HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

What a Sport!

Pumpkin Day

Look at those smiles! That's the picture I was trying to get!! Here the girls are enjoying some homemade kettle corn before we head out to the pumpkin patch.

Today we went to the pumpkin patch. Basically, we're too cheap to pay the prices for the pumpkins there, so we just went for the rides and the pictures. It was finally an overcast morning, though not entirely chilly so it was a perfect start to a great day!

There was almost nobody there, so we were able to chase chickens, ride wagons, and go on rides and bouncers without wait.

You should have seen their faces when the swings first started. They were so fast they even made Mama and Papa nervous!
Our pumpkin "carving" wasn't exactly traditional. My mom had given us some lightbright type pegs that were perfect for Allison to hammer in, so that is what we did instead. Neither girl really liked touching the guts of the pumpkin.

Special Message for Grandma

Grandma: This was a total surprise to me; I had no idea what Allison wanted to do on camera! Also, today Natalie was singing her ABC's, and it went like this: "A,B,C,D,E,F,G grandma!"

See you Friday!

Pumpkin this, pumpkin that!

I didn't wake-up the other morning with the intention of doing any baking, because it has been miserably hot here! (16 days of over 90-degree weather in October -- yikes!) Anyway, I was actually in a "cleaning mode," but as I cleaned out the refrigerator, I realized I had a lot of leftover pumpkin filling. So what else was I suppose to do? The girls and I quickly checked online for a pumpkin cookie recipe, and we decided to use the first one that I googled. (Click here for the recipe; they were delicious!)

Then I got a brilliant idea. I had bought these pumpkin-flavored Hershey's Kisses just because I was curious. I tried the corn candy flavored ones the year before, and wanted to try something new this year! Turns out, I'm not a big fan... they're very rich, and a little too pumpkinny! But, I thought they might be good in my cookies! So, I stuffed one pumpkin kiss inside each cookie before baking. Let me tell ya; Fresh out of the oven, they were delicious! Once they were cool, however, I still had the same problem with them. But, I would do it again, only next time I will chop-up the kisses before adding them to the cookies. If you get to it first, let me know what you think!! :)

Another kid concoction!

Since we've missed 3 days of preschool, plus a field trip due to our flu... it was about time for mom to get creative! Allison still doesn't know the term "bored," but she uses that voice to ask, "What should we do?" So, I decided to pull out our "Kid Concoction" book I got at the MOPS convention. (See "Fun Family Day" entry) I was in luck... I had all the ingredients for the first entry she pointed to! We were going to do edible finger paint!! It started off simple...

...Then I told Allison to try some...

Then it was all over... literally!

From that moment on, I couldn't get Allison to take her hand out of her mouth. It got so bad that we ended up throwing them both in the bath with their clothes on!!

I both date and make comments on each page as we try new experiments. For this one... "Kids love it. very simple, but very messy. Do outside without shirts on!"

Here is the simple recipe:

• 1 box instant vanilla pudding
• 2 cups cold water
• food coloring

Mix the pudding and water, then refrigerate for 5 minutes. Pour mixture into muffin tins and add food coloring.

Sick, sick, sick!

Our poor, sweet, little red sickie girl.

Hopefully we'll be feeling better and I'll be back to my blogging self, soon!

INSPIRED!

Up to this point, I haven't really considered myself a true "blogger." While I have enjoyed doing it myself and checking up on my friends, I hadn't really ventured off into "strangers' blogs..." until now! (In fact, I did get one comment from someone I didn't know, and that surprised me and prompted me to do some checking of my own! Thanks, "3 sisters!")

As I was reading the most spiritually inspirational blog I follow, (Maralyn's blog), I came across a comment from someone who had the cutest little tag, so I decided to check out her blog. Her blog is definitely the most creatively inspirational I have ever seen! I think I read every entry, and then realized this could become crazy... from her blog, I linked onto several other cool blogs, and found all sorts of fun gadgets, and started to realize just what's out there! Yikes! Now I really have to put limits on myself!

