The Fugere Family

Baby Porridge

2012-02-10T21:00:00.000-08:00

Ali: I tried my first bit of real baby food today, homemade baby porridge. Daddy tried to feed me with this weird, straight looking contraption that doesn’t hold much food. I like sucking my food down, not waiting for it to come to me. I was too messy and fussy with it, so mom decided to give me a bottle. She put the nasty stuff in my bottle!! What, she thought I would eat it if it were served differently? No way, that stuff was nasty! I want my old food back, not this alien imposter!

Baby Porridge Recipe
Porridge for infants is made by grinding uncooked rice, never oats. Oats should not be given to babies before they are 6 months old, because oats may contain a small amount of gluten, a potential allergen.

3 cups brown rice
Scant 1 cup water
Breast milk or infant formula

Grind the rice in a blender, food processor, or clean coffee/spice grinder until it becomes a very, very fine powder. Store in an airtight container and keep in a cool dry place for up to 3 months.

To cook one portion, place 1 cup water in a small pan and bring to a boil. Add ¼ cup ground rice powder and simmer, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in enough breast milk or formula to achieve the desired consistency. Cool quickly and refrigerate within 30 minutes if you wish to keep some for another meal.

Use within 24 hours. Cooled porridge can be frozen immediately. Place in a freezer proof container, label, and freeze for up to 1 month. To use from frozen, defrost thoroughly and heat through fully, then serve.

Mommy's Present

2012-02-08T07:58:00.000-08:00

Bella: I drew mommy a picture today, and gave it to her wrapped as a present! I was so proud of myself, and mommy was very happy to see my pretty artwork.

Grandpa's Birthday

2012-02-06T19:33:00.001-08:00

Today is Grandpa Bruce Fugere's birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDPA!

Talk to Self

2012-02-04T09:48:00.000-08:00

Bella: Mommy was making fun of me today. We were on our way to pick up daddy and I asked mom if we could go to the park. Mommy said that I had to ask dad when we picked him up. So I practiced the entire drive to pick up daddy: "Daddy, go to park? Yeah. Okay." I practiced it over and over again so I knew exactly how to ask daddy and how the conversation would go. Hey, practice makes perfect, right?

Boot Camp Graduation

2012-02-03T19:44:00.001-08:00

Bella: At the end of boot camp, all the men got pictures in their costumes, I mean uniforms. Why is it called a costume when I dress up, but when daddy dresses up it's called a uniform? Anyway, they came a little while ago and mommy just found them again cleaning. Isn't my daddy handsome!

Mommy did another PIN!!

2012-02-03T19:26:00.001-08:00

Mommy's been pinning on Pinterest for a while now, but just finished her second project today!! It's really cute! Take a look!

Ali's Getting Stronger

2012-02-03T19:13:00.001-08:00

Ali: I've been practicing a lot, and I'm so strong now. Look how well I sit up on the couch all by myself!!!

Happy Birthday Grandma!

2012-02-03T19:10:00.000-08:00

It's Grandma Ann Fugere's Birthday today!!!

Lunch at the Park

2012-02-02T19:28:00.000-08:00

Bella: Mommy took us to lunch at Gabriel Park today. It was really fun. I had lots of yummy treats, and then I got to play with a few new friends.

Real Food

2012-02-01T22:11:00.000-08:00

Ali: I have my first little bites of real food today. Mommy took Bella and I to McDonald's so Bella could run around and play for a while. Mommy gave me a few little bites of her french fries, and I loved them!!! But mommy would only give me a few saying something about salt and fried foods. :(

I wonder what I'll be able to try next! :)

Mom's so boring

2012-02-01T15:20:00.000-08:00

Ali: Mommy and I were spending some quality time together cooking dinner while Bella was sleeping and daddy was at Scouts. And wouldn't you know it, she wouldn't let me help with anything. I couldn't cook the tortillas or the chicken. She wouldn't let me cut the onions or mix the sauce. She wouldn't even let me roll the enchiladas up and put them in the pan. So, what did I do you may ask? I slept through the cooking process. Yup, I was so bored in the kitchen with mom that I FELL ASLEEP!!!

Sitting up like a big girl

2012-01-30T22:17:00.000-08:00

Ali: I'm starting to sit up all by myself! Mommy took me to Bella's dance lesson last week and there was another baby there who was sitting up all by herself. Well, I can't let anybody show me up like that! So I practiced and learned quickly, and I'm sitting up all by myself now!!

Ali can sit up!

2012-01-29T14:48:00.000-08:00

Ali: I've been practicing lots and lots, and now I can sit up all on my own!!! Check me out.

Ali's a big girl

2012-01-27T14:41:00.000-08:00

Ali: I can jump all by myself now! No more training wheels!!!!! :)

Finger Paints

2012-01-23T22:19:00.000-08:00

Bella: Mommy and I played with finger paints today. This was the first time I painted with finger paints! Mommy gave me a little blob of each color at the top of my paper. Within 5 minutes, I was mixing the colors together in my hands to make some kind of dark purple and slapping my hands down on the paper. I had a blast and I can't wait to play with the paints again.

Bella's new tutu

2012-01-22T15:18:00.000-08:00

Bella: Mommy finally made something off of pinterest. She spends so much time on that site, but does nothing but dream and want. Dad says she needs to write the next Twilight if she wants everything that she's pinned. hehe Silly daddy!! Anyway, this is the first craft mom's made off of pinterest! It's a cute tutu!!!

Snow Day!

2012-01-16T22:24:00.000-08:00

Bella: The snow came really late this year, but it did come!!! We had a really fun snow day! All of daddy's patients were scared by the snow for 3 straight days, so he got to enjoy 3 days of no school-snow days with the rest of the family. We made a snow made and everything!!

Dry Panties!!!

2012-01-09T20:28:00.000-08:00

I made it all day without any accidents today! Wahooo!!!!

