The Happiest Place on Earth

Our family was in dire need of a vacation. Sam and I knew that we wanted to take the kids to Disneyland again, but this time, we decided to surprise the kids. A big box with balloons, shirts and a puzzle was delivered to our house to tell the night before we left. Halle & Chase put the puzzle together, telling them that they were going to Disneyland! Lots of screaming and jumping ensued, and Lizzie kept walking around in a circle saying, "Mimmie! Mimmie! Mimmie!"

We flew out early on a Thursday morning, and went straight to the park upon arrival. It was so much fun! Each of the kids were so happy to be there, and Sam and I think we are kids in Disneyland, too. It's the best!

 

All of the kids loved the characters, especially Lizzie. The girl LOVES Minnie Mouse, so when she saw her in person, she went slightly crazy. For three days, all we heard was, "Mimmie. Mimmie." Even now, at home, she tells everyone, "Mimmie. Hand." Minnie touched her hand, and she walks around holding her hand out, acting as if she'll never wash her hand again. I love that Minnie is her hero.

One of the main reasons we went, was to see the new Cars Land. It didn't disappoint. The rides were so fun, and we literally felt that we had walked into Radiator Springs. Chase loved going on the fast cars. So did Sam, for that matter. He just might love Disneyland more than the kids.

Luckily, all three kids behaved wonderfully, especially Halle. She was beyond helpful, and never complained. She's an amazing girl, and we love her!

It was the best vacation. I love spending time with my family. Disneyland is the best! I want to go back!

Preschool x 2

Chase is adventurous, to say the least. The boy runs from the beginning of the day, until it's time for bed. So, since about May, I've been looking forward to preschool starting again. What can I say? I'm tired. 

This year, Chase gets to go to two different preschools. That's four days a week, people! Happy me! He is going to Miss Karie, the preschool extraordinaire. She's in our ward, and has been teaching preschool for many years. Chase loves her! We hear about Miss Karie all the time, and he's only been there one day so far. He's certainly happy there.

The other days, Chase is attending the special preschool through the district to continue working on his speech. He went there last year, so he's pretty well versed on the happenings at Rosamond. And, bonus! He gets to ride the bus there. By himself. That's your tax dollars at work, folks. He loves it, and I'm so glad that he is able to be around a speech therapist twice a week to continue working on his speech.

We have seen so much improvement in Chase over the summer. He certainly doesn't love speech practice, but he does it, and we are seeing a big change in the way he talks. Other people notice, too. I've learned over the last year, since we received Chase's apraxia diagnosis, that there is no greater joy than seeing him master a new word or sentence. We are hopeful that by attending both preschools, along with individualized speech therapy, it will further his progress. He's a champ!

Welcome Fall!

We have had a crazy summer. So, my little clan is thrilled to welcome fall. In a few weeks, my kiddos will be collecting colored leaves, and planning out their Halloween getup. But, for now, we are full-on geeked to welcome our favorite fall activity: BYU football. A few days before the first game, we went to the Cougar Kickoff to celebrate the return of football season. The kids, especially Chase, had a great time. We are certainly raising some mini-Cougar fanatics. 

Chase and Lizzie did some little football skill footwork activity. Lizzie just ran across the lines, but Chase was quite particular on making sure his feet hit every square.

They also got to improve their tackling skills with the tackle dummies. I'm half-tempted to buy one of these things, just so they have something to tackle other than each other.

We met some super cute cheerleaders, with super cool pom-poms.

Chase worked on his quarterbacking skills, and on the first try, threw the ball right on the money. I don't mean to be "one of those mom's," but I'm pretty sure we have a future little Steve Young on our hands.

We met some of our Cougar faves. Riley Nelson...

and Ross Apo, Kyle VanNoy and Cody Hoffman.

We are looking forward to each weekend to cheer on the Cougars. We've even taught Lizzie to say "BYU." We teach our kids early, what can I say. Here's to a great season!