Monster Painting

Sometimes I have Bergen look at pinterest pictures for something he would like to do. He saw some painted monster 2 liter bottles with an opening for their mouths that served as a candy holder, and decided that would be a good idea. Luckily I had this little bottle in the recycle bin we could easily pull out. I also remembered we had a few left over face stickers from last Halloween we could use. I talked him out of cutting the bottle and putting candy in it, but he kept reminding me of that detail. I was super impressed at how thorough he was at painting the entire bottle on his own. He also kept referring back to the picture to see we needed things like eyebrows and black at the top...that actually got painted over later with purple :) I painted the eyes and mouth on paper that we cut out and glued onto the bottle, and Bergen put the other stickers on. All of which made for a very cute monster that he was super proud of!

Bergen's getting to a stage that he does awkward poses and smiles when I want to take his picture, but in this one he actually somewhat resembles his monster :)

Finally I had him lay down next to his bottle and say "monster" instead of cheese. That's the natural smile I love!

We were on such a monster kick we kept it going later in the week. Bergen liked a picture of some felt monsters. I had intended on cutting things out and letting him glue them together with the glue gun. Something he loves to use. But once I got going I realized it was a little more work than I anticipated. Something about making decisions and being too precise while free handing these little guys. At that point I decided a "monster kit" was better. Travis helped hot glue velcro onto each of these monster "parts" and now the monster making options are endless. I was so excited about them that some other little monsters I know are getting a set of their own for Christmas (so don't let them see this picture yet!). Now let's just hope all the boys like and use them enough to have been worth all that time and effort! :)

Pie Making Time

We tried making baked cinnamon apple chips. They were ok, but not great and we weren't eating them. Instead we made them into a pie. Again, not great but at least it's slowly getting eaten. And it was great to do some baking with my best kitchen buddy!

He mostly just wanted to play with the dough. Imagine that!

With not a great filling, and a very over handled crust dough, why not let him do his own lattice?! I showed him a picture of a pie and said that's what we want to do. I did scoot over two strips in the process that were laying on top of each other and pinched the edge, but other than that he did this himself. Not bad!

Job Chart and A Special Lesson

A cute little job or chore chart is something that's been in the back of my mind for a long time now. But not just any chart, something really cute and something that in reality would take me hours and maybe even days to complete. 

Well one day after getting a pack of markers for Bergen to use on his dry erase board I decided to draw some picture job for him to do and cross off. This simple little thing works wonders! He loves it and responds really well to it. It's great for getting him going in the mornings in a direction other than TV, or for helping to get us out the door because he has to do his "jobs" before we can do those other things. We don't use it every day, but there have been days that I've said he needed to do some jobs first and he's ran for the board on his own so I could make his jobs.

Here is a sampling of his "jobs." Getting dressed, making his bed, and eating are regulars. He usually gets some kind of chore like putting away books or toys, and at the least a chore I need to do that day and he's supposed to help me with it, like laundry or vacuuming. And sometimes he gets a fun thing, like doing cars, Mr. Potato Head, a craft or baking project. Since this works so nicely I will probably eventually forget about the real chore chart and save myself the effort and potential unfinished project.

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One night as we were finishing up dinner I suggested to Bergen we all play a game together. He was excited and desperately needed to find his Buzz Lightyear chair. I wasn't sure why but he had to have it. He brought it in from the garage and set it up. While we were cleaning up dinner he got out the church spiral picture books and opened one to a picture of Jesus. He had us sit on the couch. From his chair across from us he proceeded to give us a lesson, say a prayer, and sing a song. I guess the only time we all play a board type game together is after FHE. So when I asked if he wanted to play a game, in his mind we were having home evening. Which would explain the Buzz chair because somehow that has become his spot for home evening lessons. We are still pitifully trying to make this a habit in our home, but it did make me feel good that we have at least done it enough times that he knows how it goes. A very fun moment for us "trying to do good" parents.

