Trip to Seimer's Farm

As we discovered on our trip to Walter's Fruit Farm, there are a LOT of farms to visit out in the Greenbluff area near our home. Another fun one we had heard of was Seimer's Farm, and it did not disappoint. We went on a day that was lower cost (billed as an educational tour) and paid our money for the day ($6.50 for everyone except Naomi) and wandered around there. They had a bigger train (Big Toot) that took people around the entire farm to see all the pumpkin fields and such and then they had a little train (Little Toot) that the kids could ride on. They also had a corn/sculpted bushes maze that lead to this big castle structure. They gave all the kids a map of where to find some "treasure" and Josiah was the designated primary treasure hunter and led us all around to find it. With our fee, we also were able to pick out a small pumpkin to take hoe with us that they had in a fenced off area. The above picture was of three of us on "Big Toot."

And here are the twins on "Big Toot" also. Click on this link to see some video of the kids riding on Big Toot. As we rode on the train, we also saw an area where they had these 4-wheeled bikes for kids to ride around on a dirt track. Josiah was the only one tall enough to ride them though and so he took a turn on one of them.

Josiah was having a great time being our guide in the maze and he is posing here with his map.

This is a shot from the top of the castle and you can see some of the fields in the background.

The kids enjoyed picking out their pumpkins as well and even little Naomi was swinging her little pumpkin around! It turned out that later, I used 3 of these pumpkins to make a nice pumpkin pie!
Caleb was trying to help Naomi keep up with the group here in this shot as he was pulling on her hood.

Daniel was smiling as he too was enjoying running through the maze. We ended up taking a shortcut to the castle though, as it was rather hard to find the "actual" entrance from the maze. There were lots of dead ends and we kept having to turn around and it was getting heavy to lug Miss Naomi around the whole time since she couldn't keep up with us.

This is a picture of the twins riding on "Little Toot." The barrels move to and fro and the farther back you are on the train the more the train fishtails a bit. Here is a link to some video of the twins riding on Little Toot.

Bikes for Big Boys!

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Grandma & Grandpa Walker sent some early birthday gifts for the twins and since they chose to buy them bikes, we thought it wise to send them early enough so they could actually ride them before it starts snowing here. Josiah also got a bike when he turned four and so they got their bikes at four also, but the season is just not wanting to cooperate! Grandma sent helmets to go with the bikes too, but unfortunately all my kids have Charlie Brown sized heads and so the 3+ size did NOT fit! We took them back soon after and got them some helmets to fit, but the first day they rode without helmets. Here is a link to the twins riding their bikes for the first time.

Caleb is always hamming it up and he was very excited here telling me something! A few times on sunny (though a little chilly) days we ride down the street to the Mormon Church parking lot and they just ride around to their hearts' content. Josiah told me his bike was called "Comet Racer" because he goes so fast! He was also the fire engine because his bike was red. Caleb was the policeman and they would ride around looking for people to help. Caleb kept riding up to me (I was pushing Naomi in the stroller) and he would say very expectantly, "Do you need help?" I would tell him that the stroller was on fire and that he needed to put it out and he very proudly "sprayed" the stroller for me. Daniel was supposed to be the ambulance, but he wasn't down with that and did his own thing!

Daniel was just thrilled to have his own bike. What is kind of funny though is that for some reason his right pedal keeps falling off despite me trying to screw it on tight enough. I may need to take it to a bike shop to fix that I think as it is rather comical every so often I hear this, "My pedal, my pedal!" and I have to come running to the rescue with my wrench. Oy!!

For a while prior to getting the twins' bikes, I had been trying to get Josiah to ride without training wheels, but he just would not!! One time we tried and he did alright and did not fall, but since then he didn't want to practice again and no matter how many ways I tried to convince him to try he would get angry and pout and not want to do it. Then one day I was sitting in my chair on a Saturday and he looked at me and said, "Mommy, will you come out with me. I want to ride my bike." I said, "Do you want to try without the training wheels?" And he said, "OK." Just like that! I was shocked! We got out there and after a few tries he was up and going all by himself with no problem. His friend Colton was due to come over that night and as a bonus he was riding his bike well when they pulled up! I was very proud of him and since then he has really been loving his bike! Here is a link to some video of Josiah riding without his training wheels!

It's Falling Out!

This last summer, I was telling the twins about the seasons of the year and for days afterward, Daniel kept asking me, "Is it falling out yet?" I told him when he sees the leaves coming off the trees that it would be fall then. When he saw some a few leaves falling then one day, he exclaimed with joy, "It's falling out Momma, look!" And of course as per usual, we need to get a shot of the kids playing in the fall leaves. This is much different from a few years ago when the twins DID NOT like being in the leaves.

