October 2015-January 2016

KID NOTES October 2015-January 2016

Me "is Matthew the only one you played with at preschool today?" Abram "yeah because he's more clever than the other boys. And so am I." Upon further inquiry i learned that clever means how fast you can run. 

Abram: "Aila, I'll hold your hand during the car wash so you're not scared." "Oh, so I don't cry?" "Yeah."

Aila in a high-pitched voice in his face, "oh hi baby Emerson! You're okay! You're okay!"

Me, after aila peed on the carpet, "pee-pee belongs in the potty, not on the carpet." Her: "no! Pee pee belongs on the carpet, and that's the truth!!"

This morning as I'm hurrying around trying to get things done, Abram calls out from the BR, "mom, there's no more toilet paper!" I go out to the garage for more TP, pass Emerson and hear him poop in his diaper...then I come in from the garage and aila says, "mom, I'm poopy!"  Just takin' care of business around here... ;)

Aila: "mom, when is it thanksgiving and we eat too much pie?" (Been reading thanksgiving books lately...)

Abram having a whiny evening: "I just wanna be sad!!" "You want to be sad?" "Actually I don't but I just want what I can't have!!"

Abram: This sweet boy got to the kitchen first this morning. I heard him out there but hurried and jumped in the shower. I came out to find that he got out bowls and spoons for everyone, poured us each some Cheerios and milk, complete with honey drizzled on top. He even colored and cut out a turkey to put under Ben's bowl to make it extra special because he's sick. THEN, after church, he worked so hard making a cheese/mayo/mustard/kale sandwich, which he cut in half and shared with Ben.  Plus, I came home from meetings to the sweetest fall leaf necklace he made for me!!! Enough to make me cry, he's so sweet. 

Costco two days before thanksgiving with three kids (emers in wrap)--man said he passed us a few times and thought I was doing amazing. Thought about it all day--nice words go a long way!

Ben: "we're going to the temple today!" Aila, "can i come?" "Yep, we all get to go!" "Is Jesus gonna be there?" 

During sac mtg: helping Abram stay reverent--open his BOM to a picture of Christ. He says, "what is he looking at?"  Me: "I don't know, what do you think?" Him: "I think he's looking at someone who needs help." Me: "Do you think he loves that person?" Him: "Yeah."

Aila: "because I'm a big goal!!" (Girl)

Me nursing Emerson and I hear Aila, "mommy, I'm getting messy!!" Makeup all over her face. 

Yes, Aila is very transparent....yelling from across the house, "mom, I'm eating gum from your diaper bag!!"

(Driving) Aila: "look, mom, the clouds are pink!" Abram: "the clouds aren't pink, Aila, it's just the sun reflecting on them." "Oh."

Abrams Q's about Santa: "are there two santas? Because how does he get to aaaaalllll the houses in the world?" "How do the reindeer fly?" "Do the reindeer ever fall off the roof? How do they fit? How many are there?"

Abram: "mom do frogs know they're frogs?"

Abram: "how did Mary and Joseph get made if they were on earth before Jesus was born to make them?"

Aila watching byu bball with Ben: "did it go in the hula-hoop?!"

Primary nativity practice last night. Abram is a shepherd. Everyone keeps telling me how great of a singer he is--knows all the words and sings out. 

Aila holds her baby and bounces and shushes her. :)

Aila: "actually, I don't want my pb&j. I just wanna dance. Can you turn on a song for me?"

Aila: "mom, can yer -----?" (she says "yer" a lot)

Aila, opening the fridge, "mom, where's the Thomas??!!" (hummus)

Abram: "it's noisy at our house. I think we can only have one more kid in our family."

Emerson: showed off his strength and coordination by rolling over back-to-stomach several times and stomach-to-back once before turning 4 months. Our pediatrician was impressed. 

Moved Aila into Abrams room so we could move Emerson out of ours. The first night Aila kept talking to abram and she kept both of them up late. Second night, Abram said: "Aila, you can't talk to me tonight. It's time to sleep." Third night, I hear: "abraaaaaam!! Aaaaabraaaaam!" I go in and find Abram fast asleep with Aila standing up, distressed in her crib, "mom! Abrams not talking to me!!!"