Chilly Weekend

We got to spend Friday night with friends at a high school football game. It was supposed to be cooling off that weekend, so the day before we hit some sales to get Bergen pants that were actually as long as pants are supposed to be and a few warm tops. It was well worth it because we needed that plus more. The game itself wasn't very good and it was super windy and cold, but we had fun being out with friends doing something outdoors. Bergen also love the popcorn that was shared with him!

Little bit bigger than my high school games :)

Saturday was another chilly day. We went to Home Depot for the fire truck workshop to find out they were doing something at the fire station instead. We had some time before the next event of our day started so we decided to check it out. So glad we did too! It was like a fire station festival. Complete with lots of free trinkets and lunch. We somehow left Bergen's sweatshirt at home but we took in all the activities we could before being too cold and needing to go.

One advantage of the cold that day was that there wasn't a ton of people at the event, there was lots, just not overcrowded. So much so that Bergen got this train ride to himself! At the end of the day he said riding the train was his favorite thing for the day.

We also got to see a demonstration with the jaws of life. Piece by piece this crashed car was cut apart.

And the final activity (the one we were actually planning on doing that day) was going to the park to watch the nearby air show. Turns out we really were still too far away to see much but these planes did fly directly over our heads once.

Yes, several hours before we had our free hamburgers at the fire station, but who can turn down free hot dogs? The park also had lunch so Travis and I did eat a hot dog, but Bergen was fine with just some fruit snacks.

The best part for Bergen though was the bounce houses. Can you see Bergen and Travis standing in line?

It was a fun hour, but by then the cold had really settled in and it was time to go. It was fun to watch them race back to me, both laughing the whole way.

Once we got home and warmed up we started watching our recorded sessions of general conference. I had cut out and laminated this board of chairs, the podium, and a picture of each of the apostles. When any of them spoke Bergen put their picture on the podium, and when they were done he put their picture back on their chair. He enjoyed doing it and it is helping him to learn the apostle's names. Although, he keeps saying Elder Bednar looks like his daddy. They kind of have the same head shape I guess...kind of funny.

Fall Trees and a Bunny

Projects are what keep Bergen entertained and the quick, easy ones are how I keep some sanity. This was a fun little finger printing project, except Bergen liked to use his whole hand! I printed three bare trees and each of us did one. When they are lined up they say Thankful For You.

The concentration!

I originally thought I would frame and hang them somewhere, but for now I think they are kind of cute on our fall mantel. So that is where they will stay this year.

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Travis and Bergen found this baby bunny in our backyard. It was so scared it couldn't even hop away from them. So they decided to give it some food. And water. And build it a cardboard shelter for the night. It was gone the next day. We hope his mommy came back to get him and he's safely in his home (as opposed to the tragic alternative). Bergen took this picture of the bunny himself.

September Happenings

Lately Bergen has been telling us he likes us. In fact we've moved up in ranks and he says we are his best friend. Love it! It got me thinking...Parents have to love their kids, and kids usually know that. But do they always know we like them? I don't know how to explain it, but I think they are different things and equally important. So I've been telling Bergen I like him too, and also randomly telling him that. It's fun when he asks, "why?" Then I get to share some of my reasons with him and it always seems to make him feel a little happier than before. And me too :)

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One day Bergen just couldn't wait until after dinner to make popcorn. So he had it with dinner. This trail of popcorn was what he was sharing with me. I kept telling him I would eat mine after dinner and yet the trail kept getting longer and longer :) His sad face was because he didn't get to take the picture.

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We missed a friend's circus birthday party. Later they brought Bergen the goodie bag from the party. He really enjoyed the cotton candy (all over his face and shirt) and the clown nose. Putting the nose on different stuffed animals was pretty funny to him.

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Bergen always asks to sleep in our bed because it's "so soft" or tells us we have a "really soft bed." For a while I couldn't figure out what made the difference to him. I even gave him more pillows, nope. Since being in his twin size bed he has just had the bottom sheet and bedspread on his bed. Less laundry and I figured it was less for him to get tangled in at night. So I finally made his bed with a top sheet and an extra blanket under the mattress cover. Ding! Ding! Ding! His bed is "so soft" now and he stays there all night again. But even still, he was "so cute" in our bed!

