creepy crawler

ooh, she's cute...but now she's creepin' and crawlin'!! Watch out!!

(She started crawling about two weeks ago, but all the videos I took with my 'new' camera were too big, so I had to break out the oldie to get some smaller videos.)This is most surprising for Benson, as she now can more easily and quickly get into his stuff. Lucky for him, Brynnie's crawling is still pretty slow and deliberate.

So, when I was filming this video, Benson was looking over my shoulder watching through the camera screen. He thought that he was watching a 'funny' video from once-upon-a-time of Bryn getting into his cars...until he looked up and realized it was a LIVE. uh-oh. All done filming...must run interference.

Yesterday was a sad day for ALL of US....it was the return of the dreaded baby gates. ugh. It's been a blissful 8 months without them. I have a love/hate relationship with the gates. I love them for keeping the baby contained, safe, and out of trouble. But I hate how it turns my house into an obstacle course. I'm not the only one that dislikes them. Benson was quite mad about the gate interfering with his running and playing in our hall. Brynnie still doesn't understand and is mad about it. All the gate headbutting she can muster, and she still can't go through?! It's a cruel trick.

{Cougar of the Week}

About two weeks ago, Bailey was "Cougar of the Week" for her class.

We got a big cougar paw that we had to decorate with pictures and everything all about Bailey for her teacher to display in the classroom. Bailey got to take it to school and tell her class all about her. It was a lot of fun decorating and making the paw!

At the end of the week, she brought it back home (now on display in her room!).

Not only did she bring home her Cougar Paw that Friday, but she also brought home her FIRST report card, which happened to be PERFECT! All E's (exceptional), and she has passed off ALL of her Kindergarten benchmarks for the year! Such an accomplishment is no small feat, and must be celebrated! This past Wednesday we had "Special Bailey Day." She had breakfast with her two friends, Ty and Kolten, and their Kindergarten teachers (we bid on it at the Silent Auction at the Sock Hop). Then when she came home from school I had homemade sugar cookies with frosting (her favorite) for a snack, and then we went out to dinner with the Gift Certificate she got from her report card. Guh and Papa Leseberg sent Bailey this beautiful dress as a reward (she reminds me of Snow White in it!). And to top it all off after dinner, she got to meet her newest-two-day-old cousin, Jacob Stewart!

Welcome, Baby Jacob!

November 2, 2009

8lbs 6 oz; 21 inches

{this is what I like to see}

It got really quiet while I was making dinner the other day. I was expecting to see somesort of sneaking or naughtiness. But I was pleasantly surprised and PROUD to see all the kids reading.

It warms my heart!

{happy halloween!}

Our Halloween was HAIR RAISING!
(seriously, she woke up with hair like this on Halloween)

Another year that we didn't make it to the Pumpkin Patch...

(we were all sick last week...bad 'virus'/flu?) Poor Bailey is 6 and hasn't ever been to a Pumpkin Patch. Next year, for sure. (but we did go to THREE Halloween parties!)

Thank heavens for WalMart! I bought the kids some pumpkins, and for the first time we actually carved them(I usually just have the kids paint the pumpkins, 'cause nothing is nastier than pumpkin guts! But they needed to 'experience' the real thing, said Dad). The kids drew faces on the pumpkins, and then Brandon and I gutted (ick!), and carved. I must have been so traumatized by the pumpkin guts that I forgot to take a picture of the finished Jack-o-lanterns.

Speaking of Jack O-Lanterns and trauma...

Benson has been saying for months that he wanted to be a "punkin" for Halloween. He even picked the costume out. But when it came time to actually wear it, he totally flipped! Can't you see how happy he is in it? He screamed and threw the biggest fit until WE finally gave up, and took it off. No amount of persuasion or bribery would console him. So I got out my back-up costume for him to wear, a Fireman, which he also LOVES (normally). Same reaction. Hysterics. Finally I said that he could just go in his Halloween t-shirt that he was already wearing. Then Bailey flipped out. He couldn't possibly go trick or treating with her if he didn't have a costume. So we asked him what he wanted to be and this is what he came up with...

Yep. That's right...a WITCH.

'nuf said.

Here's Bailey as a Cowgirl.

She's wanted to be this since the Rodeo in March. Luckily, we had no problem getting her to wear it.

The Cowgirl and The Cross-Dressing Witch.
Missing one?

A cute, little, pink leopard that went to bed instead of trick or treating.