It has been a long time, so I thought I should catch up!
DAYTON is in first grade now, and he loves going to recess. He is doing excellent academically, and he is especially good at reading. His favorite foods are chicken and macaroni & cheese. His favorite drink is chocolate milk.
Dayton loves to play on his fort in the back yard and on his trampoline. He has not learned how to ride his bike without training wheels yet. He practices on his scooter sometimes. He enjoys video games (especially "Minecraft") right now, and his favorite television shows are "How To Train Your Dragon" and "Slugterra".
Dayton loves to collect things. He has a rock collection, a toy dragon collection, a skylander toy collection, an art supply collection, a stuffed animal collection, and several more. He likes to keep things together in groups.
He is a great artist, and it is amazing to see him build all kinds of three-dimensional objects and characters out of a flat piece of paper. I can't even fathom how he envisions these creations before he builds them, but give him a piece of paper, some scissors, and some glue, and he will make something awesome! Maybe he will grow up to be an engineer or an architect?
MATT is still working as an apprentice electrician and is almost finished with his second year of school. Two more years until he earns his Journeyman's license! He likes his work and works hard every day to take care of us.
Matt is excited to compete in his first bodybuilding show this spring. He has been a regular gym-goer and weight-lifter for many years, so he is looking forward to showing off his hard work at the physique competition. He has set some good goals for his diet and exercise plan to take his fitness routine to the next level.
NATALIE is excited for the spring too, because it will be my third "Kitten Season" with the animal rescue that I volunteer for. We foster homeless cats year-round, but the spring is always a busy and crazy time of year for the people who help animals; there are so many new litters of kittens and puppies being born all at once!
I am also working in an office as a personal assistant during the day while Dayton is in school, so with my normal wife-and-mom duties, I am plenty busy!
Well, that's about all that's fit to print for now. Thanks for reading!
Monday, March 30, 2015
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
It's been a long time!
Wow, it's been a long time since I posted anything on here! I got onto Blogger to start writing letters to my niece, Talia, and I realized that I already have this little blog going. I will post some updates now!
MATT
Matt is still working as an apprentice electrician. He enjoys the work, even though the extreme hot/cold temperatures here in Utah make it especially difficult. Most of his jobs are outdoors, working on drilling rigs, so his sunburn/snowburn are pretty constant. He completed his "first year" apprentice schooling, and he passed the test with flying colors! He will start his "second year" classes this fall.
It will take 4 years of school total, for him to receive his Journeyman Electrician License, and he is working hard to get there. Right now, he is working 12-hour days, 6 days per week. It is hard to have him gone so much.
When Matt does have a day off, he likes to go golfing and catch up on yard work. He has been taking Dayton golfing with him, and Dayton loves it!
NATALIE
Last year, I started fostering litters of homeless kittens for an animal rescue here. It started out as a little hobby, and it has turned into a huge part of my life, every day! I take in kittens or cats that are strays, orphaned or sick (or wild!), and I give them what medical care I can give, keep them clean, and in some cases, I even work on taming them! When the kittens are healthy and socialized, they go to adoption events to find permanent homes.
It is hard to see so much suffering every day, because so many come in sick, injured or starving. But it feels so good when they find homes that are loving, and I know that I helped them to be ready for that home.We built a room in our basement for them to live in. It has shelves and ramps all over the walls for them to play and climb. Last week, I had 13 foster kittens living in that room! Today, there are only 10.
I am thinking about going to school to become a veterinary assistant. I would love to know more about animal health, and it would be great to have more training in how to care for my foster kittens!
DAYTON
Dayton is 6 1/2 years old. He is enjoying his summer break, but he is very excited to start school again. He will be going to first grade, which means that he will be able to ride the school bus! Last year, Dayton attended kindergarten and did very well. He had no trouble keeping up with his kindergarten studies, although he did have trouble with being quiet in class! He talks and talks and talks!
He is very interested in small details and scientific things. I am amazed by how good his memory is! He loves animals and insects; he is especially interested in butterflies. We found a chrysalis and brought it inside in a jar; yesterday it hatched into a butterfly! Dayton was so excited to show me the proboscis, and to teach me how butterflies drink. He even identified it as a "painted lady"! He proudly released the butterfly in our backyard.
Dayton likes rocks, seashells, and fossils. He builds with his Lego set every day, and he likes to write his own books and staple the pages together. The books are simple sentences, and he hasn't figured out how to tell a story with a beginning, middle and end, so it makes for some funny reading.
EXAMPLE:
This is a cat.
A sun cat.
Cat flings past sun.
A cat in a shower.
Dayton was so excited to see "How To Train Your Dragon 2" this summer. The first "Dragon" movie is his favorite movie, and he has a collection of toy dragons, which are his prized possessions. He has a little book and a movie describing the attributes and special abilities of these dragons, and he has memorized the details! It is fun to hear him giving lectures about the dragons: "The Deadly Nadder is a 'Sharp Class' dragon that can shoots spikes from her tail. To train it, you have to come up behind it and gently smooth down its tail spikes until it trusts you. It has the hottest fire of all the dragons!"