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Occasionally Bergen pulls out the blow dryer. This time he really worked it! In fact, he got his hair standing up and thought it was hilarious!

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Having church at 2pm can be a tough time. I'm glad we are almost done with the year and this time slot. Keeping happiness and energy up until then can be tricky and I'll admit, it's exhausting, and we haven't even gotten to church yet. This particular Sunday I just didn't know how I was going to get us ready. But miraculously it all came together. Silly to document I know, but I was so proud of us for getting it done I had to take a picture and send it to daddy. We're ready!

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One day a friend had Bergen from 9-2:30. I did zumba and 5 stores for 15 some odd pairs of pants tried on with no luck. What can I say? I really need a pair of jeans. That day we stayed at the hotel with Travis (while he was in training). The next morning Bergen and I did the mall on the way home. Several stores and 3 pairs of pants tried on for a winner. 

The outing also cost me 5 quarters. 4 for the candy machines and 1 for a bouncy ball. I had taken a baggie for Bergen to put his candies in. And before we got there I gave him TWO quarters because you don't get much. I know turning the knob is really fun and he thinks it's such a great treat. But man! You get so much more candy in the $1 boxes at the grocery store...except do I want him eating that much in one sitting? :) Anyway, he talked me into another 2 quarters half way through the trip, and I guess I was so focused on searching for a size at one point I didn't realize he had gotten the last quarter out of my wallet in Old Navy for the giant bouncy ball until he had it in the machine. Resourceful kid! I did say not today to quarter car rides, no to the toys at the Rainforest Cafe store, no to over priced train rides, no to spin the penny down the tube, and no to the stupid quarter sponge bob trinket. He took all those no's very well and even though I had the little stroller he walked very nicely by me the whole time. So I think the 5 quarters were well deserved considering we were there to find mom a pair of pants. Boring! At least to a 3 year old.

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Bergen always seems to wait until we are loaded up in the car to tell me he has to go potty. I usually try and hold him off until we are home because I don't want to go back into the store or have to make an extra stop. Well this time he said he had to go really bad. Can't wait. It's coming out. I didn't want to do a dirty public bathroom so I resorted to stopping behind a building that had trees and bushes behind it. Classic right? Well Sunday after we picked Travis up he did the same thing on the way home. So I showed Travis the building we went to before. As we were pulling around to the back Bergen excitedly asks, "I get to go potty in the jungle?!?" As he skipped down the slope into the trees he seemed a little too happy about the situation. I hope he doesn't make this a habit just so he can go potty in the jungle :)

Stories From Mommy's Resting Time

Bergen isn't taking naps every day anymore, which is fine but some days this pregnant mommy really need a rest. He's getting a little better a playing by himself quietly while I rest. Sometimes it goes better than others, sometimes it's really not resting for me at all :) 

One day he lined up all these cars by himself. He was so proud and just couldn't wait to show me.

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One awesome day he was playing cars, planes, and tools in the living room. I could hear a constant chatter coming from him. I couldn't really tell what he was saying, but every once and a while I would catch something about "pizza planet" :) Toy Story... Later he asked me if we can go there. Funny. Since then I also hear him talking about "evil doctor porkchop". He likes the Toy Stories these days, can you tell?

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One not so awesome day I was completely worn out from zumba and grocery shopping, but Bergen was not. We were laying on my bed to read stories. Except Bergen couldn't sit still. He kept jumping over books and pillows and wiggling around. I told him he had to lay still to rest or go to him room. He finally said he needed to go potty. Good I thought, maybe that will help him sit still. I was laying on my bed and he was then running around the room. Then our conversation went something like this:

M: Bergen, remember you said you need to go potty. Put that down and and go potty.

B: But it's not coming out yet.

