Lesson in Linguistics

Everett loves to try out new words and new sounds, and lately it has been the "ck" sound. He loves to play with "ck" words in his mouth, chewing them over as though they are taffy.

He also uses the same sound for more than one word, and he does this very often. I'll facetiously say that this is because he has inherited his father's desire for efficiency, but really I know it is because he doesn't care much about verbally distinguishing his vocabulary. If he knows what he means, and I know what he means, what is the problem, right?

These are a few of his similar and multi-functioning sounds:

1. mmmmMMMMMmmmm: this is the sound a kitty, cow, and car makes, and he also says this when he is eating something he likes (or when he has something he likes and someone else doesn't, in which case he will say it right to their face).
   
   
2. Duhckkkk: He loves the "ck" ending so he will drag it out. This is for duck, truck, and similar words, even if he doesn't know what they mean. He will also just say "cuccckkk" for cookie.
   
   
3. Mah!: Everett says this when he wants me, milk, or more. The reason why there is an exclamation mark at the end of the word is self-explanitory, I think.
   
   
4. "Djis": This works for Juice, Cheese, Jesus, and sometimes "this", although he is good about using the "th" with "this".
   
   

Well, there are more, but I'll leave it at that. He is saying tons and tons of words, but I am the only one who understands a lot of them. Whether this means I'm fluent in toddler-ease or Everett-ease, either one works for me.

Soccer Ball

I have known Everett is attached to his soccer ball for some time now--whenever we go outside he is always happy to take it with him, and sometimes he even carries it while running around the apartment and shouting "ball!" "ball!"

Today Joel and I were going to run an errand and we didn't give Everett very much notice for when we were leaving. When we got his shoes on and went to the door, Joel told him that we were leaving and asked if he wanted to go ride in the car.

All of a sudden Everett got a panicked, frantic look on his face and started running all over everywhere, obviously looking for something. I tried to pick him up so we could go (he has never insisted on taking anything with him to run errands before, and I didn't think he would start now), but amid his fierce protestations I put him right back down and watched as he resumed his frazzled searching.

Then, I asked Everett, "What are you looking for?".

What was his reply?

"My Ball! My Ball!"

Of course. So I helped him find his ball, and then as though a switch was flipped he was as eager to leave as he usually is.

Fortunately he is happy to leave the ball in the car instead of taking it into the store, but now I'm beginning to wonder if that will last. At least it isn't something huge.

(As a side note, this is the first time Everett has said a real "phrase"--however simple--rather than a single word. It was a proud mommy moment for me. I almost positive he's used them before but this was the first obvious one that I've been able to pick up on. Pronunciation and Enunciation are not his strengths.)

My Dear, Dear Husband

... is so funny.

He is so capable and very smart: he is consistently valued at work and people are quick to recognize these traits.

I love being his wife because he is so on top of things.

He is so good at everything he does, that in a silly and impish way, it is fun for me to know there are things I'm better at than he is--so that way we're balanced.

I've always known that I will be able to help with the creative and english sides of our children's homework, while he handles mathematics, but...

I didn't realize until lately that there were not one, but two un-obvious things I know how to do that he can't.

Want to venture a guess?

One is whistling. Joel can't whistle to save his life. It is beyond funny to watch him try, and a little endearing.

Number two I just discovered a few days ago (see post below). Joel can't blow up balloons. He tries and tries, turns bright red, and makes a great deal of noise, but is largely unsuccessful. By "largely unsuccessful", I mean that he can't blow up any balloon except the largest size you can find--the 15 inch kind. And, it took him a few days to figure out how to do it.

Even though we haven't been married for very long, it is fun to know that after the time we have been together there are things about eachother that we are still discovering.

And though I've give up on the whistling, maybe, just maybe, by the time our kids are older, he will have learned to blow up balloons of all sizes. But I won't be too disappointed if I can retain the upper hand.

