The Randalls

Christmas Post #2

2012-02-07T20:39:00.000-08:00

well, I was hoping to finish up the Christmas pictures in January, but that didn't happen.
oh well.
i don't think anyone is surprised : )

i think we covered everything leading up to Christmas
lots to do when you have little kids!

Pictures with Santa
2 very excited kids when i told them where we were going.
to the mall to see santa!

reese agreed to stand next to him, but there was no way she was going to sit on his lap.
and i really didn't want santa to hold harrison, so he stayed in the stroller.

Gingerbread Houses

Letters to Santa
thanks grandma barb for helping the kids make those!

Toy & Joy
trip to aaron's firestation to donate toys.
i was worried they would have a hard time letting go of the toys (literally) but they did great.

Cookies for Santa
reese was my helper, the boys weren't too interested in making them unless they got to eat them.
i reminded them of the little red hen, but i don't think they cared.
but they were good decorators.

mmmm.....lots of licked fingers and gobs of sprinkles.
lucky santa!

Christmas Eve gifts
normally we do pajamas, but this year we decided to give them robes.
everyone got their favorite characters:
reese = hello kitty
griffin = mario
maddox = lego star wars

Santa's entrance
griffin was a little concerned that angus would bark at Santa and he would leave.
...so he told angus the rules.
santa is a good guy.
don't eat his cookies.
don't spill the milk.
and the carrot is for rudolph!

and then he checked the fireplace to make sure all was clear!

Phew! i think we did it all!

Christmas Post #1

2012-01-13T12:17:00.000-08:00

i have a ton of Christmas pictures, so i'll start from the beginning.

the tree.

i think this is our 2nd year buying a tree from Zurbrugg Farms off germantown road, and i love it.
we will definitely make this a tradition.

reese was excited to find a tree that was just her size.
and of course, maddox measuring to see if that was really true or not.
lets just say he likes things to be accurate.

found our tree...
a great big 8 ft ish douglas fir.
i do love a noble, but the big bushy oregon trees are just as nice in my opinion.

i have also found that the douglas fir trees are more forgiving when small children are decorating.

aaron dragging the tree to the road.
and judging by that look, i think i was supposed to be helping.
but hey, i was holding a baby and a camera.
someone needs to document these moments.
besides, i don't decorate the back of the tree.
so no big deal if there are a few broken limbs, right?

i think this was the highlight of the trip for the kids.
riding in the back of dad's truck 20ft up the path to find our tree and take it home.
we learned our lesson last year after trying to lift and tie a 10ft tree to the top of the expedition.
this year, shorter tree....back of the truck.
MUCH easier. worth the extra gas to take 2 cars for sure.

i'm pretty sure maddox said "ahhh, this is the life" as he sprawled out and made himself comfortable.
and then i'm pretty sure he told me he was just going to "bask" in the sun for a little bit : )

and here we have some nice teamwork on display.
the "before kids" me would have placed every ornament equally spaced and dispersed.
probably spend 3 days on just the tree. okay, maybe not that long,
but, the truth is, with kids, it would stay like that for like 5 minutes so why bother.
i just told the kids to go for it, and they did a great job.
and i did a great job just letting it be.
I just told myself, look away, look away.... its fine : )

reese really liked the "girl" ornaments.
i found a whole stash of pink & purple ornaments in her room stuffed behind some toys where mom was NOT supposed to find them.
also included were the singing snowman and musical santa claus ornaments.
it was so funny, i should have taken a picture.

i think being the only girl, she is very possessive of her "girl" toys.
if it's pink, it's hers. and if it's purple, it's hers. and if it's blue. it's NOT hers.

She is also very ~~possessive~~ i mean protective of "her" baby too.
harrison loved having his bed by the tree so he could stare at the lights

(not sure he loved having a binky forced in his mouth by a 3 year old though)

see. you can't even tell that 1/2 the ornaments are just wedged in.
totally kid friendly!

2 month update

2012-01-10T13:24:00.000-08:00

i can't believe this little guy is 2 months already.
here is a little update with some recent pictures and a list of his favorites

reese

he loves his big sister.
and she LOVES him.

bath time

a break from all the noise.
just him in his tubby in a heated bathroom.
all by himself, no loud kids or big barking dog.
what could be better?

smiles

this picture was taken at 6 weeks, i think it's his first smile on camera.

Christmas.

santa brought him some rattles and squeaky toys that he found in our attic : )
reese reminded me many, many times that harrison needed toys from santa too.

binky

a cruel trick we play on babies.
we make them learn to love it and then rip it away on his 2nd birthday ; )

fisher price rock & play sleeper

(i think i love this more than him, but this thing is awesome)
he sleeps *most* of the time in here.
one of the few baby items i purchased this time around, but worth every penny.
wish i had this for the other 3 kids.

halo swaddle sleep sack

another new baby item and again, wish i had one of these for the others.
this thing has some serious super power velcro.
fly away arms have no chance against the halo.

dr visits

actually, i don't think he likes these anymore.
he got his first round of vaccinations last week.
yes, he cried... a lot.
and no, reese did not cry for him.
i think she was a little happy that it was him and not her this time.

but she did try to cheer him up and told him he would get a sticker if he was good.

