You Know You’ve Watched Too Much Gray’s Anatomy When…

this happens.
Makayla and I were playing our version of Catch Phrase today. She was thinking of words and I had to guess them. This is how it went:
M: Someone who wears a blue mask.
W: I don’t know. Hmm. Spiderman?
M: No.
W: Superman? I don't know. Tell me.
M: No, a doctor.
W: Oh, yes. Sometimes doctors do wear masks on their faces. Do you know why?
M: So they don’t get blood on their face.
W: [look of shock and horror] No! It's so they prevent the spread of germs. Well, I guess you could be right too. [Yikes!]

She has been so funny lately. Nathan received a magnetic Leapfrog Phonics alphabet from my parents for Christmas and has been busy playing with it. Makayla likes it, too. I was making cookies yesterday while she was by the fridge. She exclaimed, “Mom, I spelled BUT!” Out of 26 letters, she picked B, U, & T. She was so excited and was roaring with laughter. I tried to explain to her that the “but” she spelled wasn’t the same as her “butt.” I didn’t have a good definition of but off the top of my head so I used it in a sentence, which only made her laugh even harder. She had tears rolling down her cheeks. I quit trying to explain, gave in, and enjoyed laughing with her. It’s moments like this that make the challenges of being a stay at home mom worth it.

Yes, I did a poor job of photoshoping clothes onto Makayla in this picture. She likes to run around our house in her undies. I don't mind when she's at home, just not on the internet! :)

We celebrated Christmas with my side of the family last weekend and had a white elephant gift exchange. Makayla walked away with a pet goldfish. (Thanks, Keri & Scott.) She was so excited. She named him Max and kept saying, “I love Max.” Great. That really threw a wrench in our “No Pets Allowed” policy. But, Max has proven to be a great asset. Max has nearly eliminated all of our bedtime problems. I have been so pleasantly surprised by Makayla’s compassion for her fish. We went to Walmart today and picked out three more goldfish to keep Max company while she is at school. Makayla has named them Blackey, Silver Sara, and we keep forgetting the name of the last. Max also taught me a lesson about the relationship between babies and fish. I was showing Nathan the fish, not even thinking that an open bowl was an issue, when he stuck his hand right in. I was completely mortified and ran with Nathan’s outstretched hand to the bathroom so I could wash it with antibacterial soap…twice. Nathan was very confused. I am sure that had he been given the chance to catch Max, he would have tried eating him. We went and bought a fish tank with a lid yesterday.

Nathan stood up and was walking by himself today. I think he is gaining the confidence he needs to get going. What a stubborn little man. I guess walking had to be on his terms. He has mastered climbing up our counter-height chairs and likes to sit on top of the table. I had to rescue him three times today. That is going to be a problem. I don’t remember Makayla doing that. Nathan now says: waffles, bompa, boma, mama, dada, santa, blue, woof-woof, that, ba-oo (balloon), ball, yeah, and all done. He is always saying, “bompa” and often calls strangers by the name. Although it often makes grown men smile, it kinda gives me the creeps. I think he just misses his bompas so much and is trying to find them all the time.

Here's some video of what has been happening around our house:

I love that Makayla is wearing a helmet in this video! It makes it so funny. I don't know how, but, she taught herself how to skip. It is so cute!

Nathan was making these funny faces trying to copy Jason.

On a more serious note...
It is easy to get caught up in the commercial aspect of Christmas, but, this year I have tried to stay grounded and remember the true meaning of the holiday. I am so grateful for my wonderful family, Jason’s grueling job [not the grueling part, but the fact that he has one], and our health. It’s easy to take that last one for granted. I have been thinking about our friends, the Turners, often lately. Their little girl Paige is in the hospital battling another relapse. I can’t imagine how difficult that must be. If you are reading this, please mention the Turners in your prayers. I know that it is through God that they will find comfort and strength.

I've had writer's block...

