Thumb Suckers

My daughter is full fledged member of the sucking the thumb community.

As is her brother before her.

I'm fine

I abruptly finished my random thought post, without even finishing my last thought, with a, to be continued. Here is why...
I was using the laptop as my husband was doing an install. We normally keep the laptop upstairs, but being the computer nerds we are, I wander downstairs on the laptop after the kids are in bed, while my husband either plays on the desktop downstairs or works at his work laptop downstairs. Yes, you can often find my husband working for his company at 10 oclock at night. I figured I would once again wander down.
Well the problem is we have stupid stupid stairs, which I would have still said last week too, they are dirty, steep, and carpeted. I have always hated our stairs, I want to rip out the carpet, and put wood paneling, or something else on them. The carpet is so yucky, and I can not clean them try as I might. Plus the old worn out carpet is slippery.
As I was carrying the laptop I fell down about 6 stairs. The stupid thing is my husband wasn't even downstairs. Apparently I screamed so he came to find me, I don't remember that, I just remember falling, then uttering brent very pathetically repeatedly. The first thing I cried was I'm sorry I dropped your laptop, it was sitting face down open on the floor next to me. Being the good person he is, he did not care about our cheap laptop we bought on sale.
Long story, slightly shorter, I did not have a concussion. Thank goodness. Some nice neighbor of ours should be grateful, even though they don't know it, because they didn't get a call at 11 oclock asking to come sit in our house while our children slept and my husband took me to the hospital. I did however get rug burns and bruises on my back and arms. Plus a goose egg the size of Manhattan on my head. Now two days later, my whole body hurts, especially my neck and my ribs in the front ironically enough. I am taking it easy, so as so allow my body to recover from the trauma.
That night I was suffering in pain I thought why did this happen to me, why couldn't it have been... I could not think of anyone I would wish it on, so I figured I would just have to endure it.
Not to mention, I started realizing all the reasons it could have been worse. At least I wasn't pregnant, at least I wasn't holding one of my children, at least it wasn't my grandma-- with as banged up as I got I don't know if she would ever move again if it was her, which is why she would never walk down stairs as dangerous as mine, at least I wasn't in a car accident, at least I didn't need to go to the hospital.
To end things off, why am I posting all this? I don't know. I guess because I find blogging therapeutic. After going to The Church History Museum's Eighth International Art Competition exhibit yesterday I wish I did something more amazing for therapy, but yet this is where I am in life. Also to really end things off, my sister does not need to feel obligated to call to check up on me, but I always enjoy a good conversation.


On a side note, speaking of health, my husband and I have definitely gotten on the health scare Swine Flu bandwagon, despite Ron Paul's advice.
Although in true fashion we have gone a bizarre direction.
First I read the BBC coverage. Then watched, BYU-ID Avian flu pandemic preparation video,
Then I'm sure my husband read a few dozen articles. Which led him to sharing this one about Epidemic Flu and Vitamin D with me. Which then led me to finding this answer about does sunscreen block vitamin D absorption? So now I'm more concerned about my family's lack of vitamin D, and how we can boost it without getting skin cancer.

Missing you

Random Thoughts:

1. I recently joined facebook, because my husband joined facebook about 6 months ago and I felt left out. Now I don't know if I really like it... it seems to... I don't know. I liked finding long lost friends on it, but those don't really ever post. I won't delete it because of those long lost friends. But I recently went through and added a bunch of people who aren't really long lost friends, just lots of people I know, because I got sick of seeing them in the top right hand corner, now I no longer feel like I'm with friends more like in a huge high school classroom. I like my blogger much better. Blogger is like family, hi all 23 of you, unique vistors daily. I can be myself with you, on my public blog. Yes, I know this makes no sense. (PS I've I've recently added you and you read my blog, I'm not wondering why I added you.)
2. In fact there is a few people I've found on facebook, that I think, oh should I tell them I blog, but I don't want everyone on facebook, knowing I blog. Well I don't care if everyone knows, I just don't want to broadcast.
3. I know I make no sense.
   
4. I'm pretty sure I talk too much, and I always feel like that when I get home from some event. But not here on my safe blogger-- not true I feel like that here too.
5. I like going to baby showers and bridal showers, it makes me feel stupid, because my mother does not. Although my mother would tell me there is nothing wrong with me. (She probably liked them a lot more 30 years ago.)
   
6. I think I'm trying to make up for lost time. My son and I are going out ALL the time to do fun things, I think out of guilt. I think I feel I need to make up all those pre-term contraction pregnancy months of nothing. I've started play group in my ward. I've gone to Children's Museum-- thanks Shilligs
7. Partly its because my son doesn't like story time, and really can you blame him, most of the time it stinks. My son needs to get out of the house for something fun more than nursery.
8. You know how General Authorities say they married up, and their wives are better people then them. Do you think there wives agree? Or do you think there wives think, that's so sweet. But then later on when their husband does something really great--

to be contined...