2 month weigh-in

12 lbs 5 oz

60% height, 60% weight & 60% head

no wonder he doesn't look like his brothers and sister.

he's proportioned!

and MY favorite thing about this baby...

he loves to be held

i am really going to miss this age, especially those chubby fingers.

i don't ever want to forget these moments.

a happy, sleepy baby that just wants to be cuddled.

first haircut

2012-01-02T16:35:00.000-08:00

so i finally did it. i took reese to get her hair cut.

she was a little nervous, but once she got past the first cut, she was good.

thank you molly! you did a great job!

we didn't cut too much off, just wanted to clean it up a bit.

it was looking a little scraggly and picture day was coming up, so i decided it was time.

i think i had a harder time that reese!

and my favorite, in the elevator after we finished christmas card pictures at sears.
she looks so grown up!

meet harrison

2011-12-12T11:20:00.000-08:00

i think this is about 3 hours before Harrison arrived. 11 days late, we were both ready!

8lbs 6oz - Harrison Lloyd Randall!

harrison arrived on 11.5.11 at 2:06pm.
after trying just about every trick in the book to get my labor started on its own, i ended up being scheduled to be induced. i checked in to the hospital at 7am. i really did not want any pitocin, so instead, i asked if they could just break my water and see what will happen. well, the dr. broke my water at 10am and 4 hours later, harrison arrived. I think a combination of being very late and no epidural made a very quick (and painful!) delivery! but he's perfect, and in the end, everything worked out the way i wanted.

1st day of school

2011-09-15T09:17:00.000-07:00

1st day of school pictures are up!

I have a lot of blog catching up to do, but hey, this is a start!

Everyone was excited for school to start, especially me!
We took the classic front porch pictures and I tried to get a good picture of them waiting for the bus, but that was pretty hard.
Griffin + excitement = very blurry pictures.
I wanted to drive them to school, but Griffin insisted on taking the bus with Maddox. So, I followed the bus and surprised them with my camera as they got off at school.
(I think this may be the last year Maddox will allow me to do that)

Maddox has the same teacher, classroom and kids as last year. The only thing different is the sign by the door that says 2nd grade, not 1st. He kept telling me I got it mom, I got it when I tried to get him settled in. Notice that lovely haircut in the background. What was that mom thinking?

I then drove back to school at 10:30 to take pictures of Griffin getting on the "squirrel" bus.
2 reasons...(1) to make sure he got on the right bus and (2) to show Reese what a squirrel bus was.
In her head, she imagined it was like the cat bus from Totoro. I showed her the tiny picture of the squirrel in the window of the bus and her face was pure disappointment. THAT was not a squirrel bus.

Griffin was excited to ride home with his neighbor friend Allison (in front)
In fact, I think the entire first week, if she was sitting next to someone else on the bus, he politely asked them to move so he could sit next to her.

And check out the kindergarten bus driver! He looks like Santa, what could be better!

finally...

2010-09-08T15:33:00.001-07:00

new posts coming soon!

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T08:48:00.000-07:00

we finally colored eggs last night!

maddox really wasn't very interested because he did not like the smell of the vinegar. i really think he just wanted to have an excuse to play his ds.

griffin loved putting the eggs in the color, but then wanted to take them right out to do the next ones. didn't really want to wait.

but reese knew exactly what to do. i was worried she would spill the dye and make a mess, but she did really well. she licked the egg spoon once and threw 2 eggs on the floor, but i was very impressed with her. she actually was the most into it.

once the eggs were colored, no one was even interested in decorating them. maybe when reese is a little older, we can decorate together. its a girl thing i guess.

you can tell i was playing with my camera settings. i'm really trying to stay away from the "auto" setting, but obviously, i need to do a little more reading. and maybe learn how to make the pictures pretty in photoshop.

sunday best

2010-03-07T16:40:00.000-08:00

a rare photo of the kids before church

because we are usually running late

right after i took this shot, reese ripped out her bow,

took off her shoes, griffin had to go to the bathroom

and maddox set my keys down somewhere

and then we were late for church

happy birthday mom

2010-03-04T07:35:00.001-08:00

happy birthday grandma barb!

can't wait for you to visit next month, we miss you!

hope you have great day and a fun birthday

we love you

little buddies

2010-03-01T16:19:00.000-08:00

don't be fooled by their cuteness...these two are trouble!

(minus the boogers...those aren't cute at all)

all grown up

2010-03-01T09:47:00.000-08:00

where did my baby reese go?

she wants to do everything by herself.

...just like the boys.

i love my ms independent, but i miss my little baby who let me rock her to sleep...

and wipe her nose!

A Griffin Valentine

2010-02-27T07:05:00.001-08:00

Griffin's first Valentine's Day party. He was so excited. All the kids decorated their own mailbox with heart stickers the day before. And then he delivered all his Valentines to his friends.

He signed all his Toy Story Valentines with a blue circle. Then we taped on a piece of chocolate and and a tattoo. Dad helped him.

