Double Trouble

Ashley turned two years old on Sunday. In a way it seems like she has been two for a while now, probably because she talks so much more than Everett did at this age, and also because her quiet reserve makes her seem a little older to me.

We had a little party with just us and my sister who is out for a visit. I didn't have a desire to make a big production out of the thing. After all, she is only two and doesn't even really understand what a birthday is or why she is getting presents in the first place!

I let the kids decorate cupcakes instead of making and decorating a cake myself. They have more fun doing this than seeing what I came up with, and it is less complicated for me.

Ashley chose purple frosting and flower sprinkles. I think she was very proud of the result.

I bought candles but no matches (as is typical), but thanks to our next-door neighbors, we got them lit. Ashley knew exactly what to do.

Now, onto PRESENTS!

This is the first birthday we've celebrated in this house when the birthday child received so many presents. She was one happy little girl. Her grandmas sent her cute outfits and she has been excited to wear them every day. Unfortunately I didn't get pictures of her in them.

I ordered almost 300 used lego duplos blocks off ebay (most are on the floor in this picture). Her favorite part was all the trains that came with them. The kids have played with them every day, all day.

I asked Everett what he wanted to get Ashley for her birthday, and he said "I want to get her some cars so she will stop taking mine!"

Ashley, being a girl who loves toy cars, was thrilled.

Cute farm animal puzzle from my family. This has also gotten a lot of use.

Ashley's favorite present was this tricycle. It has a handle we can attach to it that a parent can use to push and steer the trike. Everett has a little bike so this makes it easier to all go together. Ashley asks to use her "bike" all day, every day.

After presents was cupcake eating time.

I don't think she enjoyed them. Do you?

One last thing:

OOOOOOOOOOOmaha

My youngest sister Maddy flew out last Wednesday to visit us for a week. Since we have an Uncle and his family who live in Omaha, Nebraska, we decided to rent a minivan and drive out to see them for the weekend. It was a great trip.

Everyone started off the right way:

This is what the back looked like for the first half of the trip. It was lovely. On the way home, the kids slept at the beginning again but Maddy was awake so Joel and I could talk to her without interruption.

It was fun to see my cousins. The College World Series was going on, and Joel got to go to a game with my Uncle. He has always talked about going to a game and now that he has, he can die happy.

In addition to baseball, Omaha is also home to one of the best zoos in the nation, Henry Doorly Zoo. There was more to do than we could fit in one morning, but the kids had a great time.

In the "jungle"

Ashley's favorite animal is the monkey. I think she was in heaven. She could almost reach out and touch these little critters.

Both the kids enjoyed the massive aquarium(s).

Everett was especially captivated by the large sharks swimming overhead.

Both kids also enjoyed the swimming penguins.

We went to the big cats area as well. Everett was a little tired so he rode in the stroller for most of it. Ashley, however, must have caught her second wind as soon as we went through the doors. She skipped around, laughing and squealing, and alerting the next animals of her presence by shouting "I coming gigers (tigers)! I coming!"

Late that same day we went to Mahoney Park, which has a water park and a whole bunch of other activities. The one we got to enjoy was the one my family has dubbed the "gerbil cages." It is basically a gym filled with tunnels, nettings, ramps, ball pits, and enormous slides. Adults can fit in them, which meant everyone had a great time playing hide and seek, tag, and sardines.

And by "everyone," I mean Joel too.

Everett zipped around this place faster than I could. It was tough keeping up with him sometimes.

The smaller of the two ball pits.

An adult-sized maze.

William and I hung out together. We were sweating even though we were mostly just standing there. The people who were playing the whole time were completely drenched. They all look like they had showered with their clothes on (and I won't comment on how they all smelled).

Ashley loved figuring out how to climb the different areas.

First: determination

Next: more determination and a bit of accomplishment

Success

Down the other side.

Success must always be enjoyed.

We ended our weekend with church and a trip home. It was a great mini-vacation and we are excited we got to share it with my sister, Maddy. I got to go to Target (we don't have one where we live) and buy two pairs of shoes that were on clearance. The kids were in high heaven with all the attention and activities. Joel got to see his baseball game. It was perfect.

Fathers

We had a great, relaxing Father's Day. I have been reading a lot of books lately on social issues--the latest of which has been about mothers, children, and the welfare system. Almost all of these impoverished families have one thing in common: destructive or absent fathers.

I am grateful--and in awe--I have never personally known such trouble. The fathers I have known have enriched my life and this is something I try to never take for granted. I know I had a beautiful childhood and have a wonderful adult life, and I also know that this is not the norm. I don't know how this is so, but it is, and I have no choice but to be grateful for it.

