Happy Halloween!

Annual Spongberg Family Halloween Party

On Monday night, we kicked off the first of 3 nights of our Halloween celebration. There was good food, great company, and lots of fun.

Preschool Party

Travis decided that he wanted to be a pirate for his preschool party instead of Tigger.

Travis and his friends Connor and Kai

Tigger & Pooh

We trick-or-treated with a bunch of friends in our ward on our street. Everyone had a lot of fun. We are so lucky to have such great friends!!

I've been TAGGED

Abi "tagged" me on her blog http://abijoe.blogspot.com/.

Here are the rules...

1-Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog

2-Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird

3-Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs

4- Let them know they are TAGGED by leaving a comment on their blog

7 Things About Me:





1. I was "Miss Twirlette" of Carlsbad (RANDOM & WEIRD!)

2. I found a murdered body of a little boy (8 years old?) in South Africa in a courtyard at the library.

3. I was certified as an EMT (but never worked as one).

4. I am scared of dogs.

5. My first name is Claudia (and I hate it!!).

6. I hate to throw things away.

7. I snore, and always have (even when I was a little girl).



You're Tagged:
Laura: http://ekfam.worpress.com/
Becca: http://beccasbizz.blogspot.com/
Jill: http://paulandjilltanner.blogspot.com/
Emily: http://dsmunns.blogspot.com/
Sarah: http://theasaygang.blogspot.com/
Kjrsten: http://kjrst.blogspot.com/
Becky: http://thewilsonpics.blogspot.com

The Latest...

Travis finally got his Razor Scooter. Yesterday my dad put it together for him. He was so excited! When he saw it he said, "Now I can go play in the street like all the other kids". Most of the kids on the street play in their front yards and in the street. I am probably looked at on our street as antisocial, but I can't stand my kids playing in the front. I am afraid that now I might have a new battle on my hands.
Yesterday, I moved Sara's bed back into Travis's room. We decided to bit the bullet and just make them sharing a room work. Well IT DID last night!! I think that Jay threatened them with physical harm if they got out of bed. It also helped that Travis was very tired. He fell asleep and Sara was awake for quite a while after just playing with her dolls in the bed. Sara's room is ready for the baby...the crib ready, cleaned and raised, even the sheets are on.
This morning, Sara did the funniest thing. She came into my bathroom this morning naked and just jumped on the toilet and said she was going to go potty just like mommy, daddy and Travy. She sat there for a while, but didn't do anything (we have not really been potty training yet, diapers are just so convenient.) Then she went to her room to get dressed. I found her with Travis's underwear on and her shorts on backwards. It was so cute. Little Sara is obsessed with clothes. She changes her clothes several times a day. She also always asks to go shopping. She loves shoes and always wants to go to the store to buy her some new ones. When at Babystyle, most kids like to play with the toys, but not my Sara, she goes around and picks out clothes and brings them to me and says, "Mom, this is a cute outfit" and then finds another one. Got to love it, but at the same time, this might be trouble. Actually, I will probably be the one in trouble, or would it be Jay... 2 big shoppers.

Changes

Finally, a big bed! Travis loves having it.

Sara likes sleeping in "Travy's" bed

(we keep trying to tell her it is her bed now)

The kids are growing. The family is growing. Time for some new beds and room changes. One of the hardest decisions for me lately has been trying to figure out where to put the baby. We have a good set up right now, 4 bedrooms, 2 kids, that leaves one vacant room--A playroom. We really don't want to give the playroom up. We are planning on adding a "loft" or 2nd family room over our dining room and living room hopefully in 6 months or so which will be wonderful, but for now, what to do? Being that we have no idea what the sex of this baby is, which would make the decision a little easier, we thought that for the time being, Travis and Sara would share Travis's room and the baby would sleep in Sara's room. (I know what some of you are saying to yourselves right now, just have the baby in your room and problem solved. With Sara, Jay and I had a good thing going for the first 6 weeks...Sara and I slept in one room, so that when she woke up in the middle of the night it did not disturb anyone, and then in the morning when Travis woke up, Jay took care of him and got him ready for the day. I got to sleep in until 9 or so everyday. Wonderful I tell you!! I really like the idea of being able to sleep in a bit and having my wonderful husband take care of the other kids in the morning.)

Back to the dilemma...last week we put another bed in Travis's room and tried to have Sara sleep in there. Did not work. That first night we put them to bed and tried it out for over an hour, but they just did not settle down. Sara went back to her crib in her room. We tried it for 4 nights, but they only got 2 chances each night. Sara ended up in her crib every night. We decided to try Sara on the toddler bed in her room, and it has worked fine. My question is, how do you get kids to go to sleep in the same room? I need some advice. I am running out of time. I have heard it might work putting them to bed at different times, but Sara is starting to stay up later and Travis is getting tired earlier (no more naps). HELP!!!!

Birthday Surprises 2 Nights in a Row

Happy 30th Birthday Joe! Abi threw Joe a surprise party at Riptide. He was surprised. It was a lot of fun. The food was wonderful. It was my first time there and I am looking forward to going back. The sushi was just amazing!!

