Griff Lately

In an attempt to make smaller posts more frequently so I don't get so behind, here's what's been going on lately. Griff is getting bigger. He plays on big kid stuff at the park, he has a booster seat at the table, he has become oppositional to veggies, he's sparked a knowingly naughty attitude, and he's still my sweetest little errand, park, and walking buddy. Love this kid and his many forms of expression!

At Jiffy Lube for an hour. He was so good! Glad I had cars stuffed in the bottom of my purse. Thank you big purses

Double fisting, as usual

He disappeared. I found him in the tub

He loves yogurt, hates veggies. So I tried to disguise pureed carrots with honey (it was good!) in a yogurt container. It was even cold. He was throwing a fit before he even tasted it. He's too smart. Then complete rejection when forced to taste it.

Booster chair and big boy plate. He even climbs up in it by himself - totally safe over the hard tile I'm sure (notice the scratches in my 16 year old table)

Happy walker...anything outside

Took him to Barnes & Noble just to play with the train set in the kid section. He loved it!

Also loved the island of riding toys in the mall. Too bad mom was too cheap to pay $50 cents to make it move. Maybe someday.

A special treat: pretzel bites from the mall. So gross...but so good

Sometimes he's little naughty boy and thinks it's so funny. I try to sound stern, but I think he can hear me laughing behind it all so I'm no help to the cause. 

 I love watching him run

 

First time in a sandbox. He followed his cousin in. Such simple pleasures

Griff's Valentine's Day

Last year Griff was oblivious to Valentine's Day. I'm not sure he was much more aware this year but he got a little festive. I wasn't planning on doing any cards, but as we passed the valentine section at the store he let out a scream and pointed to a box he just had to have for family and a few friends: Animal valentine's complete with animal tattoos. So I had him help select which valentine he wanted to go to which person and sign the card (scribble in the right spot). He was super helpful and took the responsibility pretty seriously (see picture). I was cracking up. It was like he understood what he had to do and wanted to make sure he picked well.

He also got his very first sucker. In fact, he hadn't even been introduced to hard or chewy candy until this week, with the exception of red vines. He took to the sucker instinctively. I'm afraid there's no going back. And he recieved his first delivery, a valentine bear and chocolate covered strawberries from aunt Baylee. I may have helped a bit with the strawberries, but the bear was all his! And to top it off, he got to go to Gram's for the night while mommy and daddy went out. He was a happy kid.

 

New Year, New House

January brought new news this year...we're moving. We only moved 3 miles away, but it feels very far from our isolated double-wide (ok, it wasn't really a trailer but it was laid out like one) that had unobstructed 360 degree views of this valley. We soaked up the last of the holidays and tried to catch as many sunrises and sunsets as we could. We were also graced with a hot air balloon flying course that often took off from across the street (Griff LOVED it). Our new home is definitely nicer in terms of upgrades, but I'm still adjusting to being in a neighborhood that has it's pros and cons (Pros: neighbors, kids to play with, adults to talk to, doesn't smell like cows. Cons: neighborhood, houses that obstruct the view, a communal mailbox with slots for each home that's down the street instead of my own box at the end of the driveway). There was just something about living on the far edge of town with nothing closer than a 10 minute walk.

I'm typically a little slow to adjust to change, but inevitably I'll end up loving it here just like I loved our isolated house that I initially wasn't too fond of. I wish Griff had been old enough to have memories of that unique place and space. Such a great place for a little boy to play. Griff has loved the new place though. It has tile floor and a floor plan that allows him to push his cars in a circle around the kitchen, into the living room, through what is supposed to be a formal dining room, back into the kitchen. He goes in circles and loves it. He also loves the street out front. It's actually pretty quiet out there since it's not a through street. He's had no trouble adjusting.

Walked himself in his car backwards until he got stuck in the tree.

Helped himself (double fisted) to some cookies when I left the room. When did he get tall enough to reach!!

If the bike room is accidentally left open he's knows and I'll find him in there tinkering with things

One day I'll learn I can't leave my computer on the ground. He knows how to change setting that I have to google to figure out how to set them back.

Sometimes I look at him and he looks like a big kid. This was one of those moments

Here's a series of shots Griff took himself

then he attacked me and snuggled up. I had to catch it.

