Seven(ish) Months

This isn't a great picture of Kyla (she wasn't in the mood for more pics), but Allie got this doll for Christmas from her grandma, and the cheeks and chin reminded me so much of Ky Ky. We call the baby Ky Ky. Original, huh?

So, Kyla's seven month photos came a bit late this month, seeing as how she will be 8 months old in 10 days. It's getting increasingly difficult to take her picture next to Bexley, but I keep trying.

She hasn't been quite the happy girl we have come to know and love lately. She had her first ear infection earlier this week and was pretty miserable. She also has grown very attached to me, and prefers me over anyone else. Part of me loves that. She beams when I walk into a room, providing me with an immediate self-confidence boost. She'll stop nursing, looking at me until I return her gaze, and reward me with a smile that seems to say "thanks for making my life so great," then quickly return to her meal. I love that.

I don't particularly care for the clinginess, though. That's hard. She will tolerate Jeff as long as she doesn't realize I am around (she will basically tolerate anyone if I am out of sight), but if she sees me, she wants me. Last night, Jeff was sitting on the couch with the kids, and I thought it might be nice to have a picture that he is in, so I grabbed the camera. While Damon and Allie were being goofy, Kyla gave me the "I-want-to-have-you-now" face she has developed, and burst into tears.

She has learned how to wave and how to clap (although she won't do either consistently), and crawled several feet across the living room floor toward the kitchen (trying to get to me). She pants like a dog when she sees something she wants (more endearing than it sounds), and gets bitterly disappointed when she isn't given things like peanut butter sandwiches and bean burritos. Her one big accomplishment this month has been learning to go from all fours to sitting up. It's been fun to watch the progression. She starts by getting on all fours, pushing up onto her toes, and leaning to the side...

She then completes the move by adjusting her weight, sitting up, and feeling very proud of herself.

Allie continues to be our most challenging child. She claims she is scared of everything, but only at convenient times, like when she has to go to timeout or bed. Most recently, she woke up with nightmares about a caterpillar. I tried to play it off, telling her that if caterpillars come we can watch them become butterflies. That only made her more upset. Now we are banning all caterpillars from the house (along with spiders, snakes and ants, which she was already scared of), and eliminating butterflies for good measure. She is trying to set a new record for whining, as it is her most frequent activity.

She does have her moments of occasional likeability, though, and I don't want to only remember the negative. She loves to sing into her play microphone, and really gets into her performance. She also is a big helper (when she wants to be), and I found her on the counter the other day, knife in hand, waiting for her toast to pop out of the toaster. If only I had wanted toast, it would've been a great story. She hates men with facial hair, but loves Santa, and is already talking about what she's going to ask for for Christmas next year. I do love that girl, but she will be the cause of my gray hair and wrinkles, I can already tell.

Damon is doing really well, except for the momentary lapses of judgment he encounters, which explains throwing mud at the neighbor's car for no reason at all. He is getting back into the routine of school and doing better on the bus. I have noticed that, for the first time, he has started to care about what other kids think of him. He has one zip-up fleece that he bulges a little at the top when it is zipped all the way up (and with Damon it is ALWAYS zipped all the way up), and some kids told him he looked like he had a baby in there. He no longer wants to wear it. I feel for him, and all the peer pressure he is just beginning to feel. I am enjoying the way he will still hug me when he sees me at his school or kiss me good-bye before getting on the bus. In some ways, I see him as such a big kid, and I expect a lot out of him. But at the same time, I still see my little boy in his eyes, and it kills me to think of anyone hurting him.

Family goals for 2008 are as follows:

• Read the Book of Mormon as a family by the end of the year. Damon is now reading with us, and Allie is looking at pictures in the front of her book. This is a big challenge for us (we have to read a lot more slowly with the kids), but we are going to do our best.
• Family prayer and scriptures every day (including Saturday).
• Individual night out for Damon/Allie every month (date night)

Personal goals for me:

• Get all caught up with scrapbooking by May 24, 2008 (Ky Ky's b-day). I got a digital scrapbooking program for Christmas and I am excited to get going.
• Visiting teaching. I have been terrible. I am going to do better.
• The usual scripture reading/exercising goal of 5 times a week.
• Read the Relief Society lesson every week (should be great, because it's Joseph Smith's teachings!).
• Do something new that I've never done before. Vague, I know. I have thought about what I want it to be, but haven't come up with anything yet. Any suggestions?

Alright, now that I have assuaged my guilt for not keeping better updated, I must get back to my book (The Thirteenth Tale). It's getting so good...

Is 2007 over?

I know we may be getting too far into January to still be thinking about 2007, but I wanted to do something to sum up the year (mostly so I could look back on it later). I found this on Cassie's blog and thought it was perfect. Thanks Cassie.



1. What did you do in 2007 that you’d never done before? Went on a cruise, saw a friend get sealed to her son and daughter in the temple, sent a child to kindergarten,



2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I did a fair job on my resolutions from last year. I met my temple goal, only did so-so on my scripture reading, did a pretty good job reading to/with the kids, and did manage to get all the pregnancy weight off. I am definitely going to be setting some new goals for this year and recommitting myself to some of the old ones.



3. Did anyone close to you give birth? I did. Heather did. Noel did. Great year for babies.



4. Did anyone close to you die? No, thankfully.



5. What countries did you visit? The Bahamas. Our next trip is going to be to the Dominican Republic (so Jeff says), but who knows when that will be.



6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007? An income. Wow, that would be nice.



7. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? May 24th--KyKy's birthday. I can still recall so many things from the day she was born (and I have even more written down). The second night in the hospital I didn't get more than a few minutes of rest, and I thought I had just given birth to the world's worst baby. It must have been a test, and I must have passed, because she never did it again, and has been a little angel ever since.



8. What was your biggest personal achievement of the year? I think I am a better wife and mother than I was a year ago. I hope to be able to say the same next year.



