Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Caught During Nap-Time

Today Tucker fell asleep during nap-time next to his favorite "toys". I had to snag a picture.
We learned about temples this week for Family Home Evening and took Tucker to the St. George Temple to look around. He climbed up the stairs and knocked on the door, "Open door!" when we told him it was Jesus' house. He has now included the ceramic temple that sits on his dresser into the collection of favorite toys, Mater, and Choo-choo, that he carries around in a bucket everywhere.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Little Astronaut and More

We went up North a few weeks back so Gary could do some work where the company he works for is based and so I could shoot a wedding up there.

We stayed at the Haroldsen's for the first part. Here's Tucker helping his Uncle Nate mow the lawn.


Tucker also got to hang out with Grandma--here they are picking some berries.

One day we went with Grandpa and Grandma Schaugaard and the girls, and my sister and her little boy, Jajue, to the Tree House. Tucker had a blast. There were so many things to see and do--it's just what a little boy could dream of!

All the little boys there were knocking all of the giant chess pieces down as fast as 
all the other kids could put them back up!

Here's Tucker jamming along with Kaitlin in the music room

Here Tucker is putting on a show in the theater area

Grandma helped Tucker find an astronaut suit. He was pretty happy
about wearing it for most of the time that we were there!
 
 Checking out the astronaut in the mirror
 

Look at this happy little astronaut!
  

Dreaming of outer space!

Hanging with Grandma and Grandpa

Mommy and the astronaut

After the Treehouse, we went to the splash pad to get cooled off!
Here's Jajue and Lizz after a nice run through the water

Amber and Tucker enjoying the water
 

After we came back from our trip up north, we had a blast when some family came down to visit for a weekend for a missionary farewell and baby blessing. We had 15 people staying in our house! On the Saturday they were here, we went to Sandhollow to go boating and swimming.

Tucker has no problem at all with jumping right in and following everyone else



I love this picture of Tucker and his Uncle Nate

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Book Illustrations

I thought I would post some of the illustrations I have been working on for a local writer, Walt Brooks. The book is called Walter's Pet Bee and will be getting published soon! If any of you are interested in a copy, leave your info, and I'll contact you when they are available.

Here's the front and back covers:



Here's a few random pages throughout the book:







Thursday, August 18, 2011

Panguitch!

Here are some fun shots of our annual trip to Panguitch!

Tucker and Sophie were pals throughout the whole camp out
Our little family
Tucker watching Daddy fish
Tucker loved getting dirty, but loved getting clean too!
What big boys on a four-wheel ride
Another ride on the four-wheeler
Tucker and Mommy eating some lunch
Grandma and Tucker while everyone was shooting guns
Tucker and Sophie on the boat
Uncle Scott let tucker drive the boat--Tucker was beaming the whole time!
Cute Emabelle and her momma, Aunt Sandy
Mommy and Tucker
Daddy and Tucker
Tucker fell asleep with his face in his bucket of cars
Here he is with tire tracks all over his little face
Blowing bubbles that he got from Aunt Sue!
Looking cool with Daddy's shades on!
Hanging out with Noah, catching some bugs!
Tucker put his car in the water drain on our camp trailer

Panguitch was so fun this year (as always!), and we can hardly wait for next year!

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Help Name Tucker's Brother

I've put together a form that you can fill out to help us in naming our next little boy! Anyone (anonymous) can fill it out and submit their answers by clicking on the submit button after the survey. I'd love for you to fill it out and to leave any comments on this post about what you think of the names listed in the form!

Thanks!

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Potty Training: Day 3

I am quite possibly ready to pull out my hair. Today is day 3 of our "Three Day Potty Training" in which the queen of potty training explains, "In my experience, virtually all children can be potty trained at the
age of 22 months and can be trained in as few as three days." Oh and she also threw in, "Children with Apraxia of Speech can also be potty trained using this method. My fifth child, now 4 years old, has Childhood Apraxia of Speech and was potty trained at 22 months old in under 3 days using this method."

Well, I have totally stuck consistently with this method that for everyone else I know who has tried it, it has worked for. Tucker is not even close.

Apparently my child is the exception. I am convinced that he loves water and being wet so much that he would go pee anywhere just so he could dance in it. Sick. I know that he understands that he needs to go in the potty, but just does not want to. He will poop in the toilet, but not pee.

I "threw out" all our diapers and the training said to stay with the potty training with big boy pants and that you should not revert back to diapers, ever.

Any tips? Anyone? I am desperate.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Lots of July Fun

Time for pictures and more pictures of this month so far! I'm talking lots!

We took a trip up north to visit family and have some fun at the beginning of this month. We stopped by Tucker's Great Grandma and Grandpa Lee's for Sunday dinner and hung out with cousins.