I can't believe it has already been a month since I last posted an update. Honestly, I have thought of it often, but, always managed to put it off. So, here I am, forcing myself to sit down and think of something witty to say. But, that's just it. Wit and humor don't come naturally to me. :) Although, stick me in a game of Balderdash and I just can't help myself. Seriously, when you hear the word, "nobbler" what do you think of??? I love that game. We played it with the Swannies and the Weibers this weekend. It was so fun. My "token" never even left the word "start." I have to argue that moving your token on the board should not be the object of the game. Getting another player to laugh so hard they pee their pants SHOULD.

We went to Madagascar 2 yesterday with Trav and Brandi and the girls. It was so fun to watch the three of them giggling at the movie. Nathan managed to dirty his diaper not once, but TWICE during the movie. Nothing like being crammed in with a bunch of strangers to really notice the smells coming from the infant on your lap. We then came to our house and watched Eagle vs. Shark [It was a movie marathon at our house this weekend]. That movie is so funny. Travis commented, "Yep, I can say I've never seen a movie like that before." It seems to get funnier in my recollection as the dumb parts seem to escape my memory. My favorite part is when he is training in the water. If you haven't seen it, you should.

I know Nathan could walk if he wanted to, but, I think he's just being stubborn. He's a very quick and mobile crawler, so, he seems to get around just fine. I am anxious to see him start walking. But, I am sure that once he does, I'll be eating my words. He has also begun to talk a lot more lately. I'm not sure what he is saying all the time, but, I'm sure I've heard: ball, up, daddy, mom, mama, that, ba-oo(balloon), and yeah. Halloween has shown us his sweet tooth. He loves m&ms. He'll shovel them in his mouth by handfuls. In fact, I don't think he has turned down any sweet treat.

Makayla is such a bundle of joy, humor, and fun. I found her feeding Nathan some shaved ice on the Couch today. They were both soaking wet and the ice was everywhere, but, they were having so much fun. She loves preschool and comes home with some interesting stories. Her class is preparing to perform a Thanksgiving program. I can't wait to see it. We were able to watch her in Ballet class the week before last. She looked like she was having so much fun and shows natural talent. Although, I learned that we need to start teaching her about line etiquette. Funny how those things don't really enter your mind as a stay at home mom. :) I also volunteered at her school last Thursday and while walking through the church/school, I heard some yell-singing coming from the preschool area. It was coming from the bathroom and it went like this, "WATER AND SOAP, WATER AND SOAP, WATER AND SOAP, (repeat, repeat, repeat)." At first, I thought, "Oh, how cute. Some little kid singing their heart out in the bathroom." It then donned on me that the voice sounded VERY familiar. It was my Makayla! She came out of the bathroom and looked at me with a stunned, deer-in-headlights look on her face. It was priceless. I wonder how often she does that?

Jas and I are doing well. Especially when he is not working. He still works like crazy hours. Which allows us to appreciate his time off even more. We've been spending that precious time watching movies, teaching Makayla the art of catching food with her mouth (she is much better than I am at this trick, Jason is the master), and just enjoying each other's company.

A few more pictures

We had a great time this last weekend with the family. I had a great birthday. Here are some pictures of Makayla & Graci's day at dance and some of this last weekend.

So I wrote this a while ago....

On October 8th, I wrote this and just didn't get to publishing it. So, here goes.


I’m mortified.

Keri, Trevor, Makayla, Nathan, and I were out playing in our backyard today. Kayla, Trevor, and I were kicking a soccer ball around and as I am running I notice a little gray furring thing sitting on the lawn. My curiosity got the best of me, so I went over to investigate. To my absolute HORROR, I found the decapitated head of a golfer. I can’t help but think it is some kind of a sign from the former golfer that was living in our yard until my neighbors insisted on “trapping” it in a death trap. At the time, I wasn’t really bothered by the thing. I’m sure it’s because we hadn’t paid for any landscaping yet and our neighbors had. Now we have a nasty little head lying on our lawn. It just makes me sick. I made Keri go look at it to make sure that it wasn’t just a toy or something. She came back with a disgusted look on her face, “It is definitely not a toy. We need to go home.” I’m actually surprised that she didn’t puke. I’m not pregnant, and just about puked myself. She’s tough. Jason will be playing the role of “Knight in Shining Armor” today. He said he’d take care of it when he gets home. What a great husband. He has already put in 16 hours today and I don’t expect him home for a few more hours.

