It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Saturday was my birthday. It was swell. I got to drive this beauty that had arrived the day before.

We went to the zoo as a family.

I had a delicious birthday lunch at Mimi's Cafe.

Our fabulous friends, Will & Gretel, came over for dinner and stayed to chat until after we all should have been asleep. I loved it.

Oh, and I let my driver's license expire.

I was mildly panicked that Utah would make me take the actual get-behind-the-wheel-and-try-not-to-break-too-many-laws driving test, but they were kind and said that it hadn't expired that long ago and I could just take the normal written test that everyone who relinquishes an out-of-state license needs to take. That's right, I finally gave up my California license. It was kind of painful. The worst part is that my last two driver's license pictures have been really good. The secret is to go in full make-up with your hair not in a ponytail. I prepped for this one too. My sister-in-law came over and watched the boys so I could go shower and get all gussied up. I was fancy. The picture is all right, but my lip twitched just as the camera flashed, so the smile is not my huge "I love having my picture taken" smile. It's more of a "Oh I guess you really have to take my picture so tell me when-" smile.

I'm glad the stroller came when it did, because it was the only thing I was allowed to drive for two days.

Monkey See...

I'm looking at a box of birthday candles. Underneath the boxed warning label is an additional admonishment: Extinguish candle before throwing away. Can you imagine the lawsuit that prompted that amendment? "Well Bud here couldn't blow out all 96 candles, and the cake was covered in so much spit anyway we just decided to chuck the whole thing, candles and all. Who knew that plastic trashcan would burn like that? Woowee!" (I hope two things: 1-that I did not offend you with that scenario, 2-that you read that with a heavy redneck accent. Thank you.)

Yesterday at our ward conference our Stake President spoke about fear, natural fear vs. adversarial fear. Natural fear can keep us safe while adversarial fear keeps us from doing important things like sharing our talents or learning an important and wise skill because we don't think we're good enough. After introducing his topic he told a series of stories about people that had done really stupid stuff and then died. Cooper was getting noisy so he and I left part way through and I have no idea how those stories worked into the rest of the lesson. But they were still interesting in an awful and shocking kind of way. The one that stuck with me was about a young man who heard about people jumping out of helicopters and skiing down mountains for fun. He wanted to try it too so he got some old skis and attached his sneakers to them using screws. He went up to a high mountain, jumped off the first cliff, and smacked into the second cliff. Our Stake President learned this story from his friend who worked in search and rescue who had to retrieve the young man's body from the mountain.

My question is this: how do I teach the boys to use common sense so that they will stay safe and not light themselves on fire or jump off a mountain in sneaker-skis?

Also, common sense, it would appear, is not so common.

The Very Talented Artist

Face Time

I've been on hiatus from Facebook. It started when we were on vacation, it was just too hard to read status updates on Bryan's Blackberry. Then when we got back I never logged in because I was focused on reading all the blog posts I'd missed. (I've still have 260 to go.) Then I was doing other things in the evenings like weeding the garden and unpacking from Texas. Now I'm just afraid to go back.

Here's my dilema: I want to make sure that I keep up with everyone on there, but I don't have the time to sit for hours reading the status updates, quiz results, and comments that those on my friends list post. While I want to know the important stuff that's going on in their lives (marriages, births, graduations) I'm not so interested in the little things that often make their way onto Facebook (endless quiz results, pictures of pets, invitations to join virtual mafia organizations). Also, I'm kind of afraid that I'll get sucked back in and sit in my big red chair every night thinking that I should be folding the laundry or cleaning the kitchen, but updating Facebook one more time to see what's new.

See, I've discovered that I don't really like being on the computer for long periods of time. When Cooper was nursing it was a great way to pass the hours and not fall asleep. But now that Cooper is done nursing I have nothing tying me down to the computer. I'd much rather read a book or talk to my husband.

I may go back, I may not. I figure that I'll get an email notification if anyone sends me a message or writes on my wall, so I don't really need to be on there myself.

How do you limit your time on the computer but still stay update-to-date on your various forms of communication?

Bow-dacious

We spent allllllll day yesterday doing wedding stuff for Bryan's cousin Tricia. It was a beautiful sealing and a fun reception, but we are still tired. When we got to Bryan's aunt's house (the reception location) we asked what we could do to help. We were promptly put on bow duty.

Bows had been tied onto lanterns lining the driveway the day before, but those bows were looking rather sad and droopy. Now, the reason we were given this particular assignment was because my mother-in-law Shari is a pro bow maker. I am not. She had to show me what to do approximately twelve times. Even then I was nervous and had trouble making my hands fold the ribbon the right way. But then I got it. And so I did another one. And another one. And another one. You know what? I make a mean bow now.

