who's that kid?

...the one you see wearing his sweat pants tucked into his brand new cowboy boots.
...the one who spilled his chocolate milk all over the table at mcdonald's after telling his mom how funny he and his best friend are.
...the one who gets all giddy putting together his new lego-men collection.
...the one who draws a picture of his house, including the swing set and chicken coop in the yard.
...the one who got 4 out of 5 green stars this week.
...the one whose teacher says is a most responsible and bright student.
...the one who thinks the cabinets his grandpa is building for the garage are soooo cool.
...the one who has great hair.
...the one who always remembers to open the door for his mom.
...the one who collects eggs as soon as he gets home from school.
...the one who rarely complains and is always quick to do what is asked.
...the one who injects a healthy dose of facial expression and theatrical accents in every story he tells.
...the one who reads and writes.
...the one who carefully studies his dad.
...the one who will snuggle on the couch.
...the one who rocks the soccer field.
...the one who loves to be around his family.
...the one who is newly-turned 6.
...the one who is teaching his parents about the important things in life.
...the one who is tucked in his warm bed with his pirate blanket, sleeping, with a gentle rise and fall of his breath.
...the one who has stolen the hearts of a certain group of 4.


who's that kid? that's my kid.

A Year of Laughter

Can't believe another year is coming to a close. It has been a good year. A really good year.

We have been blessed with love and laughter and lots of other good things all year long. I feel grateful. Grateful for the love and the good things. And the laughter is a bonus.

In honor of the year that presented us with lots of laughter, I want to list a few of the funny (to me) things the children have said this year. I think I only want to include 12 things, but we'll see how it goes as I look through my blog that I call "laughing with my little loves". It's one of those private, invisible blogs. It's a place where I document those silly kids and their funny talk. Well, funny to me and the husband.

And just for your reference, and to put these funny things into perspective, oldest daughter is 9, middle daughter is 7, and little son is 5.

Funny talk of 2011

January
little son and i were watching his one year old cousin who was crying in an unstoppable manner. little son quips: "she scares me when she cries. it hurts my head and my ears. it's kind of like a weapon. a little baby weapon."


February

feb 14-- watching a movie with the children, oldest daughter leans over to me and says: "mom, i feel like satan is tempting me to say 'how the hell?'
mom: "why?"
oldest daughter: "i don't know"
mom: "sing a song to get those icky things out of your head."
oldest daughter hums families can be together forever, pauses and then whispers to mom: "he's like 'do it, say it, it won't hurt.' "

feb 27-- at the blessing of my tiny, new niece, little son leans over to the husband and whispers in his ear: "dad, three things: i. love. you."

March

mar 31-- shortly after tucking the children into bed for the night, little son yells out: "dad, if my leg falls off can we have a funeral for it?"
dad: "yes, son, if your leg falls off we can have a funeral for it"
little son: "yay!"
dad: "but i don't think it's gonna fall off"
little son: "yay!"

April

apr 13-- i was putting pink foam rollers in middle daughters hair one evening as little son came crawling, army-style, into the room.
little son: "i'm dying! i'm dying!"
mom and middle daughter: "what?"
little son, whispering: "mom, take care of yourself when i'm gone..."

May

may 19-- oldest daughter was explaining how nervous she was while having to have a small cavity filled.
oldest daughter: "mom, when i was getting my shot, i just kept thinking to myself, 'jesus had more pain when he died on the cross. jesus had more pain when he died on the cross.' "

June

june 28-- in utah after playing at a bounce house that had an indoor miniature golf course little son proclaims: "someday i really need to play some manager golf. i think i'd be really good at it."

june 29-- also while in utah, the children were getting ready for bed. little son was brushing his teeth while he and a cousin were watching a little star wars. he walks into the bathroom to put away his toothbrush and declares: "i love yoda! he's the awesomest one! he, like, never dies. HE NEVER DIES!"

July

jul 17-- after watching movies about jesus, middle daughter becomes contemplative and asks: "how many lives do we get?"
mom: "just one here on this earth, but after we are done here, we will live forever."
middle daughter: "so we will get born again?"
mom: "no, we will continue living as adults."
middle daughter: "and then we will grow back down to babies?"
mom: "no, we will stay adults."
middle daughter with eyes as huge as saucers: "really?! we will always be adults?"
mom: "yep"

August

aug 22-- shopping with little son
little son: "mom, one time i was shopping with dad and your dad. your dad was looking for some shorts and he said, 'these shorts are too short. i guess that's why they call them shorts.' he is soooooo funny!!!"

aug 19--
mom: "little son, did you just toot?"
little son: "no, i fluffed."
mom: "that's the same thing as tooting."
little son: "no, it's not. a toot sounds like, 'plbbttt' and a fluff sounds like 'fffaaahhhh.' plus, toots don't stink, but fluffs do.

