Est. 2000

So, it's been a full month since I've posted anything, but I've been faithfully keeping notes on a post-it so that I'd remember the stories I want to tell!!!

Thank goodness it's getting a bit colder, because we were having a TON of flies in our house every day. Because when the weather was nice, not too hot and not too cold, I would leave the back door open so that the dog and the kids could go in and out at their leisure. Unfortunately this also meant that the flies could come in and out at their leisure also, which mostly means coming in and not so much going out. So, every evening I would hold a big fly-swatting party in my kitchen and living room and kill as many as I could. This has led to Cohen being a pretty good fly-swatter himself. He would help me during these fly-infested times, and now that we only have 1 or 2 in the house at a time, whenever he sees one, he finds it his duty to get the fly swatter and chase it around for a while. He's actually a pretty good shot if the fly lands far enough down on the window for Cohen to reach it. We've always dreamed he'd grow up to be a great football player, but maybe he'll just be the world's greatest fly-swatter.

Our ward Halloween party was on the 17th. . .like I have been thinking forward enough to have my kids costumes figured out or something. Anyhow, I just figured Evan would be the default costume, Superman, because we already have that costume and it takes NO effort on my part. It gets to be about 6:30 that night, and the party started at 7, so I finally start digging around my house for something for Cohen to wear. I end up with a pair of brown camouflage pants that are just a bit too short, a green camo shirt that is WAY too small, and a black camo fleece jacket that fits just right. Thank goodness for the jacket because his little belly was hanging out the bottom of the shirt and that would have just been embarrassing. I drew some black stripes on his cheeks and he went to the party as. . .an army guy!!! I really am a great mom, eh?!! And if I had never written this on my blog, I could lie to him in years to come when he looks at the pictures and tell him that he asked to be an army guy and not that I was just a really bad procrastinator!! I still don't know what he'll wear on actual Halloween. . .I'll probably just try to borrow something from a neighbor. I want to come up with some hugely creative idea, and have everybody look at him and think, "What a great costume, this child must have an incredibly brilliant and handy mother to come up with such a creative costume." But alas, it is not to be. Not this year at least. Maybe next year.

So here's a fun little thing Cohen is doing that is driving me bonkers. Every time he comes up the stairs he wants me to carry him upside-down by his ankles. He lies down on the ground and says, "Hold the toes mom, hold the toes." It's funny, but apparently he's complete debilitated himself from walking up the stairs, because even if he's down there by himself, I'll hear him yelling up the stairs, "Hold the toes mom, hold the toes!!" I like to play it with him sometimes, it can be fun, but EVERY TIME?!!! Come on child!!! Give your poor mom a break!!

Cohen is progressing in his prayer saying. The other night I was putting him to bed and I asked if he wanted to say the prayer, which usually means that I say a word and then he repeats it until we're done. He says yes, so I fold my arms and say Dear. . .and he says 'No mom!'. . .I continue Heavenly. . .and he says 'I do it!'. . .so I say OK, and here is his perfectly childlike first prayer without any help: "Dear. . .Heanly. . . . . AMEN!!!" I busted out laughing and told him to at least pray for Daddy, so he began again: "Dear. Heanly. bessadaddy. . .AMEN!!" That amen is his favorite part.

Evan is starting to say a few words. . .and I use that term lightly. . .he's starting to grunt a few words is more like it. He says Uck! (Yuck. . .during a diaper change) and Wack! (Quack, like a duck) and he can trumpet like an elephant. No, he does not say mama yet, but trumpeting like an elephant?! Now, that's talent!!

I am an Activity Days leader in our ward for the 8-9 year old girls. We had an activity where they were learning how to entertain young children, and we played Duck Duck Goose. A week and a half later Cohen had coerced me into playing with him, and he starts patting himself on the top of the head and is saying 'Duck, duck, duck.' I get it figured out and we play an awesome 2 person round of Duck Duck Goose in the living room!!! It mostly consisted of us running around in circles and sitting down wherever, but it was fun!! I couldn't believe he remembered that!!

There you are. All the cute stories from my post-it reminder note have now been transferred to this here blog. The update is complete. Adeiu.