Adam recently discovered his eyebrows, and, more importantly, that they can wiggle.
He is always very serious about it. He will just look and look and look at me until our eyes lock, and then he'll start wiggling them up and down, up and down. Cracks me up every time.
He has made more than one friend with someone sitting behind us in church with these looks.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Who's That?
Lazy Weekend
We just concluded a delightfully lazy weekend full of picnics, ice cream cones, planting the garden, several bike rides, craft projects, lots of storytime, hide-and-seek, dancing, a trip to the park, and decorating for Easter.
Somewhere in there, there was also cleaning the bathrooms, weeding the front yard, mopping the ever-sticky kitchen floor, cleaning out the garage, and a date night spent at the farm (read- helping Jason work!), but who really wants to see pictures of that stuff?!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
8:07 AM
The last of this season's hot chocolate finds it's final resting place.
8:02 AM- I finish cleaning up the spilled glass of milk.
8:19 AM- Adam escapes mid-diaper change and pees all over the kitchen floor.
Guess I've got some mopping to do.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Life BC- The Babymoon
The chance to get away one more time before Leah was born came pretty easily to us- Jason had a conference in Chicago, and we jumped at the chance to visit the city for what we assumed would be the first and last time in a long while (Ha. Ha, ha.). I was especially excited to see the musical Wicked, and to take a few days off from work.
Jason got to Chicago a day before me and then I flew out by myself to meet him. Since we didn't have a rental car, we relied on taxis, shuttles, and buses to get us around the city. Our hotel was on the Magnificent Mile, and averaged $350 a night. Thank you, BYU for paying for our room and all of Jason's travel expenses. It was an beautiful hotel within walking distance of all things amazing in Chicago. The only trick of it was that Jason was there for a conference that kept him busy during the days. I had three days to fill by myself in the big city, and my plans started out pretty great.
The first day I got up early, walked up and down the Magnificent Mile and enjoyed the huge and historic buildings by myself. That night we went out to dinner with some of Jason's labmates and then found the tastiest little chocolate lounge on the other side of the Chicago River, where we sat and chatted late into the night.
(I had to add this stunning picture of downtown Chicago and the Chicago River. The first time it was breathtaking, now it's a familiar, almost old sight!)
The second day I got up a little later, walked down to the lobby for breakfast and went swimming. I spent the afternoon sightseeing, and that evening we took a taxi down to the Rainforest Cafe for dinner and then to see Wicked. It was completely amazing, and so fun to see a musical that we knew basically nothing about. I've never looked at the Wicked Witch of the West in the same way since. After the show we walked down to Navy Pier, which was closed, and got a glance of Lake Michigan. Being the middle of November, it was a freezing cold walk. Thankfully I had my little incubator to keep me warm.
The third day I tossed all other plans out the window, slept in, ordered in breakfast, and took a nice long nap after watching Oprah, which was recorded just down the street from our hotel room. I remember the bed being one of the most fluffy and comfortable beds- hotel or otherwise- I have ever slept in. Granted, I was 8 months pregnant, and I could sleep anywhere (read on for the Babymoon #2 proof of that).
Everywhere I went, people glanced down at my belly and then looked up at me with either a smile or a questioning look. More than a few strangers in elevators even asked if I needed a ride to the hospital. What is it about pregnant ladies that make people say such dumb things?
The next day was Sunday. We found a local ward to attend, and I was shocked to see that one of the counselors in the bishopric was from the ward I attended in Virginia while I was in high school. The world is so, so small in the church.
Then we headed to the Museum of Science and Industry, where I took the only pictures I have of this trip. I loved looking at the unborn fetus display that they had, which displays a stillborn fetus for every week of gestation. Amazing to see what our little babies start out as.
We had several undergraduate students tagging along with us, which made for a very interesting trip from the hotel to the museum and, on public transportation, to the airport in time to catch our flights. We got to see the real heart of Chicago, and all the many different people that live there.
