From the mouth of Jenna...

I just need to write down these little things before I forget...I sometimes just love ease-dropping on my kids and hearing what they have to say...

for instance...

Drew is crying and Jenna shouts out, "Drew, you need to get a grip!"

or the other night at my Mom's...

"Grandma, pigs are made out of ham and hotdogs."

Ohhhh, the list could go on and on...

This is not candy...

Sorry, not a quality image...but this is not candy!!!

I have been having to beat Drew off with a stick because he has been literally craving and crying over these delicious gummy vitamins.

Not that I can blame him...when I was preggo with Drew I ate (literally) a half a bottle of gummy flinstone vitamins one late night...don't ask...please. Lets just say I really did overdose and felt sick for a day or two.

Maybe I should start giving him the disgusting chalk flinstone vitamins that I ate when I was little...I bet he would run the other direction when I said it was time for vitamins.

What a mixed up message though...gummy bears are good, candy. Car gummies...bad, vitamins.

Summary

Well, it has been a while and this is a summary of what we have been up to...

Joel has been busy working his crazy schedule and is finishing up school. He recently shaved his head bald...it was a Halloween costume idea that went horribly, horribly wrong....I don't have an exact picture but I tried to find one that represented him the best I could...

Doesn't really do him justice. (Yes, Joel this is what you get for shaving off your hair--and you had hair--some people are not as lucky as you were). He doesn't know I am writing this...he is in the living room watching my taped episode of the Hills. Anyways...

I am staying busy volunteering at Jenna's school, trying to potty train and "manage" Drew, and changing and occasional diaper and fixing a bottle or two for this little man...

This explains how easy going of a kid he is...he falls asleep in my Mom's Johnny Jumper...what a sweetheart.

Jenna is great as usual. We are excited to go to High School Musical on ice on Friday night with Grandma Netter. This has become a little tradition and we have a really good time.

Like I mentioned before Drew is starting to use the toilet. He also sleeps in his own big bed and room now--although he still needs a bottle and binki. Who cares if you do things in order right? We pick our battles one at a time. Last night he was caught red-handed using a ball point pen to color Joel's big screen T.V. That was an ordeal. Like I said, we are trying to "manage" this little boy who is extremely cute and intelligent.

Lastly, is Ethan...the picture above says it all and really I am too tired to write anything else--

This is a BIG deal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Drew went number 2 on the toilet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
this is the first time he has ever done anything on the potty...






more to post later....

I want candy!!!

Well, another Halloween has come and gone. This year was another success. Mounds and mounds of candy was collected and passed out. Hundreds and hundreds of extra calories consumed. And the possibility of cavities has increased. What a sweet success! Here are some highlights of the night. First I started out the day taking Ethan to the doctor to get some shots...I know...not very nice on Halloween, but it's not Christmas people. Next, I was the only mom (besides the moms that were running the party) to attend Jenna's kindergarten Halloween party. I thought more mom's or dad's would have showed...oh well, I had fun. Plus it gave me a chance to get some ideas for the Valentines party that I am in charge of. Next I stopped by my good friend Marianne's house to say "hi". Then I went home to see what was going on and I found my husband had shaved his hair off(yes, he did have hair before the "incident").........more to come in another post. We then ran down to my Mom's house to trick-or-treat. Next we flew back home where we had our annual Halloween gathering with my sister-in-laws, family, and friends. We ate pizza, talked, and most importantly....made our way around the block to trick-or-treat.

Here is Jenna with her "vampire" pumpkin she helped design and carve. We had a fun night carving pumpkins and watching Charlie Brown's Halloween special on Wedensday.

This is Jenna's kindergarten class...Mrs. McNeice is the bee...what a cool teacher.The kids on their way to Grandma Netter's. Trick-or-Treat! Drew loved trick-or-treating...he would walk as fast as his little legs would go and he looked so funny in his "fat" dragon suit. I joked that he ate so much candy that I would take the costume off and he would really be that big...he ate so much candy he puked before bed...whoops.Presenting Cleopatra or as Jenna says, "An Egyptian princess!" Jenna was the only kindergartner with make-up on too...I can see how those pageant moms can get out of hand. It was fun for one day!

Here is the gang...it was funny because when we started taking these kids trick-or-treating together four years ago we would only make it to a couple of houses and they would be exhausted and cold. Now we were the ones exhausted trying to keep up...they really have perfected the art of trick-or-treating!Joel and Ethan."Mom, why do you make me wear this weird looking hat!?"My camera was soooo fuzzy, darn it! After the night was over Drew kept pushing me toward our front door, his pumpkin pail in hand, saying "Walk, walk." He wanted to go out again he loved it so much.Happy Ethan with his little pumpkin. Aunt Holly and I agreed that he would make a good Charlie Brown for Halloween with that round head of his.

