Early Christmas!

We're having 3 Christmases with our families (actually 4). Today is our first with Torrey's family. I really love this time of year, getting together with family, the lights and presents, the beautiful snow, and the atmosphere. Jesse is getting old enough to understand what's going on and he's really excited about Christmas and Santa Clause. Now my job is to also install the spiritual aspect of the season. I try by telling the nativity story and reading some more spiritual stories with our advent. Really I just want my boys to be happy and enjoy everything! This is Jacobs first Christmas. I think he enjoys all the attention he gets from family, but otherwise he has no idea what's going on. Soon enough he'll be as excited as Jesse!
Merry Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving!

So I have been really busy, but seriously things are still happening and I'm just not adding it to the blog. Sorry! We have just eaten 3 fabulous Thanksgiving dinners in 2 days! We're pretty much stuffed! Bob-a-loo, now 10 months old, actually ate more food then Monkey, still 3 yrs old. Apparently Bob-a-loo will be growing to the size of a 3 year old any day now! It has been a great holiday. Oddly, we did not do a "Thankful" round-robin at any our dinners. So now I will tell what I am thankful for.
I am thankful for my wonderful and supportive family, my 2 beautiful and rambunctious boys, my loving and hard working husband, the support of friends, my home, although messy and sometimes chaotic, always full of the loving spirit of our family.

Changes

Lots of changes have occured the last couple months. The boys are growing! Monkey is too smart for his own good. Bob-a-loo is now crawling and trying to get his balance. Torrey just got a new job at wasatch environmental in SLC. I have been working almost full time and will be going back to whenever they need me, again. I'm still doing nia and usborne books. It's fun and scarry to have so much change going on! The only constant is change, here we go!

how much more can I do?

Apparently, I don't think I have enough to do, so last month I signed up to sell Usborne books. I did it mostly because I love the books and thought it would be great to get them at a discount. Plus, it's fun to get together with friends and play with children's books. Then last week I learned I would be losing my job in a couple months, and we're strapped extra tight now (like everyone else - right); so, what the heck, why not really get into selling these books and maybe make some money. If you're interested, check out my website www.UBAH.com/x2040 if you want to have a party I can get you double free books through Nov 25, 2008 and you'd help me try to pay the bills.

I also started teaching my Nia class again on Wednesdays in Clearfield. This has also been great fun to get back into moving and getting paid to play.

Like I said before, I have been working, atleast part time, for the last couple months. I have been impressed at how much fun I have been having working, interacting with adults on a regular basis, and using my mind and degree. It has also been really difficult being away from the kids and not being the one that knows everything that Monkey and Bob-a-loo are doing. We're all adjusting and we're going to be just fine!

Now, Bob-a-loo is crawling, pulling himself to standing, and working on cruising along the furniture. Monkey loves to read books, try to figure out how to read on his own, put together puzzles, and play with bob-a-loo. I'm constantly amazed at how much joy those boys bring to my life. Just a smile, a giggle, a hug brings light and love to my day, no matter how frusterating or difficult it have been. Some days those boys are the only saving grace to an otherwise awful day.

Bob-a-loo Has TEETH!!!

Bob-a-loo is 8 months old today! I can't believe how quickly he has grown and gotten so big! Well, as of Sunday, 4 days ago, Bob-a-loo has 6 teeth! He started teething at 4 months and within a coulple weeks got his first 2 teeth. Seriously, since that time he has been teething constantly! He is fussy and hurts for a week or two, then his tooth comes in. He usually has about 3 days of pain free time, then another tooth starts working its way in! This poor baby is just miserable. I just want his teeth to come in and be done with it, atleast for a good long while!

These boys are growing!

Well Monkey and Bob-a-loo are getting so big and grown up!

Monkey is pretty much potty trained! We have only had one accident in the last month. He doesn't even tell us he needs to go to the potty. The only issue I have with that is when he goes #2 and doesn't get wiped...kinda yucky! I'm just so impressed with how well he's done and how grown up he is. He went from an only child in diapers to a big brother that's potty trained!

Bob-a-loo has 3 teeth and is working on the 4th. He is now creeping around, in addition to rolling and side scooting. He loves to get on his hands and knees and rock back and forth. He loves to eat food, like his big brother. In the mornings he enjoys his cheerios and in the afternoon he loves getting new baby food and rice cereal.

The boys just love eachother! They giggle in the mornings when they see each other or if they've been apart for awhile. They roll around and play on the ground, sometimes for an hour or more. Moneky is starting to realize that Bob-a-loo wants toys that Monkey doesn't want to share; that's getting interesting. But all in all we have some happy, healthy, loving boys!

Rough Time!

We've had a rough couple of weeks, for several reasons. One big reason is that we found out that my mom has breast cancer. we don't really know too much more than she's scheduled to have surgery on the 25 of August. She is one of the strongest people I know, she's going to fight this thning as hard as she can. If you would, please keep her in your prayers!
Please also keep my family in your prayers as well. Right now we need all the support, love and prayers we can get!

Fun Week!

We had an eventful and fun week! We went to the Tree house in Ogden. We go ther usually once a week, but this time I actually brought my camera.










Then we went to the Pioneer Day parade in Spanish Fork and met up with friends. The kids really enjoyed it and the temperature didn't get bad at all!












Friday we spent time with Monkey's cousins and went to the dinosaur museum at Thanksgiving Point. That is a fantastic and interactive museum. I really think it is worth the money to go and play. Monkey really enjoyed the sand and water and he made a castle for the dinosaurs. My camera died before the kids were playing in the sand and uncovering dinosaurs with brushes.

