Benadryl Cocktail

Are you kidding me!?!

2009-04-16T09:49:00.001-07:00

Is this mid-April or mid-January!?!

On a lighter note...

Breakfast of champions!!!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T14:21:00.000-07:00

This is my little guy's version of an Easter Bonnet. The basket the Easter Bunny brought had this cute little hat in it and my little guy loved it! He's even taking a nap in it as we speak. But let's back up a little to earlier this morning. I was getting ready for church and decided to do my hair curly instead of straight. Well, my little guy comes in and says, "Mommy, you're having a bad day hair. It's so crazy!" Bad day hair indeed. But when I asked him if I looked pretty he said I did so I guess all was not lost.

Some of the other funny/heart-melting/ripping out hair things he's been saying lately:

"Mom, you're my best friend!"
"Mom, I love you biggest big!"
"Hey Mom, how YOU doin'?"
"I don't want to go home ANYMORE! EVER!"
"Mom, can I walk by hand? I won't run around and around and around."

To complete strangers:
"Hi, my name is Jonah. How are you doing?" (as he puts out his hand for a handshake).

When he doesn't want a time out or wants something I have taken away:
"See Mom? I'm not grumpy/sad/crying anymore!"

As cute as he is, my little guy has been a terror this past week! More so than the normal three-year-old attitudeness. (Yes, I just made up that word). The huffy arms folded across the chest, the scowl, the flat out "NO!", the if I ignore you/pretend I don't hear you I can keep doing the thing I'm not supposed to be doing, the if I'm quick noone will notice or if I say I'm SO SO sorry then I won't get in trouble ... the list goes on. If he's in trouble for one thing, it's literally seconds and he's off to do the next thing that will get him in trouble. And I know he knows he's doing something wrong because he will run to his room as soon as I walk in, before I've even said anything. But this too shall pass ... RIGHT!?! My mom says, "Just wait until he's 14." And my response to that is, "If he lives that long." Yesterday I tried to sell him to a lady at Carl's Jr. I guess the silver lining in all of this is he's only a little stink with me, everywhere else he's a little angel. But at the end of the day when you hear, "Guess what, Mommy, I love you biggest big! You're my best friend!" it makes it all okay. For a brief few hours. Until he wakes up at the crack of dawn and it's a new day FULL of naughty possibilities.

Happy Birthday, Monkey Boy!

2009-03-10T20:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to me at Carl's Jr. Play Place!

What a cool birthday present! And yummy cake!

Make a Smilebox photobook

Make a Smilebox slideshow

I can't believe it's been three years! At approximately this time three years ago my little monkey boy was being cut right out of me! I know, TMI, but that's the way it was. It has been such a joy ride since then. My little guy has kept all of us on our toes! He loves to dance and play and slide and jump and run and laugh and so much more. And of course he always keeps us laughing. Today while he was eating his birthday pizza he dropped a piece on the floor and said, "That's not supposed to happen". LOL There are so many cute and fun things he says and he's so smart! He can already identify all his letters and numbers and constantly asks me "What's it says?" Every day is an adventure. Thanks for letting me be your mommy, my amazing little man!

Those were the good old days

2009-02-28T13:40:00.000-08:00

Hell's Kitchen

2009-02-10T20:31:00.000-08:00

Yeah ... so I get out of the shower and smell something not quite right. Barely in a towel I go screaming in to the kitchen to find it and the living room full of smoke. I check the oven and stove - not on. I don't see fire anywhere. When asked, monkey boy just says, "I don't know, Mommy!" Then the microwave beeps telling me my food is ready. And Voila! there it is. One well done chocolate chip cookie. If the microwave hadn't beeped I would not have known what happened because the stool he used to climb on was put back in it's place and the bag of cookies was also put back like nothing had ever happened. Needless to say I was a little freaked out and kept telling my little guy how he could have burned down the house. So when Daddy comes home and asks what he did today he says, "I burned the house, Daddy. I'm sorry." I think they should pay me and make a reality TV show of my life. Take that, Jon and Kate!

Day three

2009-02-04T07:41:00.001-08:00

Are we done yet?

Day two

2009-02-03T09:57:00.000-08:00

Day two started out great! First thing when we got up we went to the potty and TA-DA! my little guy went pee-pee in the potty! He was so excited! We did high-fives and loves and kisses and he got M&M's and good times were had by all. Unfortunately, I can't convince him that every time he sits on the potty can be like that first time. LOL And don't worry, I won't be giving you a day-by-day detailed report. Because who wants to hear about the next time we went to sit on the potty and someone had pooped in their big boy pants. (Hint: I don't wear big boy pants, just so you know). I have a potty training DVD I bought a while back and had to stop watching it when the host said it could take eight months to potty train a child. Here's to the longest eight months of my life! Cheers.

Let the training begin

2009-02-02T17:27:00.000-08:00

Day one: sitting on the potty but no "action" ... at all.
I guess I should be thankful he's at least sitting on the potty.
I think I'm going to have to get a miniature potty instead of
the one you see in this picture. Based on today's
performance I'm pretty sure an accident is waiting to happen.
More accident than normal. I'm so not looking forward to
emptying the big boy chamber pot. Is there someone I can
hire to take him through this process for me? The only reason I'm
doing this is so he can go to preschool in the fall. Don't judge me.

Fo'shizzle

2009-01-20T20:21:00.000-08:00

And Tomorrow Never Came ...

2008-12-12T20:24:00.000-08:00

Well, maybe some day.

I wasn't kidding

2008-12-08T21:37:00.001-08:00

Remember in a past post I listed 7 weird/interesting things about myself? Do you remember that one of them said I'm fundamentally lazy? That's why there haven't been any posts for a while. That and the fact that I didn't feel like I had much to say. However, after the Thanksgiving holiday and preparing for Christmas I should have some fun posts with cute pics. If I can get my rear in gear. I don't know why I'm having such a hard time getting motivated. Maybe I'll do it tomorrow.

Sorry, Dude, that's not a pickle

2008-11-07T13:57:00.000-08:00

Jose Jalapeno (without the stick) and my little guy didn't even bat an eye.

The Day After Election Day

2008-11-05T09:29:00.000-08:00

UGH!

The view outside my front door

"Mmmmmm ... yummy snow!!!

Election Day

2008-11-04T20:39:00.001-08:00

UGH!

Halloween, Baby!

2008-11-01T18:02:00.000-07:00

The cutest little monkey boy ever!!!

On to the next house, stat!

People keep giving me candy - SCORE!

The spoils

Super cool Tigger pumpkin
(artist - my niece)

My little guy had so much fun! I can't believe what an awesome job he did. Every door he said "trick or treat" and "thank you" once he got the candy. We did a loop around a big block and he didn't cry or complain once and it even started to rain. At first I wasn't sure that he got the whole concept of Halloween but all week we talked about it and every day he wanted to put on his costume and get candy. So, when the actual time came he was so excited! Now we just have to figure out what we're going to do with all the candy. LOL All I need is a 2 1/2 year old hopped up on sugar.

