Kids: 2 Mom: 0

My parents gave this to me a while back, with a smirk:
I guess since these were a day apart I have nothing to complain about.
Showering and vacuuming are over-rated anyway, right?!

"And that's why you don't use a one-armed person to scare people."

My children are horrible eaters. Seriously, like going-to-drive-me-to-drinking bad eaters. It honestly doesn't need to be as difficult as they make it. I obviously don't have a hard time getting it done, I don't understand why they do.

When dinner was having a hard time getting in their mouths and down their throats, I decided to try a bribe. Bike rides; but only after their food was all gone. I finished my dinner (which was neither disgusting nor delicious... eggs, bacon and biscuits,) and told them I was going by myself.

By the time I had the garage open, Oakley came out the door, still chewing an entire plate of food. We headed on our normal route, commenting on how nice the cool breeze was, and when we reached about the 1/3 way point it started sprinkling. By half way it was pouring with gusty winds and we were so cold! We rode against the wind as quick as we could back home. We pulled the bikes back into the garage, and turned to look at the rain... which had miraculously stopped.
And that's why you don't try to teach lessons to your children.

Collections

When I was little, my sister Alyson, had the most impressive sticker book. Photo albums (yes, several of them) were filled with every sticker she could accumulate. I used to love to pull back the plastic sheet of the sticky page - sshhhhhkkkkkk - and feel the fuzzy ones or smell the scratch and sniff ones.

I don't think I ever collected anything, my attention span and lack of patience didn't help me hone the collecting skill. For this reason, I'm thinking Oakley must be her boy. He has collections of she-shelves (sea shells,) dinosaur bones (dried paint clumps,) and most recently, locust skins.


Anyone know where I can pick up a sticker book?

The Nightly Routine

The most amazing thing about having kids live in the NICU for the first 3-6 months of their lives? (Well, besides having them survive?)

They can sleep through anything. Seriously, anything.


Okay, so I haven't tried everything in the world, but most nights, Reese screams for eh, probably 12 - 15 minutes. He and Nate have to face each other when they sleep, and often are touching each other through jail. Sometimes I'll go in to "shh" him (no, not console) because I don't want him to wake up Nate, and I find Nate snoring. Sometimes it's difficult to not have a favorite.

Happy Birthday Oakley!

I made a video for Oak's birthday... my goal for the next year will be to comb his hair daily.





You may have noticed his love for red shirts, tank-tops and one piece jammies. Other things I love about him are his random quotes. Recent conversations include:

Oakley: I'm hungry.
Me: What do you want?
Oakley: Spaghetti ... but no chicken or meat or buffalo.

Oakley: Why are you doing laundry?
Jason: Because it needs to be done.
Oakley: Girls do laundry. You're a girl; you wear makeup.

I love this boy! Is it bad to have a favorite? (Just kidding other children, I love you all the same...)

Happy Easter!

How to make a 4-year-old think you are amazing:
My best (and only) egg I dyed this year.

Grandpa, tell me 'bout the good old days!

When I was 14, I was a horrible person. Maybe not horrible, just incredibly self centered. For that reason, I would love to get rid of my journals because of entries that are all like this:

At that time, apparently I didn't grasp how extremely blessed I was for having such a fantastic grandpa, whom everyone loved and respected. So... this time, he's not the P.P.S. My Grandpa Jones was one of the most amazing people I've known. All of my family is amazing, both sides, and my grandpa was determined to see that both sides blended to create what became my parents.

Grandpa Jones started a laundry mat and dry cleaners and hired my mom to work for him. One day, he called my mom in to work and needed her to hurry down. (In her version of the story, she had greasy hair.) Grandpa and Grandma Jones needed to go to the airport to pick up their son just returning home from his mission. On the way home, Grandpa decided that he needed to stop in at the cleaners to check on things and persuaded his son to come in with him. It was there, at Jones' Cleaners that my parent's eyes met for the first time, discussed roast beef sandwiches, and fell in love. His plan worked.


Other things that my grandpa did that have had a lasting impact on me were his acts of kindness.

-He would let me stand behind him for hours while he was sitting in his chair and braid his comb-over into as many tiny dread-locks as possible.

-He taught me how to shoot a gun. Grandpa and Grandma Jones would take us to do fun random things, like shooting, ice skating, to see the 2-headed snake at ASU, to DI, to Virden to clean the gravesites, to build a fence at a home teaching family's house, lots of service.

-He let me sit on his lap in church and poke the pencil-lead stain in his hand as quickly as I could while he tried to close his hand on my finger, or play with his calculator watch, or feed me tic-tacs or Dentene cinnamon gum.

-I remember that he was very respectful of the church and his responsibilities. Every week he would carry with him table cloth and vase with a flower from their garden to set as the centerpiece for the class he was teaching.

-Without being asked, he would also clean up the flower beds and sweep the walkways weekly so so the church would look good for Sunday services.

-Grandpa was so affectionate. He would often give Grandma LONG kisses in front of anyone who happened to be in sight. He wasn't afraid to show his love.

-He loved Lemon Meringue Pie. He would trade my grandma pie for cleaning up the kids' throw-up.

-Some of his "catch-phrases" were, "Hello, Beautiful!" "Hello, George!" while shaking your hand so much you thought your arm was going to come loose from the socket, and when you asked how he was doing, he was always fabulous.

In honor of Grandpa being gone 17 years today, I planted some zinnias, sweet potato vine, basil and a lavender, and swept my walk. He was a good man.

See you at Helltrack

I'm trying to come up with an idea for Oakley for the ward talent show.



I was trying to come up with a simplified version of this we could work on with him but realized, nope, all he's mastered is putting his feet up on the handlebars.

Today

Text to Melissa:

"Nate super glued his lips closed and his hand to his mouth. This was while I was helping Oakley unstick his hand glued in a fist position. CPS would have a decent case against me."

Reply:

"Did that happen while you were getting your Mother of the Year Award out of the mailbox?"

P.S. For future reference, go here.

Sometimes I don't stand a chance.

Best Christmas Present Ever!

This year, Jason worked hard, and gave me (and him) the very best Christmas present ever!!

He GRADUATED!!Eighteen years after he started, Jason graduated from ASU.When he decided to go back, I was uncertain how it would end up. I shouldn't have worried because he hunkered down and plowed right through. He took a heavy load each semester, including each summer session and got done in about 15 months, pulling almost straight A's (statistics his last semester was not his favorite, but he did get a high B in it!)

The ceremony was fantastic, with bagpipes and all.Oakley went along with to see Jason graduate. Now every time we are in the vicinity of ASU, he says, "There's Dad's college." "Remember when we went to Dad's graduration?" "ASU!"
Some of my favorite comments from Oakley that night were:- when we sat in our seats at Wells Fargo Arena, "Mom, go get me some cotton candy."
- while watching the sign interpreter, "Why is she speaking in mute?"
- and apparently when he was having issues, "my private balls are sticking to my legs."

All in all, fantastic gift, fantastic occasion, fantastic opportunities?! Yay for us!!