eating my way through life: one carb at at time.

Looks like we have a comedian on our hands.Either that or he's doing his best to expedite his future status of nerd (*nerd* is a term of endearment at our house). You might assume that he wore these glasses for less than thirty seconds; just long enough for his camera crazed Mother to snap a picture, right? Truthfully, he wore them for a solid 45+ minutes. When it came time to put him in the bath, he totally kept them on. When they slipped or fell off, he'd quickly adjust them back onto his little face; poking his eyes in the process.

Mr. Potato head glasses are the newest trend for 22 month old boys... that and high heeled dress up shoes. This boy... and trust me when I say he is ALL boy... loves to put on Eliza's heels and walk around the hard wood floor. As he stomps his feet he repeats: Chugga-Chugga- CHOO CHOO!!

"It's true."

It didn't take long for Eliza to pick up the spare pair of glasses. It's a shame though... the size of her face didn't quite accommodate them.

Eliza and Henry: Best 'Spuds'.

Get it? Mr. Potato Head glasses... spuds?

While making dinner last night, I confessed the following to my spouse.

"Honey, I don't know what's wrong with me." I pause to see if he's listening to what I'm saying. After we make eye contact, he nods in encouragement.

"I've been very loose with puns lately. And I don't really like puns. Today at Church, when I was looking for a spare diaper for Henry, I found Loranna and asked,

'Hey (pun intended) can we bum a diaper off of you?' I felt clever and ashamed all at once!"

Unlike my friend Loranna, Andrew offers up a kind laugh. He replies,

"That's funny! I used the exact same pun when asking Dale for a diaper (Dale is married to Loranna). We'd both been on the hunt for a diaper and apparently asked the same family with the same opening line. Those Flegals sure are charming.

Returning to the friendship of our offspring...I feel so fortunate for their relationship. They are the best of friends. It warms my heart. When relationships are founded on common interests (like... um... you know, the television) they prosper :)

Your sudden urge to hurl may stem from my cheese infused sentiment or perhaps, it's the fact that Eliza's hair band clashes completely with her outfit. Please disregard it and take comfort in knowing that her hair was adorned with pink ribbons while at church. Unlike the red scrunchie, they suited the outfit just fine.We had our good friends, Mike and Olya Hatch (and their cute baby Megan) over for dinner last night. Eliza and Henry are into "hiding"right now.

"Quick!! Hide!" they yell as I approach Eliza's bedroom door each night for stories. I walk into Henry's room to greet him after a nap. Sure enough, he is quietly giggling underneath his blue blanket, hiding. Sometimes, when he's really excited, he furiously kicks his legs.

Last night, they hid under the playroom table for 20 minutes (not an exaggeration) while they waited to surprise our guests. By the time they finally emerged, the table was on the opposite side of the room. Nevertheless, they didn't come out for a long time.
Last night was special. It was the first time in the history of my cooking that I ever used yeast to make a bread/dough. Sure, I've tackled cookies but this was my first experience making a dough for rolls. I'll inform you now, dear reader, that I'm the type of (tacky) hostess who praises her own efforts twenty seven seconds after her guests have arrived.

"I've already had like two!" I gush as they make their way into my kitchen. "They turned out so well!" I was sure pleased and surprised that they were a success. Who cares that they are different sizes and shapes. I can work on the aesthetics later. My days of using 'Rhodes Rolls' may be over. Confirming that I am indeed 'tacky' - I forgot my apron. Did I change my clothes before they came? Um, no. Tacky hostesses (such as myself) would keep the same dress on. I did wipe/brush what I could off with the use of a clean baby wipe.

Like I said, I can work on the aesthetics later.

We had a great visit with the Hatch family. I love having friends over on Sunday. It helps distract from the constant Sunday thought that we're not seated around our parent's table. Thanks for making the drive with that new sweet baby. It meant a lot.

And finally
Thanks for the comments on my previous post. I've said it before (and I WILL say it again) your friendship and hilarity is so appreciated by Andrew and me. Is it me, or does she look like she's 3 going on 12 in this picture?