Temple Fun

During my son's life time he has lived within 15 minutes of three different temples. We have moved a dozen and half times, but most of those dwellings have been temporary except for three. I have always had plans to take him to the temple grounds and play. Never once have I done it. I always figured we would just stop by on our errands. But as anyone with small children know errands always take twice as long as you plan to get half as much done. Not to mention they don't really build temples in this state by business parks. After conference this past month, I decided enough was enough, and I planned a trip. We brought along a cousin and her mom. Note N babe in the background, its her only photo debut of the day.
We were going to go for all three of us in this picture, but the babe had fallen asleep by then.
The tulips were gorgeous, I wish Brent was there, so we could try to get a family picture or two, and a picture of us just two without children.... but alas...


I switched from just basic auto photo setting, and my camera went back to widescreen, which means I won't be able to develop any of these photos without major cropping.

Lovin the Sippy

Its been said...

"Cleaning house is like stringing beads without a knot tied at the end."
How true that is...
Before my son was born, my nesting instinct was on hyper drive, I cleaned nonstop. If I was doing homework, I was cleaning, I use to clean my microwave more than weekly.
Before my daughter was born, it seemed like my son and I had all day to play and enjoy each others company. The only problem was he was growing up faster than I was getting sleep, and he was quickly losing interest in just hanging out with mommy all day. Laundry once a week, dishes every other day, sewing all the time, playing all the time, reading as much as we wanted.
Then entered my new baby, I needed one, my first had grown up at some point when I blinked my eyes. His pants sag and his underwear hangs out. Ok, so his underwear has thomas the tank engine on it, or Mickey Mouse, and his pants sag because he is a skinny little preschooler, but he does not have a diaper to hold his pants in place.
Now the beads are falling all over the floor faster than I can sweep them up.
Its a mad house here, dishes multiple times a day, if I don't run the dishwasher daily I'm handwashing more than fits in my drying rack. At least one load of laundry a day, if not two. There is no possible way every floor in the house is toyless and dirtless at the end of the day. The table needs wiping, the stove is caked (I clean it at least every other day, if not daily), plus I've been meaning to bake bread for three days now. I bake in a bread maker, so it takes about 10 minutes to pour all the ingredients in and push start.
I can't figure out why one little person would bring so much choas into our lives? She doesn't dirty dishes, well she didn't before Monday. But I would not trade her for the world. With one I thought this is a lot of work I never want to do this again. A only child sounds so nice, but now I realize two is so fun. I figure now I'll have babies until it stops being fun, or we can no longer fit in a mini van. But yet, its crazy.
I've started to cook from sratch, I trying to get organized after living here for 8 months-- dejunking, I'm cleaning more regularly, my daughter will be crawling before I'm ready, and if I don't get in the habit of cleaning the floor she will turn into my moving dust pan. I've started to exercise, because well its pathetic when you can barely move and you aren't even 25. So as I've tried to make my life more balanced, I don't have time for anything! Crazy how that works!
So if you come to my house just know, I'm stringing the beads as fast as I can, only the faster I string the messier it gets.


Post Script: I've decided to just stop washing the full length mirrors, plus President Monson warned I'll miss the finger prints when their gone. As does my mom, and as did her grandma. Which I believe is true, I love little fat fingers! I think they look like linked sausage.

Eating time

Two days ago we started my daughter on cereal. The past month or so she was woken up more than she use to, so I figured it was high time for my sanity and sleep. Her first meal was gourmet-- outside on the front porch, in the evening sun, more liquid than solid, ahh the joys of rice cereal. She absolutely loved it, she ate and ate and ate, and continued to eat while we were eating dinner. She has been sad for a month or so when we ate our dinners and did not share. She was ecstatic to have something to eat during family dinner, so much so she did not want me to eat. She was thinking, how do you like 'em apples mom? (Note her cute feet.)

My son needed some photo attention after his sisters spotlight.
After eating and eating outside, daddy-o decided he didn't want to hold her, so they moved inside to the walker. Yesterday I fed her while she was in the walker, she loved having the ability to eat "solids", move, and watch the world all at the same time. She really was happy when I fed her in the walker, I thought it was ridiculous though, I had to hold the walker with my foot or she would roll backwards with each kick, that contained a glee of excitement.
She's thinking, MMmm, cereal so good, but so hard not to push straight out of my mouth with my tongue.

