McLeodian Mayhem

Transformation Complete

2012-01-29T13:18:00.001-08:00

Good-bye seven inches of hair and purple glasses. Hello fuchsia glasses. She's officially five.

She's a Dream

2012-01-29T12:40:00.000-08:00

Someone reached an important day!

She's a grinner. Everyone stops to tell me what a smiley baby I have. She grins at everyone and is usually content. She is a definite third child, though. When she does want something, there is no ramp-up, no warning, no quiet requests. She has a shrill scream or a loud fog horn. She needs it NOW! After her needs are met, she slips quietly into the background again.

She isn't quite walking yet. She can stand by herself and can walk quickly along the wall or furniture. She does NOT like walking with just your fingers. She will walk holding on to your legs, though.

She loves to babble. She has started to sing to herself when she wakes up. It makes me laugh. I love happy baby babble.

For her big day, we followed family tradition and headed to the park. She is a climber. She loves the steps and ladders of the playgrounds. Though she CAN go down these by herself, you rarely find her in the mood to do so. Unfortunately, they took down the playground in our neighborhood that had the best little kid slides. She likes slides but only if you start her halfway down.

Afterwards, we ended the day with a nice "relaxing" bubble bath.

Our little girl is quite the chunk. She's round and dimpled and we love it. She is a picky eater, though. Well, not so much picky as sensitive. She has a problem swallowing chunks. She loves them in her mouth, but she chokes half the time as they go down. And then they come back up, with everything else. :( But we keep trying. Occasionally she surprises us. Last night, for instance, she suddenly could handle peas. She ate two cups all by herself without choking. Weaning her showed us that she, like her sister before, can't tolerate plain dairy milk. After we finally figured that out, she had to relearn how to sleep through the night. Silly babies.

But we love our little Aislinn. She really is the dream we named her for.

The Best Part of Laundry Day

2012-01-09T19:17:00.000-08:00

The boats come out.

Sometimes they turn into cages. Sometimes doll beds. Sometimes they are treehouses. Sometimes they are stages. Mostly, they are boats. Who needs toys when you have baskets?

(Mommy, my ears HURT!!!)

A WHOLE HAND!

2012-01-09T18:31:00.000-08:00

It was my baby girl's GOLDEN birthday! To celebrate, we had her first ever friend party! It was hilarious to watch these kids together. Scott and I were hiding giggles most of the time.

We started by decorating treat bags and crowns as everyone came in. Luke nudged Sawyer and said, "I draw REALLY good action figures. Do you want to see?"
S: "Yea!"
L draws stick figure.
S: "Whoa. You DO draw really good action figures!"
L: "I know."

Made my day. Then we read Rumpelstiltskin.

At the end of the book, a golden card fell out. It stated that though they may have guessed his name, the kids could never find his gold stash. This was followed by a clue. The kids didn't get it at all. However, after they were led by the nose to the second clue, they got the hint and scrambled around the park on a search for golden clues.

The last clue directed them to the pinata.

Which was a hit.

(Ahahaha! I crack myself up.) Ultimately, Rumpelstiltskin's gold fell out of the pinata and was hurriedly stuffed into bags and mouths. I need to train my two children better. They went for all the shiny baubles and none of the candy. Scott and I should have kept more candy back for us. :)

Then I told the story of King Midas and the Golden Touch. We played Freeze tag and took turns getting turned into golden statues.

Last, we followed the rainbow to the pot of gold.

I had gold medals ready for some Olympic races, but figured we would just spend the last few minutes on the playground. It was lots of fun, but I am SO glad I do not have quintuplets! I will take my rowdy three and call it good.

On her actual birthday, Cambria took cupcakes to school. When she got home, she opened one present (which was actually from Britney Moore- THANK YOU!!!).
It was an ELEPHANT KEY!

Stumped? It is a little key that goes to the information boxes at the zoo. We went to the zoo with the Moores once, saw theirs, and Cambria has been dying for one ever since. When our friends left us for cooler climes, they left their key behind. I saved it for this. Cambria had a blast running through the zoo looking for all the boxes. She even shared (a little) with her brother. Grandpa even got to come along for the birthday expedition. It was hilarious because Grandpa and Seamus wanted to see the animals, and Cambria just wanted to see the boxes.

We love our five-year-old. This year her requested favorite food was Spaghetti (though she later requested PENNE with red sauce). Her favorite colors are purple and pink.

She loves to giggle with her friends, play PBSkids.org, ride her bike, follow the neighbor girls around and generally just talk. If it is ever quiet in our house, Cambria is asleep or in trouble. She NEVER stops asking questions. Ever. She loves to help out with her siblings

(Aislinn has a double ear infection- can you tell?)

and has learned how to trick Seamus into playing her way.

(Seamus only has 1 infected ear and so is much less miserable)

We look forward to what this next year will bring and hope she doesn't drive her Kindergarten teacher up the wall. We love you, Cambria!

'Twas Two Days After Christmas...

2012-01-04T12:48:00.000-08:00

and my brother got married!!! I even learned my lesson and took some pictures. However, the camera was a Christmas present, so neither Scott nor I were particularly adept at handling it. Obviously, we need practice!

Preston Aaron Carpenter and Monica Marie Anderson were married by Father Richard at St Odilia's. They will now be referred to with fondness as PAC and MAC.

The wedding party consisted of Groomsman Matthew Carpenter, Best Man Benjamin Carpenter, Matron of Honor Leticia Diaz, Bridesmaid Jennifer...(Sorry, Monica! I forgot her last name!).

His paternal Grandparents

His parents

Her Parents

Their Parents

Carson is less than amused

Run, Letty, Run!

Daddy Daughter Date

I Can Help Seamus Be Reverent

Like Mother, Like Daughter, Like Granddaughter

Handsome Little Man- Aidan

Getting Bored

Afterwards, we went to the Hilton El Conquistador and took pictures

The Perry Family-This first was such a cute picture. I was sad it was so dark. So I overexposed it to save the figures, if not the color. Someday, I will learn to photoshop as well as take pictures.

The Carpenter and McLeod children- minus Olivia who was not having an easy day, poor thing. I hope her wrist is doing better!

Almost all the Carpenter 3rd generation

The Carpenter 2nd generation

A great picture of Monica. Her dad looks a little surprised.

The Diaz Family

Relaxing her smile muscles

The Glowing Bride

Her Ladies in Waiting

The McLeodian Offspring

The Soon-to-be-Benjamin-and-Katie-Carpenters (March 23rd)

The McLeods

Trust me. Red eye reduction on this picture made it look worse. I'm working on it. SOMEONE, however, was impatient for pictures. So ignore the eye shine and notice that it is a pretty picture.

Last of all, we ditched the kids and headed over to Michaelangelo's for dinner courtesy of the newlyweds. Mmm! I tried out my night vision flash.

I turned off my flash and tried again.

Family

The Cutting

Happily Ever After

Congratulations to Preston and Monica! May your marriage be full of joy and laughter!

...and full of children so that Preston can put his parenting DVDs to work. That was the awesomest Christmas Present Face EVER! Did anyone get a picture of it?!

Eleven Month Old Communication

2012-01-02T20:22:00.000-08:00

What she does:
Head down, in the ground, crawling up against you

What she wants:
What you get out of it:
Hysterical giggles and faces

Isn't the simple life the greatest?

Christmas is all about...

2012-01-02T11:48:00.001-08:00

...soaking up the sun

...getting all dressed up

...getting new toys

...playing with anything BUT the toys you just received

...cuddling with those you love

...fine dining

...fine dining breakfast style

...trying something new

...finding the perfect present for someone

...seeing that perfect present for the rest of the day, whether it is needed or not (he wore his helmet most of the day)

...being with the people you love

...wearing yourself out

Christmas is wonderful!

Saguaro Park Ward Christmas Party

2011-12-17T06:57:00.000-08:00

As promised: the run down of how to plan/execute a dinner for 200+

Three weeks before: Ask people to play/sing

Week before: Assemble 25 centerpieces ($17 ornaments and garland. Lots of borrowed vases and mirrors). Buy 0.5lb ham or 1 lb uncooked turkey per person. This ended up being 5 hams (~55 lbs) and 5 turkeys (~115 lbs). Total meat cost? $175. Collect decorations from ward members that answered bulletin/email requests. Call/email reminders to the 40 people who actually signed up to bring food.

Night before: Spend an hour at the church putting up the light supports (twine and electrical tape). We had two ladders and 3 people. Spend an hour at home deboning 5 hams and 2 turkeys and placing in warming dishes. (3 other turkeys cooked and deboned by committee)

Morning of: send a committee member to Costco for 24 dozen rolls, butter, 2 chicken nugget bags, 1 ice bag, 1 flat of chicken broth, 3 pies. Cost? $100. Attend your brother's graduation, and gorge yourself on food.

Afternoon of: Put up 25 tables with chairs. Borrow tablecloths from the stake. Two serving tables, 1 dessert table, 2 display tables also. Hang 500 ft of white lights. Place meat in ovens set at 275F. Ham divided into 3 pans, just covered, took about 1.5 hours. Turkey, also divided into 3 covered pans with broth divided evenly, took about 1 hour. Chicken nuggets took 15 min. Ice water in pitchers on the tables.

Night of: Answer peoples petty complaints. Make husband feed the children while you handle minor emergencies (like 10 year old boys having a frosted cookie fight and playing Tarzan on the stage curtains). Spill chicken broth down one side of you refilling the turkey.

Program:

Congregation: Silent Night

Message

One night a grandfather was reading a story to his four-year-old granddaughter when she looked up and said, “Grandpa, look at the stars!” The older man smiled kindly and said, “We’re indoors, honey. There are no stars here.” But the child insisted, “You have stars in your room! Look!”

The grandfather looked up and, to his surprise, noticed that the ceiling was peppered with a metallic glitter. It was invisible most of the time, but when the light struck the glitter a certain way, it did indeed look like a field of stars. It took the eyes of a child to see them, but there they were. And from that moment on, when the grandfather walked into this room and looked up, he could see what he had not been able to see before. (Pres Monson, Ensign, Dec 2010)

In this Christmas season, we are often times caught up in the hustle and bustle of what WE need and what WE want. We forget to look around us and notice what is going on. Many of you are familiar with the legend of Good King Wenceslas. As a noble man, he was warm and safe within his home. Upon looking out his window, he noticed another, less-fortunate man. Determined to spread the light of Christ, Wenceslas left his warm home and braved the elements. He brought food, warmth and light to those who would otherwise have gone without.

Piano Solo Good King Wenceslas

Message (From Pres Eyring, Ensign, Dec 2009)

There is another glimpse of heaven that becomes easier to see at Christmastime. It is of light. Heavenly Father used light to announce the birth of His Son. A new star was visible in both the Eastern and the Western Hemispheres. It led the Wise Men to the child in Bethlehem… The Wise Men rejoiced because of the birth of the Christ, who is the Light and the Life of the World…

We remember at Christmastime not only the light that announced the birth of Christ into the world but also the light that comes from Him.

Joseph Smith testified that:

“…[He] saw a pillar of light exactly over [his] head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon [him].

“… When the light rested upon [him Joseph] saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above [him] in the air. One of them spake unto [him], calling [him] by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!” (Joseph Smith—History 1:16–17).

Every person born into the world receives [the Light of Christ] as a gift.

(D&C 50:24–25). “That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.

“And … I say it that you may know the truth, that you may chase darkness from among you”

That Light is easier to see as we help those around us and spread the Light which we have been given to others; thus lighting their way too.

Congregation: Jesus wants me for a sunbeam 60

I am like a Star 163

Message

May we this Christmastime seek those who need the Light of Christ. May we do as it says in Doctrine and Covenants 81:4-5

4 And in doing these things thou wilt do the greatest ^agood unto thy fellow beings, and wilt promote the ^bglory of him who is your Lord.

5 Wherefore, be faithful; stand in the office which I have appointed unto you; ^asuccor the ^bweak, lift up the hands which hang down, and ^cstrengthen the ^dfeeble knees.

Musical Number The Star of Bethlehem

Congregation: Joy to the World

Closing Prayer

After: Clean up. Mop up tired children. Get them in bed by 9. Eat dinner. Sleep.

It wasn't as bad as I was afraid it was going to be. I live in a ward with a lot of people who have done things a certain way every year for a long time. I did get a few comments on what wasn't done the way they wanted. Oh well. Change is good. I think about 220-240 people came. We ended up with about 1/2 ham and 1/4 turkey, 1 bag of rolls left over. We had 60 pounds of potatoes brought (mashed or sweet) and all but maybe 3 pounds disappeared. There were probably 40 sides, all of which were desimated. Ten people signed up for dessert. 25 people BROUGHT dessert. I needed two dessert tables and ended up having to clear one of the serving tables and bring out desserts halfway through. Also, for some reason, people couldn't place their pot-lucked side dishes. I don't know why it was so difficult. JUST PUT IT ON THE TABLE! It was suggested to me that I should have had a place card set out where each dish was to go. I will politely give that information to next year's person. One last thing, my sign-up sheets read "Vegetable (green bean casserole, corn, salad, brussel sprouts, etc.) ... Fruit (cranberry sauce, jello salad, sliced fruit, etc.)... Dessert (pie, cookies, cake, etc.)" This is NOT what people wanted. I got MANY MULTIPLE email/calls asking to be told a specific dish to bring. I don't know if that is a generational thing, a my-side-of-town thing or what.

However, I think it went pretty well. A few people made the effort to come find me and tell me that they enjoyed the evening. That made me feel happy. I am so grateful for all the help that came my way ESPECIALLY to all those that stayed to clean up. It always surprises me how fast a large event like that can be broken down. Merry Christmas!

Love

2011-12-16T04:53:00.000-08:00

Putting up the Tree

2011-12-13T19:54:00.000-08:00

a picture is worth a thousand words

Did You Know?

2011-12-13T19:31:00.000-08:00

As per family tradition: when it rains, the appropriate thing to do is make cookies. This is what my children learned/taught today.

Cocoa is not the same thing as chocolate

It is, however, fun to blow on when Mommy's back is turned. Unfortunately, if you blow too hard, it gets in your eyes, up your nose, in your mouth. Then you cry until Mom gives you a glass of water to rinse your mouth out, and the tears clear your vision.

Rain is a good excuse to accessorize.

Yes, my heater is set to 62F. This may sound cold, but my heater rarely turns on. The house is actually around 66F. It hasn't turned on for three days despite the rain. Have I mentioned that I love my house? So, don't believe Cambria NEEDS the ear warmers. She just hasn't gotten over them since I dug them out a week ago.

