Week of fun things...

Jenna is getting to be lots of fun with her first real laugh this week and some grabbing at toys, she is well on her way to cute and adorable things!

Also this weekend I threw a baby shower for a friend and had so much fun having a bunch of ladies over to celebrate and socialize! I had so much fun getting decorations made, favors and the like. I love getting crafty! If I could be anything in another life I would be a party planner:) Scott took Ethan to the mall and entertained him there while Jenna and I partied with the gals! It was a bit concerning though when Scott got home and told me that he bought Ethan 2 shirts..... I think my heart skipped a beat... Scott... buy clothes... for our kids! unheard of! Luckily he did a good job and they passed my standard for cute clothing...





So this past week was a lot of fun. Our congregation did a Spring friendship week where it is basically a secret santa type thing where you leave gifts or notes to an assigned family. I had lots of fun thinking of ways to give to our family. It was also fun to find a bouquet of daffodils, brownies and sparkling cider left secretly on our doorstep:). I was getting a little suspicious that we were being stalked by our secret family, because every time I left the house to go deliver our gift I found one on our step when I got back, even though I was only gone for about 20 minutes at most!

On the down side of fun, Ethan has another wonderful cold, complete with snot bombs. We are glad spring in nearly here! We need some warm days to make the bugs go away!

Getting big...

So this last week was a fun one, Jenna must be going through a growth spurt because she isn't going super long stretches at night like she was for a long time:) .... Hey it means she is growing right? She is getting stronger too:) She loves to stand with help and tells all kinds of tall tales.

Ethan is just being super cute with all the things he says these days. his vocab is exploding and he is starting to get more complex with his sentence structure, which is so fun, you can almost see the neurons firing sparks out of his ears. We signed Ethan up for a swim class that will start at the end of April, I think he will love it! It will be a fun Saturday thing to do for daddy and Ethan.

Scott is loving his new job and I am loving seeing him more often:)

Play time at the Children's Museum!

This is Scott. Yesterday was daddy/son day at the Children's museum. We took the train downtown, which for Ethan was the most memorable part of the day. "Purple train" went through a "scary tunnel". He was simultaneously excited and scared as the big train approached, and wanted to ride it all day.

At the children's museum he spent about 2 hours putting golf balls in tubes, and then another hour and a half "driving the train", which was actually a plane cockpit. (I guess that is part of the fun of a children's museum - its whatever you want it to be!). If any of you are wondering how long a 2.5 year old can run non-stop at a children's museum before they pass out, I'm not sure... but it is at least 7 hours. Fun times!

The effects of winter...

SO needless to say, the past 3-4 weeksh ave been nothing more than a Holley petry dish with loads of bugs to pass around.... Winter has been rough weather wise and health wise... not that anyone is suffering more than a cold or tummy bug but it just seems that someone is always needing a Kleenex these days, and in Jenna's case, the blue suction bulb... I will spare the nasty details but mommy, aka me, is dying for winter to be over, not only so we can enjoy the outdoors, but to avoid the straight jacket for certain member of the family and spring out of the prison at 9 Irving St...

The update on the family person by person is as follows.....

Scott - Started his new job at Harken Capital. He has set up an at home office in the bedroom and is working roughly part time from there. He is certainly enjoying the fact that he can now cut out commuting time and hit the gym more often, which his personal goal means at least 3 times a week. He is getting a bit more family time as well. Ethan is loving that daddy is home more and often will see him every day and evening. Such a nice change for us all. Scott has also put together our family Will, done the taxes and found time to do his calling at church as the Assistant to the Ward Mission Leader. Good things are coming out of this new change in our lives and Scott will certainly enjoy his free time more...

Brittany - I am surviving the winter with a 2.5 year old and a 2.5 month old. the best thing I have purchaced in a long time is the double stroller. I can now leave with both kids and hit the mall, or craft store a bit easier.. This will likely increase my spending but it just might help me get through the days. I am currently planning a baby shower for a friend and I am loving the creativity that has been on the back burner for a while... I recently threw my back out while Scott was in NY for work, and I have to say, thank heavens for Relief Society and the friends you meet. A friend came to my rescue and helped with the kids so I could get to the Chiropractor and thankfully Scott came home early, which was super helpful since Ethan got a stomach bug that night.... It has been an interesting rollercoaster in the mommy job department, but I am trying to see the good in it all and I am trying to hold on to the hope that someday I will look back and say I did a pretty good job holding together while trying to raise my kiddos.

Ethan - Recently his vocabulary has turned into sentances which are often very cute. Recently he pooped in the tub for the first time on my watch. I was talking to Scott on the phone while watching Ethan play in the tub, then before I knew it there were a lot more "items" in the tub and Ethan was screaming in fear of his own doing in the tub. Quickly I hung up and pulled him out telling him firmly not to move. He turns around, peering into the tub "It's like chocolate, poop make you sick!"..... Thanks buddy for ruining my craving for chocolate for a while.... He even mentioned it on the phone with his Grandma Wixom... He is getting much better a repeating exactly what I say which is a little scary. So mommy has to watch her mouth a little more closely. Ethan is still loving to go fast, and when it is time for a meal, nap or bedtime he now asks or rather states "play 2 minutes", or "one more time?". He has also become the master staller and looks for every opportunity to change the topic if he doesn't like it or the task by running for a distracting diversion..... smart people those little ones....

Jenna - Happy girl who loves to smile. She has now rolled tummy to back 3 times and is very intent on grabing things but still is working on making it happen... She is a very cute little thing and just loves to "talk" about anything with anyone. She has even let out a small laugh. She loves her big brother too:)

We are looking forward to spring time and are planning to drive to VA to see some friends in April and we finally booked our vacation to Orlando, hoping Ethan will still be in love with Disney by then(Spetember). Which is quite likely since we pretty much only watch Toy Story these days....