The Holbrook Family: June 2011

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Ragnar

We did it and we have the stickers to prove it, though they're not on our car and may never be. :) This was my second time doing Ragnar and Mark's first (he says his last but our team already signed up for next year, he he. :)) We were in van 2 and I had leg 10. I had 4 miles, 7.7 miles, and 4 miles (straight up). I felt pretty good on my legs (finally a good race!) Mark ran leg 8. He had 3.4, 7, and 6 miles. He did great and he hardly trained, no fair. We had a lot of fun in our van with some of our friends from our old neighborhood.

Melia, Nate, Mark, Nikki, Neil, and Hilary.

First leg.

After his midnight long run.

Last run. He assured me that his shirt was wet with water, not sweat. His back however was just as wet with sweat.

At the top of the ragnar leg.

We finished, 34 hours, our team was not the fastest, we got some long breaks in between our vans switching, but we finished!

Lot's of laughs, lot's of inside jokes, lot's of fun.
I think next year we're going to be team Schnitzel. Hehehe...

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Just Cute.

Kenya cannot wait for the day Leila will be big enough to play with her.

Leila was hiding from me the other day. Found her here.

Monday, June 20, 2011

11 months!

At 11 months Leila is

19 lbs
crawling everywhere
loves playing with Charlie's footballs
Happy, happy, happy. I love getting her out of bed in the morning. She is so happy to see you.
Gives kisses. She'll lean in with an open mouth then make a smacking noise with her lips.
Pulls up on everything.
Has four more teeth on top.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Boys Will Be Boys

This is what Charlie and his friends were doing a couple weeks ago...

My neighbors yard had a nice little mud pond from all the rain we were getting, a perfect attraction for Charlie and his friends. They had a blast running through it and getting mud all over themselves.

I love this kid. He is ALL boy with a little more boy on the side, (except for those times when he screams like a girl and throws fits like a drama queen.) But I hate when he does naughty boy things because that means we need to punish him which means he can't do his boy things with his friends which leads to me being tortured with those drama queen fits.
Yesterday Charlie decided with two of his scheming friends (well, maybe one was scheming with him, he's always getting into trouble with this one friend, the other one just does whatever anyone says to do I think), that it might be fun to pee in a windex bottle they found in the field, put a little dirt in it, and go spray it at cute little sidewalk chalk drawing Kenya and Kiley. Yeah, that's my boy. When Kenya came in and said "Chawlie sprayed us wif pee!" I just figured they were just saying it was pee. Nope, it really was pee. Luckily (for me, not Charlie), Mark was home and he dealt with him but he decided his punishment would be cleaning (yay) and not playing with friends for the rest of the week (boo). This is what Charlie hates the most, which is good, maybe he'll learn a lesson, but it's hard for me to have to keep him from playing with friends all day. We had lot's of those drama queen fits today. "But mom, how am I suppose to get all my energy out and get exercise?!" Oh boy.

After a couple chores at home Mark wanted me to bring him into his office and he put him to work there vacuuming, cleaning toilets, wiping tables.

So, do you think we were too hard on him? I am still trying to figure this parenting thing out. What would you do?

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Memorial Day in St George? Yes Please!

We decided last Monday we needed to get out of this crummy rainy weather and head south where it was sure to be beautiful so we booked a hotel and Friday morning we were on our way. So glad we decided to go. It was so nice to sit by the pool and soak up some sun. Our friends and neighbors the Ericksen's own a gorgeous home down there, they headed down with a couple other families on our street and were so nice to invite us over while we were down there. My kids were thrilled to have other kids to play with and we were glad to hang out with friends.

Alivia loved playing with Leila in the pool.

We visited the temple on Sunday.

We met up at the Ericksen's that afternoon and headed up to a trail behind their house to a cool cave in the cliffs.

Thanks Ben for taking this awesome pic of our fam. I'm pretty sure he was focusing on his wife behind us. :)

In the cave.

The Ericksen clan

Pretty view.

Okay, so these two made a little love connection down there. When Charlie saw Alivia he said "Alivia, you did SO good in your dance recital last night." We all thought that was cute. They were hanging out all night, eating dinner outside together. Kinda cute. Then we found out from the other kids that they have a crush on each other, "Alivia thinks Charlie is a hottie." Still kinda cute. Next we found out that they kissed, hmm...getting a little questionable but still kind of innocent. Charlie said he kissed her on the cheek and she kissed him on the lips! We made sure to keep doors open when they were in bedrooms playing. The next night all the kids were watching a movie when I looked over to find little Alivia cuddling with Charlie, pretty much spooning him. :) Ashley said something to them so then they got up and started heading to the bedroom. Ashley-"Um, where are you going?" Alivia-"To the bedroom to take a nap." What?! Ashley-"I don't think so!" Oh boy, we're going to have to keep an eye on these two! They are 6 and 7, what the heck? Not ready for this yet.