A very tired 6 month old...yes, he fell asleep as the clock struck 8.A very happy almost two-year old. "Candy, candy peeeess!"----NO MORE CANDY!!!!

Not you too Nick Jr.--

So this morning while I was filling the last bowl of Cheerios at breakfast and the kids were watching Go Diego Go on Nick, Jr. (by the way--one of the only networks that you can go pretty much all day with out seeing a political ad) I was surprised to see this face....Apparently he won the Presidential "Nickelodeon" Race. It is great to know that 5 and 2 year olds can make very important and informed decisions, right? Congrats President Barak Obama. I just hope he doesn't choose Mickey or Rooney from the Doodlebops to be part of his cabinet. But that is okay...he can be the President of Nick Jr. just as long he is not the President of this...
This is the Presidential Race that I am most concerned with......................so come on and vote on November 4th (educated and responsibly please).

Happy Belated

Joel is officially 30 years young. We had a great birthday day on the 17th which consisted of shooting guns, breakfast with the kids at our favorite Old European, P.F. Chizzie Changs (as we like to call it), going to two movies--count them--two! movies!, and a stress-free, kid-free night. I wish he was turning 30 everyday (except we would probably go shopping instead of shooting guns-a little scary for me). We finished up the weekend with an Azteca platter, game night with friends, and cake. Happy birthday honey!

Literally...

This week has been a week of "literallies" and no I don't think that is a word.

First, I took the kids to McDonalds one night where Jenna got another toy to add to our gazillions of McDonald toys. It is a small barbie doll. She looks at me and goes, "You think she is hot?"

I am like...where did you hear the word "hot"? I mean I am sure I have used it around her but it sounds just soooo grown up coming out of the mouth of a five year old. So I asked her, "What do you think hot means?"

She replies, "It means you love her."

I reply, "Yes, Jenna. She is smokin' hot!"

Jenna then puts her barbie to her nose and sniffs her........................................so literal.

I guess you could also say I had quite literally a "crappy" week. I mean the week went okay. We just had a lot of pooh issues. My friend and I were talking and she told me how her daughter went number two in the bath tub. I said, "Oh, thank goodness that has never happened to me." Well, it has now. So I took Jenna and Drew out of the polluted bath tub and ran them to the shower. Not even minutes later I hear Jenna screaming. Drew did it again...in the shower no less. Then the next day I put him in his crib to take a nap. Unfortunately I couldn't find a binki anywhere. So I thought all the crying was because of his missing "security binki." Wrong!...he really took off his diaper for the first time ever--pants as well and smeared pooh everywhere. Just like a monkey. So it was a "crappy" week.....................................................literally.

I need a vacation...............................literally.

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

FALL! I absolutely love this time of the year. One might say that this is even my most favorite time of the year. Here is my reasoning in no apparent order...

10. The air is crisp and clean...I love the feel of fall in the air.

9. We fall back an hour in the fall...meaning once a year I get to sleep for one EXTRA hour--all you Mom's out there know what I am talking about.

8. The fall colors are goregous. Besides orange is one of my very favorite colors which would explain my pumpkin colored backpack in high school--which I used all the way through college--and Joel made fun of it :(

7.HALLoWEEn!!!! What a fun holiday to dress up and be whatever your heart desires. This year I will be a mother to a pumpkin, bear, and Cleopatra the "Egyptian Princess" as Jenna would say...I am going to be a Mummy (I might even wrap myself in Charmin????) Joel wants to be the Incredibles family but I told him that NO one needs to see us in spandex. That would be horrifying.

6. Candy. For one night a year you can eat all you want and really not feel that guilty about--well at least until the morning.

5. This is a new one to my list this year but...Kids going back to school. I love it and Jenna loves it. Kindergarten is awesome. Besides if you time naps just right--you might find yourself with an hour or so of free time to do whatever your heart desires while the kids are away.

4. Baseball playoffs...need I say more...love it!

3. Soup!!! Nothing is better than eating soup on a chilly day. In my family it was a tradition to eat corn bread and homemade clam chowder on Halloween night. I have tried but Jenna thinks she is allergic meaning "she hates it." I guess we will stick to Campbell's chicken noodle for a while.

