The Cone Family

January Blahs

2012-01-26T20:18:00.003-07:00

I have a serious case of the January Blahs.

James went night time ice fishing on a weeknight during tax season in a snow storm while he is sick with a cold. He doesn't see my reasoning that it might not be a good idea. If he comes home dead I'm gonna be pissed.

Our playgroup at the church was interrupted today by a group of five men who wanted to play basketball. There were 17 of us there (including kids). They were basically like, "Oh sorry that we didnt reserve the building, and usually we're here on a different day, but we don't really care that you are already here with all of your kids and all of your things and this is the first time today that you have had a moment of peace where your kids haven't been throwing tantrums at the Target/ wiping their noses on the couch/ spilling an entire box of Apple Cinnamon Cheerios on the kitchen floor that you just mopped, but we're here now and so you need to go home, get barefoot, and make dinner for your husbands." (At least that's the way I took it.) I was NOT going to leave. We were going to be there until 5:00. But then all the other moms started packing up their kids. WHY? I think women are too nice. To a fault. It was wrong for them to ask us to leave, and it was wrong for us to be so willing to do it.

I got a notice in the mail that Sparky's license is about to expire. GUESS WHAT DAVIS COUNTY ANIMAL SERVICES? Sparky is dead. Thanks for the reminder.

Today on Facebook I read the following 'words': Adorbs and Presh. Apparently these are short for adorable and precious. It makes me want to throw up a little bit.

I think that's about it.

JJ turns six!

2012-01-02T15:14:00.003-07:00

JJ with his birthday crown from school

He asked for a donut pyramid instead of a cake and I was happy to oblige!

Here he is with all of his presents minus the card he got from Grandma and Grandpa Brown- that came the next day.

We didn't do a friend birthday party this year. I have decided to do those every other year. Planning and hosting a kid's birthday party is not my idea of a good time; it is one of the things I dread as a parent! After we opened presents we took JJ to Boondocks and then to Artic Circle for dinner. It was a fun day!

Temple Square

2012-01-02T15:02:00.002-07:00

We went to Temple Square to see the lights last month. James and I both hadn't seen them in a LONG time. I think the last time I went was when I was in young women's- at least 15 years ago. I was so glad that we went. The kids had a lot of fun. We parked at the Trax central station and then rode in the free zone. It was a fun night!

At the Ward Christmas Party...

2012-01-02T14:46:00.005-07:00

Wesley played dead...

and then threw a big fit.

McKenna Makes Brownies

2012-01-02T14:21:00.003-07:00

With her pants on backwards.

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-28T14:21:00.016-07:00

This year in kindergarten JJ's class each got Indian names. JJ's was Running Wolf. Here he is in his whole Running Wolf outfit. Each feather on his hat thingey represents something that he learned. One was 'I know my address', one was 'I know my phone number', etc. He worked really hard all month and earned every feather.

Cute Wesley 17 months old

JJ playing Operation with Caidin and Wyatt

Jonathan carving the bird. (Next to the best damn mashed potatoes you ever ate. They worked FINE in the crock pot!)

The kid's table!

Me and The Man

There aren't many Thanksivings where you can send the kids outside to play!

Cheri painted McKenna's fingers and toes. She LOVED it!

Showing Daddy her cute toes

That night I went Black Friday shopping. I was in line at Toys R Us at 8:00pm. The doors opened at 9:00, but I didn't get in the store until 9:30. Then I shopped for about 30 minutes and got in line to check out at 10:00pm. That line lasted for TWO HOURS! By this time I was really regretting the Dr. Pepper that I drank right before leaving! I finally emerged at midnight with almost all of my shopping done for JJ's birthday, the kid's Christmas, and McKenna's birthday which are all in the next month and a half. VICTORY!

The next morning I hit up Shopko, Smith's Marketplace, Old Navy and Famous Footwear. It was a great Thanksgiving!

Trunk or Treat

2011-11-03T21:45:00.004-06:00

We all look forward to our ward's Halloween party each year. Here are the kids at the Trunk or Treat.

JJ: Spiderman

McKenna: Rapunzel

Wesley: A Lion

The Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-30T07:44:00.004-06:00

This month we went on our annual outing to Pack's Pumpkin Patch in Farmington. The kids love to ride in the wheelbarrow.

Such a beautiful sunset! I love it that this is only 15 minutes away from my house.

My little Wesley boy

JJ loves to do silly poses

Wes loved running around in the hay maze

I couldn't get McKenna to hold still for a good picture

And of course it wouldn't be a family outing without someone throwing a fit. Just as soon as some nice person offered to take our picture, McKenna got mad about something...I can't remember what. Oh well. This may be the only picture with all five of us in existence.

McKenna's Naptime

2011-10-29T21:02:00.005-06:00

The other day McKenna fell asleep on the couch, which is not uncommon for her. But then I looked over and saw that she was sitting up... but was still asleep.

At first I was totally creeped out. She sleeps with her eyes open a little bit.

But after assessing the situation and making sure that she was not
a.)Dead
b.)A zombie
JJ and I decided that it was pretty funny. So we started posing with her.

When she woke up she didn't think it was as funny as JJ and I did.

My Mom Goes on a Mission!

2011-10-23T20:33:00.004-06:00

My Mom was called to serve in the Europe Area Office in Frankfurt, Germany. She will be serving for 18 months.

Here we are in the Car pulling up to the MTC. Mom said that she wasn't nervous, but was very excited.

I like it that they make the young Elders unload all the bags for the senior missionaries.

Here's my Mom in her little dorm room at the MTC. Ten years ago she dropped me off in a similar room at Utah State!

Kissing McKenna goodbye. Sad!

Wesley's turn! *sniff, sniff* He won't remember her at all, I'm sure!

One last photo before Mom goes in.

It was exciting, but also really sad! We had an emotional goodbye and she was off to her new adventure....And then the next weekend I broke her out of there and we went to the Mall and out to lunch just like old times. :) Now she has been in Germany for a week. I miss her, but I love it that we can talk on the phone. Just yesterday we talked for half an hour!

Good luck on your mission, Mom!

2011-03-01T20:39:00.003-07:00

Today when I was nursing Wesley at the Children's Museum he bit me. Hard. This is the third time he's done it. When this happens my policy is to yell a lot. And it just happens that yelling is pretty much a knee-jerk reaction to being bit on one of your pink places, so it's a good thing that it's my policy. Unfortunately for me, people generally tend to frown upon adults yelling at little babies. So I just cringed and held it in. Because I was in a public place, I wasn't able to fully assess the damage, but I did see blood. This is so painful I was blinking back tears all the way home.

Right now I am grateful for the fact that Wesley only has 2 bottom teeth. Things surely would have been much worse if he had top ones too. If you are one of the moms who feels bad that you weren't able to nurse your babies, just remember this little story. I truly believe that there are just as many cons to nursing as there are pros.

Now whenever I go to feed Wesley, this is all I can think about:

Sweet Baby Wesley

2010-08-12T14:40:00.006-06:00

Wesley Cone was born on June 23rd.

5 lbs 13 oz
18.5 inches
LONG dark eyelashes

This was BY FAR my easiest delivery and recovery. I had the best labor/delivery nurse named Libby. When she came into the room she told me that pain was optional and that I could have what they call the 'Princess Cruise.' This is where you have your epidural placed right when they start the pitocin, so you are pretty much numb when labor starts. Sounds good to me!

I got to the hospital at 10:00 am. By 11:00 I had all of my IV's, the pitocin was started, my water was broken, and my epidural was in and working like a charm.
The nurse checked me at 4:00pm and I was fully dialated. My doctor came in and about 3 pushes later Wesley was born at 4:10pm.

Everyone was quoting the movie, The Princess Bride, because of the name Wesley. Actually, the character in the movie is named Westley with a T, I believe. That's ok, it was still pretty funny.

Dr. Terry: Ok, Marianne give me a big push.
Me: As you wish!*
Nurse: I'm not a witch, I'm your wife!
Other nurse: My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.

*Ok, I wasn't actually witty enough to say that. I had other things on my mind at that particular moment. (Like, I hope I don't die, I hope the baby is ok, and I hope James isn't inadvertantly taping my crotch with the camcorder.) But I DID think of it later...

Don't let the smile fool you- I was truly terrified as I was waiting to be induced

My sweet boy

So Tiny

All Ready to Go Home

Now it's almost 2 months later. And I think things are going as well as could be expected. My biggest problem is feeling like I don't have enough time to enjoy Wesley and give him the attention he needs and deserves. I feel so bad when he is crying and I'm scrambling to get everyone out the door, or dinner made, or whatever and I can't help him right then. My time is stretched so thin. I want to just climb in bed with him and snuggle all day. But I guess that is how it goes for the third baby in a family. I still feel so guilty about it though.

Wesley is adorable and is starting to smile and coo at me. That is the best reward for all the work that a new mom does. It's how the baby says, 'Thanks Mom, I love you!'

