Our Daley Life

make-up blog

2011-11-18T08:48:00.000-07:00

So, you know when you get mad at someone or you just get sick of someone so you don't talk for a while...and then the silence goes on longer than necessary and then it just keeps going because you aren't sure how to break the ice? Well, I kind of feel like that's what happened here.

I was continually thinking about if I should come back with some sort of "big bang" or some sort of "major recap" of our life over the last 6 months. None of it seemed fitting.

Then, like a beacon from above, along came this little gem. The perfect way to settle back in. No "big bang" or "major recap" just a little of this....

HP Mania

2011-07-17T19:39:00.000-06:00

I seriously love Harry Potter. Always have, always will. Cory and I went and saw the movie last night, and to be honest, I only shed a few tears....like 4 or 5. I loved everything about the movie, thought it was very well done, did the book justice and brought out the best in all the characters - can I get a shout out for Professor McGonagall? WOOT WOOT!

But the real hero, the character who has always held a special place in my heart...Mr. Neville Longbottom. He has always been the nerdy boy, with some serious heart. He knows where he stands, and stands up to that. Impressive stuff for the nerdy boy to be able to do.

Now, the real point of this.....

Ummm......WHAAAAAATTTT???

Who knew this was buried under that messy hair and terrible teeth.

Hello Matthew Lewis. It sure would be a pleasure to meet you.

5 Rules of Sleeping In

2011-07-07T14:38:00.002-06:00

I am copying this post from one of my favorite blogs - Rants From Mommyland. Seriously, they crack me up on a consistent basis. This most recent post had me nodding my head in agreement, and trying to figure out how I can get Cory to read it and understand these rules....without being too obvious about my intent, of course.

Five Rules for Sleeping In

I would do literally anything
for 8 hours of continuous sleep.

There is nothing I crave more than a good night's sleep. Mostly because I’m tired all the time. Weekends used to be about sleeping until 11am, recharging my batteries and getting to spend some lazy time h

Publish Post

aving fun. Not anymore. Sleeping late has become to me what hookers are to Charlie Sheen. It’s my porn. It is my ultimate fantasy – ahhhhh…. To sleep in whenever I want… But I have as much chance of sleeping in every weekend as I do of becoming a Vampire Slayer (my other great dream).

My husband, the delightful Cap’n Coupon, is a hard-working and oft-exhausted man. And sadly, there may only be one or two days a month where we don’t have a bunch of schmidt scheduled and can actually try to sleep in. The Cap’n and I have worked out sort of an agreement on how to equitably share those precious few mornings.

What I didn’t realize until last weekend, was that we had created a set of defacto LAWS regarding this arrangement. Laws that must never be broken. Please note that these laws apply equally to all parents, regardless of gender.

[Editor’s note: Oh single parents… Oh parents with a deployed spouse… We love and admire you so very, very much. Because you never get to sleep in. And you really, really deserve it. – Lydia & Kate]

Here are our Five Rules Laws of Sleeping In:

Law 1: The Monkeys Must Be Kept Out of The Sleep Chamber. If you are the on-duty parent, it is your job to keep the kids safe and fed and stop them from setting fires and stuff. But mostly, it is your job to keep them from disturbing the parent that is trying to sleep. If you shirk this responsibility and allow the howler monkeys to attack and bounce on the prone form of your spouse… You have failed. You lose your turn. You will be on-duty again next time. That is the law. You may, however, utilize the offspring in attack mode as an alarm clock if the sleeping parent does not respond to gentle prodding and a proffered cup of coffee.

Law 2: You Had Better Wake Up Happy. If you are lucky enough to be the one who gets to sleep in, you better emerge from that bed as a happy, easy going, incredibly grateful parent ready to jump in and help out. If you need a few minutes of awake time before you ~~get body tackled by three chimpanzees~~ deal with the kids, take it. In the bedroom. With the door closed. Hey, why not squeeze in a quick shower before anyone even knows you’re awake? You can even pee all by yourself. See? You should be happy. There’s no reason to show up in the kitchen with your B on.

Law 3: Be Grateful. While you were sleeping, your spouse woke up at the ass crack of dawn, gave the kids something to eat, probably wiped a couple of butts, broke up a fight or two, let the dog in and out about 50 times, found something for the offspring to do that didn’t include just watching three hours of TV, and (if your house is like mine) unloaded the dishwasher, ran it and then unloaded it again. The very first thing that you need to do when you emerge from your warm, tousled, quiet, sleepy, happy place is to SAY THANK YOU TO YOUR SPOUSE. You should thank them with the heartfelt earnestness you would thank an organ donor who had just given you a spleen. A kiss is nice, too, provided you have already brushed.

Law 4: Now That You’re Up, YOU’RE ON. After you have thanked your spouse and had a nice caffeinated beverage (which according to the laws of our house should have been prepared for you), you should offer to give your partner a few minutes to gather their wits. Suggest that they go take a shower, or read a book for 20 minutes, or run to Starbucks by themselves. If, after you sleep in, you wake up all crusty and grouchy, stumble into the kitchen, grab your Blackberry or iPhone and grumble something like “Can’t you keep those kids quiet?!” – you will get a reaction. This reaction ranges from getting the Maude face to a watching your spouse morph into a dragon who then bites your head off and spits it into the recycling bin.

Law 5: You Bet Your Ass We’re Keeping Score. Don’t even pretend that you don’t know who’s turn it is sleep in. You know damn well that three Saturdays ago I let you sleep until 10:30 and I made blueberry pancakes and Mini Me emptied a box of Honey Nut Cheerios into the toilet. That’s right. It’s my turn now. Keeping score also helps you the night before. If you know that you get to sleep in on Saturday, for example, you may allow yourself to stay up past midnight watching tivo’ed episodes of 30 Rock with an extra glass of wine. That time is precious. Don’t mess with it. Besides, it's good for several reasons when we stay up past midnight and have an extra glass wine.

Funny, eh?

(Canada post coming soon!)

The Voice

2011-06-17T05:46:00.001-06:00

So I'm addicted to the new show The Voice. I love it more than American Idol in the early days...and that's saying a lot because I LOVED the first like 5 seasons of AI.

Here are a few videos of my favs. Cute little Xenia (sen-ya) is only 16 and has a voice I could listen to all day every day.

Dia Frampton is from St. Jeezy - shout out for St. Jeezy! - and has the same kind of thing - music I could listen to all day.

And last but definitely not least, Miss Vicci Martinez. Such a good cover of this song.

Bathrooms

2011-06-16T05:46:00.000-06:00

I have thought this same phrase so many times since Luke has been potty trained. He chooses some of the most inopportune moments to have to poop. Target, grocery stores, restaurants, parks, you name it - he's pooped there. There are few things worse than leaving a spectacular little lunch gathering or shopping excursion or anything else really, and standing in a 2x3 bathroom stall while your child takes a crap.

Seriously.

Brothers

2011-06-10T06:09:00.002-06:00

I was "blessed" to grow up with 4 brothers. During the growing-up years I did not appreciate the people that they were, or acknowledge the people they were preparing themselves to become.

I appreciate them much more now.

About 6 months ago, an addition was made to our family that created room for a 5th brother. Nick. He doesn't look like us (except he kind of looks like Amb), but he fits in wonderfully and gets along with everyone. To read more about his story and how ended up as our new brother, read this article. He's kind of an amazing person.

So, brothers, on the eve of your High School Graduation, I give you this:

Jared, I so look forward to having you as a house-mate. (roommate seems like a weird word to use since I am married and not living in a dorm) I am so proud of the person you are becoming and the fearlessness in which you are beginning the next chapter of your life. I am excited to see where you will go and who you will turn out to be. I think probably a Dr. or airplane pilot or something - considering we are all living vicariously through you in some form or another. You've seen a lot of change in your life, and a lot of trials as well. You have come out the other side with the knowledge you need to be successful. Please do not abuse that knowledge. Use it to benefit your life. Oh, and convince Rachelle to marry you.

Nick, Where do I even start with you? I am so happy you are a part of our family now. I am so happy that you welcomed us all into your life the way that you did. I am so impressed by how you have handled the situations that have come your way, and the dignity in which you grew to be an adult. (maybe not a man yet, you are only 18...). You have stepped up when life needed you to, and I will always be impressed by that. Please know that you have a special place in our family forever now. There is no escaping it. I hope that you know you always have a friend in me, and an older sister if you need that too. Please be around for holidays, weddings, parties and anything else that life brings. I know you will be so successful in your life - you've already shown such determination. Thank you for being a great friend to all of us, for making me laugh and for giving Jake a serious fight for the title of Luke's Favorite Uncle. You may be the current front runner.

Jake, I'm proud of you too!

Love, your oldest sis.

Wisconsin!

2011-06-08T06:10:00.001-06:00

So about a week ago Luke, Amber and I ventured out to the great white north to escape the terrible weather of the desert we supposedly reside in.

Oh, and to visit the family and meet our new brother Nick. But more on that later.

We had a most splendid time enjoying family time and letting Luke run free in the back yard with his cousins.

It was a much needed vacation and here are some pictures to prove it!

Time spent at uncle/brother Jake's baseball game - where he hit a double and two pop-flies into the outfield. I was so impressed.

Party time with cute Uncle Jake.

Party time with the cousins!

Amber being, well, typical.

Who needs a stroller when you are part koala?!

We had such a great time and enjoyed every minute of it! (except that awkward moment at lunch with my parents when they inquired about Amber's current bf. But we don't need to go there.)

Of course we missed Cory, but I'm still not convinced he missed us!

Those trips are never long enough and we never get enough done, and yet love it every time!

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

It is what it is.

2011-05-20T17:02:00.004-06:00

So, a few weeks ago my sister made a decision. (I know, it totally surprised me too) I have been struggling with it since then. Why couldn't she just stick with being indecisive? I mean seriously. So, I put together a little glimpse of our life together over the last three years. Partially as an ode to our sisterhood and how much I've loved being her bff, and partially as a way to make her cry. Because she doesn't even seem sad that she is leaving me. Probably forever.

I was hoping to capture a wide range of activities we have participated in, as well as some great pictures of Luke because I'm sure you'll miss him the most.

I cried for about an hour while I made this. Hopefully it has the same effect on you AMBER. LOVE!

(amber - i'll give you one last piece of advice...don't watch this at work, just in case your soul shines through and you feel an emotion. just sayin') Oh and it's a requirement that you listen to Adele's Don't You Remember while watching this. that will really get the emotions flowing.

