LIFE

Sunday Jared wanted to play a game and he likes playing with the cars in Life. I thought maybe we'd try and play a real game. I control his money and he just spin and move his car. We made it about halfway around the board and I gave up. He wasn't being bad but really wasn't enjoying keeping his car on the designated spot. He was winning anyways so why continue right?!He enjoyed reading with dad better anyways:)

Brookfield Zoo

We're really lucky to be by two zoos. One is free (Lincoln Park Zoo, the one we're walking distance away) and the other is about 30-60 mins away (Brookfield Zoo). The library has passes you can pick up to different museums and attractions around the area and this one was available and we were too on Saturday so off we went! You may notice that the boys are wearing matching shirts. These shirts use to be Chris and Ty's. How cute are they!!! Cherie made them for her boys and sent them in a package for them. I love them!!! I was going to get a picture of the two of them but we never did through out the day. Sometime I'll do it. Thanks for the shirts Cherie!!!

The things we enjoyed most about this zoo that the Lincoln Park Zoo doesn't have:

Elephants (What zoo doesn't have elephants!? I guess the Lincoln Park Zoo did have elephants about three years ago but one died from old age and then awhile later the other one died too unexplained. They think maybe loneliness:(

Dolphins! We love dolphins and Brookfield Zoo does a show, we loved it:)

We hit the end of their sting ray and shark exhibit. We got to pet the sting rays (kind of gross and slimy, not my cup of tea) Jared was kind of scared and thought they were going to eat his hand. Spencer just loved the water.
We thought this tiger was cool. He put on quite the show for the spectators! (there is a tiger at Lincoln Park Zoo)

We're glad that we have the free zoo so close and another one to enjoy on occasion. A day well worth the $20 (parking, dolphin show, sting ray petting, carousel).

Children's Museum

Last summer when we went to the Children's Museum Jared loved it. Same thing this year, except he didn't like the dinosaur bones as much. Spencer loved the water and we had a blast. The best thing about the Children's Museum is it's just as entertaining for the adults as children. In fact there were a few times Jared wanted to move on to a new area and we tried to convince him to stay because Chris and I weren't done yet!

Mom Put Me to Bed!

This is what Jared said to me about four times until I realized what he was saying. Chris realized it at the same time and we both exchanged stupified looks. What a beautiful phrase "Mom put me to bed". It's not yet 7:30 and I am enjoying a quiet peaceful home. HEAVEN!

(Last night Jared didn't go to bed until past midnight, the last time I heard him on the monitor was at 12:12 and today he didn't take a nap. That is my recipe for early nights:)

No, He's Not a Girl

Who knows if I'll have a girl or not but I was curious what it'd be like to put pony tails in a wiggly baby so Spencer suffered the consequences...

He'd make a cute girl with all that hair!

The after pose after the pony tails were removed.

Jared Stories

Jared is becoming quite the smeller. He is often the one to let me know when Spencer has a stinky. "Mom Spencer stinks! Change him." I often use him to be my test smeller to check Spencer. If I think Spencer is stinky then I ask Jared, "Is Spencer stinky?" Jared will then go smell Spencer's bum and either say, "Yeah, he's stinky." or "No, just pee." What a great helper!

One day I made cookies during his nap and as he's walking up the stairs he starts sniffing the air exclaiming, "What's that smell?" He is really learning how to use that nose:)

Today Jared came out of the bathroom and announced, "My teeth are moving!!!" Before we came out to Chicago Chris, Jared and I went to the dentist. The dentist told me we need to try really hard to get Jared to stop sucking his thumb because his front teeth are already starting to move. We've always been trying but the kid's got a habit that's hard to break. We've even tried buying the yucking tasting polish that's suppose to last for two days. He doesn't like it but it doesn't stop him either. I thought maybe he sucked it off really quick and that it really didn't last very long. Nope I tried his thumb and it was still nasty. We've been trying to explain why he shouldn't suck his thumb saying he's moving his teeth and that it's not good for them ect. So today he "realized" his teeth were moving. He came to me and opened his mouth wide and said, "See!" Then he asked me to open my mouth. "You're teeth aren't moving." He determined. Then he gave me his thumb. I gave him a quizical look and he said, "Suck it." I put it in my mouth, he took it out and had me say aww. "Your teeth are moving!" And so you have it. The mind of Jared.

