Let the Mayhem Begin

Thanksgiving through  New Year's is my absolute favorite time of year even though it's filled with a million things to do. It always puts me in such a joyful mood and I like to find every possible way to celebrate the Christmas season. We checked the first activity off of my "To Do" list by ice skating with Erik's parent's at South Jordan City Plaza. It was tons of fun, and free, which made it even better. Although we were freezing, Claire thoroughly enjoyed going around the rink with her Daddy and could not stop smiling.

 
A couple weekends later, we marked going to the lights at Temple Square off of our list. This has seemed to become a tradition in our house and I enjoy it every year. Claire loved seeing all of the lights and kept signing "hot", because she thinks lights are hot and I haven't told her differently. It's managed to keep her little fingers away from our Christmas tree entirely. She did throw a little temper tantrum after she was put back in her stroller and we were given a few "crusty looks" from on-lookers walking by. They probably weren't as bad as the looks I gave them when I noticed their child had no coat, gloves, or hat on. It had to have been 20 degrees outside for heavens sake! Although Claire enjoyed the lights everywhere, she was more enamored by the big water fountain she saw as we were leaving. Claire loves water and said "wa wa" a hundred times after setting her eyes on the fountain ahead. It was a fun family outing that we all enjoyed.

The week before Christmas I was pleasantly surprised when I happened to come upon the most PERFECT ornament for Claire this year. This is a tradition my parent's started where we would pick an ornament that represents something we did or liked that past year, which began from birth and went through to age 18. Claire is obsessed with my parent's vintage Little People playhouse/ferris wheel set that is probably from 1975. She plays with it every time she goes to their house and I could not believe it when I came across an ornament of the exact house. What a score!

That same week, Claire also got to enjoy a Christmas themed "Gotta Move" class at the Whitmore Library. Claire and I go to various libraries every week and she has really enjoyed listening to the stories and dancing with the kids around her. She was pleasantly surprised to receive a candy cane from the teacher at the end of class and even tried to steal a few more when she wasn't looking. :)

Before things got too hectic, we enjoyed a lovely dinner with Erik's siblings and grandparents. It was a wonderful opportunity to exchange gifts and converse with one another before the mayhem really began. It also eliminated another house we would have to drive to on Christmas Day. Claire's great-grandparents gave her their gift (money) and she promptly responded with the sign for "thank you". Not to our surprise did it only take her a second to look at the gift, throw it on the ground, and run to the table full of toys nearby. Although it means nothing to her now, I know the day will quickly arrive when all she wants are dollar bills, checks, and gift cards.

With Christmas day closing in on us, Claire had no idea all of the excitement that lied ahead.

Christmas Preview

Here is a sneak peek at our holiday weekend:

It was filled with lots of smiles and happiness....

and of course some crying thanks to a few missed naps.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

(Photo Taken June 2011)

First Things First

Now that Christmas is two days away, I figure I should get a Thanksgiving blog post uploaded. My parent's hosted Erik's family at their house for dinner this year and we had a great time. Here are Claire's Thanksgiving day highlights:

...an early morning 5k stroller ride with some of Daddy's extended family

 (we are on the far left)

...a big hug from her Farmor

...olives on her fingers for the first time

...a game of "I wasn't looking at you" with Khloe

...a piano solo met with a round of applause

...and a failed attempt at a great family snapshot (at least it proves we were all there)

As usual, we stuffed ourselves until we had to lie on the floor (a tradition for Erik), had way too many leftovers, and spent a wonderful afternoon with our families.  Love you all! 



2011 Family Pictures

You all know I am obsessed with pictures and this past June we were able to get new family pictures taken downtown. Doesn't Claire look adorable? Hope you like them too...enjoy!

Olafsson Family

(photo taken June 2011...Claire is much bigger now)

 My Family

(minus all of my nieces and nephews)

Quality Girl Time

In early November, me, my Mom, and my two older sisters flew to St. George for a weekend getaway. This was the first time it was just us girls and we had a blast! We had the opportunity to attend Deseret Book's "Time Out For Women" Conference which was very inspirational and enlightening. When I told Erik that I was going to St. George to learn how to be a better wife and mother he responded with "I can tell you how to be a better wife." So funny!

