The Mellen Patch: November 2010

Baby #3

As you can see, I have just caught up on posts for the last two months. I have been slacking because I am pregnant with baby #3. I am 14 weeks along now. As you may or may not know from babies 1 and 2, I get pretty sick. The end of September and all of October were wasted months for me. Pure survival. I am having more good days now that I am further along, although not all are good. Baby #3 seems to be healthy and growing. The doctor confirmed for me at the last visit that there is indeed only one in there so we are relieved about that. Grant is excited about the prospect of a new sibling and often refers to it as a "she" hoping for a little sister. We shall see. At the moment, it just looks like a lima bean with a heart beat. This little one is due mid-May, although I'm not actually sure about the exact date. I keep forgetting to ask the doctor. I guess that's the difference between a first and third pregnancy. It doesn't really matter. It will come when it's ready.

Halloween 2010

Halloween was fun but low key this year. A couple weeks before Halloween we bought Grant a Batman costume and pulled out the clown costume for Cole. They had fun trying them on. After we bought the Batman costume though I wouldn't let Grant wear it until Halloween. That was pure torture for a four year old. Everyday he asked, begged more like, but I knew he would ruin it if I let him so he was allowed to wear the mask and cape only. The picture below of Cole in the clown costume is the only time he wore the costume willingly. On Halloween I barely got him into it for a picture and then he just tried to rip it off. Sadly, I have no pictures of Halloween Eve (the ward Halloween party), as my battery died and my mom took the pictures. I still have to get them from her.

Grant was assigned to bring snacks to preschool the Tuesday before Halloween so we made sugar cookies for family home evening. The boys had a great time cutting the cookies out of the dough. It was then left to me to back them and frost them before Grant could sprinkle them with the Halloween sprinkles from aunt Kitty.

(Cole "helping" cut out cookies)

(Grant cutting out his cookies)

(A pan of cookies ready to cook)

Halloween was on Sunday this year but we decided to take the kids trick-or-treating anyway, out in Prescott Valley, because Chad had to help his friend Matt move. Because Cole was so opposed to the clown, I decided to try the chicken again. That's what he was last year but it was huge last year. It fit him perfectly this year. He hated it at first but finally gave in and tolerated it. He looked adorable. Then of course, there is our tough and fast Batman, who loved his costume. We did a lot of trick-or-treating. They each filled their pumpkins to the brim. They were so full they couldn't carry them anymore.

Field trip to the pumpkin patch

Grant's preschool took a field trip to a pumpkin patch again this year. Like last year, Chad happened to have the morning off so Chad, Cole and I went with Grant and his class. However, it was different this year than last. Last year, Grant would not leave our side. He preferred exploring with us over his friends. Not so this year. This year we didn't even hardly see him. He was off playing and exploring everything with his friends. He's grown up a lot. There were animals for the kids to watch while we waited for a hay ride. On the hay ride, Grant didn't even sit by us. He was up front laughing with his friends. Cole enjoyed the hay ride. After the hay ride, we all went to their little petting pen to pet sheep, goats and even a milk cow. After that we had to leave so Chad could go to work but Grant stayed to ride back with his teacher and friends. He went through a corn maze and got to pick out a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch.

(Grant with his class - Back row: Grant, Tucker, Taft Mangum, Kamryn, Jaelli; Front row: Luke Raber, Brantsen Schuenman, Parker, Maclaren Holdsworth, Ben Toucher)

(Cole trying out the tractor)

(Cole petting a pygmie goat)

(Grant petting a goat)

(Chad, Grant and Cole with a sheep)

Grant starts soccer

Grant started AYSO soccer this fall. He has loved it. It is for one hour every Saturday morning (starting at 8:30 AM, which mom and dad do not like). His little team of five practices for 30 minutes then plays a game against another team for 30 minutes. It's perfect for four year olds. His first week he was a little timid, trying to figure out how it all works, but since then he jumps right in and does everything he's asked by his coach. He's learning to be pretty aggressive on the field too, which is impressive. He's scored a goal or two and has learned the rules quite well. We only had one "bad" week. Of course, it was the week my mom and brother came up to watch him play. My mom met us at the field and Grant was running in the parking lot to say hi. He tripped and fell and scraped his knee. It was over from there. He lost it and was inconsolable. It was sad.

(Grant throwing the ball in from out of bounds)

(Grant in his new uniform before his first game)

Below is Grant in the Optimus Prime mask my sister sent Grant for Cole's birthday. Somehow Grant manages to score presents on Cole's birthday every year. I think that will have to end sometime.

Cole turns 2 - September 17, 2010

My little baby Cole turned 2. I'm not really sure where the time has gone. He is running around, jumping, climbing and talking like a real kid. His goal in life is to keep up with Grant. His birthday was low key, just mom, dad and Grant. Chad loves store bought cakes and insists upon purchasing one for each of the boy's birthdays, much to my disgust. The boys enjoy it sort of. Cole didn't cry when being sung to this year, which is progress. He got lots of presents that have buttons. He is completely obsessed with pushing buttons. Anytime he sees something to push, he looks at me and says, "I wanna pushthebutton." Most of the time I have to tell him no. Grant loved Cole's new toys as much as he did.

(Cole digging in his birthday cake.)

(Cole with his new Buzz from his dad)

(Cole blowing out his candles.)

(Cole with his new giant, moving, noise making truck from mom)

(Cole with his Buzz)

(The aftermath of cake digging)

S'mores

Ever since we moved into our house in Prescott there has been a firepit sitting on our front porch just begging to be used. So...finally, after living here over a year we finally tried it out. We had a family home evening of s'more making. The boys had a blast. I found giant marshmallows at the store. They were actually really gross but the boys loved them. S'mores are my favorite thing.