to him and that's when he showed me that Avery had thrown up all over both of them. He just took Avery right out to our van and I ran and told my friend we had to leave and grabbed James and we were out of there. I am sad to have missed the party, but what are you gonna do? On the way home Al and I were just saying it was maybe a little too much candy and excitement. That's when Avery piped in that she knew she ate too many treats, but her tummy kept asking for more sweets. We couldn't help but laugh at that. But I did put all of the treats away when we got home!

Monster Dash

I survived my first 10K. My friends and I ran a 10K on Saturday morning. It was actually cold for here, which was great! My friends have been running a long time, but have been great in taking me under their wing and letting me start running with them. All of them are training right now for a 1/2 marathon in a couple of weeks, except for Leslee, who is right next to me in the picture. She is running a full marathon.

Look how happy we look to be running early in the morning! Right after, I mean seconds after this picture was taken a race official came up to us and said, "Are you girls running the 10K? It starts in 3 minutes and the start line is all the way up there!" AAAHHH!!! So we sprinted to the start line and made it seconds before the race started. And then we were off! My friends had warned me several times that on race day every woman was for herself. I never even saw Leslee. She was just gone. I saw Annie's shirt for a split second and then she was gone too. For a little while I saw Kim, Megan, and Paola, but then I was by myself. I was afraid of overdoing it at first so I took it at a pretty slow pace. It was a lot of thinking time :)

Prior to the 10K the most I had run was almost 5 miles. I ran past the 5 mile marker, rounded the corner and just had to stop and speed walk part of it. I really wanted to run the whole way, but I just wasn't quite ready for that I guess. I sped walked for a little while and then picked up the running again. It was into the last mile that I thought to myself, "Ya know, I don't know that I love this. Running." But then I crossed the finish line and I really liked it again :) All my friends, Al and the kids, my friends' husbands were all at the finish line cheering me on. Just like my friends had told me, Annie was yelling, "Finish strong Jenny! C'mon Jenny! Lengthen that stride!" I am smiling now as I'm typing this, just thinking about it. We had driven together to the race that morning in my van and my friends had told me that Annie does that at every race. Sure enough :)

My legs have been a little tired today, but I am ready to go out running again tomorrow night with the girls. It is so fun to have such a great group of friends here.

P.S. My friend Leslee won the whole race.