Braydenisms

Mama, I hurt my yeg.
Mama, I need a nack.
Mama, am I still whittle?
Mama, Hayee pushed me!
Mama, I need a big car that I can drive.
Mama, I wanna pway Hot Wheels.
Mama, I don't wanna take a baf!
Mama, I don't wanna sit on the potty!!!!

All are very cute when he says them, except for the last one.

Happy Halloween!

Ashlynn carried on the Halloween tradition this year by dressing up as a bumble bee. All three kids have had their turn in this costume. It will be retired after tonight. This year Brayden was Spider Man and Hailey was a Cheetah.

Baby Einstein Videos - Ashylnn's New Favorite

We have exposed all three of our childern to Baby Einstein videos. We think they are educational and always provide us with at least 20 minutes of babysitting when we need to get something done.

It took a little while for Ashlynn to appreciate the videos but she has come around. Here are a few pictures of her enjoying Baby Van Gogh.

A Little Scared

A Little Angst

In preparation for the upcoming shift in America, I am considering using Halloween as an opportunity to prepare the kids for the times ahead.

Brayden is very ambitious when it comes to candy. I can see him when he is older mapping out the best route to maximize the hits that evening. He eventually might utilize a skateboard to again reach greatness in his candy collecting. Now, Hailey enjoys chocolate but would rather stay home and watch Charlie Brown on Halloween and hand out candy with me.

I wonder how Brayden will take it when I inform him that if he collects more than 25 pieces of candy, I am taking away a portion of it and giving it to Hailey and the other kids on the street who preferred Charlie Brown. I wonder if that drive will still be there......or if he will return with 24 pieces.

No Brayden, I can't do it! You have one last Halloween to go get that candy and keep it for yourself. Run! Run! Run Brayden run, from house to house as fast as you can!

He is a very generous boy and will share his candy. Unfortunately, I think that will stop when it is taken from him.

Bear Lake

We went to Bear Lake the weekend before school started.

There was a little kite flying....

cupcake eating....

frisbee throwing....

castle building...

and of course digging

and throwing.

More of the chubby baby

Who needs ankles when you are this cute?

This is about a month old and little overexposed...but check out the rolls.

Okay, no more naked baby pics

My Kind of Fishing

We went with some good friends to a very local trout farm to let the kids catch a fish. You didn't even need bait. The hook hit the water and most of the time they bit. My camera battery had died so there aren't any action shots but needless to say the kids were not really into it. As soon as the fish came out of the water the kids ran. They actually might have been traumatized by the whole event. The flopping fish fighting for its life, it getting wacked on the head with a mallet, cleaned and filleted then brought home and broiled. Brian was the only one who could eat it after seeing the whole process. We will try again next year.

The Uintahs

We spent the weekend in the mountains at a cabin. The landscape and the weather were beautiful.

Brayden was not into saying cheese,
just being silly Finding the best rocks.....to throw in the water.....to prevent their dad from catching a poor little fish.

A New Leaf

Okay, I am turning over a new leaf and am jumping back into the blog world. Three kids put me over the edge there for a while but I am goint to try to post once a day for a time to get caught up. Well our "little" 7 month old now weighs 23.5 pounds and is too large for most of her older sisters clothing even though she was born over a month earlier and seasonly it gets colder here much earlier than in Arizona. It was really cool here a couple weeks ago and so I thought I would get out a cute outfit that Hailey wore when she was almost one. No, it would not snap around her bottom or around her back. To my dismay much of Hailey's Gymboree wardrobe has exited the tupperware, took a turn in the wash and has now re-entered the tupperware without a showing. So I decided to start taking pictures of her in the outfits unbuttoned and cropped.

Brayden is the boss

I thought I would post a blog since we have not posted anything forever.

Brayden has mastered the art of saying "no" recently. He thinks he is really good at it too. When I say it is time to get in the tubbies, he says no. When I tell him he needs his diapers changed, he says no. When I tell him it is time to go inside, he says no. When I tell him to eat his food, he says no. He basically says no to everything.

I thought it might be fun to tell him that his daddy is the boss of him and daddy says yes. His reply is simple, "Daddy, I am the boss of you and I say no." I have a hard time not letting the conversation continue and I will reply with the same line "I am the boss of you and I say yes." He replies back the he is the boss of me and he says no. And so on and so forth.

Why are 3-year-olds always in charge?

Why is it that EVERYTHING is made in China?

