Nuttin' much

Leta LOVES to drink water from a sippy cup.  Especially a sippy cup that has a straw.  She's much better at picking the cup up and drinking it correctly now, but back in the day (2-3 weeks ago) if the cup got knocked over on its side she would squirm her way around to drink out of it while it was on the floor, on it's side.  Not very effective...but SO cute to watch.

We've started putting Luke down for his naps in underwear.  He stayed dry yesterday. We'll see how today goes!!

New Tooth

Leta got another tooth on Friday, the 5th!  I'm usually very up-to-date on the status of Leta's teeth, and her nose has been extra runny lately, but she's also been sick (which is just now occurring to me that maybe she hasn't been sick at all and that her crankiness and fever and runny nose are teething symptoms...not illness symptoms.  However, since Luke had a fever early this week, either or both is likely).  Anyway, Kyle noticed it on Friday and I just noticed this morning.  I feel like a negligent mother.  With the time change last night we decided not to take Leta to church this morning and not short her sleep just yet, in case. But she's acting better this morning, so I'm second guessing our decision.  I suppose we'll stay home to be save (and I haven't started getting ready) and I'll work on switching her schedule tonight.

Luke's Well Check

Tuesday Luke had his 3 yr. Well Child check up with Dr. Stephens.  He talked all morning about not wanting a shot.  He didn't have any immunizations he needed to receive, but he did have to get a flu shot, poor thing!  


Luke is 35 inches tall (6%) and 29 lbs (20%--the highest he's ever been for weight!)  Luke was just 26 pounds this summer, so he's really packin' on the pounds! Maybe he's getting ready for a growth spurt or something.  


Luke woke up with croup Sunday night (again!). Was fine Monday, but at the Dr. we discovered a 99.3 temperature.  Not bad in my world, and doesn't even count in Dr. Stephens world.  However, we we got home and he was eating lunch he said he didn't feel well, and he felt hot to me so I took his temperature...102.8.  Which DOES count.  Then yesterday his fever hung out at around 100 and today it's gone...and transfered to Leta.  At least there was no throwing up for Luke.


We had our carpet re-stretched upstairs, which meant Leta missed her morning nap, which definitely wasn't a good thing, especially today.  But, she took a good nap at the same time Luke took his nap, which was great for me because I got a good break.  She woke up around 2:45 and I figured it would be a 1 nap day today, but around 5:30 she was just acting so exhausted that Kyle put her down and she got to sleep another 30 minutes before I woke her up.  She was tired and cuddly this evening, which was nice.

Halloween Festivities!

I just spent forever working on this post, then accidentally deleted the whole thing and now I have to start over.  *exasperated sigh*

We started our Halloween festivities with Kyle and Luke carving a Jack-O-Lantern.  Luke had plenty of fun choosing the design and helped take the seeds off the lid...and then promptly lost interest in the project and went to play until it was time to light the candle.  He also enjoyed the yummy pumpkin seeds I roasted.

We carved our pumpkin (by "we" I mean Kyle") Monday evening.  Tuesday evening we went to Storybook Forrest at Arcadia lake.  Luke enjoyed it and Leta loved seeing Luke in costume.  It was really cute how she kept looking at him in his monkey costume and giggling.  She thought it was the most funny thing.

We didn't get that great of pictures of Leta in her costume ever...bummer!


Wednesday we went to eat chili and go to Knock Knock Night at Quail Springs coC.  Luke was so excited to go...he's been asking about it since last year.  We went with Brandon and Shanna and saw many people we hadn't seen in a long time and really enjoyed ourselves.  Plus, Luke got lots of Tootsi Rolls...which I am ALL about.  I remembered our camera, but didn't remember to use it. *sad face*


Saturday day was horrible!  Luke was totally naughty and hyper and spastic all day long.  He was definitely more than a little excited to go Trick-or-Treating.  I made him a Carmel apple, which he refused to even try, so Kyle and I got to eat it and we liked it!  We met Brandon and Shanna at Panera Bread to eat before setting out in a nearby neighborhood (both of us live in very small neighborhoods, which are not good for Trick-or-Treating in.
Luke and Leta loved it.  There was one house where the entire family was sitting outside playing their various instruments together.  Leta loved the live music.  She clapped her hands and bounced and showed very good rhythm by clapping on the beat, which means she's already passed Kyle with her musical skills =).  There were several houses that had really gone all out decorating their yards and were in costume to hand out candy.  At one house in particular, Luke said, "Mommy can you believe all these decorations?!?"

