funny kids

Kids are funny. Mine are also a bit on the crazy side and that's why I love them so much... they remind me of their father....

Here are some funny things from the past couple weeks:

HALLE'S DOG IMPERSONATION.




ZACH'S EXPLANATIONS.
"I want to play with my tall friends" [ADULTS]
"Pigs have hands. Ants have back hands" [ANTENNAE]
"Mommy, somebody drawed on your legs" [VEINS]
"The wind blows out of a loooong trumpet"

THE POSE. Halle lays like this all the time - like she is waiting for her next glamour shot. Do they have modeling contracts for bald babies?

ZACH'S DANCING

silent e's

Zach has recently learned the sounds different letters make. When sounding out “Utah State” on one of Brandon’s shirts, Zach asked what sound e made. Unable (or perhaps unwilling) to explain silent e’s to such a new reader, we told Zach that e’s just make you smile. Being 3, he was sufficiently satisfied with that explanation. He began sounding out “State” again.

“Ssss. Ta. Aaa. Ta. [big smile]. That spells 'State'.”

He did this over and over again - smiling at those silent e's. I wish I would have caught it on video. It was priceless.

6-month-old beauty

If you would have asked me a week after Halle was born if I thought I was going to make it, I would have told you no. But, lo and behold, months later, a happier Halle emerged. Now at 6 months, she is a happy, content baby. The doctor told me it would happen. I guess he's smarter than I thought.

Fun facts about Halle:

• She has a spit-fire personality, as my grandma would say.
• She loves food. She will eye anything she thinks she can eat and protest when she doesn't get it.
• She is a mover. Never content to just sit, she always wants to be moving. After being held for awhile, she will wriggle free to play indepedently on the floor.
• She has huge, curious eyes. You can tell she is just taking in everything she possibly can.
• She squeals (loudly) when she is happy. While on the airplane, she found a friend and squealed endlessly as he smiled at her.
• She LOVES attention. She likes to be smiled at, tickled, bounced, sung to, tossed, and loved to death. When proper attention is not paid, her sad cries let you know.
• She digs her dad. Halle gives the best smiles to Brandon right after he gets home from work. When Brandon is around, Halle won't give her mom the time of day.
• She kicks her legs when she is excited. When I carry her in a pack on my front side, I never worry if she is happy because her kicking legs let me know.
• She admires Zach. Halle is happiest when Zach is around. She loves it when he sings the ABCs off-key, gives her kisses, and gives her toys to play with. Halle loves it best when she walks (assisted, obviously) around and follows Zach. These two are going to be best buds.

Here's to another wonderful 6 months!

Arizona

My house has exploded. Luggage, boarding passes, and clothes ready to be washed are strewn across the floor. We made it home. Our big family trip this year was to... Arizona. Not the most exotic travel destination, but it was perfect for us - a quick hour and a half flight away to visit Brandon's brother and his family. Jack and Michelle were the perfect hostesses. Here's a rundown of our trip... oh, and even if I don't mention it, every night was game night - a Tucker must:

THURSDAY

Halle had her first plane ride and she did wonderful, but I don't think we'll fly again any time soon. Babies on planes stress me out - if they cry, there is no where to go and about a hundred people who are super annoyed with you. Zach, on the other hand, loved the plane ride and was entralled with the fact that the clouds were below us.

For lunch, we went to In and Out Burger - a first for me. I can't believe a business can survive with only four items on their menu. It was crazy busy too. The food was good, but I just don't understand it.

That night we went to Golfland where the girls got royally beat playing minature golf. The kiddos (and adults) loved playing on this huge play area. I think Zach could have done it all night. Below is a picture of Logan, Jack, and Brandon playing:

FRIDAY

We went to this beautiful park with a lake, ducks, train, and carnival rides. Once again the kids had a blast. The highlight was the train ride around the park - the boys were just giddy.

Logan and Zach riding on a jetski

Michelle, Logan, and Jack

Our cute family

Zach and Logan - best buddies!

SATURDAY

We went to a splash pad and park. I loved Arizona because they had playgrounds all over the place. I swear, there wasn't a block in residental areas that didn't have a neat park that we could go play at.

