Pie Anyone?

Ah, Thanksgiving. That happy time of year when there is lots of cooking, lots of feasting and I go away fat and happy. Literally. Time to pull out the extra roomy pants. This year we went on a hike before the feast with my family...as if that would help. It just made me hungrier. I think I ate the most, followed closely by Allison who blew everyone away with her food packing abilities. She also about broke my arm trying to get at my slice of apple pie with ice cream. She's my kinda girl.

Here are the highlights:

We made pie. Three of them. From scratch. Seriously. The craziest part is that they actually turned out pretty good. If anyone knows me and my cooking abilities, they should know that this could be counted as a miracle. Granted, it was a team effort with Jevan, and he is a better cook, but we are both novices when it comes to pie crusts and meringue. We were quite proud of ourselves. So much so that we took pictures. We made a lemon meringue, an apple and a chocolate cream...all in the time it takes to watch Ratatouille (we watched it while we cooked. Fitting, no?). We even gave our apple a pie a sheep. What's an apple pie without a good livestock cut-out on it? That's what we say. Ours got a sheep. Baaa. It was good times.
Here's a close up of the sheep:

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Thanksgiving morning I woke up to Jane doing her usual morning chant..."Mom! I awake! Mom! I awake!" If you don't come in promptly in turns into a song, and then a wail...and eventually a scream. I go in to get her in the wailing stage, and then decide to hop back into my bed with her 'cause dang, it's cold. Just as we walk past my bedroom window, I open my blinds and....what the? What is that? It's none other than a giant hot air balloon taking off from my backyard neighbor's lawn (okay, so maybe it wasn't on their lawn but somewhere close by ... the elementary school field maybe?) It was so close and SO BIG! Jane was mesmerized. We went out onto the deck and watched it climb into the sky. It was definitely a highlight. Jane talked about it all morning.

We went hiking with my family in the afternoon. We tried to put Jane in her backpack but she spent the whole time wanting in and then out, and then in, and then out. Drove Jevan nuts. We eventually gave up and hiked home a little early...which was okay because I was starving!

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It was a good Turkey day. We spent the rest of the weekend getting lots of stuff done we needed to and also playing. We went to Gardner Village to see the elves (so cold!!!) and also tried out the McDonald's playplace by our house. Not so good. Jane got trampled by a bunch of rowdy kids up in one of the tunnels and wouldn't go back in after that. AND, we remembered why we hate McDonalds. The food is yuck. Even Allie wouldn't eat it. And that's saying something.

She's MOBILE!

Allison: Mom's got a camera. Man, that thing sure is shiny and silver and probably feels pretty cool on the tongue. Gotta have that. Rev up my engines....here I go! Focus....focus....must have shiny thing......must have shiny thing...GOTCHA!
Me:(as the camera gets jammed into my eye socket) Yikes! Give that back!

It's happened. Allison is mobile. We should all be afraid. I know I am. I think Jane is too. No longer are her precious toys safe from the teething, slobbery mouth of her sister. Allie surprised me today by making it across the room. The best part is how she revs up her engines before she starts off. In crawling position, she moves her little bum back and forth in the air until the momentum carries her forward. If she gets a little overzealous, her arms don't keep up and she lands on her face. Cute though, ain't she? My other favorite part is how Jane copies her. First I have Allison crawl to me and then Jane yells, "Janey's turn!". Then Jane VERY slowly crawls toward me, teetering from time to time and occasionally falling onto her stomach. I think Allison may even be faster than Jane if I were to clock them at it.

That's all.

Oh, and does anyone have a child that is OBSESSIVE about one book in particular? Jane does and right now, it's Abiyoyo. If I have to sing the song one more time......no offense Pete.

Also, does uploading and placing pictures on blogger make anyone else swear? Am I just doing it all wrong?

Vacation Madness

Wow. I can’t believe it has been a month since I last posted. October was nuts. We basically fit a summer of vacations into one month. Insane but so fun.

Again, loooong post. Sorry folks.

First was Cabo San Lucas. This was our first REAL trip without kids since Jane was born (we’ve done weekends here and there but never for this long). We went for 7 days (we had planned to be gone 6 days but as you will find out later, it turned out to be 7). Needless to say, I wasn’t sure how I would hold up being gone from our little stinkers that long. First day, pretty hard. Second day, still hard. Third day, kids? What kids? We have kids?

It was wonderful. We stayed at an all inclusive resort which was a new thing for us and decided it was a great deal (or mostly a great deal…it is a fabulous deal if you drink lots of alcohol..and most people did…A LOT). The resort was beautiful, right on the beach and we had meals or snacks whenever we wanted them. We especially enjoyed ordering virgin drinks by the pool and we were often entertained by the reactions we got from the servers. Pina Coladas and daiquiris were okay, but one time we tried to order something called a California Orange and when we asked for it virgin, the guy looked at us with disgust and said “but then it’s just juice!” Umm…yep..it sure is. That’s kinda the point. Can we have one?

Here are some quick highlights:

-If the phrase "breast pump" makes you feel uncomfortable, skip this one. Actually, it makes me feel funny writing it so I will from now on refer to it as "the BP". So I am still nursing Allison and I wanted to continue nursing her when I got home, so I brought a big electric BP with me. We get to the hotel and I go to use it, plug it in, and….it doesn’t work. That’s a problem. We tried several things and finally decided that maybe we needed some kind of converter for the plug. Maybe it was the wrong voltage or something? We go into town and search desperately with no luck. Electronic stores are not too popular in Cabo. Bars are though. In tears, I spot a pharmacy. We go in and after a lot of R-rated sign language, the lady behind the counter figures out what I need. So, I am now the proud owner of this. Bicycle horn? Clown horn? No, no..it IS a BP. I kept asking the lady where the milk is supposed to go and she keeps pointing to the little red rubber ball. Uh huh. Right. Well, let’s give that a shot shall we? Back at the hotel, I tried it out and let’s just say a bicycle horn would have felt better…or maybe a turkey baster. I went back to my electric BP and kept playing with the wires, turning it on and off. Finally, I give up, say a little prayer, turn it on and it WORKS! Talk about a good lesson for me, especially in humility.