M: Go potty! You go potty before it's coming out.

B: But it's not coming out.

M: It's a problem if it's coming out.

B: No, I don't have to.

M: One. Two.

B: Ah ah ok. (Goes to the toilet) You help me! I can't do it.

M: You can do it. You know how to get on the toilet by yourself.

B: No I can't do it. You help me!

M: One. Two.

B: Ahhh (and he gets on the toilet)

     Mommy I have to go poops. Close the door. It's gonna be stinky.

M: It's fine.

B: Close the door mommy!! It's gonna be really stinky in your bedroom! Close the door!!

M: Bergen! I don't want to get up.

B: (from the toilet) One! Two!

M: (laughing) Are you counting at me?

B: Three! Four! Five! Uggg!

I was dying! So funny. I had to immediately call Travis and tell him about it.

Fall Projects

Bergen loves doing projects with me. I've been trying to do more constructive, easy, 20 or so minute projects with him and have found some fun fall things. 

Bergen helped color and glue, and did the cutting on the puzzle scarecrow. 

 He helped color and cut, and did the gluing and taping of the puppet scarecrow. 

He and Travis found a good place for him outside to scare away the crows :)  

Bergen picked fabric scraps and I cut out the shapes. He has a green shirt. Are you surprised? Bergen helped with the sewing, like sitting on my lap with the machine going kind of help, and a little bit of the stuffing of the scarecrow doll. I thought we were all done and he said, "But he can't see me. He needs eyes." So I guess we're not quite done with him after all.

I got letters to say give thanks. I thought painting them orange and putting them on our mantel would be a fun project for Bergen and a nice decoration of me. I don't know why I ever thought he would want to paint them anything but green :) He painted the I all by himself, luckily it happened to be the backside. Then he was happy to paint little blocks of wood while I painted the letters orange. I love that this decoration now has one letter painted green on the back. A forever reminder to me of Bergen's love for the color green.

He did eventually branch out to other colors.

A Bonk on the Head

Bergen got really hurt, and he wasn't even being crazy when it happened! We were walking through a rod iron gate and as Bergen was pushing it open it suddenly swung back with some force and nailed him right in the forehead. He immediately covered his head with his hand and by the time I bent down to take a look, he had blood running out his fingers and dripping onto the ground. When he saw it was dripping he leaned forward while I tried to find something to put on his head. The blood was like a faucet and the only thing in my purse was a piece of brand new fabric I had gotten 2 days before. I thought about it for a second but really didn't want to resort to that, then I realized I was wearing a hoodie and that seemed better at the time. So I quickly took it off, wadded it up and held it on his forehead. Turns out it wasn't a bad or deep cut, it was just a little hole almost, that must have been attached to a vein or something. Bergen was very brave and only cried for a little bit. Once it had kind of stopped bleeding and we could walk to the car a store worker came running out with a couple of napkins and a few pieces of ice. Bergen let her put the ice on it but didn't want to go get a piece of candy or a balloon. He just wanted to go. We still had a couple of stops before going home and I asked if he wanted to do those or if he felt we should just go home. Luckily he still wanted to make our stops and was a happy boy the rest of the day. Course when you get to watch a movie and shows and eat an entire box of candy and skip your nap (you know, in case of a concussion of something), how could you not be happy :)

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The next day Bergen got to go to his friend Mason's birthday party. It was military themed (yes he wore his camo shorts!). They got to warm up military style for the obstacle course. I wasn't at the party the whole time but I heard and afterwards saw he was very good at climbing over the three foot wall. They said he really liked tug of war too. At dinner I've been asking him what his favorite thing about the day was. Usually he says I don't know and we go through the events of the day until he hears something he decides he liked best. But that night he quickly said climbing. Why am I not surprised? :) 

Have I mentioned he does handstands, not headstands, but handstands against the couch and wall lately? He can also run and do 3 summersaults in a row, and has started putting his hands on the ground and kicks over like a flip. All on his own. Whose kid is this anyway?! :)

Krazy With a Capital K Kind of Week

Just some notes about our regular life in a regular week...just maybe a little crazier than normal.

