Saturday morning I caught this scene after Clark had returned from the hospital.
I think they like their Daddy!
February 28, 2011
February 24, 2011
A Small Heart Attack!
Tonight we took dinner to Clark at the school so the boys could see him for at least a minute before bedtime. After dinner we played ping pong for a few minutes in the game room. When it was time to go I buckled Caden into his carseat and Clark was gathering all of our things, we didn't think anything of it when Ethan slipped out into the hall a minute before us.
We fully expected to exit the game room and see Ethan messing around in the hallway, but the hallway was completely EMPTY! Clark immediately went one way and I went the other looking for Ethan. My first reaction was that he went outside and got locked out of the building. I ran outside, yelled his name and no Ethan. When I got back inside I saw Clark empty handed and started to panic a little! Right then a friend from church came by, he said, "how's it going?" I replied with, "good, but can you watch my stroller for a minute (Caden was in it), I need to run up these stairs, I LOST Ethan!" His face was so funny as it registered that yes, I had LOST my son!
I ran through the cafeteria asking everyone if they had seen him, ran upstairs and asked the students up there, no one had seen him. Our friend checked the elevators, nothing.
My heart was really starting to race, when a girl walked by a big bay of lockers and heard crying coming from one of them. She helped Ethan out of the locker and brought him to us!
Oh.My. The little stink had climbed into a small locker and closed the door behind him and then couldn't get out!
We fully expected to exit the game room and see Ethan messing around in the hallway, but the hallway was completely EMPTY! Clark immediately went one way and I went the other looking for Ethan. My first reaction was that he went outside and got locked out of the building. I ran outside, yelled his name and no Ethan. When I got back inside I saw Clark empty handed and started to panic a little! Right then a friend from church came by, he said, "how's it going?" I replied with, "good, but can you watch my stroller for a minute (Caden was in it), I need to run up these stairs, I LOST Ethan!" His face was so funny as it registered that yes, I had LOST my son!
I ran through the cafeteria asking everyone if they had seen him, ran upstairs and asked the students up there, no one had seen him. Our friend checked the elevators, nothing.
My heart was really starting to race, when a girl walked by a big bay of lockers and heard crying coming from one of them. She helped Ethan out of the locker and brought him to us!
Oh.My. The little stink had climbed into a small locker and closed the door behind him and then couldn't get out!
What a horrible feeling. Tonight when Ethan was saying his bedtime prayers he thanked Heavenly Father for helping him so he didn't have to sleep all night in a locker.
February 21, 2011
Bargain Shopping Queen
So my mom is good at many things, she's great at many things too, but she is absolutely a PRO when it comes to bargain shopping! I think it is a trait that she taught well to all of her children. I love finding a good deal, but today I hit the jackpot!
Today Clark was able to score 2 tickets to the previously sold out Gala...aren't I the spoiled wife, a Substitution Gala and the real Gala, how do I rate?
Today I also found a coupon for $10 off any purchase that was at least $10 at JCPenney's, so I thought I would just go browse the winter formal clearance section to see if there were any good deals. Well, I found this little blackberry colored number on sale for $9.97! So the kind lady who sold it to me entered it in as $10 so I could use my coupon...I ended up paying $0.00! I almost felt guilty like a thief or something, on the bottom of my receipt she circled the part that said, "You saved $90." I got 100% off of a $90 dress...seriously, how can you beat that?
Today Clark was able to score 2 tickets to the previously sold out Gala...aren't I the spoiled wife, a Substitution Gala and the real Gala, how do I rate?
Today I also found a coupon for $10 off any purchase that was at least $10 at JCPenney's, so I thought I would just go browse the winter formal clearance section to see if there were any good deals. Well, I found this little blackberry colored number on sale for $9.97! So the kind lady who sold it to me entered it in as $10 so I could use my coupon...I ended up paying $0.00! I almost felt guilty like a thief or something, on the bottom of my receipt she circled the part that said, "You saved $90." I got 100% off of a $90 dress...seriously, how can you beat that?
My Free Dress, that I love even more because it was FREE!
Since it is a different color I thought I would browse the clearance shoe rack at Younker's just to see if there was anything good that might match. Well, it was my lucky day I found these little puppies on a yellow dot sale, so I saved an additional 80% off the clearance, so I got my regularly $39 shoes, for $6.15 (and that included tax).
Grand Total: $6.15 for a brand new Gala outfit. Man, finding a good deal can be thrilling, I feel a bit like a rock star right now!
February 20, 2011
Little Moments
Just weeks after Ethan was born I sat on my couch listening to General Conference and Elder Ballard's talk, Daughters of God, really stuck out to me. talk found here!
There is one part in particular that I find myself remembering and thinking about all of the time:
What can you do, as a young mother, to reduce the pressure and enjoy your family more?