This is what happens when you tell an 11-month old (almost) that she has two weeks before she's weaned, and, therefore, she is NOT getting the afternoon snack that she wants.

Poor thing. But really, I am WAY excited to give myself the gift of detetherment for New Year's!

The cookies? Meh. Too much work for a cookie that wasn't phenomenal. Good? Yes. Worth the extra steps? No. Don't try Hot Cocoa Cookies. Chocolate Crackles are much better for less work.

The Boy Who Wouldn't

2011-12-08T12:39:00.001-08:00

Seamus is two. Which means he is learning independence. He is definitely a different animal from his sister. I know you aren't supposed to compare children, but, honestly, how can you not? You went through toddlerdom once, you make expectations of what toddlerdom is. Not that one child is BETTER than the other, but you have to compare.
Seamus is not a big talker. He was two before he said "Momma." At two, his communication consisted of a handful of words, a lot of grunts and some ambiguous pointing. This is hard for me because I am all for instant gratification. If I sit down and read a book for the hundredth time, I expect the child to act like they have read it before. Laugh at favorite parts, point to favorite things, make animal noises, SOMETHING to show that they are getting something out of reading. Seamus... not so much. He will occasionally sit through a book. Two is pushing it. Three will never happen. He likes to turn the pages, but little other interaction. So, I've done a lot more block-building, train-pushing, etc. with him. Finally, I realized that if I said, "where is the dog?" he would interact. I can't say, "what is this?" because he won't answer. He just looks at you with those big green eyes for two or three minutes until you give up and move on. The pointing to a named object gave me hope that he was picking up on things. However, the kid is smart. Really smart. And he listens. And he learns. He just has to wait for the right moment to spring it on you.
A few weeks ago, I was counting out Halloween candy for each child. "One, two for Cambria. One, two for Seamus." Seamus took his candy and, whilst unwrapping it, murmured, "three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve." WHAT?! Yes, friends. He can count to twelve. Out loud. Without ever having counted to three or five or any other number. Having never before even SAID all those numbers, much less in order. Since then, he has started counting out loud more (like before jumping off anything), but you will never get him to count with you while reading a book or counting toys, or anything. Just a blank stare. If he is distracted, he might recite four or five numbers and, if prompted, continue on. MAYBE.
Last week, he was playing around with Daddy and the topic of trains came up. Out of nowhere, in his garbled, Seamus-speak, he proceeded to recite the book Freight Train by Donald Crews. The entire book. Without prompt. Will he ever read along? Point to the cars? Finish a sentence? No. But apparently, he knows the book by heart.
Today, I pulled out the ABC puzzle blocks. We pulled out each one, I said the name. Sometimes he responded, sometimes not. Then he put them all back together and got 20/26 right (he said them!). Wow. But, the surprises were not over. I laid them out in order and started singing the song. He put his hand on my mouth and sang the whole song without help. Three times. And then I snuck out to get the video camera. AND.... silence. Green eyed stares. :(
So, to make what is actually a short story into a long one, my son and I need to work on our communication skills. But I LOVE knowing that I haven't failed him as much as I thought I had. The whole no-communication thing is hard for me. I can't wait to see what other surprises he has behind those pretty eyes.

I will never tell someone...

2011-12-08T12:31:00.000-08:00

Rant time. I know. You were waiting for one. Let us begin.

that they are too young to get married
that they are too young/old/poor/stupid to have a baby
that their pregnancy loss/infertility/loss of a child isn't such a big deal because they still have time
that they gave their child a stupid name
that they got pregnant at the wrong time
that they have their hands full
that their child looks nothing like them
that they have warm hands and a cold heart
that they will understand when they are older
that I think that the irrevocable decision they just made was a mistake

Thank you for listening. In case you haven't noticed, I'm a little perturbed when people comment on the decisions that are between me, my husband and God. Or when they comment in a well-meaning way that actually does nothing to help the situation. Any other pet peeves you've heard/been told?

Proof that Times Have Changed

2011-11-28T11:52:00.000-08:00

"Mom! MOM! MOOOOOM!"

"WHAT is wrong, Cambria?"

"MOM! We haven't read a book ALL DAY! We can't go to bed! Mom! We haven't read a book!"

One Down, One to Go...

2011-11-26T19:06:00.000-08:00

Today I got a letter in the mail. I PASSED MY BCPS EXAM!!!! YEA! Last time I have to take that test EVER. You may now address me as Dr. McLeod, Board Certified Pharmacology Specialist. Hope it doesn't get caught on your tongue. You can practice a lot before you meet me in person. :-P

So, I have lots of projects lined up for this season. A few got crossed off as Halloween and Celeste's wedding came and went. Now I have bridal shower (for YOU, Monica! Are you excited?), college graduation (YEA for Preston!), Christmas and wedding coming up. Guess which I'm working on first. Yep, wedding. The last one, obviously. However, I also just got put in charge of the ward Christmas Party. Apparently I need to learn organization skills on a grand level. Hilarious. Really. I feel like I'm reinventing the wheel. I've been trawling the internet for help estimating food amounts. Because asking last year's activity committee didn't help. At all. Seriously. Doesn't someone write this stuff down so that the next person can have an easier time? Rest assured, the actual amount of food served and left over will be available on Dec 17th for your viewing pleasure. Of course, if no one comes, I guess I will be eating 175lbs of turkey and ham by myself. Mmm. Maybe I will have left overs to solve your wedding dinner dilemma, Monica. :-D Because I'm sure you envisioned cold cut sandwiches on your wedding night.

Mwahahaha. Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

My Brother is Amazing....

2011-11-14T10:03:00.000-08:00

.... and I am a thief. Here are shots from my brother Matthew from the day of the wedding. Thank you for taking your camera and sharing the pictures you took! These are posted and labeled without his permission. :)

Preston being corrected in tie technique by Keith

Redeeming himself by proving he can still do the "Breathe on my Tie" trick.

Monica getting her baby fix (Samantha Perry, 1 mo)

Old People in Love

Still in love

Some nieces try to help with pictures

Waiting for pictures. Preston playing favorite uncle and Niki getting her chunky fix.

Seamus finds his own entertainment.

Ooo! Lights!

Wow!

The newest LoveBirds sneak a Look.
(Congratulations on your engagement Benjamin and Katie!)

TAKE ME HOME NOW!!!

Walking the Temple grounds

What?

One pretty baby!

My Eternal Family

Story of a Cake

2011-11-13T07:35:00.001-08:00

Celeste asked me to make her cake. If there is one thing that is characteristic of Celeste, it is that she is too nice and thinks it is polite to let other people make the decisions. Cue her wedding day. I forced her to sit down with me and make decisions about cake. After hemming and hahing for a while, we settled on type, color, shape, general design, etc. A few weeks before the wedding, I made a mock-up.

She decided to switch the colors to white on purple instead. I think that was a great decision. Because she wanted a tiered cake made of White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake, I was really afraid the weight would be too much for any number of dowels to hold up. I cheated and used cake forms for the bottom two layers. To keep in tradition, I made two top layers: one for the reception and one for the first anniversary. That one is currently in my freezer. We'll see if it makes it or if I accidentally eat it. :)

The day of the reception, my husband was AMAZING! He distracted the kids all morning so that I could get the cake done. Then he watched kids (not just his own) all through the reception and then went home and CLEANED MY KITCHEN after putting the kids to bed while he waited for me to get home. Seriously, Celeste may think she did well with Jon, but no one can compete with Scott. It's just not possible.

Here are some shots of the kids decorating their cakes while I decorated Celeste's. Notice the PJs. We got home late the night before from the wedding/open house in Mesa.

I can't take much credit for how well the cake turned out (besides the taste-that's all me) because my cousin Barbie dressed it with the left-over flowers. She made it a dream cake.

This is the best picture I got of the dressed cake. Unfortunately, I took it as Celeste was taking the temple figurine off to cut it. Once again, if you have better, I'd love a copy!

It was a fun experience to do the cake. I would love to do it again in a different style. If we have a weddingish cake for Christmas, you know why. :)

Wedded Bliss!

2011-11-13T07:21:00.001-08:00

My baby sister got married! The rain held off until the last 45 min of the second reception, and so the weather was GLORIOUS! It wasn't even that cold so my girls were fine in their short sleeves.

Celeste looked beautiful. Poor thing was fighting a cold and told me was ready to die at the end of the second reception, but she didn't look it. Please excuse the poor pictures, I was busy enjoying the moment! However, I know certain of you got pictures of my family and the cake I made. Thank you so much. Could you email them to me? Pretty please?

I am so excited for Jon and Celeste to start their own family! I know the Lord will bless them as they make righteous choices and try to draw closer to him. Congratulations, Pattersons!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T20:18:00.000-07:00

Nothing says "Good Morning!" like a goofy grin

The Munchkins actually dove right in and cleaned out their pumpkins this year. Seamus wiped his hands off after each foray into the goo, but at least he helped! Cambria waited until Seamus tried it and lived before she ventured in.

This is my first pumpkin carving in a LONG time. I break out in an itchy rash wherever pumpkin guts touch me (or any uncooked melon for that matter), so I usually leave this "fun" up to Scott. However, we left the carving until late this year, so it fell to me. It was fun, even if my itchiness defeated any original ideas. :)

Here's the three of them ready to start! Aislinn is wearing the cat my mom made for my oldest brother 30 years ago. It's still in great shape! Seamus refused to make the clown that I also borrowed from her, but here he is sporting the dragon from Grandma!

The best part of the night came at the very end. Cambria was getting grumpy, so I told her we were heading back to our house. She protested until I told her that she could hand out the candy. She RAN back to the house and eagerly set up on a stool. Every time someone came, she grinned from ear to ear and handed them their candy with a cheery, "Happy Halloween!" When I put Aislinn and Seamus in bed, I came back downstairs to this:

"Mom. I made this because I didn't want anyone to miss our house. The next people are taking too long, so I put this sign in the window. That way they will come. Watch." Sure enough, she put up her sign and the doorbell rang. She was ecstatic. I love watching her enjoy this!

On a side note, you may notice that Seamus melt downs seem to have featured prominently of late. The fact is, I took him to the doctor a week ago and got antibiotics for his first ear infection of the season. At least we made it to the END of October this year. So he's been on broad-spectrum antibiotics for a week. Poor kid is covered in diarrhea from the waist down at least twice a day, usually more. The fits haven't stopped. Took him in again today. Guess what. No change in the pus-filled eardrum. ARGH! That means upping the antibiotic regimen and starting ANOTHER ten days worth... Good thing I've got lots of chocolate tonight. :-)

Fall Fashions

2011-10-30T18:30:00.000-07:00

Seriously. She's the next Pamela Anderson

New this season? Road Rash. This exclusive look is reminiscent of those times you just couldn't stand to be held down and unbuckled yourself in the jogging stroller. Lean forward far enough and you can have this fashion statement.

Never underestimate the fun that can be had with bath hair. Seamus has perfected that runway model expression. This is a few days into the road-rash look.

Not to be outdone, we have a new fashion accessory around here. Sand. Scott fixed the lid on the box, so now we spend all day every day in there. In fact, the whole preschool fits in!

In fact, the whole preschool loved sand so much, we had our Halloween party there.

Then, keeping with H, we went to explore the Harvest at a semilocal farm. Seamus, without sand to turn to, accessorized with DIRT!!!

I finally managed to distract him with this large-size head ornament

but that lasted only a few minutes and we were back to spreading dirt and throwing everything he could get his hands on. I win such great parenting awards. I left him screaming in the dirt and went to help Cambria pick out a pumpkin. Some well-meaning mother was like, "Hello! There is a baby! Someone lost their baby! He's crying!" Nope, lady. I left him. There's a difference. :)

We tried on the Hayride Hairdo look. Quite fetching, I know.

And then tried for some artistic active modelling.

Last, we stuffed straw into all the tiny crevices of our shoes and clothes.

All in all, a successful Fall. Isn't she such a doll?

A Perfect Pair

2011-10-30T10:19:00.001-07:00

My baby sister is getting married! To celebrate, we through a little party in her honor. Unfortunately, I didn't get the camera going as early or often as I should have.

We started with a crepe bar. The yumminess started with Nutella, bananas, berries, yogurt, whipping cream, lemon juice, powdered sugar, Hollandaise sauce with chives, salsa con queso, eggs and sausage. Mmm. Can I tell you how many Nutella and banana ones I had after everyone went home? Maybe I will let you think I'm still trying to lose weight. Unfortunately, some of the decorations thought that the crepe bar looked appetizing too. Here Niki is removing the bomb from the eggs. Oops.

Then we asked embarrassing questions and watched as Celeste obligingly flushed a rosy red. She is so cute!

Anyway, thank you SO much to those that came and helped with decorations and brought food! I think she enjoyed herself and got a wonderful start on her kitchen... and her bedroom if you catch my drift.... ;-)

I got her some Honeymoon dice. She didn't seem to want to show anyone else. Cheater.

Question: How many Special People does it take to open a Special Person Plate?
Answer? We never got it open.

All in all, it was lots of fun. Even Aislinn was excited.

Thank you especially to my hubby for helping set up and then leaving with Seamus and Cambria. I know several people sent their love even though they couldn't make it, and we missed you too!

(a few hours after, which is when I realized I hadn't taken any pictures of the decor)

Now, on to the wedding!

Red Alert, Aisle Six!

2011-10-25T12:04:00.000-07:00

by Seamus A. McLeod

Did you know that life is tough as a two-year-old? It is. Really tough. No one understands half of what you say, and, what they DO understand, they ignore. Seriously. Is it so hard to give a kid some juice? If you won't, I will climb and get it myself. I don't understand why you get so angry. I'm saving you the trouble. Lately, I've found this awesome way to express my desire for change. It goes a little like this:

First, start giving Mom subtle hints that you are about to explode. Like, say "NO!" after everything she says, regardless of what it is or if she is talking to you. Get louder and louder each time. Ignore any entreaties for quiet, offers of getting picked up, threats of consequences, anything. Just get louder. Try to do this at a time/place where you KNOW Mom doesn't have the hands to hold you. In fact, hit the baby so that Mom is REALLY frazzled.

Second, when Mom starts to pick you up to take you out for said consequences, pull yourself up as tall as you can and THROW yourself flat on the ground. Start kicking and screaming. Words aren't really necessary, just volume. If Mom picks you up, arch, wiggle and flail until you are back on the ground. Stand up. THROW yourself on the ground again. Start with the theatrics. Drag yourself across the ground, rubbing your face along to get maximum dirtiness. Then, get on your hands and knees and crawl to the nearest hard surface. THROW yourself at it.

