The homies in the LBC!

One of the perks of living in G-town is that we are relatively close to each of my three siblings. And living with my parents means that if they come to visit Mom & Dad they cannot help but get a visit with the four of us. We've been up to see Lyndsy & Jon, we're going to Alan & Jen's at the end of the month, and on Monday we got to see Neal and Meleah. They bought a condo in the LBC. We've been there several times - this time takes the cake though! We got to meet Neal at his office in downtown, walk to the Port of LBC, go to their house for dinner, and play lots!

Neal and Meleah are a good mix for our family. They both like to play, have fun, joke around, and have a good time. We had such a blast! I'm looking forward to our next N&M family adventure!

The boys at Neal's office.

Walking across the bridge to the port.

The train that takes the containers from ships to trucks.
So cool, especially for the two little boys.

Helping to wash Meleah's car! Nothing like kid-labor.

"Driving" the car. A favorite past-time.

Getting to take a bath in their bathtub! A treat!

Reading stories in our jammies.

Belly raspberries from Uncle Neal.

It's her birthday and I can cry if I want to!

In about thirty-two minutes a special occasion will occur.  Not one that will be accompanied by fireworks, toasts, or loud cheering - though all of those would be fantastic - but rather accompanied by the soft snores of two little kids, a husband, and possibly her.

See in thirty-two minutes, when April 3rd begins on the West Coast, my best friend, Terina, will celebrate her thirtieth birthday.  Now I realize that this is our family blog and you are accustomed to seeing our kids in pictures and stories, with some Shelly-esque sappy commentary.  In reality this is no diversion from that.  Terina has been my best friend now for over 22 years.  For some of you reading this, it's your whole lifetime.  Even for me it feels like my whole life.  

I honestly don't remember when TJ and I first met.  She probably does.  I know it was sometime around our eighth birthdays.  I know it involved church activities.  Our parents at the time were also having dinner parties with a bunch of other couples they knew.  It could have been that.  

Regardless of that TJ and I made a connection that time has tested over, and over, and over again.  We've been through the ups and downs of life together.  It actually amazes me sometimes that we are still friends!  Then I think of all the million things that make up TJ and I remember why I haven't managed to live without her.

Here are a few:

* her honesty.  

* the adorably obnoxious way that she chews her food.

* her ability to play devil's advocate when I need it, without me asking for it.

* she dips her fries into her shake and finds that delicious.

* the way she twists her necklace or rings when she is nervous or anxious.

* that she gets wigged out when someone else is driving - except (usually) with me.

* our shared passion for old movies and musicals.

* T-Dees

* she's absolutely gorgeous.  And she looks kind of like my real best friend.

* the way she corrects when people say French words.

* Santa Barbara

* she is constantly munching on something.

* her height.  I love standing next to her and wanting to stand on my tip-toes.  It adds to her intrigue and her intimidation factor.

* her personal angst regarding the color pink.

* that we can talk for an hour, get off the phone, and then call back 15 minutes later to discuss something else.

* that she loves socks - especially decorative ones.  (just don't touch her feet)

* she thinks my sappiness is funny.  Wait till she reads this post!

* her craftiness.  She doesn't think she's crafty but you should see some of her cross-stitch. 

* my planned "surprise" birthday party.

* her one or two sentence emails to me throughout the day

* that I can probably guess exactly what she'll do and say when she reads this.  

The thing that I love most about Terina though, and that I value and celebrate almost every day, is that Terina has loved me and accepted me for who I am for all of our 22 years.  I am sure there were times as teenagers that we fought - I just don't remember them.  Instead I have all these incredible memories of trips to Santa Barbara, camping, Utah, double-dates (even when she didn't like my boyfriend!), late night movies, late night In-N-Out (or Applebees, or Denny's, or about 15 other places) and scary moments.  We've talked about sex, motherhood, sexuality, religion, being a spouse, dislikes, missing pieces, politics,  parenting lessons (or lack thereof), our spouses, our current books or TV shows.  You name it and we've talked about it.  

