IsaBelly loves candy!

Matthew had his bowl of candy out the other night and Isabelle scooted over to investigate and had a great time pulling everything out of the bowl. Matthew was pretty good about it after I assured him she couldn't eat his candy.

Other things that have been going on around here:

Matthew

-Is doing GREAT in preschool and loves Miss Heidi.

-Says the funniest things all the time such as "hilarious" and "boring" in the right context. He tells us often that something is his "favorite" or someone is his "best friend". He also reminds us frequently of bad words we shouldn't say such as stupid, butt, and bum. Even if we haven't even said those words.

-Loves to learn new songs and sings all the time. His preschool teacher accidentally taught the wrong words to a song and when she corrected herself the next time he told her that "the new words" weren't right and she was singing the song wrong.

-Loves to count and loves the number 3 and must do things evenly. If he gives a kiss he must also give a hug. He cannot do one without the other. Sometimes he'll tell me 3 kisses and 3 hugs and then will do it 3 times in a row.

-Has lots of energy but also has a love of life. Everything turns into something fun or a game to him. He is usually a very happy kid but is starting to be mellowdramatic. Geez!

-Has a huge imagination and likes to be told stories at night in bed rather than reading books to go to sleep.

-Working on counting to 50. He's getting the concept of 21, 22, 23, etc. but then thinks it's 2010 instead of 30.

-Really wants to read so we found a couple of games online to help him learn the sounds of the ABC's and to read. He loves the computer so it's a win, win for both of us.

Isabelle
-Wants to crawl so much. She is sort of inchworming and scooting around. She can get to what she wants.
-Is eating solids really well and we just pulled out the high chair. She's so little in it. She definitely wants to eat when we are eating. She gets mad if we leave her out.
-Thinks Matthew is so funny. He can be doing nothing that is funny and she'll laugh and laugh.

-Just over 7 months old - the time is flying by!

-Is such a great sleeper. We love her smiling face in the morning. Always a smile!

-Can rival Matthew now with her yelling.

-Is so curious about her surroundings.

-Is learning to feed herself with her fingers. She's starting to be able to put cheerios in her mouth. We're working on her holding her bottle herself but she would rather have me do it.

Must I REALLY make pumpkin pie?

I am hosting a small T-day consisting of our family, my parents and my brother Brent and his wife Sam at our house this Thanksgiving.

I have a dilemma.

I am not a huge fan of pumpkin pie, but can make killer pies. I personally love pecan and lemon merigue.

Must I REALLY make a third pie?

I am hosting T-day and will be buying most of the dinner ingredients. We will be cleaning our house for our visitors. I will be sweating cooking dinner. I will mostly be the one with the stress of having the "perfect" thanksgiving dinner.

Don't get me wrong, I love to cook and am really excited to be hosting!

But really-DO I HAVE to make a pumpkin pie since it's my house and I finally get to call the shots? Please weigh in....

p.s. I have a pumpkin dessert that is super yummy I would happily make on Black Friday to suffice the pumpkin lovers around here and I even like it OR I would even make pumpkin cheesecake for Thanksgiving dessert too. Anything BUT pumpkin pie...blech....

but really weigh in....you know how I feel, but just wondering if it CAN be Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie. I really would rather not...

Update on Meeting the Pioneer Woman

Well I didn't meet her and didn't see the movie either. I got to see her speak and answer questions and then waited an hour before I gave up meeting her. If you bought your book at the bookstore you were assigned a letter. Mine was "M" and they took an hour to get through A. I left my book there with how I wanted her to sign it and will pick it up today or tomorrow. She did promise she would sign everyone's book.

Fun, but way more people were there than I expected. The guy at the checkout counter said there were 900 people in SLC and I'm sure there were at least 500 in Tempe. I'm getting sick with what the kids have so I just couldn't wait any longer since I didn't feel well anyways. Insane!

Meeting the Pioneer Woman

I am going with a friend to meet the blogger and newest Cookbook author Ree Drummond. She has a great site http://www.thepioneerwoman.com/ that has amazing recipes that are pretty simple and you can follow step by step. She just launched her first cookbook and is doing a book signing in Tempe tonight. Can't wait to meet her!


Hoping to also go see the Michael Jackson movie afterwards.

Halloween 2009

We had lots of fun tricks-or-treats this year. Thursday we went to Jordan's annual Intel cubicle trick or treating fun. High reward for low amount of work. Matthew didn't miss a cubicle.

Friday we went with Kari and her kids to their trunk-or-treating as Garrin had to work and Matthew had a great time with Maggie. He LOVED checking out all the different trunks that were dressed up.

Saturday we had our annual party at the Hammond's with pumpkin bread bowls, soups, and our homemade doughnuts (3rd year in a row). Always a good time.

We have way too much candy in this household and it's always calling my name! Yes, we are using it to bribe Matthew to do the things or eat the good food that we need him to. I think soon it will be relegated to the trash. I was inspired by my friend EmmaLee and hopefully will be making all of our costumes next year.


Matthew loved his dragon costume!



Isabelle was a pumpkin princess? I bought a shirt, made a black and orange tutu, made a bow and found some cute orange/black tights.


The whole clan at Intel.


Isabelle's tutu was driving her nuts. The great thing is she can reuse in a few years as I made it so it can get bigger.


James the Hamburger. I really want that costume! EmmaLee is so talented.


Brynlee the Ladybug. Cute!


My fav-Buddy the Elf. EmmaLee's sister Amy made his coat. Amazing! And..it's his real hair!


Of course Blake a was a pizza. I think it was a bit heavy by the end.


Cruella de Vil.

Poor Matthew's "hat" kept sliding down in his face.

In-n-Out afterwards-yum!

In timeout at the Hammond Party. He was so wound up and doing naughty things.

EmmaLee & Ray as pieces of the game Settlers of Catan.

I found a last minute costume at Target and then made this headpiece to go with it. I'm a Medieval Wench? Who knows, and the costume was NOT comfortable!

I did have a different idea for me & Jordan but at the last minute he didn't want to do it so we both scrambled for costumes.

Jordan found a shirt at Goodwill and was a mechanic. Nice going for pulling it together the day of.

EmmaLee's nephew in a Link costume hand knitted by EmmaLee's mom-their whole family is so talented!

Hammond Clan