Sleeping - or lack thereof

2008-10-23T20:09:00.000-07:00

Lately nap time and bed time have become a huge chore. I don't know why. It never has been before. My little guy used to just get in bed and lay there until he fell asleep. Now it's get out of bed a gazillion times so mommy has to put him back in bed a gazillion times. Yes, a gazillion, and I'm not exaggerating. Much. Most of the time he will just come out of his room and say he wants to watch TV or have a drink but for the past several nights my little guy will tell me that he's scared. For the life of me I can't figure out what a two and a half year old would have to be scared of when he's never been scared of anything before - my fearless little monkey boy. So I take him back to bed and say all the right things, put all his favorite stuffed animals in bed so he's not alone and point out that he has his very own special light right next to his bed. Fortunately, that seems to be working. Now, at nap time, he comes out telling me he can't sleep. What's up with that? He gets up at the crack of dawn and goes hard all day and he tells me he can't sleep. Sometimes while yawning or after almost falling asleep in the car. Give me a break! I'm ready for a nap an hour after I wake up. Today, after about the third or fourth time I put him back to bed I could hear him playing with his toy computer. So I march back in there and tell him it's nap time, put the computer away, and he looks at me and says, in all seriousness, "I'm checking my e-mail!" I am not kidding.

On to the next trial - potty training. My little guy seems to be interested in going potty, asks to sit on the throne every once in a while, always wants to come in when I'm going potty, etc., so I finally broke down and bought a potty seat. I probably could have started this process several months ago but cleaning up "accidents" is not my idea of a good time. And that's why I bought the seat that sits right on top of the toilet because knowing me, if I bought the mini-toilet that sits on the floor, while emptying it I'd somehow trip and dump "everything" all down the front of me. Ick. On the bright side, it makes me giggle every time my little guy says "pee-pee" or "poo-poo". It's just so darn cute! While we're on the subject, when my little guy ... passes gas ... he'll say, "That's me?" and then we'll ask him, "Did you toot?" and he'll say right back, "No, I fart." LOL Mom, I know you're probably shaking your head but come on, it's a little bit funny. Anyhoo, for those of you out there who have potty trained little boys, please let me know what to do to make it less traumatic ... for me.

I've been tagged

2008-10-18T11:04:00.000-07:00

I've been tagged by my long time friend Amy!

Here's 7 random/weird facts about me:

1. I have a piece of my right rib, a piece of my left rib, a piece of my sternum and metal pins in my jaw.

2. On the bright side, I have NEVER had a cavity!!!

3. I am extraordinarily, deathly afraid of heights. (Thanks, Blain)

4. My little guy's birth weight was one ounce more than the combined birth weights of my friend Amy's three babies.

5. In high school, I had a dog named Joey Ramone.

6. I am fundamentally lazy.

7. I have a thing for Irish and Scottish accents. (ie: Bono and Craig Ferguson)

I am tagging these people:

Connie
Melissa
Tricia
Lisa
Kim
Marcy
Christy

Whew ... I almost didn't have 7 people to tag. Click on their names to view their blogs.

Adam and Eve on a raft and wreck 'em

2008-10-16T13:10:00.001-07:00

Last night, ten o'clock, I'm downstairs with my DH relaxin' in front of the big screen. He's got the remote (of course) so I'm trying not to nod off to ESPN. As we're sitting there just enjoying each other's company I hear, "Mommy! Mommy!". Jerking instantly out of my waking dream of purple peanut M&Ms, I run upstairs to check out the sitch because, for all intents and purposes (or intensive purposes, right Mel?), my little guy should be in la-la land. After almost bulldozing right through him at the top of the stairs my little guy just looks at me so sad and says, "My eggs, mommy." It's kind of hard to see but yes, there are three yolk-y casualties in what can only be described as a hilariously muddled attempt at "breh-fuhst". Give the little guy an "A" for effort though, he even got out the frying pan. To be perfectly honest, it took me a few minutes to see the hilarity (note previous post), seeing as how the last couple of weeks have been the ultimate test of disciplining without leaving noticeable marks. Lucky for little guy I remembered an article I read in the Ensign (church magazine) that talked about not yelling. Okay, the article was way more in depth but you get the picture. And since every time I yell little guy cries like his heart is broken I was able to turn that frown upside down and even bring my blood pressure back to a less dangerous level. Let's see how well that holds up the next time a permanent marker is abused.

Short lived but nice while it lasted

2008-10-07T22:44:00.000-07:00

On the bright side ... at least we got to eat dessert in peace.

Oh to be 29 again

2008-10-07T21:23:00.000-07:00

Here I sit. Another year older. The more time goes by, the older I get. Can you believe that? I remember when I used to think people my age were" gettin' up there". I think I can now be considered "middle aged". What's up with that!?!?!?!?!?! I guess being 41 wouldn't be so bad if my biological clock weren't ticking. Ugh ... did I say 41? Just can't wrap my head around that. And I'm gonna be 50. When? Someday. (What movie is that from? Hint: In the movie she says "And I'm gonna be 40" instead of 50 ... anyway ...) It's probably safe to say I wouldn't be feeling my age so deeply if I didn't have a two and a half year old. Let me give you the Reader's Digest version of my day today:

During shower/getting ready time: little guy takes bottle of sesame oil and pours it everywhere.

During computer time: little guy takes everything out of my purse and uses my lipstick to draw on the TV and wall.

During lunch at restaurant: little guy screams/cries/yells "I'm so mad!" then abruptly falls asleep half way through.

During lunch at restaurant: notice rash on little guy's face that looks disturbingly like measles. False alarm, fortunately, but found out from doc it was a post viral rash that is accompanied by irritability. Understatement of the year.

During what should have been nap time: little guy has several trips to time out for messing around in the junk drawer.

During getting ready for date with daddy time: little guy gets black Sharpie permanent marker out of junk drawer and draws on the carpet. Yes I said carpet.

During visit at auntie's house while mommy and daddy are on a date: little guy is an angel.

It's a conspiracy! I was sure I was going to find my little guy tied up out on the front porch with a big sign saying, "Never come back!" when I went to pick him up. But no, when mommy isn't around he loses interest in his "Let's see if we can make the grown ups blubber in a corner" game. And yes, I do still want another one. Go figure.

America, you disappoint me

2008-10-01T21:37:00.000-07:00

I have a love/hate relationship with reality shows so I don't watch them very often. Especially the competitions. I don't like feeling embarrassed or humiliated or crushed for people I don't know. However, tonight was the finale of "America's Got Talent" and there were a couple of contestants that were actually worth watching. In one of my earlier posts I included a video of the brother duo "Nuttin But Stringz" (classical violin mixed with hip/hop) and mentioned Neal E. Boyd (opera). Both of these performers were in the top 5. I only caught the last 15 minutes and would have missed it all together if I hadn't been channel surfing. Well here's my beef - the choosing of the winner was not done by the judges but by "America" at large. People voted for their favorites and whoever got the most votes won. What if all the people who voted were morons? Based on the fact that "Nuttin But Stringz" was voted in third place I'm thinking most of them were. But that's just my humble opinion. At least the winner (Neal) was someone I would have voted for if I'd known I could vote. Check him out -

Interpretive Desitin Smear Art

2008-10-01T21:27:00.000-07:00

Don't ask ... he was supposed to be taking a nap.

He's got the look

2008-10-01T21:25:00.000-07:00

I don't think he could be any cuter!

Little Daddy Man

2008-09-27T19:28:00.000-07:00

So this morning, at an unearthly hour, my little guy and I are sitting on the couch watching TV, tickle wrestling and blanket stealing. Somehow "Puppy" gets involved and I hear, "(sniff) Stinky! Did you poop? (Checks Puppy's bum) Yep! Need to change your diaper!"

