Four Years Ago, In A Land Far Away…ish…

Oh my sweet baby boy, how you've grown!

I don’t even think it’s possible that it’s been four years since we met.

You are such a joy to be around. (I know everybody thinks this about their kids, but have you met IZ? Seriously, he'll be your best friend in about 4 seconds... and then talk about you for days, referring to you as his best friend.)

I never knew I wanted a boy. My first thought, when I found out I was having a boy was, "Ahhckk! I don't know how to deal with wee-wees!!"

But man, I can't imagine having it any other way. You're the sweetest to me and treat me with respect and love.

You even defend me from Daddy. (Like the time we were smooching in the kitchen and you walked around the corner and caught us. Without saying a word, you turned and ran away, only to run back with a large stick and go after Daddy.)
You're amazing. You're smart. You're funny. You make me laugh and smile. You make me oh so very mad and frustrated.

You are so beautiful, you’ve got eyes to die for. You get yourself into situations you can't get out of. You always ALWAYS tell the truth. If you know you're in trouble, when I ask, you begin your sentence with, "Well..." For example, "IZ, did you eat all the candy?" "Well..."

You know all your ABCs and the sounds they make. You can count to 14, then to 20 by twos. You won't let me cut your hair, but you would wear a faux hawk every day if I would let you. You love to watch movies. You can brush your own teeth and always remind me when I forget. You have been potty trained for over a year and have had less than 5 accidents, and you never ever wet the bed.

You like to watch DR. Who with Daddy and me, and you love the "exterminate" robots. You call me your best. You are so dear to my heart. You will start preschool soon and I am so happy for you. I will be missing you terribly while you’re gone, but I know that it will be a blast! You are an amazing son and the perfect brother. You treat EB so sweetly and I can tell how much he already looks up to you.

You are a natural born performer, you get the biggest kick out of the silliest things. I love your smile, I love your sense of humor. I love that you can watch the same movie over and over and over and always act surprised by it.

You are an amazing boy and I can’t wait to watch you grow into an amazing man. All the things you will do, all the people who’s lives you’ll touch, it’s gonna be great. I can’t wait to watch you make choices and learn lessons, both good and bad. I hope to always be the person you can talk to and confide in. I promise I’ll always try to be “the nice one”.

But for now, help me to remember how much I’m going to miss you singing the “fillet o’fish” song and acting out your favorite part of a movie, and let me soak it all in because the last four years have literally flown by and I feel like it’s all happened so fast. I look back and don’t remember you being such a tiny baby or toddler, you’ve always just been my IZ. You’re a great kid, buddy and I am so glad you’re mine. I hope I can always be your best.

Love you to pieces, Momma

PS I know every year I swear off making a birthday cake the next year, and seriously next year I mean it! But thanks for always requesting the fun cakes and for loving them, even when they don’t look quite right. You rock.

Friday Confessional: PARRTTTYYY!!

Well,it's Friday again. Man this week has flown by! Sheesh already!
Well, enough lallygagging. Let's just hit it.

• IZ's big birthday is Sunday.
• Lots to do tomorrow to get ready.
• However, cleaning is NOT one of them!
• Ha! Are you proud of me or what!?
• My house has been clean for over a week!
• No kidding!
• It's been amazing.
• Thanks for all your help, everyone, by the way.
• Your ideas were what made me do it and keep doing it.
• Ahh clean house!
• So Sunday, birthday dinner/party.
• Tuesday my YW are doing a mother/daughter party.
• And it's gonna be really fun.
• I'm using a lot of the stuff from Ian's first birthday party!
• Working smart, not hard eh?
• You see I've basically been planing this bad boy myself.
• The other leaders have been out of town.
• It's been a lot of work, and the timing kinda sucks
• But I think it will go well.
• I hope.
• So Sunday party
• Tuesday party
• Then we're going to Utah for Labor Day.
• We're going to celebrate IZ and my bro's birthdays
• So more party
• I'm going a little crazy with so much to do!
• How do I keep getting myself into these situations?!
• Hopefully, after Labor Day, things will slow down a touch.
• Hopefully.
• Oh and IZ gets to start preschool this month.
• It will be awesome
• both for him and me.
• Smarty pants that he is!
• I'm a little sad that he's so dang old already!
• Boo for babies growing up!
• I was looking at pictures of my babies last night
• and I got sad.
• Why are they tiny for only like a second
• but then big, stinky adults for like 70 years?!
• Not fair says I.
• I loves me some babies.
• So here's to another super busy week at my house!
• Let's hope I survive.
• And if I don't, I'll probably be the first person to ever die of party planning.
• I'll be famous!
• So either way I win, right?

