Look Who's a Big Boy!

It was time. The all night sporadic crying, the "who knows what time it is" bedroom visits, the climbing out of bed while all is asleep so he could play with cars in the dark, had to end. Scott and I had no idea what to do to make things better for Watson. So, one day the thought occurred to me that moving him to a toddler bed might be the answer. Heck, things couldn't get worse, right? I think it was inspiration because from the first night Watson has happily gone to bed. He loves it! I've been shocked that the transition was this easy! Since the first night, he has had one or two rough moments. All in all, he has adjusted great, he even (thankfully) takes his nap every day. I'm amazed he is becoming such a big boy so fast. I suppose this is how things are suppose to work--it is so hard for me to let my baby grow up.

A Monkey, A Man with a Yellow Hat, A Scientist, and A What(?)

Halloween weekend was a whirlwind around here. Our neighborhood Trunk or Treat was Friday night. Watson played along by wearing this year's costume once Scott dressed up. I played along, as much as I could, with a wig, glasses and a lab coat. For all you PBS Curious George watchers out there--I was Professor Wiseman. Watson loved it so it worked for me. Scott's costume was a hit and everyone loved our little "George."  No one recognized Chandler. I think he liked being anonymous. He was so excited to get his costume in the mail-- a morph suit. No, I hadn't heard of it before either. Coupled with his very old karate suit he was a mystery to everyone.

Saturday we gathered at Chad and Amy's house for our annual pumpkin carving party. The kids dressed up and had a ball running around the yard and creating original pumpkin designs.

Monday afternoon Watson, Channa, Nicole and I made it to Chandler's school for the Halloween parade. I had mixed feelings about this being the last elementary parade for a few years... Our school visit was followed by a little Trick or Treating at my office. The ladies thought Watson was so cute and gave him more candy than I, I mean, he should eat in a lifetime. Later we got a little visit from two VERY fancy witches and got another little treat.

We ended the evening with more Trick or Treating in Challey's neighborhood. Watson was so excited to go door to door with Stratton and Paris. He made sure to wish everyone "Happy Halloween!" I didn't think he would remember the candy existed after our evening of fun ended. He proved me wrong by climbing up on a chair to reach the treats on top of the fridge at 6 am the next morning. He has a memory like an elephant. I may be in trouble...

Chandler's Baking

When Chandler was little he would help me bake a different treat almost every Sunday. As he's gotten older, he wants less to do with that. However, he got a baking bug last Sunday and, of course, I obliged. Scott and Watson took part in the fun too. We tried out a great sugar cookie recipe from Thanksgiving Point Emporium. It was fun for the boys to roll and cut out the dough. And, it was fun, mostly, to decorate each one. Watson got to handle sprinkles. I'm still finding those on the kitchen floor. I think I need more practice with these kinds of activities--it can only get more fun with more frequency, right?

A Little Race with a Great Friend

A year ago I started rediscovering running. Watson was one and I was ready to let my body and mind do more than think about mothering a baby. Scott has been extremely supportive of my hobby. One great friend has also been there with constant encouragement, Natalie. This summer we planned to do a little race together, Thanksgiving Point's Love Your Body 10K. This was fantastic. We had so much fun in this race for women. Nat and I chatted the whole time. It was fantastic and I can't wait to do it again next year--though I want to run faster!

Monsters, A Dragon, and other Halloween Shenanigans

We tried a new treat this Halloween. Cake pops seem to be all the rage so we thought we'd give it a shot. It was pretty fun to decorate each little personality packed pop. Chandler had some good ideas and Scott made a very cute mummy. These little guys were a hit at the outdoor family movie night.

This cute little dragon got to spend a little time with cousin Nicole at This is the Place Heritage Park. We did a little trick or treating, rode a big AND a mini train. Watson also made a little ghost to take home. He also bravely rode a pony. He was so excited for this treat he practically climbed the fence to get to it on his own. The petting zoo was so fun as he got a close up experience with pigs, goats, and sheep.  A good time was had by all.

Cornbelly's has become a tradition for our little family. Chandler had a blast on the bouncing pillows. Watson had a blast on the giant slides. Scott and Chandler did too. I think we spent most of our time at that activity. Chandler and I managed to get lost in the big corn maze, despite using the text clues. Scott and Watson rode the cow train and we rode the different bike contraptions until we were sore. We by passed most of the spooky stuff but had a great time until long after dark. We will definitely be back again next year!

One Last Hike

Cecret Lake. A fantastic spot to enjoy the quiet, throw lots of rocks, and plank. We got one more little hike in before the weather really turned cold. The walk was beautiful, the hike up the rocks was just the right amount of exertion, the time at the lake was perfect. Chandler got a little bit of time scaling huge rocks and we all got some great time together.

A New Place

I know there are a ton of places to explore with a two year old, right? Little by little, Watson and I are making our way to each one. We visited the Children's Discovery Museum at The Gateway downtown. I had never been there but was not disappointed. In fact, I regret not planning more than two hours for our visit. Watson loved, loved, loved the ball area. He tried out every sort of vehicle with wheels. He spent a second and a half in the big birdhouse. He loved the water feature and splashing around in the various levels. He even put a few veggies in his shopping basket at 'the store.' Next time we go we'll make sure to fit in a little craft project and more time to play in each fun area.

A Walk and Some Rocks

I really had no idea any boy, at any age, in any place, can be fully entertained if rocks and water are available. How did I never know this? We took advantage of a BEAUTIFUL Sunday afternoon by driving one last time to Snowbird. We love spending time hiking or walking or throwing rocks in the mountains. We are really lucky to live so close to so many fantastic places for these activities. Chandler was in heaven running around and exploring. Watson thought nothing could be better than tossing rocks into the stream we found.

Luckily, Chandler's great big brother instincts were sharp and he made sure Watson stayed dry.

Scott was so cute in insisting the photographer role. He crossed the stream to get a good shot and fell in a bit after.

These are truly the cutest boys I know. I'm sure I'm not biased in any way. I'm so grateful Chandler has a chance to be such a good brother to Watson and Watson gets to be Chandler's first little brother.

Family Fun Time

What happens when you load up four families camping stuff and head south east? You end up at the sweet man made, no motorized lake of The Palisade State Park. Sure, Scott's truck looked like "a man named Jed"'s, but the kids loved it all and we spent some great unplugged time together.

Instead of our annual Bear Lake adventure we headed to a quiet campground a little closer. Our campsite was great, especially after the "found" fire pit contraption worked for banana boats.
We kept ourselved busy with a treasure hunt, swimming in the beautiful lake, and eating good food. The two nights we camped, Scott and Chandler swam in the dark. They rigged up a light with a headlamp and a water bottle and played games until fingers and toes were pruny. Luckily for Watson and me, there were hot showers and plenty of space to run around. Scott even got a little golfing in a couple of mornings. A great time was had by all and I was grateful my family is the kind of family we want to spend a little summer break time together.

Welcome to the CARR-nival!



The Great, The Amazing, The Incredible WATSON!

It was quite the celebration! There were prizes, games, homemade corndogs, funnel cakes, and real goldfish. The birthday boy smiled from ear to ear during the party and ran around with the big kids until he was exhausted. Watson is quite the two year old. He is pretty opinionated, about most everything. He loves to watch "Curious George" first thing in the morning, he eats waffles and bananas for almost every breakfast, he likes Dad to read the same three bedtime books, and he knows exactly what monster truck he wants to take with him to bed. Yes, it was a great celebration to honor our favorite 'terrible two.'