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Me, the Sucker September 28, 2008

Posted by Emily in : Daily Life, Princess Hannah , 6comments

We have entered the world of “Dora.” It’s the same Dora as in “Dora the Explorer,” but parents know it’s just plain old Dora, like Nemo, or Monsters.  Our world has been consumed by this character.  When is she on TV?  What Dora paraphernalia can we purchase for our child to make her childhood extra special?  We’re suckers and we know it.

I was buying a couple of gifts at a store (not necessarily known for their wide selection of Dora merchandise) and wouldn’t you know it, my daughter’s little eagle eye caught a glimpse of a Dora backpack.  A DORA BACKPACK.

IT HAD DORA ON THE BACKPACK. THIS IS LIKE THE HOLY GRAIL OF PRESCHOOLER GEAR.

I left the line I was standing in to buy the gifts I originally intended to buy, and strolled over to that backpack in 2.5 seconds out of fear that it might be gone before we reached it.

Not only was it there, but it was on clearance.  And Hannah was squealing at the top of her very loud outside voice, “IT’S DORA!  IT’S DORA!” like I wouldn’t know who that ubiquitous character was.

And then I bought the dang thing.  Because Hannah wanted it, and I knew her childhood would not be complete without it.  Yeah, I’m that kind of mom.  A SUCKER.



This photo was taken right outside the store.  As Hannah was hyperventilating while holding her new wonderful find, the sales clerk actually asked me if I wanted it bagged.  Are you kidding?  Look at this kid.  She couldn’t let it out of her hot little hands for two seconds.  Not only is this Dora, but if you look closely, Dora is dancing. If you have read about Hannah’s obsession with dancing, you will know how extra cool this bag is.

We scored, and I’m a sucker.

The Noise in My Head September 27, 2008

Posted by Emily in : Daily Life, Little Man Dallin, My Handsome Husband, Thoughts , 2comments

There is so much noise in my head.  My thoughts are clouded and my vision is blurry.  My condition is directly related to my high maintenance child and my new work out program that often doesn’t get started until 10:00 PM.  My body is physically tired and achy, and emotionally spent.  Tonight, I met a lady with a three month old baby boy.  (I was sans Dallin.) Her baby was sleeping in her arms.  IN HER ARMS PEOPLE.  When her baby woke up, he smiled, and then went BACK TO SLEEP, IN HER ARMS.  I’m still scratchin’ my head over this scene.  I was all, WOW.  BABIES CAN DO THAT?  My mind immediately envisioned David at home WEARING Dallin in the Snugli, bouncing on the exercise ball.  Up and down, up and down.  I’m getting dizzy just thinking about it.

I have so much I want to write about, but I can’t seem to chisel out enough time to do it.  When I do take the time to actually sit down and write a few coherent thoughts, I draw a blank.  What I really want to do is TAKE A NAP, and GET A PEDICURE.  Maybe I’ll just sit down a read my new book that FINALLY arrived yesterday after ordering it three weeks ago.  (Hello?  Am I still on Saba or something?)  It’s Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing
In my free time I like to read instrucions, textbooks, and owners manuels.  My husband has rubbed off on me and now I am officially a NERD.

Let’s hope I can think clearly tomorrow.

HELP.

Sunday Stroll September 22, 2008

Posted by Emily in : Church, Daily Life, Family, Little Man Dallin, My Handsome Husband, Photography, Princess Hannah , 5comments

In case you haven’t heard, Dallin likes to cry.  A lot.  Unfortunately, he doesn’t turn off the water works when we go to church, so David spends most of three hour block in the hall, wearing him in the Sungli.  I secretly used to think it was weird when people brought their huge strollers into the chapel, but not anymore!  Hey, look at us, we wear our kid in a Snugli, ALL DAY LONG.  WHAT EVER WORKS is my motto.

When church ended, Dallin was sound asleep.  Since neither of us wanted to disturb the delicate balance, (of him actually sleeping) by transferring him to his car seat, David decided to walk home.  Certainly 30 minutes of fresh fall air would do them both some good.  Hannah wanted to join them, so I buzzed home and took some pictures of their walk.



Hannah, Dallin, and Daddy.  Walking home from church.  This is the first time for our kids.  EVER.



Hannah see’s me, and obviously, YOU RUN when you see your mom.  That is what you do when you are two.



Almost there!  She’s probably banking on a surprise from me . . .



Well, no surprise from me, but Hannah gives out smiles freely anyway.



She also takes time to stop and smell the flowers.  Literally.



And, I’m just going to pull the mom card here and say, MY KID IS SO CUTE.



And she is sassy.  And those two traits alone tell me that she is indeed, MY KID.