September

sept 10-- middle daughter has really gotten into riddles and trying to stump us by coming up with original riddles.

middle daughter: "two people are in a cabin and they are dead. how do you know they are dead?"
dad: "cause you are not one of them?"
middle daughter: "no"
dad: "cause you read it in a newspaper?"
middle daughter: "no"
mom: "cause they are not breathing?"
middle daughter: "no"
dad and mom: "k, why?"
middle daughter: "it was the pilot and the co-pilot. and then the plane goes down. nobody was in the plane.
my cousin taught me that one."

October

oct 13-- we were watching my cute little 2 year old niece, junie (name changed to protect the 2 year old), for my sister who is going through a very rough pregnancy. after putting junie down for bed, little son told us: "mom, don't be fooled by junie's cuteness, she hurt me and she hurt oldest daughter."

oct 18-- newly returned from school, little son was walking around the house aimlessly picking up items and putting them down, commenting on everything.
little son: "i'm guessing you're gonna say 'how was your p.e.?' "
mom: "how was your p.e.?"
little son: "i knew it!! it was good."

November

nov 9-- upon picking up little son at the bus stop
little son: "mom, i have gummy bears in my back pack and i'm not afraid to use them!"

nov 13-- little son: "mom, me and middle daughter are the funniest ones in this family!!"

December

dec 10-- a woman in our congregation has been very ill and the ward held a special fast for her. upon hearing about the special fast, little son says: "i can fast my candy."
so he did, he had no candy all day.

the next sunday...
mom: "little son, hurry up and eat so that we won't be late for church."
little son: "mom, i'm fasting for sister j."
and he did. he fasted breakfast and lunch.

the next sunday...
mom: "little son, eat breakfast!"
little son: "i'm fasting for sister j again."

at the end of the day, little son says: "how about next time i fast school?"

dec 25-- dad: "little son, will you say the family prayer and be sure to thank heavenly father for all our presents?"
little son: "what abooooouuuuut can i count him in and thank him for him as a present?"
dad: "yes!"

good night hugs and kisses followed after the prayer. the children ran off to bed. little son promptly ran out of his room to say: "dad, one more thing: thank you for all the presents!!"

dec 29-- friends were visiting from utah and little son and his friend wanted to play a board game. little son ran off to the game cupboard and proclaimed: "let me show you where the magic happens!"




Ok, so pretty much, little son says the most funny stuff around here. Apparently. He is at a good age.

Anyway, here's to a new year with new laughs and new good things. Happy New Year to you and yours. May you be blessed abundantly and find joy in all around you.

feathers down the back

i've kinda been cracking up for the last 24 hours. little son informed me that he wants an indian head dress for christmas from santa. to anyone who knows him, that should bring a smile to your face.

THAT IS SO LITTLE SON!! he is the master of disguise. the duke of dress up. the captain of costume. the keeper of my mother-of-little-son heart.

while we were in utah this past summer, little son kept begging me to sew him some indian pants, specifically with fringe running down the side, to go with the indian style shirt that his sweet grandma gave to him while we were there. i kept telling him that once we got back to arizona, i would sew those pants. and i did. and he wears them. all the time. and the pants also double as cowboy pants. so, win win.

now he knows that he needs a proper head dress to complete the ensemble. and so, i have been researching indian head dresses-- just in case santa might need a little help. little son made sure that i know that he wants the head dress with ALL the feathers. all of them. down the back.

have you ever purchased an indian head dress? well, i have not. but i have found that there are some out there. and the prices vary. and the styles vary. i am wondering if one size does truly fit all. like, does one size fit all adults? or all people- adults and children included? and is orange better than blue? just a couple questions on my mind today.

i am most thankful for the internet. because if not for al gore and his wonderful invention, i don't even know where i would go to get one- with feathers down the back. party city? do they have legit head dresses there?

just last month, my sweet sister agreed to take little son on a special photo shoot. we gathered up all his costumes and went out to the desert and took a million photos of him in all his get-ups. because, I HAVE TO REMEMBER THIS!! the boy is in multiple outfits everyday. and his imagination runs wild. and he creates accessories out of ordinary household items to go with all his outfits. i must admit: i truly love it. and i never want him to grow up.

and so we captured all these costumes on film. no, on digital.

but, now i'm afraid we'll have to make another trip out to the desert. because we gotta have a picture of that cute little indian chief once he has his head dress. with the feathers down the back.

A Sweet Gig

The daughters (oldest and middle) are taking piano lessons. Since July.