Puppy was such a good puppy!

Ahhhh ... that's much better!

Holy pyro, Batman!

2008-09-26T13:17:00.000-07:00

Okay, so there weren't actually any flames but still ... This morning while I was getting cleaned up to go to the store my little guy went out to the garage and poured gasoline all over the floor. Five minutes, people, SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much can be done in just five minutes.

Addendum

2008-09-21T19:42:00.000-07:00

I forgot to mention that when I took my little guy to nursery after "the great chase", we were the first ones there and the nursery leaders (husband and wife team) told me that he was their favorite. She even said that they'd been talking about it during the week. How awesome is that? Almost makes the panic worth it. Almost.

Panic at the Churchco

2008-09-21T15:23:00.000-07:00

I've come to terms with the fact that I DREAD Sacrament Meeting. One might think we had dry council every Sunday the way my DREAD rears it's ugly head every Saturday night. But no. It's nothing like that. I just have a two and a half year old. (Most women are nodding their heads knowingly right about now saying, "Ah yes".) I honestly can't remember the last time I was able to sit and listen and actually retain any part of a meeting. I know there have been Sundays when I've had to leave my little guy at home with Daddy when he was sick but the trauma of all the other meetings has caused me to block out everything remotely related. So even though there might be some retention in there somewhere, it's completely lost. Add to the fact that I'm 40 it's a miracle I can even function at all. LOL My little guy's only saving grace is that even when he's being a pill, he's still so dang cute! Today my panic was a little more severe because I had to play the piano for a musical number but didn't have anyone to sit with my little guy while I was doing it. Yes, I could have arranged something beforehand if I had remembered BEFORE the opening hymn started and I perused the bulletin. Hoping that I could find a mom or dad with their own wayward child in one of the nurseries I took my little guy out of the meeting and started my hunt. Fortunately I was successful and was able to perform my piano duties without a hitch. Yeah, that never lasts long. Once I was finished I decided to stay out of the chapel but my little guy had other ideas. Holy Cow! he's fast! He ran all the way from the back to the front and up the ramp to the choir seats and back down yelling "WHEE!" all in a matter of less than 15 seconds. Not once but two or three times. All the while the entire bishopric is fit to burst from laughing. I guess every now and then Sacrament Meeting needs a little comic relief.

It's a sin to be this cute

2008-09-20T19:29:00.000-07:00

If you can't tell, he's posing. I guess that's better than not letting me take the picture. For some reason I have yet to discern, my little guy has a "thing" for my shoes. Lately his big thing is picking out some for me to wear and then getting them on my feet without me falling over. It may not necessarily be the shoes specifically, it may just be that he likes to take them all out of their boxes. Whichever is the case, I have to straighten my closet on a daily basis. This morning I got off pretty easy, I just have to figure out how far the Tigger slippers migrated.

It's so cute how the little ones adapt words to their own meanings. When he's sad my little guy says, "I'm so sorry, Mommy", or when he's mad at me he'll say (at the top of his lungs, no less), "You need to take a nap!". Because I'm constantly telling him to scoot back from the TV he always tells me to "Scoot back" when he wants me to move over. My favorite is when he tells me he loves me he tacks on "too" at the end, even when he says it first.

Lately my little guy has really started to sing, actual words with a somewhat off-key tune. It started with Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, I would sing a line and at the end I would stop and he would sing the last few words. So I started doing that with other songs we sing together. I was so surprised at how much of the songs he remembered because I didn't think he was paying attention. Most of the time he would yell at me for singing and tell me to stop. He's even learning the ABC's song (Grandma R you'd be so proud!). Now I just have to teach him his colors. Everything used to be blue but now everything is green. Although today while we were in the car he did point to the truck in front of us and say, "Blue truck!" And it just so happened that it was actually a blue truck. Maybe there's hope for him yet. LOL

What do YOU need?

2008-09-19T17:53:00.001-07:00

I've seen this on a couple of blogs and thought it was kinda funny. Go to Google and type in your name and the word needs (so for me I would type in "Janet needs") and then hit search. Here are my top ten "needs":

1. Janet needs - to go (but where? Probably Tahoe)
2. Janet needs - some discipline (I don't even want to know what my husband has to say lol)
3. Janet needs - to calm down (okay okay, if someone would just tell me where the valium is!)
4. Janet needs - to change up her game plan (maybe a lobotomy instead?)
5. Janet needs - to not worry about trying to please (okie dokie - I'll start waiting to be pleased)
6. Janet needs - to stick to acting (I guess being myself just isn't enough)
7. Janet needs - another hero (what? Tigger isn't good enough?)
8. Janet needs - one of these (that would be an LG Voyager - my birthday IS coming up)
9. Janet needs - to get back to the basics (tin cans and string?)
10. Janet needs - some help right now (and you're just now figuring that out?)

Nuttin' But Stringz

2008-09-19T10:26:00.000-07:00

I first saw these guys (two brothers from Queens) on one of my little guy's morning shows. I loved them so much I went on to iTunes and purchased the cd and have it downloaded on my iPod. They were recently on America's Got Talent and have reached the top five. All I can say about them is "WOW!!!" It's a toss up between the opera singing guy, Neil Boyd, and Nuttin' But Stringz, I think. And that's me saying a lot because I really don't like opera. But if you get a chance, check out Neil on YouTube as well.

The landscape is marshmallows

2008-09-17T19:59:00.001-07:00

LOL This was too funny to get mad about, especially because it was my fault for leaving my little guy upstairs by himself for any amount of time. As you can see it's the WHOLE bag and the trail actually goes to the left around the ottoman. I would never have guessed there were that many marshmallows in that bag. Mind you, these aren't just any marshmallows, these are Jet-Puffed FunMallows! There's supposed to be four different fruit flavors but they all tasted the same to me so I didn't feel too badly about throwing away the whole thing.

The List - Honorable mention

2008-09-16T20:16:00.000-07:00

The rest of the list

2008-09-16T13:59:00.000-07:00

Bono
Sean Connery
Will Smith
David Boreanaz

And the person I would switch teams for ... Sandra Bullock.

Let me know who is on YOUR list!

Ed Roland is on my list

2008-09-07T20:18:00.000-07:00

I almost don't know where to start. We had such a great time at this concert. One of my favorite bands, ladies and gentlemen ... COLLECTIVE SOUL! The only thing wrong with this evening was the fact that we were in Wendover. I kept having to remind myself we weren't in Tahoe. Kinda sad but we still had an awesome time! At one point security was going to bust a guy for taking pictures but Ed (the lead singer) said it was fine, we could take all the pics we wanted. So I did. You can't really tell but in the third pic Ed is pointing at me and doing the two fingers eye-to-eye gesture cuz he saw me taking a pic. It was soooo cool cuz we like, had a moment, ya know?
Unfortunately I didn't figure out how to zoom in with my cell phone camera until after the concert was over, otherwise these pics would have been Life Magazine worthy. Afterwords we had a pretty good dinner at the Coco Palms in Peppermill then went back to our room and watched the movie Baby Mama. Very cute! In the morning it was back to reality. One thing for sure, I did not cry when we left Wendover. During the concert Ed announced this was their last show for the winter but that they would be working on a new album to come out in the spring and then back on tour. Woo Hoo!!! I'll be able to use the zoom! I strongly suggest that you pick up a few of their current cd's, especially their latest one AFTERWORDS, and then check out the new one when it's released. I'm sure it's going to be awesome! And that way you can all go to the concert with us the next time they're in town. It's a date!!!