"Bbbbbbboooohhhnnn"

Everett's latest fascination is with balloons. The other day I was wistfully thinking about how fun it would be for Everett if he had some sort of small ball pit to play in, like some I've seen advertised. I figured he would love it because he loves balls, and so of course he would enjoy being able to surround his chubby little body with them (throwing them every which way would just be icing on the cake).

Then I decided to get creative. I still had a bag of balloons I bought a few months ago to keep him entertained, and we had an empty box lying around that Everett played in occasionally. Why not combine the two and make our own "ball pit"? This seemed like a perfect solution because not only was it inexpensive (free), it can be thrown away when we decide we're done with this interest. Since we live in 1000 square feet, throwing things away has never been more appealing to me.

Everett has loved the balloons in the box. We like to help him out by returning as many of the balloons to the box as possible while he is flailing about, but even if we don't he is perfectly happy to sit there with all that latex. I was able to get a video of him enjoying the balloon box, but as per Murphy's Law, he wasn't as happy while the camera was recording as he was when it was off.

This video is a little long, so don't watch all of it. I kept hoping for his original enthusiasm to return.

Naps

Today Everett put himself down for a nap. When we got home from church I made him eat a quick lunch, then I took off his church clothes, and the very micro-super-milli-second he was dressed in his playclothes he went over to his bed and laid down to go to sleep.

What a boy. I love it when he does that (which is fairly often). It makes me feel that all is right with the world.

Maybe if I'm lucky I'll have both children being such willing nappers in a few months-- and napping at the same time. Now, wouldn't that be something?

Pregnancy Stuff

I can tell I only have a month left in this pregnancy, and here's why:

1. I've grown out of all of my maternity clothes. Every single shirt is either borderline or too small.
2. I've been having a lot of Braxton-Hicks contractions ("fake" contractions), which is good because it moves the baby into a good position and prepares everything for labor. They can also be a little annoying, like when I'm pushing Everett in the stroller.
3. My knees are swollen and sore, my feet get swollen--though you can't really tell just by looking at them because they are so small to begin with, and my hands get puffy.
4. Everett has become very, very clingly lately and wants me to hold him. All. The. Time. Just in time for me to be tired of hefting my own self around!

On an especially happy note, I have been sleeping really well. I can't complain! Of course, Everett hasn't been sleeping well lately, so maybe I would wake up on my own anyway, but I'll just go on thinking that I've been lucky and I'm not too uncomfortable to sleep.

Ashley has grown a lot, and so she is supposed to be about 5 1/4 pounds and 18 inches long. She is also head down and space is getting tight enough that she isn't moving as crazily as she has been. On the other hand, with some of her movements now my belly looks like I'm housing a bunch of aliens. It's also recommended that I start thinking about packing a hospital bag, but I haven't really gotten around to it yet (the thinking part, not the packing part). I guess I figure I'll have time if I need to go to the hospital, but then I remember that I'm going to need to pack things for Everett as well if we need to drop him off at someone's house. Maybe I'd better get moving on that one.

On an unrelated note, my balcony plants are growing very, very well. Joel's predictions that I will kill them before they yield fruit may prove fruitless (ha!). Hopefully they will last so I can enjoy my sun-ripened cherry tomatoes. It's much better to go pick my own than pay 4 bucks for a little pint of them.

Next on my list: find a double jogging stroller, or, as Joel likes to call it, an all-terrain baby vehicle. Either one works for me as long as it has wheels and will keep my children happy while I make sure I lose the baby weight. Craigslist, here I come!

My sister, Amanda, has just been called on a mission to....

TAIWAN TAICHUNG

(Mandarin speaking)

(Image courtesy of NASA, found on Wikipedia)

The funny thing is, this is the mission she wanted to go to. She got her wish! She had a roommate when she was in China on Study Abroad who just left to this mission. Maybe they'll meet up sometime.

