jakob's 9!!

the boy turned 9! what is happening? since this is an odd birthday, we had a family party. we had star wars pancakes for breakfast. we had lunch with nona and grandpa at cafe rio. (bless that boy. this pregnant lady couldn't have gone another day without a pork barbacoa salad.) and then he wanted to go to an arcade. there was a huge ball pit/gerbil tunnel thing, a dress up room, mini golf, and a bunch of video games. what 9 year old boy wouldn't love that? so, are you ready for 9 things we love about our jakob gray? ready or not, here they come:

1. this boy likes food. and makes funny comments like, "it smells like heaven in here." and "my taste buds could not be happier."

2. he is a great helper. he loves to have jobs around the house and at school.

3. he loves babies. good thing, too.

4. he makes great forts. riley and max love his cushion house/blanket forts.

5. he's an unintentional hottie. there are always multiple girls vying for his attention. he doesn't seem to notice. yet.

6. he can memorize anything.

7. he doesn't discriminate. he'll play with anyone, any age, boy or girl. doesn't matter.

8. he's a smartie. most things just click for him.

9. he took on some older boys in the neighborhood who were being mean to the little ones. and even though he stood his ground, he got teary when he told me about what happened. sweet sensitive thing.

let it begin

it snowed a ton the first week of october. the monkeys were so excited. because this year we actually have snow pants and waterproof gloves and boots and sleds. it lasted about 3 days and that was it! they had fun (and runny noses) while it lasted.

monkeys

max learned how to do the monkey bars this summer. riley is so excited to have a fellow chimp to play with. the weather is still nice enough to go to the park in the mornings, and since the other 2,000 occupants who are normally there must have all started school, we are taking full advantage of the empty playground.

sometimes the little man gets tired and pretends to fall asleep. who could blame him?

the tooth fairy

this pretty little girlie lost a tooth!! we were eating dinner and she kept telling me something was stuck in her teeth. so we brushed them. then flossed them. then brushed them again. then i wiggled it. it hadn't occured to me that my littlest girl was big enough to have a loose tooth. but apparently she is! she "took it out" all by herself. then went outside to show her friends on the playground and lost it in the tires. she wasn't really upset. she just wanted to make sure that tooth fairy was going to bring her some cash anyway. so she wrote her a little note.

"dear tooth fairy, i lost my tooth in the tires. but i would still like some money. riley." "riley, thanks for the note and the beautiful picture! T. Fairy."

she got 2 bucks. a couple of days later she lost another tooth. and got 2 more bucks. she wiggles random teeth, now, in hopes of getting rich.

when the cat's away...

max and i spend our afternoons together. just us. i've never had just one kid at home. sometimes we go to the library. or the park. or get groceries and run errands. (do you know how easy this is with just one kid?! almost too easy.) but sometimes we just stay home. and play. like this day when we played with jakob's "guys". we started lining them all up (for a war, maybe?  i really don't know.) but ended up throwing our guys in hopes of  knocking down the other guys. max kept saying, in a very serious tone, "mom...let's do this." who knew that could be so fun?

first day of school!! first day of school!! (via my phone)

zoe lane started 5th grade!! (that's middle school in these parts! what?! i know. right?) but it's just 5th and 6th together in one school, so really it's like a sr. elementary school. she is making some great friends in her class. it is fun to see her happy and comfortable.

jakob started 3rd grade. but he didn't want me to walk him in. (excuse me?) i am happy that he feels confident on how this school works. and that he knows some of the kids in his class. and that his teacher adores him.

sweet little riley grace face is in afternoon kindergarten. she is super excited about school. it helps that half our neighborhood is in her class. no joke.

maxwell rees started preschool at the university.  he goes tuesday and thursday mornings and is (usually) so excited about it.  (riley went with us for orientation and now informs us over and over that "at max's school, they don't learn anything.  they just play.")

boy names

remember how i changed maxwell's name on the birth certificate? (without telling the daddy!) we had called him "benjamin" the entire time i was pregnant and then i just went and changed it to a name i had only mentioned once in passing! what is wrong with me? but he is a maxwell. no doubt. but this little guy, we have no clue what his name is. we like classic names (that have been around forever) but that are still cool. or cool in a nerdy way. there are names we love, but just won't work, for whatever reason. like luke: i adore the name luke. but "luke sloop" will never work. just say that out loud and you'll understand. sam: in college, i was in love with a boy named sam. enough said. oliver: ring ring. "hello?" "is oliver there?" "oliver who?" "oliver clothes off." every time we talk about naming this littlest one "oliver", that naughty joke runs through my head. and i just. can't. do it. so, for now, we are just calling him "the baby". something will sound right. or it won't and i'll just end up changing it to whatever i want at the last second.

where the magic happens

and by "magic" i mean falling asleep at 9:00. on to the master bedroom. basically the same as kansas and texas. but here you go, anyway:

and just so you know, there was a giant basket full of laundry waiting to be folded. (you can see the indentions in the carpet.) but i just kept pushing it around the room so it was conveniently out of the shots. sneaky like a fox.

and these are a few of my favorite things:

i got the picture for mother's day a couple of years ago from an etsy store. (if i remember which one, i'll let you know.) the bird was for christmas last year from west elm. i made the curtains from micheal miller damask fabric. and i'm waiting for the perfect picture to put in the black frame on the nightstand. (i know you noticed that, leah.)

nana and grandad

nana and grandad came to visit all the way from north carolina! we went to mesa falls and west yellowstone and rigby lake and jenson's grove and blackfoot and idaho falls. we had a beautiful time with them. i'm pretty sure we all need naps now.

the big news

can i get a whoop-whoop!? my due date is january 13th and we can't wait!!for those of you who requested "pregger" pics, i don't have much of a bump yet. i just look chubby. the only real difference is my new ghetto booty and that my you-know-whats look like i got implants. and if those are the kind of pics you were talking about, we really shouldn't be friends anymore.

the darby's

our besties came to visit all the way from canada over the 4th. we were SO excited to have them here. and to meet their newest little addition. she changed things for max. he loved her. and i was thrilled. he kept asking "where's that baby? i like her." thanks little one. you've changed our lives.