Christmas aftermath

Xiana practicing her bike skills...
Beep beep!
Brian got us matching camo outfits... seriously adorable. Who would have thunk it?

Rose colored glasses (those with week stomachs might consider skipping this post)

So this is what it feels like to be engaged. I can't lie and say I've always wondered... because I haven't. I am one of those rare girls that never thought about my wedding ring. I never looked at bridal magazines. I never cut out pictures of wedding gowns and pasted them in a book to refer to when the time came. No. I pretty much never thought about a wedding. I knew that I would get married in my life, but the wedding part never really mattered much to me. I always felt that when people got engaged it was a necessary and inevitable step towards their union... not much else. I assumed that it didn't change anything to be engaged. It feels like to me, that I was wrong. Because suddenly things feel subtly different amounting to magnanimous change. When Brian proposed and put the ring that he designed on my finger, suddenly, and without warning, the ring that I had never even considered became vastly important. I mean like really really important...crucial even. And this ring (the one that HE designed) immediately became the ring of my dreams, the ring that I had always wanted, the perfect, most fabulous ring. And it's funny because when we went and looked at rings the sales clerk asked, "are you finding your dream ring?" and I had to admit that, no, I was not finding it because I simply did not have one. And yet, Brian placed my dream ring on my finger late Sat. night. And rest assured. It is my dream ring. It embodies him and me and us and I. love. it. (almost as much as I love him teehee) Lest you think I am materialistic and obsessed with a ring, let me now attempt to explain the other differences between pre-engaged and post-engaged. There are many. Let me just start by saying I have known for a while that I was going to marry him some day (like think 3rd date) it was mainly a matter of convincing him. (And don't think for a second that a reoccurring statement in our relationship didn't consist of me explaining to him that I'm not sure he realizes yet how completely awesome I am, because it did!) Plus, we have been talking marriage for several months now so his proposal shouldn't have surprised me like it did. And you'd think that not much would change since marriage has been the dialogue between us for a while and I have felt certain that we were companions-to-be. Yet. it feels different. It's a distinct yet almost imperceptible feeling. Like somebody took the magic wedding wand and tapped me over the head with it. Because instantaneously I felt a deeper connection to Brian and I felt more like a team than I ever have before. This is strange because I have felt like we are a team for a long time. I have felt like we are one. But now... it's like we are one. And we're not even married yet. In my heart and mind I just feel like we are these two people that are joined forever (which we will be, but we're not yet and still I feel like we are). And I didn't think it was possible to feel more comfortable with him than I already do because we have always been very comfortable and yet, suddenly, when I look at him, it feels like home. And it is home. And I feel like the luckiest girl alive. I'm sure all soon-to-be-brides feel that way, but it's hard to believe that anybody else has ever felt like this before. But I'll believe it because I also never thought I would feel like this. He spent his birthday at my parents house and some of his siblings came over, and his daughter is here with him. As we sat around the tree singing, it felt so right and I felt so safe. I can't say that I've ever felt particularly unsafe, but having him by my side with this ring on my hand provides a sense of security that I never even knew was missing; that I never even knew I wanted. But I must, because it is a wonderful feeling. All at once I inherited a much bigger family. And I like his family. All of them. And in my head I've known that they would be my family too. But like everything else, it feels different now. Because now it's official and they are my family. And I feel closer to them too. Just. like. that. Weird huh? And I hope that the flutters I get in my stomach every time I see his face will never go away. I know. You can say it. Throw up already right? But it's true. And I hope that everybody in the whole world has either felt or will feel this some day in their lives. Because it is the most amazing feeling. And the world looks different somehow when you feel like this; easier; brighter; safer; more beautiful.

These pictures don't begin to do this ring justice, but at least you get the idea.

Christmas!

Christmas morning Xiana came out to see what Santa had brought her. She discovered candy and toys and books in her stocking. One book was an Elmo counting book. She picked it up and said, "yook mommy a counting book!" It was like she was reading I swear.... the numbers on the cover must have been her tip off.
Last year she didn't really have the hang of opening presents. This year, she has it down to an art. She enjoyed opening all her gifts from Santa and her one gift from mommy. Actually (and I probably shouldn't admit this) her Santa gifts this year came from all her friends. At her birthday party she got such an immense overload of gifts that I re wrapped about 15 of them in Christmas paper and wrote "from Santa." So many thanks to all of you who unknowingly provided my Santa gifts. She was thrilled with all of them.... again!
I'll give you one guess as to who bought her this little camo outfit... I received a matching vest. As far as camouflage goes, they are quite cute with hot pink embellishment.
Bedtime for Francis is a Frey family favorite and I did not have a copy. My sister, Cami, somehow managed to find the one gift Xiana actually needed this year :)
I made my parents a calender with pics from the year. Here they are admiring it. The coolest part is that I got to put little pictures on the days of the month for every child/grandchild/in-law 's birthdays.
Garrett had something of a guitar disaster earlier in the year so he was thrilled to have a replacement.
I am always on the lookout for cute black baby dolls. They are few and far between. My parents found one at Costco and bought it for her. She is a beautiful little baby. My only complaint is that she has straight hair! Oh well, baby steps right?
The one gift I got her is this bike.
Which she can barely pedal, but again, baby steps. She likes to be pushed around on it and at least her feet touch the pedals which is a step in the right direction.
It was a beautiful Christmas this year, like always. There is nothing like having a little one to remind you how joyful and FUN Christmas it!

Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve, Xiana and I went over to Kacie's so that Xiana could get her annual spoiling. Kacie is crazy! Yes, crazy! She has single handedly kept Xiana in toys and clothes pretty much since birth. This year was no different. She managed to find the single most perfect gift for Xiana this Christmas... all of the Sesame Street characters. Xiana loves Sesame Street. Every morning when she wakes she asks, "watch Elmo today?" and then as soon as it's over she states, "I watch Elmo again tomorrow." So, needless to say she LOVED her gift. The only problem is that she has little concept of stuffed animals that don't do anything. She keeps bringing me her friends saying, "push buttons, make Elmo sing." When I explain to her that these are toys and she needs to use her imagination because they don't do anything she says, "okay, make Abby sing?" It's quite comical. Poor baby has no understanding of toys that don't make noise.
While we were driving to Kacie's house Xiana yelled out the window, "happy Halloween!"
She later revised to, "happy holidays!"
Here she is with her new posse.

After we left Kacie's house (with about six pounds of fudge) we went to see the Frog and the Princess. This is only the second movie I have ever taken Xiana to and it is her first princess movie. She has been so excited about it telling anyone who would listen that she was going to see it. She kept telling me that there were two princesses which I didn't understand until we saw it. She must have seen a preview somewhere. Anyway, I love that this is her first princess movie for several reasons. First, it is the first black Disney princess (it's about time!), second, the princess's name is Tiana.... closely resembling Xiana, and third, Tiana is a hard working waitress! Xiana was enraptured the entire time (well except for the 15 minute nap she took). The music was fantastic really capturing the heart of New Orleans and Xiana snapped her fingers, stomped her feet, and shook her little booty to the music. It was kind of scary at parts containing voodoo black magic, but she never got scared. Only later when I overheard her telling her friend that it was, "kinda scary" did I realize that she understood the shadow monsters. All in all, it was spectacular. I'm so glad this was her very first princess movie! Later that evening we acted out the Christmas story with the nativity set (which she somewhat listened to). At the very least she understood that the angel came to tell the shepherds of Christ's arrival because she was "flying" around with a trumpet in her mouth. Another thing she certainly got this year was that it is Jesus' birthday. Several times throughout the season I have overheard her singing Happy Birthday to Jesus. Garrett has a tradition of watching Muppet Christmas so we all piled on to my parents bed and watched it. For once Garrett found someone who appreciated the movie as much as he did. Right before bed I told Xiana that Santa would be bringing her presents and filling her stocking while she slept. She didn't like the idea of that at all. Santa is still kind of scary to her and she said, "he'll hurt me." I reassured her that he was very nice and he would not hurt her, but she stuck to her guns repeating that he would hurt her. I guess it makes sense to be afraid of a big strange man coming into your house while you sleep. Still, reaping the rewards of that scary man the following day might have helped alleviate some of her fears.