I am so, so happy for her and more proud of her and excited for her than I can express. She is my best friend and I am so happy to, in a small way, be able to share in the excitement of this call. She reports to the MTC mid-September, and since my family is coming out here to DC this summer, she will be able to spend a couple of months with me before she goes.

Mother's Day Gift, II

This is a bit of a delayed Mother's Day post, but I just received the gift Joel ordered online for me. I am so excited about it that I thought I'd share it all with you and brag about the thoughtful husband that I have. Sound good? Good.

I was surprised to see that Joel had the idea to get me a little statue to display. We have a beautiful glass display case that was passed to me by my grandparents, and he thought it would fit nicely in there. This is the figurine he picked out for me:

("Cherished Moment" by Hansen Classics)

Sentimental, isn't it? I was surprised to see that Joel selected this kind of a "feely" gift, but I am very excited about it. It is beautiful up close and I am very happy to add it to my collection of display items.

Fever

We've just reached a milestone: Everett woke up with a major fever last night. His pillow was drenched, his sheets were wet, and his pajamas were soaked from all of his sweat. He was trembling and bright red, and even with my extra-hot pregnancy hands I was amazed at how hot he was. He felt like a little oven.

All he wanted to do was have me hold him, the little sweetheart. Isn't it amazing how mothers are sometimes the cure-all?

Thankfully the fever broke by this morning, and he is doing much better today, although he still has no appetite. Thank goodness he likes watching The Fox and the Hound so much because that has helped him relax a little today.

I am just amazed it has taken him this long to have a real fever. He has been a very healthy little boy, and even when he is sick, he doesn't whine or mope around; he just wants his Momma. And as for me, well, there is something about seeing your little one be so sick that just twists those heartstrings. I think I felt worse for him than he did for himself.

Mr. Clean

Everett loves to put things away. He knows where every item he owns goes and is always very good about cleaning up after himself (amazingly, often without even being asked). He also knows where many of the items go that belong to Joel and me, and he likes to put those away, too.

I didn't realize how much he liked putting things in their place until today. I was cleaning the bathroom with Everett and whenever I moved something he would get it and happily put it back where it was (whether I wanted him to or not!). We have kept our roll of toilet paper up on the counter for some time now, because that way we know Everett can't reach it. Today I moved it when I was cleaning up there, and Everett grabbed it and very carefully placed it on the chrome holder--the place it is supposed to go but that I didn't think Everett had ever seen used that way.

Then, the moment I was finished cleaning the floor, Everett went into the hallway and hefted the scale back to its place, later turning to the bathmat to do the same.

Everett loves it when it is time to take out the garbage. He giggles all the way from the kitchen to the trash room on our complex floor, and then he giggles all the way back because he knows I will let him put the new trashbag in the can. He very carefully takes the bag from my hands, then shakes it a few times and neatly drapes it over the side. He always knows it doesn't look quite right after he works with it because at that point he turns to me as though to shrug and say, "Ok, Mom, I did my best. You'll have to take it from here."

He also loves putting his clothes in the hamper. He is very careful that no piece of clothing is hanging over the edge, and heaven forbid that even a milimeter is touching the top edges. He knows where his socks go in his drawer, and soon I will also teach him where his shirts and pants go.

Brooms are almost as exciting to him as a basketball is, and windex will send him over the moon, especially because it means he gets to have a paper towel, too. He loves rags when it means he gets to wipe up spills, and he sees some sort of magic in doing the laundry.





I have to admit, I am enjoying this phase whole-heartedly. How often will it be that my children are this happy to clean up after themselves? And, when will this wear off?





That, my friends, is the question. When, indeed. I guess I'd better enjoy this while I can.

Feet

I have tiny feet. Really, I have very tiny feet. I only fit into a size 5, if I'm lucky. My toes are short, my heel is pathetically narrow, and I have forever had trouble finding shoes that fit me. I often wish I could just go to a store, find a pair of shoes I like (I'm not that picky, honest!) try them on, and buy them. This never happens to me. I only ever get to the "trying them on" part while simultaneously pleading with my feet to make the shoes work, then realizing that no matter what I do, I will never, ever, ever be able to buy shoes again. Ever.