The Southern Tongue. A Convert.

It. is. happening.

I was confident that if Eliza was to adopt a southern accent it wouldn't happen until she was enrolled in school, surrounded by friends who shared the same thick twang. Even then, with the influence of her western parental unit, I doubted its emergence.

Today, I stand corrected. In fact, it was my Mother who first picked up on it while staying at her house over the holidays. In her vocabulary, the words: "here, where, care, dear, bear" carry the Southern influence the most.

I present, the evidence. It really 'gets good' at the 1:20 mark when she starts to sing.

Princess Pleasant and King Crab

Bonding with our family Pediatrician has been a slow process. Lucky for us, yesterday provided me with another opportunity to do just that.

I'm a fan of the facility's two waiting room layout. To the left, you enter the waiting room for sick patients and to the right is the room reserved for the kids waiting for a well child check-up. I can't tell you how tempted I am to head through the right door regardless of my childrens health status; especially when you find yourself following an extremely sick boy into the waiting room; who is carrying a large metal bowl and dish towel from home to help contain the puke that must be imminent. Leading your children to the corner opposite of him, you have to resist the urge to pour hand sanitizer into their young mouths because they are now sharing the same air space of Captain Up-chuck (bless his poor heart). Certainly you're doing your kids a disservice by exposing them to the ailments of others in the surest possible place for germs.

The idea of taking Eliza to the doctor's office was one I debated. She wasn't fevered, her energy level was up and her mood was animated. However, the cough she'd developed was proving to be a cause for concern. The night previous, she had no reprieve. From my bedroom I listened to her struggle. As Andrew and I lay there in the dark, I'd count between each cycle... hoping to make it pass a minute before she coughed again. And then, I'd hear it; a cough coming from Henry's room. My conflicted heart soared that it wasn't Eliza; while at that same moment a pang of concern was shot to the portion of my heart reserved for Henry.
I thought that in the morning her coughing would settle, but to our joint dismay it didn't abate. She was all for the idea of laying down for a nap, but her attempt proved futile. I went ahead and made the appointment. Henry wasn't 100%, but his cough wasn't as prominent. I wasn't expecting a breathing treatment, steroid shot (wasn't croup related) or a prescription to be written - that's just not his style - but I needed to know if my kid's were well enough for me to host preschool at my house this week. I say kid(s) because when I woke up Henry from his nap, he was fevered... what the... so I asked if they could squeeze him in as well. That didn't really fly with the receptionist, but they made it happen anyway.

Eliza loves conversing with adults and Nurse Kathy proves to be a favorite. It was difficult to answer the questions the nurse had for me because Eliza was there to:

• answer each of them,
  
• interrupt with the news of her recently acquired Tinkerbell tooth paste,
  
• show her the new boots she inherited from a cousin, etc.
• etc.
• etc.
  

"Excuse me... EXCUSE ME!" She interrupted. "Um, Doctor? I have a doctor's kit from Christmas."

"You do? That's great.""Yes. I have an otoscope, a shot, a bandaid..." Finally, when we have no choice but to ignore her, she bursts into song. She's fully cooperative for the exam as it is another opportunity to receive attention. Her bravery was truly admirable until it came time to swab her throat. Thinking the test was a waste of our energy in restraining her fully active and revolting limbs, I did my best to keep her contained while spluttering out my apologies.

It wasn't entirely Eliza's fault, after all, she witnessed Henry endure the same test only a moment before and he was nothing short of pissed off. But then, something totally awesome happened. Nurse Kathy brought them both a Popsicle following the strep test. That won them (and me) over immediately.

Henry, oh Henry! He shrinks into me the moment we enter the office. He knows that what goes on in there is nothing short of terrible (see here). Again, my kids have it SO SO SO easy in comparison to children with serious medical conditions - I totally understand that. I'm simply outlining the difference in their demeanor. In fact, Dr. Martial Arts/Pediatrician/Lawyer made an astute observation during Eliza's exam.