(Photos by Dana Willis)

JJ's Joyschool Graduation

2010-06-09T14:59:00.002-06:00

JJ had his preschool graduation a couple of weeks ago. It was such a cute party for a cute group of kids. This was the perfect thing for JJ this year and I'm so glad we did it! Thanks to Emily for putting the graduation together- we loved it!

All the Graduates

Me presenting JJ with his diploma

Cute little friends!

I will miss having these kids in my home. It was a lot of work, and was exhausting at times, but I love each of them and hope they'll still come over to play every now and then!

Feeling Better About Things

2010-06-09T14:42:00.003-06:00

I have had another non stress test since my last post and it went well too. The doctor assures me that he is probably being overly cautious by having them done. I am feeling so much more relieved. At my visit on Monday he really made it sound like he sees no reason why I would be induced before the 23rd. So that is the plan for now. I have one more non stress test and two more doctor's visits before I will be induced.

Thank you so much for all of the nice comments and offers to help. I am so lucky to have such good family and friends to help me out! I am feeling really good and have even deep cleaned 2 of the rooms in my house. Hooray!

During the year that McKenna was about 12 to 24 months, she was in the 4th percentile for height and weight that whole year- but her head was in the 85th. (Like an orange on a toothpick!) So I am reminding myself that even babies who don't measure up the way they are 'supposed' to can still be perfectly healthy, and adorable to boot! So that is what I'm hoping for here.

Anyway, things are looking up!

Pregnancy Update

2010-06-04T21:14:00.003-06:00

Things with this pregnancy have become a little crazy lately. I have been really lucky in that I have never had problems with high blood pressure, or really any of the complications that can pop up during pregnancy before now.

But lately, the baby isn’t growing at the rate he should be. I was right on track until somewhere around 30 weeks, at which point my stomach stopped growing at the correct rate. As of right now, I’m 37 weeks but am measuring 33 weeks- a month off. At first the doctor and I figured that I just ‘hide’ a pregnancy well. This is actually true- I never got REALLY big with JJ or McKenna, and they were both about 7lbs when they were born. But as the growth has continued to slow, the doctor is taking more precautions.

I had an ultrasound last week that showed that the baby has a good sized head but that his abdomen and femur are measuring about 32 weeks. The estimate of his weight from that ultrasound was 5lbs 10oz, but because the head is bigger that estimate could be off quite a bit. Plus, ultrasounds become less and less reliable as the baby gets bigger anyway.

So now I am having weekly non stress tests too. If anything looks funny on one of these, they will just induce labor right away. I am full term, so I guess this isn’t really that big of a deal. My first non stress test was yesterday. I was so worried that something was going to go wrong that I was in a panic trying to scramble to do last minute laundry, packing my hospital bag, getting the house cleaned up, etc. But luckily the test went just fine and I wasn’t induced.

First, they measure how much amniotic fluid there is via ultrasound. The number needs to be between a 10 and a 26. The first time she got a 9.6 and since it was so close to 10 she decided to try it again. The second time she found a bigger pocket of fluid which bumped the number up to 10.5 so that was ok.

Next, they put a fetal monitor on you to measure the baby’s heart rate for 20 minutes. The rate needs to go up at least twice within the 20 minutes for you to pass. As that was probably the first time I had sat down all day, the baby was very active during the test and his heart rate went up 5 or 6 times. So he did really well on that.

I am supposed to do kick counts every day too. (Actually a good idea for all pregnant women.) But I just laughed as she explained that I needed to feel 10 movements within an hour- I probably had 10 movements in the time it took her to tell me that! That is the one thing that is very reassuring- this baby is VERY active. He keeps me up all night and it seems like he is constantly moving. So that is good.

My next test and Dr.’s appt is on Monday which is also James’ birthday. I am still worried about the baby’s size, but there just isn’t anything I can do about it, so I’m trying to keep my mind on other things for now.

When I had JJ we had just moved into our apartment 4 days before. I spent those 4 days sleeping (moving is SO exhausting, let alone when you do it at 40 weeks gestation) and getting the nursery put together. When we brought him home I didn’t know where ANYTHING was. It was a bad recovery, and I had such an awful time because I couldn’t find anything. I remember one day I really wanted to make some pasta but I couldn’t find my pots or pans yet. I was crawling around on the floor opening and moving boxes all around in my search. All the while completely exhausted, in pain, and with a jaundiced baby whom I didn’t really know how to take care of yet. It was really bad.

So now I have this totally irrational impulse to have EVERYTHING in its place, cleaned, organized, folded, prepared, in good repair, and ready for when I go to the hospital. Yeah, that’s not really feasible with a 2 and 4 year old in the house, but I still have to try! Apparently my logical inner self doesn’t yell as loud as my neurotic one does. The world will not end if I go to the hospital without having mopped the floor first!

Anyway, here is a recent (blurry) picture of what I look like. We’re still trying to figure out how to get our new camera to focus.

As Requested

2010-04-06T10:37:00.003-06:00

I thought I'd post a little bit about this pregnancy, and show you what I look like at 7 months. A couple of weeks ago at enrichment, someone told me that I still don't look pregnant. I get this a lot- especially when I have on a coat or jacket. I'm never sure how to take these comments because...really?? Do I really look like this when I'm not pregnant???

In these pictures I'm wearing a tighter shirt so it should be obvious!

And yes, this baby is a BOY! We are so excited! I can never remember what I've said on Facebook and what I've said on the blog but it isn't a secret. I have been going through all of JJ's tiny little baby clothes and can't wait to use them again. There is nothing better than a new little baby. I think it is my favorite phase and it goes away so quickly. I know that this baby will eventually be getting into everything, throwing tantrums, and running all over the place- they all do! This just makes me enjoy the tiny baby days even more- even with all the sleepless nights. It is just a sweet, special time.

We have a name picked out, but James likes to keep it a secret until the baby is born.

We had a wonderful Easter Sunday. We stayed home all day and watched conference, had a lot of good food, let the kids eat WAY too much Easter candy, did puzzles, and just enjoyed being together. I don't remember the last time the four of us were all home for the whole day together. I'm feeling a lot better about things. Sometimes you just need a day off! 10 more days to go!!!

I hope that everything is going well for all of my friends and family in the blogosphere!

An Update

2010-04-03T09:54:00.002-06:00

I have neglected my blog for a long time! So I thought I'd give an update.

Marianne:

Lately I've been incredibly stressed out about having enough time for all of the obligations and projects that I am in the middle of. I am scanning and organizing all of the Brown family photos clear back from 1970, I've been called as the 2nd counselor in the primary presidency, and then there's always the bills, cooking, cleaning, teaching JJ's joy school, etc. It just never ends. There are so many things that I can only do once the kids are in bed which leaves me with very little free time. James is almost never able to help me with anything at home or with the kids because of tax season. And once tax season is over, I'll be probably be nesting like a maniac and then I'll have a new little baby to take care of. I have missed going to the ward book group, I feel guilty that I can't attend all the meetings that I'm supposed to for my calling, and I feel just plain isolated. When your husband is a tax accountant, that is just a part of your life and you have to get used to doing everything by yourself. I know that I am lucky to have a husband who has a good job that he generally enjoys doing. And I know that there are women who really are single moms- That has got to be the hardest job ever. So I know that I really don't have it that bad. I'm trying to remember that at this time of year.

I spent most of this last week in St. George visiting my Dad and Jane. For three nights in a row I didn't have to make dinner which pretty much qualifies as the best vacation ever! My Dad went shopping with me at the outlets and helped to wrangle the kids so that I could shop, and the next day Jane watched them for a couple hours so that I could get out for a while on my own. It was a MUCH needed break!

My pregnancy is going well and I'm generally feeling great. Of course there is always the heartburn, tired feet, inability to bend over, etc. But as soon as I feel a little knobby elbow or knee moving across my stomach, or feel those tiny hiccoughs, I am reminded of what a miracle pregnancy is. I never want to take it for granted. I know how lucky I am and wish that every woman could have this experience.

James:

James has been working 12 hour days and is seriously burned out. When he comes home from work he changes, eats, and then studies for the CPA exam. He is such a hard worker and I love him so much for this. He is a wonderful provider for our family. We're all looking forward to April 15th, but once it comes he has warned me that he will still be staying late and going in on Saturdays to study. He will take the last section of the CPA exam in May and then will go out of town on an audit for a week three days later. We hope that things will calm down in June so that we can get ready for the arrival of our baby.

JJ:

JJ has gotten over a bad illness from a couple of weeks ago and had a great time in St. George. He got to play outside in the nice weather, make fires with grandpa, play with toys, catch ants in the driveway, blow bubbles, flew airplanes with grandpa, make forts with grandma, and eat LOTS of junk food! A four year old's dream come true! As we came home and pulled into the garage, he asked if we could go back to grandpa's house. He is a cute boy, and we love him. (And he has just informed me that conference makes him feel boring- we'll get out the play doh.)

He is growing and maturing and getting better at so many things. I am so happy to say that we no longer need to buy pull-ups for him. I was totally planning on buying three sets of diapers this June, but am thrilled that this won't be the case.(Although I'm still holding on to a bit of cautious disbelief.) He has done a lot of hard work, and I'm proud of him.