There were so many wonderful speakers and musical numbers throughout the conference. If you ever think your life is hard, the woman in the picture below grew up in Africa, was tortured by rebels and had to choose between keeping her arms or legs. Thankfully, she didn't have to choose (her sister wasn't so lucky) as soldiers appeared moments before and the rebels ran away. She later joined the church and served a mission at Temple Square.

Throughout the weekend, we attended the conference, went shopping, ate yummy dinners, and laughed A LOT! We played Guesstures for hours and had such a fun time laughing at each other's impressions.I haven't laughed that hard since high school.

Thanks for such a great weekend Mom, Liisa, and Erika. We made memories to last a lifetime!

Happy 4th Birthday Khloe!

Our little "Khloers" turned 4 years old on Saturday, November 5th. She got her usual canned dog food and a "Happy Birthday" solo sung by her 2-legged mom. Claire enjoyed celebrating with the party hats and sniffing Khloe's food. Sadly, Khloe wasn't able to visit her 4-legged sister, Zoey, but she did wish her a "Happy Birthday" via text. Guess I'll have to arrange a family play date for next year's birthday. Love you Khlo!

Our Halloween Festivities

I feel like I've done a complete 180. In previous years, I hated Halloween. You've all heard me gripe about not liking scary movies, haunted houses, and the dark, many times before. This year, Halloween was so much fun! Claire was old enough to really enjoy all of the activities and I know in years to come it will only get better. We had the occasional temper tantrum (the joys of approaching 2), but overall, we all had a blast. Our first stop was to the Peterson Family Farm where we walked around the pumpkin patch, corn maze, and took a hay ride, which was very bumpy and not too much fun for Claire. Below is proof of Claire enjoying herself and also the beginnings of a tantrum. I think she must have understood me when I told her we were not buying any pumpkins to take home that day. :) 

Halloween morning we went to a trunk or treat party at Whitmore Library. Claire loved it! She got to dance around in circles, listen to stories, pick out lots of candy, and hang out with her adorable neighbor friends. I couldn't believe how well she did! Our little duckling would walk to each station, take a handful of suckers and put it in her bucket. Then she would look at me with an expression on her face like "am I really allowed to take all of this?" Hilarious!

Once Erik came home from work, we went out for some trick or treating. She got a little scared at the first house because a giant dog ran her over, but after a few seconds of crying, she never looked back. We went to about 10 houses and Claire loved every minute of it!

Then we hurried home and had apple cider, hot chocolate, and lots of dessert with some of our extended family. Claire and her little "slime" cousin, Emma, had a great night! And so did I!

Happy Halloween!

Another One Come and Gone

Last week I got to experience another birthday, however, October 20th has pretty much lost all of its excitement. Birthdays as an adult are definitely not as thrilling as they were as a child. My responsibilities are pulling at my shirt (literally) and can't be pushed aside. Despite many friends and family wishing me a "happy birthday", the day goes on just as usual.

This year my birthday brought tons of errands to run, a garbage disposal needing to be fixed (which I did all by myself - yay!), a child to be fed, taught, and entertained, a few unexpected hours at the office because an employee didn't show up, and a quick trip to Costco to buy myself flowers because I was having a bad day. Erik did take me out to dinner a couple of times over the weekend so I didn't have to make dinner (a huge relief) and gave me a beautiful present....but birthdays just aren't the same.

My day got a little better when I realized at about 2pm that I hadn't turned 29 and only had one year left in my twenties....I was actually only 28! Hooray! When the time comes that I do turn 30 I think the saddest part will not be that I am no longer in my twenties, but that I am that much closer to 40. Scary!

On Saturday, we had a birthday activity of walking around Silver Lake. It was a beautiful day and I thoroughly enjoyed spending time together with the people I love.

After my birthday had come and gone, I realized that even though my birthday had a lot less celebration this year, I still needed at least ONE picture with my daughter to document the day and that I did in fact have a birthday. After a few attempts, we finally captured a good one!

Thank heavens because 5 seconds later it turned into this:

Thank you to everyone who wished me a happy birthday. It may not have been that great of a day, but I am so happy to have been blessed with another birthday. Love you all!

So "Beary" Cute

As promised in the last post, here is Claire's updated "bear" picture at 15 months old. I am amazed by her growth these past three months. She's growing up so fast! To view the series of bear photos, go here.