Check it out, I have cutesy skills:

Fashion Statement

Bryan is into free stuff. We have a small but growing pile of free samples that have come in the mail addressed to Resident At, Bryan's moniker of choice. He has at least one free magazine subscription for himself and found a free 12-month run of Parents magazine for me. I also like free stuff and read every issue of Parents that I get.

A few months ago another free magazine showed up. I've read the two issues that I received and have cracked the spine on the third, but I have to tell you, it's totally outside my realm of experience. I'm still not sure why Bryan signed me up for it, and I'm not sure he knows why either. What title has me scratching my head? Elle.

This is a seriously girly magazine. It's all about fashion and, um, well, it's pretty much just about fashion. There are short interviews with actors and writers and book and movie reviews, but it's mostly ads. Did you know that the picnic look was popular in April? You know, gingham patterns, picnic baskets, ant accersories, that kind of thing. Also, denim made a big comeback, including denim fedoras and denim espadrilles.

I read each issue with the timid fascination of an outsider. Do people really dress like this? How can they afford it? How long does any of this stay trendy?

And the most important question: do I really care?

Deep in the Heart of Texas

I'm going to take a cue from Beth and talk about our trip to Texas in list form. Are you ready?

The Awesome:

• We got to spend a week with Bryan's family, which was fabulous. We even stayed at their house, which meant lots of time with Grandma, Grandpa, Aunts, and Uncles.
• Bryan's youngest sister is eleven and Bryan's parents have kept many of her toys. The boys now think that the attic is a magical place because that's where many of the toys came from. Both boys played happily with a toy kitchen, a dollhouse, and a Barbie cash register. They also drove cars around, so I figure it all balanced out.
• Did you know there are camels in Texas? I don't mean in a zoo, I mean camels just roaming around. We saw a herd of them it west Texas. Seriously, camels.
• We went to the aquarium in Dallas (which is a misnomer because it's really more of an aviary) and a bird landed on my father-in-law's shoulder while he was holding Peter. Peter was both fascinated and totally freaked out.
• We watched cowboys wrangle long-horned cattle. I know that it was just for the viewing pleasure of the tourists, but it was still entertaining.
• We saw signs like this one:
  
• Peter got lots of bonding time with his Aunt Lorna.
  
• We watched Bryan's youngest brother Spencer graduate from high school.
• 
• Oklahoma is gorgeous! I had no idea. Also, Wyoming is really beautiful. Granted, there weren't a ton of people in either state, but the trees and the landscapes were very pretty.
• The boys both discovered their inner cowboy.
  
  

  

The Not So Awesome:

• I really don't love tornado warnings. No, that's not right. I'm thankful for the warning, it's the tornado I don't dig. Earthquakes don't scare me, but giant swirling vortexes of air and debris do. Go fig.
• Cooper can climb up stairs.
• Cooper loves to climb up stairs.
• Cooper also loves to throw himself backward off of the stairs, which meant that we either had to block his path to the stairs, hold him the whole time, or follow him very closely as he crawled up the stairs, giggling as he went.
• New Mexico makes me sad. Sorry to those of you from New Mexico or who have recently moved to New Mexico, but it's true. Maybe I went through the wrong parts. Albuquerque was nice, but the small towns we drove through looked as if no one there cared about keeping anything in good repair.
• Freaky scary hailstorms that last for twenty minutes and, at times, limit your visibility to zero are not fun.

The Stuff We Learned:

• Fort Worth and Dallas have some fun things to do as a family.
  
  
• If we can drive to and from Texas and stay sane, then driving to California will be cake.
• Watching a movie on the laptop in our little car doesn't work so well.
• Listening to audiobooks makes up for the lack of movies.
• Texas has the best rest stops. Except for the big sign that said "Watch Out For Snakes", the rest stop we had lunch at was great. It had clean bathrooms and a huge, fully-fenced playground.
• If you need a restroom while on a road trip, and you're not near a Texas rest stop, stop at McDonald's. With the exception of a slightly sad McDonald's in eastern Colorado, they were all very clean.
• Sleep makes everything better.
  

The End.

Begin Your Celebration Early

I was all set to write about our trip to Texas... until Bryan sent this to me. Although it has been a week of cop-out posts, I promise that this does not fall into that category. It's about seven minutes long, but worth it.



So to my dad,

Bryan's dad,

and Peter and Cooper's dad,

thank you for honoring your Priesthood and loving your families so much.

Happy Father's Day.

P.I.

Watch this:



And then watch this:



Nice.

Who Stole the Cookie From the Cookie Jar?

This is what happens when you put off unpacking your bag of snacks from a long road trip and leave the bag on the floor. I was pleased he went for the graham crackers because there were also Red Vines and a handful of Swedish Fish in there.

Turning off the flash on my camera equals a blurry, but still very cute picture.

