Monday, March 29, 2010

Bathing Beauty


I love a naked baby. What can I say. And Bundle just loves the tub. It's a great combination.


Saturday, March 27, 2010

We're SOOO Glad When Daddy Comes Home

Troy had two business trips in one this past week. He left on Monday for Scottsdale, Arizona and came home yesterday via St. George. We missed him. A lot. Stomper missed his daddy so much that I was forbidden to mention him because it would make Stomper cry. Awww! I usually do fine without Troy for a night or two but by about night three I'm starting to crack a little. (Speaking of cracking, a cute little boy I know saw me yesterday and recognized me as 'The Lady Who Lives in the Crack House,' because of the cracks in our wood floors! Ha!) Anyway, by yesterday, day 5, I was really starting to lose it. I almost posted a quick entry that would have gone like this:

"Bundle is teething and won't let me put her down and Bitty won't stop playing the same game of pretend with me and Stomper is treating his friends like a jerk right in front of their parents and Bitty was awful in front of that same parent and I can't manage to cross a single item off my to-do list and it's my friend's birthday and I can't get her present to her and we've eating nothing but crap for four days and I just spilled gasoline all over myself and it's been a terrible horrible no-good very-bad day! Waaaaahhhhh!"

That's what I would have posted except that I had to quickly shower while Bundle was sleeping to get the gasoline off of me. Duh. I was at the gas station pumping gas. I heard the little handle click like it does when your tank is full so I pulled the nozzle out. Guess what. It was the car next to me that had finished filling, not mine, so I created a spewing fountain of fuel that soaked me from shoulder to socks. Our house still reeks, though my skin isn't burning any more. My clothing is soaking outside, but I don't think it's going to make it. Poor Troy walked in the door and said, "Why do I still smell the airport?" Sorry honey. Doofy wife here.

Now Troy's at a movie with the big kids. The poor man is enduring Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakual. Good daddy.

Here's another reason Troy is a good daddy. Stomper gave him a little science kit for his birthday. They were working on a project together and found it coming up short of Stomper's expectations so Troy totally rigged the thing to work.


He's awesome. Here's a picture of Troy with some of his friends who came to his 40th birthday party.


This was a while ago but I just wanted to see Troy among this great group of fellows. He's always had such wonderful friends and I think it's a reflection of what a wonderful person he is. Sigh. He's going to start leaving me more often so I'll gush more often.

Monday, March 22, 2010

A Grand Day Out

Ah sweet March. You're such a tease. I love you for it, though. For giving us just a taste, just a nibble of spring right when we're ready to give up all hope. The past few days have been more like spoonfuls than nibbles of spring. It's been great. One afternoon as the kids had friends over I popped a bowl of popcorn and spread a blanket outside and we all just basked. Well, I basked. Bitty and Stomper did what they always do - they went straight for the dirt. And Bundle experimented the new variety of flavors and textures to be enjoyed (put in her mouth) in the great outdoors. She tells me that grass is okay but dirt is a little gritty. And don't even try keeping that girl away from popcorn. She adores the stuff and will climb any obstacle in her way to get to it. By the way, why do I forget every year that kids burn in the sun? The air is so cool and refreshing, the sun so warm and inviting that I completely forget to sunscreen and I toasted poor Bundle's neck. Sorry honey. I'm now equipped with the sun block and sunhats now. It only takes one sacrificial pale little neck each year to get me back on the ball.

A few photos of our lovely afternoon out:

But You Won't Eat a Green Pepper?

My kids. Don't get them. The whole 'eat your vegetables' thing is kinda rough at our house. Okay, Bitty's pretty good, but Stomper? The person who can get his daily quota of veggies in that boy is a better parent than I. I can barely get the kid to choke down a smoothie. But you know what my kids are crazy about? Just absolutely wild for? Seaweed. Yes, seaweed. Roasted and salted sheets of seaweed. When my parents came to pick me up from my mission in Korea we had seaweed several times. My dad said, "Mmmmmm. It's like eating ...crunchy, ...salty paper." My mom said, "Ewwww. It's like eating ...crunchy, ...salty paper." Funny. I guess my kids are more on the "crunchy, salty paper is yummy" side of things. Even Bundle's in on it. I'm sure it's not the best way to fill a kid with dark green vegetables, but it's better than a McNugget, right?