9. What was your biggest failure? I stopped doing some of the things I loved after Kyla was born, and now she is 7 months old and I haven't started up again (writing comes to mind).



10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Nothing major, fortunately. I did have a nagging pain in my right leg while I was pregnant, which I think originally occurred when I slipped on the floor, causing me to not be able to do a lot of things I wanted to do.



11. What was the best thing you bought? Our HD TV. Close second, the Wii.



12. Whose behavior merited celebration? My sister, Heather, who got sealed to her husband in March; my brother, Eric, who is serving a mission in San Diego; all three of my kids for various things (Damon learning to read--still in the process--, Allie being potty-trained--also in the process--, Kyla for every stinking thing she does, etc) .



13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Two of my three kids, for various things (Damon crying about not being able to do things, Allie wetting her pants, etc).



14. Where did most of your money go? JU Orthodontics for tuition. And on milk.



15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? My family coming to visit during March Madness. What could possibly be better than watching hours and hours of basketball with those I love the most?



16. What song will always remind you of 2007? "Before He Cheats" by Carrie Underwood. Allie fell in love with this song shortly after I did. It was definitely the most listened to song of the year. Also, the soundtrack of "Wicked." We listened to that many, many times on the drive to Damon's preschool and back.



17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? 
b) thinner or fatter? 
c) richer or poorer? a) happier. And also less anxious. Adding a third child to the family has been wonderful. b) thinner, thanks to the fact that I am no longer pregnant, and the weight came off a lot easier this time. c) poorer. The debt total keeps growing...



19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Making the "mad face" (sticking my jaw out and biting on my lower teeth), getting frustrated with my kids, and worrying about things that really don't matter.



20. Did you fall in love in 2007? Yes, with my baby girl. I still cannot get enough of her. I have enjoyed (nearly) every moment with her and I am so sad to see her growing up so fast.



21. What was your favorite TV program? My new fav for the year was So You Think You Can Dance. It was the first year I really watched it, and I loved it. Close second: Pushing Daisies.



22. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? No one comes to mind.



23. What was the best book you read? Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (the last 200 pages or so were fantastic!).



24. What was your greatest musical discovery? That I can still play the piano. Also, spiralfrog.com has free music downloads.



26. What did you want and not get? A new set of pots and pans--the ones I want from Costco are $400 (just a tad out of our price range).



27. What was your favorite film of this year? Do they still show movies in the theater? I wouldn't know. But as for dvds I watched...I really liked Pursuit of Happyness (that was the first one that came to mind, so I guess it was the most memorable).



28. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 28 in 2007, and celebrated by buying smaller jeans for myself while Jeff played with the kids at the playground in the mall. Can't beat that.



29. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? If Allie hadn't had one potty-training accident. Oh, and if the Buckeyes had been able to win just one of the three championship games they were in.



30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007? Lots of ponytails and visors (to hide the new hair growth I have going on); cleaning out the closet and throwing away some things I have had for nearly 10 years, hoping that I don't look too outdated.



31. What kept you sane? Blogging, book club, exercising and an incredible husband who encourages me to get away from the kiddies.

32. When you think about 2007, what sticks out in your mind? Beach trips, morning walks, turtles (and snakes) in the road, Sea World, and spending time with Greg and Noel.



33. Best moment of 2007? When my family came to visit in March, we took a trip to the Orlando temple. My mom, dad, Heather, Samuel, Tara, Wayne, Eric, Jeff and I got to do a session together and there was only one other person in the session with us. It was almost like we had the temple to ourselves. It was like a mini-preview of heaven. Later that night, Eric opened his mission call in the hotel room. Definitely the best day of the year.

Holiday Checklist

What a vacation. I love Christmas. I hate flying across the country to spend it with my family (I hate the flying, not the family). Here is a rundown of some of the things we did this Christmas:

• Manage to get sick in Utah: CHECK. Damon only gets sick when we are away from home. He has been to instacare many times (ear infections, scarlet fever, etc.). My pediatrician gave me chewable ammoxacillan so we could avoid another round of instacare charges. This year he got the flu. And threw up on my MIL's couch. The one no one ever sits on. He then passed it on to me a few days later. I threw up out the window of my mom's van. On the freeway. Going 80. Love the holidays.


• Get the kids what they really want for Christmas: NOT SO MUCH. Because Damon asked for a tool workshop and Allie asked for a kitchen, Santa didn't see any way those items would fit on the airplane. Instead, Damon got a pirate ship and Allie got a LeapFrog bank. They still seemed pretty happy.


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• Go see Santa: CHECK. We saw him on Christmas Eve, and he must have been completely done with the holidays. He never smiled once, and didn't even pretend to enjoy Kyla sucking on his (fake) beard. I love how Allie is posing in this picture.


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• Enjoy spending time with both families: CHECK. Seeing our families really makes going home worth it. Although this year Allie developed a strong aversion to my brother, Jonny, and never could get over it. She couldn't stand to be in the same room with him, even after he shaved off his facial hair. She also has been asking to only listen to songs by women, and admitted that she is also afraid of Joe from Blue's Clues. Interesting character, that girl...


• Manage to break the camera that was so recently found: CHECK. Just after seeing Santa, Damon was trying to look at the pictures and I was trying to move him away from the stranger's stroller he was standing on, and the camera got dropped with the lens open. It never recovered. What a sad day for me.


• Be the center of a family drama: CHECK. When my uncle heard about our camera accident, he decided to do something amazingly nice for us and anonymously donate $300 so that we could buy a new camera. The money mysteriously disappeared during dinner (long before we knew about it), but the bow that was on top of it was found outside by the trampoline. There were 40 people in the house for dinner (including a few juvenile delinquints from my dad's work), but I don't think anyone took it maliciously. My dad gave us his old Kodak EasyShare so we wouldn't be completely without a camera, but I still didn't feel like taking many pictures after that.