Worth Making Two Trips For September 20, 2008

Posted by Emily in : Little Man Dallin, Princess Hannah, Saba, Thoughts , 3comments

I realized I had forgotten my wallet while standing in line at Walmart.  I’d like to say this has never happened to me before, but it has.  I’m always transferring purses for practicality reasons (one bag for both kids, a different bag if I’m just taking one kid, and a purse if I go somewhere alone.  I wish I was swapping them out for stylish reasons, but that was in my previous life) and during the throw-a-diaper-and-keys-into-my-purse-swap, I missed one very important item.  My wallet.

I desperately needed to buy some things today (or maybe I was just desperate to get out of the house) and you can imagine how thrilled I was to find out at the register that I had no money to pay for the goods which I had wasted good time on scouring the store to find.  Hannah was equally upset because she wanted to take her new Dora big girl panties, and Thomas the Train toothpaste home right away.  She didn’t understand why I didn’t have money, and really, I couldn’t believe my oversight either.  I remembered to pack Hannah her purse, put stuff in it (it doesn’t matter what is in her purse, it just needs to have stuff in it ) find her doll, find her doll’s hat, and pack her a drink.

I remembered these things because they were important to her.  I wish someone would pack the important things in my bag for me!

What a waste of time.

Unfortunately, I still needed the stuff!  So I drove back down to Walmart, picked up the exact items I needed, (it was faster the second time around) and came home with this lovely item:

Buying an eye mask was the most important item on my list.  It works just as expected.

Many of you might remember this picture I posted on my website a couple of years ago.  This is Hannah, sporting an eye mask of her own.  We put this on her for practicality reasons as well, (many people thought we were just trying to be funny . . . stage a photo or something . . . but we used this eye mask a lot.) because the sun was SO DANG BRIGHT when we lived on Saba (the tiny island down in the Caribbean where we lived for 2 1/2 years)

Do you notice one little teeny, tiny, difference between the photos?  Okay, maybe the sleeping arrangements?  Hannah likes to sleep on her back, in her own bed.  Dallin likes to sleep on my body, and in my bed.

It was worth driving to Walmart twice in one hour to buy this eye mask.

My Husband Looks Hot When . . . September 19, 2008

Posted by Emily in : Daily Life, Exercise, Family, Little Man Dallin, My Handsome Husband, Utah , add a comment

David has never golfed so much in his life.  Since moving to Utah in May, he and his dad have golfed every week.  EVERY WEEK PEOPLE.  Without fail, no exceptions, no sick days, no rain checks . . . EVERY WEEK.  I’m sure this is every guys dream: to have a recently retired dad to golf with during the week.  For the most part, I have been very supportive of him going.  I understand he needs an out, and something to take his mind off medical school.  But secretly, sometimes I’m like, what the heck?  You’re leaving again?  I want to go to a spa every week.  That ’s the equivalent of golf to me!  You golf, I’ll got to the spa . . . sounds fair.

So far, I haven’t made it to a spa.  Not even once.  (Well, if you count the nail salon inside Walmart where I got a pedicure for $25 from an an Asian man who doesn’t speak English . . . then I have been.  However, having your feet vigorously rubbed by a man that you can’t communicate with, in a store where you can buy cereal and bicycles, isn’t my idea of a spa.)

Several times this summer, David has asked me to ride along with him while he golfs.  He thought I would enjoy the peaceful atmosphere and beauty of the course.  This week, Dallin and I tagged along.  I had to make Dallin SWEAR he wouldn’t cry, and I SWORE I would wear Dallin in the Snugli for all 18 holes to ensure his comfort. (What else is new?  I wear him all the time anyway . . .)

We did have a wonderful time.  Dallin slept on me until hole 15, and then he nursed while David drove the golf cart like a crazy man looking for his stinkin’ ball.

I learned a few things while I was out golfing with David:

I can nurse anywhere, anytime, doing anything.

I can drive a golf cart while wearing my sleeping son in a Snugli

I can take lots, and lots of pictures of just about anything, and at any angle, WHILE MY SON SLEEPS ON MY PERSON.

Looking for a golf ball can be very boring.

My husband looks hot when he golfs.

My husband looks hot in a golf shirt and khakis

My husband looks hot while concentrating on hitting the ball

My husband looks hot when he swings

My husband is hot, and this is why I refer to him as my “Handsome Husband”

I probably am not that interested in learning how to play golf, (the tedious task of chasing after such a tiny ball kind of seems silly) but I do love how beautiful and quiet golf courses are, so I will certainly accompany him again.  Plus, I love to see my handsome husband in action. :)



This is my handsome husband.  He takes the game of golf very seriously.