Once you have had enough, crawl back to Mom and let her know you will allow her to hold you now. Whimper softly and cuddle in her neck. However, if she goes to lock you in the stroller or carseat, repeat with steps one and two.

This is guaranteed to get change. Sure, it means bed/car seat for an undetermined amount of time, but hey, THAT'S change! You might even get to spend five minutes screaming at the top of your lungs inside the car while Mom inexplicably sits on the hood with her hands over her ears and her eyes closed. This week, I've done this sequence at the library, twice at home, and twice at the grocery store in one day (Mom left the grocery store in a hurry the first time and I didn't get to have my fit until we got to the car, but I got her back four hours later, don't worry).

If you are really in a vindictive mood, fall asleep during the two minute drive home and then refuse to take a nap. It is AWESOME!

Let me know your success stories! I'll be cheering you on!

Kiss?

2011-10-25T11:59:00.000-07:00

Are You Ready for Halloween?

2011-10-25T11:49:00.000-07:00

We are.

Ghosts lurking about?

Check.
Costumes made?

Check. I actually made this for Cambria, but Seamus wanted to try it on. The two little ones will be wearing costumes my mom made for us when we were little. Yea for recycling!
Practice Trick-or-Treating?

Check. Cambria noted to me that they were only putting the HEALTHY treats in their cute bags (from Aunt Courtney). She didn't want ANY candy. We'll see how long that sentiment holds up when she is actually offered some.

Cute smile ready to charm some candy for Mom and Dad?

Check.

This is the way...

2011-10-16T10:34:00.000-07:00

This is the way the children experience the zoo.

This is the way Aislinn gets into everything that isn't tied down. (Cupboards opened, stairs climbed, furniture walked, grocery bags destroyed).

This is the way Aislinn eats a hole in anything she finds.

This is the way we play shapes and color matching with sticks. (Though, Cambria wanted to match colors and Seamus wanted to build the shape I named. Apparently, I'm not good at planning age appropriate activities.)

This is the way Mom introduces a huge messy activity in a desperate attempt to get dinner made.

This is the most coveted toy in the house.

This is the way we pass slow afternoons.

This is the way sanity is lost. And found. :)

Evolution of a Craving

2011-10-16T10:23:00.000-07:00

Baked Pumpkin Donut Holes

As a child, I thought: Mmm. Donuts

As a young woman, I thought: Mmm. Donuts. How many minutes of work do these cost?

As a mother-of-three, I thought: Mmm. Donuts. How many minutes of running do these cost?

And then I ate them anyway.

Mother of the Year?

2011-09-25T18:18:00.000-07:00

Went to Coolidge today to say good-bye to my cousin, Wyatt. He is off to the Sierra Leone Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He will pay his own way through two years of service and looking for opportunities to share the gospel with others.

Certainly, HIS mother is awesome. It remains to be seen whether MY kids will make it to that point. For instance, today, after the drive up, I fed Aislinn and then returned to the chapel. Sacrament Meeting started. My little eight-month-old Wiggly Worm couldn't stand to be held, so I let her crawl around on the floor. Yep. I'm THAT mom. They announced the sacrament hymn when Aislinn started gagging. I quickly pulled her up and did a finger-sweep. Guess what fell out. No really. Guess. Not a Cheerio. Not a candy wrapper. Nope.

A WASP. THERE WAS A FREAKING DEAD WASP IN MY DAUGHTER'S MOUTH.

Yep. I'm awesome. Let's just leave it at that.

I Could Eat You Up!

2011-09-19T20:20:00.001-07:00

Literally.

This is Aislinn's new smile. She wants to be sure you notice her teeth. She has another coming in on top. Hopefully, she will be nicely lopsided for Halloween.

Aislinn only sleeps on her tummy. If you put her in bed, she automatically rolls over. This is what happens when you go running after bedtime:

I think she was trying to roll onto her tummy. She "laid" like this for 20 minutes. How is that more comfortable than sitting back in the chair?

This is what Melanie looks like an hour after running.

Sad, huh? But, I can run 2.75 mi now (up from nothing-no-how-never seven weeks ago) and should hit 3.2 next week. WooHoo! Which leads me to this next picture.

Hello, skinny-jeans (my skinny, not fashionable skinny-jeans; those are yucky). Haven't seen you in almost three years. :)

And to end, a brief tribute to Superman (and Dad being the childcare provider)

And to the cutest little boy ever.

I Hate Girls

2011-09-08T09:20:00.001-07:00

(warning: post contains PG-10 content. Do not blame me if you want to throw up if you choose to continue reading)

I hate girls. I really do. I get annoyed with the over-the-topness that some girls put on. I get annoyed with the reading-too-much into each syllable and nuance. I get annoyed with the waterworks and the huffiness. I get annoyed with the "blame my hormones" stuff a lot. Really? Are you going to let that ruin 1-2 weeks per month of FIFTY YEARS of your life? Suck it up, sweetheart. The rest of us don't want to hear it.

That being said, there is nothing like a girl when you want to talk. Boys talk differently. Which is fine. But sometimes it is fun to be with the girls and do silly talk. Girls are great friends and not-so-great roommates. This is not meant to offend those sisters and girls out there who were actually my roommates. I just prefer male roommates. Specifically the one who won't move out and is sealed to me for all eternity.

This is all a great introduction to me pulling a girl-stunt the other night. That's right. I did. And I'm disgusted with myself for it. After dropping some oh-so-subtle hints that I was not happy (and being rightfully ignored- if you want a change you have to vocalize. They are MALE after, all), I grabbed a book and went to bed. When he finally got in bed, he kissed me good-night, told me he loved me and turned off the light. WHAT?! No deep questions into why my body language was frigid? No holding me down and forcing it out of me? How DARE he! Which is what was running through my head when I finally admitted to myself that I was being a girl. So, I started praying really hard for the ability to control my hormones. I analyzed the evening and had to admit that he had done nothing wrong. Any other night, I might have been slightly annoyed, would have told him so and things would have been fixed and over. So why am I trembling with rage and wanting to lash out? Why am I vacillating between wanting to cry and scream? After some deep breathing and prayer, I turned the light back on, and he raised an eyebrow. Yes, friends, he was waiting me out. Because, apparently, it's obvious that I can't stay mad for long, and the more demonstratively angry I am, the shorter the fit lasts. Which knowledge did not really calm me down at the moment. So I said (politely!) what was on my mind. He acknowledged that I was angry and WAITED. Stupid boy. Doesn't he know he is supposed to apologize and sweep me off my feet with promises to do better? Okay, maybe that is a slightly unreasonable expectation for him to apologize for my emotions. So, what? :) Which is when I decided to rub his back rather than rip his eyes out.

I read once, that successful couples spend at least 15 minutes every day in skin-to-skin contact. It doesn't sound like a lot when you're newlyweds and spend every waking and sleeping moment all over each other, but it is amazing what a little hand-holding or back-rubbing can do for you when you're juggling three kids, two jobs, church callings and more.

So, to end this TMI post, I eventually snuggled up to him and calmed down. Completely. And felt the calm influence of the Spirit return to my home. As I'm lying there, I murmur into his back, "What goes through your mind as your wife turns into a raging hormonal mess?" To his credit, he just laughed. And everything is okay again. Why? Because I don't live with a girl.

Z is for Zoo

2011-08-30T14:25:00.000-07:00

I promised Cambria that we would take Seamus to the zoo for his birthday. She was VERY upset when we didn't get to go that day. So, when preschool got cancelled today, I loaded up the kids and we went. Ha! If only life were that easy...

First, we had to establish that, yes, I did lose the zoo pass. Would they let me in without it? How much would it cost me?

Second, we could not find Cambria's lace-up shoes. My house is not a mess. Really. However, her shoes are not in it. Anywhere. Last recall? Seamus was stomping around in them. Who knows where they are. I probably need to clean out each toy bucket.

Third, Aislinn is screaming like she's dying. Oh yea, those vaccines from yesterday are making her life WONDERFUL. Out of ibuprofen. Shovel in some acetaminophen.

Fourth, in all this hoopla, Seamus has escaped with Cambria and his hats. I'm pretty sure he has found a black hole to throw them in.

Off to the zoo (one hour late). Talk about all the animals we will see, what they eat, where they live, etc. etc. A trip to the zoo can be educational too, right?

This is our first trip to the zoo when it isn't winter or cloudy/rainy. Therefore, this is the first time I show my kids the splash-pad. We end up spending 1.5 of the 2.75 hours here. Educational my foot.

"Baff, Momma? Baff?!"

Glory in the Rain!

Run for your life!!!

And the favorite... COW SLOBBER!

Next stop? Feeding the giraffes. Another first for Seamus and first time in 2 years for Cambria. After much screaming, hiding and gnashing of teeth, Eleanor was given four carrot sticks. As we are walking away, Cambria says, "That was SO fun! Can we do it again?!"

On our way to the polar bear, we had to stop and observe the construction.

Another thirty minutes well spent talking about the different trucks and what they do. On our way to the Learning Center, we stop for twenty minutes to watch the airplanes overhead. Quickly pet the two animals on display and listen to a story. Then we color by the fish tank for twenty minutes. Are you keeping track? Yep, we maybe spent half-an-hour with animals. That includes climbing all the statuary.

This is why this post says "Z is for Zoo" and not "A is for Animals." Why would you see animals at the zoo?

At least we had fun!

TWO-TWO!!!

2011-08-27T19:14:00.000-07:00

So, Famous Seamus (it rhymes, people) turned the grand ol' two-years-old this week. He is learning new words everyday (today's was "Pahnpa" for Grandpa) and trying to do everything the big kids do. We celebrated with a little party with a slight emphasis on his favorite thing ever... TRAINS!

I made him an engineer costume. I don't think he got that it had anything to do with trains. He hated it and only wore the overalls under duress. *Sigh* Way to go with a present he hates, Mom!

Some cousins came over and helped us decorate train cars.

Aislinn just loved the opportunity to chase something down and crawl in it.

I made some raspberry sorbet, chocolate cookies with chocolate-chip-cookie-dough dip, and train cake for the occasion.

Scott made some delicious salsa for those more interested in savory flavors. I tried to make some banana and toffee ice cream, but it is still half-frozen in my freezer eight hours later. The liquid tastes really good, though. If you want some, come on over tomorrow. It might actually be frozen then. >:-S

One of the funniest parts of the afternoon was Grandpa showing Seamus some train footage on his laptop. As far as Seamus was concerned, that WAS the party. Who needs cake or ice cream or presents if you could sit down and listen to a train OVER and OVER and OVER and OVER and ... you get the idea.

And a last funny note...

I caught Scott on the stairs with Seamus's new board book Dinosaur ABCs. Very interesting reading. Boys don't really ever grow up!

We love you, Seamus! Thank you for all the giggles and the fun. Thank you for never letting us be serious for long. Thank you for always being willing to help clear the table or put away the dishes or groceries. Thank you for loving to be outside and be active. You are teaching me wonderful things about patience and love and Heavenly Father's eternal plan. Happy 2nd Birthday!

Oh What do You do in the Summertime?

2011-08-16T19:11:00.000-07:00

... when all the world is HOT?!

Do you garden?

We have tomatoes coming out our ears. Cherry, grape, yellow pear and beef steak tomatoes appear in our dinner menu every day. And I can still be picky about which ones I want. We've gotten two cantaloups, with two more on the vine. Innumerable jalapenos, anaheims, habaneros, and eight bell peppers. Salsa anyone? Scott has been making salsa every ten days or so. YUMMY! We've also got okra growing faster than we can eat it. Scott finally just took out the plants this weekend. Our strawberries did not work out again this year and our zucchini was fairly pathetic fruit-wise. It certainly put out enough vines, though. Yea that we figured out the gardening thing a little, though, on our third attempt in this house. I'm excited to get onions, lettuce and spinach again this winter!

Do you play dress-up?

Do you read?

Cambria is reading like a champ now. She insists on reading the whole verse of scripture by herself every night. She reads all the billboards and cars. The only drawback? I can't skip words/pages when we read together anymore. :( No more shortcuts. Those Bernstein Bear books are going to get a lot longer! Seamus can pick out a handful of letters. It's fun to watch Cambria try to teach him.

Do you start school?

Yep, we are in Vail District, which starts in the middle of July. I found a group of moms to do a preschool with again this year. Cambria was excited for new kids, and I love the effort that the moms have put in so far. She's doing graphs, addition, music, etc. The pressures on when my turn comes in October! Also, one of the women in my neighborhood started up a little co-op nursery school for two-year-old boys. We haven't started yet, but I am excited to have something special for Seamus to do once a week. They are a fun group of girls, so I think it will be fun.

Do you make trains out of everything?

Besides LEGOs and TP tubes, we also currently have trains in our house made of magnets, books, shoes and (surprise) train cars. Can we say obsessed?

Do you go swimming?

I love having a pool that I don't have to maintain but I do get to enjoy whenever I feel like it. Cambria is still a little hesitant, but she is putting her face under, kicking and floating. Maybe next year she will actually swim. Seamus and Aislinn are both good floaters and Seamus has recently learned to monkey-walk around the edge. You can't beat the pool when the temps spike!

It's been a fun summer. I'm excited for things to get a little cooler, though, so that we can do more things outdoors without melting. Scott and I decided to try the Couch-2-5k program. We are four weeks in. I love that I feel skinnier (even if I'm only a couple pounds down), but I have to say, running is not my thing. My clear skin flushes instantly and stays flushed for hours after. Ick. I definitely like sweating in the water more than on land. However, running is definitely easier to do with three kids than swimming is. So... I'm learning to run. And my husband makes me look bad. But that's okay. Sometime in November, when all my tests are done, I'm planning on doing a 5k. Anyone want to join us?

Six Months!

2011-08-16T18:50:00.000-07:00

My baby girl is six months old! She can prove it, too. Recent accomplishments include:

CRAWLING (since just under five months)! She inch-worms at a speed directly proportional to the interest she has in the object ahead of her. Shoes are a definite hands-down winner. Do not leave shoes on the floor ANYWHERE. She will find them and suck on them. Which brings me to milestone number two:

TEETH! She has two spiny little suckers peeking out through the bottom. While they have made her grouchy, they haven't made her lose much nighttime sleep. For which her parents are VERY grateful!

And since crawling opens up new worlds: SITTING! She actually managed this just after six months. Why? Because she was too busy crawling and getting into things to sit still. But she is a master at getting up to sitting, scoping out the chewing possibilities and going back to crawling in order to munch.

