You're Invited!

It’s the time of year for giving thanks, planning Christmas dinners, gift exchanges and office parties. Oh…and 3rd birthdays!

We're blowing up balloons & icing the cake!

There's a big birthday party that we hope you can make!

Dax is turning 3!!!

Saturday, December 6th
11:30 ‘till one o’clock @ Dax’s house

There will be fun & games & lots to play;

Then lunch and cake to top off the day!

Tonight Dax and I went around delivering his birthday invitations to all his friends and cousins. I printed up his invitations, rolled them up and tied them in a bow. Then today (here comes the fun part), we went to the grocery and blew up enough balloons for all his little friends he invited…and put the invite in the balloon.

Dax was so excited!! He had seen the rolled up invitations on the counter for a few days now, but it wasn’t until today that I told him that those little invitations were going inside a balloon that his friends would get to pop. You should have seen the look on his face when we left the grocery store and he was proudly holding onto his eight blue balloons that he would deliver to his friends. He couldn’t wait. When we got home I made signs for each balloon that said each child’s name and Pop Me!

Then we tied a bag of Skittles to each balloon as a weight…just in case! We didn’t need any 2nd grade Balloon Lift Off type experience. You remember, right? Back in grade school each year we would have a day where we would let hundreds of balloons off into the air with our name and address and hope that someone in Mississippi or somewhere far away would find our long lost balloon and send a card back to us. No, we didn’t need anything like that. We only wanted familiar kids from or immediate area! :)

Dax couldn’t keep his hands off the balloons all afternoon. He so patiently waited for Wyatt to wake up from his nap so we could take them around. I kept telling him to be careful so they wouldn’t pop, but he was probably so confused because I had already just told him that the sign on each balloon said Pop Me! But, we made it through the afternoon, and as soon as Wyatt woke up we were on our way.

Dax walked so proudly up to every door and rang the doorbell. I just stood back and let him do all the talking. I think at some houses he might have said that today was his birthday, but for the most part, I think he got the wording down for the phrase we talked about. He would say, “It’s for my birthday” and then hand them the balloon. The look on their little faces was so priceless. It was so fun to see it light up for getting such a fun thing. A balloon and skittles, what could be better? I just hope there are no tears when the balloon has to get popped. Dax was such a good sport about giving away every single balloon. I didn’t even think to get one extra for him! But I told him that there would be lots more balloons at his party.

And games…

And cake…

And singing…

And presents…

Stay tuned!

Yesterday

“Yesterday I chased those birds at the beach”

“Yesterday mommy and Wyatt went on the plane to see Gabs”

“Yesterday we went to Disneyland”

“Yesterday we go to Target and see that Dinosaur”

“Yesterday Wyatt was soap and wet (soakin’ wet)”

“Yesterday we went trick or treating”

“Yesterday I go fishing with daddy and grandpa”

“Yesterday I got a shot”

“Yesterday you tried and kill those flies”

“Yesterday I saw Superman in the sky”

“Yesterday I ran away from Grandma”

“Yesterday I watched a movie in the park”

Yes. We had a very busy day “yesterday”. Dax is in a toddler phase right now that I hope he never figures out. Lately, everything is “yesterday”. Things that happened months ago, weeks ago, days ago, even this morning are “yesterday”. I don’t even try to correct him or tell him that it happened forever ago, because to him, he remembers it like it was yesterday. To him, these are significant things that he brings up about “yesterday”. Like when we went to Disneyland in August, that was “yesterday”. And obviously when we went trick or treating last month, that was “yesterday” too. He went camping with his dad and grandpa in May, ran away from his grandma a few weeks ago (that was scary), Wyatt and I went on a plane to see Gabs at the beginning of the month, and Dax got his flu shot last weekend all “yesterday”. Sometimes he does use it in the right context. Like I really was trying to kill some flies yesterday and we did go to Target and see that big Dinosaur in the toy section. But, for the most part, we have very busy “yesterdays”.

I kinda hope it stays that way. I know I’ll miss it when our “yesterdays” aren’t quite the same anymore and he actually figures out that all this didn’t take place “yesterday”. Ours days will be so boring!

Pre School Prankster

I bought this cute new shirt for Dax a few weeks ago and it’s finally long sleeve weather time. Hooray! If you can’t quite read it, it says “Pre School Prankster”.