• Get way too much candy: CHECK. You can see that Allie would've been happy if all she got was a huge candy bar, but we all came home with enough candy to fill a small suitcase. We'll see how long Jeff lets it stay in the house before the dentist in him prompts him to throw it all out.


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• Teach Kyla some new tricks: CHECK. She loved the Jumperoo, and I loved looking at her pig legs while she was in it. She also attempted to clap, crawl and eat Skittles.
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• Allow Damon and Allie some quality bonding time by letting them share a bed: CHECK. They are both such snugglers and I didn't hear a word of complaint from either of them. The second picture is my favorite--you can see that Allie has one hand behind Damon and the other on his chest. So sweet!
• 
• Get everything I asked for for Christmas: YET TO BE DETERMINED. Ask me tomorrow...and GO BUCKEYES!!

Camera Happy

Having gone the weekend thinking the camera was lost, today I felt a certain attachment to it, bringing it along on our morning adventures. I had been wanting to take the kids to the Gingerbread Extravaganza downtown, and was unable to convince anyone else to go with us. So, I bundled the kids up (it's not THAT cold, but 54 degrees today compared to the 85 heat wave we were experiencing Saturday makes it seem a lot colder) and we headed off.

The "extravaganza" was a lot of fun, and all the money goes to charity, so it was for a good cause. We all picked our favorite gingerbread house, and here are a few of them. Damon chose the sandcastle (not sure what that face is all about), Allie chose the one she was closest too (she wouldn't look at the camera--too much going on) and I picked the 3 little pigs one. Really, it was so clever. The other pictures are from Damon's class party I went to last week (with my 40 sugar cookies). It was pajama day and the entire day was a party. Ah to be a kindergartner again...

After the gingerbread event, we went to Kids Kampus and played.

Damon loves to "zip to zip from tree to tree" (if you can name what that is from, you must have kids).

Kyla enjoyed sitting at the top of the slide, pretending she was a big girl. I helped her go down. She wasn't sure she liked it, so I had her go down again to be sure. She didn't like it, but merely tolerated it.

Probably my favorite picture of the day. Allie is doing her weird "bunny smile," but I still think it's cute.

We're heading to Utah for Christmas tomorrow. Merry Christmas! Hope you all have a great one!

A dose of honesty

It's not that hard to be honest. Is it? The majority of people are honest, aren't they? Lately, I'm not so sure. A couple years ago, we found a rash of charges on our credit card for things we didn't purchase (most notably, a payment to a doctor in India), and were forced to question when and where our card number got stolen. Noel had her debit card number stolen by a coworker at the GAP, and the girl continued to work with her as though nothing had happened while using the stolen number. Several of you, my blogger friends, have written about things that have been stolen from your cars, your homes, and even off your porches. It seems like our society in general has become decidedly less honest than in years past. Remember the two clips of President Clinton played back to back: "I did not have sexual relations with that woman." "I did indeed have an inappropriate physical relationship with Miss Lewinsky." Dishonesty reaches the highest office in America.

What ever happened to the days of doing the right thing simply because it's the right thing? I remember, as a kid, losing my wallet at a toy store in Las Vegas. It was a big deal, because I had over $20 inside! We were all pleasantly surprised when it turned up at the customer service desk, with nothing stolen. My faith in mankind was restored.

Today, though, the newspaper is filled with stories of dishonesty. The big story in sports right now comes from accusations of trainers, telling of steriod use by Major League Baseball players. Of course, the players deny that they ever took anything knowingly, although they would be hard pressed to find many who are willing to believe that they are telling the truth. Wouldn't they all be better off just to come out and admit that they did something wrong and to ask for forgiveness, instead of denying something that they are, clearly, guilty of?

These are the things that have been weighing in my mind lately, as my faith in society has dwindled. Then I lost our camera. I had it at Damon's school on Friday as I joined his class in the Dare to Read walk, but when I got home, I couldn't find it. Hoping I had only misplaced it, I searched the stroller, the van, and every possible place I could've put it here at home. Nothing. I came to the conclusion that it must have fallen out of the stroller at the school, and all I could do was hope that someone found it and brought it in to the office. My hopes weren't very high, as my attitude had turned cynical as of late, as I called the office this morning. Maybe it's the Christmas spirit in the air, maybe there are one or two honest people left in the world, or maybe I have underestimated mankind.

The camera was there! I don't have to face any more "if you lost the camera, we won't be able to afford one for a long time" guilt trips. I can stop telling Damon that sometimes our prayers aren't answered, and tell him that (YAY!) sometimes they are. Merry Christmas to me. Our week is off to a great start. Honestly.

Acting

I should've made a career out of acting. I have all kinds of experience.

When we were kids, my sister and I played zits in our ward's roadshow production (we were from Zittsburgh). I only remember one thing from that play, and it was the line, "Do you have her brush?" We thought it was hilarious. I wish I knew why.

Some time after that, a group of girls from the neighborhood got together and entered the stake talent show with a coreographed number from "The Little Mermaid." Maybe because I was the oldest, or because I knew all the words to "Kiss the Girl," but somehow I was chosen to be the one lip syncing to the song, a tutu on my waist and a large feather sticking out of my ponytail (the song may not have been that great, but our costume design was phenomonal). I about had a panic attack on stage, but hid it well.

Spurred on by our talent show succes, my sister and I (along with a good friend) made countless music videos to the music of Wilson Philips when I was about 12 or 13 years old. We used the grandfather of video cameras (the one that was so large and bulky you had no choice but to rest it on your shoulder), and shot in a number of different locations (every room in the house, the trampoline, and even on the roof). I have the video evidence to prove it, although there's not much chance of me posting it, as it would probably change the way you looked at me forever.