First, recognize that the joy of motherhood comes in moments. There will be hard times and frustrating times. But amid the challenges, there are shining moments of joy and satisfaction.
Author Anna Quindlen reminds us not to rush past the fleeting moments. She said: “The biggest mistake I made [as a parent] is the one that most of us make. … I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of [my three children] sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages six, four, and one. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less” (Loud and Clear [2004], 10–11).
This advice is so wise!
Yesterday, I found myself thinking about Elder Ballard's talk as we took a walk to the park. I wanted to really live in that moment and remember every detail.
It was a spontaneous decision, we went instead of putting the boys down for a nap. Caden was in the jogging stroller and Ethan was riding his trike (it has a handle for the parent to push). It was about 1 mile to the park, Ethan pedalled furiously along for about the first half, and then he was ready to walk. But Ethan never walks, he runs! And of course he didn't walk in a straight line on the sidewalk, he was like a little ball of energy moving in every direction. I loved watching him inspect every stick, rock, and dog that we came across. I loved how I noticed so many things that I wouldn't have if I hadn't been with him. I laughed when he about walked into a brick wall because he was inspecting the ground, or how he got such a kick out of a leaf stuck to his coat. I felt like I had a goofy smile on my face the whole way there, instead of worrying about hurrying him along, I loved watching him be a curious, energetic little boy.
I smiled again when we got to the swings. Caden had a deep voiced little giggle each time I pushed the swing. A few minutes later the whole family was swinging together, Ethan was on my lap, Brown Dog was on his lap, and Clark and Caden were on the swing next to us. I loved when Ethan leaned his head back against my shoulder to look at the sky.
When it was time for the mile walk home, our napless 2 year old was done. There were a few fits, there was some purposeful bad steering of the tricycle just to frustrate the parents, there were tears. We ended up with both Caden and Ethan in the single jogging stroller with Clark pulling the trike behind him. What would normally have been a stressful or frustrating mile wasn't to me, I was more amused than anything at a 2 year old's stubborness. Everyone arrived home smiling.
Last night Clark and I finally got to bed at 1 AM exhausted after cleaning our apartment so the landlord could do his inspection today. As soon as we got to bed Caden woke up, so I put him in our bed for a little while to get him back to sleep. He was totally asleep so I tried to move him back to his pack n' play. As soon as I laid him down he started crying, this went on a few more times. Finally, just wanting to sleep, I tucked him into our bed next to me. He immediately climbed on top of me until I was holding him and then went right back to sleep. Even though it kept me up a bit longer I just loved feeling his fuzzy little head on my neck and hearing him snore and was just so grateful for my sweet little baby.
Those are two little moments of my day when I was full of gratitude for my sweet boys, and just completely content to be with them. Both times I found myself wanting to remember every detail of what was happening and how I was feeling. I discovered when I focused on just being there in that moment the frustration was replaced with tenderness.
I'm not saying this happens to me all of the time, I only wish I was a Pollyanna! Daily I struggle to have enough patience and to not get frustrated at the little things. But I owe it to my boys and to myself to make an effort "to treasure the doing a little more, and the getting it done a little less."
There is one part in particular that I find myself remembering and thinking about all of the time:
What can you do, as a young mother, to reduce the pressure and enjoy your family more?
First, recognize that the joy of motherhood comes in moments. There will be hard times and frustrating times. But amid the challenges, there are shining moments of joy and satisfaction.
Author Anna Quindlen reminds us not to rush past the fleeting moments. She said: “The biggest mistake I made [as a parent] is the one that most of us make. … I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of [my three children] sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages six, four, and one. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less” (Loud and Clear [2004], 10–11).
This advice is so wise!
Yesterday, I found myself thinking about Elder Ballard's talk as we took a walk to the park. I wanted to really live in that moment and remember every detail.
It was a spontaneous decision, we went instead of putting the boys down for a nap. Caden was in the jogging stroller and Ethan was riding his trike (it has a handle for the parent to push). It was about 1 mile to the park, Ethan pedalled furiously along for about the first half, and then he was ready to walk. But Ethan never walks, he runs! And of course he didn't walk in a straight line on the sidewalk, he was like a little ball of energy moving in every direction. I loved watching him inspect every stick, rock, and dog that we came across. I loved how I noticed so many things that I wouldn't have if I hadn't been with him. I laughed when he about walked into a brick wall because he was inspecting the ground, or how he got such a kick out of a leaf stuck to his coat. I felt like I had a goofy smile on my face the whole way there, instead of worrying about hurrying him along, I loved watching him be a curious, energetic little boy.