Abram: "I'm going to remember this birthday for the rest of my life. Even until next Saturday." 5th birthday--Wade's came to visit, Ben and I decorated with balloons and streamers (specifically requested by Abram--where to put streamers, etc), played games (all thoroughly thought out and directed by Abram--musical chairs, Simon says, laughing game, pop balloon to get candy, race game, superhero/bad guy game), made Lego masks, rode bike to park, went to ihop for dinner where he got pancakes and a free ice cream dessert, opened presents, and had a Rice Krispie volcano cake made by Gma Karen. Such a fun day!

The morning of his bday, I heard him and Aila chatting--"Abram, let's talk about your bday!" "A-wuh, it's already my bday so there's nothing to talk about!" 

Lying down with my newly-turned 5-yr-old tonight, my heart teetered between joy for the blessing of this precious boy in our family and mourning for his fastly-disappearing little-boy years. But he put it all into perspective as he sleepily said: "I'm a special boy forever and ever and ever." "You're right, Abram. I love you." "I love you." Happy birthday, sweet boy. 

Me getting Emerson to sleep in his room, Aila comes in and says, "mom, can we have gum?" I shake my head no.  I hear her run down the hall to Abram and exclaim, "she said yes!!" 

(Me getting Emerson to sleep again) Aila: "Mom, can we watch a movie?" I shake my head no. Pitter-patter down the hall: "She said yes!!"

Costco run with all three kids... I finally unload all the groceries in the rain and have two out of three buckled in car seats when Aila says, "mom, I need to go potty!!"  She has a pull-up on and most of me wants to tell her to go in her pull-up but she did that earlier and was really upset by it. Sooooo, I put the carrier back on with Emerson, lift A & A back into the cart. (Still raining.) We book it back in to Costco, get to bathroom and thankfully the handicap stall is open. (Where's the "mom with three kids 5 and under" stall??) we all go in and I hurry and put Aila on the potty. ... I'm holding her arm so she doesn't fall in...(Tick tick tick)..."Aila, are you sure you need to go?" "Yeah." Sits there looking at me (I'm still holding her and yes, emers is still in the carrier and I'm sweating.) Then Abram, "mom, I need to go too!" "Okay, just wait till Aila's done...Aila, should we just try again at home?" "No." Just looks at me. (Tick tick tick...) then FINALLY, the sound we are all waiting for! Her little face lights up, "Mom, I'm going!" Thank goodness. Then Abram gets a turn, and by this time I need to go too. After getting everyone's hands washed and dried (we took up all three sinks) I go against my usual and decide we all earned Costco hot dogs and smoothies to share.   *Phew!*  Just another day in the life of a mom and her three littles...

Aila potty training: my genius idea was to allow big brother a reward as well if he helped her go. He was all over it--reminding her to go ("A-wuh, do you need to go potty?"), turning the water on for her to wash her hands, and praising her, "A-wuh, you went potty, good job!"  Chocolate chips all around!

January 2016: finished first read-aloud chapter book with Abram! (It only took one day but he was really excited about it!)

Kid notes since June...

Kid Notes

Had a scorcher day on Monday and got out the wading pool. Every 30 seconds aila would tell me, "it feels good, mom!"

Abrams prayer tonight, "please bless the jaguars. And bless that people will stop killing rhinoceroses and hippos...and cheetahs." (Been reading about endangered animals.)

Oak zoo: Aila loved the huge lizard: "dad, it's a cute frog!" and cried when we left that exhibit. Abram couldn't wait to see the hyenas. Unfortunately, we couldn't spot the lions but we loved the chimpanzees, elephant, and baboons!

Abram "I know who I'm going to marry!" "Who?" "Aila!!!"

Aila "mommy I scary!" (Aka scared)

Aila ready for swim lessons with "swimmin' diaper" and "swim soup" (suit)

Aila as I rested my hands on my belly: "that's your belly,mom?" "Yep, it's my belly." "Oh, it's a big belly, mom?" "Yyyep." (28 weeks) "oh, and your bum?" "Uh huh."

