Twinkle Twinkle

Four months. Wow. That may be a record. Seeing as how I am far too far behind to even begin to think about catching up, here's a little somethin' somethin' to get me back on track, and more importantly, to brighten your day :-) (that is, if anyone is still reading this blog)

"Twinkle, twinkle, wittle star
how I number what you are
Up, up in the sky so world
Like a diamond in the sky
Twinkle, twinkle, wittle star
how I number what you are."

Daner-isms

(Brookie came over to visit, and was holding Campbell. She was bouncing, and the following conversation took place.)

Brookie (said to Campbell): "How are you doing, you bouncy baby vampire?"

Dane (very matter of factly): "Vampire's don't bounce. They fly. Fly, fly, fly (as he was flapping his arms)." So funny!!!

(Cooper was outside, and running around like a nut.)

Dane: "What's Cooper doing?"

Me: "Just being a little crazy."

Dane: "Oh. Not a big crazy, just a little crazy."

Dinosaurs and Pumpkins

I'm sure I should be posting about Christmas, but seeing as how I have yet to show off the cutest dinosaurs EVER, I thought Halloween should come first.

Dane has been obsessed with dinosaurs, and knows more about them than most adults. So I got ambitious, and decided to make his and Campbell's costumes this year.

I found the cutest knit hat pattern on Ravelry, and had tons of fun knitting them. The outfits turned out just as cute as I had imagined, though next time I won't wait until the week of Halloween to start sewing.

Rawrrrrrr!

Brock's birthday is around Halloween, and he had class that night, so I surprised him by taking cupcakes to his work. They were really fun to make, and tasted pretty good too.

At Brock's work, Halloween is a pretty big deal, and each year they have a costume contest with prizes and such. Brock was a mariachi player, complete with mustache and guitar. He came in second place in the "funny" category (I think that's what category it was). We'll have to be a bit more creative next year.

They also invite the kids to come and go trick-or-treating around the office. It is really fun!

Brock's side of the fam threw their first annual Halloween party. I had spent so much time on the kids' costumes, that I had to be a pretty lame cowgirl. Isn't Brock's mustache delightful? I'll post more pics of that gem later.

Adam and Sheridan planned the party, and it was tons of fun. Dane LOVED bobbing for apples, and was the first one to actually get one (though he got the stem, it still counts, right?).

Each year we carve pumpkins as a fam, and it was really fun this year with Dane actually choosing his own pumpkin, and wanting to help carve it. It was a great night together as a family.

Today

1:00- Put the kids down for a nap

1:30- Kids still not sleeping. Decide to go in and get Campbell, so Dane will sleep.

2:00- Dane has finally quieted down, so I go in to change Campbell's diaper and put her back down. Instead, I find this:

I guess Campbell will just have to wait.

Dane

Dane is really very, VERY good at being two. I'm pretty sure he has perfected the art, in fact. Though he did get a headstart with practicing before his 2nd birthday, he has become a master at it since.

Much to Brock's dismay, he loves finding my makeup and practicing his artistic skills.
"What?!? I'm just "making something" here. Oh, that mess on the floor? No idea."

Lipglass does wonders for your complexion, don't you know? You should try it sometime.

Despite all of his shenanigans, he really is my best little buddy. I adore him, and am so grateful to have such a bundle of energy around to keep things interesting. I'll tell you what, there is NO chance of getting bored around here. No sirree.

Just a few things I love about my little muncher-roo:

-He loves to build "bridges" these days, and wants me to sit and build them with him.
I love that he wants to play with me.

-He loves to read a million books a day, and his favorite question (even when he absolutely knows the answer) is "What's that?" or "What are they doing?"

-The other night, I put him and Campbell to bed, and I usually give Campbell the last kiss before I leave the room, but this time I didn't, and he was adamant that I not leave the room before I gave her a kiss. This morning was the same story when Brock left for work. Bell was sleeping, so Brock didn't want to wake her, and Dane had me get Brock back inside to give her a kiss.
He is always looking out for his little sister, and he loves her so much!

-When he wakes up, he comes and lays down on the floor by the door, so he can see out under the crack, and says, "Mommy, I awake. Come 'ere an' open the door, meeeee."
I love it.

-When going to bed at night, he LOVES to be sung to, and is constantly requesting "Last more song."
I tell you, it's hard to resist.

-He has picked up on the fact that I do NOT like spiders. So he brings them up every chance he gets, just to see my reaction. "Mommy, I eat spiders." "Mommy, I like spiders." "Mommy, draw a spider." He'll find them in any book he can, and say, "Mommy, look!"
He is such a funny kid!

-No one can make sister laugh like her big brother. No one.

For Aunt Bri and Uncle Andy

We sure love and miss you two!!!

