That's what Halloween pretty much is, right?
An excuse to dress up.
And an excuse to eat all the sugar you can before mom confiscates your loot.
Watching Sariah Trick-or-Treat with a purple pillowcase reminded me of the days when me and my 3 siblings would sit on my parents king-sized water bed (yup...80's and 90's) and trade candy.
"I'll trade you 5 lollipops for those 2 Snickers." I still swap for chocolate!
There are things that should never be done in tandem.
** Drink and drive. (Duh.)
** Text and drive. (Double duh.)
** Brush your teeth while putting on mascara.
** Wear brown belt and black shoes, or visa versa.
** Order a quarter-pounder and a Diet Coke (Seriously - what's the sense?)
** Throw out the trash while eating a yummy dessert (the smell + yumminess = nauseating).
** Get your toddler dressed while talking on the phone.
Case in point:
I was talking to my brother about my sister being in the hospital, and retrieving my parents from the airport tomorrow night. I was lost in the conversation, and completely fixated with trying to figure out who was going to get my parents, and my sister being admitted with menengitis. I had no idea I put James in Sariah's pj's until the very end of the conversation.
Yes, they are 3T. Yes, I did change him.
Love that face. All 101.6 degree fever of him.
I have discovered something...
Whole Foods Market.
Aisles and aisles of fresh, organic produce.
Quality, organic, hormone-free meat.
Fresh rolls (since I've got the bread down, and still need help with the rolls!).
You walk in, and your senses are overloaded with smells, color, and friendliness. It is like being on a ranch, with a farmer's market just down the street.
They sell things in season, so you know the strawberries aren't injected with red dye to look prettier.
It's expensive, but well-worth my time, effort, and expense. I just don't spend money on other non-nutritional foods, so I am not stretching my budget to buy healthy for my family.
I am in heaven. I cannot wait to go back.
When I was a teenager and dating, my dad didn't use scare tactics to force my suitors to treat me with respect. Oh no - he used weird tactics. "Come here, and let me check your teeth" he would say. And they would literally have to open their mouth so he could observe their pearly whites. My dad always said that you can tell a lot about a man based on the condition of his teeth, and his feet. He also said the same thing for horses...but you get the picture.
As time went on, my dad started to say the same thing to his grandkids. Sariah, especially, LOVES it when Grandpa wants to check her teeth. She giggles and squeals as he pokes around in her mouth, and investigates her pearly whites.
I am grateful for this, because when we started talking about going to the dentist, she immediately talked about Grandpa. We discussed how the dentist was like Grandpa, and wants to check her teeth and brush them. She was very excited to go! We found an absolutely amazing, kid-centered, kid-friendly dental office that is accepting new patients. Everyone is amazing, and they have the neatest little playroom for the kids!
Sariah climbed right up on to the chair, got in place, and let the dental assistant investigate all she wanted. She even got a cute pair of sunglasses to wear while the bright light was on. I'm telling you - this office has thought of EVERYTHING!
I was told that most 3 year olds are still a little apprehensive and usually sit in their mom's laps. Not Miss Adventerous! She wanted nothing to do with me, and everything to do with the neat dental tools.
They said I need to help her floss more, which I definitely admit. We have the brushing down, now we need to floss. But all in all, her teeth look great!
We're taking her back in the spring, and James will be joining her this time. James is a little more reserved and cautious. That should be interesting.
Disney on Ice came to town! We don't do very much like this, because it tends to be pretty expensive. But this was something I KNEW she would enjoy.
We decided to get dressed up - like "Fancy Nancy." (If you haven't read those books to your little girls, you are missing out!) I figured I only have one girl, and I'm not sure if we'll get another one. Why not seize the day and be silly?
So, out came the huge earrings, and the fun boa.
Sariah was SO excited to get all dressed up, too! We found her a boa, a princess dress, fancy shoes, and a gorgeous necklace for her to wear. But of course, when we got dressed, she didn't want anything to do with any of it. She settled in a beautiful tutu, her church shoes, and a crown. She still looks so fancy, doesn't she?