Oldest daughter was introduced to the piano 3 years ago. She took one year of lessons. And then we moved. It took me a while to find a new teacher. But, I finally found one and we started in July. And, boy, is she good. I love her! So do the daughters.

I made a motivational deal with the daughters that if they would practice 5 days a week, they could earn a pack of gum. The small pack. Five pieces. One for each day they practiced.

The second part of the deal was that if they practiced 6 days a week, they could earn a Thrifty ice cream cone from our local water store. (Lots of Arizonans actually purchase drinking water in bulk due to the high ickiness of our tap water.) And the local water store has an ice cream freezer full of tasty Thrifty ice cream choices. For some reason, the Thrifty ice cream counter at our local water store is magical for the children.

The third part of the deal is that if they practice 6 days a week for 4 consecutive weeks, they can have a double scoop in a waffle cone. I know!

Combine these rewards with the candy they earn from their teacher for practicing and I have a couple of budding concert pianists on my hands.

The husband, little son and I are the lucky beneficiaries of the daughters who regularly partake of our new daily tradition of piano practice. I am proud to report that they have not missed out on any of their practice rewards. Since July. They are pretty motivated.

I am so impressed with how quickly middle daughter has caught on to the piano. The first few weeks of practice were a little rough. A few tears. Some tantrums. But now she practices without even being reminded. And she is starting to sound really good.

Oldest daughter is flying through her books. She is just finishing her third set since starting and is about to begin her fourth. Her songs are beginning to be enjoyable to listen to. Over and over.

So, our new weekly tradition is ice cream on Monday nights. Right after Family Home Evening. These past two weeks, middle daughter and little son have opted to get something from the bubble gum machine in lieu of their single scoop, which is usually either cotton candy (which turns their whole mouth a bluish-purple) or cake batter. And, that's way cool for the pocket book, since the bubble gum machine prize is like $1.54 cheaper per person than ice cream.The husband typically orders strawberry cheesecake, while I always go with chocolate malted crunch. Oldest daughter is the bravest of the family because she gets something different every time.

I am wondering how long it will take these lovely and intelligent daughters of mine to figure out that there are three of us riding their wave of reward, since pretty much there are three of us in the family who are rewarded, besides listening to their lovely tunes, for doing nothing. Absolutely nothin.

It's a sweet gig.

In Our Prayers

So, I just wanted you to know that if you have recently been run over by a car, little son prayed that you could feel better and you wouldn't have a car run over you anymore when he was offering a prayer of thanks to God for his pizza and blueberries at lunch today.

Happy Day with Ghosts

Today my younger brother becomes a doctor.

He has been working hard learning all this stuff.

Today he graduates.

And gets a diploma and all that.

And now he can work on people.

He recently moved his family to Arizona.

We love having them close.

And now, since he has gone back to his school to graduate,

we are taking care of one of his cute children.

As my cute little nephew has been in my home these past few days,

I keep seeing the ghost of my little brother

running through my house,

playing with my own little son.

And then, I look again,

and it's like the ghost of the husband

is playing with the ghost of my younger brother.

I'm not afraid of ghosts.

And it makes me smile.

Congratulations, brother!!

I sure do love you.

Jedi in the House

I must confess that when the husband is at a dental appointment and little son and I have the house all to ourselves, we may sometimes engage in full-on Jedi battles. Throughout the entire house.

Little son has mad Jedi skills and is not opposed to teaching me some pretty sweet moves from time to time. I wish I could be a Jedi, but mostly I just have to be Darth Mom. Are Darths Jedis? I’m not well-versed in all things Jedi, but I am learning.

As I said, there may have been a Jedi battle in our home today- after the insulation guy left. Because if the battle had begun while he was in our attic, he may have thought we were a little crazy. Plus, we try not to use Jedi powers on innocent by-standers and stuff like that.

Little son especially loved when I somersaulted up onto my bed and held him at bay with my light saber. It was a wickedly awesome move, if I do say so myself. Also, the bed was a great place to be when Jedi Boy pushed the force in my direction with his open palm, because Jedi-forced open-palm pushes are forceful and you need a soft place to fall back forcefully in dramatic fashion, which I ended up doing over and over and over again. And again.

We battled throughout the house, yelling stuff like, “Surrender to the force” and “You’re not my father” in authentic Jedi voices, mostly because those are the lines I remember from the movies. Plus I remember the line, “these are not the droids you are looking for” except we have no droids anyway so we couldn’t use that one. And there was lots and lots of loud laughter, and, as you already know, some evil-speaking. And it was good the husband was gone because we were kind of loud and I don’t know what his clients might have thought about the background noise and the chasing, since he does work from home and his office is located in the battle zone.

