"I am big three!"

The big three-year-old! I am not sure what this pose is.

I cannot believe that I have been a mother for three years already. I know I am not saying anything new, but time really does fly. Here are some of his favorite things! I used his quotes most of the time, unless he would only give me a nonsense answer (his best friend is not "popsicle friend"??).

1. What is your favorite color? red
2. What is your favorite toy? my garbage truck (he likes that it makes a cat sound and he says he's throwing away a cat)
3. What is your favorite fruit? bananas
4. What is your favorite tv show? Wonder Pets
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? peanut butter and jelly
6. What is your favorite outfit? my orange shark shirt and blue shorts
7. What is your favorite game? Candyland, Hi-Ho-Cherry-o, UNO, Blockus, and Jenga
8. What is your favorite snack? fruit snacks
9. What is your favorite animal? cute, little animals (he loves baby animals)
10. What is your favorite song? Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
11. What is your favorite book? The Little Engine That Could
12. Who is your best friend? Linus
13. What is your favorite cereal? "moldy green" Cheerios (multi-grain)
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? swing on the swings
15. What is your favorite drink? pink juice
16. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas and Halloween and Easter time too
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Mooch, Mike, and Lizard
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Pancakes!
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? a pizza cake
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? a tiger


We celebrated his birthday while we were at Disneyland, and he reveled in the festivities all weekend as each cast member wished him a "happy birthday!" We opened his presents at IHOP, where they made him a custom Sad Face pancake. He is obsessed with sadness. He finds pictures of people being sad in every book, draws sad faces, and even asks the people at Costco to draw a sad face instead of a happy face as they check our receipt at the exit. Since sad faces seem to be harder to come by than happy faces, he was very excited that this pancake came out sad. He's such a funny guy.

Calvin's custom Sad Face pancake

Developmentally, he is astounding. He has been potty-trained for a few months now (even through the night!). He has the most imaginative play with all of his toys and stuffed animals. He knows all of his letters (upper and lowercase), and is working on sounding out words. He talks SO much and has the most amazing vocabulary. He seems to understand pretty adult concepts, which sometimes makes Tyler and me expect him to be more mature than he is. We often have to remind ourselves that he is only three. He sings along to almost every song we sing (and knows all the words), and tells the most amazing stories. He is so polite and sweet, and I just can't wait to see what this life has to offer this wonderful boy! Can you tell that I am just bonkers over my little boy? I love him so much.

He wrote his name for the first time! 5/1/2012

I Just Love This Place

In April, we made our first trip to Disneyland as a family of four. We met my mom and sisters there and had so much fun (as always). We had been talking to Calvin about our Disneyland trip for WEEKS, so he was very excited to go. Every night before bed, he would ask us to tell him a story about Calvin and Linus going to Disneyland. We would describe everything in great detail, so he was ecstatic when the day arrived!

Morning Day 1. He is SO excited!

First ride! He is nervous and excited! I am also amazed that I timed this shot so well!

I was a little worried about being at Disneyland with a 8 month old baby, but Linus was a champ. In fact, I am pretty sure it was the best 2 days of his life since he would prefer to be snuggled up to me all hours of the day. I brought the wrap I made and he just snuggled against me all day. I could even scooch him down a little bit and secretly nurse him in line. I am pretty sure he would have loved to spend each day like that if it was up to him.

Sam and Cal in the boat on It's a Small World. He loved this ride.

Calvin had so much fun too! The dark rides made him nervous, but he absolutely loved the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters! He rode it 3 times and kept asking to go back. Other favorites were It's a Small World, the Jungle Cruise, and the Finding Nemo Submarines. We also watched the Jedi Training Academy, and though he was too young to be chosen as a Padawan, the instructors could feel that he was strong with the force and gave him a certificate anyway. He was very excited.

Disneyland Coke and a Churro. Two of my favorite things in the world.

Just like last year, one of the highlights was when we met Mickey. Calvin was so excited, but surprised when Mickey didn't speak to him, but was only gesturing. He must have assumed that Mickey only speaks sign language, because he quickly adapted and signed "I Love You" to him. It was so precious. I love that kid. He gave Mickey a big hug, said goodbye, and notified me on the way out that "that Mickey can't talk like the one on TV because he doesn't have a mouth that moves." Nothing gets past this kid.

Morning Day 2. He is too tired to even go in. He said he needed to sleep some more as he laid down on the esplanade.

He is starstruck as he attempts to speak to Lighting McQueen and Mater.

I wish that I had more pictures, especially ones with my dear mom and sisters, but alas, we were having too much fun to be able to take pictures.

Perhaps the best moment of the weekend was watching the fireworks, with Linus sleeping against me, and Calvin on Tyler's shoulders. Calvin ooo-ed and aaah-ed at all the "magic" that was shooting up in the air. He gasped when Tinkerbell flew down from the Matterhorn to light up the castle. He recapped the adventures that we had on all the rides. And he crashed as into his bed the moment we got back to the hotel. 

