It's Time

We have been talking about this for a while now. We are going private. Plus, since I stupidly put our last name in the URL of this blog, we are changing the blog address. We figured it's a good time since we just moved and all. Now no crazys can find us. Anyway, I'm sending an email to any one in my contact list with the new blog URL and an invite to view it. If you don't get the email, leave me a post on this blog or send me an email.

Meow!!

I finally watched last night's American Idol with Alysson. I'm a huge Adam fan, but Alysson kind of ruined him for me. She told me she thinks he sounds like an angry cat.

T-Ball

Alysson is playing T-ball and had her first game last Saturday. It was pretty funny. Everyone gets a turn to bat each inning. There are no outs and no score, so no winner. I'm not sure how much she really gets. She likes to bat, but can't figure out how to run the bases. The dads on each base had to constantly direct her. And she got upset if the ball wasn't hit to her everytime so she could get it and throw it. Scott was able to go to the game. I was so excited because it might be the only one he gets to see. Anyway, her are some pictures.


First hit


Safe at first


On to third


HOME!!


What's she doing?




So cute!


Water break


Snacks after the game; the best part.

Still my baby

With Carson turning into such a little boy with his climbing and 3 words (eat, cracker, and doggie) I miss my little baby that I could just hold and cuddle. But someone once told me that as long as your child sleeps with their bum in the air, they are still your baby.



Lucky for me because Alysson still does this too.

Funny kid items and updates

First Carson.

Carson is a climber! A major climber! He gets on the couch and climbs over the arm rests to the end table and then onto the other couch. And he jumps and hangs over the back with his head pointed straight at the hard floor. And he gets on the kitchen table and walks around. So, now all the chairs have to be put up on the table and counters so he can't climb them. And he can move things around to use as ladders. What a fun phase this is. But then you make him get down and he has such a cute sad face, you just want to let him climb again.

Now Alysson. This is just a list of funny things she has said in the past week.

My parents took us to dinner. When Scott prompted her to say thank you to grandma and grandpa, she replied, "Why, we didn't even go to their house."

When asked when she turns 5, she stared at the person like they were an idiot and answered, "On my next birthday." I almost heard a little "Duh" come out.

When asked what she wanted for lunch, she chose a grilled cheese sandwich, but kept insisting Carson could not have any. It took me a few minutes to realize she thought it was called girl cheese sandwich.

And the best for last. She was playing on the floor and the TV was on. A Bolt commercial came on, and she literally yelled at the TV, "I already know about Bolt. Stop telling me about it." Then she stomped over and turned it off.

Good News and Bad News

So the bad news is we have to move. I realized this day was coming, but in the back of my mind, I secretly held out hope that something would happen and we would get to stay. So, to have things official and know for sure we are moving makes me very sad. I love our house, our neighborhood, our ward, and that my parents live 3 minutes away. But I know this is the right step for our family.

Now the good news. We are moving because Scott matched into a surgery program!! This is so exciting. This is what he really wants to do, and I couldn't be happier that he gets to do it. He has worked hard and totally deserves it. Because the medical field likes to play games, all we know is that he matched with a program, not where. We have to wait until Thursday so everyone finds out at the same time. I think it is totally lame, but what can I do. So, stay tuned to find out where we are moving.

Congratulations Scott!!

I'm So Glad When Daddy Comes Home

Alysson learned I'm So Glad When Daddy Comes Home in Primary and sings it almost every day when Scott is on his way home. Both the kids freak out and run to give daddy a hug, if they are lucky enough to be awake when he gets home. Thanks for working so hard for us, Scott.

Fire station field trip

Last week, Alysson's class went on a field trip to the fire station. One of the dads of a little girl in the class is a fireman and gave us a fun tour. The kids got helmets, sat in the truck, watched someone put on a full suit, and practiced their stop, drop, and roll.

T-Ball!!

Alysson is signed up to play on a t-ball team with some friends from school and church. The other day, Scott helped her pick out her first mitt and ball and bat. I'm so excited to watch her play. She got a pink mitt!



Learning how to put the mitt on.



Catching the ball.



Showing off her pink mitt.

