Itching for Trouble

The best laid [new years] plans of mice and men can be easily foiled by children. Sometimes I think my children laugh sadistically on the inside when they manage to pull something off that gets them out of a well-planned outing. Take Aliyah for instance, who managed to pull of a fantastic case of "Giant Hives" just in time to get herself out of an evening spent with friends we've been longing to see. I think the term "hives" was formulated because the victim looks like she's been stung by multiple entire hives of bees. This poor kid has them in her hair, on her eyes, neck, chest, arms, bum, legs and feet. When I took off her PJ's to show the doctor he just stared blankly and said "That is the most hives I have ever seen on any one child in all my years as a doctor." That's my girl, always going the extra mile. I just hope this talent for going above and beyond will someday lead to full-tuition scholarships and maybe winning the lotto. Here's hopin'! Happy New Years!

Sleds Away!

All this snow has given way to some awesome sledding fun around here. A few days after Christmas we took Aliyah and Gavin out with my brother and cousin. Aliyah went down the hill by herself in the inertube and loved it! Gavin had fun too riding the sled with Troy and my brother. We all had a blast and I can't wait to go again!

A Very White Christmas

It snowed so much over the holiday that when the snow plows finally made it down our street, they piled drifts so high across all the driveways that not even snowblowers could get through. One kindly neighbor with a bulldozer came and freed us all after a few hours work. I don't love Holiday posts, because it's usually a bunch of pictures full of people that nobody really knows but hey, it's a must! So here are the highlights of our christmas. My brother Daniel from New York was here, my grandma and grandpa from St. George, as well as my Aunt and cousin from California. We had so much fun with them and we are soooo sad they are gone and so far away! :(

Dear Gavin,

This day last year I was 6 months pregnant with you and looking forward to a fun-filled christmas. I had no idea that in a few short hours I would be lying in a hospital bed surrounded by doctors and nurses trying to keep you alive while keeping me pregnant. The physical pain and deep mental anguish of those days would have dragged me down to the depths of despair had it not been for the overwhelming love and comfort I felt from my Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ. Life at that time was a fog of uncertainty. would you live? Would you die? If you lived, what quality of life awaited you? Were we prepared as people and as parents to be who you needed us to be? To do all that you would need us to do? Only a mother who has been through this can know with what broken-hearted humility I went before the Savior to beg for the strength and faith to accept His plan for you, and for us. And then you were born. And not only did you survive, but you fought for life with such tenacity that you inspired everyone around you. Many months have passed since then, and though you continue to face many struggles in your everyday existence, you push on with such a cheerful spirit that I marvel at your ability to smile through such pain and discomfort.

This last year has been difficult for me as well, though I can't say I handle the discomfort half as well as you do. Being responsible for making major decisions related to your medical care can be terrifying and bewildering. I am constantly haunted by the fact that if I make a wrong choice or mistake, consequences for you could be painful and even permanent. Your father and I have learned so much of a deeper, more enduring form of faith than I ever knew existed through unrelenting prayer and petition on your behalf.

It occurred to me today that in all likelihood, you knew before you came to this earth each and every moment of suffering your premature entrance into this world would cause you. You saw the pain and the hardship you would endure, but you also saw the blessings your trials would bring to others and you chose to come. You saw families brought together in the unity of prayer and service, you saw the opportunities for faith, the light of hope that the miracle of your fight for life would bring. You saw a mother and father who would be forced into being better versions of themselves, better parents, spouses and children of God by learning the meaning of true selfless service. You saw all of this, and following the example of your older brother Jesus Christ, you chose to suffer so that others might have the opportunity to partake of the bounties of the Lord. Thank You. There is a song, a Christmas song that I have love called Breath of Heaven. I have always loved it, but now more than ever because you are my little breath of Heaven, my son and my frined, who I love so greatly. I hope to be a mother worthy of such a noble spirit, and that I never take for granted the opportunity you have provided me to grow closer to our Brother Jesus Christ.

Love, Mom

Monkey'n Around

Tired can have two very different effects on children, from outrageously giddy to overly sensitive. For example, after a long day at the Zoo all Troy had to do was say the word "Monkey" and Gavin would burst into uncontrollable giggles. This affect continued for weeks until one night it produced a very different effect.....

Before:
(you don't have to watch the whole clip, a minute or two will give you the idea. And please forgive my green fingernails, we also had a halloween party that night.)

