Excuses, Excuses (or Children, Children?)

I've gotten so far behind with posting that it's hard to decide where to "catch up". I mean a real post (I know you want it Cristina!) - one with pictures AND journaling.
So here's a post with the excuses reasons I haven't been posting.

Cadence loves to wear glasses like Mommy & Daddy!

Number 1 - POTTY TRAINING (okay, no photos here - sorry I can't take them of my 3 year old in underwear) YAY! We started serious potty training with Cade about a week and a half ago and today was his first accident free day (going to two different places) AND he is (hold your breath) wearing underwear to bed for the first time! We've done everything from treats to charts to "potty pizza parties" (more about the methods and madness at Amy's blog). I think changing has kept him from being bored and helped him realize that he really can have whatever he wants - which he likes. I don't care, as long as he's using the potty (which happens to be so against how I usually am - probably why he likes it). He also gets a potty song which goes something like this (to "the Bear Went Over the Mountain")
Cadence peed in the potty (or flushed the toliet or what have you)
Cadence peed in the potty
Cadence peed in the potty
Everyone shout, "Hooray!"
(then of course we all say "HOORAY").
 I have to say that as funny as it may sound, God does care about individual problems. I really felt like I was being shown what he responds to and how he learns. I felt like I was encouraged along the way. Pray about all of your problems. God really does care.

Kory ALWAYS holds on in his carseat. Am I really THAT crazy of a driver?

 Number 2 - (is conveniently child number 2) SLEEP TRAINING Kory (meaning sleep through the night w/o help getting back to sleep, 12 hours being a typical night's sleep for his age). Kory took awhile longer to train than Cadence, but I think it's because he's much older when we started. Conveniently, he slept through the night about 3 nights before he decided to pop out his top teeth (still working on them with all the drool, biting and fussiness to prove it). Teething makes the poor baby want to nurse and I just can't resist. So, he's back to waking up, but I'm trying to follow his cues. 

 Maybe either excuse by itself doesn't seem good enough (especially with how much I LOVE recording our family events - no really, I love it), but when you consider I was doing them both at the same time... well, what was I thinking?! Still, it's about two weeks into the journey and we're entering the light at the end of the tunnel. My house looks cleaner and I feel happier (because there is more time for me and what I love to do (this simple little blog). We're settling into a more regular routine and finally, after 10 months, I feel like I may be getting used to two children (of course, Kory hasn't hit the terrible twos yet). To be continued...

Cadence Turns Three!

Cadences birthday was a week long event. I finally ended up making him a paper chain so he new when his actual birthday was. All aboard the birthday "train"!! Whoo-hoo!!

1st Stop: Birthday Freebies. We love these in our family! I signed us up through a ton of different ones. One of our favorites is the $3 off ToysRUs gives kids - $3 off a $3 purchase - so a free $3.00 I took Cade about a week before his birthday. They gave him a free birthday balloon and crown too. He ended up with some play-doh and Thomas Pez (I can't stand that stuff). He LOVED it, though I had a difficult time explaining how much money he didn't have to spend (yeah a huge wooden train set for $3 would have been awesome but alas...)

2nd Stop: Friends for Cake and Ice Cream (we only had a couple friends stop by who Cade requested this year. We also took cupcakes to some other friends).

Kory in his party hat - upside-down ice cream cone?

Cadence requested Thomas Party Hats

Tanner Page in his - he loved it!

