Dallas World Aquarium and Victoria's doll

We took the kids to Dallas World Aquarium. This was Victoria's first trip there since she has become so mobile. She wanted out of her stroller and was trying to crawl into the aquarium! She was hiking her leg up, intending to scale the glass wall into the shark tank! We went outside to the Penguin exhibit, and she was hiking her leg up trying to get into the penguin exhibit! She has no fear! She is a climber, into everything! We all had a great time! They love the aquarium!

Victoria is very sweet with her doll. She carries her doll around and hugs and loves on it, so sweet. Very maternal :-). Let's hope we survive her upbringing!

Christmas and Aidan's Birthday

Nana and Papa, and Aunt Mindy, Uncle Shawn, Aidan, and Ainsley came to celebrate Christmas with us! We all had a great time! We went to church on Christmas Eve with the kids, even Aidan, and they were all so good! It was so cute. I told Kaden that it was time to pray, so he slapped his hands together and started praying so earnestly. Upon seeing Kaden, Aidan copied him and did the same! So cute! We opened our family presents on Christmas Eve, as is our tradition, and Santa came Christmas morning.

Kaden and Colin loved their Star Wars toys. Katharine like her doll house, and Victoria was playing with whatever anyone else got! We all got marshmellow guns, and marshmellows were flying everywhere! It was fine because they were edible for Victoria!

Aidan had his birthday party at Gattitown. What fun! They all love the bumper cars, including daddy and uncle shawn! They all won stuffed animals from the water shooting game :-). It was a good time. They miss cousin Aidan so much when he goes home!

Victoria is walking!!

It's official! Victoria is walking! She is doing great and is now into everything! Yea Vixie! So proud of her! She has been taking a shower for a few months now with Katharine. She loves that too! Our little girl is growing up!

Victoria is taking steps!

Victoria started taking some steps by herself! Like 4 or 5 steps! This is the first time she has taken steps unassisted! She is climbing every where, including up to Colin's top bunk bed and standing up there! Yes, she does not possess that healthy dose of fear. Yikes! We have to keep a close eye on her. Yea that she is taking some steps at 15 months!

Homeowner's association Halloween Festival

Yes, Jason is still in Lubbock, and I felt compelled, yet again to get them all dressed up in their costumes and take them down to the green area in our neighborhood for the Halloween Festival. They had a costume parade, a bounce house, bounce slides, a magic show, and a bake sale. They all paraded in the costume parade, then watched the magic show where they all got balloon swords :-). Then on to the bounce slides and bounce house.

I had an altercation with one of the boys in the bounce house, and I was all ready on edge from the monsoon halloween festival the night before. He (about 7) was pushing other children down. I warned him that he would have to get out if he pushed another child down, after the 3rd. He chose to push someone else down, so I told him to get out. Thank goodness he did, or I would have gone in there and gotten him out! then another little boy about 4, was pushing other children down too, including Kaden and Colin. He pulled Colin down the 3rd time, and Colin kicked him in the nose! The kid got out crying, and I checked to make sure he wasn't bleeding. He wasn't. Colin was devastated that he had hurt him. I told him he shouldn't hurt a boy smaller than him, but that the little boy should have not been pushing him down. Poor Colin :-(.

Overall, everyone had a great time! Kaden said his favorite part was the magic show. He was enthralled. Katharine said her favorite part was the bounce house. Colin said his favorite was buying a piece of cake, all by himself, from the bake sale. He was very proud :-).

Halloween at Safety Town during a Monsoon

Jason is out of town, but I knew the kids would have a great time at Frisco's Safety Town Halloween fest! It's a miniature town with child size buildings, streets, etc that teaches biking, driving, fire, etc safety. Anyway, I decided to get all the children ready and take them to this function. It started at 6pm and my goal was to be there at 545. We got there at 605, and apparently, were late :-). We had to park a few blocks away, and met a woman on the way back to her car that said they opened the doors at 4! That would have been nice to know.

While getting out of the car, I saw that the sky was overcast. I checked the weather map on my phone, but it didn't show anything, so I hoped it was just clouds. The kids said they still wanted to go, even if it did rain. I went to all the effort of getting us there, so I took their word for it and grabbed the two umbrellas, and my raincoat from the bus.

We got there and the line did not look that long, until we made it around the building and saw that it wrapped around the building a few times! Yikes!! You can guess what happened next. Yes. We are standing outside in the horrendous line when a monsoon erupted! The kids were squeezed underneath the ginormous umbrella, and I tried to cover myself and Victoria in the stroller with the other umbrella. We were doing well, but then the line started moving. Kaden, Colin, and Katharine were having a hard time moving in unison while staying under the umbrella. I was getting soaked as I kept the umbrella over Victoria. Poor Katharine was upset, and then she tripped and fell down :-(. The people behind us helped me get her up and back under the umbrella, though I had to leave Victoria to help Katharine. Poor Katharine! Thank goodness I had thrown my rain coat on top of Victoria, so she wasn't wet at all. I was miserable and the kids were damp and a little upset. The organizers opened the Fire Station bay, and let us line up in there. Thank goodness! That was awful! I asked the kids, even Katharine, if they wanted to go home, but they all wanted to stay and get candy. Wow, candy, what the motivator :-). Aunt Stephanie met up with us in the bay, and she was a great help! Victoria was thrilled to be held!

Needless to say, we made it through the town, got candy, and only got a little sprinkled on :-). The kids were so happy! They had a blast, even damp! They kept thanking me for taking them. They were so happy and had so much fun, it was worth taking them, even wet :-) Victoria even got a little candy :-). They were playing rock music through the sound system, and Victoria was baby head banging in my arms! So cute! She wanted to get her groove on!

Aunt Stephanie stayed with the kids, and I went to go get the car, as it was still raining periodically. We all made it home safely, though still damp. Candy has amazing power :-)

I called Jason to tell him about our ordeal. He said he wouldn't have taken them even if he were here! Yes, I should get mom of the year, or crazy person of the year one :-). They all had so much fun, that it was worth it :-)

Kaden on Prednisone

Kaden's asthma has been acting up. We went to the MD and got a prednisone pack. Poor Kaden doesn't fair well on oral prednisone :-(. Zero coping skills :-(. He goes around saying, "I'm so mad! I'm so mad!!" He isn't aggressive. He just states that he feels angry. Poor guy. Kaden, Katharine, and I went to Pottery Barn after a MD appt. Kaden, being the good big brother, was keeping an eye on Katharine. She was not cooperating with his efforts. As we were leaving, Kaden said emphatically, "Mommy, I love you, and I love Daddy, but I DO NOT LOVE BABY RIGHT NOW!!!" So funny! Poor Kaden on prednisone :-(. Only a few more days!