May 31, 2012

Big new around these parts.
Not really.
 But you would have thought so based on the kids reactions.
Jake's new i-phone came in the mail.
It was possibly the most exciting thing to happen to our children since... well almost ever it seemed.
In the car earlier Kate randomly proclaimed "I'm so glad Dad got a new i-phone"
and later at the table Sam said "Dad got a new i phone pad mommy!"
Both of them commenting about it out of no where for no reason other than their own excitement.
When Jake arrived home after diner and other household things he sat down to organize or play with his new phone.
But instead Barbie and Lightning McQueen apps were downloaded and the children cheered.

May 31, 2012

A post about Sam and nobody else.

Today is Kate's last day of school.  Somehow that also means and end to the special Sam and me time.
I haven't taken advantage of it nearly enough.
Kate goes to school, M goes to nap, and this boy is at my side.

This morning we actually had errands.
He buckles himself in the car and is oh so pleased to show me when I come around to buckle him in.
On the street from the car he sees a homeless man with a cross raised in the air
"what is the man doing with that X mommy?  he looks like a crazy guy"
"Is your birthday next mommy, what do you think you want for your birthday mommy"
Take the dog to the groomers.
As we take the dog in he knows what to do.  He tells me over and over again
"this is the dog haircut store"
A man has two dogs in his cart- his dogs just shopping with him.
"That man is buying TWO DOGS mommy"
We drop Cola off.  He reassures Cola, "it doesn't hurt Cola, she is scared mommy"
I go to leave the store.
"We didn't look at all the pets mommy.  I want to see the seagulls" (he means parrots)
Well of course.  Silly me.
The cats in cages first.  He remembers there were none last time.
"There are THREE BIG CATS MOMMY"
To the fish
"I want this fish and this fish and this fish.... this fish is all by his self mommy"
To the hamsters.
"Look at the mouse and his training wheels mommy"
We finish and get back in the car.
We stop at Target to get a few things.
"Are we getting bananas mommy!"
I realize that last sentence should end with a question mark, but now when Sam is asking. There needs to be an exclamation question mark for this guy.
When he takes the bananas apart in the cart and I find them
" I sorry mommy"
We find popsicles molds.  We've been looking for them.
We are both excited.
On the way home "Moves like Jagger" comes on.
"is this moves like JAGGER MOMMY"
yes Sam, and he dances and wiggles all the way home "moves like jagger, moves like jagger moves like jagger under his breath"
The solo has nothing on the 15 minute singing nonesence into a microphone he did recently at the ward party to Rock Band though.
We get home.  Before the car is even unpacked or M down for a nap he has his chair puled to the counter waiting to help make the popsicles.
He is instantly at my side begging to help and sit on the counter whenever I cook anything.
Ever since the 1st day of Kate's school where I sat him on the counter and made scrambled eggs just he and I.  Now it is almost a problem.  He insists and throws fits if he is not sitting on the counter while I am cooking anything  and every time.  I need to appreciate it for what it is.
We made the popsicles.  He can't say enough about the colors of the mold sticks.  "I will have blue mommy and Kate will have purple and.... do you like green mommy?"
"Yummy Yummy Yummy Yummy"  "There are getting all dried in the fridgerator mommy"
We take a picture together
"I'm your boy mommy"

And it is true.
I can't love the enthusiasm in his sentences enough.
I can't love that he ends them all, every single one, with "Mommy"
I love my boy

.

May 29, 2012

My kids are awesome.
That is the truth.
Lets start with this pretty girl. Marianne
Not only is she more adorable every day.
She is busy.  Busy Busy Busy.  I have a sprained wrist from wrangling her and all her chubbiness/ bouncing her for 12 straight hours on Sunday I swear.
She crawls speedy fast, and sticks her toungue out and shakes her head in a little dance, she climbs in the entertainment center, she pulls up on things to stand, and then lets go for just one second til she falls to the ground.  She says "Mama, Nigh Nigh, Dada" and Now "hi" but it is more of a "Huuu" with a cute little wave.  Then she claps at herself.

Sam my man had a sick day today.  To much Memorial Day food cheating.
He was whinny but still sweet.  He excitedly came with me to get the car washed.  All smiles and narration about what was happening.  He helped me clean while Kate was at school and M was napping "now it is all shiny and clean mommy" he says.
He is working on not whinning.  He says everything in a super whiny voice that makes my brain explode.  So I tell him to try again.  He says the same thing just softer and raises his eyebrows so he looks excited- but the voice sounds the same.  More practice needed.
Cleaning his room we find a paper he had colored and cut and hid in his closet for Mother's Day for me but forgot about.  He remembers instantly what it is and gives it to me and we hang it on my closet mirror.

Kate got five small  clear plastic animal figurines yesterday from my Mom.  She is in love with them. They are new but she can tell you what each animal is and what slight color tint each has to its ears.  She comes into my room and says "I'm going to give you one of my animals but you get what you get and you don't throw a fit"  I smile at her selflessness to give me one of her animals, I laugh at her quoting "you get what you get" and of course tell her it would make me happy if she kept them and we could play together.