Note to Self

It is inevitable to forget the little things Claire has started doing these past few months so I have to create digital evidence for future scrapbooking purposes. Here it goes...since Claire has turned one (currently she is 15 1/2 months), she has learned how to:

• 
• sign 'please', 'thank you', and book
• interact more with her cousins and neighbor friends
• locate her bellybutton
• hold her hand up to her ear as if she's talking on the phone
• blow her nose
• spot airplanes from a thousand miles away
• crawl with one hand open and the other in a fist (back when she crawled)
• walk/run everywhere
• close cabinet doors when requested to do so
• fold her arms
• play educational games on the iPad
• walk to the bathroom when you tell her we need to wipe her snots and run away from you when you tell her you need to change her stinkies
• fake cry - I don't know how she learned to do this 'cause it's not like she learned it from me
• gained two of her lower molars
• do the "downward dog" yoga pose - she did this for a while, but hasn't done it lately
• dance by bouncing her legs and swaying her head back and forth - the first time she did this was over labor day weekend when she was listening to Lenny Kravitz play 'American Woman' on the Today Show
• make a surprise face by opening her eyes and mouth real big - this is so adorable and one of my favorites
• eat anything in front of her - I've even given her brussel sprouts and I have photographic evidence to show her she liked them when she is older
• open and close her mouth like a fish
• say "sssss" for a snake sound, "mmmm" for a cow, and "baa" for a sheep
• stick her tongue out for a lizard, pat her chest for a gorilla, and snap her arms together for an alligator
• open and close doors - she refuses to be in a room with a door slightly open
• pet Khloe softly and throw her ball (about a foot away)
• let Mommy style her hair - her hair is finally long enough for pigtails
• play peekaboo with anyone that will join her
• drink from a sippy cup - she is officially no longer taking bottles
• throw temper tantrums
• climb onto the couch and get in your face until you give her some of what you are eating
• move from two naps a day to one, although most days there are zero naps; it's been rough and we are desperately trying to figure it out
• complete her first daily chore of sweeping the kitchen :)
• ride her bike while sitting on the seat
• give big hugs to stuffed bears, dolls, and sometimes a human

  Gotta love this girl! Updated "bear" picture coming soon.

*Additional note to self: physically she is in the 40% for height, 33% for weight, and 14% for head circumference

Autumn = A LOT of Football

Even though Erik absolutely dreads the end of summer, the fall season also brings his favorite past time into view; football. Erik could watch football 24/7, but thankfully it is consolidated into Sundays, Mondays, sometimes Thursdays, and Saturdays.  I know, that is still A LOT!

This year, Erik is playing in two fantasy football leagues, and that is down from last year, thankfully. The annual draft party was held at our house and it was filled with excitement, anticipation, upsets when someone didn't get the player they wanted, and lots of joking around. It's so funny to sit on the sidelines and watch them make fun of one anothers team. It is a good thing girls don't play because we wouldn't be able to handle all of the criticism. Boys seem to love it though. :)

Erik's favorite new "thing" this year is the NFL RedZone channel. We added the package to our Comcast subscription and he is literally in love! It is on every Sunday afternoon and they cut back and forth to all of the best plays in each game and there are no commercials. Heaven for football lovers!

Erik (and therefore me, Claire and Khloe) are die hard Utah football fans and it is even more exciting this year with Utah joining the Pac-12. We've had a couple of losses already, but we will always stand by 'our' team. The last week of August, the University of Utah held "Fan Fest". We made it a family event and even snuck little Khloe onto the field in the stroller. :) It was an extremely hot day and the rubber pellets mixed into the green turf made it feel like it was 120 degrees. Ugh!

Erik and I both took part in the field goal kick challenge. He did very well; he made three or four shots and kept moving further and further back the field. I, on the other hand, did one kick and it bounced 20 yards down the field. I think Erik thought I would have done well since I played soccer, but I was terrible. I never realized how hard a football was compared to a soccer ball.

Even though Claire missed her morning nap because I ran a 5K, we went on a quick hike, and then went to the U event, we all had a blast and it was a great way to kick off the upcoming football season.

Our family definitely "bleeds red". :) Thanks Farmor for the adorable cheerleader outfit. Claire couldn't be cuter! And of course......GO UTES!