"This one" referring to Eliza "is always pleasant; whenever she is here. Why is that?" Before I could answer he shrugs his shoulder to acknowledge Henry and adds,

"I mean, as opposed to King Crab over there." Seriously? Is he calling my son crabby? When I catch the expression of silent loathing on Henry's face as stares directly back at the doctor, I laugh and decide this his assessment was fair.
And then, Nurse Kathy reappears to shock us both with the news that Henry and Eliza have strep throat. I HAD NO IDEA. There were no throat complaints... Eliza wasn't fevered... I don't know anyone who has had it, etc. The cough that we were there for apparently is unrelated. Still, I'm glad I made the appointment and insisted that Henry be checked. Having them both on antibiotic has given me peace of mind.
So, here we are, stuck at our fully sanitized and clean home, (I go hog wild when my kids are sick) blogging in an unfortunate amount of detail about our most recent trip to the doctor's office. It was either this or expounding on the most recent episode of the Bachelor (o.m.gosh - so glad that Michelle and Elizabeth are out of there).

Here's to a healthy week, wherever it is you find yourself, dear friend.

An Ornamental Casualty

Prince Charming is distressed.

Cinderella suffered decapitation by the hand(s) of my children. Twice. The first incident occurred after Henry defeated our Christmas tree in a wrestling match. When I arrived on scene, I discovered Henry laying on top of the artificial branches; while my cherished memories (ornaments) were strewn across the carpet and hardwood floor of the entry way.

Andrew and I bought this ornament in memory of our trip to Disneyland in 2004. As newlyweds, we made the trip to Anaheim with our good friends Whit and Lindsey Coleman. Lindsey, will forever be the Queen of Disney in my heart. Anyway, it's definitely a favorite to pull from the box each year.

After my husband skillfully restored Cinderella's head to its proper place, it was left on the table to set and dry. Eliza found it the next morning, accidentally(?) ripped the head off during their moment of play and ingeniously proceeded to hide it under the red floor mat that resides next to the kitchen sink.

"Eliza, have you seen Cinderella?" She wasted no time in telling me exactly where she'd hid the ornament. And sure enough, there was a nice little lump underneath the mat. The amusement and appreciation I felt for her direct honesty washed away the need to scold. Rather, I commended her for telling the truth. Cinderella's state was delicate. It was our fault for leaving it within her reach.

So then, I said to Andrew "You know honey, if this whole 'piecing together' thing doesn't work out, we ought to replace it with a new one from Disney World." And he said,
"Or I could just glue it a second time. Yes. I think I'll do that." And he did. So then I showed him the picture I took of Eliza with the Chik-fil-A cow.
In explicit detail, I told him of her excitement upon their introduction. The child was beyond enthused. The animation in her countenance was so endearing; I couldn't help but imagine how she'd be if she were to meet M-I-C-K-E-Y ... M-O-U-S-E.

I totally left out the part where Henry began to cry hysterically when the cow entered the room. He was terrified and kind of annoyed by it.

Well friends, due to today's subject matter its quite clear that our week was rather quiet and uneventful. With the exception of a thrilling field trip to Petsmart with our preschool friends. It was actually a perfect way to conclude their week of learning about "pets" AND it was free. Nothing beats free. Lunch at Pizza Inn followed; and lucky for Eliza, they had on hand her two favorites... chocolate pudding & jello. Yay for jello.

Eliza's spirit fingers

It would be hard to press the 'publish post' button without mentioning the devastating earthquake that pummeled Haiti. My heart's been heavy with sadness. That event coupled with the overall 'bad news and suffering' that accompanies the trials of friends and family has left me in a stupor.

Like you, I sincerely struggle when I see (and/or read about) bad things happen to good people. That's a placid way of explaining the events I'm referencing. When gut wrenching, 'soul shattering' tragedies befall such good people, I literally ache and fear.

That's why, when my Bishop called and ask me to speak in Church (tomorrow) on Elder Uchtdorf's talk, "The Infinite Power of Hope" I easily said yes. Studying that message has really lifted the sorrow and calmed the burning question of "Why." That post may come on another day.

Until then, have a "blessed" weekend (That's what a Southerner would say).