Peyton - playing the Wii in his hat

His nursery leaders also came

We played Mario Party 8 the whole time

Elise, Mason, Melanie, & Tanner

 3rd Stop: Family Night (a night every week we spend together learning and living the gospel)
 We decided to have a special family night. We've been using the Nursery Manual as our curriculum this year and happened to be on the lesson, "I am a Child of God". What a fitting birthday lesson! On your birthday when we reflect about who we are, gratitude for the past, and look forward to the future, let's start with the basics - I am a Child of God. It's beautiful.
 I made a video of Cadence's last year. He loved watching it with me while I put it together, but everyone was so tired (including Austin) that they fell asleep before we could really watch it. I was sad about it, but I realized that it was reviewing his year and that I had captured it that really made me love him all the more. It didn't matter if no one else saw it (which is why I love family history - it increases your capacity to love your family). We did get a chance to read skim through his baby book together anyway.
 Of course we also sang Happy Birthday and asked some spotlight questions about Cadence as well. some of them were:
 1. What does Cadence hear every night when he goes to sleep? (The "bedtime" train)
 2. How old was Cadence when he took his first steps (11 months)
 3. What is Cadence's favorite color (Green, but it can change daily)
And the family night treat was of course - cupcakes!

4th Stop: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!  I didn't say no all day (weird for me). I have to say, I found myself loving Cadence even more by the end of the day. He spent all day playing with his presents (which he loved each one - so thank you to all the family and friends who gave them) and eating his delicious meals. Mommy played with him all day too!

Cade chose his 3rd birthday candles at the dollar store and ironically another kid with the EXACT same birthday was also there. The middle is a bright 3 and the two side candles are stars. Cadence also chose his own birthday outfit.

Kory has teeth now & he LOVES his toothbrush

I stressed out and didn't make a cake this year. We instead got cupcakes from Walmart with Finn Missile, Lightning McQueen, Tow-Mater, Buzz Lightyear, and Woody. Everyone got to pick and I think Cade had them all  at some point during the week

Cade's new camera from the Thompson's. He LOVES it!

A tradition from Austin's family we keep is choosing your own meals. Cade chose B: Cereal & Banana (he got two) L: Peanut Butter and Jelly, D: Tortillas & Lettuce (homemade burritos) He pretty much got whatever he wanted because it was his birthday. He ate two cupcakes and got to go to Evan's when he asked in the evening.

A happy brother

Opening Presents. We (Maria & I) also decorated the living room - you can kind of see in the background

Little People Noah's Ark from Great-Grandpa & Grandma Smith. Kory was thrilled too - they loved having something to play with together.

5th Stop: Aftermath

The birthday hangover. There's a reason I just give in one day a year!

 6th Stop: Dairy Keen "The Train Restaurant" in Heber City. Our original plan was to take Cadence for a ride on Thomas the Tank Engine during the Day Out with Thomas Event. But, when it came down to it, they didn't even have official dates posted for the year, let alone let us buy tickets. PLUS, it's not until May. I felt like we should do something different. So we went to the train restaurant instead, which he really enjoyed. Honestly, he played more than he ate, which his health conscious mother didn't complain too much about.

The drive thru - cool!

A Mickey Mouse train that runs around the top of the restaurant (and even through a tunnel between rooms)

Hogwarts Express ($0.25)

A train table (they also had a lego center)

Daddy & Kory

It was too cold to sit in this table, but we had to get a picture.

 Final Stop:  Cadence keeps saying it's his birthday. He's so cute. All of his toys in his playtime are having their birthdays, too. I love watching him work through things through play. He finally understands he is 3 years old and can't wait until he turns 4 (he acts like it's tomorrow). We're still waiting on his "jumping place" (we bought him a trampoline), which will be the final stop in the journey this year.

 I just loved celebrating Cadence's birthday! It helped me remember how much I love him. I spent so much time planning for it and thinking about his particular interests and fancies. I loved the excuse to play with him ALL DAY long. We need birthdays. We need time set apart to celebrate individuals and their unique abilities and passions. Little times like this help me realize how much our Heavenly Father really cares for us. If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? (Matthew 7:11) God is so good to give me the gift of being a mother to this wonderful little boy!

I can't believe how grown up my he has become (and oddly enough it seems like it happened over night). I'm grateful for my little Cadence, for everything he is and for all that he's becoming. He adds so much laughter and fun to our world!