Seriously ... just shoot me now

2008-09-03T20:00:00.000-07:00

I give up. Remember not too long ago I posted about putting up high locks on the front door and back sliding glass door? Remind me again why I did that. Oh yeah ... to keep monkey boy in. Right. And I thought that was going to work because ... ? I can hear some of you snickering, "Oh she's so naive, how cute!" Well I have cursed you all with a painful, oozing sore right in the middle of your forehead where everyone can see it! Why am I in such a snit, you ask? This morning, while I was dawdling over a blueberry bagel, I heard a funny clinking sound. I thought to myself, gee, that sounds like the latch on the front door. Just so you know, I have really good hearing. I look over and there is my little guy standing at the door on one of the bar stools and he has the latch off and the door open. Needless to say the bar stools now reside in an undisclosed location.

America's Next Top Model

2008-09-01T19:45:00.001-07:00

Little Guy is wearing an off the shoulder, midriff baring two piece ensemble by Gymboree/Old Navy.

In all seriousness, when I saw this I almost couldn't take the picture I was laughing so hard. Here you see him sitting quite demurely but before I got my camera phone he was prancing all around the room trying to get the shirt off. Fortunately the effort to pull off clothes doesn't happen very often, but when it does happen, well, much can be said for cheap entertainment.

Speaking of prancing ... is it wrong to dance with wild abandon? I mean no thought to form or technique (but still fully clothed), just moving any way the music takes you. My little guy and I do it all the time but after yesterday I'm beginning to rethink the wisdom of it. Follow me back to yesterday morning where a mother and her son sit in the back row of the chapel (for quick escapes, you know). The announcements have been made, hymn sung, prayer given, another hymn sung, sacrament passed. Deceptively peaceful. Then the "So You Think You Can Dance" segment starts. Zoom in to little guy in the middle of the aisle dancing with that wild abandon mentioned earlier. Arms waving in the air, little body moving in contorted circles, big cheesy grin ... and I so badly wanted to laugh but the "wrong place, wrong time" of it all got the better of me and I got in to "Mean Mom" character. Someone once said to not wish your child's life away, ie: "I wish my child were old enough to roll over/crawl/walk/feed himself, etc." and I really think that is a wise admonition, however, I REALLY WISH MY LITTLE GUY WAS OLD ENOUGH TO MIND ME!!!! Although someone else once said I'd probably have to wait for him to be married before that happened, if then. Oh well.

Watch Play Game!

2008-08-28T20:09:00.000-07:00

This little guy just cracks me up some times. My stepson has been off track the last couple of weeks and we've had him at our house a little more than normal so he's been able to spend a lot of time with my little guy. One of their favorite things to do is play video games on the big screen. As my little guy so fondly calls it, "Watch play game, Mommy!" If you notice he has his own little game controls which are actually broken, but he doesn't need to know that. Just look how happy he is! He will sit there for extended periods of time pushing all the buttons and moving the levers just as if he were really playing. He even yells at the screen. I wonder where he got that from.

Playin' on the "junga gym"

2008-08-20T16:50:00.000-07:00

P.S.

2008-08-20T16:47:00.000-07:00

To all my friends in Sac and surrounding areas that I really really miss a ton ... I would have liked to visit with all of you but you know how it goes ... so many visits, so little time! I promise the next trip will be longer and the visiting will be intense!!!

We Need A House In Tahoe!

2008-08-20T16:23:00.000-07:00

Who's with me? If we all pool our money together we can do it! We had such a wonderful time even though we were there for just a few short days. Okay, so the first and last legs of the trip weren't all that great (who invented layovers for a flight that takes less than an hour and a half!?!) but the inbetween was, you know what I'm gonna say so say it with me ... HEAVEN ON EARTH!!! We took my nephew up with us as our "manny" and I think that was the best idea I ever had! My little guy absolutely loved being with him and I think the feeling was mutual. They had such a great time together and I can't tell you how wonderful it was to be able to have time with just my DH and me. When we took my nephew home on our way back to the airport my little guy kept saying "Come on, Peter, come on!" and when Peter didn't, he started to cry. And I couldn't convince anyone to let Peter come live with me. What's up with that? Anyway, as you can see in my slideshow we spent a wonderful day on the lake. Can you believe boat gas is $6/gal!?! If it weren't for that I think we'd still be out there. That night my DH and I had a wonderful dinner at the marina where we had our wedding reception. We sat out on the patio and just enjoyed each other and the beautiful evening! It wasn't too cold and it certainly wasn't too hot, just the perfect in between. Then we drove around the marina neighborhood picking out houses we wanted to live in and watched the sun set from a pier on the beach. After that we went to see Dark Knight. I know, kinda weird to go to a movie on vacation but we rarely get to do it at home so it was a real treat! The next day was golf day. I rode along in the cart with my DH and had a fabulous time. The course runs along the lake and there's tons of small wildlife and pine trees which makes it smell soooooooooo good and clean! After the grueling 4 1/2 hours of golf (LOL) my DH and I came back and went to the spa next door for a couples massage. Mmmmmmmmm ... nothin' like feeling all jello-y. That evening all of us went out to dinner at The Hard Rock Cafe. Always good and always fun. Then it was on our way home in the morning. We dropped off my nephew and then on to the airport where we came close to missing our flight. Which would have been fine except for all those dumb adult obligations at home. Now we're back in to our daily routine and counting down the days to our next trip to Tahoe!

Never Wanna Leave!

2008-08-20T15:16:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Because I missed a spot, Mommy

2008-08-12T10:36:00.000-07:00

I missed it the first time, much like the poop fiasco. Not only had my little guy tried to put on a clown face but he also COLORED ON THE CARPET! In permanent marker. Tried getting it out with Resolve but no luck. (On the carpet, not his face!) In the meantime, thinking I had removed the temptation, I went back to cleaning the bathroom downstairs. I am so delusional. Nothing is ever completely safe from a two-year-old. When you think you're smarter than a two-year-old is when it's time to let someone else take over because you're clearly not fit for the job. This is what I saw when my little guy came downstairs looking for me. I need a drink.

On closer inspection ...

2008-08-12T10:00:00.001-07:00

Double EWWWWWW! I went back in to my little guy's room to put something away and happened to glance at his bed again. Good thing I did. There was poop on the guard rail and a little bit on his bedspread. Although on the bedspread it might have been just chocolate from the ice cream bar he snuck out of the freezer Sunday morning. Let me point out that I had left my little guy home with daddy while I went to church because he was sick and the ice cream bar heist occurred after I was gone. Apparently not as sick as he would have us think.

I know this pic is a little fuzzy but it's good enough for our purposes here today. Yes friends and neighbors, that is permanent marker on his lower lip. He's calling daddy to tell him about it. And it's probably still going to be there when we go on our trip in a few days. But on the bright side, I'm sure he had fun coloring.

