Space Bags and Flying Solo

So to look at the title you would probably we had been on a space adventure this week. But in actuality we are just going about our daily activities, trying to keep up with everyday life while battling colds, new teeth and school tests (I will let you figure out who had to deal with which). Kaden is becoming more and more independent. And today was his first time eating breakfast like a big boy! No help from Mommy whatsoever!

"Show me your chin"

Say Cheese!

I think he felt pretty good about himself after that! 

Recently we have been trying to reorganize our "storage stuff" and put away things we don't use everyday. At this point a lot of those things are clothes- Kaden's clothes. We had boxes and boxes of them, all organized by age and all under Kaden's bed. And while they weren't necessarily takin up needed space, we kept thinking that there was a better way to store them. And we found that way! Spacebags! Yeah I know those lousy infomercials that you scoff at and say, "Like those would ever work like that." Well, they do shockingly. I was able to fit ALL of Kaden's old clothes (Newborn-about 18 months+ lots of baby blankets) into one of the 'cube' bags. This is what 7 diaper boxes full of clothes condensed down to:

It is roughly 27 inches tall and 20 inches wide. So now we have more room and his clothes are safe, dry and all in one place and I am one happy camper!

Light Switch Cover/Guard

This post is for those of you who naively (I don't even think that's a word) put your child's crib or bed next to the light switch not thinking about them getting bigger and being able to turn it on and off by themselves. Well that's what I did. Kaden has gotten so tall, we even had to lower his crib down lower than the pegs allowed us to, just to keep him inside the crib (no, he hasn't learned to climb out yet, but he can get his armpits over the railing). Unfortunately he can still reach and turn his light switch on and off. I looked online but the cheapest covers are $9 with $5 shipping. And as tempted as I was, I wasn't going to pay $14 for a single cover. 

We tried to pull his bed out from the wall far enough he couldn't reach the switch, but that left very little walking space in his already small room. I thought I found a solution at a thrift store, but the plate did not fit our switch plates (Probably why it was at the thrift store in the first place). I thought about the online cover and thought I might be able to rig one myself. As I thought about this contraption, inspiration struck. 

So I a large rectangle out of the front of a baby lotion bottle, rounded the corners, drilled a small hole in each end of the rectangle and used the screws on the switch plate to attach the switch guard. I just had to make the rectangle longer so that it would bubble out so that I could still flip the switch; but I made it wide enough (about the width if the switch) that Kaden's fingers couldn't quite get to it.

Here is what it looks like now:

My little helper

Demonstrating how it works :)

It may not be the prettiest thing in the world, but my little man hasn't figured out how to operate it yet. Now his crib is by the wall, and I can walk in his room! SUCCESS! And the part that makes me the happiest...it cost me nothing!!! DOUBLE SUCCESS!!

New Discoveries

Kaden is now 16 1/2 months old and has really started to transform these past couple weeks. He suddenly became my little kid rather than my baby. Here are some of his new "tricks:" He's started helping me if I ask him to go get something, he will do it (unless of course he is angry, then his Mr. Hyde side comes out). He likes to clean things off if I spray them with cleaner. He has figured out that he can jump, luckily not off of things yet. He loves cars, trucks, trains, tractors, and airplanes and makes car noises for everything with wheels. He discovered playdough, which is pretty hilarious to watch. He grabs things with his toes- Yes thats my kid! Anything with buttons instantly becomes a phone. He changes channels, and turns the TV on and off with the remote. He shakes his head yes and no in response to questions. He learned several new signs, including eat, water. When we are out running erands, he smiles and waves at any girl he sees. He says "Hi" to EVERYONE he sees. And my favorite thing he does is fold his arms whenever we say prayer. 

i always tell him to fold his arms, and then one day he did it and I was shocked that he was actually paying attention. It has to be the cutest thing to see a toddler do that, let alone your own! It really makes you appreciate that we are children of God. 

We also have been so blessed lately with a trip to California for Christmas! Every time I remind myself that we're going, my heart does a little happy dance!! And I am really glad too, because Kaden will be at a great age so that he will be able to interact with everyone and lets face it, who doesn't love a toddler at Christmas. *Bonus* he flies free because he is not 2 yet! This Christmas will also be the first time in a long time (and for another long time after that) that my family will all be able to be together! Its going to be the longest 4 months ever because of the anticipation, but its going to be so worth it!

For the love of Cheerios!

