Thanksgiving

Well, we headed to my parents' house in Menan, Idaho for the weekend of Thanksgiving. My folks have these fabulously huge trees surrounding their house, which makes for great leaf jumping. We were so excited to go and play in the leaves, but my dad, who recently retired from work, has been too good at keeping them clean! We found a spot that he had missed and piled up some leaves to jump in. It was sooo cold, but so fun! Here are a few photos of E and L jumping in the leaves and helping to rake them. Also, Aunt T and I went to take some pictures of a neat tree we had seen earlier in the year, and I put L in a tree because I thought she would like it and it would be a cute photo opportunity, but she didn't exactly smile for the camera! It was a great weekend. Matthew did homework all weekend, so we didn't see much of him, but at least he got most of his paper finished that is due tomorrow. My mom, sister and I went shopping on Black Friday and it was awesome! I love the crowds, the thrill of trying to get something impossible (this year it was a $400 laptop for me at Circuit City) and watching everyone else do the same. Yes, I got the laptop, and it's a pretty funny story, but we'll save that for later. We went to five or so stores and were finished by 8am! So fun! Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!

So two months or so ago, E and L received a balloon from our local grocery store for free. While in the parking lot, L let go of hers, and it took two hours to calm her down from losing her balloon. Matthew tried everything from chocolate to ice cream to movies to who knows what else, but for that two hours she cried uncontrollably. Well, just last week we went to the grocery store again, and when E asked if she could have a balloon, we went to get the free balloons again (apparently I need to remember tramautic events in the lives of my children!). Immediately after getting hers, L began to cry and signed 'don't want' so I gave it back to the woman at the service desk and we continued on our way. Well, apparently she is seriously tramuatized, because once we got to the car, she was again crying hysterically and asking for her balloon. E ran back into the store and grabbed the balloon for L, who hugged the poor thing all the way home, with a white knuckle grip on it's string. I had to hold the string to get her out of the car and into the house, and once in the house, the hugging and crying continued. E finally put the balloons out of sight in a 'safe place' (the top of the stairs) and she calmed enough to go to bed. The next morning, however, she spotted her balloon, and thereafter ensued 45 minutes of her holding tight to the balloon and crying -no screaming - while following me. I tried to take it from her to put it in a safe place, but she wouldn't have it. I tried talking to her to explain that her balloon was safe in the house, but she scooted as far away as she could from me. So, finally at my wits end (because whenever L cries, T cries; he doesn't like her crying at all), I pried the string from her hands and tied it to a very stable piece of furniture so she could see it was safe. She continued to sit next to the balloon whimpering for another 10 minutes before it was really ok. Yeah, no more balloons for her as I think she is always going to be afraid to lose another one. Anyway, here's the photo of her crying and holding her balloon. I couldn't resist capturing this memory forever!

Halloween Fun

Well, our Halloween was much fun. E and L were princesses or ballerinas, depending on who you asked, but both were ecstatic to dress up in their costumes. T and Daddy were missionary companions, though T slept most of the time (not a very good missionary yet!). I was the ever famous girl from the 80's. Our neighbor told me he thought he went on a date with me in 1986, it was pretty fun and way out of my comfort zone to wear a miniskirt (I had leggings on, so no worries about showing too much.) After having three kids, I think it was a little too young for me, but for one night a year let's just throw caution to the wind!

Last year I was crazy and made pancakes that looked like pumpkins for breakfast on Halloween and at the time the girls thought I was crazy. However, E has seen photos of those pumpkin pancakes and this year requested jack-o-lantern pancakes. So, I suppose there is the beginnings of a new tradition, with chocolate chips for the face, they've got to be healthy, right?

We also, of course, carved pumpkins for the occasion, and it was quite fun to see the girls grimace while cleaning them out! They did have lots of fun making faces and putting candles inside. L actually understood some of the strange practices this year, which added to E's excitement. It's fun to watch how excited E gets now that L can share in her excitement and fun!

Chocolate Hitler & Tired Boy

L was so funny last night. We had ice cream for a bedtime snack (I know, not healthy, but fun once in a while) and L got some chocolate stuck above her lip right where Hitler's mustache was. So, of course we took a picture to share with the world of our little Hitler! She is getting to be so funny. Matthew and I decided last week that we needed to sign everything when she is in the room and have really been doing better at that so she has access to what's happening instead of just what we decide to tell her, and in so doing she has become very wise and is adding even more signs to her conversations. Aunt "T" sent candy skeletons that we put together and L was trying to put hers together when she signed, "Mom, this is hard. Help please." It is the first time she has signed that something is difficult or hard! It's so exciting to see her vocabulary and expressiveness progress. I have said all along that if there is any delay in her development of language, it will be the same lack of development of ASL that I have!

T on the other hand was exhausted. He completely crashed in his bouncy chair while I was making dinner! Sooooo cute and relaxed!