McKenna:

McKenna is also feeling better from her ear infection/cough/fever thing from a couple weeks ago. And she also had a great time in St. George. She loved running outside by herself and sitting on the patio furniture and running across the rocks in the backyard. She always wants to be independent and do her own thing, and since we could see her from the windows, we let her go in and out all she wanted. She was in heaven!

She is talking more and more, and we are having a fun time trying to figure out what she is saying, and repeating her mispronunciations. It is just a really cute age. We have found that when she is around men (except for daddy) she becomes totally mute. In nursery she doesn't say anything. Ever. This is so funny, because at home she talks a blue streak.

I hope to update more often, but won't make any promises!

McKenna's Birthday

2010-01-22T15:33:00.004-07:00

We celebrated McKenna's 2nd birthday earlier this month!

We indulged her balloon obsession.

The butterfly cake was a great success thanks to the advice I got from James' Mom: Freeze the cake just before frosting it and it won't crumble. Thanks, Ma!

Opening Presents.

McKenna got: Some Little Miss books, (Thanks, Nana and Grandpa!) a shopping cart, a see and say, the little mommy playset with a baby, and some play food.

My Mom came over later in the week with some more presents! A piano with a microphone from Grandpa Brown and Grandma Jane, and a trike from my Mom. She loves them both!

Christmas Day

2009-12-29T21:02:00.006-07:00

I feel like a really bad mom because as I sat down to start blogging about Christmas, I realized that there is not a single picture of JJ opening or playing with his presents on Christmas morning! :( We did get it all on video, though. Sorry, JJ! He did get lots of cool toys: a transformer, a bionicle, racetracks for his hot wheels, a couple board games like Hungry Hungry Hippos and Elefun. We had a great morning.

Santa Came!

Here is JJ's bowling set that he got from Santa. As soon as the kids came downstairs, they immediately started fighting over it. And we were worried that JJ would feel bad that he didn't get a big playhouse like McKenna!

The Rose Petal Cottage has been a big hit!

Santa even remembered Sparky

We always go to my Mom's for lunch on Christmas Day. All of the cousins come too- it's a lot of fun!

Moms on Christmas. We were worn out!

The Brown Family Christmas Party

2009-12-29T20:25:00.003-07:00

On the 26th we had our annual Brown Family Christmas Party!

We gave my Dad a book of all of our family pictures from 1970 to 1979.

We sang Happy Birthday to JJ. He was really shy about it, but you could tell he really loved it too.

McKenna got an Elmo from Grandma and Grandpa Brown. He sings the ABC's which is perfect for her. She has been learning the alphabet and can recognize and pronounce most of the letters now.

She calls the Elmo toy "Melmo." And she loves her Melmo. He has joined her entourage of 'gigi's- her blankie, bunnie, and chocolate milk are all gigi's too.

JJ Turns 4

2009-12-15T15:42:00.004-07:00

Happy Birthday to my big boy yesterday. He had a great time and kept saying, "This is the best birthday, EVER!"

I like my sister's idea of not doing friend birthday parties until they are 5, so we didn't do one with his little friends this year. Honestly, that's one part of parenthood that I am dreading: friend birthday parties. Not my idea of a good time.

Another thing that I'm not so excited about? Making cakes that are not in the shapes of squares or rectangles. Here is my first attempt at making something different. Frosting it was such an ordeal that I was about ready to throw the whole thing out the window. Luckily, James stepped in and finished it before I got to that point.

James lifted the balloon ban and I think that was a good thing. McKenna didn't care at all that JJ was opening presents. I swear, to her, balloons are like crack.

JJ was really happy with all of his presents. Each year his Nana and Grandpa in South Dakota give him some of the Mr. Men books for his birthday and Christmas. I think that by next year he will have the whole set. (McKenna gets the Little Miss ones from them too.) Missing from the picture are the Bionicle and Viewfinder from my Mom.

We let him stay up late to play with his toys. He had so much fun. And I will admit it: I've always wanted a viewfinder.

In the meantime, we're all looking forward to James coming home from work so that I don't have to be a Bionicle while JJ is a Transformer. That's what dads are for. (And brothers. Maybe JJ will get one of those this year.)

What's Important

2009-11-26T09:19:00.002-07:00

Several months ago I overheard a conversation between two women in my ward. They were discussing how many children they were planning on. “I want 3,” said one. “I want three too, but my husband wants four,” said the other. Of course when I heard this conversation, I wondered to myself about how many children I would have. Actually, I think about this ALL the time. I always have- even as a little girl I would obsess about this. You would have thought that once I started having children that this constant fixation on having more children would have dissipated. It hasn’t.

When I heard those women talking, my head heard the words, three children and thought, “Hey that would be really nice. You would only have to go through one more pregnancy, one more labor and delivery, one more year of breastfeeding, and three more years of diapers. You would have more money, would be able to start going on vacations, get out of debt sooner, and have more disposable income. You could go back to school sooner; you could have a career, and begin to develop a sense of identity as a regular adult in society instead of one as a person who wipes noses and butts all day. In a few years you could go to bed at a decent hour, and wake up 8 hours later feeling refreshed and ready for the day. It would be easier to go out for dinner every now and then, go on a date, go to the grocery store, or really, to go Anywhere! Your body would have less stretch marks, probably be in better shape by avoiding those extra hard to lose pounds that pregnancy seems to inflict upon us, and your boobs maybe won’t sag to the point that you’ll have to tuck them into your pants.” Well, ok, my boobs are already a lost cause, but I digress.

INSTANTLY, and I mean, even as my logical self is thinking this, my heart yells NOOOOOO! I’m supposed to have more. I know it. I don’t see myself as the most spiritual person, but this is one thing that I am absolutely sure of. My kids are missing some siblings. The fact that they aren’t here yet, gives me the most unsettled feeling; to the point that my whole frame of reference revolves around when I will be having another baby. I can just see my children still stuck up there in the pre-existence, singing to each other in tacky costumes, “Don’t forget your promise!”

I don’t ever want to have more kids than I really feel like taking care of even if I was prompted to do it. I don’t want the older kids to feel responsible for the younger ones all the time. I don’t want the younger ones to feel like they were cheated out of having parents who had enough time and energy for them. I don’t want to lose my identity as a person. I want to have as many kids as I am happy taking care of. And I really hope that the number of children I am happy to raise is the same number of children that I feel are supposed to come to our family. Right now the number in my head is 4 kids. (???) But you never know what will happen in life, and that number could definitely change.

I think it is really sad when there is a family who didn’t have as many children as they wanted, and always feel bad about it. And I think it’s just as sad when families have so many children because they felt it was the ‘right’ thing to do, but the parents are completely overwhelmed in basically every way. There are certain people who have the right temperament to have really big families. I know I’m not one of them! You really have to let go of a lot of control in your life when you have that many kids, and I’m too much of a control freak.

Anyway, I’ve been rambling, but the point of all this is that James and I are absolutely thrilled to announce our third baby expected June 25th, 2010. I am really glad that we are telling people, because I can’t suck in my stomach anymore!

One thing’s for sure:

It’s gonna be a hell of a time, James!

(If you get that reference, then you and me can be friends.)

The Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-19T19:45:00.003-06:00

Last week we went with some friends to the pumpkin patch. The kids had lots of fun!

(My man is totally hot.....just sayin')

They have a maze for the kids made out of hay bales.

I could barely keep up with McKenna!

Picking out pumpkins.

There is something about big, open spaces that induces running in my children. You can barely see them in the distance here.

JJ is counting down the days until Halloween. We can't wait!

A Bit about JJ and McKenna

2009-10-18T20:14:00.002-06:00

Well, I thought I'd give a little update on the kids.

Lately, JJ has developed an imaginary friend named Jacob. JJ DOES have an actual, real-life friend named Jacob, and at first that's who we thought he was talking about. But they don't see each other often, and we soon realized that there is a pretend Jacob too.

It's Jacob this and Jacob that. Each day Jacob does something new and we get to hear about it. Today Jacob turned into a square robot. Yesterday Jacob turned into an alien. JJ says that Jacob is a big boy- that is the only description we have of him. Everything JJ talks about is in relation to Jacob. "When I grow up to be a big boy like Jacob..." or "Jacob likes this show" or "Jacob thinks this will be a good toy for JJ's birthday." At preschool JJ made a little 'All About You' book, and when the teacher asked him who is best friend was, JJ naturally said Jacob. When we ask where Jacob lives, JJ seems so annoyed, "In his HOUSE!" (Duh! Where else would he live?)

We love our JJ- he is so cute. He is really good at helping take care of McKenna. Today his primary teacher gave him a bag of candy, and he shared half of it with her. I didn't even ask him to. He holds her hand, and helps her all the time.

He is tall enough that he can start to help us unload the dishwasher. Every morning he knows it is his job to put away all the utensils. He loves to help. He is also in charge of feeding the dog, and letting him in and out throughout the day.