Every night at dinner we do something called "Happy and Sad"  where each person says something that made them happy and something that made them sad for the day.  It is always fun to hear what each person has to say.  Sadly Kate and Sam's Sad thing is always that I yelled at them/ made them do a chore/ wouldn't let them play computer games.  I think the rules need to be changed.  Or I will be the subject of Sad Thing at Dinner for the next 15 years.

Tonight we finally finished the bike wash. It was not as super easy peasy as pinterest pretends.  But it is super awesome.  Sam hasn't warmed up to the idea yet.  Kate liked it but didn't love it.   She stands on one end with her shirt off making gorilla sounds and actions at M through the water. Jake tries to hold both Kate and Sam's hand and run through it, but they both bail on him last minute and he runs under alone.

Silly Kids.
But all asleep before 9pm.
:)

May 24, 2012

"Chocolate" "Milk" and more Grocery Store Drama

We arrived home this morning for our vacation.  And my heart sank a little as I walked into our home.
I liked vacation very much. And am not super excited to get back to real life.
Real life where we rarely see Jake because he is always working.
Real life where I have to watch the kids all by myself with rarely an adult to talk to.
Real life where I buy and spend all our money on special groceries and cook all the  special food and it takes me all day.

And mostly that last one.
We had let a lot of cheating on the lactose free- fructose free diet occur while on vacation.
And today we had to re commit the kids.
So even though we pulled in at 1 am.
At 9am I had to pack the kids back in the car to go grocery shopping.
But grocery shopping isn't just grocery shopping.
It takes hours and multiple stores.
Knowing they were tired of being in the car, I decided to just get a few things to get us to the weekend.
Knowing they were tired of being in the car I attempted to go to a health food store closer to me than Whole Foods that was recently recommended to me.
It was a bust, a waisted 25 minutes.  Load everyone back in the car.
Another store, a few things there, and eventually realizing I am going to have to go all the way to the Whole Foods.  It is only a 20 minute drive or so.  I should have just sucked it up and gone there 1st instead of waisting now almost an hour and a half at two stores with less stuff.
Finally we get what we need for a dinner, two lunches, some breakfast  and some snacks and the most important chocolate milk.
This chocolate milk I had promised him.  My sweetheart.  Repeatedly yesterday as we drove home.
I get the ingredients home.  It has taken me 2.5 hours to collect them.
I pour the special "milk" into his cup.
I take the special dairy free, sugar free, chocolate flavoured "ice cream" and melt a scoop in the microwave.  I stir them together.  He reminds me to shake it.

We have chocolate milk.  And a smile.
Some day I wonder if he will realize what a labor of love his glass of chocolate milk is?
How it takes his mother 2.5 hours to make and costs her about $24 a gallon.
What did you do with your morning?  Because all I did was make my son some chocolate milk.
If I don't unpack the car can I pretend we are still on vacation?

May 22, 2012

A vacation in Utah is amazing!
This week brought us late summer like rainstorms, early spring hail storms, hot summer days and breezy fall afternoons, all in one May week.  It is so beautiful.  It was strange to come to Heber and not have it be home. It is such a familiar place.  Every little thing about it.
The reflection the car makes on the mountain as your round the lake.
The way the air smells like dirt.
The way the snow looks so normal on the mountains even though it is almost June.
How the sun seems just that much brighter.  Is is because we are closer to it, or because there is no smog?
I can't say enough about how much I love this place.

It is so fun to be in Utah.
We visited Lisa and her new twins.
Stayed at Amy's in Lehi for a while and spent tons of time with them
Visited many old friends in Heber including Emilee and Johnny, the two kids our kids have talked about every day since we moved.  It was nice to hear that these children talk about my children still every day too.
At grandmas there are always lots of helping hands with children.
Grandma made us a summer party with our cousins one day.
There was perfect kite flying.
Evening walks.
And those are some funny pictures of M watching Baby einstein. She kinds of loves it so very much, dances and smiles even more than usual if that is possible.
I could have happily filled another week here and still not had enough.
I guess it is lucky we are coming back later this summer.

May 19, 2012

 M and I waiting outside the temple after the sealing.

 It was kind of a long wait outside.  It was a busy day in the temple and the groom got lost momentarily.  The kids started complaining so we told them to clap and they would come out.  So they did.  That and a pack of sweetarts got us through the wait.

 Ali and Alex Lund.

 My immediate family at the temple steps.

 M was so tired and fell asleep finally.

 She had her reception at Solider Hollow, where Jake and I had our reception as well.  Of course with Ali's touches and pinterest it was much more beautiful.

We let Sam cheat his allergy diet and have a cupcake.  He was excited.  But it made him sick of course.

me and my two sisters.