Great Grandpa and Grandma Visit!

Not so long after Luke's birthday my Grandma and Grandpa Olson and Aunt and Uncle Marsha and Kent came to visit on their way to Texas.  They arrived Friday night after the kids were in bed.  It was nice to have a chance to visit with them, although I'm sure they were anxious to get to see Luke and Leta!  They were able to spend the night and got to spend the first part of the morning with us.  Luke and Leta loved the extra attention and were suitably cute.  Leta was in a generous mood and let people hold her.

They brought with them Luke and Leta's Christmas presents and Leta's birthday present.  I'm so glad because they're Christmas gifts were quite large and I don't foresee a time when Kyle and I would have been traveling that we would have had room to haul it.  They both love the lego table Grandpa made and I'm having a hard time keeping Leta off of it.  Which I began to enforce right after I took those cute pictures of her on top of it. Leta has to wait until Christmas to open hers.  It was nice to see them all and get to spend some time with them.  Can't wait until Thanksgiving when we'll get to see everyone again! (Except Marsha and Kent...they'll be busy "playing" with their Christmas trees!)

Luke's Birthday Party!

We had Luke's 3rd birthday party the evening of Saturday the 16th.  Grandpa Wilbur and Georgeanne, Brandon, Shanna and Karter, Traver and Devon, Johnny, Cindy, Isaac, and Damian were able to celebrate with us.  We had a spaghetti and green bean supper.  Luke ate nothing.  He was far too excited about the idea of opening presents to be bothered with something so trivial as eating.

Luke opening this yellow train up first.  It was from Traver and Devon.  Luke loved, loved LOVED it.  To the point that ALL other gifts basically got ignored.  When I finally did get him to open the next present, he opened it, looked at it for 5 seconds, tossed it aside and immediately went back to play with his yellow train that has BARS on the wheels AND goes by itself!  Now that time has passed, all of his other gifts are being played with and enjoyed.

After presents we had cake and ice cream.  Quite a while ago Luke started telling people about how he'd had a firetruck birthday cake when he was 2, but when he was 3 he was going to have a train cake.  Sometimes he would say he was having a Thomas cake, sometimes a Percy cake.  We went with Percy.

Luke had a great time and hasn't been able to go to Body and Soul with me lately.  He has to stay home to play with all his new toys.  Thanks guys for making his day GREAT!

The Masses have begged...and now I answer

And by "masses" I mean 1 person.  And by "beg" I mean, casually mention.  So, without further ado......


Shepherd's Pie
2 1/2 lbs potatoes, peeled and cooked
1 c sour cream (lite)
Salt, pepper,and milk to taste
2 lbs lean ground beef, browned
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 can corn, drained
1 can Healthy Request Cream of Mushroom soup
1/2 milk
1 tsp garlic salt

Mash potatoes with sour cream, salt, pepper, and milk to taste.  Set aside.  Lightly sautee onions and pepper.  In a large bowl combine sauteed vegetables and all other ingredients (besides mashed potatoes).  Spread mixture into an ungreased 3 qt. baking dish.  Top with the mashed potatoes.  Drizzle a little melted butter on the potatoes to help it brown up.  Bake uncovered at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until heated through.


*When I made the recipe today, I used green pepper instead of red, chopped up some carrots and 1 rib of celery and sauteed all of that.  I also don't "drizzle butter". I spray the top with a fake butter spray...it does the same thing and saves calories.

Our family really likes this recipe and everyone eats it and eats it well.  I also never have to worry about the leftovers going bad.  This recipe makes  TON so you WILL have leftovers.  Enough for another meal for your whole family, probably.