Raindrop Plop and The Picture of the Year

Before it was torn to pieces by one of my children, the book Raindrop Plop! was one of my kids' favorites.  And we had a raindrop plop day on Friday.  

It all started when I needed to make some phone calls and the kiddos were getting very impatient and loud.  They tugged at my clothes and begged to go outside so I opened the door and let them escape so I could have some peace and quiet while trying to hear whoever was on the other end of the call.  About 2 minutes later I peeked out the window to find this:

Serves me right, don't you think?  Well played, children. Well played.

 At that point it was lunchtime so I said, to heck with it, we're eating lunch in the pool today.  So they did.  And since my son takes 45 minutes to an hour to eat each meal I think that that fudgesicle melting was a great lesson for him.  He wasn't too pleased.

 When the babies woke up from their naps we all joined Ben out in the garage for some motorcycle time and watched the crazy rainstorm outside.

 And then we made a Thai dinner, ate it on the front porch, and then ran out to play in the water.

Are you ready for the photo of the year?  

Because it's quite amazing.

And I realize I'm no photographer, and that this was just the luck of the draw.

But it doesn't make this picture any less amazing.  

Prepare yourself....

And people think I'm joking when I say that I love to watch Skyler run.  His jowls are like fleshy yo-yo's.  It's fabulous.  If Skyler were to be a mutant from X-Men I think his super ability would be to age himself quickly. If he could just grow a couple feet more, he'd already be able to get AARP membership.

Ben's New Baby

And by "baby" I mean a 1985 Honda Interceptor.

One of Ben's fondest memories growing up was fixing up old cars with his dad.  He still talks about it all the time.  So when Ben started looking at old motorcycles on craigslist I wasn't surprised (I use the word "old" hesitantly since being from the 80's shouldn't mean old.  Maybe I'm getting old....) To Ben's surprise I gave him the thumbs up and he eagerly started obsessing over craigslist.  Obsessing may be putting it lightly, though.

We both agreed that a $500 budget would be OK.  Then he found this one for $250.  Since Ben was refreshing the craigslist page every few minutes (I told you), he was the first one to claim this.  Don't get me wrong, it needs work.  But lo and behold, Ben works for CarQuest, the largest car parts distribution company in America.  Let's just say we get FABULOUS discounts on car, motorcycle, whatever-moves-on-wheels parts.  

So Ben will fix it up nicely (and somewhat cheaply) and then we'll have a nice little gas-money-saver in our hands (as well as insurance - I was jumping up and down when I found out it would only cost us $70/year).  When I was thinking about Ben fixing this up it brought me back to a conversation I had with a friend recently when we were talking about all the things that Ben could do.  You know, he's capable of building a house in its entirety, he knows plumbing, he knows how to fix/build cars, he's a great cook, the man can even sew for crying out loud.  My friend then asked me what I could do better than him.  I thought hard for a minute before saying, "Uhhhh..... I can spell........ and get pregnant."  Why yes, I do accept sympathetic high fives.

Anyway, I'm glad I have a husband who knows how to do everything.  It saves us some serious moolah.  Now all I have to do is let Ben get to work and get this baby running.  Then all he has to do is stick with my one condition with this new purchase: to not die or I will come after him in the Spirit World with a vengeance. That's not asking much, right?

Let's All Breathe a Sigh Of Relief

Before Ben had to run out the door for work Lily said, "Stop Daddy!  Your tie!" and handed him Skyler's tie.  You know what, it actually goes with his shirt.  Maybe people wouldn't notice the slight size difference...

This weekend Ben went to Utah.  By himself.  To visit family.

Now we've been separated for a few days at a time before, but only when I've lived with my parents.  So this was kind of a big deal. 