We went with a good friend, and her little girl, and of course met Kendall and Emerson there. Here's the 3 girls (and yes, this is the best picture I could get):
Mom and Sariah, all settled in our seats:
We had a great time! It was so neat, and Sariah couldn't have been a better girl. She was helpful, she minded, she didn't beg for certain treats and what not. She knew ahead of time that she could get one toy and one treat, and she was true to that rule.
Can't wait until baby boy gets a little bigger so he and I can go have some dates, too!
Really, son?
You couldn't put something different in the toilet? Or, put the pacifiers somewhere else? This is just a bad combination.
A song can bring back memories - vivid scenes, smells, and even virtual caresses. When I sing this song, memories come flooding into my mind of my mother. She smelled like the perfume my dad would always get for her (though I don't know what it's called), with her pearly white smile, her dark auburn hair, and her sweet voice that would calm my fearful heart. She sung this song to us a lot, whether on the way to school, or home from dinner. She sang.
I, in turn, sing this song to my children. This is on the way home from the zoo yesterday. My sister sings it to her kids, so Emerson didn't miss a beat!
"Music speaks what cannot be expressed,
Soothes the mind and gives it rest,
Heals the heart and makes it whole,
Flows from heaven to the soul."
We don't have church music going all the time, but we do listen to music often. I often have classical music playing in the late afternoon to bring a sense of calm, peace, and closure to the day. We play lively music in the morning to invigorate the senses and start our day off on a positive note (pun intended).
In short, I love music. I sing to my children, my daughter is singing all the time, and I hope to foster a sense of musical awe in my children.
No matter what happens in life, we will always sing.
This is what James does, all day long. He goes into the bathroom, and climbs up on the stool. The first couple of times he did it, he felt so proud of himself. I can hear him all the throughout the house, talking to himself in the mirror.
LOVE. THIS. BOY.
NOTE: Sorry for the sideways video.
Once a month, our date nights start out getting one of these:
As we eat it in the car, we see funny things in our rear-view mirror like this (a sweet old man in a funny-looking car, with a wide-brimmed hat:
Because I suffer from severe carsickness, I drive the first leg. I love looking over to my right, and seeing this:
Then we travel on the freeway for a couple of hours. As we come around the final turn of the journey, we spot this:
And because we are in Thatcher, in the Gila Valley, where college students go jumping on bales of hay for fun, we see lots of these (yes, even on the other side of the wall that surrounds the temple!):
And then we get to walk around the temple grounds, my handsome date and I. We love talking about the day we got married, the temples in which answers to prayers were received, and the importance of going to the temple as often as we can.
Okay, so it's not the best picture. But I am very luck girl. I cherish these date nights, especially because of the company I am in. I feel like my entire person is at peace, and I love it.
As we were playing with play-dough yesterday, the following conversation ensued:
Ok, so I can't get the video to load. But basically, Sariah made a snowman out of the clay. As she took it apart, she got a twinkle in her eye and said, "I took it's butt off!"
The funny thing is, we don't say "butt" in our house, in that way. We have been very careful about saying "bum," "bummy," or "bottom." But, she is now in preschool, and is bringing home all kinds of wonderful phrases! Can't wait to see what she brings home when she starts elementary school. Yikes!
As we continued, we started singing. Our conversations are like this every day, and I am tickled that I was able to get a couple on video. Her imagination is exceptional, and her creativity knows no boundaries.
This is how Emerson came dressed to my house today.
Crown.
Necklace.
Skirt.
Purse full of 3 necklaces, 4 rings, a lei, and an extra headband.
And then there's my Walmart girl! In jammies, hair not brushed, and eating a plan pancake. Good thing she had preschool, which forced her to get dressed. Otherwise, she'd still be running around like that!