Logan

2011-05-02T06:30:00.002-06:00

After two days, just over 200 miles, at least two dozen cookies, a lot of lazy tv days full of chatting and reminiscing, Luke and I have returned from a much needed vacation in Logan visiting the besties. It was splendid and lovely and mellow and everything else a weekend getaway should be. Too bad Cory couldn't join us. Next time, next time.

I even took my camera with the hope of documenting the wonderful trip. This is the only picture I took. And it wasn't even with a normal camera.

Tyler and Megan were splendid hosts; Ty played with Luke as much as they both could handle (well, as much as Tyler could handle...Luke could play for 12 days straight), Megan cooked - as she always does - and stopped her life to spend it with me. A very big accomplishment for her. It was much appreciated.

I enjoyed every minute, and seriously wonder why it doesn't happen more often? It probably should.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Parenting Success

2011-03-25T06:35:00.004-06:00

Luke stood up at the kitchen table the other day, looks at me and says to me with all sincerity 'mom. will you help me get a dance party started?'

I looked at him, told him I've never been prouder. And then we danced.

He watches this video of himself over and over and over again.

I love it. (and definitely ignore my moment of commentary. i immediately regretted it. and then did even more when i heard myself sound like a man.)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Hair Cuts

2011-03-17T14:21:00.001-06:00

I have never known someone (besides Cory, who blessedly passed in the trait) who needs haircuts as often as this boy.

Doesn't he just look so big sitting in that chair wearing the haircut cape? I love it and hate it at the same time. He is growing up so fast it should break my heart but he is so funny I spend most of my time laughing instead. Don't get me wrong, sometimes I want to lock myself in the closet just to have a break. But really, I wouldn't change a thing.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Four

2011-02-23T08:39:00.003-07:00

Yesterday was spent enjoying time with the love of my life. 4 years ago was one of the happiest days of my life. Definitely on the top 5.

So, without further ado - here's to you Cory. Thanks for making it so great.

The Boy

2011-02-17T06:43:00.003-07:00

(and no I'm not referring to you...Tyler Evans)

Simply because I can not get enough of him, I thought maybe you all needed a little fix as well.

Oh and yes, those are the infamous Train Jammies.

Funny Friday

2011-02-04T06:02:00.001-07:00

Ok this video is super cute. and because of that, and the fact that for some reason I am unable to re-size it to make it fit, here is the link. Now you can enjoy it in all it's glory.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R55e-uHQna0&feature=player_embedded

Does anyone know how to re-size these videos? It makes me crazy that I can't.

Why?

2011-02-02T06:44:00.002-07:00

I just have to say, one of my most favorite motherhood accomplishments is winning the "Why?" battle with Luke without having you use the phrase "just because".

For example, here is our conversation prior to bed time last night:

M: "Luke, do you want to wear your basketball shorts or your gym pants to bed?"

L: "umm...train jammies"

M: "ok remember that wasn't an option?"

L: "why?"

M: "because they are dirty"

L: "why?"

M: "because you have worn them the last 4 nights in a row"

L: "why?"

M: "umm probably because you love them"

L: "why?"

M: "i don't actually know why, maybe they make you feel like a grown up because they have that cool collar and the shirt buttons up"

L: "oh. umm gym pants."

M: "thank you, and i win."

Dear Cory,

2011-01-27T06:00:00.003-07:00

Remember that super awesome tie hanger I got you for Christmas?

Yeah, it only works if you actually PUT.YOUR.TIES.ON.IT.

As a matter of fact, the specific tie rack (pictured) that I purchased for you is cleverly named the Honey Can Do Belt and Tie Organizer. HA.

Love Always,
Me.

a day of celebration

2011-01-24T16:22:00.002-07:00

I have loved our Diaper Genie.

Seriously, one of my very favorite purchases we made when Luke was first around. It's so convenient not having to take poopy diapers out to the dumpster every time you changed a diaper.

I just got back inside from taking the very last of the poopy diapers into the dumpster. I sanitized the DG and left it in the garage to be stored for the next child. (wait, there's a next child? we're still waiting for that day...)

Anyway, we have eliminated any and all diaper paraphernalia from our living quarters.

And it feels so good.

Letter

2011-01-18T18:43:00.005-07:00

(when we first introduced underwear, he thought he didn't need to wear pants anymore....)

Dear Luke,

Remember when I was so good at writing letters to you and you thought you had the coolest-nicest-most-attentive mother around? Yeah, sorry to disappoint.

Anyway, I just wanted to jot down some thoughts I've had today while you've been off playing with the Giver of the Mega Blocks.

I am missing you today. I am missing your cutest little voice that tells the most hilarious stories (like the lion eating your car seat...you told me about that yesterday) and telling me things that are so off the wall that it sometimes shocks me (get me outta here mom!...you told me that one two days ago) Where do you come up with these things? You really just crack me up.

Your innocence makes me smile every day. Like yesterday we ran to the bank and it was closed, and when you asked why we weren't going in, I told you that it wasn't open. Then you told me I just needed to go buy some keys (at target) to open it. it was more like (go to target, buy more keys, open da bank)

You are the sweetest thing I've ever known. I can't even count how many times in the last week I've said "oh he is just my favorite thing" "oh my gosh I just love him so much". I don't know how you became such a good boy. How you got so smart, so cute and so funny. (probs from me, right?)

Can I also say how proud I am of you? For all the aforementioned characteristics, and also for the fact that you were potty trained in FOUR DAYS. Two days after eliminating diapers, you were staying dry all day. Four days later you were pooping in the toilet (for real, that's an accomplishment. and one that I hardly feel I can even take credit for.) staying dry through your naps and even all night! I am just so proud. (what am I supposed to do with all the left over pull ups??)

As I sit here thinking about you, tears welling up in my eyes, I am in awe at the little person you are becoming. I so badly wish that I could freeze you like this forever. My only request for you is this: please stay my nice little boy forever. In my mind, you probably will. So please don't make me the foolish parent who thinks you are just as innocent as nice as always, when really you are mischievous and mean to other children. Sound good? Ok good.

I love you so much. So much that the word "love" doesn't seem like enough to convey how much you have impacted my life. While you were at your Grandma's today, and it was just me and your dad hanging out all day, it made me try to remember what our life was like without you in it. It made me imagine what our house would look like without the pictures of you hanging on the walls, without the toys scattered around the entire place; how it would be without you asking if we can have a dance party in the middle of dinner-prep in the kitchen. That is such a lonely life to imagine.

I know it's cliche, but you bring so much life into our life. I know that you have helped mold me into the person I am today. In fact I think that you actually created an entirely new and improved version of me. Someone who strives every day to be worthy of being your mother. So, thanks for making me a better person. I know that you have helped mold the person that your Aunt Amber is. She loves you so much. You are so incredibly lucky to have so many people surrounding you that love you (almost) as much as I do.

Please stay my nice and funny and smart and clever boy forever.

Love,
Mom.

PS: this turned sappier than intended, sorry.

ostriching

2011-01-10T19:08:00.002-07:00

I was ostriching all week last week.

(def: to ostrich. meaning to metaphorically bury one's head in the sand and hope that by the time you return, the world has passed you by).

This is how you know when life is too busy:

Chick-fil-a becomes a staple in your diet. And the wrappers sit on the table for at least 4 hours before being cleaned up. I wish I was exaggerating.

Megablocks and shoes and dirty clothes block the path to your bed. that is so covered in clothes you almost can't sleep on it.
(whoever thought giving a 2 year old blocks for Christmas apparently doesn't have to live with said blocks...or said 2 year old.)

Oh the bathroom. The joyous and terrifying bathroom. I have no words.
And yes, that is a jar of olive oil and a half-eaten bag of Cheetos sitting on the counter.
Don't judge.

The worst part is that these are the pictures I wasn't too ashamed to publish.
Now just imagine what I was too scared to reveal.

*On a happy side note, our house is not longer in the aforementioned condition. I toted the toddler off to the Megablock Gifter and had the house to myself for a few hours. It's amazing what can be accomplished without a 2 year old undoing everything behind you.

Swiday

2010-12-22T05:40:00.003-07:00

Today is December 22nd. Every 5 minutes or so I rotate from thinking from "omg it's only the 22nd?!" to "omg it's the 22nd already!".

How is it possible to feel as if there is not enough time in the day to accomplish everything that must be accomplished, but at the same time feel as if time is not moving at all?
It's really quite enthralling.

I can just hardly wait for "Swiday" as Luke refers to it.
(It really means Friday. He thinks we are going to Jake's House every time we get in the car so I started telling him we were going on Friday. Obvs that doesn't mean a lot to the 2-year-old who really has no concept of time passing, but still. It's eased my lack of patience from him asking me everysingleminute when we are going to Jake's House.)

(which btw - another "Luke's Translations" post is coming soon. I've been keeping a list of the funny things he says...it's getting long, just a warning. But really you should be excited.)

Filmography

2010-12-15T06:18:00.001-07:00

This is pretty clever. I like it.

Creations

2010-12-10T08:50:00.008-07:00

I stole this lovely wreath idea from here.

It looks stellar in person.
Ya'll should stop by and see it.

And don't you just love the disaster creations that are supposed to be cute gingerbread lollipops?
(damn blogger keeps flipping this upside down. i'm super pissed about this. so I guess just deal with it.)
(oh and i promise our table isn't purple as it appears to be in this picture.)
The box made it look so easy to create cute little cookies. I should've known.

Addition

2010-12-08T09:02:00.002-07:00

In conjunction with my previous superficial gratitude post, I just HAVE to link you all to this.

I almost peed my pants I was laughing so hard.

Please, if you don't already - you MUST read Rants from Mommy Land. Consistently. It absolutely cracks me up.

Begin Quoting:

If you’re anything like us, your house is full of kid gear, most of it useless. Why is there all this crap? Is any of it actually making our jobs as mothers any easier or is it just creating more work and opportunities for child deviance? Right now, GL's daughter is cackling as she shoves broken crayons into an unused diaper genie and Happy is unfolding the laundry, piece by piece.