This is his dad, Dennis.  He is also very serious about the game of golf.



This is the part (right before/during the swing) where you are supposed to be quiet.  Dallin and I didn’t always comply.  Not all the rules apply to us you know.



This photo almost sums up the day. LOOKING FOR THE DANG BALL.



Shush!  Men trying to concentrate here.



There he goes . . . chasing after that little ball again.



Isn’t he so handsome?  He is very serious about this game!









I thought this was so beautiful.  The reflection of the mountain in the pond was amazing.



Glad I went.  Gald Dallin was introduced to the game.  I’m sure this was just the first of many golf games for him.  With a dad like David, our son has no choice but to love the game.

And Then a Miracle Happened . . . September 19, 2008

Posted by Emily in : Daily Life, Exercise, Family, Little Man Dallin, My Handsome Husband , 6comments

I haven’t had five minutes to think to myself without the constant wail of Dallin’s crying this week.  We took him to the pediatrician this week for his two month appointment and it was somewhat enlightening.  First, he is a tank, which my back could have told you from carrying him around all day in the Sugli.  Weighing in a 15 pounds, 5 ounces at 10 weeks old, he is in the 97th percentile.  Not exactly normal for a breastfed baby.  He should weigh less.  The doctor seems to think he is nursing out of comfort and is obviously overeating because he is in a lot of pain.  I’m not a doctor, and I could have deducted that he is “in a lot of pain” from all the screaming he does.

The doctor then told us about a possible side effect from his acid reflux medication.  HEADACHES.  I was all, are you freaking kidding me?  It’s possible that my kid has had a headache for two months!  NO WONDER HE SCREAMS!  We have been giving him Tylenol like it’s candy (okay like every four hours as directed) and he seems to be doing a lot better.  He still has to fall asleep in the Snugli (an issue we will be addressing in the next few days because our backs simply cannot lug him around all day FOREVER) and that is somewhat inconvenient, but QUIET for us.

David and I started a new work out program this week (I’ll post about it later) and often times we don’t get our workouts in until midnight because one of us has had to hold Dallin and help to get him to chill out while the other works out.  YES, THAT IS LATE.  YES WE ARE COMMITTED.  YES, WE ARE CRAZY.

Last night, we had 90 minutes of power yoga to do, and we wanted to do it together (to save on time so one of us would not have to do yoga at midnight) but Dallin was little uptight about staying asleep.  I have had this thought several times, and last night David voiced it for me, “Don’t you wish we had a mannequin we could set him on so we wouldn’t have to hold him?”

And then my husband, (who finds very creative solutions for everything) did this:

Dallin is sleeping.  For all he knows, he is still attached to one of us, upright.  David hooked the straps of the Snugli around the Bowflex machine and he is up against the couch.



See, we even covered his eyes for added comfort.  (I’ll be buying him an eye mask today.)  This cute little guy slept like this for two hours.  More than enough time for us to do yoga (check out David in the photo in warrior pose) and relax a little.

This is why I married this man.  BECAUSE HE SOLVES MY PROBLEMS.  Now, if he could just figure out Dallin’s problems and solve them . . .

Why This Book and Not Some Lame-o Other Book? September 13, 2008

Posted by Emily in : Books, My Handsome Husband , 3comments

I’m so bugged!  Why did someone have to leak the unfinished Midnight Sun manuscript by Stephenie Meyer?  I was SO LOOKING forward to reading the finished book!  UGH!

David and I both (because lets be honest here, I’m not the only member of this family that loves the Twilight series) read the partial story this week.  I mean lets face it, the story is out there, and Stephenie has put finishing it on hold indefinitely . . . so like any other devoted reader . . . we downloaded the story from her site.

It was good.  Really good.  And now we’re both sad.  Really sad.  You too can read a really good half written story at www.stepheniemeyer.com/midnightsun.html and then you can be sad just like us that you’ll probably never know what Edward was thinking when he took Bella to the meadow.  Sigh.

Wants to Make Sure He’s Heard September 12, 2008

Posted by Emily in : Church, Family, Little Man Dallin, My Handsome Husband, Princess Hannah , 4comments

Dear Dallin,

You were blessed last Sunday, (September 7, 2008) and I’m sorry I haven’t posted pictures until now.  You see, I haven’t had time to brush my teeth, wash my face, or shave my legs (which we know is VITALLY important to me) this week.  In fact, what I would really like to do is take a shower, but that is asking for way too much.