And each time I've come to her with a subject that I thought she'd be offended by, or alarmed by, or even close-minded towards, she has always proven me wrong.  The past few years I have seen her really chew on tough issues (in the same adorable way she chews her food!) and come to her own conclusions.  It has been breathtaking to watch.  And I am so lucky to be part of her 30 years.

Right now TJ lives WAY across this great continent.  We saw each other twice last year, the only two times we'd seen each other in three years.  Time doesn't seem to pass between us.  Except in writing this post - suddenly our 22 years of friendship seem very real.  It is hard to believe that we aren't the same two skinny, hyper, joy-filled girls that sat on the roof of your house, with your parents out of town, watching for boys and singing to Newsies.  Then again, we'd still do that!

My biggest birthday wish for Terina is one I'll discuss with her.  If I could though, here is what I'd send her for her birthday:

* 30 lbs of Jelly Bellys*

* 30 round trip tickets to international locations (figuring 1/2 of those would be to France)*

* me *

* $30 gift cards to Old Navy, that shoe store she loves, Target, WalMart, Etsy, and Shabby Apple. *

* 30 hours of Molly Maid cleaning service *

* 30 round-trip tickets to national locations (figuring 2/3 of those would be from there to here) *

* 30 hours of couples massage *

* 30 fresh-cut daffodils with 30 bulbs to plant for next year *

* 30 lbs. of real Swiss chocolate (not the 'crap' that we like here in the US)* 

* 30 new flip-flops *

* a selection of 30 new books - which she'll breeze through *

* me *

Happy Birthday TJ.    I love you.

Balboa

We were thrilled to hear that my cousin Stephanie and her husband James were going to be in town last weekend. Stephanie grew up in a town near my hometown so we have always been close. It was fun to get to know James before we moved away. They came down to visit her family and have a vacation. We were tickled that they wanted to see us. I actually think James just wanted to see the boys and see if they'd talk about body parts or bodily functions.

We met them at Balboa Beach. It was a ton of fun!

James played Frisbee and badminton with the boys for a while. Well, you cannot actually play the game with them - rather you just hit the ball, they scream with delight, and then you have to go pick the ball back up and hit it again. James was a good sport:


Steph's Mom (my Aunt Cindy) and sister Stacey were there when we first got there. It was fun to get caught up on the whole family:



We couldn't wait to start the campfire though. It was fun to sit around, chat, watch the boys' delight in such simplicity (hot dogs and fire), and enjoy a little bit of nature.

The boys treated us to an original song:


Thanks Steph and James! We had a glorious time!

Fab Five Tag!

My cute cousin Ilise tagged me! This is technically our family blog...but I thought you all might like to read it. Here you go:

FIVE Things I was doing 10 years ago...
1. I had just started working for Kaplan. Who knew I'd be there for almost 8 years!
2. I met Eric for the first time ten years ago January.
3. Was trying to get over a broken heart by shamelessly flirting with a guy in my French class.
4. Got my third piercings in my ears. Not sure how to say that correctly...
5. Living with my cousin and my best friend Shelly in our cute apartment with matching chair cushions and window coverings.

FIVE Things I was doing 5 years ago...
1. Working at Kaplan - now as the Utah Area Director.
2. Getting ready for my first trip to Chicago!
3. Enjoying Eric and my new apartment in downtown SLC. Hardwood floors, high ceilings, and a little bit of architectural flair!
4. Celebrating our third anniversary!
5. Meeting Melissa and Rob at Fat Cats for bowling and Dance-Dance Revolution. (Ok, my memory isn't serving me too well - Melis, was this five years ago already?!?!?)

FIVE Things I would do if I became millionaire...
1. Pay off our bills.
2. Buy a beach house and then rent it out.
3. Move us to Hong Kong and then worry about jobs.
4. Meet with an awesome financial advisor and turn that million into more.
5. Donate to a few select charities, and then start my own non-profit.

FIVE Jobs I've had...
1. Waitress at Pinnacle Peak Steakhouse (my name was Wildflower...fitting eh?)
2. Client Services at People Helping People (my non-profit would be like this! I love this place)
3. Area Director for Kaplan Test Prep (not to mention KSA, Marketing Manager, and Center Manager before that. I worked there a long time y'all.)
4. Special Orders Desk for the U of U Medical Bookstore
5. Client Services for an employment agency.