New posts

2012-01-09T14:58:00.000-08:00

Mommy finally got around to downloading video from the video camera and posting it to the blog. The earliest "new" video goes back to December 10. Take a little back track to early December to check out the new videos of Ali and me! :)

Ali's new toy

2012-01-08T13:51:00.000-08:00

Ali turned 5 months old the other day, and she's getting bigger and stronger. It was time to bring out my old toys so that she could play with them! Sadly, she has the same problem that I had: Our legs are too short for the toy. We've got it set at the lowest level, and we still hang a few inches from the floor. Sucks! But daddy was smart and put something under Ali so she could still bounce around and have fun. She loves this toy, almost just as much as I did when I was her age. She'll bounce and play for a long time, and I like to come by and play with her too. It helps me remember the good old days when I was a baby. Seems just like yesterday...

I DID IT AGAIN!

2012-01-06T16:21:00.000-08:00

Mommy just finished washing baby Ali (she was really stinky) and was in the process of drying her when I ran into the bathroom hollering "Pee!!! Pee!!!". Mommy whisked me up and plopped me on the toilet. I went a little in my panties but I was able to hold it for the toilet. And I got 2 more candies....

....OH, and I did it again 3 minutes later!!!! YAHHH!!! Daddy was taking a nap and this called for a celebration of jumping on daddy to wake him up. :) It was time for him to go to the gym anyway. ;)

I DID IT!

2012-01-06T13:03:00.000-08:00

Mommy was in the bathroom brushing her teeth and I was reading her books. I was done with "The Foot Book", so I ran into the living room to put it back on the bookshelf and get another one to read to mommy. I felt something, and I peed a little, but then I HELD IT! I ran into the bathroom and told mommy "PEE!". Mommy thought I already peed on the carpet, but she put me on the toilet anyway. And guess what, I did it!! I went in the toilet, and I didn't leave anything on the carpet! I held it and everything! Wahoo!!!!!! Mommy gave me lots of hugs and kisses and smiles, and I even got 2 M&M's for going in the toilet! :)

Now I'm off to take my nap. I hope I don't pee in my bed this time.

Potty Training Day 2

2012-01-05T13:00:00.000-08:00

Today was about the same as yesterday, except for this time I got daddy! :) Yup, I peed on him. He's officially been anointed as my daddy. hehe :)

Morning 2-- daddy 1:floor 5: potty 0 (Yes, daddy was the first to get peed on! haha :)

Night 2-- floor 2: potty 0 Better than Night 1

So, what's our total for Day 2? daddy 1: floor 7: potty 0

I think I'm doing pretty good! When mommy first tried to train me, I was wetting like 20 pairs of panties a day. I guess I just really know how to hold it now! :)

Here's looking at Day 3!

Potty Training Day 1

2012-01-04T15:06:00.000-08:00

When Ali was born and mommy went to Costco to buy diapers and wipes for both of us, she had a shock. It cost close to $100! That was it, and mommy decided to potty train me. However, a lot of things were working against mommy. Ali was just born, daddy was at boot camp for 5 more weeks, and family was coming and going for the next 4 weeks. Lots of traveling and people, not a good thing to have when trying to potty train. So, after a few days, mommy called it quits and decided to wait until a better time.

Well, now's the "better" time. Mommy read the book "3 Day Potty Training: Start Friday, Done Sunday!" by Lora Jensen. A few of my friends' mommy's read the book and followed it, and my friends were potty trained in 3 days. Now mommy's hoping to have the same luck with me!

Day 1 wasn't too bad! The total? Floor 9: Potty 0. Not too bad considering I think I wet about 20 pairs on the first day about 5 months ago when she tried!

Mommy has me on a diet of as much liquid as I can get. I eating lots of soups, Jell-O, Popsicles, smoothies, juices, chocolate milk, and water. Mommy lets me have some solids too, but mostly liquid stuff for the next few days.

Hoping for a better tomorrow! :)

Bella's Nightly Reading

2012-01-02T20:27:00.000-08:00

As part of Bella's bedtime routine, she gets to choose 5 books to be read to her. Why 5? That's about how many books you can read in about 10-15 minutes. And it was a good number to start having Bella count to.

These are the books that she chose tonight:

"Do Princesses Wear Hiking Boots?" by Carmela LaVigna Coyle
"Do Princesses Scrape Their Knees?" by Carmela LaVigna Coyle
"Mr. Duck Means Business" by Tammi Sauer
"Old MacDonald Had a Farm" illustrated by Wendy Straw
"Itsy-Bitsy Spider and Friends" illustrated by Wendy Straw

Family Picture

2011-12-31T14:39:00.000-08:00

Mommy was at book club and daddy was babysitting us. I found a family picture in a pile of mail, brought it over to daddy, and started naming all the people in the picture. Of course, daddy was so proud that he told mommy the minute she got home and she had me do it for the camera the next morning she had time. I can name everybody in the picture!!!

Play Dough!

2011-12-28T22:18:00.001-08:00

Mommy made me some homemade play dough tonight. It was really hard to make too!

Recipe 1
3 cups flour
1.5 cups salt
6 tsp. cream of tarter
3 tbsp. oil
3 cups water

Pour all ingredients into a large pot. Stir constantly over medium heat until a dough ball forms by pulling away from the sides. Knead dough until the texture matches play dough (1-2 minutes). Store in plastic container. Should last for at least 3 months.

For color, use unsweetened Kool Aid. You can also add glitter to make it sparkle!

Just a side note, mom doubled the batch and had to call in the reinforcements (dad) because the dough got to hard for her to continue to stir. Daddy even said it was really tough.

I love me new play dough. You should make some too!! :)

Ali's "Bad" Habit

2011-12-27T13:49:00.000-08:00

You're not supposed to chew on your fingers or bite your nails. Mom's always telling me to stop biting my finger nails. But then Ali does it and she doesn't get in trouble. In fact, that's her new favorite thing to do in the bath: chew on her feet! Yeww....take a look and you'll see what I mean. Silly little sister.

SANTA CAME!!!!

2011-12-25T14:19:00.000-08:00

I got up several times during the night to remind mommy and daddy that Santa was coming in the morning, but they wouldn't let me go downstairs and peek! They kept telling me that Santa wouldn't come if I was awake, and that I had to go back to sleep. Boy, was that hard!

And then I slept it!!! Augh, the troubles I had with mom and dad this year.

But Santa did come!

And he loved the cookies and milk!

I had fun opening my stocking.

Since Ali's too little, I had to help open her stocking for her too. She just laid on her back and watched the pretty tree.

Santa Ate The Cookies!