2. Sweaters! They are my favorite and really forgiving--you know--for mom's who are still trying to get off that 20 lbs. or so off after having two babies back-to-back.

1. Greenbluff!!! I love this little part of the place we live. It is a little farming community that has a Harvest Festival every year. You can get the best apple pie, cider, carmel apples, cute pumpkins, go on hay rides, and just love this most wonderful time of the year!

Here are some recent pictures of us at Greenbluff (we already went!!!) I love this picture of Drew.

He just did this pose naturally. Silly.

Jenna and a scarecrow.Dad and the E-man.I love this picture of Ethan...he is my little buddy.
Me and the little man. Don't mind the spit up all over the E-man...he has reflux :(The kids trying to find the perfect pumpkin!And my most favorite part of the FALL is having three amazing kids to share this season with!

Now I know...

"oh what a beautiful morning"...girls camp anyone???

So this past weekend was ValleyFest (a carnival type affair for the area we live). Jenna brought a flyer home from school and it showed a hot air balloon event at 6:45am on Saturday morning. I thought "Gee, that would be fun." Anyone who knows me...knows...I am NOT a morning person. So this was really big for me--to wake up before 8am on a weekend!!! (I actually do this a lot with three kids and all, but I can lounge on my couch in my robe or just lay in my bed.) Anyway...Saturday morning comes and we all roll out of bed, throw on some clothes, and rush out the door to see the amazing hot air balloons. We cruise over to the park only to see a couple (meaning two or three) hot air balloons off in the distance (meaning about a half a mile or farther). Shoot! Not to spoil this rare occasion of being up so early, we decided to take a little stroll on the Centennial Trail. It was rejuvenating and really fun to be with the people I love most out in the crisp of the early morning. But now I know...maybe I'll sleep in next year.

Jenna and one of the few hot air balloons off in the distance...can you see it????I think that Ethan even thought it was a little too early...

Did you know...

{Cooties}...pronounced (coo.tees)...

Cooties is a slang word in North American English, used by children, referring to a fictitious disease or condition, often 'carried' by members of the opposite sex. One supposedly catches cooties through any form of bodily contact, close proximity, contact with an "infected" person's possessions, or third-party transmission.

this definition is from an acutual encyclopedia...

this morning Jenna was telling me about two boys in her kindergarten class...both of which go to our same church as well.

she says, "Josh is in my class and Ben is his friend."

I say, "Oh, that is nice. Are you friends with Ben too?"

Jenna replies, "No, Ben don't wanna be my friend."

Since we go to the same church and have even had Ben in primary before I know that he is a shy little guy and a man's man, you know the kind of kid that thinks that girls have cooties and such...

so I reply, "Well sometimes boys don't like to play with girls because they think they have cooties."

Jenna then pipes up, "I DON'T have cooties! I collect seashells!"

I tag...Ethan!?

It is never to early to learn your ABC's...

A-Adovocate for: little people and stay at home moms...thanks mom

B-Best feature: has to be my legs...all those rolls and chub...

C-Couldn't do without: my mom and bottles

D-Dreams and desires: start eating "real" food like ice cream and such...oh yeah, and become the President of the United States

E-Essential item: my pacifier

F-Favorite past time: sleeping, or maybe that is my mom's

G-Good at: Filling a diaper or two!

H-Have never tried: uhhhh...didn't you read "D"...ice cream!!!! and every other food!!!--or going to the bathroom on the toilet.

I-If I had a million dollars: If I only had one dollar!

J-Junkie for: Soymilk

K-Kindred spirit: Mom, Dad, you know...family.

L-Little known fact: Dude, I just like found these things at the bottom of my legs like 20 minutes ago, there are ten all combined and mom calls them "little piggies"...I just wish I was more flexible to get them in my mouth.

M-Memorable moment: everything right now is new and memorable, besides I have only been on this Earth for like 4 months...give me a few years--but maybe meeting my family.

N-Never again will I: not know that I have "little piggies" or toes as I just found out.

O-Occasional indulgence: some times I will have an extra ounce or two of my formula...I should really be watching my boyish figure but who cares...

P-Poop or pee (mom made that one up): both

Q-Quote: "What am I... chopped liver!?"--I am the youngest

R-Reason to smile: gas and sometimes my brother and sister can be rather silly

S-Sorry about: throwing up all over Dad's new shirt--especially after it took him 30 minutes to find one he wanted to wear...oops

T-Tag some friends: uhhhhhh...

