We're Home!!!!

James David Merriman

7 pounds, 11 ounces

Born at 12:34

on Friday, 12/03/10

Halloween Lasts Forever!

I remember thinking this last year, and it was true again this year. We started with a Joy School party, had a play & trick-or-treating at ASDB, a storybook parade for Emma, & rounded it all out with a Halloween carnival at a very friendly church.

Whew!

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I'm pretty easygoing about letting the kiddos choose what they want to be. We park it in Jo-Ann's & they look through the pattern books until they see something that they just can't live without.

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This year they came up with a clown:

a firefighter:

(courtesy of Costco- seriously, $22? No way I could make it for that!)

and a mermaid.

Do you have any idea how many modest mermaid costumes there are in the pattern books? Exactly ONE. Except that Emma didn't like the skirt that went with the modest top. So Mommy got to cut up 1 pattern to make the top & alter the skirt pattern from a size 8 to a size 4 so that Emma could be the beautiful mermaid she envisioned.

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Sheesh- the things we do for our kids!

Somehow Mommy got the time wrong for the ward trunk-or-treat, so by the time we got there 20 minutes late, the kids got just about zero candy & even less trick-or-treating experience. So we stopped by a little church festival & they played the silly carnival games to their heart's content. Hey- we even got a free horse & buggy ride!

Do you think Jack had fun?

I gotta say- I love Halloween!

Guess What I Found?

This nasty critter was crawling around in my bedroom the other day. Apparently it's a kissing bug- and I suspect he's the culprit that did this:

to my baby a couple of weeks ago.

But never fear, Mommy-brave smushed him into oblivion as revenge for trying to eat my baby.

It makes me sick to my stomach to think of him crawling all over Jack, biting him again & again.

Ooooh, I want to smush him again, nasty creature!

Picture Post- What We've Been Doing

I just realized today that it's been over 2 weeks since I've even bothered to look at the 'ol blog.

LAME!!

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So here's some pics to 'splain what we've been up to.

Red Ribbon Week at school included:

Crazy Hair Day

and Dress Like a Teacher Day

(I actually almost wish she could really wear glasses. How cute she is!)

We went to a Harvest Festival in Marana where the Daddy & the kids got to ride in a REAL monster truck,
and we all went on a little train ride. Somehow, shortly after this pic was taken, we managed to actually derail & nearly all died. Well, not really, but the kids were terrified after all the bumping & shaking stopped. Andy (who just happens to work at a real, live railroad) tried to show the workers how to re-rail the car, but they all knew better than he & decided to completely rip apart the car instead. Train ride over, mucho sad kiddos.So we hit the petting zoo for a while before heading home. Gotta keep these kids from getting too city-fied, you know! Andy & I also hit the big #10 this year on October 19. Unfortunately I was sick & he was having an allergic reaction to a bee sting, so we just had some apple pie at home & called it good. I had the idea to talk to the kids about how it was actually our family's birthday, since Oct 19 was the day our family began, and they loved the little "family birthday party" we had.

Then last weekend while Daddy was away killing us a deer, the rest of us rode up to Mt. Lemmon with some friends for our ward campout. The kids were REALLY excited to see where Mommy had been at Girls Camp & we all had a blast. We didn't spend the night (are you crazy?), but discovered that Frank is apparently a little pyro like his Momma

& Emma is happy just as long as she gets some hot chocolate.

Next time we'll definitely have to actually spend the night, as Mommy won't be 34 weeks prego.

So there you have it- October is now finished.

Next up: The holiday that never ends, aka Halloween!

Making Memories....and Salsa!

Which is better?

Getting to bring home a year's supply of Grandma Joy's salsa?

(Look- there's my prego belly!)

(32 weeks- only 8 more to go!)

Or my kiddos getting to make the same kind of memories that I have of my grandparents from when I was young?

(The kids picking jalapenos with Grand-Papa.) Both are so wonderful, I can't choose.

We've gone to Safford 2 times in the last month- once to can green chiles & once to can salsa with my grandparents.

It's so much fun to spend time with them & see them interact with my children.

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Jack LOVES Grandma Joy & yells & screams with excitement whenever he sees her.

Andy & Emma were awesome cooks.

Frank & Jack, not so much. But then, I guess 2 & 4 year olds have different priorities.

(Like playing cars & trucks in the fountain.)

Afterward, we ran up to Angle's Orchard to pick up some apples to can this week.

Wow- there are green places in AZ! One apple? No way- I need 2!!We are so blessed that my kids have the opportunity to know so many of their great-grandparents.

A Dingo Ate My Baby!

I don't even know what movie that's from, but I've heard it repeated a million times.

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And it wasn't really a dingo, but something definitely tried to eat my baby last night.

This is Mr. Miserable with his eye almost swollen shut.

The folks in the nursery were a little hesitant to let him come to class today.

Until I assured them that it wasn't some contagious disease.

Then they wanted to know how I could let some nasty bug chew him up like that.

Like I stood by & watched or something.

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And I'm not sure which one is worse, Jack's bites or Emma's.

She looked like this 2 weeks ago after getting into something outside.

No doubt about it, being a Mommy is NEVER boring.

Mommy Moments

If you sweep it, They will spill.

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If you wash it, They will stain.

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If you wipe it, They will smudge.

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If you scrub it, They will poop.

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If you pick it up, They will get it out.

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If you make it, They will climb in.

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If you lay down, They will get up.

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Did I mention my kids are off of school for 3 weeks for Fall Break?