Tuesday, August 31, 2010

August Faves



Favorite Color: Purple
Favorite Food(s): Watermelon and Strawberries
Favorite Treat: Taffy
Favorite Friend: Peyton
Favorite Book: Princess Stories
Favorite Movie/Show: Phineas and Ferb
Favorite Song: Beat It, Beat It!
(The one sung by Fergie, not Michael Jackson.)
Favorite Thing to Do Inside: Cut paper into little pieces.
Favorite Thing to Do Outside: Ride her bike, and play with friends.
Favorite Thing About Jackson: When he crawls to her.
Least Favorite Thing to Do: Have Mama Bear not do what she says.
(It's a rough life when your Stuffy won't obey.)
Funny Things She Says: "You're a great fly killer Mom! You deserve a trophy. Or maybe just a baby. (Then whispering) His name is Jackson."
"That's not our car. It's not messy enough inside."
"Can we go to I-K-E-A? How 'bout Old Lady (Old Navy)?"
"Let's do a fun thing."
"Do you have to go to work today?"
(Followed by a big hug and excitement if I say "No.")



Favorite Color: Bright Yellow
(Because binkies that are bright yellow are easier to spot.)
Favorite Food: Cheese
Favorite Treat: Birthday Cake!
Favorite Friend: His Thumper Stuffy
Favorite Book: Baby Signs
Favorite Movie/Show: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
Favorite Things to do Inside: Touch the plants that he's not supposed to.
Turn off the T.V. Climb stairs. (Eek!)
Favorite Things to Do Outside: Walk on all fours to avoid having his knees on the concrete. (Okay, maybe not his favorite, but definitely the funniest to watch.)
Favorite Thing about Hayley: When she picks up his binky or other things he drops.
Least Favorite Thing to Do: Teethe. Be forced to practice walking.
And take baths. He's done a complete 180 on baths in just a month.
Funny Things He Says: "Dada" when I try to get him to say it. When Jeremy asks, he just shakes his head "No." And he gives kisses now. Selectively.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

What's New Pussycat?

So last weekend we went to the zoo. Again. (Can't help it. It's a fun, free-ish activity, that's almost a sure bet to get a nap out of Hayley.) This trip was kind of different, because we got there right at opening, before it was super hot, and caught many of the animals early enough that they were a lot more alert. This leopard kept pacing back and forth at the window the whole time Hayley was standing there. She loved seeing him up close, and moving, since usually we just get to see them taking their afternoon nap.



We moved on to the tigers (didn't get a picture of the real thing, so the statues of them will have to do) who were also awake and moving around, and as Hayley watched them, she asked me where the tigers had babies. I told her they had them right here at the zoo, and she thought that was pretty cool. Next she asked if a tiger and the leopard could have a baby together. I told her I really wasn't sure, but we could look it up when we got home.



After wearing the kids out, we headed home and did some googling. Turns out a leopard and a tiger are not able to have a baby, neither a Dogla or a Tigard. Maybe that's a good thing. It may quickly have become a case of "Am I spotted with stripes, or striped with spots?"

Our research did get me thinking about a hybrid that I knew could happen: a Liger. You know, Napoleon Dynamite's favorite animal? I started wondering what ever happened to Shasta, the liger that was stuffed after her death and was on display at the zoo during my childhood. (Back when they still had the machines that made animals out of wax. Man, those were cool!) Turns out she is on display at BYU now, so no longer at Hogle Zoo. Other interesting info? Shasta was not intentionally bred. Her tiger mother was moved into the lion cage to cut costs after her mate died. Well, one thing led to another, and ta da! Shasta the Liger. Also, ligers are the largest big cat in the world, possibly because they lack the ability to regulate growth hormones, and continue to grow for a longer period in their life than most other animals do.

By the time I had my questions answered, Hayley was asleep next to me on the couch. Success!

I understand if you are asleep by now too. But some useless history is kind of fun, every now and then.

In case you are bored enough that you are still here, this is what I was referring to:



And a list of locations that still have the "waxies."

That's all.





No, really, that's all.






You still here?





Okay, fine.



A pic of my two favorite boys.

Kthanxbye.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Dog Days of Summer

When people (mostly my students) ask if we have any pets, my response is, "Nope. Kids are enough." Jeremy and I have never been pet people. I can't stand the poop (especially now that I've had kids and have to deal with theirs), and he can't stand the hair (especially since he already deals with the shedding hair of two girls in our house). Hayley is pretty well aware that we will never own a dog, but that doesn't stop her from wanting to look and play. So just about every time we see the "Puppy People" at WalMart, we stop for a little look/see playdate with the puppies.



This Teacup Chiuaha really was so cute. She knew better than to even ask me, but I had to laugh at how hard she was trying to convince my mom. (Who actually does want a dog.)