Car Tree

We were sitting at breakfast this morning, and Dane started talking about the "car tree." He told me all about Daddy playing with him and the "car tree." It took me a while to figure out what he was actually saying.

If you can figure out what he's saying, you'll get a fabulous surprise from yours truly.

Good luck!

***Candice wins! And not because she guessed correctly, but because she was the only one who guessed!!!
The answer is: Apricot Tree :).
I finally figured it out because he pointed to the apricot tree in our yard :)

Daner-isms

--"I clap the bug."

(Said while clapping. He has seen me smash bugs that are flying around, by smashing them between my hands. Now he likes to "clap" them too.)

--"She's so cute."

(Said about Campbell this morning when she joined us at the breakfast table for some of her own cereal.)(7.7.10)

--"Daner, what's the coyote doing?"
Response: "He's looking for a mouse."

(Said coyote did in fact find, and eat said mouse.)

Later, upon seeing an antelope:
--"Daner, what's the antelope doing?"
Response: "He's, uh, looking for a buffalope."

(It was decided that a buffalope is in fact a mixture between an antelope and a buffalo, much like the jackalope, only much, much bigger.)(In Jackson Hole, June 2010)

--"Dane, please don't do that. I mean it. That's not what we do."
Response: "It's really funny."
"No, Dane, it's not funny. It's not nice."
Response: "It's really funny."

(What. A. Twerp.)

Man, I LOVE this little boy!

Dane's 2nd Birthday

We celebrated Dane's birthday in style this year. My side of the family goes to Jackson Hole every summer, and this year, we had to get it in before Bri and Andy moved to Arizona for medical school. That meant that our trip landed right on Dane's birthday. It was so much fun! We started the day with breakfast at Nora's and had their amazing banana bread french toast (yummers!!!). After filling our bellies with lots of deliciousness, we headed out to Jenny's Lake for a beautiful hike. We finished off the day with homemade mac and cheese and birthday cake, and lots of fun presents.

The Birthday Boy at Nora's

At the top of the hike, we were rewarded with these beautiful falls.

Dane only wanted Daddy to carry him, and freaked out whenever anyone else tried.

He LOVED ridding on Daddy's back, and kept talking about it for weeks after.

Campbell loved the hike too:)

Sitting with Bapa, opening his presents.

Dane loved playing with his birthday balloons before he released them into the air:)

Dane had the great luck of stretching his birthday celebrations out over an entire week! Since we were not able to have the "A" side of the family there for the festivities, we just had to throw a proper birthday party for our little guy.

He is OBSESSED with dinosaurs, and so we decided to use that as our theme. I attempted my first "real" cake decorating, and was pretty pleased with the results. Dane LOVED it, and that made it worth all the effort. We always love getting our families together, and thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful summer night with them.

The cake

The Birthday Boy--Oh so happy to be taking a picture.

(He was upset that he couldn't keep playing with his toys while we cut the cake and sang happy birthday.)

The whole fam

At two years old, Dane:

-Can sing his ABC's

-Can count to 10

-Sings a number of Primary songs, which include (but are not limited to) his favorites of I am a Child of God, Pop Corn Popping, Once there was a Snowman, I Love to see the Temple, Love One Another

-Loves dinosaurs, and knows the names for more than I do.

-Loves all animals, and is fascinated to learn ALL he can about them. He can sit for hours on end reading about all the different kinds there are. He knows names to things I have never heard of before, and can spot them out in pictures.

-Is amazingly good at throwing tantrums.

-Gets very concerned when he hears someone else crying. He has such a tender heart.

-Still LOVES taking a tubby, or anything else involving water and getting wet.

-Loves watching videos of himself, or seeing himself in pictures.

-Knows his colors

-Loves, loves, LOVES his daddy

-Loves playing with Cooper

-Is mostly good at playing with Campbell

Those are just a few of the things I can think of off the top of my head. It's hard to believe he is already two. He is so full of life, and is such a great talker. It's fun to start seeing what kinds of things go on in his head. He has always been so observant, and it's really starting to show how much he has learned by just watching and listening. We are so grateful to have him in our family. He's a great brother, and a wonderful son. We love you Daner!

It's Potty Time!

For the past 3 weeks, we've been working on potty training. Let it be known, that I was the one dragging my feet on getting this party started. Dane has been interested since before Campbell was born, but I just couldn't muster up the desire to potty train with a newborn. It finally got to the point that I couldn't think of any more excuses, and decided to take advantage of his desire before it went away.

He has been doing awesome with #1! We even went out of town this past weekend, and he stayed dry on our drive up to Jackson, through our hike, and also through our bike ride. (Not consecutively, mind you) I'm really proud of how great he's done. Such a big boy!