Junior high brought new opportunities. I took a drama class in eighth grade (okay, it was actually mandatory), and can still remember some of my lines from a scene we did from "Arsenic and Old Lace." It wasn't until our second date that you told my I have nice legs. And I have, too. Really, it was the kind of stuff that should be featured on a "Before They Were Stars" segment on E! I knew I was fantastic (how could I NOT have been?), but unfortunately, playing sports kept me from pursuing acting any further.

A few years later, when I finally became comfortable enough with myself to admit that I wasn't good at everything, I happened upon the conclusion that I was never going to be an actress. Not only that, nothing about acting appealed to me at all; I hate being the center of attention, I am not very emotional, and would much rather spend my time shooting hoops or hitting a softball than sitting around rehearsing. Sadly, we never made another music video, and besides the occasional "family play" (in which we mostly make fun of my mom), my acting career came to an end.

That is, until our family got roped into playing a small part in a play performed at our Relief Society's Elegant Dinner last night. It can hardly be called acting because we didn't actually speak any of the lines, but merely acted out what was being read. Jeff, who is far less experienced in the world of acting than I am, had to pretend to be excited when I announced that I was having a baby (you may recall that I felt like he wasn't very excited when his actual child was born). The baby was born, grew up and became Damon, who had to rush into his daddy's arms as he came home from work.

Being the self-aware person that I am, I knew that my acting wasn't going to inspire any of the ladies watching the production, but instead hoped that they would just feel the spirit of the evening and not be too critical of our less than stellar performance. I was surprised and impressed with how much Damon seemed to enjoy it, and he got many compliments. As for Jeff and me, I don't think there will be much more acting in our futures. Besides the encore we will give tomorrow night at the ward Christmas party.

If only I could convince him to make a music video with me...

Nothing Much

Our camera is recovering from a recent bout with condensation, and I haven't taken many pictures lately, so when I was thinking about what I wanted to post, I didn't have many visuals to inspire me. Instead, you get this.

Damon and Allie have been banned from the tub until after Christmas. You may recall the "Single Mom Sunday Incident" when they filled the tub to overflowing. They were actually grounded from the tub even then, but since they have been unable to keep the water where it belongs, they are only allowed to take showers. They have gotten very good at it, and I only have to stick my head in for a minute to wash hair and soap bodies and they can take care of the rest.

Kyla, my sweet untainted one, is still allowed to take baths. Although, she doesn't mind the occasional shower. The other night just so happened to be both a shower and bath night for the kids, and I asked them to pose next to the tub. Damon's plan for the shot was to have everyone open their towels, exposing their "goods," and to make silly faces. I chose a more conservative pose.

"Who's ready to get up?" Look closely, and you can see Kyla raising her hand in the affirmative.

And for any of you who are interested in what Kyla is doing now, you can watch this clip. It's not very exciting and I won't be mad if you skip it (I won't know anyway). She has developed a touch of stranger anxiety and prefers me to anyone else (I don't mind that at all). She kicks her legs when she thinks I'm going to pick her up, which you can see here. She also can move herself around fairly well, when she's not lying on three inches of memory foam, although she can only go backwards or in circles.

Christmas Music

Maybe it's the 70 degree weather we are having, but for some reason, it doesn't really seem like Christmas yet. We aren't putting up decorations because we are heading to Utah soon and having Christmas there. And while we're singing Christmas songs at choir, I just haven't been listening to much Christmas music.

That changed today as I was sitting in the van, waiting outside Damon's school. He has been getting off the bus really upset by the increased rowdiness of kids on the bus in the afternoon and begged me not to make him ride it anymore. Even the ear plugs I gave him to put in his ears didn't seem to help and yesterday the bus driver told me he was crying because it was just too loud. I made a deal with him that if he'll ride the bus in the morning, I will pick him up until Christmas break. He was willing to go for it, and for the first time in months, I sat in the long line of cars, waiting to pick him up.

Allie didn't take a nap today, and I was hoping she might fall asleep while we waited, so she doesn't turn into Monster Allie later this evening. The radio wasn't doing anything to lure her into sleep, and so I slipped in a Christmas cd my sister made for us last year. We were enjoying "Little Drummer Boy" by Ashlee and Jessica Simpson when I started wondering why it has taken me so long to get the music out. I started browsing through the songs, trying to remember what else was on the cd, when I heard the familiar opening of a song that instantly transported me to another time.

Four years ago this month, I was nearly five months pregnant with our second baby when my water broke. I think I knew instantly what had happened, even though I hadn't experienced it with Damon. After consulting with a nurse, we decided to drive to the hospital to find out for sure what was happening. The hospital was 30 minutes away and we listened to a Martina McBride Christmas cd on the way there.

Once we checked in, my fear was confirmed that, in fact, my water had broken, and, while still alive, at 20 weeks, there was no way our baby was going to survive outside the womb. The next week was incredibly emotional, as I tried to connect to this unborn child, saying good-bye. On December 11th, I went into labor and our son, Chance, was born, stillborn. This was a life-changing experience for all of us , but it wasn't until we were driving home from the hospital that I gained an incredible amount of perspective. The same Martina McBride cd was in the car, and we listened again to the song "Do You Hear What I Hear." At the end of the song are the words:

"A child, a child, sleeping in the night

He will bring us goodness and light

he will bring us goodness and light."

It was a powerful moment, contrasting the sadness I felt about losing my little boy with the great joy I felt celebrating the birth of another boy, our Savior. Christmas was extra special that year, as I felt closer to Christ than I ever had before, knowing that because of Him, I would get to see my son again, and have him a part of our family forever.

Four years have passed, two other children have come to our family, and I find that I am rarely sad when I think about Chance, "our angel" as we like to call him. The gospel has stitched up the wounded place in my heart, and life has once again been filled with happiness.

