Adopted on Friday, November 27, 2009.
ESF is a very, very happy boy. I mean, father. :)
11.27.2009
Little Volksy
Please allow us to introduce you to the newest member of our family.....
Adopted on Friday, November 27, 2009.
ESF is a very, very happy boy. I mean, father. :)
Adopted on Friday, November 27, 2009.
ESF is a very, very happy boy. I mean, father. :)
11.20.2009
A Little Convo With Au Contraire
We had the following conversation on the way home from running some pre-Thanksgiving errands yesterday. Draw whatever conclusions you will.
AC: Mom, do you know what kind of mom I'm going to be?
Me: (thinking about what this might insinuate about my own parenting) A good mom?
AC: No.
Me: A nice mom?
AC: No. Guess again!
Me: A fun mom?
AC: Nope. I'm going to be a mom that does stuff and the dad stays home and babysits.
Me: (grinning from ear to ear) What kind of stuff?
AC: Oh, lots of stuff. Like when I need to go do circus clown stuff.
So you can totally understand this conversation, you must know that my first born wants nothing more from her forthcoming adult life than to be a mother to 6 children--all of whom already have names--and to be a circus clown that does tricks and rides a bike that can go upside down.
AC: Mom, do you know what kind of mom I'm going to be?
Me: (thinking about what this might insinuate about my own parenting) A good mom?
AC: No.
Me: A nice mom?
AC: No. Guess again!
Me: A fun mom?
AC: Nope. I'm going to be a mom that does stuff and the dad stays home and babysits.
Me: (grinning from ear to ear) What kind of stuff?
AC: Oh, lots of stuff. Like when I need to go do circus clown stuff.
So you can totally understand this conversation, you must know that my first born wants nothing more from her forthcoming adult life than to be a mother to 6 children--all of whom already have names--and to be a circus clown that does tricks and rides a bike that can go upside down.
11.18.2009
What Are You Thankful For?
I saw this on another blog that I read. I had to share it because it made me smile and today I need to remember what I'm grateful for...
Today I'm thankful....
That I got to live in New York for seven years.
For the people I met in NY and my experiences there.
For my sweet little kids who love me and need me.
For my husband who works hard so I can stay home and so we can have the things we need.
For a washer and dryer, dishwasher, central air, a driveway, and more room in our house. You forget how wonderful those things are until you don't have them.
For good friends who bring joy to my life just by being there. (Especially Nat, Whitney, Aubrey, Liza, Kelly, ChyAyn, and Liz. There are many more.)
For mountains and the beautiful area where I live.
For gardens and the bounty that comes from them (I can't wait to plant one again next summer).
For comfy flip-flops from Brazil that I wear every single day.
For nights when I get more than two hours of consolidated sleep.
For my gym membership and early mornings shared with strangers who inspire me to get up and workout even though I'm often too tired and too cold to get out of bed.
That I have been able to re-prioritize my life.
For my calling/job at church with the young women.
For lovely photographs of ancestors on my side and the Johnson side.
For my hands--the best tools in the kitchen. I hope they keep working for many years.
For music. Good music.
For the great night last night at Rooster with my cousins and aunt--the ramen was delicious, the conversation was marvelous, and the hazelnut cream that came with my lava cake was out-of-this-world.
For challenges and hardships that have forced me to grown and be better.
For my midwives who have given me a safe place to go and a listening ear when I need help (or more Zoloft). :)
For my husband's aunts who become dearer to me each day.
For naptime (which is upon me)
For my little redhead who is signaling that my computer time is now over.
10.01.2009
I Can Update With The Best of You!
Update: We are still alive and breathing. The kids are still pooping, barfing occasionally, staying up too late and waking up too early, throwing their meals on the floor, fighting excessively with each other, stripping and escaping from the house, undoing the attempts at an organized house, eating cookies for breakfast and ignoring their parents.
That about covers things....
Oh, and here's a few pics that don't involve many of the above! Just click on them. I don't know why they are so flippin' small. Sorry.
Oh! I just figured it out! See how gigantic this picture is?! Maybe the next one should be a little smaller...
Better. But look at all that red hair!!! I know. You don't have to tell me how darling she is. When I want to hear that I call my mom or my sister. Or I listen to my own voice saying it over and over all day long. SHE'S SO FREAKING CUTE!
She's walking! She's running! Pretty soon she'll figure out how to drive stick shift.
Au Contraire figured out how to ride Mr. X's bike this summer. She was praying almost every single night for a bike, excuse me FOUR bikes, that would be faster than her friend E's trike.
My garden did well this year. I picked this many veggies every other day once everything started ripening.
