Falling in love with fall....

Monday was the first official day of fall and I couldn't be more excited. There is something about this time of year that just seems to charge me up! Pumpkins, apples, football games, the leaves changing..... I especially love any excuse to throw pumpkin into the mix. I made my first pumpkin pie of the season on Sunday when the missionaries came over for dinner and they were so good! We are so excited to go to MN next week to see Trey play football. We miss not being able to go to all of the games and can't wait to get all decked out and cheer him on! We had a picnic at our bishop's home this weekend and the weather was perfect! There was a nice breeze in the air and you could just sense everyone's relief that the ridiculously hot temperatures from this summer are over, at least till next year! So I am falling in love with fall all over again, just like I do every year. Only this year, our kids seem to sense everything that is going on also! Aleece and Madelaine want to be outside all the time and if they could have apples with every meal, they would!
I came across a fantastic idea the other day while reading one of my magazines. It is for an "idea journal". This is something you carry around with you and when you come across a great idea--recipe, craft, place you would like to visit, quote etc. you write it down. I don't know how many times I have been out and about and read about something I would love to try and forgotten about it by the time I got home! So I am hoping this will help me remember all of those fun things I come across and be able to experiment a little! We'll see how it goes!
Lainey talks more and more each day. It has been so fun to see her vocabulary grow. She idolizes Leecy T and tries to do everything just like her big sister. Aleece sometimes likes just bread and butter for breakfast, and as I was preparing Aleece's this morning, Madelaine came running in and said, "I want some bread and butter." It still shocks me a little when she uses these full sentences. Mostly because she is still so small--you don't expect that to come out of her! Both girls are so smart, they give me a run for my money most days!
Aleece was watching "Pocahontas 2" the other day and in one scene they show a bear. Well, Aleece told me to keep watching because in a minute they would tell me the bear's name. It still makes me smile, just thinking about what happened next. In a scene a short while later some people are being mean to the bear and Pocahontas yells, "Stop, this is torture!" Aleece looks over at me and says matter of factly, "See? His name is torture!" She is so funny sometimes! I had to agree with her, that that is what it sounded like!
Lennon is "talking" more and still loves to be held. He has the sweetest smile and I think he smiles biggest for his big sisters! It has been so fun watching the relationship between all three of our children unfold. They love each other so much and have the best time together, even if they are just sitting on the couch trying to make each other giggle. They are so precious to me and I love every single moment I am with them!

2 month appointment and more misc...

We took Lennon to our pediatrician today for his 2 month checkup. He is absolutely perfect! He weighs in at 11 lbs 6 oz (approx. 50%) and is 22 1/2 inches (approx. 25%) long. At this rate he will definitely be outgrowing little Lainey bug! Our poor boy had to have three immunizations in shot form and the rotovirus oral immunization--that one he enjoyed! It seems like no matter how many times I have to watch them give my babies shots, it never gets any easier--but I know it's for their own good. We don't have to go back again until November for Lennon's 4 month checkup!

Daddy and Lennon

Mommy and Lennon

We are now in week 2 of preschool and Aleece is continuing to love it! I am so glad she has this opportunity to go so that she will be a little more prepared for when she starts kindergarten next year. She is already so stinking smart, but I know that the social interaction she is getting is going to help her immensely! She loves the kids in her class and she loves to tell us what she learned. We still miss having her around the house, but I know that this is good for her! Aleece has also become way too computer savvy! We have a couple of children's websites that we really enjoy, such as starfall.com and pbskids.org. The PBS website is Aleece's favorite and she can navigate it like no other. They have some great learning activities and I am amazed that Aleece knows where all of the letters are on the keyboard. She handles the mouse really well too. We live in such a technological age it is almost ridiculous how much little kids can do these days. They know how to work cell phones, tv's, dvd players, computers, you name it! Tonight Aleece came out while I was preparing dinner to show me what she had printed on the computer. So I asked her how she knew how to do it. She told me that she just clicked on the printer and that was that. Sheesh! Way to smart, I tell ya!
Advertising execs are also getting way too smart. We were in the store this week and passed a rack of clothes with pictures of Hannah Montana on them, to which Lainey exclaimed "Hannah Montana!" Really?! We have never even watched that show! But she somehow picked up on it! I have to admit it made me smile though. I love hearing her little voice!

2 months and counting...