Our trip to Chicago, overall, was awesome. It was the perfect chance to get away and enjoy each other and have one more hurrah before we officially became parents. Of course, had we known that, just a few years later, Chicago would become the nearest big city of choice, we probably would have gone to Aruba!
Our second babymoon wasn't technically in Life BC, but since a trip like that is all about taking a break from parenthood, I think it fits. When I was 8 months pregnant with Adam, we left Leah with my parents and flew from Utah to Indiana to find a place to live while attending graduate school. Since this trip came with a mission, it was hardly as restful or recreational as the first trip.
The night before we flew out, we stayed at my parents house to help Leah get settled in and to ease our early morning trip to the airport a bit. It wasn't until 11:00 at night that I realized that I had forgotten to pack my tennis shoes- the only ones I could comfortably squeeze my fat feet into. My sweet husband didn't hesitate to drive back to our apartment to pick them up and bring them to me- an hour long trip. I think I cried the whole time he was gone- it was pretty hard for me to leave Leah for such a long time.
We flew into Indianapolis the next morning, and I was shocked at how small the city was and how flat the landscape was. We passed a field that looked like the crops had just been burned, but Jason pointed out that the soil was just that black and rich. It was amazing.
Once we got into town, I was further shocked by the variety of places we could live, the variety of people we encountered, and the wide range of emotions that I felt, most of which expressed how much I did NOT want to move to this place.
We stayed the first two nights with one of Jason's future professors, who was in the middle of renovating his 110 year old house. Read: no air conditioning in Indiana in June. We slept on a blow up mattress in a guest room that had no door, and there was no electricity in the house. There is nothing sexy about taking a shower by candlelight in a bathroom that doesn't have a door when you're 8 months pregnant. Beggars can't be choosers, I know, but the conditions were not ideal. That first night we laid on our air mattress and watched massive clouds roll across the sky all night long. We didn't know it was tornado season.
The last two nights we stayed with some friends from our student ward in Provo that had moved to Indiana a few years before us. They kindly let us sleep in their bed while they slept on an air mattress (a level of hospitality I have yet to reach) and we felt much better after a good night's sleep. That feeling was rather short-lived when we were delayed and delayed and delayed on our flight back to Utah. Completely exhausted, I ended up curling into a ball on the floor of the Denver airport and sleeping half the night away.
Although this second trip was hardly glamorous, it was still a great chance for Jason and I to get away together, to recommit to our relationship, and to gear up for the awesome changes that our little family was about to experience.
And the most exciting news of this post is that our third babymoon is in the works- a trip to Washington DC in June. I spent a total of 6 years there while growing up, and Jason has never been (gasp!) It seems like the ideal place to visit without our kids, and we will be staying with family friends (again). I guess we are just suckers for a cheap trip with a free bed- we need to make some friends in Aruba!
Jason got to Chicago a day before me and then I flew out by myself to meet him. Since we didn't have a rental car, we relied on taxis, shuttles, and buses to get us around the city. Our hotel was on the Magnificent Mile, and averaged $350 a night. Thank you, BYU for paying for our room and all of Jason's travel expenses. It was an beautiful hotel within walking distance of all things amazing in Chicago. The only trick of it was that Jason was there for a conference that kept him busy during the days. I had three days to fill by myself in the big city, and my plans started out pretty great.
The first day I got up early, walked up and down the Magnificent Mile and enjoyed the huge and historic buildings by myself. That night we went out to dinner with some of Jason's labmates and then found the tastiest little chocolate lounge on the other side of the Chicago River, where we sat and chatted late into the night.
The second day I got up a little later, walked down to the lobby for breakfast and went swimming. I spent the afternoon sightseeing, and that evening we took a taxi down to the Rainforest Cafe for dinner and then to see Wicked. It was completely amazing, and so fun to see a musical that we knew basically nothing about. I've never looked at the Wicked Witch of the West in the same way since. After the show we walked down to Navy Pier, which was closed, and got a glance of Lake Michigan. Being the middle of November, it was a freezing cold walk. Thankfully I had my little incubator to keep me warm.