Have a good evening, everybody! Go read and play!

Random thoughts

So here I am, waiting for the boys to go to sleep so I can go to sleep. (We're sharing a room here at Gramma's you see) SO instead of watching TV, I thought I'd get a few things off my chest.

I love Ellen. Her show makes me so happy. It's like my breath of fresh air. Have you ever watched it? I think she's so stinkin funny and it's on at three, which means that if I'm lucky (and I rarely am) both my boys will be asleep and I can sit and fold laundry and laugh. Ah Ellen. So funny.

My baby has learned how to scream. Not just a "waa waa" kind of scream, no, but more of a "demon bird sent from hell" kind of scream, or screech I should say. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying he's a demon...he only sounds like one. Really, he's adorable as all get out, and pretty dang smart as well. But the sound that comes out of his mouth could make you dig your eardrums out with the first blunt object you find.

And speaking of the creeper child, you know how in scary movies and stuff when they're running from something scary and it's all exciting and then they see the scary thing across the room then they glance down or at something for a second and then turn to look across the room again and the scary thing is standing right in front of you? Like how the crap did it move so fast?!?! Yeah, that's my baby. He's part ninja, perhaps, not 100% sure really. All I know is he can move that tiny hiney across the room pretty freaking fast.

So the other night, my hubby and I were in bed and all of a sudden I heard a crinkling sound,kind of like a plastic bag or something. The thing was we were in bed. And it sounded like it was UNDER said bed. I swear I heard a mouse. In fact, I may have sworn out loud. Then contemplated things like moving and bombing the house. We pulled that bed out so fast and looked, but alas, no plastic, no mouse turds, and no mouse. Back to bed we went and were sitting there when we heard it again! You know how you kind of just freeze when you hear something? Well, we sat there in silence and then my foot twitched and the noise, we discovered, was coming from the empty bag of diapers at the foot of my bed. I'm awesome, in case you didn't know. I was in a serious state of panic about imaginary mice and how I was packing up and going to be out of there if we had found evidence.

I'm still boycotting Jay Leno. I miss Conan. Late night will never be the same.

I have been on my diet for 3 months now, I've lost 24 lbs. Why is it I still feel like a fat tub o' lard? I mean, obviously those ellbees came off of somewhere, but it's lost on me. I still have the muffin top, still have the jelly belly. Maybe I should start running? I don't know. Realistically speaking, I would need to lose another 20 to get down to my fightin' weight, but I haven't been there since college and it's been quite the accomplishment getting this far. Stoopid body wanting stoopid food!

I am so very thankful that I was able to nurse my 2nd baby. Didn't have very good luck the first time around and can I just tell you all the money we saved on formula! Sheeesh! I am also glad to be done with that part. It was good and all, however, there were a couple months in there when I had more of a relationship with my breast pump than my husband. Poor guy.

Okay, has anyone seen the I Can't Believe It's Not Butter commercial with Megan Mullally dancing around with a produce guy singing about a tub of butter? What?! Yeah, the first time I saw it I thought it was a joke...and then it kept going and then it was a legit commercial...and then I was sad. Really? The Karen Walker I knew would never sell out to dance a little jig in the freezer section while singing a strange jingle-ized version of an 70's dance song! Seriously? Turn the tub around?! Please stop and let me remember you from 'Will and Grace' as the hilarious Karen and not that lady from 'Will & Grace' who sings in a cheesy commercial for I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!

I suck at blogging. It makes me sad. I love my blog and I love to blog and someday I'll be able to look back and laugh at IZ's silly stunts and how much food EB can pack away. I suppose it's not really about who's reading it or how many comments I get, but sometimes I feel like there's no one even out there. I really would like to be more dedicated to it and give it the old college try. And I will. Because really, even though I'm not "talking" to anyone per say, most days it's the most adult interaction I get!!