On our way down. Justen found a turtle, all the kids ran back up to see it. Kenya was excited but once she got close she was scared. Even Charlie was a bit scared to hold it. It was pretty cool though.

Alivia, kissing the turtle too. :)

The last day we went swimming at the hotel and drove around dreaming of buying a place down there. We'd love to have a place to vacation/rent out so we'll see. Until next time St. George!

Little Dancer

Kenya had another recital. She loves performing and we love watching her, she has no fear up there on the stage. She did great.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Happy Birthday Kens!

Kenya has been talking about her birthday party for a very long time. She's one of the last of her friends around here to have her birthday so she's been to many parties and has patiently, well sort of patiently, been waiting for her party. One night Mark told me that when she was blessing the food she said "Please bless that we can get this party started." So funny. I had to explain to him that she's talking about her birthday party and that she was not familiar with the song "Let's get it started."

After many back and forth decisions on what princess she wanted for her party theme (her favorite one changes all the time.) I suggested a Rapunzel party since the movie just came out and she hopped right on board. I googled rapunzel party and found a blog with some fun ideas so I just took some of those, and a couple of mine and we had a fun little party for her.

I was planning on attempting to make a rapunzel tower cake and was getting pretty stressed about it when my friend told me she had the mold for this dress cake I switched gears and was so glad! This cake was pretty easy and Kenya loved it. When she saw it she said "Mom! It's so beautiful! I love my Rapunzel cake, thank you!" She really was so enthusiastic about it, it was sweet.

This is Grandma Holbrook's fabulous settee that we inherited. It made a perfect little setting for some cute princess pictures. I think I finally found a home for it in her room. Anyway, Jayme was there and got some better ones of Kenya but I don't have them yet so this will have to do.

I put my clip-in extensions in her hair stuck some flowers in and sewed a pink ribbon on the front of the dress to make it look more like Rapunzel and she was good to go.

My little bald princess side kick.

I found her a couple times just staring at the cake.

The guests arrived and we started out coloring some tangled pictures. Once everyone got there we decorated some crowns and played pin the frying pan on Flynn Rider. Followed with cake, ice cream, and gifts. It turned out pretty great I thought. Not too stressful either. Actually I might take that back, there is a lot of preparation and work to get a birthday together, I just tried this time to plan far enough in advance that the day of I wasn't trying to do everything.

We gave the girls paints and a flower clip for the party favor. I wanted to do something that would be used and that wasn't candy. I found these paints at the dollar store, they were perfect and I made the clips with the little "make your own bow" flowers they sell at craft stores.

Kenya, Kiley, Greta, Addison. Love this giggly picture.

Happy Birthday sweet girl!

The World Through Kids Eyes

August 2013

Leila has officially stopped saying "I wanna hold you" :( She would always say that to us and I have never corrected her but I guess she figured it out for herself because tonight she said "hold me". She's growing up too fast!

November 2011
I told Kenya tonight that I was glad Heavenly Father sent her to me. She said "Why did Heavenly Father send me to you?" I said "well we were all a family before we came to earth, in heaven." She said "Mom, how did you get up in the sky?" "I don't know." I said. "Did Santa give you a ride?" Followed with giggles by both of us.

November 2010
Today I was telling Mark about how angry I got at Kenya for coloring on the table for like the millionth time. She heard me talking about it and said "You're not a nice mom, you're like the BEAST! I'm gonna put you in da gawbage and get a new mommy!" Then later Mark asked her when he was reading her a bedtime story "Kenya, am I the King?" She said "No, you're the debil (devil)." Charlie was drawing a picture of our family for school and drew me with my mouth open he said "Look mom, you're yelling." I don't think we're leaving the right kind of impression on our kids here.

July2010
Today Kenya came up to Mark and said "Daddy I have to tell you something." She then made him bend down so she could whisper in his ear "You're the best dad in the whole wide world." He thought maybe I told her to say that but she came up with it all on her own. She then did the same thing to me. I love hearing that little whisper in my ear.

June 2010
Kenya randomly makes comments on the baby in my belly, it usually goes something like this. "I like your big belly mom" then "I like your baby Leila." Then it's followed by "I have a big belly too." Tonight that was followed by "It's hooge."

