Here Comes the...

SuPeR HeRoES to save the day - Batman, Spidey and Ninja Turtle.

Christian has found his sidekicks - our cute neighbor friends speak his same "bad guy" language. Match made in heaven...or BaD GuY WoRLd.

Wild Man Mason

Is he really 15 months already?? and going on 3 years. This boy is something else! I don't remember my first child being so independent and tempermental at this age...oh wait, he wasn't. Mason is our drama-king, he turns on the screams and tears in a second and turns them right back off when he gets his way. He throws full blown tantrums - stomping, flailing around the floor, head-slamming, kicking - you name it. And he is a BiTeR - sometimes love bites, other times playful bites and quite often mean bites (like "give me that toy" bites on his poor big brother). Christian is in tears almost daily because of hair pulls, tackles and skin-breaking bites from little brother.

Such a TeASe...anything to get a reaction. Today he grabbed the rake from Christian and ran down the street screaming for joy as Christian chased him crying. Christian really is a good sport and loves his brother dearly. He always watches out for little brother and even defends him when he gets in trouble. They really are great buddies! Good thing Mr. Mason is so dang cute or we really wouldn't put up with his ATtiTUdE.

So Independent - He already wants to do everything himself - eat with a fork, brush his own teeth, climb onto everything (including the computer desk)...he runs around chanting "no no no" as he rips the house apart. Seriously.

Baby Talk - He loves his "mam-mals" (animals) and his food. All his first words include eating: "nana" (more like banana obsession and don't think about taking it out of the peel unless you want a banana hurled across the room and stomped on). Other words: eat, more, appo (apple, another fave where he needs the entire fruit or else), gape (grape), cookie, cracker, dink (drink, chanted over and over and louder and louder especially when mom is holding a 44 oz diet coke), key key (turkey)...to name a few. He also enjoyes telling us to "go go go" as we're always on the go.

Mr. Busy Pants keeps us on our toes and ALWAYS ENTERTAINED! When Daddy complains to people about how fiesty this boy is, I have to remind him of his own lovely temper and attitude. PAYBACK. Daddy's Boy for sure!

We sure love you Mason, our Wild Blue-Eyed Boy and can't wait for many more "firsts" and laughs. Brothers are best buds for life - we love watching them play, laugh and wrestle together and are so grateful they'll always have each other.

The Babysitters

We get to hang with our darling nephew/baby cuz Alec on Fridays. The boys just LOVE having him at our house and are always eager to help (maybe a little too eager). Alec is such a good boy, the challenge is keeping Mason from poking, grabbing and loving him a little too rough (or a LOT too rough). Christian has been asking for a new baby sister named Lily (hmmm, wonder where he got that) for the past month so this is a good diversion for now. I tell him to ask Heavenly Father and maybe He will send us a baby sister when you're five...

"Alec loves my spider from school mom!"

I Spy the Witches

Let the annual Halloween festivities begin. I LoVe HaLloWeEn and all the fun family activities. The Witches at Gardners Village are always a favorite and we usually visit them a few times. Christian gets so excited talking about seeing the witches but is always little hesitant once we're there. The life-size witches are a little too real and "spooky," he tells us. When I asked if he wanted to come back, he said, "yes and next time the witches won't be there."

Feeling the beat, this dancing boy has got MoVeS!

Family pose, minus Christian who watched from afar - spooky witch was too close. Note: Mason won't take his eyes off her either.

Cute Buddies

Daddy, Mason and BaTmAN

Mason wasn't too fond of the witches up close either, Mean Mommy!

Wild Shopping Trip

I attempted to grocery shop with the wild ones in tow - BAD IDEA. Why did I bother, right? The nasty, germ-infested car shopping cart is a necessity when kids are in tow. After scrubbing it down with 10 of the complimentary Clorex wipes, we were on our way. All was well until Christian starts screaming bloody murder and attempting to dive out the window of the play car. I look down to find Mason clinging on top of him with his fangs latched into Christian's back. That's right, baby brother bit a huge chunk out of poor big brother's back - who needs a teething toy?? We headed straight to the band-aid isle for some Batmans (you know how kiddo loves his bad guy band-aids).

