Halloween Pictures

I took Hyrum and Abi trick or treating. I just LOVE Abi's cute little face in the picture above - such a cute cheesy smile! Her Aunt Beka calls it her Chicken Run smile. Joe, Mel, and Ethan all went with friends from school. So that leaves Wesley - what did Wesley do for Halloween?

That's his Batman costume on the ground. We really tried to wake him up, several times, but that kids needs his sleep. So he slept through the whole thing. He woke up after the other kids were home and was sad that he didn't have any candy, but they all shared with him, and then he was happy.

Coyote Trail in Draper's Corner Canyon

On Friday Nov. 6th the kids didn't have school cause of Parent Teacher Conference weekend, and since it was a nice warm day I bribed the kids with a lunch at Chuck-a-Rama (they love the dessert buffet) if they'd endure a little hike in the mountains. (Corey was working, so I took all 7 kids by myself! Aren't I brave?!)


I'd seen the trailhead before after going to the temple, so it's been on my list to go check it out. It wasn't steep at all, so it was perfect for the kids. We walked for a half hour up and then a half hour back.
They were surprised to come over a slight bend and see the temple! ...I pointed out that we did just drive by it before we parked...

Can you see all three temples? (click on the image, and then click on it again to magnify it...)

We stopped after Abi started walking funny and seemed to have hurt her right foot/ankle. I think she and Wes would have kept on going otherwise. Now the older kids... they were moping from the start. Shouldn't that be the other way around?

Here's where we turned around after I made them let me get one last photo - Joe is in the back with his stick turned Harry Potter wand.

Then I thought I'd see if the kids could get a non-blurry shot of me too. Ethan did a good job on his first try! It's nice to have myself documented every now and again - someday to be used as proof that I was alive and a part of their upbringing. And here below is how my return hike started and ended, with Lili wrapped on front and Abi going piggy back...
It's not really that bad if you have a kid in front and back to balance each other out. :)

Look What My Kid Can Do

It's ironic, a bit unfair. I always wanted to be flexible, to be able to do the splits. I had dreams about it. I've always admired gymnasts, dancers, and yoga enthusiasts. Well, my little Melodie is on her way. Check out these limber joints -

Foot behind head

Toes to hair

Splits

She makes it look so easy. (Sigh) When I see her I start to recite Brian Regan (Funny Video Here!) - "This woman in a soothing voice: 'Simply take the bottom of your right foot and place it on the small of your back. Now take your left leg - throw it around your neck like a scarf, and breathe!' " (I love Brian Regan!)

Crazy Hair Day

Four Crazy Hair-do's (Can't do too much with the boy's hair. I told them it would grow back, but none of them would let me give them a reverse mohawk. Maybe when they're in high school...)

My kids love it when it's Red Ribbon Week, cause that means Crazy Hair Day is coming!


I think it's one of their favorite days of the year. We tried to get some volume in Mel's hair by putting velcro hair curlers in it - It was very tangled when she got home!

A Stress-Free Neck

I wish my muscles were this relaxed...

I don't think it looks very comfortable though. :)

Playing with Cups!

After seeing this on another blog, I put party cups on my shopping list. I came home with 150 cups and then me and the kids had a fun time stacking...


They are loud when they fall!


After the older kids came home from school, they wanted a turn. We made it on the counter to see how high we could get - didn't quite make it to the ceiling, but almost! Maybe we'll buy a few more bags of cups! :)