I smiled again when we got to the swings. Caden had a deep voiced little giggle each time I pushed the swing. A few minutes later the whole family was swinging together, Ethan was on my lap, Brown Dog was on his lap, and Clark and Caden were on the swing next to us. I loved when Ethan leaned his head back against my shoulder to look at the sky.
When it was time for the mile walk home, our napless 2 year old was done. There were a few fits, there was some purposeful bad steering of the tricycle just to frustrate the parents, there were tears. We ended up with both Caden and Ethan in the single jogging stroller with Clark pulling the trike behind him. What would normally have been a stressful or frustrating mile wasn't to me, I was more amused than anything at a 2 year old's stubborness. Everyone arrived home smiling.
Last night Clark and I finally got to bed at 1 AM exhausted after cleaning our apartment so the landlord could do his inspection today. As soon as we got to bed Caden woke up, so I put him in our bed for a little while to get him back to sleep. He was totally asleep so I tried to move him back to his pack n' play. As soon as I laid him down he started crying, this went on a few more times. Finally, just wanting to sleep, I tucked him into our bed next to me. He immediately climbed on top of me until I was holding him and then went right back to sleep. Even though it kept me up a bit longer I just loved feeling his fuzzy little head on my neck and hearing him snore and was just so grateful for my sweet little baby.
Those are two little moments of my day when I was full of gratitude for my sweet boys, and just completely content to be with them. Both times I found myself wanting to remember every detail of what was happening and how I was feeling. I discovered when I focused on just being there in that moment the frustration was replaced with tenderness.
I'm not saying this happens to me all of the time, I only wish I was a Pollyanna! Daily I struggle to have enough patience and to not get frustrated at the little things. But I owe it to my boys and to myself to make an effort "to treasure the doing a little more, and the getting it done a little less."
Popcorn Cupcakes
Tonight during dinner I told Ethan that after dinner we could make some popcorn and play his new Candyland game. He told me he'd rather make cupcakes. I told him no, we are having popcorn. Then he got really excited and yelled, "how about popcorn cupcakes!" I thought it was genius!
Who would have thought that serving popcorn in a muffin tin could be such fun?!
Mr. Noodle
So the other day after Clark had shaved Ethan asked, "Dad, did you shave off your noodles?" It cracked me up and grossed me out all at the same time that Ethan thought his Dad's beard was made of noodles. I bet it makes you think twice next time you eat spaghetti!
On Thurs. I went to a fun Girl's Night Out and came home to this:
Even after a long day Clark was willing to take on Caden, our little non-sleeper who is quite attached to his momma, so I could go have a good time. I'm lucky to have my Mr. Noodle!
February 14, 2011
Substitution Gala
For the past 2 years Clark and I have gone to the DMU Gala with our friends. It has been such a fun date to look forward to each year. This year the school decided they couldn't afford to host such an extravagant party, so the venue changed, limiting the number of tickets.
In January when Clark went to buy tickets he found out they were sold out!!! I was so sad...but Clark planned a surprise substitution gala for us last Saturday night, and it was so much fun!
Instead of wearing our fancy clothes each couple had to dress alike. Clark and I wore our matchy Pilsbury doughboy jammy pants.
We met at our friends house and Clark presented me with my Valentine gift (which also happened to be our activity for the night). He got me Just Dance 2 for the Wii! We had the BEST dance party! It was so much fun! I honestly have to say that our friends danced a lot more playing the Wii game than they would have at the Gala.
In January when Clark went to buy tickets he found out they were sold out!!! I was so sad...but Clark planned a surprise substitution gala for us last Saturday night, and it was so much fun!
Instead of wearing our fancy clothes each couple had to dress alike. Clark and I wore our matchy Pilsbury doughboy jammy pants.
We met at our friends house and Clark presented me with my Valentine gift (which also happened to be our activity for the night). He got me Just Dance 2 for the Wii! We had the BEST dance party! It was so much fun! I honestly have to say that our friends danced a lot more playing the Wii game than they would have at the Gala.
It was such a fun date night! As we were driving home Clark reminded me of another fun date we had with very similar circumstances before we were married. Clark asked me to BYU's Homecoming. On a Sunday morning when I looked out my window I saw my invitation to the dance in our apartment complex parking lot.
Clark had cut out every letter by hand! (In Romanian too)
I honestly can't remember how I answered him, but it was something creative I'm sure. Anyway, a few days before the dance Clark went to buy tickets and all of the dances were completely sold out! He felt so bad, but I didn't mind. We went to Salt Lake and had dinner at Benihana's, then we came back to my apartment and had our own dance party! We had so much fun until the neighbors from below came and asked us politely to quiet down (apparently, when I busted out my tap shoes it was just too much)!
Clark is the best! I loved my surprise Substitution Gala! Clark has rhythm, he can shake his groove thang with the best of them!
