How do you spell cookie?

As Dallin B was sitting down to some cookies and milk, he said, "Mom, I know how to spell cookie. O-R-E-O."

He may not win a spelling bee but this would be spot-on for a Nabisco commercial!

So a couple of things I learned this fall: a)very, very fun and I kind of wanted pre-Halloween to last forever (even though it kind of seemed like it did) and b) the market sure knows how to capitalize on these experiences and sentiments. They get us on this emotional high and then try to suck all our money out of us. Let's take the pumpkin patch for instance. I gladly take the hour drive to go to "the best one around." Perfect. I get there to find a $3/person entry fee. I can handle that. They do have to make money somehow. They explain to me that this entry fee gets me in where there are the jumpy houses, a petting zoo, corn maze, tractor ride, etc. Otherwise I'm strictly restricted to the actual pumpkin patch. Now what they failed to mention was once I was in that area they were going to try to rob me. I mean honestly, $3 per kids to jump in your bouncy for 5 min? I'll pass. And what really got me... $3/kid to pet your nasty, stinky farm animals? Not a chance. But maybe I should actually be thanking them. I really wouldn't want my kids touching those nasty things anyways cuz that means I too would have to touch them, and that's just not that attractive to me if we're being honest. Had it been free, I totally would've given into "be a good mom" pressure and infested ourselves with their hair and food and whatever else the animals had stickin to them at our time of contact. So I'm actually not going to complain about that one. But we did have a great time. Loved the tractor ride, loved getting stuck in the corn maze for 30 minutes with probably only one eighth of the trail progression. But of course the kids thought we made it all the way through. It's funny at the beginning I'm like, "Nope we took the wrong turn. We're not gonna let this maze get us, let's choose another route." By the end, I'm completely compliant to the"right way." I admit defeat. All in all the boys loved it. We had tons of fun, we got to pick out our own pumpkins, and enjoy the season!


By the time Halloween day came I think we were on like outing number 5. But they got dressed up with the same excitement and we were off door to door. Equally entertaining to the boys was handing the candy out at our house. Dallin was pre-tty charismatic. He'd open the door, "Ah ha, now what are you? I think I've seen you before. Now what kind of candy do you want? Reeses? Kit kat? 1 or 2?" Pistol Pope was right in his back pocket helping out. They loved loved loved it!
Little Deeter was in the mix. They love including him in everything. One day he'll appreciate it if this kind of behavior continues!

And Dallin B went ahead and needed to accessorize the church gear with the Woody hat.

So I have a four month old. Really going on 4 1/2. And you know when they're this age that half a month counts. Don't know how the time passes, but I guess it would be really weird if it didn't. Yosh and I remind ourselves quite often that these are the golden times. Not only with Deeter, but the other boys too. Maybe even more so with the other boys. Where discovery is at their fingertips and so fascinating. What type of discoveries? You know, like the number 13 comes after the number 12. And they are in shock and bewildered and couldn't be more excited about it. Or that they can buckle their own seatbelts. Or that if they look at Deeter a certain way and talk to him they can get a laugh out of him. You know, the simple discoveries of life that come tumbling in a million miles a minute at their age. And as a parent, it's the greatest to sit back and watch and be equally fascinated. Really just fascinated at their fascination. It's crazy. Anyway, these are the things that have been making us love life this last little bit.

Deeter and I ditched the boys a few weekends again and went to CO. I visited with my baby sister and her little girl and then my parents drove through town and we got to all go lunch! A nice treat for me!!

Preparing for Disneyland.......

Closing down the park.....at 8 o'clock........ok and we only got there at 5 but Anneli and I were still the cool moms who closed down the park. You remind my kids of that someday.

And don't act shocked that my boy is gallivantin in nothing but his boxers and flip flops. Wouldn't be the Hansen clan if the boys were actually fully clothed by the end of the night. (Just be glad I brought extra undies. Otherwise.....yikes, that might be a scary thing to see, even if he is only a 2 yr old.) And yes, this does document Deeter's first trip to D-land.

I'm not a camper. And adventure to me sounds like going to a new beach with a new brand of sunscreen. But...I do make exceptions and I am taught a thing or two about other adventures and cool parts of this world. So we headed up to the Sequoias after an invite was extended. But don't worry, I only make some exceptions...shop was set up at a lodge, not in a tent! It really was such a fun place to explore and discover. We hiked down to General Sherman, THE biggest tree ever. Or maybe oldest. I don't remember that detail all of a sudden. Maybe it's both. But here he is...muy grande.

We also did a little hike down to a cave. Pretty cool. And not to mention the refreshing 50 degree natural AC down there when it was like a hundred degrees outside. I need to find a way to tap into that source...

Yosh and I were chatting as we saw the "Beware of Bears" signs how we just never have had that opportunity. Despite jaunts to Yellowstone or other bear infested places, no luck. I kid you not, within 5 minutes we saw this....

Guess we won't be having that convo anymore. Anyways great place, great fun!

Busted

While swimming this weekend, Dallin told me he had to go potty. The bathroom was a little distance from the pool area, and I was feeling lazy. As we walked towards the hot tub, I told him he could just go in there. We walked over and I sat in the Ja-cozy as Porter calls it, and Dallin stood on the step. There were probably about 10 peope already in there. After about a minute, I asked him if he'd already gone. His LOUD reply: "Dad, I want to go in the toilet, not in here!" I think I might have gone a little red....

How gay can straight boys get?

At least this gay. Seriously, who sits themselves like this? Only this group of boys!

And because these guys love each other so much, the rest of us got to join in the fun in the sun in St Jorge.

As Yosh and I were driving somewhere one night, Dallin and Sophie rode together in one car and John and Porter in the other car. Yosh commented that it was about Dallin and Sophie's age (plus a year) that him and DJ met each other....so crazy!

It really was such good times. I love the sun, good food, good chats, lots of laughing, and a little bit of tennis. The perfect vacation! Can't wait for it to happen again!


You know I should give Yosh a little shout out for my bday this year. I can be somewhat critical of our "special days." You know, anniversaries, Valentines Day, Christmas, birthdays, etc. I try to explain to him that I just want to feel special. (I could cite specific examples of what has happened on these days but you'd probably just pee your pants laughing so hard and I can't provide that kind of comedic relief right now!) My career choice doesn't ever give me grand reviews or raises or much appreciation. And that's ok, that's what I signed up for. BUT the aforementioned days, it doesn't hurt to make me feel special, like I'm more than a girl who feeds, cleans, taxis, wipes bums, etc. It's the typical male/female conversation. He thinks I'm saying I want a big present, I'm honestly saying I just want to be made feel special for more than a minute. I think this year he got the point, and this was the result....




He took me to Newport Beach for the weekend! He picked out a hotel on his own, lined up a baby-sitter (thanks Nanc!), had dinner reservations, had chocolate covered strawberries waiting for us... He put thought into it and I loved it! He said the idea was I got him for the whole weekend- no work, no ESPN, no kids, no nothing to divert his attention and I loved it! It was lovely... love my baby!