Incommunicado

We got back from Texas on Sunday night. It's so nice to sleep in my own bed. Not that the beds we slept in were bad, but there's nothing quite like your own. We chose to road trip, which was both great and crazy. It was two days down with five people (two of them in car seats) in a Toyota Camry and two days back with four. I have been composing a humorous (to me) blog post about our journey, so I'll save the details for that.

Mostly, this is a post to say that I have no idea what any of you are doing, at least those of you with blogs. Those of you without blogs, I probably have no idea what you're doing anyway. You see, I didn't keep up with my Google Reader while on vacation. There was one day that I logged on using Bryan's Blackberry, but it was only for twenty minutes or so.

That means that over the next week I'll slowly chip away at the posts that have built up. But not right now. Don't worry, I'll catch-up soon. And if any comments I leave are days behind everyone else, now you know why.

Bowling - Peter Style

Peter said he wanted to go bowling while we were at Nana Shari and Papa Ron's house, so we did. This was the only way we could get Peter's ball all the way down to the pins. Otherwise it would stop about halfway and a young man that worked at the bowling alley would come and retrieve it for us. Also, Peter got more points than I did.

I'm Sorry, Where You Flirting With Me?

Last Sunday, while visiting Bryan's parents' ward, I picked Peter up from Sunbeams. This is the conversation that took place:

Teacher: Peter, your mom is here.

Me: Hi Peter!

Little Girl in Sunbeam Class: Bye Peter (Bats eyes and makes kissing sounds.)

Teacher: Macie said that Peter is so cute she wants to kiss him.

Little Girl in Sunbeam Class, aka Macie: You're so cute Peter. I want to kiss you.

Me: He is cute. Peter, say bye.

Peter: (Totally oblivious to little girl flirting with him) Bye.

The funny thing is that two little girls have already kissed him. I hope he doesn't catch on to the fact that he's adorable for say, the next twenty years. But even if he stays blissfully unaware, I'll still have to worry about Cooper. He spent most of Sacrament Meeting making eyes at the eight-year-old girl sitting behind us.

It's A Twista, It's A Twista

Things I learned last night:

• Tornado warnings are not fun
• Cooper would rather watch candles than sleep
• The floor is not comfortable to sleep on
• If the power comes back on I should shower, even if it's midnight, because the power might be off in the morning
• You can run the computer and the internet off the car battery
• It's hot indoors in Texas with no air conditioner
• Utah has at least one thing going for it: very few tornados

I hope the power comes back on before we leave for our return trip on Saturday.

But I Neeeeeed It

I'm following the "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" route and using my friend Kayla's blog topic from last week:

What are some products I can't live without?

I'm including food and mom-stuff in this list, because those are the things that I use on a regular basis. This should be an interesting look into my soul.

1. Dove soap - I live in Utah, aka, the place that sucks moisture and life out of your skin, hair, and nails. Regular soap does not cut it. I need the fancy magic that Dove works to feel like I'm not shriveling.
2. Chapstick - I have to echo one of Kayla's picks. This goes back to the whole living-in-a-desert thing. My lips cry for moisture, and so I always have Chapstick in my pocket, the one with the blue wrapper and SPF 15.
3. Sunscreen - I'm pale. I burn. And yes, I do use baby sunscreen.
4. Fig Bars - I always keep a sleeve of the Wal-Mart brand Fig Bars in the car. They taste almost as good as Fig Newtons and they don't make a huge mess. Peter is almost always hungry while we're out running errands and I strongly dislike getting fast food, so I often hand him a few Fig Bars when he starts telling me he needs food. Also, I can't find a picture of them on Google Image and am too lazy to go take a picture myself, so you'll just have to trust me that they're real.
   
5. Baby Orajel - Cooper is cutting his twelfth tooth and his fourth molar. Orajel keeps the screaming and thrashing to a minimum. Seriously, as soon as I put the Orajel on him he calms down. I know it's because his mouth has just gone numb and it feels weird, but it still helps.

What are some products you can't live without?

Like Father, Like Son

Writing History

I've been thinking recently about keeping records. We have two small file boxes that Bryan and I periodically sit in front of to file the stacks of papers that have accumulated on our counter tops. We have an even smaller fireproof safe that holds important documents and a CD of our wedding pictures. Last year Bryan took it upon himself to organize and electronically file our thousands of pictures. I'm grateful for his project because it's made posting past pictures on here easier than it would have been if I had to sift through those pictures myself. Instead of baby books I write the boys significant milestones on our calendar. And then I make sure that we don't throw those calendars away. I can go back and look at when Cooper first ate green beans or when Peter took his first steps.