We left empty handed and went home to wash off dog smell. All Jackson would have needed was a few snails to make this a true "Snakes and snails and puppy dog tails" kind of day.



Who needs the rhyme when I already know what this boy's made of: giggles and sweetness and love!

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Two Thumbs Down

As much as I loved Hunger Games and Catching Fire, I felt Mockingjay was really a waste of a much anticipated book. Because I know that not all of you have read it (or finished it), the rest of my thoughts are here.



Although as unfufilled as the book left me, this made me feel a little better:



Now it all makes sense right?

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Career Aspirations: The Musketeer and the Magician

Ever since I bought the movie Barbie and the Three Musketeers, we've been seeing a lot of this at home:

(Got any Bad Guys? She'll come beat 'em up for ya!)



Then there's this kid who thinks he's a Magician:

(Bread? Ta da! It's right here!)



But if that doesn't work out, the Escape Artist route looks promising too:



Maybe I should stop telling them that they can be whatever they set their mind to...
Nah, then what would I blog about?

Monday, August 23, 2010

Trouble in Paradise

What did Hayley do during Jackson's Birthday Party?

Well, she started out pretty happy...



Until she let go of her balloon, and watched it float away...



She was pretty upset.



Especially when Jeremy tried to get her to smile and feel better.



She was fine once the cousins showed up.



Oh, the mood swings!



At all of her four years old!

Friday, August 20, 2010

Birthday Boy

Happy Birthday Jackson!

This little boy loved his birthday cupcake...



Until he got too sticky and wanted to be cleaned up!



And he loved his presents...



At both of his parties!



We love our little one year old more and more every day!



So happy to have this sweet, giggly, teasing boy in our family!

Monday, August 16, 2010

Unlucky Thirteen

Beginning with Friday the 13th, this last weekend pretty much sucked. To give you an idea, here's the highlights:

Friday afternoon: Family crisis at the hospital. (Not me, Jer, Hayley, or Jackson, thank goodness.) Driving my bawling mom to the hospital. Keeping two tired kids entertained in a hospital. Being unprepared for said entertainment. (i.e. Low on diapers, no bottle for Jackson, no dollar bills for the vending machine.) Staying up too late.

Then I came home to: Neighbor's dog barking. All night. Midnight walk to neighbor's house, and having neighbors ignore my knocking, probably because they knew exactly why I was there, on their porch in the middle of the night. Barking continued. Two a.m. walk for Jeremy over to neighbor's house. He was ignored too. (At least now I didn't feel outdone...) Oh, and Jackson was up about four times. Seriously, his gums are still purple where he has molars coming in.

Saturday morning: I got up with the kids, which is not unusual, and I don't usually mind it. But by the time that Jeremy got up, I had worked myself up to being really irritated that he hadn't read my mind and gotten up out of bed to help deal with the kids. I see now just how much sense that did not make, and how much he did not deserve the tongue lashing he got from me, but in my sleep deprived delirium, it did make total sense to me. When it turned into a pissing match between the two of us about who was more tired, Jeremy, to his credit, got up and walked out, and went to work two hours early. I stewed for a while longer and then took a nap while the blessed children both napped at the same time. Woke up feeling pretty sheepish, and texted Jeremy an apology, which he reciprocated. Okay, I guess that's one good thing: The hubs and I both realize that we have way too much to do to stay mad or hold a grudge.

Saturday evening: Got in a disagreement with my dad about some of Friday's Drama. Really, sometimes I think I should just shut up and stop caring. At all. About anything. Because sometimes I feel all I do is get myself in trouble.

Saturday night: Finished the night off with some nasty text messages from my sister. Went to bed feeling like crap. Until the dog starting barking. Again. Jeremy told me to stop thrashing around in bed (which I was) and because I was too tired and worn out to start another fight, and I didn't really want to fight, I slept on the couch. Which was okay. It's a comfortable couch.

Sunday: Hayley wakes up, goes into my room, and finds my side of the bed empty. Starts yelling for me. Wakes up Jackson. Hayley also has a fever and sore throat. Awesome. And a disagreement with my mom about The Drama. We made up pretty quick though, so I still went to her house for Sunday dinner. To sit at the dinner table with her and my stepdad, who were also not speaking to each other due to a disagreement. It was great.

I used to feel bad when Jeremy would say that he "gets" to go back to work after being off for a few days, but man, was I glad I "got" to go to work today.

Oh yeah, Jackson turned one. Waiting to post on it until I feel a little more celebratory.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Just a Good Day

Even though I didn't get to sleep in...

Even though I didn't get to go back to bed to cuddle...

Even though Jackson has another bruise on his forehead...
(Today's was from biffing it on the cement, the one from a few days ago was from when he decided he is able climb out of his crib... Really, we're starting that already??)