PHOTOS FROM JUNE!

4th of July Celebration!

OK, I know the holiday has been gone for over a week, I'm just behind in posting pictures and our events.

We checked out the Clearfield city celebration, and found out it was fun, even though it was 101 degrees! Monkey enjoyed the inflatable slide, we only bought 2 tickets, but Monkey somehow got himself 4 slides.





We also really enjoyed the city fireworks. We lucked out in finding a nice spot, not in the crowds, but with a great view of the fireworks. We found our spot about an hour earlier than starting time. In that time Monkey peed on the grass, just off our blanket, drank most of my slushy, and found 2 girlfriends to watch the fireworks with, thier blanket was just behind ours. Bob-a-loo even watch most of the 30 minute firework presentation. It was lots of fun!












Saturday we went up to Torrey's parent's lot in the mountains. We enjoyed a nice relaxing day in the cool mountains!

VACATION!

Bob-a-loo and I had a wonderful time in California.

We went to Huntington Gardens

We went to the mountains

We went to the Aquarium of the Pacific

We went to see the ocean

Bob-a-loo went swimming for the first time

AND I got an LA haircut

Monkey had an eventful time as well, while we were gone. He got vertical over a fire pit, with fire in it, and was caught just in time by Torrey. He also got very proficient at using the potty!

To California I go

Today bob-a-loo and I are heading out to California to visit my sister Emily and Aunt Susan and Uncle Bernie. I'm really excited to get away for awhile and relax. I'm a little nervous about the plane flight with Bob-a-loo; he's not quite as easy going as Monkey was as a baby. We'll just have to see.

Monkey's really excited to spend time with Grandma and Grandpa Copfer, and go camping with Dad this weekend. As excited I am about gettring away I'm also kind of sad to leave Monkey and Torrey, I will really miss them. I guess it's just bitter sweet!

I'd better finish packing!

Bob-a-loo has a tooth!

bob-a-loo's first tooth just came in the last couple days. Yesterday I could feel a corner of it and today I can see it and feel the entire top of the tooth. The poor little guy has been quite fussy and annoyed by the pain in his mouth. He really enjoys biting my fingers and anything else he can get into his mouth. The tooth that came in is the bottom right tooth. I think he might just have the bottom left tooth coming in soon too!

Bob-a-loo is getting quite active. He enjoys rolling onto his tummy and sometimes back onto his back, but only after he fusses and gets mad he's still on his tummy. The otherday he rolled all the way across the living room, then got mad that the piano was in his way. Just today he was on his tummy and got his legs moving... he may just be crawling soon! Although, I'm not so sure that's a good thing.

Potty Training Update!

Well, my potty training plan seems to be working! I have to continue to add reminders to Moneky, but not directly that seems to have the opposite effect. Being naked seems to still work the best, but he's learning to go to the potty even while wearing underpants. It also helps that he has characters on his underpants that he really likes, such as mickey mouse, lightning mcqueen & mater, and Diego, he doesn't want to pee on them if he remembers they're on him. I'm really excited for him. He wants to be a big boy, and he sure is becoming one!

I did it!

I'm way too excited not to share. As of last Monday I have lost 20 pounds in about 2 1/2 months! I still have a some more work to do but what an accomplishment! I'm not sure I ever want to stop nursing! ;)

one child verses two...

Today Monkey went to spend a couple days with grandma and grandpa. I thought I would do some shopping with just Bob-a-loo. Holy Cow, I got out of the house in a flash. I didn't realize how easy I had it with just one child! Now, with two boys, it takes me atleast 15 to 20 minutes to get out of the house, and that doesn't include getting into the car. This morning I decided to go shopping, I got shoes on me, grabbed the diaper bag, put Bob-a-loo in his carseat and was out the door -two minutes flat! To think, I had NO IDEA how easy I had it before. And I didn't think I had it easy before. Goes to show you, life can always be more difficult!

Bob-a-loo's first black eye!

Well, yesterday the boys were playing... so I thought! They were giggling then all the sudden I heard a blood curdling scream. Bob-a-loo had a cut beneath his eye and Moneky had a pen in his hand. It was an accident, Monkey didn't even know what he did. But now poor Bob-a-loo has a cut beneath his eye and the start of a black eye! Notice right beneath the left eye. I of course freaked out, but I soon realized it was not as bad as I thought and we were all just fine. From now on I will make sure Monkey has no blunt objects in his hands while playing with Bob-a-loo.

May Slideshow

Potty Training

We have been attempting to potty train Monkey. It seems as though he originally potty trained himself, when he goes he doesn't ask for help and I originally never pushed anything. One morning I took his diaper off but fell asleep on his floor before putting another one on him ( I was very pregnant at the time). Next thing I know he's telling me he went pee... oh no I though... but he went in his potty. However, now he only goes in the potty if he is naked (which he love to be). He even calls the training pants diapers sometimes. Apparently they're not working for him. So, my new idea is to put him in realy underpants and make him clean up the messes he makes, including and most importantly the poop. I'll keep you posted as to if this actually works for him.

Ready, set, go...June 4, 2008

Here's my first blog! I titled my blog Melissa's dance with life because that's what I try to do, dance through life. I keep myslef busy with my two boys, Monkey, 3, and Bob-a-loo, 4 months. When I can make time I love to scrapbook , crochet/knit and do Nia (an aerobic based exercise that integrates body, mind, emotions, & spirit with dance arts, martial arts and healing arts). I created this blog to share with friends and family the success, failure, and comedy of my life and family. I hope this turns out to be fun!