But, I also think that had the husband not had a dental appointment, he prolly would have joined the battle. And I would have made sure he was on my side. Because Jedi Boy is pretty strong in the force and I can use all the help I can get.

darn google

this past summer, we sat on the porch at grandma and grandpa's house in the evenings to drink in the lovely dusk and the mountain breezes pouring out of the canyon.

and we told knock knock jokes and climbed the poles and ran races and timed them to see how fast we were getting. some of us got pretty fast. and the husband taught the children how to handle corners when racing.

often, i would find two children on my lap, wanting tickles. or just time.

one evening, middle daughter was on my lap and little son was behind me, playing with my hair- which i always love and welcome. pretty soon i noticed he was muttering something as his little fingers danced through my hair. so i listened closer and understood him to be saying,

"searching, searching, searching."

finally i asked him what he was doing. to which he matter-of-factly replied,

"i'm searching for the eyes in the back of your head."

all mothers have them, you know. my mom did.

*********

yesterday morning as i was helping oldest daughter with her hair before sending her off to school and her exciting field trip, she decidedly announced that she knows i do not have eyes in the back of my head.

aghast, i demanded to know where this preposterous notion had originated. she then declared that she had googled it.

what? googled if moms have eyes in the backs of their heads? she did. at school, during computer time.

who gave permission for that? don't school computers have filters? and where's the teacher who should be monitoring what the children are doing?

i have been thinking long and hard for a rebuttal to this revelation. and i got nothing. nothing.

years and years to build up a good story and darn that google goes and destroys it all in one search.

still, amazing what you can google. donchathink?

Two things helping me smile today:

1) the absence of political ads

2) this from little son :

"mom, i found more fake dollars!

woohoo!

{with double fist pump}

i love being fake rich!"

{stuffs fake dollars into real pocket

and runs off to play}

Who's Up For A Quick Game Of Sacrilege?

I'm pretty confident I can get an amen from anyone who has anything to do with little 4 year old boys and is witness to their unique displays of self when I say that they crack me up. In every cracked up sort of way.

This weekend little son was a helper of immense proportions as we worked hard Saturday morning and then played hard all Saturday afternoon. He made the work part especially entertaining as we cleaned the house and he introduced us to the game "Skeletons of God."

I must admit that I never did quite fully grasp the how-to's and wherefore's of the game as I was basically trying to wipe a giant smile off my face and feign serious interest in Skeletons.

And the husband and I shared a great deal of furtive smiles and internal laughter as we humored the cutest 4 year old on the planet. (good word, furtive)

Just this afternoon, after the husband and I returned from the dedication of the Gila Valley Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we had the privilege of watching my sister's youngest children as she and her husband and older children attended a session of the dedication. Little son was teaching his younger cousins the game Skeletons. And then he added a new one to his repertoire, this one entitled "Cowboys and Jesus in Heaven." I don't know the rules, but I for sure would love to be in on this one. I think I could win.

In our house, it's all about the game play.

Amen.

P.S. to my sister with whom I shared the great lyric debate Sunday afternoon:

The correct lyrics are:

As Coroner I must aver, I thoroughly examined her.
And she's not only merely dead, she's really most sincerely dead.

that totally clears it up for me. You?

Belly Laughing at Life's Little Wedgies

Ever since we moved and got our new phone number, we have been receiving random calls for people who had this phone number before us. Mostly from bill collectors. Bummer for them.

After lunch this afternoon, little son requested that I join him in his nap. And how can you refuse that? Well, you can't.

So, we laid down on his bed, turned on the ceiling fan and got ready for some good sleep. Then the husband came in to tuck us in and little son was trying to demonstrate a death-defying feat for his biggest hero and slammed his little back into the door and there were tears. And the husband comforted him and then little son snuggled up to me and we again readied ourselves for some good sleep. (and I told the husband {told, not asked} to bring me the phone, because, well, I like to sleep with the phone. you probably do, too)

Just as we were about asleep that phone rang. And I answered it. It was a bill collector looking for someone who does not live in our home.

When I hung up, little son asked who called. And I told him it was someone looking for Hugo Bravo.

Immediately little son broke into the biggest belly laugh I have heard from him in a long time. And he laughed. And laughed. And did the funny air intake. And laughed some more.

And I could not let him laugh alone, so I joined in. And the two of us laughed for a long time- under his pirate blanket. And finally we both took a breath. But then we started right back in on the laughter. Because we couldn't stop. And Hugo Bravo is a funny name combination.

Finally, little son was able to take a few successive breaths and we both calmed down. A little.

And then I heard a cute little voice say, "Ah, man, I have the hiccups."

And then for the next five minutes all I heard was a little cutie next to me, sucking his thumb and hiccuping every few seconds.