Which leads us to PULLING UP! Yea, not so thrilled about this one. She's only done it three or four times, but when she does get up, she takes a few sideways steps along the couch. Hopefully, she'll be like Seamus and stop here for six months before learning to free walk. **cross fingers**

We are loving our baby! She loves to giggle and coo. She loves to talk to strangers, but has recently learned separation anxiety. She is happiest with one of her parents holding her. She is surviving having two siblings that are alternately too loving and too rough. With all her chunky rolls, I keep warning them that she will be big enough to fight back soon. Then WO unto them! Happy six months, Aislinn! May you have many more!

Happy Independence Day!

2011-07-09T12:36:00.001-07:00

This year, we packed the kids into the new car (notice how unsquished they are!) and trekked up-country to Durango, CO for the long weekend.

The McLeods opened up their beautiful, new home, and we met them and the Knapps (Scott's sister) there for some good times. The next picture is Nick and Scott doing shots of straight, thick cranberry juice. Mmm.

Scott brought a 1000 pc puzzle of Fall leaves. It was amusing but turned out to be a little ambitious for the time we had. Maybe next time.

Friday we took a drive down Memory Lane and visited the McLeod's old home in Durango and drove past the schools and other sites of interest. We heard funny and not-so-funny stories and laughed a lot. (Remember the hiding fudge?)

Scott was amazed at how much the trees had grown in more than a decade. We visited Honeyville and showed the kids the inside of a beehive and ate some honey sticks. Mmm.

Saturday we devoted to all things train. First a visit to the train museum where I could have spent a lot more time. Cambria was afraid the engine would move while she was in it and so didn't really enjoy our visit all that much.

Then we caught the early train to Silverton. It was breathtaking views all the way.

The weather was not too hot or cold and the kids LOVED the whistle. However, they responded exactly the same way EVERY time it blew. It got a little old for us adults but not them! The best part was that both Aislinn and Seamus slept on the train.

The rest of us could enjoy the views and relax. (MUCH different from the two little ones screaming a large chunk of the drive up. Apparently, car seats are NOT popular items in our family.) If you go to Durango, I would definitely recommend the train.

We ate lunch at the famous BBQ place and moseyed around until our train was due back. And then we bought some last minute Turtle Fudge. Mmm. I am a firm believer of avoiding anything diet-like while on vacation. :) Cambria discovered dandelions. It was hilarious. She picked at least a hundred and blew them everywhere. Hope nobody in Silverton really wanted them out of their lawns.

That night, the McLeodians the Elder convinced me to let go of the kids for a few hours so that we could go out with Courtney and Nick. It was fun just to catch up on what everyone is up to.

Sunday, we enjoyed the rain, the church (seeing some old friends) and just laughing around with the family. These are my favorite kind of days! Seamus and Cambria walked right into their classes without a backwards glance. Now, why can't they do that every week? I'm convinced it was the toy vacuum cleaner that got Seamus into Nursery. AND AND AND!!! Seamus came out of Nursery with a coloring page with his name on it... SPELLED CORRECTLY. They didn't have a roll or anything. WOW! See! I promise I didn't make up the spelling. It seriously made my day to see that written on his paper. Simple minds = simple pleasures.

For Independence Day, we packed up (with the kids in the outfits I made) for a day in the great outdoors near Silverton. It started off with a parade through town. I have to admit this is the first parade I ever remember attending. It was lots of fun. All the little shops did cars. There were miners and veterans and saloon girls and hydraulic rock crawlers and vintage cars and ATVs, etc. Everyone threw necklaces and candy for the kids. Cambria and Grandma got quite the stash. Scott and I were not being very aggressive, so Seamus had 1 necklace and about halfway through the parade. A little girl about 8(?) noticed and adopted him. She soon overwhelmed him with beads and candy. It was really sweet.

(notice this is the best pic I got of the three of them together. I was sad that they wouldn't cooperate)

During the parade, the Blue Angels did a fly-by. Seamus was in HEAVEN! In fact, I think most people in the crowd had huge grins on their faces as they watched the jets weave through the canyon. At the end, the rival fire departments had a water fight. The poor things took it hard for the amusement of the crowd! I would not want to be the one getting fire hose pressure in the face!

(This was before they got down with their hoses)

Afterwards, we followed the brass band to a park and had a picnic lunch complete with Scott's favorite Strawberry Rhubarb Pie (or crisp, as the pies were sold out by the time we arrived).

We listened to the band, ate a little lunch, fried our faces and froze our feet (in the nearby creek) and generally had a blast.

We smashed some pennies on the railroad track on our way out of town. Cambria was distraught thinking that we were going to crush the pennies into little pieces. She didn't think the flat coins were as cool as her parents. Oh well. Maybe next time.
Next, we broke in the Suburban with a little dirt road riding. It was beautiful. Raining (it waited until after our picnic, YEA!), green, cool, and full of leftover mines and cascades.

Scott and I definitely want to go back soon and just ramble around back there.

We headed back to the park for a picnic dinner and running around before heading up the hill for fireworks. These exploded RIGHT above us! You could feel the breath rush out of your lungs with the concussion. Somehow, Seamus managed to fall asleep a couple times during the show. I am not sure how. Aislinn did amazing until the huge storm that was the Grand Finale. Such a great baby! Traffic was a bit of a hangup on the way back to Durango, but the kids watched part of a movie and were pretty good.

All in all, it was a GREAT weekend, one that we hope to repeat. I am so grateful that we live in this country where we have the freedom to worship God publicly and privately. That we have the freedom to elect our leaders and change things that we have a problem with. I am so grateful to live close to family and to be able to raise my own in a place where good education and good health are available.
God Bless America!

Ruining that New Car Smell

2011-07-06T18:29:00.000-07:00

You know the smell of new car? It's gross. Really gross. Scott and I knew we needed new tires for our trip to Durango this last weekend. When we priced out tires, we cringed. We are planning on extending our family eventually (this is NOT an announcement) and knew we would be upgrading the truck in the next year or two. Should we really spend money on tires when our truck would depreciate that much over the next year? We prayed and wavered and prayed some more. Then we went out and looked at some used SUVs because neither Scott nor I think much of minivans. Shopping was a little disheartening. Tahoes and similarly sized vehicles were not what we had envisioned. I took our BOB with us. The salesmen laughed at me when I said I wanted a car that would fit it. "It will fit without the third row!" Great. That is exactly what I don't want. It wouldn't even fit with half the back seat gone. Could I live without BOB? Yes. But I did need room for an ice chest or two and some sleeping bags. Scott and I went home and on the drive Scott said, "Maybe I can get over my hatred of minivans." So we internet shopped for vans. Not impressed. Same MPGs, same cargo area, less power, same price. We decided to get tires.
And then we saw a used Suburban on one of the sites. Mmm! Hunger. We went to talk to the dealer just to see what they could do for us. After walking out twice and haggling like little old women on a pension, we drove off in her. YEA! Four wheel drive, lots of room, and it got 20 MPG on the way to and from Durango (as in Salt River Canyon and lots of mountains). Oh yea, and it has an entertainment center, something I would never buy or pay extra for, but if it's thrown in with the deal...
So, we got a new car. Scott was sad to say goodbye to the truck, but he loves the fact that the Suburban has a 2' smaller turning radius despite being 17in longer. As mentioned, we hate new car smell.

Problem solved. :)

On a side note, we passed lots of Tahoes on the way. All of them had cargo loaded on top. Bet they were NOT getting 20 MPGs!

Frenetic Frenulums

2011-07-06T18:18:00.000-07:00

Look!

Seamus can stick his tongue out! What talent! What style!

I know this is going to backfire, but we currently are cheering and doing happy dances every time Seamus sticks his tongue out. On the 22nd of June, the ENT snipped away at the bottom of his tongue. Seamus was a trooper and never even cried. Not in Pre-Op, not in recovery, not until after his nap that day. And THEN he was grumpy. But it only lasted a little while. We were told to encourage lots of tongue extension in order to help Seamus learn to use those muscles. It has taken a while. Popsicles and lollipops are automatically stuck in his mouth. I gave him and Cambria applesauce without spoons. Cambria thought it was lots of fun and licked right in. Seamus looked at me like I was crazy. However, this past week, I've caught him playing with his tongue frequently. He sticks it out, wiggles it around, sucks on it. Yea! Maybe his dental health will improve. We can hope at least. Also in the last two weeks (though not necessarily related) Seamus has learned four or five new words! This doubles his total! He can now say important words like "Ha-tuh" (hat) and "ou-tuh" (out or down) and "shu-urr" (sure, here and thanks).

Two years old... here we come! Now he can REALLY sport an attitude.

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-20T13:00:00.000-07:00

We were thinking hard of something that Scott would really enjoy for Father's Day. So, we pooled our resources and got him an all-inclusive, 6-day vacation in cool Northern Arizona away from the hustle and bustle of his job and family. Just outside of Flagstaff, Scott enjoyed the cool pine woods with gentle breezes (sustained at about 45mph), gourmet food (best he's ever had, in fact), hiking, swimming, welding, shooting and other educational activities. All that and, in exchange, he only had to ride herd on 11 Boy Scouts. What a treat!
But he did survive Scout Camp and is quite disappointed thinking that next year it won't be as dry and he'll have to go back to Camp Lawton instead. We'd say IF he gets to go to Scout Camp, but he's gone most years we've been married. He returned Saturday after I got to work and took the kids to a birthday party that went late. What a trooper. Then Sunday, we let him sleep in, made him breakfast in bed and piled back in the car for another road trip. My uncle got called to be a Mission President in the Philippines and is leaving this week. Aislinn screamed from Picacho Peak to Valencia/Nexus. It was fun times. Thank you to my husband who realizes that being a dad isn't always glamorous, but he loves it anyways. He is the best!

Really, for Father's Day, I took pictures of the kids, cleaned them up a bit in photoshop and framed them. I hung them on his side of the bed and I love them! He smiled and stared for a bit when he saw them, which is the best thank you he could have given me. I love you, Scott!

Thank you to my dad, too, for all the love and laughter he's given me over the years! I love you, Dad!

Thank you to my father-in-law for all the help and happiness he brings into our lives.

Happy Father's Day, everyone!

Now We Are Three

2011-06-14T22:26:00.000-07:00

Fun Times

2011-06-01T19:56:00.000-07:00

Did you know that plastic cars break down? They do.

Good thing we have a certified mechanic to get us back on the road. (Where do kids come up with this stuff? Maybe he is changing the oil?)

He flips it over and says "chkachkachkachk" and then signs "all done" and flips it back up. His car needs oil changes about every three feet.

Cambria completed a whole year of Joy School. She sang "Oh, Boy! I've got Joy!" and did a cheer for us at their graduation. Huge grin the whole time, of course.

She is kind of confused about the fact that she is going to preschool again next year and not to Kindergarten with the majority of her friends. Sucks to hang out with older kids, I guess. I found a new group of moms to do a co-op with again next year. Maybe by the year after, I'll turn uncheap and let Seamus go to a formal preschool. I wouldn't bet on it, though. :) We're so proud of her growth this year, though. Even though she still won't talk to many adults, she will initiate play and conversation with other children. That is a HUGE improvement from this time last year. Hopefully, in another year, she will be all ready for kindergarten.

Lastly, our chunky monkey, Aislinn, continues to grow. She is rolling like a mad woman and scoots (very, very slowly) towards a desired play thing. At four months, she is 15.5 lbs and 23.5 in. HUGE compared to her siblings at that age. She can't catch someone's eye without a huge, dimply grin and will start cooing and giggling if someone smiles back at her. In other words, we'll keep her.

She is like a shot of happy.

***On a side note, we've opted not to do ear tubes for the time being. However, Seamus is getting his tongue clipped on June 22nd. When the ENT walked in and said, "He's tongue-tied? Oh, we need to fix that now. No problem. We'll get it done fast." I almost cried. I still almost cry thinking about it. But what would my life have been like if I had asked for a second opinion 21 months ago? (My pediatricians assured me that NO ONE clipped tongues anymore.) I wouldn't have had problems feeding him. No mastitis. He would've slept better. I would have gotten more than 20 minutes of sleep at a time. I wouldn't have been depression for months... The possibilities are endless. However, I can't go back and change it. Big, deep breath. Maybe I learned something essential to my eternal well-being. Besides the need to ask for a second opinion. Ak! I'm tearing up just talking about it again.

The Honest Truth

2011-05-23T14:37:00.000-07:00

C: How do cheetahs fight critters, I mean criditers?

M: You mean critters?

C: NO! I mean CREDITORS... you know, animals that destroy other animals?

Torn

2011-05-21T09:10:00.001-07:00

Cambria got into the crayons about a month ago. Scribbled all over her wall. I made her scrub it off. She cried the whole time. A week later, she scribbled all over my couch. I made her scrub it off. It took three hours (crying of course). I took away all her writing utensils for a week. Today, I finished getting Seamus dressed and found this:

That's right. She decided to label her "tes up box". This photo is after she realized I would notice and started wiping it off. Because, luckily, it was washable marker. From my scrapbooking stuff. Kept on a shelf. In a closed room.
So, I'm kind of impressed at her sounding out skills and her initiative. And I'm mad as heck that she got into stuff she knows is off limits to do something she knows is wrong. Because there is PLENTY of coloring paper and kids' markers left out for her to color with. Argh. However, I managed to not smile while she cleaned it up. Or sent her to bed.

But I did snap a picture.

A Busy Week

2011-05-15T19:40:00.000-07:00

Phew! It is May 15th. I made it! The second week of May is always an exciting one in our house. There is Mother's Day, Scott's birthday, my birthday, college graduation and the advent of a Tucson summer. Yes, I realize that summer is a month away, but swimming season is definitely in full swing! This year, we decided to add a lethal stomach bug into the mix. Seamus got it first and deposited large gouts of vomit all over my truck. The kid has projection skills because I had to wash all of my dashboard. Next Cambria started and we moved her out of the girls' room and in with Seamus. The idea was to minimize carpet death, but she managed to hit the bucket every time after that first. I love big girls! She was tossing her cookies (or at least trying) every half hour all night, so I made a temporary bed outside their room. While I was gone, the demon snuck downstairs and hit Scott. Hard. At about nine the next morning, he was leeched of any color, unable to move (numb limbs) and had stabbing chest pain. He couldn't get off the toilet or stop vomiting for over three hours. TMI? Oh well. Much thanks to my dad who came to stand guard over my little ones so I could roll Scott to the ER. The nurses were quite impressed at the Karo syrup consistency of his blood. The part I hated most is that this bug did NOTHING to decrease my kids' energy. How fair is that?! If they are that sick, they are supposed to nap all day!!! I swear, it's an unwritten law. Look it up. However, the carpets are cleaned, the mountains of laundry done, the IV bruises healing, the bathrooms scrubbed and no one has thrown up for a week. Now, if only Seamus's intestines would fully recover, we might be able to move on. :)

On OUR birthday (May 12th), my family and I went to Outback to celebrate my sister-in-law's NAU graduation. She made it! Congratulations, Monica! I know how hard it is to go that last mile and finish your last few classes! I hope you reveled in your walk across the stage because you deserve it! Thanks for letting us celebrate with you. Too bad I forgot my camera!