Aila "I scary of the bunder!!" (Thunder while camping)

Abram "you look pretty with your earrings and necklace today, mom."

Abram "I have a lot of circle money and a couple of square moneys."

Abram "when I have kids, I'll save my Legos to give to them. My wife can have a couple and my kids and have a couple so they can split them."

Aila: we brush teeth to get the 'sugar bugs' out and we sprinkle coconut sugar on our oatmeal...so she asks to put "coconut sugar bug" on her oatmeal. 

Abram "when I'm a daddy, I'm going to be the healthiest daddy and only have treats on birthdays and no other days!" 

Abram giggling, "you're funny, dad!

Abram, sighing: "it's been quite a summer, mom."

Aila: "no, don't say, 'mm-hmm', mom. Don't say that." "How come?" "Because." (Likes to be in charge)

Abram: "when you were a little girl, I was having so much fun in heaven! I was climbing all over the place and playing with the babies!"

Abram within a couple weeks: first violin recital, started preschool, first talk in primary, paid tithing for the first time, first own purchase (Lego set). All right before baby #3...growing up too fast!!

"Aila do you want a pretzel?" "Yeah, sure!" 

Aila: "I don't want to 'cake' my nap!"

Aila--give her a wipe in the car and she's entertained for 15 min. Also loves sanitizer, lotion, washing hands, etc

Abram: "Wow, Aila, that's 'credible'!" "Yeah, credible!!"

Aila: "mom, we 'got grateful!" (Saying we forgot to say what we are grateful for, which we try to do at dinner)

 ...one night at dinner when Ben was gone: "what are you grateful for, aila?" "Umm, I'm grateful for Heavenly Father that he made our underwears and bums!!" Too bad Abram and I couldn't stifle our laughs. 

Jump in shower while kids playing on my bed; after couple minutes realize I can't hear them anymore...dash out of the shower and run (aka pregnant waddle) to kitchen expecting the worst and find them sitting on the counter, innocently chomping on carrots and snap peas. Guess it could have been worse. ;) Abram got them containers and they helped themselves. 

Abram: I took Emerson to his first appt (3 days old), got home and left him in the living room, waved to Abram and Gma Lorna in the fam room on my way to the bathroom.  Abram turns to my mom and says, "so did the doctor put Emerson back in her belly?" "Oh no, he's not going back in there." "Then why does her belly look like that?" Hahahahaha 😂

Aila after her nap: "where's granna worna?" "She went back to her house in Utah." "But why she not comin back to Aila's house?"

Today our 4 yr old peed on the couch (during his nap), our 2 yr old peed on the carpet, and our 8 day old peed on the bed. 😂

Aila, pouting: "but emerson's not talking to me!" And after he moved his arm and touched her: "mom, Emerson did 'this' to me (demonstrating) and I didn't like it!!" 

September 2015, Abram: growing up so much lately. Progressing so much in violin, asking questions well beyond his age, learned how to ride a two-wheeler, joyfully persisting through his falls and scrapes  (despite Ben and me raising our eyebrows at his request to take his training wheels off--I ashamedly admit), loving preschool, developing his creativity and great imagination, so sweet (most of the time) to miss Aila and teaching her and helping her. Today he recited both of his parts in the primary program flawlessly. He memorized them both and he was the very first speaker. So proud of him! And yet when I check on him at night I am reminded how young and little he still is. My sweet 4 yr old mister. Love him so. 

Aila loves loves loves to dance. Has such an innate ability for it.  She is too smart for her own good--tries to manipulate us every night to extend her bedtime. She's a master staller. 