Then, little son began to surrender to sleep, but first he needed to turn over to get a bit more comfortable. And I heard a little tired voice with thumb still in the mouth, mutter (mixed with a giggle), "Hugo Bravo."

And I giggled.

P.S. If you happen to be Hugo Bravo- thank you for providing an awesome moment for a mother and her sweet little son. And, deepest apologies for your unfortunate name combination, as we are sure you are a very good person.

P.P.S. Do you know Johnny Bravo?

P.P.P.S. When you are at the Opera and people yell "Bravo! Bravo!!" does it make you smile? A little?

p.p.p.p.s. are you tired of the ever since we moved stories?

Why I Love the Husband: Reason #492

Today the husband phoned the Maricopa County Sheriff's Department so he could get some information on gun laws in our area. And he was on hold a lot. And they transferred him a lot. And when he got off the phone, he informed me that he was for sure going to get himself a hunting permit- mostly because as you may know, we have some big wild game in our backyard. In the form of gophers. And the husband wanted to know what he can legally do about those rodents. Because he likes to follow the rules.

Well, that sheriff's office had no answers for him and they finally transferred him to the state police department who transferred him to AZ Fish and Game department who told him that he cannot shoot the gophers with his bb gun without a permit. But, if he wanted to, like, shoot a chicken that we owned, he could legally do that. Do you wanna know what I think? I think we own those stinkin' gophers since they were all over our property when we bought the house and the contract said the property was being sold "as is". So I believe it would be safe to assume that we purchased those gophers and they are ours. Can I get an Amen?

Yesterday, we had our yard graded and leveled out. And many of those gopher holes seemed to be obliterated. It was lovely to look out upon our expanse of dirt and see no holes nor dirt piles that are indicative of the wild gopher.

Alas, this very morning as I was outside spraying down the dirt, (because the grader man told me to do so, plus I swept my house earlier this morning, and soon after, a fine layer of that silly dirt had settled upon it. This just will not do. So, spray the dust I must. An acre is a lot to spray with a little garden hose I found out.) I found that those gophers had emerged from the dust. So I sprayed as much water as I could down their holes. It did no good.

So the husband is determined to get that hunting permit. And once he has it in his hot, and I mean HAWT little hands, (at this point, can you commence reading the following words with a backwoods southern accent?) he's gonna sit himself on the back porch with a corncob pipe tucked in his mouth, and pick off them rascally varmints one by one. (Conclude backwoods southern accent) (no offense to backwoods southerners.)

And he may or may not have told me that since he has to get a hunting permit, he may or may not use a gun with a little more power than that bb gun he was originally planning to use.

We have made him vow that he will not shoot the bunnies. Cause we like the bunnies. They make us smile.

But then, what do you know? This evening a big ole black beetle dug its way out of the dusty dirt. And little son marched right on up to it as we were all studying it- oldest daughter a respectable (and safe) 10 feet away. And I told little son to pick it up- and what do you think he did? That miniature version of the husband stepped right on that beetle. Twice. And it was crunchy. And big. No hunting permit whatsoever.

I think he could teach the husband a thing or two.

Chill PETA people, ok? With all due respect.

Poetry Lessons and Sea Weed Picking

Among oldest daughter's greatest concerns is that she might possibly have a mother whose Junie B. proficiency does not meet industry standards.

As we prepared for bed this evening she reminded me that I am three volumes behind. (She passes each book to me once she has completed them) In order to appease the second grade cutie, I sidled up near the husband and cracked the spine of Junie B., First Grader: Cheater Pants once the children were in bed.

Believing that the husband should be well-versed in all things Junie B., I read aloud as he gave me a nice back rub and massaged my feet. Good trade, no?

The two of us read as oldest daughter lay in her bed, listening to Pachelbel's Canon in D. Until she couldn't sleep and traipsed into our room to alert us to her non-slumber status. (no surprise, just part of our nightly routine) The husband reminded her to lie on her back, arm raised and let it sway as she "picked sea weed". (also part of the nightly routine) (proper lay / lie usage? I think so. Holly, can you verify?)

Just as we began to read about Mr. Scary explaining the rules of the cinquain to Room One, little son awoke crying. Legs aching. Inconsolable. Oldest daughter still sea weed picking. Middle daughter long into dreamland.

Once all the leg issues were addressed, little son cuddled, rocked (as in: rocking chair) and serenaded and we were ensured the sea weed picking was progressing swimmingly, we eagerly returned to Junie B. and the cheater pants cinquain lesson.

It occurred to me, in between giggles, I might want to try my hand at a little cinquain.

We finished the book. It was delightful. Gotta love that little Junie B.