Not two minutes after he had it on I find him plucking the hairs on his brother’s head with tweezers.

Nice.

This is him happily sitting in time out. What am I going to do...he isn't even in pre school yet!

Suddenly, this shirt is just not quite as cute anymore. It's too bad I still think he's is...Pre school prankster and all.

I like eating

I like hotdogs
I like beans,
I like eating in my jeans.

I like french fries
I like ham
I like eating in my jams.

I like cookies
I like pie
I like eating in my tie.

I like bagels
I like lox
I like eating in my socks.

I like pancakes
I like molasses
I like eating in my glasses.

I like veggies
I like fruit
I like eating in my boots.

I liked this little poem because for Wyatt, this is pretty much true. He has tried the majority of these things and loves them all. And then we added a verse that fit pretty well too....

I also like grass
I also like dirt
I also like eating the rice I dig outta my shirt!

The past few weeks Wyatt has been eating "real people" food and he is a maniac. We laughed so hard that he went digging for the missing grain of rice when his tray was completely full. He wants anything and everything and has become quite the impatient little eater. I seriously can not keep up with how fast he can shovel food in his mouth. For awhile there I tried to feed him the rest of his baby food and rice cereal I had, but he wants nothing to do with it. He wants finger foods and he wants it now. As these pictures can attest, we have quite the mess to clean up when he is done. There's nothing like rice and grated cheese stuck to chubby legs and thighs.

Please excuse the saggy WT onesie...it was a lazy Sunday afternoon. What can I say?

Off we go a-haunting. . .

**Updated**

The adorable fireman's jacket that Dax is wearing has been in the family for almost a decade. My sister-in-law bought it for her son when he was about Dax's age, and since then about 4 nephews have worn it. Each time it gets worn it gets a little more tatered and a little more dirty...just like a true fireman. Wyatt was the perfect fire doggie, except he really had no desire to have a wet black nose. But I think he is still pretty cute!

A few weeks ago Austin and I went to a couple's Halloween party and were required to dress up as famous character couples from TV or movies. We went as Clark Kent and Lois Lane. Even though we didn't win best costume, we did win a iPod nano! Yahoooo!

Dax saw us all dressed up as we left for the party and kept telling everyone that his Dad was Superman. Austin, being the great dad that he is, decided he better dress up as Superman for Halloween. Dax didn't quite know who I was, but decided I needed to be a butterfly. So, I went and bought some wings so we could all dress up together on Halloween night. We headed over to my mom and dad's for chili before Trick or Treating and felt a little silly that no one else dressed up. But when we got back to our neighborhood to meet up with friends, there were tons of adults dressed up walking around with their kids! We had so much fun, and I know Dax was excited that his dad was Superman and his mom was a butterfly!!

Boo to you from our crew!!

1st Annual

Trick or Treat, smell my feet
give me something good to eat.

Tonight we started a tradition that I think might last for years to come.

I’m calling it the MacGillivray Night of Frights and Spooky Delights.

Except that is kinda long and really hard for a 2 year old to say, so I’ll give it some thought to maybe shorten it. But for now, that’s what we are calling it.

This year, things were simple. The boys picked out pumpkins. While they carved, I was the ghostess with the mostess. I secretly prepared a spooktacular dinner in the kitchen, decorated the table and played some spooky music.

I'm hoping as the years go by, this tradition will evolve.

Maybe each of the kids will be allowed to invite one friend over. Maybe there will be a pumpkin carving contest. Of course we'll have the dinner. Afterwards, maybe there will be a scary movie, or maybe The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, whichever one. I'd vote for option B, but I might not count one of these days. And maybe I'll be the mom that embarrasses her sons and his friends by dressing up as a Witch the whole night. And while they are watching the scary movie that I got out voted on, maybe Austin could scare them with fangs just to add to the memories.... and nightmares! That sounds like fun!

For me, The 1st Annual MacGillivray Night of Frights and Spooky Delights couldn't have been more fun. Traditions are all about being with your loved ones and making memories, and that's exactly what we did!!

A bootiful witcy brew - I melted chocolate and painted ghost faces on some glasses and chilled them in the fridge. Right before dinner I filled the glass with a yummy vanilla shake.