Happiest Family at the Happiest Place

Party Like It's 1999

I've been tagged by my friend Kate. Here's how it works:

THE RULES
1. Post these rules.
3. Answer the questions provided by the one who tagged you.
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag.
5. Tag 11 people.


MY ANSWERS

1. What were you doing before this? Getting caught up on TV shows. We just watched a bunch of 30 Rock and Up All Night.
2. What's your most common grocery item? Milk- it does a body good. Do we say that anymore?
3. If you could go on any vacation, what/where would it be? Well, of course Japan would be my first choice. I have wanted to go back there ever since I left. Besides Japan, it would be New Zealand because I like Hobbits, sheep, and Flight of the Conchords.
4. Paper or digital? I do a lot of digital and am not afraid of it. But when it come to reading, planning, or editing- definitely paper.
5. Favorite pair of shoes? My orange leather Born shoes.
6. What instrument do you wish you knew how to play? The banjo.
7. Would you rather smell like Limburger cheese all the time or have no teeth (and no way of replacing them)? I'd rather smell. Hopefully, my loved ones would get used to it. I feel like I have experienced having no teeth in a recurring dream that I have and it is scary. And I need my teeth to eat delicious food!
8. If you had a $1,000 shopping spree, but could only spend it at one store, what store would it be? Costco.
9. City or country? This is really hard because I like both for many reasons. I guess live a simple life in the country and then travel and play in the city.
10. Movie or song that makes you cry every time? Toy Story 3. It can be any part of the movie and even on mute for goodness sake, and I will start crying.
11. Where is your happy place? Disneyland. And the Tillamook Cheese Factory. And home.

MY QUESTIONS
1. Where is your favorite place to eat?
2. If you had a day off from your normal daily responsibilities, what would you do?
3. What is your favorite city?
4. If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
5. Would you rather be in a room with 50 wasps or 50 snakes?
6. What is your favorite chore?
7. What is your least favorite chore?
8. If you could have 30 extra minutes a day to do anything you want, how would you spend that time?
9. Celebrity you wish you looked like?
10. Movie that makes you cry every time?
11. When is the last time you had a really good laugh?


TAGGED FRIENDS
Leah Florence, Marianne Ohran, Jenn Reed, Carla Cankles, Frances Johnson

Baby Mine

Linus looks just like Baby Dumbo, blue eyes and all. As Dumbo is one of the cutest things ever animated, I am okay with this. I just want to snuggle him all day long, and he is okay with that. 

Calvin said the other day, "Linus is just a little butterball." I have to agree. And I love it.

She's so Crafty

Do you ever have those weeks where everything just comes together and you finish almost every project that has been laying around waiting to be finished? They usually happen for me right before people come to visit us. This last one was amazing; I finished 3 big projects that I had started months ago! I am so happy with the results (much much better than my failed valance a few weeks back- some of you have heard that story).

First, my entryway bench. The before picture is on the right. Tyler's mom let us take it from the condo and I had big plans for it. I painted it black, made a faux seat with fake leather and furniture nails, and covered the heart with a metal key holder from Hobby Lobby. Total makeover- $13. I love it as our key and purse bench.

Stitched paper wall hangings. I was inspired by some sewn paper I saw on Pinterest. I found a blimp picture, poked some holes in some pretty scrapbook paper, and then sewed it like a lacing card. Then I glued them to some canvases I had painted black. This project was so fun for me. Total cost- $5.

Lastly, my book page rosette wreath. I found the tutorial on Pinterest, and I LOVE the way this looks. This was super cheap to make, but took for-ev-er. The tutorial even said it would take a long time, but I somehow didn't believe it. 350 book pages, 20 hot glue sticks, 5 burns on the fingertips, and 8 hours later I had a beautiful wreath! Total cost- $6.

Time to start some new projects! I am moving on to our bedroom, and I am very excited with the design I have in my head. Think turn of the century Audubon guide/nature sketchbooks. I can't wait!

Sometimes it's bliss...

And sometimes it's this...

flea-ing for fun

Sometimes I wish I had more time. More time and more money. I know this is not profound. Who doesn't want these things?

But these days are going so fast and I am always wishing that I could do more with them. I really really wish that I had a little more time to decorate my house. I have SO many ideas that I am excited about, but I have had to take it incredibly slow. My living room is now almost complete... I do plan a blog post on that soon.

But tonight, I want to talk about flea.o.logy. It's a flea market event here in Utah County where a bunch of amazingly creative and cool people get together and buy, sell, and trade antiques, junque, bits, and bobs. I am always wishing that I had more money to spend on neat odds and ends to decorate my house, and at fleaology, I am able to find great items in my price range (which is next to nothing)! I have been to a few of them and have always come away with a unique treasure all my own!

Here are some of my finds. 

I found this at the last fleaology. A big gauge. I LOVE this. It is awaiting some other parts in order to become the coolest Steampunk lamp ever. A sweet old man sold it to me.

An antique paper towel box that now holds my kitchen clutter. It was only $5! I love it.

Another $5 find. I love the circus image on this glass vase. It fit in perfectly with my red kitchen!

 The next flea.o.logy event is coming up on May 5th! I am so excited! Who wants to come with me?