When I started this blog, I meant for it to be a journal of sorts. Documenting our family, sharing my thoughts - good and bad. (I think sometimes we see only the positive that others blog about and assume that their life is reality. I avoid that.) But, this blog isn't private. Even if I made it private, those who are invited would still be able to see. Some of my journaling thoughts might seem silly, immature, or not even important. Alas, it is my journal, so I will share a few thoughts at the present.
1. Last week, I hit 60 pounds lost. That's a small child, people! My nephew, Aiden, weighs 54 pounds. I should strap him on my back, and go walk a mile to remind me what it felt like 60 pounds ago. 40 more to go. It's been hard, it's been long, but it's been rewarding. But...isn't that the way everything is in life? Everything that is rewarding is long and hard. The more you work, the better the payoff. I'm going to take a little break from "counting points" and enjoy my 60 pounds gone. I'm not going to "count points" during the holidays, as I so boldly stated last year, too. I'll get another 15 gone before December 1, and then enjoy what's coming!
2. My feelings still get tender regarding girl friends. I like to think of myself as someone who doesn't get offended easily (maybe I'm wrong? Do I get offended easily, and am I the kind of person who you could answer that honestly to?). But this is one area where I'm not "offended," but rather wishful/hopeful/jealous of those who can make friends instantly. I posted about this last year, and got some amazing advice. I wanted a good girlfriend, something I haven't really ever have. I took the advice, and started being the initiator. Inviting, getting together, and doing girl things. But when those same girls got together, I wasn't invited. Zoo. Dinner with friends. Park. Shopping. It's a little hard to take sometimes, but I have a much different attitude about it now. See, I stopped doing the inviting for a little while - and I was never called, emailed, texted, what have you. Once I started doing the inviting again, I was able to spend time with some great friends. But once in a while, it's nice to be the one who is invited, you know? I started to feel like the girl who was invited so she didn't get her feelings hurt, but that sounds like being a 14 year old hormonal teenager! I didn't want that reputation, that stigma, because that's not who I was, what I was feeling, and it didn't accurately describe the situation. So I changed my attitude. I'm still going to do the inviting, because I love these women and I cherish their friendship. If they want to spend time with me as well, they will call/email/text/FB, what have you. I need to be the kind of friend that I want to have. Simple as that.
3. The aforementioned women from #2 - you aren't bloggers, so I know you won't be reading this. That's why I put it on my blog!
4. I adore Fall. This is my favorite season. After a long, harsh summer, the respite that fall brings is indescribable. Cooler temperatures. Pumpkins. Holidays. I love every bit of fall.
5. I want another baby. It's not the right time, and prayer has confirmed that. But it doesn't stop my heart from aching, and longing to have another bundle to cuddle. That is why I am so glad so many of my wonderful friends are having babies all over the place!! I ALWAYS have a baby to snuggle if I want one, and I am sure their mothers would be glad for me to take them off of their hands for a couple of hours. Tender mercy in my life.
6. I'm pretty sure I broke a small bone in my foot. Don't ask me how, but I did it once in junior high and so I know what it feels like. Ouch, annoying, but just needs to heal on its own. Bummer.
7. Remember last year when I said I was going to do a 5K? It's on again this year. I didn't do it last year because I was still too heavy to run. Now I'm not!! I just need to choose one, sign up, get my couch-to-5K music going, and start training.
8. I am ever grateful for being able to work from home. Being with my little ones. Writing down the hilarious things they say, being here when they don't feel good, disciplining according to their needs, and being a mom. Technology is a wonderful thing.
9. I have started getting up at 6am, reading 1 chapter in the scriptures, reading 1 article in the current Ensign, taking a shower, and then fixing breakfast and lunch for my bacon-bringer. I cannot express enough how doing this in the morning has enriched my life. If you know me, you know how much I LOVE to sleep in. I have given that up for a chance to have some peace and quiet in the morning, and I have been overflowing with joy, gratitude, love, and a sense of contentment that I don't think I have ever felt before.
10. "Life is busy, and I love it."