FIVE Snacks I enjoy...
1. tortilla chips
2. grapes
3. chocolate chip rice cakes
4. peanut butter
5. Key Lime or Orange Creme Yoplait

FIVE Places I've lived...
1. Avenues, SLC, UT
2. Huckelhoven, Germany (ok, it was only three months...still)
3. Millcreek, SLC, UT
4. Fontucky, CA
5. G-town

FIVE Things I did yesterday...
1. Talked on the phone with TJ.
2. Worked out for two long hours at the gym.
3. Watched an online episode of Eli Stone (love that show!)
4. Had an awesome 'single' night as the Mocktress at Ann's Mocktail Party! (So fun!)
5. Was so tired that I fell asleep w/o washing my face!

FIVE Things I hate doing...
1. Cleaning out the fridge.
2. Listening to Walker pitch a fit (as he is doing in his bed right now)
3. Being late.
4. Being judgemental. Yeah, I have my moments.
5. wearing socks.

FIVE Biggest joys of the moment...
1. Knowing that when Walker needs to use the bathroom he'll tell me or he'll do it by himself.
2. Having gone to the gym almost every day in the last three months. Even if I haven't lost weight....
3. Will being in the phase where he wants me (or Eric) to spell words all the time for him.
4. Having spent the day with my kids and hubby at Chinatown. And meditating for good things to come.
5. Reading two books this week and pushing through one right now.

And I've seen lots of people do this tag - but I don't think I've seen Ali do it yet! So I'll tag her and if anyone else does it, let me know so I can come read it!!

Mornings

Mornings are an absolutely magical time. At this moment, aside from the typing of my fingers, I can hear the soft noises of awakening coming from the boys room, the gleeful chirps of birds outside, and a train horn in the distance. Each of these makes me grateful that I rolled out of bed early to herald in the day my own way. A chat with a friend, passing words with my Mom, a chapter read in my book, and time to type out some thoughts.

I have missed blogging as much as you have missed reading our blog. Or maybe it's a little more for me.

I am glad though for the perspective I have been given by not being on the computer each morning. Last week, for example, I sat on the couch deeply consumed by a book. At one point I looked up and found myself staring at Will, who had crawled out of bed to find me reading. I asked if he wanted to snuggle with me and he did. First though he ran and grabbed his own book. We sat on the couch, the two of us immersed in our reading, until his belly reminded him of other things.

That same week I found myself at the table, sipping my chocolate Instant Breakfast, and flipping through a catalog for classes at the church Eric and I have been going through. With typical Walker pizazz, the bedroom door slammed open and he appeared. Still groggy, with tousled blond hair he waddled into the hall. And then, a miracle. Saying nothing to me, in fact barely acknowledging my presence, he shuffled down the hall and into the bathroom. He closed the door and proceeded to do his thing. All by himself. No urging or direction from me. As he walked down the hall back towards me, ready for his morning cuddles, I could not have been more proud. It also made me keenly aware that his is growing up. So while I held him, nestled up close to me as if he were two weeks old, my heart rejoiced that I still have moments like this. It will not be long before cuddling with me will be old news.

So my blogger friends, it is with this post that I say we are back! Our weeks, like yours, have been full and exciting. I cannot wait to post pictures of our Balboa trip, bike rides, the Zoo trip, Spring celebrations, gluten-free healthy Easter food, and all of the other random pictures I took knowing that I wanted to blog about them. Those will have to wait just a little bit longer...I can hear the boys out of their beds and the best part of my morning is about to begin.

Bright Sunshiny Day!

After several days of torrential rain and gloomy skies* (and a weekend of being sick at home) the boys and I took advantage of the absolutely gorgeous weather and headed to our local arboretum. We haven't been there since June of last year and when I looked outside this morning I knew we'd end up there! The picture below is from our June 2007 trip - compare it to the one a few shots down...



The boys were in full adventure mode. We had fun feeding the ducks, hiking through the 'jungle', and eating our lunch by the pond. Moments like these are magical. I think we have them every day, they're just harder to notice when we're in our day-to-day routine.

Looking for turtles...