For my birthday, I tried out a few new recipes. I made Martha Stewart Devil's Food cupcakes and then filled them with marshmellow creme and topped them with fudgy whipping cream. Mmm! I only made 12 since we still have Cloud Cakes, lemon cupcakes from Scott's birthday, and we were going out that night. However, those cupcakes are SO good that I have to admit there are only two left. And the kids ate one each. Oops. Maybe I burned a few of the calories off at the zoo and the pool with the kids that day. Maybe. We also went out to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner with Scott's parents. Mmm. Jambalaya here I come. It was so good! Scott still hadn't quite recovered his appetite and so missed out on dessert. Too bad, we might have to go back sometime! :-P The culmination of the day was my gift from the McLeodian's: a new KitchenAid! YEA! My Bosch (bought second-hand and well-loved) has been beaten to pieces as I've made all our bread the last five months. It served well, but I am way excited for my new toy! Thanks! First two loaves are in the oven as we speak.

The final event of this week is that I decided that I should return to the world of adults. That's right. I went to work. For the first time in five months. I guess 27 year-olds have to be responsible. It was interesting to flex my mental muscles in ways they haven't been stretched for a while. Of course, I ended up having to dig deep into my peripheral brain file as the most obsolete, complicated things made their way to my desk. Seriously? On my first day back? But I survived and I am hoping that the next few weeks won't be quite so hectic. I love my day job. I don't really need another!

To the McCloud

2011-05-15T19:28:00.000-07:00

Better late than never...

On the 30th of April, I hosted a Little Debbie Cloud Cake House Party. If you've never heard of them, try out the website. You apply to host a party. If you are selected, they send you free samples and party favors that you then pass on to your guests. I've seen everything from video games to toddler toys to sewing machines to Kraft Foods to Athenos to Shutterfly... I think you get the point. The important part is that it is FREE with no salesperson breathing down your neck. :)

Back to my party. We tasted some Cloud Cakes, played a few games, ate some REAL cloud cake (my mom's recipe that I grew up with- whipped cream and pudding with grahams, mmm!) and veggies and mostly just sat around and talked. Thanks to those who made it, I had a blast! It was great to be a grown-up for a few hours. I hope you and your families all enjoyed your Cloud Cakes! My husband votes that Twinkies are better, but that these are an acceptable substitute. They are only 150 calories, which kind of surprised me. I was expecting more along the lines of three-hundred.

Happy Birthday!

2011-05-11T19:24:00.000-07:00

Happy 29th Birthday to the Love of my Life!

Just think, ten years ago he was graduating from high school with his sights set on the England London Mission. What a difference a decade makes!

Now he's an official Engineer in Training looking to take his Professional Engineer exam next fall with a wife, three kids and a mortgage. Poor thing. :-P We love him to death.

A few points of interest of this man at 29:

Current Occupation: M3 Engineering and Technology, designing the piping systems for the Rosemont Copper mine in Sahuarita

Favorite Way to Waste Time: Goldeneye for Wii

Favorite Way to Not Waste Time: Biking. He recently obtained a mountain bike and has been remembering how to use it. He has been an avid road biker for a while and enjoys all the bike trails/lanes around these parts.

Life's Ambition: To retire to a greenhouse and grow all his own food. Right now, his current obsession is growing peppers. Mostly hot, with a few sweet thrown in for his family.

Current Calling: YM 2nd Counselor. Scott has been in YM the majority of our marriage. He loves the campouts and the silly things the boys come up with.

Food Requested for Birthday Dinner: Ginger Chicken and Fried Rice (heavy on the ginger)

We love you, Scott!

Happy Mother's Day!!!

2011-05-08T11:36:00.000-07:00

Thank you to my beautiful mother for everything she taught me. Lately, thanks for teaching me how to entertain small children, even when they are sick. Thank you for showing me how to fill out hospital forms. Thank you for teaching me how to make Jell-O. Thank you for the new books currently keeping my kids entertained.

Thank you to my lovely mother-in-law for the silly songs she taught my husband (and my kids). Thank you for a patient husband who gets up when he's feeling crappy because he knows that two kids crying and vomiting slightly overwhelm me.

Thank you to a wonderful husband who smiles at me when his face is gray and chalky. Who reads a book to Seamus when he just wants to curl up in a ball in bed. Who goes to bed by himself without me forcing him too.

Thank you to my beautiful kids who made me a mother. Who teach me about creativity, patience and new ways to clean. Who show me how to love more than I could ever think was possible. Whose smiles make any day a good day.

To the stomach flu: You were an uninvited guest and you've overstayed your welcome. Get out.

FemiNazi Rant

2011-04-26T20:44:00.000-07:00

*The opinions opined in this rant should be taken with a grain of salt. No offense is meant. Please don't hate me forever.

Yes, I really did read that book. It was on the express shelf at the library, and I picked it up out of a mix of sympathy, antagonism and amusement. Scott rolled his eyes when he saw it in my pile. He pointed out that there was no way it wasn't written by a FemiNazi. I agreed, but read it anyway. It was full of about what you would expect: Princess Worship is killing our girls. Girls are an endangered species. Fairy Tales will lead to weak-minded women. Blah, blah, blah. However, I was surprised at a few of the points that the author raised. She wanted her daughter to reject stereotypes, but still admit that she was female. What?! I thought that wanting to be feminine was bad?! It also started several conversations (with myself, because that's who I talk to about adult things for the majority of the day) about how I want to raise my children.

Point One: I have nothing against Princess. If my daughter wants to explore frills, crowns and ribbons, let her. I may not exactly encourage it, but I am not going to tell her that lace objectifies women and so is not allowed. I am NOT, however, ever going to spring for brand-name attire. She will have to be her own princess without becoming one of the one's from Disney. We have had this conversation. That is why I put together a fairy tale story kit for her. There are a variety of girls, boys, and other characters that she can put together however she wants. I tell her a few of the stories and then she makes up new ones. I recognize elements from the stories and movies that we read/see, but I love that she takes it to different places, different endings, different personalities. There is something magical about being up on a pedestal. I wouldn't want it really (with great blessings come great responsibilities, after all), but it is fun to dress up for a day or an afternoon and PRETEND that you don't have to worry about mundane things. I see no harm in that.

Point Two: I guess I'm just immune to subliminal messages. I'm not blonde. Not really. Not compared to anyone else in my family. It has never bothered me that I didn't have a doll that looked like me. I never thought I needed boobs like Barbie. Sorry. Have I ever wished that I looked different? Okay, that's a dumb question to ask a new mother. Yes. But I'm not about to jump off the cliff into medical/surgical remodelling over it. I think you can buy a doll for your daughter and NOT send the message that you think she needs to turn into the doll. I think you can do that without actually picking up the doll and saying those specific words.

Point Three: Not all stereotypes need to be over analyzed. Women are nurturers. Deal with it. Every woman nurtures in her own way, but it is still there. Don't tell me that buying a kitchen for my daughter is wrong but that it is okay to buy one for my son. Get over it. They both play with it. Seamus eats, drinks, shares briefly and then starts banging and/or climbing. Cambria feeds her dolls and sister and has social parties. Is this wrong? Should I hide the dishes and tell my daughter that only brainwashed women end up barefoot and prego in the kitchen? Go jump in a lake. I'm proud of my life. I am an educated woman who uses that education the way God intended: HELPING OTHERS INSTEAD OF MYSELF. Ms Orenstein does mention that today's girls are much more self-centered than previous generations. Hmm. Maybe because we're telling them that the only true success is doing everything you can, everything YOU want, instead of trying to serve those around you. That worthy goals are becoming rich and beautiful instead of honest and helpful. I am so sick of the sideways looks from my peers that tell me exactly what they think of me staying home to raise my kids. They say "Good for you..." and then share a glance with each other that says "Glad you're not me." I am one of THREE women out of twenty under the age of fifty that have children (One other was raised LDS, by the way). The rest are firmly entrenched in "establishing" themselves and their careers. Some mentioned that they thought about having kids, but that it really just never came up at a good time. Well, sucks for you. My kids teach me more than a job ever could. They make me better and stretch my horizons.

Point Four: I did actually commit to change my parenting style because of this book. I thought hard about what I tell my children when I praise them. Am I praising things about THEM or about their ACTIONS or about things that they can't control? Am I praising the EFFORT or the RESULT? Food for thought. I want my kids to grow up eager to learn. I want them to ask questions. Really. Despite the fact that my four-year-old regularly drives me insane with questions. Maybe I need to work on that. I need to work on praising the things that I love and not just criticizing the things I want changed (like incessant whining).

Final Point: The author spends a lot of time arguing against feminine toys and culture because of the materialism of it. I have to disagree. First, you DON'T have to buy anything for your child. You can throw out any offending toy. There will never be anything like a Bratz doll in my house. Ever. My daughter got a new swimsuit. It came as a three piece suit: rashguard, bikini top, bottom. Needless to say, the bikini top got tossed with the tags. We had a brief talk about modesty, and the subject was dropped and never brought up again. Secondly, materialism instead of morality is a family choice. We talk about how Cinderella helped those around her. We don't buy Cinderella sheets. Cambria knows that presents come for holidays. That's it. We can wait until then. She doesn't even ask for things when we walk down the toy aisle because she knows we never buy them. You can use movies to teach morals if you want. You can read in the sexism and whatever. Or you can emphasize the morals your family upholds. I used to roll my eyes when my mother would comment after every movie ("Notice they only got in trouble after they slept together") but I find myself doing it now. Apparently, I learned something from those one-sentence-lessons she gave.

In conclusion, I think this woman needs to take Valium. I don't think the world is going to corrupt her daughter without her permission. However, I do think that she puts a lot of blame on the toy/entertainment industry that should rest firmly on the shoulders of parents. Teach your kid to want uplifting things. If everyone did that, we wouldn't have to worry about our girls sexting random boys. I would actually recommend this book because it reminded me exactly why I make certain parenting decisions.

One last thing that I decided while reading this book: I need to be careful about how I talk about certain things in front of my children. Scott and I use a lot of scorn when we talk about two groups of women: those who go to college to get their MRS degree (defined as not seeking a degree or getting one in something that cannot be translated into a job), and FemiNazis (defined as women who see all men as out to get them, unworthy of them, cheaters, slobs, etc). So, what if my kids don't want to go to college? Could I deal with that? Probably not. Could I deal with one of them majoring in (horrors!) business? They would probably take a lot of flak. In other words, I need to work on my portrayal of what is acceptable. Not everyone will go to college. Not everyone will go into the only useful field (being science, of course). I want my children to understand that my love and acceptance of them is not conditional upon them becoming my ideal person. It is upon finding out what their Father in Heaven knows they can be and becoming THAT. Loving him or herself, serving others and not selling themselves short. That is what life should be about. Covered in lace or mud, I want my children to know that.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-26T20:16:00.000-07:00

I finally joined the dark side. I made hairbows for my baby. Headbows, really, as her hair is coming in at a rate of half-a-millimeter per month. Standard for one of mine, in other words. When Cambria was born, the huge flowers weren't quite in yet. They came around the time she turned one or so. And I thought they looked ridiculous. I guess I still think that on tiny babies. However, I am trying to convince Cambria to let me do more to her hair than the clips that fall out after ten minutes. So, we're doing bows, braids, curls as a family. Gag, I know. That means I have to do my hair. :)

Anyway, for Easter, I made bowties, ties and hairbows for my kids. I bought fat quarters for a buck and made bows for each child and a tie if there was enough fabric left. I also did the flower clip thing. The ties are SO cute! I love dressing up little boys. Maybe because I hated dressing up so much as a child, I hate dressing up my girls. Especially in the overly fru-fru dresses. A little is fun; a lot reminds me of those people with their pet miniature poodles. Gag, again.

So, I'm trying it. I laugh every time I look at Aislinn with these contraptions on her head. Cambria has enough hair to make it work. Maybe.

For Easter, we went to my parents' and dyed eggs. And we made marshmellows. And dipped them in chocolate. Mmm. Much eating to be had by all.

Sunday, we went to the McLeods'. Mmm. Much eating to be had by all.

Mostly though, I viewed this Easter as a success because not only did all my children sit reverently through Sacrament Meeting, my four-year-old can tell you the reason we celebrate. AWESOME! We spent the morning with the Scripture Readers and the Primary song book. It was awesome. I love my kids!

Suggestions?

2011-04-13T20:44:00.000-07:00

So, I'm taking the reading challenge. Kind of. Mostly I'm just procrastinating studying for my exam in October. However, I have begun a list of all the books over 100pgs that I've read this year. I know I've missed a few that I checked out on my Sony Reader and now can't remember. You can comment on the (lack of) variety if you like. Just remember that I have three kids. I read to destress.
But, do you have any suggestions? Things that you have read recently or not so recently that you would recommend? I don't really have a restrictive style of reading. Well, except biography. I have yet to find a biography I didn't have to force myself through. Yuck. :)

Sisters

2011-04-09T10:48:00.000-07:00

Cambria, 5 months

Aislinn, 2 months

Gotta love those rolls!

Tickle, Tickle!

2011-04-09T10:37:00.001-07:00

Blessed

2011-03-31T10:53:00.001-07:00

On Sunday, Aislinn was given a name and a blessing by her father. The purpose of this is to put Aislinn on the records of the church so that she can be looked after by the other members wherever she goes throughout her life. We believe that God loves us as individuals and we can only look after the individuals if we know them individually. Scott was able to convey to Aislinn (and us) some of the blessings that God has in store for her as she strives to come closer to Him.

It was also a great time to get together as family and eat good food. Thanks to all who came and helped. Mmm, jambalaya was GOOD!

One of my college roomies stopped by for the occasion. I hadn't seen her in three years and it was fun to catch up.

On a side note, Aislinn measured average height and weight at her two month appointment on Monday. We were not expecting such a comparatively chunky baby! This was evidenced by the fact that her dress barely buttoned. I would have cried!!!