Ali and Alex got married on Saturday.
It was a busy week helping her get ready.  There was lots to do to decorate.  Then we attended her endowment session.  It was actually such a treat to go to the temple not only with Jake but my parents, Craig, Ali and a family friends, as well as Alex and his family.
Then the next day back to the temple to watch her be sealed to her sweetheart. Again in the temple with even more family and friends.  Such a treat.
The reception was beautiful.  The bride was beautiful, and the couple looked so happy.
Jake and the kids were sent home quite early from the events because the kids were exhausted from days of events.  After which it was really nice and I got to have fun at the reception, and of course stay late and clean up.  We are so excited for Ali, her new life as a married girl and to have a new brother in the family.  Our family is getting big!

May 18, 2012

 Marianne likes to be upside down more than most anything.

 Sam being a silly boy.

 Sam with Grandpa

 Jake, Sam, Dad, Mom and Ali

 Samuel and Audrey play the piano, not looking.

 Marianne and Grandma Elaine.

 Choa, Dad and Marianne

 

Craig and girlfriend Choa

Amy and I and Marianne.


My little sister got married this past weekend. She's the one in the picture at the piano at the end.
Her groom's parents had a dinner at my parent's house.
The food was yummy, the company was sweet and my kids stayed up till 11pm.
Our friends Renata took pictures the whole weekend, and I snatched a bunch from her SD card before she left town.  It was awesome to not be the picture taker and still get pictures and actually be in a few.

May 16, 2012

We've been in Utah for the past week.
It has been eventful to say the least.
We were packed and on our way when we learned my Grandpa Daryl had passed away.
We had hoped to see him upon our arrival and were not so lucky.
Though strangely his passing made me feel a bit lucky.

Lucky to have been able to come as a family to his funeral and celebrate his life.  Had we not been already on our way for other reasons, I would have likely just come myself on a quick flight.  It was better to be all together.

Lucky to have such an awesome extended family.  Really it is a treat to get to visit with them all for the morning, even if it is for sober circumstances.  My cousins, aunts and uncles are basically the coolest folks I know.  Seriously.

Lucky to have a daughter partially named for this sweet grandpa- this is where "Andee" comes from as although Grandpa's name was Daryl Anderson- most people he knew just called him Andy.

Lucky to have been able to be his grandaughter and spend some much time with him through out my life.  He lived with our family growing up off and on, and even more recently with my parents while we lived just ten minutes away on the other side of town and were blessed to see him at many Sunday Dinners and such where he would tell me how my children were "such sweet blessings" as he patted them on the head.

The most personal memory I have of my grandfather was when I was about 16.  I composed my first piano number and it was very good, or so thought my 16 year old self.  I shared it with my grandfather- always a music lover and I knew he would love it. He not only loved it, but insisted I get a copy write on it lest anyone over hear and steal my soon to be famous song.  He continually reminded me of this and checked on the statues of this copywrite for the next 10 years. It made me feel pretty great.  And although I did not become a composer, the building his words did, definatley shaped my insecure young self.

We will miss grandpa, but we are so lucky to have known him and have his example to live by.

May 10, 2012

We had Marianne's 9 month check up today.
A bit early.
Her stats
Weight 21lbs- 87%
Height  28 in- 65%
Head 17.5 in 95%

Staying big.
That is my girl
It does my heart so much good to see her so healthy.

She crawls.  And crawls and crawls.  You can't keep her out of anything or anywhere.
She has started to try and climb the entertainment center.
She says lot of sounds but I believe her "mama" and "nigh nigh" are words she says and knows.
She started waving this week.
And is still the most delightful cherub evers.
Some say she is a trick to convince me to have more children.
And it is true.  If ever baby was as delightful as her, I would be willing to go through her horrible pregnancy again and again.  She brings me joy every day.
This year has brought a lot of challenges.  Moving was hard.  And my kids silly tummies that never work and make me worry and cause me so much work and stress make me sad.  But she brings joy to the house and especially to me.  She nurses with me in my bed four or five times a day.  We cuddle and play with her toes.
She giggles, and likes to be swung upside down.
And laughs so hard she can hardly breath daily.
She likes to eat, and nap.  She likes playing with her siblings.  And they like playing with her.
She has started patting us on the back like we do to her.
She squishes up her nose and makes faces at me- she copies me when she does.
She shares a room with her sister now, instead of Mom's closet.
But she still naps in the pack n play in my closet.  It is dark and quiet in there.
She loves the dog and being outside.  But she doesn't like the way the grass feels on her knees.
Saying I love her is the  understatement of the century.
We call her Marianne, MaryAndy, Maize Baby, Angel Baby, My Oso So So, Merry Mary, Mary Berry.

9 months all too fast.
She is more of a little person now than a baby.
She plays outside, and interacts with us.
She has a big girl room with her sister.
She wears clothes Kate didn't wear till she was at least 16 months old.
No more growing up!