Pumpkin Patch

Melanie and Chelsea on the Hayride

Chelsea with her pumpkin

Melanie and her pumpkin

The Bummkin

Today we went to the pumpkin patch with Melanie's school. We were given a 10 minute lesson on pumpkins. We learned all the names of all the different pumpkins. Melanie learned that there is a pumpkin called the Cinderella pumpkin (redish/pinkish) and that is her favorite. We also learned that the best pumpkins to make pumpkin pie with are the sugar baby pumpkins. Never knew that! They don't seem big enough. The large ones we buys and carve into jack-O-lanterns are just too watery and not sweet enough.

We then went for a hayride tour around the farm. We were able to see all the vegies and fruits they grow and sell at the farm. Melanie loved this because she just loves gardening. We were dropped off in a field where the kids were able to pick out a pumpkin to take home. Melanie didn't have to search long. She quickly found her bummkin as we call it. It is the funniest thing ever. Her pumpkin is two pumpkins that formed together. They look like a bum. She and her pumpkin got a lot of attention at the farm. All the kids were laughing and calling it dirty words (we won't go there). I guess you will have to just see it. It is so funny! What a fun day.

I am back!

Where was I? No real excuse to be gone from my blog this long. I had my appendix out over a month ago and just haven't gotten back into the swing of things yet. So, I am so sorry to those who have been hounding me about updating my blog! I will do better! I am going to "cheat" and update using the date each event or blog occurred.

Babysitting CO-OP is the best!

OK, so some friends and I just started a babysitting co-op. It is the best thing ever. I highly recommend it for every mom out there. Come on... you know how nice it would be to go to your OB appointments without your three children. And wouldn't it be nice to run 6 errands in the time it takes you to run one with your three children at tow. There are things we as moms need to do and it would be so much easier if we could do them alone. Anyways, there are 6 of us and we each take 3 hours a day to watch kids. So, I can drop Melanie and Chelsea off to one of my friends houses for three hours everyday. They get a play date with their friends and I get to take care of STUFF. I LOVE IT!

Chelsea's Birthday Party

We celebrated Chelsea's birthday with a family party. Can't believe she is 2! We gave her her own cake to eat. She wasn't sure what to do at first. With Uncle John's help, she learned fast! It was fun to watch Grandma Sue squirm at the complete mess Chelsea made of herself!

A mouse in the house!

Have you ever had this happen? You think you see something, but then maybe it is your eyes playing tricks on you? Well, a few Saturdays ago, I came into the family room and out of the corner of my eye I saw a mouse run into our book self. When I told Dan to come check, I thought, maybe it was just my imagination! Yes, I know...I had a pet rat and a hamster as a child. I also love snakes. MICE are different! They are fast and they are small and they are in places I don't want them (my house). I was TERRIFIED! We cleared the books and peaked...cleaned...peaked, but nothing! A couple days later we start hearing mice scratching in the book shelf. For several nights Dan and I would hear this and I am thinking, "where could it be?" With a curious toddler and a very adventurous 4 year old, we can't exactly put mice traps or poison around the house. My mother suggested putting a sticky trap under the bed in the room behind the bookshelf. I did just that and the very next day, there was a little baby mouse stuck to it. I have to tell you. I was terrified to even check the trap. I made my adventurous 4 year old Melanie come with me and look first. She said, "yes mommy there is a little baby mouse and I want to keep him." OK, so these traps don't kill the mice right? Melanie wanted it off. I was scared she would go into the room when I wasn't paying attention and try to get it off the trap. Well, I wasn't going to touch it! After calling around to all the pest control companies and finding out it was going to cost $50 to just take a "caught mouse" to the trash can, I called my brother John. He was getting home from a business trip and stopped by on his way home. He had to bring his 3 year old son with him who thought it was the coolest thing ever! Melanie still asks where the mouse is. We just say it is gone. Don't know how to explain that we simply threw it in the trash can. I put another trap out just in case our friend had a family....nothing yet. I have Melanie check it everyday!

There Are Animals In My House!

Grandma Merrill stayed a week so I could recover from my appendectomy. The kids love when their Grandmas and grandpas come to play with them. It was great to have Grandma here to get down and play (something I couldn't do) with Chelsea. This is Cousin Christian, Chelsea and Grandma Merrill acting like complete animals. NOTE: We found these very fun animal masks at Target in the $ section. We decided we needed them for our "dress-up box".

Melanie's First Day of School

This is Melanie on her first day of Pre-K. She is so excited to be a big girl. She has the same teachers as last year, Mrs. Pat and Mrs. Lori. She will learn so much more this year. She will even have real homework. She will basically be learning in Preschool what I learned in Kindergarten. They want them reading in kindergarten so we have to learn all we can now. Crazy! She is ready though. She is are smart, determined girl! Go Mel!

First Day of School

You might notice I am writing this at 7:45. Oh yah, the kids are all sound asleep. Yah for me! They were exhausted! Today was Spencer's first day of second grade. I don't know if it was the 100 degree weather that made him so tired or being at school all day, but he was begging to go to bed. Spencer wasn't ready to give up his summer, but that is life we tell him. He got the teacher(s) we wanted. He has two teachers who co-teach. Sounds kind of weird, but they have been doing it for like 17 years together and they are a great team. Both teachers have boys at home which I was excited about. I really believe a teacher needs to understand boys! So, here is his first day of school photo.

One Last Time!