February 11, 2011
Boys will be Brothers
If little boys are cute in overalls...
(even overalls that are a size too small)
And if little boys look cute when they are playing together so brotherly...
Then this morning I guess these little boys are cute, cute!
And a little video of some more brotherly love. Now I should defend myself before you watch this video, I promise I'm normally not such a heartless mom...I promise this is not Ethan's real cry, he had been having such a day of fits that it began to be comical to me. That's why I pulled out the video camera.
HEARTBEATS
For some reason Ethan calls all hearts "heartbeats." We've had a lot of fun with all of the heartbeats this Valentine's season.
Maddy (who Ethan refers to as the little princess) and Krew came over and we had lots of fun with Kool-Aid play dough.
Then we made more heartbeats out of Jell-o jigglers.
Such a fun day!
And on the topic of Valentine's Day. I think that this picture should be on the front of a Hallmark card.
Ethan looks like he's professing his love to cute Shannon at the beautiful Botanical Center.
February 8, 2011
I Am Brown Dog
When Ethan was six months old he started sleeping with Brown Dog, he's only been away from him one night since then. Brown Dog is definitely his comfort object.
Ethan and Brown Dog (back in his fluffier days)
I've been trying to get Caden to have a comfort object. We've tried a blue dog, a red giraffe, different blankies...but I've come to the realization that I am his comfort object, I am Caden's Brown Dog.
This has caused a few issues when it comes to sleeping. Caden is sleeping in a pack n play at the foot of our bed. He has been waking up several times in the night and wants to be in our bed. So pretty much all 3 of us are a little sleep deprived. Last week I pulled out my copy of Baby 411 and started studying the chapter on sleep. I laughed when I read the list of 10 Common Mistakes Parents make when establishing an infant's sleep routine, because we were regularly doing 7 of the mistakes. Clark and I decided we were going to start "Ferberizing" Caden (it worked great for Ethan). It was awful. The first night he cried 2 hours! I had to put on headphones and watch a movie...I hated it! But it was amazing the rest of the week he started sleeping at least 7 hour stretches at night. He also was able to self soothe back to sleep when he woke up. We were feeling great! It's amazing how different you feel when you sleep at night.
Then Saturday night Caden had a stomach ache, the only way he would sleep was for me to hold him on the couch all night long.
Now he is teething, his two top teeth are just starting to cut through and he has been miserable. Not only would he not sleep in his bed, he wouldn't sleep in our bed unless I was holding him. Not my best night ever! I feel like the great progress we made earlier in the week has all been thrown away.
So although there are perks to being a comfort object (I LOVE snuggling with this little cutie), I've learned that Brown Dog has a pretty tough job, he has earned my respect, maybe today when I wash him I'll use the gentle cycle.
February 7, 2011
Just Earning His Ice Cream...Part 2
So if you read my last post you saw that Ethan earned an ice cream cone for using the potty. Well apparently Caden felt a little left out!
On Saturday during dinner Ethan announced that he needed to use the potty. So we all ran upstairs for the event. After a few minutes it was clear that this was going to take a while so I decided to give Caden his bath, since we were all just hanging out in the bathroom anyway.
As I was lifting Caden into the tub Ethan yelled, "Caden is pooping too." I didn't really think anything of it until I was shocked to see some foreign objects floating around the tub. I quickly plucked Caden out of the tub, and in a panic I pulled Ethan off the potty and replaced him with Caden. Poor little Caden sat shivering and screaming on the potty, but he used the potty just like a big boy (such an over achiever)!
Ethan was pretty amazed at Caden's success. While I was comforting Caden and drying him off, Clark started cleaning out the tub, and Ethan danced around naked stuffing toilet paper into the toilet. By the time I came back into the bathroom Clark had the plunger out, and Ethan was still running around loving the fiasco. The whole situation was hilarious to me...I guess we need to take Caden out for his ice cream cone now.
I did learn my less though, muti-tasking during potty training is probably not the best idea. Anyone out there have any tips for me?
February 2, 2011
A Blizzard in a Blizzard?
Tonight when we pulled into the Dairy Queen parking lot Ethan commented that there were no cars, apparently no one likes a Blizzard when there is a real blizzard swirling around them.
But we braved the frigid elements, because today Ethan earned an ice cream cone! He was promised a few months ago that when he used the potty successfully for the first time he would get an ice cream cone! And in his own words, "I DID IT!" Of course he had to pick a day when it was below 0 with the wind chill, but we will take it!
But we braved the frigid elements, because today Ethan earned an ice cream cone! He was promised a few months ago that when he used the potty successfully for the first time he would get an ice cream cone! And in his own words, "I DID IT!" Of course he had to pick a day when it was below 0 with the wind chill, but we will take it!
A very proud boy enjoying his ice cream!
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