We present to you five useful inventions designed for the modern mom:

Baby Roomba. You know when your baby goes from an adorable blob of goo who stays put on a soft baby blanket to one that *magically* rolls under the couch? That's the same moment that you need to. put. them. to. work. Start by dressing the baby in a head-to-toe outfit made entirely of Swiffer material. Then let 'em loose. They will invariably travel away from their colorful, developmentally appropriate toys on the vacuumed rug to do full-body explorations of the dirtiest, dingiest corners of the house…so why not make them gather dust bunnies while they’re at it? Even better, make a second outfit entirely out of Velcro, and adhere squares of the opposite Velcro to your other kids' toys. Ta-daa! Clean playroom. You're welcome.

Dora Child Bidet. Do we even need to explain this one? We are tired of wiping. We are tired of touching poo. And we are tired of Dora. Let’s combine two of the evils of motherhood and create a themed line of child-sized bidets! This is really a win/win invention because your child can clean himself with no help from you AND Dora can actually be of use. Oh, and there should be a bidet of that damn monkey, too.

Fun Bags. Breastfeeding is SO MUCH FUN that this invention allows Dad to share the physical pleasure of nursing a hungry infant. Brought to you by the company who makes CamelBaks, Fun Bags are bladders of milk that hang off of your husband’s chest like two heavy, rock-hard saddle bags full of liquid goodness. For added authenticity, the bags come with an electrode device that hooks up to Dad’s man parts. Each time the baby latches-on, Dad can get a nice ‘shock’ right in the junk. Possible downside? You may occasionally catch your husband absentmindedly feeling *himself* up. [Editor's Note: I tried to find a picture of this, but it was all porn-y. I think my computer now has an STD. Gross. -Kate]

All-in-One Drive-Thru. If we have to spend one more morning stopping at six different establishments to accomplish errands with all the children in tow, we're going to lose our collective schmidt. Seriously, how many times can you force kids back into their car seats before they either decide to be flag-pole stiff or play jelly-baby and go totally limp on you? And once they’re in the stores they are off-their-rockers whack. Which makes other people give you the stink eye. Which really just pisses us off and makes us feel the need to explain. But it's really hard to go, "Suck It. But it's really that he's just tired." What we need is an all-in-one stop for errands. Please, will someone open a drive-thru bank/dry cleaner/pharmacy/Target/Starbucks/liquor store? Because there's no way even Hulk Hogan couldn't wrestle those kids into their carseats one more time...and if you can get clever enough to clean my teeth, give me a pap smear and vaccinate the dog, even yesser.

Angry Mom Channel: We're tired of being the villain. The heavy. The keeper of the rules and the doler-outer of punishments. Let someone else do it. An electronic someone else. And since the children only know how to really pay attention to the television, may we suggest discipline come directly from there. Are the kids punching each other? Suddenly a face comes on TV that says "One. [pause] TWOOOOO..." Chances are, they'll cut it out. Angry Mom Channel will also come equipped with "Don't make me come down there" and "Wait until your father gets home" and "Will you cut it out for the love of Maude!" settings. And, as a final resort to bad behavior, the ultimate punishment: "That's IT! I've had enough. Go to bed!" and automatically shuts the TV off.

We're pretty sure that, given these contraptions, we'd all be better moms, healthier, saner and possibly better looking. Well, at a minimum, our boobs would be somewhere closer to our necks rather than our knees.

Stupid gravity.

The Gratitude Train

2010-12-07T09:58:00.002-07:00

So I'm a little late hopping on the gratitude train, but I'm cool with that.

Here are some things I have been grateful for lately:

1. Artificial Pre-Lit Christmas trees. It took me a whole 5 minutes to set our tree up (by myself) this year. (and I don't say "by myself" as a snide comment to those who did not help, I simply say it to emphasize the speed in which I was able to set it up.)

2. Doorknob Covers. Luke is unable to escape his room without assistance, nor is he able to enter Amber's room, any closets or the pantry without assistance. Now if only the pesky chairs weren't so easy for him to move to the counter - then maybe our knives wouldn't have to be on top of the fridge. I can barely even reach them now.

3. The Gift of Tongues. I am able to understand Luke's language with very little confusion...most of the time. Some examples: fungers = fingers and piserman=spiderman. I am still sad that he calls a shower a shower. It used to be sha sha. I preferred that.

4. Plastic Basketball Hoops and Mickey Mouse. Luke could be entertained all day if I let him only watch Mickey while the hoop is in the front room.

5. Whey Protein Shakes. If we ignore the fact that they make Luke exceptionally 'regular', it sure is nice to know he's getting some nutrition at least once a day. (If you read this Caroline - thanks for the advice!)

Toothpaste

2010-12-06T06:02:00.002-07:00

This is funny.
Because it's real.

Milk Duds

2010-11-24T20:25:00.003-07:00

I have a new found love and appreciation for
these little gems.

I am such a fan of caramel. I don't know if I always have been,
or if it's one of the things that moved to my "list of foods i love"
rather than being on the "list of foods to avoid"...along with onions and
tomatoes - good tomatoes, not those gross slimy ones. (Am I the only person
whose taste buds permanently changed after having a child? Because I
am not even exaggerating when I say the legitimately changed. Maybe they'll
change back after I have another child? That sure would be weird, wouldn't it?)

Either way, I love them.

I love them more than Rolos too, (sorry to disappoint Mom) due to the
fact that they are chewier and the chocolate to caramel ratio is
much more fitting.

celebrations

2010-11-21T05:22:00.002-07:00

Here are some cute pictures of Luke's 2nd Birthday
(yes really...second. It's been two years already)

The Guests...

McCall is super excited. Libby is not so much...

Luke and his bff Paxton.

Ashlee will probably want to kill me for this super-preg shot.
(happy to announce the delivery of cutest Aiden too!)

Lukey and Auntie Megan.
He loves her.
And the whoopee cushion she got him too.

On to the decor...

I started this tradition last year where I hang a picture for each month of his life. The picture you can see the clearest was at his 1st birthday. I almost didn't realize how different he looks now.

I love this bandanna banner.

And the food...

Cowboy Luke

2010-11-20T05:15:00.000-07:00

Please indulge me again as we observe this delightful character.

I think the two above are my favorites. Maybe.

I don't know though, this fence shot is pretty cute.

'nough said.

funny friday

2010-11-19T05:30:00.000-07:00

sorry for the two video clips in a row. this is in honor of this sacred weekend.

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Umbrella

2010-11-18T06:20:00.004-07:00

(Don't worry Mom [and anyone else in the world who cares] I will post more
pictures of Luke in the cutest cowboy getup ever,
and 2nd birthday details soon!)

In the interim, enjoy this:

You might die.

2010-11-12T17:03:00.017-07:00

Seriously, I have nothing else to say about these pictures.
You just might die.
Be prepared.

nud

2010-11-12T05:49:00.000-07:00

preview

2010-11-11T15:02:00.003-07:00

I just can't handle keeping this to myself any more.
And don't you fret, there are more #2 birthday pics to come.
I had guilt stealing this picture from Janica LaRae, so I'm patiently waiting for my disc and copyright permission.
Seriously peeps, she has some legit photog skills. Hit her up for your next partay!

Life Lessons

2010-11-01T10:56:00.005-06:00

So...

I'm basically famous.

There is a book recently released that is titled Life Lessons from Fathers of Faith. It includes great stories of famous fathers throughout our lives - including Spencer W. Kimball, Thomas S. Monson, Mitt Romney, Steven Covey and Waldo Christensen.

Who is Waldo Christensen you ask?
Oh, that's right. He is my Great-Grandfather. My dad's Grandpa. On Page 155 to be exact.

His life story is one of great interest and great conversion to the LDS faith. One of love,
and acceptance - living in Los Angeles in the 1960's and having a
water heater shop on what was then known as "Charcoal Alley".
He was one of very few people to employ and do business with
African Americans in LA at the time. During the Watts Riots all the shops
around him were burned to the ground in fits of rage.
His shop was left entirely untouched; not even a cracked window.

Read more about this great book HERE and purchase it HERE!

Anyway, it's an awesome Coffee Table book....and not just because it makes me famous.

Funny Friday #2

2010-10-29T05:21:00.003-06:00

Do Funny Fridays have less impact when they are the only posts of the week?
Quite possibly.

This one I can't even watch with out laughing out loud.

Funny Friday

2010-10-22T09:33:00.008-06:00

Maybe it would be cool if I was a regular poster (postee?) with "funny friday" anecdotes.
Either way, this is a funny movie.
Maybe "funny" isn't the right word. Because you probably won't like LOL or ROFL, however you will most likely chuckle.
That's a better word.

On the same note, the word "movie" isn't really the proper word either.
Maybe a "clip". No, not "clip" because that makes it sound like a segment of something. How about a "short". I think that's what it is. A "short"
That's a better word.

Here is a chuckle-inducing short.

(and sorry it's too big for the screen. I can't seem to make it cooperate. lame)

Pumpkins

2010-10-17T20:06:00.002-06:00

So, for those of you who know me, know that I do not love Halloween. I do not particularly understand the point of Trick or Treating. I do not love Halloween decor.

As is the case with many things, having Lucas around has changed my view on things.
I was feeling awfully ba-humbug about Halloween and decided that should change, for Luke's sake.

So, I went and bought pumpkins (!).
And I must say, I love them.
Love.

Here's the before:

And here's the after:

Thanks to some metallic spray paint I was able to create (mostly) mess-free pumpkins that aren't going to rot and smell before Halloween even comes around!

There you have it, I have succumbed to the season. Dang.

(Taking Luke Trick or Treating this year is still up for debate.)

Friends

2010-10-13T05:32:00.002-06:00

You know that episode of Friends when Monica is sick and trying to convince Chandler that she isn't?

And Chandler says
"you aren't FINE if you end FINE with a D!"
(or something along those lines - megan and nic, don't kill for improperly quoting!)

Well, that is what Luke sounds like these days.
The poor kid has the stuffiest and runniest nose and was asking me yesterday
"where's ab? where's ab? i dot doh"
instead of
"where's Am? where's Am? I not know"

Poor kid.
I shouldn't mock.

Or admit that I asked him questions with answers like "i dot doh" just to hear his cute raspy voice answer without any m's and n's.

The Sarge

2010-10-06T14:19:00.004-06:00

Today is a very sad day.
Our dear Sgt. Maxwell was laid to rest after 10 loyal years as the World's Best Dog.
Seriously, he is the only dog I've really ever loved. And for an extended period of time. I never saw him as smelly and dirty (as I feel towards most animals in general - especially house pets. ew. I digress....)

