The Best of 2008

2008! Almost over and we can't even believe it! There have been a lot of changes in our family this past year. Chris is working for Barry Patterson Architects which has now been changed to Patterson Thompson Architects. There is a new sign and everything! I tease him that he sits and draws all day, but he's been staying busy and we're blessed that jobs keep coming in. He is still serving in the High Council over the San Luis Branch and loves it!

I have finally quit working for the bank after 9 and half years! I have opened the Treehouse Kids Club and that is going well. It's getting busier so hopefully soon we'll be running at full capacity! I have enjoyed owning my own business (with my business partner!) and I really enjoy spending so much time with my girls! They ask every day to go play at the Treehouse.

Ryan and Reagan are growing and keeping busy. Ryan will be turning five next month! She also had her first dance recital in June and really enjoyed going to class every week. She is taking a break from dance and has just started soccer. Reagan is about to turn three on the 20Th and is having fun keeping up with Ryan. She is a great sister to Ryan and loves to try and make her laugh. We love watching them play together.

We have had a great year and we hope you have had one as well.

Merry Christmas!!!!

Pick your Battles

Has anyone ever heard that saying? "You just have to pick your battles." I keep hearing that and I always have that in my head when I'm fighting with Reagan. Yes, fights. That's what I tell Chris when he asks me how my day was..."Ryan or Reagan and I had a fight." I have little arguments with Ryan too, but it has gotten a lot easier to explain things to her or show her why I'm doing things the way I am, but Reagan.....she will not give in! It's amazing how different they are in that. Reagan will throw a fit for an hour! Ryan would give up pretty quickly when I walk away from a fit, but not Reagan. She will follow me and keep crying. So "Just pick your battles." Does that mean just to let some things go? That's what I think it means. So ok, Reagan, you can buckle yourself up in the car seat and I promise I won't even TOUCH the seat belt AND let you close the car door. Ok, Reagan, you can put the lid on the sippy cup even though it's not on completely. Ok, Reagan, you can wear your swimsuit under your clothes. Ok, Reagan, Church shoes are an appropriate choice for shoes even for playing in the backyard. Ok, Reagan, when we're trying to leave the Treehouse at night and you frantically say "Wait! I need to color!" and then run over to the art table and quickly scribble for a half a second on paper and then run to the door." Ok....pick my battles. I'm sure you're reading this and thinking "No Way! I would show my kid who's boss!!" Well, I did.

Battles:

Mom-1

Reagan-249

I must be dreaming....

I am usually very entertained with my dreams. I don' sleep very well so usually my dreams are interrupted right when it going to get good. Does that ever happen? Last night I was dreaming about an old boyfriend from high school and his wife and how he had taken up tap dancing and started teaching classes and I look over to Chris and he says "I knew it!" Then I wake up realizing that one of my girls made it into my bed (the reason I don't sleep very well). One of the girls will come in at least once, but mostly several times during the night and climb into bed with me. Sometimes I'm in the mood to cuddle with them and let them fall back asleep, but mostly I don't realize they're in bed with me until my arm has fallen asleep or because suddenly Chris and I are sharing one side of our king size bed. Not Comfy! Well after the "I knew it!", I wake up and begin to think that Reagan is sick because she feels like she had broken into a sweat. So in that barely awake, mostly asleep phase, I begin to realize that my side is all wet too. So then reality sets in and I realize that for the first time, Reagan peed the bed.....but not in her bed....my bed. My new mattress has now been peed on. We potty trained Reagan about two months ago but kept a pullup or diaper on her during the night. Sometimes she would wake up dry but other times she would be soaked. So....whatever. But after many nights at the Treehouse and the girls falling asleep on the way home, she would fall asleep in her underwear. She never had an accident since. A couple of times, she would even wake up and go to the bathroom all by herself. So yay....potty training done. So....it was 6:30 am this morning and I had to start doing laundry and now Reagan is watching WALL-E and I'm too awake to finish my dream. Oh well....there's always tonight.

Reagan!

I recently did a post about Ryan and now I want to do about Reagan.

Reagan, Reagan, Reagan.

1. We worried when Reagan was born because we were unsure if she would be born with a rash on her face like Ryan or worse. But she wasn't. She was born perfect with not a mark on her. It was a huge answer to our prayers.

2. Reagan taught me a huge lesson. She taught me the importance of patience. I always thought Ryan was an easy infant because of something I did.....ha ha. I can honestly say I didn't do anything different and Reagan was tough. She didn't nurse, she didn't sleep, and she had colic. I know it made me a more patient person because I learned to just "go with the flow." And even though it was still hard, I came to realize that no book, no advice is better than to just be patient and enjoy the ride.

3. Reagan wants nothing more than to be your friend. Sounds cheesy, but she loves to try and make Ryan and Riley laugh. Most times it works, but I love to watch them play together and feed off each others silliness.

4. Reagan is not as independent or fearless as Ryan. She clunged onto me a lot more. She cried when I dropped her off at the sitter or preschool everyday! Even at my mom's. I had a hard time getting used to her always by my side. But now that she doesn't do it as often...I miss it...sort of.

5. Reagan loves to eat!! She is the human garbage disposal. She isn't picky and gets upset when we don't give her the bone from our steak to pick it clean. She prefers steak and veggies to sweets. So that's good.

6. Reagan is more of a girly girl than Ryan. She enjoys dressing up in very interesting outfits and changes several times a day. Right now she's wearing a swimsuit that is way to small! She likes to wear her church shoes with everything even to play basketball!

So....that's Reagan. I love her very much and I couldn't imagine life without her!