Alphabet Soup

I walked by Logan's high chair yesterday, and this is what I found....

My Big, Little Baby

This kid's funny. Thinks he's a stud. Maybe 'cause he is. Love him!

Garbage Bags

To me, this is a beautiful sight. To me, this is love. The love of a mother. MY mother.

Upon returning from a trip to the temple on Saturday, we found all of these lovely bags in our yard. Why, you may ask, is this a GOOD thing? For weeks, now, we've been trying to put our yard in order. Joe not only works LONG hours, but he has extreme allergies and is out for a day from doing the smallest amount of yardwork. And me-- well, lets say I have two needy kids, two and under. Enough said. My older brother has come and helped with a lot of the yardwork, which we have SO appreciated. All that was left was piles and piles of leaves, branches, and weeds. They'd been in nice, little piles for a couple of weeks. I was really tired of looking at them! After getting home from the temple Saturday, we found that all of our piles were missing, and in their places were these lovely bags, filled to the brim. We thought my older brother had come over and done it. I even called him and left a message on his phone, thanking him profusely. It wasn't until yesterday, after my mom felt guilty for leading us to believe my brother had done it (she had wanted to remain anonymous, but at the same time, she didn't like being deceitful) that we found out it was HER. My 50-something-year-old mom had spent an hour or so finishing up our yardwork, wanting nothing in return. Oh, and she also babysat our two kids (along with my brother and dad) while we were at the temple. Is this love? I think "yes." Thanks, Mom.

Dishwashing Delight

Logan loves "helping" me unload the dishwasher. If there isn't already some water on the bottom, I pour some in, and he splashes and plays. This time, he decided to drink the water and blow bubbles in it-- so funny! He just turned 10-months old yesterday. We love him more and more each day. He's clapping, waving bye-bye, giving high-fives, and will dance on command. He loves making monkey and dinosaur sounds, and Ethan is always entertaining to him, no matter what he's doing. He is completely enthralled with Ethan's baby/toddler movies, and he will sit and watch them longer that Ethan ever has! This little guy is a crack-up. He thinks he's big and is trying to stand, though I think he might have a ways yet 'til he walks. We will see. I'm not as anxious for that to happen as I was with Ethan, because I know what comes with the walking-- getting into more things!

Mountain Man

Before
After (please ignore the red eyes-- he's not Satan, just highly allergic)

Joe's sported a (handsome!) beard for the last several months. Last night, he decided to shave it off. This act has thoroughly confused my youngest. He keeps grabbing Joe's face, like "who are you, and what have you done with my dad?" It's quite amusing, actually. I kind of liked the beard. He was rugged. Ruggedly handsome. My little mountain man. He actually almost looked his age (almost 32!) not like an 18-year-old. Now, I look like I'm robbing the cradle (though I've been told I look young, too-- maybe I should grow a beard?). Maybe I liked it because my mother is so utterly appalled by his facial hair. Does this make me like it more? Oh, bearded man. Where hast thou gone? I want you back.

Stickers

Big Boy Pants!
Day One
Day Eight
That's all it took. Stickers. Yes, amazing even to me, that's all it took. This was one of those events in Motherhood that I had been dreading. When do I start him? How will I know he's ready? How am I going to deal with the accidents? remembering to remind him? not getting frustrated if it doesn't seem to work?

Fortunately, my first child let me know when he was ready. He just recently turned 2 1/2, so I knew it was coming. We read books about the potty. We showed him his potty seat. But never did we say, "It's time you start learning how to use the potty, Kid." He woke up last Tuesday and said he needed to use the toilet. I took him in the bathroom, not really expecting anything, then I heard the lovely, tinkling sound in the toilet-- he went! I, of course, went crazy, hurriedly made a potty chart, and the stickers began. I'm not saying he hasn't wet his big boys pants, and he's definitely not wanting to go #2 on the potty yet, but we've started. And, there's no turning back. I'm pretty sure he's used the toilet more in one week than I do in a month, but that's okay. He's starting to wake up dry and stay dry all day long. Such a determined kid. He'll stare at his potty chart proudly, talking about the different stickers he's earned, excited about making his "sticker tr-ain." Amazing. I know, I know. Every child goes through it at some point or another, but never with me as his mom. I love this boy!

Working Woman

Ethan loves to sit on the chair behind me while I work during Logan's morning nap. For me: not so comfortable....

It feels like it's been an extremely long time since I've blogged. I've been so busy! Not only did Joe bring our things back to AZ from Idaho, but I've unpacked like a madwoman (to get it over with, since unpacking/packing depresses me), AND I got a job-- yes, a job! Plus side is: I do it from home at any time I want and for as long as I want. I am so excited for it. I like to feel like I'm contributing something financially, though I know I contribute a lot as a homemaker. Down side is (and I knew I would do this), I've been working any possible second I may have a free moment (which is not very often). So, I now feel more tired and like I have less time to read a few minutes or even just sit and relax. Why do I do this to myself? I don't know. I guess the quote is true with everything: "Moderation in all things." I am trying.