-One night I went up to one of the hoppin’ bars in my pajamas and ordered a chocolate milk. The bartender later asked if I wanted another chocolate margarita. Good times.

-They had moths there the size of sparrows. My mom’s idea of hell.

-We played pool volleyball, got sunburns, ate sushi, turned down some weed from a beach vendor, and played “count the tankinies”. I won with my guess of 1. Mine.

-We went snorkeling and sea kayaking with a guide named Juan Carlos (haven’t you always wanted to meet a strapping man named Juan Carlos?) and a funny family from Wisconsin. At the end of the trip, after it had taken many tries to finally get the mom of the family into a kayak she proudly exclaimed, “that was the most adventurous thing I’ve done in my life!”

-We played tennis, boogie boarded in the ocean and sat on the beach at night. One night Jevan was telling me about a co-worker that goes to a beach house in CA every year and they build giant detailed buildings out of sand. We then started talking about sand building contests and how some people can sculpt famous people out of sand. We decided that if we were to ever learn that art, we would sculpt famous people that would probably not ever get picked for the oh-so-glamorous-let’s-sculpt-them-sometime team. Here’s our line-up: Janet Reno, Shiva the Destroyer, John Stamos and Charles Dikkens, the well-known Dutch author. We were thinking we could maybe start some kind of religion with them too, like the people who worship the Giant Flying Spaghetti Monster. Did you know that is really a religious cult? I’m serious. Google it.

-We did a zip line tour across a series of canyons which also included some rappelling. The company even included a tequila factory tour, with complementary tasting. I had no idea tequila was made from a cactus. I thought the taste came from the fermented worm in the bottom of the bottle. Silly me.

-Flying on Mexican airlines is not always the best idea. Our flight from Cabo was late, making us miss our connecting Delta flight to SL. We had to spend a lot of time running around the airport in Mexico City, trying to figure out what to do until finally we were sent to Phoenix and had to stay the night there (compliments of Aeromexico) and fly home in the morning. That is pure torture to a mom who just wants to get home and see her kids.

That’s Cabo.

We were home for a week and then I left Jevan at home and took off for Disneyland with the kids. We went with my mom, sister, sister-in-laws and all their kids. We were 15 strong and a force to be reckoned with. First off, getting through airport security with a baby and toddler and all the STUFF they have is a sight to behold. So funny. After Jevan said goodbye at the airport, he secretly snuck up to the next floor of the airport and watched us go through security. He got a good laugh at our little circus.

Disneyland was fun. I think it was a lot of fun for Jane, albeit completely over stimulating and by the end of the trip she was blitzed beyond belief. It is crazy to see what sleep deprivation can do to toddler. She was like a frantic little bug that just keeps flying itself into the window over and over. She loved riding the rides and being with her cousins. Allison was a real trooper and really complained only once. That was Halloween night, when I put her in her Dumbo costume and we went to California Adventure to their Halloween event with trick-or-treating and a parade. She was not happy that night. She looked SO cute though. Jane was pirate princess and had a great time getting candy and dancing the Monster Mash in the parade. All in all it was a fabulous time and it would have never been possible without the help of my mother. Thanks Mom!

So there’s October. Hopefully November will be a little less insane and I can write smaller posts for crying out loud.

Here are some pictures:











































Cabo on Flickr

Disneyland on Flickr

I Just Don't Get Kids

Allison is an incredibly light sleeper for a baby. Honestly, if she is sleeping and you sneeze in the backyard she will wake up. It's crazy annoying. When I put her down for her morning nap, Jane and I have to sequester ourselves downstairs for fear of waking the monster.

SO, we have been doing improvements to our backyard all summer and recently decided to put in a patio (stamped concrete) and pave the RV parking area at the side of our house that had become a mini amazon jungle. Today the cement came...in the form of 2 big cement trucks (Jane was in heaven). Of course, the trucks came right after I put Allison down for her morning nap. Great, I thought, there is no way Allison will ever sleep through THAT! Her bedroom is right next to RV parking pad. In come the trucks and drive right into the RV pad, their big cement bellies rolling and roaring. It was so loud. One truck went right up against the house and all that was separating Allison in her crib from the big monster was literally a few inches of wood and insulation.

Did Allison wake up? NO! Not at all. Not for almost the entire 2 hours they were there. I was completely dumbfounded. How is that possible? Kids. I just don't get them.

Going on vacation for a week with my hubby. Hooray to be just the two of us but also having a bit of "what was I thinking?" about leaving my kids. Tune in next time to see if we all survive.

Takin' It Down South

So many nights I have thought to myself, I should put a post on my blog. Not that I fool myself into thinking that anyone really thinks my life is that exciting and is waiting for me to post, but I like to keep my little family journal current. But something, or someone, has been stopping me. His name is Dwight Schrute, and he faster than 90% of all snakes. He came to us via the US mail, in the form of Season 3 of The Office, and he has taken over our lives. Okay, so Jevan and I LOVE this show. We watched all of Season 1 and 2 in probably 2 weekends, 3-4 episodes a night, and had to force ourselves to go to bed. We are pretty busy during the week and never find time to watch TV, so we have just been waiting to watch all of Season 3 on DVD. I'm not sure why I love it so much when I just sit and squirm uncomfortably on the couch, "Did he really just say that out loud?" " Can anyone really SAY that?"

So, it has been an Office fest around here. Needless to say, I haven't kept up on my blogging.

Last week we took a much needed family vacation down to sunny St. George. I would like to say that it was nice to get away from the cold weather that has been passing through northern Utah lately, but to tell the truth, I am really excited for winter. Most people I know, especially my husband, think I am completely nuts but I LOVE snow. Anyway, beside the point. We went down south.