So today, as "Do You Hear What I Hear?" started filling the van, I was unprepared for the surge of emotion that came over me. My heart overflowing, my eyes brimmed with tears, the memories suddenly so fresh and vivid in my mind. Kyla started crying in her seat behind me, and I reached my hand back. Her fingers closed over mine, squeezing my heart a little more, and I enjoyed her tender touch for a long moment.

The song ended. The moment passed. Damon got in and shut the door. We played "Little Drummer Boy" for him on the drive back home, as Allie fell asleep. "This is so better than the bus," he said.

Welcome, Christmas spirit. I couldn't agree more.

Pain in the Grass

Have I ever mentioned how much I detest the grass here in Jacksonville? I know the answer to that is YES, but I am going to mention it again. In my time in Utah and Ohio I falsely came to believe that grass is soft to the touch, and can be walked upon barefoot. I recall many happy afternoons spent laying on the grass (with or without a blanket) absorbing the sun's rays (have I ever mentioned how much I love the sun?), a good book in hand.

In Ohio, I was amazed that, while sprinkler systems were optional, huge fields of beautiful grass grew everywhere, even in front of grocery stores. It was a grass heaven, God's carpet, and . The only problem was that there were so few warm, sunny days of the year, that it was hard to really enjoy it.

You would think that Florida, with an abundance of both rain and sunshine, would hold the key for the best possible vegetation, but I was sorely disappointed when we moved here and found that the city of Jacksonville is nothing more than a swamp covered with loads of beach sand. Indeed, our house is "built upon the sand," and the ground soaks up water like a man dying of thirst. The most popular type of grass is St. Augustine, and it is nothing like the grass I grew up loving. It is coarse, infested with bugs, and requires a great deal of time and attention. Even with vast amounts of TLC, it often withers and dies. People are constantly pulling it all out and starting over, resodding their entire yards.

When we discovered that our kids were not going to be playing carefree in the yard, our motivation for taking care of it quickly dropped out of sight. We watered it occasionally, regarding it as more of a nuisance than anything else. As would be expected, the grass started to die. First one spot turned brown, then another. We started getting letters from our homeowners association telling us we needed to address the issue. We put it off as long as we could, hoping for some lieniency because of Jeff's busy schedule. Finally, in September, after spraying for both bugs and weeds, we decided it was time to replace the lawn in the front yard. I'm sure you will agree that it was time (past time).

Jeff and I spent a couple weeks pulling out the old stuff with a rake and bagging it up to be hauled away. It was hard, back breaking work, and we needed a little help from Jeff's brother, Greg, at the end. But we got the yard to this point, as free from weeds as it was ever going to be.

We only did from the sidewalk to the house, and left the green "weed grass" alone.

$200 of sod came just before we left for our cruise in October. Damon and Kimmy (my sis) thought it would be more fun to play on the pallets than actually do any of the work.

My dad, who thought he was coming here for a vacation, was put to work, and he and I laid the sod while Jeff was at school. I had to go inside after about 2 1/2 hours, but my dad stayed out and finished the rest. What a man.

And here is a picture that I took two days ago. You have to admit that it looks a ton better. It might even look good enough to walk on. But don't be fooled--I won't be spending any time laying on the grass, basking in the sun, the smell of freshly cut grass in my nostrils. Not here in Jacksonville. I'll have to wait until we have our own house in Utah for that. Or maybe visit a Kroger in Columbus.

Elf Yourself

A few of my friends have been doing this, and we thought we'd try, too. Make sure you send us your link if you do it, too--my kids would LOVE it.

December busyness

December is just beginning, and I already feel like I can't quite catch my breath. The list of things I need to do seems to be getting longer, and just when I check something off the list, it is replaced with something else that needs to be done. Here's the latest:

Christmas cards are addressed and waiting to be stamped (something Damon has requested that he be in charge of). We opted for picture #1, with Damon and the "head tilt." Because I had to crop the last one (the one, I was informed, that was best of me), it wouldn't fit on a 4X8 Wal-mart card. We'll be getting it in an 8x10, though, so thank you all for your help. I ended up choosing the first one because I love the fact that you can see the river in the background and Damon's pose is just so him. I think I will look back in 20 years and remember exactly how he is today.

We've been fighting a bit of a cold bug, although Zicam has shortened it for me (love that stuff!). I suspect Allie has an ear infection, and will be visiting the doctor tomorrow morning (ibuprofen is her friend).

Jeff stayed with the kids on Saturday so I could go to Orlando and see my friend sealed to her husband and daughter. I went with two other friends and we did a session before the sealing. It was a great, great day and exactly what I needed.

Allie has given up pull-ups at night (she still only wakes up dry about one in five mornings), which has increased my laundry tremendously. But I'm willing to give it a try and see if she can figure it out. She asked if she could feed Kyla, and I told her if she stayed dry all day she could do it. It was a rousing success. When she woke up dry this morning, she asked to feed Kyla again. How could I say no? I love how she asks, "you don't like it?," when she is clearly gagging the poor girl.



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When I was putting the pics on the computer today, there were a few video clips that Allie had clearly taken herself. One is of the ceiling after she had set the camera on the counter. I watched the whole thing, listening to hear what was going on. Eventually my voice is heard, but all I do is ask her if she's gassy and tell her to wash her face and hands. Not the gem I was hoping for. It does explain why the Kyla clip is blurry--Allie's peanut butter hands had been handling the lens.

One funny thing--Allie saw something that she thought was pretty impressive. "Holy..." she started, then struggled to find a way to finish her sentence. I was expecting "smokes," "cow," or even "mackeral," as Damon has been known to say. Instead, she said exuberantly, "Holy Ghost!" That one made me laugh. Okay, time to go check something else off the list. But first I will add "blog about random happenings" to the list. Just so I can check it off...