And the sea weed picker. Who had finally fallen asleep.

Oh, yeah, that cinquain. Here goes:

Moonies

Obsessed, Excited

Loving, Re-reading, Buzzing

I'm staying home tonight

Twilight

Did you see New Moon? What did you think?

Tune In Tuesday

Welcome to

Tune in Tuesday!

We're just 9 days from a whole lotta feastin'.

Can't wait.

Little son was asking his friend today,

"What are you going to be for Thanksgiving?"

It made me smile.

Today, just one little order of business to take care of.

The winner of last week's Tune in Tuesday

elf giveaway is

Melody!!

Melody is the author of Life is a Bowl of Wedgies.

I promise, the competition was not rigged!

I do not favor wedgie bloggers.

Nor do I favor bloggers with wedgies.

Nor do I condone giving wedgies.

Even if you have no blog/wedgie connection,

you had a fair shot!

If you have never been over to Melody's blog,

you should go visit.

Like right now.

Yay Melody!

Happy Tuesday to you!

And, for all of you who wondered where this cute little elf can be purchased,

head on over to your neighborhood Kirkland's store.

Like right now.

Before they are all gone.

Answers and Random and Questions

Some of you may be on the edge of your seat, waiting for me to tell you what the husband and I were for Halloween. We were, in fact, a Split P.

And you may be wondering how the pigeon chase is progressing. I am happy to report that we have had a 100% drop in the pigeon population on our winter grass. Seriously- zero pigeons. Glorious to behold, especially since there were right around 50 pigeons (no exaggeration) feasting on grass seed when I awoke on Monday morning. Devastating. And they kept coming back.

I sent the vicious canine out to scare them away, but the poor little skin and bones doggie couldn't handle these arctic Arizona mornings, so I had a little compassion and welcomed her back inside.

So, I ran scenarios in my head- trying to come up with something to prevent our every lawn seed from being consumed by these hungry little pigeons. I knew we couldn't get a net to cover the whole lawn, so I had to find an alternative. And it was then I recalled someone telling me a few years ago that they used mylar balloons to scare away those pesky pidgies. (pidgies= pigeons) It's awesome. A moving scarecrow.

I voted yesterday.

Also, yesterday I baked Amish friendship bread. Yummy stuff, but so high maintenance that I don't usually encourage anyone giving me any of their Amish friendship bread starts. My sister brought over a loaf and a start last week and my kids loved the bread. And they committed me to babysitting that silly start all these past 10 days. So, for the past 10 days, I have been faithfully mushing the bag. And letting the air out. And yesterday was baking day. We added chocolate chips. Yum.

So now I have 4 starts sitting on my kitchen counter. Anyone want one?

Also, it was jackpot day yesterday. Last night as I was tucking little son into bed, he was unglued because we could only find one of his blankets. He likes to sleep with two identical blankets. So, I pulled the spare blanket down from his closet.

Tangent (Nathan-style)

When little son was born, he truly was attached to a blue satin blanket he was given. It was imperative that he have it when falling asleep.

One Sunday we accidentally left it at Grandma's. Oh, the pain. So the next day I went to the store and bought two additional blankets- for such an occasion if one were lost or left or laundered.

End Tangent

As I was retrieving the spare blanket, I found gold. A red Superman shirt. Pretty sure it came from a friend a year or so ago- and way too big for little son then. So, I think I put it up there for a rainy future day. And last night was that rainy future day. Little son was so upset about the whole blanket thing- and that shirt calmed him down so fast. And he couldn't wait to put it on this morning. And he looks pretty cute in that little hero shirt. And there really is more to the whole Superman fascination at our house than what I have just shared. I'll fill the rest in later.

That is the end.

Any other questions? I'm prepared to answer any and all of them.

P.S. Thank you for all the guest blogger suggestions- I'm going to get right on that and see who is willing.

P.P.S. Nice job, Maine.

Tune In Tuesday

It's Tune in Tuesday!

Honestly, I got nothing. Not a single thing.

So, all I can offer is a quick little anecdote from my yesterday.

It goes like this:

Little son and I had been chasing pigeons from our newly winter-seeded back lawn all morning. Such a crying shame. They thought we had laid out a breakfast spread for their little greedy beaks.

This is an instance where a mom realizes she must take a stand for her children. I knew that I would have to call in reinforcements if my little ones were to have a green velvety carpet of grass to play on all winter. And I had to stand up to those pigeons.

First thing after visiting teaching, little son and I headed out to purchase the perfect pigeon chaser. It can be found at the Dollar Store.

As we pulled into the shopping center, little son directed that we should first go to Target to sift through any Halloween remnants that would be imperative for purchase. Namely a pirate sword. Important.