My husband's hand isn't really that massive in comparison to her head. He would be like the hulk.
After feeding her cereal yesterday I have to say, I sort of enjoyed it. She doesn't not particularly like to nurse, and only does it out of necessity, (until two days ago she would starve from lack of options if she boycotted nursing.) It was fun to feed her while she seemed happy. She eats the cereal so well, and loves it, and squawks if we don't feed it to her fast enough, then wanted to nurse afterward. Who would have thought cereal would be so enjoyable for both of us.
She totally does not understand a bottle... I figured might as well start, I've been meaning to have my husband give her a bottle for a month now, and well it just never happens. My husband loves not having to be involved with the feeding for the first couple of months. My son never got a bottle, we tried and tried, then we gave him a sippy cup at 5 months, then I started the bottle again at 9 months, and ditched the bottle by 15 months.
They say babies do not need water, J would not eat his baby food without a cup of water. Every few bites he needed a sip of water. N babe seemed fine without the water yesterday but I gave her some today, she also seemed to enjoy the water, but not quite as much as her brother.

Making my day

My son was very funny a few days ago, here are the highlights.
He is way into Kipper, and always wants to watch him on Netflix. He paused to eat some food at the table, as he sat there, he kept laughing. I asked him if he was still laughing at Kipper, he said yes mom, through his giggles. He finds Kipper hysterical, I was impressed he was laughing after the fact.
He told me twice that he loved me, I don't think he has said that except at bedtime since November.
He has started to feel slighted in his conversation time when his dad and I are talking, and he will say, Mom stop talking. We are trying to teach him respect and manners, but I'm slightly confused how to teach it. None the less, we are trying to teach him a kinder way of asking me to let him speak. During dinner he once again said mom stop talking. I told him he needed to wait until I finished the story I was telling his dad, and then he could talk. When I was done, I said yes, what did you want to say. He hadn't thought this far in advance, he just knew he wanted his 2 cents worth. So after a moment of thought he told me, you are my mom, and Nan is my baby sister, and dad is my daddy. How true, truer words have not been spoken. I am so glad I was interrupted repeatedly for this.

Birthday for a space man

We went out for my uncle in law's birthday, in case you are confused, my husband's uncle, who is probably now classified as my uncle. If you want to understand the title, you had to have heard the funniest thing Kim said in her entire life. Unfortunately I can't remember what she exactly said something about the Uncle being like a space man who has to breath oxygen on earth. It was quite fun to watch our son interact with his great uncles, they are all SO good with children. This uncle started joking with our kid during cake, so he had him help him open his presents. Brent and I found it hysterical to watch the uncle say hurry hurry, and shake his hands by the present, and watch my son totally fumble and get nervous, but laugh and enjoy every minute of it.

While there I mentioned to my sister in law that Brent and I have only had one picture taken of us without children since we've had children. She said oh I'll fix that, and proceeded to take a picture of us, which i think turned out very well, but then we realized a child was in the picture.

Granddaughter hanging out with grandpa, and great uncle. She was excited to go visit the genetic origin of her ears.

The day after the party, as we were getting ready for church, and I was holding my daughter up so she could stand. Her brother walked in the room, and said, "Mom she's a ballerina!" It made my sunday. Princesses held no interest for me as a small girl, only ballerinas, how did my son know. I doubt she looks like a ballerina in this picture though. You have to realize my son probably bases his view of ballerina's off of Degas. Degas' pictures in Mini Masters, has ballerina's painted with long flowing tutus. Much like my daughters dress, when she was standing.

Beautiful Day in the backyard

Two weeks ago we played in the backyard, and J's cousin showed up. Her dad was helping J's dad move our in our new freezer.

First off here are my pretty violet weeds. Our yard is more weeds than grass, and this is the only benefit, the violets. Unfortunately they have already stopped blooming.

Here is J and his cousin.

Our robin friend, the kids loved seeing him. I told them they had to sit real sit or he would fly away, and they were like statues.

Here the cousin is blowing bubbles.

The end because I can't upload more than those in one picasa post.

Park a couple of weeks ago

On the first nice Saturday this year, we went to the park. This Saturday occurred about a month and half ago. My son is a budding astronomer, he loves to learn about planets, and points out Venus in the sky when the sun first goes down. The other day it was really funny, it pointed out venus then asked where earth was. I said we live on earth, so we can't see it because we are on it. He started laughing and said, oh!

I did it

I totally failed on my goal, but I knew I would. What is important is I finally finished November 2008's Conference Edition of the Ensign today!