Our Super Star

E was super star in preschool this past week. She was so excited - even more than last year! The super star gets to take in a poster with pictures and information about them and their family, bring snacks, bring show and tell items, help the teachers, and be the leader in activities. Each child gets a turn, and watching her prepare for her turn and be so excited to share information about herself with her classmates was really fun! On Tuesday she got to wear a crown, and on Thursday she got a dog tag-like necklace. She decided that for snack on Tuesday, she wanted to take cheese and crackers, and on Thursday she wanted pear muffins. I took a couple pictures of her with her poster and her crown just so you could see how excited she was.

Today in church she sat reverently with her arms folded for about 10 minutes before the meeting started. There are days when she is so grown up I can't believe it!

E's Owie, L's New Meds

Well, we went to the store last night in the red car, which E can get out of herself, and as I was going to get L out, E started to cry, "Mommy, mommy" so I ran to help her, and her thumb was shut in the door! OUCH!!! I opened the door and surveyed the damage, she was amazingly composed as we walked into the store and got some ice to put on her thumb. It is okay, a little sore but you'd never know it. She is such a trooper, though she posed for the picture quite well. You can't really tell, but there is a dark purple line around her entire thumb! Quite the adventure!

Also, a photo of L at playgroup today. She loves playgroup and tends to try and boss the other kids around. She wanted to sit on a chair today instead of the usual mat, so that shook things up for the other kids. We got word on her most recent tests yesterday, she has massive reflux and just started medicine to try and control it. In one month they will add another medicine and wait another four weeks. If that doesn't work to control the reflux, she may need surgery! Scary! However, good news, they thought she may have celiac, but the test for that came back negative. Finally one test that shows she doesn't have an abnormality!

"T" 2 months old

T is so fun. Being my third baby, I'm much more comfortable in my ability as a mom to care for him, so I've really enjoyed him thoroughly. He was born LATE by three days, and was the biggest of my babies at 8 lbs 6 ozs. He eats and eats and eats some more and is a chunk now. He is adored by his sisters and his daddy also.

T has lots to say, and is just getting to the point that he wants to get it out. The squeeks, cries, and groans of infants are so irresistible. He has the funniest half-smile I've ever seen and uses it often. Daddy says that T is a momma's boy, and he's right. I love to snuggle him, and he settles right in for a good snuggle several times a day.

We're still learning about T, but so far I know he loves food, sleep, snuggles, and has a fierce temper if his needs are not met in his time frame!

"L" 2 1/2 years old

L is also a joy. She came with a large set of challenges, which she faces head on and tackles. The largest is probably that she is deaf, which we learned when she was only 3 weeks old. As a family we decided that ASL would be the best way to communicate for her (hearing aids and cochlear implants do not work for her), so we began signing what little we knew to her. She took to using her hands to communicate so fast, and signed Mom when she was only 6 months old.

Now, at 2 1/2 she is telling stories, explaining what happened in her day, and telling us that we are all silly or weird. She has a keen sense of humor and is a tease, which her daddy loves. She had trouble learning to walk because she has almost no balance mechanisms in her ears, but is now running and jumping.

L is extremely social, waving to anyone she sees, telling the trees, houses, bugs and anything else goodbye as we pass. She is also very compassionate, and gives frequent hugs, kisses and pats on the back. If there is anhyone who is crying, she will always be the 1st to try and help.

She just got new glasses two weeks ago, and is adjusting very well to them. L has changed our lives and changed the direction our family is going, but it is all for the very best!

"E" 4 3/4 years old

E is a very intelligent, active, beautiful, active, compassionate, active, helpful, did I mention active, child. She is a truly meant to be a first-born because of her ability to take charge and understand. For example, she understands when mom is at her wits end and calmly escorts "L" out of the room for a few minutes. She also understands when it is time to be alone, she goes and sings and reads to herself.

E is a true joy. She loves to imagine and create. She sings all the time, making up her own words and music that is just beautiful. Movement is her thing, as she cannot hold still. If our house had a place for her to run free outside, she would be content. (She mentions weekly that when we buy our bigger house she will be able to have a big trampoline and a swingset and trees to climb.) Perhaps someday in the distant future we will have those things, but for now she has a great time playing outside our townhome with her friends and playing in our basement on the small trampoline.

She is in her 2nd year of preschool and loves school, her teachers, her friends and snacks! They sing the cutest songs and she comes home to teach all of us, though sometimes she can't remember the words and then all is lost! L is deaf, and we use American Sign Language to communicate with her and with one another. E is amazing at her ability to learn and communicate in her 2nd language! In primary today, she answered questions in sign language without her voice - such a great girl!

I Finally Did It!

Well, I have been enjoying the blogs of my friends and family, and decided that this would be a good way to keep everyone informed and a fun way to keep track of our busy lives. So, let's hope for the best and let the blogging adventure begin!

We are the Wilcox family, residing currently in Spanish Fork, Utah. Matthew and I have been married since August 2002 and have three beautiful kids. First, (I'm only using one letter of their names) is E, girl, four and three-quarter years old - she's very specific about the 3/4; next we have L, girl, two-and-a-half who is just happy to be here most of the time, and last for now is T, boy, 2 months and he's just too cute for words!

That's about all for now, I'll introduce the kids in their own posts in a little while!