Max thought he was a person; he sat on his behind on the old green chair we used to have and slept on Jared's bed almost from day 1. And by bed I mean pillow.
He learned how to spell "g-o" "c-a-r" and "w-a-l-k" - also know as just a "w".

He loved carrots and ice cubes. He had one brown eye and one blue eye.
Strangers always thought he was blind in his blue eye. I always thought that was a weird assumption.

He waited up for me on the wild party nights of high school, along with Amber's wild nights and Jared's wild nights and Jake's wild nights (as if there were any of those).

He waited at the front window watching for the school bus to bring Jared and Jake and all the neighborhood boys home from elementary school.
Simply hoping he could play "pickle" with them in the front yard.

He loved to lay on the floor in the sunlight shining in through the back door. He loved laying on the vent - no matter what temperature it was - to cool off or warm up. He especially loved laying on the vent with a blanket over him in the winter. (I told you, he thought he was a human).

He loved us all unconditionally for the last 10 years.
He will be greatly missed.

Here's to you Max, here's to you.

Dickinson

2010-10-06T05:26:00.002-06:00

(this is the face you get when holding a camera and he says CHEEEEESE!)

Charles M. Dickinson once said:

They are idols of hearts and of household!
They are angels of God in disguise;
The sunlight still sleeps in their tresses,
His glory still gleams in their eyes;
These truants from home and from Heaven,
They have made me more gentle and mild;
And I know now how Jesus could liken
The kingdom of God to a child.

I read this today and it reverberated in my soul. It caught me at a quiet moment, as I sat here enjoying the peace while Luke is asleep.

I often revel in nap time, find myself wishing it would last longer, thinking that I love him most when he is asleep. (He's just so peaceful and sweet...)

It made me realize how lucky I am to be his mother, to be the person he will look up to and (hopefully) cherish all of his life.
"I know now how Jesus could liken the kingdom of God to a child..."

repeat

2010-10-03T13:06:00.000-06:00

Ok - I know, two music videos in a row. wtf? whatevski. I love this one so much that I couldn't resist!

Check out this great MSN Video: 'Miracles' musical mash-up

2010-10-01T08:35:00.001-06:00

I have always loved both of these gorgeous fellas.
Please enjoy.

sister stole my idea.

2010-09-29T08:31:00.004-06:00

Rather than duplicate blogging...all I'm going to say is read THIS.

and EW in advance.

I saw a foot-long snake by our front door this morning. That will be creepier once you read the other post.

Ew.

fight or flight

2010-09-20T05:36:00.002-06:00

Ever have those weeks where everything inside you is telling you to run for the hills? No? Just me? oh, bummer. This is one of those weeks.

Let me just explain a little bit of what happens in September that makes me want to flee:

1. School starts. I am not a student, however Cory & Amber are. Between the three of us we have to somehow coordinate three full time jobs, two full time students (school in orem & school in salt lake) a two year old, and everything else life has to offer.

2. Basketball season begins. For most people, this simply means college ball games and little league fun. For me, it means chaos. You see, I work at a basketball facility. And by "work" I mean "run". (with the help of a few others, obvs.)

3. Coldness. Ugh. No more pool parties, no more playing outside while basking in the sunlight, no more warm evening walks.

Now that I type it all out, it seems like not much. That's discouraging because I feel totally overwhelmed.

On a lighter note - the best part of September is that it's a new season for all my fave tv shows. I won't even start to list how many shows I am excited for. Or try to explain how excited I really am. Let's just say I feel like a hole in my life has been filled again.

peace

2010-09-16T19:04:00.001-06:00

Some days
("most days" seems to be more accurate)
listening to these artists is basically the only thing keeping
my head on straight.

Thanks Pandora for letting me combine the two of them into pure bliss.
(or sanity. whatever you want to call it.)

giveaway

2010-09-03T05:22:00.002-06:00

No, I am not cool enough to have something to give away. Or enough people who
read this blog to make it worth it.

HOWEVER

My friend Janica is giving away a free photo shoot session as well as
1 lb of homemade chocolates. I totally need to win this.
(remember she did these cutest pictures of Luke and the basketball court?
I still have those hanging around my house)

So - check out her photography blog and enter yourself to win!
(ok but really don't because then it lessens my chances. and if you won and I didn't,
we probably won't be friends anymore. you're call.)

back to school

2010-08-27T07:50:00.004-06:00

If I am THIS excited for children to be back in school, when I don't have school-age children, I can only imagine how excited I will be 5 years from now.
(obvs this excitement will be mixed with sadness as I watch my little boy walk into his first day of school. probably not even waving good bye - similar to what I experience every sunday when he marches into nursery without even looking back. I mean, I'm allowed to be a little bit sad, I will have spent basically every day of the last 5 or 6 years with him by that point.)

I went to Heaven On Earth on Tuesday the day before school started, and it was quite possibly
the worst decision of my life.
It was more hellish than heavenly.
I thought the same thing when I went there on the first day of summer.

Rambunctious children. Everywhere.
Frantic mothers. Everywhere.

I am going there again today; looking forward to
blissful silence as I traipse through the aisles.

camping

2010-08-25T05:57:00.004-06:00

I felt like I was camping this morning as I ate my Cheerios with a fork out of a mini plastic cup.
It's probably time to invest in some plastic spoons.

see kai run

2010-08-24T07:22:00.003-06:00

Can we please talk about these shoes for a minute:

Now if only I could justify spending $30 or $40 on a pair of toddler shoes.

And don't even get me started on the girls shoes.

Indulge

2010-08-04T05:44:00.002-06:00

I need to take a minute to brag about my husband.
(feel free to skip the post / not comment, I won't be really offended)

He made the Dean's List this year at UVU. I am so proud.
I'm allowed to be proud - I had something to do with it right?
(should I mention the part where he found out like three days ago
and never said anything to me until Amber brought it up in conversation?
If I wasn't so proud I would have been so mad.)

And did I mention he accomplished this while working full time,
dealing with a wife, a toddler and a sis-in-law around the house as well?

I sure love that man.

Thanks for being wonderful Cory.

too good

2010-07-26T07:25:00.000-06:00

I think I need to frame this and hang it in my house.

an ode to the mother.

2010-07-24T00:00:00.000-06:00

car ride

2010-07-23T06:46:00.002-06:00

So Luke and I were in the car yesterday and from the backseat (obvs) this is what went down:

Luke: (while pointing to the radio that is currently set to dr. laura - my fav) "on? on?"

Me: you want the radio on? it's already on buddy.

Luke: gaga. on? on? gaga.

Me: what? gaga? what the heck is gaga?

Luke: (said with a little more vigor) gaga. on? on? gaga.

Me: (mostly joking in my un-mommy-full-of-sarcasm fashion) you want gaga on? you want to listen to gaga?
[tangent: i secretly love that luke doesn't totally understand everything I say...it is so entertaining to me when he agrees to things he really shouldn't be agreeing to. bad mom. i know.]

Luke: yeah. gaga.
[tangent - i L.O.V.E. how he says yeah. short. matter of fact. yeah. this makes getting him to agree to things so much easier. and funnier]

Me: (sheepishly looking around wishing someone else could observe this interaction) okay weirdo. if you say so. we can listen to gaga.

I turn on GaGa Bad Romance.

Luke: GAGA!!!! (insert awesome car seat dance moves here)

Umm.....bad mom or awesome-full-of-cultural-diversity-music-teaching mom?

I can't even really decide.

written word

2010-07-13T08:18:00.002-06:00

Am I the only person that thinks reading just isn't the same
without the
turning of a page
and the smell of
ink on paper?

pressure

2010-07-07T06:41:00.002-06:00

For some reason that I am not sure I care to figure out,
I am feeling this intense pressure to blog.
And yet, I have very little desire to do so.

I am contemplating taking a summer hiatus.
All those opposed,
speak now or forever hold your peace.

Between trips to the pool, visiting with Ty and Lala while they
were here, trips to St. George and the City of Sin,
pool trips with Ax and Memma (and Michelle and Ashlee too of course)
as well as enjoying the all-to-rare-spare-time Husb has
while between semesters of studying, my days are full.

Full of fun, joy and real happiness.

This summer has been a happy one for me. so far.
I look forward to a few
more surprises ahead, more visits with my
wonderful family
and our great friends.

So, I give you fair warning...blog posts may be few and
far between.
When you miss me, as I'm sure you will, just know I am out
enjoying my life.
You should be jealous, that's how good it is.

fmw

2010-06-28T06:25:00.002-06:00

Dear Frosted Mini Wheats,

Thank you for keeping my life on track. I don't know what I would do without you.

Love always,
your biggest fan
xo

a conversation from today

2010-06-24T15:58:00.004-06:00

Luke: mom.

Me: yes, luke.

Luke: mom.

Me: yes, luke.

Luke: mom. mom. mom. mom.

Me: son. what do you need?

Luke: mom. mom. mom. momomomom. mom. mom.
MOM. MOM. MOM. MOMOMOM.

Me: luke. luke. luke. luke luke luke

Luke: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Me: oh i'm sorry luke, did that bother you??

humility

2010-06-23T06:20:00.002-06:00

Ok so I have to admit...
after all these years of saying I dislike things,
it's getting to be quite humbling to admit my
change of heart.

So, here it is. Conversion #2 of the week.

I have never been one to love cheesecake.
I never even LIKE cheesecake.
Until now.

Red. Velvet. Cheesecake.

My world has been altered.

convert

2010-06-19T20:31:00.002-06:00

Ok people.
It's official.
I am a convert.
I have officially changed my stance on the bbq pork at Cafe Rio.
No more beef for me.
It is pork all the way.
There is something so tasty about the combination of the sweet pork with the spicier (even though it's hardly even spicy) red sauce.
Delicious.

just keep swimming

2010-06-09T07:28:00.003-06:00

I am happy to say that Luke and I have spent the majority of
our spare time at the pool these days.
Man, have I missed the sun.
Now if only our pool actually looked like this...

freedom

2010-05-27T10:06:00.003-06:00

I saw this quote on my friend Cami's blog - here - and it resonated with me.
I thought it was worth sharing.
Not to mention that Ronald Reagan is the man - and Reagan is the name of my soon-to-be niece!

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the
United States where men were free."
Ronald Reagan - 40th president of USA (1911 - 2004)

translation please

2010-05-25T07:00:00.001-06:00

Luke has gotten to a point where he is learning at least one new word every day.
However, these new words don't always sound the way they are supposed to.

