Darn Collectors

My son wants one thing for Christmas. He wrote it in his letter to Santa. One thing. (Ok, if you gave him the option, he would want EVERYTHING, but if you ask him to choose, there's no competition). It is a small plastic toy, no more than two inches by three inches. To Jeremiah it is "The Transformer Ambulance".

We first ran across the transformer ambulance at the local Savers, when I was looking for who knows what, and I let him hold it while I shopped. I think it used to be a McDonalds happy meal toy. I put it back before we left.

Next, my friend Kanani was watching my kids for me, and her boys have 5 I think. Happy Meal Toy, she told me. But Jeremiah was hooked. He was so distraut over having to leave her fun house that she let him take home one of the ambulance transformers until we saw them the following sunday.

He slept with that thing.

Ever since then, I have looked high and low. Every time I go to a thrift store I search, just in case. Nothing. Such a silly little thing, but so important to my three year old.

A month ago we saw it at walmart, a newer, commercialized version, and of course I thought "OOh, I have to come back and get that when Jeremiah isn't with me!"...... I haven't seen it since. I've called around to various stores. Nothing.

I am battling collectors. Silly toy collectors to swoop in and clear out the stores while us poor mothers of desperate toddlers, and stuck with nothing.

Toy collectors, Bring it ON!

Wheeler Farms and Funny Children

This is three posts in one. Like I said earlier, I'm just trying to play catch up on photo posting. This first set is us at the pumpkin patch, not nearly or remotely as fun as Linder Farms (a moment of silence for our Boise), but Jeremiah thought the tractors were cool. And the corn maze.

Next set is of Jeremiahs preschool field trip to Wheeler Farms. He totally loved feeding the geese and the ducks, and Leah squeeled at each animal she saw. That girl is an outdoor girl, I tell ya.

And of course, what preschool field trip would be complete without snacks. Fruit snacks that is. Jeremiah was in HEAVEN. you can tell because he can't even open his mouth, its so full of fruit snacks.

And, onto the funny children. Just a few funny pictures of the kids lately.

This was Jeremiah pretending to be an astronaut, I think (don't ask me where he got the idea that putting the book bag over your head and straps between your legs makes you an astronaut. But it was HILLARIOUS watching him trying to get in and out of this get-up, as I'm sure you can imagine.

And Leah is just so darn cute, I hope this picture is modest enough to be posted. If you're offended..... then I guess we can't be friends anymore. :( Sad.

I'm so glad when Daddy comes home....

Glad As I Can Be...

I don't have many whitty remarks right now, I'm just trying to catch up on picture posting. So, here are some from Jeremiah's night out mini-golfing with Greg. I'm pretty sure now this is what Jerem thinks Greg does when he goes golfing. We won't tell him that Daddy's courses don't look this cool.

Halloween 09

I've been procrastinating this post, I'm not sure why, maybe the sugar high died off a while back, maybe the costumes don't look as cool in photos as they did in real life, maybe I didn't think this post would be very exciting, BUT, here they are, photos of Halloween 2009.

First, was the 1800 Contacts Trunk or Treat and Halloween party. No one recognized Optimus Prime... funny. And Jeremiah felt like showing off his muscles.

One of the employees opted for a teepee rather than a trunk for handing out candy. She was decked to the nines in an indian costume and the kids loved it. Sorry you can't see it very well.

By the end of the night, Leah was covered in glazed doughnut, so off went her cinderella dress. It is now washed and ready for... I guess the bottom of the costume box.

We also had our ward trunk or treat and party, clearly, my camera isn't as good as Janettes (thanks for the pictures from the company party) but its the only one we have as a family. In case you need hints. I was Leah's Fairy God Mother, Leah was Cinderella (DO NOT ask this girl to wear a crown, or anything on her head or in her hair), Jeremiah was Bumblebee the Transformer, and Greg was Optimus Prime, Leader of the Autobots.

Alyson SAVED me at the ward party, taking care of the kids while I manned the trunk, and Greg was "right behind us" putting the finishing touches on his costume.... an hour later, he comes, looking FANTASTIC, but without Alyson, I'd have been sunk. You can see how much Leah loves her.

And since I was sure it would be hard to get a picture of Jeremiah with all his pieces on his costume on, I took some pre-party pictures.

Cardboard and Duct Tape... don't leave home without 'em.

A little spray paint and you've got instant autobot.

A sad blind woman

I just paid a visit to the friendly neighboorhood optomotrist for an eye exam. I finally have a suitable pair of eye glasses, a pair of perscription sunglasses and I thought it was time to try contacts once again.

Mind you, my eyes get very dry and the last time I wore contacts it only lasted 20 minutes until my eyes were so dry that I had to take them out.

Verdict: the best type of contact for my eyes (because of the drying out) unfortunately Doesn't come in my perscription. NOT EVEN CLOSE. They cut off at a +6 (still pretty high, if you know anything about optometry) and I will need a +8, possibly higher. :) Yay!

So we're going to try a step down, which goes up to a +8 (I hope I don't need anything higher). We'll see if I can bear to wear them for more than an hour.

In the meantime I will continue to wear my cokebottle eye glasses and accept the fact that I will probably never look like everyone else, but thats okay. Glasses can be cool..... can be.

Jeremiah

This post is really just to show off some great pictures that were taken at Greg's department party of Jeremiah. I don't even know who took them, but I think he's so cute.