Be Nice to your Mummy - For these little mummy's I made porcupine meatballs, spooned out the middle of a baked potatoe, then criss-crossed string cheese across the top for the bandages. For fun I added pickels and M&M's for the legs and eyes.

love love love

25 Things Wyatt Loves....

Drinking out of Dax’s Diego cup
Using his mom as a jungle gym
Taking baths and splashing
When his dad comes home from work
Getting tickles under his chin
Tupperware and toothbrushes
Blabbing
Sticking his tongue out
His musical Snoopy
Crawling away at the speed of lightening when I change his diaper
Door stops
Earrings and necklaces
Playing hide-and-go-seek under the kitchen table
Going for walks
Eating “real” people food
Looking out the window
Playing trains in Dax’s room
Finding the tiniest morsel of food on the floor and putting it into his mouth
Smiling at strangers while out shopping
Cheerios
Cords
Blowing raspberries
Sitting outside on the grass
Playing peek-a-boo
His brother

What’s the one thing I love most about Wyatt these days?

This smile (oh, and the snaggle tooth coming in)!!

Guitar Hero

As we leave grandma and grandpa’s house, Dax quietly asks, “Mom. Can I take this home?”

“No, Dax. It stays here,” I say hoping against hope that this answer doesn’t result in a total melt down. It is already past bedtime on an already long Sunday tacked on to an over jammed weekend.

“But can I play with it when we come back?”

“Yes, of course,” I say and softly guide him towards the toy box to put it away. Pheww. He handled that pretty good.

The second Dax puts it down, one of the other cousins grab it. I look at his face and can tell he is heartbroken to leave it. It’s his most beloved toy at my mom and dad’s house. It’s the one that all the grandkids can play with alike; all the way from the oldest to the youngest, boy or girl. Even Wyatt had a few seconds with it before a bigger, faster cousin swiped it away. He just moved on to something else. He doesn’t quite have the love for it just yet, but he will. It’s the toy that was purchased at a garage sale for a dollar but would cause buckets and buckets of tears by all twelve grandchildren if it ever broke. It’s the toy that even on its loudest setting doesn’t bother me. It’s the toy that makes me smile when I see the kids playing with it.

It’s the Sesame Street guitar.

When we left the house on Sunday night, Dax proclaims, “I love playing that guitar”. I love how he says guitar, just like a cowboy with a twang. It made me smile because I love watching him play that guitar.

I would love for Dax to have the exact same one at home. But truthfully, it really wouldn’t be as fun. Part of the fun of this toy is that it stays exclusively at grandmas and grandpas. I would never want to take the fun of it away by having the same exact one at our house. Nor do I think I could ever find one like it anywhere.

But, I thought something along the same lines might be fun. So yesterday, this is what I came up with.

You would have thought I invented a light bulb with how excited Dax was when this little creation was complete. He didn’t want me to cover it with paper, or give the suggestion of him taking some markers to it, or even wear the perfect zebra print guitar strap ribbon I had stashed in my closet. He wanted music on right then and there so he could rock out. It’s was so funny to watch him play, even on his shoebox/rubberband guitar. He does this move that I’ve learned is called the Duck Walk. He jumps on one leg and can move his other foot back-and-forth all while he’s playing. And his favorite is running and sliding on his knees across the tile. He really looks the part…and I have no idea where he got these moves. Either way, I was totally entertained listening to him play.

As I’m watching him I decide, one day, as soon as he is old enough, I think he would love taking guitar lessons. I would sign him up as soon as he was ready. I started daydreaming as he sat on the couch concentrating on plucking those guitar strings how fun it would be to have him play songs for the family around the campfire when we are camping, or maybe even play nursery rhymes for any future little babies who come along. He could play in the school talent show and at Christmas parties. It would be so much fun to have someone with musical talent in the house.

Then I pictured him wanting to start a grunge band in the garage. He's already got the holey jeans.

And then, maybe 10 or 12 years from now when he asks me if he can, I would think, “This is all my fault.”

And then I would probably smile again.

Footie Jammies

The past few days have been, dare I say, COLD!

Last night there was just enough of a little nip in the air to pull out the footie jammies. I forget how much I loved Dax in these kinda of jammies, and now it’s Wyatt’s turn. There is just something so darn cute about them. Maybe its how his diaper bums looks in them, or how he looks extra tall and skinny, or how his little crawl makes a shhh….shhh….shhh sound. Whatever it is, I can’t get enough of them and I am so happy it’s finally that time of year.