Rotary lunch

We went to the Rotary Christmas lunch this week. It was delicious food, fun entertainment, and (I have to admit) quite nostalgic for me. I remember so many of these events as a kid. I remember being dragged kicking and screaming; I remember making an absolute nuisance of myself; I remember being bored; I remember being entertained.
Xiana was the youngest and cutest member of the crowd. She loved being introduced and clapped and cheered with the best of them. When the performer sang Christmas songs, Xiana cupped her hand like she was holding a microphone and sang into it with her eyes closed and her head swaying. She mimicked the last word to every line of every song. When the President of Rotary asked questions, Xiana enthusiastically shouted answers into the air. When we first sat at the table Xiana asked for a sugar packet ( I have this terrible habit of letting her have one sugar packet whenever we eat out... Brian hates it :). I grabbed one of the sugars and went to open it when she said, "not that one, I want the strawberry one!" pointing at the pink sweet and low. My old high school principal was there and he immediately came across the room to give me a hug and talk with me. To say I was impressed would be an understatement. I only attended Reed for one year, and only went to class for maybe two months so I was quite touched that he remembered me. All in all, it was a memorable lunch and I'm glad we went. There are a lot of kind people in this world that genuinely want to do good for others. It's neat to see; particularly at the holidays. After the lunch, we went to the Chapin's house so that Xiana could see their amazing decorations and be spoiled by our good family friends.
They always do elaborate decorations both outside....
and in!

Getting all dolled up

Xiana loves to help me get ready. She sits in the sink while I do her hair, my hair, my make up, and she plays with the blush brush. It's fun. It's our "girl" time.
We went to Brian's ward Christmas party. He is in the ward that I grew up in and it's amazing how many of the same people are still in attendance. It is a very established ward which means I know a lot of people in it, but there are very few children (by very few I mean 3 kids in nursery). There are both advantages and disadvantages to that, but I will say it was delightful to see so many people from my childhood and youth. I forgot how much I love so many folks.
We both wore leggings and boots... Xiana was quite proud.
When we got home the Jenkins were over. My dad's good friend Vonn passed away a month ago. He had an amazing family and it was really fun to see them. Xiana especially enjoyed playing with their grand daughter.

Brian and Xiana playing dress up. :)

I almost gave this little outfit away because I thought it was too strange. Then, today I found it in the closet and decided to give it a whirl. I'm glad I did because it. was. adorable. She is a little hippie girl right after my own heart.

Sledding!!

I love sledding, but not just any old sleds will do. No, once you have unleashed the speed that is snow tubes, you will never revert back to toboggans, discs, sleighs and the like. My family has always gone sledding in the meadows at Mt. Rose. And we have always used speed demons otherwise known as tubes. Everyone on the hill has always been envious of our sleds as they are incomparable in both distance and speed. It has been a family tradition as long as I can remember. One year, when the slope was particularly icy, my dad flew into the air and landed on his head resulting in a trip to the emergency room with fear of a broken neck. Did this stop us? No! The following year we made our way back up that mountain and went sledding again. Even my mom went sledding with us.... until one day, we went sledding at our normal spot, and my mom decided to take a thrilling run into some trees winding up with a broken arm. This was the last chapter in a long book of family sledding. This year... seven years later... tradition returned. Only this time, there were more Andersens than Freys, and certainly no mom to speak of. Still, we went to our normal spot and it was a blast. People always conjecture about which sleds will go the fastest. They always think that one or the other is going to outrun the tubes, but I know. And I will always know that you cannot mess with the snow tubes. They are fast and furious! This year, we were the first to arrive at our location. As a result, we had to trail blaze in snow up to our thighs... all the way up the mountain. In addition to that, each adult had to carry tubes/sleds/children. I got to carry Xiana all the way up... I know she only weighs 20 lbs, but this was no small feat. Once up, I was somewhat afraid to head down this mountain with my fragile baby in my arms. So, after a trial run, I had Brian take her down. She. Loved. It. What can I say? I have been attempting to train her to be a thrill seeker her whole life. I can't imagine how enjoyable it would have been to be her, or the other kids. They got to sled down on the laps of an adult, and then be carried back up to the top of the hill. It was hard work. It got easier as others arrived on the hills and we were able to start packing down a trail. But the first few times up were really hard. By the time you got to the top, you had to take a rest just to be ready to head back down to the bottom. And yet, it was absolutely worth it. As we cascaded, glided, tumbled, sashayed, slid, and soared down the mountain, I knew that every ounce of work it was to get back to the top was a fair trade for the excitement of the ride. Then I got to thinking. Isn't that what life is all about. We work really hard for extended periods of time so that we can have moments of sheer joy, excitement, and fun. And in the end, it's always worth it. Nobody ever said, "man, I wish I hadn't worked so hard to be able to enjoy that." On the contrary, we prioritize and figure out ways that we can achieve our goals. And most goals, at least goals worth having, don't often come cheap. We have to put our blood, sweat, and tears into the fruition of our dreams. And then.... bliss. So it turns out, life is very much like sledding. We work hard, climb to the top, carry those who aren't quite strong enough to carry themselves until a later date when they will be, and then we enjoy the fruits of our labors....
First time at the top...
at the bottom...
back to the top... (taking a little break)
And at the bottom... (climbing up with a tube in one hand and a child in the other... pretty typical of the day)
back at the top...
time for a little snack break
the boys raced... Mark smoked them!
racing to the bottom
The kids were wiped out before the adults which is really hard to believe considering all the work we were doing.
Every time we got to the bottom of the hill Xiana would say, "let's slide one more time."
I told them to say cheese. They were both a little preoccupied with eating the snow. Rowan was even dipping his crackers in it.
The warning on this sled says, "single rider weight capacity 120 lbs"
But we didn't die.

I wish I could have captured my dad's face. It was priceless. When you hit the bumps, the kids go flying out of your arms and it's really challenging to hold on to the tube while you wrestle them back to your laps. Scary, but fun!
Just relaxing
Last run of the day...
We hiked back to the cars where we had hot chocolate waiting for us. I love this day. I love sledding. Life is beautiful isn't it?