Even though I had to get the skirt in the next size up...

Even though we got stuck outside in the exact ten minutes of the afternoon deluge...

Even though the stupid molar still hasn't broken through...
(Hence the drool all over Jackson's shirt in the pics...)

Today was a really, really good day.

I've been working on a goal. It's called, "Take a cue from your four-year-old, and don't be afraid to interact with people, even if you don't know them that well." I know it may surprise some of you, but talking to and hanging out with people that I don't know, or don't know well, or who I feel "rate" higher than me on some made-up, strange system in my head, makes me really, really nervous. I realized in the past year or so, that I am missing out on a lot of friendships by being like this. Today was one of the days that I was actually on top of my goal.

Hayley was invited to a birthday party for one of her cute little friends that she's made at my mom's work at the fitness center. Fun, right? Yeah, mostly I was just nervous. Because the parents were invited (expected?) to stay, so I knew that this birthday party would require me to work on that goal I'd come up with for myself. I did great. Even carried on about a ten minute conversation with the birthday girl's mom, who before today I hadn't ever really talked to. Felt like I left with a little present of my own, to myself: a new friend.

So glad we had a chance to remember how much fun there is to be had at the Edutainment Center,



so glad these two are buds,



and so glad to have these happy kiddos!



Happy, tuckered out kiddos, apparently. As they were both fed, bathed, jammied, and in bed asleep by 8:10. Which means that I got to end the day with some me time on the blog before the hubby gets home.

Just a good day.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Twenty Twelve and Kissing Boys

Hayley: "Mom, I have twenty-twelve cereals."
Me: "I don't think so. Twenty-twelve isn't a real number."
Hayley: "I think it is, because that's how many I have."
Me: "Why don't you show me, and count them for me?"
Hayley: "Okay. One, two... (she did fine, until right after twenty-nine...) ...twenty-nine, twenty-ten, twenty-eleven, twenty-twelve! See, Mom! I told you!"

Guess it's time to start working on counting to thirty.

Another conversation that took place as Hayley was putting on her pajamas, after a long day of too much fun:

Me: "Hayley, you're such a skinny butt, I can see your ribs."
Hayley: (starting to cry) "No, I don't want to be so skinny you can see my ribs!"
Me: "It's okay if you're skinny, Hayley. That just means lots of boys will want to kiss you!"
Hayley: (now there's full on waterworks) "But I don't want lots of boys to kiss me!"
Jeremy: (who until now has just been listening) "Well, then tell the boys your dad has a gun."
Um, well, okay. It did get her calmed down...

Glad we don't have to worry about the kissing boys issue. Yet.



Seriously, Child. Stop growing up so fast!

Sunday, August 1, 2010

July Faves


(The reasoning for this picture will make sense soon...)

Favorite Color(s): Purple and Pink
Favorite Food: Strawberries and Bananas
Favorite Treat: Chocolate with crunchy stuff and a red wrapper (Kit Kat)
Favorite Friend: Peyton
Favorite Book: any story about princesses
Favorite Movie/Show: The Chipmunk Adventure
Favorite Song: Beat It, Beat It!
(The one sung by Fergie, not Michael Jackson.)
Favorite Thing to Do Inside: Play with Jackson
Favorite Thing to Do Outside: Swim in her pool and ride her bike.
Favorite Thing About Jackson: That he likes to play with her! So much!
Least Favorite Thing to Do: Go over railroad tracks in the car.
(Okay... I'm almost sorry I asked!)
Funny Things She Says: "Can I put a sticker on my Good Girl Chart?"
"Will you buy me something?"
"Can I play outside?"
"I wish we were in Disneyland."
and this:
"Mom, can I have a tissue?
Then, "Mumble, mumble, mumble, booger stoppers..."



Favorite Color: Baby Blue (Because look at those eyes!)
Favorite Food: Applesauce
Favorite Treat: Watermelon
Favorite Friend: Mom, since she's been off track.
Favorite Book: I Love You All the Time
Favorite Movie/Show: Over the Hedge
Favorite Song: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star sung by Hayley
Favorite Things to do Inside: Pull up on the side of the bathtub, point inside, and grunt to show he wants a bath. Also, being held upside down by his ankles.
Favorite Things to Do Outside: Go to swimming lessons.
Favorite Thing about Hayley: When she pretends his foot is a telephone.
"Hello? Is anybody there?"
Least Favorite Thing to Do: Have Hayley bug, poke, and prod him when he's asleep in his carseat.
Funny Things He Says: Not really any new words, but he'll smile and laugh after he bites you. He's quick and strong, and has pretty good hand eye coordination these days. Hayley, Jeremy and I have all learned this the hard way. In Hayley's case, I couldn't help but think it was a little bit of karma.