Summer Events

Melinda and I went to Las Vegas for a delayed anniversary get away. Nanna and Poppy watched the kids for us while we were gone from Monday the 12th through Wednesday the 14th. On Sunday the 11th we went for a family walk and Melinda and I were both so somber about leaving, I felt a lot like I did before I left for Peru. And we both agreed that we felt something similar to the day we had to give Alex over to the doctor for his surgery. We were just so sad about leaving our kids. This was going to be our longest time away from them – two whole nights, and 3 days. Monday morning as Melinda was getting ready, including buying their favorite cereal, and folding their cloths, she actually cried. I think it’s sweet that she loves them so much. Just the same it was good to get away, and by the time we started to enjoy ourselves, it was time to come home. They did just great while we were away – they were happy to be with Nanna and Poppy and were well behaved. The funniest occurrence of the stay was on the second night. Abby was sleeping with Nanna in her bed. Nanna must have been snoring, because she was awoken all of a sudden by an annoyed little voice saying, “Nanna, be quiet!”. Then, in frustration she threw herself back down on the pillow and sighed.

Nanna said that she enjoyed Alex always saying “Thank You” which he does very consistently. It sounds more like “doo doo”.

Alex, as a typical boy, loves to tease his sister, much to our frustration. Abby has no problem screaming when she is being borrowed, and it’s a powerful scream too, which mostly hides Alex’s laughter as he runs from her carrying her doll, or stands on her blanket, or pins her to the ground. Abby has some good wrestling moves as well and takes her turns pinning Alex down, then it’s his turn to do the screaming. As soon as we break it up, they laugh and go right back at it. We are trying to teach them to let the other one go when they start to scream or cry, but we haven’t made much progress yet.

Alex just loves Toy Story. Buzz Lightyear is his favorite. He says it “Buh Lye La” (he still usually only says the first syllable of words, but he does speak in complete sentences now). He watches toy story with wrapped attention and will later pretend that he is Buzz as we run and jumps around the house. I would really like to buy him a Buzz Lightyear toy.

Both of you kids are really good at going to Nursery. Sometimes Alex has a hard time at first, until he gets distracted. I think he will have a hard time going to Nursery by himself once Abby moves up to Primary next year. Alex’s favorite toy is the Fisher-Price cash register. Abby loves the dolls of course, but they both really enjoy doing puzzles. Abby is up to the cardboard 12 piece puzzles, the one that just show the outline of the pieces. Alex still likes the wooden cut out puzzles.

We went camping this last weekend, from Thursday, to Saturday. We went with most of Melinda’s family up to Current Creek. It was about a 2 hour drive. The spot we found was shaded by Aspen trees – which, due to the time of year, continually dropped sap on everything. The surrounding area was really beautiful. Alex wanted to ride the “bikes”, or the four wheelers. We went on two rides together, both on about the same course, up to the top of the next hill where we could look down over the valley. There was a nice mix of aspens and pines, a lingering amount of snow on top of the mountain and it was just amazing.

Easter

Today was Easter. We did the Easter egg hunt yesterday afternoon. Melinda had prepared sand pails for them with candy. Most of it was just left over from the week before when we met up with the family in Vernal. Mom did a little Easter egg hunt with candy and plastic eggs. We were going to color eggs, but Melinda forgot to buy some at the store and it seemed like too much work at the time, so we just used the plastic eggs.

We had a good time in Vernal, even though it was a long drive there and a long drive home. On the way the kids were feeling sick which made them ornery. On the way home they slept most of the way, but I was tired and sore from playing and sun-burned from spending so much time at the park. Mom and Fred and Rachel and Greg and Melinda and I went to the Vernal temple to do sealings. Becky forgot her recommend, and Robby did feel well. It was great to be outside in the sun – we played Frisbee and threw a football.

Alex's Birthday

The 7th was Alex’s birthday. Melinda got up really early that morning and went to WalMart to get him some presents. The first thing he went after and his favorite gift of the day was a box of Wheat Thins. Only after he grabbed the box, had Melinda open it and grabbed some crackers was he ready to look at this other presents. He knew it was his Birthday and he was pretty happy about it. I slept in his room part of the night because he woke up crying. I asked him a couple times in the early morning if it was his birthday, and he just nodded his head yes. We went over to Chik-Filet for lunch and the kids played on the play set.

Abby is really smart. Melinda and I are both very impressed. Just yesterday Abby was saying that “Tomorrow is Sunday. We get to go church.” She then added, “No Shopping on Sunday”. We assume that she must have learned that from primary, but how amazing that she would remember it and recite it.