2011-12-25T14:00:00.000-08:00

If you don't know, you should! It's important that you leave Santa a fresh glass of milk and a plate of cookies if you don't want coal in your stocking. Mommy helped me to put out cookies and milk before I went off to bed. And this is what happened when I was sleeping!!! Santa drank most of the milk and ate most of the cookies....oh no. What if he didn't like them? What if I got coal in my stocking?

Ali's Kodak moment

2011-12-24T14:27:00.000-08:00

I don't know when, but Ali was caught in a Kodak moment sometime on Christmas Eve. Ain't she cute?

Getting Ready for Santa

2011-12-24T14:16:00.000-08:00

Like I said before, it's important that Santa gets his cookies and milk when he comes over. I heard that Grandma got coal in her stocking when daddy was a little boy. I wonder if she forgot to put cookies and milk out for Santa. I don't want coal!! I really wanted to wait down by the fireplace so I could see Santa again, but mommy wouldn't let me. I cried all the way up the stairs. Guess I'm going to have to wait until next year to see Santa again. :(

Fugere Christmas Party

2011-12-24T14:07:00.000-08:00

Every Christmas Eve, the Fugere family gets together for a Christmas Party. It was a lot of fun. There was lots of food, and lots of cousins that I haven't seen in a while. The twins were there too! They've gotten so much bigger!

Sugar Cookies for Santa

2011-12-24T14:01:00.000-08:00

It's important that Santa gets his own homemade sugar cookies and a fresh glass of milk when he comes to deliver the Christmas presents. Mommy made the cookies, and daddy, Ali, and I decorated them with frosting and sprinkles. Mommy had a hard time finding Christmas colored sprinkles, so these cookies have multiple colors. But they are shaped like fat Gingerbread Men!

Gingerbread House with Mommy

2011-12-24T13:53:00.000-08:00

Daddy and I built a Gingerbread House while we were in Portland, and Mommy and I built one when we were up in Seattle! Mommy put all the candies in bowls so I could access them whenever I wanted. That was my job, putting the candy on the house. Mommy would do all the frosting, and I would do all the candy!

Mommy and I each decorated a tree and a Gingerbread man. Isn't our creation pretty? I think it did pretty good with the candy. I guess mommy did a good job with the frosting too. Candy is more important than frosting! :)

Ducks with Great Grandma

2011-12-24T13:48:00.000-08:00

Daddy took me to see Great Grandma and the ducks at the pond. It was really fun! Grandma has this cool strategy of feeding the ducks grain and spreading it all over the ground by our feet. So the ducks are really up close and personal. But darn-it, they're still afraid of me!

Uncle Rex Rex

2011-12-23T13:46:00.000-08:00

Daddy taught me to call Uncle Rex "Uncle Rex Rex"!

Cooking with Grandma

2011-12-23T13:43:00.000-08:00

I'm a really big help in the kitchen, especially when it comes to cooking. I love to put the ingredients in the bowl and mix them. But my most favorite job is being the Official Taste Tester! Grandma let me help her, and I got to be the official taste tester on many things! Yum yum yummy!!!!

I can Play and Sing!

2011-12-20T12:44:00.000-08:00

Grandma has this really cool organ that I'm allowed to play with. She said we could bring it home with us, but daddy said no. I was sad, but mommy and I have a plan. We were told that I can start learning to play the piano once I was read. So, we're thinking I can start piano lessons around 5 or 6 years old. Then, I'll ask for a piano for Christmas. Costco had this really cool piano for sale this year during Christmas, and I really wanted it. I would play it every time we went just to show daddy how much I wanted it. But he still said no. :( But look at how good I am!!! I'm singing about the mommy Mary, the daddy Joseph, and the baby Jesus on the book. I came up with the song all by myself. I'm very creative! :)

Dishes with Grandpa

2011-12-18T13:18:00.000-08:00

Grandpa taught me how to was dishes with him!!! Now that I've learned, I can go home and help mommy with the dishes too.

Our date with Santa!

2011-12-16T13:02:00.000-08:00

The Portland's Children Museum and Santa worked together this year so we could have personal, one-on-one meetings with him rather than waiting in the chaos of the mall lines. Mommy paid maybe $6 per person, and we got our own little block of time to see Santa! No waiting in lines, Santa all to ourselves, and we got to take our own pictures with our own camera! It was great!

There was also cookie decorating and Holiday card making!

The entire museum was also open and available to play in. We played a little in the toddler's playroom.

And then we went to the Vet Office.

I hope wherever we live next year will also have a place that allows personal time with Santa!

Great Grandma Joanne

2011-12-15T14:56:00.000-08:00

Great Grandma Joanne came over to visit and exchange Christmas gifts! We had lunch, open gifts, and spent some good quality time together. I was glad that we did. I live so close, but don't see each other too often. It's a shame. But I had a blast and I can't wait to see Grandma again!

Water Slide

2011-12-10T12:32:00.000-08:00

And this is daddy taking me down the water slide! I had to wear a life jacket so I wouldn't get sucked under the current and drown, and then daddy had to do this special lift when he landed so I couldn't go under. Bummer, it would have been so much more fun if I could actually go down the water slide like a big girl!

Swim Lessons

2011-12-10T12:19:00.000-08:00

I just love my swimming lessons, and everybody says I'm a fish! Today was our last day of class, and this is when we learn to swim with the life jackets on and if we're really good, we get to swim down the giant slide with our mommy and daddy. Watch me swim all by myself with the jacket on!!

Decorating for Christmas

2011-12-06T14:50:00.000-08:00

Mommy and I were so excited to decorate for Christmas this year! The first day we had time in December, we went to cut down our Christmas tree and we started decorating!

Tiger was very happy to get the tree in the house. He's a very festive kitty!

Daddy let me help him put the lights up on the Christmas tree.

Then we started to hand ornaments. I'm such a big girl that mommy let me hang some up all by myself.

And then daddy let me help him put the star on the top of the tree!

Isn't our tree pretty?

Ali really liked having the bright night light!

4 month Check-up

2011-12-06T14:29:00.000-08:00

Ali: I went to my 4-month check-up this morning. The mean doctor stuck me with 5 shots!! But he said that I'm growing beautifully. I'm in the 90th percentile for height and 50th for weight. So I'm a tall, slender baby!