As you can see, I am learning lots about dragons, too! Hahaha! Well, that's all for now! Have a great day!
MATT
Matt is still working as an apprentice electrician. He enjoys the work, even though the extreme hot/cold temperatures here in Utah make it especially difficult. Most of his jobs are outdoors, working on drilling rigs, so his sunburn/snowburn are pretty constant. He completed his "first year" apprentice schooling, and he passed the test with flying colors! He will start his "second year" classes this fall.
It will take 4 years of school total, for him to receive his Journeyman Electrician License, and he is working hard to get there. Right now, he is working 12-hour days, 6 days per week. It is hard to have him gone so much.
When Matt does have a day off, he likes to go golfing and catch up on yard work. He has been taking Dayton golfing with him, and Dayton loves it!
NATALIE
Last year, I started fostering litters of homeless kittens for an animal rescue here. It started out as a little hobby, and it has turned into a huge part of my life, every day! I take in kittens or cats that are strays, orphaned or sick (or wild!), and I give them what medical care I can give, keep them clean, and in some cases, I even work on taming them! When the kittens are healthy and socialized, they go to adoption events to find permanent homes.
It is hard to see so much suffering every day, because so many come in sick, injured or starving. But it feels so good when they find homes that are loving, and I know that I helped them to be ready for that home.We built a room in our basement for them to live in. It has shelves and ramps all over the walls for them to play and climb. Last week, I had 13 foster kittens living in that room! Today, there are only 10.
I am thinking about going to school to become a veterinary assistant. I would love to know more about animal health, and it would be great to have more training in how to care for my foster kittens!
DAYTON
Dayton is 6 1/2 years old. He is enjoying his summer break, but he is very excited to start school again. He will be going to first grade, which means that he will be able to ride the school bus! Last year, Dayton attended kindergarten and did very well. He had no trouble keeping up with his kindergarten studies, although he did have trouble with being quiet in class! He talks and talks and talks!
He is very interested in small details and scientific things. I am amazed by how good his memory is! He loves animals and insects; he is especially interested in butterflies. We found a chrysalis and brought it inside in a jar; yesterday it hatched into a butterfly! Dayton was so excited to show me the proboscis, and to teach me how butterflies drink. He even identified it as a "painted lady"! He proudly released the butterfly in our backyard.
Dayton likes rocks, seashells, and fossils. He builds with his Lego set every day, and he likes to write his own books and staple the pages together. The books are simple sentences, and he hasn't figured out how to tell a story with a beginning, middle and end, so it makes for some funny reading.
EXAMPLE:
This is a cat.
A sun cat.
Cat flings past sun.
A cat in a shower.
Dayton was so excited to see "How To Train Your Dragon 2" this summer. The first "Dragon" movie is his favorite movie, and he has a collection of toy dragons, which are his prized possessions. He has a little book and a movie describing the attributes and special abilities of these dragons, and he has memorized the details! It is fun to hear him giving lectures about the dragons: "The Deadly Nadder is a 'Sharp Class' dragon that can shoots spikes from her tail. To train it, you have to come up behind it and gently smooth down its tail spikes until it trusts you. It has the hottest fire of all the dragons!"
As you can see, I am learning lots about dragons, too! Hahaha! Well, that's all for now! Have a great day!
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Plans to catch up
It's been a rough few months, and I haven't been doing much besides working, cleaning, yardwork, and trying to catch up on sleep. The last month or so has been a little better, and we've had some fun adventures, so I plan to update the blog about what we've been doing this summer. Stay tuned!
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Updates
Well, it's been almost a year since I last posted. We didn't have the internet for quite some time, and I forgot about the blog in the midst of everything else... so... here are some basic updates.
Dayton is about to turn three years old. He can speak in full sentences now, although he still prefers to use short, concise sentences to communicate. He is extremely active, and he just about runs me ragged. He has reached the "demanding" phase: He knows what he wants, and he will ask for it. Repeatedly.
Dayton is in a "big boy bed" (twin size) now, and he is an early bird! Often, he will get up at 6:30 in the morning with Daddy. Since I am a night owl, this is really hard for me to adjust to, and I am still struggling to wake up with him. He loves his big bed, though. It has plenty of room for him to pile blankets all over. He still loves his toddler-size blankets, and he totes multiple blankets all around the house.
He discovered books, and he loves to read! This makes me so happy! When he was younger, he didn't take much interest in reading, but now he brings me storybooks and snuggles up for us to read together. Right now his favorite books are "Snuggle Puppy" and "Put Me in the Zoo". He also loves "There's a Monster at the End of This Book", which was one of my special favorites as a kid.
He loves kid movies. A little too much. We have started having a T.V. curfew, and setting time limits on movie-watching.
Dayton is TALL! (And slim.) I am amazed at how tall he is for his age!
