The other day we were at a friend's home and they offered Wyatt a mini cupcake- he of course, gladly accepted it and started eating it. I was helping Mara take the paper off the bottom of her cupcake then turned to Wyatt to help him remove his cupcake paper, but I was too late. Wyatt at the entire cupcake, even the paper wrapper!!!!!

Potty problems, prizes, & pumpernickel

So this week Wyatt has kept taking off his diaper and wanted to sit on the potty. I got the little potty out after he climbed on the big toilet by himself and fell in. the first time he tried he did it! Then after that he has been running for the potty right after he has peed or pooped in his diaper, but yesterday he comes running into the kitchen where Mara and I were and yelled potty! He already had his pants down so I helped him take off his diaper and sit on the potty and a second later he pooped!!! He is not even two and he is doing almost as well as Mara who is four! Mara I thought was all done with potty training but the last two weeks she has had at least one accident a day. Maybe the Lord is blessing us with Wyatt wanting to use the potty so early after all the challenges we have with Mara. Nate called last night from Arizona to tell me he lost the golf tournament his company does for a charity fundraiser. Since he got the lowest score he won a set of golf clubs! He also won a new camping stove (which we needed!) I guess losing runs in our family- I went to game night this week at a friend's home and I won a prize for having the lowest score in bunko. It was a lot of fun anyway! Friday we went to Madisen's house to play. They had fun with dress ups. The weather has been so cool that we have played outside a ton! It has rained a great deal too- which I LOVED! Mara gave the scripture today in Primary-Mosiah 2:17. We had practiced it a few times before today and every time she heard/said the word "being" she would start to laugh. She turned to Wyatt and said "being" and they both started laughing. So, of course, when it was time to actually give the scripture, she started laughing and almost didn't make it though. Nate recently helped Mara learn to do a somersault correctly and now she is trying to teach Wyatt. She is also trying to teach him how old he is, but when we ask him how old are you? He yells, "FOUR!" This of course, irritates Mara to no end. She just yells back that, "NOOO! I am four you are ONE!" He just laughs and says "Four." I have really started to get back into the kitchen and baking again. I haven't done it for awhile (too hot here in the summer to bake)but am realizing how much I have missed it. This week we have made cookies, breads, salsa, and a cinnamon twist loaf. Yesterday, when I went to check on my dough that was rising, I lifted the towel and the first thought I had was what a beautiful site a perfect dough smooth and risen is. Then I thought if anyone knew that I thought that, they would think I need to get a life. But making bread from scratch and kneading it by hand makes me happy and fulfilled. I feel successful when whatever I have created is enjoyed by those I love. I love to create new cookies or treats or breads and I am not ashamed to admit it. I even wear an apron while I am doing it- so 1950's according to Nicole. I am certainly not the spokesman for women's lib or the feminist movement, but I am happy and my family is more than well fed. Well, that is more than enough from me for the week!

Needing Sleep

So we made it through another week. The kids spots seem to be all gone or mostly gone. The weather is finally cooling off- we have stayed just below 100 the last couple of days. We even got down to 69 early this morning! It was awesome. Last night was cool enough before the kids went to bed that we went outside and let them ride their bikes. I look forward to many more nights like that- the kids loved chasing all the crickets outside. The bad news- Wyatt has given up naps!!!! I am so sad. I need that time each day to get things done and to take a breather. I am trying to institute quiet time for the kids but they don't understand the quiet part. I did do some family history stuff this week and found a couple more generations on the Delozier side. Maybe this week I can find time do get it all organized. Nate fixed a part on the car for me, thank goodness is a handy kinda guy. He is busy with work and family history projects. His going out of town for the next two weekends and we will miss him lots and lots!

colors and sleeping places

Okay, so Mara is very into descriptions. She describes things by color and smell. Even things like chairs will get a smell description. She makes up names for colors that are new to her, for example the other day she wanted to know what color wyatt's shorts were. I said, "Navy blue." She said, "NO! I think that is blackilish blue." She now calls all things that are dark blue, blackilish blue. Some of my other favorites are pinkilish purple and orangilish red. She does ask the name of colors and I do tell her the real names like lavender, mauve, scarlet, grey, maroon, etc. but she doesn't like them. We bought our home when we did because we needed the kids to have their own rooms to sleep better. It was great when we moved in and they started sleeping better being in their own rooms. We even decorated Mara's room all in pink just like she wanted. a couple of weeks ago Nate broke Mara's bed and so we put her in Wyatt's room for a night or two until Nate could fix the broken board. Mara enjoyed being in Wyatt's room so much she refused to go back to her "old room". Wyatt has bunk beds in his room so I said sure why not. They are sleeping great(for my kids- 5am is the time they wake me up) even in the same room. They are even going to bed easier at night. Mara asked to move all of her stuff into her "new room" and so i did. SO, we now have an official guest room- it is all pink but it is nice and free from dolls and toys. Wyatt has now taken to sleeping on the floor between his bed and the couch in his/their room. I starts in his bed everynight but when I check on them before going to bed myself he is always there on the floor. If I move him back to the bed he just gets down and goes back to his spot on the floor.

Chicken Pox?????

So, we took Wyatt to the doctor yesterday and looks like he and Mara may both have Chicken Pox. They have both had the vaccine so it won't be nearly as bad a if they had full blown chicken pox. Today they are both fussy and a little feverish. Thankfully they only a few spots and are doing okay. What a fun week this will be! I also wanted to say we have been doing a lot of reading lately and want to pass on some good books we have found. For the kids we are loving the Magic Tree house series by Mary Pope Osborne and there is a Fairy series by Disney that Mara loves- the one we are reading now has a mermaid named Mara in it! I just finished These is my Words by Nancy Turner- it was great! I am reading the sequel, Sarah's quilt now. I am grateful for all the modern conveniences we are all blessed with (the book takes place in the Arizona territory in late 1800's and early 1900's.)

September already?

Not too much has been going on here. It is still hot, but the overnight lows are finally below 80 so that is nice. We have been swimming a few times and have gone to the park early in the morning a couple of times. The kids seem to being growing like weeds. They are both getting so tall. Wyatt is starting to talk better which makes things easier on us all. Nate is busy doing family history work from the time he gets home until it bed time. I am grateful he has found a hobby that is uplifting and worthwhile. He keeps bugging me to get going on my family's work, but he doesn't get that I don't have any time to do it right now since he hogs the computer all evening and someone has to watch,feed,and bathe the kids. I did help nate make a family tree poster for our living room- does that count for anything? well, maybe next week will be more exciting- oh- speaking of exciting- Nate got an unexpected bonus check this past week for all the extra stuff they have been doing at work!