Pictures

We had some family pictures done last month while my sisters and their families were in town.

They weren't the very best (too many people, especially kids to photograph... but here are a few of our little family.)

P.S. It was not my idea (nor would it ever be) to have us all wearing the same color, but that's life.

Cakes

As many of us are, I was busy baking over the holidays, and in addition to cookies and such I got to make cakes.

Here they are, so that I can look back in 20 years and laugh at my cake-making abilities.

Basic Christmas tree cake for a ward party:

I was very rushed to decorate this so it's a bit plain, but no big deal, because...

They cut the cakes in the kitchen before they served them, so it actually made NO difference how it was decorated. So even though it was a really quick decorating job- it was still unnecessary.

Parker's Birthday cake, of course he wanted Peter Pan.

The cake ended up being a total mess, I really need to work on my fondant modeling skills, but my little birthday boy was happy, so I was happy.

The one thing I do like about this cake is Michael. He has the little butt fold thing on his pajamas, and he's holding his little teddy bear. The rest I could do without, but I like the little Michael figurine.

And cupcakes for my Dad's 50th birthday party.

Simple Vanilla-on-chocolate and chocolate-on-vanilla alternations.

I do actually really like the way the cupcakes turned out, but that's probably because it they were really simple.

And, a cake for one of my beehive's birthdays:

If you add a B-flat and and E-flat to the key signature (I didn't have room), then it is the beginning of 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star'

But I think it looks better upside-down

Then it is nothing :(

I had fun making the cakes, and hope that someday I'll have some real skill- I just have to keep making these 'practice' cakes.

Aria Bug

Little miss Aria is so fun and so sweet.

Here's one of her favorite hobbies:

Getting out the picnic basket thing and sitting in it. That's it, just sitting in it- weird, but she loves it.

Sometimes she puts toys in the other compartments and then sits in the big one.

Do you see what she's wearing? It's a cloth diaper. She's not in them 100% of the time, I'm way too spoiled by modern conveniences to have to carry a poopy diaper around and wash it at home later... after it has time to dry out. But we try to have her in them as much as possible at home. And I'll be honest- I feel kinda like super-mom every time I change one. :)

Here's a classic Aria moment:

Big smile, cuddling Whatever she can get he hands on (This time, it happens to be vinegar and baking powder)

In other news, Aria is super good at communication. She hardly speaks at all but she signs like crazy. She has even started signing complete thoughts, or 'sentences' like a few times she pointed to herself and said 'Dia' (which means Aria) signing 'all done' and then signing 'eat', then pushing away her empty plate. A full sentence of 'Aria's all done eating', rather than just signing 'all done'

Or a super funny example: We were cuddling her in bed one morning, and Aria points to me, signs 'all done', points to the bed, then signs 'more' and 'milk'. Translation: "Get out of bed and get me some milk."

Crazy Parker

Some random stuff from Parker lately:

He built a 'puzzle' on our living room rug with books.

Wearing goofy socks:

Parker was all into socks for awhile- and many mornings he would get up and come into our room- and steal socks from my drawer.

Play-doh

Wearing his pants backwards (he dressed himself)

Oh, and his underwear inside-out

What 'helping me sew' looks like:

How Parker decided to color one evening:

I love this silly boy!

3 Years

Well, it's official- I have a three year old.

Parker was very excited for his birthday- and he knew it was right after Christmas, so when we finished putting up the Christmas tree last month, Parker turned to me and said "Now make a Peter Pan cake for my birthday". He was also convinced that when he turned three he would be 'big like daddy' and he would be big enough to drive the car.

We had Parker's birthday party the day after Christmas.



Aria and Uncle Tres




Digging into the cake

Typical Parker while we sang happy birthday:

Then on his actual birthday we took him to target and he got to pick out his own birthday gift. He chose a game called UNO-MOO. And he loves it. He plays it a couple times a day, and one morning he slept-in extra late and when Jason went to get him up he told Jason that he liked his farm game (uno-moo, of course) and that he "stared at it all night!"

And, since his birthday is at the end of the year he got to move up to primary the very first week after his birthday. Can you believe it? I have a kid in primary!! He made the switch very well, we were a little worried since Parker resists change- but he did great.

Then, this week we went to the doctor for his well-check. Parker was super nervous and uncooperative, but then the Doctor found out that Peter Pan is his favorite, so the Dr. asked Parker if he could look to see if there were pirates in his ears, and asked him to open his mouth wide like a crocodile, etc,  and suddenly Parker was super-cooperative- it was cute.
His stats are:
Height: 38.5 inches -- 75th%
Weight 33lbs -- just over the 50th%
And everything else looks good.
And then for being so brave during his shots he got to go home and watch Peter Pan.

Bath Pictures

My kids love bathtime and I love it, too. They are somehow twice as cute in the bath.

Aria brushes her teeth... I mean gums in the bath.

Messy Girl

Goofy Boy

And the best- Bubble Beard Faces

Christmas Stuff

So I have a post full of Christmas type stuff- the pictures are all out of order- but to be honest I'm not willing to spend the time rearranging them- so I'll explain each one but if they jump around a bit- then I'm sorry.

Some Christmas ornaments that Parker made out of pipe cleaners and glue mixed with food dye.

Ornaments made out of popsicle sticks and paint. 

Jason dressed up as Santa Claus one afternoon for a daycare to earn a few extra bucks. Parker was scared and wouldn't look at him, even when we said it was Daddy (Jason wasn't even wearing the wig and beard yet.)

Santa came to visit our ward Christmas party. And it was just as I expected: Aria was curious about him, but didn't really care- Parker was super scared.  

What I didn't expect was for Parker to be sad after we left Santa until he finally asked to go back and see him.

Once we went back to Santa, Parker was perfectly still and silent on his lap and he had his lips in a death grip the whole time.

Jason sang in the Messiah this year- we went to go watch him on the second night of the performance. On the way home Parker asked "Why was there so many songs?" I told him that it wasn't like regular church and that it was a concert, etc. He just said "I don't like that"

Parker and Daddy painted some little styrofoam gingerbread houses.

On Christmas Eve Parker got a few toys and a Peter Pan picture and a Peter Pan book. He ignored the toys (including that shopping cart that all the other cousins fought over) and just wanted to read his book.

Parker was upset that our tree had no star on top so he helped us make one.

Aria cuddling with her new stuffed animals on Christmas morning.

Aria loved the tree- she learned not to touch it, but she would go sit right in front of the tree and stare up at it while she drank her bottle.

Parker helping decorate the tree.

And when Parker decorates the tree, we get lots of ornaments at the very bottom.

Aria wants to help, too.