After:

Please don't judge us as parents, our children are our only form of entertainment these days :)

Coincidence? I don't think so

You can unravel the deepest mysteries of the universe while unpacking the christmas decorations. Really, it's true. Take for example the age-long secret we unveiled while peeking to see who was really under that snowy white beard........

Coincidence? I don't think so. This sure explains how he became such an expert on that time-space-continuum thingamajiggy.

Oh Crap!

* Warning, this post is not for the easily nauseated or those who are currently, or have just finished eating :) (hehe)*

Life is full of signs. Big signs, little signs, good signs, bad signs, traffic signs, trivial and important signs. I'm here today to fill you in on on that might help you out if you (unlike me) are paying attention.

If, one pleasant afternoon, you hand your child a pear and in 15 minutes she eats everything but the stem, that is a bad sign. Not only is it a bad sign, I now know that it falls into the very important, bad sign category.

If you (like me) are oblivious to this sign, you may find yourself merrily Sub-4-Santa shopping with family at a furniture store and unsuspectingly put your potty-training tyke into the "kids area" to play with her cousins. Moments later you will hear the tiny voice of a cousin yelling "Ewww, lots of poop!" And if your toddler has ADD like mine, she will not only have pooped in the play room, but done it while running circles around the toys!!!! After the fragrant effects of too much pear has cleared out the whole store, and you are done scrubbing out the carpet and disinfecting every toy, be prepared because your sign-ignorance punishment is not over.

You will return home, deposit your toddler on the nearest toilet, then head across the house to start the tub filling up. When you return, you will find your little angel has gone #2 again (in the toilet this time) and is happily using the toilet scrubber to fling the dirty water all over the bathroom. At this point, try very, very, hard not to strangle your toddler (or throw up). Clean up, sanitize, sanitize again, bathe your toddler, bathe yourself, and then eat as much icecream as you want, cause you deserve it! (and watch those signs next time!)

The family at the store

The unsuspecting mother having fun doing some shopping

My smiling little pooper

My brief career as a bank robber

Today I walked into an undisclosed credit union to make a deposit and use the bathroom. While seated upon the "loo" I noticed a set of keys on a very official looking key ring and Ding! I realized with an unexplainable thrill of excitement that these were THE keys. The keys that opened the money drawers, the keys that opened the lonely vault down the hall from the bathroom, possibly even the front door!

Then the gears really started to turn. Wow, if these keys were picked up by the wrong (or right) sort of person, how easy would it be to clean this place out? I could picture some average Joe in a ski mask unlocking the front door at midnight and clearing the place out, or coming in during normal business hours and making short work of the aforementioned lonely vault. Now I'm sure robbing a bank undetected would take a lot more than one set of keys, but still, the possibilities were thrilling.

Unfortunately, before I could get too carried away with my plans for a life of crime, the little Angel on my shoulder said matter-of-factly, "wow, it's a really good thing that you found them and not some other person, since you would never do anything like that....." Ugh. A conscience can be so annoying when you're trying to imagine the excitement of living on the edge.

You should have seen the color drain from the bank manager's face when I handed him the keys to his branch and said, "I found these in the bathroom." When he opened his mouth to thank me, I made a discreet but hasty retreat because it looked like he was about to throw up. I can't say I blame the guy. I'm sure he saw his career flash before his eyes as the possibilities of what could have happened started to register. He doesn't need to thank me, I would never have robbed his bank...... but mostly because it's MY money in there! So I guess I should thank myself, cause what I got aint much, but it's all I got! :)

50's Fashion and Fun

A little while back we invited our friends Santiago and Elizabeth to a 50's themed party some friends of ours were throwing. Everyone had a costume assignment consistent with 50's fasion and culture. I got to be a 50's beauty pageant contestant, Troy was a black Jazz musician (we didn't even bother trying to tackle the skin color conundrum :) ), Santiago was a Russian Rocket Scientist, and Elizabeth was a blonde bombshell housewife. As you are all aware I love dressing up and a 50's theme was soooo fun! I have always dreamed of throwing an era themed party and I swear someday I will! My hero is a friend's aunt who throws this over-the-top costume party every January (to break up the monotony). She has costumes made to fit each guest and goes all out decorating her house for the occasion. Themes range from medieval to mobster, and everyone has a blast! Wouldn't that be rad?! Holy cow, I don't think I've said "rad" for like 10 years. I guess this kind of stuff really brings out the kid in me! :)