Here are this past weekend's biggest accomplishments:

1. I did not get killed by a serial killer who apparently WASN'T lurking around my house at night time with a variety of scary weapons.
2. I managed to get through all 3 hours of church.  Ummm.... that's a big deal.  I happen to have a son (who shall remain nameless) who is infamous for crying gallons of tears each Sunday in nursery (for example, someone in my ward said that when her kids heard a baby crying in Sacrament Meeting they didn't even turn around and said, "it's probably [my nameless son]".  I'm begining to wonder if our nursery leaders have to stick an IV in him to keep him hydrated.  When that is combined with another sibling who is new to using the potty, church is quite the adventure.  But it was a miracle.  I actually survived.  And managed to make pudding for my CTR 4 class.
3. I listened to my children stay up until 9:30 because they're party animals when they share a room.  Might I add that they requested to go to bed 15 minutes early (6:45).  I honestly thought to myself, "HOW AWESOME!"  They converted their beds into trampolines and jumped their hearts out.  Not literally, though.  That would be really gross.  AND deadly. 

So it was a successful weekend but we're excited to have Ben come home.  The babies always look at me so disappointed when I get them out of bed first thing in the morning.  :(

And stay tuned for a post this week about an addition to our family.  And no I'm not pregnant.  And no, it's not a pet.  Although I can say that it will be babied probably as much as either.  By Ben, that is.  Not me.  I doubt I could baby something that weighs over 600 pounds.  Dun, dun, DUN!!!!

Double, Double, Toil and Trouble

Double: 2 of something

Toil: hard and continuous work; exhausting labor or effort

Trouble: to disturb the mental calm and contentment therof

Yeah.  I don't think that Will Shakespeare knew that he perfectly described my children this week when he was writing about King Macbeth.

They got into the cabinets to try on different "bowl"er hats.  Can you imagine the fashion faux pas should they wear them in public?!  I mean, they're practically identical.  Thank goodness one is 3Qt. and the other is a 5 Qt.  Let's all breathe a sigh of relief.

So this wasn't trouble, but it was very cute.  One day they walked around the house, side by side, joking in their own little toddler language and cracking up.  I couldn't understand any of their words to save my life.  Then Lily took my library book and started teaching Skyler his ABC's.  Although I think it's pretty safe to say that Skyler knows just as many letters as she does.

 No I don't have bad aiming skills with my camera.  I just have a daughter who was very jumpy after eating cookie dough.  And speaking of making cookies, here's another one of my Double, Double, Toil and Trouble stories. 

We were going to make chocolate crinkles.  You know, the chocolate cookies that are small, round, and thick that are covered in powdered sugar?  Yeah.  Well, my little "helpers" decided to change the cookbook's page on me when I went into the pantry for more ingredients.  Unfortunately the other recipe was a chocolate cookie with the same ingredients, just different amounts.  So I didn't notice what they had done until I had finished making the cookies.  I give you 1/2 chocolate crinkles, 1/2 Cocoa Mexican Wedding cookies. 

They're DISGUSTING.  Good thing the kids think they're great!

Apparently I have been sitting on stools the wrong way my whole life.  And since every time I told him to smile he pulled up this face.....

I made Lily tickle him.  :)

I've been meaning to blog about this for a while, but honestly, it's just not that interesting.  Ben and I aren't rolling in money.  I wish we were.  But most of our spare money right now is going into things that we need in our house and food storage.  Now I am no expert at getting food storage done, but it's a relief to have something extra just in case.  I think the most painful thing that I could witness is to see my children go hungry because I wanted to spend my money on something frivolous.

And speaking of food, one thing that Ben and I have been trying to do for quite a few months now is to become "part time vegetarians."  We try, emphasis on the word "try", to eat vegetarian every other day because it's healthier, cheaper, and Word of Wisdom-ier.  We're still not perfect at it yet.  Don't worry, I'm not going to judge anyone who does anything differently than us, because let's get real: I could eat filet mignon everyday if I could afford it and if it was healthy.  But I can say that my body feels better and now when I try to eat the same amount of meat that I did before I feel pretty miserable. I am always on the lookout for more vegetarian recipes so if you have any good ones send them my way!