My Sunbeam

Last week at Preschool, Eliza was invited to wear her pajamas and bring along her stuffed bear.

Miss Amber taught the children about bears and hibernation.

The "bear cave," that had cleverly been made beneath the kitchen table, is where they had their snack. When it came time for their bears to hibernate, the kids helped put them down for a nap.

Talon came over after preschool. Together they played "hibernation" for the rest of the day.

Talon nobly checks for danger as they "search for bears".
He insists that Eliza 'wait' while he checks first for safety.

This same big girl went to her Sunbeam class for the first time today!

My heart soared with anticipation, excitement and love as I escorted her to her tiny chair. I was able to indulge in every second as I parked myself in the front of the primary room (I'm the chorister).

It wasn't long until I forced myself to sit on my own hands as I realized that I'd blown her a total of ten(+) kisses before the opening song had even been sung. The only concern I'd had was how she'd "survive" the two hours without a snack; but fortunately, her brilliant teacher was prepared.

The highlight for me came when the primary sang, "I Am A Child of God" as the closing song. Knowing that was the one song all the new sunbeams knew well, I chose it on purpose. Although the lyrics and timing was a wee bit shuffled, she completely belted it.

It's going to be a great year.

The Onslaught

Here are the few remaining photos from our holiday trip to Salt Lake. Categorizing them as the "top ten favorite moments" (or however many there are) helps tone down the chaos of documentation. Allow me, dear blog, this bombardment so I can return to 'present day' blogging.

Beginning with the most simple of arrangements:

#1. Date Night(s)

• Cheesecake factory with the Campbells & Moores (glad we survived that drive, Allen)
• Games with friends
• Top gun and Cafe Rio with my brother Matt and his special lady friend(!!!!!)
• A most memorable session at the Salt Lake temple with Andrew, my parents and brother Matt.
• Attending 'Savior of the World' with the Flegal family

#2. My children with their cousins

• It's a relief to see these bonds between our children grow despite the distance between them.
• With every play date or outing, the desire for "this to be the norm" grew.
• Sunday dinner at Nanna's house: dress ups, Candy Land, Hi Ho Cherry-Oh, Computer games, make believe, chicken nuggets
• Seeing the Mays family's new home; thanks for lunch Jen!
• Watching Henry meet my niece Sara for the first time. He was beside himself with excitement whenever he was near her. He has never reacted that way with anyone. It was hard to explain but a total joy to watch.

• Continuing the Build a Bear tradition with Nana Marie and her grand girls
• Eliza insisted on driving back with Emilee
• Lunch at McDonalds
• More time together at Nana's house

#3. Lunch and Shopping with my Mom and Sister.

• Normandie Bakery; fun to see a high school friend while out with Ami and Mom. Although (Whitney) I'm pretty sure if I seemed 'somewhere else' - it's because I figured out later on that I had mistakenly took nyquil rather than dayquil in my hurry to be out the door that morning.
• Down East Outfiters and Old Navy: Felt like it was my birthday; shopping with two of my favorite people in the world.

#4. Extended Family Visits

• Celebrating Christmas with Andrew's Mom's side of the family
• Meeting for lunch with my Aunts (Happy Birthday Dawnette!), cousin, sisters, etc.
  

• Red Robbins: Met in the back room, the girls played 'London Bridge is Falling Down' and 'Ring around the Rosie' while we chatted
• Took a field trip to the Ladies room with the little girls. They thought that was great.
  

#5. Watching your parents fall back in love with your children.

• Rocking Henry to sleep and/or cuddling him post-naptime
• Reading to our children
• Eliza sitting by each Nana as they got ready in the morning and chatting with them

#6. Time with Grandma Flegal

• Christmas morning breakfast
• Savior of the World
• A special play date with Truman at her house (our former place of residence)

#7. Holy Crap, I love my friends.