McKenna is a live-wire. She was such a mellow and easy-going baby but as soon as she turned one, someone flipped a switch. She is constantly running, screaming, LOUD as can be, and full of SO MUCH emotion and energy. We are working on helping her with her temper. She knows that she can't hit, and is pretty good about not hitting others, but she does hit herself. When she gets mad this is what happens:
1. She SHRIEKS!
2. She clenches her fists, holds her breath, and her little face turns red
3. She hits herself with both hands on the face and/or runs to the couch and SLAMS her face into it and/or flings herself onto the floor and rolls around.
4. She has hurt feelings because now she is both mad and has an owie so she covers her face and wails.
5. Then she comes to me for a big hug. (Even if I am the one who originally made her mad.)

This probably happens 10 times a day. I used to laugh, but now it's getting old. I'm trying to teach her to take deep breaths when she gets mad.

She also has an unhealthy obsession with balloons. If I get balloons for the kids it is not ok with McKenna if JJ has one. She must have ALL of them. If hers pops, it is like the end of the world. I honestly can't even describe it. And the hardest part about it is that balloons are EVERYWHERE! The grocery store, the craft store, the haircut place, other kid's houses, etc. McKenna yells, "Boos Boos Boos!" And at each public place I tell her, "No balloon today" and she has another tantrum. I used to buy them for her because they make her so happy, but it has gotten so bad that James has placed a ban on all balloons from our house. It is sad, but I must admit that it has been a lot more peaceful since the ban.

She is talking more and more. Her favorite thing to say is, *GASP* "OH NOOOOO!" (Yes, she does an audible gasp.) It is very dramatic and very cute. I love her to death. She has such a funny sense of humor. Whenever I tell her to say Mommy she says, "Cookie" because she knows it makes me laugh. She will say everyone else's name but only Cookie for Mommy. She loves to play peek-a-boo, and loves it when I sing to her. She loves the show, Super Why, or "Why Why" and knows that letters each have a name and meaning. (Although she doesn't know what those are) Every time she sees letters she points, and wants you to tell her what the letters are.

I think that as she is able to talk more and more, some of her frustrations will go away. I think that she will be a good little helper as she gets bigger, and has more ways to channel her energy. The busier I keep her, the easier things go.

First Day of Preschool

2009-09-05T15:28:00.002-06:00

JJ started Preschool this week. At first he wasn't so sure about the idea, but once he realized that he would get to go and play with all of his little friends he was really excited. I thought about just doing one year of preschool, but JJ has been so bored and honestly, I think he gets a little sick of being with me all day. So this has been a great diversion. Here is on the first day of school:

He is starting to look more and more grown-up to me. He has a very light sprinkle of freckles starting to appear on his little nose and cheeks, and I think he'll have a lot more by next year. He was SO EXCITED about going to his first day of school.

I thought McKenna would be glad to have a couple hours with me to herself and without having to share toys, but the whole time she kind of moped around the house and yelled "Day Day! Day Day!" She missed her big brother. This was a surprise to me, because it seems like all they do is fight sometimes.

When I first started looking into preschools I was really disappointed to find that the going rate in our area is around $100 per month. I think that is out of control. So when I heard that some other moms in the neighborhood were putting together a joy school type class, I jumped at the chance. School is 2 days a week for 2 hours each day, and each week it is taught by one of the moms. We sat down and mapped out all of the themes, field trips, and lessons we want covered each week. Each person has to teach 6 weeks. I am a little nervous about teaching, but we have such a great group of kids, I think that once I get into a groove it will be really fun.

The moms showed up just as the kids were finishing their tasting time.

Recent Events

2009-08-20T20:42:00.006-06:00

McKenna is growing up fast. She loves to run and can play just as roughly as JJ, but she is definitely all girl. Today at the museum she discovered the play kitchen, and she stayed in there for the better part of an hour. (Good thing it's right next to the construction area- I can watch both kids at once.) She is starting to speak in three word sentences like "Bye bye Daddy." and "Thank you JJ." Here she is feeding her baby a bottle.

We decided that she should get her first haircut. This is what she looks like in the morning.

She didn't mind the haircut at all. I think it has helped that she's seen JJ do it so many times.

Notice in the video how she says, "CHEESE!" when she notices me with the camera!

And here is the After:

Now she has bangs and I can't decide if I really like them or not.

Later that day I caught them feeding each other potato chips. Notice that McKenna's hair is once again in her eyes. Oh well, eventually I hope it will go to the sides and not all forward.

Naked Babies in the Tub

I love these kids and know that I am a lucky Mom!

PS- I have MAD bongo skills!

Ramblings of a Stressed-Out Mother

2009-08-10T14:06:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I decided that James and I needed to write down all of our upcoming commitments on our calendar. I have three things this whole month that I am doing.

1. Visiting teaching on Tuesday
2. Go to a missionary homecoming on the 16th
3. Host the ward book group at my house on the 26th.

James is a stake auditor (I wish he was a steak auditor, mmmmm…..) And has to do 3 audits this month. When will they be? Tuesday, the 16th, and the 26th. It seems that if we were not Mormons, we would have a LOT of free time.

So, here is my dilemma:

My kids go to bed at 7:00 or 7:30. My VT companion’s husband does not get home from work until 7:30. Even if I can find someone to watch my kids on Tuesday they will probably be naughty/ornery/tired/etc. and the poor soul who volunteers to watch them will say to themselves, “NEVER AGAIN!” And I won’t blame them at all.

Also, and I really hope I don’t offend anyone here, but husbands are home in the evenings. And if I don’t really know the husband then I am not really comfortable with that. (This is probably because when I was little I remember being yelled at by three different dads of my friends and being really and truly terrified! Guess I was naughty too!) I know that beggars can’t be choosers. But I am a chooser when it comes to who takes care of my kids, and that is why I don’t go anywhere or do anything. It is my own fault. I know I am too overprotective, but I’m not sure how to change it or if I really want to.

McKenna takes a nap from 1:00 to 3:00 every afternoon. You do not mess with this nap time. EVER. Bad things will happen. The homecoming on the 16th is right during this time. I had no intention of bringing the kids to this because first, it is nap time and second, even if it weren’t I would not be able to enjoy the meeting or visit with anyone afterward.

When you have kids it is almost impossible enjoy church (until it’s time for nursery/primary and they become someone else’s problem. I know that sounds harsh, but we’ve paid our dues: we were in the nursery for 2 years right after we had JJ.) My time in church is entirely spent on keeping little voices quiet and little hands occupied. It’s hard. I missed portions of both of my grandmother’s funerals to wrestle with screaming children in the hallway. I still feel horrible about both of those, because not only was my ability to pay tribute to my grandparents compromised, so was everyone else’s.

Whenever I’m at church and someone else’s kid starts screaming or crying I am secretly glad, because now some of the attention is diverted away from my kids. The point? I really struggle with taking my kids to any place where they are expected to sit nicely and quietly.

As for the 26th: That is the night of the HOA meeting. And the book group at my house. And the audit. So what will probably happen is that while we are trying to discuss the profoundness of The Scarlet Pimpernel and To Kill a Mockingbird, we will probably be interrupted by a little boy who will treat us to a display of various achievements/sound effects/ bodily functions that three-year-old boys possess. There is only one good thing about this: This will most likely be the first and last time that I am asked to host the book group.

I stared at the ceiling until 1:00am last night contemplating all of this. I love my kids so much, but sometimes I really don’t know where to put them, or what to do with them. I guess every mom feels this way sometimes, right?

Fun with Yearbook Yourself

2009-07-26T20:47:00.005-06:00

We had a little too much fun today messing around at yearbookyourself.com today. AAhhh, lazy Sundays. Here are the Results:

James

Marianne

JJ

McKenna

And the most hilarious of all, Sparky. These pictures are just wrong.

Memories

2009-07-11T20:59:00.004-06:00

Recently I happened to be driving near my old neighborhood and decided to drive by the house that I grew up in. There were workers outside who were fixing the mailbox. They were doing brick and cement work to enclose it.

When I lived in that house (my whole life until I went to college) the mailbox was connected to a large planter that was made out of brick that matched the house. Every year I planted flowers in it with my mom. I used to play there with my friends. We would try to jump off of it with our roller skates on. Every now and then some ants would start to build ant hills there and I would have a lot of fun pouring water over them and flooding them out.

But the best memory I have of that mailbox happened when I was in high school. Bob, my step-dad, had been doing yard work one night. He was pulling out some bushes that lined the driveway but had become overgrown. Bob tied a rope around the roots of the bushes, tied the other end to the back of his truck, and then would floor it to rip the bushes out. In order to do this, he had to move our blue Subaru station wagon back several feet to make room for the truck. (My first car, aka: the gutless blue-wonder- I still miss that car!)

Well, Bob never pulled the Subaru back to it’s usual position when he was done that night. The next morning my mom and I were running a little late to get me to school. This was before I could drive, so I must have been in 10th grade. We ran into the car, my mom gunned it, and crashed straight into the mailbox, hitting the mailbox's planter.