Costly

I'm just curious...does it seem like it is getting outrageously expensive just to live? I keep wondering how I am managing to spend so much money when it doesn't seem like I am buying anything extravagant. Right now:

• Gas is $3.09 a gallon
• Milk is $3.99 a gallon
• A 2 lb chunk of cheese is $7.64 (it hasn't always been that much, has it?)
• A ticket to the movies is $7.00 (I only know this because my SIL and I saw Enchanted on Thanksgiving--my first movie in the theater in almost a year).

What is it like where you live? And yes, I will go ahead and give the preemptive prize to my sister, Heather, who lives in Hawaii. I know none of us mainlanders can compete with you...

Six Months? For Real?

My baby is half a year old? Dang, that was quick. Time seems to slow to half the normal speed when you're pregnant, but instantly speed up about the time your baby starts sleeping for five hours in a row at night.

Kyla thinks she is ready to crawl. I am not so sure I am ready. She has been on all fours rocking for a few weeks, but has only managed to wiggle herself backwards away from her toys. Maybe that's why she is so sad.

She can only sit up for a few seconds at a time before tipping over, giving us an excellent view of her still very bald head. She also loves to suck on EVERYTHING (more so than my other babies, I think), and Bexley is on the receiving end of this sloppy kiss.

Oh, and here's one funny story from Allie today. She was screaming into her microphone this morning as I was combing her hair, and I asked her why she was screaming and not singing pretty. She said, 'That's what girls do, when they get big." Too much Kelly Clarkson and Avril Lavigne at our house?

Giving Thanks

Disclaimer: For some reason, I can't move my pictures around, so they are not in the order I wish they were in. Sorry about that. Feel free to skip this post if that bugs you.

I know this is a bit late, but here it is:

Things I am Thankful For this Thanksgiving

1. Damon's exceptionally large bladder. I don't think I have ever realized how great it was until Allie started using the toilet. While we were at SeaWorld, I took her to the bathroom four times (Damon went once). And she had to go 10 minutes after we got on the road back home. I so wish I could fast forward the potty training phase with her. Until then, I will give thanks for Damon's ability to hold it. And hold it and hold it.

2. Lots of good food, most of which I didn't have to cook. Jeff's parents and only sister, Laurie, visited us for Thanksgiving. This was the first "real" Thanksgiving dinner we have had in the past six years (by real, I mean a home cooked meal shared with the majority of one of our families). It was so nice. Here's Russ sampling the amazing ham.

3. Rainbow Jell-o. This was one of my main contributions to the dinner, and I think it turned out quite nice. My mom is the master rainbow jell-o maker, and here are here directions if you are interested in trying it yourself:

• Start with Black Cherry because it is the least pretty (I didn't use this one, and I also forgot orance. I still have some work to do to get it right). Dissolve one small package of jell-o in one cup hot water. Divide the jell-o into two bowls. Add 1/3 c. sour cream to one and 3T water to the other. Start with the "creamy" Black Cherry layer on the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Let chill approximately 35-40 minutes in the fridge while the "clear" Black Cherry sits on the counter. When creamy layer has set up enough, pour clear layer on.


• Repeat for all 14 layers in any order you like, but if you want to be correct, go red, orange, yellow, green, blue and then purple.


• It takes a good portion of the day, but it's not hard to make. You can see that it was a big hit, even with Laurie, Greg and Noel.

4. Grandparents. My kids were so excited to see their grandma and grandpa, and it was fun to introduce Ky Ky to them.

5. Camping weather in November. We had a great time camping at the Osceoloa National Forest, about an hour from here, despite the many LARGE spiders we shared a campsite with. I am especially thankful for the kind "helpers" (Damon's term) that cut our wood, split it for us, and got our fire going. Apparently an Eagle Scout from the west does not necessarily know the tricks of firemaking in the soggy south. The kids are already asking when we can go back, and Allie is hoping we can have cookies for breakfast again (we had Pop Tarts). I was worried we would be too cold (it was supposed to get down to 30 degrees), but we were fine, even Kyla.

Family Photo Help

#1

#2

#3

#4


Which one is your choice for our Christmas card? I'm having a hard time deciding.

Crack up

Well, it's been a few days, and I haven't been blogging much in my old age (28 is getting dangerously close to 30...). I don't have any pictures of my birthday activities, but it was really fun, so thank you to those of you who called, sent a card, stopped by for a visit or even ate ice cream in my honor (that was good one, Sarah. I'll make sure I eat ice cream for your b-day, too). Jeff took me to the mall and watched the kids at the playground while I tried on jeans (one pair from the GAP an one pair from Aeropostale, so it was successful!), then took us all out for a late dinner. Damon told me he wanted to get me some earrings, a bracelet and a necklace, but he didn't have enough money. It was a nice thought. Allie claimed she got me ice cream (she was with me at the grocery store earlier that morning when I bought the ice cream, so I guess that counts). It was a fun day and now we can get down to all the good eating of Thanksgiving!

Here are a couple of pics for this morning. Don't you just love clean little girls straight from the tub?

Especially this girl, who I still just can't get enough of.

Allie also took a few minutes out of her day to go outside where it's "freezing" (57 degrees, according to Yahoo) to draw with chalk. She was worried about the crack in the driveway. I was focused on another crack.

Jeff's parents and sister are in town for Thanksgiving and we are heading to Sea World tomorrow. We can't seem to get enough of that place. It should be a fun week!

Craziness

I have always been so grateful that Jeff chose denistry as a profession instead of medicine, for very selfish reasons. I admire so much the "med wives" for practically being a single mom so much of the time during school and residency (and maybe even after that). Dental school and ortho school are hard, and have demanded a lot of Jeff's time, but the hours he has put in don't even begin to compare with the hours he would've put in had he chosen to be a doctor of medicine (instead of a doctor of dental surgery).