Another poop story

2008-08-12T08:39:00.000-07:00

I'll sure be glad when my little guy is potty trained. I've put him on the potty a couple of times but nothing has happened so we'll have to keep trying. However, this morning, bright and early as usual, my little guy came in to my room but instead of his usual, "Good morning, mommy!" I get a hand in my face along with the word, "Sticky!" My first thought is chocolate of course but I know that all of the chocolate is out of his reach and none of the cupboard/pantry/frig doors are open. So, I grabbed his hand and took a big whiff and EWWWWWWWW! You guessed it ... poop. Nice huh? We marched to the sink and washed up then to the changing table for a clean diaper and next an inspection of the bed. Fortunately he only got poop on the little blanket he used to try to wipe off his hand. I don't know what possessed my little guy to stick his hands down his pants in the first place. It must be a guy thing.

I can't get a break!

2008-08-06T19:34:00.000-07:00

This happened while I was brushing my teeth. It seems that I'm going to have to give up any kind of personal hygiene or sleeping or potty breaks ...

No, I'M Aurora

2008-08-05T17:18:00.000-07:00

Click on the link at the bottom to find out which Disney Princess you are. Come on, I know you wanna! What I found interesting is that there were several princesses that I scored the same but the quiz chose Aurora as my "main" princess. One of those I scored the same was Megara from Hercules who I think fits me better. But that's just my humble opinion. You be the judge.

You Are Aurora! (A.K.A. Sleeping Beauty.)

Thoughtful and loving. Authority figures probably have been sheltering you all of your life. Thankfully you're a very tranquil person who is content with what life has given you, but secretly you want to know how the outside world works.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

Breaking News

2008-08-04T20:22:00.000-07:00

AP: Monday, August 4 9:23 p.m. - We interrupt this program for a breaking news report. It has just been confirmed that the California Dream has awakened from the life threatening coma induced by a surprise attack a few weeks ago. While still in critical condition the Dream will most likely be upgraded to stable condition in the not too distant future. However, it is apparent that the Dream is not quite the same as it was before the attack occurred. Though some may disagree, the change isn't for the worse by any stretch of the imagination, just different. Some might even call it compromise, which turns out to be extremely acceptable to all involved. As our insider has informed us, the New York guys are reaching their tentacles all the way to the southern Pacific Coast. Once the Mountain West has been tamed and all replacement players are in position, the entrepreneurial wagon train will be heading West, young man!

And now back to our regularly scheduled program ...

We Reap What We Sow

2008-08-04T20:13:00.001-07:00

Nice, huh? This is what I get for putting locks on the doors to the outside. Next I'll have to start putting locks on the inside doors. Way to redirect, little guy. Notice the WHOLE bag of uncooked angel hair pasta in the lower right hand corner. And the rest of the Easter candy I thought I had thrown away. Thank Heavens he didn't pull out the Easter basket grass and play ticker tape parade with it. All this being done before mommy and daddy woke up this morning. He's like a little stealth bomber! We call him our little "shock and awe".

P.S.

2008-08-03T21:08:00.001-07:00

Bought the new Twilight book, Breaking Dawn, yesterday. Finished it. Loved it. Everyone dies at the end.

All in a day

2008-08-03T20:28:00.000-07:00

Everyone will be glad to know that we finally got a lock on our sliding glass door. We had to get some drill bits that would drill through metal, which we did, and now my little guy cannot escape and fill the wading pool with water and sit in it while still in his pajamas. At the crack of dawn. Boy howdy did he get upset when he realized he couldn't unlock the door. Threw a little bit of a fit even. Fine by me because now I have a little peace of mind. Notice how I said "little". Mostly because the majority of my mind is practically lost and the rest will still worry about him pulling the sharp knives out of the dishwasher and smearing toothpaste all over the bathroom.

It happened today ... I became one of the mothers that people chuckle about and shake their head at, including me. It's probably been going on for quite some time behind my back but today, our bishop no less, told my husband he had to chuckle while watching me in the back of the cultural hall during Sacrament Meeting. We've all seen it before, the frazzled mother chasing after the toddler who cannot sit still to save his life. My little guy was, of course, laughing that "come get me" laugh as he ran out the nearest exit. I was just glad he wasn't screaming like he's done so many times in the past. This was a good sign because then after Sacrament Meeting was over he went to nursery without a hitch so my DH and I could attend our other meetings in peace. So all in all, today was a banner day!

And here are a few little cute anecdotes ... My little guy has taken to answering me with "Yes sir!" How funny is that? I have absolutely no idea where he picked that up but I get a chuckle out of it every time. Maybe I'll teach him how to salute. Then this morning I had the "Preschool on TV" channel playing while my little guy was eating his breakfast. In between each show they have 5-8 mins of preschool type things like learning to count, matching, finding the object that is different, etc. Along with a lot of these little segments they have singing as well and sometimes my little guy will sing under his breath, which is really just him whispering the words along with the characters. But this morning he actually sang out loud. The words were just "la la la" but he had the tune and the tempo down pat, starting and ending right along with the song. He's even getting good at copying the dance moves. Simon Cowell (American Idol) better look out!!!

My brush with fame ...

2008-08-01T20:37:00.000-07:00

Tonight my DH, my little guy and I had dinner at California Pizza Kitchen (NOT the one in California boo hoo) and guess who was sitting just two tables away? Guess!! Give up? It was Donny Osmond! He was with what looked like a few of his sons and their families for a birthday gathering. Of course the servers brought out some kind of birthday dessert and a sorrier rendition of "Happy Birthday To You" I have never heard! I mean really now, considering who was seated at that table, you've got to be kidding me! Sorry I didn't have enough nerve to take a pic with my cell phone so you're just gonna have to take it on faith that this all really happened.

Hell's Angel (mostly angel)

2008-07-31T16:48:00.001-07:00

Please, no one have a heart attack (mom), he's only sitting on the bike. Which, by the way, he calls "Daddy's beautiful bike". Last week my DH bought this machine to "save on gas" but come on, who does he think he's kidding? We all know he bought it purely for the "b****in' factor". LOL (Sorry mom, that's not really a bad word, I promise!) Next thing you know, he'll be wearing a do-rag and sportin' a tat! (My DH, not my little guy, in case there was any question). But don't worry, I will not be dyeing my hair blond or donning leathers any time soon.

And the Worst Mother Of The Year award goes to ...

2008-07-29T10:38:00.001-07:00

Wow ... while I was posting my earlier blog this is what was going on IRL (in real life). My little guy started out down here with me watching his "moo-dee" and I could hear him talking to the screen every once in a while. Then all of a sudden I realized it was too quiet ... all you mothers know that feeling ... so I went upstairs and voila! Instant heart stoppage. If you will notice there is actually a few inches of water in the pool and he's still in his pajamas! Also notice the huge grin on his face cuz "Swimming, Mommy! It's really really fun!"

Blogging, Mommy! It's really really fun!

2008-07-29T09:27:00.000-07:00

My son the performer. LOL If you pay close attention you can see/hear him doing his "Ta-da!" at the very beginning. Notice his "thumbs up" stance. He uses his pointer fingers instead which totally cracks me up cuz it's so him. He can't quite get the coordination of tucking in all his fingers and leaving his thumbs out. Too funny.

We had another water day yesterday but this time we got out the old inflatable wading pool. Just so you know, I didn't blow it up manually, I used an airbed pump. Unfortunately the top tube wouldn't stay inflated but fun was still had by all.
Boy does my little guy know how to work his mommy. The only reason I got the pool out yesterday is because he kept saying, "Swimming, Mommy! It's really really fun!" Not just one really, but two reallys. Once he even got five reallys in there. And of course the whole time I'm getting it set up he's giggling like a looney cuz he's so excited. So now every time he wants to do something he adds, "It's really really fun!", as if that's all the explanation you need.