Yeah we have been having that kind of day. You know, the kind where the toddler is screaming all day long. Where you think he must be sick because he never acts like this. Where you have even taken him to the doctor and he just smiles and says "I can't find anything wrong," and tells you to just give him Tylenol if he seems to be in pain. Where he doesn't want to eat (and if you've seen him you know how odd that is) so the hunger only aggravates the situation. Where anything, even the slightest puff of wind will throw that once sweet happy boy into what feels like the 100th tantrum that makes you want to rip your hair out and cry too. Yeah, you know what I am talking about.

So we have had that kind of day. But I love my sweet boy, and I know he is still in there. Somewhere on the other side of that molar that I hope comes through very very very soon. And I know he is in there because he still says uh-oh and shakes his head no whenever he throws something because he knows he did something wrong. And he still signs please and more and sits on our laps when we read to him and he still gives kisses and hugs.

Today, I was getting his milk ready before his much needed bedtime and for some reason there was a big box of Cheerios on the counter. Kaden really really wanted them evidently because he grabbed the box with one hand and pulled it down. The box fell upside down on the floor and the entire contents spilled out onto the floor. All I could say was "Oh-NO!" As the dust settled, Kaden backed up to the carpet to watch what would happen and Hiccup began to lick up the straggling Cheerios that were thrown out of Kaden's reach. As soon as I started cleaning up the mountain of breakfast cereal on my kitchen floor, I could feel two little eyes watching the Cheerios and I looked over to see Kaden standing there eyes wider than ever, leaning forward and going "MMMMmmmmmMMMMMmmmmmMMMmmmmmMMmmmmm," over and over with the cutest grin spreading across his little face. His cute little face that looks so much like his Daddy's. I couldn't help but be so immensely happy that he is my little boy. So grateful that I get to clean up his messes and watch his pudgy feet crunch over the scattered Cheerios. So grateful that Heavenly Father has blessed me so much. I love that little boy!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Happy Birthday Mommy! 

I don't get to tell you very often how very blessed and grateful I am to be your daughter! You have taught me so much more than you know. Every day I think of how amazing you are to do all that you do; being a mother, wife, daughter, friend and serving in your church callings and still keeping sane. Everything I have learned of being a mother, I have learned from your example. Even when you didn't think I was paying attention, I was learning by watching and listening to you; and now I get to learn by putting those things into action.

Your testimony has strengthened my own and taught me to stand up for what I know to be right and true. I am glad that you taught me the importance of family by taking us to all the family events and giving me the chance to build relationships with my grandparents and extended family. You taught me to include others, when I didn't want to include my siblings. You taught me to share, to be patient and love my siblings for everything they are.

Your dedication to all of us kids and our wants and needs has always stuck with me. Even when we were crazy or hard to put up with you would always teach us and help us experience everything we could. You have always been such a strong support for me and I hope I can encourage my kids the way you have always done for me.

I am grateful that I've be able to see your loyalty and strength as a wife as you have shown your love to Dad; supporting him through school, work and countless church callings. I have never heard you complain about any of it and it makes me want to be better when I remember that. I hope that I can be half of the woman and mother that you are!

I love you Mom! Happy Birthday!

Fayetteville, Beach, Water Park, and Fishin

Justin finished his first year of PA school! So now he gets to relax for about 3 weeks before the next semester starts. We went down and stayed with his brother's family in Fayetteville. We loved seeing everyone. We watched the Olympics, and hung out with family and then on Wednesday we went to Carolina Beach and Jungle Rapids in Wilmington. 

This one is at home, but I still love that cheesy grin. He loves his couch and his phone!

Jaxon & Kaden getting ready for a bike ride!

Happy Grandma!

We had lots of fun at the beach. Kaden had an interesting time trying to figure out all the sounds and textures at the beach. He cried for a little while because he didn't like the rushing waves and the cold water and the wet sand, but once we sat him on the chair, he was happy again! Wednesday night we stayed at a hotel and got up in the morning to go to Jungle Rapids. We had a great time playing at the park. (Sorry you couldn't come with us Sharon! We missed you!) I didn't get pictures because I was so scared my camera was going to get wet lol Kaden didn't get a nap either day, so he had kind of a rough time for a little while. :) But despite all that, we loved the water slides and the sun. Thanks again to Jason and Lena for taking us with them!

I love his crazy hair!

Walking to the beach from the hotel!

Kaden had to pick up every sea shell he saw and hold onto it the whole time! At one point I think he had like 20 of them.

Trying to get away from the water.

Mommy & Kaden feet!

"Whoa! Its gonna get me!"

He was much happier once we put him in the chair. Off the sand, out of the water, and all clean!

As I was standing in front of the chair making sure he didn't fall, Kaden started playing peekaboo! It was hilarious!

Kaden is not so much a fan of sand on his hands so every time he got sand on him, he would whine till I got it off- which was pretty much every other time he sat down.