Today I am helping her with her “ABCD’s” as she calls them. I printed our large, hollow block letters for her and she has done 4 complete sheets tracing inside the letters. She loves it.

Abby's Stitches

Fred and Mom and the kids came over to stay while they had school off for ‘Blue’s Week” On Monday while they were here Melinda and I went down with Poppy to Saratoga Springs to get a load of stuff. While we were gone we got a call that Abby and fallen and cut her head. Turns out that Fred was working in the bathroom, replacing the faucet, so there was a whole bunch of stuff in the hallway. Abby was trying to walk down the hall, tripped, and hit her left eye on the cold air return. She got a nice cut right along her eyebrow line. They tried to keep her calm until we got back. Roxy was doing a good job of trying to sing to her. It was sweet. When we got done and got back home she had fallen asleep downstairs on the couch while watching a movie. It was scary to see her laying there, asleep with blood running down the side of her face. We decided to take her in to get stitches. We didn’t want her to get scar on her face. She ended up needing five stitches. She will probably end up with a scar, but thankfully, it will mostly be covered by her eyebrow.

The saddest part of the story is while she was at the Dr.’s Office. She was content to sit on the table while they took her temperature and she really liked the pulse monitor they put on her finger. I think she was nervous, or just not fully potty trained yet, but she ended up peeing on the bed while she was waiting. She really fought getting the stitches. They ended up having to wrap her up in a blanket to hold her still, and then have a couple people hold her head still. The saddest part is when she turned to Melinda and said, “Mommy help me!”. When the Dr. started the stitches she turned to her and said, “Doctor, don’t touch my eye!”. (By the way, I made Mommy take you to the Doctor). When everything was done, she got a sucker and immediately started feeling better.

Five days later we had to go back to get the stitches out. Abby was fine at first, but once we sat her on the bed she started to get nervous – “Hold my hand, Daddy”, she said. She wasn’t so excited about the pulse monitor this time, and when they took her temperature, she started to cry. When it came down to getting the stitches out I held her arms and laid my shoulder across her body. Melinda and a nurse held her head while the other nurse took the stitches out. She said to me, “Daddy, I’m stuck”. She cried while they took the stitches out, but once again at the end, a sucker made her feel better. As I carried her over to the sucker jar, through her tears she said, “Alex wants a sucker”.

She has been Alex’s interpreter lately, and she really does a pretty good job of it too.

Christmas Recap 2005

On Christmas day we got up, and opened presents. We were planning on going to Church up in Sandy, but by the time we got done opening our presents, we wouldn’t have been able to make it. We decided to go to Church at our ward. Abby got to wear her new Christmas dress that Nanny picked out for her. She was very, very excited about it. She is obsessed with dresses. Melinda had to keep the dress hidden from her, because once she sees it she has to wear it.

When we pulled up to the Church on Christmas Day, instead of seeing people arrive, we saw people leaving. I parked the truck and ran inside. I spotted Ryan, our home teacher who told me that Church had actually started at 10:20, instead of 11:00. As we started driving home, Abby started crying. “I want to go to Church”, she cried. She had been so excited to wear her dress at Church, she was heart broken when she couldn’t go inside. We stopped by another ward house just to take her in. She was excited; but it didn’t last long and then she wanted to go home.

Just today, Melinda took Abby to the store with her. On the way there, Melinda was telling Abby what they were going to get at the store. As they walked the store and went right pass the milk, Melinda then noticed Abby looking through the cart. She then turned to Melinda and asked “Where’s the milk?”. I am so impressed at how smart she is, and how observant. I really think she is extra intelligent.

Alex is learning well. He does such a good job saying his prayers over meals. He is putting his words together well, but usually only says one syllable of the word. They are such good friends. Alex always wakes up first. I take him out to get him breakfast, but he always asks where Abby is, saying, “Abba?”.

Abby was sick the other day with a 24 hour flu. Melinda brought her in a drink and she had to make sure that it was apple juice. Then she said, “Shut the door”. She acts like such an adult, even though she is so young.

One day Abby was watching Charlotte’s web. At the point where they sell the pig down the street to the other farm, and the little girl cries and cries, Abby started crying too. “Piggy gone”, she cried. She was truly upset and wouldn’t stop crying even though Melinda was holding her and trying to explain that the pig was happy now because he could talk and dance. Abby still wouldn’t be comforted. It took her quite awhile to calm down.