Notice Reese in the background trying to sneak in some computer time. She won't be happy when I move her, she thinks she's in the clear.

So I put her in the playroom, and she forgot all about the computer.

And here was my Valentine.

Impact Jiu Jitsu

2010-02-08T09:37:00.000-08:00

Maddox at Jiu Jitsu last week. I'll write more about it later, but wanted to get some new pics up today. You know, so I don't get any phone calls or emails from a certain somebody about not having any new posts up. Eh hem...Mom.

I was right...

2010-02-01T19:45:00.000-08:00

Look away for a few minutes, and this is what you will find. But Griffin is so excited and happy and proud of himself, I just can't get too upset. See that big smile, how could you be mad. So, until the phase passes, it is what it is. And please excuse the almost naked Griffin. The kid can not keep clothes on. For anything. A naked hoarder. Wow, I've got my work cut out for me. Let's just hope Reese doesn't pick up any of these lovely habits because she is Griffin's shadow and watches it all.

Maddox time

2010-01-30T10:56:00.000-08:00

Maddox doing what he loves best. Playing legos by HIMSELF. No one to bother him, steal the pieces he needs, no sharing, no worrying about pieces on the edge for Reese to reach, just free building. He can sit and do this for hours. Which means I love legos too.

And while he is doing this, and I'm in the kitchen, I'm sure Griffin and Reese are up to something. I will find a "collection" of stuff I'm sure of it. Just wait.

My kitchen helpers

2010-01-27T19:17:00.001-08:00

We love our Christmas aprons! I know they were presents for Maddox and Griffin, but if Reese sees Griffin getting his on, she HAS to have one on too. Super cute, thanks Elizabeth for making these. Are you taking orders? If so, let me know and I'll put an order in for Reese. Seriously, they wear these every day!

Griffin's future...

2010-01-20T09:51:00.000-08:00

This is Griffin's "work". He finds everything he can and puts it in a big pile. And I mean everything-toys, clothes, dirty clothes, trash, dishes, you name it. Then, he stands back and won't let anyone touch it, just kinda admires it. I really hope there is a little budding architect in there, who just wants to create and build, and not the beginnings of a future hoarder. Eeeks. See mom, this is why I don't post very often. I'm in a forever state of picking up. A few days ago, he climbed on a chair and used his light saber to knock down the puzzles that were on the top shelf of his closet. Mixed them ALL together. Fun.

Books

2010-01-16T09:08:00.000-08:00

Whenever I don't hear Reese for more than a few minutes, I know exactly where to find her. In her room, reading her books. Usually, she has climbed up on the glider or is sitting on the floor with a pile of books that she has collected, but the other day I found her comfortably perched on top of the Little People Parking Garage happy as can be.

I'm back with some Christmas pictures!!

2010-01-09T10:05:00.000-08:00

Making Fossils

2009-08-05T07:43:00.001-07:00

We went to the Dinosaur museum in Utah the week after Aspen Grove while we were at Grandma Barb's house. The Taylor cousins came too. Maddox loved making fossils, you can tell he took it quite seriously too.

Swimming at Aspen Grove

2009-07-12T19:05:00.000-07:00

Finally, my first post of our Vacation! Aspen Grove was so much fun. I really had a good time and I know the kids had fun. Unfortunately, it did rain quite a bit, so swimming days were limited, but the days they did get to go, they had a blast. I think this is Griffin's first time in a pool. Sad, I know. But hey, we live in Oregon, not a lot of options here.

The kiddie pool next to the big pool. I miss that Utah scenery!

(That small head in the middle is Griffin--I need to learn photoshop so I can add little arrows)

Go Super Stompers!

And now for the kittens.

Maddox and cousin Ella with their class.

Happy Days

2009-07-09T21:35:00.000-07:00

Preschool Graduation

2009-07-07T19:39:00.000-07:00

Okay, so obviously I'm way behind with this blog. I will TRY to be better. But, to keep things in chronological order, here is Maddox's Preschool graduation. Yes, this was forever ago.

And the last day of class

Griffin can't wait for his first year at Dove this fall. I'm sure he'll have no issues, seeing as he thinks he belongs there already!

Oregon Children's Theatre

2009-05-29T07:51:00.000-07:00

Maddox's last day and class performance at the Oregon Children's Theatre. It was fun, he enjoyed it, but not sure if we'll take any more classes. It was a LOT of work bringing all the kids downtown for 90 minutes every week. And it's not like I was going to have Maddox start auditioning for roles or anything, I just thought the class would add to his confidence skills and help him break out of his "no pretending" rules. And both of those goals were reached. So, I would say it was a success. Sorry I only have before and after pictures of the play, I was holding Reese and the video camera, so my hands were full!

Already too cool for mom to take pictures in front of girls. Check out that tough face, which I've seen quite a bit lately. Must be the age.
And Griffin has no problem chattin' up the ladies. Aaron actually had to take him out to the hall when the performance started, because he didn't understand that he was supposed to sit in the audience and not be out with the other kids. Poor guy, always watching Maddox. But don't worry, we have classes lined up for him this summer. He will have soo much fun.
The play was based on Eric Carle's book "Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See"

And a big thanks to Molly for bringing her girls to see Maddox perform! That was such a treat for all of us. Oh, and another huge thank you to Molly for coming over to our house an hour befor class started to trim Maddox's hair. You are awesome, thank you.

