Husband Tag

HUSBAND TAG

1. What is his name? Joel

2. Who eats more? Uhm, we're kind of tied on this one unless it is something sweet, and then I eat more, or unless it is something like hot dogs, in which case he will eat more.

3. Who said I love you first? He did, and I felt the same but I was too scared to say it until a little while later.

4. Who is taller? Joel. It would be hard for him (or anyone) to be shorter than me because I am so short.

5. Who is smarter? He's smarter in some things, and I'm smarter in some things. Our kids will have balance homework help between the two of us, I think.

6. Who is more sensitive? Seeing as Joel just informed me that he "doesn't have feelings", I think it is definitely me. No question. Add pregnancy hormones to the mix and it's an obvious difference.

7.Who does the laundry? Joel thinks he does the most, but he really doesn't (he doesn't know how much there is that really gets done). I appreciate the help, though.

8. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? I sleep on the right side, if you are looking at it. The air conditioning hits that side better.

9. Who pays the bills? Joel does them, but I stress about it behind-the-scenes.

10. Who cooks more? Definitely me. Joel will occasionally cook himself a hot dog or some mac'n'cheese.

11. What meals do you cook together? None. I think I would feel guilty if he cooked dinner because it is supposed to be "my job". But we eat them together!

12. Who is more stubborn? Joel

13. Who is the first to admit they're wrong? I am, definitely. But Joel will admit he is wrong if he realizes it.

14. Who is more clean? It depends on what it is. If it is cleaning house, I care more and it bothers me more if it is messy, but Joel is more organized with some of his stuff. (I am glad, though, that taxes are finally done so I can have my kitchen table back).

15. Who has more siblings? Joel has seven, while I only have four.

16. Who wears the pants in the relationship? Probably Joel, but it depends on what it is about (plus, there's that old saying, "the husband is the head but the mother is the neck and she can turn him any way she likes.").

17. What do you like to do together? Anything. We have fun no matter what we do (when we were in school and first married, sometimes we would go on "dates" to the grocery store).

18. Who eats more sweets? Definitely me. Joel cringes everytime I put sugar on my cereal.

19. Guilty pleasures? Sleeping in together (yeah, this one hasn't happened in a long, long time).

20. How did you meet? Joel saw me at ward prayer in our BYU ward and started coming over with his roommates to get to know me better. It must have worked really well because I had a roommate who met and got engaged to his roommate during the same time.

21. Who kissed who first? Joel kissed me first, but I did everything possible to set it up.

22. Who proposed? Joel did, in the park across from the Timpanogos Temple.

23. His best features? His calves, his sense of humor, his affection and care towards me.

24. What is his greatest quality? The ability he has to not worry about what other people think of him. He never does things because he thinks someone is watching; he does them because he knows they are right. I love that about him.

25. Tag? Anyone who wants to who hasn't already done this.

Soccer Ball

Everett loves balls. He loves his little basketball and really enjoys throwing it around. Wherever we go, he loves looking at the balls and he always asks to hold one. We were recently at a sporting goods store and Everett saw a basketball he wanted to hold. We let him hold it for a little while and he was having a lot of fun until he saw a kickball. He immediately dropped the basketball and went right for the kickball. Hey, it was bigger, and with balls, bigger just has to be better, right?

Everett didn't have a ball he could really play with outdoors so Joel and I decided to get him one. We saw a tiny size one soccer ball at a store a few weeks ago and this weekend we decided to get one for him. It only cost five dollars, and it has been well worth it. It would probably have been worth four times that amount.

Saturday morning Everett woke up early with tons of energy, so Joel and I took him outside to play with his new ball. Joel would kick it and Everett would run for it, pick it up, and always throw it himself a few times. It was a great amount of fun. As an aside, the weather here is absolutely glorious between 7 and 7:30 am. It was very refreshing to be outside and not feel hot (a first for me for a while).

This is a video of Everett having fun with the ball. He has a lot of enthusiasm. This was taken at the end of our trip outside, so you can only imagine the amount of energy he had at the beginning!

(notice the pajamas. I obviously did not feel the need to dress him just for walking around the complex area.)