One of the CD’s we have in the truck on the song on it, “My Girl”. Abby really likes the song and enjoys singing along, especially to the chorus. The cutest thing is that she sings “Ti-ger”, instead of “My Girl”

She really loves to sing. Lately she has been singing “Once upon a December” from Anastasi. She sings, “Once upon a Decembe, someone holds me safe and once upon a Decembe”

Melinda has been trying to teach Abby to say her last name. It usually comes out Chrifenenen. It’s really cute. She usually extends her “ings” by saying something like “Openenen it” Overall she talks very well.

Abby and Alex were downstairs playing. Alex came upstairs to get Melinda and ask her for some crackers. She got a little package for him and then he questioned “Abba?”. She got some for him too. Now, with both of his hands full he couldn’t go downstairs by himself. So Melinda carried him down the stairs. When she sat him down he went over and both of them sat down in their chairs ate their cookies. They are very considerate of each other. If one of them gets something, then want to make sure the other one gets one too.

Another Baby

Alex bit my shoulder today. We were wrestling in the hallway and he just decided to chomp down on my shoulder. He was really funny today, well for most of the day. After he woke up from his nap he seemed really sick. Melinda came upstairs to take care of him when she heard him wake up. He didn’t stop crying, though, until she called me up to hold him. He laid down on my shoulder and calmed down. It was sweet for me, but sad for Melinda, since she wants to be the one to take care of the kids when they are sick. She keeps waiting for the day that I will get sick, excited to take care of me when it happens.

Abby is very smart. Melinda read with her an eye spy book this evening and she found all of the items by herself (except the star that was scribbled on). I was very impressed. She also talks very well; complete sentences and thoughtful, personal expression.

Abby was once asking Melinda to watch a movie. She wanted to watch Snow White, but she said ‘Whow Snite’. It was funny.

Melinda has decided that she wants to have another baby. We were talking about this in Abby’s room where the kid’s were playing. When Melinda exclaimed, “I want another baby,” Abby went over to her bed, grabbed her baby doll and came over and gave it to Melinda saying, “Here you go mommy.” It was touching to Melinda and surprising to both of us that she had been paying attention to our conversation.

Around Halloween

Abby was an angel for Halloween. Melinda bought her dress almost a month early. Abby would ask to wear it frequently. When Halloween finally came she got her wear her ‘rella dress’ she was determined not to take it off. She cried and screamed when Melinda tried to take it off after we got done tricking or treating. We went up to the neighborhood in Sandy and went from the Saxey’s down to the end of the street to the south, then back up on the opposite side until we cut back to Mom’s house. We decided to let her wear it home. She agreed to take it off to go to bed, but had to put it back on first thing next morning. She wore it all that day and because I put her to bed that night I let her wear it to bed as well. Unfortunately, the fabric of the dress gave her a rash which was especially bad on her back and chest. We thought it might have been an outbreak of eczema, but narrowed it down to an allergic reaction to the dress because the outbreak coincided with Halloween.

One night, after we had got Abby to bed and turned our attention to Alex, we couldn’t find him. We had ruled out the downstairs because the light was off. Eventually I decided to go down and check and I found him sitting at Melinda’s desk looking at the computer. Her monitor was the only light in the room. He had made his way across the toy covered floor just to sit and ‘work’ on her computer.

Just yesterday while I was at Halo night with Robby Clayton, Melinda and the kids were watching Pride and Prejudice. Alex really enjoyed it and sat on Melinda’s lap entirely focused on the movie. He especially enjoyed the dancing scenes and excitedly pointed at the screen and got down to dance around himself.

At some time Abby let one rip, ‘cut the cheese’ then smiled a silly grin. Melinda told her to say excuse me. She refused saying, ‘No, Abby’s funny”

Alex is usually the first one up in the morning. He comes and plays around in our room and on our bed for awhile until I get up with him to get him his breakfast. The other day while he was sitting in his chair and waiting for me to get his bowl he points to Abby’s empty chair next to him and says, “Abba?” That’s the way he says her name. He understands almost everything we say to him and he is quickly learning how to talk. Lately he response to everything you say by answering, “What?”

Alex still really likes Yager. He tends to get rough with him and wrestles or squishes him. Yager doesn’t seem to mind. Melinda tells me that the other day he tried to eat Yager’s tail. He immediately stuck his tongue out and tried to spit the hair off his tongue. Melinda helped him get it off and he finally calmed down.