This past week I got to experience what it must be like to be married to a medical doctor, as the kids have seen Jeff for a total of about five hours in the last week. He was working late, playing flag football, and then took a 4-day trip to Arizona to sing in a charity concert with 259. I knew this was coming, and so was prepared for my stint as a single mother, but our bishop threw one more ball in the air for me to juggle by asking me to speak on the Sunday Jeff would be gone. I accepted (don't you feel bad for declining anything the bishop asks of you?), and spent some of my free moments during the week trying to get my talk together so that I wouldn't have to resort to cramming it into Sunday morning (church at 11).

Well, it just wasn't coming together. Saturday night, while the kids were sleeping, I started to feel panicked that I wasn't ready and faced the conclusion that a portion of my Sunday morning was going to have to be used in putting it together. And that's what I did. Kyla (bless her sweet little heart) was taking a morning nap and I closed myself in my bedroom at the computer to finish up, praying that Damon and Allie would be able to take care of themselves. And they did. But this is how they did it:

They filled the tub to the brim (the water was still on in this picture, and you can't see the inch of water on the ground that had flowed over the top), trying to sail their boats they had made at a birthday party the day before. Actually, they were only sailing Allie's, because I had told them that the water would ruin them and they wouldn't be able to play with them once they got wet, a fact Damon "forgot" to share with Allie.

The moment I walked into the bathroom to find this scene, I realized that my talk was about as good as it was going to get, and I quickly shifted my frame of mind to actually taking care of my kids. Unfortunately for Allie, her last clean pair of underwear were on the floor that was covered with water and I was left with a couple of choices: 1. have her go commando. In a dress. Definitely out. 2. Wear a pair of Damon's boxers. 3. Wear her swimsuit bottoms under her dress. We opted for choice #3 (if you're wondering why I didn't put her in some of Damon's old briefs, the answer to that would be that they were all dirty, too, as Allie had been wearing them days before).

So, we got ready for church with only minor complications (namely, Allie spilled the pan of ingredients I was putting into the bread maker on the floor--and all over my shoes--) and we headed to church. The bishop felt bad when he saw me walking in by myself, but I assured him that everything was fine and I would just sit in the congregation with the kids until it was my turn to speak (I was the last speaker, after the rest hymn). Allie blessed us all by sitting with Greg and Noel a few rows ahead of us, so I only had to deal with Damon and Kyla during the meeting. But when Kyla filled her diaper during the talk before the rest hymn, I knew I had to change her--and fast--so that I could make it back in time for my talk. I buzzed to the mother's lounge and wiped her the best that I could with the wipes I had in the bag, although they were so dried out I'm not sure they still qualified as "wet wipes" any longer. Praying in my heart, I finished (meaning, I removed the majority of the poop from her bum,, only leaving a little in her rolls), as the rest hymn started and I hurried back to the chapel, where our bishop's sweet wife met me in the foyer and demanded that I give her Kyla. No complaints there. Damon went to sit with Russ and Julie and I gathered my mostly-finished talk just as the hymn was ending. Phew, take a breath. I had 20 minutes to speak. Heaven help me.

I made it through. One of the comments I received (I shared the events of my whirlwind morning as the opening to my talk) was, "I can see that you need Jeff." Understatement of the week. Yes, how we missed our daddy.

Thankfully, now I am no longer playing the single mommy role (although a church meeting last night kept Jeff from seeing the kids before they went to bed) and the craziness has lessened dramatically. Jeff had a great time visiting his friends in AZ and I so wish I could've been there to hear the boys sing. I really do miss all the 259ers and wish we saw more of them (and their wives, of course). I asked him to bring me some cds home, but they didn't have any more Christmas ones. If anyone would like a 259 Christmas cd, let me know and I would be happy to burn one for you. Leave me a comment or send me an email (espyk@yahoo.com) and give me your address. I would love to send you a cd. Especially any of you "med wives" who are without your husbands far too much.

We would NOT be friends

There are three things in my house that I would not be friends with if they were alive (I'm sure there are more, but there are three that are on my mind today).

1. My vacuum cleaner. Ever since Damon accidentally sucked up the fringed edge of a blanket, Hoover Savvy has been extremely tempramental. I can't just plug her in and turn her on; no, everything has got to be just right before she will roar to life and start doing her job. She makes me crazy, my diva vacuum, and I couldn't be friends with her.

2. My garage door. He flat out refuses to work a good majority of the time, even though nothing is preventing him from functioning. I get ready to leave the house, start pulling out of the driveway, and push the button, crossing my fingers that this time he will perform (please don't read too much into that statement...). One of three things will happen: he will close the way he is supposed to; he will start to close, change his mind and open again; or he will refuse to even make a move. The latter two incidences require that I hop out of the car and do his job for him, manually lowering the door, before exiting through the front door of the house. Yes, most definitely, my garage door is a man, and he and I would not be friends.

3. My kitchen floor. She and I would not be friends, although we would pretend to be. Because we have to coexist, there's not point getting mad at her, although I feel angry whenever I look at her. I work hard to take care of her, trying to keep her clean and beautiful. But no matter what I do, it's never enough. She is constantly mocking me, reminding me that I'm not good enough to hang with her. She requires constant maintenance and, frankly, I don't have the time or energy to cater to her every need; and every square of cereal adhered to her with a milky paste is proof that I will never live up to her impossibly high standards. Every now and then, I prepare myself for a brawl, and I really give it to her, wiping the smirk off her face. But as soon as the next meal is finished, she is a disaster again, and I don't have the energy or the willpower to begin again. And so we go back to being superficial again, as I sweep the surface to make everything appear neat and tidy, all the while knowing that she is still mocking me...

Daily laugh

Jeff called me from Arizona today to tell me about this funny video he saw on You Tube. I thought I'd share.

Catch Up

I have found that I often ask questions that beg for answers and then never give any validation. Sorry for that. Here is a quick recap of the questions I have asked previously, along with my generous awarding of points.

