Full Fun Weekend

Our week was fun, and then the weekend just kept it going! This post feels so long but there was so much about this week that I want to remember.

Our friend/my roommate Allison (from our study abroad in Jerusalem) came to visit us! We hadn't met each other's kids before, and we have been really looking forward to her visit. We actually hadn't seen each other since our wedding, which is way too long. Her kids are adorable, and Westin was so happy to have friends around for the beginning of the week. We had fun at the zoo, they helped us take care of our friend's pets, and we visited some parks and Cafe Rio. I'm so impressed she tackled a drive to San Francisco onto a red-eye flight back to North Carolina after all our fun. She's such a good mom and good friend and we really, really loved seeing her.

On Wednesday night we had a fun dinner with Michael's colleagues from his plastic surgery rotation. It was fun to meet everyone he's been working with the past four months, and fun to eat a meal where I was only in charge of feeding me and not a baby and toddler, too. His coworkers are so nice. We feel really grateful for the vibe of Michael's residency program and the training that he's receiving here in Fresno. It's definitely why we ended up here for this stage.

Thursday night was wonderful. My friend told me about a scripture study class that a woman in my ward teaches on Thursdays, and I have not stopped thinking about it since we went. It felt like being back in Susan Easton Black's class at BYU, where you sat down and she was instantly just pouring out knowledge a mile a minute for the rest of the hour. This specific class was all about our premortal life, and honestly nothing has given me a better shift into having an eternal perspective than this class, apart from trips to the temple. It was incredible. She recommended we read this Ensign talk for more study material on the things we covered that night. (The talk is by her husband, and they are the parents of my bishop. There are some really wonderful people in Fresno and I felt so grateful to learn from her on Thursday.) My friend and I went straight from class to a High Fitness class, and I realized more than ever that day that taking time out for spiritual and physical fitness has a huge impact. I know that's a simple and obvious truth, but experiencing manifestations of it always feel significant to me.

On Friday we finally grabbed tickets for the Amtrak to Hanford because we knew Westin would love a train ride. We've been talking about doing this for a while, and he loved it just as much as we thought he would. We went to a delicious Pupuseria for dinner, then went to share a HUGE banana split at Superior Dairy after. The boys were up late but they both loved the night and the train, so it was worth it.

Then we woke them up early Saturday morning and went to a hot air balloon festival. We were maybe slightly annoyed that the event said to be there by 6:30 for take off and then balloons didn't launch until an hour later... but hey, bragging rights that we got our kids out the door by then on a Saturday. Then we found a cinnamon roll food truck for breakfast and all was well. I thought Westin would love the balloons, and he did like them, but Bennett was actually the one who was just super into them. He has started to point and wave and it's adorable. 

We came home and borrowed our friend's dog for a walk to run around the campus of the community college by our house. Westin asks about Sammy a lot and has fun running around with him. Then Michael put the boys down for a nap while I ran to set up for a baptism for one of my sweet primary kids. Baptisms are so joyful, and I liked spending time by myself filling the font and just thinking.

That night we went to our ward trunk or treat, then Michael and I came home and jumped into Stranger Things. Season One. Because we're late adapters like that. (Also, I have FOMO and you guys are all just talking about Stranger Things SO MUCH. So we're finally here at the party.)

I loved this week AND this weekend, and it felt like the perfect end to Michael's plastics rotation. On November 1st he'll be back to his oral surgery clinic and life is about to get crazy again. He'll be there four months before his next rotation, and I've got to learn how to deal with call again. Stranger Things is not going to help that situation at all.

"Mama, I'm a little bit sick."
Sick and 15 years old, is what it looks like to me.

"Look Mama, I drew a loooooooooooong cat!"
I love this picture so much. Westin went on his own into the backyard while I was putting Bennett down for a nap, and played with chalk for 20 minutes. He came inside covered in blue, and said, "I wanna show you my cat!" Then he brought me to this, and it's his first picture that looks like what he's talking about. I thought it was so cute, and it was just one of those moments that made me stop and look at him and realize he's really growing up. I told him I'd take a picture of him with his drawing and he said, "Ok, I'll go stand by the tail!"

I've never liked Halloween more than when I was dressing these two up on Saturday night.
Bennett's nose. Westin's... Westin-ness. I was just cracking up so much.

Superior Dairy doesn't mess around.

Pupusas! We loved those and the plantains but those tamales (in banana leaves) weren't our favorite.

He loves to play pretend and feed you all your lines in his made up scenarios. He's "sleeping" here and I'm supposed to ask the Kitty why he doesn't want to wake up. I don't know why he loves this random bag, but there you go.

Westin and Anders hit it off right away. Such sweet boys.

The whole crew.

I love the toddler class at the zoo. These owl crafts were so easy and cute.
Just cotton balls glued on a pine cone, then a little beak and eyes glued on.

Bennett wanted to be all up in Westin's business on this blue carpet square.

Allison! She's one of the best.

Retiring from Farm Life

We had a simple week. The ducks and chickens left, and I was super ready for that. We cleaned our house before a happy visit from a roommate from my Jerusalem summer program (more on that visit next week). We checked on a friend's bunny and dog and the boys were super into that little bunny. We attempted to take family pictures on Saturday and we'll see if the photographer can get any good shots of that fiasco. How do you teach kids to smile? Or look at a camera? Or just... cooperate in general? The photos will be representative of life right now, I'm at least confident in that.