Loves baby Emerson but sometimes a little too aggressively. Give her a wipe or Chapstick and she's entertained for a good 20 minutes (spreads Chapstick over her whole body or wipes her face over and over or "cleans" objects with her wipe (she's been known to get a wipe during sacrament mtg and wipe down the pews). Also loves washing hands and putting on lotion. Very coordinated--will be a great athlete I'm sure. Right now she seems to be left-handed. Full of energy and vocabulary and emotion and we love her for it!! She rarely stops talking. She even has her own little diddy that she sings ("lah-dee-dah-dee-dah") when she's not talking. We joke that she's been talking ever since she came out of the womb (she was a very noisy and grunty baby)! Love watching her run--pumps her elbows way back behind her; "bustles" around the house. 

Abram, out of the blue, "mom, where did Heavenly Father and Jesus get made from?"

Aila found my junior miss shoes and tried to put them on. "These are pretty, mom!"

Aila: A song on the radio, "this is a cute song, mom." 

Abram: "mom, I found my bouncy ball. Aila hided it, just like the golden plates!"

Me to Abram: "I'm grateful you and aila are such good friends." Abram: "yeah and if we get gooder and gooder, we'll get married!"

Abram: "how much blood is in our bodies?"

Abram: "Emerson has a lot to learn before he turns one year old!" 

Book of Mormon reader: any picture of people without shirts on (nephites or lamanites) aila says, "they're going swimming mom?" And if they do have shirts on, she says, "look at their costumes!" 

Emerson at five weeks: smiling at me and saying "goo".  Such a sweet baby. Our calmest one. A few times I've heard him wince in pain and look down to see him tugging at a fistful of his own hair. His hair is the first thing people comment on when they see him. Handsome baby! I think he looks like Ben's baby pictures. 

Abram wanted to help aila say prayer: "please bless that we'll have lots of healthy food. please bless that we'll get lots of candy. And give lots of presents to other people and feel good inside."

Aila is obsessed with giving Emerson his binky. 

Some more little snippets I've typed in my phone over the last several months...it's amazing how much Aila's vocabulary has grown these last few months!

ABRAM
"Aila, are you going to be a young woman when you grow up? But you can't pass the sacrament; only young men. You have to have the priesthood." "Oh."
Abram teaches aila how to count and say the alphabet.
Abram bday: played with balloons, played at mall (rain), visited daddy at work, requested oatmeal for breakfast and tomato soup for dinner (I added a smoothie and grilled cheese). Presents, cake and ice cream, watched home videos of him as a baby.
Abram: "Mom, when are you going to grow another baby in your belly?" (this was just after I found out myself that I was pregnant with #3)
(About a week later after Thatchers had their baby) "mom, now they have 3 kids. I want to have 3 kids in our family! Actually, I want to have 4. Two girls and two boys."
Abram: "how do we get on earth from heaven?" "Do we breathe in heaven?"
Abram to aila: "whoa, you're getting big. Did you know that you're growing each day? That's how you get bigger."
Abram disappears during dinner to go potty and comes back saying he's "Mika and abram has gone to gma Lorna's for the night. Actually for 100 and 30 and 31 days. That's a looooot of days, huh?"
Abram--forts every day.
Abram A of F memorization--he now has articles of faith 1-5 memorized and recited the 4th one all by himself in Primary.
Me: "Sorry, abram, we don't have time for that today." "But I have time!"
Abram to aila: "hi, my little blossoms!"
Abram's imaginary friends: carter, Brooklyn, moose, turtle (has had them for a long time...over a year?)
Abram: "isn't that e-mazing?!"
"Aila, did you know that you're going to be a mommy someday? And I'm going to be a daddy! So if we stay together, we'll have kids!"
After saying a sweet prayer, me: "abram, thank you for that thoughtful prayer." Abram: "Do you think Jesus liked that prayer?" "Yes, I'm sure He did." "I think He will remember it forever!"
My 4 yr old is asking me hard questions like "is there nighttime in heaven?" And "how do lions cry?"
An Asian couple walks by with large sunhats on: (abram) "are those pioneers?"
Abram: "why do clouds stay up in the sky?" "What happens to my blood vessels when my skin grows?" 
Abram: "When I'm 21...I won't be in your family anymore...I'm going to be a fireman. And I might be gone for a loong time."
Abrams latest obsession: cheetahs, since they are the fastest land animal. "But mom, are they faster than dinosaurs?" "Hmm, I don't know for sure."  "...did Jesus have a camera to take pictures of the dinosaurs?" "He didn't live on the earth with the dinosaurs. But He knows how fast they were, huh?" "Yeah because He created them. Maybe I could ask Him when I go to heaven." "Yeah, good idea."
This last wed, our bishops wife came over to babysit while Ben and I went to mutual and the first thing abram said when she walked in was, "I'm a cheetah and I can run faster than you and I'm going to eat you all up!"