Besides trying to get Jared to stop sucking his thumb we've attempted night time potty training. When browsing through the books at the library I happened upon a book entitled, All By Myself! It's about a little girl that wants to do things on her own. She's already potty trained but still wearing diapers at night. In the book she says, "I hate diapers!" It's a pretty good little book and really inspired Jared. He hated diapers after that but he didn't follow the part to wake up and yell for mom when you felt you had to go to the bathroom. I attempted it for three or four nights and tonight he's back in diapers. After he was first potty trained he kept his diapers dry through the night but I kept putting him in diapers just in case and I think he's got the mindset it's okay to wet the diaper. One time I put him down for a nap and he never went to sleep. After an hour of staying down in his room I finally let him come up and his diaper was wet. Grrrr. He is totally okay with wetting his diaper. It's a mindset I don't know how to break!

Today we went downtown to hang out with a friend Beth to go swimming and to a park. Afterwards we went to Chris' office to ride the El home with him. Chris ended up getting some assignments at the end of the day with time restraints so wasn't ready to leave until about an hour later than what he usually does. To kill time Jared, Spencer, and I went to Nordstrom and looked at shoes, purses, and hats. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and I think Jared did too:)! We didn't last long in the shoes cause Jared wanted to try on the knee high boots. At the purse department Jared loved slinging purses over his shoulder and when I put my hands on my hips and leaned from side to side he would too. He looked so cute. Then when we went to the hats we tried hat after hat on checking ourselves out in the mirror. They were the hats with the little rims and the painter looking hats and others. That was my favorite by far. He's so fun to take shopping when he's not screaming and running away from you (most of the time).

Tonight Jared was watching a movie on TV with Chris when a guy with a mask came on. He asked, "Is that a bad guy?" I said, "Yes." Then he asked, "What's a bad guy?" and he kept asking it over and over again. We didn't answer though because we didn't want him to get frightened and we were just about ready to lay him down. The way he kept asking though was so cute.

For bedtime we read two to three stories to him and he keeps asking for one more. The last book he asks for I always tell him when he wakes up (for naptime) or tomorrow (for bedtime). So now when he asks for the one more I look at him and he says, "tomorrow". After I read to him then I tuck him in, sing one song, and put on music. Right now I have a CD in there that my freshman roommate made me for my 19th birthday. The first song in there is Celine Dion's "I'm Alive" He loves it! At the beginning there's a strong beat when she's not humming or singing and he bangs along with it saying, "don, don, don, don,..." So cute. I often turn the music on and wait outside his room and just listen for awhile before going upstairs.

What a sweet boy. He sure tries my patience and this week I've had to put myself in time out a lot (he hates it when I'm in time out) but he gives me so many paydays that I'm proud to be his mom!

Thoughts

I know many of you have been anxiously waiting for my post, so I am here to soothe the masses. Sorry this post will contain no pictures of my children.

1. BYU looked great against UCLA 59-0. Worst loss for UCLA in almost 80 years!!!
2. MWC swept the PAC 10 4-0. Come on ASU!! You just lost to UNLV!!
3. The past two days it has rained more in Chicago than it had in Utah for the whole year.
4. Owning a home>>>>>>renting. Having a family room downstairs for the boys to play in is so nice.
5. Jared and Spencer both seem to have a temper. So Jared hits his head on the wall, which results in him punching the wall. Spencer tries to move the table to no avail, so he bites the table. I think that must be a Bingham thing. It certainitely does not come from their father.
6. Atlas Shrugged is a very good book. I don't agree with everything about Ayn Rand but she makes some very good points. Life of Pi is also a very interesting book. At first it starts off slow, but then he has some very good chapters on religion and animals that really make you think.
7. My reading list: Dune, The Chosen, Red Pony, East of Eden and feel free to add to it.
8. My office has a great view

Those are some of my random thoughts. Life in Chicago is good. We enjoy our ward and work is going well so far. We will see how we feel in the middle of winter and work is busy but as of right now we are loving it.

My Little Guys

My boys may look alike but vary in so many different ways. Spencer is busy! He loves to be going and moving and won't sit still for a story unless it is a sensory book. Jared LOVES reading and did from a small age. I could read to him several long Dr. Suess books (Green Eggs and Ham, Dr. Suess's ABC's, and Fox in Socks) and he'd sit through all of them being read back to back. Jared is an unpredictable eater that is mercurial and very difficult at times. Spencer LovEs food and would eat it all day no matter what I gave him!

My boys are so different from each other but love each other so much!