Mommy Comfort Needed

2011-03-28T20:28:00.000-07:00

I keep telling myself that I have the education to answer my own question, but I don't have the emotional reserve to do so. So... requesting back-up:

My baby has an ear infection. The second in under a month. Awesome. AND she's barely two months old. Which is bad. My pediatrician is wonderful. I love that she sits down and thinks verbally. I love being able to follow her train of thought, ask a question and see her mind work to answer it. I love that she is talking the WHOLE time she is in the room about what she is thinking and observing. I love that she takes her time and double checks everything before she leaves. I trust her opinion. She talks about how she's concerned about two infections in that short a time. Obviously, it's flu season and I have a nursery-age child in a HUGE ward. Germ Central. I'm not concerned about the colds. She mentions that if Aislinn gets sick again soon, we might want to do a work-up to make sure nothing the baby doesn't have a compromised immune system. I concede the point, but I still think it's unlikely. However, I don't like that both colds she's had so far have turned into ear infections. So... to tube or not to tube? Anyone have experience? Seamus also has an ear infection. At least his eighth or ninth. To tube or not to tube? Seamus has a grand total of three words. His comprehension vocabulary is fine, but he doesn't speak anything but babble. Is this due to his maleness? His ear infections (some of which I think I've made him suffer through because he wasn't running a fever so I didn't take him in) clogging his hearing?

Blah. I've read a couple review articles that debate the pros and cons of ear tubes. I'm willing to go see the ENT (who happens to be Scott's old Priest's advisor) and discuss it. What makes me nervous is the anesthesia on such a wee one. And yes, I do know that they do it daily. However, I don't do it daily. All you experienced mommas: are you more comfortable now letting them wheel your baby out? Has anyone HAD tubes? Kids have tubes? (And yes, I know I'm being a baby. It's not eye or heart surgery. )

Time Moves Quickly

2011-03-24T19:04:00.000-07:00

So, before my baby gets blessed on Sunday, I figured I should post a few pictures of the last two months. Without further ado:

Mesmerized

Welcome Home, Sister!

Thank you, Grandma!

Snoozin' in the Sun

First Bath!

Funny Faces

Classic Daddy Love

Chubby Cheeks (my first rolly baby!)

Aislinn is a blessing of a third child. She is SO mellow! From six to six, she is a little angel baby who rarely cries. Usually she wails only when Seamus whacks her. Occasionally, she gets hungry early and whimpers a little. However, she really eats almost to the dot every three hours all day long. It is heavenly! She is sleeping through the night now. We put her down between eight and nine and she sleeps until four or five. WOW! I didn't know life could be so good again. We just need to work on the evening hours between six and nine. She fairly often screams through this part of the day. Which, unfortunately, is when Scott is home.

So, three kids is a lot easier for me to handle than two was. I call it adequate sleep. I have found I can do many things with three kids. I can bake, I can get dinner on the table by 5:30 (usually). I can grocery shop. I can Costco shop. I can go to the pediatrician. I can do library storytime. I can go to the park. I can go on walks. I can make a matching towel so child #3 won't feel unloved.

There are, however, things I CAN'T do with three kids. For instance, disassemble a crib and reassemble it in another room. Don't recommend it without adult help. However, no one actually swallowed the screws, getting smashed by mattresses didn't kill anyone and Scott got home to see three live children. Other difficulties include teaching a preschooler to swing and ride a bike. Our neighbors probably thought about calling CPS. But it has been awesome to see Seamus start to actually play with Cambria.

They act like they love each other or something. I love it!

And lastly, something else that makes me smile. While in college, I had a treasured possession. It was always connected to me on Sunday mornings and I'm sure my roommates wanted to burn it sometimes. However, it survived and I have passed down the love of it to my son.

Every night at bedtime, he curls his fingers in the ties and smiles hugely. It is the ULTIMATE comfort object. Thanks, Mom!

Happy Number 80!

2011-03-22T18:38:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, my dad's dad turned the ripe old age of 80! We all went up to Valley Farms to wish him well.

It was fun to see cousins, aunts, and uncles, too! We marveled at how much everyone has grown, oohed over scars, aahed over Pine Wood Derby cars, showed off babies (Grandma and Grandpa hadn't met Aislinn yet), traded good reads and funny stories. I love getting together with family.

The highlight of the day was when Grandpa and his two surviving sisters, Aunt 'Rene and Aunt Lou, pulled out their harmonicas and entertained us. Their mother was the most awesome pianist who played by ear. All of her children play by ear as well. It was hilarious to watch them pick up these instruments that they haven't played in YEARS and pick out tunes. Grandpa was the most aggressive and rather than correct him, his sisters just changed key and harmonized around him. Hilarious!

My mom asked me to decorate a cake for the occasion. I racked my brain for something that an 80-year-old man would find entertaining or fun. The only thing I could come up with was a mule (of course, her name would have to be Jenny, right?). I called my parents and asked what they thought of the idea. Unbeknown to me, my Grandma had actually requested this. What do you think? Please keep in mind that I decorated it with a screaming baby in a tummy pack, so the border and wording are a little wiggly. The mule actually fell off and broke while they were taking pictures of it and passing it around so it isn't centered correctly in this shot. Oops. I'll use superglue next time. :) After seeing the cake, Grandpa started singing random songs about mules and kicking the bucket. He sang for like twenty minutes, off the top of his head. It all rhymed. Seriously, he might have missed his vocation.

Happy Birthday, Grandpa!

Eighteen Months!

2011-03-17T19:37:00.000-07:00

My little man is officially eligible for Nursery! Yea! He doesn't say much, but he has started copying our intonations with various vowel sounds that resemble the right words. He will bring you a book, sit in your lap and read it to you. Halfway through, he usually starts "picking" the pictures and "eating" them. He always offers to share his meal. Today, he picked up my keys, shook them and then waved "by-ee" and ran around the corner. Only to come back and repeat the game at least twenty times. He loves to help me mix and bake (I've given up store-bought bread, we'll see how long it lasts) and can't stand to see the dishwasher without emptying it. Great incentive to keep it clean. :)

Seamus loves hats, but won't wear one outside.

He LOVES trucks, tractors and cars. He spends hours pushing them around, up, down, and over. It makes his daddy so proud.

Buttons are also excessively entertaining. I just hope our electronics survive his love. He takes short baths now because he can't stay away from the faucet.

Cambria doesn't exactly love his rough housing, but she always eggs him on, so we don't let her complain. He definitely keeps us on our toes!

Fashionista

2011-03-17T19:12:00.000-07:00

My four-year-old has a definite sense of style. I claim full responsibility. I just hope her father's influence can save her before it is too late. In the meantime, a little sampling of the joy that is my daughter.

This is her Tangled outfit. Notice the sparkly nails. I had to redo them twice before my little princess would leave the house. I dressed up, too, and we went to see the movie as a special Mommy-Daughter date. It was her first theater experience and her eyes were HUGE when they saw the screen. She crawled in my lap two-thirds of the way through, but other than that, she sat through it with minimal questions (like only sixty-two).

Don't get me started on this outfit. I hate it. She loves it. She wears it at least once a week. She walks around on tiptoes and mimics eating leaves off everything. In case you are wondering, the pants actually come with a coordinating shirt. This isn't it.

Painting is an all-time favorite. The messier, the better. My mom went to a sample sale at my Dad's work and got this shirt for $1. She expected me to wear it. Not going to happen, but it is 100% glossy, plasticky polyester. He-llo paint shirt!

Does anyone actually own snow clothes that fit their child? She has a coat, but it honestly wasn't that cold, despite the snow. Our snowman was standing in a grassy field by noon. Don't you love Tucson weather?

Watch out! This fairy wand (aka foot massager) just turned me into a goon! Cambria came down from quiet time one afternoon in this. She loves "overshirts" as she calls them. Sometimes, she wears three or four at a time. The wings just add the special touch.

For Valentine's we made peanut butter creams and raspberry truffles. Mmm! Cambria had a blast making candy with me, and we only went through two outfit changes the whole day. I think my diet just died thinking about those chocolates. Maybe it's time to make more. Cambria has been recently introduced to the Fancy Nancy books. She loves this outfit because it sparkles. It is her official Fancy Nancy outfit.

Usually, I dictate to Cambria what she wears to church and preschool. She can pick the rest of the week. Unfortunately, I always forget that we have sports class on Friday nights. I'm sure the teacher thinks I'm a freak for letting my daughter out in some of the clothes she's shown up in. Oh well. She's four. Which kinda makes games like hockey and football a little ridiculous to start with. :)

A Child's World

2011-02-13T07:34:00.000-08:00

The other night, right as Scott and I had fallen asleep after Aislinn's nightly fit (she has reflux or a timed milk-allergy or something that only flares between 9-10pm. We clean up the vomit every night and get on with life), I heard Cambria crying piteously.

"Mo-o-o-o-o-m-eeeeeee! Mo-o-o-o-o-o-meeeeeee!"

I'm just praying for no more vomit as I climb the stairs. I find her pantless (?!) in the bathroom with huge tears flooding her cheeks.

"Honey, what's wrong?"

"I can't get the ball in the cone." More shuddering sobs.

Um, what? Oh, right. She just got done shooting hockey goals in sports class that evening.
"Cambria, you did fine. You tried hard and you did awesome!"

"Mom, I can't. I can't. I can't get the ball in the cone!" She's edging into hysteria here.

So I picked her up and put her in bed while she cries loudly. Only to stop and start breathing deeply as soon as her head hits the pillow. Asleep. . . again? . . . still?

There are times I wish my life was so simple that my worst nightmares were about not shooting a goal. However, I remember those nightmares and, really, they haunted me for years. I remember being afraid to go to sleep because I knew I would wake up in hysterics. I like being a grown-up and being able to wake up and laugh. Hold on a few more years, Cambria. You'll get there someday.

Aislinn McLeod

2011-01-30T10:00:00.000-08:00

Aislinn (AZ-lin, with an "a" as in rain) joined our family on January 25th at 5:45pm. At 37.5 weeks, she qualified as full-term. The fact that she was 8 lbs 3.6 oz and 19.75 in definitely helped that qualification. We wouldn't want her much bigger!

So pregnancy and my internal organs don't really seem to get along. I keep telling them that the placenta is only temporary and I still need my liver, kidneys, gallbladder, pancreas, etc as much as ever. They don't seem to agree, though. This time was not as bad as it has been. Diabetes could be dealt with. Around 34 weeks, however, I started itching. There was no rash, so I counted it as dry skin and invested in every lotion, exfoliant, cream, soap that was recommended. The itching just got worse. At 36 weeks, I honestly could not stand it. The itching was constant and it was everywhere. Even the inside of my ears itched. I have furrows on my feet from where my self-control died and I actually scratched all the skin away. The only relief was to be found in a warm bath. I think Ben Franklin had it right when he decided he could entertain in his bathtub. Needless to say, I am grateful for my 80 gallon solar water heater and the warm weather that gave me an endless supply of 200F water. I finally told my OB about it. Maybe the constant scratching gave it away, too. :) She took blood work and, sure enough, my liver enzymes were high and my uric acid and bile salt levels were skyrocketing. Oh, how exciting. We missed preeclampsia and went on to cholestasis of pregnancy. Potential endpoint? Sudden fetal death. However, I was measuring 5 cm dilated and contracting regularly so the doctor was fairly certain I would deliver within 48 hours. Nope. Three days later, I was 6 cm, spilling large amounts of protein, had high blood pressure and the baby failed a NST. Hmm, anyone guess what happened next? Induction, here we come.

At the hospital, everyone else decided it was time to deliver, too. Seriously, eleven babies were born in the six hours we were in labor and delivery, not to mention the other laboring mothers, and planned c-sections. The anesthesiologist looked a little harried. Which meant that it took a while to find an OB to break my water. I'd been on oxytocin for a few hours before that finally happened but had no changes. And then, after my water broke we found out that our baby was stressed enough to start discharging meconium. Awesome. This day was getting better and better. I asked for an epidural soon after. However, as I mentioned, it was busy. Fifty minutes later, I got one and the OB checked to see how far along I was. Oh, well. Let's have her now, shall we? Those of you who have experienced natural childbirth have my respect. My epidural was working for the five minutes it took to push, and I was mighty grateful for it by then. My OB says that the worst was over, but whatever. I like drugs.

We are so grateful for the miracle of our healthy baby despite mom's diabetes and cholestasis, an early induction, and meconium being present in the amniotic fluid. I am a firm believer in modern medicine and the love of our Father in Heaven.

Here at home (we got to go home in 24 hours! How awesome is that?!), things are adjusting. The kids love their new sister and haven't flipped out too badly. Seamus decided that he likes to carry around a baby just like Mom and even wraps his doll in a blanket. Cambria was my big helper, but has since started vomiting and is confined to her room. Ah, life is awesome, right?

Thank you to everyone for the help before and after the delivery. We appreciate everything!

Four!

2011-01-09T17:47:00.001-08:00

Cambria is a BIG girl! She turned four this last week. Being hugely pregnant certainly brought back memories, but apparently my girls are only going to share a due date and not a birthday.

We started out the day with her favorite breakfast. This is her giving me attitude instead of smiling. I thought the terrifying threes were over. :( She loved having the phone ring and be for her all day. Her face lit up every time someone sang to her (I promise, even if she refused to speak to you. We're working on that).

To celebrate, we spent the morning at the Desert Museum. I thought if she walked (and Seamus did a lot of walking too) that she would be tired enough to take a nap when we got home. Too bad, so sad, Mom. Neither child took a nap. So, we read lots of books and played lots of games and generally wore Mom out.

Here she is helping me make her birthday pizza dough (requested toppings: mushrooms and pepperoni. Whatever floats your boat!).

When Daddy got home, it was SURPRISE time! I missed the initial face when Cambria realized what was under the quilt. However, she LOVED it! After riding up and down the block with Dad a few times, she was ready for some birthday dinner. As we went in, she turned to Scott and said, "Now that I can ride a bike, we can go riding together!"

For dessert, we took pity on Mom and just had some cupcakes (15g carbohydrate each! A perfect nighttime snack. We'll just pretend it has fiber and protein...)

Yesterday, we invited the family over to party. Once again, I took the easy road out and just did one party instead of one for friends and one for family like I had originally planned. Too bad all the cousins were either too sick or too far to come. Thanks to Jenna for saving the day and coming as a last minute invitee. The Uncles certainly did their best to make it fun, too! The theme was a Circus. We did face painting, made circus animals and played Pin-the-nose-on-the-clown. Then some yummy cake and playing with the presents! Thanks to everyone who came to make her day special!

Cambria has grown up so much this last year! She can sound out all her letters and can read any word made with short vowels. Her sight vocabulary is expanding rapidly. She loves to be my special helper and have a hand in anything I am doing. Lately, she has really blossomed and is starting to lose her shy shell. Last week in Sunbeams, a new girl sat next to her and asked to be her friend. Without hesitation, Cambria said, "Sure!" Today, they were fast (and rowdy) friends. She loves singing time at church and loves getting dirty. We love you, Cambria! Happy Birthday!