Alexandria Rose Fugere
12/6/11 (4 months old)
13 lbs 11 oz
26 1/4 inches

Christmas "socks"

2011-12-06T13:16:00.000-08:00

Mommy was so excited to decorate for Christmas this year! We went to a real tree farm and picked our own tree, and then we came home to decorate the apartment and the tree. I put on these really funny looking socks that mommy pulled out but she kept telling me they were Christmas Stockings. And then she hung them on the wall! Who puts socks on the wall?!?! Weird mommy!

Tumbling with Daddy

2011-12-05T15:02:00.000-08:00

Daddy came home early one day and he was able to go to Tumbling class with me! He hadn't been before, and this was the first time I got to show him all my cool moves! I did a perfect somersault, tried to walk on the balance beam, jumped around a lot on the trampoline, hung like a monkey from the bars, and jump really high off the jumping blocks. It was really fun!

Building a Gingerbread House with daddy!

2011-12-03T15:52:00.000-08:00

Mommy bought these cool Gingerbread House building kits at Costco, and daddy let me help him put his together tonight!! Daddy would put the frosting on the house and the tree, and I would put on the candies. Every now and then, daddy would help me put a candy or two on the house.

Putting the house together was a cruel joke...all this candy and I wasn't allowed to eat any of it!!! WHAT!?!? So mean, but daddy would sneak me and piece, and some frosting when mommy wasn't looking. And when daddy wasn't looking, I'd eat it off his house...but don't tell him!

We Found Our Christmas Tree!!

2011-12-03T15:39:00.000-08:00

Mommy really wanted to get a "You Cut Christmas Tree" instead of a Home Depot tree this year. Daddy found a nice one just a little ways from home.

Mommy took the opportunity to get some pretty Christmas pictures. The scenery was just too nice to pass up.

Mommy walked around and around until she found the perfect tree. I was a big help, but Ali just a layed around the whole time!

See our beautiful tree!!! I'm still trying to cut it down!

Then I helped daddy drag the tree all the way to the car. The tree got a little muddy, and it needed a bath.

And then I got to drive the tree home!

Bella's Dance Recital!

2011-12-02T20:47:00.000-08:00

Bella's been taking dance classes every Tuesday for a couple of weeks now. Today was the Christmas Dance Recital. All the girls dressed as Mrs. Claus, and they were just too adorable!!!

Ali watched the girls intently, dreaming of when she'd be old enough to dance.

Bella had such a fun time that she didn't want to leave her mark when the song was over, and she kept asking if it was her turn again when the older girls were dancing. When it was time for refreshments, she ran up the stage, found her marker, and waited for her music to start again. Can't wait for more dance classes!!

P.S. If you have a hard time picking out Bella, she's the one in the front who almost falls over for getting too dizzy while spinning. Oh, and she's the one yelling at daddy to watch! :)

Roll-Over, Roll-Over

2011-11-25T22:14:00.000-08:00

There was 1 little girl in the bed, she sat up and said, roll over, roll over, so they all rolled over and she fell out!

Ali: I started to roll over onto my tummy this week! And all of mommy's family were was there to see it!!!

Thanksgiving Week

2011-11-24T18:32:00.000-08:00

We celebrated a Gardner Family Reunion, Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa's 50th Wedding Anniversary, and Thanksgiving all at the same time! We rented a beach house in Rockaway, OR in a little community called Nedonna Beach for the Thanksgiving week.

Everybody in the immediate Gardner family came...all 4 Generations worth!
Top "kids" left --> right: Garrett Puls, David Lisitzky, Ann Fugere, Willie Fugere
Middle "wives": Ann Gardner, Libby Puls, Liz Gardner
Bottom "husbands and grandchildren in laps": Cricket Gardner, Dave Gardner, Ali Fugere, Gary Puls, Bella Fugere, John Gardner.

The family flew into Portland, stayed in a hotel for the night, and then we drove to the coast. The trees at the hotel were so bright and fall colored. Very pretty!!! We experience all 4 season here, crazy out of towners! :)

The beach house was literally on the beach, and it was big enough that every couple got their own room. We could see the water from our porch and it was just a little walk to the water. We were so close we had evacuation route signs all over the neighborhood!!

Here's Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa Gardner, Grandma and Grandpa Puls, and mommy and daddy. Basically, my mommy, her mommy, and then her mommy's mommy!!

I was so excited about the beach that I had to take my boots off and run all over the place!

We all ran around the beach and had fun. It's been a long time some of us has seen one another.

We had this killer wind storm while we were there. It was blowing about 70 mph where we were, 90 mph in some parts of the county. It was so hard that nobody could really stand and walk. Great-Grandma was afraid that I'd fly away!

The house had a pool table, and Grandpa and Uncle Garrett let me play with them!

Ali got to play with Grandpa and I got to play with Great-Grandpa. Pst, I'm putting playdough on his knee. hehe :)

The sunsets were really pretty!

Daddy taught Ali how to play card games.

Liz beat up John a little here and there.

Great-Grandpa tried to speak baby talk.

Ali and I both played with and tortured our Uncles. :)

On the way home, we made a stop at Hug Point....

...And at the Goonie Rock, also known as Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach.

Our last day in Portland, all the fishermen went fishing in the Willamette River for Sturgeon. A lot of fish were taught, and Aunt Liz was finally kicked off the boat so the boys could catch more fish.

Thanksgiving was really fun! I can't wait for next year!!!

Testing....

2011-11-20T18:33:00.000-08:00

When I was born, Grandpa bought mommy and daddy a video camera so they wouldn't miss any of my moments. Well, it filled up during my first Christmas and mommy just now learned how to download the videos to her laptop. Now she's testing her ability to post a clip to the blog. Yes, that means this video is 2 years old.

I don't know what mommy was on when she was talking into the camera, but her voice needs working. We'll be practicing on this.

Playing in the snow

2011-11-13T18:09:00.000-08:00

Daddy drove us all up to Larch Mountain so we could play in the snow! It was really fun!!! We didn't have any kiddy snow toys, so daddy made some up last minute.

Ali played in the snow and tried to make snow angels. The snow wasn't soft enough, and Ali didn't weigh enough. So she just kind of did a floating snow angel.