We most certainly found the perfect sword.

And on to the Dollar Store for pigeon chasers. We picked out five perfectly pre-filled mylar balloons- two happy birthday butterflies, one green star, a wedding bell and a get well soon- because who knows what those silly pigeons might be celebrating at any given moment. And we had plans to stake them (the balloons, not the pigeons. K, PETA?) in the yard as soon as we arrived home. Perfect pigeon chasers. I tell you.

As we loaded them up into the little Smart car, little son told me that now that I had gotten the balloons, he would take care of writing the "get lost" letter. (I had no idea we were including a letter) And it would go like this:

Dear Pigeons,

You need to get scared A.WAY.

Because you eat our grass seed.

I think that should do it. Because I just don't have time to stand outside all day, shooing away pigeons.

****Now, I know that you all know many amazing people. Can you help me out and tell me who you would like to see as a guest blogger here on this little space? Pretty please? Don't be shy- leave me a word, won't you? Because I can't read your mind and I know you are thinking of someone. I think.

A Little Weekend Miscellany

Remember that Halloween donuts are a tradition in my family? They are. And this year was no different. The husband and I loaded the children (and the canine) in the car and traveled on over to Grandma and Grandpa's casa (after two small stops- the first at Sonic for slushes and the second at the Crocs store) where we enjoyed soup that was too good (in the words of one adorable niece) and donuts that can't be beat.

As we all consumed unreasonable amounts of donuts and soup, ooh's and ahh's were in plentiful supply as each family arrived and we marveled at the ingenious costumes that each family assembled.

emo, emo, pumpkin, Wolverine, Arizona Cardinal

Oldest daughter proved her commitment to piano and was rewarded with the Cleopatra costume she had been working to earn all month. She was on cloud nine, swimming laps in the Nile, if you will.

The family gathered for a Halloween portrait. Complete with goofy faces and zero percent loveliness.

Can you guess what the husband and I were?

As we were trick-or-treating with all the cousins, my sister was recalling how three years ago this very holiday, she was receiving a precious little bundle into her home as they were adopting my adorable little nephew. She recounted how emotional the holiday was as she was waiting for that little boy and hoping and praying that the birth mother would decide to go through with the adoption and not cancel it. My very own little middle daughter was listening to the whole story and predicted that through the whole process that cute little baby was probably thinking,

"Yay! New parents!"

I think she is right.

That does it for the Halloween recap. How about a little Miscellany?

First of all, huge thanks to Megan who notified me of my erroneous BYU Football post. For some reason I thought the Cougars were matching up with the Cowboys this past Saturday. Even though I read the date of the game, it just didn't register. So I posted a football post. And sweet cousin Megan (or was it Eph?) alerted me that I had been a little trigger happy. Look for a correct post on Saturday. K?

Middle daughter is pretty motivated by the Internet. Anything we have a question about, she replies with a, "just go to ________dot com!" For instance, we were wondering a bit about Cleopatra's history- since she has been something of an anomaly in our household of late. So, that brilliant middle daughter told us to go to Cleopatra dot com. Got a leg ache? Check out leg ache dot com, won't you?

Plus, she is pretty astute about passwords. She knows that my password for everything is dot dot dot dot. (maybe you already saw that on the husband's twitter feed- he scoops me on everything with that silly tweeting of his)

You will be happy to know that my OB/GYN is pleased to report a normal mammogram. Also pleased? The husband.

Some of you may recall my escapades regarding one Barta Heiner. I have a new visiting teaching partner. Her maiden name is Heiner. I was chuckling when I found out. And of course I regaled her with the entire Barta saga- after inquiring if she knew Barta and if she were a relative. She is not. Not gonna lie- a little bummed.

Today during fast and testimony meeting, oldest daughter asked why I wasn't bearing my testimony. So I told her I would if she would. We waited for the person who was at the mic to finish and then I stood up to take my turn. Oldest daughter didn't follow. Middle daughter did. So, I was duped and had to bear my testimony without oldest daughter. It was ok, though, because little son was sitting on my lap and kept trying to lick me- bearing my testimony was a great way to escape the licking. Thank you oldest daughter.

Finally, our evening was spent swapping riddles. Two hours of made-up riddles with the children. It was enchanting. I highly recommend doing it with your own little offspring. They are pretty clever. And the husband has discovered that he is riddly-gifted. Who knew?

Woo Hoo!!! Bring on the holidays! This is such a brilliant time of year- so. many. traditions. I hope you can handle traditions. I've got a bundle to share. Look for them throughout the next couple of months. And also, Tune In Tuesday for I don't know what yet, but I'm sure I'll come up with something. Suggestions?