You are what we call “a little high maintenance,” and doing any of the above activities requires me to be away from you and you JUST WON’T HAVE IT.  Believe me, I really do appreciate how much you love being on my person at all times, but I NEED SOME SPACE.  Just a little.  Just enough space to shower.  I don’t ask for much.

We opted to have you blessed with just family instead of in Sacrament Meeting.  Your dad gave you a very sweet baby blessing.  We had about 50 people in attendance.

True to you demeanor, you cried.  A lot.  Actually, you screamed during the blessing, and when your dad handed you to me, you stopped immediately.  That certainly made the whole room laugh.



Here you are with Daddy.  Notice how happy his is and how mad you are?



You’re still mad, even while posing for a picture with me.



This photo is so classic.  Hannah is too busy to stick around, you are crying, and your dad and I are smiling, just for for the camera.  I guarantee we were both ready to get the pictures over with, to get you inside and in your Snuggli.

Sometime last week, you were having some good, quiet, content, awake time, so I slipped you into your blessing outfit and snapped some photos.  You weren’t too thrilled about the photo shoot, but you didn’t throw a big stink about it, so I pressed my luck as long as I could which lasted about five minutes.

Here are the pictures of you during your five minute photo shoot:



This look says, “I’m so only putting up with you people and your charades for a few minutes.”



And this look says, “Hey, my hat is too big, and I’m tired.  Can I just go to sleep now?”



“Okay, I’ll hold still for ONE MORE PHOTO, but only because Grandma is holding me.  No more pictures after this.  Do you hear me?  Don’t make me scream to get my point across!”

Dallin, you are darling even when you are screaming. We’re so glad your dad could bless you, and we’re so glad you joined our family.  Even if you like to make yourself heard.

So I’m Not the Only One September 8, 2008

Posted by Emily in : Daily Life , 6comments

Remember how I bought a new  purse to use as a diaper bag and no one really liked it?  Well, all of these people really like my bag . . .











It’s nice to know I’m not the only one out there carrying this purse.  :)

A Night To Remember September 5, 2008

Posted by Emily in : Church, Family , 6comments

Growing up in a family of 10 kids, chaos was the norm. Getting everyone together for Family Home Evening, or family prayer or scripture study was anything but calm and loving. Needless to say, my parents were just trying to live through each day. Family Home Evening was done very randomly. However, I firmly believe in the “quality” and not “quantity” theory. I only remember one FHE lesson, and it made an indelible mark on my memory, FOREVER.

My dad is an old guy. And I can say that because I am his favorite daughter and according to my siblings, I have immunity when making disrespectful comments. But really, he is old enough to be a great-grandfather (although thankfully he isn’t yet) and he kind of looks the part. My dad, who was a professor at BYU for over 30 years, always wears dress pants, a button down shirt (possibly a tie) and socks and shoes. ALWAYS. Even on Saturdays, when such dress is totally optional. In fact, I can count on one hand how many times I have seen my dad’s feet. WEIRD? Yes. What I’m trying to say here, is I COULD NOT pick out my dad’s feet, legs, or chest out of a line up. The only skin I have ever seen on my dad is his arms, head, and neck.

Why does this matter?

When I was a teenager, my dad had expressed concern to his six daughters (okay, it was more like nagging us) that we were dressing immodestly. He didn’t feel comfortable seeing us in sleeveless shirts, short skirts, or shorts. Everything he said went in one ear and out the other.

Hey, it was summer. It was hot. We wanted to dress how we wanted to dress.

To help us understand how he felt when we dressed immodestly, he planned a very, very, very, creative Family Home Evening. One that my siblings and I have never forgotten.

My parents gathered all 10 of us in the family room. After the song and opening prayer, my dad disappeared for a few minutes. None of us noticed (because lets face it, we totally weren’t paying attention) and we chewed the fat with each other.

Then we heard our dad enter the family room from the kitchen.

AAAHHHHHH! WHAT THE HECK?! He was sporting a huge grin wearing a swimming suit in all of his PASTY WHITE GLORY.

OH MY HECK! OUR DAD IS SO WHITE! IT’S EMBARRASSING! IT SHOULD BE ILLEGAL!
EWE! WE DON’T WANT TO SEE YOUR CHEST, OR YOUR LEGS, OR YOUR FEET FOR THAT MATTER!

As we all took our turns laughing and screaming about his very embarrassing attire, he stopped and said, “How you feel right now is exactly how I feel every time you dress immodestly.”

Believe me, it only took one Family Home Evening to drive that message home. Needless to say, my sisters and I didn’t have a problem dressing modestly after that. NO ONE wanted a repeat of that FHE.

My dad has told me often throughout my life, “You’ll never offend anyone by dressing modestly.”

Yeah, point well taken.