There are so many more ways that he has grown and changed in the past year, but I think that future blogs will be able to describe Dayton better. Besides, I need to get to sleep! It is late, and my little early bird will be up at dawn saying, "Mama! The sunshine came up!"
Dayton is about to turn three years old. He can speak in full sentences now, although he still prefers to use short, concise sentences to communicate. He is extremely active, and he just about runs me ragged. He has reached the "demanding" phase: He knows what he wants, and he will ask for it. Repeatedly.
Dayton is in a "big boy bed" (twin size) now, and he is an early bird! Often, he will get up at 6:30 in the morning with Daddy. Since I am a night owl, this is really hard for me to adjust to, and I am still struggling to wake up with him. He loves his big bed, though. It has plenty of room for him to pile blankets all over. He still loves his toddler-size blankets, and he totes multiple blankets all around the house.
He discovered books, and he loves to read! This makes me so happy! When he was younger, he didn't take much interest in reading, but now he brings me storybooks and snuggles up for us to read together. Right now his favorite books are "Snuggle Puppy" and "Put Me in the Zoo". He also loves "There's a Monster at the End of This Book", which was one of my special favorites as a kid.
He loves kid movies. A little too much. We have started having a T.V. curfew, and setting time limits on movie-watching.
Dayton is TALL! (And slim.) I am amazed at how tall he is for his age!
There are so many more ways that he has grown and changed in the past year, but I think that future blogs will be able to describe Dayton better. Besides, I need to get to sleep! It is late, and my little early bird will be up at dawn saying, "Mama! The sunshine came up!"
Monday, December 7, 2009
Courtesy Wake-Up Call
This morning I woke up to a loud shout of: "JADE!" followed by peals of laughter. I listened to Dayton talking with the cat (who had gone into Dayton's room to play), and after a few moments of silence, I began to hear a plaintive call for "Help, help, help."
When I went into the room, Dayton was dangling his leg through the crib bars, and Jade was batting "ferociously" at Dayton's foot.
"Help," called Dayton.
I just laughed and got him out of his crib. Dayton has learned the best word to get my attention, and although his leg wasn't stuck, he really believed that he was in dire need of assistance. After all, one little boy can't take on a "fierce jungle tiger" like Jade all alone. He needed help!
When I went into the room, Dayton was dangling his leg through the crib bars, and Jade was batting "ferociously" at Dayton's foot.
"Help," called Dayton.
I just laughed and got him out of his crib. Dayton has learned the best word to get my attention, and although his leg wasn't stuck, he really believed that he was in dire need of assistance. After all, one little boy can't take on a "fierce jungle tiger" like Jade all alone. He needed help!
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Dayton's Favorite Things (Age: 2)
FAVORITE FOODS: Milk, green beans, and bagels with cream cheese.
FAVORITE FRIENDS: Uncle Will, and Jessie's kids - his cousins: Audryana (Audy), Logan, and Chloe. (He calls them all "the Audies".)
FAVORITE ACTIVITY: Playing with the laser pointer. Jade (our cat) chases that red laser light everywhere, and they are entertained for hours!
FAVORITE TOY: His big, yellow dump truck, which he pushes around the house at high speeds, trying to run over everyone and everything in his path.
FAVORITE COMFORTS: His bottle (we're trying to wean him off) and the little quilt I made for him. Blanket-washing day is always tough for Dayton.
FAVORITE PERSON: Daddy.
FAVORITE WORDS: "Jade" (pronounced "drade"), "Mow-Mow" (cat sounds), "Go Go" (he wants to get out of the house) and "ba-ba" (bottle).
FAVORITE FRIENDS: Uncle Will, and Jessie's kids - his cousins: Audryana (Audy), Logan, and Chloe. (He calls them all "the Audies".)
FAVORITE ACTIVITY: Playing with the laser pointer. Jade (our cat) chases that red laser light everywhere, and they are entertained for hours!
FAVORITE TOY: His big, yellow dump truck, which he pushes around the house at high speeds, trying to run over everyone and everything in his path.
FAVORITE COMFORTS: His bottle (we're trying to wean him off) and the little quilt I made for him. Blanket-washing day is always tough for Dayton.
FAVORITE PERSON: Daddy.
FAVORITE WORDS: "Jade" (pronounced "drade"), "Mow-Mow" (cat sounds), "Go Go" (he wants to get out of the house) and "ba-ba" (bottle).
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Choo Choo! Dayton's TWO!
Dayton turned 2 today! It was a really nice day - everyone made a huge effort to make sure that he had a great time. Mom and Dad came with Jacob, James, Grant, and Will (Dayton immediately tackled Will - they are wonderful playmates). Cindy and Russ rearranged their schedules for their grandbaby (THANK YOU!), and Jessie and Seth brought Dayton's cousins (Audryana, Logan, Chloe, and Kynlee) along to join in the fun.
We had a "choo choo" train cake, high-speed chases down Dayton's new slide, and plenty of noise. Dayton got a little overwhelmed at first - it was a large group - but after some cuddling and distraction, he was ready to play! I think he was a rather successful host, for being only 2 years old.
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