Hailey picked up reading really quickly. It just came naturally to her - I take little credit. She can read most things now which is nice most of the time. It is great to have her read stories to Brayden when number 3 is cranky etc. However it also brings questions that are more difficult for me to answer to her satisfaction. The last few months she can't get over that everything is made in China. She checks most objects to see if it says where it was produced just to see if there is an outlier. It baffles her that it was made so far away. I have tried to explain the economics of it to her but she has not been satisfied. I think it is funny she has picked up on such a serious issue by just looking at the bottom of her cup. In my opinion she has a better chance figuring out a solution quicker than any of our lame brain politcians.

Chubs

A couple weeks ago

Today

Ashlynn's Blessing

Tired But Smiling

She's six!

Littlest Pet Shop Party was a success with the help of Aunt Megan and Aunt Melinda! We played various pet games and had Pet Shop Castle Cake.

(That's a dog)

Pooper Scoopin' Tootsie Rolls

Cats love string.

The kids got a dual gift this year. This is Brayden's favorite part.

Easter

Hmmmm.....anything good?

Hailey was sick over Easter weekend but I was told chocolate bunnies help bring a fever down.

Bath Time

Ashlynn's First Bath

(I get the bathroom all steamy for her baths so that is why the pic looks a little funny.)

This was taken last week and I haven't taken any pics since, the poor kid. She has chubbed out even more since this was taken. Hopefully all the planets will align soon so I can take some more shots.

2 Week Update

Weight: 9 lbs 2 oz

Length: 20 1/4 inches

Cuteness Factor: Still Exceptional

Cuddly Factor: Still Astronomical

Crying Factor: Low until 8:00pm - Very Very High until 12:ooam

Eating Capability: Very Very High

Here is a Hailey/Ashlynn comparison shot

Welcome to the World

Since Heather is kind of "tied" to her bed, I thought I would post pictures of our new addition.

Ashlynn Ann Brimhall was born on Wednesday February 27, 2008 at 7:50 AM.

Weight: 7 lbs 10 oz
Length: 19 inches
Eyes: Blue / Grey
Hair: Brown
Cuteness Factor: Exceptional
Cuddly Factor: Astronomical
Crying Factor: Very Low
Eating Capability: Very High



Both Heather and Ashlynn are doing well.

Wednesday Morning

The time has come and we have had the big arrival day of mystery girl number three moved up to Wednesday. After a week of the stomach flu, I am sooooo ready to have her come. I think the flu combined with her recent relentless kicking routine from about 10:00pm - 1:00 or so in the morning has been given to me for a purpose. I am now ANXIOUSLY anticipating her arrival. We have always been ecstatic to have a third but have been enjoying sleeping at night and family activities with just the two to keep track of. Hopefully pictures will be posted next weekend.

We are still accepting name ideas......so feel free.

Our Town

Hailey received a karaoke machine for Chrismas this year. The three CD's she has are HS Musical 1 & 2 and Cars. This morning she was listening to the cars music while just reading the lyrics on the screen. Here are some of the lyrics to Our Town:

Long ago

But not so very long ago

The world was different

Oh yes, it was

You settled down

And you built a town

And made it live

And you watched it grow

It was your town

Time goes by

And time brings changes

And you change too

Nothing else comes you can't handle

So on you go

You never see it coming

When the world caves in on you

On your town

Theres nothing you can do

Hailey came to me and said that her town was Tucson and she wanted to know when we were going to go back again. Hailey and I took a short trip back in December and I think it made things worse. It broke her heart when we moved over a year ago and she still is getting over it. She still asks why we had to move. Sometimes, like this morning, I feel like I am breaking it all over again regardless of the fact that she has more friends and family here than there. It doesn't help that her dad is there again on business for the 7th or so time. I no longer subscribe to the fact that kids (especially Hailey) will not remember this or that because they are little. It is amazing the impact of the first 4 1/2 years of her life.

How would you vote?

This Super Duper Tuesday I have been thinking about my voting strategy.

1) Do I vote for who I like?

2) Do I vote for who I think has the best shot of winning in my party?

3) Or since I live midst a sea of conservatives where Romney will most likely win no matter what I do, should I vote for the candidate in the democratic party whom I would like to see the Republican run against? (for both entertainment and strategic purposes - okay mainly entertainment)

Hmmmm.......

Another December Pic

Chillin' on the couch....
Watchin' a little tv......
(Pre-binki removal)

Great December Pic

A little bit less than thrilled about the weather