What about Mr. X? He's not going pulling much of a showing in this update because he keeps calling me "But, Mom" or Butt-Mom. Whatever you like better. I prefer "Your Majesty", but it's too hard for him to say. Sometimes he calls me Tinkerbell. She also has a big bum, if you remember correctly from the Disney movies. (Ahem.)
Speaking of Disney movies...our children are wearing costumes from last year's clearance rack at Target. Sweet. I love it when I can buy something and they can wear it for three years. They will wear the same costumes again next year. Mr. X is going as "Buzz Lightyear, Star Command!" (no pic)
AC is going as Cinderella. She wore this pretty much every single day for a week until I hid it from her.
Number 3. She's going to as a bee. Or maybe a cherub. Or pixie. She's too cute for a cheap costume from the clearance section.
Mischief abounds.
Next time I tell them they can paint, I'm going to Home Depot first to get some latex paint and a few rollers. This activity kept them busy for HOURS while I was maybe on the phone in the other room talking with my friend...who lives down the street...for over 1 1/2 hours...hypothetically speaking, of course.
ESF came home while I was still on my phone call and demanded that I get pictures of this event for posterity. Of course I feigned anger and disappointment in my kids for painting on the walls, table, toy room and toys, each other, Number 3....it just wiped off. (And I may or may not have been sort of negligent.) Also, bigger fish to fry.
AC hijacked a photo session I had going with some gorgeous fall pears.
Mr. X hijacked AC's photo sesh to tell me he wanted to look at pictures of Thomas on the LCD of my camera. He even got out of the bath and dripped his way to our office to tell me that. (On second thought, maybe I should have him be Grandpa Munster for Halloween. Thoughts?)
To sum up, AC still loves her Baby Piggy (who made a quick trip to Switzerland as a boy pig and came back as a female), Mr. X still loves Pubs (pooh bear), and the baby mugs on me as she has not yet found a cuddly soft friend of her own yet. Though she does show an affinity for whatever stuffed toy her brother and sister happen to have in their hand at any given moment.
If you want to see the rest of the pics from our (BO-ring) summer, be sure to click here for the full set. In case you missed that--HERE.
That about covers things....
Oh, and here's a few pics that don't involve many of the above! Just click on them. I don't know why they are so flippin' small. Sorry.
 |
| From My Pictures |
 |
| From My Pictures |
 |
| From My Pictures |
 |
| From My Pictures |
 |
| From My Pictures |
She's walking! She's running! Pretty soon she'll figure out how to drive stick shift.
 |
| From My Pictures |
 |
| From My Pictures |
Au Contraire figured out how to ride Mr. X's bike this summer. She was praying almost every single night for a bike, excuse me FOUR bikes, that would be faster than her friend E's trike.
 |
| From My Pictures |
My garden did well this year. I picked this many veggies every other day once everything started ripening.
What about Mr. X? He's not going pulling much of a showing in this update because he keeps calling me "But, Mom" or Butt-Mom. Whatever you like better. I prefer "Your Majesty", but it's too hard for him to say. Sometimes he calls me Tinkerbell. She also has a big bum, if you remember correctly from the Disney movies. (Ahem.)
 |
| From My Pictures |
Speaking of Disney movies...our children are wearing costumes from last year's clearance rack at Target. Sweet. I love it when I can buy something and they can wear it for three years. They will wear the same costumes again next year. Mr. X is going as "Buzz Lightyear, Star Command!" (no pic)
AC is going as Cinderella. She wore this pretty much every single day for a week until I hid it from her.
 |
| From My Pictures |
Mischief abounds.
Next time I tell them they can paint, I'm going to Home Depot first to get some latex paint and a few rollers. This activity kept them busy for HOURS while I was maybe on the phone in the other room talking with my friend...who lives down the street...for over 1 1/2 hours...hypothetically speaking, of course.
 |
| From My Pictures |
 |
| From My Pictures |
 |
| From My Pictures |
 |
| From My Pictures |
 |
| From My Pictures |
AC hijacked a photo session I had going with some gorgeous fall pears.
 |
| From My Pictures |
 |
| From My Pictures |
To sum up, AC still loves her Baby Piggy (who made a quick trip to Switzerland as a boy pig and came back as a female), Mr. X still loves Pubs (pooh bear), and the baby mugs on me as she has not yet found a cuddly soft friend of her own yet. Though she does show an affinity for whatever stuffed toy her brother and sister happen to have in their hand at any given moment.
If you want to see the rest of the pics from our (BO-ring) summer, be sure to click here for the full set. In case you missed that--HERE.