What I really wanted is an explanation for this ... it looks like Tigger is being mauled by the contents of the empty drawer. This is actually what I found after sending my son to his room for a time out. He was screaming about something that I can't remember so I told him to go to his room until he was done crying and this was his response. Wow, imagine what he's gonna do when he gets grounded and can't use the car. YIKES!

And now a word from our sponsor ...

2008-07-26T18:01:00.000-07:00

"Goldfish ... the snack that smiles back, until you bite their heads off ..." (Because we believe in free speech and this version should never have been taken off the air!)

AP: Saturday, July 26 7:16 p.m. - And now some breaking news. We have just received word that the California Dream is not dead, but in a possibly life threatening coma. This means never say never but don't hold your breath. Rest assured the yay-hoos responsible for this obscene mistake have been disciplined (ie: hung by their thumbs over a slow roasting fire). In the meantime, please call the Keep Tahoe Blue foundation and ask them for your money back, your hard earned dollars can best be put to use through the Save The California Dream Co-op, a "non-profit" organization. The KTBF will be more than happy to make the transfer for you.

In other news ... Cheesecake Factory has BTS tiramisu!

This Just In ...

2008-07-25T20:05:00.000-07:00

AP: Fri. July 25 9:08 p.m. - At approximately 6:00 p.m. this evening the California Dream died from a stab wound to the heart. It is yet undetermined whether this incident was gang related. Witnesses say the Dream was just standing there, minding it's own business, when the attacker came out of nowhere dealing the fatal blow in the form of these words: "If I get this deal with the people in New York then we're probably stuck here." (Here NOT being California). Needless to say, the Dream will be sorely missed by all who knew it. Per the family's request, there will be no viewing, what is left is not fit for human eyes. Services will be invitation only at an undisclosed 'til the last minute location. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Keep Tahoe Blue foundation in the name of the deceased.

"I'm crowded ... roll over ... so they all rolled over ..."

2008-07-24T19:51:00.000-07:00

Please play!

2008-07-23T08:59:00.001-07:00

The memory game...
1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.

Here's the scoop ...

2008-07-22T08:57:00.000-07:00

I know there are some of you out there who are gonna collapse if you don't find out the reason behind yesterday's post. Let's just say that I was having a minor that-time-of-the-month meltdown (that had nothing to do with him) and instead of reacting in the normal fight or flight man fashion, my DH just put his arms around me, said he was sorry and told me he loved me. Note to all men everywhere: This is how we would like you to react ALL THE TIME! We know, deep down, there are times that it's not your fault and you will be rewarded. However, most of the time it IS your fault so reacting in the above manner is highly recommended. Even so, flight may still be your best bet. In which case, run. Far away. Faster.

And then there's my little guy. Just when I think he couldn't possibly get any cuter ... The past several days I have been trying to teach him how to pray. At bedtime, after teeth brushing and story reading we "talk to Heavenly Father". The first couple of times he wasn't very cooperative because it meant sitting still and he wasn't ready to go to bed but the last few times he's really gotten in to it. As he's getting ready to lay down he looks up at me with a cute little grin and asks, "Heavenly Father?" So I kneel by his bed and we hold hands and the whole time I'm getting myself settled (it takes me a minute, I'm 40) he's giggling like he does when he's really excited and happy about something. Last night he actually repeated what I told him to say for his prayer. And at the end he even said "Amen" all on his own without any prompting from me. I can't believe it's been less than a week. Wow, this little person is so ready to know Heavenly Father and it's my responsibility to help him along (doing the Wayne and Garth "I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy" LOL). It might not be so bad seeing as how he's done all right this far in spite of me, right?

A Special Shout Out ...

2008-07-21T11:53:00.000-07:00

To my DH - for saying and doing exactly the right thing at exactly the right time this morning. You couldn't have done it any better if I'd given you a script and step by step instructions. I knew I married you for a reason. You rock!!!

Actual ice cream!

2008-07-18T17:23:00.000-07:00

Today my son had his first ice cream cone that he actually got to hold himself! Of course he loved it and it got everywhere and good times were had by all. I'm sure we've given him ice cream before because he knows what ice cream is, he's just never had it in this form. As I was bringing it to him I hear, "ICE CREAM! YAY!!!!" He got even more excited when he found out it was chocolate. One might even stop to wonder if maybe this obviously all boy child might not have a little extra estrogen. Several times a day he asks me for "more choclit, mommy?" I keep trying to explain to him that he can't have more until he's had SOME first. Can you say "thickheaded?" LOL Which means he definitely has way more testosterone than estrogen so I guess it's okay.

We had such a fun day with Grandma. We went to Ikea (yes, I went back and bought the tent/tunnel gig and some more pieces for the train set) and then to the outlets. Amazingly enough, I got away from said outlets less than $100 later. Okay, you can pick yourself up off the floor now, it's only funny for the first 10 seconds. HELLO!?! Anyway, this is my little guy enjoying the fruits of my labors. He's just too dang cute!!! I'm pretty sure his Grandma would agree with me. Wholeheartedly. Along with every other human being on the face of the planet.

Once Upon A Time ...

2008-07-16T16:50:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe how fast the time is going! Please indulge me while I crawl, ever so slowly, slower than a snail, down memory lane. If you feel the need to pass me, do it slowly so as not to create a wind that will push me forward faster than I want to go. I think I need a tissue ...

Make a Smilebox photobook

Where are my peeled grapes, Woman!?!

2008-07-15T19:45:00.000-07:00

So this is how our morning started. At 6:45am. Yes, the T.V. is on. Don't judge me. Especially since I woke up with a headache that I couldn't get rid of. At least he's watching preschool on T.V. It could be worse, he could be trying to push dope in nursery. If this is the worst habit I teach him then ... yay me. Besides, I love hearing him sing along with each shows little songs.

Even though our morning started way too early (for me, apparently not for him) my little guy slept ALL NIGHT in his big boy bed without waking up once! And today he went right down for his nap and slept for two hours with no sneaking out of bed shenanigans. Which should really impress every single one of you because I bought him a new toy today that he even passed up T.V. watching to play with. And it's all he's talked about all day. If I would let him, he'd take it to bed with him. When I was in Ikea buying the bedding for his new big boy bed they had a train set out for the little kids to play with and he couldn't stop talking about it so I broke down and went back to get one. I know, I'm a sucker, because I saw a really cool kids tent and tunnel that I have to go back and get. When we were in California staying with my brother and sis-in-law, they had a really cool tent/tunnel set up and that was the only thing that would keep my little guy happy when he wasn't feeling well. I'm pretty sure I'm ruining all the good ideas for Christmas presents but I seriously can't wait that long. I can't get enough of watching my little guy have so much fun and yes, I am an instant gratification junky when it comes to him. LOL

Well, my husband is leaving for Missouri tomorrow (to visit his dad) and won't be back until Sunday. Two words: PAR-TAY! So far I have a crazy trip to the Park City outlets planned. Just me, my mom and my little guy. And let me tell you, Grandma knows how to party! If I get my little guy to tell her he loves her and misses her, she may even spring for lunch. Woo Hoo! I was going to plan a wild swim party with my sis-in-law and her three divas but diva #2 had the nerve to fall off a bike and break her foot today. The lengths some kids will go to for the attention! JK We love you diva #2 and hope you get better real soon! Cuz we still want to go swimming.