Then, one of the funniest moments of my life occurred: My mom said, “SHIT!” I guess this is only funny if you know my mom. She has been a dedicated church employee for almost 20 years. She is the relief society president in her ward. She probably has never seen an R rated movie. She was raised in a very proper home where good etiquette was strictly enforced. She is one of the most faithful, well-mannered, and even-tempered people I know. Now, that’s not to say that relief society presidents and church employees don’t swear, it’s just that this is so NOT my mom!

Bob ran outside to see what all the commotion was about. He asked, “What happened?” My mom got out of the car, tearfully ran to hug Bob, and sobbed, “I said a BAD WORD!”

Never mind any damage that the car or the mailbox may have incurred, the real tragedy in this scenario was that a cussword escaped.

From then on, every time I saw the spot where a couple of bricks were broken off the mailbox, I had a good laugh. It reminded me of my mom and Bob, and of the good times that we had.

Bob died two years ago. About 6 months before his death, he and my mom sold that house. Because the house was sold and Bob died so closely together, I tend to lump those two events together in my mind. Not only is Bob gone, but the house that we shared together, the house that we fought in, the house that we learned to love each other in, the house that Bob caught me sluffing school with a boy in (whoops!), the house where all of my memories of the life that we had together is gone.

So when I saw them covering up the mailbox, I got a little teary-eyed. It was hard to see. But I guess that’s life.

Sometimes I think maybe we should tell the new homeowners about our dog that we buried just next to the swing set…

No, if they are going to go around messing up all of my memories, they deserve to come across a dog skeleton or two.

My High-Spirited Child

2009-07-01T21:56:00.005-06:00

I haven't had too much going on lately, and so haven't posted. But it's been too long, so I thought I would share a small sampling of my daily life.

People always say that boys are 'easier' because they are less emotional, and girls are 'more difficult' because they are too sensitive/emotional/high maintenance, etc. And I always brushed that off as being a load of crap. Well, fate stepped in to teach me a lesson. McKenna is the most emotional person I have ever met. She is so emotional and her mood swings are incredibly abrupt. I know that some of this comes with the territory of a one year old, but she's taking this to a new extreme. Here is a video of McKenna where she is upset that JJ has a box of raisins and she doesn't. WHY doesn't she have any??? Because she had already just polished off a box of her own.

(Notice how she snorts into her bunny? She is so cute, even when she's naughty!)

On Monday at playgroup, the kids got to play with a parachute for a few minutes. McKenna was having a great time and then something made her mad. Maybe she wanted to grab the parachute just when we were pulling it up, maybe someone got in her way, I don't know. But SOMETHING made her mad! She dramatically collapsed onto the ground right in the middle of all the playing kids, covered her eyes and proceeded to scream like it was going out of style. I just stood there observing this (And trying not to laugh, which is my usual response to such a dramatic display of human emotion.) The other moms were looking at me like, "Hello- pick up your kid, she's hurt!" Umm, nope, she's just mad.

Sometimes it gets old, but usually it is just funny. And although the tanturms occur quite often, they never last too long- especially if bunny is nearby. And I can't stay annoyed, because she is just as funny as she is dramatic.

One thing is for sure- this little girl is going to give us a run for our money!

Hair

2009-05-11T21:33:00.003-06:00

I really like my new hair cut.

But McKenna's not too sure.

All night she's been looking at me like, "What have you done with my Mommy?" Daddy is clearly her favorite tonight.

This Week

2009-05-10T21:44:00.004-06:00

We had a busy and fun week. My Mom got tickets for my siblings and our families to go to the Bees game. I knew that JJ would love it.

And McKenna liked it about as well as I thought she would.

Shortly after we took this picture we discovered that as long as she had some licorice to eat, she was totally fine.

JJ watched the game intently for about the first hour or so, and then he spent his time playing with cousins.

DOUBLE THE TROUBLE!!! Cute boys.

Also, I have recently come to terms with the fact that we will probably be living here for at least another three years or so. And I'm actually excited about it. We'd like to accomplish a few goals, and get into a pretty good financial position before we move again. But in the meantime we're going to have to be creative about where we store things, and be careful about what types of things we can keep since we are getting short on space. (My Mom has given up on trying to talk me into getting a 'traditional' food storage, and is helping me look in to dehydrated meals since they are so much smaller, and more realistic for me to store.) We may end up needing to rent a storage unit for a while- seriously where are you supposed to put that darned exersaucer when baby doesn't need it anymore? The thing is so big it practically has it's own gravitational pull!

Anyway, as a token of my new commitment to our townhome, I have decided to make it more 'our own.' I spent the weekend painting our bedroom. It was a lot of work, but we're both really happy with it. I thought the color was going to be kind of a dark brownish grayish color, but it really just looks more grayish bluish to me. But we still really love it.

A Classic

2009-05-08T11:35:00.002-06:00

While trying to become motivated to clean my house, I remembered THIS gem:

If you have little ones around you may want headphones- he says H E double hockey sticks.

2009-04-29T08:14:00.002-06:00

Ok, as I re-read my post from last night, I can see that I was pretty harsh. Here are some clarifications.

1. I don't hate the people who run the HOA. Like I said in the post, all they are doing is enforcing the rules that are already in place. And I understand that they have a very difficult job, and that they put in a lot of work on our behalf.

2.Really, I just hate it that I am living where there is an HOA. If I had known what an HOA really was when we were looking for homes, I wouldn't have lived here. I thought that having an HOA just meant that I wouldn't have to do yard work. I am the type of girl who likes to handle her own business, and the lack of control that I feel about where my money goes, how the rules are enforced, what the rules are, how difficult it is to change the dumb ones, etc. frusterates me to no end. It is a control issue for me.

3. I do agree with almost all of the rules. But I do not agree with many of the measures the HOA takes to enforce them.

4.I do not hate the stupid guy. Maybe he just needed to blow off a little steam. I really don't know what he expected though, living around this many people. Did he think he would never hear anyone? Oh well, he probably thinks I'm stupid too. That's ok.

In case you missed the HOA meeting...

2009-04-28T21:15:00.005-06:00

I do not have adequate words to describe the level of hatred I have for the Home Owner's Association here.

I hate it that I cannot park in front of my house. I know it's against a fire code. I know that it is for our safety. I don't care. I still want to park there. Get over it.

I hate it that even though the insurance premiums the HOA pays for will be going down considerably, our monthly payment will not. (Because the money needs to be saved for future projects such as roofing, repaving, etc. All things that will probably happen when I no longer live here, so frankly, I don't care about them. This probably makes me a big jerk, but I don't care. It's further proof that I am not ready for the Law of Consecration.)

I hate it that although the people running the HOA hold some opinions that represent the VAST MINORITY, they are the only ones actively participating in it, and therefore hold all of the decision-making power.

I hate it that I have so many intelligent, level-headed neighbors who could really make a positive difference, but they don't show up to the meetings, and therefore have no voice.

I hate the stupid guy who spent 20 minutes at this meeting complaining about the fact that his neighbor drives a car with a loud diesel engine, and who wonders if there is any way that the HOA will make a rule about this. SERIOUSLY??? You can't tell people what kind of car they can drive! If you are that annoyed, then just move. (But I guarantee that wherever you move there will be an even more annoying neighbor with an even louder car. Murphy's Law.) Should we really spend 20 minutes entertaining such a stupid idea? Am I the only one here with better things to do?

I hate it that the HOA president asked someone to TAKE PICTURES of people who do not have their dogs on leashes, or whose dog's poop is not cleaned up. And then plans on fining these people with $100 fees. Yes, I know that those are the rules. And I totally agree with and follow them. But whatever happened to just being a nice neighbor and just ASKING the guy to please put a leash on his dog so that he won't get a fine? (When I asked this, everyone said, "I wouldn't talk to these people unless I had a police officer with me. You don't know how dangerous they can be." I don't buy that for a minute. I really and truly believe that most of my neighbors are not violent people who would cause me physical harm if I tried to help them avoid a $100 fine.)
I guarantee that whenever I see the tow truck, I run outside and start banging on doors to warn my neighbors that their car is about to be towed. (Probably much to the chagrin of my across the street neighbors who have more than once seen me running around late at night like a rabid madwoman in ugly pj's and Where's Waldo glasses panting, "Is that your car? Is that your car getting towed?") I think it's the decent thing to do, and I wish that someone had done that for us when our car was towed.

Yes, the HOA committee is just following the rules. I guess the main problem here is that I really just don't want to live where there is an HOA. I want to live in a house where I can plant a whole bunch of ugly plants all over the place, paint my front door florescent orange, let my dog run around and crap everywhere, and park diagonally in the middle of the street if I feel like it.

The End.

2009-04-25T20:13:00.003-06:00

My sister-in-law told me about the community food co-op of Utah that she's been using for a while, and we decided to try it ourselves. If you live in or around Salt Lake City and you are watching your budget (who isn't?) here is a great organization to help with your groceries!