Look at me Mom!

Yes, it's a mushroom and no you can't eat it.

Does life get any sweeter?

Enjoying some lunch.

Will wanted his own 'bench'.

Fishing!
(The algae is the 'fish' Will caught)

Can I take it home please?

Will taking a business call.
(telling Eric all about our day)

The waterfalls.

The REAL reason I take my kids on adventures...
this is what happens on the way home!

*I do realize that all of you in snowy, blizzardy areas are rolling your eyes right now.*

Another face at Zanzibar!

Recognize those lyrics? Probably not. Eric does though. As he does for ALL Billy Joel songs. We were totally spoiled on Saturday and got to go out to dinner and then to the one-night only Billy Joel concert! My Dad won tickets to the concert and was so excited to send us in his place.

For those of you who don't know Eric and I are both huge Billy Joel fans, with Eric nearing fanaticism. It was an incredible show. We've been as a couple to see him twice (once with Elton John) and Eric has seen him a couple of other times. For Eric, Billy Joel's music is not only a emotional fit, but a religious experience. We always have fun on our date nights, but getting to rock out, watch Eric be overwhelmed by the music, and laugh at Billy Joel's self-deprecating comments was a special treat.

Getting ready to go!

A nice dinner full of adult conversation.

Adult conversation? What's that?

Yes! Adult conversation!
And Billy Joel?!?! It's like Christmas!
Waiting for the show to start!

We didn't take any other pictures inside since I had left my camera in the car and Eric's phone camera wasn't getting good shots. We were in great seats - made even better by the fact that Billy Joel's piano turned to face both directions throughout the night. While Billy Joel looks significantly older the night made me feel like it was 'back in the day'.

So much fun!

It's just another Manic...

Thursday? I don't remember the song going that way. Hum....

Still. It has been a manic Thursday. I guess what I am looking for in writing this blog (off of my normal blog-routine) is some release.

I feel like, overall, I'm a good mom. But today has been one of those days, yes THOSE days. Manic is really the best way to describe it! Kind of like the weather today. It started off chilly with spouts of rain, followed by a few minutes of warm sunshine that made you think there was never rain, and then gray skies clouding over again.

One minute I am playing with the boys, they are laughing, I'm laughing. Then next minute (usually after I've moved on to a project, like dinner) they are throwing things at each other, playing with things around the house they shouldn't, and whining about every little thing. I'm breaking up fights, putting one in cool down, trying to listen to one, trying to calm down one, trying to get one to just stop whining. Rinse and repeat.

And the worst part, and I really do mean the worst part, is that my parents get home and the boys are fine! So when my Mom asks how my day was and I say, 'Manic', I feel crazy even just saying it. I mean, there are my little rays of sunshine on the floor, playing nicely and sharing with each other. Whatever could I be talking about...see they're angels!

'It's just another manic _____, oh ew oh. I wish it was Sunday! 'Cuz that's my fun day. My I don't have to run day. It's just another manic ______'

Tag I'm it!

My good friend Melissa tagged me to do this last week. I had typed it up but failed to post it...so here goes:

A: The rules of the game are posted at the beginning. B: Each player answers the questions about themselves. C: At the end of the post, the player then tags 3 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

10 YEARS AGO TODAY
I was a mature (smile) 19 year-old. I was utterly in lust with a certain young man and am not sure I thought about much beyond that. Had just started working for Kaplan (almost to the day). I was living with my friend Shelly and my cousin Leslie. Loved life!

5 THINGS ON MY TO-DO LIST TODAY (TUESDAY)

1. Sign Walker up for a dance class. (check!)
2. Go grocery shopping. (no check...)
3. Send in taxes and car registration renewal. (check!)
4. Update family blog. (check!)
5. Spend time with Grandma and get Patti's blog set-up. (check, check!)

5 THINGS I ENJOY

1. Blogging (both writing and reading)
2. Reading (ah...I LOVE reading)
3. Playtime. Whether it's Trivial Pursuit with Eric or giving airplane rides to the boys.
4. Laughing. I take laughter any way it comes...even at my own expense.
5. Friends.