7.10.2009
Summer Pictures
 |
| My Pictures |
Part 1--includes pictures of messy eating, bathing, Mr. X's birthday party with cousins, swimming with cousins, random acts of naughtiness and cuteness caught on camera, pictures from the 4th of July, and our wee garden.
5.21.2009
Update: End of May '09
I actually have pictures and funny stories to post about the wee ones. Some of them are sitting in drafts waiting to be published. There are a bunch of pictures scattered all over my food picture files waiting to be edited and deposited into the correct folders for the kids pics. I just can't get it together. No, no, no. That's not entirely true. I'm blaming my kids.
Au Contraire:
She has become a potty mouth by accident. I won't tell you what she told me yesterday. Let me just say (so we all know the truth) she did not hear it from her father's mouth. I'm the one who swears like a sailor. Is there a 12-step program for this? I only do it when I'm mad. I swear that is the honest truth. (I'm mad a lot.)
AC gets completely lost in her Land of Make Believe. It's wonderful. One day we are all Care Bears, another we are dogs. Who says watching television all day fries your brain cells? She would never come up with stuff without TV. (And when would I do all the stuff I want to do?)
She is still "practicing" going potty at night. Yeah, she's 4 1/2 years old. She's been potty training for about 2 years now. (Who's counting?) She tells us it's just going to take her a "few more days" to do it.
She and Mr. X are having the time of their lives and have become the best of playmates. They are finally united against a common enemy--Number 3. As they say, "My enemy's enemy is my friend."
At the same time, she is Mr. X's little mother. She is constantly bossing him around and keeping him in line--curiously, though, it's never when he's doing something *really* naughty. When that happens, she joins in on the fun.
Mr.Xcitment:
If you look in the dictionary under the word "naughty", I'm pretty sure you would find Mr. X's name there. And probably a long definition. And a picture. And pictures of his handy work.
Sure he's cute with those blue eyes that sparkle and twinkle. Sometimes I swear (there I go again with the swearing) I can see them actually twinkle like in the movies. He is soooo cute and soooo naughty.
His favorite thing is to brush his teeth. He doesn't care if it's with his own toothbrush or yours. Or Daddy's. Or AC's. Or if it's the one I use to clean hard to reach places in the toilet. And furthermore, he actually likes grown-up toothpaste that burns the heck out of your mouth. It's all those Sundays spent eating Altoids during Sacrament Meeting. The spicier, the better.
But he redeems himself. Never has there been a little boy who loves to go to sleep at night. It's funny how he's the want I want to snuggle with at night and he's the one who likes to sleep peacefully all night by himself.
He also carries around one or three Magna-Doodles with him everywhere he goes so he can hand it to me to draw one of the trains from Thomas and Friends. They all look the same (I'm no artist!) but to him he sees James or Gordon, or Percy or Emily. And it makes him so happy. It's the small things.
Number 3:
Number 3 has her first fang. We are very proud. It only took about three months for it to surface. The next one isn't far behind.
She's morphed from the Sweetest Baby in The World to The World's Crankiest Baby Who Won't Sleep. And she won't just not sleep in her own bed. She won't sleep in my bed. She likes to be between me and her father, but she likes to kick us and head-butt us all night long.
She's a red head. The stereotype applies here, I'm afraid. Can't wait for the terrible twos with Numero Tres.
Her cuteness is not helping her win any friends these days.
Who am I kidding? Of course her cuteness helps. If she wasn't cute, I would have taken her for a long drive and dropped her off on the side of the road. Then I would have gone to take a nap. (Then I would have come back for her.)
ESF:
ESF is alright. Ask him and he'll tell you that very thing. School ends officially tomorrow at noon. Hooray! I don't know who is more excited about that.
His latest venture has been to learn how to take care of minor things with the cars--oil changes, etc. He keeps them running in tip-tip shape.
He teaches Gospel Doctrine at church once a month--his lessons are awesome.
And finally, he continues to be my taste tester and muse in the kitchen. I'm continually thankful for his help in this area. And he takes out the garbage.
Bangs:
I don't have bangs anymore. I'm trying to come up with a new pseudonym. I hated the bangs after all. Who knew?
Life is the same every. single. day. But I'm still glad I'm home with the munchkins. Knowing how much I love them gets me through the incessant pleads for more water or milk in a specific cup with a certain color of straw.
Some people have big goals--like climbing Mt. Everest or becoming President of the United States. Me? Well, I'm just hoping that I'll get to sleep through the night someday. That and I'd like to use the restroom by myself. Or watch a movie without being interrupted.
_______________________________________________
Life couldn't be better. Really.