From the mouths of babes

• Xiana is under the impression that it is always her birthday so I explained to her that next is mommy's birthday and then Brian's. Well, mommy's birthday has come and gone so next is Brian's right? The other day we were playing at the neighbor's house and one of the boys said that is birthday is next week. Xiana defensively exclaimed, "no! Brian's birthday next!"
• One morning I saw her put a piece of cheese under her shirt and say, "my baby in my tummy."
• One of her new favorite expressions was coined one evening when Kacie and I were shopping. We were in the front seat talking and Xiana said, "hey, what you talking about guys?" I thought it was so adorable then.... but I might have mentioned it a time or two in her presence and as a result, she asks it several times throughout the day. If she doesn't understand or hear what we're talking about, or if she finds that she needs a little more attention than she was previously receiving.
• A car pulled out in front of me and I said, "look at this nonsense," to myself. My ever hearing child innocently asked, "what's nonsense?"
• We were reading the story of Samson and she perceptively exclaimed, "that boy hurting!"
• Yesterday she came to me while I was eating and said, "I up" "no" I replied. She waited all of 20 seconds before asking, "how bout now?"
• I was talking to Brian on the phone and asked if Kevin (his brother) was coming with us. Xiana immediately said, "hey, I know tevin, I yike tevin." She listens to every word I say whenever she is around. I have to be careful!
• Xiana came to me yesterday asking to sing the Jesus song. It took me a little while to discover that she was talking about "Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam." It's really sweet that rather than the irreverent and emphatic sunbeam for reference, she thinks of it as the Jesus song.
• Brian has been shaking Xiana'a hand and saying, "nice to meet you." Which she, of course, mimics. The other day she walked up to my dad, shook his hand and said, "nice to meet you grandpa." He was so impressed I didn't have the heart to tell him that she was not the originator of this expression.
• If ever she gets frustrated that someone doesn't understand her, she has taken to telling them, "tome here, I'll show you."
• Likewise, if you are eating her pretend food, or playing any of her wide array of imaginary games, she likes to tell you exactly how you should be playing. If you take a bite the wrong way, or drive or fly or talk on the phone the "wrong" way, she says, "no, not yike dat, yike dis," demonstrating the proper way.
• Brian was asking her what her whole name was the other day to which she replied, "Xiana with an X."
• Speaking of which, I don't know if I've mentioned she now calls herself Xiana. No more nana.
• We were shopping for a birthday present for one of her friends and Xiana said, "my pony." I explained to her that it was a present for Kamryn. She thought for a minute and then said, "and we share."
• Ever since it snowed she cautions me every time we leave the house, "be tareful mommy."
• I overheard her on the phone saying, "I'll email you." It took me a few to figure out where she got that. Then, we were watching Sesame Street and Elmo was checking his email. That must be the source as she is a Elmo junkie.
• We were at Walmart and Kacie and I were talking about how cute a pair of socks were. Xiana, listening as always, grabbed the socks off the shelf and yelled, "Oh! My! Gosh!"
• The shower curtain in our bathroom is lighthouses. Xiana always points to them and calls them temples.
• One day Garrett couldn't understand what she was saying when they were playing with her fake food. She said, "eat it tending," and he said, "no honey, we don't really eat this food." She replied, "no, tending!" I had to translate that she was saying pretending.
  
• I am still not sure where she got this one from, but all I can think is that her 2 year molars are coming in and I referenced them because yesterday she asked me to open my mouth so she could see my "molars" and then identified the correct teeth.
• When she plays hide-and-seek she can now count to 30. Also, she can spell her name.
• She was in the bath and I changed into a dress for school. When I came back in she said, "what you wearing mommy? You wear a dress? You a pretty princess?" I assured her that, yes, I am a pretty princess and that she is too. She looked down at her naked body in the tub and said, "no, I a mermaid."
• "I yike Elmo," she told me, "I no yike cookie monster, you yike cookie monster?" "Yes," I told her, "it's okay if you like them both. You can like Elmo and Cookie Monster." "Oh" she said. We went through this several more times throughout the day before she finally said, "no, I no yike cookie monster. He kinda scary."
• One day when she was pretending to drive her car to go grocery shopping she came into the kitchen with her arms full of "groceries" and asked, "hey, where I park my car?"
• I did her hair for church on Sunday and put bows on top. She asked if Garrett would get her dressed so he did. As we were heading out the door I asked, "hey, what happened to your bows?" She replied, "Garrett take them out." (which he most certainly did not) My dad said it was her first alibi.

Earthquake

Morre had her baby and after a myriad of complications got to take him home. Xiana had been really excited to hold the baby. She got her wish and then proceeded to be a holy terror the rest of the time we were over, sorry Morre! Calin is a sweet baby and so far, very good. Xiana didn't quite get the concept of the baby being out of her tummy and kept assuring us that there were two babies now, one in Morre's belly and one in her arms.
awwwwww
The next night for family home evening we made a gingerbread house.
It turned out really cute. My mom makes her own gingerbread and then she melts hard candies in the windows to make stained glass. I remember in years past creating exact replicas of our homes and gingerbread houses with electricity. I even remember one year for my birthday, my mom was ambitious enough to let 13 of my friends and myself make our own houses. She was crazy. But, as usual, I digress. So, we made the house and it was really cute and fun.
Can't you tell how much fun it was? jk, Garrett really did have fun.
Here is the front finished product.
And Suzy homemaker here attempting to make icicles.
Then... two days later my good friend Kate and her son came over. Kate and I were talking in the living room roughly 10 feet away from the kids. They were awfully quiet all of two minutes before we heard a crash. I instantly knew what it was. Both kids were scared out of their minds crying hysterically as they pointed (from on top of the table mind you) at the shattered gingerbread house on the floor. Kate and I assured them that it was okay. They both looked like they were trying to quickly figure out who to blame. Of course, the fact that they were on the table with vibrant colors from m&m's running down their faces didn't leave them with much of an alibi. It was pretty funny. So, in the end we determined that there must have been an earthquake; judging from the damage a rather large one :)
Here is my little ham hamming it up before church last week. She got to wear her snow boots to church because Brian specifically selected the black ones which would go with her dresses. Good job babe!
She insisted that I take a picture of her and her bear. By the way, this is not actually her bear at all. I tried to explain to her that it was my bear and I was letting her use it. She didn't believe me and exclaimed that it was hers. To prove my point I read the tag on the bear's ear, "to Lenaya, from Nic." The next day I saw her rip the tag off the bear, hold up the remnants and read aloud, "to Xiana love mommy." It was priceless!

Let it Snow!

After the first huge snow storm in Reno, all of the stores were sold out of snow gear. And I mean sold out! Because I lived in Vegas for the last four winters and all of Xiana's life, the thought never occurred to me that she would need actual snow clothes should we want to venture out and about. For a few days I made do with extra layers and plastic bags over her boots, but then I decided to check the stores. I guess you snooze you loose because Walmart didn't have a single pair of boots or gloves or snow pants left. Target had exactly one pair of snow pants...nothing else. Fortunately, they just happened to be pink... and size 12 months. You'd think this would be a problem since Xiana is over 2, but... she is tiny so they fit perfectly. I still couldn't find boots, but in Brian's Christmas shopping endeavors, he came across some that are, not only warm, but adorable! The final touch was gloves for both of us from Costco... Score!
Thus, we were ready to go!
The snow was really dry so when we attempted to make a snow man, we were pretty unsuccessful. I decided to make a snow turtle instead and Xiana certainly didn't mind.
We made some snow angels too. Xiana got such a kick out of it that she asked to do it again and again and again. She also asked if we could bring the angels to Brian tomorrow.
Her little angel is priceless!

Oh Christmas Tree Oh Christmas Tree

This is Kacie's beautiful Christmas tree. I had Xiana pose in front of it so that I could pretend it was my own. I marvel at her ability to go all out for Christmas. I think it looks beautiful, but maybe I'm a little bah humbug-ish because it also seems like a lot of work (to say nothing of cost). Regardless, Kacie always decorates her whole place extravagantly, and I love visiting.