AILA
Aila points to the pic in Abrams room of Jesus with children: "mommy! Eh Jesus! Eh abram!"
Aila loves practicing saying all the extended family names. Repeats everything we say.
Aila: "mean-up" (clean up) and "me-me" (excuse me)
Aila: the second we stop the car she doesn't miss a beat: "ah reedy! Ah reedy!" (I'm ready)
Aila, crawling on the floor: "wookit! Wookit! Eh wi-on!" (Lion--abram frequently does this)
Aila: "crack-crack" (crackers)
Me: "Whatcha doin, aila?" "Eh doin!!" (aka Making a mess)
Aila spotted a big semi truck outside our back window and was going crazy telling us about it--abram goes over and gasps, "a-wuh (Aila)! Wook what you discovered!!"
Aila: "Abram, 'mon!" (C'mon)
Me:"Aila, should we go change your diaper?" "Nope." "How come?" "Cuz. Eh playin'."
Somersault = "shummer-shop" where aila puts hands and feet down and sticks one leg high up in the air, then rolls over on her side.
Costco date with little missy yesterday while Abram was at a friend's house. We shared a chicken bake and she wiped her mouth after every bite and smiled at all the old ladies. She missed abram and "buckled him" in the seat next to her in the cart.
Aila: "I wanna read bear-sin bear-sin!" (berenstain bears)
Aila "um, actuawy..." (actually)
A common occurrence at our house lately--aila puts her baby down for a nap, turns the sound machine on, closes the door, then announces to everyone that her baby is taking a nap!
Aila is always talking and expressing herself.  The Pediatrician was really impressed by her vocabulary at her check up today.  Ben and I joke that she rarely goes 30 seconds without saying something or making noise...just in the last few min: "can we read on the couch mom?" "I have a little yogurt on my cheeks and nose, mom." "There's an owl and a bear!" "Nope, I don't need a new diaper, mom." 
"Mom, watch me!  Watch!  Watch me, Mom!  Lookit me!" (while jumping/dancing/spinning/running)

Abram and Aila Say...

I've been keeping a little sheet of paper in the kitchen where I write down cute things the kids say or do...I'm guessing these are from the last 6 months or so...

Abram
(When we were working on potty training) "Abram, do you need to go potty?" "Nope, I already went last summer."

"...and, SUDDENLY--!" (he's a great story teller...they can last up to 15-20 minutes easily) "..and a couple whiles later..."

"Aila, wanna come in my room, sweetie?  I might be sad if you don't come play with me!"

"Aila, that was a big 'scuse me!" (she had gas)

He looooves singing in Primary.  His little face is so sincere when he sings and you can often hear him singing over everyone else.  His Sunbeam teacher told me he always wants to say the prayer in their class.

He often loves to lead family scripture time, where he usually combines about 3 different scripture masteries along with some of his own doctrine.  He can quote 3/4 of 1 Ne 3:7 word for word.  Impressive memory.

We have toilet locks on our toilets...so when he needs to go, he runs down the hall, then shouts in distress, "Mom!!!  It's un-mocked!!!"  (Meaning, it's locked.)

He's very good at saying "yes, please" and "no, thank you."

We were reading a Berenstain Bear book about before Sister Bear was born.  He asked, "Is Sister Bear in heaven with Jesus Bear?"

"We're so blessed to have food that Jesus gave us."

In Napa at Grandma Eide's, he got to have honey-nut cheerios...after his first bite, "Whoa!! I like this! I've never had special cheerios before!"