I suppose that's enough tonight. If you made it through all that I'll send you a cookie...that is in EB doesn't get to them first...

Mommy! There’s Something Wrong With My Fruit Punch!

IZ is very, very independent.  So much so that we have, on numerous occasions, found him munching on a brick of cheese or a hamburger bun or snacks that we didn’t get for him.  He basically has figured out all the locks and doors in the kitchen and helps himself to whatever whenever he feels he needs it.  Yeah.

So his latest accomplishment has been making his own “fruit punch” 

The concentration is all wrong, for you see, he only puts about 8 oz of water with one of these, which are meant for 16.9 oz water bottles.  Tart, yes, but hey, they’re sugar free and if he likes it, well, what can I say.

Today he came into the room and asked me if I could help his fruit punch.  “It’s not right” 

I stroll out into the kitchen to find this

 

 

 

 

Yup, you got it.  Two packet of Kool-Aid in 6 oz of water and no sugar.

I asked him why he mixed those two flavors because orange and grape?!  BARF!

He said that he wanted to make black.

Black Kool-Aid.  Made by IZ.

I love my life.

Friday Confessional

Hello! It's Friday and it's that time again. Let's just get right to it, yeah?

• I SUCK at blogging.
• I really do.
• I really enjoy doing it.
• And the outlet it gives me
• You know, being able to just put it out there and get it out of my system.
• but in my list of priorities, I feel really guilty sitting down to write a post when my living room looks like the aftermath of a natural disaster.
• But guess what, friends!
• MY HOUSE IS CLEAN!
• I know, right?
• It took me way longer than I would have hoped, but I think I've finally got a handle on things again.
• Well, aside from the bathroom.
• Can I just say how much I despise cleaning that stupid, tiny bathroom?
• Utter hatred I tell you.
• Not sure why
• Have never really had feelings towards cleaning a bathroom before.
• This one's got my number.
• And I hate it.
• I just can't get the umph to get in there and do it.
• And it taunts me
• every time I go in there
• seeing the crayon on the tile
• and the clutter around the sink
• My inner anal retentive clean freak really wants to clean it
  
• but the rest of me screams "I DON'T WANT TO!"
• And the squeaky wheel gets the grease, you know.
• Plus I can usually find something else to distract the inner clean freak
• you know, like sorting something
• or sweeping
  
• or putting all the clothes IZ has grown out of into a tote.
• and then putting said tote in EB's room.
• That's right, folks.
• The 15 month old is going to start wearing the clothes the 4 year old can still technically fit into, but mommy's anal retentive freak has taken all of the size out of IZ presence, just so it will be a pseudo-transition.
• I'm pretty sure I'm going to hear, "Hey that's my shirt!" about fifty times.
  
• Heaven help us.
• And EeBs is getting smart too.
• He's learned how to throw his weight around and get practically whatever he wants.
• I'm afraid of the future.
• Oh and I stole a sticker from Smiths yesterday.
• IZ really wanted a sticker
• The bag boy was busy
• So I swiped one from an unmanned register.
• AND THEN I got the talking to of my life!
• "Mommy! You little sneaker bug! You stole that!
• We don't steal! That's bad! You're supposed to ask before you take one!
• You need to go tell him you took that! Stealing is not nice, mommy!"
• Etc etc etc.
• It went on for about 10 minutes.
• Not kidding
• And I was trying to justify my way out of it
• But seriously, try and rationalize with a 4 year old sometime.
• Exactly.
• So I guess I need to go to Smiths and confess my sins to them,
• But hey, it gets me out of cleaning the bathroom though...

Okay your turn! Go over here and read and play! Seriously, it will be so fun!!

Friday Confessional: Bored or Something LIke It

Hello! Thought you got rid of me, didn't you! Well it's not that easy! Ha ha!
No really, I have been playing MAD catch up this week.
And I am ALMOST up to speed...
ALMOST...
So here's to Friday.