U-Uninterested in: politics----and taking naps

V-Very scared of: sneezes and other loud sounds

W-Worst habit: wetting my pants, especially in public...oh, and I burp a lot

X-x marks my ideal vacation spot: how about just being held in someones arms and anywhere far away from my car seat...

Y-Yesteryear of choice: I don't really have a choice...I was just born...

Z-Zodiac sign: Aries or Taurus...or maybe a good mix

And she is off...

to Kindergarten, that is... what a stylin' little girl...I figure there is only one time I can get away with such an over-the-top school girl outfit and this is it...hopefully she wont hate me for the bows in her hair when she is 20 or something...
my sisters can appreciate this picture...you have to have a picture in front of the sun...all my sisters and I went to the same elementary school that Jenna is now attending...very cool.
Can I just say that she was the most stylish, happiest, cutest girl in kindergarten today!!! And no I am not partial! Well, sort of...

i want

this....

after getting more than tired with

my crap of a suction device supposedly called

a vaccum cleaner...

i want this.

a dyson.

yesterday my vaccum got plugged again.

i said, "i am loosing it."

jenna said, "what you loosin'?"

i said, "my temper!"

she looked all around and on the ground...

and said,

"i don't see your temper anywhere?!"--

apparently trying to help me find it.

Jenna's new haircut...

*Hyrum and Garrett are Jenna's cousins

After getting Jenna's haircut she asks Joel, "Hyrum and Garrett still going to think I cool with my new haircut?"................answer.................................................................................................yes!

then she asks Ethan, "You like my new haircut?"...............answer..........................drool, but yes!

only 10 more days until kindergarten!!!!!

Mt. Kilimanjaro

During our walk yesterday around the block Jenna saw a pretty big pile of rocks outside one of our neighbor's houses...she says,

"Wow, that looks like Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa."

We don't know where she comes up with it...but we think she is pretty dang funny.

OR

The other day I went outside to put the sprinkler under the trampoline so she could jump on it. In order to do so I had to move the heavy thing and Jenna goes,

"Wow Mom, you strong like Dad." I started to laugh and she replied, "You think I funny at tellin' jokes?" For some reason I just thought it was hilarious.

Jenna throws her first party! (behind her parent's backs)

Does this sweet little 5-year-old look like she would throw a unsupervised party behind her parents backs...I mean she is ONLY five...right?!

WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday we all went for a walk around our neighborhood and while we were out Jenna's little friend down the street came running out and asked if she could play. We said yes and told Jenna that we had to walk up to Grandma's house (right up the street from us) to take back some chairs we borrowed so she needed to play at Lizzie's house until we came back. About a half an hour later we see Jenna in her swimsuit running up the street towards us at Grandma's. We knew there was probably trouble because we have the trampoline and little swimming pool set up in our backyard and the kids love to play at our house. Anyways, we start to walk home and can already hear the chants of little kids coming from our house. The front door is wide open and I find about 7 little kids (some of which I have never seen before) on our deck eating our popsicles two at a time and having a party!...wrappers and shoes everywhere. Seeming it was 8:00pm I ushered them out of our house and told Jenna that she can't have friends over when we are not home!!!

My little chubs

Here is my little E-man at three months old...

He is really getting a cute personality...totally a happy little guy. He loves to talk, laugh and smile lots...this is a picture of him smiling--bad quality with out the flash but the flash makes him look
like this............a little too bright.
And we can't forget about the Tasmanian devil in our lives...DREW! He is really craZy!!!!! Here he is just taking in some rays at Silverwood last week...

KID Cribs

Over the weekend I got ambitious and decided to finally repaint Jenna's room from that awful green I had painted it about two years ago...let's just say it is now really, really pink. But I love it...way better than before and it is complete--decorated and everything...here take a peek at Jenna's Crib.

We had a good time filming this...Jenna loves the camera! Anyways here are some more pics...

The night stand that I turned into a vanity...I recovered the little chair ( a good find at TJ Maxx) and I also made the photo board, painted the mirror I have had forever and ta-da!

We moved the bed and I painted an old frame and put fabric in it...looks cute.Got a new lamp and gave her my old stereo...now she can have some dance parties in her room...oh yeah...it is fun being a girl.One happy five year old...what a cutie! Now I need to finish painting the guest bathroom that I started oh...one year ago...oh my.

Did someone say snakes!!!!

