The Holbrook Family

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Preschool Graduation

We are so proud of Charlie and all the things he learned this year in preschool! As they let him "walk" to his seat Miss Lisa said he was the only 3 (turning 4) year old in their class that had started reading, yay Charlie! And that he's part of the "boys club" (that sounds like trouble to me :)) He did excellent in everything except listening, following directions, and more listening. No surprise there! We are really proud of him though and SO impressed with his teachers. I couldn't believe the cute book they put together for each child of the whole year, pictures of them and everything that they did, I was amazed that they did that! For the program they sang a few songs and Charlie was a great little singer, it was really cute to watch. Too bad my camera is not so great. I was frustrated with it and didn't get any good pictures!

Singing their "Tootie Ta" song.

Miss Shawn, Charlie, and Miss Lisa

Grandmother Holbrook

Grandma Holbrook passed away on May 14th, a bittersweet moment. She was in her 93rd year and has been so independent up until the last month when she took a turn and we sadly watched as she grew dependent on care and slowly slipped away a few short weeks later. A joyous reunion on the other side as she was preceded in death by her husband and two of her three sons but she will truly be missed here. I'm grateful for the memories I have of her, she always made me feel welcomed and loved and was always young in spirit. Until we meet again Grandmother...

Mark and his siblings. Mark, Maurena, Kristen, Rick and Bryan.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Washington

We got to take a fun trip to Washington last week to visit the wonderful Hess family. Unfortunately on our way to the airport we found out that Mark's grandma passed away that morning. We ended up cutting our trip short a couple days to make it back for the funeral but we packed it all in and had a great time! We were all exhausted when we got home (and maybe while we were there too, my kids of course woke up so early!) But the Hess's were wonderful hosts and it was all worth the lack of sleep. The first day we went to Snoqualmie Falls, an amazing waterfall that's just minutes away from their house. Washington is so beautiful. I love it there, I could do without the traffic of course (hello 2 hour detour on our way to dinner!) but it is so pretty everywhere you look.

On the airplane, Kenya is already looking scraggly at 9:30 in the morning.

Snoqualmie Falls

Me and Lynette

The next day we went on a hike to Twin Falls, again minutes from their house. So pretty!

The Hess fam minus Abby and Josh

Just some pretty views on the hike, I loved all the moss growing all over everything.

Stealing a kiss from daddy.

In front of the lower waterfall.

Little buds Charlie and Gavin.

Dashpoint Beach

Kenya kept wanting Nate to swing her.

These two were so content while we played a little scrimage against the Nate and Lynette. We won because Mark Holbrook was on my team and he's AWESOME! :)

Searching for sand dollars. Kenya was showing it to Mark and calling it "baby" because I said it was a baby sand dollar.

Wilderness Lake

On our last day there we went to Wilderness Lake (once again minutes from their house :)). My kids were loving the really cold water, Kenya could play in the sand and water all day!

Charlie came up with this pose all on his own.

Thank you Nate and Lynette! We had such a fun time, even if it did get cut short. We are jealous of all your friends up there that get to hang out with you guys all the time :)

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Happy Mothers Day

I am lucky enough to get to snuggle with Kenya at nights before bed when I read to her and sing her a song. A few weeks ago I sang "Twinkle Twinkle" when I was done she said "no, wan God" I didn't understand what she said the first time and when she said it again I said "Oh you want I Am A Child of God." She got all happy. Ever since then she always wants me to sing her "God" and usually all three verses. She's now trying to sing along, it's so cute. Last night she let me cradle her like a baby and sing to her as she looked at me and tried to mouth the words with me. It was just a precious moment that I wanted to remember especially with mother's day here. When I put her in her crib she either kisses me through the rails or smooshes her face up against the mesh on her crib tent to give me a kiss. She's such a sweetie.

This morning Charlie came into my room (I got to sleep in until 7:30, yay!) with something behind his back, he said "Happy Mother's Day mom I made you this card" he pulled it out behind his back and it was a cute little picture he had drawn. I said "what is it?" He said "This is you and this is a heart because I love you." It was so sweet, the first mother's day that he's done something like that. Mark said he woke up and went right into the office and made me that card.

That's me on the left, the heart in the middle. After he showed it to me he added on the person on the right and the "snow". Look at those spider hands! I love it.

Mark let me sleep in and I woke up to a wonderful breakfast of french toast. We got ready for church and my lovely ward got all the men to teach primary so I got to go to Relief Society which was wonderful and Charlie did great singing the songs in sacrament with the primary. They started singing "I Am A Child of God" and Kenya of course was singing along with a little escape act and run for the stage to join them. After church I got to take a wonderful nap while Mark fed and put the kids down for their naps. I must have been lacking some sleep, I could not wake up from that nap! I slept for a good 2 and a half hours. We went up to visit Grandmother Holbrook then over to Grandma Selena's for some dinner, no cooking for me or the kids all day! It was a nice day. Thanks to Mark for taking the time to upload music that I like to my new little ipod that he won from work and generously gave it to me and for the gift cards to iTunes. I have been listening to the same stuff while I run forever! Thanks babe you're the best! Hope you all had a wonderful mothers day too! So grateful that I can be a mom and for my mom and all the wonderful mom's around me! Love you all.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Women's Conference

I had the opportunity to go down to Provo and attend Women's Conference with some girls in my ward. We had a great time and the Conference was great too! Okay, so the first day we struggled a bit at the conference (not the best speakers at the classes we chose and running out of food at every lunch stop we went to) but we had a great little gno that night and went to some really good classes on Friday. It was a wonderful little spiritual boost that I needed. So grateful for my little family and my big family, great friends, and so much more! I feel so blessed and lucky to be a mom to two wonderful children and hope that I can raise them the way they deserve.

Fire Station Field Trip

Charlie's preschool took a field trip to the fire station last week. Kenya got to come along too, probably not the best idea, she was all over the place. I know she's almost two but there were plenty of other twoish year olds there who were behaving just fine! She's a spit fire. Charlie was great however and listening to the fire man, he especially loved watching while he put his suit on. Ever since he's been wearing about 3 layers of shirts when he gets dressed because he thinks he looks like a fire man.

loved the hats.

Kenya really wanted to wear the real fire man's hat.

There's the fire man with his suit on, notice Kenya in the background.

She did well when she felt like one of the big kids standing in the line.

Visiting Grandmother Holbrook

Mark's Grandmother Holbrook has not been doing very well the past couple weeks so we've been visiting her a lot. She's 92 and has been independent up until now. She's been such a support to Mark and his brothers and sisters their whole life and we are cherishing the time we still get to spend with her. These are just some pictures of some of Mark's family and us hanging out in grandma's backyard.

Rick, christie and their cute kids Hailee, Greyson, and Ricky

Not a great picture but it's all we got. :)

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." :)