Halle experienced her first swing ride and she was a huge fan. And if I must say so, she was a pretty cute little swinger.

Below is a video of Halle drinking water (sorry that it's sideways). We had to catch it on video because it's so darn cute.

SUNDAY

Church and games. Nothing way exciting to report except that I saw people wearing sweaters. It was 90 degrees and people were wearing sweaters. I can't imagine what they would need to wear if they came to Utah.

MONDAY

We went to a pumpkin patch complete with animals, a bounce house, pumpkin decorating, and a hayride.

Zach feeding a goat. He is brave. Those goats freaked me out.
Michelle, Logan, and our family on the hayride. This hayride cracked me up because the view was of a field filled with cars, dead gourds, palm trees, and Walmart (unfortunately, I have no pictures).
We hopped on our flight that evening. One item of note: Brandon figured out a way (if it was ever needed) to get the ladies - carry around Halle. While waiting at the airport, Brandon was pacing with Halle. He said he got stopped by ladies galore saying how cute the two of them were, that they looked just so alike (not so sure if that's a compliment to Halle to look like a dude with a beard).

We had so much fun. Thanks Jack, Michelle, and Logan.

Zach's birthday - Part Dos

It rained. It rained hard.

I stressed about the rain all day. Brandon kept telling me, "It is what it is." Thanks a lot, Socrates.

But it did turn out okay. We still had our neighbors over for a little cake and ice cream to celebrate Zach turning 3. Zach was in heaven. He LOVED having his friends over to play. He thought it was great. We had a lot of fun!

I tried the cake baking thing again this year. Cake decorating for me is like being in labor - I never remember how much it stunk last time. However, the cake must have been better than last year (which isn't saying much) because Zach kept asking me who made it.

"Mom, who made the cake?"

"I did."

"Grandma make it?"

No matter how many times I told him, he didn't believe me. He was insistent Grandma made it.

And... we did get to watch a movie outside on the lawn! We laid out tarps on the wet grass, curled up in our sleeping bags, and watched Bolt on the side of our house until we were all too tired to stay awake any longer. It was wonderful!

Happy 3rd Birthday, buddy!

Zach's birthday - Part 1

Today is Zach's birthday - he is now 3. Rah. Rah.

We opened presents yesterday morning. Zach and I woke Brandon up from deep slumber to do so and he was a bit less than happy. We didn't think we'd have time today to open presents as a family. We have big plans!

Zach woke up this morning at 6:30. He peeked in my bedroom and I ignored him. I figured he could find Daddy awake somewhere. If I had thought about it being his birthday, I might have gotten up and expressed some birthday wishes, but probably not.

Zach did not find Brandon. Instead he fell asleep on the stairs. Go figure.

Zach is currently eating a peanut butter sandwich for breakfast. Every morning I ask him what he wants and every morning he tells me, "Peanut Butter Sandwich" (which he never gets). I figured that on your birthday morning, you should get everything that you want... well... maybe except that ice cream he's been asking for. Birthday or no birthday, I have to make a stand somewhere.

Now on to the BIG PLANS...

I lay in bed last night listening to the thunder and rain and wondered if it was right to wish for the rain to go away when there are so many other important things to wish for... like ending world hunger. I asked Brandon. He assured me that it was okay as long as I wished the rain to go somewhere that really needed it... like Ethiopia. That made me feel better. I wished away. This morning as I watched the local weather, I realized my wishing did no good. The forecast: 70% chance of rain. I guess Ethiopia didn't want it.

We need good weather so we can watch a movie outside on our lawn this evening. I've been so excited about it - I don't know about Zach. I'm hoping he'll like it when it happens.

Anyways, pray for the rain to go away to some far off place like Ethiopia... or Kamas. I'll keep you updated.

no rice for me

Halle had rice cereal for the first time yesterday. She gave me this look (the one caught in the picture) the entire time that just said, "Seriously Mom... what do you think you're doing?" I would say that rice cereal is in the last spot on Halle's favorite food list. Of course, the list is only two items long with Milk being #1.

(And yes, in case you were wondering, the bib does say, "Chick Magnet". We're not too good for hand-me-downs around here).