DIY epilogue

2008-07-14T20:03:00.000-07:00

We did it! It is done! It is put together and my little guy is sleeping in his big boy bed for the first time tonight! There were a few bleeps and exclamations during assembly but, all in all, it was a pretty smooth process. I can say that because I am a smooth supervisor. Needless to say, my little guy is very excited! Just don't let me forget to get a mattress protector pad tomorrow. LOL

Do It Yourself my @%&

2008-07-12T20:26:00.000-07:00

I found out today that I'm definitely NOT a diy kind of girl. And where does Trading Spaces get off making it look so easy!?! They are a bunch of sadistic you-know-whats on that show. To clarify, we bought a toddler bed for my little guy a while ago with the intent of staining it to match the other furniture in his room. It's from IKEA so after we get it stained we also have to put it together. We really got serious about getting it finished because my monkey boy has climbed both out of AND in to his crib this week. First of all two words: GAS MASK! and b: can you say "Pay someone else to do it"? I thought it would be a great project for my DH and I to do together. Yeah right. He does the sanding (with an electric hand sander we rented) which takes all of fifteen minutes and then takes the sander back to Home Depot leaving me to do the rest all by myself! That includes putting away all the stuff HE left out. Bless his heart. Needless to say the bed is only getting one coat of stain and if it looks really bad in the room then I'm making my DH take me to buy new furniture to match it.

On a lighter note, my little guy calls it Deepee Home (instead of Home Depot) and popsicles are poc-i-sels. Once he was even able to make popsicle in to a four syllable word. He's so talented! And I can't believe how friendly he is! He says hello to everyone and yesterday when the next door neighbor guy came home he ran over to say hello and told him, "I missed you!" There are so many things my little guy says that just crack me up, even when they shouldn't. Tonight when my DH left to go to the Good Charlotte concert my little guy got upset that daddy was leaving him. He asked me where was daddy going and when I told him daddy was going to a concert he said, "Oh crap". If you could only hear the way he says it, you wouldn't be able to stop from laughing either so don't judge me! LOL

Why I became a mother ...

2008-07-10T14:56:00.000-07:00

Let me preface the following story with this statement from my husband: "This is why I'm glad I work full time out of the home!" (Followed by a good belly laugh). And now I begin the tale. It starts with my little guy supposedly in his bed taking a nice nap, complete with sweet dreams. I hear a little noise through the baby monitor and figured it was just part of the dream and that he was going to just go back to sleep. So I listened for a little while longer and it became obvious that he was not going back to sleep. Then it turned a little distressed, "Help! Help! Help!" At this point I'm thinking he's trying to climb out of his crib and got "high-centered" (ouch!) but when I open the door, there is my little guy laying face down in the crib with only his arms in his shirt which is up around his neck and has him immobilized. That's not the best part. The rest of him is completely naked and ... you guessed it ... poop is everywhere. Well, maybe not everywhere but, FOR ALL INTENSIVE PURPOSES (Melissa, show this to Scott), it may as well have been. Things just automatically become exponentially magnified when poop is involved. I know some of you are saying, "Didn't he do this once before and you thought it was hysterical and you took pictures?" Yes, yes I did, but you must realize that was back when he was much smaller and wasn't eating such a wide variety of foods. The bigger they are, the less funny it becomes. Although I did get a good chuckle out of the struggle with his shirt. I know, I'm a mean mom but give me a break, a girl has to find a little levity somewhere. You can only get so much distance out of poop being funny and then it's just not. Anyway, I think I'm gonna go have a bowl of guacamole.

I'm a fish!

2008-07-08T20:00:00.000-07:00

Wow! Today we went to the pool (Desert Peak near Tooele) and despite my misgivings we had an awesome time! I don't always judge correctly how my little guy will react to things so when we decided to have a swim day I was tempted to pass. Okay, if I'm being honest with my self that's not the only reason I was gonna bail. Just so not in the mood to chase a two-year-old around a small body of water and multiple obstacles! I was very pleasantly surprised at how the trip actually turned out (it helps to have several people along to be in the eagle eye brigade). From the minute we got there my little guy was in absolute heaven. Can you say NO FEAR! Which scares me to death! He went right in the water without thinking twice and wouldn't come out for nothin'! Well, he did have to come out when the life guards called a 10 minute recess but we had to chase my little guy all around the pool to keep him from going back in before time. And then there's the deep end - he spent a majority of his pool time trying to get to where the big kids were. Quite often I get a flash-ahead to what life is going to be like down the road and today was one of those times. Maybe I should take out a life insurance policy on my little guy. LOL

My in-laws have been in town for the past week and I'm pretty sure my little guy has them wrapped around his finger. Which is so not a bad thing! Grandma even volunteered to be the bring along nanny whenever we decide to go to Disneyland. I'd buy that for a dollar! He is going to miss them so much when they go home! Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Shanks for such an awesome time and all the good grub!

In closing I'd like to say, "The California Dream is not dead!" We broached the subject of breaking our lease with the landlord and it's a no go. She will only let us leave for Bountiful if we get someone to take our place - which is going to be harder than it looks because our landlord is no Glenda the Good Witch. But probably by the time we're ready to move to California our lease will be up so there! (Notice the optimistic thinking). In the meantime, I've eyelash batted my way in to a trip to Apple Hill for my birthday (Cindy and Cheryl need to pick a day!) so life is good!

And now it begins

2008-07-06T21:41:00.000-07:00

Wow ... I thought I might escape this portion of the toddler years but no. Today it happened. My little guy actually took off his diaper - in public - with an audience. Someone even had the courtesy to supply the strip music. Thankfully he was only in the backyard (which doesn't have a fence, by the way) but you know where this will lead. Next it will be the little moon seen as it disappears down the street. And it WILL happen, it's just a matter of when. The little Houdini can even open the doors with the child proof knob cover thingies on them. And door locks? ... fuh-get about it. Oh how I yearn for the good ol' immobile days.

Speaking of which ... check this out ------------>

How is it that he can get in to these predicaments (well, predicament for me, not for him) in such a gall-blasted hurry? Cold pizza for breakfast anyone? If I'm trying to get ready in the morning I have to go out every five minutes just to see what hi-jinks are ensuing and I'm floored by what can happen in those five minutes (see pickle post below). And people wonder why it takes me so long to get ready. (I can hear it now, all the people who know me are shouting at their monitors, "She's been taking forever to get ready for as long as I can remember!") Well, now I have a legitimate excuse.

Do you hear what I hear?

2008-07-02T20:35:00.000-07:00

Okay ... if I were to take a poll on my singing I'm pretty confident that at least 75% of those polled would be in favor of it. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but in my lifetime I have been told that I sing like an angel. Granted my voice hasn't been quite the same since my little guy came along but never once have I heard dogs (or any other animal for that matter) howling in the background. And when he was a baby, a few sweet notes from mommy would stop my little guy's tears. So can someone tell me why now, out of the blue, my little guy gets extremely upset when I'm doing my Sheryl Crow impersonation. "No, mommy, no!!!" You would think I was poking needles in his ear. Of course my response to this is, "Mommy can sing if she wants!" at which point I just start singing louder. Then the dancing starts. And if I'm perfectly honest with myself, it's against this display of agonizing-to-watch body convulsions that my son should be protesting. I try not to take it personally because, come on, this coming from someone whose tastes run to Jack's Big Music Show and Wow Wow Wubbzy.