Me: "Abram, look! It's raining!"  Abram: "Wow, that's amazing!"

In a prayer: "We're so grateful for the opportunity of the Gospel."
"Please bless all the natures and home  that animals live in."

"Mom, 3 and E both have three sides...maybe they're friends."

To Aila, "Wook at that wittle face!"

Abram: "Aila, you have tired eyes." Aila, while touching her eyes, "Eye! Eye!"

He's recently been into dinosaurs so we've read some books from the library.  One day he was digging out clumps of dirt in the backyard and told me he found fossils from the neck of a Stegosaurus.

Also out in back, out of nowhere he stands behind the railing and starts giving a Primary talk.  Then proceeds to say a prayer...I look over at Aila and she has her little hands folded.

"Mom, what happened to the pioneers?"  "They lived a long, long time ago and died, so now they're in heaven."  "...with the dinosaurs??"


Aila
Aila is never at a loss for words, noise, screaming, yelling, growling (which annoys Abram, and she knows it) and/or and kind of expression.  She keeps things very exciting around here!  (And at the grocery store.)  She is very social and we always know how she is feeling.  :)  I tell Ben that I never knew so much emotion could live inside such a little body.  We love our sweet baby girl (who is actually almost 18 months!).  We don't go anywhere without one of her swaddling blankets.  If she has that and her thumb, she's content.  In public, she gets lots of comments about how much hair she has.  She absolutely loves Abram and Abram is so patient (most of the time) with her ruining his towers and creations.  He loves to make forts for them to play in.  I dare say her appetite has slowed down a bit in the last couple weeks.  I used to feel like I exhausted all my energy making food for her and feeding her.  This girl loves her food and eats it fast!  She also loves her Daddy.  She and Abram get so excited when we hear him unlock the door and they can't help but run around in circles, yelling and laughing.  Of course, Ben joins in the running and noise-making. :)  Aila loves looking at books and sitting on our laps to read (on her own quick agenda). She enjoys putting her diapers in the garbage.  Unfortunately, she enjoys putting a lot of other items in there too (like her sippy).  She has become an adventurous climber lately.  She climbs on our bed, the toilet and up to the bathroom counter, and the kitchen chairs up onto the kitchen table.  Poor girl has had some falls...but no stitches yet (eeek!).  I love when she just jabbers, excitedly telling me something. She's using a lot more consonant sounds every day.  She often points to letters/words and says, "I!  I!  I!" (she must be copying big brother, who is learning his letters.)  I love watching her bustle around, her hair swishing behind her back.  She loves playing outside and going for walks.  She makes sure she wears her helmet just like her big brother.  She loves playing in the sand and going down slides--after I say, 1, 2, 3, she says, "Weeee!"

Her latest words are:
"Naaaayyyyy!" (meaning blankie) "Eh naaaay" means I want my blankie
"Eh poooo..." means I need a diaper change.  Speaking of which, she has pooped in the tub about twice a week lately.
"Moooooooow" (more)
"Doddy" (Daddy)
"Doddy" (doggie)
"Doddy" (kitty)
"Doddy" (squirrel)
"Doddy" (bird)
"Mommeee" (she sometimes uses this for Ben too...)
"Hi!"
"Byeeee!"
"Pweesh" (please)
"chsss" (cheese)
"cheeesh" (brush teeth)
"shoosh" (shoes)
"baby"
"meh" (amen)
"nah" (snack)
"buh-bo" (bubbles)
"buh-bo" (apple)
"bie" (bite--she always wants my food)
"nnnnnoooooooo!!"

Abram Boy

Some notes about Abram I recorded back in February also...(last lost post!)