Let me summarize quickly some of the things I liked, and then you have to check her out!

• Her blog is full of beautiful pictures of things you can do in your home.
• She is an artist, and sells some cool prints on ETSY that I will be getting soon.
• She is very simple, and her ideas are practical as well as inspirational.

Ok, my friends... check out "Inspiring Ideas"

Family Ties

We've had a full house the last few days, as Daniel's aunt and 2 cousins are here from China... for good! Luckily, they were here during Daniel's 4 days off, but it is proving a challenge to accomplish all we need to in even 4 days. I know it's a lot of work moving across town... I can't imagine coming to a new country! But, they are doing very well and we will help them get settled into their temporary apartment tomorrow.

As for today, it was his aunt's birthday, so we made a little sign from paper plates, and I took a trip down to our favorite Asian Bakery for a cake... yum, yum! Even Triscuit got in on the fun! All the excitement, and a nasty cold wiped Natalie out, so she crashed on the couch while "watching" cars with her cousins!

Flashback Monday!?!?

Ok, so flashback Friday had a catchy ring to it, but I think I may end up doing flashbacks whenever I need to fill a lull. Anyway, this one is not really much of a flashback; it's dated August 13 of this year! (Just 2 months ago!) However, as I was working on our Yeh Family 2008 album I came across this picture and a fun video that I had never seen before. Since I found it pretty adorable, I thought I would share... I know Grandma will appreciate this! :) (Unfortunately the video was too big to show). To put it into context, I was not home and Daniel dressed the girls up to help him paint his shed!

Little Boo

Our "baby" Natalie is 22 months old, today! It was a little chilly this morning, so I looked through Allison's old long-sleeve shirts and came across her "BOO" shirt. It "fits" Natalie so well, not only in the size, but the fact that it says "BOO." (That happens to be one of our nicknames for her... We think she looks just like little Boo on Monster's Inc. when she wears her spunky pigtails.)

Anyway, I had to put her hair up in pigtails this morning to match her Boo shirt, which is usually no big deal. For some reason, however, she was a little fussy as I was combing her hair and kept saying "No." So, Allison piped in and said, "Mom... you should respect Natalie when she says no, right?" We've been talking a lot about what respect means lately, and I think she's getting it! :)

p.s. We didn't take any pictures today in the Boo shirt, so here are the girls coloring nicely the other day for almost 40 minutes... it was wonderful!!

Crockpot Craziness

So, I somehow came across a crazy blog from someone who is doing "crockpotting," (Is that a term?), every day this year. She is on day 292! Some recipes look awesome, and some not-so-much. I Am just amazed that she's actually doing it! Anyway, check it out for some weekend fun: http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/ There is a "fall stew" type recipe I am looking forward to trying!

Little feet

Last night I heard some noises coming from the girl's room, so I opened the door for further inspection. Natalie, on the floor with her books, knew she was "caught" and immediately ran to her bed whining. Allison, who was probably almost asleep at this point and startled awake by the cry, responded, "It's ok Sweetie.... come see me Natalie." It was precious to hear her so genuinely concerned for her sister! Later I took this picture of her, finally asleep.

The "Magic Carpet"

We have SO many kids books.

And, it's a good thing... the girls have read them all!

When I ran out of room in the nursery, I added 2 shelves in our room.

Next I added a shelf in the girls' room.

Finally, I decided to do a reading corner in the family room.

BUT, THE GIRLS NEVER WENT TO THE READING CORNER TO READ!

So, we made a trip to Ikea for a simple orange circle rug.

Suddenly, the reading corner came alive!

When I tell Allison I have to cook or take a shower or something, she says she wants to go read on her special rug.

That's why I call it the "Magic Carpet!"