First--No one responded to the question "Whose favorite color is light tan?" I'm going to give you a second shot at it, because I don't think it's that hard.

Second--Congrats to Heather and Tara for getting all the questions about Jeff right, but a great big WOW to Tricia and Dave for getting all but the last one (it was a Key Lime Pie). So, nice job. 10 points apiece.

Third--Damon's homework said, "How to brush my teeth. First, you get a toothbrush and toothpaste. Then put toothpaste on. Next put it in your mouth. Then put the lid on. Last put them away." I guess the part about actually brushing the teeth and gums isn't quite as important. Ten points to Kim for getting it all.

Fourth--Yes, George eats the eclair from the trash on Seinfeld. Ten points apiece to Lara and Patti for knowing that, with a 100 point bonus for Patti's quote. Great work ladies!

Aha!

I know there are a lot of viruses going around with the sudden onset of fall we have experienced in Jacksonville, and I think I may have rooted out the source of the bugs we are all fighting. So far it has been very mild--Kyla has a runny nose, Allie has a little cough, and Damon's nose is "fluffy" (he denied that it was "stuffy").

Yesterday, Damon was performing the after school ritual of emptying his lunchbag and eating what was left (along with an apple, which he seems to be collecting daily). He had an empty Capri Sun pouch in there as well, and he pulled it out, trying to make me fall for the it's-really-empty-but-I-blew-air-in-it-to-make-you-think-it's-full stunt (I played along, not having the heart to tell him that I INVENTED that trick in elementary school--didn't we all?). I asked him where he had gotten the drink, thinking it may come from the same child who graciously shares her apples with him. Nope. He replied, "I found it in the trash and I took it."

Remember that he has been blowing into the straw repeatedly, and even managed to get me to put my lips on it (you know, so I could pretend to fall for his prank). My lips suddenly started to tingle as I thought about the many of diseases that could be spread by "sharing" this straw with a random Ft. Caroline Elementary student. Fortunately, I don't know of any specific diseases I should be wary of (Jeff, on the other hand, would probably know them all), and I simply crossed my fingers and hoped that our immune systems would be able to handle them all. Now I suppose I need to sit down with my son and share with him the reasons why we don't take things out of the trash (even if it is an eclair, still in its wrapper, with only a single bite taken out--anyone know that reference?).

Damon's Homework

Damon is working on "Functional Writing" in kindergarten, where they are encouraged to be bossy. Five points to anyone who can read what this says (I didn't help him with any of it, so how he knew how to spell toothpaste is beyond me). I thought it was cute.

Name Game

I came across this and thought it was pretty fun. Try it out.

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car)-Lacey Sienna
2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie)-Oreo Oreo
3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three (or four) letters of your last name)-K-Trap
4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)-Blue Penguin
5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born)-Karen Beaver (dirty...)
6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first)-TraKr (that is pretty cool).
7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink)-The Green Sprite (not bad) 8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers)-Bama Donald
9. STRIPPER NAME: ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy)-Lucky Snickers (again, a little dirty...)
10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names )-Melinda Reber
11. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter)-Whitmer Washington
12. SPY NAME/BOND GIRL: (your favorite season/holiday, flower)-Summer Rose
13. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”)-Apple Shorty
14. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree)-Chex Pine
15. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”)- The Watching TV Sun Tour, or for the less lazy, The Playing Basketball Sun Tour

Halloweenie

Our Halloween started with a ward "Trunk or Treat" party last Friday. It was a great activity with chili, a haunted house, lots of desserts, a "parade of costumes" across the stage, and trunk or treating in the parking lot. My friend, Lindsay, took this picture of us. This is as much as I could get Jeff to wear for a costume. Kyla is wearing her glow in the dark bones. They rock.

Monday we carved pumpkins. One of mine and Jeff's first dates was a pumpkin carving extravaganza. It's become sort of a tradition with us. I helped Damon carve his own pumpkin, but he decided he didn't want it displayed outside because he heard that sometimes kids steal pumpkins and smash them on the street. What kind of mom tells her kids that...

Jeff carved a really cool werewolf. It did get displayed, along with my witch/pumpkin design, which gets no love because it wasn't nearly as cool as Jeff's.

As for Halloween night, there are a few things I'd like to remember about the night:

• Allie, eating candy as fast as she could get it into her mouth, running from house to house yelling "trick or treat" as loudly as she could.
• The excitement of all the kids (Fergusons, Laws and ours).
• The perfect night--not too warm, not too chilly.
• 
• The awesome stash they all brought home. Someone was giving out mini bags of peanut butter M&M's. I should've taken Kyla to the door with me and we may have gotten a few more bags.

There are a few things I wish to forget. These include:

• Listening to the whining and complaining at dinner time (from Damon) about how he didn't like the delicious cabbage soup I had prepared. It went on and on and on...
• Allie peeing in her tights/undies less than 15 minutes after she had put them on.
• Allie accidentally rubbing the green paint off her face a few minutes after applying it.
• Allie not keeping her hat on for a single house.
• Jeff having to take Allie back home during the trick or treating process so she could use the bathroom.
• The mosquitoes that were eating us alive.
• The number of calories consumed by our two candy loving children over the past three days. Sadly, the fun has ended and the candy is all gone (a lot of it went into the trash, truthfully. Allie made sure the suckers were all gone--sometimes with one in each hand--and Damon took care of most of the big candies).
• 
• Allie getting into the green paint again today and painting her body with it. Yes, she couldn't get enough of being Elphaba.

Halloween was great. It's also great that it's over. KyKy loved watching the kids eat their candy. And I just loved putting her in this pumpkin outfit. Can she wear it on Thanksgiving and be the pumpkin pie?

p.s. Sorry about the crazy bullets. I am too lazy to try to fix it all.