Halloween 2010

Painting pumpkins is always the easier, less messy option. Even if it does look like plastic. Except when the bottom of the pumpkin rots out two days later.  A few of us carved, but they collapsed even faster from the rot.  I say we got gipped this year!  I guess I got what I paid for:)

I have warmed up to the whole Halloween song and dance... I even made a cute little 'boo' Halloween craft which I didn't take a picture of.  But I think what I don't like about it is that Halloween isn't just ONE EVENT like say... Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter.  The crazy doesn't just happen for one night.  To some, that's the beauty in it.  For others like me....not so much.  We have our church trunk-or-treat, friend parties, and then Halloween night.  When you have six kids that need makeup and a 'do' each time there's a Halloween celebration, it becomes annoying.  For the Mom, that is.   The kids think it's the greatest concept ever.

This year was simple... we just used what we already had in our costume collection.  I think Izzie really loves her inner-witch... this may be the 3rd year in a row she's wanted to express herself as the 'good witch.'  Viviana is adorable no matter what she chooses... and Ms. Soc Hop fit this hand-me-down perfectly down to her darling glasses.

I don't even remember what Monson was... vampire who really likes dum dums?

McKenzie was the biggest BYU fan ever, and Brayden, well.... was himself.  Curt got in on the fun as the biggest Steeler's fan, and I'm of course, always the photographer, a witch as well... complete with even a lovely Halloween shirt and hat.

gettin' a little crazy with photoshop effects

All About Viviana

Viviana will always be our baby.... 

but is growing up way too fast.  

Exhibit One:  First day of Big Girl Pre-School.

Viviana tested and qualified for speech therapy through the school district.  It was not that big of a revelation that we speak "Vivie" but pretty much anyone outside our family does not speak what we've come to know as the language of Vivie.  So she gets to go to a speech therapy preschool class twice a week for a couple hours and LOVES every  minute of her time and new-found freedoms as a big girl.  Just ask her and she'll be happy to rattle off ALL her friends' names.

 It's quite hilarious to watch how she figured out how to open the car door of a 

large SUV 3x taller than her... on her very own:

Step one:  step up on running board

Step two:  Pull multiple times as hard as she can

Step three: finally it clicks open, and she flies in the air with the door, hanging onto the door handle for dear life,  then lets herself down onto the ground.

Step four:  happy she made it into her car seat.

Exhibit two:  Preschool Co-op

This year I started a preschool co-op with six other moms and three-year-old friends.  This is also twice a week, for a couple hours each... 

so I only teach once every seven weeks... JOYOUS.  

Seven three-year-olds for a couple hours twice a week.  Good times.

Viviana waits and waits and dances around & holds herself  to avoid

going potty quite as often... but she always makes it in time!

Exhibit Three:  Viviana Picaso

Is that a tramp stamp?  Seriously she can't get enough of the body tattooing with a marker. Maybe she'll get over her fix before she's a teenager.  I think she just wanted her nails painted, and then her A.D.D. took over.  

This is about a monthly occurrence.  

Exhibit four:  Obsessive Viviana.  

All three of my little ones are obsessed... with boobs.  "Look at me, I have boobies like you!"  This will be one of those blackmail pictures to save for those all-important teen years when it will surely come in handy.

Exhibit Five:  Serious sleep apnea Viviana.  

Pre-surgery picture & video... breaks our hearts that she's had to live with this for more than three years.  This video was how she was anytime she tried to sleep.  Somehow, we all adapted, she's alive... which brings us to.....

Exhibit Six:  Soon to be happier Viviana

Surgery Day October 13 and hospital stay... she had her enormous tonsils and diseased adenoids out, as well as an exploratory bronchoscopy to rule out tumors on her lymphnodes.  She's in the clear with any internal hemangiomatosis complications... and we're grateful.

Exhibit Seven:  Post-Surgery

Viviana had a really rough time coming out of her anesthesia.  She had to be intubated, which brings back horrifying memories for all of us.  

And might I add that she's the worst patient EVER.  She has a mind of her own and kept on trying to rip her IV's out in the same manner that she ripped her intubation tube out 3 1/2 years ago.  She wanted Daddy when Mommy was there, and wanted Mommy when Daddy was there... Inconsolable most of the time.  We had to beg the Dr's to let us leave on the 2nd day because I simply couldn't endure one more sleepless night listening to beeps and buzzes coming from our roommate, crying because so many tubes and machines were hooked up to her, etc.  Even after having her throat ripped out, all she wanted to eat when she woke up was pretzels and crackers.  So when Daddy was with her, guess what she got?  Yup, pretzles, crackers and even chips.  The nurses were not happy, to say the least.  Imagine TWO WEEKS recovery minus the tubes, at home.  

More good times.

Exhibit Eight:  Favorite Treat

She now knows how to help herself.  She gets her own popcorn, slides the chair over to the microwave, puts it in...with the right side up, pushes the button and gets a kick out of watching and listening to it pop away.  Best part-- eating the WHOLE bag... by her three-year-old self.  Fiber, right?  

She prefers salty snacks instead of sweet any day.

Exhibit Nine:  She thinks she's bigger than she is.

Alexandra has a ball roller-skating, so why can't Vivie do the same... using her big sister's skates?  At least she got some laughs...scooting herself along in the house.  I wonder why our carpet is so disgusting?!  

The skates were clean, actually.

And that's how Viviana has kept us busy and given me a few gray hairs in the last few months.