Dejavu

Lately, Daniel and I have been noticing just how similar Allison and Natalie seem to be. They definitely have their distinct looks and personalities, but they have also hit many milestones at the same time. For example, both of them had "Mama" as their first word, (good girls), and said it while driving to San Mateo... weird, I know! Both of them crawled at 8 months and one week, and both walked at 13 months and one week. And, when I talk to them on the phone I can't tell them apart other than the fact that Natalie doesn't have the vocabulary, yet. Their voices on the phone are identical! Now check this out: Below is a picture of Allison napping at 22 months, followed by Natalie napping at (almost) 22 months.
I must admit, this one scares me a bit... After all, Allison gave-up napping on her 2nd birthday and Natalie's 2nd birthday is only 2 months away! YIKES!!!

Another Blustery Day

It's that time of year... the Santa Ana's are back! For most of us here in Rancho Cucamonga that means:

• Interrupted sleep at night due to loud gusts


• Kids stuck inside


• A big mess in the yard; (notice our downed rose tree)

For us Yeh's, it also means potential wildfires for Daniel. Last year about this time, Daniel was gone for 8 or 9 days; 2 of which were spent fighting his first wildfire. It was difficult to get a hold of him because his cell phone was dead, and his working hours were all crazy.

This year we're prepared! After hearing the winds were coming, Daniel went to work yesterday with his cell phone charger... and it's a good thing! Today he got held over, and was assigned to a strike team. For now, they're just on standby... We'll see what happens! Keep him in your prayers, as well as all the other firefighters! Thanks!

MOPS Resources

Here are a couple resources from my MOPS convention that I thought were interesting, though I have not given them a try myself.

www.411god.net By signing up with this link, they call you each day with one minute of Bible reading. I just listened to a sample, and it seems kind of cool... I just haven't decided if it's for me.

hiskids.net This one I will definitely be taking advantage of. It's a free Christian radio station online just for kids. The only program I recognized was Focus on the Family's "Adventures in Odyssey." But, I look forward to learning more!

Hope these were helpful! I'll hopefully share more as I get a chance to look through more of the "junk" -er- stuff I got!

Traditions

Whereas I absolutely love family traditions, my husband thinks they are somewhat monotonous and boring... why not try something new? After all, life is short! I can definitely see where he is coming from, but I am still trying to warm him up to the idea that traditions are fun and exciting for kids!



All that to say, today we went to Michael's for the 2nd year in a row to decorate pumpkins. It's a fun event, and the pumpkins are only $5 including all the art supplies. What made it extra special is the fact that it's the first tradition that Allison has actually comprehended as a tradition.Natalie had a lot of fun, as well. Here are the results of their creative outting:

Allison and her pumpkin October 2007

Allison and her pumpkin October 2008

Natalie and her pumpkin October 2008

Crescent creations

We are very fond of Pilsbury crescent rolls here in the Yeh house. It all began with the simple addition of chocolate chips... yummy! Since Daniel isn't a huge fan of chocolate, we had to think up something else. So, next came our cinnamon/ brown sugar crescents. From there, it sprouted to new and exciting ideas. To date, we have filled our crescents with the following:

• chocolate chips


• cinnamon/ brown sugar


• cinnamon/ brown sugar and chocolate chips


• cheese


• ham and cheese


• little smokies


• jelly


• peanut butter and jelly


• peanut butter and chocolate chips


• pumpkin pie filling, cinnamon/ brown sugar

Since this morning was another true "fall morning," I decided to do the pumpkin pie-filled crescents and I even added mini chocolate chips. Now, I suppose, we have another one to add to the list! Anyway, I hope you are enjoying this fall day as much as we are, and let me know if you have other filling ideas!

One of those mornings....

I realized the other day that if a teenager were to read my blog, they may think motherhood is "easy" and without its struggles. Indeed, there are many positives to mothering, and it is the most rewarding and enjoyable thing I've ever done. And, I must say that blogging has actually helped me to focus on the positive and really appreciate all my blessings. But, then there are those moments, those days, those stages...



We had one of those episodes this morning, and my girls already lovingly requested to see the "fussy video" as soon as I was done taking it. It was as if they were only doing this as a show; it was very strange. Anyway, here is one of our not-so-proud moments! We call it "The fussy video."