All was happy again until "splat," the mini Jamba Juice we bought pre-shopping flies out the other window. Apparently Mason decided he was finished. "Clean up in Isle 8" on the loud speaker (no joke). After picking out some "awesome pumpkins," according to Christian, we were off to checkout. WHEW! Mason spots the produce and starts chanting "nana, nana" to which I give in, and peel a banana pre-purchase...and then "splat," it too gets chucked out the window!

Just then, a nice checker walks up with 2 orange balloons. Mason squeals in excitement as we tie one on his wrist and he begins attacking it. Christian, a little more hesitant, decides to give his back instead of worrying about it floating away (bad memories of letting balloons float up to heaven on Chad's birthday). He can't just enjoy the balloon for the moment without stressing about the inevitable popping or floating away. Finished the trip with drive-and-load service, AMEN for Harmon's!

The best part of the story is that instead of being frustrated like usual, I was entertained and just took it all in as an ADVENTURE, and that it was. Just another day in the life of a mother. NOTE: The shopping excursion was all after working half-day then getting my hair done...always easier to handle the chaos after having a nice break!

Farewell Family Fun

My brave, independent sister Kelly took off to Russia for a new adventure as an international broadcaster. During her short stay before leaving, we had some Family Fun...a sunny day at the zoo to see the darling baby elephant Zuri (highlight of the day) and fabulous, gigantic pizzas at Maxwell's in Park City, you have to try it! Soooo yummy.
Best of luck in Moscow Kell Bell! Can't wait to see your live broadcasts online...love you.

Band-Aid Boy

No wonder when we actually need a band-aid, we are out! Christian seems to find ow-ees all over his body that absolutely need band-aids and he just helps himself. Who can resist plastering their face (and whole body for that matter) with Transformers and Spider Man??

Goodbye Barefeet and Backyard BBQs

Until next summer...

Find the Boys??

With the cold, cold weather rolling in this week, it's only appropriate to post some late-summer water pics. We can still dream of the 90 degree weather we had in September even if it won't be returning for a LONG time, right? We had an impromptu water party and the girlfriends didn't bring their suits...so, Christian & Mason so kindly shared some of theirs. Can you find the boys??

Twin Boys?? Or girl and boy? We really couldn't tell these 2 cuties apart!

COLLISION!

Now it's time to pack up the water toys til next summer...(PLEASE COME SOON).

Mr. Inquisitive Fashionisto

Yes, we've hit the stage of endless questions. Why are there lines in my knees? How come we have bones? Does my tongue have bones? How do we get to heaven? Why are the clouds in the sky? And so on and so on...and mom and dad get to scramble to come up with good, honest answers that won't beg too many more questions.

Out of the blue, Christian asks me: "When I grow bigger will Mason have my robot shirt?"

Mom: "If you want to give him your shirt, then he can have it."

Christian bursts into tears, "well I'm going to ask Heavenly Father to make me not get bigger so I can keep my robot shirt."

This boy is SERIOUSLY OBSESSED with his clothes - he changes his outfit at least 3 times daily! He scours his closet for "new" clothes each day so I creatively hide clothes for awhile and reinvent them as "new." Last weekend at our street party, he disappeared into the house and came out wearing different outfits twice, lastly in his Batman pajamas to show everyone. I understand what it's like to have a girl, did I do this to my poor son??

So if you see my son wearing his bright orange and blue striped polo shirt with his clip-on shark tie (thanks Grammie & Nana), shorts and knee-high red socks with his crocs, please don't blame me...I've lost the battle. And yes, this was an actual clothing choice for church...sometimes it's just not worth the fight.

The Garden Thief

Without fail, the minute we step outside, Mr. Busy Pants high tails it to the GARDEN - to pick, poke and sample the veggies...and then give 'em a good throw! It's rather entertaining other than the wasting of good produce! But hey, at least he's eating his veggies right??

The Great Outdoors

We took a Sunday drive up Millcreek Canyon to soak in the scenic views and fresh air. The colored leaves were beautiful and the boys loved the dirt, rocks, sticks and water. Nothing like the Great Outdoors to renew the soul and wear out some wild boys!