Please notice all the presents under this tree...mind you, Kacie lives alone!
Then we went to the ward Christmas party... speaking of extravagant decor....
Xiana hasn't been able to see as much of Charlie as normal lately between winter colds and busy schedules so they were thrilled to get to spend an evening by each other's sides.
Xiana is not into sitting on Santa's lap. She proclaims to all who will listen, "I no sit on Santa yap, I sit on mommy yap." Although she did tell him she wanted a princess which is a step in the right direction from the last 2 Santa's laps she did not sit on.
We got a tip from Kacie and went to the same lot she used for a tree.
Surprisingly, we picked the first tree we laid eyes on. The guy working said we must look around because it couldn't be that easy. Still, true to our word, the first tree we saw was the one we took home. It's funny that it never worked that way when we went out to cut one down. We usually traipsed around the woods for a long time before we found the perfect tree. This meant that we got to carry it that much farther. Disclaimer---I'm just saying. I'm not complaining because I LOVE cutting down a Christmas tree. We will have to reinstate that tradition next year.

Let it Snow!

Last Sunday we got ready for church and I decided to let Xiana wear her Christmas dress so that she would have more than one opportunity. Little did I know, this was the foreshadowing of the weather.... white Christmas indeed! Anyway, this if from the back because this dress has beautiful bows on the front and the back... and she looked beautiful!
My cheesy little angel!
My friend Karina gave Xiana some homemade bows for her birthday that looked like they were made with the dress. So much so that Karina herself was wondering where I had gotten them for a little while. It took her a moment to recognize them as her own.
That evening we went to our monthly potluck (there is a group of us that have a potluck at rotating houses every month. It is so much fun and doesn't leave an extraordinary burden on any one family. I really look forward to them. The only sad part for me is that, thus far, Brian has only made it to one of them.... we will try to remedy that!) When we got there it was chilly. And when we left....
It was snowing!
Kacie picked up this adorable and warm jacket for Xiana right in the knick of time!
The next day we played in the snow. Well, let me rephrase that, I helped my dad shovel snow while Xiana ingested as much as humanly possible until she was frozen. She loves to eat the snow! I have to tell her everywhere we go that she is only allowed to eat snow at our house.
My dad found her a little sand shovel so that she could help with the clearing. Phew, it's a good thing she was there. I don't know how we would have managed without her.
The shovel also served as a helpful utensil to consume more snow.

you you you you say it

Yesterday Xiana started stuttering. She has an immense vocabulary and speaks really well. She suddenly started saying, "you you you you you you you you try it..." or whatever. I was a little freaked because it was so out of the ordinary for her. Tonight I looked it up and was filled with great relief from webmd and parents.org. Here is what they had to say (and it makes sense to me):

• Normal nonfluency looks like stuttering, but is usually temporary. When children are developing their language skills they often try to organize their language and process information quickly resulting in repetition of sounds or words.
• There is a difference between developmentally normal stuttering and speech impediments. The former is quite common and is the result, essentially, of being able to think faster than one can produce words; in the mismatch, some language gets "stuck". This is likely to occur right after having a linguistic growth spurt when sentences are moving to a new level of complexity. (Xiana's sentences have certainly evolved to a new level of complexity lately. She suddenly understands and articulates concepts that shock me)
  
• Wait it out. Do not draw attention to it (which would foster self-consciousness) and do not finish his/her sentences or offer the next word.
• It may be a result of a rapid development in conceptual knowledge and a need to communicate that knowledge without the requisite vocabulary skills.
• Essentially, the child's cognitive development is slightly ahead of his/her speech development. In other words, they can't get the words out fast enough!

• Basically the idea is that they are focusing so hard on expressing a more complex thought than they have before, that in doing so, they regress on skills they already had, like articulating clearly or getting a whole sentence out smoothly.
• Some children (especially kids who are articulate and have big vocabularies) have brains that work ahead of their mouths. Their thoughts are so far ahead of them that they have to repeat words as their brain resupplies words already passed by. The problem stops when their mouths catch up with their brains.

So, all is well in the mind of Lenaya and I am, once again, reassured of the incredible intelligence of Xiana :) And we both remain ever so modest! good good good good good good night!

Psycho- analysis

Last week I had my high school students write poems following the format of "I too" by Langston Hughes. Now, I will grant that the poem is dramatic and certainly follows the motif of teenage drama so what I received should not have come as a surprise to me. I asked them to speak from their hearts and to write about themselves, who they are. The poems I got were beautiful, tragic, haunting, and filled with teen angst. At first I found myself somewhat envious of them. They are still capable of defining themselves in such dramatic, self indulging ways. Their ability to just put their raw emotions out there was both shocking and satisfying. Then I felt a little sad. Sad because in them, I saw so much anger and discontent; so much passion and confusion. It made me wonder if I was ever like them. Then I felt silly for reading so much into it. Of course I wrote poems just like these when I was 15. Of course they are filled with teen angst...they're teenagers and they're filled with upheaval. Yet there was something so profound about their expressions. I remember feeling with such intensity about people and things that wouldn't hold a candle to the people and trials of my future. Still... when you're a teenager you're so honest, so confused, so lost, so alone, and yet, you know everything. In these poems I saw so much anger, fear, such defensiveness. Already so many of these kids have built walls in ways that could be destructive to them. It surprised me how much pain I saw in these kids, but then I was reminded that you can't feel joy without pain so.... I guess they are on their way to extreme joy. I also found myself analyzing my own feelings. Why is it that we are so capable of such passionate emotions as teenagers and then so much more muted as adults? In a lot of respects, I have considered myself to be quite rational over the last 5 years or so. I don't feel like I am particularly moody, or emotional, or sensitive. This is, in part, because I was single. It's easy to maintain one emotion when you aren't actively involved in a relationship. Xiana was too young to really push my buttons, and I was lost in the void of motherhood, incapable of seeing anything beyond my own frantic circle of "new mommy." But now, suddenly, I am emotionally tied to her and she can make me want to simultaneously scream and laugh. Likewise, since I have been dating Brian, I suddenly find myself feeling and expressing so many things I thought I had left by the wayside. Jealousy, insecurity, anxiety, joy, peace, happiness, passion, excitement. So the adult me and the teenager me are really not so different at the root. It's just that the adult me is better disciplined and more equipped at keeping raw emotions at bay. Also, with more wisdom comes the ability to discern and then articulate what I am feeling making me more able to get to the source of most emotions and then deal, clarify, or validate them. I will admit, however, that I'm still a sucker for writing a haunting, dramatic, narcissistic poem when the mood strikes me right. I guess I'll settle for a brooding blog instead :)

FHE.... and cold weather

For FHE last week Brian did the cutest lesson. I would steal it if it hadn't already been done for Xiana. He made a prayer book for her. It starts with a page that says "my prayer is" and then he put a picture of her on the cover. Then he printed out pics of family, friends, the prophet, Jesus, temple, the scriptures, items she's thankful for, etc. Next he cut them out and on some pages wrote, "I thank thee for:" and other pages, "I ask thee for:" He glued the pictures to the appropriate pages and then put "in the name of" (Picture of Jesus) "amen." Next he had each of us write a page or so about memories we have of Xiana's prayers and of our own special experiences with prayer. We read them aloud and they were touching. It was really special to learn more about my parents and their perspective of myself and Xiana. Then Brian glued each of our pages to construction paper to make a book. It was really neat. Xiana will treasure that book as she gets older and gets to see the special messages it contains.
A few weeks ago we went to the park and this is how bundled we had to be....
This week it DUMPED snow... more on that later!

We came home to cousins!!