Money happenings

My son is learning about money he is starting to understand that we buy things with money. He has started to tell me he needs money, so we have devised a chore chart. So far it is going well, he is require to pick up his toys, and take off his diaper in the morning without pay. After that he can get a dime if he puts away his laundry, or helps me unload the dishwasher, he has to put away everything on the bottom half of the kitchen. He also can help in the yard if Brent and I are working out there, sweep or wipe things off. His favorite chore is to get the spray bottle with water and wipe. This way he can also have a chance to pay tithing. The other day we weeded, we ended up with 4 grocery sacks full of weeds, and it was his job to get the plant in the bag, he ended up with a dollar a bag, pretty good money for a three year old in my opinion.
So yesterday we were at the store, and he picked out a bubble wand to spend his money on, then he said he needed to go buy food, I wasn't planning on getting food, I had already gone grocery shopping for the week, but he kept asking, without crying so went to go find something. We found off brand fruity pebbles for less than $2 and I haven't bought cereal in almost two months, so I figured I'd let him live a little. When we got home he got his piggy bank and told me he needed money out to pay for his cereal and bubbles. I said ok, I wasn't planning on him buying the cereal but I let him pay for it. I am impressed he is starting to understand money even if it just a little bit.
In a second money event, I take surveys for money. I started when I was in college and not working so I could get my husband a present. I have kept doing it even though I hate it, and don't think its worth my time. But apparently it is worth my time because I keep taking them. They lowered my pay from $5 to $3, it was depressing, but I still keep taking them. The money gets deposited in paypal, because it was ridiculous to deposit eight $3 checks at a time. I finally cashed some out yesterday. I have been wanting to get my daughter a doll, but everything I liked I couldn't justify spending family money on a toy she probably won't even play with. (We are trying to save for a house and MBA.) Yesterday I remember paypal, and found this doll. I'm so excited. Its probably more of a present for me than for her. I think my husband thought I was crazy, but I told him the reason I had a girl was so I could buy over priced cloth dolls. I'm turning into my mother through and through. I liked dolls when I was a girl, and I hated dressing up, but I had quite a bit of dolls, the non plastic ones can still be found in my old bedroom at my parents. I wouldn't have bought the doll without my paypal account, but I'm glad I bought it, so apparently it is now worth my time to take the surveys.

Oh yeah

Becky remind me. I never posted pictures from this nephew's baby blessing.

My kid was in a choice mood, he slept into 11:20 am and didn't truly wake up until 3ish. All he would do is it in the chair.

See the chair.

Here is Nan babe and her two cousins. Oldest (august), middle (december), youngest (february), I think youngest is the biggest.

Later on the in the day we saw my old roommate, and we took pictures. But unfortunately I looked tragic all day, and I didn't realize until I saw the pictures afterward.

Head Injury

The other day J man fell and scrapped the back of his head. It was barely a scratch but since it was under his hair and on his head it took a while before we knew the magnitude of the cut. Once we cleaned it up a bit, we realized it was barely a scratch. Still a bandaid makes everyone feel better including mom. Even though the scratch was smaller than a dime this is how he ended up looking, because we didn't want to shave his head to put a bandaid the right size.

It made our day, to see J man run around like this, the bandage pushed one of his eyebrows down, it was hysterical.

Nothing but History

Recently I have been thinking about church dedications. The church across the street from me was dedicated by President Joseph F. Smith, the church I attend my Sunday meetings in was dedicated by Heber J. Grant. Both impress me. I figured that the benefits of being alive 100 years ago. The idea of sitting in the chapel across the street from me, and listening to Joseph F. Smith is mind boggling to me, I can almost imagine it. But then I started to think, which helped me remember...
Back when I barely knew Brent and his friend Justin, I couldn't go disco skating on Saturday with them, because I had to go down to see my brother Ben for his birthday. But I had only found a ride down not a ride back to school, and so luckily for me, they were planning on going to Lindon for the day because their parents' wards' were getting a new a church building and it was being dedicated that afternoon. Brent picked me up from my brother's apartment and we went to hear Boyd K. Packer talk apparently he has ties back to Lindon. When Brent invited me to attend I thought yeah cool, the acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. It wasn't as cool as it sounds, he spent 95% of his time telling a history of Lindon, something I had absolutely no interest in. I probably wouldn't have even remembered it was Boyd K. Packer except I remember Justin wanted to make a joke to him about the Green Bay Packers. Once I remember that I can remember sitting on a side pew with Brent and his parents hearing President Packer's raspy voice. I think I have more memories of going to dinner afterward at the Reeves' house than the meeting. I also have very vivid memories of walking into my future in laws house for the first time, although at the time I never expected to date their son let alone marry him.
Back to church leaders, if my memory serves me correctly, that was one of three experiences. In addition to hearing President Packer, I attended a regional conference as a child with President Hinckley. My mom told us repeatedly how great it was to hear the prophet in person so my young memory remembers, seeing President and Sister Hinckley. I also heard Elder Bednar speak at a stake conference in Altanta which was a great experience, that is saying something because I was very sick and miserable from my first pregnancy. In fact I have notes from it in my scriptures.

Easter Dress

The easter bunny came to our house

Apparently we didn't take any pictures of him finding eggs in our house.