Here's the trip in a nutshell:
DAY 1: Driving. Lots of driving. The girls actually did great except for one small incident. About an hour outside of our destination, Jevan and I were commenting on how well the girls had handled the drive thus far. Why did we jynx ourselves? Not 30 seconds later, Jane starts to cry and says she has an "owie" in her "mouff." I figured maybe we had hit a good bump and..she bit her tongue? Not so much. Jane then lost her lunch. I will never be able to buy those colored goldfish ever again. Ever. So gross. We pull off at a gas station and frantically try to get her cleaned up..and the carseat....right. The whole scene actually paints a pretty funny picture as I strip Jane down to her b-day suit, run her through a VERY busy truck stop gas station, some eyes glaring and some eyes laughing, only to stop dead at the end of a lONG bathroom line. Grrr...why do women bathrooms ALWAYS have lines? How hard is it, people? Sure boys get to stand up, but I swear it takes maybe an extra 10 seconds to sit down..I dunno...needless to say I was bugged. Then I realized I really only needed the sink so I slinked past some more glaring eyes into the bathroom. Once I got through the door, I found one small sink and 2 bathroom stalls in a space smaller than my hall closet at home. I plopped Jane in the sink and frantically tried to clean her up as bathroom patrons surrounded me. It was kind of a funny game - wash Jane's arm, pull her out for someone to use the sink, turn sideways so they could get at the paper towels, turn the other way as someone tried to open the door to the bathroom, slide back over to the sink, wash the other arm..and the game began again.

Finally, an hour and a half later, we were back on the road. The rest of the ride went smoothly and we have now found out that we can't let Jane read any books in car, especially after she has eaten.

DAY 2: It's not so sunny today in St. George, so we decide to head for Zions National Park (one of my most favorite places on the planet, mind you). It turned out to be one of those picture perfect days where you think to yourself on more than one occasion "man, life is good...and I love my little family." Although it rained on us a couple times (it poured on us while we were finishing up our little picnic lunch), Zions was BEAUTIFUL. Trees were changing colors, the air smelled so good because of the fresh rain, and we even took a little hike to a waterfall. It was about a mile round trip and Jane hiked the whole way! I was quite amazed. She was pretty exhausted by the end. We even saw a tarantula on the trail. Those suckers are so big! Jane was fascinated by the "spideh" and Jevan got a kick out of the fact that it seemed intent on chasing me...seriously..it kept going for my feet. Jane also loved riding on the shuttle bus and made friends with a cute couple sitting next to us.

DAY 3: Swimming! We hadn't been swimming in a long time and it was really fun, especially because the pool has a little mini waterfall. That afternoon, we indulged Jevan and went minature golfing (Jevan LOVES minature golfing and it makes me laugh...I feel like we are back in highschool on a date whenever we go (it brings back all those awkward feelings of highschool dating...and dating in general for me). I think it is his only way of getting me to acknowledge that golfing could actually be fun - he loves to golf and I say it is for sissies..:)Dinner was the Pizza Factory! Remember back in the early 90s when it was SO COOL to have a T-shirt from the Pizza Factory? Poor Utah..we try so hard...we wanted to be cool like In-And-Out Burger.

Day 4: Drive home. And no one loses their lunch this time.

So there you have it.

My last little comment for the day is: although I said I love winter, I also love fall. I love Utah right now. On Sunday, we took a drive up Millcreek Canyon and it was so incredible. The leaves were so vibrant - red, yellow and orange. The mountains were patchwork quilts of color. We listened to George Winston (a pianist that I really like) as we drove. It sounds so cheesy but it did wonders for my spirit, filling an ever present void or longing that I have...I have no idea how to explain it. Anyway, I love fall for the crisp air, the smell of logs burning in someone's fireplace, the need to wear soft hoodie sweatshirts all the time.

Here are some pics from our adventures:

Jevan and Jane; all smiles before the hike

The aforementioned tarantula about to eat my foot

Us at the waterfall: Allison spent the hike sleeping...and I have no idea how to rotate this picture.

Jane and Jevan concentrating on Jane's shot

That's my girl! And clothes are highly overrated

A couple of YouTube finds

This one I think sums up motherhood (my mom sent it to me)



This is a prank call from Mr. Rogers to a Southern lady. It's basically a guy with a Mr. Rogers soundboard (which is a bunch of things he's said that they can play by pushing a button) calling a lady and it makes us laugh every time we watch it... especially the part about the raccoons.



YouTube is awesome.

Totally Two but Totally Loved

So last week was Jane's 2nd birthday. We had a party for her on Saturday at Wildflower Park. When I asked her who she wanted to come to her party, she was clutching her little stuffed panda bear that she sleeps with (that is just one of the many things Jane sleeps with – every night, she has to have her panda, her teddy, her blue blanky and her pink blanky…all four things…always. The rocking chair gets kinda crowded when I sing her to sleep) and so she said “panda!” I said, “Okay then, let’s have a panda party!” So we did. Unbeknownst to me, panda paraphernalia is a little hard to come by, so I did tablecloths and balloons in black, white and pink, made a panda cake (my first real cake making/decorating experience - KayLyn, are you so proud?) and found little panda cut-outs online that I printed up and colored (I felt like I was in kindergarten again…and I still am horrible at cutting along the dotted lines!). All in all, I think it turned out pretty cute. Cousins came from both sides, grandmas too, and even Jane's little friend Peyton. He is in our ward and Jane has a serious crush on him. On sundays, they hold hands all the way to nursery.

Jane had a fabulous time at her party and of course, loved that so much of the attention was focused on her. The whole gift giving and receiving part of the party was a little confusing and overwhelming to her, but she has since had a blast with the toys she received, namely her REAL vacuum (from Grandma and Grandpa Tayler), her tiny bopper car (from us), and a set of keys from Becca and family that she takes in the car everytime we drive anywhere...thanks Becca and girls! Allison also had a good time, mostly because of all the attention she received from her uncle Thomas (don't be deceived by the word "uncle"...he is all of 11). I think she sat and played with his hair for about an hour. Towards the end of the party, Thomas came up and told me:

"I don't think is a single part of me that Allison doesn't like!" He's a crack-up.

All in all, the party was great fun. There was only one incident of biting and only a few handfuls of sand thrown at people (sand throwing compliments of Jane).

I can't believe that 2 years have passed since Jane was born. She has been a true joy in our life. Although she is totally into 2-year old behavior (her new favorite sentence is "mine..dis"..translated "this is mine!") she is so much fun and keeps us laughing continuously. She is clever, courageous and tender hearted, always giving me spontaneous hugs and asking me if I'm okay. My life has been truly blessed by her little presence. Here's to lots more happy years for my little curly-haired, blue-eyed charmer. I love you!

Who the heck is Jim?