PART III: PHILADELPHIA

On our way home from Boston we stopped in Philadelphia. It worked out really well because we drove for a few hours Monday night and stopped at a Ramada Inn a few miles outside of the city. We usually like Ramada Inns and have had good experiences with them (though we aren't necessarily partial to that particular chain), but this hotel was the dumpiest hotel I had ever stayed in. It was really nice in the lobby area, but the rest of it needed some major work (to their credit, they are doing renovations). We were too tired and hungry to go find somewhere else, so we stayed and actually had a pretty good night. In the morning when we went to get our "complimentary continental breakfast", Joel and I each poured ourselves a glass of orange juice only to discover that it was so fermented it was starting to get its own carbonation. Needless to say, we kind of lost our appetite for the rest of breakfast after that (who knew what else was wrong?), but Everett and I found some muffins that were pretty good.

Now, onto what I was actually going to talk about. We didn't take too many pictures in Philadelphia, and we actually didn't see as much as we would have liked (I wanted to see the Franklin Institute and Joel would have liked to see inside Independence Hall), but it was nice to be there, just the same. Here are some pictures and highlights of the trip:

The Liberty bell actually weighs over a ton: 2080 pounds to be exact (and yes, this is the actual bell). That is heavy!

We obviously weren't ready for this picture, but this just proves we were there.

Here is Independence Hall. For you movie buffs, this is where Nicholas Cage finds Ben Franklin's special glasses in the movie National Treasure. We weren't able to get the whole clock tower in the shot, but that is where the Independence Bell used to hang. Nicholas Cage finds the glasses in one of the brick archways along the top of the roof. I wonder if the people at Indepence Hall have had to beef up security around those access points after the movie came out.

We went to a square in the city where unidentified soldiers were buried in thousands of unmarked graves. It was a neat area. Everett loved the excuse to run around.

Everett was mad when we made him get back in the stroller and leave the square. He had a lot of fun. There are quite a few of these in the old part of the city. I enjoyed seeing them, and it makes me wish more cities had these.

This is Betsy Ross's house (if you can tell by the blue sign in the picture). We weren't able to go through, but it was fun to see it.

PART II: BOSTON


On the day of the Boston Marathon, and while my Father-in-Law was having fun (?) running in it, the rest of us went to Boston Public Gardens, where we rode a swan boat and had fun watching Everett wander around. He liked the boat because there were lots of ducks in the water, but he didn't like that he had to sit on my lap the entire time (there is nothing on the edges of the boat to keep people from falling in the water except their own balance). I wish we had been able to get pictures, but seeing as we were all in the boat, it would have been a little difficult.

One fun thing in the park is a famous series of statues called "Make Way for Ducklings". It was made a couple of decades ago for the Boston Public Gardens, after a book that had been published in 1941 featured these ducks wandering around Boston. It was one of the first books that had been awarded the Caldecott Medal.


We thought it would be fun to take some pictures of Everett with these ducklings. Apparently we were more excited about this than he was, because this is how it went:



Everett, meet the ducks. Ducks, meet Everett.





"Oh look, a duck", he thinks.





"Oh, LOOK! DIRT!", he thinks more emphatically.





"Ok. If I start running, maybe I can make it before they catch me. They are trapped behind a camera lens, after all, and this is a relatively smooth running surface. Ready.....set....and...I'm OFF!"



Oh, Boy! I'm faster than even I thought! I've made it to the dirt! This is SO much more fun than those silly ducklings that don't even move! Hoo, yeah!


Now, seeing as Joel and I outweigh Everett by over 100 pounds each, we had no problem at all bringing him back to rendezvous with the ducklings. And so, we finally did get that camera shot we wanted:







So, apparently, did some very friendly Japanese Tourists (this happened quite a few times as we were exploring the city--international tourists would furitively snap photos of this "cute local child", a.k.a. Everett). It was fun to see someone thinking our child is noteworthy enough to capture on film. Here is a very nice woman posing with Everett as her friend (off camera) is snapping photos. Naturally we started snapping photos as well. Hey, we're just parents like that.



Stay tuned for Part III: Philadelphia

Boston

PART I: STURBRIDGE VILLAGE
On our first full day in Massachusetts, we traveled a few miles away to a place called Sturbridge Village. This is a neat place, kind of like Nauvoo, in which many old buildings have been preserved so people like us can walk through and learn about life in the 1830's. There was so much to do that we didn't get to see everything, but I enjoyed it because this is my kind of thing. Joel was interested in the buildings, but, like his Dad (far right, below), after going through quite a few buildings, he decided it was more fun to poke his head in the door and call it good. My only regret is that I didn't have the time to read all of the plaques and informational posters around because there was so much to learn that I missed. But, when you have a wriggly toddler, you just can't stop and dilly-dally whenever you'd like.