The Planets and Stuff

Yesterday was a good hair day. And usually, when the planets align in such a manner, I do my best to preserve the hair. At all costs. Because it hardly ever happens.

So, with fabulous hair we made pbj's for lunch. And that's all. Because little son wanted nothing else- NOTHING else. But, I wasn't in a pbj mood, so I opted for chicken salad and carrots. And then, he happened to fall asleep on the family room floor right after we ate, which hardly ever happens. And I dared not move him.

I watched him sleep for a few moments. Shallow in and out breaths as his chest danced the slow dance of sleep. And I realized I had nothing pressing on my schedule (again, hardly ever happens) and perhaps I might like to get in on the dance. Afterall, my dance card was way open.

And I was faced with a moral dilemma: nap while little son is sleeping- which tends to throw the planets out of orbit and mess up the hair. Or preserve the hair and remain the wall-flower at the dance.

I chose a nap- the family room couch as my dancing partner.

And it was bliss.

Pssshhhh, who cares about the hair, anyway?



P.S. Do you know that the phrase "hardly ever happens" reminds me of the Disney movie Watcher in the Woods? Usually when I say it, I use a little freaky voice, because that's how they say it in the movie. And when you come across a freaky little voice phrase- you should use it as often as you can.

P.P.S. Please, please visit Shorty at Securityville again- today she expounds on yesterday's guest post and talks about how LDS women's blogs have influenced her life. It's a dynamic post- it left me feeling warm fuzzies.

What I Learned On Labor Day:

Ahem. Bullets, Please.

• If you sleep in til 9:30, it is possible that all your downstairs will be cleaned by the time you make your way, well, downstairs. But, this requires one bonus husband.
• When the doorbell rings and you are still in your pajamas and you go to look out the peephole and you can distinctly see the fingerprint of the person on the other side, it is your dad and your mom. Stopping in on their very own anniversary. The family I grew up in is 42 years old today. Happy Birthday to my family!
• The canine seems to be gaining weight. Finally.
• Burger King does not put onions on its cheeseburgers. Middle daughter was pleased. But they do put on ketchup. Not pleased.
• Voltron is the Defender of the Universe. (read: Votwon is the defendow of the univowse. {with puckered up lips}) Did you know? I didn't. Little son enlightened me while we were taking a stroll around the lake.
• A picnic is almost pleasant in 100 degree weather at 40% humidity.
• Model homes are open on Labor Day. And they are a great place to go after a sweaty picnic. They keep the a/c really low.
• The Sports Authority employee who stuck with me for an 1 1/2 hours, ensuring that I find the best size 11 out there, was just about to get off work when we walked in. Muchas Gracias, Sports Authority Guy! I'm thinking my walk in the morning will go much mo' bettah.
• There's a geocache somewhere near Sports Authority. We had too many thirsties in the car to stop and look. We shall return another day.
• We may be coming down with Swine Flu in the next few days. My visiting teacher has it. She was here last week. The husband was just at their house- he is their home teacher- he took over a few movies for them to watch. Because, what else do you do when you have the Swine Flu? Watch a little movie, I think.
• Barbie Thumbelina is pretty ok, if you're into all that eco-stuff. But it's not as good as Princess and the Pauper. (Can I get an amen, Nathan?)

(Tangent)

I just clicked over to Nathan's blog to find his famous post on Barbie movies and it is no where to be found.

I vote for a re-post!

(End Tangent)

• Family Home Evening on Labor Day. Have a lesson about babies, I believe.
• Holidays are never long enough!

Where are those Binjas?

I'm confident that someone out there might have the brains to do this. Or at least an opinion on what can be done.

Little son traded in his precious Peter Piper Pizza tickets for two plastic ninjas (one purple, one blue) at our little family's back to school celebration dinner on Monday evening.

Since Tuesday morning, the most commonly-heard phrase in our home is, "I can't find my Binjas." Yes, he calls them binjas. Because ninja can sometimes sound like binja to little 3 year old ears.

The problem? If the binjas are not immediately located, then all composure is lost and it would seem that Armageddon is imminent. Tears gush, banshee-like screams ensue, and the family searches for the binjas to appease the little son beast. And, usually, those silly binjas are found.

But, for the last 4 hours those binjas have been MIA.

So, where does the person with the brains come in? I personally believe that every toy, every blanket, every book, every pillow that any child even remotely looks at should contain a tracking device. It would make life easier. And I know there is someone out there who could do it. Because a mom can't possibly be expected to know where all things are at all times. Can a mom?

I'm doing well to know where the children are at this moment. In bed, I think.

Maybe I should check on that.

And, I'll find those binjas tomorrow. Because for now, the crying has ceased.