Finally catching up

So, I'm finally posting a bunch of updates. First, some pictures from our trip back east. Scott had an interview in Pennsylvania, so we flew out with him. Then we spent a day in Philadelphia before he flew to another interview in Ohio. The kids and I drove to Virginia to visit my best friend Julie and her kids. We had so much fun! Alysson and Julie's son Luke played non-stop for 3 days. I've never seen anything like it. No fighting, no breaks unless we made them. Just playing for hours all day.



We saw the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. Seeing all this history stuff whenever we are back east makes me get all teary and grateful I was blessed to be born in America. But as you can tell from the picture, Alysson was less than impressed. But she did remember it because after we were home, she saw some stamps of the Liberty Bell on some mail and she recognized it and got all excited that she saw it.



We went to a dinosaur museum in Philadelphia. Alysson got to dig for dinosaur bones.



This is Alysson and Luke on one of our days in VA when we told the kids they needed to calm down for 30 minutes and take a break. So, they played their Leapsters on the couch.



This is Alysson and Luke in the tent they were supposed to sleep in. Of course that idea failed because two four-year-olds can't settle down in they are in a tent together. But they had fun. I just love that our kids get along. I've known Julie for 12 years now, since we were freshman in college. And yes that does mean I'm turning 30 this year.

Visit to Carson City

The kids and I drove with my mom to Carson City this past weekend to visit my brother and his wife and son. It was a VERY LONG drive through all those tiny little towns on a two-lane highway, but we made it. The kids were literally screaming at the end.

The morning we woke up to leave, Alysson ran into Carson's room and shouted, "Carson, it's time to get up so we can go to your city." The name thing hadn't even occurred to me. Then when we finally pulled into the city and Carson was fussy, Alysson said, "It's okay Carson, we are in your city." Then she asked if this was were we got him.

We got to see the Capitol and the legislature building. I saw all this when I was in high school, but it was much cooler this time. I don't think the kids appreciated it though.

Poor baby Lucas, who will always be known as baby Lucas to Alysson even when he is in college, was sick the whole time. Really sick. But he was so patient when we invaded his house every day.

We went to church there, and they let Carson go to nursery, which is a little over a month early. He did so great and didn't cry once. When I went to pick him up, he was sitting at the table coloring. He didn't even notice me at first. He looked so cute at the little table with his crayons. When he finally realized I was there, he looked at me and gave me a big scream, which is Carson for "Hello, I'm so happy to see you."

One day we were all trying to get Lucas to say dada. Then my mom said, "Say grandma" over and over. Out of no where Carson says grandma as clear as anything. We all stopped and stared, but of course he wouldn't say it again. He just went back to his usual screaming and grunting.

Of course I have no pictures because I'm horrible at taking pictures. But we had a great time.

Alyssonisms

Two funny/cute things Alysson did this week.

First, I was hosting a playgroup for Carson's age kids in the ward on Thursday. So Alysson's friend was taking her to school in the morning. When Alysson asked why she was getting a ride to school, I told her Carson was having some friends over. She asked how many, and I said four. So, she ran and found four of her dinosaurs and told me they were for Carson and his friends to play with. She even said she got the big ones so the little kids wouldn't choke on them if they put the dinosaurs in their mouths. She is so thoughtful.

Next, Alysson told me she likes that one show where the people come and sing, and their teachers laugh at them because they don't sing very good, and mommy and daddy laugh at them too. I asked if she meant American Idol. She said she did. Then I asked why she liked it, and she said it was fun to laugh at the people. What am I teaching my four-year-old?

I think I won't make my bed tomorrow

This is a little long, and maybe not a typical blog entry. But my most wonderful Aunt Jana wrote a blog entry once about how it's fun to use blogs to show friends and family what's going on in our lives, but they should also be used to show how we sometimes don't have it all together, so everyone can relate to one another. So, I'm taking that as permission to post this because I think it will help me make some changes in my life.

So, for book club this month, we read The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch. You've all probably heard of him or seen him on YouTube. Anyway, I, of course, waited until the week of book club to start the book. But it was okay because it is a super easy read, so everyone should take a few hours and read this book. There is something in it for everyone.