While we were in Vegas, my brother and his family and my aunt all came to my parent's for the holidays. I was bummed that I was going to miss them but.... they were still here when we got back! Xiana couldn't have been a happier little girl to go from playing with Brian's nieces and nephews to mine! She loves Eva so much and followed her around the whole time they were here.
She also loves Jared a lot. Despite the fact that they are a year apart... he is bigger than her. That is not so surprising I guess.
The Frey kids LOVE to read! They will sit for books for hours and hours. When Xiana was one she had a short attention span and I was worried because all the examples of toddlers in my life have had such an adoration for reading. I thought that she had missed the gene... I was just being silly I know now. She loves to read with the best of them these days!

Stratosphere

Several months, yes months, before our trip I told Brian that for my 30th birthday I wanted to go on the Stratoshpere rides. I have been on them several times before, but since I got pregnant had not gone on a single ride (unless of course you count the kiddie rides at the carnival that I finagled my way onto for free as Xiana's escort) and I was fiending for a thrill. I absolutely adore roller coasters, rides, anything that makes your stomach do little flips. So... he said, "sure" maybe he even said, "of course." I don't really remember what his exact words were, only I know that he was supportive of my plans. Then, a few weeks before our trip, he went to Vegas for the weekend and when he returned he explained to me that I had somehow failed to mention that these rides were 100 stories up. I don't know how that could have slipped my mind, but I also don't know how he could possibly not know about the Stratosphere... he is from Nevada after all. I know people who think it is a compass that EVERYONE uses for directions. At any rate, he wasn't quite so pleased once he got all the details. Nevertheless, he agreed to take me on the rides. So...after much pleading, persuading, cajoling, and finally snapping, we went to the Stratosphere. For those of you who don't know what these rides entail... here are some descriptions...

The Big Shot

The Thrill Ride that Touches the Sky! Strap in to the Big Shot and prepare to be shot 160 feet in the air at 45 miles per hour as you overlook the majestic Las Vegas Valley. In a matter of seconds, the Big Shot thrill ride catapults 16 riders from the 921-foot high platform up the Tower's mast to a height of 1,081 feet and down again. Before you catch your breath, you'll be shot back up again! Experience a gut-wrenching four 'G's of force on the way up, and feel negative 'G's on the way down as your legs dangle in the Las Vegas skyline.

I Scream, You Scream, We all Scream on X-Scream!

Ever played on a giant teeter-totter, 866 feet above the ground? With the X-Scream, you can! With a space age, yet simplistic design resembling a massive teeter-totter unlike anything you've ever seen, the X-Scream will propel you and several other riders head-first, 27 feet over the edge of the Stratosphere Tower. Try not to scream when you go over the edge - you don't want to scare the other riders! After being shot over the edge, you'll dangle weightlessly above the Las Vegas Strip before being pulled back and propelled over again for more.

Three 'G's of Pure Insanity! Insanity the Ride is a truly mind-bending experience! A massive mechanical arm extending out 64 feet over the edge of the Stratosphere Tower at a height of over 900 feet, Insanity will spin you and several other passengers in the open air at speeds of up to three 'G's. You'll be propelled up to an angle of 70 degrees, which will tilt your body into one position - facing straight down! If you're brave enough to keep your eyes open you'll be rewarded with a breathtaking view of historic downtown Las Vegas. Experience Insanity and walk away to tell the tale!

His sister is brave like me and she willingly, I dare say enthusiastically went along.
Here is the view from the window at the top of the tower. Brian has an uncle who got out of the elevators and then ran, oops, I mean crawled back into the elevators immediately. Brian kept teasing me that he was going to do the same. But...
he made it!! He doesn't look too scared either does he? He claims he was, but he seemed to be having such a great time I think he was just joking about the fear of heights thing, right babe?!
Double thumbs up ready to go.
I could not persuade him to go on the swings, but his sister went. Truth be told, I knew that he wouldn't go on that particular ride because it spins in circles which I know he can't stand, so I let him off the hook of that ride very early on.
The other rides, however, I insisted on... and he liked them. In fact, I heard him say more than once, "that wasn't bad." Okay, so that might not be a shining recommendation, but it sure beats the alternative. I, on the other hand, thoroughly enjoyed myself and am so happy that I got to go on the stratoshpere for my 30th birthday. Maybe for my 40th I can jump out of a plane.....

Thanksgiving!!!

Thanksgiving morning: the house was bustling with busy hands cooking, prepping, baking. There is an Andersen family tradition to have scones with ham and cheese on Thanksgiving morning. I have to admit, I initially scoffed at this plan. Why on earth would you want to have such a fabulous breakfast on a day that you are going to be eating forever? Why? Because it is ah-mazing. Seriously, this is a tradition I can get behind. They were delicious. And I am happy to report that the Andersens, like the Freys, call fried bread scones, unlike the traditional-what-people-really-call-scones-scones. I love it! At any rate, whilst all these hands were busily preparing food, what were my hands doing? They were heading up to the mountains to go four-wheeling. *gasp* I know, pretty rotten of us to desert the women folk and head for the hills, but believe me when I say they were better off leaving my contribution with clean up rather than cooking. Brian's cousin was so kind as to invite us to go ride his four-wheelers and get the kids out of the way for a bit. So we went out where the sheep hunt had been taking place for the earlier part of the week. It. was. beautiful. Living in Vegas it's easy to forget that there is gorgeous scenery on the outskirts of town in every direction. The city is so cluttered that it's hard to imagine these empty hills and mountains. This was the beast that we got to ride in. Please notice that Xiana's car seat is attached into the back seat. That is a serious mountain climbing monster spacious enough for the whole fam!
Ready to go!
Brian's cousin and his twin boys on either side of him. Did I mention this was a blast?!
Xiana woke up pretty cranky (I think from all the over stimulation and lack of sleep) and as soon as we got on the bumpy roads, she followed her normal motif and fell asleep. I don't know how she does it with her head bouncing around all over the place, but it seems like every time we go off the main roads, she falls asleep.
We got out and hiked around and got to see the "blood rock." I think I'm gonna stick with the "don't as don't tell" policy on that one.
Xiana got to drive and it's a good thing because we were out in the mountains. She always assures me that "only mommy drive on street, but nana and brian drive in mountains." Right she is.
I wish their faces weren't shadowed because I love this shot!
Meanwhile, back at the ranch... The girls really did outdo themselves. There was enough food to feed an army! Everything was delicious.
I felt a little guilty not helping and then eating away, but like I said, I adamantly insisted on being the clean-up crew which helped assuage my guilt.
Xiana is giving Brian kisses and Ali is taking a little Thanksgiving nap.
This was a great day. The food, company, setting, and feelings were perfect. I am thankful for family and friends who mean the world!

Brio's babies and butterfinger

I got to meet Tiffany's newest little babe, Hudson, right before I moved to Sparks. Boy has he grown. I was so grateful to get the chance to run around my old stomping ground and eat at Brio's (the most delicious meal ever) and hang with the fam. Tiffany wears motherhood like no one I've ever seen before. As a boss, love her, she was particularly, how do I say? OCD?! As a mother, she is calm and happy and peaceful, and wears an air of competence and loving authority that is surprisingly wonderful! It is so fun to see the transition in people as they try on new hats, particularly the hat of parenthood.
We had a casual photo shoot on the patio.... Danny said I looked like a New York mom... Cool!
Steven got me this hat and gloves for my birthday and then managed to sneak away from work/school to surprise me for dinner (this trip sure was filled with surprises). He must have gotten the "grey and black shirt" memo that Danny received because the hat matched perfectly and can be considered my new favorite accessory!
Wendy got baby time! She turned her head for a split second and Hudson managed to wreak havoc on the table. Babies are so fast!!