Here are some examples:

sass: please
(imagine "sass" being said with your tongue sticking all the way out of your mouth, and the "s" sound only coming through the gaps in your teeth)

inky: stinky
(said while waving his hand through the air. Thanks Cor for teaching him that one)

sees: keys

duck: stuck or duck

shoot: hoop or shoot
(basically he wants to play basketball some more)
If it is said while handing you the ball - it means he wants you to shoot.

ock: could be Rock or Lock
depends on which is around / he is pointing to

ball-OOON: balloon - always said with much excitement

fwy: french fries / hamburgers

ice: could be ice or rice
depends which is around / he is pointing to

amp: stamp
(said while holding his fist in front of his face)
He gets stamps at the end of his gym class - it sometimes is the only bribery to
get him to behave the rest of class

rog: frog

Buke: Luke
(imagine it being said with a little bit of an "m" sound along with the "b" sound)

wook: work
this is where everyone is, when they aren't within eye sight.

izzit: usually means Bink.
Sometimes he says bink, but usually it's "izzit" I think he picked this up because he used to always lose his binkie and so we'd walk around saying "where is it?" when looking for it.

Bye: anything he wants to sit on.
chairs, benches, tables, the kitchen counter, the shelves at the store that are just his height....anything.
And I have no idea where this came from. I think it might be because if he wants a "bite" of something, he has to sit down in his chair. But that's the only possible explanation I can come up with.

Ib: his gf Libby.
He LOVES her. almost an obsession. Everyday he brings me my phone and says "ib ib ib" because he wants to see a picture of her. Or when we are at the computer, he grabs the mouse and says "ib ib ib" because he really loves her.

Dy: ty - anytime I'm on the phone and it isn't dad, it's dy.
He brought me my phone yesterday saying "dy dy dy where is he?" and when I said I didn't know where ty was, he said..."oh, wook."

was-at: What's that? said 500 times every day.

oink oink: (except really it's the oinking sound that is impossible to type) is a pig

eeeeeeee: is a horse. because that's the sound they make, duh.

Back: every time someone walks back into the room, he finds something he couldn't see before (such as a ball hidden behind a pillow, or a frog on a different page of the book is BACK when he finds it again) or anytime someone walks through a door - they are BACK!

Am: Amber

pa: grandpa

beebee: anyone being carried / every time he sees a car seat
it doesn't matter how old a person might be, if they are being carried - they are a beebee

Also, when asking a question (usually where something is) he simply states the word (like "ball" or "dad") with his arms raised out to the sides. Makes it difficult to know what he's saying unless you are actually looking at him.

Or if he knows he isn't going to get something he is asking for - like his bink when he isn't sleeping - he says "bink" while shaking his head no.
or "more" while shaking his head if he knows he isn't getting more of something.

He is turning into quite the little character. He has so much personality, it cracks me up every day. He makes me laugh so often. It is so hard to imagine my life without him here to brighten it up every day.

lukes pictures

2010-05-20T18:48:00.004-06:00

So like I mentioned previously, my friend Janica took some fantastic pictures of luke a week or two ago.

Here are some of my favs.

Let's make this count a little as an 18 month update too...one post, easier!
Here are some great things Luke has been up to lately:
*learns a new word every day. sometimes I don't even know how he learns them
*he has found his loud voice...and his opinions
*he still loves basketball
*and fish. oh he loves fish. We frequent Cabelas to see their aquarium
*every animal with wings and/or a beak is a duck and every animal with four legs is either a pig, dog or horse.
*he gets crazier every day. cracks me up all the time.
*could "shoot" all day every day. oh wait...he does.
I think my favorite thing he says right now is "shootballshootballshoot" all really fast like it's one word. He just walks around saying it. Funny funny.
I'm sure there's more, that's just all I can come up with now.

Dear Luke,
It amazes me, and kind of makes me sad that you won't remember these first few years of your life. They have been monumental, and had such incredible impact on my life, as well as so many people around you. We have so loved having you around and having you to teach us so many important things about life, and what really matters. You are a great little boy; full of curiosity and a desire to learn things. You say "whatsat" ALL the time. It almost makes me crazy, until I think about how much I love that you love to explore and discover new things.
You are still my little buddy, regardless of the power struggles we tend to find ourselves in on an all-too-regular basis. You have a hard time accepting when I tell you no, but are great with asking please when you want something. You have learned to say I Love You - which sounds more like "ah-looo" but I know what you mean and it makes my world so happy.
Thank you for being such a nice boy. You are great at sharing and being a good friend. Let's keep that up ok? Ok.

Love you lots,
Mom & Dad

disappointment

2010-05-19T16:38:00.002-06:00

There might not be anything worse that can happen to me in a day than walking into the store and seeing this.....

27

2010-05-17T16:47:00.003-06:00

On Friday, we celebrated this guy turning 27.
That's right,
TWENTY SEVEN.

Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband and Luke's wonderful dad!

Thanks to the Daley's for a great dinner Friday night, and all the friends that gathered Saturday for a second chance to party.
We had a great time and are lucky to have such great friends!

pink ladies

2010-05-15T14:58:00.002-06:00

I love Grease just as much as the next person, however this post is regarding THESE pink ladies:

Eating these apples is like eating candy.
Luke will eat an entire one, in the cart, while we grocery shop.
Which means I have to always carry an extra un-touched one around, so that when they weigh them I'm not ripping off the store. Cashiers probably think I'm crazy.
Convenient really.

They are delicious.
I recommend you try them.
Pronto.

politics

2010-05-14T07:39:00.003-06:00

Disclaimer: this blog is not meant to be a forum for political news or the debate of individuals views on international, federal or state laws. I am simply posting this because it's reeling in my brain and might not stop until it's out.

As most people know, Arizona recently passed a state law that requires local and state law enforcement to question people about their immigration status if there's reason to suspect they're in the country illegally, and makes it a state crime to be in the United States illegally.

A surprising 60-70 percent of Americans support this law.

There have been many people voicing their opinions and outrage towards this new law. The City of Los Angeles actually supports a ban on all Arizona-made products.
I feel the need to clear something up.
Arizona law enforcement will not be allowed to stop every Mexican they see on the street and have them show their proof of citizenship / green card / visa or any other identification.
If a person is suspected of committing a crime, and have no proof of their entry into the United States, they will be arrested and sent back home.

Mexican law - the Reglamento de la Ley General de Poblacion (General Law on Population - est. April 2000) - states that illegal immigration is a felony, punishable by up to two years in prison. Immigrants who are deported and attempt to re-enter can be imprisoned for 10 years. Visa violators can be sentenced to six-year terms. Mexicans who help illegal immigrants are considered criminals.

The Law also states that Mexico can deport foreigners who are deemed detrimental to "economic or national interests", violate Mexican law, are not "physically or mentally healthy" or lack the "necessary funds for their sustenance" and their dependents.

With this as Mexico's law, shouldn't we be surprised that the President of Mexico Felipe Calderon has denounced Arizona's law as "racial discrimination" and a "violation of human rights"??
He can't be serious.

All Arizona is trying to do, is protect it's citizens, jobs, economy, hospitals and streets from being overtaken by those people (of any nationality, ethnicity, creed or gender) who are breaking the law simply by existing where they do.

I am all for people immigrating to the United States.
I feel proud that immigrants feel the hope that the American Dream has to offer.
I simply believe they should follow the laws of the country they want so badly to be a part of. And I don't believe that is too much to ask.

love.

2010-05-07T07:33:00.003-06:00

Can we take a minute to talk about this guy??

PUH-LEAZZ???

This picture so perfectly captures the essence of this crazy boy.
And his obsession with basketball.

My cute friend Janica (check her out here) braved the hurricane-esque winds to take some pics of this little fella.
This is the only one I've seen (and stolen from her blog) and I can hardly wait to see the rest.

I mean seriously.

morning musings

2010-05-06T07:29:00.005-06:00

Musing #1:

I stop at my local Maverick (almost) every day. And every time I am there, usually a few other cars keep mine company while I am in the convenience store.
However I have noticed that my car is the odd one out.
And no, not because it is 15 years old, has a cassette player and a missing headlight.
But because it is the only car not left running while the owner/operator is inside.

This poses the question - am I the weird one for turning off my car? Or are they the weird ones for keeping theirs on?

I mean, I don't consider myself and entirely "environmentally conscious" or "green" person
(hey, it's something I'm working on. don't judge. i do actually own and (usually) use my reusable grocery bags. and I buy the "green" cleaning products. and i digress....)
and normally I turn the car off mostly out of paranoia I guess. I mean, not to be stereotypical here, but keep in mind this is all happening at 445am.
Not many normal people (besides myself of course) are out and about at 445am.
No way I'm letting one of those goons steal my car.
Or my purse.
Or the sandwich I made myself for brunch.

Musing #2

Does anyone actually eat these "sandwich" crackers like a sandwich?
This is a real question. I mean, the peanut butter-to-cracker ratio is all off. Seriously.

Typically I open it up, eat the peanut butter, eat one of the crackers and throw the other one away.

Another option is to open it up, eat the peanut butter and then eat both crackers
(waste not, want not, right?)

Does anyone really just open the package, take a "sandwich" out and take a bite?
Just like that?

I don't think I could bring myself to do it.

2010-04-27T19:26:00.003-06:00

Luke has discovered his loud voice and what "no" means.
He screeches.
Often.
And sometimes he even combines those two tricks.
Lovely.

New Addition

2010-04-16T05:30:00.002-06:00

Meet Freddy the Fish.

or "Shishy" as Luke would say

(and sorry for the absolutely terrible picture, it was taken with my phone)

television

2010-04-10T17:03:00.004-06:00

Honesty Moment: I am a television junky. We (I say "we" but really mean "I") currently have like 40 shows in our DVR queue that are recorded intermittently throughout the week. (granted, 2 or 3 are for luke, and like 10 or 15 are for cory. That only leaves like 22 for me....)

This show has changed my life.
There have only been like 5 episodes, and I already have my mind in a totally different place than it was a month ago. It has taken me some time to get to where I feel in control of my life enough to put some of his advice and methods into action, however I am definitely much more mindful of the food I eat, and the food we have in our house.

I highly recommend it to all of you (all 4 of you).
It is on Friday nights - that's what makes dvr so great right?