Today was our very last summer day at the beach. We "pretty faithfully" went to the beach every Thursday this summer. Today was Tuesday, but our last day of the summer. I asked the kids what they wanted to do and guess what they said?? So, we met some friends there and took Hannah Mackay (Spencer's bestest friend) with us. They had way too much fun! Sooooo relaxing for me! We are so blessed to live here in California.

I Know You Do It Too!

Come on...I know you do it. You look at your own kids and you say, "wow, I have the best looking kids in the world." I don't want to brag, but what a cutie! This is my very handsome 7 year old Spencer who I don't get many good pictures of because he is either closing his eyes or looking in a different direction. What a handsome boy!

Melanie's Potty Training!

This week we decided to stay home thanks to Melanie! Melanie began potty training Chelsea. Yes, our 4 year old Melanie! I really had nothing to do with it! It started one morning when Chelsea woke up and wanted her diaper changed. Yes, I was still sleeping. So, Melanie said, "come on Chelsea lets go find your potty." After Chelsea went potty, Melanie set the little cooking timer for 20 minutes (I did teach her that) and then she would say, "come on Chelsea time to go potty!" She did this everyday for a week. Chelsea would only go for Melanie. If I said, "lets go potty". She would say, "no, baby (Chelsea's nick name for Melanie)." She would get Melanie and make her take her potty. It is very exciting when she goes poop in the big potty. I think Melanie is the most proud! Good job Melanie, keep up the good work!

My Kids Keep Me Young!

Do you remember water balloon fights? This last week has been so hot, we were either at the pool, beach or having water balloon fights. We made a special trip to the 99 cent store for balloons. I got three bags of 100. Yes, we used all of them! Days like today...I say, what a blast it is to be at home with my kids!

Little Mommy!

Those of you who know Chelsea, know how much she loves babies! She just goes crazy for them everywhere we are. If it is in church, she will stand up on a chair, wave her hands and yell, "hi baby!" If we are with friends, she will "mall" their baby. And if we are at the store she will cry until I take her over to the baby so she can get a closer look. I don't know, maybe all girls are like this, but my Melanie isn't so much! Chelsea even loves her baby dolls. Yesterday she was holding the fridge door open and crying. I couldn't understand what she wanted. Finally I got it! She wanted an apple (her favorite thing from the fridge) for her babies. I quickly taught her where the fake food and baby bottles were. She was pretty happy after that!

Best Friends!

I hope they always stay close! They are the bestest friends!

Summer 2007

Summer has been an absolute blast! Can't believe that school starts back up here at the end of the month. From Beach, park to swimming...we have no down time. Yaaaa for summer! Above are some pictures from our fun summer! Enjoy!

Sailing with Grandpa Clinger!

Grandpa Clinger recently purchased a sailboat. Dan is very excited and learning all the sailing basics. It is, conveniently for us, docked at the Ventura Harbor. Saturday afternoon Grandma and Grandpa came and picked us up and took us all sailing. Spencer had been once before, but we wanted to see how the girls would do. They did great I think. OK, except for Melanie. We gave each of the kids Bonine for motion sickness. Well, Melanie spit hers out because she didn't like the taste, so she didn't get any and she was the one to get sea sick. The sea was pretty ruff, that scared Spencer and Grandma terribly. Chelsea however is our sailor girl. She had a blast! Each of the kids had a turn at driving. They loved that! So, we are home safe mom. The kids say they want to go again, but the waves can't be big like they were. Melanie feeling sea sick (she learned her lesson!)

He is how old?

I can't believe my first baby is 7 years old today. He is so big! There were some family from our family reunion that stayed an extra week with us. We all celebrated Spencer's birthday at Chuck-E -Cheese. We had a blast!

Twins?

I think Heavenly Father knew I wouldn't be able to handle twins, so he gave me one at a time! They are so alike in so many ways. I hope they always stay close!

OOPS! I hate when that happens!

We were touching bat rays at Sea World and had the kids up on the edge of the "pool". I had a hold of Chelsea with my knee as you can see in the second picture (ok, minus my hands). Chelsea decided she was hot and wanted to get a little closer. I didn't even notice until she turned around to look at me. She dipped her head in the Bat Ray pool. She didn't fall in, she just dipped. Gross! Well, the gross, dirty water will either kill off her present cold or give her a new sickness of some sort! I know I need to watch this girl!

Merrill Reunion 07

We just had our 2007 Merrill Family Reunion. Thanks to my wonderful brother Matt and his sparky wife Heather, it was a very fun FILLED week! We loved every minute of it. Thanks guys!

This is our clan!

The 21 Grandchildren!

We started the week with all the adults meeting at the Temple. There, we were able to do a TON of family sealings. This experience is one we will never forget. Thanks mom for all your hard work.


Sunday we all gathered at the Newbury Park Stake Center for church in our "home ward." We then had dinner at "our house" and a FHE by mom.

All 7 kids and Dad!

Monday morning and afternoon we had our traditional

Merrill family Olympics. Thanks for all your hard work Marylyn! Monday night we went to Hollywood Bowl for the best fireworks show ever!


Tuesday we left the 100 degree heat in NP and all met at Silverstand beach for a full day of sand, water, and lots of cousin fun!

Wednesday the 4th was the zoo and then at night for one last year at Dave's for the T.O. Mall fireworks show/BBQ.

Thursday we had to say goodbye to some of the group. Many of us left for San Diego's Sea World for a couple days. Spencer, Mel and Chelsea has an absolute blast there!

Thanks family for the wonderful week!