So we're driving in the car to my mom's house, and Jane starts singing "I am a child of God". She listens to a CD of church songs every night to go to sleep to and that's the first song. Because she's only 2 and all her song lyrics are strictly phonetic, she often has some interesting versions of songs. Anyway, as she is coming to the conclusion of the first verse, she sings out "Teach me all dat I muss dew, to live wif Jim someday." So, the question is... who is Jim? Is Jim somehow related to Marsha? Or perhaps Jim is the name of the now-missing seahorse. Marie, looks like you might have some competition!

Speaking of random Jane-isms, she has now found bats in our vents and spiders in her high chair. If either of these things are true I am moving.

Just What I Needed....

After I posted "Identity Theft" (which, by the way, made me feel a little dorky when I read it again the next day...I sure made myself sound all enviro-cool and outdoorsy...but I still say I am a pretty weak attempt), my good friend emailed me something that had been forwarded to her. It really hit home with me. I especially needed to read it today because Jane has been sick with a nasty flu bug this week and I have been up to my eyeballs in yucky bodily fluids all day (it's her birthday today too...poor little thing...) So, see what you think.

I'm invisible.

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone? Obviously not. No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible.

Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude- but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a banana clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.'

It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'To you, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything. A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.' I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.'

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn> pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.'That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'You're gonna love it there.'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

All of a Sudden...

Have you ever had one of those moments when you suddenly notice that your child has hit a major "developmental milestone" without you realizing it? One day they are just this adorable lump that when you sit them on their bum on the ground, they instantly fold in half and fall over sideways. Then somehow, it seems the very next day they are just sitting there happily, fully upright, waiting for you to take notice. Sorry, Allison - it's been a crazy week...but look at you! She looked so cute and proud today that I had to take a picture.

Last week was a crazy one. My little brother finally decided to get married...and I tell you what, I would just like to send out a great big thank you to all my siblings for participating in my wedding because holy cow, they are a lot of work....and even more work with little ones. You have no idea what is going on behind the scenes when it is your own wedding. You are in total la la land. But your family sure knows. Showers, parties, rehersals, more showers, buying gifts, buying suits (Jevan now actually owns a suit! It was a big step for him..I was really proud), you name it. The wedding day was wonderful...and very busy. From temple ceremony to wedding luncheon to wrestling Jane in an attempt to beautify her in her "pretty dress" (she was a flower girl) to ring ceremony to reception to...collapse. No naps and no idea what is going on lead to two little girls that are completely FRIED by the end of the night. They were troopers though and Jane looked really cute in her dress...of course, I would say so because I'm her mom. My brother's new wife is from Louisiana/Georgia and her family flew in for the wedding. They were the nicest people, complete with that charming southern drawl. They were great sports through all the wedding madness but a little taken back at subdued nature of an LDS reception - they were ready to drink up and let it all hang out. We did do a lot of dancing however, especially Jane, and she is not shy about going at it alone. We caught it on camera. All in all a fabulous event.

Photo right: Jane with her cousins as flower girls

Jane has had this imaginary friend for a while now. Her name is Marsha. She talks to her all the time on the phone. Marsha is very polite and always asks Jane how she is doing and how her potty training is going. That is about the extent of their conversation...oh, and Jane also tells her that Daddy is at work. The other day, a tall, blond saleslady came to the door selling children's books. Jane watched her very intently as she gave her spiel. After Jevan told her that we really couldn't spend $200 on a set of books (what happened to the days of buying single things? Why can't I just buy one book?) and was closing the door after her, Jane yelled out "Bub-bye Marsha!" Ah-hah! So THAT's the mysterious Marsha! She really exists! Nice to know that my daughter isn't completely crazy. I must admit however, I am still a bit puzzled as to why a lady book salesman would be interested in whether or not Jane went poo poo in the potty. Wait a minute...Marsha always wants to know if Daddy is at work....I think I am catching on here...I better go talk to that husband of mine....:)

Identity Theft

Yes, my identity has been stolen...not by some faceless thug mind you...no, by someone I love. (Don't they always say that you hurt those you love the most...er..something like that...). Actually, by TWO someones I love. Yup, my kids have stollen my identity, and I think it is causing me to have a off-by-a-decade mid-life crisis. Have any of you mothers out there felt like this? Do you ever feel like you got lost somewhere once your mom role started? You now measure your weeks by diaper genie refills, gain insight throught the little antecdotes on "It's a Big, Big World" (it's okay to move through life slow like a sloth, and don't be in such a hurry to grow up, like Smooch's sunflower), and count yourself as a success in life if your toddler says "thank you" without being told to the retail clerk who has just handed her a balloon (which ended out popping in her face 10 seconds later when we left the store...did you know those things can leave a welt?). Point is, I love being a mom, but lately I wonder...who am I?

I can tell you who I used to be before I had kids. I was a bit of a hippy/granola/whatever the politically correct term is for someone who is way into environmental issues and outdoor adventuring. Back before it was cool. I grew up wanting to be a park ranger. I still do. I used to spend way too much money at REI. I turned vegetarian after watching some films in school about what goes on at meat farms. It's beyond inhumane. I used to plant trees along the Jordan River. I used to backpack, hike, and sometimes rock climb. I used to worry about all the horrible acts against humanity going on in the world. I worked for a non-profit organization that fights for National Forests...we mostly just fought with the Forest Service. (It's called the Utah Environmental Congress..check out their website and join them...http://www.uec-utah.org/)I even rallied at the Capitol. I used to fantasize about maybe, you know, getting my belly button pierced and growing some dreadlocks. Of course, I could never get myself to do either...but that didn't stop me from thinking about it. Mostly, I was just way more GREEN and spent lots more time outdoors. I was a LOT more carefree.

Sometimes, I miss that me.