Au Contraire:
She has become a potty mouth by accident. I won't tell you what she told me yesterday. Let me just say (so we all know the truth) she did not hear it from her father's mouth. I'm the one who swears like a sailor. Is there a 12-step program for this? I only do it when I'm mad. I swear that is the honest truth. (I'm mad a lot.)
AC gets completely lost in her Land of Make Believe. It's wonderful. One day we are all Care Bears, another we are dogs. Who says watching television all day fries your brain cells? She would never come up with stuff without TV. (And when would I do all the stuff I want to do?)
She is still "practicing" going potty at night. Yeah, she's 4 1/2 years old. She's been potty training for about 2 years now. (Who's counting?) She tells us it's just going to take her a "few more days" to do it.
She and Mr. X are having the time of their lives and have become the best of playmates. They are finally united against a common enemy--Number 3. As they say, "My enemy's enemy is my friend."
At the same time, she is Mr. X's little mother. She is constantly bossing him around and keeping him in line--curiously, though, it's never when he's doing something *really* naughty. When that happens, she joins in on the fun.
Mr.Xcitment:
If you look in the dictionary under the word "naughty", I'm pretty sure you would find Mr. X's name there. And probably a long definition. And a picture. And pictures of his handy work.
Sure he's cute with those blue eyes that sparkle and twinkle. Sometimes I swear (there I go again with the swearing) I can see them actually twinkle like in the movies. He is soooo cute and soooo naughty.
His favorite thing is to brush his teeth. He doesn't care if it's with his own toothbrush or yours. Or Daddy's. Or AC's. Or if it's the one I use to clean hard to reach places in the toilet. And furthermore, he actually likes grown-up toothpaste that burns the heck out of your mouth. It's all those Sundays spent eating Altoids during Sacrament Meeting. The spicier, the better.
But he redeems himself. Never has there been a little boy who loves to go to sleep at night. It's funny how he's the want I want to snuggle with at night and he's the one who likes to sleep peacefully all night by himself.
He also carries around one or three Magna-Doodles with him everywhere he goes so he can hand it to me to draw one of the trains from Thomas and Friends. They all look the same (I'm no artist!) but to him he sees James or Gordon, or Percy or Emily. And it makes him so happy. It's the small things.
Number 3:
Number 3 has her first fang. We are very proud. It only took about three months for it to surface. The next one isn't far behind.
She's morphed from the Sweetest Baby in The World to The World's Crankiest Baby Who Won't Sleep. And she won't just not sleep in her own bed. She won't sleep in my bed. She likes to be between me and her father, but she likes to kick us and head-butt us all night long.
She's a red head. The stereotype applies here, I'm afraid. Can't wait for the terrible twos with Numero Tres.
Her cuteness is not helping her win any friends these days.
Who am I kidding? Of course her cuteness helps. If she wasn't cute, I would have taken her for a long drive and dropped her off on the side of the road. Then I would have gone to take a nap. (Then I would have come back for her.)
ESF:
ESF is alright. Ask him and he'll tell you that very thing. School ends officially tomorrow at noon. Hooray! I don't know who is more excited about that.
His latest venture has been to learn how to take care of minor things with the cars--oil changes, etc. He keeps them running in tip-tip shape.
He teaches Gospel Doctrine at church once a month--his lessons are awesome.
And finally, he continues to be my taste tester and muse in the kitchen. I'm continually thankful for his help in this area. And he takes out the garbage.
Bangs:
I don't have bangs anymore. I'm trying to come up with a new pseudonym. I hated the bangs after all. Who knew?
Life is the same every. single. day. But I'm still glad I'm home with the munchkins. Knowing how much I love them gets me through the incessant pleads for more water or milk in a specific cup with a certain color of straw.
Some people have big goals--like climbing Mt. Everest or becoming President of the United States. Me? Well, I'm just hoping that I'll get to sleep through the night someday. That and I'd like to use the restroom by myself. Or watch a movie without being interrupted.
_______________________________________________
Life couldn't be better. Really.
5.13.2009
Our Favorite Drive
A few months ago, ESF found a great little drive around the southern shore of a nearby lake that takes us through the most lovely countryside.
There are apple orchards and animals grazing in the fields--all along the shore of this lake. And even better, there's hardly another soul around, so it feels like we have the world all to ourselves.
I take this drive about once a week. It takes an hour. It feels like something I can do with all three kids. It's hard to go anywhere with the kids and stay sane. An hour drive with us all trapped (I mean, strapped) in the car is very doable.
On one little stretch there is an orchard where sheep, cows, and emus (yes--the large ostrich like bird from down under) eat the grass that grows under the trees. We stopped yesterday to look at the emus and their big eyes. The kids love it. Yesterday the sheep were freshly sheared and looked sort of naked like in Pixar's Boundin'.