Happy 70th birthday Dad! We threw my dad a surprise party and it turned out great! There a lot of people there. I think that he was really surprised too. It was great seeing a lot of the people at the party from home.
Lisa and Mindy were there, so we thought we should take a picture...just like old times. When we were in high school, we got one of these pictures taken weekly before heading off to a dance. It was fun seeing them!!
The cousins all had a great time playing together too. They were a little crazy, but settled down together to watch a movie. I think that the picture of Taylor and Travis is the best!!

My Marathon Man

Congratulations Jay....he finished his first and last marathon!! #3098 finished the St. George Marathon in 4 hours and 20 minutes. I am so proud of him! He ran it with my brothers, Joe & Clint, and my sister JC. I thought that running that marathon would have turned Jay into a runner for life and I would be a marathon widow, but now is done running. His goal is completed, so off to the next goal--building up those muscles. Jay has traded in his running shoes and scenic runs through the canyon for some weights and the view of skinny, silicone women at the gym. Jay I am really proud of you. You are a great example to me. I love you.
Sorry there are no pictures, for some reason, I can not download them to blogger.

Great Weekend

Some of my weekend projects completed...

many are still unfinished

While Jay was off running in the St. George Marathon, I got a little break. My doctor said that I could not go to St. George. Sandee volunteered to come and get Travis and Sara on Friday and keep them for the weekend. That means, I got to be home alone! It was just what I needed. I took full advantage of being alone. I went through things, I shopped, I ate, I hung out with Allyson (we went to a yummy restaurant--Urban Thai), I sewed, I stayed up way too late, I slept in, I watched General Conference uninterrupted.... It was wonderful!!! Thank you so much Sandee and Roland. The kids had a wonderful time, and so did I.

Dara & I (& look those bumps!!)

After Sunday's Conference, we went to go pick up the kids in Long Beach and had dinner with Jay's family. It was a great evening. The kids always have so much fun playing with Jake and Hallee. Dara will be having her baby October 15th. I love that our babies will be so close in age. Now I just have to have a girl, and it will be just perfect.

Happy Birthday Dad

Today is my dad's 70th birthday. I can not believe that he is that old (sorry dad). I think that I have the most wonderful dad in the world and am so thankful for him. He is the most unselfish person in the world. He would do anything for anyone. He is the most patriotic person ever. He has such a strong testimony of the gospel. He is a hard worker. He is understanding. He lets his kids and grand kids know how much he loves them. I could go on and on. Dad, thanks for being the best example ever. I really wish that I could be more like you!! Happy Birthday.

New Baby Day

Well, on Monday I went into Dr. Clayton's office prepared to try out my acting skills. I was going to cry or do whatever I needed to get him to change the day I would be having the baby. After my check up, I just asked him if I could have it a little bit earlier than my due date because I was afraid that I would go into labor. He acted so shocked that he was going to deliver me on my due date. He looked up the records and looked up the results of my million ultrasounds and said, "Sure, there is not reason not to". He told me that he would have the nurse call the hospital and see what was available. Today I found out that they scheduled me for November 1 at 1:30. I am so excited!! I feel like a huge burden has been lifted. So that leaves me 3 weeks and 2 days. CRAZY!

A Killing...

Weird things have been going on lately in the Spongberg backyard. Something is attacking our grass in the night. I mean it! Every other morning we find patches of grass all torn up and turned upside down. Sometimes it is small patches, but other times it is 4 foot sections. Yesterday morning, Jay and the kids saw a hawk attack a rabbit and kill it in our backyard. Then the bird flew away with the rabbit in its mouth. Weird thing is that 4 other times throughout the day I saw the hawk back eating a rabbit, but all in different spots. Same rabbit? I really don't know, but I do know that we usually have several rabbits in our backyard everyday, and today there have been none. One gross thing about it...the kids and I went in the backyard today and there was rabbit fur all over. DISGUSTING!!

ps...one other weird thing. There has been something in our attic or on our roof. We actually hear footsteps, not scratching like a mouse or rat, but actual steps. We have seen raccoons on our street and heard that several live in the gutter. We did hear that they can climb the trees and get on your roof. Who knows?

35 More Days

HUGE! Be glad this is not my bikini shot!

On Monday I had my first fetal monitoring appointment and ultrasound at Hoag. It went great. I sat in a little room with an amazing view of the ocean in Newport for 45 minutes and read a book, while the baby was being monitored. It was not very cooperative and just wanted to sleep but after a few tricks from the doctor, it woke up. Then I had an ultrasound and everything looked great. Today I had another ultrasound appointment and it went really well. They actually told me that I did not need to come back for another one. They baby seems to be growing on track. They think it is about 6 pounds already. I have not been very excited about all the appointments that I would be having at the end of this pregnancy and am very glad that one is out of the way. 3 a week is just plenty!! I am so thankful that the baby is doing ok. You know, this has been a weird pregnancy for me. I really have not been very excited. I have actually been quite nervous. The thought of 3 kids is scary! I know that it really is not a very big deal, but I do think that it will be quite an adjustment. I don't really feel ready. My house is definitely not ready (even though I have been making a little progress), I still haven't decided what I am going to do room wise for the kids, and I have not bought one single thing yet (take that back, I bought a pack of newborn diapers and a pack of size 1 yesterday...but that is it!). I guess not knowing what I am having has kept me from shopping. I think if I knew it was a girl I would be in deep trouble because I have seen so many cute girl things and then all the matching things....Anyways, today is the first time that I actually felt a little bit excited and I am so glad!!