Now, I feel like I am so far from that me that it makes me laugh. My backpack has a coating of dust and a family of spiders living in it. My rock climbing shoes were given to someone who would actually USE them. I have absolutely no idea what is going on in the world at all, let alone in the environmental sector. People still ask my opinion on certain things, knowing that I have been environmentally minded in the past, and I think I shock them when I have absolutely no idea what they are talking about. "Who are you voting for for president, Em? Do you like so-and so's take on the enviornment? Do you think so and so is too liberal? Is Al Gore still running for president? What is Obama's take on global warming?" "Uh...hmmmm..." I answer. "I think I will be voting for Elmo because I think Dorothy would make a fine secretary of state...and he is well versed in the "Ears" song. I do know that Al Gore put out a pretty good movie, though. You should see it." Seriously. I know nothing. I still try to recycle everything I can but I feel like I counter any effort everytime I throw a bunch of plastic diapers in the garbage can. I let out a sad sigh everytime I pass the organic produce section of the grocery store, knowing that I really can only afford the pesticide-laden, mutated fruit and veggies. I am not even close to being vegetarian and actually had a bag of hot dogs in my fridge this summer. I hate hot dogs. I mean, what are those things made of? But Jane likes them. And she likes meat. So does Jevan. So we eat it.

And that, my friends, is the problem. I have found I now follow the path of least resistance. Sadly, having kids has left me so tired at the end of the day that I just do what is easy...whatever is enough to get by. Being vegetarian, following current events, doing environmentally friendly things, taking my kids on a hike...it all takes work. Lots of work.

But, I've decided that by following that path of least resistance, I have lost myself, my soul, along the way. Does this sound crazy? I NEED something else to be PASSIONATE about other than my kids. My number one priority will be and always should be my kids and my husband. But I need something else. I need a little of the old me back again.

Don't get me wrong...I am not going to grow dreadlocks now or go to Burning Man or go spend a week backpacking through the Uintahs. But I am going to do something. And I figured that by blogging about it, those who read this can help me stick to it. I want to be vegetarian again, even if the rest of my family isn't. (I am not sure how to do a vegetarian diet with kids, for fear they won't get the nutrients or protein they need. If anyone has insight on this topic, let me know). I want to start taking my own bags to the grocery store and buying certain things organic (produce that is part of the "dirty dozen"). My SIL does a farm co-op where she gets fresh produce from a local farm every week during the summer. I want to do that. I want to have my own garden by next spring. I have the perfect spot for it in my yard, a little area that used to be a dog run, but first I would have to conquer the little amazon jungle living in there currently. I am going to try to do some reading each week on current events. I am going to find out what activities are going on in our area that are environmentally minded (like tree plantings..etc) and for kids. (Again, if anyone knows a good website/other venue that gives out this kind of information, let me know). I am going to take my wee ones up the canyon more often..even if it means just playing in the dirt at the bottom of a trailhead.

Along with it, I am going to add a main component that I have learned since having kids. This is COMPASSION. Humanity is every bit as important as the environment and I want my kids to grow up with concern for both. I want to try to do more service for others...as much as can..without losing too much sanity. Both around me locally and also globally. I want to do one of those programs where you "adopt" a child in Africa and send them money and letters. More service, more service. I KNOW this will make me a happier person.

So, there you have it. I wrote this all during naptime and I now hear the stirrings of a little Allison. I hope I can stick with some of this. Hopefully, writing it all down will help. I will still back Elmo for president, though...with Snook as vice president....and Mr. Noodle as head of homeland security...fitting no?

Caught in the act...

Even though I really should be in bed right now, I had to blog this picture because it just really makes me laugh. A few months ago, I had a good friend come in town from out of state and some friends and I got together with her up at ranch her family owns. She took some great pictures and sent me some, one of which was this one. It makes me giggle because these two totally look caught in the act. This is Jane's little friend Romney. He is only a month younger. The picture looks like they just got caught giving each other lovin' OR it looks like ..."No, Mom, I was just giving Romney HUGS...I was not stealing his raisins from him and eating them....and no, those are not raisin guts smeared across my face." Romney has a look like.."Right. Are you really going to believe her?"

Hee hee. Kids are awesome. Marie, if you are reading this, you really need to start your own blog! I would be a faithful reader for sure....

Blogs Can Have Skins?

Ok. So. The other night, I spent over 3 hours trying to "cuteify" my blog page. Even after getting my computer savvy husband involved, what you see here is all we came up with. Not so cute...and we both went to bed all frustrated. Silly huh? So I ask you, how does everyone get all these cute, chic, hip, whatever-you-want-to-call-them, blog sites? I know I should be posting on my blog instead of focusing on how it looks, but unfortunately, I am one of those OCD types that has to have everything just right before I can concentrate..i.e., in college, I HAD to clean my room and have my desk completely spotless before I could sit down and write a paper. So there you have it. Can anyone help me?

Just as a teaser of things I plan to write about later: Jane no longer has a seahorse on her knee. She now has a little elf/devil inside her instead that makes her yell "NO!" and "MINE!" all the time. I preferred the seahorse. Allison is growing teeth and I think I am becoming vegetarian...again.

Smatterings

So it goes without saying that I haven't blogged for a while...and I actually just don't feel up to the task of playing catch up with the past few months. Let's just say I have basically been on survival mode for the last 3 months, trying to figure out how to manage two kiddos.

I think I would just like to start from here and now. I'd like to start with the seahorse. Yes, the seahorse. The seahorse that Jane is convinced lives on her knee. She tells me about it just about everyday. "Mama?" she says. "Yah, Jane" I answer. She gets a look of great concern on her face, points down to her knee and says, "Seahorse....knee." "Hmmm...." I say, looking intently at her knee, "I don't see any seahorse on your knee, babe,...you sure about that?" "Yah," she says with a sigh of resignation, like no one will ever understand the burden of having to live a lifetime with this seahorse on her knee, "Seahorse." And with that she is off to her next task of taking all her books out of her bookcase or clipping her teddy bear into Allison's carseat. The child is completely random. I am just curious to see what lives on other parts of her body. Jevan is convinced a man lives in his eyebrows. It must be genetic. Speaking of eyebrows, did you know that there are little mites that live in your eyebrows? My SIL told me that. She knows all kinds of smart things like that. That's why I love her.