Another year older...

2009-05-26T20:07:00.001-07:00

So, I had a birthday and I suppose I'll post some pictures of the "big day". But for the record, I don't like putting pictures of myself on my own blog and I'm not a big birthday fan. It's just another day. No need for any special or extra attention. Please. But to make certain people happy (mom) here are some pictures of my birthday shindig at Grandma and Grandpa's house on Memorial Day. It was a beautiful day and dinner was delicious. Thank you Mary!

Every candle in Mary's drawer. She had exactly 31. See how well she plans ahead?

Yay, a KitchenAid Mixer!!! Thank you Grandma Barb, Grandma Mary and Aaron. Now I can make 6 1/2 pounds of mashed potatoes or 9 dozen cookies in one batch! It's true, it says it right on the box. No really, I'm VERY excited to have one. After 10 years of marriage, I suppose it's time for me to start baking.
Reese is thinking about those 9 dozen cookies I was talking about. See that look in her eyes...that's the same look her dad gets when he spots chocolate chip cookies.

Reesie loves her cousin Natalie. Always a big smile for her.

Two little boys covered in chocolate frosting. I think it's safe to say they were having a good time.

Ella and Maddox sharing a bowl of cake sprinkles. I think they were huddled together, trying to quickly eat every last sprinkle before any of the other kids noticed what they had.

Check it out!

2009-05-13T21:56:00.001-07:00

What do you think? Doesn't it look great? The boys love it, and Reese loves the bark chips. She REALLY wants to eat them. Actually, she really wants to eat everything. A big thank you to Grandpa Mike (aka Builder Mike), Aaron (aka Mike's helper) and Grandpa Lloyd. They spent a lot of time putting this together. Thank you all!! Now, I don't want to hear any complaining about being bored this summer. Is that too much to ask?

Actually, the other day, when Maddox wanted to play his Wii, and I said "No. Why don't you go outside", he told me he likes his Wii better. What!!! Whatever....Reese and I will have plenty of tea parties up in the fort and I'll post a "No Boys Allowed" sign.

Birthday Round 3

2009-04-25T09:02:00.001-07:00

I know, I know...I haven't updated my blog. But that is because Maddox's birthday overwhelmed me. We had 3 parties for him and a bazillion pictures. So finally, with Grandma Barb in town to help babysit, I will try and catch up.

Maddox's big party was at Pump it Up with all his school friends. We did a combined birthday party with another boy, since they had the same birthday. Tons of fun. 2 huge room filled will lots of these bouncy house/slide things.

Griffin trying to keep up with the big kids. I didn't post the picture of him getting stuck here and me rescuing him, but I did. He couldn't quite get himself over this wall.

The birthday boys

The party room where we had some gigantic cupcakes and opened presents. Total chaos with 2 excited boys and 18 kids trying to hand them presents. But they loved it.

Birthday Round 2

2009-04-25T08:52:00.001-07:00

Round 2 was celebrated at home on his actually birthday with just us. Maddox picked French Toast for breakfast and Subway for dinner. Actually, he calls it "Subway Eat Fresh".

Subway dinner with cheetos and chocolate milk, yum yum.

Thanks Aunt Maggie for the SpongeBob Color Explosion. Great present!

And of course, he was allowed to play his Wii for as long as he wanted. Here, he is playing some Mario Kart, but also spent the day playing Lego Star Wars that Uncle Seth gave him for his birthday. This was a real treat, since the Wii is only played on special days.

Birthday Round 1

2009-04-25T08:20:00.000-07:00

Birthday dinner at Grandma Mary's house. Delicious dinner followed by some chocolate cake and presents.

My Bumblebee

2009-03-24T17:32:00.001-07:00

buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Happy 1/2 Birthday, Baby

2009-03-21T22:01:00.001-07:00

Yup, Reese is already 6 months. I know...it goes by so fast. Waaaaay too fast. She had her big weigh in last week and tipped the scales at 19 1/2 pounds! Still off the charts for weight. But I was suprised, I thought for sure she'd be over 20. Judging by the size of my right bicep and my lower back pain. The nurse was very pc, and politely said she is "greater than 95%". Uh hum, yeah, she's a big girl. Go ahead and say it. And she's in the 75% for height and head. She was a trooper for her shots, and Maddox being the sensitive boy he is, tried to talk the doctor out of giving Reese her vaccinations. And then when the time came, he turned his head and dramatically stated he couldn't watch. Griffin was just happy that he had a lollipop, and wasn't the one on the table with his pants down.

Reese can roll from her back to her tummy. She's also a pro at getting to her toys. For a baby who can't crawl yet, she seems to find a way. She swings those hips back and forth and kind of works her way across her blanket. I'm sure it won't be long before she's on the move. Time for me to pull out those outlet covers and find a new home for the little legos. Ahhh, baby proofing. Seems like we just unbabyproofed everything. Wait, we did.