• Date night with our husbands
• Breakfast at Millcreek Cafe
• Christmas get together with Andrew's engineering comrades (and their awesome wives, whom I adore)
• A play date with the Laura, Brayden and Sarah (sad I didn't take a picture) - wish I'd seen you more than that one time!!!
• Sad I didn't see my other lovelies (you know who you are -Keersten, Emily Ellis, Everyone I missed at Angela's Christmas party - to name a few)
  

#8. Christmas Eve at my parents house

#9. Time with my Mom.

#10. Late night games with my in-laws... always stayed up too late, but the fun we had always made it worth it.

#11. New Years Eve. I have pictures but I can't post them. They may be of an illegal nature. Does it involve Alcohol? No way.
Does it involve explosive fireworks of a domestic nature? Perhaps.

It was an awesome trip.

A New Year

Falling asleep last night was seriously awesome.

After a 15 night absence, Andrew and I were happily reunited with our pillows, comforter and feather top mattress. Having began our morning of travel at 4:30 a.m, it's fair to say that sleep came instantly. After sharing sleeping quarters with Eliza and Henry, the opportunity to close their bedroom doors after bidding them "goodnight" was a gift as they didn't find reason to wake us before morning.

Focusing on the small moments of relief helps to assuage the feelings of sadness that accompanied me home following a two week stay in Utah. While the memory of hugging my Mom goodbye early yesterday morning is still painfully fresh, I have to say I'm proud of myself for not being a total mess today.

My gratitude for the memories we created hasn't left much room for feelings of disappointment. We made the most of the time we had. And while each of us passed a cough back and forth while swathing our feet in vicks vapor rub; there were no fevers, trips to the doctor or Christmas Day Instacare visits.

I'm pleased to report that the kids have quickly fallen back into the "swing of things." So far this morning I have:

• thwarted Henry from unwrapping a stick of margarine,
  
• played a game of 'Candy Land' with Eliza,
  
• kissed two of Eliza's hurts 'all better' after she crashed into the wall after failing to balance on a ball,
• helped Henry throw back all of the trash that he took out of the garbage can,
• been informed by Eliza that it's Henry's nap time. Henry, who at the moment is reorganizing my pots, seems to be getting on her nerves.

The day feels normal because of where we are, but weird because of where we just were.

Transitioning back to life is a little slower for the parents. Andrew painfully returned to work after a ridiculously long break/vacation this morning. As for me, I have a long 'to-do' list, outlined in pink crayon, that I made while on the plane yesterday. Blogging, unfortunately, is absent from that list which means that the final barrage of holiday photos will have to wait until my kids have something more than oatmeal, stale graham crackers and applesauce to eat. Not to mention, we are dangerously low on toilet paper.

As this is my first official post of the New Year, I'd like to wish you all a Happy 2010.

2008 was the year of great change:

• Henry's happy arrival,
  
• Andrew's graduation,
  
• A move to South Carolina
  
• Building a home

2009 was about establishing and creating that new life while maintaining the cherished relationships with those we love in Utah. Things I'm most proud of from 2009:

• Family night happened (most) Monday nights
• My cooking, my cooking, my cooking! It is quite good! Andrew would probably have that on his list too.
  
• Sitting together each night at the dinner table is regular and a 'look forward to' event.
• Eliza's preschool
• New Moon (just kidding - oh wait, I'm not.)
  
• Experiencing for the first time: Myrtle Beach, Charleston, D.C., meeting Andrew's relatives
  
• Finding a way to budget that works well for both of us
• The promotion that came during the height of a recession
• Buying our first piece of exercise equipment

2010: I hope to...

• Actually using the above mentioned piece of exercise equipment (elliptical)
• Become brave and paint one of our walls a different color
• Learn the 'ins and outs' of the coupon world
• Attend the temple (Andrew or myself) monthly. We're two hours away from the nearest one; which turns into a seven hour day...not to mention finding and paying for a sitter, so I figure if at least one of us goes, we're good.
  
• Convince Andrew to take the family to Disney World - or the new Harry Potter theme park - either one works for me.

Henry hopes to

• Use the big boy potty
• Move into a big boy bed

Eliza hopes to

• Eat whatever it is Mom makes for dinner
  

Welcome 2010!