You can see how much I enjoy shoe shopping. (However, this says nothing for my desire to enjoy shoe shopping, or my feelings about shoes in general. I would really love to be able to enjoy buying cute shoes.)



I haven't ever bought shoes for Everett because we have been very fortunate with our hand-me-downs. This summer, however, he was in desperate need of some sort of sandal so his feet wouldn't be so hot and sweaty. Naturally I was excited to go shoe shopping for Everett, to be able to go to a store, pick out a pair of shoes, and Buy Them. Finally, I realized, I can project my shoe shopping desires onto my children, and thus enjoy this kind of shopping again.



I had this kind of sandal in mind for Everett: it's simple, brown, will go with everything, and he will definitely not wear socks with them. They can be dressed up or down and they look pretty comfortable.



Everett and I went to many stores and saw different versions of this shoe everywhere. We tried them all on his feet, and they were all too small. After many unsuccessful tryings-on, I realized what the problem was: Everett has chubby feet. I knew this. What I didn't realize was that they are so chubby on top that this kind of sandal simply isn't roomy enough for him. We had to settle for another version of the sandal; one with velcro every which way so we could customize the fit:

So here we are, mother and son, each having the opposite problem with footwear. Maybe someday we both will reach a happy medium and be able to find shoes easily. Until then, velcro it is.

Caterpillar

Yesterday when we were at the playground Everett had his first experience with caterpillars. A child gathered a bunch of them up and put them on a little play structure near us, so I grabbed one and showed it to Everett. He was strangely fascinated--a little wary, a little intrigued, and a whole lot curious.

I asked him if he wanted to hold it and even though he kept refusing, his eyes never wavered from the little crawling creature in my hand. After a little while I decided to put it on his arm and he seemed to be a little exhilarated by it. He loved watching it crawl around but shook it off after a few seconds. Seeing that he was enjoying himself, I took him to where the rest of the caterpillars were crawling around.

By this time, there was a little two-year-old girl there with her mom. Everett paid them no mind and went about his business of systematically poking and prodding the little caterpillars, subsequently knocking them onto the ground. The girl, however, shrieked as soon as she saw the caterpillars and every time afterwards when they landed in her gaze. Her mom laughed at the obvious difference between boys and girls and remarked to me that it is amazing how differently they reacted.

It is funny how little boys and little girls are wired so differently with so many things. There are many girls who are not afraid of bugs and there are many boys who are, but still it is fun to see some of these characteristics displayed so readily.

Everett

Everett is 18 months old today. We aren't celebrating or anything, but it has made me think about how different he is now than he was when he was 12 months old. I love it that he is getting bigger and is interested in more things, and I love watching him communicate with the world around him.

One thing that has changed a little is that Everett has become more snuggly. When he was a baby he was very attached to me, don't get me wrong, but he didn't necessarily like sitting still and definitely wouldn't cuddle with me if I asked. Now he loves to come up to me and sit on my lap or snuggle, and if we are walking somewhere he will lay his head down on my shoulder.

This also means that he loves to sneak into bed with us at night. I use a fan during the night (Joel doesn't like the extra cool air, but I love it nowadays) and it is pretty loud, so I have been leaving our doors cracked open so Everett can come get us if he needs us. At least once every night I will wake to his little body snuggling up next to me in bed and every time this happens I have to resist the impulse to let him stay "just this once". There is something special about your little one wanting to be close to you, and there is something peaceful about resting together. But I know enough to know that this is not a habit I want to have to break, especially considering Ashley's arrival in 5 weeks.