We had a crazy week. And when I say crazy I mean bouncing off air crazy. Maybe it was the let down of not being with cousins or not having playmates, but Bergen has been flying off...well, just about everything all week long! It's really tested my patience at times because I really don't like being pushed, jumped on, or bounced, or climbed on these days. Sometimes it was funny, other times not so much.

Monday we saw little brother at the sonogram appointment. I think now that the news has settled in we are looking forward to it. Bergen has still mentioned his "sister" a few times, but refers to "baby brother" in my tummy so that's good. As Helen pointed out, let's hope this baby doesn't have a double dose of crazy like Bergen does :) If he does though I'm definitely in for it!

Wednesday after taking Travis to work we did some grocery shopping to fill up the shelves after being gone for a couple of weeks. We got a box of fruit rollups and Bergen would've eaten the whole box in an hour if I had let him. I guess they were a good treat.

Thursday Bergen and I went to the fabric store to pick out some fabric to make a couple of things for baby brother. After the store I asked Bergen if he wanted to go to the museum for a little bit. We were downtown Ft. Worth and right by where we have a membership so I felt like we should use it but wasn't really feeling the energy for it. To my surprise (although I didn't question) Bergen said he just wanted to go home (Phew!). As we got closer to home Bergen said he wanted to watch a movie. I asked if he wanted to go to the movie store (rental place with free kids movies) or watch something at home. He again said just go home. Wow! Now I knew he was really tired to turn that down. But instead of a nap he watched a movie and I got right to sewing...with him helping me. Why didn't I have him take a nap?

Friday I really wanted to go to the zumba class but didn't have a plan for Bergen. I decided to chance it and see what would happen with him sitting on the side. He did well thanks to a not too crowded class, a few toys, snacks, and milk. Since then he's been doing a few fast moves in his jumping around or dancing that I'm pretty sure came from zumba. Pretty funny. We also got the last couple of supplies for baby brother's new blanket and crib bumper that day. Unfortunately everything sewing is on the kitchen table but I haven't made much more progress yet. Something about chores and a Bergen.

Saturday was a good day for jobs (putting away books and shoes, and dusting for Bergen) and reorganizing the toys, but also the craziest day. In fact all day I wanted to text Helen: "Cute sweet boy available for borrow. Disclaimer - he may jump, bounce, and push on you, and stick his hands, toys, food, and all things sharp and dangerous in your face...all day long!" It had been driving me nuts all week and I guess I said it out loud one too many times because at one point Bergen asked, "I driving you nuts, mommy?" Well, YES actually but I should probably keep that to myself :) We talked to "JoshNatan" for a few minutes on the computer tonight and they got to see what I'm talking about. Jumping from one end of the bed to the other face first. Repeatedly. Jumping off the bed. Running and doing 3 somersaults in a row. Flying off the coffee table onto me, the couch, or the beanbag. Swimming in the bathtub to make "weally" big splashes. Shooting me with the nerf gun. Spanking my bum because it's funny. Throwing pillows. Throwing balls "weally" high, like to the ceiling. Squishing me, also because it's funny and no it doesn't hurt mommy, so he thinks. All of this, plus more I'm sure I'm not remembering specifically right now, it's amazing he had any spare time to ask me all day long to watch "TB" and have more milk. 

I was trying hard to keep TV to a minimum. A few times I tried getting him to do school this week and surprisingly it worked wonders. He has a workbook and with his green crayon he was circling and underlining answers, and saying things like, "I weally good at it." And actually sitting still for 20-30 minutes. Tells me I need to do more "school" with him and find me some more clearanced preschool workbooks.

Sunday night and it's time to go get Travis, yes it's 10pm and I have to go wake up buggy but at least I get to sleep in tomorrow while Bergen takes a turn jumping on someone else. I wonder if Travis will be as excited about the situation as I am :)