Specifically, I've thought about this blog as a place to keep a record. I've kept journals since I was in Primary, but none of them with any regularity. There was a span in my early teenage years when I wrote everyday, but they were short laundry lists of my day's activities. My hand would get tired before I got around to writing my thoughts or feelings with any depth. The exceptions are when Bryan and I got engaged and when the boys were born, but even those entries were dated after the fact, written when I had time to pull out my journal and sit and write uninterrupted.

Apparently I type much faster than I write. On this blog I let more of those thoughts that have been drifting through my head find a home. I write more of my feelings on motherhood. I doubt that I would remember to write all the funny or clever things that Peter says in my journal, yet they often end up here. Even if no one else reads what I write, it is helpful for me to be able to go back and look at where I've been and how far I've progressed as a mother, a wife, a friend, and a person. And it's gratifying to think that perhaps someday when the boys have children of their own they will be able to read about their childhood escapades and realize that if we could raise them without going completely insane, maybe they can do the same with their own kids.

I Keep On Fallin'

Peter, while leaning his whole body over the edge of the ottoman, fell.

Peter: Ah! I fell!

Me: Are you all right?

Peter: (from the floor behind the ottoman) I fell in love.

What?! Has someone secretly been showing my three-year-old romantic comedies?

As If I Wasn't Paranoid Enough

This happened last month, so it's probably old news to most of you, but I just saw the article last night. It's especially scary because both of my boys put all kinds of random stuff in their mouths. Even Peter, who has passed the magical third birthday when swallow-sized toys are deemed acceptable, puts stuff in his mouth.

Note to self: learn to use eyes independent of each other so I can watch both boys at all times.

But You Don't Have to Take My Word For It

I'm a proud bookworm and am excited to watch the boys follow suit. Peter loves to read and to be read to. Cooper loves books and gets mad when I take easily torn books from him in exchange for sturdier board books. Being the bibliophiles that we are, we were all happy to receive a special package in the mail yesterday.

My mom is a teacher and therefore has access to the Scholastic book sales. We are often the beneficiaries of this perk and have the home library to prove it. It's always fun to get a call from her that starts out, "We're at the Scholastic book sale, and I want to read you some titles to make sure you don't already have them." Yeah, I like those calls.

The package was the result of one of those phone calls. We opened it as soon as we got it and read all of the books, some of them twice. Then Peter read them again during quiet time. I wanted to share our two favorites from this batch.

Peter's favorite:

After reading this, Peter spent the remainder of the afternoon quoting the lines to himself as he played. I would throw one out every once in a while too. A small cat is getting ready for bed by reading his book. But his book disappears, which leads to a series of theories about where the book could have gone. Maybe a bear ate it? Maybe a stegosaurus stomped on it? Maybe a bat flew off with it? Peter enjoyed the silly hypotheses the cat came up with, and that it had a happy ending.

My favorite:
This is by Jane Yolen, who also wrote Owl Moon and the How Do Dinosaurs... series (we really love those dinosaur books). This is a sweet bedtime book that says good night to a different animal on each page. I won't say much more, but if you check this book out from the library pay close attention to the last illustration. I think Ms. Yolen is one of my favorite children's authors.

Thanks Mom!

Fame!

Take Two

Well, it's official, Peter has stage fright. I thought when he gave his talk he was just being stubborn or was unaccustomed to standing in front of a large group of people and was therefore thrown off his game. Nope, I think he was afraid.

He came home from church last week with a paper saying he had been assigned the scripture for Primary for the next Sunday, which was yesterday. I made a mental note of it and then forgot until Bryan picked the paper off the counter yesterday morning during breakfast. Ack! I forgot! I looked at the topic and quickly found a short scripture. Peter, Bryan, and I spent the next few hours repeating Moroni 10:5 to each other. By the time we walked into church Peter had it memorized.

I wanted to make sure he understood what was going to happen this time. We talked about when he was supposed to give a talk before. We reminded him that he would walk up to the podium and say his scripture. I told him I would be right there next to him the whole time in case he needed help remembering. He assured me he wouldn't need help.

He got as far as the the front of the room (which was only a few steps because he sits on the first row) and behind the podium when he stopped. He started saying he had changed his mind and couldn't go up, that he didn't want to do it, that he wanted to sit down. I didn't make as big a deal out of it this time. I tried for about half a minute (it felt much longer) to get him up the steps, but to no avail. I shrugged at the Primary Presidency and walked him back to his seat.

I don't get stage fright, so I can only imagine what he's feeling. To any of you that have stage fright or who have children that get stage fright, how do you overcome it? I'd like to start giving him tools to deal with it now so that when he's on his mission and is asked two minutes beforehand to speak for the next hour he won't try to crawl under his seat and hide. Are there any tricks? Any positive affirmations to help you get in front of an audience?

After church Peter was singing a song he had made-up. He had put the words of his scripture to music. So even if he didn't share the scripture with the whole Primary, at least he memorized it. That's something, right?