This show makes me happy. Glee-ful, if you will.
It is back on the air this Tuesday.
Such great news.
Also, the best part is that it is on Tuesdays instead of Wednesdays this time around. Such a wonderful change that makes me happy.

tears

2010-04-08T10:18:00.003-06:00

I L.O.V.E. Ugly Betty.
Tears were shed during last night's episode.
Next week is the last one. Ever.
I am positive there will be more tears.

Hater

2010-03-31T06:49:00.002-06:00

That's right. I'm a hater.

I hate the fake world that people use the internet to create. Hate.It.

I know that is a serious generalization, however it is kind of like a stereotype - it obviously comes from somewhere right?

What I mean is this....

The point of someone's blog is to be able to catch a glimpse of their life, right?

What is the point when all you see is the Fabulous and Wonderful aspects of life? Is it simply because no one wants to document the bad days? Or no one wants any blog-stalkers to realize they are human, not super-woman? People need to think that our lives are even more wonderful than the person before?

No one posts about the fact that being a mom is exhausting.
Balancing life is difficult.
It is so easy to let your marriage or other relationships become nothing but a side-note to your life.
Sometimes even making it through the day seems impossible.
Sometimes it seems as though life is living you, not you living your life.

What is the point of that?

I am trying to figure out the angle I want this blog to take. It has turned in to an "Ode To The Great Lucas" lately and I don't want to get strapped to that category. However, the only readers I have are grandparents and people interested in the comings and goings of The Great Lucas.

So, do I start an entirely separate blog that is just for me and my thoughts and musings and keep this one for those few of you interested? I don't know.

I want to be honest in all I do - and that includes any sort of online image I am projecting to the world.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not unhappy and just wishing I had a place to release that.
I am incredibly happy.
Quite possibly happier than I ever have been.
I am so content with life.
However boring it may be.
Every day is the same.
Maybe the security of that is a blessing, maybe the lonliness of it is a curse. Maybe you just can't have one without the other...security and boring-ness coming hand in hand.

Either way...I'm here for now. Analyzing much more than is probably necessary. And wishing I had a witty comment to finish this off.

pictures only

2010-03-15T16:52:00.005-06:00

On our way to Wisconsin, we were delayed in the phoenix airport, and you grabbed your book and walked right over to this cute little old man and handed it to him. No inhibitions.

I can not even put into words the love you feel towards playing basketball. I don't know if it's just in your blood, or if it's entirely my fault because you've been around it literally since before you were born so I subconsciously brainwashed you. Either way, it's a pretty serious love.

We ditched the blue yogurt after this day...

Probably my favorite picture from Christmas this year...Luke, Caden & Colby playing the piano at Grandma & Grandpas

Luke thought he was the man while sitting on all our groceries while at Costco the other day (please note these are groceries for concessions at work...not our pantry)

Amber & Luke on the airplane to visit the family in Wisconsin for Christmas!

Ok I've had a lot of requests for more pictures of Lucas, so here they are. I have slacked a lot in the picture-taking department, so we have I think one picture of you from Christmas this year, zero pictures from Grandmas visit a few weeks ago....and only a few from the last few months of your life. What can I say, you are just too crazy to capture in a picture!

14, 15, 16 & 17

2010-03-15T16:34:00.003-06:00

Well, here we are....4 months later. Maybe now I wont feel so intimidated and overwhelmed by writing these monthly blogs for you now that I'm getting all caught up.

You have turned more into a little boy the last few months than I thought even possible. Here are some specifics...

*you can say between 20 and 25 words. You love to talk, and are great at picking up what we are saying more easily every day. i almost hate to admit it, but you say "mom" so many times in a day that it drives me crazy. except when you see me for the first time and yell "Mau-aum!!!"

*you can climb up and down just about everything. there have been multiple times i have had to get you off the kitchen table. nothing is safe anymore.

*you are obsessed with keys "sees" as you like to call them...you love to unlock and lock doors. over and over and over again. luckily i've convinced you that screws in the door hinge are locks too....otherwise i'd spend my entire day holding you in front of the door.

*you still only weigh about 20-21 pounds. you get skinnier every day i think. however, i think if i moved as much as you, i'd get skinnier every day too!

*you still amber so much. she is your favorite person to play with...you are the silliest and the biggest show off when she is playing with you.

*you have the greatest little laugh everywhere. We introduced you to how cool it is to play inside a fort, and you just climb under the blanket and CRACK UP. you think it is just hilarious, which in turn makes us all crack up too.

*you love to play at the park. we have been lucky enough to have warm enough weather recently, so we go to the park almost every day. you love to take your ball, throw it up the slide and watch it come rolling down. you aren't sure about the swings yet, i think they make you nervous.

*you have learned the sounds a dog, horse, pig & (usually) a lion make. however, you still think almost every animal is a dog.

*everything circular is still a ball to you.

*you have started to love coloring. we are working on the concept of keeping it on paper only. you somehow got a hold of a crayon and colored all over your time out bench, the floor and a door frame before we realized what was going on. so...thanks for that.

*you are basically a tornado to our house. i clean up tupperware, towels and toys 971435897 times every day.

*you LOVE to read. one of my favorite things is when you sit down in front of your book cabinet and pull them out one by one all by yourself and read them to yourself. I also love when you come to me with one book after another to have story time. i sincerely hope that this love continues your whole life. I think you're destined too, considering your dad and I love it so much.

*you learned how to say "no" and whenever do, it's never just one "no" it's "no no no no no" in the cutest little voice and always point your finger in the air right in front of your face. one of these days i'll hopefully catch it on video because it is just so cute.

We all have to fight laughing at you when you do this "no" thing because it is just so funny.

Anyway Luke, I'm sorry i've been a slacking mom lately. Although if you really think about it, I must be slacking less than I used to because I spend all my time actually following you around and entertaining you rather than writing about entertaining you!

We love you lots and lots

Love, Mom & Dad

Bag Balm

2010-02-23T19:32:00.003-07:00

I am a firm believer that
Bag Balm is one of the greatest inventions ever.
It can be used for many things.

Such As:

healing cows utters
lubricating window casings
loosening screws and door handles
helping to heal any sort of dry skin
(ie chapped lips, dry hands, eczema plagued skin)
and much much more.

I highly recommend you don't let your
child try it on his/her hair.

After 3 washes...the greasy residue is still present. Awesome.

if you give a mouse a cookie

2010-02-17T07:36:00.001-07:00

the mom version...

If you give a Mom toilet wand, she's going to want to clean the toilet. As she's cleaning the toilet she will find her daughter's dirty underwear secretly hidden in back. (Like I would never find it WAY back there!) The dirty underwear will remind her that she needs to switch the laundry from the washer to the dryer.

As she goes to throw away the lint from the dryer, she will notice that the garbage is full. She will want to take it out. As she's taking the garbage out, the phone will ring. She will answer it and find it to be a $##% Tele-marketer. Hearing the annoying recording will prompt her to Google the "Do Not Call List" on her computer.

Sitting in front of her computer will make her want to check her email. She might get carried away and also check on her friends' blogs...and their friends' blogs...and their friends' blogs.....

Time going by will make the sleeping baby upstairs wake up and want to be fed. Hearing the baby cry will shock Mom back into reality and make her realize she has been on the computer too long.

She will pick up the sweet baby and feed him. Feeding the baby will remind Mom that she is VERY thirsty, so she will probably ask for a big glass of water.....and chances are, if she drinks all that water....she is going to have to go to the bathroom!!....(didn't I start cleaning that darn toilet this morning!?)

we are the world

2010-02-16T07:40:00.000-07:00

Maybe I'm just really tired so that's making me extra emotional,

but this music video made me get a little teary this morning.

(oh and I seriously miss Michael Jackson)

a good day

2010-02-02T20:55:00.005-07:00

Saturday was a good day...We got new furniture. I never knew I could be so in love with a couch and pillows. It is fantastic. We definitely moved up in the world.

Here is a glimpse of our new room...the colors aren't totally the same as in the pictures. The pillows are a little more teal, and the couch is a little more gold.

This chair has a brown rectangle pillow behind the round pillow now too...i L O V E it.

The next two pictures are basically for Megan Evans. She will appreciate the textures and designs more than most.

ok meg this is the fabric - see how it's kind of textured? And not so much...velvet, but soft like it. Chenile maybe? I really don't know, but I love it.

Now you all are just going to have to come visit and see them in person.

That is a great plan....(hint hint MOM)

sanity

2010-01-30T12:00:00.002-07:00

I am
positive
that very few things
in my life
are as
soothing
as
vacuum lines
in my carpet.

Balance

2010-01-20T06:17:00.002-07:00

I have been struggling to find balance in my life the last few weeks. I feel as if I've been running and running and running and barely achieving any sort of distance.

Why do we, as women (because let's face it, i don't think any men read my blog) do we feel the need to do everything?

We have so many roles and responsibilities it usually makes my head spin.

mom

daughter

sister

wife

employee

housekeeper

nurse

babysitter

shopper

fashionista - for ourselves and our children

friend

accountant

chef

interior designer

Does anyone else find it hard to keep balanced in a life that is so crazy?

Carpe Diem

2010-01-20T06:10:00.002-07:00

(Sieze the carp?)

Ok, so along with the new year came a desire for change. I haven't been able to spend a lot of time reflecting the previous year, or examining the life changes I want to make.

There was one simple answer screaming in my face.

Carpe Diem.

This is the year.

Make it count.

Live in the moment.

Why put off for tomorrow that which can be done today?

So, that is my ultimate goal this year. To sieze every moment that comes my way, and make the most of it.

Here is what I've come up with so far:

run a 10k. (not impressive to people like ashlee who run half-marathons)

hang-glide

swim with dolphins

go on a real, legitimate vacation

(sorry wisconsin peeps, those vacays just don't count)

I know they aren't huge life-altering goals, but I hope to make them count.

Anyone else out there have aspirations for 2010 they wish to share?

2010

2010-01-04T05:39:00.001-07:00

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." - Helen Keller

The Future

2010-01-04T05:14:00.002-07:00

Wasn't 2010 supposed to be like....the future? I mean, like hover-crafts and life like

The Jetsons?

As I reminisce about the last 10 years of my life, it seems like just that...an entire lifetime. The year 2000 was the year life began - High School. A girls dream. Right? I sure thought so. I had some GREAT friends, and some not so great friends.

Some that have lasted the last 10 years, and others haven't.