What else do footie jammies mean? It means we can finally go on bike rides and walks and play at the park without having to be a 5-gallon thermos of ice water. The boys can finally play outside, for longer than 10 minutes, and not have to let the adventure in the great outdoors involve any type of water or swimsuit; two good things. They mean I can finally cook dinner in the oven instead of the BBQ without worrying how blistering hot it will make the house. We can finally sleep with the windows open (maybe even a cover or two if it’s really cold) instead of running the a/c all night. It means I can finally turn on the water in the kitchen sink and have it be cold the second it comes out rather than letting it run for 2 minutes to cool the warm water down. It means Wyatt can finally wear cute shoes without feeling bad that his little feet will sweat right off. It means I can finally curl up on the couch with a warm….

Wait! What’s this? 97 degrees by Friday? Scratch that!

Oh well. Footie jammies---what a cute preview of things to finally come…one day!!

There’s No Buddy like a Brother

My mom gave me a cute sign when Wyatt was born that says “There’s no Buddy Like a Brother”. I love it. I love how true it is. And for some reason today, I was thinking a lot about it.

You’d probably think I was witnessing a loving interaction between the two; Dax with his halo and Wyatt with his sweet squeals laughing at his brother and adoration in both their eyes.

Wrong!

What made me think of this quote, how there is no ‘buddy’ like a brother, was when I had to explain to Dax what a “cheap shot” and a “sucker punch” was. Seriously.

This morning Dax worked some pretty major WWF moves on Wyatt without the poor little guy even seeing it coming. I had to explain to Dax that it wasn’t fair for him to body slam his brother, especially when Wyatt has no idea it’s coming. Forget the lecture that Dax is two years older, 20 pounds heavier, knows how to run, knows how to talk, and so on and so forth. We’ve been through all that, and it doesn’t hold any bearing at all.

So we have a new rule. No cheap shots and no sucker punches.

Well, that’s only the rule for the time being.

I think during one of these smackdowns, me and Wyatt had a moment. Dax was performing some super flying clothesline, neck binder, drop kick, belly bounce move, and Wyatt and I made eye contact. Wyatt wasn’t crying, he wasn’t squealing, and he wasn’t yelling. I knew he knew I was sorry his brother was going crazy. But, I honestly think Wyatt didn’t care. He was thinking that one day, not too far off, he was going to get Dax back. He was going to be able to put Dax in a head hold, and fire punch Dax in the stomach, and super clothesline him.

And I may have to pad the walls and buy new furniture and make a few hundred trips to the emergency room, but Wyatt deserves to get his revenge.

Because really, at the end of the day, there truly is no buddy like a brother.

Toddler Diet

My doctor talked to me about Dax’s diet after his second birthday. She called it the “toddler diet”. The diet where he would suddenly be more picky about what he eats. And probably turn his head away after just a few bites. Or refuse coming to the table all together. She said to just offer him a variety of food and not to worry because he would eat when he was hungry. After last week, I almost called her.

I was concerned.

Then I kept a record for a day:

1 container of apple sauce
½ strawberry pop-tart
1 bowl of Kix
A glass of milk
A bowl of Pretzels
3 M&M's
Scooby Doo fruit snacks
The other half of the strawberry pop-tart
2 servings of creamy black bean salsa chicken casserole
2 oranges
A glass of juice
Another bowl of pretzels
A bowl of Wyatt’s dry cheerios (which would explain why Wyatt was crying in the back seat and Dax was quiet)
String cheese
A banana
Batman fruit snacks
Zwieback toast (again, Wyatt’s)
1 entire sloppy-joe
8 sun chips
3 cucumber slices
6 grape tomatoes
A total of 8 candy corn's for going potty
Topped off with a glass of milk before bed

My toddler isn’t picky. He eats anything. He doesn’t turn his head away from food. He asks for more. He doesn’t refuse to come to the table. He won’t leave it.

Am I worried? Yes, because there is another little guy hot on his trail. And two growing teenage boys keep flashing through my mind.

Growing Up

I just might win the worst mother of the year award by confessing this.