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Wrestling

I have entered the baby phase with Bundle in which we are in a Herculean wrestling match at all times. She wants to get down and walk, but she doesn't know she can't walk yet. She wants to grab everything within her visual range, but she doesn't know that there are things that will cut her or burn her. She wants to put everything she touches into her mouth, but she doesn't know that dog hair picked off the carpet is not actually a delicious thing. I guess I'm not sure on that one, having never really tried it, but I'm going with the popular opinion on this one. She also has a knack for locating any chokeable item instantly, zeroing in on it and then lunging for it with all her tiny might. Yeah, I'm not getting a ton done around here.

I would just like to say one thing. Normally, there is no one to blame but myself for the spills and stains you can see dotting my clothing on any given day. In a heroic effort to show his love for me, Troy calls my super-splashy food habits "endearing," but we know the truth. However, yesterday, as I sat at a lovely Thai lunch with my sister, I was engaged in a non-stop battle over noodles, lettuce, chopsticks, beverages, ice, napkins, baby toys, and more with Bundle that did not let up for the entire hour. The food on my clothing? NOT my fault. Yet, still kind of endearing. She'll only be 9 months for about 2 1/2 more weeks, right?

Thursday, March 11, 2010

The Last Mess!

I've had a month of messes. Serious messes. I have baked cakes for parties. I have made chili for cook-offs (okay, just one of those). I have thrown a party for my husband, I have helped make breakfast for 75 people. It has been a busy month! Then Tuesday night was the culminating feast - our church dinner for the ladies, which I made. It was a lovely evening, and I had great help from many people. Want to see what I came home to that night?


A big ole' mess, that's what. Which is what I seem to be best at making. Luckily it wasn't actually that tough to clean up. And I am officially calling my busy month of cooking done! Done! Wait. I just signed up to cook soup for the teachers next week for parent teacher conferences. Great.

You know, I'm reading this silly little book called "Being the Mom." Nothing deep, just some funny stories and good reminders. I am not sorry I'm making soup next week - I'm remembering to be grateful for my 'have to's.' Making soup for teachers means that there are good teachers out there. I am grateful for a good school for my kids, and I'm grateful to have kids at all. Might as well make soup for what I'm grateful for!

I am certain I can manage soup without creating THIS kind of mess, though, don't you think?

Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Where'd My Baby Go?

Do you ever have one of those moments when you look at your child and they seem to have suddenly grown up by a great leap just overnight? You'd think all the growing and developing would happen so gradually but I tell you, it doesn't always go that way! Yesterday I found myself watching Bundle in amazement all day long. She just seemed so much bigger than the day before. I'm sure it had to do with the fact that she was wearing this cute little pair of big-girl jeans instead of a soft baby romper. Also, she figured out how to pull herself to standing yesterday. Her hair just seemed a little longer, her face a little more grown up. She had a light in her eye that seemed new. A light of discovery, it must have been. "Hey! I am going to figure out how to get around by myself!" It's so endearing, so exciting, and awe-inspiring too. And sad. So I'm going to post a picture of her from what doesn't seem that long ago, just to remind me of my soft new little Bundle.


Thursday, March 04, 2010

Kid Updates

Stomper received a book as a gift a couple of days ago. He was so excited, and even read it to me, which is really saying something. (The reading thing has been somewhat of a challenge, to say the least.) Of course when I saw what the book was I just about jumped out of my skin. The single most frightening book of my entire childhood! Can you guess what it was? Does the phrase, "pale green pants with nobody inside them" ring a bell? Oh Dr. Suess! I know you thought it was a good idea to write about overcoming your fears but seriously, that book, with it's dark night-time pages and creepy empty pants running around following the little guy - that was just scary! Stomper seemed to think it was hilarious and read with great theatrical gusto, but even now I get the willies just looking at those pale green pants! With nobody inside them!


Speaking of great theatrical gusto, Stomper's little first grade class just put on a rousing production of The Owl and the Woodpecker. (Heard of it? Me neither.) Stomper, who played both a pirate and a crocodile, was so cute - he belted out his lines most heartily. It made me come to a decision. Next time he has a speaking part in the annual church primary program and he tells me he's just too shy I'm going to tell him bull-oney. A definite shout-out goes to the drama, music and dance teachers at Wasatch who put a LOT of work into these productions. I enjoyed watching their directions from the floor as much as I enjoyed the kids.


And Bitty. Oh Bitty. We go through great times and then suddenly she's all off kilter or something. Seriously. Two weeks of cheerful happy loving little daughter and then overnight she turns a corner. "Mom, I WISH I were you." "Why, honey?" "Because then I wouldn't have to LISTEN to you."

