Happy Birthday Parx!

I know I start out every birthday post with the same phrase but.....I can't believe my baby is 2!!  It makes me so sad!!  Poor Parx.  He really is going to be a baby forever.  Here's an update on Parx.

Parx is soooooooooooooo and sooooooooooooo and soooooooooooooo busy!  He will destroy an entire room in ten seconds.  I am not exaggerating.  I turn my back and he's squirting syrup all over the kitchen, or has emptied an entire drawer, or has dumped the legos not just on the floor in a pile but all over the house, or has dumped out a box of cheerios, or has pulled out every wipe from the package, or has scribbled all over the place in permanent marker....you get the idea.  I honestly do not remember any of my other children being so destructive!

Parx loves to be just like the other kids.  You should see him fold his arms and close his eyes for prayers.  It is so cute!  He loves to brush his teeth, comb is hair, color a picture, anything they are doing.

He loves to wear his shoes and will not let you take them off.  I think he's afraid of being left.  He does not like that.  He wants to go all the time.

He loves baths.  All you have to say is, "Parx, do you want a bath?" and he'll jump up and down clapping his hands shouting, "Yea! Yea! Yea!" and start to take off his clothes.  He has a bath for at least 30 minutes every night.  There is no getting him out.  And if anyone else is in the bath, he is climbing in to join them clothes and all.

Parx is not as big of a talker as we would like.  I think it's because he doesn't have to.  He always has someone to jump right in so all he has to do is point.  The words he does say often: yes (he says this very clearly), no, Mom, go way, stop (hard to tell he's smothered to death), Mo (for Nemo), moo, cha cha choo choo, mon (come one), mo (more).

Parx is a genius when it comes to the iPad.   He knows how to unlock it, scroll through to find his favorite games, start Netflix, and more.  He's better at the games than I am.  It's actually pretty pathetic.  We have to keep it hidden.

Parx is obsessed with cars--all cars but mostly Lightning McQueen and Mator.  He constantly has a car in his hand and is driving it all over the place.  He also loves to read books, especially Cars books.  Be careful when you sit down because if he catches you he will crawl into your lap with his blanket and a book.  But I do love to snuggle and read.

He is a great dancer!  And boy does he rock out!  It is the cutest thing!

He is the biggest snuggler.  Oh how I love it!  You know it's your last baby (and you're not already pregnant again :-) when he gets up in the middle of the night and you're actually happy about it because it means he gets to sleep with you.  I honestly strain my ears at night hoping to hear him crying.

Parx loves to take pictures.  He walks around with the camera saying, "Cheese!"  to everyone as he snaps away.  Thank goodness for digital cameras because I erase a hundred pictures a day.

Parx gives the best kisses....and gets probably a thousand kisses a day.  I don't think there's ever been a boy who is as loved as he is.  
 

Sierra Turns 8!

There is never a dull moment when it comes to Sierra.  She turns a pizza box into a TV in which she's a newscaster, a shoebox into a doll house, straws into a back scratcher, a pile of pillows into a swamp, chairs into a ride at Lagoon, mud and sticks into a magic stew.  I'll walk into the garage where she's got everything you can imagine strung out all over the place from lawn chairs to yard tools to Easter baskets and Halloween decorations.  I'll ask her what in the world she's doing and she'll reply so matter of factly, "It's a circus!" I'll open my freezer and find some random, disgusting looking liquid consisting of anything she could find with a spoon sticking out of it.  Sierra's making a popsicle again.  Just the other day she turned empty 2 liter pop bottles into maracas with Cheerios as the noise makers.  This morning the punched out paper holes from a hole puncher was pixie dust she was sprinkling all over everyone.  Saturday for lunch was "Mimi's Restaurant."  She and Mekinley made menus, seat placements, you name it.  Mekinley was the cook and Sierra the waitress.  I've never had such great service!  She also loves "spa day."  So do I because I get the royal treatment.  I get my hair done, a full manicure and pedicure that includes a great soak and massage, my makeup done, etc.  Sierra is just so creative!  I often struggle with it because her creativity always equals chaos and messes.  But I also love it.  That's Sierra.

Sierra is an amazing skiier.  She just goes for it.  We'll be on some huge face and there she goes.  She hates, and I mean hates, waiting for the snowboarders in our family to buckle in after the lift.  One time she'd had it and took off.  Of course she got lost and Rob had all of ski patrol looking for her.  She's now notorious to all staff at Snow Basin and she loves it.  Her only response to the whole incident, "We better not tell Mom."

Her favorite foods are spaghetti and pepperoni pizza.  She is a very picky eater but surprisingly is my best vegetable eater.  She has a major sweet tooth and would eat an entire batch of frosting in one sitting if I would let her.

Sierra is extremely bright.  She excels at school, is an excellent reader, and asks the best questions.  You can tell that her mind is always working.

She is very opinionated, and she has an opinion about everything.  If it's not her idea....forget about it.  I try as hard as I can to pull reverse psychology over on her, but she always sees right through it.

When Sierra does finally slow down, she loves to snuggle.  She really is a big sweetheart and loves to take care of her sister and brothers and me and Dad.  

Life would be so boring without her!  Sierra, we love you very, very much and are so proud of the amazing girl you've become.