All on a Sunday Morning

Ben's Post

Yesterday, Lily and I had the opportunity to stay home from church. I have been sick and Lily was acting like something was wrong with her. She was so upset that Mommy and Skyler went to church without her that it took quite a while for me to calm her down. I finally asked her if she wanted to watch a movie about church.

I put in the Joseph Smith video that the church has playing in the legacy theater and then we snuggled on the couch. She got up and ran around a bit, but she would always come back when something important was happening and sit quietly until it finished.

During the the movie the spirit was so strong. As it neared the end I could feel the spirit telling me that the things I was see really had happened. That the Lord does not want us to wander aimlessly here on earth and that he really does have a plan for each and everyone of us, but especially for me. The church was reorganized so that you and I can know of our potential and get an eternal view of what God has done for us.

As the movie ended I looked at Lily as she sat looking at the TV. I asked her, "Lily, how do you feel?"

She looked at me with one of her amazing smiles and said, "really really good, Daddy."

I pulled her in close and explained that the reason why she felt good was the Holy Ghost telling her that what she had seen was important and that Heavenly Father loves her so much. What a special experience this has been for me. Many times Heather and I have wondered if what we are trying to teach our children is making an impact. Watching Lily and seeing her response to the spirit reinforces that that we are doing something right.

I am so grateful for what he Lord has given me. He has given me everything I have. A beautiful wife who loves me a lot more than I deserve most of the time and children who love me too. A good job and a home. Parents who raised me the right way and were willing to let me make mistakes and were there for me when I needed them most.

I am eternally grateful for the Savior. His life He freely gave so that I can be made whole. He was the perfect example of how to live and how to love. I know that God sent Him to help lift us and support us in our deepest trials and to rejoice with us when we suceed. I know that He lives.

I can't imagine my life without the hope that the atonement brings. How difficult it would be for me to go day to day without knowing that God loves me and that I have a chance to be with Him again. To know that my family will be there for me even after this life and that I can be with them eternally. To know that I have worth.

Honestly, I have known these things for most of my life, but to sit with my daughter on a Sunday morning and experience these feelings all over again, I can't quite discribe what that is like.

You Know... The Holidays When I Celebrate My Mom

Yes I know this post is coming late.  And I'm a pretty punctual person.  Actually I'm pretty OCD about being on time.  But anyway, Easter was a fabulous holiday in that it was also my mom's birthday.  So we went to church with my parents and then went back to their house for a fabulous faux-thanksgiving/birthday dinner. And holy guacamole!  The Easter Bunny stopped by their house, too.  He left stuff like candy, toys, and an easter egg hunt in the backyard.  My kids were pretty excited.  It's a good thing the Easter Bunny barely left them anything at our house because between potty training, Nanni and Papa's birthdays (my dad is 3 days older than my mom) and Easter, my kids had their fair share of sugar.  Let the bouncing off the walls commence.

 Captain Handsome Pants got his shirt all wet so he had to do the egg hunt in just his, er, Handsome Pants.

I'll give a gold star and the remainder of my kids' easter candy to whoever can find my dog in this picture.

Mother's Day was awesome as usual.  I woke up to chocolate chip waffles, bacon, and eggs in bed.  We went to church where the kids were untoddlerishly awesome.  I came home, ate lunch, took a 3 hour nap, and woke up to a steak dinner, which my parents also accompanied us for.  Oh yeah and Ben made us chocolate covered strawberries.  Yum-o.  

And a pic of me and my mom.  Because I can't even remember the last time we had our pics taken together. 

One of the curses of being a family member or dear friend means that you have no idea when you're going to be mentioned on my blog.  HEE!  HEE!  HEE!  HAW!  HAW! HAW!  (That's my evil laugh that I stole from the chef in The Little Mermaid.  Watch it.  You'll realize how awesome it is.  Please note that you must do it with a French accent to perfect the scariness.)  Anyway, here are a few things I bet you didn't know about my mom:

• She was an interior designer in Beverly Hills before she became a mom.
• She served her mission in Madrid, Spain.
• She lived in Samoa for 3 years when she was a teenager.
• When she laughs hard, I laugh harder because I'm laughing at her laugh because it's just, well, laughable. Oh yeah, and then I cry afterwards because I laughed too hard.  My sister, Becca, does it, too.
• She only turned me down once when I said the infamous words: "Can I keep him/her?!?!?!" regarding pets of every species.  Although I'm pretty sure she's said those words to my dad quite a few times, too....
• Her favorite flowers are lilies.  Good choice, Mom.  And no, I'm not biased toward lilies AT ALL.  I would never name my daughter that or anything.  Or put them in my wedding bouquet.  Or plant them in your yard.