Feeling Crafty

2011-01-04T19:24:00.000-08:00

Some of the things we've been up to lately:

A "We are thankful for . . . " tree

The twelve days of Christmas. (or rather the ten, I got lazy at the end) Cambria has been working on her handwriting. We would practice one or two letters each day. She would free-hand the ones we had worked on and trace the rest. It was also a way to practice ordinals (first, second, etc.) I doomed myself to hearing that song forever, though.

Our Gingerbread House. Cambria is way too not OCD to do this activity with her parents. But we're learning!

Trying out my new Cricut with Cambria's invitations. Not too impressive, I know. But it was my first exploration. Cambria liked them so much that she tore them apart the next morning. Ah, yes. Does she really WANT a party?!

Not pictured: The gifts that Cambria and Seamus gave their cousins. I asked Cambria what she wanted to get Charlotte for Christmas. She answered, " A Cape!" Hmm, maybe. The price limit on cousin gifts is $1. So we went to JoAnn's with our 50% off coupon and found a yard-end of pink silk. Final price? 75 cents! I used the pattern from Cambria's blessing dress and used odd scraps to line and finish the cape. It isn't professional, but hopefully she enjoys it! Seamus helped me pick out ribbons from my scrap pile. We got two 50 cent washcloths and made it into a small taggy-blanket for the teething Olivia. While I'm sure that these gifts will be tossed sooner or later, it was fun to show the kids what we could do for cheap. Okay, really, Seamus missed that part, but he did enjoy throwing ribbons at me and digging around in the bottomless pit that is my scrap heap. I also managed to finish a nursing cover (SO PRETTY! and I got the material on clearance) and a few other projects before the holidays. What is left? The blessing outfit, Cambria's birthday party. Oh yeah. And cleaning up my office/craft room. I'm kind of hoping the baby will come before we get to that last one. :(

Thanksgiving Pictures

2011-01-04T18:59:00.000-08:00

Better late than never! A few highlights from Thanksgiving!

Boys will be boys

Playing Horseshoes

Long Boarding with Benjamin and Celeste

She let me do her hair!

Getting a facial massage (and the last week of Scott's beard)

Her newest gaming passion: Dominoes!

Christmas

2011-01-04T18:07:00.000-08:00

So, I realized, as I was starting to blog, that the majority of Christmas is on our video camera. So, here are some rough highlights:

Cambria spent this past semester taking part in a Joy School (co-op preschool). It has been fun to watch her grow up and actually SOCIALIZE with other kids her age. As an end of the year party, the kids took part in a Nativity play and sang a few songs. They did this for a rest home and then again for the families at the beginning of December. Cambria was ecstatic that she got to be Mary. For the whole month, hand towels, head bands, pillowcases have all gone missing. They are usually found on Cambria and she is ALWAYS Mary. Once, she walked into my room during what was supposed to be nap time. She had her doll stuffed under her robe and wanted me to tie it shut so baby Jesus wouldn't be born until she got to Bethlehem. I managed to keep a straight face and get her costume arranged.

Here's the mandatory prego picture. I did not pose for this. However, please note that I have fingers and cheekbones. Apparently, third time is the charm when it comes to third trimesters.

We made out like bandits this year. Scott and I keep the kids to three presents each (one from us, one from Santa, one from each other). However, that doesn't keep aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents from spoiling them rotten. :) Scott spent a LOT of time and effort making this sandbox for the kids. We wanted something big enough for a few kids to play in and sturdy enough to outlast a year with Seamus. We thought it was well covered to keep the moisture out, but apparently Mom picked a tarp with a hole in it. The kids didn't seem to mind the wet sand on Christmas morning, though. They played in it (with the sand toys from everyone, THANKS!) for twenty minutes before Seamus threw a handful of sand in his own eye and we retired for emergency showering. Scott has since made a lid. Isn't he awesome?!

Cambria also received a Play-Doh factory, a new tea set, tons of new books, and a Pillow Pet. The last item she has been begging for since September. This is our first experience with peer-pressure. It made me laugh. Scott's work threw a Santa party for the kids a few weeks before Christmas. Everyone gets an age appropriate gift. We were standing in line and I was watching all the 1-2 yr olds leaving with Pillow Pets. Uh-oh! Sure enough, Seamus got one and Cambria received some dress-up clothes. Cambria was very gracious about the whole thing and left Seamus alone with his toy MOST of the time. Cambria can't get enough of her new toys. We have tea parties EVERY day with Play-Doh candy and toys. Then we have to read ALL the new books and get tucked in for quiet time with her ladybug. Ah, to be so young and happy! I put together a storyboard kit for her. I cut out various characters from fairy tale books, laminated and mounted them with velcro. So far, we've only been through Little Red Riding Hood about eight bajillion times. Hopefully, she'll discover the others soon!

Seamus has yet another camera face, these days. He says, "Sheez!" when you hold out a camera and grits his teeth. It makes me laugh every time. He got a tool set (read hammering/banging toy), trucks and a lovely pillow for Christmas. It's a good thing that Cambria loves his toys because he is only ever interested in taking her toys from her and playing with them. He is just as strong as she is, which makes for some very involved tug'o'war games. Aren't little brothers fun?

Scott and I weren't left out of the Christmas festivities. He got me a sewing machine! I'm so excited! I've been going crafty this pregnancy, and it irked my soul to have to borrow my mom's machine every few weeks. I'm about half-way through Caledonia's blessing dress. Maybe it's a good thing she hasn't made an appearance, yet. :) I exchanged the favor by getting Scott a bike trainer. It turns his road bike into a stationary (Amanda, I can't remember if it's e or a, so don't give me too much crap) bike and folds easily into the garage when not in use. He made good use of the end of football season to work off all those holiday calories without going outside (thanks for the bike shorts!). We also got dishes and silverware so we can actually entertain guests with MATCHING tableware. What a concept. Maybe we are getting to be big kids, after all. Well, not really, because Scott was drooling to order his new Wii game from Amazon. Maybe we'll never grow up. We rounded out our craftiness with a Cricut (!!!) and a new tool chest. Needless to say, our garage is getting the clean out it needs.

Thank you everyone for such a wonderful Christmas! While the gifts are nice, to me the Christmas season is about getting together with the people you love. I can't get enough game night (I think I burned 2000 calories just laughing) or sitting around the table trading funny stories or watching the grandkids get into mischief. I love watching Cambria's eyes light up when we say we are going to ANOTHER Christmas party to play with MORE fun people. I love all the good food that comes out and just asks to be demolished. I love seeing the look in someone's eye as they open a gift that you tried really hard to find. I love seeing everyone. I know I've said that already, but it is really what makes the season. Thank you to everyone who took the time to see us and make our Season bright!

What happens when you leave me alone for too long:

2010-12-07T13:39:00.000-08:00

Can you tell Scott's been gone for a few days? Okay, not really. This is for Christmas as Scott's sister is in town. In fact, not having him around to amuse the kids made making it harder. But, it was a nice way to relax after bedtime last night.

Merry Christmas!

You know you're pregnant when . . .

2010-12-02T17:49:00.000-08:00

you hear the Christmas Shoes song and you cry
you hear the stupid song about the little girl who gets a new home and already knows her Savior because she felt His love in the midst of her abusive home and you cry
you hear a sad story about someone you love and all you can do is cry (and please know you're in our prayers. Call if you want to talk. Don't call if you don't want to.)
your fifteen-month-old throws a toy at your ankle and you collapse flat on your face (or would if your belly didn't get in the way)
you suddenly find yourself dozing off in the middle of singing your kids to sleep
you start squeezing your hands into fists hoping that the swelling (and therefore the tingling) will go down
you read the Friend to your kids for bedtime and you cry

Seriously, friends. I think I need to go on a media fast just to get some emotional balance. Maybe not. After all, my kids are so cute that they make me cry.

VICTORY!!!

2010-11-28T14:49:00.000-08:00

We took advantage of the four day weekend to try and switch Seamus to a big boy bed. Thursday turned out to be a little hectic, so we didn't get the bed assembled until Friday morning. We moved the top bunk off the bookshelves and onto the floor reasoning that we couldn't let Cambria sleep up there and leave the ladder for Seamus to climb. We moved everything climbable out of the kids' room and denuded the walls of anything removeable from about four feet down. However, Cambria is deathly afraid of the dark, so the night-light had to stay. That night, after three long hours of sitting with him, putting him back into the bed (apparently just climbing in and out of the bed is entertaining), reassuring Cambria that he would be quiet eventually, and plugging the night-light back into the wall, we gave up and tossed him in the crib. He was snoring before we shut the door. I was fairly disheartened.

Saturday morning, he woke up and demanded to get let out of his crib. Upon getting down, he walked into Cambria's room, climbed into his bed and pulled up the covers.

Very nice, Seamus. :-/

That night, we threw him in again. After putting him back into the bed three times, there was silence. What? Could it be? Yep, he slept all night in a bed. YEA! We now just have to work on the fact that just because you wake up, doesn't mean you need to get out of bed (six o' clock wake-up call with a grouchy boy who fell asleep as soon as we put him back in bed). Cambria was 19 months old and very verbal before she slept in a bed. We only had to tell her about 5 times that she wasn't allowed out of her room until the sun came up. I have a feeling it is going to take a while longer with this one. Any pointers out there?

Really

2010-11-24T05:56:00.000-08:00

I really do update my blog occasionally

I really do have cute kids.

They really did have a good Halloween.

Meet the Lion and the Lamb. Here they are enjoying their loot (witch's finger courtesy of Grandma).

Ghosts in a Graveyard with GrammyAnn

Bruce really is our favorite great-uncle. Happy number 60!

The Desert Museum really is lots of fun. You can make lion faces at the big kitty. You can insist on seeing the javelina, then whine and get back in the double stroller and give Mom contractions pushing both kids up the hill. (No pictures, for some reason).

We really do enjoy our awesome backyard! Scott made us some planters for our peppers and asked the kids to decorate. Do you really think he wanted us to decorate the bricks, too?

Seamus really is into climbing. Walking is fun. But climbing really is better. When outside, I really can't keep him out of the garden.

Tucson really has mild Novembers. Hence the naked child.

I really am done.

Waiting

2010-11-24T05:31:00.000-08:00

Yep, it's that time again. I've hit third trimester, and now it's time to wait. I recently read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and the protagonist watches the pregnant Jewish women she passes carefully. She notes that they are always peacefully watching and waiting. The little girl surmises that this is because they don't know that Jesus has already come, and so they think that their baby might grow up to be the Savior. I'm not quite thinking that, but I have spent a lot of time these last few weeks contemplating this child and this pregnancy compared to my other two. Without further ado, why this pregnancy is the best yet:

1) I'm not the bread-winner of our family. With Cambria, my income was everything. Despite coming home with painfully swollen legs every night from work, NOT going to work, or taking a sick day were not really options. Well, there are always options, but we didn't want to go further into debt. With Seamus, Scott worked part-time through my first two trimesters and then took over as Sugar Daddy in my third. Which was awesome, but two trimesters of night shift and a two-year-old were kind of stressful. Can I just tell you how AWESOME it is to be a stay-at-home mom (mostly) and be able to get a ten minute nap when I absolutely need it?! I love my husband!

2) I'm still wearing my wedding rings. I was too fat and swollen at about 20 weeks with Cambria and too hot and swollen at 25 weeks with Seamus. However, they are still on my finger as of 28.5 weeks. YEA!

3) I'm still sleeping in bed with my husband. Cambria's pregnancy did a number on my kidneys. I knew something was wrong, but I didn't realize how wrong until they did a 24 hr urine collection and stopped a quarter of the way in because I had already spilled significantly more protein than either the lab or my doctor could believe. If I laid down flat, within minutes, my lungs would be overwhelmed by the fluid and I would have to sit up gasping. I "slept" the month of December in a rocking chair. Even then, if I fell asleep, I would eventually start to hunch over and my lungs couldn't exchange enough oxygen. Seamus wasn't so bad, but I am not a big fan of the summer pregnancy. I got up several times a night/day (when on nightshift) just to lie on the cold leather couch so that I could get back to sleep. Compare those two experiences with last night where I only woke up twice because Caledonia was protesting how full my bladder was and then got out of bed at 6 because I was too awake to take advantage of sleeping kids.

4) My diet isn't killing me. Now maybe it is just due to the above, but I am handling life much better this pregnancy. Gestational diabetes (which I didn't have the first time around) isn't really restricting my diet so much as it is gently reminding me that dessert isn't necessary. For some reason, eating mass amounts of salad rather than Ramen or pasta isn't so much of a bother this time. I am definitely a stress-eater, though. Yea for awesome husbands that keep me less stressed!

So anyway, ranting done. I am preparing for a baby coming the first of the year, but secretly thinking that maybe we might make it a little longer than ever before. Could I *gasp* have a full-term baby?! In the meantime, please be jealous of this:

That's right. Weep with envy. My Christmas shopping is done and mostly wrapped (ribbons can definitely be done on bedrest). Mwahaha! Preeclampsia . . . do your worst! (Only, please don't because I really would like to enjoy Christmas this year!)

Why?!

2010-11-03T20:24:00.000-07:00

I spent a lot of time mopping my floors today. Very thorough job. They were AWESOME! My neighbor knocked on the door. Opened the door. Her and another neighbor's English mastiffs barrel into my house and run around making sure to touch every SINGLE tile that I had just finished cleaning. Yea for leash laws.

Children are antsy. Set up bowls of water outside with various toys (whisks, funnels, cups, etc.) so I can at least get dinner started. Cambria dumps her bowl over Seamus' head and then whines that he's not sharing his bowl. I wonder why.

Dinner gets in the oven. Take sopping wet children out of their muddy clothes and place them in the bath. Yes, it's before dinner, but it's a necessary evil. Seamus refuses to sit (he's a walking maniac as of two days ago) and so I quickly wash him and leave Cambria to play for a while longer. Lotion, clean diaper, clean PJs. Oven beeps. Leave Seamus tottering around the loft for the exactly twenty-three seconds it takes me to run downstairs, pull dinner out of the oven and run back upstairs. To see Seamus sitting happily in the bath with Cambria. Ah, well, every woman knows that a bath can't last too long.

Made a simple dinner. Cambria and Seamus have been really picky lately. I never let them have anything that's not on the table, but the whining gets old. There is no way they are going to turn down mashed potatoes and hot dogs, though. Except Cambria makes a face and won't eat hers. "More salad please, Mommy. This other food is gross!" Fine. I give up.