Spencer is quickly learning that he has to fight for his share of things. When he has something and sees Jared coming his defense is to curl the item into his body and spin circles using his legs while sitting on his bum in hopes of turning fast enough to get away from Jared. He has yet to be fast enough. Spencer also doesn't always put up with Jared taking items away from him. Usually when Jared takes items away Spencer doesn't care but there are times he gets defensive, lets out a yelp, and then trys attacking Jared by burrowing his head into Jared and I think trying to bite him. Yes, I think I have a biter on my hands!

Jared loves kids and cars. Wherever we go he's looking for his "friends" (anyone to play with). This Saturday they had a block party where they had a jumping house, barbeque, games and crafts for the kids, and a fire truck tour. Jared was into all of the above. At the jumping house I kept telling him he could go inside and jump but his response, "I have to wait my turn." I tried explaining that there would always be kids in the house so he just needed to join them and his turn was now. Finally he agreed to go in. For the fire truck he went through and wanted to go through again. We stayed around till almost all the kids were gone and he stayed inside for more than 15 minutes. He was the last kid the firemen got out. He was in heaven. We met some kids at the party and we'll be sure to make some play dates so Jared can start getting to know his "friend's" names:)Another one of Jared's loves is ME! (and dad OF COURSE!) (Jared wanted to take pictures and do silly pictures while we were at it!)

I've been trying to set aside time for Jared and me to do "learning time". This isn't something I've been consistent with but the other day we worked on the letter A. With a little bit of my help this is what Jared was able to do:
Today in sacrament meeting Jared was being busy. While they were passing the bread and water I was especially trying to reign in this little two-year-old. To distract him I was trying to explain to him why we take the sacrament (to remember Jesus Christ and that he died for us so we can return to our Heavenly Father and repent bread=body and water=blood) He got stuck on the blood part and how Jesus was hurt. I kept explaining things and he listened very intently. I've tried numerous times to talk about the sacrament while it's been administered but it's always gone in one ear and out the other. I know it will take a lot more discussions for him to grasp the concept of what the Savior has done for him but as I sat there after the sacrament was done I was full of gratitude for being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. To have the knowledge of the atonement and Christ's death and the resurrection and to know we can be with our Heavenly Father again. And many more things came to me that I was grateful for (Joseph Smith, eternal families, a modern day prophet, the priesthood, ect). I am so grateful for the knowledge and testimony I have and opportunity I have to teach my children these truths and for the happiness it brings into my life! I love my little family and I don't know what I'd do without the gospel and the direction it gives me. I I wanted to do some videos but it's not working right now so check back later and maybe I'll have some luck!

Off to Work and On with Life!

Chris started orientation Wednesday! I'm loving him getting all dressed up and it's going to happen now six out of seven days of the week! I'm in heaven, he's so handsome! Right now the majority of what I hear from him is he's bored and ready to work.


Now that he's off and I'm home with the boys I've started back in to a routine. I went running for the first time since the marathon on Wednesday and my knee felt okay but not great. What I've been reading is to slowly get back into running the first week only running 5 mins and add an additional 5 mins each week. The good thing is my knee hasn't been hurting as much when not running and I really think running will help it.


So Wednesday I ran the boys to the zoo and then we walked around the zoo. Mornings are definitely the best time to go. No one to compete with! All we saw were people doing their daily walk or run through it and an occasional mom and kid. Also the carousel and train are not going and no popcorn stands are open. Everything we have to pull Jared away from.


We got some action out of the lion. They say the lion at Lincoln Park Zoo is known for being one of the more active and vocal lions at a zoo. It was pretty fun to hear the three lions roar and kind of bark at one another. The only down side to going so early is none of the building open till 10:00 and we got there after eight and left right before 10:00. Then headed to our neighborhood park.


Thursday it rained all day! We're not use to a constant downpour. Luckily a girl from the ward called and invited us to go the nature museum with a group of moms. It was really cool. They have a room where the butterflies fly all around you. There were some big ones and colorful ones. One landed on my leg, all the kids were jealous.

Some of the kids from the ward that we went with.

I've learned that Spencer loves slides! He loves to climb up, go down, or just sit on them and climb from slide to slide. I didn't take the boys out much in Utah because it was soooo hot so I had no idea how much Spencer loved parks. Below is a clip of him. I had to put him at the top then run to the bottom to get the clip so it's not the greatest but it shows he likes it!

I've found Jared to be so much happier when we get out. We have a lot more to explore so Chicago here we come!