A whole bunch of firsts...

We have been very busy these last two weeks.

First Braids
First Carriage Ride
First Sleepover
First Boat Ride
First Car
First Day of School
First Day of Ballet
First Trip to the Dentist
First Clubhouse
First Camping Trip

My First attempt at french braids

Tatum's First Carriage Ride
(Market Night)
Tatum thought that Cinderella's Carriage was the best thing in the world, the carriage driver kept calling her Cinderella and even gave her a glass(plastic) slipper!

Tatum's First Sleepover

We went to Vegas this past weekend(Sep 26-28) to hang out with some close friends. It seriously was so nice to get together and pick up just where we left off, except for the fact that our one year olds are now almost three and they each have a little brother.The girls really hit it off, it was like they really remembered each other (there's nothing a little brainwashing and constantly stalking their blog to convince a toddler who her best friend is). Anyway, when we first drove into town and met them at CAFE RIO (yes--Vegas now has two) they ran and hugged each other and were attached the rest of the weekend.

Beckett and Lincoln
First Boat Ride
On Saturday while in Vegas we met up with Paul, Denise and their kids Riley, Taya, Milan & Drake and headed out on their boat to Lake Mead. It was so much fun! Tatum loved it and she even went tubing behind the boat. Ben knee-boarded and attempted a wake board, I also ATTEMPTED a wake-board but couldn't get up. It was pretty frustrating all those years spent on Canyon Lake and I lost my skills. We spent most the day out on the lake, it was so nice to be able to catch up with Paul and family, we can't wait to get back to Vegas to visit everyone!

Tatum's First Car
One of Ben's coworkers was getting rid of this, so Ben grabbed it for $25!
Tatum loved it until she rammed into the trampoline, she hasn't got on it since. This little car packs quite the punch!

Thanks daddy for my new car!

First Day of School
Thursday Oct 2 Tatum started Pre-school. It is such a great program it is Parent Participation Pre-school so I am required to be there one out of the two days she attends per week, but for now I am attending both days. She will go Tue and Thur and when she turns 4 she can switch to the M W F class. I have been on a waiting list and someone dropped so we feel very lucky to have gotten in. She loves it so far! She loves the kids and has told me repeatedly since yesterday "I go to school! I go to school!"

Lincoln will be hanging out with GoGo while we are at school--but he sure loves his Tatum and misses her when she is away!

First Day of Ballet
It was actually kind of a disaster. Tatum missed her nap after pre-school and was just strung out by the time ballet was to start. She is pretty excited to do ballet like June (from Little Einsteins). She looks so sweet in her little outfit and she loves her ballet shoes. Next week we will plan better for her nap.

First Trip to the Dentist
Who gets excited to go to the dentist? Only Tatum would. She let the assistant take X-rays and polish her teeth. Uncle Terry even got a good look. She got to pick two prizes from the treasure box.

First Clubhouse
My parents bought a playhouse to be assembled for their back yard. Ben spent 8 hours one Saturday a couple weeks back constructing it and it is one of Tatum's favorite places to play.

Tatum's First Camping Trip
(scroll over the pictures for captions)

More proof that I am CRAZY and...

... I am taking those down around me!

So this past week my mom, the kids and I ate at the mosh-pit of consumerism (McDonald's) and we ordered Tatum a Happy Meal the price of the meal $1.49 (it was a special) anyway my mom and I thought for the price and portion control we would order one as well. The toy we found in the Happy Meal -Madame Alexander dolls. http://www.happymeal.com/en_US/index.html# Now I received these dolls from my mom and grandma on special occasions like birthdays, baptism, holidays, graduations, I even received one on my wedding. http://www.madamealexander.com/# Well McDonald's has 12 different characters from the Wizard of Oz and we have enlisted others in our crazy doll-hunt to ensure Tatum has the full set (for which she doesn't really seem to care).
Here is the rundown:

Lunch with mom:

Dorothy
Lullaby Munchkin
Wizard
Blue Flying Monkey

On the way home we stopped at two more McD's:
Scarecrow
Lollipop Munchin

Called my brothers(Utah) and Aunt Janet(Ione):

Trevor:
Tin Man
Flower Munchkin

Tyler:
Wicked Witch
Lion
Guard

SO I STILL NEED:

Glinda the Good Witch



Please help me!

Wicked Countdown

I am so excited to go see Wicked! I read this book a few years back and it is at the LA Pantages Theatre right now. Ben and I have tickets for October 25 , I can't wait!

Looks great doesn't it?

http://www.wickedthemusical.com/

Lincoln is 9 months old!