I can't believe our little boy is already almost 2 months old. Lennon will officially turn 2 months on Tuesday. Time has flown by since his arrival into our little family and he has already changed so much! He still loves to eat and cuddle and he gets so excited when he sees his big sisters or mommy and daddy! He has the sweetest smile and we love him so much! I can't say that I'm thrilled he will be going to get more immunizations on Tuesday--it's always hard to see your babies get shots! But I am anxious to see how big he has gotten. He has grown much more quickly than either of the girls and I'm wondering where he falls percentage wise on the charts. I'll fill you in on Tuesday!

In other news...the girls have been adjusting to Aleece's first week at preschool. Lainey doesn't like when we drop Leecy off, but she loves when we pick her up! It's been the hardest for her because she and Aleece have pretty much been attached at the hip since her birth! They are the best of friends and so Lainey and I have been trying to fill the void with our own projects while Aleece is at school.

When Aleece was about the same age as Madelaine is now, her favorite movie was "The Wizard of Oz". She would dance and sing along and it was so cute to watch! She was even Dorothy for Halloween when she was 2 and Glinda the Good Witch last year. Well, Lainey's has taken a liking to "Annie". She refers to the movie as "tomorrow" and she loves to sing the songs! She has even started saying "oh my goodness!" She puts her hand over her mouth and says it in her sweet little voice and you can't help but smile!

It has been an emotional roller coaster this week and we are hoping to have a little more calmness and relaxation this coming week. Although I will be preparing to teach next week's lesson in Relief Society and trying to come up with something to feed the missionaries this week also! And let me tell you they are BIG guys! Both are well over 6 feet and not scrawny by any means. So this could be a feat! Wish me luck!

Preschool!

Aleece officially started preschool today. A lady in our ward teaches a preschool out of her home and we thought it was too good of an opportunity to pass up! Aleece will attend preschool every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings for the full school year. It's hard to believe she is already old enough to attend! Lainey, Lennon and I dropped her off at Ms. Tami's this morning and took a few pictures to commemorate the event and then headed home. Lainey struggled after we arrived home a bit. She wanted to know where Aleece was, and a few tears were shed. We sure missed our Leecy T! We went and picked her up at lunch time and Aleece showed us her artwork that she painted (in her favorite colors--pink and purple) and sang us the song that she learned today, about the letter A. She had such a great time and we can't wait to hear about what she learns this year!




Dropping Aleece off at her first day of preschool.


So excited about her first day!!!


We were so happy to have Leecy T back home! Lainey especially. She missed her best friend!


Leecy T and her first project from school!

Dealt Fair 2008!

We went to the Delta Fair here in Memphis last night and had a blast! The temperature was just about perfect--there was a nice breeze in the air and it was only in the mid 80s. We loaded the kids into the stroller and ventured out to see what we could find.

We got to see the Vasquez Circus, where a lady performed on a trapeze and did some really fun stuff with Hula Hoops. They also had some gentlemen perform on dirt bikes in the Globe of Death. The fair also had a fun little petting zoo with all kinds of animals: goats, pigs, cows, buffalo, kangaroo's, and we even saw a "unicorn"!

There were lots of fun rides and Aleece got to ride on the Dumbo ride and on a hot air baloon ride. Unfortunately Lainey bug wasn't tall enough to ride anything--one of the downfalls to being so darn little! Aleece made some new friends on the rides, one named Grace and the other Jasmine (whom she had met at church once before).

We had some delicious corn on the cob and enjoyed seeing all of the sights! We can't wait to go again next year!

Full sentences,,,,

It seems as though Madelaine has picked up on a lot more verbally than any of us realized, seeing as she has been talking in complete sentences recently. She is still tiny as ever, but she is also spunky, busy and adorable! Some of my favorite things that she has said recently are,

"Daddy, I want a bite of that." (as he was putting a sandwich up to his mouth!)

"I do! I do! I want some fruit snacks!" (any time she wants fruit snacks!)

"Aleece, put your shoes on right now!" (pretty much any time we get ready to leave the house now!)

"Lennon, what's the problem? Huh baby?" (any time Lennon cries! She says it in the sweetest little voice!)

I love when she responds to my questions (ex: who wants to take a bath?) with "I do! I do!"

She can now count to ten and she knows her ABC's and she LOVES to sing! Lainey wants to be just like Aleece and I can not count how many times in a day that they make me laugh with their antics! It's so fun to watch them learn and grow! Sometimes it is so strange to realize that they are as old as they are! They are growing up much too quickly! I cherish every single moment and stage of life that they are in!