Just for the record, I don't need holidays/birthdays to remember how awesome/cool/lovable my mom is.  Because she's like that all the time.

Things I've Learned Along the Way...

I've been thinking a lot about motherhood lately.... if "lately" means every day for the last 3 years.  And in honor of Mother's Day being this weekend, I thought I'd write this down.

Besides getting married, becoming a mother is the best choice I've ever made.  Not even kidding.  And to my children: I truly mean it.  I'm not just sucking up to you so you don't stick me in a mental hospital when I'm old.

I've learned a lot of unexpected things on this journey:

• Kids are super forgiving.
• You don't have to be on drugs to have hallucinations.  Sleep deprivation will do the trick.  And no, this is not an exaggeration.
• Kids can eat PB&J every single day.  I meanwhile convince myself that there's got to be SOME nutrients hiding in all that sliminess.
• If you have a boy you will inevitably be peed on at some point.  Although, as of today, (BRACE YOURSELVES FOR SOMETHING NASTY) I have officially had Lily's pee in my mouth.  Long story, but let's just say it was an accident on my part.  Whoops.  And yes, I did just put that on my blog.  Because it's another battle scar that I will have to live with.  Bless the people who invented mouthwash.
• My mom gave me some of the best advice ever: park next to the shopping carts so that you don't have to drag in a car seat or child all the way into the store.  Just pop 'em in the cart and go!
• Kids don't notice when you eat cookies for breakfast.  Or ice cream.  Or chocolate chips.
• Before you become a mom you say, "I will NEVER do this!" or "I will NEVER let my child do that!"  But you will.  Oh. You. Will.
• Epidurals rock.
• Being pregnant and nursing are two forms of torture for me.  I do them both, but I despise them both.  Kudos to y'all who love it.  You rock.
• Just because you lose baby weight doesn't mean you lose baby flab.
• Morning sickness = all day sickness.
• Sweats are my uniform half of the week.
• I used to be easy going.  Really.  I was.  And then my kids learned how to tear apart speakers, trample over our precious garden, throw their cereal on the floor, and go through my purse in the store and start throwing out the cards in my wallet.
•  Husbands are EXTRA hot when they play with their kids.
• Children can hide food anywhere: under sofa cushions, in cabinets, in toy bins, in diapers...
• You will learn all the songs of your child's favorite TV show or movie and will start singing them during the day when you're by yourself.
• When you're pregnant, people ask you super personal questions that in no other way would be normal.  Like: "how many centimeters are you dilated?" or "was this an accident?"

Now not all of my bullets seem peachy.  And that's the truth.  Motherhood for me isn't peachy all the time.  It's a real lesson of patience.  But you know what?  This week I had one of the best moments of my entire life.  Lily was sitting on the potty (just forget that little tidbit) and said, "Mommy, a hug?" so I leaned over and hugged her while she was plopped on her Seseme Street toilet seat and she just kept whispering in my ear "Mommy, I love you so much," maybe 10 times while she was brushing my hair with her tiny hand.  I almost cried.  

So while I always say, "these kids are going to be the death of me," sometimes I wonder if it's the truth.  But you know what?  My mom isn't crazy.  Ben's mom isn't crazy.  And I know what we both did to our moms.  So maybe there's hope for me, too.

I love my kids.  I'm so glad I'm able to be a mom.  Aaaaahhh... I think I'll go upstairs, tuck them in (while of course I'm smelling all their baby deliciousness), and brace myself for tomorrow's adventures.