March 2010
When Kenya is demanding something I will tell her she needs to ask nicely. She then yells at me "NICELY!" Not quite what I was meaning.
If you say something like "How are you doing?" She'll say "Kenya" instead of good, or bad, or sad, or happy. Kinda cute.
She's really starting to put her sentences together and express herself a lot better. It's fun to have conversations with her.

March 2010
At dinner we were discussing how babies just drink when they're newborns and don't eat food. We asked Charlie if he knew what they drank and he said "yes, milk from your..." he paused for a few seconds and we were anticipating what was going to come out, then he said "from your belly!" What innocence.
February 2010-
Kenya has been saying some cute things lately most mornings she comes into our bed and snuggles in right in the middle of us. This morning she snuggled up next to Mark, put her hand on his cheek and said "daddy you're my sweetie girl." We had to laugh. Last night we were in the car, Mark was on the phone and Charlie was being really loud so he turned around and grabbed his leg to get him to be quiet. Charlie started crying and Kenya got really mad "don't hurt my sista! You otay Charlay?" We explained it was her brother and she said it all over again, this time with brother. She's been calling a lot of people her sister lately, she's a bit confused.
I made chocolate football cake bites for the superbowl and whenever she finishes her food she says "I want a hapball!" The first couple times I didn't know what she was saying until she ran over to them and pointed, now we know that hapball is football.

July 2009-
Charlie was asking me if his dreams would come true (I thought he was referring to bad dreams because he's been so scared of having bad dreams lately thanks to watching "Thriller") I told him they wouldn't come true and he kept asking me about it. Finally he said "Well daddy's dream came true when you were his wife!" Awww, thanks bud!

June 2009-
Yesterday Charlie randomly said to me "You know mom Jesus is sad when you're mean to me." I guess what goes around comes around. He also told me as we were reading "Little Red Cap" (the real Little Red Riding Hood story) "She shouldn't have lied to her mom" he said. I said "No she should've minded her mom and not gone off the path." He said "well sometimes I lie to you." At least he's honest, well sometimes. :)
May 2009-
Kenya loves the park. Every time we drive by one she freaks out "side, side! Mama side mease, meeease!" (slide please) she says "mease" all the time, it kills me! So cute. She also loves to say "go way!" Every time she's mad at someone or we're trying to get her to do something she doesn't want to its "go way!"

February 2009-Charlie said a prayer the other day that went like this "Grateful we could go to Disneyland, grateful for Halloween, grateful for Christmas, in the name..." That was it! Kind of funny.

December 2008-Last night when Mark was putting Charlie to bed Charlie said "Dad, I think Jaxon isn't choosing the right." Mark said "Yeah, how come? " Charlie said "Because he likes BYU and that's not choosing the right." Mark was pretty proud.

December 2008-

Charlie had a Christmas pajama party at preschool. He got a gift from his teachers. He opened it up and it was a blanket they had made for him, "Wow, a blanket!" I said. Charlie said "It's beautiful!" Then a bit later he was doing a puzzle while I was on the computer and out of nowhere he just says "Merry Christmas mom." He can be so sweet.

November 2008- With Christmas right around the corner and his birthday a couple weeks ago Charlie wants everything he sees on TV. He'll be upstairs watching TV and you'll just hear him say "How 'bout that!" And if it's a girl toy it's "How 'bout that for Kenya!" I don't know why it's "how 'bout that" but it puts a smile on my face every time he says it. It's too cute.

I love how honest Charlie is. The other day he went to the bathroom and when he came out I said "wash your hands" as he came out he got distracted for a minute and then said "Oh yeah, I got poop on my finger." And went to the bathroom. The same day he told me that while he was playing outside with his friend Brady he peed in our dirt, just randomly told me later that afternoon with a guilty look on his face. I was surprised because he hates peeing outside!

I took Charlie to Target to pick out a Halloween costume. I thought he would pick one out immediately and probably choose spider man or batman, well he wasn't really jumping on anything he saw, until he saw a transformer costume he said "I want to be a transformer!" I said "Ok do you want to be Bumble Bee?" "No, I want to be Octopus Prime!" I think it's so cute to hear him say it I haven't told him it's Optimus Prime.

One morning while we were getting ready for church Charlie in his best little sick voice says to me "Mom, (cough cough) I can't go to church, I'm sick (cough cough) see I have a cough.! Isn't he a little young to be doing that?