For the 4th of July we decided to go camping at Lake Roosevelt. Maybe that was my first mistake--camping with a 5 year old, a 18 month old, and a 2 and a half month newborn!!! Call me crazy. So Joel and I, kids, and my parents loaded up our boat and set sail to beach camp for two nights. Joel and my Dad went a little earlier than my Mom and I to set up some tents...the weather was so so so hot. After we were set up some campers from down the beach walked over to us to tell us that they have had a problem with these...

RATTLESNAKES!!!! Okay this is not cool! I am petrified of these things. The funny thing is that about two years ago I read an article from the Ensign about one of the quorum of the seventy who rented a house boat on Roosevelt. A really bad storm hit and they had to beach their boat. Unfortunately the beach that they were forced to stay at was infested with rattlesnakes and he told of the power of faith and prayer, anyways. This story has always been in the back of my mind since Joel and I love to go boating at Roosevelt. I guess the camper had killed two in just that day. The camp around the corner from us actually had one swim across the lake and land straight in their camp! I was dying, especially since Drew and Jenna were running all around the place and our dog Rocky was too. The funny thing is that Rocky usually runs crazy all over the hills and through the forest above us...and he did just once...right when we got to the beach. But after that he stayed in camp with his ears back the rest of the time. Well, my Sister Natalie and her little family came out to meet us for the weekend. We told them of the snake problem and late that night we were sitting around talking when Brandon needed to venture down the beach to go take a whiz...anyways, he was NOT going to take a flashlight and it was the darkest night! I made him take my flashlight (thank goodness) and he was only about 15 yards away when we see him come running back to camp saying "SNAKE!!!" Sure enough there was a 3 foot rattler about 15 yards from where we were...gross!!! I think Brando wet himself and I immediately went to bed--not to get a wink of sleep the whole night!!! Needless to say we left the next day. It was a quick camping trip but one to remember for sure. It is just funny that this is the one time we go camping as a family and run into snakes...yuck!

P.S. Wasn't I the one who said if anyone runs into a snake or gets bit it would be Brandon ( I guess you would have to know him)...and yes he did throw rocks at it so it coiled up and started to rattle it's tail.........SO sick!

Vacations, vacations, vacations!!!

Drew loved throwing rocks into the tide pools...what a boy. And by the way, pictures are in no particular order--anyone who knows me should not be surprised...right Jen and Nat.
How did Jenna get in the fish tank??? We always new she was a fish!
Dad, Jenna, and Drew
Dad, Jenna, and Drew in a giant shark's mouth
Getting ready to set sail on our whale watching cruise...more to come on the subject...

After a long trip in the car we were finally at the ocean!!! Yeah!!! What good travelers the kids were...thanks to gummy worms and movies!!!

Me and the kids at the Tillamook cheese factory....say "WE LOVE CHEESE!!!" (except for Drew is allergic, poor kid)
Jenna on a giant turtle saying, "McCombs first family vacation!"

Joel and Drew man at the lighthouse in Newport, OR.

Well it has been a while since the last post and the reason is that we have been busy playing and going on some vacations. We went on our first official family vacation to the Oregon Coast. We had a blast and it was really laid back. The reason it was probably so laid back was because my wonderful mom watched Ethan for us for the entire week!!! We are sooooo lucky that she is always so willing to watch kids and help whenever we ask...but the cool part is that she asks to watch them too! Our kids love their grandparents. Anyway we visited a lighthouse, went on a whale watching trip (but unfortunatley didn't see any whales), we went to our favorite Tillamook cheese factory and ate ice cream, looked for sea shells and played in the sand at Cannon Beach, swam a lot in the hotel pools, went to the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, flew kites, went on the bumper cars in Seaside and we finished off the trip by visiting my Sister Natalie, bro-in-law Brandon, and cute niece Madison in Seattle. There we swent swimming, shopping, and went to eat at the delicious Keg Resturant and Nat took us to the cutest cupcake shop too. What a time...I think I also gained about 5 pounds. While on our whale watching adventure I got sick...so sick I needed to use the porta-potty type restroom...what a nightmare. I went into this tiny little cube to take care of business and I looked down at the toilet bowl and though, "you have to be kidding me..." The bowl was so small and had no seat, or so I thought. After I was done I stood up to notice that I had not put the seat down and there was a seat! Let's just say that cruise felt more like 20 hours rather than 2 and I was soooo happy to set foot on land again!!! Other than that we had a great time. Drew is officially hooked to watching movies in the car now and any time we get in he points to the movie screen and says "oooovie." I guess he is just taking after his big sis. Jenna, after counting down days to the vacation for the past two months, is now asking..."When we go to Disneyland?" I can't keep up.