Despite their significant age difference... Xiana and Hudson are roughly the same size! They were so cute playing together.
No trip to Town Square would be complete without a visit to Yogurtland (Brian and I went also so I got my fix twice!). Danny introduced me to this heaven on earth and I subsequently introduced everyone I know... I believe it is a legacy I left behind! Then we convinced a security guard to take a picture of all of us. It was beautiful at town square. It made me a little sentimental. Actually, all of Vegas did. As soon as Brian and Jenn picked me up from the airport I found my heat strings being pulled in a way that I had not anticipated. Vegas was our home. My life changed there. Xiana's life began there. It was emotional to revisit the places and people we spent so much of our lives and went through such huge transitions with. It was a wonderful, overwhelming trip. Still, I'm happy to report, at the end of it all, I was extremely grateful to be heading back to my home in Sparks, despite the COLD, where I feel confident I belong. And where I am HAPPY to be!

Play time

So whilst we were in Vegas, we stayed with Brian's brother and sister-in-law who were the BEST hosts you can possibly imagine. They went all out to insure our comfort.... along with Brian's parents, two brothers, niece, sister, and all the various family members that came over to visit/eat. I was impressed. It was a daunting task to say the very least, but Jenn just whipped up food morning and night and made it look easy. They have a son who is about a year older than Xiana and they are so much alike. They alternated between having the time of their lives and being evil little monsters. They are both feisty, passionate, and possessive resulting in many real and proverbial tug-of-wars. They are also both kind, loving, and energetic resulting in many fun and wildly imaginative games. Here they are right after church while they are still playing very nicely together.
The boys went hunting at roughly 3:30 am every day leaving Jenn and I to our own devices. Being somewhat experienced in the world of kids cooped at home= disaster, she planned some fun activities. One morning we took the kids to a place called pump it up where they got to run around, jump, scream and yell like hooligans. It was perfect. My good friend Morgan met us there with her boys and ALL of the kids insisted that I participate in the jumping fun. And they were right, I would have surely missed out had I not jumped inside these apparatuses with the chillens.
They had a big slide and a little slide. Thank goodness because Xiana needed assistance on the big slide and would have demanded repeats had it not been for the little slide.
This bounce house had hoops and balls which were prize possessions. There were a lot of boys and they had to often be reminded about taking turns and leaving the balls in this particular house. It's funny how different boys are than girls when it comes to some things, but how similar they are when it comes to others.
Big slide.... so fun!
Xiana has so missed her good friends Spencer and Henry and apparently, the feelings are mutual!
The next night we went to CiCi's for a birthday party for Brian's grandmother and roughly 30 of their relatives (I swear I am not exaggerating!) It was a lot of fun, but also quite daunting (I'm not gonna lie). It's neat that he has so much family. I have my immediate family, but my extended family is roughly 1/10 the size of his so it was a new experience. I got to meet aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, etc. It was really nice and everyone was exceptionally kind. One aunt asked me, "now whose girlfriend are you again?" and I teasingly replied, "I thought they were all married." (There are six boys in Brian's family so you can see where the mix up is.) Anyway, there was an arcade there and it never ceases to amaze me how much Xiana absorbs. Granted, there was a great deal of hunting talk as this trip was designed for a hunt, but still! She walked into the arcade and saw the hunting game and said, "I wanna shoot the animals." Brian would have been so proud:)
She then proceeded to take the gun down and start foraging for food (at least that's what I keep telling myself:)

Birthdays

My birthday all began with dinner in Sparks with my peeps. I know that it is highly uncharacteristic of me to not take a picture, but alas, I managed to leave Genghis Grill without a single photo. Fortunately, before I left I took a picture because I got my hair did. I know, that is also uncharacteristic of me, but Brian so kindly got me an appointment with his sister-in-law to get highlights and a cut. She is fantastic! Anyway, these pre-dinner photos will have to be proof that I did, in fact, have a birthday dinner in Sparks. It was delicious!
Doesn't my hair look fabulous? And isn't it funny how you are allowed to brag about your appearance when someone else is responsible for it? If I did my own hair, it would be totally inappropriate for me to ask that question. Okay, so as usual I digress.
On my actual birthday we flew in to Vegas and we were only delayed about an hour. That is a miracle considering the fact that there was a major wind and snow storm the entire day. As I was teaching and listening to the wind whistle outside the window, I had flashbacks of my childhood and began to remember why I had always hated having a November birthday. I suddenly remembered missed parties, cancelled plans, and snow obstructions to my good times. This might explain a lot about the way that I am...
Wendy flew Danny out for my party and boy was I surprised!!! It took me completely off guard and was so thoughtful of them both.
Man I miss my friends. I wish that you could all just pick up and move to Reno and be in my ward!

Brian braved the crowds and accompanied me to my party. There were a lot of people there... a lot! He managed to meet some important peeps to me. It means so much... All my friends in Vegas were extraordinarily influential on me and my re-activity in the church and the birth/life of my child. I really wanted them to meet the love of my life and vice versa... so thanks!
Delicious cream cheese costco cake that I ate for the rest of the week! All the food was extraordinary compliments to my old personal chef!
Xiana was thrilled to see her friends too! It was pretty much mass chaos... just like I like it!
And then the after party.... :)

Ode to 30

Oh 30, how I embrace thee,
For I know the joys that 30's can bring,
No longer an age where you are cast aside,
But rather a time for a roller coaster ride.
Some find you daunting and severe,
I welcome your presence and do not fear.
Alive and alert, vibrant and young,
You're not even close to 41!
So farewell to my twenties,
An age of the past,
Hello to my thirties,
How I hope you will last.
No limit to the excitement we'll share,
My enthusiasm cannot be compared.

No doubt there'll be heartaches,
Though I wish it not so,
But with struggles comes strength,
So I'm certain I'll grow.

For the next 10 years, you'll be by my side,
Rooting me on when disappointments reside.
I'm grateful to you and the time that you give,
Because one thing is for certain......
It sure beats the alternative!

Temple

Tonight for family home evening my parents and Brian and I took Xiana to the temple. While en route my dad asked Xiana who's house the temple was. Without hesitation she responded, "Jesus." She is so remarkable. She understands and recognizes so much. It was heart-warming!

Really tired

Yesterday on our way home from church it had gotten really quiet in the backseat. I turned around to find this:
That's beef jerky in her mouth if you couldn't tell. :)

Fall is here!

Xiana has officially been initiated into the world of fall. She raked the leaves...
Threw the leaves....
jumped in the leaves...
And fell down in the leaves.
Later she discovered that it sometimes rains leaves.
She had so much fun playing and is really starting to get her colors down thanks to the changing leaves!