(Unfortunately we did not see any jackalopes.)
On another stretch there are cows grazing by the side of the road--no fences needed. It's fun to see the mommy cows with their babies out in the open.
Further on down the road there is an enclosed area where steers are kept. (Note the difference--cows are female, steers are males that have been "clipped" if you know what I mean.) Sometimes there are these lovely birds with yellow feathers on their chests all lined up along the fence. They are gorgeous. I can't find what their name is--I'm still looking.
I told Au Contraire to look up in the sky. A whole flock of birds--maybe a hundred or more--flew up suddenly in front of the car and into the sky. AC said, "Look, Mom! They're having church up in the sky today!"
There is another pasture right down on the lake that looks like it could be right out of the Yorkshire Dales. It's gentle and green and slightly slopes right down to the water's edge. I don't have a picture of it--next time I go, I'm going to stop and take one. It's where I would love to live in a little farm house right on the lake.
The road winds around through the big apple and cherry orchards. I never knew there were so many. They reach as far as your eye can see. We drove by a few days too late and missed the height of the blossoms. (Next year!) There were still enough blossoms left to see just how many trees there really were--miles and miles and miles.
Each orchard has its own hives, too. I loved seeing the bees buzzing around the trees and the wooden boxes. I kept imaging how yummy the fresh honey would taste. I also made up my mind that I do want to live in the county and have some fruit trees and maybe a beehive of my own so I can enjoy fresh apple or cherry blossom honey.
The remainder of the drive takes us through a small town just south of us. It's absolutely darling with little pioneer houses and old buildings. If we end up staying in the same county, I think that's where I want to settle.
________________________________________________
The best part about taking the drive around the lake and through the orchards is that I appreciated, probably for the first time, how lovely the landscape is where I live. I complain a lot about missing NYC and the commotion. But at the end of the day, I love the wide, open spaces and farmland. I love hearing the crickets at night and being able to see the infinite stars.
Utah is a good place. And so is Cowtown.
There are apple orchards and animals grazing in the fields--all along the shore of this lake. And even better, there's hardly another soul around, so it feels like we have the world all to ourselves.
I take this drive about once a week. It takes an hour. It feels like something I can do with all three kids. It's hard to go anywhere with the kids and stay sane. An hour drive with us all trapped (I mean, strapped) in the car is very doable.
On one little stretch there is an orchard where sheep, cows, and emus (yes--the large ostrich like bird from down under) eat the grass that grows under the trees. We stopped yesterday to look at the emus and their big eyes. The kids love it. Yesterday the sheep were freshly sheared and looked sort of naked like in Pixar's Boundin'.
(Unfortunately we did not see any jackalopes.)
On another stretch there are cows grazing by the side of the road--no fences needed. It's fun to see the mommy cows with their babies out in the open.
Further on down the road there is an enclosed area where steers are kept. (Note the difference--cows are female, steers are males that have been "clipped" if you know what I mean.) Sometimes there are these lovely birds with yellow feathers on their chests all lined up along the fence. They are gorgeous. I can't find what their name is--I'm still looking.
I told Au Contraire to look up in the sky. A whole flock of birds--maybe a hundred or more--flew up suddenly in front of the car and into the sky. AC said, "Look, Mom! They're having church up in the sky today!"
There is another pasture right down on the lake that looks like it could be right out of the Yorkshire Dales. It's gentle and green and slightly slopes right down to the water's edge. I don't have a picture of it--next time I go, I'm going to stop and take one. It's where I would love to live in a little farm house right on the lake.
The road winds around through the big apple and cherry orchards. I never knew there were so many. They reach as far as your eye can see. We drove by a few days too late and missed the height of the blossoms. (Next year!) There were still enough blossoms left to see just how many trees there really were--miles and miles and miles.
Each orchard has its own hives, too. I loved seeing the bees buzzing around the trees and the wooden boxes. I kept imaging how yummy the fresh honey would taste. I also made up my mind that I do want to live in the county and have some fruit trees and maybe a beehive of my own so I can enjoy fresh apple or cherry blossom honey.
The remainder of the drive takes us through a small town just south of us. It's absolutely darling with little pioneer houses and old buildings. If we end up staying in the same county, I think that's where I want to settle.
________________________________________________
The best part about taking the drive around the lake and through the orchards is that I appreciated, probably for the first time, how lovely the landscape is where I live. I complain a lot about missing NYC and the commotion. But at the end of the day, I love the wide, open spaces and farmland. I love hearing the crickets at night and being able to see the infinite stars.
Utah is a good place. And so is Cowtown.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