WHAT WOULD I DO IF I WERE SUDDENLY A BILLIONAIRE

1. Pay off debt.
2. Move internationally.
3. Start a non-profit.
4. Hire a personal trainer.
5. Make lots of donations (including an iPod for Eric)

3 OF MY BAD HABITS

1. I don't take compliments very well.
2. Pulling on my eyebrows.
3. I love to channel surf and not just during commercial breaks :)

5 PLACES I HAVE LIVED

1. G-town, California
2. Avenues, Salt Lake City, Utah
3. Huckelhoven, Germany
4. U of U, Salt Lake City
5. Millcreek, Salt Lake City, Utah

5 JOBS I'VE HAD

1. Waitress at Pinnacle Peak (yeehaw!)
2. Client Services for an employment agency
3. Area Director for Kaplan Test Prep
4. front desk at a dry cleaning business
5. Client Services for People Helping People

5 THINGS PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT ME

1. For most of my adolescent years I wanted to grow up and be a lawyer.
2. Quitting work and staying home with the kids has been one of the hardest (and best) things I've ever done. Both for myself and my family.
3. I cut my really long hair once after breaking up with a boy. He had loved my long hair.
4. My best friend and I planned my 'surprise' 16th birthday party. My mom still hasn't forgiven both of us for that.
5. I secretly wish I had been a heartbreaker. I dated several guys but did not break any hearts...and kind of wish I had!

3 PEOPLE I TAG

Um...it seems the people I tag never do it which leads to great disappointment and depression on my end**...sooo....

ANYONE can do this tag. Just let me know you did it so I can check it out.

**sarcasm in case you missed it**

I guess it's genetic...

I have so many stories and pictures from the last couple of weeks - but I cannot go on to those without writing down these two stories. I might be opening Pandora's Box, so to speak, but I think I know where the boys get their knack for trouble :)

A few weeks ago...

The boys I went to the gym...a daily event for us. The gym had just started a new policy where only one family at a time can come in, check their child in, and leave. The other parents had to wait outside of the kids' center. From a protective standpoint I completely understand this move...but when you are waiting with excited kids it's a little inconvenient. It's even worse when, after your workout, you are standing behind three other parents in line to pick up your kids and someone walks right past all four of you, past the huge red signs which say 'STOP! ONE PARENT A TIME!', and into the kids' center.

This is exactly what happened to me a few weeks ago. In typical fashion, the other parents and I just kind of stared with dropped jaws at each other, then in at her, and then back at each other. Pretty soon the open mouths started spewing. Each one of us remarking about whether she saw us, whether she knew the rules, how someone should say something, how rude it was, etc, etc. After a few minutes of this I decided that I was going to say something. I have to say, in defense of myself, I usually do not say something. However when someone blatantly breaks the rules, rules that I am frustratingly following, well that really gets me. I had no idea what a dung hole I was stepping in with my decision! I casually walked into the two parent filled kids center, smiled at the offender, and said sweetly, 'I'm not sure if you saw us, but there are four parents out there waiting our turn to come in and get our kids.' She looked at me with a blank face and said 'Oh, I did not see you. I mean, I thought you all already had your kids.' Yes, that was her response. I turned around, having done my duty, and left as the workers tried to explain to her the policy.

Well, it did not stop there. As she left the center she walked right past us, this time with everyone glaring. She said to everyone, 'I did not even seen you'. Well, the fury came. I retorted with 'Yeah, I often get confused for a mannequin.' Well that was all she needed to come unglued. Next thing you know she's yelling across the lobby at me talking about how rude I am, how disrespectful I am, etc. Granted I shouldn't have said what I did. Still, she didn't see us? FOUR adults standing in a line directly leading up to the kids' center? Pluhhheese. Had she, at some point, just said 'Hey, I'm sorry' it would have changed my whole attitude. Next thing I know she's got the manager of the gym trying to calm her down while she explains all the reasons I should not be allowed to come to the gym anymore. I get called over to discuss the problem..which I do rather calmly and with no further sarcasm. He excuses me and talks with the other parents. They confirm what happened and he asks her to let it go and to have a good day. Remember she is doing this the whole time with her non-walking child in her arms. I figure it is all said and done.