Naomi stood observing all the leaf fun from a distance for a while and would not budge from her leafless spot for the longest time. She sensed I think that jumping in leaves was not a ladylike activity, especially in her furry pink coat! Uncle Jon picked her up and put her in the leaf pile and though and then the boys started throwing leaves onto her and she promptly brushed them off her jacket. When there were too many she started to moan and groan a bit and then we took her out of the leaves.
This is link to a clip of Uncle Jon playing with the kids in the leaves.

I just had to add this picture too as it really captures the boy leaf playing joy of the day! They had a blast jumping in the leaves and throwing them on each other.

Pillow Pets & Pom Poms

For the twins' upcoming birthday in December, Grandma got a jump start on the gifts and determined that all the grandchildren would get a special gift for their birthday. Naomi was the only kid in the family that did not have a pillow pet yet, and I knew she would like one, so now she has a unicorn pillow pet. You can tell that she likes it by the look on her face and the death grip that she has on the pillow!

Here is the link to Naomi playing with her pillow pet when she first got it.

After she had played a bit, we had her try out the pillow part of the pet. :)

Grandma also got her some little pom poms to play with as well. She enjoyed shaking them up and down as she walked. Here is the link to Naomi playing with her pom poms.

Grandma also decided to send me my old pom poms from when I was a cheerleader and so Josiah was playing with them and told me here that he was an "ice cream cone."

The twins got some Buzz Lightyear parachuting guys from Grandma and Grandpa for their birthday and here is some video of them playing with them.

Funny Dress Up & Latest Sayings

For Awana, they had a "Crazy Hat" theme this time and we scavenged around the house to find some crazy hats. Josiah wore his Yankees hat (some might find that "crazy" all by itself) and we put pipe cleaners in the holes and made little antennas that he bent around into funny shapes. Caleb wore an old hat that used to be mine. It is a sailor's hat that had my name written on it. He also found a crocheted table top cover that my Grandma Betty made and wrapped it around his waist as a belt. Daniel found the doggy ears and wore them as his hat. And not to be outdone (though she doesn't go to Awana yet) Miss Naomi was a little fire girl.

And to keep in the theme of "fun" for this post, I thought I would compile a lot of the kids' funny sayings here for you all to enjoy. Josiah has the most as he is the most verbal thus far of everyone being the oldest. I REALLY have to work to keep a straight face a lot of the time with him as he just comes up with the funniest stuff! Sometimes it is OK to laugh, but not when he thinks he is being so serious.

To preface this first one, we have a this Oranda goldfish that has this big orange part on her head.

Josiah: "Goldie is the Grandma fish."

Me: "Why?"

Josiah: "'Cause it looks like she has a lot of hair."

I had just finished spraying a small wasp's nest that day near the play structure in the backyard and then we had this discussion.

Josiah: "Mommy, if we had a robot monkey then he could do everything, like clean the dishes, clean up poop, and get the bees ."

Me: "What would mommies do then?"

Josiah: "Relax!!"

Sounds like a plan buddy....invent a robot monkey and I will buy one!

Josiah commenting on his ability to ride his scooter the other day, "It's as easy as pie, but I don't know how to make one!"

When I was pregnant this last time, I was complaining to my mom on the phone of a typical pregnancy woe that I was experiencing (painful gas--I know too much information), Josiah had some interesting insight as to why. He said, "Maybe the baby is farting in there?"

Josiah: "Mommy, I am going to draw a chameleon, but you aren't going to be able to see it, because it is going to look like a rock." (We were learning about animals that use camouflage that week in school.)

Josiah talking to Caleb and Daniel, "When you are as old as daddy, you can go to college too! Would you like that?"

Caleb and Daniel, "Yeah!" (I found out later that when Daddy was helping to lead the college group at church that this was what Josiah was referring to...that the twins could go to the "college group" with Daddy.)

Josiah and I were sorting Legos and he found this tiny gray key that goes to the police station jail doors and he said, "WOW, I have been looking for this for like 17 years!" I said, "You haven't even been alive 17 years silly!" Josiah laughs and said,"Oh yeah!"

Daddy was telling him to sit his 6-year-old bottom down on the floor in his room and Josiah said, "I always carry my bottom around, that way it is always with me."

Josiah had to write a story for school and this is what he came up with. It is called "Whale Learns Taekwondo." I will note here also that I had a hand in helping him fill in the gaps grammatically, but all the content ideas were his.