And Reese has two teeth. See them, I tried to get a nice close-up shot with out drool.

And this is my favorite picture. I'm so lucky to have this little girl. She is the best and I love her tons. I love her chubbiness and all her many rolls. I love how big her eyes get when she is thinking and I love to make her laugh. She is such a happy girl and I couldn't imagine our family with out her. Happy 1/2 birthday Reesie!

Jumperoo

2009-03-06T21:04:00.000-08:00

Reese LOVES the jumper. And she can really get going in that thing. Out of all her "stations", this is by far her favorite. And you know, she probably gets a little workout for her legs while she's at it. Just a little toning maybe. (Not that she needs it or anything.) Heck, they should make these for adults. I would jump away while watching 2 hours of American Idol. That could add up to some serious calorie burning!

Too bad it doesn't do anything for those cheeks!

Griff just bein' Griff

2009-02-22T13:04:00.000-08:00

All day long, I hear Maddox yell in his frustrated, whiny voice..."GRIFF! No Griff. Griff stop."

And that is because Griffin is the button pusher/troublemaker of the family. The two boys are complete opposite. Maddox is very particular, likes things a certain way, has a hard time coloring outside the lines so to say. Griffin is messy, crazy and loves to do things the wrong way. These pictures are just one example of their all day antics. Griffin walked out of the bathroom wearing his pants on his head, continued down the hall and then proceeded to try and get Maddox's attention. Of course, Maddox immediately grabbed the pants and said "No Griff. Pants don't belong on heads." (Very Maddox). And then Griffin yells "Hey, Stop that" displaying the pouty lips. (Very Griffin). And so the cycle starts and continues all day. Brothers.

Valentine's Day

2009-02-22T12:53:00.001-08:00

Thanks Grandma Barb for the Valentine's goody bags! Griffin loved the squishy dinosaur. And Maddox said he loved the Laffy Taffy stick the best.

And Reesie loved her new teether toy. She figured it out pretty quick.

What is this?

2009-02-10T13:05:00.000-08:00

I was going to wait until she was 6 months, but Reese has really shown an interest in eating. She stares at all of us when we're at the table eating, and has even started reaching at my spoon. Had this look on her face, like, when do I get some? She also sits up really well and is just about 5 months, so I thought we would try some delicious Gerber rice cereal.

I think this first picture sums up her initial reaction. Kinda like, WHAT in the world is this?

Not sure what to do with it. She kind of just let it sit for a while. Probably confused by all the flashing lights going off at the same time.

Eventually, she got the hang of it. I'll let her get used to this for a while, then the vegetables. I'm going to be mean and hold off on the tasty bananas and peaches until she's tried (and learned to like) most of the vegetables. I did that with Maddox, but not Griffin, and I really think it makes a difference down the road. Maddox will eat his broccoli FIRST, and then everything else. Griffin won't even eat a carrot, let alone anything green.

Fun with markers

2009-02-10T12:30:00.000-08:00

Okay, so a few days ago, I was working and called home to check in right about the time Aaron got home from Preschool with Maddox. I asked how Maddox did in school, and he said, well, he kinda got into trouble with the markers. Now usually, that entails Maddox coloring all over his hands, or his knees (yeah, I don't know). But today, he apparently colored his eyes! Teacher Barb said she tried to wash it off, but had a hard time. I didn't know if I should laugh or be upset, cause as soon as Aaron told me what he had done, I knew why. That morning, I was getting ready for work, and Maddox came in just as I was putting on mascara. Now, he's seen me do this before, but that morning he was very inquisitive.

Maddox: Why are you painting your eyes black?

Me: That's what mommies do so they don't look tired.

Maddox: Made a funny face... (Didn't seem satisfied with that answer)

Me: It just a mommy thing. Just like daddy's have to shave their whiskers, mommies make their eyelashes look longer.

Maddox: But what is it?

Me: It's mommy's make-up.

Maddox: But I want boy make-up

Me: Well, if you put on make-up, I think you would look silly like a clown. It's just a mommy thing. You don't want to look silly do you?

Well apparently, he did! His explanation to me when I got home....

Maddox: Well, I wanted to look like a clown, so I just colored my eyes.

Hmmm, I think my lesson learned is to be more careful with the words I pick. Apparently, little boys WANT to look like clowns!

Fireman Dad

2009-02-10T11:56:00.001-08:00

Every year, Maddox's preschool takes a class field trip to a fire station. This year, Teacher Barb thought it would be fun if the kids went to see Maddox's dad at his fire station. Aaron did a great job! I think the highlight of the morning for the kids was spraying the fire hose. Aaron helped each one hold the hose and squirt water. They loved it!

Maddox and Fireman Dad

Ella

In the back is Fireman Reed putting on ALL his gear...exactly how he would look if he went into a burning house. Aaron was explaining what everything does and how it works. Many kids get scared when they see a fireman all suited up and breathing with the air tank, so it was cool that they got to see him go from Mr. Reed to Fireman Reed and then Aaron had them all go up and touch him and poke at him so they knew he wasn't scary. The kids had a lot of fun doing that.