And on a different note ... my little guy loves pickles! Yesterday I walked in to the kitchen and there he was, enjoying the kosher dill with great gusto. You must realize that he actually got the fridge open, got the big jar of pickles up on the counter, got the lid off and the pickle out of the jar. A few days before that I caught him at the kitchen counter with the jar of pickles but the lid was still on. Later that day my DH opened said pickle jar and lo and behold, he pulled out TWO partially eaten pickles. Which means pickle boy got the fridge open, got the big jar of pickles up on the counter, got the lid off, gnawed on a couple of pickles, put them back in the jar and then got the lid back on so we'd be none the wiser. What's up with that!?! He's only two!

It's all in how you say it ...

2008-06-25T10:14:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago my sweet little man said to me, out of the blue with no prompting, "I love you, Mommy!". I thought maybe it was just a fluke but yesterday (what a great day!), several times during the day I said "I love you!" and he quickly responded, "I love you too, Mommy!". While we were in the grocery store several times he requested "More loves!" and would give me a great big hug! And lately he's actually been climbing up on my lap to sit while I read him a story. Okay, some of you are saying, so, big deal. But it IS a big deal because my little guy historically has not been a cuddly lover. Can I tell you how exciting this is for me!?! Ever since I started getting nieces and nephews my favorite thing to do was snuggle up with a baby and have them either fall asleep or just sit in my lap and melt right in. Not to mention how awesome I thought it would be to be able to do that with my own baby. Well, 30 plus years later I finally get my wish! LOL

On another note, I'm sure you've all noticed in previous posts how homesick I am for California and how much I want to move back there. My DH and I have had several conversations about it, some even serious but all still just talk right now. My poor SIL, who is moving to Arizona, would love it if we would move in to her house but I told her I'm not moving again unless it's to California. Okay, there are other reasons for us not to move in to her house (nothing bad, just preferences, her house is awesome!!!) but you get the idea. Anyway, last night my DH comes home from work and says to me, "How would you feel about moving to Bountiful?". Of course my first thought is, ONLY IF BOUNTIFUL IS IN CALIFORNIA!!!!! To give you a little background, my husband and a few other guys have started their own sales company and right now it's based in Bountiful so it's not like he pulled this out of ... you know ... LOL So, after thinking about it for a few minutes I told my DH that I would only move to Bountiful if he made enough money for me to spend all summers from here until the end of time in Tahoe. He just looked at me and said, "Wow ... that's a lot of money." Bless his heart. At least he's not asking me to move to Magna.

Funny words

2008-06-21T18:04:00.000-07:00

Okay all you moms, dads, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc., now is your chance to share the funniest word your child, niece, nephew, cousin, friend's child has ever come up with. You know what I'm talkin' about: pacifier = binky, lovey = fluvvy, etc. My son loves tomatoes. Whenever he sees me cutting them up he climbs up on the barstool and says, over and over until I acknowledge him, "Mommy, more tee-tee-toe?" How adorable is that? And of course tomatoes will always and forever be tee-tee-toes in our house. So come on, click on "post comment" and share your silly words!

Virtual Tour

2008-06-21T17:45:00.000-07:00

Okay, so this is the remake, I guess. My friend Amy has never seen my house so I took some pictures and made a cool little slideshow. Then some other people (I won't name names, mom and Marcy) wanted to know where everyone slept and were worried about people not getting the full effect. So. Here it is. Again. Bigger. Better. Oscar worthy.

P.S. There are four bathrooms total but I figure if you've seen one bathroom, you've pretty much filled your quota.

My Little Sweetheart

2008-06-19T19:35:00.000-07:00

Okay, tell me this isn't the cutest thing you've ever heard. Tonight when my DH came home my little guy got so excited and ran to the door to greet him. He ran outside and gave daddy a big hug and kiss. I went outside as well to help my DH with the sprinklers (now that's a whole other bag of worms). Anyway, as we were going back inside the house my DH came over to me and gave me a kiss hello. My little guy, seeing this, ran over to me saying "My kisses, my kisses!" and planted a big one on me. I almost got a tear in my eye. He has been saying the cutest (and darnedest) things lately. Whenever he gets excited about something, like mac and cheese for example, he shouts, "Mac and cheese! Yippeeeeeeee!" Yesterday morning he got frustrated trying to put his color wonder pens end to end and I heard him out in the living room saying, "Dammit!". I have absolutely no idea where he learned that word (Melissa). Oh, did I type that out loud? Because he certainly would never hear something like that from me. When I told him we don't say that he said, "OH MY GOSH!" and looked at me to make sure that was okay to say. One of my favorite things he does is sing under his breath. The other day I heard him singing to one of his little shows but as soon as he saw me notice him he stopped. It was so darn cute! Because, of course, he's the cutest little boy in the whole world!!!

This IS like a cocaine addiction ... I'm guessing

2008-06-19T09:27:00.000-07:00

Be smarter than the slide show ...

2008-06-18T17:25:00.000-07:00

I finally figured it out! YAY ME! Let's get this party started!

I HATE SPONGEBOB!

2008-06-18T15:35:00.000-07:00

'Nuff said!

Goin' Back To Cali

2008-06-18T10:39:00.001-07:00

LL Cool J said it best, don't you think? I've known all along that you can take the girl out of Cali but you can't take Cali out of the girl. This last trip has definitely proved that. What a wonderful 2 1/2 weeks! The first leg of the trip was spent in Tahoe (Heaven on earth for those of you who don't already know), the middle part spent in Sacramento and the tail end back in Tahoe.

We had soooooo much fun spending time with family and friends! A special thanks goes to Marcy for the gracious way she handled icky laundry duty! My little guy still talks about Megan and the tea party and thinks every tall, slender, bald guy is Arron! LOL We also loved going to the Sacramento Zoo and Fairy Tale Town. I would say the monkeys were the hands down favorite. Right, Marcy? Thank goodness this trip didn't involve any unfortunate monkey mayhem. All in all it was so much fun to see all the kids having a great time and getting along so well with each other. One thing I learned for sure, travelling with a two year old is not my idea of a RELAXING vacation. "Mommy, I don't want!" Even so, I cried as we drove out of Tahoe on our way back to Utah. Fortunately, my dear husband was not in the same car with me at the time, not that he doesn't already know I'm a dork. LOL Who knows, I may be a Cali girl in body as well as in spirit in the not too distant future. Make of that what you will! ;-) So Cindy, Cheryl, Denise, and Tami, I'll send you my husband's e-mail address to give him a little incentive. Just be gentle.

Okay my demanding fans, I have officially gotten my blog started. Once I figure out how to do slide shows it'll be a party!

Welcome!

2008-06-17T11:02:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my sis-in-law Melissa for getting me started! Now I'm subject to the pressure of keeping this up. My husband says blogging is like a cocaine addiction. We'll have to see about that. LOL As soon as I can I'll get pictures posted for all those who want a peek at my life ... such as it is. But I know you'll all log on just to see my handsome little man and I'm okay with that. Until my next post ...