There once was a sea creature named Whale who wanted to learn Taekwondo, but he was too big to fit in the Do Jang. Some other creatures in the Do Jang named Squid and Shark were mean to Whale and made fun of him because he was so big and couldn’t come to class. Whale was very sad. His friends Boat, Fish and Octopus had some ideas to help their friend Whale. Boat’s idea was for whale to learn Taekwondo outside the Do Jang. Fish said that Whale can learn in an underwater area with a large cover to protect them from the waves and such while they practice. Octopus’ idea is that they throw Whale a birthday party and teach Taekwondo there. All the ideas worked and Whale learned Taekwondo.

Whale sparred with Squid and Shark and beat them!! Whale did a jump kick and landed on Squid and Shark. Squid and Shark were demoted to white belt and they had to do push-ups in class. They were also kicked out of the Do Jang forever because they were mean to Whale. Boat, Fish, Octopus, and Whale were very happy.

The End

Caleb isn't quite as verbal as Josiah or Daniel, but he will get there I am sure! He is most certainly the clown of the bunch and I predict all of us rolling with laughter in the future at Caleb's words and antics as well. Even now he loves to make people laugh and is a natural little actor. He imitates others behaviors well also and is the best dancer of the bunch! He is always the first one to dress up in whatever he finds and always has his own unique style. I found him one day dressed in Daddy's house pants and Tigger sweatshirt (common household attire for Daddy) and he said, "Wook, wook Momma, I'm Daddy!"

One day back when we lived in Milton, Caleb was sitting on the piano bench and Daniel says, "I'll be the mommy and sit in the rocking chair (where I normally taught lessons from)." Then he says, "And a one and a two and a GO!" Meanwhile, Caleb is playing along on the piano until Daniel yells, "Now STOP!!" Daniel was also making notes with a pencil and a piece of paper as well for his "student."

One day as Daddy left for work Caleb said, "Have a good day, I'll miss you, goodbye honey!" We then had a funny little disagreement about whose "honey" he was!

Daniel followed Caleb's lead and the next day when he found my sweatshirt laying on the couch he put it on and told me that he was "Mommy." He was very pleased with himself as you can see here!

One morning Josiah was teasing Daniel, and he was playing with a drawing pad at the time. I look over and I see that Daniel wrote the word, "NO" on the board. I asked him why he wrote that and he said, "It's for Josiah!"

I told Daniel that I he had a drumstick instead of cut up chicken on his plate, and he immediately started using it to hit his plate instead of eat it.

One night, we had Teriyaki Pot Roast with baby potatoes, carrots, & onions and Daniel reported to Grandma that we ate "brown chicken." Can you tell we rarely eat beef around here?

Daniel was talking to Josiah about going to Awana for the first time and said, "I am going to go to Cubbies, but you aren't Josiah...you are going to be a sprinkle!" (He meant to say he was going to be a "Sparkie.")

Josiah said at dinner, "I am eating dairy, Momma 'cause I have cheese and milk!"

Me: Yes, you are!

Daniel: (holding up his carrot) "And there's bunnies in the carrots!"

Me: Um....no, bunnies eat carrots.

Daniel: Oh, OK.

A long while back in Milton, Daniel was sitting next to Annika (one of his babysitters) on the couch and asked her, "What's your number?" He was referring to her age, but it was funny as it could have been a pick-up line. We all laughed heartily at that one!

And of course, Miss Naomi doesn't have any real "sayings" yet, but still her personality shines through! She has lots of single words, but no real sentences yet, however we expect her to really explode with language anytime soon. She is very good at imitating other people and she frequently observes her brothers' play and then joins in after she sees what they are doing. She loves to be chased and just squeals with delight when her brothers, Daddy or Mommy run after her to play.

When I was changing her the other day I was able to get her to say "Na" "O" and "Mi," but not her full name all together yet. However, when we ask, "Where is Naomi?" she points to herself and sighs a contented, "Huh."

Another day, she kept saying, "Foooo," in her high chair and so I pulled down some goldfish and said, "Do you want Goldfish?" and she tried to brush them away and shook her head. Then I said, "Do you want graham crackers?" and she also brushed those away. Then I asked, "Do you want fruit snacks?" and I got a resounding, "Yeah yeah yeah!!!"

She is very aware when she has a pretty dress on and she often goes to show Daddy her pretty dress right after putting it on. She shows off her pretty dresses by sticking out her chest and pointing to herself and/or straightening her dress or shirt.

After she takes a bath, her hair is really curly and the other day she was marching around the kitchen singing to herself and her little curls in back were bobbing up and down.