We got outside as much as we could to enjoy the open roads, even when it got really cold (yes, it gets cold here. I didn't believe it until I moved here and experienced it myself)

We dropped by Gram's work for a visit. Griff decided he'd help her out

Hot air balloons. I was packing up some things when I heard the front gate close...which meant Griff had gone through it because he always closes it on his way out (he's so polite). By the time I caught up to him he had gotten through the front gate and cruised across the parking lot with cozy car and was headed out to see the balloons. Nothing stops this kid when he knows what he wants. At least not without a fight.

Flying over the academy. We could hear them calling out instructions

Graham crackers make us all happy

chips and salsa: Dip, lick, scream, repeat

Sunrise off the back patio. I miss this

Out the front door

To the left out the front door

Not pleased with the dinner selection

MOVING DAY

My entire daily wardrobe (all seasons) including shoes, belts, scarves, bags, and other accessories fit into these boxes with a few hanging items. I'm not sure whether to be pleased with myself or go shopping.

It actually snowed the day we moved. Griff in our front yard checking it out.

I bought this table at Fred Meyer in 1997 for very little when I moved into my first apartment after the dorms. This is it's 14th home. It might be time to get a new dining room table and turn this one into a craft table. But then again, I bet we're still using it when we move next time because I don't see table shopping rising to the top of my list soon (the 4th chair is still alive, it's just not in the picture)

Nothing is more entertaining than an empty box and a cousin to play in it with

My sweet mom came to help since Brandon had to go out of town on business

Griff got his own chair for the porch. He loves to join mom and dad when we sit out there. It's like he feels so grown up.

Loves the street

Griff Videos

Here are a few videos from the last few months


Griff loved to find Pops in his office chair and crawl on up. When I couldn't find him, he was usually with Pops hanging out

Using the Cars race ramp got him so excited

When we got home and unpacked the gifts, Griff figured he could used the ramp as a slide too.

He loves his cozy car.

Griff figured out how to feed his cousin's dog from his high chair

Griff has been crawling up on the jungle gym by himself for a while, but this day he independently got on, crossed the entire thing, and went down the slide all by himself.

Colorado Christmas 2012

We spent Christmas in Colorado again, only this year we had snow. Snow Christmas Eve's are the best! It's nice to go to the mountains, especially at Christmas, when we spend the rest of the year in the desert.

Brandon had a meeting in SLC and I wanted to go to Colorado a week early, so we arranged to go to SLC with B then fly from there to Grand Jct where my parents met me and Griff. B had to work another week, but joined us December 23rd.

Already asleep before we left the driveway on our way to SLC. He's holding the Christmas present his cousin Sawyer gave him right before we left

We stayed with Chad and Candace. Here their boy Owen and Griff were little twinners the next morning

And then the three of us came out of separate bedrooms dressed in stripes.

We took Griff to the dinosaur museum at Thanksgiving Point.

First flight awake (he was a sleeping 4 mo old for his real first flight)

He entertained the entire plane and wore me out. Crawling all over. Squealing. Teasing the people behind us. Fortunately there was no one in the seat next to us. BUT he didn't cry and was, overall, very good. Especially considering we sat on the tarmac for 45 min waiting to pull away from the gate. Pure torture

Griff wasn't too impressed with the snow

He eventually got into it a little bit, but mostly, he's not a big fan

Grocery shopping in style

He found the drawer full of toy cars

deer in the backyard

trying the snow again. He ended up face-planting and crying

Hanging with Pops

Griff never sits still, let alone lays down and chills, but he walked into the kitchen with bulldog and his sippy, laid on the floor and stayed there for 15 min. My mom and I kept watching him to make sure he was ok and breathing. Eventually he just got up and walked away. Strange

Playing with the stuffed santa dolls and a car on the landing

Obviously we are all about presentation in this family

View from my window. I love my parents' guest bedroom

Christmas Eve. Me and my sis. The pic of me and B was awful so I won't post it.

Christmas morning - digging cars out of his stocking

Opening the Cars race track from aunt Baylee. Still a hit 2 months later

SO excited. No idea where he learned to raise his arms up like that

It can also be used as a slide

helping Dadda

Dad, Mom, and sis and matching pj's....of course

Griff loved to go into the hall with pictures and point to all of them. It was a daily ritual/game

'Helping' Jai Jai make lemon ricotta pancakes. Delicious!

My brother Adam and his 3 kids came the day after Christmas (Julyssa couldn't make it for a few days later so we missed her). Griff loved having playmates

They introduced him to the iPad

Now he's hooked

Adam and Nadya at Boogies Diner. Kind of a tradition

We went snowmobiling. Gorgeous and so much fun! But also really cold so I didn't take the camera out much