I wait my turn to get the boys, take them to the bathroom, talk again with the manager (who apologizes unnecessarily), and open the door. Guess who is waiting for me? YES! I am totally serious. She waited outside and announced 'We are not done talking'. And yes, she still is holding her kid. I almost wanted to look around and ask where the Candid Camera was! I told her that I had nothing to say and that her decision to wait around to talk to me was not a good one. Needless to say the manager fully supported my proposal to not have her at the gym for a while. It was so surreal. Every time I think of it I get the music from West Side Story - only with kids in arms instead of knives! 'When you're a Jet you're a Jet all the way!'

Today....

After picking Will up from preschool we headed to our local library. This is a treat for my TV-deprived boys who get to choose a movie every week for their viewing pleasure. It became obvious that Walker needed to use the potty. We went in there once...no luck. Twice...no luck. Seems, which is common, that his fear of public potties was kicking in. We headed back into the library and while browsing the movies it became even more obvious that Walker had, well given up on waiting to use the toilet. A little frustrated we hurried to check out our books and movies, and went into the bathroom. On the way in the boys expressed their desire to go in the triangle bathroom (the men's sign in a triangle) and not the circle. Pushing open the door I explained that since mommy is a girl I couldn't go into the triangle bathroom and that they would need to come with me.

A few minutes into what became changing the entire bottom half of Walker's clothing (note to other moms, bring a change of underwear, pants, socks and a plastic bag everywhere when potty training), a woman came out of a stall, walked by me and said 'I'm sorry, I thought this was the women's room.' I figured that she had heard part of my conversation with the boys and misunderstood us. I turned to her and said 'Oh, this is the women's room'. She looked at me, right in the eyes, and said 'Well then why are there boys in here?' Ok readers - I cannot even write and explain how flabbergasted I was. And...here is where trouble came...I said, 'Seriously?'

Someone just stop me! I know better than this. Especially since this woman was disheveled and possibly under the influence of something. The 'seriously' just slipped out! This led to the woman telling me to take her seriously, that I was inappropriate to bring 'men' into the ladies' room, and has moved into the building foyer (not directly in the library) where she is expressing her frustration in a loud voice. At this point I'm just done and I retort with how it must take a rocket scientist to figure out why I would take my 3 and 2 year-old into the the bathroom with me. Walker is walking around in his poopy underwear since the library staff has come out to understand the situation. Will is clinging to my leg watching the whole thing unfold. She finally throws herself down on the floor (yes, the floor), exuding hysterics at how humiliating it is to go in a bathroom that has 'men' in it. I still couldn't believe it was happening.

The library administrator did a great job of working with her and seemed to have calmed her down. Though as we were leaving, walking up the stairs that she was laying underneath, I heard her say that she was going to sue the library for allowing men in the ladies room.

Seriously?

Valentine's Treats

Valentine's Day was so much fun! A lot of people are not interested in Valentine's Day and label it as a Hallmark holiday. They aren't wrong. From the huge chocolate covered hearts to the overpriced cards the holiday, like the rest, has gotten out of hand.

Still I will always be in favor of a holiday that promotes the sharing and verbalization of love. Regardless of what tacky card that love might be written in.

At our house we had an abundance of Valentine's excitement...

The boys and I made gluten-free (GF) orange yogurt breakfast muffins for our friends:

and frosting-free GF M&M cupcakes for Will's class:

Will made this adorable Valentine collector in class
and brought it home filled with cute notes and goodies:

I got a package from my uber-talented friend Susan
with some homemade sugar scrub she made:

and surprised me with this incredibly cute wallet
that she sells through her company, Freshly Picked:

Grandma Steph sent the boys a great package with lots of treats. They carried their heart slinkys around all day and colored with their fan crayons after naptime.

One of the highlights was getting to have a Valentine's Day date with Walker at a local bagel shop. He was thrilled to have a chocolate chip muffin with just his mom. He chatted my ear off the entire time and was utterly charming.

The boys then got to spend the evening with Papa, Goosey (who is in town), Aunt Pat, and Uncle Doug. Eric and I had a unique evening spending the first part in therapy (what better way to say I love you? Really!) and then enjoying a nice dinner together. I got gorgeous flowers but forgot to take an individual picture. (You can see them on the table in my Chinese New Year party post.)