I can’t wait until work slows down a bit for him. But, I don’t really see that happening in the near future. He enjoys what he is doing, which provides me great comfort during these long lonely hours.

We watched Nicole cross the finish line of the City of Trees Marathon on Sunday. It was a great experience to watch people accomplish something I consider impossible. It was very motivating. I have never wanted to run in my life, but, for half a second I thought twice about it. : ) Good job, Nicole! She beat her previous time and proved that all her training and hard work paid off.

Makayla really enjoys preschool and her teacher told me she is doing well. I am so happy for her. She comes home with some of the funniest stories from class. I bet her teacher hears a lot of weird stuff from the preschoolers. It has been fun watching her play soccer. She seems to have a natural talent. She just needs a little more confidence. Today is “bring a friend” day at dance. She will be bringing Graci. I’m excited for them. It will be very fun. I ended up just cutting Makayla’s bangs. We’ll try to grow them out again. Her mysterious little poof of hair was too hard to conceal, so a fresh cut of bangs covered it right up.

Nathan is still trying to get in a few molars. They have been giving him a lot of grief. I can’t wait until the teething phase is over. He hasn’t gained enough confidence to walk on his own yet, but, I am sure it won’t be long. He is very sweet and affectionate. He is quick to share his treats and toys and give hugs and kisses. He has a funny personality like Jason.

We have been enjoying the nice fall weather and have gone on a few walks around the block in the evening. Makayla likes to ride her bike, but, often requires encouragement to keep going. She tries to stop and look at every dried up worm on the sidewalk. Disgusting. Nathan loves chillin’ in the stroller and rocks his head back and forth in a motion suggesting, “come on, mom” and he often claps his hands. I love the fall. The beautiful colors on the trees are so refreshing.

Here's a few photo's of Graci's birthday:

She did it.

Today:
I have dreaded this day for a long time. Makayla was born with an "old man" hair-do that transformed into a natural mullet, and it has taken her whole life to get her hair to finally grow out. I have only trimmed her hair a handful of times. We decided to grow out her bangs and she's been sporting a "bangtail" lately because the bangs are at the "annoying" stage. She hasn't been very excited about getting her hair done lately and I just let it go scraggly today. Well, when we weren't looking, she took scissors and cut her bangs. No, not all of them. Just a small handful. And she cut them SHORT! Little stinker. I don't know what to do to fix it. I found out she had done this when I walked into the kitchen and she ran over and put her foot down on something and looked up at me with a cheese-eating grin on her face. Busted. I lifted her foot and there on the floor was a lock of Kayla hair. Needless to say, the scissors have been put in a much higher location. Pictures will have to be posted later...

So much has happened this last week. Here's the low-down.

Nathan turned one! :) What a sweet boy. I can't beleive he's already one. We went to Red Robin for lunch on his birthday. The servers sang to him and I think he enjoyed it. He had his first cake that evening and Makayla helped him open his first present.

Last Tuesday Makayla started preschool. She loves it and we are really happy with the school. On Thursday, Makayla told me that she went to the bathroom to dump out the rest of her apple juice and a boy told her she was in the boy's bathroom. She told me that she replied, "I KNOW!!!" I asked her why she went into the boy's bathroom and she said she didn't know that it was. I asked her when she realized it was just for boys, she replied, "when he said I was." :)

Makayla started dance on Wednesday. I am so excited for her. Her class is small and the other students seem really nice. I think she's going to have a great year. The school is very strict, but, I think she'll learn a lot. She is so excited to be a ballerina.

Friday we went to Planet Kid with Keri, Trevor, Jen, & Grandma & Grandpa. It was really fun. I love going to those kinds of gyms. I wish I had one in my house. If I ever won the lottery I would. :)

Makayla, Graci, and Hannah all had a soccer game on Saturday. It is so fun to watch them play. I was so proud of Makayla. She played with confidence and wasn't intimidated by the other team. She enjoys playing and plays the entire game. She played well with the other kids and actually passed the ball this game. :) At half-time she sat down by one of her teammates that didn't want to play and said, "I need your help." It was so cute. Graci wasn't very interested in playing soccer Saturday. Once she decides that she wants to play, I know she is going to rip up the field. That girl is so tenacious. Makayla and Graci can be a great pair. Hannah played so well. I can't beleive how grown up she is.