"buddies" with daddy
wearing fire chief shirt--have to call him "fireman"
Gives Aila hug and kiss before nap
To Aila when crying in the car: "It's okay sweetie.  We're going to get gas.  Yeah, we are!"
Picked out a French family saying, "Merci" (from the primary song..."Some say 'Tak', others 'Merci')
Impeccable memory
Just started sunbeams
"Ohhh, Mommy, you have an owie on your foot?!  Ohh, I'm sorry..."
Picks up songs very quickly.
"Santa gave me this train?  That was so nice of him!"
At least once a day, "So how's your day, Mommy? What's it about?"
Recently transitioned to his "big-boy" bed, with a little encouragement--he loved his crib so much.
He is innately obedient. Example:  He never climbed out of his crib.  Even now, in his bed, he still calls for me in the morning or after his naps and waits to get out of bed until I get there.  I was sure that once he started sleeping in a bed he'd be coming out at night or playing with his toys instead of napping, but that hasn't been the case!  Of course, I may be speaking too soon...but so far, so good.

Loves pomegranate seeds

Frequently recites lines from books we've read, out of the blue.

"Mommy, did you go pee-pee?"  "Yes."  "Oh, good job, Mommy!!"

"Mmm, this is so yummy.  Thanks for making this, Sweetie!" (using Ben's term of endearment, ha)

"Mommy, I feel a little nervous because I need to play with my cars!"

"Mom, me and Daddy are buddies, but you can be a girl-buddy.  You and A-wuh (Aila) can be girl buddies."

Every bathtime, he 'baptizes' all his little creatures.  Sometimes he even passes the Sacrament.

Imaginary friend, Carter.

Christmas & Monterey Bay

Another lost post I just found that I wrote shortly after Christmas 2013....

Christmas 2013
We had a lovely Christmas.  Since we were in UT last year for Christmas (we surprised our families!), this was our first year without snow.  A little weird, but when we spent Christmas Eve playing at the park, I was in heaven.

A quick synopsis:

On Christmas Eve, we had our traditional International picnic by the fireplace (a tradition from the Wade side) and each opened a present (a tradition from the Kujanpaa side, since Santa visits all the children in Finland on Christmas Eve night).

I made "riisi puuro" (Finnish rice pudding) with kiiseli (fruit sauce) for the first time!  We also had Russian piroshki, Italian meatballs, mashed potatoes, and some cheese from France.  Yum yum.  Lots of comfort food.  Abram was totally sold on the idea of eating special food on a big blanket.  :)

Christmas morning was so fun.  Abram got a little train set from Santa and kept saying, *gasp* "Oh, Santa brought this for me?  That was so nice!"  We all felt spoiled and grateful with wonderful gifts from our families.

In the afternoon, we packed up and drove to Livermore to have Christmas dinner with Ben's uncle Mike and Aunt Vickie.  More fun yummy food!  They were generous enough to let us stay there overnight, and the next day we drove to Monterey.  We debated going to the aquarium due to the expense, but decided to go.  When we were literally 20 feet outside the entrance, an older couple came up to us and gave us two extra tickets they had!  Talk about a Christmas miracle!  We all got in for free because Abram was still 2. :)

We had fun exploring Monterey and Carmel, where we did the infamous 17-mile drive.  It was beautiful with lots of different beaches and scenery to explore.  We also went to Point Lobos, where we spotted a family of whales!  Our last adventure was on the way home--Ben can now check off "visit Stanford campus" on his bucket list.  It was good to get out and walk around the beautiful campus.  Ben took some pictures on his phone...maybe he'll post them!!  *wink wink (Ben)*  I had to laugh at how disheveled we all looked after driving in the car for hours amongst other visitors who were dressed so fashionably for their visit to Stanford...especially when Abram ran around like a hooligan and an Asian grandma gave us her disapproving look...oops. :)  We also found ourselves walking behind two Russian women, so we of course tried to walk a little closer so Ben could hear their Russian, but I think we were a little too obvious...they looked back at us a couple times and then ended up stopping to admire the kids.  One of them was a little too friendly with Aila though, and when she started screaming, the Russian lady got out her altoids and tried to use them as a rattle to calm her, and when that didn't help, she gave us all a mint, haha.  Then I can't remember what we talked about, but they were nice.  Anyway.  It's always fun to run into Russians.  I think I'm about as good as Ben at spotting them now!

Bathtime

These pictures are from February 2014; Aila 9 months, Abram just 3 years