Last night I was kneeling down by Charlie as he said his prayers. This is what he said- "...Grateful I could go to preschool, grateful for daddy and Kenya," then he reached out and stroked my hair, "and grateful for mommy's hair." He was so happy yesterday when I came home from work and my hair was done and not in a pony tail anymore.

Charlie's Aunt Kristen asked him one day "Charlie what did you do today?" He said " I played with Samara." She said "Oh, is that your friend?" "No!" He said, " she's my husband!"

Mark sold his car and Charlie was with us as we dropped it off to the new owner. Charlie said "Dad, where is your car going?" Mark said " I sold it, it's going bye bye." Charlie said "All our of our stuff going bye bye?" I hope we're not traumatizing him! :)

Charlie has been learning about the Holy Ghost and he seems a bit confused at the concept. Today out of the blue he asked me "Mom, where is the Holy Ghost?" I tried to explain to him that he's a spirit and he can bring good feelings to you etc.. Then he said "Oh, can I touch his blanket?" (This is what a ghost is to him, somebody with a blanket over them.) So then I explained that he's not a real ghost he's a spirit and he doesn't have a body etc. Then he said "Yeah, but he almost has a body, and when I pull off it's blanket is the Holy Ghost a girl or a boy?" Let's just say he's still confused. :)

We went to Discovery Gateway today and as we were walking in there was a little person standing by the entrance. Charlie looks at me and says "Mom, that was a wittle mom." I thought that was pretty politically correct. :)

Today at church Charlie was playing with some cards on the bench during sacrament when I looked over at him he seemed to be pondering something and said to me "mom, am I going to get baptized?" I said "Yes, when you're 8 you can get baptized." "But I want to get baptized now!" (The lady sitting in front of us turns around and whispers "precious." :)) I told him again he could when he's eight. Then he said "Can daddy help me get baptized?" I guess he is learning something in primary and FHE!

Almost every morning I have a battle with Charlie on what he's going to wear. At least the mornings when I care what he wears and want him to look decent. Last night he got to pick out a movie to rent, he chose a Buzz Lightyear one (this is his latest obsession.) This morning I brought out some clothes and he saw them and said "No, not that shirt! That shirt won't make me Buzz Lightyear!" I said "Oh, what shirt will?" "Come here, I'll show you." And he took me into his room and insisted that he wear a white baseball T with green sleeves. This is the closest shirt he has that resembles Buzz Lightyear's costume. Pretty creative kid.

Charlie is in sunbeams now but we've been watching Cami's kids this weekend at her house so he went to nursery today with his cousin Luke. When we got home I asked him what he learned in nursery. He said "nothing." I said "didn't you have a lesson, you must have learned something." Very adamantly he responded "No we don't learn anything in nursery, we just have snacks!" No wonder why he loves it! :)

Cami has a piano in her house and yesterday towards the end of Charlie's nap Luke started softly touching the keys. Charlie woke up and came out of the bedroom with his hands out to the side palms facing up and said in a sweet surprised voice "I wake up and heard the piano singing." Mark and I thought it was too funny.

Those of you who have been around us probably know that Charlie hates my hair in a pony tail. I have no idea where this came from but for about a year he has been like this. It's getting better but at first he would throw a huge fit and say "Don't cutta your hair!" Then I explained to him it was a pony tail so it became "Take out your ponytail!" And he would grab my hair and try and get the elastic out. He's made progress over the past year, it went from forbidding it to throwing a fit but on occasion after I explained to him I was going to the gym or didn't have time to do my hair a few times a day I could make it through the day. Now He doesn't immediately respond to it when he sees it but at some point through out the day he'll comment on it. The other day he was going down for his nap and he said "Mom when I wake up will you take your ponytail out?" I can't believe a three year old boy could care so much about a ponytail! So much for short hair, he probably wouldn't speak to me for weeks! :)

After we sold our house we moved into my dad's. Charlie loves being around his grandpa and the other day he was sitting on the potty and I said "Charlie, do you need help?" and he said "no, I want grandpa to wipe me!" I said "no, grandpa doesn't wipe you, just mommy." So a couple days later he says to grandpa "Grandpa, are you a boy or a girl?" Grandpa said "I'm a boy." Charlie said "if you're a boy then you can wipe me!" Don't know how he decided that one but I guess he's got it all figured out!

Kenya has been sick the past day and tonight at dinner Charlie said "why isn't Kenya eating?" I said "Because she's sick." He said "Oh, does she have a snotty nose?" I said "No, she has a tummy ache." "Oh, did she eat an egg?" "No, I said ache, not egg, it means her tummy hurts." In classic Charlie response to everything "Oh." :)