The Whidden Family: June 2009

Wildcat Days!

Man, we had a fun weekend! It was Wildcat Days here and there was so much going on. We watched the fireworks, went to the parade, played carnival games, jumped in the kids inflatables, ate cotton candy, rode the train, watched the volleyball tournament, Jared and I both played in the Slowpitch Tournament, hung out with friends, and we even managed to go camping for one quick night.

I can't even believe we packed everything into 3 short days... but now I gotta go to bed. I'm pooped.

Sweet 16

I was 9 when my little sister Carly was born. I remember going to school knowing she was going to be born that day, and being so anxious that I couldn't sit still. After supper, my Dad took my older sister Lisa and I (without the twins - that made us feel important) to the hospital to see this tiny bundled up newborn with a cute little squished nose. 16 years later, she's just as cute as ever...

Happy Birthday to my beautiful, and now date-able, little sister!

Green is the new Pink

BEFORE:

AFTER:

The only person so far that doesn't like it is my friend's little 3-year-old girl. She's quite sad to see the departure of Carter and Hayley's "Peach Princess House".

Our weekend

My arms and back are sore, and I never want to see a can of paint again.

On the plus side, I can now give directions to my house without saying the phrase "the ugly pink house".

Pictures to come.

My kids are funny.

A few weeks ago, we were at the park and Hayley had an accident. I said, "Oh no Hayley, I didn't bring any extra pants and undies for you! Now we have nothing for you to wear." Hayley replies, "That's okay Mommy, I'll just wear my legs!"

Carter says: "Hayley, I'll teach you a nursery rhyme. Repeat after me: 'Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet, eating her curtain rod...'".

Today Hayley was complaining of a tummy ache and she said, "Mom, I think a mean monster went outside and got some mud and then put it in my tummy and that make it all hurts."

Whenever Carter has his shirt off he "flexes his muscles" (which is hilarious in and of itself, because he is the skinniest little thing). He points to his "muscles", which are really just the bones of his rib cage sticking out and says, "Look I have the HUGEST muscles. Girls like guys that have big muscles.". (All I can think is - oh my goodness kid, you are way too young to be talking like that).

One night after their bath and putting on pajamas, Carter and Hayley both asked, "Can we stay up???" (ya know, that annoying question they ask every night). It was actually early so I said Sure, they could stay up for a bit. Carter excitedly replies, "Mom! Today I wished on a dandelion that you would be a nicer mommy and my wish just came true!". Gee, thanks Carter.

Hayley was watching Dora the Explorer, and on the show Dora asks, "Will you help us??" and Hayley replies, "No! Be a big girl and do it yourself Dora!"

Carter was comparing me to some other girl, pointing out how we looked so different from each other. He says, "You guys are just so different Mom; she has blond hair, and you have brown. Her eyes are not blue like yours. And she doesn't have any zits on her face...". And then he had honestly no idea why I laughed so hard.

One day I was upstairs cleaning and decided to spray some Febreze to make the house smell fresher. Carter and Hayley hear me spraying it and come rushing up the stairs asking, "Who's coming over????". Silly kids - I do clean my house even when there aren't visitors about to ring my doorbell! Really!

Sometimes when we put Hayley to bed at nights, she stays awake in her room, usually singing at the top of her lungs. The other night, she was singing that song "Numa Numa" by O-Zone, and she knew every single word off by heart. She was getting right into it, "Maria-He, Maria-Ho, Maria-Ha, Maria-HA-HA!". Jared and I were standing outside her door listening and killing ourselves laughing. I'll try and add the song below for those who don't know. Imagine a little 2-year-old singing it. HILARIOUS.

A chip off the ol' block

Back when I was about 14 or 15, I got home from a school weekend-long field trip (ok, ok, it was a band trip. I just didn't want to admit it!) really late on a Saturday night. It was technically Sunday morning, because it was around 2:00 am. I went in to wake up my parents and let them know I was home. After we said our hellos, they told me to go look in the backyard. I went and looked out the back window and saw a brand new trampoline! I was so excited that I went outside and jumped on it right then and there. At 2:00 am. In the pouring rain. And then proceeded to jump on it almost every single day until I moved away to college. Not only did it get jumped on but girl talks, sleepovers, mean games that I forced my younger siblings to play in which they always lost, picnics, basketball (and any other sport that you can add jumping to), fort-building, etc all took place on that trampoline.

That trampoline is now here at our house and I think in the short year we've had it, Carter has been on it so much it seriously rivals all that time I spent on it as a teen. He loves to be out there jumping, practicing ninja moves, chatting over the fence to the neighbors, putting the sprinkler under it in his swimming trunks, eating his picnic lunch, catching bugs, watching the cars go by, etc. After I snapped these pictures from the deck, he curls up into the shape of an egg and calls up to me, "Hey mom! Wanna come crack me?". Really, how could I resist?

Abstract Photography

My kids often steal my camera and take pictures without my knowledge. The next time I want to use my camera, I turn it on to find hundreds, literally hundreds, of pictures they've taken of each other, their toys, me puttering around the house, walls, light fixtures, a blurry finger covering the lens... you get the idea. It cracks me up. Here are a few of my favorites:

Jared's lovely brother Gary

It's like "Where's Waldo?" except "Where's Hayley?"...

meet "Buster"- the little pink dog who goes everywhere she does:

I love that you can see Hayley's little fingers snapping the picture in the reflection of the ipod:

Elkford Triathlon

This weekend, Jared ran in the Elkford Triathlon. He did an awesome job and finished with a great time. A bunch of people in his office all competed together and they all did really good. I'll admit, it totally made me want to enter for next year's triathlon. The weather was great for it - I took a few pictures of the day:

Scarlett

On Friday, we were able to go to Lethbridge and see our friends the Jarmans. They just had a little baby girl 2 weeks ago and we couldn't wait to go visit her. Scarlett is so sweet and tiny and perfect - we all loved holding her and didn't want to put her down.

As we were taking these pictures of Hayley holding Scarlett, we commented that this reminded us of when Isabelle (their oldest girl) was born, and we took pictures of Carter holding Isabelle. This was just round 2, with our second children.

I dug up the old picture, just for memories sake, of Carter holding Isabelle, back in December 2005:

Cute hey? Time sure flies when you're having fun!

Jared holding Scarlett

Hayley, Isabelle, and Carter watching a movie

My little "Kinder"

Yesterday Carter got to go to Kindergarten Orientation for when he starts school in the Fall. He got to meet his new teacher, see the classroom, learn school rules, make a craft, read books, meet the principal, and meet some friends. He knew some of the kids there already and he was having so much fun giggling with them. He is SO ready to start school and this is going to be so good for him. We can't wait.

The only problem is that I now also have a 2-year-old that thinks she gets to start school too. And refuses to believe otherwise.