The whole class at Station 53!

So much fun and we get to do it again when Griffin's class takes their field trip in a couple years. Thanks Aaron for being a super fireman and an awesome dad!

Bestest Friends

2009-01-27T18:28:00.000-08:00

Griffin has always had an aversion to his bed. Ever since he moved from the crib to his "big boy" bed, he would find his way into someone else's bed (ahem...mine). Occasionally, he would try and climb into Maddox's bed, but that would usually turn into Maddox throwing a fit and Griffin right onto the floor. But, recently, Maddox has started actually inviting Griffin to lay next to him to look at books. FINALLY, they like each other. Okay, I know they have always loved each other, but they're finally starting to act like friends and get along. I love it.

Of course I had to throw in a picture of Reese sleeping too. I wish she would be able to get the hang of this thumb business. I know she wants it, but usually she can't quite get it. Maybe if I coat it with honey.......Kidding.

Finally, I can see the world upright!

2009-01-27T14:40:00.000-08:00

Hooray for the exersaucer. Reese is now big enough to sit in there and be happy about it. She's really starting to focus on toys and reach for them. But I really think she just likes to watch the boys play and not be worried she's going to be stepped on.

And just in case you were wondering, that would NEVER happen.

Her skin coloring and hair is exactly like Griffin's. For some reason, in pictures, they both look like red heads. But in person, it's not even close. Actually, she has really dark brown hair. Not that I have anything against red hair, cause I don't, but she just doesn't have it.

Cubs Club

2009-01-27T14:17:00.001-08:00

Back in September, we started Maddox in Jiu Jitsu. It was a rough start (just about everything is), but he is doing awesome now. He goes twice a week and is in the Cubs Club at Impact Jiu Jitsu. The class age is 4-7, and even though he is the youngest, he doesn't seem to even notice. The older kids help him out and he just enjoys running around and wrestling the kids. I told him to show me some moves, and this is what we got.

Of course with every new move came an angry "Ka Yah", followed by a kick and a karate chop.

Check out their website, they do a great job! Impact Jiu Jitsu

I'm really surprised at how great his class is because they don't just focus on the physical part, but they really learn about building character, focus skills, and respect. And he comes home exhausted and ready for bed. That's the BEST part.

But, I do have to remind him (a lot) that Griffin is NOT in Jiu Jitsu, and that he shouldn't practice his "moves" on him. Example, Griffin does not want to be thrown to the ground and sat on.

Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T22:36:00.000-08:00

Well, it's about 11pm and I thought I'd do one last post for the year.

My favorite shots of the kids today...

I love this picture of Griffin. He has such a sweet look, yet you know he's been in to something. He's got the "I didn't do it" face.

And Reese is saying, "I hate tummy time. Just pick me up already. My head is way too heavy for this business."

And Maddox is saying, "Move Mom, I can't see. Your big camera is in the way. You're going to make me lose."

Christmas Eve

2008-12-31T19:18:00.000-08:00

I was trying real hard to get the perfect Christmas Eve picture in front of the tree. These were the best of the bunch. I wish I knew photoshop. Then I could take everyone's best pose and merge into one great photo.

Maddox starting to doze off...

Griffin getting into the presents....

Yeah, this is what pretty much all the pictures looked like.

And when Reese started to slip, I said "hold her head"

Cookies for Santa

2008-12-31T19:02:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve, Maddox and Griffin frosted cookies for Santa Claus. I think Griffin was more interested in eating the frosting than decorating. He would watch me, and when I looked away, he would sneak a bite. And then a bite of the cookie. But Maddox, always the perfectionist, was very careful and wanted to make sure the sprinkles were just right for Santa.

I can't believe Reese barely fits her bumbo seat. I have to seriously push her down into it. There is no wiggle room. I promise I'm not feeding her cookies and frosting!

plump little legs

2008-12-19T16:31:00.000-08:00

Is there anything cuter than chubby babies? I had to take a picture of Reese's most beautiful, plus sized legs. And the tights with the printed shoes just made it all that much better. Kinda reminds me of the Queen of Hearts...big legs and tiny toes.

(Shhhh...don't tell her she can"t be a ballerina!)

Hooray for snow!

2008-12-14T19:04:00.000-08:00

Reese is 3 months!

2008-12-14T18:44:00.000-08:00

I can't believe Reese is already 3 months and sitting in her bumbo seat. At her 2 month apt, she weighed in at a hefty 14lbs. I'm sure she's close to 16 or 17lbs by now. She is just about out of 3-6m clothes, and actually has started to wear her 6-9m. She loves her swing, bouncy seat, bumbo and staring up at the toys on her play mat. She hates her binky, crib and anytime she has to lay flat on her back. We're working on that! She still sleeps in the cradle next to my bed, but I think I'm going to start teaching her to sleep in her own bed. She loves watching Maddox and Griffin play, and of course, is fascinated by the big ugly brown beast, I mean Angus.

She also loves to suck on her hand, but hasn't quite been able to find her thumb. As much as I try and help her, she hasn't figured that out yet.
She reminds me more of Maddox as a baby then Griffin. She has Maddox's "roundness" in terms of eyes and belly! But of course, much more ladylike.