Also, how do I respond to this one? "Mom I did something gross at school today. Okay, it was kind of sweet." Uh oh. "What did you do, Bitty?" "Brennon and I were pretending to get married so I kissed him. On the lips." We proceeded to have a conversation about keeping kisses special just for our family, but she seemed to have an answer for everything. Also this week she let me know that I was not to 'boss her.' I responded that oh yes I was supposed to boss her because I AM THE BOSS! She politely informed me that actually I'm not the boss all by myself, but that daddy is also a boss. Well guess what, darlin', he's on MY side! Now shut it! Of course I didn't actually say that, but I have wanted to several times the past few days. Sheish! What happened?

Wow. I look really tired in that picture. Maybe because I am.... should go to bed..... Bitty's still talking to me from her bed behind a closed door. I wish I were her! Because then I wouldn't have to LISTEN to her. Just kidding. She's charming and hopefully she'll like me again in the next few days.

Happy! Birthday!


There you go, folks. THAT's what 40 candles look like. Thanks to Troy's parents Morris & Carol for spending the time planting those candles in the little cake garden there - I guess it must have helped them pass the time with all three of our kids (did you hear that! All three!) while Troy and I went out for dinner at our favorite; Bombay House. Happy Birthday, Troy.


Also celebrating a milestone yesterday was little Bundle, who hit her 9 month mark. Shock. Awe. How does this happen? Time marches on unrelentingly, bringing with it new joys to savor every day and sadness of letting go too.


Bundle is a delight. She's happy, hilarious, and prefers to sleep within a 10 foot radius of her mother. She loves growling, chattering away with new sounds every day, flapping her arms, and seems to favor frustrating herself by flopping onto her tummy and not crawling. We're a pretty happy bunch around here.

Tuesday, March 02, 2010

Movie Night


I think it must have been shortly after Bundle's birth that I instigated our official movie night. Troy goes to church meetings every Tuesday night and sometimes he's there pretty late. I was needing a distraction for my big kids especially in those first few months when new babies are especially fussy in the evenings - something for the kids to look forward to, to motivate them to get along and finish up homework quickly and most importantly keep them busy while I put the baby to bed and cleaned up the house. They're very cute about it - we take turns choosing the movie and the kids always know just whose turn it is. Though during the day they'll bicker about the television, on movie night they try to choose movies that the other child will enjoy. We push our big green oversized arm chair and ottoman up to the t.v. and turn out the lights. Of course there is popcorn. I am sorry to say, dear husband, that although we miss you on those long Tuesday nights, movie night is a really fun tradition.

And now, Bundle wants in on it. We were late getting started on movie night this evening so I was still getting things situated when I started the movie. (Tonight's selection was "Sword in the Stone," a Disney classic in my book; I just love that squirrel scene, don't you?) I needed to stick Bundle someplace while I popped the corn, mixed up the chocolate milk and snuck some apples in there in hopes of any nutrition making its way into my children whatsoever. So I plopped her on the chair between the big kids. I've put her there before and she got really irritated but tonight she took right to it. (I'm trying to train my children early to enjoy the t.v.) She sucked on an apple slice and watched about 15 minutes of the show - it was really sweet to see my little trio enjoying our movie night. I guess it won't be long until she cuddles up there with them every time.


Monday, March 01, 2010

Tooooo Much TeeeeeVeeeeee.......


I'm surfacing from my massive Olympics Binge. I just can't help myself. Every two years I find myself absolutely glued to the television just glutting myself on them. Until I've had enough. This year it happened on Saturday morning. I had been doing my normal thing; finding any excuse to be in front of the television queuing up another episode of the Olympics telecast when suddenly I realized I was done. It was right in the middle of the side-by-side snowboard thing when I noticed that I no longer cared. Over the past 15 days or so I hadn't missed a moment. (Okay, I did fast-forward through a few bobsled runs and the like, but you can hardly blame me. The camera work on those long icy paths just makes me nauseated.) I even watched most of the ice-dancing and am a little sheepish to admit that I thought the final performances were pretty neat. (Aboriginal costumes aside.) And then..bam. Done. Please let me turn this off and go DO something.

Obviously the blogging has lagged a little in the meantime. I can't place the entire blame on the Olympics; part of it goes to my almost-9-month old. She spends her entire days either being carried around by me, briefly sleeping, or being set down to play, instantly rolling onto her tummy and then getting really mad that she can't crawl yet. I'm not getting much done around here. Trust me, you should see the house. I'm up at quarter to twelve tonight determined to get the last load of laundry in the dryer before I retire.

I have a few blog posts to catch up on, but I think I'll just quickly post a couple of sweet-fat-nekid baby pictures because they make me happy. Nothing like elbow dimples to make me smile.