Christmas in October

So I went to Costco the other day and I took the three kids not in school with me. After we'd gotten all the groceries we wandered through the toy isle. I saw a Galactic Heroes Millenium Falcon toy and had to get it. I guess I could have waited till I didn't have any youngsters with me to witness Santa in action, but I didn't want to risk the toy being sold out next time I came, so I got it - to be a Christmas Present for Wesley. Wesley noticed me with the toy and I explained that it was for Christmas, he'd have to wait for Christmas, he said ok. He fell asleep on the way home, I unloaded the car and hid the toy while he napped, but when he woke up, he asked me if he could go get his toy out of the car. "It's not in the car" I said as a stall tactic, but he continued to ask for it every five minutes for the rest of the day and the following day. Well, not that many times, but he was persistent. I admit that I have a problem with giving the kids toys for no particular reason other than I love seeing them play, so as I put him to bed after a day of ignoring his request, the next day I resolved that if he asked again, I'd give in. He came up the stairs in the morning and the first words out of his mouth, rubbing his sleepy eyes, was "Can I have my toy now?" Oooh-kaaay. I made him put on a Santa hat and let me take a picture so that if I want to I might give him the picture for Christmas and we'll see if that helps him understand that he already opened his present. But I'll probably still buy him a big gift. He was a happy boy. We've got quite the Star Wars Galactic Heroes collection going.

Happy Wes with Han Solo and a Rebel Commando guy.

This is how I put Abi down for a nap

These two pictures are on two different days - but I just realized there is something similar - both of these days she was eating Nutella when she fell asleep. I wonder if that has some kind of a sleeping pill ingredient. Above - snacking on graham crackers with Nutella - notice she just licked the Nutella off and left the cracker. Below - a Nutella sandwich. Can you tell I'm trying to get rid of it? Corey buys it at Costco when he does the grocery run. I can't have chocolately calorie ridden stuff like that around the house when I'm trying to lose weight!!! I am so not looking forward to Halloween. HeLp!


Poor little girl.

Has Anyone Seen Wesley?

This is unfortunately starting to happen a bit to regularly around here. Last week: Dinner was done, the kids were playing or doing homework, when I notice that I haven't seen Wesley running by for an hour or so. I walked around the house, looked in all the rooms and closets, called his name, and couldn't find him. I stop the other kids with what they are doing "We need to find Wesley - GO!" And off they went to scour the house again. I however had to go change Abi's diaper. Lucky for us, the diapers had been left on the floor next to the desk where I went to pick them up and lo and behold, there was Wes asleep under the desk. I called off the search and rescue party and we all resumed our activities.

Today, I'm looking for Wes. It was only 11:30 in the afternoon - way early for a nap, and I hadn't heard the door open at all (we have a little alarm that beeps if a door to the outside gets opened.) Still, I had been nursing Lilian in the back room with the fan on (for white noise), so maybe I hadn't heard it. I walked around the house, called his name, nothing. I called Quinn's house, Brian's house, and Stewart's house - none of their mom's had seen Wes. So I did my 4th look through of the house, this time instead of yelling to wake him up or scare him out of hiding, I just listened, and sure enough, in the room by the kitchen, I heard a soft breathing. The couch appeared to have been pushed out from the wall a little bit, I peek around, and there he is asleep.


...I called the neighbors to let them know I'd located him. I need to get a gps on this kid.

Just your average night at the Wride house....

Melodie, with all her toys animals gently placed on her lap.

Ethan, fell asleep to Corey reading Harry Potter to him. And with his Webkinz Max keeping him company.


Hyrum and Wes have been insisting on sleeping together the past little while - that's fine by me...


And Abi in her crib.
And wait, where is Joe?

Joseph, what are you still doing up, you book worm! He's reading the Harry Potter series again. He has a few more pages he says, then he'll go to sleep. Yesterday Melodie, who is a silly little girl and an annoying little sister, taped a note on Joseph's back that said "Joseph for Sale! Cheap! $2 - comes with Harry Potter books" I thought it was so funny. Joseph did too, but thought it was annoying too. Silly kids.

Happy Birthday Abi

Blowing out her candles! Abi turned two on September 3rd.

Abi was playing so cute with her new food toys and stove top from Grandma Hibbert, it was precious. And Melodie is such a sweet sister to Abi. I love my girls.

Caught a Smile!

Lilian

Just a few pictures of Lilian. Here she is on the day of her blessing - happy to be sleeping, and with Corey



Happy...

Sad...
(Probably more mad than sad)
Confused? I just thought her little face looked so funny in this picture - her nose is almost right between her eyes. She reminds me of that little boy Russell in the movie UP.