The third day I tossed all other plans out the window, slept in, ordered in breakfast, and took a nice long nap after watching Oprah, which was recorded just down the street from our hotel room. I remember the bed being one of the most fluffy and comfortable beds- hotel or otherwise- I have ever slept in. Granted, I was 8 months pregnant, and I could sleep anywhere (read on for the Babymoon #2 proof of that).
Everywhere I went, people glanced down at my belly and then looked up at me with either a smile or a questioning look. More than a few strangers in elevators even asked if I needed a ride to the hospital. What is it about pregnant ladies that make people say such dumb things?
The next day was Sunday. We found a local ward to attend, and I was shocked to see that one of the counselors in the bishopric was from the ward I attended in Virginia while I was in high school. The world is so, so small in the church.
Then we headed to the Museum of Science and Industry, where I took the only pictures I have of this trip. I loved looking at the unborn fetus display that they had, which displays a stillborn fetus for every week of gestation. Amazing to see what our little babies start out as.
We had several undergraduate students tagging along with us, which made for a very interesting trip from the hotel to the museum and, on public transportation, to the airport in time to catch our flights. We got to see the real heart of Chicago, and all the many different people that live there.
Our trip to Chicago, overall, was awesome. It was the perfect chance to get away and enjoy each other and have one more hurrah before we officially became parents. Of course, had we known that, just a few years later, Chicago would become the nearest big city of choice, we probably would have gone to Aruba!
Our second babymoon wasn't technically in Life BC, but since a trip like that is all about taking a break from parenthood, I think it fits. When I was 8 months pregnant with Adam, we left Leah with my parents and flew from Utah to Indiana to find a place to live while attending graduate school. Since this trip came with a mission, it was hardly as restful or recreational as the first trip.
The night before we flew out, we stayed at my parents house to help Leah get settled in and to ease our early morning trip to the airport a bit. It wasn't until 11:00 at night that I realized that I had forgotten to pack my tennis shoes- the only ones I could comfortably squeeze my fat feet into. My sweet husband didn't hesitate to drive back to our apartment to pick them up and bring them to me- an hour long trip. I think I cried the whole time he was gone- it was pretty hard for me to leave Leah for such a long time.
We flew into Indianapolis the next morning, and I was shocked at how small the city was and how flat the landscape was. We passed a field that looked like the crops had just been burned, but Jason pointed out that the soil was just that black and rich. It was amazing.
Once we got into town, I was further shocked by the variety of places we could live, the variety of people we encountered, and the wide range of emotions that I felt, most of which expressed how much I did NOT want to move to this place.
We stayed the first two nights with one of Jason's future professors, who was in the middle of renovating his 110 year old house. Read: no air conditioning in Indiana in June. We slept on a blow up mattress in a guest room that had no door, and there was no electricity in the house. There is nothing sexy about taking a shower by candlelight in a bathroom that doesn't have a door when you're 8 months pregnant. Beggars can't be choosers, I know, but the conditions were not ideal. That first night we laid on our air mattress and watched massive clouds roll across the sky all night long. We didn't know it was tornado season.
The last two nights we stayed with some friends from our student ward in Provo that had moved to Indiana a few years before us. They kindly let us sleep in their bed while they slept on an air mattress (a level of hospitality I have yet to reach) and we felt much better after a good night's sleep. That feeling was rather short-lived when we were delayed and delayed and delayed on our flight back to Utah. Completely exhausted, I ended up curling into a ball on the floor of the Denver airport and sleeping half the night away.
Although this second trip was hardly glamorous, it was still a great chance for Jason and I to get away together, to recommit to our relationship, and to gear up for the awesome changes that our little family was about to experience.