Mommy dressed me up really warm. I wore my thick leggings, pajama bottoms, jeans, and then by slick "water resistance" track pants.

Daddy made a snow gliding bucket with a plastic bin, rope, and a trash bag.

Daddy also made a snow gliding disk with a trash can lid, rope, and trash bag. I got a little air on this one.

And then I body boarded in the snow.

Mommy had all of us make our hand prints in the snow. From left to right, you've got mommy, daddy, Bella, and Ali. Ali didn't want to make a hand print, so she made a fist print.

Ali and I tried to make snow angels together. We were both too light and the snow too hard. But with a little help from daddy, I was able to make one!

Ali was too little to ride in all the toys that daddy made me, but she was still able to glide in the snow! Of course, with a little help from daddy.

Ali doesn't know what to think of the snow, but I know I like it!!

Soccer Class

2011-11-12T20:23:00.000-08:00

Mommy signed daddy and me up for "Daddy and Me" soccer class. It's really fun. Daddy and I get to run around the gym chasing a soccer ball and trying all these really cool tricks.

Our first task was to balance on the ball with one foot. This was easy.

Our next task was to hold the ball between our feet and jump while still holding onto the ball. I wasn't very good at this, but daddy promised to practice with me.

Then I got to work with the ball a little.

The gym next to us was playing basketball and they kept ringing their bell. It was really loud. So loud in fact that I had to plug my ears.

At the end of practice, I was so tired that I decided to give myself a break. I just grabbed a ball and sat down. It was an exhausting practice.

Dance Class

2011-11-08T20:15:00.000-08:00

I'm in a real dance class!! One of mommy's friends is a dance teacher, and she goes as young as 2. Every Tuesday, I go to class with my friends Addy and Alexa. We have a Christmas recital coming up soon, and I can't wait! We're going to be little Ms Santa's!

Dance class always ends with each girl doing a quick little solo. Today, we got to do a solo wearing fairy wings.

Tumbling Class

2011-11-07T20:32:00.000-08:00

Mommy signed me up for a tumbling/gymnastics class. It's really fun!

First, we would practice jumping off a platform and onto a mat landing with our feet together. I usually land on my butt, but I'm practicing and getting better.

Next they have us practicing how to do a summer-salt. I like to crawl off the mat when I'm done rolling over.

Then, we work on the balance beam. When mommy's helping me, I can walk across the top. But when mom's not helping, I like to scoot across on my bottom.

I'm really good at the bar. I can hold myself for a long time and swing my legs. They have us practicing to bring our feet up to the bar, but mommy still has to help me with that.

I love jumping on the trampoline. I asked mommy for one for Christmas, but she said we didn't have a big enough house. Now I'm going to ask daddy for a bigger house so mommy can get me my trampoline.

At the very end of class, we cool down with stretches. I'm really good at listening and following directions during cool down. This is me doing "wide legs" and reaching for my toes.

Ali Bumbo

2011-10-31T20:12:00.000-07:00

Ali: I've been holding my head up pretty good on my own when mommy holds me, so she thought it was time to bring out the Bumbo. Now I get to practice sitting up even more. Before you know it, I'll be crawling!

Carmel Covered Apples

2011-10-31T20:08:00.000-07:00

For Halloween and Family Night, we made Carmel Covered Apples. I helped mommy to melt the caramel and then eat the apples when they were done! I'm a good taste tester, and these were yummy!!

Children's Museum Halloween

2011-10-30T19:47:00.000-07:00

Mommy took Ali and me to the Children's Museum Halloween celebrations. There wasn't any food, but we had a lot of fun at all the centers.

As always, I had lots of fun at the grocery store.

The vet center was fun too. I worked on the phone and computer and looked at some X-rays.

Then I moved onto the play room where I got to sit in the director's chair and play the instruments.

Then I found this room with an ambulance and a bus that you could drive. I love to drive, and I can't wait until I turn 16!!!

Then I got to the Halloween stations. They had this cool gak paint that you could use your fingers with to spread all over the black butcher paper. And then I got to paint a pretty picture.

Ali didn't think the museum was too fun, she slept most of the time.

Trunk-or-Treating

2011-10-29T19:35:00.000-07:00

This year, we celebrated Halloween at a church activity. Mommy and daddy went as Navy personnel in boot camp outfits, Ali was a Charger's cheerleader, and Bella was a Navy cheerleader.

Oregon Howloween

2011-10-29T19:06:00.000-07:00

The Oregon Zoo celebrated Howl-oween for all of us kiddos! We got to dress up in our costumes and run around the zoo like animals. And if we visited all the centers, we got a bag of goodies at the end. It was really fun.

First, I had to get my picture taken with the scary skeleton clown.

Then I had to try and climb up on the goat statue.

The seals were really cool. They were going around in circles and saying hi to all of the kids. Ali even enjoyed look at the seals.

Then we got to meet the penguins. They tried pecking at my hair through the glass!!

After we got to meet the penguins, I got to make a penguin puppet! Mommy helped me put it together. And now it's up on display in our living room.

The zoo had this really cute little owl out on display. I really wanted to pet it, but we weren't allowed to. It was so small, we could have snuck it home!

The elephants were upset about something. I know what elephants normally sound like, and this wasn't it. They were hitting the door and making a lot of noise. I'm guessing they were hungry!

Right before we left we took a trip by the drums. I love playing with these drums!!

Halloween Cookies

2011-10-28T18:59:00.000-07:00

Mommy found a sugar cookie recipe that was really easy to make and for me to decorate! They're homemade but they taste exactly like the sugar cookie tubes of dough that you can buy from the grocery store. I had a lot of fun decorating them, and even more fun eating them!!!!

Swimming with Grandpa

2011-10-23T18:47:00.000-07:00

After the roller coaster ride, we decided to take a dip in the pool. There's no way we can play in the backyard and not go swimming! Are you kidding me?

I kicked, and splashed, and I even went under water! I'm a good swimmer.

Ali tried to go for a swim, but she didn't like the water too much. It was really cold.

Ali was much happier once she was bundled up in a blanket.

Grandpa's Roller Coaster

2011-10-23T18:43:00.000-07:00

Grandpa's really good at coming up with these really fun games. Today, he designed a roller coaster bucket that I sit in and we zoom around the pool! It's really fun!!!