Folk Music Store Field Trip

Today our pre-school had a field trip to the folk music store in Claremont. As soon as I heard "Claremont," I immediately thought of my favorite bakery, "Some Crust." So, I called my friend to see if she wanted to go early and hit the bakery first. Just to make it extra fun for the kids, we decided to take the train, as well. It was only a 15 minute ride, but so worth it for the kids; no car seats, no seatbelts, and it was a train!

All went well, and the kids had a blast. We even played freeze tag and Mr. Fox in front of City Hall in between the bakery and the music store. As for me, it was even educational... I learned of several new instruments while there, as well. (Just don't ask me to remember the names of them; for that, ask Allison!)

Fun Family Day

It was fun to have our first "family day" since being gone. Since it was once again in the high 90's here, I figured it was time to use our free coupons for Pump-it-Up and jump around in someone elses air conditioning. I love that place because I think Daniel and I have as much fun as the girls! From there we cashed in more free coupons at Chick-fil-A, then walked across the parking lot to ride bikes at REI. While family time is great, free family time is even better!

This afternoon while Daniel and Natalie took naps, I decided it was time to try out something I picked up at my convention. It is a book called "Kid Concoctions," by John E. and Danita Thomas. It is filled with all sorts of fun ideas of homemade toys, paints, doughs, putty, clays, glues, and edible concoctions. I heard the authors give their testimony and it was fabulous!

After a brief read, Allison and I decided to do "3-d Squeeze Chalk." The recipe was easy, fun, and the "chalk" worked great and washed right off with the hose. The recipe is as follows:

1/2 cup cornstarch

2 Tbs. flour

1/4 cup water

4-6 drops food coloring

Medium ziplock bag

We made 2 colors that Allison requested: green and pink. I would reccomend you try it, and buy the book! It is filled with 100's of incredible ideas! I have a coupon for "free shipping" if you're interested.

Stay Tuned!

I am now back from Texas, and here's what I came home to...

• the sweetest husband in the world who had a muffin and sparkling water for me in the car in case I was hungry


• two sweet girls with huge smiles and crafts that they had made for me


• a house all cleaned with the shower scrubbed, and our bed made with the pillows all fluffed

Am I the luckiest girl ever???

As for the conference, I have 1 word... INCREDIBLE! As predicted, I was refreshed and renewed by the speakers and the worship. What I didn't expect was all the laugh-til-you-cry moments with the awesome gals in my MOPS group. That was priceless!

For each day that I was gone, I put together a Halloween craft for the girls to make. So, each day they got to choose a special bag and discover what the craft would be. Therefore, I purposely didn't bring a camera to my convention in hopes that I would see pictures and videos of the girls while I was gone. And, they didn't disappoint; here are some of my favorites!

Now, Stay Tuned as I will try to post all the awesome mommy resources I collected while there... you won't want to miss them!

Texas Time!

I usually love this time of day... the girls are all clean and smelling like their strawberry shampoo mixed with lavender lotion; their room is all clean, the house is quiet, and I have "time to myself." But, as I was tucking them in tonight, it suddenly occurred to me that I won't see them until Sunday! No longer was I anticipating this time, but an unexpected sadness came over me. I have been so looking forward to my get-away to the MOPS convention in Texas that I never really thought I would be sad leaving my girls.

But I am!

This feeling caught me off-guard! I am sure all will be well when I eat my warm meals that I didn't have to cook without being interrupted, and I go a whole weekend without having to pick-up any toys, clean-up any crafts, change any diapers, settle any toddler arguments, watch any Dora, or exercise any dogs. I can even sit in a spa and relax with a cup of coffee and some chocolate that I don't have to hide or share! Ok, I'm talking myself into feeling better... But, there is still a slight feeling of not wanting to leave my girls.

I suppose that's a good thing!

I am looking forward to returning refreshed, renewed, and ready for the upcoming busy season! I will be away from any computers, so I won't write until I get back! Until then... Here's what I hope to look like all weekend. :)