Saturday evening we got together with our family and had a party for Nathan. He only had a ten minute nap that day because of the soccer games, but, he did really well for being so tired. He watched as Makayla opened his gifts for him, and devoured the frosting on his cake. After his bath, he crashed. It was so nice to have everyone over to help celebrate his birthday. Thanks, everyone, for coming and making it such a nice party. We are all so grateful that you were there. Thanks for all the gifts and the help.

Oh, piss on it.

It's too late to figure out this stupid slide html. So, I'm giving up. If you want to look at the pictures posted below, click on the button "view all images." Then you can view them all. ha ha. It's way to late to be doing this. I've got to get to bed.

Ready, Set, Go!

Things have been a little crazy lately. It will only get worse. Makayla starts preschool and dance this week. So, she'll be doing swimming lessons, soccer, dance, and preschool. Yikes! She is so excited for school. She and Graci had their first soccer game today. It was so much fun to watch them play. The girls did great. Makayla is a natural. She made several goals, including some for the other team. :) It was fun to watch Jason and Travis coach the team too.

Watch this soccer star!

She scores a goal for her team, turns around,

and scores a goal for them! How thoughtful. :)

Last weekend we went camping in Challis with Grandma & Grandpa Huffman, Clint, and Ben. It was so much fun. We had a great time. Makayla loved playing "Slap Jack" with Grandma & Grandpa. She would scream and giggle so loud! She spent a lot of time digging in the dirt and collecting rocks. At one point, she had collected so many that her pants were falling down. She also enjoyed teaching Jason and Grandpa how to fish. Nathan loved walking around everywhere. He was quite the trooper. I didn't even know he was trying to cut a molar until we got home. What a good kid.

Here's some pics of the trip:

Another Random Update

The kids are doing great. We are doing great. Well, with the exception of the darn A/C motor in the truck. The one Jas bought from Schucks was bad so he had to replace it again this evening.

Thursday night Travis, Brandi, and the girls stopped by to pick up a hand cart for Boof's co-worker. Hannah was wearing a visor that she had made in school. Shortly after they left, Hannah returned to look for her visor that was missing. We looked everywhere! Jason, Makayla, Hannah, Travis, and I were looking all over the house until I finally looked in the pantry. I yelled, "I found it. It was in the pantry." To this, Makayla replied, "Oh, I put it there. " Ha ha!! It was so funny. Little stinker.

Tonight I asked her what the five "swimming words" are. After she answered correctly, I asked her how she still knew them so well, she said, "because of my enemy." Hmmm. "What do you mean by that?" She replied, "In my head, I've got a good brain." "Ahhh, MEMORY. Yes, you have a great memory."


She is always cracking us up. She says and does the funniest things! I asked her for some ideas for Nathan's birthday. She thinks he would like an Eric cake. (Prince Eric from Little Mermaid) Funny. I'm not so sure. :)

Nathan is doing great too. He has had a few brief moments standing on his own, but, still prefers to crawl. I'm not so sure if that's a bad thing. He's discovered that he can open the cupboards in the kitchen. He loves to empty them - and get out as much as he can before mom catches him. I guess it's time to buy some child-locks. It reminds me of some pictures I've seen of Jason when he was little with pots and plastic containers all around him on the kitchen floor. Nathan still loves baths, Popsicles, talking on the phone, swinging, and giving his sister hugs and kisses. He doesn't like grass or Popsicle sticks (because that means the Popsicle is all gone).

Here's some recent pics:

SWIMMING

Makayla & Graci

Makayla

Graci

HELPING DADDY ON THE TRUCK

Makayla needed blue gloves too. She liked handing Jason the tools and "fixing" her bike and scooter.

Nathan supervised a little bit while chewing on his parachute guy. Thanks, Ben.

Jason working on the A/C compressor, not a motor!! Phew. He really appreciated me taking pictures of him while he was working. :)

So Beautiful

MORE RANDOM

So Handsome

Kayla & Trevor

This looks so natural. A budding Bronco Quarterback.