Going Natural

Whenever anyone is pregnant EVERY SINGLE PERSON seems to ask them one question (among many) "Are you having an epidural?" And everyone seems to have an opinion on the matter. I am no different. With both my kids I had completely different experiences. Pictures are worth a thousand words:

That was Jeremiah. I had an epidural, internal monitor, oxygen, episiotomy, I passed out while pushing and therefore Jeremiah was delivered via forcepts. And after he was born, I didn't have enough energy to left my arms enough to hold him, Greg held him first. Grrr.. If I look like a zombie (a chubby zombie) that's because I was, I don't remember a lot of it.

And this is with Leah. No epidural, no episiotomy, no forcepts, no passing out, no oxygyn, but a lot more pain (this is obviously not taken during a serious contraction).

And this is me holding her for the first time (sorry about the low cut hospital gown).

All in All: The first time around I didn't have any pain but I was SOOOOOO uncomfortable. I had all the "uncommon" side-effects from the epidural (severe shakes, drop in blood pressure, LOOPYness) With Leah, I had A LOT of pain, but at least I could deal with that, I could move around, I was in control of all my faculties.

I don't have a moral argument for whether or not to go natural, both my kids were healthy AND alert right after birth, but I would do it again naturally if i had the choice.

(The inspiration for this topic is my friend/cousin who's pregnant, there is a lot of birthing talk going around the female circles of my family these days, so it's on my mind)

Pumpkin spice and everything nice

My camera is sadly abandoned down in Provo at the moment, left from a wonderful baptism celebration for Trevin, but I thought I'd share my thoughts today.

My three year old is having a rough day. I don't know what it is, but he won the priviledge of taking a nap this afternoon. :) So now I am sitting here watching my beautiful little girl eat a pumpkin cookie that we made this afternoon and drink a large cup of milk. She looks like someone put crumbs in a salt shaker and went crazy all over her body, face, hair, etc. But she's lovely.

There is something about all things Pumpkin that seems to make everything fantastic. Having a rough day? Make a pumpkin pie, Abra-Cadabra, magical day. (this only works in the fall and winter, mind you, spring and summer have different magical foods). Anyway, I love fall, and I mean LOVE fall. I feel like it's quickly slipping away from me, what with the frigid temperatures that are gracing the salt lake valley, but I will NOT let fall slip through my fingers too early. It is not yet winter, and until it is, I am going to enjoy every last minute of Fall.

Oh yes he did

More sweetness from my beautiful boy (who is turning back into my surfer boy of 2008 :))

Tonight before bed Jeremiah and I were watching a movie together, his idea (I know you're thinking "DUH!!", but he doesn't watch much anymore, and he came up and asked if we could all watch one together, me, leah, and himself. It was so cute. So, we picked the 15 minute Little People dvd, PERFECT)

I had put Leah in bed, but she was crying. I told Jeremiah "I'm going to go check on Leah."

He flung his arm across my chest to block my way and said "No! Don't go check on Weah, Weah is checking on herself."..... pure logic. can't argue with that right?


***********************************

Since potty training has begun we've run into a few minor drawbacks. 1st would have to be the need to drop everything when we're running errands or freeway driving, in order to find a bathroom. 2nd would have to be the fact that Jeremiah has learned how to play the potty card. I'll set the scene:

It's 8:30, Jeremiah is in bed, but not asleep yet. He's rolling around, playing with the blinds, building forts with his blankets, and listening to the sounds of his feet as they plumet to the bed from a vertical position (or against the wall, my personal favorite). Suddenly he realizes he could play the potty card!

"MOMMAY" (really, thats the way he pernounces it, it's like he's british).......... "MOMMAAAYY! I GOTTA GO POTTAAAYYYY!"

I drag myself out of bed (yes, I'm lame, and sometimes I'm in bed at 8:30). We walk in, with the lights still off, and go to the bathroom, yes, he pees. We walk back to his room, he runs and jumps back on his bed and I drag my feet back to mine.

3 minutes later.......

"MOMMAAAYY! I GOTTA GO POTTAAAYYYY!"

I drag myself out of bed again and explain to him that he already went potty and now it's time to sleep. At first he buys it and lays back down on his bed, then he pops his head up as he remembers..... there's a loop hole!!!

"POOP! I gotta poop!"

UGH!

So, we go poop, he's about 50/50 on substantiating his claim, if you know what I mean, then it's back to bed for a final time, when he can't think of any more cards to play.

You see, as a parent, you can't just say "hold it until the morning" when you're trying to encourage dry underwear, and going when you need to go. He's still obstinate enough that I can't just take off the knob locks from his bedroom door and just say "go by yourself if you need to go", because he'd just take that as a free invitation to roam free in the middle of the night..... grrr.... maybe another year.

Part of me thinks its hillarious.

A small part.

The Key to a Successful Marriage

Ok, so, it was my major, and in my four years of college I learned this: "communication and listening to your spouse is one of the key to a successful marriage." If you who know us well, I think you'd agree that we've mastered this one already. Case in point:

This evening as I was reading this blog (ahhh, sweet goodness), and Greg was trying to talk to me about himself (ahh, more sweet goodness). I was listening with my ears, but my eyes were otherwise entertained by the computer screen and all its beauty, so he accused me of not paying attention. He said "Don't I listen to you when you're talking about yourself?".... "no", I said. "Yes I do," he argued, "today you called me at work and said................ something something, something something something...."

Then we laughed for a few minutes solid as though he had just told the most hillarious inside joke... which of course he had.

I love this man.