Big smiles!

2008-12-14T18:36:00.000-08:00

Reese has the biggest smile and eyes! I think the flash of the camera kept causing her to blink, but when she gets going, she is just all smiles. I love it! I love how it accentuates all her rolls and chubbiness!

Maddox hears a who!

2008-12-14T18:22:00.001-08:00

So Maddox found this berry from one of my Christmas wreaths, and came up to me saying it was the "speck" and that he saved Whoville. Then, he went on to tell Reese all about Whoville, and Horton, and how "a person's a person no matter how small." Maddox loved the attention he was getting from Reese. She was just fascinated by him. I was just cracking up, he was being typical Maddox explaining how things work.

Notice the hand...Maddox always starts every sentence by saying "well..." and then continues his long, detailed explanations.

Griffin was upset that I wasn't letting him look at the camera after each picture.

I love his angry face.

Reese is 8 weeks!

2008-11-09T18:44:00.000-08:00

Trick-or-Treat

2008-11-09T18:42:00.000-08:00

2008-11-09T18:40:00.000-08:00

2008-11-09T18:38:00.000-08:00

2008-11-09T18:33:00.000-08:00

Fall Preschool Program

2008-10-30T12:35:00.000-07:00

In to the leaves!

2008-10-27T15:55:00.000-07:00

4 weeks old!

2008-10-16T16:43:00.000-07:00

Preschool Field Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-16T16:26:00.000-07:00

The Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-16T16:24:00.000-07:00

2008-10-16T16:22:00.000-07:00

New toy

2008-10-06T20:04:00.000-07:00

So, I got a new toy...a flip video. Isn't the picture so much better then my digital camera. And super easy to use. I wish I have been taking more videos of Griffin. He is too cute right now. Most of the time anyways. I'll be posting tons of little videos in the future, this is just a start.

I can lift my head!

2008-10-06T20:01:00.001-07:00

finally, new pictures

2008-10-06T19:57:00.001-07:00

Grandma Barb put this thing on my head. She thinks I look cute with it on.

Reese

2008-09-27T09:16:00.000-07:00

2008-09-27T09:13:00.000-07:00

boys

2008-09-27T08:55:00.001-07:00

sweet baby

2008-09-22T21:17:00.000-07:00

Baby Reese

2008-09-17T20:49:00.000-07:00

Sorry I'm taking forever to update this blog. Maddox and Griffin are adjusting well to new baby Reese. Other than the occasional "what's her name again?" and bouts of attention grabbing antics, Maddox is being an awesome big brother. Griffin is still not sure what to think of her yet. He'll come over and kind of look and then is on his way. But he doesn't like it when she cries, which thankfully, isn't very often. He gets a little worried look on his face and says "baby cry", "baby sad" in his cute little voice.

Reese is a great baby. Other than the occasional moments of crying, she seems very content and used to all the loud noises around here. We're still working on getting her days and nights reversed, but overall, she is super!

Reese Caroline Randall!

2008-09-14T21:57:00.000-07:00

Here she is!! And she has a name...Reese Caroline Randall!

Born on September 13th at 8:40pm, 8lbs 5 0z and 21".

More details and pictures to come, but I wanted to get something on the blog tonight.

We check out of the hospital tomorrow morning, so I'll get some pictures of the boys with her tomorrow and get those posted.

Isn't she cute!!! Very mellow and happy so far!

1st day of preschool

2008-09-14T21:44:00.001-07:00

yucky carrot

2008-08-24T15:09:00.000-07:00

Griffin decided to take an early morning trip to the garden and helped me pull our first carrot. And of course he wanted to feed it to his whale. Then before I could stop him, it went into his mouth. With a "Yuck" and a spit, he threw it back into the garden. I brought it back into the house, washed it up and it was actually very tasty. Couldn't get Maddox to take a bite though. I guess if it isn't bright orange, 2", and in a bowl next to ranch, it's not a carrot.

Muscles

2008-07-23T12:38:00.000-07:00

This picture makes me laugh...Maddox has got the body builder pose down already. He was so funny, he kept changing his position just a little bit and say "take a picture like this...now like this, and this" He would say "take a picture of my muscles, they're big". He was so serious and I was trying so hard not to let him see me laughing.

for fun

2008-07-23T12:33:00.000-07:00

Mom's Garden

2008-07-21T17:05:00.001-07:00

Where is Griffin?

My garden has exploded! The huge plant in the middle is 1 zucchini plant. On the right I have pole beans and tomatoes. On the left I have bell peppers and carrots. Behind the zucchini are some cucumbers and hiding under the zucchini plant (probably slowly dying) are carrots on the left and strawberries on the right. Lots of little flower buds, so hopefully we'll start seeing some vegetables soon. In the mean time, Maddox reports to me every morning on the growth of the beans. He's very proud of those, because he planted them and makes sure they have enough water.
Griffin thinks he found a great hiding spot. Every time I say it's time to go inside, he runs back behind the tomato plants and makes it very difficult for me to catch him. I don't quite fit anymore!