Harvest Season

2010-10-12T14:37:00.001-07:00

We spent a great afternoon at Apple Annie's yesterday with Grandpa, GrammyAnn, Matthew, Niki, Aidan, Emma, Parker, Olivia, Amanda, Addison, Charlotte, Jocelyn, Preston and Monica.

Cambria LOVED "catching" apples with her stick and dancing through the pumpkin patch. Until she discovered that pumpkins are prickly. She was quite put out by that!

Thanks to Monica and Preston for dancing with the kids and hauling back the pumpkins!

It was a lot of fun out there. I can't wait for dinner to have fresh squash. We're making apple sauce and mini apple pies for the freezer with the rest of our bounty. Mmm! Can't wait!

Boys will be Boys

2010-10-12T13:57:00.000-07:00

According to modern psychology, we train our children to love certain toys and activities, thus forming their perceptions of male and female gender roles. I will not dispute that each culture has acceptable jobs for men and women. I do, however, argue that there is something male and female born in each of us (see the Family Proclamation). For example, Cambria did not have a doll until she was two. She only got that doll because she honed in on a doll every single time we went anywhere. She didn't have one at home, but she desperately wanted one. For a second example, I give you: Seamus

My little green-eyed, red-haired imp.

Apparently, you don't need to teach little boys these things. They see a pair of clean underwear in the laundry, and they know EXACTLY what its purpose is. Cambria, on the other hand, liked to sit next to me and "fold" with me.

Next. We have two matchbox cars, and they are currently hidden from view because a wheel popped off one whilst Seamus was slobbering over it. So we don't play with toy cars. HOWEVER, everything is a car. It gets pushed across the floor very, very quickly with growling noises attached. He got a train for his birthday and immediately, it started across the floor on a journey.

Next. Though Cambria now encourages this game, Seamus started it with an innate need to pounce on her every time her back was turned. Seamus dishes it out as much as he gets despite being half-her weight and a third her age.

Lastly. If it has moving parts, it's his. Seamus cannot stand to see something with moving parts and not touch it. Though, touch is not really the word because he really loves to pull it to pieces. I know that ALL children do this to some extent, but I don't remember Cambria being quite so obsessed with hinges, toy wheels, etc. I think I might be doomed to have an engineer for a son. But then again, I think all boys are part demolition-expert.

And, just for kicks: Seamus' new trick. He "smiles" every time you pull out a camera.

Gotta love it. At least I know that Scott will have someone to get into trouble with in the coming years.

A Day like Today

2010-09-29T10:22:00.000-07:00

Today I want to curl up in a little ball and make the world go away. I want to erase hormones and exhaustion that make me feel more inept than I am. I want to turn on the TV and hide in my room while my kids fend for themselves.

Yesterday, Cambria was WHINY. Her tummy hurt. She wanted me to hold her hand all day. She wasn't feverish, and usually this is her way of saying she needs to use the bathroom and doesn't want to. I had little sympathy. I just kept thinking that I don't know how I was going to handle three if I kept losing patience with two. Clearing the table, I realized that not only had she not eaten much lunch, but she hadn't once asked me for a snack all day. Usually, she is constantly hungry. We have established snack times because she could eat all day. She refused to eat dinner and was lying on the couch moaning that her stomach hurt. Okay, maybe she's sick. After dinner, she asked me to tuck her in. I was so annoyed with everything that I didn't even mention to her that it was only 6. I put her in bed. She was soon asleep. Scott left for mutual. She started screaming. I ran up the stairs and she was rolling around in the fetal position. I bent down to calm her (and, admittedly, keep her from waking Seamus). She was burning up. Great. High fever, severely acute abdominal pain. Sounds like fun. I got her to at least stop screaming, but she was still moaning and rolling, clutching her stomach. I got her some ibuprofen. Phoned the pediatrician. Busy signal. She calmed and just lay on the bed. Busy signal. I asked her if it hurt to push on her tummy. She started crying again. But softer. Busy signal. Should I take her to the ER? She fell asleep. Why don't kids come with instructions?! The ibuprofen brought the fever down dramatically. The abdominal pain came and went. She would be asleep, wake up screaming, and fall asleep again a few seconds later. I figured if the pain was truly dangerous, she would at least wake up for it. I bedded down on the floor outside her room. She moaned or screamed a couple times an hour. At midnight, she woke up and was inconsolable. I called the pediatrician and left a message for the triage nurse. Afebrile currently, but still under the effect of antipyretics, intermittent severe abdominal pain, sleeping in between, no nausea or vomiting. She screamed and rolled for fifteen minutes straight. I went down and asked Scott to give her a blessing. He couldn't figure out which way was up. Eventually, he made it upstairs where Cambria was currently crying and curled up, but not actively screaming. She wouldn't unfold. He fell asleep on the bed. I woke him up and told him to go back to bed. He asked if I was coming with him. Seriously?! Cambria falls asleep. Nurse calls back. Just watch and wait. If she's asleep, let her sleep. If she begins vomiting or the fever spikes again, take her in. If she's in pain for more than two hours, take her in. I mention that it's been 12. Two straight hours of screaming? Is that what she means? Nurse repeats her instructions exactly. Doesn't answer the question. Nurse hangs up. Cambria wakes up screaming. She moans and rolls and I don't know what to do besides sing and rub her back. The pain gets worse. Suddenly, we're both covered in vomit. I wrap her in a blanket while I clean it up. I'm trying to think how to really wake Scott up. I'm trying to think who I can call at 1 am to watch Seamus sleep. I'm trying to think and it's 1am and I've been awake since 4 yesterday and the baby is kicking, kicking, kicking and I am near the end of my rope. I come back in her room to take her downstairs to the car. She's sleeping peacefully. I pick her up and sit in the bed with her in my lap. And I guess I fell asleep. Because now it's three and she's vomiting all over us again. But she smiles at me afterwards, and sleeps again. And she's calm. And even though the ibuprofen is gone, she's not too hot. So I just sit and hold her again. And I think about turning on the light and seeing if her vomit is green. And I think about maybe it's just the stomach flu. And I think. And it's four. And she's still asleep. And it's five. And she's awake now and telling me her tummy hurts. But she's not crying. She's not curled up. And I think about sitting in the ER with a child who's not acutely ill. We might sit there until the doctor's office opens. And I would have to find a sitter. Sometime in there, we both fall asleep. And then Seamus is yelling his happy morning greeting from across the hall. And it is 6:30. And it is time to get up. And Cambria is bubbling over with questions like usual. And I want to slink away into some hole and recover. But there is a happy baby boy that needs to be fed, and mountains of vomity laundry to do. And a shower. And a little girl who is sick, despite the questions.
And I'm a mom. And that's what this is. And so I get up. And life goes on.

It's a . . .

2010-09-21T15:32:00.001-07:00

baby!

This baby has two eyes, arms, hands, legs, feet, kidneys, and two sides of the brain. This along with a whole palette, diaphragm, heart, spinal column, etc., etc. makes us very happy!

Here is a happy shot of the little one kicking Mom.

So, overall, this was a little bit of a disappointing time. The ultrasound quality is MUCH lower than with Seamus, on the same machine. However, Dr Farias was very kind to do the US at all being as the scheduling dept first set me up for an appt with Dr Brainard while she was on vacation and, secondly, did not notify us of the error. There was a note in my file: NEED TO CALL AND RESCHEDULE WITH PT. Thanks. Yea for having a healthy baby, though! Femur and humerus bones measured correctly. So this, taken with nucal thickness and waving hands hopefully discounts trisomy. Here's hoping that this normal scan is a harbinger of a normal pregnancy/delivery/baby! Oh, yeah. By the way. It's a girl. :-P Hopefully all Cambria's clothes fit her, being as they share a due date.

Happy Birthday!

2010-09-05T19:17:00.001-07:00

Hard to believe, I know, but my baby turned 1! He celebrated the day by doing a couple firsts: He waved "bye-bye" and said "bababa" every time he saw a sheep. His parents were dutifully impressed at his skill at mastering these technicalities exactly on his birthday. We spent the actual day pretty low-key. Seamus had his favorite breakfast (scrambled eggs with well-buttered toast and bananas), lunch (mac 'n' cheez and blueberries), and dinner (hot dogs with frozen peas) and just spent some extra time doing things HE likes to do (rather than let Cambria dictate, like we usually do). This included lots of puzzles, stacking towers of blocks and cups to knock over, and reading board books (or rather flipping pages and pointing at random things until Mom says what they are). As a special treat, we went to the park and showed him how to slide. Little Mr Independent spent the next 20 min climbing up the stairs, sliding down the slide and crawling through the sand back to the stairs. It was a great day due to cloud cover and just enough sprinkles to keep it cool. We couldn't have ordered better! We ended the day by letting him open one present: some bath toys. He was ecstatic! He loves the bath so much that all you have to do is start running the water, and he will come as fast as possible from whatever corner of the house he happens to be in.

That weekend, we invited the family over to our neighborhood clubhouse for a PARTY! The theme was loosely based around a John Deere tractor. We had sandwiches cut in flower shapes, salad, cheese and tomato flowers growing on breadsticks, pineapple and grape flowers, watermelon (that was supposed to be in flower shape, but I got lazy) and cake and homemade ice cream. The cake took me a while, but I really wanted to experiment with shaping fondant. I made pumpkins, potatoes, carrots, apples, corn, cabbage and hay bales out of fondant and arranged them around the cake, some growing in oreo-crumb fields and some harvested in fondant baskets. It was a lot of work, but I think it turned out cute. Click on some of the pix to see it bigger. Seamus was unimpressed and spent his time licking/scraping the frosting off his piece. We had fun swimming and tossing balloons around. All in all, it was a fun time and Seamus loved playing with all his new toys as well as his cousins. Thanks, everyone, for making it out! (Courtney, the clothes fit great! And Cambria loved getting mail, especially since it was a present! Thanks for thinking of both of them!)

We are so blessed with our happy, baby boy! We love his adventurous spirit and how he never lets Cambria have the last word. Thank you, Seamus, for your smiles, jokes, and funny personality. We are so happy that you learned to sleep (and eat) and are growing into such a BIG, independent boy! We love you SO much and look forward to getting to know you better as your skills take off this next year!

Meaningless Ravings of a Mad Woman

2010-08-16T15:56:00.000-07:00

aka . . . a mother

So, maternity clothes suck. I hate how, first of all, as soon as you put them on everyone tells you how big you are getting. Apparently, I noticed. Otherwise I would not be wearing them. Thanks for pointing out how fat I am compared to YOU at 15 weeks. Secondly, I'm not really big enough for them, so they make me look bigger. But regular clothes just REALLY make me look fat-and-trying-not-to-admit-it-by-buying-new-clothes. Scott picked out a shirt for me to wear on our date this week. I complained that it made me look prego. He just rolled his eyes and walked out of the closet. "You are prego, Melanie." Thirdly, maternity pants suck in general. Not that I am advocating a return to the circus dress look that my mother was forced into, but maybe suspenders need to become stylish. There is no "belly-type" that works for women who have hips to begin with, but gradually lose them over 40 weeks. Everything rolls, bunches, sags or just plain falls off. Seamus kicked any elastic band that came anywhere near him. Seriously, can I get away with wearing suspenders everyday? Do they have to be red?

Next topic, high school. Went to a friend's wedding reception. Saw a lot of people from high school. Felt old. Definitely the only one with 2.5 kids. NOT the only prego, surprisingly. Talked to a lot of people who had just graduated, gotten married in the last year, etc. etc. Seriously, I know we're all the same age, but I feel old.

Migraines. Woke up one morning with all the energy you could ever want. Scrubbed my kitchen, vacuumed my house, even dusted and got some play time in with the kids before eight. AMAZING! Overnight, I switched trimesters and the all-day, all-encompassing, all-draining nausea was gone. However, a few days later, I skipped breakfast and then overindulged a craving by eating an entire box of Pasta Roni by myself. Down with a migraine an hour later. An hour later, it dawned on me through the pulsating web of pain and oversensitive senses that I probably should check my blood sugar. 96. But, it was two hours after the carb-fest. So, does this mean my pancreas is starting to wimp out but I'm not technically diabetic yet? Or is there another probable cause as to why I got a migraine about 60 min after eating so many simple sugars? I've checked my sugars several times in the last week, and they are fine. But it must be admitted that I'm selecting diabetic-friendly meals in fear of getting floored for another three days. I just don't have that kind of time to lie in a dark room. My kids don't last more than 30 min on their own.

Lastly, . .. my kids woke up and blogging time is over. Those of you who stayed awake through this ranting can now move on to the next, happier blogger. :)

My Best Friend!

2010-08-06T20:27:00.001-07:00

So we started out at a hockey game, and look where it took us!

2004

2005

(recognize this date, Leah?)

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

Thanks, Scott, for six beautiful years. Happy Anniversary! You are my best friend, and eternity isn't going to be long enough at your side!

Rain Daze

2010-07-20T14:27:00.000-07:00

With the storms this last week, we finally convinced our neighbors that it does rain in Tucson and that the monsoons do exist. Cambria and Scott went out and danced in the sheeting rain while Seamus and I watched from under the patio. After she was soaked and shivering, Cambria remembered that she had a raincoat, so she had to put it on with her rainboots and go back out to dance it in. Scott celebrated that all his drains and water planning worked perfectly.

Scott and I spent the second big storm deconstructing a toilet. Cambria taught us that if you unroll a brand new roll of TP and flush, it clogs the toilet. Very, very, very well. We borrowed a snake but that didn't help, so we took apart the toilet. Definitely a first for me. I CANNOT believe that TP becomes that solid and cement-like in the toilet. Luckily, the clog was in the toilet, though, so we didn't have to call a plumber. Aren't kids great?!

Can you spot the odd one out?

2010-07-20T14:13:00.000-07:00

Kudos to you if you can. Any guesses which one doesn't belong and why it is different?

Jan 5
Jan 26
Feb 2
Feb 10
Feb 16
Feb 18
Mar 13
Apr 4
Apr 10
Apr 30
May 11
May 13
June 7
June 27
July 4
Aug 13
Aug 26
Sept 3
Sept 12
Sept 13
Sept 26
Sept 30
Nov 28
Dec 1
Dec 6

No guesses? None? Fine. I'll tell you. Feb 10th is not a family birthday. Nope, it is a due date (thereby almost guaranteeing that it will NOT be a family birthday. Especially with my luck!).

Done!

2010-06-16T19:17:00.001-07:00

From this . . .

. . . to this . . .

And it only took 21 months!
Thanks, Scott (who did everything but the brick)!

It's beautiful.