:)

Stinkers found the goldfish in my diaper bag and huddled up with them in a corner.
I just kept folding laundry. Pick your battles.

He is so cuddly and funny during our one-on-one time after he wakes up from his nap and Westin is still sleeping.

He wasn't so sure about this situation.

But from behind closed doors he was all about those chickens. 

We checked on a friend's bunny and dog over the weekend, and it was the cutest little bunny I've ever seen.

I tried waking him up before this picture. It went like this.
Maddie: Michael, I'm going to bed.
Michael: Whoa, what happened?
Maddie: Nothing, I'm just telling you I'm going to bed.
Michael: Oh, did I throw up?
Maddie: ...... No, do you need to throw up?
Michael: No, but it says in my chart that I did.
Maddie: [laughs and walks away]
Michael: What! Check the chart! [Falls back asleep.]

Sweet bunny eating his carrots and lettuce.

Two Cute Boys

Michael:

went to the Zoo with us on Saturday and it was such nice weather. We had fun being there all together, and hearing Bennett call all of the animals "Kitty!" That little boy loves animals. Michael has also been taking good care of the ducks and chickens that are still living in the backyard. He's not even afraid of picking them up... I don't pick up chickens. But one of them (Peaches, if you want to get personal) seems to think it's a puppy. She can tell Michael's a softy.

Maddie:

took Westin to toddler time at the Zoo on Tuesday, and to a pumpkin patch playgroup on Friday. We had so much fun meeting up with friends, and the pumpkin patch was really cute. There were different centers for the kids including a mini corn maze, corn pit, story time, "spooky" walk, pumpkin picking, tractor wheel climbing... they loved it! Westin was so happy to see his friend Sam. Westin and I made cookies with duck eggs this week because they're supposed to be great to bake with. They were delicious! But I haven't made cookies in so long, so that's probably a factor here. 

Westin:

really loved his pumpkin patch playgroup and it made me excited for when Bennett drops his morning nap and we can make it to more of those things. He is so funny with these ducks and chickens and loves when we put them in their kennels at night. He just runs around acting like a duck and laughing. He had his worst public meltdown to date yet at a park this week. He had suddenly mastered slides the week before then did some majorly dramatic regression that was decided when at the top of a tall playground, and it turned into a big ordeal. Wouldn't slide. Wouldn't go back down the stairs. Wouldn't come with me when I'd try to go get him. So much screaming.... the worst. Learning and responding correctly to your kids strengths and weaknesses and needs and love language and triggers and responses and thought processes and just all the things is such a job. 

Favorite Westinisms right now:

"I need a hug and two kisses. Maybe two hugs and two kisses."

Picking up on ANY labeled words I use on the phone... "What's sad? What's funny? What's crazy??"

Calling the pumpkin patch a "pumpkin park".

"Maybe so, I mean, if you want to" to the majority of questions he's asked.

Anytime Michael holds him at the same time as Bennett: "Be careful with Mama's two cute boys."

Bennett:

has "mama" and "kitty" down but no other words yet. Michael's working hard to get "dada" in there, and I'm trying to teach him lots of signs before the screaming phase hits. I just shuddered thinking about the screaming phase... please (rubbing stomach) don't come, all done (turns palms) with that already. Worst phase. Bennett's crawl is the cutest thing to me, he's my first kid to really crawl. Westin took a while to get there, did it for a tiny bit, then walked. Crawling has also brought on an opinionated side of Bennett though, so we're getting used to that. Opinionated is a positive spin on fussy and whiny, because I don't want to just call him out like that since he's such a sweetie. But I guess I just did. He's over the baby toys and into bigger and better things these days (looking at you, Westin's dump truck) and Westin is getting bugged that his "trades" aren't always easily accepted anymore. Even though I'm not looking forward to adding referee to my list of mom duties, I do like getting to know Bennett more and more as he grows.

Hay ride with my guys.

Still in his "magnetic monkey" stage.

Chicken watching.

This pacing cheetah made me seriously miss the Indianapolis Zoo and the tiger who would always do that.

Story time at the pumpkin patch.

Bennett was an angel during our 90 minute pumpkin patch experience -- happy in the stroller the whole time,
never needed a thing. He's so happy to go with the flow.

Pancake morning! Westin likes being in charge of the chocolate chips.
Many are sampled before added to the pancakes.

Found them in the same position. Michael falls asleep so fast at nights. He's works so hard and plays so hard.

Tired morning faces out to take care of the chickens. Bennett still LOVES the Ergo.
I used wraps and carriers so much more with him than I did with Westin.

Little stinker woke up early enough to see daddy getting ready before work and got excited when he figured that out.

Kangaroo day at the Zoo's toddler time.
When we saw them I asked Westin what they were called to see if he'd been paying attention (we've never really covered kangaroos much in all of our animal time) and he said "a marsupial!" 

This kid loves pom poms. Sometimes he just wants to do this instead of a new school activity so we just go with the flow.
I love that we can stretch out our curriculum like that, it's so flexible.

New haircut! He looked in the mirror after and said, "Wow! I look like Bishop!"
Our bishop's hair doesn't look like this but he seemed pretty pleased about it so I went with it.

Cute sleeping ducks. They are BFFs.