And the most exciting news of this post is that our third babymoon is in the works- a trip to Washington DC in June. I spent a total of 6 years there while growing up, and Jason has never been (gasp!) It seems like the ideal place to visit without our kids, and we will be staying with family friends (again). I guess we are just suckers for a cheap trip with a free bed- we need to make some friends in Aruba!
all pictures I didn't take came from wikipedia.com
Sunday, April 3, 2011
General Conference
General Conference was this weekend, and for the first time as a mother, I tried to not let it sneak up on me unprepared. I have long since shifted from the bored child who thinks conference will never end to the thirsting parent who longs for enough peace and quiet around the house to actually hear the words of the prophet. Here are some of the things I did in an attempt to keep the kids happy for the 4 hours of conference we enjoyed today.
We pitched our tent toward the prophet, just like King Benjamin's people in the Book of Mormon.
We had treats to eat whenever we heard one of our chosen key words.
We had activity books, prophet matching cards, an apostle wheel, and small crafts to get through the day. This one pictured is an egg carton with numbers 1-12 written in each spot. You then add the right number of beans, noodles, rocks, etc. to each spot. Leah, whose favorite pastime lately is counting to 100 and beyond, thought this was great.
All in all, I think it was a success. Of course, by the end of the day the house was trashed, the kids were a sugary mess (especially thanks to the maple syrup incident) and I was exhausted. But one of my favorite quotes from conference came from Elder Richard J. Maynes in the Saturday afternoon session.
He said, "Our children might not remember everything about the family home evening lesson later in the week, but they would remember that we held it. They would probably not remember the exact words of the scriptures or the prayers, but they would remember that we did read scriptures, and we did have prayer. There is great power and protection for us and our children in establishing celestial traditions in the home."
So, for today, I can feel good knowing that my children will remember that we heard the voice of our prophet in our home today. And that is enough for now.
We pitched our tent toward the prophet, just like King Benjamin's people in the Book of Mormon.
We had treats to eat whenever we heard one of our chosen key words.
We had activity books, prophet matching cards, an apostle wheel, and small crafts to get through the day. This one pictured is an egg carton with numbers 1-12 written in each spot. You then add the right number of beans, noodles, rocks, etc. to each spot. Leah, whose favorite pastime lately is counting to 100 and beyond, thought this was great.
All in all, I think it was a success. Of course, by the end of the day the house was trashed, the kids were a sugary mess (especially thanks to the maple syrup incident) and I was exhausted. But one of my favorite quotes from conference came from Elder Richard J. Maynes in the Saturday afternoon session.
He said, "Our children might not remember everything about the family home evening lesson later in the week, but they would remember that we held it. They would probably not remember the exact words of the scriptures or the prayers, but they would remember that we did read scriptures, and we did have prayer. There is great power and protection for us and our children in establishing celestial traditions in the home."
So, for today, I can feel good knowing that my children will remember that we heard the voice of our prophet in our home today. And that is enough for now.
Sneakerson Sneakerson
I left Jason home alone with the kids this morning for 30 minutes. When I got back, Jason was on the computer setting up conference, Leah was waiting for me at the door and Adam was nowhere to be found. We called and called out for him, and while Jason was upstairs frantically searching for the child he had lost while in charge, I saw that the pantry door was shut tight, with an eerie silence oozing out from under the door. I opened it up, and found this-
Adam was happily bathing himself in a pool of syrup.
There are a few things that I have learned about Adam.
1. He loves syrup. I have to keep it on the top shelf of the pantry to keep it out of his reach.
2. He has learned how to close doors, and has no problem shutting himself inside a room, even if it's dark.
3. He will not answer my call if he's trying hide, or is getting into mischief. He just silently disappears.
Apparently these are all things that I need to clue Jason in on. I don't think he much enjoyed mopping up syrup in his church clothes.
There are a few things that I have learned about Adam.
1. He loves syrup. I have to keep it on the top shelf of the pantry to keep it out of his reach.
2. He has learned how to close doors, and has no problem shutting himself inside a room, even if it's dark.
3. He will not answer my call if he's trying hide, or is getting into mischief. He just silently disappears.
Apparently these are all things that I need to clue Jason in on. I don't think he much enjoyed mopping up syrup in his church clothes.
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