Tucker riding a little choo-choo train that my dad grew up with

Playing marbles on the marble ladder that Great Grandpa's dad made

Riding a cool trike in the backyard

Great Grandma pushing Tucker around on the trike

Tucker playing baseball with Daddy and my cousin Trent

My cousin, Amanda, Tucker, and Great Grandma on the swing while Great Grandpa checks the garden

Tucker playing in the playhouse in the backyard

On the fourth, we went to the zoo with Grandma and Grandpa Schaugaard, Amber, Kailtin, Sandy, Wade, Emabelle, Lizz, Jajue, Abbey, and Ginger.





Tucker is so funny. We showed him the elephants, and he just shouted, "Water!" 
because they were in playing in water. As for all the animals, 
I don't think Tucker knew what to think. He kind of just stood there 
and tried to take it all in that all the animals he has learned about are actually real :)

Tucker is so intrigued!

 Tucker and Emabelle scoping out the elephants

Tucker and Kaitlin--Tucker got his cool camo hat while we were there
 and now he freaks out if he doesn't know where it is.

Love this pic!



We crossed a bridge and just outside of the zoo fence was a huge garden, 
and Grandpa Schaugaard couldn't help but think that this was the greatest
exhibit there!

Mr. Tiger

Amber and Tuck

Daddy and Tucker looking at...?

Jajue being a turtle

Tucker going down the snake slide

Lizz, Jajue, Tucker, and Abbey

 Kaitlin and Tucker in the slide

Jajue and Tucker in the dinosaur egg

Amber, Kaitlin, Tucker, and Emabelle

I'd say we measure up to monkeys!

Grandma and Tucker


Kaitlin and Tucker hanging out with the gorilla


Posing by the gorilla

Tucker and Ginger

Sandy, Emabelle, Tucker, Amber, and Kaitlin taking a ride on the dinosaur

After the zoo we headed up to the Calderwood family reunion for some fun camping. The campground was close to the river, but no worries, we didn't even show the river to Tucker until we were leaving. We pointed it out to him as we were driving over the bridge, and he just shouted, "Water!?" like we had ripped him off the whole time. But we did let him go to the reservoir to swim where it wasn't so dangerous while we were up that way.

The first night we went to the small town fireworks near the campground.

Tucker tried so hard to stay awake and actually made it to see them

But here is the scary part about the camp out. I have heard a lot of stories about bears attacking campers in the past few weeks because the girls in our ward were heading to girls' camp where rumor had it there were bears in the midst (they didn't run into any by the way). The first night of camping, we left some of our leftover chicken bones on our camp table. Well, in the middle of the night we heard a "GRRRRRRR!" Everyone in the tent immediately woke up. And...the tent that we were in did not have a functioning zipper closure. So we were totally exposed to outside.  Du duh dum. I was freaking out at this point especially from all the bear stories. And whatever it was outside, brushed against my sister's leg in the tent right before we heard the growl (she was closest to the exposed doorway), and she was in total panic mode. Me too. We struggled to find our flashlight, and Gary went to inspect. I was afraid for his life. He didn't see anything. A few minutes later, back in the tent, we heard some rumbling around again. And...he went out to check again. It was a raccoon. I guess two of them were fighting over our chicken bones. And they ate my pastry that I was going to eat in the morning. I was so mad! We had stuff piled on top of the pastry box, and the raccoons totally went into the side of the box while all the stuff was still piled on the box. They didn't even wait for us to go to bed the next night, they were already scoping out the place as we went to brush our teeth!

Here is Tucker just hanging out around the campsite


I love this one, but just wish it was more in focus!
Here is Tucker with his choo-choo that he takes everywhere these days.

Tucker and Kelty having some CapriSun

My turn to beat Gary at our new favorite game on his iPad, Scrabble.

Gary making us some breakfast

My sis in her long-johns leading Tucker and Jajue through the campsite

Some more close-ups of this camping boy

In his natural habitat

Tucker playing the matching game with Uncle Andrew, Aunt Ginger, Aunt Abbey, and Jajue

Kelty and Tucker all ready in their suits to go swimming

Three kids buckled in and ready to go find some water

Finally we got to the water and my uncle, John, took Tucker and me for a little canoo ride.

Okay, so THIS one is really the picture of Tucker in his natural habitat.

Tucker and Aunt Abbey in the water

Me and Tuck in the water--poor little guy was getting cold

My mom jumped in the water with her clothes on and helped Tucker ride the rope swing

Go Tucker!

My nephew, Jajue, got into a mud fight...

...with his grandma and grandpa

Later that week we hung out with the Haroldsen's and went to see Cars 2, (which I totally loved by the way) and spent some time at Aunt Renate's wedding that was in Grandma and Grandpa Haroldsen's backyard.
 Renate and her granddaughter

 And how did I not get a pic of the bride and groom together?!

The kids all decided to play on the trampoline and Tucker wasn't about to be left out.
Here he is dragging a chair to the trampoline so he can climb up too.




Tucker found the dirt

"Momma, don't you tell me not to play in the dirt!"

Here's Gatlin, Tucker and another little friend looking at the chickens