So since this is a completely disjointed post, I would also like to vent a minute. If you have a dog, a dog that sheds....I mean, really sheds....like you could make a sweater out of the fur that collects in the canister of your vacuum each day, I ask you....HOW does it not make you go INSANE?? Don't get me wrong, I really do love Jasper. But sometimes I wonder how I managed to pick the pound puppy mutt that, by just sneezing, fills the room with a floating cloud of fur. Yuck. It really drives me crazy. It drives Jevan crazy too. One day, when Jevan was out cleaning off the driveway after mowing the lawn, I just happened to peer out the window only to see him with Jasper trapped between his legs, eyes bugging out in terror, as Jevan tries to blow off all his excess fur with the leaf blower. (Yes, I do fear for the boys that will come to date our daughters one day. My husband can be a bit crazy and there is no telling what he might try..especially when it comes to using big power tool type things.) So just for fun, and because I am just so grossed out by it, I decided to take a picture of what I sweep up off my wood floors if I let it go over a week or so. If anyone who is reading this is a regular at my house, please know that I do sweep and vacuum often, so don't be too afraid to come over..... I decided to spare everyone the picture of my vacuum canister.

Another random thought: Allison laughed for the first time last week. An all-out belly laugh. She was in my lap watching Jane jump around in the tub. All of a sudden, Jane slipped and landed on her bum. Allison burst out laughing. It was just about the cutest thing I have ever heard. I think it even surprised her because it just burst out her little body. Jane continued to do it again and again, and each time we got a funny little laugh out of Allison. Oh man, those are the moments that make motherhood worthwhile, huh? My heart just melted. So another first for Allison...she can now roll over AND laugh!

We had Jevan's aunt's wedding this weekend and Jane and Allison were flower girls. They looked so cute that I have to post some pictures.

Jane in her "pretty dress"

Jane with her cousins -

Jane, Allison and Aunt Stephy

And Then There Were Two....

Wow. Two kids. I can’t believe I am a mother of 2 …under age 2. What the? Crazy? Yes. Fun? Yes. Hard? Definitely. But to all you women in the grocery store who look at me with pity (and sometimes contempt) and say: “My, you have your hands full” I say: “Really? You think?” (as if I haven’t heard that before) and then I say, “It ain’t all that bad..I’m managing..I’m doing it…doing fine, thank you…..I have no fear.” No fear of toddler tantrums, of non-sleeping babies, of diaper genies that fill their bellies in a day instead of a week, of projectile poop, spit-up, and grocery carts that now have no room for groceries because they are full of carseats and wiggly toddler bodies. I now have two adorable little girls, and although it isn’t always easy, I try to tell myself that I am one lucky mama. I told Jevan that we are now a real true family with two little kids…there’s just no way around it. This is going to be another marathon post as I haven't had a chance to sit down at a computer for any length of time since Allison was born. Man, I had forgotten how demanding a newborn can be for the first few months of life.

Let’s start with Allison. Nickname: Littles or Alli Cat. So precious. She has such a cute face and like Jane, you can see more of Jevan in her than of me. Unlike Jane, she is a little chunk and growing faster everyday. She was born at 7 lbs 12 oz and when I took her into her 2 week appointment (where usually they check to make sure your baby is at her birth weight because most newborns lose some in the first couple weeks) her doctor exclaimed: “Wow! If you ever had any question about what those things on your chest are for, they aren’t just for asthetics - they have a function, and apparently yours function really well!” Yes, he did say that…verbatim…he’s a hoot. Allison was already 10 lbs! She is now 2 months old and probably around 12-13 lbs. Just solid…yet with lots of baby squishy. I absolutely love snuggling her.

She has been a good baby from day one. There really must be something to the fact that she is a second child…a lot of my friends have told me that their second kid was easier…probably because they just don’t get the same attention as the first. Some days I have serious guilt about how much time Allison has spent in her bouncer or swing. She is a fabulous sleeper. She started only waking up once or twice a night starting the second week..and now at 8 weeks she usually wakes up only once. The first week or two at home it wasn’t Allison that was keeping me up as much as it was Jane. Jane’s world had so completely turned upside down that she would wake up multiple times throughout the night just wanting to be rocked. We accommodated her for a while, to ease the transition, but then had to retrain her to go back to sleep on her own, which is always really hard. I hate to hear her cry.

Allison is also a really happy baby. If she is well rested and fed, she is full of smiles and baby talk…she loves to communicate anyway she can. Give her some focused attention and she will instantly try to start up a conversation…and then keep it going for quite a while. It is so cute.
She’s very strong and holds her head up well. She also loves to stand and will push to standing whenever she gets the chance. She is another kicker, like Jane was, and her favorite place to practice this talent is the bath. She loves the bath. I put her in her bath chair and she goes to town, kicking her legs and flailing her arms like a mad woman. I think she loves the splashing sounds and that she can make them with her body.

Jane has responded really well to her new little sister. There aren’t really any jealously issues as I had feared, and Jane loves to point out the “babeeee” to everyone. We actually spend more time just keeping Allison safe from Jane’s “loves”. Jane gives great bear hugs and Allison is not left out, even if they squeeze all the air out of her little body. Jane also loves to point out all of Allison’s body parts, especially her eyes, which Jane thinks you won’t see unless she spears one with her finger and shows it to you. I continue to be amazed that Allison still has both her ears and both her hands attached to her body. No Jane, Allison is not Mr. Potato Head. We gave Jane a little doll when we brought Allison home from the hospital that we call her “baby”. I think it has really helped her get used to having Allison around. When I feed Allison, she will give her baby a bottle, and even try to burp her. Her little baby never gets cold because Jane makes sure she is draped with every burp cloth she can find in the house.

Life is definitely crazier now. To get anywhere on time, I have to plan at least an hour of getting ready. Get Jane dressed, do her hair, feed Allison and change her, re-do Jane’s hair because she has pulled it out already, take a shower and get ready, clean up the house that Jane has torn apart while I have been in the shower, change Allison..again, put Jane’s shoes on, re-do Jane’s hair…again, put together the baby bag, get Allison in the carseat (she is screaming at this point because she HATES the carseat) find and put on Jane’s shoes that she has taken off and lost in the meantime, grab keys and pile into the car. Whew! Then I spend the rest of the time in the car listening to the same Brite music songs over and over. Don’t get me wrong, they are great songs..but you start to lose brain cells after listening to “Lambie pie” again and again. Jevan was amazed one of the first Sundays we went to church because we honestly started getting ready 2 hours before. Great fun.