More specifically, I want to focus on the last year. 2009. What a year. If I got to live my fantasy year, it probably couldn't have been any better in my imagination.

Life with Luke makes me feel complete. I know that is ENTIRELY cliche, but it's true. He is my best bud and makes me look at life with a whole new meaning. I notice so many other things in my day-to-day life that used to just slide by...everything from the wonder of the light switch to the extra crumbs on the ground. (No matter how many times I vacuum and sweep - he always finds them.)

Cory started the crazy (and never ending) adventure of school...again. I just keep telling myself that 10 years from now it will all be worth it. It sure better be! I am enjoying the journey through life with him and am so grateful to have such a patient, hard-working man by my side.

My sister moved in with us about 6 months ago...best. day. ever. She is my best friend and the person I rely on for just about everything. Whether it be her time, her car, or her mascara - she is always there for me. When I think back to 5 or 6 years ago...we HATED each other. And I mean HATED. My mom used to always say it was just because we are so alike that we couldn't get along....I now totally agree.

I am so grateful for the friendships that have been rekindled this year....3 people in particular - hopefully you know who you are without me mentioning your names. My relationships with all three of these people have not always been pretty, but I definitely think they are now. Through time, growing up, marriage and children (come on megan...it's time to join that club) I have been able to see all three of these girls grow into beautiful strong women. I look up to you all and am so grateful for your friendship.

I am so grateful for the continued relationships (rather than rekindled) of the last year. I have been really lucky to have such great people and role models in my life. These girls/women (I wish there was an in -between word) have been my support and encouragement through any decision or difficulty I may have experienced. I am so lucky to have friends that I can talk to about anything (even though it's mostly husbands and babies) and they are willing to listen and give advice when needed.

2009 was a great year for me. I hope it was just as great for all of you.

Fail

2009-12-15T16:14:00.002-07:00

This has been my life for the last few weeks. I go along feeling prepared for what's ahead...and then BAM it just hits me in the face.

13 Months

2009-11-30T16:57:00.008-07:00

Well Luke, I almost missed this month's blog...I kept thinking "oh yeah I should write that" and then would put it off...so we're lucky it's only a day late!

You are currently sitting on my lap listening/dancing to Andrea Bocelli & Mary J Blige sing "What Child Is This?" no matter what music it might be, you love to dance. My favorite is when you dance to the songs in church. Not really ideal...but oh so cute

You have picked up your growling trick again. Whenever we say "go get it" or "i'm going to get you" you run growling.

This last month seemed like it just drug on and on for some reason. You have learned a lot...you love to talk. you say dog, dad, ball, uh-oh, achoo when anyone around you sneezes - which you think is the funniest thing by the way - mom, num when you're hungry or like the food you're eating and sadly...poop. You tend to say this right after you poop. Every once in a while you'll say it right before - then we could ditch the diaper! You know where your nose, belly and feet are. Oh and you love to say "sh" for shoe.

You love going into the closet and picking out my shoes and bringing them to me, or dads and taking them to him. You spend probably half of your day trying to put shoes on and walk around in them.

Your current favorite place to hang out is in the drawer underneath the stove. weird, i know. You climb in and take all the pots and pans out, stack them on the kitchen floor and then proceed to take all your toys - one by one - and put them in the drawer and shut it again. If we ever lose anything at least we know where to look right?

We still have a pinching problem with you...I have found that you become quite the little bully when you are hungry or tired. I have no idea where you get that..........must be from your dad. it's the only explanation.

We had such a fun visit with Michelle & Emma. They came in to town for a few days, and we had them and McCall & Libby over to play. You had so much fun playing with Emma, however apparently you didn't want to sit by her...

You love going places too. Maybe it's because I love to go places, so we are constantly out and about. It is getting to be so fun because you understand more and more of what we say to you. Like today, I said "Luke, do you want to go to Target?" and you walked right to the door and reached for the handle. Then I said "well, we need to get your socks and shoes on first" and you led the way into your bedroom to get them on. And then went to the door...again. ready to go.

You are still as curious as ever. And by curious I mean messy. I don't know why you love to empty things so much...closets, drawers, toy bins, cupboards. You name it.

You have become quite the cheesy little boy too. You LOVE to laugh and you especially love to make other people laugh. You have quite the funny fake laugh too.

So after your birthday, Amb took you to get your haircut...I am so happy she did that and I didn't have to. Poor Jessica thinks you will hate her forever for cutting it. You had a serious meltdown. I mean SERIOUS. You sobbed and sobbed and sobbed the entire time. The whole 15 minutes...I have to say, it was totally worth it. Your hair looks a million times better than it did before.

You were the superstar at Thanksgiving dinners with all of Dad's families too. They sure did love you.

We also took away your bottle this month....oh man. It wasn't quite as bad as I thought it was. I think the problem is that your molars are coming in, so that mixed with the lack of bottle soothing you to sleep made for some rough nights. After about a week and a half though we are back to normal...actually, I think better than ever. You are sleeping for 12 hours at night, and still taking 2 naps that are about 1.5 hours each. So awesome.

Thanks for being such a great little boy Luke. You are incredibly easy going and love to be around people. That makes our lives so much easier...especially this time of year when there are lots of holiday parties going on.

We love you very much Luke.

Love,
Mom & Dad.

Best.Show.Ever.

2009-11-21T17:56:00.002-07:00

Luke's favorite. This is how we spend about 20 minutes each morning. And probably 20 minutes throughout the day as well. It is the perfect distraction for him while I make breakfast and lunch each day.

He starts dancing when the opening music starts. He starts counting when Manny counts - in spanish of course - before they sing their "let's get to work" song.

If you parents out there don't approve of television for your children - don't judge.

For those of you parents out there who enjoy the 20 minutes while they are distracted - you know exactly what I am talking about.

Another First

2009-11-14T07:40:00.002-07:00

I guess there is a first for everything.....

And this was his first time-out. Quite effective wouldn't you say?

1st birthday party(ies)

2009-10-29T17:24:00.004-06:00

Here are some great pictures (thanks mccall) from lukeys first 1st birthday party.

And here are pics from your second first birthday party...

364 days, 24 hours and 8 minutes

2009-10-29T17:02:00.004-06:00

Dear Luke,

As I sit here contemplating what I want to express to you in this letter, I am completely overwhelmed with emotion. When I think about what our lives were like 365 days ago, and how much I thought I loved you then....it blows my mind to see how far we have come.

You have grown and learned so much - it amazes me every day. From the little things like learning how to play peek-a-boo by yourself, from learning to walk and go up and down stairs...it all seems like so much.

It has brought so much happiness into our lives to be able to watch you learn and grow every day. I can still remember the first time you smiled at me, the first time you recognized me and got excited to see me walk into the room. I remember the first time you reached out to me, and the first time you saw a basketball and almost exploded with excitement.

I want you to know how much we have enjoyed the last year with you being a part of our lives. It has been a great time, full of fun and happiness. We are so excited to see what the next year is going to hold.

We love you very much Luke. I hope you never forget that, and that someday, when you are 17 and hating us thinking we are the worst parents in the world, that you will able to look back on these letters and realize how much love we have for you. No matter what.

You have helped/transformed me into a much stronger, patient and loving person. You have had more of an effect on my life than I ever could have imagined, and more than you will ever know. You have brought friends back into our lives, and built bonds with them that can now never be broken. I am so grateful for that - it's something I guess I will always owe you for.

You are growing up to be an incredibly little boy, who is full of energy and curiosity. We love you very much.

Love,
Mom & Dad

Nothing but the Truth

2009-10-12T07:20:00.002-06:00

Here are ten truths about me.

1. I don't like animals. I really have no desire to ever have a pet. It's a real problem because Luke already loves them. Ugh.

2. I have a certain order I follow when I do laundry - which only takes place on Tuesdays, might I add. I always have to wash whites first. no matter what. and I have to keep doing loads until everything I own, but the clothes I am wearing, is clean. And put away. For some reason, if the clothes don't get put away on Tuesday, I end up doing more laundry during the week.

3. Luke and I have dance parties every day. I can't tell if he enjoys it as much as I do.

4. I secretly really enjoy watching Handy Manny with Luke every day. I learn new spanish words all the time!

5. I have great ankles and calves - thanks mom. I think that makes up for the butt you passed on.....I think.

6. I can only name about 15 of my cousins. I think I have over 90 total.

7. I have to floss my teeth every day.

8. I have to clean my ears out after I shower every day. They bother me all day if I don't.

9. I have no desire to ever be pregnant again. I did not enjoy it and wish I never had to do it again. I can just adopt right?

10. I wish I could do something crafty every day. I don't know where this desire came from, but it is somewhat overwhelming.

And there you have it....10 things you never knew, or never cared to know, about me. Now whoever reads this....you're it.

you better do it too.

Random Thoughts

2009-10-06T15:21:00.003-06:00

I blog-stalked my way into this beauty. Please read and enjoy as much as I did.

RANDOM THOUGHTS

-I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

-More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can't wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that's not only better, but also more directly involves me.

-Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

-Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you're going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to be going? But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the direction from which you came, you have to first do something like check your watch or phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you're crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.

-That's enough, Nickelback.

-I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

-Is it just me, or are 80% of the people in the "people you may know" feature on Facebook people that I do know, but I deliberately choose not to be friends with?

-Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn't work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no Internet or message boards or FAQ's. We just figured it out. Today's kids are soft.

-There is a great need for sarcasm font.

-Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the heck was going on when I first saw it.

-I think everyone has a movie that they love so much, it actually becomes stressful to watch it with other people. I'll end up wasting 90 minutes shiftily glancing around to confirm that everyone's laughing at the right parts, then making sure I laugh just a little bit harder (and a millisecond earlier) to prove that I'm still the only one who really, really gets it.

-How the heck are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

-I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

-The only time I look forward to a red light is when I’m trying to finish a text.

- LOL has gone from meaning, "laugh out loud" to "I have nothing else to say".

- I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

- Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron test is absolutely petrifying.

- Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart".

- How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear what they said?

- I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!

- Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in' examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and said "Yes that's G as in...(10 second lapse)..ummm...Goonies"

-What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each other?

- While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.

- MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

- Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

- I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.

-Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

-I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

- Bad decisions make good stories

-Whenever I'm Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don't mind if I do!

-If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.

-Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be a problem....

-You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything else productive for the rest of the day.

-Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't want to have to restart my collection.