Still, it is reassuring to me that Everett wants to come be with me at night, too, and I secretly love it that he sneaks in to be with me. Fortunately he never makes the slightest fuss when I put him back to bed; he just lays down obediently on his pillow and drifts off, often before I can even lay a kiss on his little cheek. Then as I'm going to sleep I smile to myself and wonder how I could ever have been so blessed as to welcome this particular little child into my home.

The Best Mother's Day Present Ever

Everett turns 18 Months old on Wednesday. What does that mean? It means something happened at church today that I have been waiting a long, long time to experience.

Everett went to Nursery.

!!!!!!!

When Joel and I dropped him off, all he needed was my mere mention of a ball in the room and he was off. We left immediately, seeing as he was already having a lot of fun, and I doubt he thought seriously of us the entire time we were gone. The Nursery leader said he did great, didn't cry, and enjoyed knocking down block towers. He doesn't know how to drink out of the little lightweight paper cups they have in nursery, but with help he was able to down a little water.

During sunday school I was able to have my scriptures open and follow along to every single reference the teacher directed us to. Joel had his arm around me and at one point I leaned towards him and said, "This is like a date!"

Relief Society was a wonder because I was able to focus on the lesson rather than keeping a toddler both happy and reasonably quiet.

In a way I felt today as though it was my first time attending all three meetings in their entirety. It was a marvelous experience and you can bet I am going to absolutely soak up every second of church over the next five weeks until Ashley makes her debut.

In all, it was the greatest Mother's Day I could ask for. It is funny, in an ironic sort of way, that on a day celebrating Motherhood I would enjoy myself by not having my child with me, but such it was. It was very rewarding to me to see him growing up.

Kindness

Today we planted strawberries, cherry tomatoes, and broccoli in pots on our balcony (more on that later). I wanted to get some gravel to fill the bottom of the pots with to reduce the chance of root rot and I decided to go to Home Depot. Apparently a lot of other people had the same idea because the gravel situation was...messy.

There was a lot of gravel, but it was all up on a high platform and many of the bags I could reach were almost empty because people had grabbed them the wrong way and created massive holes. My first attempt to get a bag down resulted in a storm of pebbles hitting the concrete by my feet. The decent bags were back farther, and high, and because I am so short it was nearly impossible to grab one (they were also very, very heavy which is a problem for obvious reasons).

A nice middle-aged man who was all the way down at the other end of the outdoor center came over to the gravel bags. I saw him reach waaaaay back and grab an intact bag, then turn to me and put it in my cart. He didn't speak English but he communicated to me that it was for me. I was so taken aback that I was only able to splurt out a jumbled, "Oh, thank you!" before he turned away and walked all the way back to what he had been previously doing.

It seems that I have been meeting a slew of people lately who have been extra kind to me. I know this has everything to do with my pregnancy, since I am so obviously pregnant this late in the game, but it is wonderful to know there are people out there who not only see a need but act on it.

The man who helped me today did not do it for my praise or because anyone was watching him. It was not particularly convenient for him. If he had not helped me, the world would not have ended; I would have been able to find an employee to heft a bag down for me. He knew this, but he did it anyway.

My problem became his solution.

What a powerful reminder to me, and what a powerful example of the way Christ would have us be. Service doesn't need to be big or excessively laudable. It may be only a drop in the world's solution bucket, but it is a drop that wouldn't have been there even so. I must remember to take notice of other people even when the reason I am out and about is for myself.

33 Weeks Down...

...7 more weeks to go!

I am very excited that this pregnancy is coming to a close. It has gone by really quickly, like I knew it would. I think the first pregnancy usually goes by more slowly because that is your only child you are focusing on. It is so fun to focus on the child that is learning and growing outside the womb that sometimes I forget about what is happening with little Ashley.

I also feel a little unprepared, because we don't have very many clothes for her. Technically she can wear Everett's baby clothes, and we will use some for her, but I think I would like people who see her to know that she is a girl, not a little boy with a baseball on his shirt (besides, Everett was a winter baby so most of his clothes are off-season). Joel is all for her wearing boys clothes, though. Maybe we'll have to have all girls from now on to give him plenty of time to get used to the femininity. You'd think having a wife would do it, but apparently not!

