Our man jack is King of the Pumpkin patch. Everyone hail to the Pumpkin King now!

It was the annual trip to the Pumpkin Patch with Q's school and she was so excited to go. I'm so glad that my job allows me the opportunity to spend time with Q and go on her field trips. It's so much fun.

Q's school class

one of the slides...she refused to go on the bigger one

that's my kind of maze

she loved the tire horse swings

riding the tractor...an ode to Moses Lake

we can't resist photo ops in cut outs. 

Q was lovin this calf, until it started chewing on her jacket. 

the apple of my eye...sorry couldn't resist

the corn bin

her teachers and other kids decided to bury her...Q was in heaven. look at that zoned out face.

she loves to be smothered

my favorite picture.

on the hay ride. worst angle for a picture

Q loved it, although you couldn't tell from this face

the kids learning about corn...it's in everything. 

Q was set on finding a square pumpkin like Spookley (the movie on the Disney channel)

You make me sick...

Q woke up this morning with a cough and stuffy nose. I should have canceled her 4 year old check up, but I already rescheduled once so I decided to keep the appointment. I knew that she would most likely get a couple shots....but I didn't realize she would get a finger prick (I hate those too), and 4 or 5 shots(I lost track). She cried, but luckily she stayed still enough that they were over quick.

Poor girl Worst day ever.

Her hemoglobin was on the low/normal side so I was told to feed her some high iron foods...but I knew that there was only a slim chance that spinach and red meat would be a success in her eating, so instead we are opting for a daily iron pill to go with her daily chewable vitamins, and daily floride pill. Q is only 4, but I feel like she needs one of the medicine holders that old people have to remember their daily pill regimen.

Oh and my bad genetics may be coming into play for this girl. 1) She got a 20/40 in her right eye test and I was told to have an optometrist test her..so glasses may be in the future. and 2) Her tonsils are so huge they are touching each other, and I was given the name of an ENT to go see so he could look and see what he wants to do.  It's a good thing she is height and weight proportional or I would have a lot to be sorry for.

So now, after a warm bath and some tylenol, she is laying on the couch with a strawberry milkshake watching some movies. Here's hoping a little rest and relaxation is all she needs to feel better.

What's it say... You call that a headline?

I've been doing some major catch up on the blog, so check out the posts. I try and back date them, so when I print out my book the posts are actually posted on the days they happened (instead of the month later when I actually get around to posting), so check out August for the Family reunion post, September for my posts about Toronto, fire station field trip, Q's birthday, and outdoor fun. And October for Halloween shelves, Emily's return, and Q's Polynesian dance class.

Oh, dance, dance, dance to my ten guitars

When I saw that the Orem Rec Center was adding a beginning Polynesian dance class during the fall session, I signed Q up right away, and it was best decision ever. Oh my goodness it is so cute watching those girls (and a couple boys) learn some polynesian dance moves, and even learn some poi ball techniques. The teacher is amazing, and is so good about teaching them technique and discipline. Q thinks it awesome that she is learning moves like Lilo and Stitch.  

My only regret is that I didn't sign myself up for the adult class that takes places before hers, cause it looks like a great workout. I took beginning Hula at BYU-H, and it was super fun, it would be nice to dust off the ol' hip shaking, and get my dance on. If they offer the class during winter session I am sooooooo doing it. 

ready position

first day of poi ball training

The teacher is really good about teaching them how to enter and exit the stage

Come with us and you will see this, our town of Halloween

Although Christmas may be my favorite holiday, Halloween is a close second. 1) it happens in Fall, my favorite season. 2) it involves dressing up in costume, and you know I love dressing up in costume. Plus I love seeing others dressed up, I remember even as a kid being excited to go to school on Halloween to see everyone's costumes. 3) it involves candy! I have a child who doesn't like peanut butter, so I am all to willing to help her out and eat any reeses pb cups that come her way. 4) Orange is my favorite color, and Halloween is full of orange. 5) the decorations for Halloween are so cool and creative. 

I was super pumped to do my Halloween crafts and get my shelves ready for the Haunting season. Here is what I came up with. 

Kim and I found the idea for these books on Pinterest, and they were all too easy to duplicate. It was super fun, finding creepy fonts, and cool paper to cover the $1 books with. 

There was a lot of options for Halloween printables, but I though this one based on the evil witch from Snow White and her poisoned apple was perfect. 

Of course, no Halloween shelf is complete without some potions. I found these spice jars and the $1 store, scoured the web for some cool labels, and glued them on, then I filled them up with "coffin nails", "graveyard dirt", "dragon scales", "vampire blood", and "snake venom".

I thought a creepy spider hanging out by the potions, would be a perfect addition. 

My Halloween door hanging. Just a cheap frame, painted, with a web, large spider, and black rose. I love it. 

My "porch" (aka outside my door). I added a couple new pumpkins this year, including the web one, the gold pushpin one, and the jack skeleton. Then I added some hay bales, rats, birds, skulls, tombstones, and a large spider web (all found at the $1 store-except the hay)

Saw the idea for this "witch parking" sign on Pinterest, and I did my twist on it. I found this cute witch's hat in the $2.50 bin at Target, and the broom was only $4 at Target as well. 

I got a wooden plague at Michael's for $1.50 ($2.99 with 50% off). painted it, then modge podged on the sign. 

Happy Halloween!!!!

Guess who's back...back again...