My little man is 9 months old--I am always so amazed at how quickly the time goes. He is just the sweetest little boy, he is definitely a mama's boy and I am not complaining one bit. He is all smiles most of the time and is such a snuggler. He only fusses when hungry, but who doesn't. He brings so much joy and love to our family and I can't imagine a day without his sweet smile.

Does it get any better(or cuter) than this?

Two of my favorite guys!

Poop Prize

Yes--that is what is says. For the longest time we couldn't get Tatum to go #2 on the potty, so what is a desperate parent to do--Bribe them! Everytime Tatum went #2 on the potty she received a poop prize. Now, at the beginning she was receiving little dollar store prizes or fruit snacks, but now that she is telling us and it is a common thing she is just receiving stickers (the prizes were getting a little out of hand). We were out shopping the other day and she told Ben 'I have poopies' which means she needs to go, so they raced to the bathroom and she went. We were so proud because she told Ben and she went on a potty other than her own. So as shameless as we are we begin chanting 'potty power' and Tatum received a Tinkerbell lipgloss for the special occasion.

Well that same day Ben received his new phone and was pretty excited. He was showing Tatum some of the features on his new phone and Tatum exclaimed "Daddy has a poop prize!"

Way to go Ben.

Tatum's Poop Prize

Daddy's Poop Prize

Just can't get enough....

of the beach that is!

Over the last two weeks we made a few more trips to the beach. Gogo, myself and the kids went last week during the week for a couple of days (thanks to the Vines), and Tatum loving everything about the beach doesn't slow down enough to take her daily nap. She finally crashed on the drive home.
Now Lincoln can sleep anywhere and he was all smiles on the drive home and so happy to have our full attention.

The end of summer ward party took us back to the beach. We went to Huntington State Beach, ate saltwater corn and watermelon and enjoyed the most beautiful day. I took these next couple of pictures on our drive there and I think they chronicle everyone's feelings about the beach PERFECTLY!

Tatum
Thrilled as always

Lincoln
Happy as always,
but indifferent as far as the beach is concerned

Ben
Not a beach lover
but he loved the seasalt corn

Tricia
Can't wait to get there

Tatum and friends

This is what makes them both most happy!
Don't worry he is dripping in SPF

A few words from Ben...

A list of reasons why you should watch what you say (when you work with lunatics)

The other day at work, I was in my cube working my butt off (as usual). Those that know me well know two things about me: I work hard and I never joke around. I have applied these two principals in my current work environment. While working on this day, I overheard a co-worker (who, by the way, is a grandmother that sits in the cube across mine) eating an, apparently, delicious orange. The reason why I say that I 'heard' her eating an orange is because she was extremely vocal about how good it tastes by exclaiming, "Mmmmmm, yummy!" Without prior thought, I shouted back, "Frannie, quit looking in my cube and making comments like that--it is sexual harrassment!" This was heard by everyone in my department who proceeded to call me Yum Yum all day long.

Wishing it to stop, I applied a principle that was once taught to me by my mom: The If-you-screw-up-on-a-haircut-then-go-to-school-and-pretend-that-it-is-cool-and-no-one-will-make-fun-of-you principle. (I believe this story is fairly well documented.) Well, that principle works fine in 9th grade but is a terrible tactic when you work with lunatics. Wishing it to stop, I went to the name badge desk and had them take a new name badge photo of me while I was holding up a sign that read "Yum Yum Bunker" in the general concept of a mug shot. My hope in applying mom's knowledge was that this teasing would cease when I pretended like it didn't even phase me. Mom, you never told be that this strategy would backfire when used against lunatics!
I left work that day and as soon as I shut the door, the entire recruitment team, lead by my manager, proceeded to make flyers and banners and signs with the Yum Yum Donut logo (there is a west coast donut shop called Yum Yum Donuts out here) and destroy my cube with the decorations. The VP of HR happened to roll by and catch them in the process. In a normal professional work environment, these actions would have been frowned upon and given a cease and desist notice--not the case when you work with lunatics. After she was done laughing histerically, she then directed Frannie to purchase Yum Yum Donuts for the entire HR department, put them near my cublicle and send an email to everyone to go get free donuts and Ben will give an explanation of why they are free.

Today, I have learned many things:
1. Everything that you learned in 9th grade is bullcrap.
2. No one has your back (my two assistants were ringleaders in the events).
3. It is impossible to tell the difference between friends and enemies until they show you which they are.
4. You cannot outwit a grandma (many more years of experience to draw from).
5. Never underestimate a lunatic.

http://www.yumyumdonuts.com/