The Holbrook Family

Sunday, January 12, 2014

Florida!

One of the nice things about year round is that it pushes us a little bit more to try and take a vacation. I feel like we need to take advantage of it that way and I know I'll have a hard time with the kids home for that long if we don't. We had a time share stay that we got from listening to a time share presentation that we needed to use and the only place that was worth going to was Florida so we decided it was time to go to Disneyworld! We surprised the kids for Christmas and they were excited. Especially Leila. She couldn't wait to go to "Disneywhirl". We were excited (and a bit nervous) to do a big vacation completely on our own, just our little family. It ended up being great just with us. We love vacationing with others too but now with so many kids sometimes it's nice just to be on your own.

The first day we went to the pool. It was a beautiful day, almost 80 degrees. The pool area was great, we were really impressed with the place we stayed at, Fantasy World. It just felt so good to see the sun and feel it's warmth again!

Selfies with cute Cora, I love all her expressions in these.

The next day we went to Coco Beach. The temperatures where a little colder and it was a little windy but the kids still had a great time, nothing stops them from getting in the water. Especially Charlie. We rented boogie boards and he and Mark had a fun time.

Leila kept burying her rock turtle I had just bought her and loosing it. We found it every time but it still never made it back home. It ended up breaking I think.

So I had started this detox and had to do it while we were in Florida. It was a pain but I did it. Made all my food for the week and packed it around. Just drinking my green smoothie on the beach. :)

Leila is much more timid about the water but she usually warms up and gets a little brave after a while.

Her squinty eyes and cheeks! Love.

I love how Kenya's posing, like always. :)

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Girls Day Out (Snowboarding!)

I have some friends that invited me to go snowboarding while my kids were off track. It's been so long since I did that, no kids, a day of snowboarding. I was feeling pretty guilty because the kids were off track and I wasn't taking them. Charlie still hasn't gone this year but I decided to not pass up the opportunity. It was a cold snowy day and we took it pretty easy, late start and a long lunch in the lodge. It was a lot of fun though. I would love to get out more often. The only way to survive these winters are to enjoy the fun things it can bring, right?

This was the first time I was fully covered, helmet, gator, goggles, hood. It sure makes a difference! Now I won't be so chicken about going out in the cold if I outfit myself right. I've always said I'm more of a spring skier/snowboarder.

Lisa, Paige, Bethany, Annie, Kelsey, Me, Jen

I started a green smoothie girl detox this week too. It's 26 days. My motivation is my health but the weight loss will be an added bonus and help with the motivation too I'm sure. Now that I've stopped nursing I can hopefully loose those last 10 lbs. 5 down, 5 to go.

Leila was pretty excited about this rainbow chard. I was pretty amused by it too, so pretty!

2 quarts of green smoothies a day (plus other stuff) I got to add berries today, that was exciting!

Christmas Break and Off Track

Charlie and Kenya got out of school on December 21 and they are out until January 22nd! That's a long time for a winter break. I was nervous about it a little. Christmas break was great, Mark was home a lot, he took a lot of time off and we really enjoyed it. We went bowling and did some fun things together.

Leila loved bowling and would run to check the screen every time after she bowled.

Kenya has been posing in every.single.picture lately.

Yes he is totally asleep. His arms behind the head crack me up. He said Leila brought all of these in his bed, he slept with them all for a long time. Love it.

Cora turned 9 months.

And I finally started putting her in the tub seat. My kids have all used this now. I love when I have something like this that they've all used. It's on its last legs though for sure, like most everything else!

Kenya and Charlie bug each other, a lot. I found these notes on their doors. I wasn't very happy about it and took them off but I had to giggle that Kenya's ends with "have a great day!"

They started digging across the street. :( Goodbye sledding behind the four wheeler and goodbye views. :( Hopefully good neighbors though!

We've gone to a few of Bosten's basketball games. We've enjoyed going up to Park City a couple times this break just to get out of the inversion. This night we met up with Jared and Jaynee, went to dinner then went to Bosten's game. It was fun and Cora loved all the excitement. Lot's of clapping for her to join in on!

My girls love Uncle Jared and light up when they see them.

The kids enjoy working out with Mark in the mornings. This skinny little girl is strong!

We welcomed 11:00 church. It was a nice switch to sleep in a little and actually have time to get my girls hair washed, dried and curled. That's still a stretch some weeks though.

These girls are obsessed with my lipstick. Especially Leila. She's ruined every single one of my lipsticks. I just bought a new one and she has found it time and time again. I think I finally got through to her one time after seeing she had gotten into it again. Now she just looks at my lipsticks and tells me she needs to "ask momma."

We took front runner out to Discovery Gateway one of the days we were off track. It's been a long time since I've taken the kids there. I use to go all the time with Charlie and Kenya, Now Charlie didn't want to go and had to invite a friend. I remember the days when he loved going there! I love going down memory lane. Leila's never really been and Kenya was the one asking to go, she barely remembered it. Needless to say I ended up buying a membership for the year because it wasn't very much more money once I paid for everyone that was with me so hopefully we'll make more trips out there.

I told Leila she needed to hold somebody's hand, she immediately said "Eastons!"

Umm...I don't think that seat is made to move people! Leave it to my kids...

So far off track has been pretty good to us!

Monday, January 6, 2014

Do You Want To Build A Snowman?

My girls LOVE the new Frozen movie. I think from now on all snowmen made will be called Olaf, move over Frosty. :) We've had a good amount of snow this year and the kids have done a good amount of playing in it. Leila never lasts long and sometimes doesn't want to go out at all but the other two go out all the time. At least they can finally get all their stuff on by themselves these days. Well at least almost all of it!

Leila pulled her gloves off then fell in the snow trying to come to me.

Olaf

Charlie sleds down our stairs since we have no other hills in our yard.

Friday, January 3, 2014

9 Months

At nine months you have stopped nursing. It was a gradual process over the last month but you're fully done now. It was hard for me to let go, I miss our quiet nursing sessions before naps and bed time. Like a lot, but good things have come with it too. Life got a little easier for me, no more guess work on if you're getting enough and it is nice to just hand you a bottle most of the time. You weigh 15 lbs 14 oz, that's the 6% so you've gotten up there a little! You're 27" too. You love your momma. You are the best sitter and so content. I couldn't be happier about that too. You like you're binky to sleep but don't care about it other than that. You like your baths but hate getting dressed. You are a really good eater, we're still waiting for those bottom teeth to pop through! Love you Cora!

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Leila

I just want to remember this little girl at 3 forever. She's my little shadow. She snuggles in bed with us every morning when she wakes up, she wants to sit by me at dinner every night and most nights wants to sit on my lap. I refuse to let her sit on my lap for the first 15 minutes and eventually give in once I've fed the baby and myself. She is sweet and sassy, obedient and devious but I love this little three year old girl. I still want to squeeze those cheeks every chance I get (both kinds of cheeks, love those little bunnies too) :)

This picture is perfect of her. Love.

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." :)