Funny Xiana-isms

• One morning I asked Xiana if she wanted oatmeal, cereal, or eggs for breakfast. She promptly replied, "ice cream."
• Last Sunday I wore a belt (not for functionality, but for appearance) She said, "mommy what's that? You buckled?"
• Lately everything is "I do it myself" particularly getting in and out of her car seat which is somewhat frustrating, but she's gotta assert her independence right?
• One night while she was praying before bed: "thank you for soft hair." Where does she come up with these?!
• Because we went trick-or-treating for several days in a row, it was a real challenge to convince her that we couldn't just run out for candy every time it got dark. At dinner she was asking to go and I was again explaining that Halloween only happens once a year. My dad said, "yeah, that's the rules," and she yelled, "no grandpa, no rules!"
• My dad was teasing about something or other and said that Dr. Frey's recommendation was... to which she responded, "hey, you no doctor!"
• When Bobby was over for dinner I asked if she was pooping and she said, "no mommy, I just farting."
• She insists on telling everyone, very specifically, "you sit right here." She dictates all day long who sits where.
• Roughly 50 times one night she threw her fork behind the corner and said, "where fork go?" After retrieving it she said, "here it is, right here." She later hid herself behind the corner and asked, "where nana go?" She is getting to be quite the little hide-and-seeker, particularly since she can now count to 20.
• She loves Sesame Street and Elmo's world and often throughout the day can be heard singing, "la la la la la la la la Elmo's world." My mom says on the days she watches her, the first thing she says is "Elmo?"
  
• We went to Kacie's for dinner and when we got out of the car the street lights were on. She pointed up at them and said, "Kacie turn light on for me."
• She has been particularly tender with her babies lately making them beds, changing their diapers, hushing everyone around because "baby's sleeping." For some reason she really loves to use cloths and wipes as little blankets and pillows. She will carry her dolls from one room to the next making them beds everywhere she goes. She gives them showers and baths and reads them books and sings them songs. She is so gentle and kind and it is so wonderful to see because it reassures me that she is modeling my own tenderness towards her. I know that I'm not perfect and I lose my temper way too often, but I am grateful to see that she is becoming a sensitive and nurturing little girl.
• On the opposite spectrum, one day she threw her mouse in time out yelling, "time out mouse!" Kacie asked, "is that how mommy does it?" and she said, "yes." disclaimer: I'm positive that I have NEVER thrown her in time out :)
• One day I was watching So You Think You Can Dance while she played. Note-to-self: do not watch this or any show while Xiana is in the room. At first it was quite cute when she looked up as they were spinning in circles and said, "hey, I can do that too," as she spun around the room. Later it was not so cute when she said, "she's naked!" I told her that she was right and that girl should put some clothes on. Then I turned on Sesame Street. Modesty is tricky enough without parading dancers in front of her. She is extraordinarily sensitive to TV and movies anyway. I rarely (like once a month maybe) watch anything when she is in the room because she is so perceptive to what is taking place. I think it's because she's so social and she is personally invested in discovering the emotions of everyone around her. Months ago Garrett and I were watching a movie and she came in from playing outside with grandpa just as there was a shooting scene. She jumped on my lap crying, "mean! guys mean!" The other night I was telling my friend that very story while Xiana played with her daughter. Grey's Anatomy was on and as I was relating this incident, one of the characters flat lined and they tried to resuscitate her. Xiana again jumped on my lap and began crying saying, "what happened girl? why crying?" So we turned it off. She is a good influence on me:)
  
• At nursery today one of her friends was fighting with a boy over a toy and the boy was able to get the toy from her friend so Xiana went straight over to him and pulled his hair. Now, I am not condoning bad behavior, but she has to get some credit for sticking up for her friend and defending the underdog. There is something of me in that spirit. I remember as a child being outraged when injustices occured. My mom always tells a story of how my neighbor stole my big wheel so I dragged a baseball bat that was bigger than me down the street to recover it. Also, I remember giving one of my older brother's friends a bloody nose for making fun of my bro at his birthday party. Like Xiana, I noticed all the people around me, and I always wanted things to be fair. At a young age I had an acute awareness of the inequities in life. I vivdly remember seeing an old homeless man walking down the street with a shopping cart. I couldn't have been more than five, but I remember feeling such compassion for him. I wanted to rush out and scream at the world to stop and look and see that this man was suffering. I didn't understand why he was walking by himself when he was so old and frail. It's interesting to think about that now because as we get older we get so desensitized to those around us. I'm thankful that Xiana is able to help remind me to be compassionate, and sensitive, and aware.
  
• She plays with her kitchen and her dishes a lot since her birthday and is constantly making food for everyone to eat and cooking things that come out "hot" so we have to blow on them. Make believe cooking is alive and well in her. The other day she emerged from grandma and grandpa's room with a bowl full of leaves from their plant. She got a spoon and mixed it explaining to us that she was "making mine salad." She later cooked her salad and dispersed it onto separate plates for everyone.
• When we were shopping with my shopaholic friend Kacie I told her that she was rubbing off on me as I was spending a fortune. "Usually I'm so good," I said, "but lately I've been a sucker." Xiana quickly stated, "I a sucker too mommy."
  

Disney on Ice

If you ever have the opportunity to go to Disney on Ice, take it! It is a spectacular show with amazing stages, props, costumes, and skating. It is incredibly interactive and fun for literally all ages. Here is Aladdin and Abu when he is an elephant.
The magic carpet which genuinely flew around the ice rink.
The three fairies from Sleeping Beauty
The underwater world from The Little Mermaid
Ursula.... there were actually two different Ursulas. The first was much smaller. Her second entrance is way scarier and more dramatic.
The seven dwarfs were adorable and perfect!
The resolution of the first 4 fairy tales
Beauty and the Beast--Belle came to the library and read for story time. My mom took Xiana while I was a school and it was a zoo. My mom got separated from Xiana and watched as she climbed onto a woman's lap. She was a complete stranger, but Xiana just made herself at home. It was a good thing too because it was a while before my mom could get back to her. Xiana is certainly not shy. The poor woman probably thought she was abandoned :)
Xiana screamed and clapped and yelled for Mickey and Minnie... she definitely knew who they were.
The Tolmans--this was Kate's idea and I'm so glad she included us in it because it was wonderful!
Xiana got (had) to dress up as a princess. She talked about it all day. When I put on her pants and shirt in the morning she threw a fit insisting that she wear a "princess dress." It took some persuasion to convince her that we would put it on before we went to the show.
The girls looked so cute and had such a fabulous time.
The evil stepmother and stepsisters
The mice from Cinderella. For some reason Cinderella was the featured act. The entire second half of the production was solely Cinderella. This got me thinking about whether that was because it was a fan favorite or if it was the easiest to stage or what. I feel like kids like Ariel and Belle the best these days, but I don't know. I know this was the first time Xiana had seen Cinderella and today when I put a pull up on her with princesses she pointed at it and said, "Cinderella." And she was right. We sure do start these little sponges young.


The grand finale had the best costumes of all with every couple adorned in their intricate ball gowns. It was breathtaking. It made me want to grow up to be a princess.
After the show the kids danced around for a while. It was darling. I'm pretty sure we were the very last people to leave Lawler and it was way past bedtime, but they were having too much fun to break up.
Kate asked Charlie if he was going to marry Xiana and he said yes... so it's settled.
They really do love each other. He is so kind to always look out for her and make sure that she's taken care of. She asks for Charlie every day.