Anyway, I started it on Monday night, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about this one particular story he relates. When he was a teenager, he asked his parents if he could paint things on the walls of his room. When his parents ask what he would paint, he says, "Things that matter to me. Things that I think would be cool. You'll see." Which was enough for his father to say yes. His mother was more skeptical, but gave permission as well. I know I would never allow that. What would guests think? What if we wanted to sell the house? Anyway, his friend and sister helped him paint all sorts of funny, teenage things on his walls. In all the years that have passed, his wise parents never painted over it. Even in his 40s, when he would go home to visit, he could go in his room and remember that he won the "parent lottery."

He concludes the story by writing, "Anybody out there who is a parent, if your kids want to paint their bedrooms, as a favor to me, let them do it. It'll be okay, Don't worry about the resale value of your home."

So, this has been on my mind all week, and I really want to be like his parents. And not just allowing my kids to paint their walls. I think there is more to it than that. I have become so consumed with keeping the house clean and organized, and following a schedule, and being on time, and not making messes. I'm sure it is because I feel so totally out of control in my life right now with Scott's schedule. But, I actually told Alysson the other day that she couldn't have Ritz crackers for a snack because they make too much crumbs. Then a few days later, she had some other crackers and got crumbs everywhere, and she apologized to me. And I felt so bad about that and tried to tell her it was okay, but she started helping me clean them up. And tonight, my dad came over to watch the kids so I could go to book club. So, I heard him say something to Alysson about reading books, plural, after she was ready for bed, and I said, "No, just one." Like Alysson getting to read an extra book with her grandpa is going to throw all my little routines out the window.

At book club, I mentioned all this, and someone told me about this quote from Sister Hinckley.

"My mother taught me some basic philosophies of rearing children. One is that you have to trust children. I tried hard never to say "no" if I could possibly say "yes." I think that worked well because it gave my children the feeling that I trusted them and they were responsible to do the best they could."

So, this is my new goal. I know it's not going to be easy. But I'm going to put that quote on my mirror, and I'm going to try really hard to lighten up, and let my kids be kids. And someday, if Alysson or Carson want to paint their walls, I hope I've had enough practice by then to say yes.

What I've done

I was blog hopping and found this on someone's blog and decided to do it.

Things I have done... Just copy and paste this to your blog and bold the ones that you HAVE done and make sure to put your score at the end.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity (if $20 counts)
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo (I played a solo on the oboe, so I think it counts)
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Gone without food or water for 24 hours or longer
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Stayed up for 24 hours with NO sleep at all
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Changed a light bulb
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Mowed the lawn
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

My total is 46.

Christmas and Alysson's 4th Birthday

I'm finally getting around to these photos. We had a great Christmas. Scott had to work in the morning, so Alysson wrote a note to Santa to take the kids presents to grandma and grandpa's house. Then when Scott got home about lunch time, we all went over there and did the santa thing. I was kind of sad about it, because I love seeing the kids faces on Christmas morning, but at least Scott got to spend the rest of the day with us.

Then 4 days later, it was Alysson's 4th birthday party. She wanted a dinosaur party. The kids each got dinosaur masks, and decorated a bucket and dug in the sand for eggs to put in their bucket. And we had a pinata and did a volcano. My mom made the great cake! I love the cookie cakes she makes!

Then 2 days later we left for two weeks. More on that in the next post. Anyway, here is a slide show for anyone who has time.

Cracking up

It's been a while because it was Christmas and then Alysson's birthday and then we left for almost 2 weeks. So, we are finally winding down from the holidays, and I have tons to report, but I'm very tired, so one quick story.

I really try not to laugh when Alysson says things that are funny because I don't want to embarrass her. But this made me laugh out loud on a plane full of people today.

She was talking about how she doesn't remember when she was a baby like Carson. And then it led to asking if Carson remembers when he was in my tummy. I reminded her he never was in my tummy and told her the adoption story again. Then she said, "But I was in your tummy, right." And I said yes. And then she says, "Yea, until I cracked out." Like an egg! So funny. I love her view of the world.