Us (obviously) and my wonderful In-laws. Joel's Dad ran the Boston Marathon, which is why we were up there in the first place.


Everett enjoyed many of the sights and sounds, including these oxen. There were also cows and chickens. Mostly he just enjoyed running around on the grass and picking up all sorts of twigs, leaves, and grubs (and who can blame him?). As a bonus, he was able to act on his fascination with fences and explore many of them (when this picture was taken he was enjoying the fence more than the ox).


This isn't a very good picture but it is of the inside of a chapel. I thought it was fun to learn about this place of worship, Joel liked seeing the building, and Everett loved the hoards of ladybugs on the warm windows. Something for everyone!



coming up next:
PART II: BOSTON
(I've been having trouble with those particular pictures loading, for some reason. Check back later).

A Day at the Farm

A few days ago Everett and I took a trip to the local farm. It has tons of animals and activities for kids (most being too advanced for Everett now, but it is nice that they have them), and best of all, it is absolutely free! It was a wonderful experience and Everett had a fantastic time running back and forth between animal pens. I had been meaning to teach him farm animal identification for quite some time, but I hadn't gotten around to it. While we were there, Everett learned every single animal. After I said the same of the animal a couple of times, it stuck with him and so anytime I asked where a particular animal was, he was able to point to it and run to see it. A plus--Everett now knows to say "mmmmmo" (yes, I know; it should be "mooo") when asked what noise a cow makes.

This is with a momma and baby goat, which you can't really see, but Everett was happy to be in there. This is in the barn with the other babies (pigs and a lamb). It was the icing on the cake when, of all creatures, the barn cat waltzed in. Everett loves cats and was fascinated by watching him leap along beams and pens.

Surprisingly, the goats were Everett's favorite, by far. There were two goats near the fence here and he spent a lot of time running back and forth between them. Despite what this picture may indicate, I did not let him touch the goat. I did not want to treat any chomped fingers.

"Goat!"

Everett didn't care much for the chickens or any of the winged creatures, which kind of surprised me given that he always likes seeing ducks when we walk to the pond. This farm had ducks, geese, turkeys, chickens, and even a peacock.

Piglets! These piglets had so much energy. You can't tell by this picture, but they were forever racing around the pen and leaping--leaping!--over each other. Everett had a fun time watching them. Kids were allowed to pet these piglets and I helped Everett at one point, but I think he just preferred watching.

Sandbox

Lately I've been trying to think up some activities for Everett to do around the house since he is getting old enough to get restless (and grumpy because of it) sometimes. I settled on a miniature sandbox for the balcony, and he has really seemed to enjoy it. That might have something to do with the fact that he is a boy and a toddler, and so of course that means he really likes making messes.

(We do have a lid for this sandbox so the animals will stay out.)


Seeing as I make him wear one of my old shirts, clean up is as easy as taking it off and brushing off his hands and feet.


His favorite activity is grabbing as much sand as possible in both of his fists, then either walking to the railing and dumping it far below, or placing it on the lid you see behind him (on the cooler). He will put it in the bucket, but he seems to think the other ways are more fun.

All in all, I am glad I put it together for him. Seeing as the sand cost 3.99 and the toys were found in the 1.99 aisle at Target, it was an inexpensive but valuable purchase.

National Cherry Blossom Festival

The National Cherry Blossom Festival has been going on Downtown for the past week or two, and Joel and I finally got up there to see all the blossoms last night. We wanted to go over the weekend, but with General Conference we really didn't have enough time (and it has been rainy most of the other days). Last night was perfect, though cloudy, and we headed up after Joel got in from work. The only hiccup in our traveling was that we ended up fighting the crowds that were trying to get to the Wizards game and (I think) a Nationals game as well, based on the signs. It took us over an hour to get there and only about 25 minutes to get home, but other than that we really can't complain.



You can see the blossoms way in the background. They go all along the monuments and along the Potomac. It is really very pretty, but our pictures don't do them justice (it was starting to get dark). We missed all of the festivities and things, but that also means we missed the crowds, which was a very good thing.
{For those of you wanting a pregnancy shot, here you go. Now, wasn't that just so exciting? :) }

The Jefferson Memorial. This is my favorite building, for aesthetic reasons. It is very neat.

This is self-explanitory, but I will point out that you can see the Jefferson Memorial in the background to the left.