When I saw on Emily's returning flight itinerary that she would have a layover (although short) in SLC I knew that Q and I had to get up there and see her! We sure have missed our Emily, and Q has enjoyed getting her own cards and letters from her Auntie Em for the last 1 1/2 years. We were both so excited to see her!! 

It is crazy to think that Emily was there for everyday of the first 2 1/2 years of Q's life, and then missed the next 1 1/2, but I was pretty proud of myself for being a dedicated weekly writer to Em, and keeping her updated with pictures and stories of her little Q monster. So now that she's home it's like she never left. 

Now we just need her to move closer so we can have some more fun, and make some more memories!!

I'm special, so special, I gotta have some of your attention

Yep, Q is 4.

We had lots of different ideas of what to do for her birthday, but we ended up thinking a trip to the aquarium (you remember how much q loves animals), would be perfect. She was super excited to share her day with Kimmie and Elsie, and couldn't wait for them to get to our house.

That morning, while we waited for Kim and Els to get there we opened some presents.

coming through her decorated door. 

Q was super excited about her dreamlight. It was the first present she wanted based off a tv commercial...I know there is more to come. 

The girl loves her old school Disney movies as well. 

She's gotten into Strawberry Shortcake dolls now...and I'm super annoyed that I got rid of mine when I was a kid...I had the whole collection!

Then Kim and Elsie came with their gifts! Although I think just seeing Elsie would have been present enough.

We got the girls some McD's for the trip up to the aquarium, and listened to disney songs as we drove. Good start huh?

The aquarium was smaller than ones I'd been to before, but it was perfect for the girls. We saw all kinds of fish, spiders, sharks, otters, penquins, frogs, lizards, and turtles.

There was a little place where you could try and pet the baby shark and mini rays as they swam past, but Q just couldn't get her little arm deep enough (I was practically dipping her whole body in the water). She was so disappointed with herself, and still talks about how she didn't get to pet the shark.
But she loved the penquins, and playing around in all little areas with Elsie.

Afterwards we headed up to the cupcakery One Sweet Slice for a treat. This place was on (and won) Cupcake Wars on the food network, and so we had to try it! The little girls each chose their own cupcake Q (a vanilla cupcake with pretty pink frosting and candy pearls) and Elsie (a pink lemonade cupcake). Kim and I were huge piggies and pick 3 different cupcakes to share. A samoa cupcake, a peanut butter chocolate cupcake, and a peanut butter/ brown sugar cupcake (or the Luke Skywalker one that she did on Cupcake Wars). They were all delicious...some of the better ones I have had at those cupcake places, but the Peanut Butter/ Brown sugar one was our favorite. delicious!

It was a great day for a great girl with great company!

For her birthday she also got to bring some treats for her preschool class. She colored the buterfly bodies and thought she was so special.

She also got to skype Jared's crew which made her sooo happy.

Q at 4: In my words. 

1. Q loves to "collect things": rocks, sticks, leaves, pinecones, pieces of paper, screws..if it's on the ground she will pick it up, call it a "treasure" and want to bring it home. I'm trying to limit her "treasures" as she has the potential of being major hoarder, and I hate junk. 

2. Q loves to perform: She will take any opportunity to dance, sing, shake her booty (her signature move), tell a riddle (they never make sense), tell a story, or take a picture. She is not shy. You guys do remember how I mentioned she had a breakdown at the family reunion because her "part" wasn't big enough in our family song?

3. Q loves cheese: Seriously here is a list of her "most likely to finish her whole plate at lunch/dinner" items- quesadilla, nachos, grilled cheese, mac'n'cheese, pizza, and cheesy rice/broccoli. She also loves chicken nuggets, fishsticks, chicken taquitos, fries, carrots, applesauce, apples, crackers, popcorn, chips, corn, rice. 

4. Q says the funniest things: "Is that a good deal mom?". "Trust me mom, I can do it". "It's kind of hard for me, when I'm bigger I can do it". "You ruined my life". "Maybe I'll just stop and breath, and calm down". "oh hey mom, I'm just______". 

5. Q loves mommy time: We have been having mommy and Q movie time, and she has really gotten into watching the non-animated family movies. She loved Mirror Mirror, and Mr. Popper's Penquins.

6. Q lives in a world of imagination: she has make believe friends that help her clean, come on car rides, and sometimes get her in trouble. She also makes up her own songs and stories, and is never short of things to say. 

7. Q is an artist: She may not color in the lines, or draw a perfect stick figure, but she puts her imagination onto paper through marker, paint, pencil, and crayon. She then often takes the paper and twists, crumples, and folds it into a whole other product of its own. 

8. Q is a mouthful: well she loves putting anything into her mouth. her blankets, clothes, crayons, pencils, paper, rocks, dolls arms and legs, stuffed animals. A little worrisome, maybe but I've asked the doctor and they said some kids go through oral fixation stages, but I'm keeping my eye on it. It's pretty gross though, nothing like picking up her blanket and getting a wet piece. yuck. 

9. Q loves her family: She tells me constantly that I'm her best friend and "we have to take care of each other". She loves hanging out with Elsie and asks everyday if we are seeing her that day, and wishes her other cousins lived closer. 

10. Q is an excellent helper: She is quick to grab her kid vacuum and help mommy. Will clean up her toys when asked (although she does enjoy help if I offer it). Loves putting clothes into the dryer. Is itching to help mom out in the kitchen, but I'm worried about her getting hurt. Claims putting the utensils away as "her job" when unloading the dishwasher. 

I love my Q.