Griffin gets a haircut...

2008-07-21T16:52:00.000-07:00

This is the before shot, notice how happy he is....

And this is the after shot...not so happy anymore. This is also after nap and with sunblock in his hair, so its a little extra wild.

I still don't think he needed a haircut, but everyone else seemed to think he did. I would also get a lot of comments about how cute "she" is, so I took that as a sign. But I think we'll go a little shorter, he kind of looks like Annie to me now. But way cuter of course.

Muddy mud

2008-07-13T08:12:00.000-07:00

Griffin has discovered the great qualities of mud...good for the skin, nice traction for his tractors and perfect for doing some extreme bike riding. Oh, but his favorite...chasing Maddox with two big handfuls!

Early harvest

2008-07-12T21:25:00.000-07:00

Okay, so it wasn't quite time to pick the bell pepper, Maddox was just "looking" and it fell into his hands. That's okay, looks like we'll be getting a few more. But doesn't it still look good? I can't believe I grew a vegetable!

Summer is here!

2008-06-26T20:00:00.000-07:00

Just another day for Griffin

2008-06-26T19:13:00.000-07:00

It sure is tough being 2

Finally, new sand!

2008-06-26T19:05:00.000-07:00

Griffin is going to check out the new sand...

"hmmm, let me smell and make sure this is from the beach and not the Home Depot stuff..."

"Yup, smells good."

"Mom will probably say something if I eat it, so I'll just relax a little bit and do it when she's not looking..."

"Hey, I'm still here. You have 3 seconds before I start screaming!"

Backyard fun

2008-06-26T18:55:00.000-07:00

Check out my undies!

"Look, the beans are growing higher"

Doesn't our grass look great? Good job Aaron!

Maddox has me say "Ready, Set, Go" over and over and over. Then he'll run across the yard and wait for me to say it again. Oh, and of course Griffin just thinks its fun to do whatever Maddox is doing.

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-15T08:58:00.000-07:00

Maddox says, "you are my bestest and my favorite."

Griffin says "tank you daddy."

And I say you are the best and my favorite, thank you for everything you do for us, and I love you so much!

Happy fathers day Aaron!

Our son the monkey

2008-06-12T19:44:00.000-07:00

Okay, so maybe Griffin watches a little too much Curious George...

A case of bed head...

2008-06-08T11:27:00.001-07:00

When Griffin wakes up from a nap, he's usually a little sweaty which makes for some wild hair. He definitely inherited the Cooper Curls!

Class picture from Teacher Barb

2008-06-08T11:19:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of all the kids in Maddox's first year of preschool. Teacher Barb took this picture on Favorite T-Shirt day. Maddox was very excited to wear his new Batman shirt.

Back Row: Maddox, Louis, Ella, Carson, Kyton, Harry, Matthew

Front Row: Iris, Owen, Colby, Isabelle, Jesse, Josiah

Teacher Barb!

2008-06-06T08:49:00.000-07:00

Last day of preschool

2008-06-03T20:22:00.001-07:00

Dove Christian Preschool 2007-2008

Maddox and Kyton enjoying their final Lunch Buddies.

Nice posed picture at school for mom only a 4 year old would agree to.

And little Iris with the cutest smile squeezed in up top.

Miss Ella looking super stylish as always!

Bye-bye Teacher Barb and Teacher Courtney. See you in the fall!

Silly kid

2008-06-03T20:16:00.000-07:00

Okay, so every time the camera makes an appearance, Maddox likes to show off his new "skills" at making funny faces. But he's still cute, so here you go.

Just because

2008-05-22T21:09:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a few days, so I thought I would put up some new pictures. Maddox has already gone to bed, so I'll try and get some new ones of him tomorrow. Griffin is more than happy to pose for the camera (hmmm, definitely doesn't get that trait from me!)

Brothers!

2008-05-13T14:38:00.001-07:00

On our way up to Grandma Mary's for Mother's Day dinner

Don't you love matching shirts? I do, and I'm sure it won't last

much longer when Maddox realizes what I'm doing.

I love it when I can get them both together in the same picture and somewhat smiling. Something that doesn't happen very often!

Small Paul by Paul Frank

2008-05-13T14:20:00.000-07:00

The Small Paul product catalog arrived today! This is Griffin's first modeling job, doesn't he look cute!

(Front cover)

And to Grandma Barb in Utah...

2008-05-11T14:13:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day!

Elizabeth & Jennifer circa 1982

Maddox the Builder

2008-05-11T14:10:00.001-07:00

Maddox builds mom a garden box for Mother's Day!

(with a little help from Dad)

The many faces of Griffin

2008-05-11T14:08:00.001-07:00

Just another day in the yard...

2008-05-11T13:59:00.001-07:00

Bubbles

2008-05-06T19:57:00.001-07:00

Bubbles with dad!

It's a....

2008-05-05T16:31:00.000-07:00

GIRL!!!

Griffin turns 2!

2008-04-26T18:28:00.000-07:00

Tigard Swim Center

2008-04-02T17:53:00.000-07:00

Maddox Turns 4!

2008-03-30T17:20:00.000-07:00