I was excited that we were there to see the sun set. It was gorgeous (again, our little camera doesn't do it justice). We took this picture toward the beginning, and the sky kept getting prettier and prettier. Unfortunately our other pictures didn't turn out very well.

Benjamin Franklin, one of my favorite people from that era.

We tried to get Everett excited about Mr. Franklin, but he didn't see the point of posing next to a chunk of metal. Go figure.

Exercising Child Restraint

Joel and I have been having an ongoing debate discussing the merits versus the drawbacks of using a toddler harness on Everett after Ashley joins us. Really what this means is this: I have been discussing the merits and Joel has been saying "no way, I am not putting my child on a leash", after which I think to myself "okay, that's fine, then you don't have to..." while picturing a trip to a busy mall--by myself--with an active and inquisitive toddler who has a penchant for running off and doesn't like the stroller (or holding hands), and a newborn baby in tow.

After considering that, a ten dollar purchase of a puppy backpack with a long tail-handle seems like the investment of a lifetime. Of my lifetime. Meaning, I will be able to go places with both children and not worry about Everett running off or yelling his head off that he can't be let out from the stroller.

So, here I am going to lay it out with all the pros and cons I've thought up about using such a restraint--okay, leash (sigh).

PROS

• Everett, being an active child who loves (lives for) roaming and exploring, will be able to do both of those things with me conveniently being able to "keep a handle" on him.


• I can manage Ashley (and her carseat, diaper bag, stroller, or snugli) while single-wristedly maintaining control of Everett's whereabouts.


• I no longer have to worry about Everett running off in parking lots, parks, stores, or down flights of stairs he can't manage (nowadays I just carry him, but that will be more difficult with the baby already in my arms).


• I will be able to let Everett burn plenty of energy when we go places because he will be able to walk around.


• He will not mind the restraint because all he cares about is getting down and walking around.


• When we go on our daily walk, Everett can actually get down and walk if he so chooses, and I don't have to worry about him executing any grand "get away from Mom as fast as possible" schemes (which are absolutely ongoing).


• Everett loves puppies and all things stuffed and cuddly.


• I have read multiple reviews of the very backpack system pictured, and all parents agree that their children actually ask to be able to wear it and have great amounts of (safe) fun being able to move around.

• Isn't it so cute?
  

• One word: SAFETY (from baby-snatchers, cars, rabid squirrels, you name it).


• Three words: PEACE OF MIND.

CONS

• Joel doesn't want me to get it.


• I may receive dirty looks from other people (probably mostly those who don't have any small children).


• I shouldn't care about the above risk, but I do.


• It is one more (albeit small) thing to cart around with us when we go places.


• It's...not....free.....?

(yeah, that's all I've got.)

This may all seem rather one-sided to you. I realize this, and I accept it, but if any of you can think of any other cons you are more than welcome to let me know what they are so I can weigh them in my decision.



And, I full well realize that in order to get Joel to come around, I may have to send him to the most crowded place I can think of, after nap time (most energy), with both kids, one stroller, and without me. I think that just might do the trick.



By the way, lest you think I feel otherwise, Joel is an absolutely amazing father who cares very deeply about my comfort and ease with the kids (and anything else), and their safety and happiness. And I sure appreciate him for it!


P.S. I have added a poll to the upper right side of this blog because I am interested in seeing what your opinions are about using child harnesses (so this is your license to be gut-wrenchingly honest). Anyone and Everyone is invited to participate (please do). Obviously this is anonymous, so answer however you feel is best. [disclaimer: I am not doing this to "prove a point" or anything; I'm just curious.]

PLAY!ground

Today Everett and I went to a playground we had never been to before. This particular playground is really nice because it has a lower level for children ages 2-5, and an upper (larger) level for the older kids. This way Everett wasn't up too high and the slides were not tall enough that I was overly concerned about him running around close to them.

Everett loved the new experience because there were a lot of walkways he could run around on (his latest thing is climbing so he can be at an elevated level). He spent most of his time with the kind of "ooooh" expression on his face that you see pictured above. There was so much for him to discover.




Here he is, about to crawl into a tunnel. He spent a lot of time crawling back and forth and thoroughly enjoying the fact that he was elevated somewhere where he could peek out at me and laugh his little head off.