This was the amazing view from our hotel room balcony. The picture doesn't begin to do it justice! At one point we couldn't tell where the horizon was, the ocean blended into the sky. We just wanted to sit out there all night. And because we were up on the 11th floor, the birds were flying so close we could have touched them- so cool!

Jason rented a paddleboard and he and Justin went out past the surf and paddled up and down the beach.

On Friday we went to David & Tresea's and stayed the night. After Kaden went to bed, we went fishing off the dock on the lake and I caught my first catfish!

Bumps, Bruises and Boo-Boos

Now that Kaden can walk, he is a little over confident with his gross motor skills.

It seems like every time I turn around, he is scratched, bit, bruised or bumped in some way. Its a good thing that 1. he is such a happy/tough boy, and 2. kids are made out of rubber. A lot of the time, he doesn't even cry he just scrunches up his face and goes "OOoh!" and then after the appropriate amount of adult acknowledgement, he continues playing. Here are a couple of his recent battle wounds:

 I was pushing Kaden on his little truck, and he was holding his snack cup. When I turned the truck around, he decided he wanted down and didn't want to wait for help. He landed face first on his snack cup and got this beautiful bruise that went from one side of his nose to the opposite eyebrow. Look at that happy kid; he's even saying cheese to the camera, or "sheesh." Within a couple of days it faded to look like a little scratch and we didn't have to do too much explaining at church :)

The reason he is laughing in this picture is because he was throwing a ball to Hiccup. The dog got a little excited and lunged to get the ball, knocking Kaden down and scratching his arm (yeah I know its a tiny scratch, but you get the idea). Kaden thought it was hilarious and kept doing it.

The other one is the most recent and isn't really a battle wound. I mentioned earlier that he has Roseola, and one of the symptoms is a rash. So he has a rash on his whole body that just looks sad.

I know he's going to get tons more bumps, bruises, and boo-boos, (because lets face it, that's what kids do!) so I am definitely grateful that Heavenly Father did such a great job designing out bodies!

May and June Update

I realize that it has been a very long time since my last post and lots of things have happened! Starting with the fact that Kaden can now tell me what he wants, mostly by pointing, but this is a huge accomplishment. He says some words: His favorite word in the whole world is Ball "baa", which he says more than anything, Banana is "Nanana," hat is "dat," phone is "po," of course he says "Mama" and "Dada," Dog sounds more like "do-," cracker is "dta-dta," he asks what's that "'sdtat?" he says yes which makes him sound latin because he says it like "jes", he says hiccup "iccu" when he says book, he drops the k so its sounds more like "boo." That's all I can think of right now as far as actual words go. 

Kaden has also become an avid dancer, especially when specific songs come on the radio or we sing popcorn popping. He loves to climb onto my lap and read books. His favorite book is one that I made a few years ago in a Child Literature class at BYUI. It has pictures of Justin and lots of things he likes to do and then at the end it has a mirror and says "my Daddy loves me!" he likes to point to the pictures and say "Dada, Dada." Its so cute! He does the same thing with the big family picture we have hanging over the mantle and he like to wave at it.
Other things Kaden can do now: open the oven door, climb on every chair/couch in sight, grab anything that is less than 4 inches from the edge of the counter, open the dishwasher door,

The past few weeks have been so sunny and its starting to heat up. Kaden's new favorite thing is to go outside and just run. He and Hiccup play this funny game where they try to take pine cones from each other. They both get really excited and Kaden starts laughing so hard he falls down.

So since I haven't put any pictures up since April either, here is my photo dump:

Dressing up like "Dada"

 Kaden after another haircut

At a birthday party eating yummy watermelon!

 You can't see it very well, but his face is COVERED in juice. lol it was the cutest!

 After sticking his face in the water

Look at that belly!

Entertaining himself with the contraption Mommy came up with.

On the way home from Fayetteville, we saw Mater in real life! See him?!?

Kaden got Roseola this week, and since his fever was so high, I just let him run around naked. One happy boy!

 

Strawberry Farm

Saturday we went with some friends to a little farm right outside of Greenville called Briley's Strawberry Farm. We walked around and saw the farm animals, and then ended our trip with picking (and eating) some really yummy strawberries. If it wasn't so hot, we probably would have stayed longer, but the combination of the heat and lack of naps, forced us to come home. We had such a great time though, that we are planning on going back in the fall when they have their pumpkin patch/hay rides. Oh and the best part about it was that everything, except the strawberries themselves, were free. It feels like everything these days costs money, but we're glad that some things are still free, especially when we can enjoy them as a family!

Easter

I LOVE how our Easter pictures turned out! 

What a happy kid!

 

Someone found their Easter Basket!