Why has it taken me 2 years 9 months and some-odd days to figure this out?

How did Dax age years right before my eyes?

Why did I shed a tiny tear when I dressed him for Church today?

And why, why, did no one ever tell me this is the way to "accessorize" with little boys?

What one tiny thing could do all this?

A tie. A tie!

He was wearing his first tie. And my obsession begins.

Our Beach Bum

It took a little more convincing to get Dax down to the beach. Whose kid is this?? After a little power struggle, some major out-smarting, and some pretty convincing grandparents, Dax had a great time…in the sand that is.

He loved finding rocks with my dad and playing Smash Ball with my mom. He ran miles, miles, chasing birds away. Even with the gorgeous weather we were able to enjoy, the beaches were not crowded, so the little two-year-old running around didn’t seem to bother anyone…except the seagulls he kept chasing off.

A few times he would be distracted at almost catching one of the birds and get pretty close to the water, but not once did his little toes feel the salty ocean. It was pretty funny to watch. There was a cute little girl playing by the water one day and he wanted to share a shovel with her because she had no sand toys. He ran down fairly close to where she sat playing, threw the shovel in her direction, then sprinted back to the towels all in one big circle. I heard him talking as he ran back, “that beach is going to get me.” So funny, it was hard not to laugh.

Each day he did get closer and closer. And instead of the mantra from last month where he kept saying “the beach is so scary”, by weeks end he was saying “the ocean is scary but the sand is nice”. I can take that!

Besides, beach bums don’t have to actually go in the water to be considered a "beach bum". They can hang out on the sand all day long and never go into the water if they don't want to.

Right?

Our Surfer Boy

I think Wyatt will make a great surfer.

He was up every morning at the beach before the sun came up; the same time as the die hard surfers were hitting the glossy water and perfect waves.

I didn’t complain one bit.

We sat outside with our sweatshirts on, hoodies over our heads, wrapped in a soft blanket and listened to nothing except the sound of the crashing waves.

Some mornings as the sun was coming up we hoped the wall and collected sea glass for my mom. Wyatt was hypnotized by the ocean. He loved it. During the day he gladly sat in the sand, and mostly tried to eat it, but glady sat nonetheless. He was so much fun to watch. I loved how he would grab a handful of sand and let it slide through his fingers -- I didn’t love so much how he tried so despertaley to eat the dried up seaweed.

I think he’s a true little beach boy. There was no crying over cold water, a sandy diaper bum, wearing a floppy hat all week, or sandy cherrios. He was pretty easy to please. Let’s hope it’s the same case next year.

Because I'm pretty sure he whispered to me that he can’t wait to go back.

cal-i-for-nia

How do I recap a week at the beach in one word?

Glorious!

My mom dearly misses the beach, so she and my dad rent a condo for the month of September in Oceanside to escape the heat. They graciously invite each one of my sisters’ families for a few days to come stay with them. Last year Austin and I happened to go the week of my birthday, and the same thing happened this year as well. I have to admit, we don’t go to CA specifically for my birthday, but now that is has happened a few years running, as long as I can convince my sisters, I think I might unofficially officially declare the week of September 15 as our week at the beach with my mom and dad as long as they keep inviting us back! And I really hope they do.

I love the beach. The beach is home.

Well, it used to be home. It was my home for over 18 years. In high school we would walk to the beach at lunch. We even had a Surf Team. We ran to the Pier for warm up before practice. We spent long summer days laying in the sun on the crowded beach watching the helicopter fly up and down the coast to film the intro to Baywatch and getting David Charvet to sign our empty box of strips and cheese. It was a simple. It was peaceful. And is was so much fun!

It has been close to 10 years since I have lived near the beach. I know how lucky I was to grow up there. I know I took if for granted. Warm weather, beautiful ocean, amazing sunsets, great people, we had it all. When I can only stay for a week at a time now, it just doesn’t seem fair.

The thing that makes it okay for me is getting to experience it with Dax and Wyatt. I think one of the things I love most about being a mom is watching my children experience new adventures for the first time. I love how doing something my whole life, something that is so familiar and common to me, can all of a sudden be an entirely different experience when you do it with your children for the first time.

So, I figure in the posts ahead I will try to relay how the boys perceived the week.

All’s I can say for certain, it was glorious.