Ali really wanted to go for a ride too, but mommy wouldn't let her.

Pinson's

2011-10-23T18:31:00.000-07:00

After the park we walked across the street to visit the Pinson's, they're basically family. Ali fell asleep the minute mom handed her off to Mama Pinson.

And I got to play with their dad the entire time we were visiting. I really wanted to play with their cat too, but I was too scary for it to come out and want to play. For some reason animals are scared of toddlers. I don't know what it is. Anyway, the dog and I would play tug-a-war with the frizbee, each of us hold tight to our side with our mouth. Of course, the dog always won.

Going to the Park

2011-10-23T18:30:00.000-07:00

I needed to run off some steam, so we decided to take a family trip to the park. Grandpa and I skateboarded the whole way there, and Grandma and mom walked.

Grandpa taught me how to ride the skateboard California style. Notice my one surfer arm sticking out? Yeah!

I got to show Grandma and Grandpa how good I am on the jungle gyms.

Ali had fun too!

My dang car wouldn't work, so I had to ditch it...

Skateboarding

2011-10-23T18:29:00.001-07:00

Grandpa taught me how to skateboard!!!!

I even help grandpa peddle.

I'm so skilled that I can even go on my tummy!

Family Traditions

2011-10-23T18:29:00.000-07:00

When mommy was a baby, Grandma took a special picture of her on a sheep rug. Ever since then, it's become tradition. I got one when I was little, and Ali got hers done when we were visiting! Do we look alike or what?

San Diego Zoo

2011-10-22T18:13:00.000-07:00

We decided to take advantage of our season passes and visit the San Diego Zoo again. It was really fun. We went on the train around the zoo that allows you to see about 70% of the park and its animals. The park is so large, that's a great way for a toddler to be able to see that animals and have the family enjoy the visit.

We saw a mommy tiger playing with her babies.

We saw monkeys watching us like we were the ones on exhibit.

We saw lions basking in the warm sun.

We saw a leopard hiding behind the rocks.

We saw the elephants playing in their special area.

We got to see a Cheetah and his dog friend.

We got to see Tamon and Pumba.

We got to see porcupines.

We got to see giraffes.

After the bus ride, we went to the children's area. I got to sit on a turtle.

I got to play in the petting zoo.

Pumkpin Patch

2011-10-22T18:08:00.000-07:00

It's October, and you know what that means! Pumpkin patches and petting zoos! There are quit a few little pumpkin patches in Temecula now, and Grandma and Grandpa took us to one. It was cool. There was this train that you could ride, but the wait was too long. They had this petting zoo with ducks, bunnies, and really fat goats. I even picked out a few pumpkins for Grandma and Grandpa to take home!

Sea World

2011-10-20T20:59:00.000-07:00

Mom and I have season passes to Sea World, and we got the chance to go and visit while we were down in California. They have this Sesame Street World with lots of rides and Elmo stuff. I just love Elmo!!! He's red, and cute, and fluffy!!! :) We spent a lot of our time here.

We got to see these really pretty white whales that look light blue under water.

Polar Bears look like really nice animals. Almost like giant fluffy dogs.

Did you know that Penguins are birds that can't fly? They look like they're flying when they're swimming under water, but they can't actually fly in the air. And not all penguins have to live in cold, snowy areas! Some can actually live in hot areas live San Diego and Las Vegas!

The giant, fish aquariums had this really large turtle that almost looked fake. But if you tilt your head in just the right way, you'd be able to see that it was real. :)

Uncle David

2011-10-19T13:55:00.000-07:00

I got to spend some time with Uncle David. He likes to rough house like daddy, and it's really fun!

Polar Plunge

2011-10-19T13:50:00.000-07:00

This is Polar Plunge, California style. The pool wasn't heated, so it was only in the 70's, but the outside temperature was in the high 90's. Mommy and Bailey would get in the pool with me and play. It was really fun. That dog just loves to swim after toys and chase water. It's kind of funny.

Duck Pond

2011-10-18T13:41:00.000-07:00

Mommy got together with a few of her high school friends at the Pat and Oscar's duck pond. We got to feed ducks. It was really fun. I tried to go for a swim and almost gave mom a heart attack. I didn't get as much freedom after that.

Bathing Babes

2011-10-16T20:56:00.000-07:00

Mommy's always thought I was too hyper in the bath to allow Baby Ali to bathe with me. But Grandma was able to get us both in. I may have water boarded Ali a little with a cup of water, but I quickly learned how to play and have fun with Ali in the bath with me. Ali sure did have a really fun time in the bath!!

Swimming with Grandma

2011-10-15T20:51:00.000-07:00

I really wanted to go swimming but Ali wasn't cooperating enough to let mommy go, plus mommy had to finish getting ready for her big "Girls Night Out" date. So, Grandma took me! It was took cold for Grandma to get in all the way, but she got in enough for me to jump and have fun. Of course, Bailey had to play with us too. Grandma finally called it quits when my lips were blue and I was shaking like crazy. I didn't want to get out of the pool, but my jar was chattering too much for Grandma's taste. :)

Baby Ali sleeping with Uncle David

2011-10-15T20:46:00.000-07:00

Ali: I was laying on the floor having a good ol' time when Uncle David decided to lay down next to me and play with me a bit. I don't know what happened, but we both ended up falling asleep. :)

Girls Party All Night Long

2011-10-15T13:10:00.000-07:00

One of mommy's high school buddies was getting married, so she flew Ali and me down with her to Temecula. we didn't get to go to the wedding or the bachelorette party, but mom sure did have a lot of fun!

Bella and Ali

2011-10-14T20:44:00.000-07:00

Ali: I can sit up with help now! I'm no longer a complete vegetable, as mom would say. :) My sister has been a great roll model. :)

Fair

2011-10-13T20:27:00.000-07:00

Grandma and Uncle David found this really cool fair near Temecula a couple of years ago, and we were in town for it this year! It was fun.

I helped to feed the animals because they looked like they were starving.