In case any of you are wondering (which you're probably not), I am certainly not opposed to pink, so Joel's opinion on that color has not swayed me one bit.

Ashley is 4 pounds now and about 17 inches long (supposedly). I love knowing each week that she is getting bigger because that means if anything happens and I were to go into labor early, she is that much more prepared for the outside world.

I did go into pre-term labor with Everett at 34 weeks (we ended up going full term, thank goodness), but I'm not really betting that it will happen this time. We'll see! Maybe I'll tell Joel that keeping up the house is simply too stressful and difficult, and I'd better stop for the baby's sake.

Yes, that sounds like a good excuse to me. I have a doctor's appointment in a couple of days. Maybe I can get him to sign off on that, as well.

Mailman

I am a huge fan of our mailman. Everett and I often see him on our way out to play at noon (my last attempt to get some of Everett's energy out before his afternoon nap).

He is a slight little man who smiles so wide his eyes crinkle like tissue paper. He walks with a happy spring in his step as though there is nothing he would rather be doing than delivering mail. He carries himself so jovially, and is so lightweight, that you get the impression he could begin leaping and bounding 10 feet into the air as though it were nothing.

Because we are the newest family in our building and all of the mailboxes have names inside for his reference, he has known our names almost since the day we first moved in. He always greets me with a delighted "Hello!" and then bends down to say "Hello, Mr. Johnson!" to Everett. Everett is of course too little to get excited about that, but I can't help but think if he were a few years older he would get a big kick out of the Mailman calling him "Mr. Johnson".

What a wonderful person. This is the kind of attitude I need to work to have while completing my every-day tasks.

In Love

I am officially in love. I was excited to find a couple of weeks ago that this brand of frozen fruit bars ("popsicle" doesn't do them justice) was on sale. I have been even more excited to discover that multiple stores have been having sales on these bars and I have been able to track them down each week. Truly, the sale price doesn't make enough of a difference that buying them at regular price would break the bank, but it sure makes me feel better about buying a "treat".

These bars, while definitely having sugar (20 g, which isn't as bad as some cereals, even), also are a good source of vitamin C and are only 80 calories.

That is my justification for buying them. Not that I need one.

The Lemonade flavor is absolutely wonderful. Edy's has put out many flavors but this was the first and only flavor I've had because it was so good I didn't want to tempt fate and try my luck with something else. It tastes just like lemon sorbet.

I am so tempted to go have one right now, except that it is only 9:30 am, and something about that time definitely does not seem to be popsicle-appropriate.

Here's to hoping that I will be able to hide these from Joel long enough to have had my fill.

"Rainy Days and Mondays Always Get You Down"

Today is a rainy day. I love rain because it provides us with needed water, but I also dislike the rain because it means I stay in a tiny apartment all day with an active toddler. It is wet and a little dreary outside and I am dying to see some sun. Yesterday was a beautiful day for the most part, but I am feeling the effects of the overcast weather today. I am addicted to sunlight. Joel is busy at work for another week or so, so I don't have the car again and I miss it. Sometimes it is a little difficult for both Everett and me to be cooped up all day every day for several days in a row. Everett gets restless and grumpy (and we all know what happens when a toddler gets restless and grumpy) which means I get grumpy and tend to lose my patience with him. At night after a day like that I will lay in bed and feel so terrible, I have to resist the impulse to dash into his room, closely cradle his little sleeping self, and kiss his sweet face.

So, in an effort to make this post a positive one, today I am going to post about some of my favorite things, things that have made my life easier in one way or another as far as Everett is concerned.

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The First Years Take & Toss bowls and sippy cups

I was first introduced to this brand (which is commonly available at walmart) almost two years ago when an aunt gave us a package of utensils as part of a baby shower gift. I have since noticed that the same company makes sippy cups (spill proof, unless shaken), snack bowls with lids, and regular bowls with lids. I love, love, love these.