MO's Shower

So my good friend Morre is having a baby and I was talking with Nixie on the phone regarding the planning, location, etc for her shower. I said, "why not have it at my parent's house?" This without first okaying it with my parents. But they're good sports and they agreed. So... all I had to do was clean the house. Stacie and Nixie came in like a whirlwind of blue decorating, cooking, and setting up the place. It was really a fun shower. There is such a difference between a nonmember shower verses member showers (and I'm not just talking about the coffee that they had to go on a run for because we *gasp* don't have a coffee maker). When non member's throw showers they go all out. Babies are not a regular, everyday occurrence. Instead, this is a once in a lifetime (and I do mean once) opportunity. Most of the people in attendance are only children and most, likewise, only plan on having one baby. This is a stark contrast to the herds of kids Mormons intend to have, and do have on a regular basis. As a result, I think Mormon moms sometimes get the short end of the stick where showers are concerned. Disclaimer--this is a generalization and in no way meant to step on any toes of Mormon baby shower planners... I know there are great ones out there! At any rate, the party went off without a hitch and Morre was blessed with ALL kinds of crazy contraptions and gifts. Additionally it was WONDERFUL to see my old friend whom I "haven't seen since Vietnam." Nixie brought all kinds of pictures from the past and we laughed until we cried as we rehashed old war stories and watched as our daughters played with each other. I miss her. She is such a huge part of me. We were best friends and roommates for 7 very formative years. Sometimes it's hard to grow up and move away from all of our old friends, but I am thankful to live in a world where travel is still relatively easy and I get to see my peeps from time to time. Xiana fit right in with her blue shirt!
There was something of a cake fiasco at the very last minute so this nothing bundt cake was a party saver. Plus, it was scrumptious!
Morre is such a stylish little mommy-to-be and honored her little boy by wearing blue.
All grown up..... sort of :)
Meka and Xiana had a blast playing together. The line of the night was this: Nixie: "Meka, stop jumping around the baby. You're a tree and she's a plant!" Gotta love Nixie! Mind you, there is only one year age difference between the two!

Halloween on and on and on and on

In the land of Lenaya, holidays last for a long time. Generally speaking, I plan numerous parties/ events/ activities for every birthday and holiday. As a result, I think my poor daughter is quite confused about how holidays work in this world. For Halloween we went trunk or treating on Thursday. Then, on Friday we went to a birthday/costume party. Here she is with her little friend on the swings... I know, you don't even have to say it. They. are. so. cute!
Here's the whole crew at the bday bash that was a ton of fun. The days of having kids over to open presents and eat cake are over for my generation. It is not sufficient to send the kids out to entertain themselves as it was in years gone by. No, instead you must plan several activities, games, and refreshments. I'm telling you. It's enough to subscribe to my sister's school of thought: parties every other year, and only after the age of 6! But once again, I digress. There was ring toss, face painting, bounce house, trampoline, donuts on strings, gummy worms in whipped cream, and cake. Needless to say Xiana had a blast.
Mackenzie is one of Xiana's favorite friends. Xiana asks for her all the time. It's funny because her sister is exactly the same age as Xiana (and they play together nicely too) but Xiana has deemed herself the pal of the older sister. It probably has something to do with the fact that she has taken to telling everyone that she is five. If you argue with her she gets mad and insists that she is, indeed, five.
Later that night we went to another trunk or treat at the church. There were all kinds of games like bowling and fishing and she got to make a jack-o-lantern face too.
She ran around with her friends in the ward (please notice the age of the girls she flocks to... :)
I was a gypsy... Kate was a belly dancer, but if you ask me, we are kindred Gypsy sisters.
It's a little dark so you can't see this costume as well as I wished. It might be the cutest witch costume I have ever seen!
This picture is taken right after a necklace altercation was averted.
And then on Saturday we woke up and... surprise! more parties and more trick-or-treating! So we went to Alicia's house for another Halloween party. Here are the girls in Tristin's Tinkerbell room which is darling. I am jealous for Xiana!
They got to make their own personal pizzas which Xiana took great care in doing. Additionally, she ate every last bite of her creation which was encouraging to me after and before the gobs and gobs of candy.
These pumpkins blow bubbles. Xiana pondered that for a moment.
Then we went Trick-or-treating in and old neighborhood in Reno that goes all out for the decorations. It was great. Xiana kept asking me, "scary house or nice house?" But she wasn't at all intimidated by the spooky arrangements. Perhaps that has something to do with the fact that I carried her 85 percent of the night.
I think this house was my favorite of the night. They had an entire cemetery and numerous ghosts and giant monsters. It was awesome!
Here are the Flinstones. I was surprised to find out the many kids did not know who the Flinstones were. I also saw a young boy dressed as Freddy Crougar. Xiana asked, "what's that?" And I said, "it's a scary guy from a movie that most kids don't know about anymore and probably wouldn't find scary if they did." "Oh" she replied. The parents of the kid were within earshot and they laughed.
Then we came back to our neck of the woods and continued trick-or-treating with Kate and Nikki until most lights were turned off.
My dad joined us too and was delighted to see his fearless granddaughter march up the steps, knock on the door and exclaim, "trick or treat" and "thank you" I was pretty tired when we got home and Xiana was pretty wound up, but all in all I would say this was a very successful Halloween. She even got a wonderful book and some money and toys. What a fun holiday. The next day it took some serious convincing on my part that we could not go trick-or-treating again until next year.

Pumpkin Patch

I've never been to the pumpkin patch before so when a friend of mine invited me I enthusiastically agreed. We were going to meet there, but then it got cold. really cold. snowing cold. And she has a baby who had just been sick so she decided to be prudent and cancel. However, I was gung ho (plus I had already promised Xiana repeatedly) so I went. And it was closed. So I called my other friend and woke her up and made her look on her computer to direct me to another pumpkin patch. Which we found after about 30 minutes of driving (okay napping for Xiana so it was fine, but still). Then we braved the snow flurries and bought some tickets (none of which we used because apparently it was too cold for the helping hands and nobody was collecting tickets for anything, but I digress). It was really quite fun. There was a petting zoo. Xiana was excited to see the ducks and cows (and actually told me later in the week "two cows eat pumpkin" which was absolutely true) but she was intimidated by actually petting in the petting zoo. Instead she wanted to look from the safe distance of my arms while I pet the animals. Although I can't say I completely blame her because the goat was getting awfully fresh for just meeting us. I tried to explain to her that he was just kissing when he licked, but as I was speaking he was attempting to eat my belt. So... I held her and exclaimed over how neat all the animals were (especially the little pig, but he was gross dirty so I'm glad she didn't want to touch him).
She got to ride the train which was pretty cool according to my 2-year-old. There were also a ton of bounce houses that we spent the majority of our time on.
And I made her pose in the corn maze that wasn't entirely complicated. In fact, it more or less resembled a square with corn. It's a good thing they weren't collecting tickets because I would have been sorely disappointed if I had paid 5 tickets for that poor excuse for a maze. Still, they didn't so I wasn't disappointed in the least.
Here she is picking up pumpkins. I told her they were too heavy to carry around and we would get back to them. This will become more comical in just a moment.
Yeah, they're pretty much as big as she is...great photo op though.
She got to ride a pony for about 2.5 seconds before she said, "I off pony." Again, what relief that it didn't cost me the 3 bucks it was advertised as.
After we left we met up with Kacie for lunch and u-swirl (which is kind of a yogurtland knock off that isn't quite as good, but it will suffice for lack of the true yogurtland) which just so happened to be right across the street from this pumpkin patch that was in Egypt. So it was perfect. We got in the car and drove to Q Doba and Xiana said, "hey... my pumpkin." At which time I realized that I had taken her all the way across town to the pumpkin patch and had left pumpkin-less. Silly me. So, we ate frozen yogurt and then my friend who I was originally supposed to go with called to let me know that she was now coming to this pumpkin patch so... we went back. And her husband pulled the kids around in a pumpkin cart which they thought was pretty exciting.
And we gave her our 10 unused tickets (which I forgot to ask if she used), and we got a pumpkin and went home utterly satisfied with ourselves for our first and very successful trip to the pumpkin patch. What fun!