Here is what I got today for $23.00

4 lb whole roasting chicken
1 lb lean salisbury steak
1 lb lean pork cubes
1 lb lean ground beef

5 lbs red potatoes
5 oranges
1 head of broccoli
3 cucumbers (not sure what to do with those)
1 head red leaf lettuce
7 bananas
3 tomatoes
1 lb strawberries

stone ground Artisan wheat loaf of bread
16 oz rice

I also got some add-ons:

Nuts from the Nutty Guys and some Bratwurst for about $15.00 more.

Hooray!

Also, I've been anticipating the day when I would finally be able to do something with McKenna's hair besides the Pebbles Flinstone look. Now I can (kind of) put it into a ponytail. It is so cute but it falls out within an hour. Oh well. She has almost no hair on the sides of her head, so right now she is rocking a fantastic mohawk/mullet combo. I'm always trying to figure out ways to make it look cute. Here she is busily engaged in one of her favorite activities: creating as much mess and mayhem in the pantry as she can before I notice. Sorry the pictures aren't so great.

Easter

2009-04-13T15:11:00.005-06:00

We had a great Easter weekend!

Growing up, we always had a big Easter egg hunt with all of my Brown relatives at my Grandma Brown's house. I am so glad that my cousin, Terri, is keeping the tradition going even though Grandma passed away almost 2 years ago. I probably wouldn't see my cousins, aunts, and uncles anymore if we didn't go to this party.

Do you see the purple piece of candy that McKenna is contemplating? Well, I gave it to her thinking that she could put it into her bag. Duh! What kind of baby would EVER let go of a piece of candy??? So I just decided she could hang on to it for a while...

Notice in the video that now the purple candy is mysteriously missing. (Hint: It's in her mouth. Wrapper and all.)

JJ got an OBSCENE amount of candy! (Don't worry- we're helping him out with that.)

James was able to emerge from his office a few hours to be there. And McKenna (Note chocolate stains on her clothing) is doing her cute, squinty 'it's too bright out here' face. She was not happy with me when I was forcing my finger into her mouth to remove all the chocolate and tin foil wrapper.

After the hunt we went inside for a pot-luck dinner. McKenna was missing her grandparents, who weren't able to make it. But she's a resourceful girl, and she found someone else's grandpa to feed her some chocolate. (My uncle, Kay, feeding her a peanut butter cup.)

I hope you all had a great weekend too!

When I Try to Talk on the Phone...

2009-03-28T13:44:00.003-06:00

...This is what happens:

(FYI, JJ calls McKenna Paca. When we first brought her home from the hospital he couldn't say McKenna, it would just come out, "Paca." So it has stuck. Also, McKenna is doing her happy pterodactyl impression.)

Now for an update on the potty situation:

I was so worn out and fed up over the whole thing last Friday that I decided to give up and put him in Pull-ups. But after about a day of that I realized that he really was getting close to getting the number 1 down. It would be a huge waste to do all of that work and then to just give up.

So.

I've decided that the best course of action is just to give up on the number 2's. I haven't brought it up in almost a week. He still talks about his big boy bike every now and then, but he has never been on it. He knows that when he poops he can ride it. For a while I was torn about how much pressure I should put on him to go. One mom in my neighborhood told me that she sat her child down on the potty and made her stay there until she pooped. FOR 2 HOURS (!!!) I can see that approach working if it is just a battle of wills, but for JJ it really is an anxiety issue.

He is really and truly terrified of going poop on the potty. Or in his words, "The poops are scared." I hope that one day his desire to ride a cool, new bike outweighs his fear, but for now we're letting it go.

I think we are all a lot happier and calmer about this new approach. Just today we spent the whole morning at the Children's Museum, and we never had an accident. He is starting to get the hang of it. Now I'm going to start stretching the times between potty trips. Right now it is every 20-30 minutes. Tomorrow I'm going to shoot for every 35-40 minutes. I know we will have accidents again, but I also think it's the only way to learn.

My Newest Weapon

2009-03-20T13:24:00.003-06:00

In my never-ending quest to get my child to poop on the potty, I've tried all sorts of things. Charts, stickers, treats, candy, praise, pleading, begging.... the list goes on and on.

Here is my newest weapon:

JJ got this exact bike, and it is all shiny and new waiting to be enjoyed. But this is a special bike: The only little boys who can ride it, are little boys who go poop in the potty.

This morning when JJ came down and saw it in our living room, he was so excited and wanted to try it. When we explained the rules though, his face fell and he was SO SAD. Then he just turned around and went to lay on the couch, totally dejected. I feel like such a mean mom!

My pediatrician told me that when they were potty training his little boy they had a big trip to Disneyland planned. He told his son that if he wasn't using the potty by then, they would just leave him home. (I thought I was mean!) The son was potty trained the next day.

This bike is the last thing I'm going to try. If it doesn't work, I'm giving up and JJ can wear diapers to college. I seriously can't deal with this any more.

Secretly, I don't think it will work.

Mama Went Shoppin'

2009-03-14T20:39:00.003-06:00

Tonight as I was doing the dinner dishes James called me on his way home from work. He told me that my Sunday shoes looked like crap and that when he got home he would take care of the kids and put them to bed so that I could go shopping.

BLESS HIM.

I was so excited to go shopping without that big, cumbersome double stroller. I'm sure the other shoppers wondered what my deal was when they saw the stupid grin on my face as I effortlessly went up and down the escalator. Going in and out of dressing rooms was wonderful too. Usually I have to make like a 12 point turn to get in and out of them. (All the while bumping into walls and leaving a trail of raisins and goldfish crackers as I go.)

Here's what I got

The brown shoes look like they're wearing naughty lingerie and I like that.

A Couple of Things

2009-02-24T13:56:00.002-07:00

Yesterday while we were having lunch, I asked JJ if he was going to be my little boy forever, or if he was going to grow up and be a big daddy. He thought about it for a minute and said, "I will be a medium boy, mommy." I just love him to death.

As for McKenna, I discovered yesterday that she has all four big molars coming in at once. Poor girl! It's no wonder she was screaming inconsolably at church the other day. She needs her night-nights in the crib. (And lots of hugs)

Finally Updating

2009-02-18T08:34:00.007-07:00

Well, so far February has been a pretty rough month for our family. First, James' grandma passed away and so he went to California with his family for the funeral. On the day of that funeral I found out that my grandma had died too.

Four Generations- I'm SO glad I got this picture

Both of our grandmas were in their mid 90's, and both of them had poor health and limited cognitive abilities. Both of them were the last person in their family to pass away. So while it is always sad when someone dies, we are happy that they have been freed from their failing bodies and that they have been reunited with their husbands and families.

I will always miss my grandma. After my parents got divorced, she and my grandpa really stepped in and helped to raise me. I spent every weekend with them while I was in the 2nd and 3rd grades. Their home was a stable and loving environment where I was always the center of attention. When my grandma would greet me she would take my face in her hands, look down at me and exclaim, "What a treasure! What a beautiful child!" Every kid should have grandparents like that. My grandparents interceded in my life at a crucial time, and I know that I am the person that I am because of them.

This month has been an emotionally draining one, full of last minute get-togethers with family from all over the country. All of our grandparents are gone now, and we're ready to be finished with funerals for a while. Seriously, I feel like I'm on a first name basis with the people at Larkin Mortuary. I don't want to go back there for a long time.

For now it's back to the grind. Maybe I'll try (again) to potty train the boy...

Velma D. Miller 1913 ~ 2009 Velma D. Miller, age 95, passed away on February 5, 2009, from natural causes. Velma was born October 16, 1913, in Ruth, Nevada, the daughter of Joseph Reid Davidson and Lillie Dell Chapman Davidson. On August 6, 1936, she married Gordon J. Miller in the Salt Lake Temple. They are the parents of four children, 10 grandchildren, and 16 great-grandchildren. After more than 71 years of marriage, Gordon passed away in October of 2007. Velma attended schools in Salt Lake City. She started her first job at age 15 and was employed throughout the Great Depression, rising to the position of head cashier in Woolworth's main Salt Lake office. When she and Gordon moved to Berkeley, California as he began his graduate studies, she was employed as a cashier at the San Francisco Exposition - one of her favorite jobs. When her first child was born, she stayed home to rear her family. She had a lifelong love of learning, the arts, and culture that she instilled in her children. Her home was filled with beautiful music, books, art objects, and plants. She was a gracious hostess and refined lady. She loved to travel, both to far away places and to her summer retreats in the Tetons and in Manila, Utah, where she reveled in the beauties of nature. Velma was a highly-principled woman who valued honesty, generosity, fairness, and unpretentiousness. She and her husband performed many acts of quiet service to those in need. She supported her children in their church activities and encouraged them to do their best. She also served in several positions in the LDS Church, and she particularly enjoyed working with young people. Velma loved her children, and she was a wonderful, caring grandmother. She was thrilled at the arrival of great-grandchildren, often commenting that she never expected to live long enough to see them. Velma is survived by her children Stephen G. Miller (Karen), Marilyn M. Foster, and Richard C. Miller (Jenae), and her brother R. Reid Davidson. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, son Norman J. Miller, son-in-law Robert D. Foster, and a great-grandson. Funeral services will be held Saturday, February 14, at 12:00 p.m. at Larkin Mortuary, 260 East South Temple, Salt Lake City. Viewings will be held at the mortuary on Friday evening from 6-8 p.m. and Saturday from 11:00-11:45 a.m.