So good bye beach. See you next year! Thanks mom and dad for a wonderful trip and Jamie for taking such amazing pictures!!

Promises

I had been promising Dax that we could go feed the ducks since he was doing so well on the potty. It has been since early spring since we had visited our favorite little pond, and let’s face it, it has been way too hot to even try. So, seeing as we’re in mid-September, I felt like a trip to the park wasn’t an unreasonable request. Dax and I both were ready for some fresh air and different scenery after a week in the bathroom…I mean house. He’s doing great, so it’s been well worth it being home bound for five days, but we definitely needed to get out.

We grabbed the bread and a blanket and headed out yesterday afternoon. Dax was thrilled. Whenever we are going somewhere exciting, he sings a little chant that goes, “We’re going to the (fill in the blank) woooo!” Sometimes I have to initiate this little chant to generate some excitement. For example, “We’re going to get our hair cut, wooo!” just to see if I can trick him into thinking we are doing something extra special. But on this day, he sang that chant proud, all by himself, all the way to the park.

We arrived at the park and no one was around. I was a little nervous because I couldn’t see any ducks right away. Immediately I start to wonder, maybe ducks aren’t even in “season”? Maybe they have flown south for the summer? Do ducks migrate? Maybe it’s still too hot for them to be in Sun Valley? I don’t know these things! I start to panic. I have this thing about promises. I know most parents are this way, but I am really really adamant on telling Dax the truth. No white lies. I don’t try to trick him or tell him something false just to get him to do something I want. If I say we’re going to do something, we usually do it. If I say I am going to buy him something or give him something, I do. True, these promises are pretty few and far between, but if I make it, I keep it. I have seen kids disappointed or let down and I vowed never to be that parent that would say one thing and not ever follow through. So, when I couldn’t see any ducks, I just wanted to cry. It looked like I wasn't going to be able to keep my promise, and that just doesn't sit well.

We get out of the car and walk towards the grass area and lo and behold, under a park bench was a beautiful white goose happily resting. I point her out to Dax and he grabs a hot dog bun (bread? hot dog bun? same thing, right?) and takes off towards her. I’m thinking this little goose is going to be in heaven to have all of our bread all to herself. It was going to be picturesque watching him feed this little feathered friend. She was stark white, the water was crystal blue, Dax was looking as handsome as could be (like always to me), and we had the pond all to ourselves.

It didn't happen that way at all.

My wonderful vision is interrupted when Mother Goose decides to take off in the other direction. Dax patiently goes after her, trying to tell her to come back and eat the bread. Next thing you know she disappears behind some bushes (see first photo). He runs over to me and asks where she went. I tell her I am not sure and start panicking again because our little adventure is not turning out right at all. He says, “I think she went to change hims clothes”. Hmmm. Maybe, that’s a good guess. But really, I am just feeling horrible that the one little goose that is around runs off and won’t come back.

Dax doesn’t seem to be bothered. He is happy just to be “free”. He runs up and down the water shore, climbs trees, plays peek a boo with Wyatt and chases the birds. I’m feeling a little let down that my big promise to feed ducks was a total bust. Dax informs me he has to go potty (this is going to take some getting used to) and as we walk to the bathroom, we are pleasantly surprised to see on the other side of the building about two dozen ducks that are more than happy to see us.

Let’s just say, these ducks were fed with pure love. And thankfully, promises were kept.

Meet Bob

Bob is our new friend.

He has started to come around a lot lately. But that’s okay because we all really like him.

Ever since we met Bob, he is our wake up call. The time? Usually ten to six. Bob

We eat breakfast with Bob, and play in the morning with Bob. Bob. Bob.

Come to think of it, Bob’s around most of the day.

He goes on walks with us. He drives in the car with us. He sings and dances with us. He plays with our friends with us. He fixes lunch and does dishes with us.

Bob usually stays throughout the afternoon and usually through dinner.

He can get really loud. BOB!

And he can be really fast. Bobobobobobobob

Oh, and he is sooooo funny. A bob a bob a bob.

In fact, even with him around all the time, I still can’t really figure out who this “Bob” is.

I don’t know any Bob’s. Austin doesn’t know any Bob’s. Dax doesn’t know any Bob’s.

But Wyatt does.

And he says his name all day long.