Mommy and I got to ride the Merry-Go-Round. Grandma would have gone with me, but she gets sick on rides that go in circles. Poor Grandma! :(

I just LOVE riding horses! I've ridden one at very fair so far, and I plan to make a tradition out of it. I'm also going to ask Santa for a pony. I think that would be a great pet! And Tiger wouldn't be able to hurt her. :) And if Santa doesn't get me one, I'll just ask Grandpa. :)

There was this HUGE bull named White Mountain on show at the fair. He's taller than Uncle David!!
Age: 8 years old
Weight: 3,450 pounds
Height: 6'6" tall at the shoulder
Breed: Chianina, an Italian breed originating in Tuscany, Italy
Daily Diet: He eats an average of 1 bale of hay, 10-15 pounds of grain, and 30 gallons of water a day.

Auntie's Babyshower

2011-10-09T13:24:00.000-07:00

Baby Estella and Adria were born a few days after my baby sister Ali. They were a lot earlier than expected, so they got to attend their babyshower. I almost got to attend mine, but I was about 10 hours too late. Anyway, here's the pictures from their babyshower. Ali and I got to attend, and it was really fun!!

The theme of the babyshower was "Favorite Books" and Aunt Kathleen asked for our favorite children's books. Ali and I got her "Five Little Pumpkins" so they would have a fun book for Halloween. It's a good, little rhyme to memorize. Mommy said she memorized it in first grade. The food was really yummy too. A lot of stuff that I've never had before, but very tasty. Of course, chocolate is good in any form.

We got to meet a lot of cousins that we didn't even know we had!

Watching Aunt Kathleen open all the presents was really fun. All of the kids got to play with the toys. There was this one Elephant stuffed animal/blanket thing that somebody got at Costco that I really wanted to take home with me. Mommy told me that if I was a good girl, Santa would bring me one. I hope I've been good, I've been trying really hard.

Cousins having too much fun

2011-10-08T16:14:00.000-07:00

The Fugere family got together to celebrate Uncle Rex's graduation from college. He got a degree in Political Science. I had a lot of fun with all of my cousins!

I even got to high five my newest cousin!

Feeding the ducks

2011-10-08T16:00:00.000-07:00

Daddy took us to a duck pond. It was really fun. I was in charge of the bread, daddy was in charge of Ali and me, and mommy was in charge of the camera.

Daddy would break off a small piece of bread for me to throw to the ducks. I'm a really good thrower! I should be a pitcher. :)

Mommy showed me how to feed the ducks by hand. They were very nice, and it didn't hurt when they bit you because they don't have teeth!

I wanted to feed the ducks by hand by myself, but they just ran away from me. Mommy says it's because toddlers are scary. I thought we were cute?

But the ducks would come up to daddy?! Mom says boys have coodies...do ducks not care about coodies?

The Cove

2011-10-08T15:49:00.000-07:00

Grandma has access to this really cool cove in Seattle. Watch me sneak into the water without mom noticing...

Dang it, she caught me...

In Mommy's Shoes!

2011-10-05T15:42:00.000-07:00

Grandpa bought mommy some really pretty shoes, and I just had to wear them! What do you think? I think I should get some in my size.

Check out the monkeys!

2011-10-04T16:27:00.001-07:00

Bella:
Mommy wanted to get family pictures done once Ali was born, but the timing wasn't right with boot camp. So, we got pictures taken after daddy came back. They came in today. Check us out!!

This is baby Ali in her blessing dress. She didn't wear the same dress that I wore; that's traditionally left for the first borns.

Daddy with baby Ali:

Mommy with baby Ali:

Mommy and Daddy with baby Ali:

Bella:

Daddy with Bella:

Daddy with his girls:

The girls:

The family:

Mom's Reading List

2011-10-04T16:21:00.000-07:00

Bella:
Have you taken a look at mom's reading list lately? She used to hate reading. Okay, maybe hate is a strong word. She used to "really dislike" reading. Twilight started the reading crazy. Ya, ya....my mom's a Twilight junkie. No, I'm not named after Bella in Twilight. Mom and dad had my name picked out long before mom had ever heard of Twilight!

Anyway, she's read a lot and is looking for more suggestions. She's in a book club, and she's catching up on the books that she's missed. She loves romance and thriller books. She just finished October's book club book, "Ender's Game". She liked it enough that she's looking into the series.

You have any more suggestions for mom? Take a look at the right of the page to see what she's read since summer started, and let me know if there's anything you think she may be interested in!

2011 October LDS Conference

2011-10-02T16:10:00.000-07:00

Bella:
It's a family tradition that we have waffles for breakfast or lunch every conference. Grandma did it when mommy was growing up, and now mommy does it for us! And this year, I got to help. I'm usually the official taste tester, so I tasted the first thing mommy put in the bowl. It was flour, straight flour. That doesn't taste too good.

Mommy gave me some ingredients to mix, but the counter was too tall, so I sat on the floor and mixed, and mixed, and mixed. It was really fun.

Daddy and Ali slept the whole time we were making waffles. Lazy!

The end product was beautiful and yummy! I just love conference!

Kruger's Farm

2011-10-01T15:31:00.000-07:00

Bella:
Mommy and daddy took us to Kruger's Farm today. It was really fun! They open October 1, and practically nobody was there. We had the pumpkin patch all to ourselves, and we didn't have to wait in any lines for food. It was wonderful. We'll always go on the first day from now on.

I had a really hard time picking which pumpkins Ali and I should bring home.

Ali was no help, she just slept the whole time.

On my way back to the farmhouse, I tried to carry my pumpkin, but it got too heavy for me. So I let mom pull it in the wagon with the other pumpkins. And when I was running ahead, I found a flower. I tried to blow it, but it was really hard!

When we got back to the farmhouse, we ate caramel covered apples and pumpkin pie. It had a gorgeous view, but I dropped my apple in the grass while I was trying to look. When I found it, it still looked clean, so I decided to finish eating it. Daddy's professor said that if I want a good immune system, I have to eat a cup of dirt a day. Just following doctor's orders!

Ali just sat on daddy's lap and practiced holding her head up and eating the pumpkin.

After we ate, it was time to try the corn maze. I was the leader because I knew the way. I'm 2, I know everything!

Along the way, I found this funny looking corn. I know it's not a baby corn because daddy feeds those to me every time we have stir-fry for dinner. But it wasn't a normal corn like mommy feeds me when we eat ribs and stuff. It was more like a toddler corn! Just like me!! Not too small, and not too big....just right!!