Jane continues to be her crazy toddler self keeping us entertained and on our toes at all times. Her vocabulary is exploding and she is getting really good at mimicking what we say. Not only can she do all the animal noises now, she can also say the animal as well. My favorite is elephant which comes out “ep-a-tee.” She counts to ten except she skips one, seven and eight…really, who needs those numbers anyway? She has also become really good at singing songs. Granted she only gets some words…mostly she just tries to mimic syllables, but super cute just the same. She does “ABCs”, “Elmo’s World”, “Twinkle, Twinkle”, “Lambie Pie”(of course), and “Row, Row Your Boat”. One night, Jevan was singing her a lullaby, a Brite song that Jane calls “Baby’s Boat’s”. After he finished, he started singing it to her again and out of the blue she started singing with him, every word (or as close as she can get to the right word). He was so surprised!

Jane is becoming more independent all the time and exerts her will whenever she can. There are definitely things that we now just stay out of her way and let her do herself. These include washing her hands, buckling the top buckle of her carseat, and putting on her shoes. I think she is starting into the “terrible twos” because temper tantrums have been increasing. They are never very bad, but she definitely wants things her way a lot more now. She will shake her head “no” and if you still don’t bow to her wishes it becomes “uh uh” in which her whole body, head, arms, you name it, shake back and forth. We even get screaming on occasion. We are currently working on trying to get her to “use her words” as much as possible to curtail the whining that is becoming more constant. She is starting to put words together.. “more juice”, “no socks”, “Jasper come!” (this one is my favorite…she yells it and is sounds like “Baaper gum!”). We are working on “please” and “thank you” which she is picking up pretty well…if you remind her.

Besides being busy with kids, we have taken on another project this spring that is scaring both Jevan and I with its immensity – The. Back. Yard. It has been a mess since we have lived in our house…broken sprinklers, lots of dead trees, struggling grass and all kinds of surprises…in one corner there is an old compost pile..in the other corner, a pine tree, some aspen trees, and…a barrel cactus. Uh- huh. It’s nuts. Oh wait, and don’t forget…the toilet…yes, a toliet full of plants. Someone wanted a pansy potty? A chrysanthimum commode? Very chic. And by chic I mean weird. So we have been spending all our precious Saturdays trying to fix it up (the yard, not the lavendar lavatory...) and so far we (I say we, it’s really mostly Jevan) have cut down all the dead aspen trees, torn up all the prickly bushes, including the aformentioned barrel cactus (sorry, little cactus), and pulled LOTS of weeds. Jevan managed to cut down 13 trees without maiming himself or anyone else, and spent most of the following week singing the “I’m a Lumberjack” song to himself. He has issues. We have also torn down our deck and are planning on replacing it too. We currently have a giant dumpster sitting at the side of our house with all the fruits of our labors thrown into it. It’s very classy. It has been so much work; discouraging at times because it never looks like we are making any good progress…but I have hope. We did put a swingset back there for Jane which she really enjoys. The goal is to have a working backyard before the summer ends. Yikes is all I can say.

So there you have it. Life is crazy hard..and fun at the same time. Lots of roller coaster days...especially for me. The transition to two has been hard for me because of my sudden lack of any kind of control or freedom in my life. You can go lots of places with just one child in tow, but with a newborn and a toddler? Not so much. I am a SUPER task oriented person and for me to go a whole day with only MAYBE getting in one load of laundry...yeah...I go a little loco. I am hoping that it will slowly get better in that respect...I know it will, I just have to be patient. I tell myself that one day I WILL go the bathroom by myself. And until then, I will sit back and enjoy these precious little girls...hug my wiggly, crazy toddler and enjoy the sweet-smelling, fuzzy-soft head of my little newborn.

Daddy squared

For both of the faithful readers of this blog (hi mom!), this is not Emily. This is Jevan hijacking the blog to make an announcement. On March 11th at precisely 12:06 AM, Allison Claire Woolley was born at LDS Hospital. We are delighted to announce that both mother and baby are doing great.

Some of you may know that we were in fact in the overtime period of gestation, as Em was due this past Monday (the 5th). We had an appointment scheduled on Monday the 12th for an induction (I still think it should be an inducement, but that's just me), which made me really happy for reasons that make sense only to me. See, the 12th is a good day; I was born on January 12th, Em and I got married on April 12th, Jane was born on September 12th. So 12s obviously are working out for me. Thus when we found that the baby probably wasn't going to come until she was induced on the 12th, my little OCD brain was completely content and at peace.

So it was to my chagrin when Em told me her water broke Saturday afternoon. However, I retained hope that perhaps it hadn't, given that it wasn't a deluge but rather a trickle. Looking back, I guess that the alternative of her water breaking (that being incontinence) wasn't a great option, but it was the heat of the moment.

Since the baby wasn't supposed to come until Monday, we had planned to make Saturday a Jane day, to spend some quality time before her world gets turned upside down by a tiny squeaky encroacher. So when there wasn't a ton of water and the contractions weren't all that strong, Em thought she could just ignore it all and not go to the hospital. I wasn't too keen on this, so we eventually made our way in to the hospital at 6:00-ish.

Because it was a high break in the bag of waters (I'm so impressed by my fetal-speak knowledge), they weren't able to tell if it had in fact broken, so we spent 3 hours playing a comical game of 'Catch That Bodily Fluid' (it's a huge hit in Japan). The game is played by a nurse telling you to call her when you feel some fluid leaking, so she can run in and soak some of it up on a humongous Q-Tip, swab it on a slide, and do some tests. What makes it fun is that, invariably, the nurse doesn't make it in time, so she would get a lackluster sample, take it to the lab, and come back and say they needed a better sample. I kept wanting to point out that I had never known my wife to spontaneously pee her pants for no reason for 2 hours, but I don't think this kind of logic applies to the strange and magical world of medicine. So finally, after 3 hours of C.T.B.F., they got a sample that told them that yes, in fact, her water was broken.

Once this painfully obvious fact was established, they decided to finish the job and puncture the bag, and start Em on a Pitosin® drip. She was a 3 at 9:00, and by 10:30 she was at a 7. By 11:15 she was at a 10 and ready to start pushing. The doctor arrived at 11:30 and we pushed a few times before out popped the baby.