Everett did not appreciate my many attempts to help him (I spent a lot of time up on the platform area with him, but later I decided to keep to the ground. There were so many railings it would have been difficult for him to fall off). He is becoming more and more independent, and gets angry when I try to hold his hand to guide him. Do you see that little step? Everett knows how to go up and down stairs, but when going down he prefers to simply step, probably because that is what he sees Joel and me doing. He gives no regard for the height of the step or the amount of steps and does not concern himself with anything to hold onto for support. As a result, he just confidently steps without even looking at the ground beneath him, bent on continuing to the next task without mobility getting in the way. When he falls he gives no indication he has even noticed and will continue happily toward what he wanted in the first place.

I love seeing his confidence and independence develop. I am glad he feels comfortable enough to take risks (although of course he doesn't see them as such, given his age), but sometimes he makes me very nervous. Because he yells and cries whenever I leave the apartment--even for a few seconds to get the mail, and even if Joel is there with him--It is encouraging to me to see that he is not so attached that he will refuse to leave my side.

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

I have decided to include a couple of video clips of Everett having fun at the playground, which translates into him doing his latest thing and teasing me by running away and laughing heartily. There are two videos, and they are actually almost the same, but I am including them anyway. They are really only interesting for Everett's Grandparents, Aunts, and Uncles, but the rest of you may enjoy them, too.

(In this first one Everett backs down the step, which is probably the only time he did it while we were there.)

He spent the entire time we were there with this much energy. It was fun for me to see him enjoying himself so much (and of course he came home and took an excellent nap, which was also a plus for me).

Everett Angst

Everett has anger management issues. The usual toddler frustrations seem to feel insurmountable to this little guy. Many of you may have or know children who, when confronted with a situation in which they need to figure out a solution (eg. fitting a block into a hole), will sit with a furrowed brow and quietly try to determine how to be successful with that particular issue. This may last a few seconds or a minute or two, but many of these children give a good attempt.

A "good attempt" for Everett is trying one or two times, then throwing said item and yelling his lungs into oblivion. He just does not have the capacity to handle the frustration. What does this mean for me as his mother? It means that I am in a constant puzzle as to whether to make him try to figure it out despite all of his frustrational yelling (I don't), or to calmly help him myself, thus feeling guilty that I may be ridding him of the opportunity to figure the issue out entirely by himself (I do).

I have determined that Everett is a hot-cold child. Nothing is ever in the middle. If I am cutting up his dinner and ask him to get his bowl, he will immediately (excitedly) hurry and bring it to me, and if I am not finished by the time he has arrived, his yells echo off the tile floor like rubber bouncy balls. His world will be ending for those few seconds I am busy (I am trying to teach him the meaning of "wait" or "one minute", but all he understands is that it means he can't have whatever it is right now). Then, the exact milisecond I am finished, his yelling evaporates into who-knows-where and he acts as if the whole thing never happend, usually with an exuberant smile spreading across his face.

In a similar manner, it is very rewarding for me to say "yes" to whatever it is he is asking for, because he gets so wildly excited that he laughs and runs to wherever the item is. He is also enthusiastically affectionate, and loves to give kisses, hugs, and cuddles.

Take these experiences and times them by one hundred, and that is roughly the amount of these kinds of outbursts (good and bad) we experience all day.

I sincerely hope I am not sounding as though I am complaining (I'm not). I am simply letting you all know just in case anyone has any brilliant ideas of how to teach a toddler to manage his anger. At his age this month, Everett is (naturally) entirely ruled by the emotions of the moment, and I can not imagine that he currently has the capacity to understand either why controlling his anger is important or how to do it. I just do not think he has this ability.

What this does make me think is that he will always struggle with anger. I may be wrong, but I am very sure that I will need to work heavily with him on how to manage frustration and anger in a more positive way as he gets older. Fortunately it will start with simple things. I am hoping that I will be able to help him find outlets that work for him and teach him ways of coping that suit his personality. Fortunately I have a couple of years to think about it because right now my idea well is bone-dry.

On another note, Everett is doing well with his cognitive skills. While his verbal skills may be lacking, I have realized over the past few days that he understands pretty much everything I say to him. He knows how to get out and put everything away, including:

• shoes (his and everyone else's)
• clothes
• bowls
• toys
• his bubble bath
• napkins to wipe up messes

He also likes to point out the picture of Jesus above his bed and say His name (it sounds like when he says "this", but he is really saying "Jesus"). He is making very good progress with words, but I have noticed he has trouble with "p" sounds and "b" sounds (when he tries they end up being "m"s).

I'm sure he'll get the hang of it soon.

Thanks for listening! Sometimes this blog is nice because it helps me sort out my thoughts.