First of all, they are inexpensive (3 dollars for a pack of five or six, with lids) because they are really made so they can be disposable. The plastic, however, is not flimsy in the least but it is perfect for a toddler because it is not too heavy. I love that the bowls have lids. It makes it easy to store leftover food or snacks. The bowls are also small and lightweight enough that Everett can hold it in one hand and eat out of it with the other. I bought the sippy cups for taking places (restaurants, the park, trips in the car, etc.) because if one were to get lost or ruined it would not be a big deal.

I highly recommend these. They are so handy and we have loved having them.

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A Chair (ours has arms)

Yes, I am being serious. This chair has absolutely saved my sanity in the kitchen. Why, you may ask? Well, Everett loves being in the kitchen with me, but he also loves seeing what I am doing way up high on the counter. This means he is always yelling for me to hold him (a little difficult when chopping onions or doing a world of other things). If I don't hold him, he will walk between my legs and the counter and grab them, then lay across my feet, then push me away from the counter, all while yelling as loud as he can. This drives me crazy.

We have a little island counter--well, peninsula, really, because it is attached to the wall on one side--in our kitchen that I use for all the prep work. Everett knows that when I begin cooking, he can push a chair over to the counter and get on it so he can see what I am doing. This makes cooking fun for both of us, because I will give him little tastes and introduce him to new things (the other night it was green bell peppers) and words. He has learned to not touch things when I ask, but usually I keep them out of his reach so the temptation isn't there. He loves holding the spice containers when I am done with them and he will often mimic what I am doing. He likes to help stir and he knows that sometimes he gets to lick the spoon.

A chair has changed the way meals are prepared in my house (from frustratingly to happily). Everett still gets bouncingly excited about using the chair even though he has done it many, many times.

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Giant Sketchpad (ours is 18 x 24)

This may seem like kind of a silly thing to include, but I have loved using a sketchpad of this size as a coloring notebook for Everett (it was leftover from an art class I enrolled in at BYU). It is big enough that he can sit on part of it if he wants and still have plenty of room to color. Also, since he is still working on his fine motor coordination, it is a little difficult for him to understand why it is important to hold a piece of paper in place with one hand while coloring with the other. This sketchpad is big enough that it doesn't move, no matter how aggressively Everett colors. He can take crayons in both hands and go wild and it won't matter. We use it on the area rug we bought for his play area in the living room, but the crayons I have for him are washable so if he gets them on anything else the mess can be wiped clean with a wet rag.

As a plus, he doesn't care if a page has already been colored on, so I think we can get a lot of use out of this. I think sketchpads of this size are kind of expensive so I don't know if we will replace it when it is used to capacity, but there is a lot of life left in it so I haven't worried about it too much.

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The Video Recording Feature on My Camera

This seems like an obvious thing to like, but I appreciate the video clips we take of Everett not only for nostalgic reasons but because he loves watching himself so very much. He will watch the same video over and over, and be so entranced that I can do just about anything to him and he will not budge.

This makes for a phenomenally easy way to trim his fingernails and toenails. At an age where getting dressed, getting a diaper change, and all similar practices are his least favorite thing (who wants to hold still for that?), it is wonderful to have a way to cut his fingernails without having to use all my strength to hold him in place. In fact, while he is glued to the computer screen, I think he barely even notices I am handling his fingers.

Did I mention that while watching the videos of himself Everett, a crazy, active toddler, will hold completely still? I did? Forgive me. I must still be caught up in the wonder of it all. . .

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Well, I'm sure there is more I haven't thought to write down. It is nice to take inventory of the things I have and realize how much I really do have that helps us every single day. I have a lot to be grateful for, even the rain.

In fact, maybe we will even go out today and feel the rain on our faces together and laugh, just because we can.