I don't know about you folks, but any time I see a slimy dark blue creature covered in weird fluids, I don't immediately want to hold it. In fact, I tend to look around for Will Smith and the Men in Black to come and whisk it away. But I guess that because it was MY slimy dark blue creature covered in weird fluids, I was able to appreciate the magnitude of the moment and be amazed by the miracle I had witnessed. Suffice it to say I was in awe by it all.

So, once they got the little tyke all rosy and happy, they did the measurement thing. Here are the stats I can remember:

7 lbs, 12 oz. (3.52 kg, 0.55 stones, or .0033 2003 Honda Civics)
20.5 inches (.52 meters, 5.13 hands, or 1/4.98 x 10 ^7 the distance between our house and the Mount Rushmore National Monument)

We'll be at the hospital until Monday (the 12th... sigh ) afternoon, so feel free to drop by or call with your congratulations and / or condolonces. I expect more of the latter from those of you that have daughters in their teens, but for now, ignorance is bliss. Thank you all for the support, well-wishes and prayers that have been offered on our behalf.

Love,

Jevan, Emily, Jane, and Allison

Wonderful family is one of the greatest blessings. Today was my due date. Of course, nothing has happened. I felt pretty worn down all day, super tired of being pregnant and just a bit sad that I have to keep waiting to meet this little baby. So, not my best day. Jane apparently was also not having a good day as she was crazy-grumpy all day, everything sending her into temper tantrums. As I was looking in my cupboards, trying to figure out what to make for dinner and dreading the thought of making it with an incredibly cranky child hanging on my legs, my fabulous BIL and SIL, Steve and Becca call and ask if they can bring dinner over. Wow. Yes, please? What an answer to a small but desperate prayer. They are so thoughtful. AND, they didn't just bring dinner, they brought the tastiest, most napoli-authentic pizza ever. It was from a new pizzaria downtown and it was sooooo good. Jevan swooned while he ate it - he served his mission in Italy and it was very nostalgic for him. He was in his happy place. Thanks Steve and Becca!

Jevan told me tonight that I have to write about Jane's new little habit she has developed that both makes me laugh and drives me crazy. Jane loves to chatter in her own little Janerese jibberish. It sounds so funny because it is always complete with inflection, like she is having whole conversations with questions and answers. Lately, whenever she is in her carseat or highchair, she will sit and chatter to herself, but, if she thinks I am not listening to her, she will suddenly yell out "MAMA!" and then continue with her dialog. Even if I am sitting right next to her at the dinner table, she still has to yell it at the top of her lungs. She apparently has very important things to say and wants to make sure I am getting all of it. It cracks Jevan up. Here is an example:

Dinnertime at the Woolleys - Jane in her highchair, us at the table:

Jane: eeh guys dugger ubba my a bin? guya guya modda mee....guya guya....MAMA!

Me: What Jane?

Jane: more janerese...see above...babble babble.

Me: Sure Jane, that sounds great.

Jane: babble babble babble..MAMA!

Me: What Jane? I'm right here. I can hear you.

Jane: MAMA!

Me: What?

Jane: Babble babble...(sounding very serious now)...

Me: Ok. I'll do that.

Jane: babble babble? babble babble. Babble....MAMA!

Me: JANE!

Jane: MAMA! (said a little louder..a little more gruff)

Me: (no response)

Jane: MAAMAA! (said in her best scary monster voice...very growly..)

At this point, Jevan is laughing so hard that the asparagus he is eating is coming out his nose. Jane likes his reaction so she just keeps going, and dinner becomes very noisy..and messy. I finally get right up close to her face and say "What Jane?" and she ends with a babble sentence with inflection that sounds something like: "Haven't you been listening all along? I just want to know which looks better on my face, the mac and cheese or the chocolate pudding. I tell you what, mothers these days don't listen to a thing their children are telling them."

Darn mothers.

FINITO!

The saga of Jane's new room is finally over! We came, we painted, wainscoated, molded...and conquered! It was a lot of work but I think it turned out cute. Hooray! Jevan is the true hero though as he did most of the work. I just frustrated him a lot with my paint indecisiveness. I tried to help as much as I could, but to quote Jevan at one point when I was trying to paint and making a huge mess: "You are a home improvement disaster!"...said with much love, I think...um hope.

So today is Thursday and Jane's little sister is due on Monday. Needless to say, I am tired of being pregnant. Not that this pregnancy has been that bad, I just am ready to have her out, meet her and move on. I am getting really stir crazy just waiting.

Jane’s most favorite activity right now is STAIRS. We could go up and down them all day…in the house, at the store, at other’s people’s houses….you name it. We went to the Children’s Museum the other day with my friend Marie and her two kids, and with all the gazillions of things to do there, none of them were as great as the stairs leading up to the different levels. With all her practice, she has become pretty good at them and refuses now to crawl up or down them..she will only walk them while holding a railing or my hand. It gets pretty tiring to bend over to go up and down the stairs with her when my belly is so big.

So Jane and I go to the grocery store together...a lot. Sadly, I mostly go to get myself out of the house. We usually go about the same time, around 11am, so there is usually a lot of the same people staffed at that time. Since we are regulars, we have a favorite bagger named Conor. Conor has down-syndrome and is about the sweetest guy ever. He always helps us to our car and he adores Jane. They have long conversations together. Today, Jane made Conor's day. Jane learned from the Young Women in our ward (when I was in the presidency) how to give high fives and also how to do "bust me" which means to knock fists at the knucles. Conor asked Jane to give him five, which she did, and then just for fun, he said "knuckles!" which Jane instantly picked up as "bust me" and did it right back. He was so surprised and then just started laughing like crazy. He did it over and over and couldn't stop laughing. Jane loved the reaction she got out of him. They were quite the pair. It was really cute. Just a fun little story.

Here are also some pictures of our latest February adventure. We went tubing with my dad's extended family up at Soldier Hollow in Midway. Jane loved riding in the tube as we spun her around. Her little second cousin who is only a week older than Jane took a ride with her too. It was great fun.

Another random Jevanism for thought. This was several nights ago when we were getting into bed: "What do you think would happen if you were dropped from a helicopter onto a lake that is covered by a piece of plastic wrap that is one square mile big? Would you sink or would it absorb your fall?"

I voted for sinking because I just never trust plastic wrap. I am a ziplock girl.