And it starts...

This morning I left the boys at the breakfast table while I ran in to make my bed.

This conversation followed:

Will: "You want me to be the boss?"
Walker: "No, I'm is the boss."
Will: "NO I'M THE BOSS!"
(So I decide to participate, yelling from the bedroom)
Me: "No I'm the boss."
Walker: "Mommy said she's the boss."
Will: "No I'm the boss."
Walker: "No I wanna be boss."
Me: "Walker, you be the boss of you and Will you be the boss of yourself."
Walker: "Ok. I'm is the boss of Walker."
Will: "No I am the boss of EVERYONE."

The Joy of Potty Training

As (almost) every parent knows potty training is an interesting process. You have to wait until your child displays the *signs* that they are ready to train, you have to decide on a potty training method, and then you have to begin.

With Walker this has been a really trying process for me. Will was a little bit older and a little bit more verbal than Walker so, while it was expensive, it was quicker and easier. Walker is the kind of child who reacts so much to my energy and my moods that if I am the least bit rushed, he'll slow right on down.

So the last few weeks have been filled with highs and lows. I really thought we got the hang of it last Wednesday when Walker came running down the hall to tell me he needed to go 'poo-poo'. When we rushed into the bathroom I realized that he had already gone potty in his pants. I had to remind myself that he at least told me and that was a step...but my patience wasn't all that thrilled.

What I realized the other day made me remember that in the moment of frustration with our kids we often miss the magic. For example, as I sit 15 - 20 minutes in the bathroom waiting for Walker to do his stuff I often read him stories, ask him about his life, and have great conversations! Given his busy nature these moments do not happen a lot in other circumstances.

I took full advantage of this time on Monday. We talked and talked. In fact he did not want to get off of the potty - I think he too realized the importance of the time with just Mom. 1/2 way through the 'event' I got the camera. I had been asking him about colors that he likes and it was too priceless.

Yes this is a video of my kid on the potty. Yes he does have a sucker (it was a last ditch attempt to get him to STAY on the potty). Enjoy:

Face painting Bob Ross style...

For those of you unfamiliar with the awesomeness that is Bob Ross, you might want to go here to learn more about him. I (Shelly) have a t-shirt with him on it that I wear a lot around the house and the boys love it. They usually ask me questions about Bob Ross and sometimes even tell him hi. One night this week we showed them a video of Bob Ross online and they, Will in particular, were mesmerized.

So the other night I broke out our possibility box and decided we could do Bob Ross painting. Unfortunately I failed to take pictures of their artwork before putting them in an envelope to send to Pop (Eric's grandpa) who also is a Bob Ross fan. However, once Walker lost interest in painting (about five minutes into it) Will and I turned to each other as canvasses.

It started with me painting one fan on Will's face:

and then another:

and then a goatee:

He retaliated by painting my entire face.

(he told me I had to hold still and not smile)

A view of him as he's painting my face - so intense:

I'm going to ignore any possible symbolism from the red slash on my throat.
He loves me - right?

Voila! An artist is born!!

We did try to paint Walker's face - but he wasn't as fond of it. I got 1/2 way through a balloon and he was out of his chair. He came back for a minute and I was able to get a red 'T' (for trouble) in Scarlet Letter form. That was about it for him though!

Random pieces of information...

* Will has been sick (again) for the past couple of days. Poor guy. He does love the extra attention though.

* Walker is off the binky! My Dad started in on Friday when he just put him to bed without it - and succeeded! When he asks for it, which is relatively rare, I tell him that his binkies have moved on to a new baby who needs them. That usually works though one time Walker retorted with 'Mom. I need to lay in my crib. I'm a baby.' Yeah, he's smarter than me already.


* According to my iPod** the most frequently played song is (drum roll please): 'Eric Singing the Lullabies'. It has been played an amazing 5, 895 times. No I'm not grooving to the sounds of Eric singing Once There Was a Snowman - we play it when the boys go to bed sometimes. 5,895 times evidently. The closest ones to that are 'Grace Kelly' - Mika (34 plays), 'Sin Sin Sin' - Robbie Williams (32 plays), and 'Credits' - Dario Marianelli/Pride & prejudice Soundtrack (30 plays).