-There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

-I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.

- "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this ever.

-I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people watching TV. There's so much pressure. 'I love this show, but will they judge me if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren't watching this. It's only a matter of time before they all get up and leave the room. Will we still be friends after this?'

-I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Dangit!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

- I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

-When I meet a new girl, I'm terrified of mentioning something she hasn't already told me but that I have learned from some light internet stalking.

-I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.

-Why is a school zone 20 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising speed for pedophiles...

- As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.

-Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

-I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

-Even if I knew your social security number, I wouldn't know what do to with it.

-Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket and Pinning the Tail on theDonkey - but I’d bet everyone can find and push the Snoozebutton from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time every time...

-My 4-year old son asked me in the car the other day "Dad what would happen if you ran over a ninja?" How do I respond to that?

-I wonder if cops ever get pissed off at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit.

-I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

-The other night I ordered takeout, and when I looked in the bag, saw they had included four sets of plastic silverware. In other words, someone at the restaurant packed my order, took a second to think about it, and then estimated that there must be at least four people eating to require such a large amount of food. Too bad I was eating by myself. There's nothing like being made to feel like a fat lard before dinner.

Farm Country

2009-10-04T15:20:00.004-06:00

We took Luke to Thanksgiving Point's Farm Country yesterday.
He thought it was the greatest thing.

Enjoy a few pictures of the festivities

He thinks he's funny

up to no good

I love how miniature Luke looks in this picture

look at those tiny little sheep!

Luke LOVED the ducks

this was his first look of awe when he saw the ducks for the first time

walking around...both arms up for balance

my cute boys

luke trying to climb into the horse cage

and me and luke with the chicks...we sat here for like 5 minutes. Luke was very upset when we left

11 Months

2009-10-01T15:52:00.004-06:00

Dear Mr. Lucas...

To start things off, you are officially considered a "toddler"! You started walking a few weeks ago and are getting better and better at it every day. You started with one or two steps - and are now to where you can walk all the way down the hallway and all around the place! You are quite proud of yourself as well.

You are still referring to me as "dad". I'm starting to take it personally. Anytime I walk into a room you point and get excited (which I love) and then say "DAD! DAD!" At least you're excited right?

You have been so fun lately - so much of a personality and you love to make people laugh. You are incredibly comfortable with strangers and anyone new. You are still very flexible with your life schedule and very easy going.

I feel like you and I have finally gotten in our groove. I think we've learned how each other works and how to handle each others moods and schedules. My work schedule and Dad's work/school schedule are pretty nice right now. You spend Monday and Wednesday mornings hanging out with Dad until 1 when I get home from work. Then I get you to myself on Tuesdays. We hang out with Amber on Thursdays until she goes to work and on Friday you spend a few hours with your Grandma Daley while I go into work for a bit. You seem to be handling this life very well. I love that you get to spend quality time with your Dad a couple of days each week. I love the time we get to spend together.

You love going to work with me whenever you can and playing with Tim and the basketballs. For some reason Tim (my co-worker) is your favorite person at that place. You even cry when I take you. It's quite the ego-killer for me. :) You LOVE to play with basketballs - you are so intrigued by the fact that they bounce every time you throw them. And they make a great bouncing noise too.

You got another tooth this month - your third one on the bottom. You handled it surprisingly well. There were only one or two nights when you would wake up and just need a little medicine and you'd go back to sleep. Thanks for making that so easy on us.

You are still becoming more and more of your own person every day. Whether that is a good or bad thing is still up for debate. You know what you want, and get quite upset if you don't get it.

You learned out to say please by just making the "p" sound over and over again. It is dang cute if I do say so myself.

Thanks for being such a great little boy and for loving us unconditionally. You are so fun to hang out with and so easy going. We love you more and more every day. Dad and I talk often about how amazing it is that the love for you grows so much as time goes on.

We love you very much.

Love always
Mom & Dad

oh and ps: sorry for the failure of picture-taking this month. I even have a new camera and keep forgetting to use it! please don't judge...we still love you. :)

learning to walk

2009-09-26T16:16:00.006-06:00

Here are a few videos of Luke learning to walk....I apologize right now if they make anyone (mom) dizzy from the fantastic home-video quality filming.

love

2009-09-21T06:34:00.002-06:00

I have been thinking a lot about love lately and all the different types of love, and what it can do to you.

I look back to when Cory and I first said "the L word" and I almost laugh, because if you compare the amount of love I have for him now, to what I thought I had for him then....it's almost like I didn't have a clue back then. Does that even make sense? It is such a deeper and stronger bonding type of love now. The type of love that only comes with years of life experiences with someone.

The type of love that is the hardest to grow.

Then I think about the love I have for our little Luke. I never imagined that I could love something so deeply and instantaneously as I did that little man when he was born. It seems like such an obvious love - I mean, of course I love him...he is a part of me.

His little being literally grew as a part of me.

That type of love comes so naturally.

When I think about the love I have for Luke, it makes me realize the love my parents must have had for me and all my siblings. I wish I could be a fly on the wall to watch my mom and dad's world turn upside down every time they held one of us for the very first time. I'm the first girl in my family (and 1 of only 2) so for a little while, I got to be the favorite daughter...I wonder if my Dad looked at me with the kind of awe I see on other dad's faces when they hold their baby girls.

Being a parent has made me learn to appreciate my parents and their lives so much more than I ever could have before.

Mom and Dad....thanks for everything. I mean it. Really.

Then I look at my siblings and the bond I have with them. (wow, I totally just typed bong....that would have been a funny sentence....we shouldn't go there) This bond was not an easy one to create. I mean, sure we were bonded because we are blood related. That didn't mean much when we were all pre-teens with out of control hormones and attitudes. I think about the influence that each of my siblings has had, and currently has, on my life....I would be an entirely different person had it not been for each of them. Some of them I talk to more than others, but I still don't think I make it a week without talking to each of them at least once. And by talking I usually mean texting....

Ryan is a great example to me of hard work and determination

Tyler is the person I can talk to about anything...seriously - anything. from putting out aircraft fires to the ugly she-mullets I see

Amber is my very best friend. and not just sister-friend. real friend. We laugh harder together than any other two people in the world. I don't think we go a day without laughing until we cry. Or crying until we laugh....it's odd how laughing and crying always seem to come hand in hand. She understands me more than I ever thought she could. We are so alike, and yet so different. No wonder we hated each other for so many years....

Jared is the one we all seem to be living vicariously through. The smart, athletic, good looking, intelligent, hard-working one. And through all that he is still hilarious.

Jake is my little buddy (and always will be, even though I'm sure he's bigger than me now) He will always be the cutest youngest brother that knows how to stand his ground thanks to 5 older siblings that push him around. He is the one I can talk sports and music with. I'm sorry to say, Jake definitely has the best taste in music....it's just like mine!

Anyway, this turned sappier than I wanted it to....I am just so grateful for the wonderful friends and family I have in my life. I am grateful for the ability to love. And that the people around me have the ability to love me back.

friendship

2009-09-16T05:41:00.003-06:00

...it's an interesting thing isn't it?

There are so many types of friends:

work friends

school friends

sort-of friends

and real friends.

Work friends are inevitable - I mean really, most people spend more time with co-workers than family.

school friends are convenient - who doesn't want the guarnatee of having someone sit next to them in class?

sort-of friends - these are the people you hang out with out of obligation. or maybe just because you only like them sort-of. or the people you know that are friends-of-a-mutual-friend so you see each other on random occassions.

Real friends. Now these are hard to come by. These are the ones you talk to more than once a week. and because you WANT to - not because you feel like you should. These are the ones that bring you diet coke or a chocolate shake (depending on the day and mood). these are the ones that you call when you are LIVID about something, in SHOCK about something, just heard JUICY gossip, or just need to chat.

Is it just me, or is it very difficult to move up in this chain?

There are people in my life that became my friends because of work or school, and yet - no matter what either person tries, it seems to stay that way.

There are people in my life that are sort-of friends that just can't seem to make it to the Real Friend category.
And yet...it is SO easy for someone to slip down this ladder.

It's so interesting to me how life changes like that.

There are people in my life that I have known for 2 or 3 years, and yet I consider them Real Friends.

And yet, there are people in my life that I have known for 10 or 15 years that are just sort-of friends-through-a-friend.

Now obviously, if I wanted that "sort-of" to become something deeper, it was my responsibility to do so.

And don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about any of this.

I've just had some interesting realizations the last few months about friendship and what it's really about so I thought I'd share some thoughts rather than just letting them swim around in my head...

5am

2009-09-14T05:39:00.002-06:00

This is what happens at 5am......

I am...Megan. Mother. Wife. Sister. Daughter.
I want...to be skinny.
I have...a very happy life.
I wish...it was 7 years from now.
I hate...being at work at 5am
I fear...the man lurking in the darkness
I hear...nothing. absolutly nothing.
I always...wear clothes.
I usually...don't go a day without sunflower seeds and diet coke.
I am not...very good at being sympathetic. or patient.
I miss...sitting around the kitchen table with my crazy family and laughing until it hurts.
I love...my cute little family. kissing lukey's face. seeing cory after he's been gone all day.
I never...go to sleep without a good night kiss and telling cory i love him.
I rarely...leave target without spending $30.
I cry...rarely really.
I am not always...nice to everyone.
I lose...my mind on a very regular basis.
I am confused...by some people and their weird habits.
I need...sleep and food or else i am cranky.
I dream...about what life has in store.

a day worth remembering

2009-09-11T20:11:00.003-06:00

8 years ago today, I was sitting at the kitchen table getting ready for my jr. year of high school. We got a phone call from my grandma (totally weird at 7am). She told us we had to turn on the tv...i remember turning it on thinking it must have been an accident and what on earth could have caused a plane to hit one of the twin towers. Then the 2nd plane came...... I remember being so confused, nervous...I don't even know how to explain it. Just in awe.

Complete Shock. The thing I remember the most, was the few days and few weeks later. The feeling of complete patriotism running rampant through our country. How odd, it seemed, to have the ENTIRE nation on the same side. The decent-human-being-side. I so entirely wish that I could thank each and every soldier who has given their life, their time, and their energy in keeping our country the free. We are all indebted to those soldiers forever.

My heart goes out to those who lost their fathers, sons, daughters, mothers, sisters, brothers and friends because of the heinous actions of others.

I get teary-eyed just thinking about that day.