Just because it's cute...

2009-01-15T18:00:00.004-07:00

Birthday Girl

2009-01-15T17:14:00.002-07:00

I can't believe that it's already been a year since we got our McKenna.

She's such a happy girl!

With one of her new birthday presents.

Today McKenna had her one year check-up. She is still TEENY TINY! She weighs 17 lbs, which puts her in the 4th percentile. The doctor said that she can't be in a forward facing car seat yet, so I'm trying my best to fatten her up! She is totally weaned, and LOVES her milk so I'm giving her as much as she'll drink in addition to giving her lots of snacks between meals. Hopefully she'll put on 3 more pounds by her 15 month check-up so that she'll get her new car seat.

Undecided

2009-01-05T15:20:00.009-07:00

Dr. Laura: Brilliant, or a Total Psycho?

Sometimes when I'm driving in my car in the afternoon I'll turn on the radio to listen to Dr. Laura. And I just can't decide what I think about her. She advocates for women to stay at home and take care of the kids and housework, then feed and boink the man as soon as he's home from work. (James would say, "Sounds about right to me...") I'm not sure if that's a recipe for a good marriage or if it's just totally degrading. Either way, it's pretty entertaining to listen to people with problems get yelled at.

A New Leaf

2009-01-01T15:51:00.006-07:00

I have been looking forward to 2009 for a LONG time. I decided to officially declare it to be the "Year of Marianne!" It has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? This month I have ambitions to both wean McKenna and to potty train JJ- as soon as I can find at least a few days in a row when I don't have anything going on. Once McKenna is weaned this will be the first time since October of 2004 that I haven't been either trying to get pregnant with someone, been pregnant with someone, or been nursing someone. The idea that I can have my body to myself for a while and the idea of having only one set of diapers to change instead of two thrills me to no end. Also, while I LOVE having a little baby, it is so much work. To me the first year is the most tiring and demanding year. Yes, having a mobile toddler presents it's own set of challenges, but the fun of being able to really interact back and forth and watch a little personality develop outweighs all the toilet paper unraveling, dog food taste tests, and attempts to scale baby gates.

Also, my own personal mantra is, "You can do ANYTHING on 8 hours of sleep!" And while I have a hard time letting a little tiny baby cry to sleep, I have no problem whatsoever letting a toddler do it!

At our house January also brings on another meaning: Tax Season. In years past I have looked at these 4 months with dread. I usually think of long, isolating days by myself with no break from childcare and housework, and an exhausted, worn-out husband that is rarely home. But this year I'm looking forward to it. (Well, not the exhausted husband part.) I think this Christmas really put me over the edge when it comes to all the holiday stress. I feel like I've been running here and there so fast, I haven't had any time to catch my breath. (Or clean my house.) So all I want to do now is be at home, get organized, read some good books, and have a great time with my kids. I'm sure tax season will start to take it's toll around March or so, but I'll deal with that when it gets here. Also, I made a deal with a friend/neighbor who is also a tax widow; we're going to send our children to each other's houses before we get the urge to beat them. :)

Three Years

2008-12-16T15:42:00.006-07:00

Every day I thank my lucky stars that I get to be JJ's mom, and that he is my boy. I've learned so much since I've become a mother- I feel like I have a deeper understanding of so many things. It's been the best 3 years and I can't wait to see what the future holds for this wonderful little boy.

My Name is John Daker

2008-11-18T11:10:00.004-07:00

HA HA HA! I will never be able to sing that hymn again without laughing!

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

St. George

2008-11-11T21:18:00.004-07:00

We were finally able to get away for the weekend to see my Dad and Step-mom who moved down to St. George this year. We had such a great time! We love the newest additions to our family- Mollie and Maxie who are "Morkies." Half Yorkies and half Maltese. They were so cute and fun to play with! The warm weather was SO NICE! I know that everyone else is blogging about how much they love the fall, and the cooler temps etc. but I HATE FALL! There I said it. I am a summer-time girl. I NEED the sun! So needless to say, it was so nice to have an escape to a much sunnier and somewhat warmer place. I've already decided that I'm going to go again during tax season with just the kids.

James and JJ near Tuachan

We LOVED the Washington City Pool! It is so cool because the bottom of the pool is like a soft rubber material instead of scratchy plaster. Here the bucket is about to tip over. (That freaked JJ out!)

Swimming with Daddy

Swimmer Girl! It was so cute, she was splashing and kicking her legs so hard!

We got to visit Bogey, the talking parrot across the street. This picture pretty much sums up what JJ thought about it.

Singing on Grandpa's karaoke machine. Earplugs, anyone?

Playing at the park

In front of Grandpa's water feature in the back yard. JJ loved helping grandpa turn it on and off.

With Grandma, Grandpa, Mollie, and Maxie

Photo Tag

2008-11-04T22:32:00.003-07:00

Thanks for the tag, Piele! Ok, so here is the 6th picture in the 6th folder in my files.

What the heck is THAT?? you ask yourself! This is a birthday tradition that James and I started in Logan. I have carried on a passionate love affair with donuts that began when I was a little girl and my Dad would occasionally take us to Winchell's (does that even still exist?) on Saturday mornings. There is nothing better in this world than a white cake donut with white frosting and rainbow sprinkles!!! When I went to SLCC I was on a first name basis with the ladies at the 7-11 down the street from the building where I had classes because every day after class I would go and get one of these babies. I was in HEAVEN my first 2 years at USU when I would also get one every morning at the TSC, and I lamented the time when all of my donut suppliers slowly gave way to the evil empire of Tommy's donuts. (Bleh!)

Anyway, every year on my birthday James gives me a big flaming pyramid stack of donuts instead of a cake. And every year he insists on putting the exact number of candles for how old I am turning. I think that I count 23 in this pic. I'm pretty sure this is the first year we did it, because you can see that these are actually glazed and not cake donuts. After this I made him pre-order from a bakery. And now to end this story happily, I will just mention that James works just a couple blocks from Banbury Cross! (I give them a 9 out of 10 on my donut scale- they get docked because their sprinkles aren't in primary colors, and sometimes there are too many of them!)

Facts in Five

2008-10-24T21:55:00.006-06:00

Ok, I've been tagged by Melody to give facts about James.

Five things James Loves:
1. Me
2. Our Kids
3. The Wii
4. Football
5. The Gospel- it goes without saying, right?

Five things on James' To Do List:
1. Take the CPA exam
2. Pay off those darned student loans
3. Finish fixing up our backyard
4. Back up all of his music on the computer
5. Win the game of Madden he's playing right now

Five favorite Snacks:
1. Refrigerated Snickers (How is that different from room temp??)
2. Oreos
3. Homemade chocolate chip cookies
4. Chocolate covered raisins
5. Fruit Snacks

Five Things You Might Not Know About James:
1. His graduating class had 20 people in it (5 girls 15 boys)
2. I was his first girlfriend
3. He served a mission in San Fernando, California
4. He had his appendix taken out when he was 10
5. He was a junior in the Electrical Engineering program at Utah State when we got married. I thought I was marrying an engineer! But accounting suits him better- he really loves what he does.

Five Places James has Lived:
1. Willow Lake, South Dakota
2. Tulsa, Oklahoma
3. Mammoth, California
4. Logan, UT
5. Salt Lake City, UT

Five of James' Quirks:
1. He cannot make a normal smile in pictures. At one point his roomate's mother seriously thought that James had a mental disability because of the faces he makes in pictures!
2. He doesn't like to drive- if you ever see us in the car together I'll be driving. (This works out well because I'm a control freak and I love to drive)
3. He is constantly cracking his knuckles, neck, back, etc.
4. He loves to make charts and graphs of his scores on video games. (A true accountant. NERD ALERT!!)
5. He obsessively checks to make sure his car is locked. He will lock the door, check it 3 times, walk half way across a parking lot and then turn around and go back to start it all over again. (I keep asking him, Who's going to steal an 18 year old car???? And if they break in what are they going to steal, the snow scraper???)

I tag:

1. Amanda

2. Corinne

3. Joanna

4. Dana

5. Lindsay

The Scarecrow Festival

2008-10-17T13:08:00.002-06:00

Last Night we went to the Scarecrow Festival at Thanksgiving Point with my Mom and my sister's family. It was cold, but we had so much fun! They had lots of activities for the kids, but the best part was all of the inflatable slides and bounce houses. I have never seen JJ so excited about anything before- it was so funny! It was exhausting climbing up all of those things with 30 extra pounds to carry! (Sometimes it was downright precarious!) I guess that counts as my workout- at least for a couple days!