Unfortunately we have some troubles with #2. In the three weeks we have been working on this, we have only had 3 successes. I've even bought presents to provide some incentive, but it just isn't working. I'm at a loss. I need some pointers from those of you who are more experienced than I am.
Any thoughts?

Dance Machine

Dane had a blast dancing it up at Sheridan and Adam's wedding reception a few weeks ago. The picture's not great, because it was really dark, but it was just too cute not to try and document.

California knows how to party!

The whole "A" clan got to travel to sunny San Diego to support Sheridan and Adam as they became an eternal family. Such a great excuse to get away:). It was a pretty short trip, considering all day Saturday was spent with the wedding festivities, but it was great to be together.

Dane absolutely LOVED his first trip to the beach. The water was cold, and he didn't mind one bit. He'd get knocked down, and pop right back up for more. It was a bit too chilly for Campbell to get a taste of the ocean, but she did experience the sand, and was all smiles.

Saturday was a long day for everyone. We were up and at-em pretty early, and just kept going, going, going. Dane didn't really get much of a nap (he slept for about 20 minutes while we were driving to the luncheon), so he was an absolute peach (HEAVY on the sarcasm) for pictures on the beach afterward. (I wish someone could have helped him understand that when you are in a tux, you don't superman onto the sand!)

All in all, it was a great trip, and we are so excited for Sheridan and Adam! They are a wonderful match, and we're all so happy to have him in our family now.

Here's a little taste of our adventures:

Campbell kickin' back

Dane enjoying the sand with a couple cousins

Campbell looking deliciously adorable
Dane LOVING the waves!
(Can't tell you how long I waited for this shot.)
A small glimpse of the joy that Daner experienced:

The happy family:)
Sooo tired
At least one of them woke up happy:)
Superman aftermath. Lookin' good:)
Let's hope the photographer got at least one good picture ;)

Daner-isms

--"Hey, buddy, what's your name?"

Response: "Daner"

--"I hold you." (instead of "Hold me")

--"Dane, what color is that?"

Response: "That's uhhhhhh bluewhite."

(You could then repeat the question and elicit the correct response. Sadly, he has come to the realization that "bluewhite" is not a commonly known color, which has resulted in the correct answer coming out on the first try.
Sad, sad day when "bluewhite" went away.)

--"Sweetie Campbell, 'sokay."

(said to Campbell when she was crying in the car)

--"Bye bye Gammy, bye bye Sherdan, bye bye Jesus."

(Said last night as we were leaving Brock's parents house. He wanted to make sure and say goodbye to the picture of Jesus as well. We all thought it was so adorable, and then Brock informed us that he had also said goodbye to the t.v. remote. Gotta love that kid!)

My Monster

Why do they call it "the terrible twos?" I'll admit the alliteration sounds nice, but most people I talk to agree that the "terrible" stage begins a bit before the two year mark. Dane has hit them in stride. I'll tell you what, that kid knows how to throw a tantrum (and I promise he didn't learn it from his mother).

But how can you be mad at this?

Or this:

Or This:

It's a good thing this little guy is so dang cute. After being a monster, he'll do something adorable and I'll remember why I love being a mother (and I do really, truly LOVE it.)

Halloween?!? Yes, Halloween

Admittedly, I should probably just skip right over this holiday, seeing as how it was, oh, 4 months ago. But then you would miss out on the adorableness (yes, it is a word) of our little elephant.

The back was padded, and so cute!
We went with the zoo theme, and I even got domestic and made Brock's mane. I am a black panther, in case you couldn't tell:)

Dane wasn't quite ready for the whole trick-or-treating aspect of this special day. But we sure had fun trying:)

State Fair

Seriously ENORMOUS bull: Big Red. We had a hard time getting a good picture with the front end...

Brock and I decided that we wanted to make it a family tradition to go to the fair every year. We wanted to do that, because we thought Dane would LOVE looking at all the animals. We were right. We had such a great time, and were even blessed with the company of my dear friend Liz, and her husband Michael (who we are still getting to know, but who must be equally amazing since he snagged Lizzy).

Dane loves to "wok, wok" now that he is a big boy. I just love this pic!

Dane wanted to touch all the animals, though he was a little unsure about them. Inquisitive, yet cautious.
Love him!

Lizzy and Michael with Daner. They'll be such great parents to their own little boy who will be coming in less than a month! Love having friends for Dane!

I saw this huge tractor on our way out of the fair, and just had to get a picture of Dane sitting in the wheel. He was not really sure what he thought about that idea at first, but we finally scored a DARLING picture of him. (After, may I add, the huge crowd gathered around to watch the whole production.)
The first picture he's signing "Please" (he wanted to get down). The second pic, he thought he'd just try and take matters into his own hands. The third one he's finally starting to realize it's kinda cool. Then finally, VICTORY!!! Isn't that the cutest picture ever?!?