I had a lot of fun at the pumpkin patch this year! So much fun that I can't even wait for next year!!! I hope mommy can find another really cool one wherever we end up living next year!

Bella's Check-Up

2011-09-28T22:00:00.000-07:00

I'm at my 2 year check-up!

Height: 2' 11.75" (90.51 percentile)
Weight: 28lbs 1oz (66.90 percentile)
Head Circumference: 19.25" (83.74 percentile)

Bella's Birthday

2011-09-25T20:18:00.000-07:00

Bella: Ali's was blessed this morning at church, and we celebrated my birthday when we got home.

"Bella, how old are you?" I'M TWO!! But I can't get my fingers to cooperate and form the peace version of two, so I just hold up both index fingers.

As a family tradition, the birthday boy/girl gets his/her very own birthday cake to have their way with, and the rest of the family shares a special cake or treat. This year mommy wanted to do one large cupcake for me and a bunch of smaller matching cupcakes for the rest of the family. She gave me four Wilton cupcake books to look through and pick the design that I wanted. I picked princess cupcakes!!! But with mom not feeling well and the surgery constantly changing dates, we simplified the theme just a little. But the cupcakes still looked great!

Daddy helped me eat my giant cupcake, and then we got to open presents. I got some new pajamas, a really cool card that makes elephant sounds, a lot of new educational books and games, Legos, and a helmet to go along with the new bike that Grandma Zandra got me.

Hey, they don't break!

2011-09-17T20:56:00.000-07:00

Bella: I love to play with glasses. Daddy doesn't let me play with his because I tweak them, but Grandma Fugere has these really cool glasses that separate in the middle and magnetize back together when you want to wear them. I think they're really cool.

Ali's Baby Blessing

2011-09-17T20:10:00.000-07:00

Ali: Today, I was given blessed by my father with the assistance of Uncle Ross and Grandpa Bruce. This is a very special day for a family in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints because this is when a baby receives a blessing and their name in put into the church's records. Since daddy just came back from boot camp, he was able to wear his Dress Blue. And might I add, he looked very sharp.

Grandma Puls was able to get time off and come to the blessing, as well as Grandma and Grandpa Fugere. Unfortunately, Grandpa Puls and Grandma and Grandpa Lisitzky were not able to get time off of work.

Boot Camp Daddy!

2011-09-13T10:42:00.000-07:00

Daddy comes home from boot camp on Friday!!!

Grandma Zandra

2011-09-09T21:36:00.000-07:00

Bella: Grandma Zandra was able to come and visit for Ali's birth and my birthday. It was really fun. We played lots of games, colored lots of pictures, and read lots of books. We even took a trip to the Zoo!

Grandma took me to Chuck-E-Cheese for my birthday. This was my first trip to Chuck-E-Cheese, and I had a lot of fun! I got to play a lot of cool games and rides, and win a lot of tickets. At the end of the night, I won enough tickets to get a blow-up bat and a sheet of stickers!

On my birthday, Grandma took me to Red Robin and got me a Build-A-Bear and a bike. I got to pick out the bear's clothes and everything. It was really fun! And you should see my bike! It's a Princess bike!!

Aunt Vicky and Uncle Greg got me a really cool purse and pair of sun glasses. Don't I just look fashionable?

Bella & Ali

2011-08-26T20:47:00.000-07:00

Bella: While Grandma and Grandpa Puls were up visiting for Ali's birth, Grandma decided to take Ali and I out to get pictures. This was the first time I was able to hold Ali, but I didn't do a very good job. Grandpa had to help me a lot. Aren't we a cute family?

Oregon State Fair

2011-08-25T21:08:00.000-07:00

Bella: While Grandma and Grandpa Puls were up visiting Ali for the first time, we went to the Oregon State Fair. It was a really hot day, maybe one of the hottest we've had this summer. It was 98-degrees and humid, but we had fun at the fair.

I got to pet all kinds of deer, goats, pigs, and llamas at the petting zoo. They even had a wallaby, which looks like a really small kangaroo. The poor animals were really hot, but that didn't make them any more lazy. In fact, it almost made them hungrier! This one deer wouldn't stop trying to eat my clothes.

Then we went to visit the 4H groups. Some kids were showing their rabbits, chickens, and other small animals. And then we got to see all these huge cows, goats, and sheep. They were almost as pretty as grandpa's animals.

The tractors reminded me of my Great-Grandparents Ann and Dave, so I had to get my pictures taken by the tractors just for them. :)

And then I got to go horseback riding!! I've never ridden a horse before, but I could tell I would be a natural. Just look at me ride! I'm not scared or nothing! Okay, so I was a little scared at first, but then it got better.

Right before we left, mom made sure she ate all the deep fried foods she could find, and she shared all of it with me. We ate deep fried snickers, twinkies, and Coca-Cola, and also had a large elephant ear. It was all very yummy, but we were kind of sick on the way home. I wonder why....

Remembering the last school year

2011-08-25T17:39:00.000-07:00

My daycare is so awesome! During the school year, they took pictures of us and they collect our little art projects. And then at the end of the school year, they present mommy with a scrapbook of what I accomplished that year. Mommy just recently got a digital copy of the pictures and I wanted to share them with you!

These are pictures of me from my first days of school. Don't I look young!!!

This is me taking over the sprinkler in the backyard and getting the boys all wet.

This is me sitting in the plants, enjoying the day and eating the rocks.

This is me playing with the jar and lid station.

This is me learning to feed myself. I don't need a spoon, I'll just lick the bowl!

This is me working with the straight pin drop-vase.

This is me painting pretty pictures for Halloween and Thanksgiving.

This is me helping with the snacks; we're cutting apples.

This is our Thanksgiving Feast of Friends.

This is me playing instruments and making music.

This is me making cornbread.

This is me playing in the garden and watering the plants.

This is me playing with the blocks.

This is me playing with the water station and having fun in the grass.

This is me playing Chinese dress-up while we celebrate the cultures of the world.

This is me playing with the different nesting blocks.

This is me enjoying the Mexican culture... black bean salsa, LOVE IT!

This is me at the Jingle Bell Pouring station.

This is me and all of my friends playing outside in the very cold weather.

This is me playing at the wood work station. I love to hammer things in!

I had such a fun year at school. I'm sad that I won't be able to go this year.