Hike to Pfeifferhorn (almost)

On Saturday Joe joined me and seven other people in our ward for an early hike up Little Cottonwood Canyon to the White Pine Trail head. We met at our ward house at 5:30 a.m. and were on the trail at 6. It was a lot of fun, Joe is a great friend to have to go on hikes with. I was going to take Lili too, but when the moment came to put her in the carseat to go, I decided against it and hurried and wrote a note and put out a bottle and formula for Corey to use. Most school mornings she'll sleep until 10 if she nurses during the night, which she had. I called at 9:30 to ask Corey how they were all doing, he said she took the bottle like a champ, so I hiked for another hour before Joe and I headed home when we reached the "Knife's Edge".
Walking past Red Pine Lake which is down the hill on the right.
The Upper Red Pine Lake is behind us, I'm on the left talking to Corey on the cell phone.
Climbing up Red Pine Horn - I'm the 5th one up - Joe was at the end taking his time and keeping Bo Whitmore smiling as he talked about how he was going to die. Aren't I a responsible parent leaving my child behind to fend for himself...

Joe is here in the bottom right corner climbing up Red Pine Horn

At the top of Red Pine Horn, 4 hours into the hike, just another hour to Pfeifferhorn.

People on the left are climbing down to the Knife's Edge, a saddle between Pfeifferhorn and Red Pine Horn, that has huge boulders sticking out. It looked very intimidating from where we were standing, so this is where Joe and I decided we were done. I felt like I was pushing my luck with leaving Lili for much longer, and Joe had had enough thrills climbing Red Pine Horn, he wasn't interested in another steep ascent. So, we headed back home at 10:30, and were down the mountain and in the car at 1:15. The rest of our group got home at 4, so I'm glad we turned around when we did. Anyway, it was a beautiful fall hike and a good workout. I love Fall, it is my favorite season. I love the Utah Mountains.

Lost Camera

Well, I've misplaced my camera again. My kids keep doing cute things and I can't take pictures of them! I can't go on like this. It's been two weeks now and I can't find it. I've been wanting to buy a new one anyway. Any recommendations? I was thinking I'd upgrade to the $300/$400 range, but Costco's got the Canon Rebel models for $700/$800 ish. Maybe I'll do that?

I Got Slimed.

Lilian, Did you slime your mother with a nasty mess of digested milk and mucus? Hmm?!? What do you have to say for yourself?!

She had been fussing, I was lying on the bed with her right over my face, when I remembered a time when Corey did that with Joseph and got it right in the eye, so I put her over my shoulder and she let me have it. I had to go downstairs and interrupt the bedtime reading of Corey and the kids to show them how gross it was. This picture doesn't really do it justice. Big ol' matted mess of baby cottage cheese right in my hair. It was stinky too.

Raggedy Abi

Good Morning, Bed head!

Abi was looking a little tubby this morning and it made me laugh, so of course I had to take a picture. She was wearing her clothes underneath Melodie's pajamas, which she got out of Mel's closet and insisted we help her put them on. She's always getting into Mel's clothes, which I need to do a better job of remembering when I get after Mel for having her clothes strewn around the house. Last night she ws having us help her get dressed in some of Mel's pants, and Corey remarked, "She's like a doll who dresses herself!" Corey also remarked last week as we smiled at Abi, "I'd be pretty impressed with myself if I could make one of these (meaning a little girl)..." Being the computer programmer that he is, Corey is amazed with creating and designing systems, and what more remarkable complex system is there than a human being. Abi can think, dress herself, she had opinions and attitudes, what an amazing creation! Also, after Lili was born and was a mere 5 lbs 13 oz, I thought it was amazing that it took 9 months to make something that wasn't even 6 lbs. I can gain 6 lbs of weight pretty quickly, why can't babies be born more quickly? Corey said "Well, a baby is more complex than 6 lbs of fat." I thought that was a good point. Still, I was a little disappointed that of the 40 lbs I gained during the pregnancy, her delivery only relieved me of 5+ lbs of it. Just didn't seem fair.