• It is perfectly silent in my house right now.
• Except for the fan and a faint lullaby playing in the distance.
• For a second there I thought I'd gone deaf
• or had a stroke,
• But no, nap times coincided today and I am a little uneasy
• not sure what to do with myself.
• I kind of just want to sit and enjoy the peace and quiet
• but I still have a list of things to do
• doesn't everybody though?
• I've pretty much come to the conclusion that there will always be crap on my to do list.
• always.
• And I think that is lame.
• So I'm going to start adding stuff to my list
• you know, just to shake things up.
• Things like walking by windows naked, just to see if anyone notices.
• trying new hairstyles that involve a lot of braiding.
• Seeing just how far behind my head I can get my foot.
• Dancing like a monkey just to see if I've still got it.
• Glitter toes, of course.
• And how about reorganizing my pictures and music on my computer into folders, sub folders, alphabetized and labeled with different colors and titles.
• Okay, maybe that's a little much.
• Gotta find that fine line between shaking things up and complete and utter waste of time.
• For you see, it is truly a fine line.
  
• But just FYI,
  
• no one noticed
• I hate my hair, the length, the color, and braiding is stupid
• pretty stinkin far
• and yeah I've still got it.
• FYI

Go play or read or sleep, I don't care!
Have a great weekend, everybody!

House of Horrors

I need help.

Well, my house needs help.

Due to recent comings and goings, my poor, sweet little home has been neglected.

And I can't seem to get a leg up on it.

I've been trying for a week and I feel like I'm going backwards.

Between my kids, my church calling, and my transcription work, one (or all) seem to always take priority.
And my living room remains a pig sty.

My mom suggested I read The Flylady, and The Sidetracked Sisters.
I just feel like if I had the time to read, I wouldn't be in this mess.

Literally.

And I'm not talking perfectly spotless, spend-all-my-time-cleaning-and-no-fun-for-my-children-ever-ever-ever kind of life. Boo.
You and I both know thats just not me!

But I would like to NOT be embarrassed when someone shows up unannounced and be able to invite them in instead of having a conversation out on the doorstep.




And don't even get me started.


Because, yeah, ideally fair is fair and everyone needs to pitch in and do their share.
Ahhhh, yeahhhhhhhh...





But...





Dear hubby is seriously never here.
Never.
Well, I mean he sleeps here and showers here.
But his time is so very precious
I would rather spend it out making memories with our family
than standing over him with a list of duties and commands.



So I ask you, dear friends, how do YOU get it all done?
Do you have a system?
Do you do certain assigned things every day?
And while we're on the subject, what about those spring cleaning-type chores?
Are there things you do every month? 3 months? 6 months?
How do you keep you life together and in balance?
Anybody got it figured out?
Because aside from sprouting a few extra arms and freezing time, I got nothin.

Seriously, where the heck is Mary Poppins when you need her?!?
She'd help me get the job done in no time!


PS: If you want to make yourself feel better about your situation, Google "messy house images"

Erm, yeah I'm alright.

Mamas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be…

We went to the fair.

They sported their boots.

I’m almost positive they come by it naturally.

Friday Confessional: And I Would Walk 500 Miles...

Wow, it's been a while since I've done one of these! A while since I've blogged about anything, really. I do have some good excuses though, so let's just jump right in, shall we?

• So I've spent more time in my car that I'd have liked to last month.
• As in WAY more.
• I went to Salt Lake and stayed a little under a week.
• Then I drove, from SLC, to good ol SV and stayed a little under a week.
• Then I drove home.
• Did laundry.
• Left the next day for Girls Camp.
• Drove up into the mountains and spent three days there.
• Drove back home.
• Unpacked and packed.
• Drove back to SLC the next day.
• Same day, drove to SV.
• Stayed a week.
• Drove back to SLC.
• Drove back to SV.
• Sat a day
• Cried a little.
• Drove home.
• Oh, and did I mention I was alone in my endeavors?
• Alone with the two boys?
• No hubby?
• I will admit, a couple of those times were family events and my mom/brother took pity and rode with me.
• But still.
• That one Saturday I drove over 550 miles.
• In one day.
• With the boys.
• And yeah, I'm glad I didn't have to walk them.
• But still.
  
• So I'm basically am on strike from driving until the end of time...
• Or next week...
• my sweet little friend is getting married you see.
• I warrant that good enough reason to travel again.
• But after that, man I'm swearing off it!
• ...until Labor day...
• Okay so I think I have a disease.
• But hey, it could be worse, right?
• Right????
• Please tell me there's something worse out there!!
• I need a nap.