The Little Things

Shayla woke up yesterday with crusties in her eye.  I didnn't think much of it until later that morning when I was doing her hair I noticed that around her eye was getting red.  I decided to play it safe and take her into the doctor because we had New Years Eve plans.  Sure enough the doctor said she had a cold in her eye and it was a form of pink eye.  She was so sad and started to cry "I am not sick but I am contagious".  She was really heart broken that we had to stay home and not let anyone come over.  I tried to make her day fun.  She made a Zoo with all of her stuffed animals and we made tickets and Daddy was even able to visit the zoo when he got home.  We also baked a birthday cake for her baby who was having a birthday that day.  Carter was so excited to eat cake but more excited to help me clean up and wash dishes.





This morning Shayla came into my room and said "mom I can't open my eye."  I went and got a warm wash cloth to help get the crusties off and I hear Carter in the other room "MOM MY EYE!"  I go into the other room and he wasn't able to open his eye.  I was like this is going to be a great New Year's Eve (haha).  Both of our kids are stuck at home with me and Dale for the night.  We called and canceled all of our plans and decided to try to make it as fun of a day as we could.  When Dale got home from work we went to Grandpa's house where daddy pulled the kids around in a sled with the four wheeler.  It was really cold but they loved it.  Then we came home and I had made sweet pork burrtios and cheese cake.  We didn't get to share the night with a lot of people like we are used to but it was a lot fun playing the kid games like connect four and the color game.  I hope this means that we will spend a lot fo time together as a family in the new year. We had a great 2010 and hope to have an even better 2011.

We had the best Christmas!  I love the ages my kids are right now.  They are so fun.  On Christmas Eve Carter had a very hard time falling asleep he kept saying"tanta coming".  Shayla on the other hand knew she had to go to bed fast so that Santa would come.
It was so fun letting the kids open their p.j.'s and getting Santa's plate ready.  This year Shayla wrote the note to Santa. It said : Santa Cookies from Shayla and Carter.  As she was done writing this note she decided to write Santa her own personal note it said: Santa I want Walk Doll Dog Shayla.  This note was tucked into her stocking without me and Dale knowing.  We read the stroy the Night Before Christmas, Daddy had his new I-Pad read to the kids.  They loved it.  Then they picked the spots where Santa would leave there presents by putting there stockings there.  When we tucked Shay into bed she said I left Santa a letter in my stocking.  To tell him I really wanted the dolly that walks by herself and walks the dog.  I tried to explain to her that Santa was on his way and would probably not be able to add anything.




Christmas morning Shayla woke us up at 6:50, "Mom he came, Santa came and he brought a lot of presents I knew I had been good."  We started to try to wake up Carter and he hates mornings "NO" is the answer we kept getting.  Once he came downstairs he was happy.  The kids got so much and they loved it.  Shayla was so excited I don't think she stopped talking the whole time she was opening presents.  Sanata brought her everything she had asked for.  When she opened her Dora pushing boots in the Stroller she says "I thought that this would be a lot bigger I guess next time I will have to be more specific when I ask for things.  That's o.k.I will just get down on my knees to push it"
Carter loved hsi trampoline from Santa and jumped on it most of Chrsitmas Day.
Dale got some new pants, coats and the Creationary lego game.
I got a gift card to go shopping and calander that is so awesome for my wall.  I made my mom one for Christams and I loved it so much I was sad I didn't get myself one so Dale got me one.  Thanks babe!
Later that Day we had my family come over for a Ham dinner and it turned out so nice. It was fun to be with family and play games. 
On Christmas Day I was overwhelmed with the spirit of love.  I feel very blessed to have my little family. Dale and I are so lucky to have such great family and friends.  I hope everyone had a Merry Little Christmas.

We went down to Thanksgiving point last night.  The kids love to go see the reindeer.  It was raining a little cold but we had fun anyways.  After we tried to feed the reindeer we had some icecream.  This was Carter's favorite part.  He loves any kind of chocolate right now.  Then we let the kdis sit on our laps for the Christmas lights as we drove through.  Dale was amazed at how Carter was turning the wheel when we would turn.  Shayla didn't stop talking the whole time about all of the lights.  I love the holidays and the time we get to share with our family!





Dale decided to wrap Shalya up in Christmas lights.  Carter decided to put himself in a box I was using to wrap so I would wrap him up.

Santa has been an interesting topic at our house latley.  Shayla really believes that the Santa at the Layton Hills Mall is the REAL Santa.  How does she know this?  She says his boots are real and hsi beard and he talks to her like he knows who she is.  The Santa at RC Willey's, Preschool and Grandma's party all had fake beards and fake boots the one's that tie or are pretend.

Carter is not liking Santa up close but loves to wave at him and talk about him as long as he is a safe distance from him.  He will give Santa a hi five or knuckles but he will not sit on his lap.  He wants his treat and then to move on.

These pictures were at RC Willey's. Shayla decided that she would still sit on his lap even though she knew that he was pretend because he is on of Santa's helpers.

This year we have had so much Holiday Fun.  As the kids are getting older we are really starting to come up with our own family traditions.  One thing we started last year was writing a letter to Santa and mailing it at the Macey's mailbox for Santa.
Shayla's list included:
1. Leapster
2. Operation
3. Dora pushing Boots in the stroller

Carters list:
1. Trampoline to jump on (so he will stop jumping on his bed)
2. A choo -choo train
3. Santa's choice

Last year Shayla was a  little scared to mail the letter but this year she had no problem and Carter tried really hard but his still a ltlle to short to get the letter in so Daddy helped him.


We went to the Festival of Trees this year.  I have never been and I loved it.  The kids had so much fun looking at all the fun trees.  I also felt very lucky to have healthy children even though Carter has had his fair share of visits to Primary Childrens. 

Shayla has been doing the funniest things lately so I decided I really needed to write them down before I forget them. 

She heard me say "I don't care" or "It doesn't matter" and she decided to make up her own words to answer my questions such as "It doesn't care" or "I don't matter" 

She just started reading more words and spelling so we were in the public restroom one day and she was startled to find out that the sign said she needed to use hot water when washing her hands.  She freaked out a little because she likes to use cold but the sign says hot not cold or warm.

We went to see a Santa at RC Willey's and she didn't want to sit on his lap because his boots were not real and his beard was fake!

This story is a little bit more sensetive.  We were driving to her Grandpa's house one day when she was saying how much she missed her Grandma Cathy who has passed away.  I was telling her how I knew that her Grandma loved her so much and she used to hug and kiss her all the time when she was baby.  Then she replied to me in her own little testimony "Mom do you know that I know that because Jesus died I get to see and be with grandma again." I wasn't expecting such a powerful testimony to come from my four year old.

Carter had his first day of preschool.  He has been delayed in talking and so we have him enrolled in  a preschool where they will help with his speech and language. He goes twice a week for 90 minutes. 

He has been so excited to go because Shayla goes to preschool and he wants to be just like her.  He was so excited to get on his backpack.  When we took him into the preschool he was a little nervous but didn't cry. When I came back to pick him up he looked so big standing and waiting in line with the other kids.  He was so happy to see me. He ran to me "mom!".  On his first day he colored and made a musical instrument.  They said he had a really good day. He is so grown up I can't believe my baby is in pre-school!