Adam and Eve...Not Adam and Steve

2008-10-11T20:09:00.001-06:00

Quiz

2008-10-05T13:06:00.004-06:00

Quiz stolen from Katherine's blog. :)

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

Fang Face

2008-10-03T13:21:00.005-06:00

When I was a baby I was lovingly referred to as "Fang Face" due to a trait that I had and that McKenna has now inherited. My two front teeth were the last ones to come in and my Mom was worried that I maybe didn't have them at all!

I think that her little fangs are so adorable! I was hoping that they would stay this way at least until Halloween, but I can see her two front teeth coming in now. :( So I've been taking lots of pictures while I can.

And here's one of a naughty boy who was playing in the mud. I hosed him off as much as I could outside, but there was still a lot of dirt in the bottom of the bathtub after this one!

A Success Story 20 Years in the Making

2008-09-27T21:45:00.008-06:00

When James was around 9 years old he would play a game called Castlevania on his Nintendo. In the game you are a little guy with a whip who hunts vampires, werewolves, and other monsters. He was never able to beat Dracula who is the very last villan that you fight before you win the game.

Well, now that we have the Wii system, you can go and buy a lot of retro games online. (I, myself am a Dr. Mario kind of a girl.) Of course when James saw that he could buy Castlevania for $5.00 he remembered his vendetta against Dracula from 20 years before.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased to announce that today through all the blood, sweat, and tears, James finally defeated Dracula. As James puts it, "I've accomplished everything I want to in life. I can die a happy man." (Don't worry, guys. I'm pretty sure he's just kidding.) James was on top of the world. Nothing could take away the exhilirating feeling of saving the world from a murderous villan like Dracula...

UNTIL.... He saw what happens after you defeat Dracula. Which is... well nothing. Just credits; that's it. What a letdown!
Oh, well. At least the world is safe now!

Twilight Trailer Spoof

2008-09-19T15:26:00.002-06:00

If you're excited for the Twilight movie like I am, then you've probaby seen the trailer. Here is a spoof that I found on youtube. Some parts are just plain dumb, but some of them had me laughing so hard! Especially the part about the Burger King guy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dompotjTeIA

I May Never Cook Again!

2008-09-16T13:25:00.003-06:00

Last month my sister started a Make Ahead Meal Group with her friends in her neighborhood, and asked me if I wanted to join too. This has been so awesome! Each person makes and freezes 12 meals (you make 12 of the same recipe) and then we all meet once a month to trade meals. So yesterday I came home and crammed both my regular freezer and chest freezer with meals that I just have to throw in the oven or crock pot. There are rules to the group so that everything stays fair. For example, you have to spend at least $80.00, you can't experiment on the group with a new recipe, and each meal has to feed 6 adults. Since these meals are so big and are supposed to feed 6 adults, they each last us for a long time. (Everyone with a 2 year old knows how much they eat, and obviously McKenna doesn't eat anything but baby food yet.) So I'll make a new one for about 2 or 3 nights in a row and then we'll just rotate the leftovers for lunches and dinners.

It is pretty stressful planning, shopping for, making, freezing, and transporting 12 frozen meals each month. If you think about it, I've just fed 72 people all at once. But the reward is sooooo worth it. When I think about all the time I've saved planning menus, writing grocery lists, going to the store once or twice a week- and out here there isn't a store within 20 minutes of my house; I just love doing this meal group. Now I mainly just have to go to the store for milk and produce. HOORAY!

Here is a picture of about half of the meals that I got yesterday.

The following is the result of what happens when I have too much time on my hands...

2008-09-05T19:10:00.002-06:00

The Reasons Why I didn’t Like the Twilight series
Put down your pitchforks and hear me out!

1. First and foremost, Edward is NOT a nice guy! Ok, pretend that he’s not a hot vampire for just a minute. The first time he meets Bella, he is really mean to her. Then when he finally does start talking to her he lies to her. Then he goes around staring at her and physically forcing her to do things that she doesn’t want to do. (Making her ride in his car when she wants to walk home, etc.) Once they start dating, Edward interrogates Bella for hours and hours and then spies on her at night when she’s sleeping. CREEPY! If this were a book about just a regular guy and girl in high school, we’d all be yelling, “Run away, Bella! He’s a crazy stalker!” Now that I think about it, this sounds like the premise of a bad Lifetime movie. Please explain to me why everyone thinks that overbearing behavior in a man is romantic?
Also, once Edward left Bella in New Moon I was completely and totally finished with him. In my mind that was absolutely unforgivable. It wasn’t the fact that he left her that bothered me, but the way that he left her.

2. Bella is annoying. She spends the first 50 pages of the book complaining about the weather in Forks. And then she spends the next 50 pages complaining about high school and all of the boys who are infatuated with her. During the whole first book, I was like what’s wrong with Mike Newton? It just really bugs me that Bella is so shallow that she overlooks Edward’s temper and the way he treats her because he is hot. Well, I can appreciate a hot guy just as much as the next girl, but at the end of the day you want to end up with a man who’s not going to beat you in 10 years for overcooking the pork chops, you know what I mean?

3. The fact that Bella doesn’t end up with Jacob. I LOVED the book, New Moon. I totally and completely fell in love with Jacob. He is a sweet, receptive, reliable guy that becomes Bella’s sunshine. He picks up the pieces of Bella’s broken heart and loves her completely knowing that she may never love him back. (Sigh…) He is her soft place to fall. He tells her the truth, whether it is hard for her to hear or not. Bella can have a normal life if she chooses him. When it became apparent that Bella and Edward were getting married, I just really didn’t care about the story anymore.

4. The fact that the books are marketed toward young adults. I would not want my teenage daughter to read these books. The book Twilight basically conveys the message, “Go ahead and trust your teenage boyfriend to stop himself when he needs to. Don’t worry about taking any precautions for keeping yourself safe.” Ok, I realize that this story is just fantasy, but does a 12 year old girl really get that? Not to mention all of the secrecy from Bella’s parents, and how much time Edward spends in her room and in her bed.

5. The fact that despite all of the reasons listed above, I still got sucked into the books. (Can you tell?) I am a little embarrassed to admit that I really did enjoy them. When I first read Twilight, I just didn’t get what all the hoopla was about. But I decided to try it out again, since everyone else seemed to love the series so much. I decided not to be critical of the writing style and some of the messages portrayed and just to make them my guilty pleasure. Once I did that I really did get into the books. I thought that Bella was really relatable (albeit, stupid) and some of the storylines really reminded me of high school. And when the whole Jacob thing got going I was really hooked. I didn’t like Breaking Dawn though- that was just a little too over the top for me. But overall I thought the books were entertaining and a nice break from reality. And in the end, isn’t that what a book is supposed to be?

All By Myself

2008-09-04T15:27:00.002-06:00

This week James went to Jackson Hole to do an audit. I wish I could have gone with him! My family had a cabin in Driggs, Idaho about an hour from Jackson when I was growing up, so that whole area holds a special place in my heart and my childhood memories. But it's really not fun for him either, since all he is doing is working.

So my goal for this week is not to become isolated and weird. I'm trying to get at least some adult human interaction once a day! Even if that means depositing a check at the bank or just window shopping for an hour or two. Luckily there are parks in our neighborhood where moms sometimes congregate. And I am really glad that I can have conversations with JJ too now- even though they are very basic. (They are sometimes very entertaining.)

Also, I just finished the whole Twilight saga. I have a real love/hate relationship with these books. I think I'll blog more on this later (since I have the time.) But I'm interested in what other people thought about the books. Did you like them?

Everyone needs a big brother

2008-08-18T13:27:00.003-06:00

What would McKenna do without her big brother?

She Loves her JJ

And he loves her too. (Most of the time)

She needs someone to climb on daddy with.

And to help with life's challenges.

JJ These Days

2008-08-13T13:50:00.003-06:00

Every day around 7:00am or so JJ and I have the following conversation:

JJ: I need poscal (popsicle) Mommy.

Me: It's too early for a popsicle right now. You need to eat breakfast.

JJ (After some giving it some consideration): How 'bout orange poscal?

Me: How about toast?

JJ: How 'bout red?

Me: How about Eggos?

JJ: How 'bout green?

Me: How about cereal?

JJ: How 'bout purple?

This is a running dialogue between me and JJ for the rest of the day. I just alternate the type of food I want him to eat depending on what time of day it is. I am sooo tired of hearing about popsicles all day long, but on the other hand, they are a very powerful bargaining tool. We can pretty much get JJ to do anything we ask him to do if we bribe, umm I mean positively reinforce him with a popsicle.

We' ve finally entered the 21st Century!

2008-08-09T21:57:00.002-06:00

We just made the change from dial-up to wireless internet this last week. Hey don't give me any flack, it's not like I've been churning my own butter, people! Whenever we would mention to someone that we had dial-up they would either say, "WHY?" or "They still have that?" Yes, they still have it. And it was only $9.95 a month. That is why we had it.

But anyway, here we are, and I'm trying to figure out this whole blog thing, so be patient with me. We are excited to keep in touch with our friends this way!