* We are potty training Walker right now and have managed (cross your fingers) NOT to flush any underbunders down the toilet.

* Two favorite words in our house right now are Will's 'eitherwise' and Walker's 'Timpanogos'.

* We decided to hold our annual Chinese New Year party again this year! If you are in the same general area that we are and would like to come - we'd love it. Just let me know. (February 16th @ 5:30pm)

* Will likes to furrow his brow and pretend to be mad. He's often asking 'Do you understand what I am saying Mom/Dad?'

* Walker is already a teenager. He blatantly refuses to do things, gives you an evil eye, and is often running into runs and slamming doors. Hum...

Speaking of potty training my sister-in-law Ali sent us this video link. It is hilarious! I've also included the second one where they discuss

Japanese Potty Training Video: At Home
(use of a minor swear word in the subtitles - probably not for readers!!)


Japanese Potty Training Video: In Public
(use of 's' swear word in the subtitles - for adult laughter purposes only!! Plus the squatty-potty would only confuse kids.)


**Happy thoughts and well-wishes are needed for my iPod which is a 1st generation that Eric got while working for Apple. It is slowly ending it's run. I need it last a few more months.**

Check us out!

Well our little gluten-free family made it's first foray into the GF online menu world.

Check us out!

And thanks to Liz and Melony at Kill.The.Gluten for letting us submit a recipe. I get so many ideas from their site - it helps make my GF life somewhat sane.

For those of you gluten-eaters - try this recipe only instead of making rolls buy Pillsbury Crescent rolls and put a little bit of the chicken mixture inside of it. Then bake according to the crescent roll directions - put a little dab of warm cream of chicken soup on top and presto!

Come-on baby light the fire!

Life's not always a beach. Especially at the beach.

We headed down to the beach on Saturday for a little family time. Will wanted to see the sunset at the beach so we were trying our best to get there post-nap-time. Walker, well we all know from previous experience that he just really wanted to get to the sand.

We packed our hot dogs, our regular and gluten-free buns, ketchup, mustard, charcoals, and a lighter. Since we had no newspaper Eric grabbed printer paper. That should have been a sign.

As we neared the beach we decided to get some firewood so that we could have flames and heat as well as a place to cook. I got out and grabbed it. I couldn't get it to scan the price tag and when I tried to pull on it, it was wet. That should have been a sign.

Still - we trekked onward to the beach. We made it just in time for the 'Rainbow sky' and got set up. The boys immediately jumped into the sand activities and Eric started in on the fire. And a story was born...

Here is Eric trying to start the fire. He started with a 'tee pee' set-up
but then switched after no success. Come on fire, come on fire...

For the first 30 minutes all we got was smoke. Lots of smoke.

We soon realized that our wood was damp (duh Shell) and
also that we were out of paper. We tried using a pull-up (fire resistant)
and then I tore up a tortilla chip bag. The boys had fun trying to find kindling but
with limited success. And still the wood would not burn.

I was starting to loose patience, but Eric, ever the boyscout, kept
going. We remembered that we had a cardboard box in the car
with stuff to take to the storage unit. Soon enough I was unpacking
the box and lugging it down the beach. We all had a blast
tearing the box up - and for a while it seemed as though the fired
would take.

But, even with Will's super helperness, it was kaput.

Eric and Will tried really hard - lots of blowing (Eric)
and throwing sand in (Will).

Walker and I tried to keep our distance.
You can see how damp the air was since it
looks like there are raindrops in the picture.

The fire never took off so after tearing apart
the entire box and two hours of Eric's work
we decided to call it quits. We had enough lit
charcoal to cook two hot dogs
for the boys - which was greatly appreciated.

Walker like the bun the most.

Will's bun was...well made from tapioca.
So he enjoyed mostly the hot dog.

So - life isn't a beach. OH who am I kidding! No fire, Eric's damaged lungs, not beach hot dogs for Eric & I and we still had a blast. We're lucky to be at a place to have these adventures and this time with each other.