We had a feast. Joel told me his one wish for this day was that I didn't spend all day cooking in the kitchen. He said he would rather spend time with me than have a fancy meal. My own father taught me to enjoy good food, so I had more than a little trouble complying with Joel's request (but I think the homemade rolls were worth it to him).

My kids love their grandfathers. Everywhere we go, they excitedly shout, "Grandpa!" if they see a man from behind who looks like Joel's Dad or my Dad.

(Joel's dad and the kids at Notre Dame campus)

Thanks to Joel, I married into a great family. I felt comfortable with Joel's dad from the first moment I met him, and I know this is due to his sense of humor and his ability to not take himself too seriously. This is a man who has raised eight kids and still has the energy to serve faithfully as bishop and participate in marathons (both running marathons and 150 mile plus bike marathons). When we visit Joel's house, we get to join in as they sit together and read the Book of Mormon. I always tell Joel that if he grows up to be like his dad, I will be a very lucky woman (fortunately for me, this is definitely shaping up to be the case).

(My Dad and the kids on Mother's Day)

I also love my own Dad. I have always been proud that he is my Dad. He taught me many things, including the value of hard work. He always works hard at what he does and doesn't complete a task until he feels it is the best he could do. I have watched him serve faithfully in many callings, perform exceptionally well at work, and also find time to attend to the needs of our family. He was always willing to stop whatever he is doing to help his children. I always felt safe at home and on trips because I knew that my Dad is always doing all he can to protect the family. I remember running through an airport in Germany, late for a connecting flight but comfortable in the knowledge that all I had to do was follow my Dad and we'd make it to where we needed to go. My Dad would do anything he thought would better our lives.

Joel didn't want me to write a Father's Day post about him. I think this is because he gets embarrassed when I say nice things about him. But I truly am grateful for him. He helps me in many, many ways, not the least of which is housework (which is never completed) and kid-related chores (which also never end). Someone always needs his or her nose wiped, diaper changed, or hurts soothed, and Joel is always there to help me. One day just after he started working for HON, Joel sat down with me and said that he thought Saturdays should be his day to do household chores. "You do a lot during the week while I'm at work," he said, "and I want to help you." Joel has spent the last few Saturdays helping me scrub, polish, fold, and tidy rather than sitting around and enjoying his day off from work. The truth is, he has always helped me every day and night, but this made me feel especially appreciated (and undeserving).

Joel is takes great care to not be critical of me and always expresses his love to me. I've never doubted how he felt about me. I love him even more than when I married him and I expect a few years from now I'll love him even more, though that doesn't seem possible right now. The kids adore him and he adores them right back.

We live a charmed life. There are many, many people in the world that deserve this life much more than I do. I wish I could share it with each and every one of them.

We Like to Play at the YMCA. . .

We joined the YMCA as soon as we moved here. It has been wonderful, and not just for the free childcare while I'm working out! We have access as a family to the facilities, which are never very crowded.

Last night we reserved a racquetball court, bought two cheap bouncy balls at Wal-mart, and let the kids run wild. They had a great time and I enjoyed seeing them go crazy in a room where they had license to do whatever they wanted with those balls.

"Watch this, Mommy!"

Ashley loved kicking the ball.

(I am happy I got this picture because it is rare that I am able to capture an expression of such delight from Ashley.)

It sounded like we had twenty kids in there due to all the echoing from the balls and their yells, but I think this made Everett and Ashley enjoy the room even more. They could make as much noise as they wanted, go nuts, and get nice and sweaty. What could be better? Unfortunately our night was cut short by the tornado sirens going off (no tornado, just high winds) and we had to either go home or be in lock-down. Since we live one minute away and we didn't want to have to keep the kids confined in a short hallway for the duration of the warning--it ended up being about two hours--we scurried home.

Riding in a Car with an Obstinate Preschooler, Ad Nauseum

A few days ago, Joel and I had an errand we needed to run which involved a thirty-minute drive to the nearest city. The kids were happy to tag along and were pretty good. On the ride home, though, Mr. Tired-and-cranky Everett decided that the world was his enemy. Want to know how we figured that one out? Read on.

Everett, after finding out that he was not going to get out of the car as soon as he pleased, looked down at his navy blue athletic shorts (the ones he had painstakingly selected to match his navy blue shirt) and scowled.

"I not like this stripe, Mommy. I not like the red and white stripe. I not want these shorts. I want my other shorts, my shorts like Jack's."

"Everett," I said with a laugh, "Are we home?"

"No."

"Well, then we can't get your other shorts, can we?"

Everett's scowl quickly ballooned into outright frustration.

"I want to go to our new home NOW!"

"Everett, we're going as fast as we can. You just have to wait."

"I WANT TO GO NOOOWWWW!" Everett's yells pierced our ears and tested our patience.

"Well, we can't."

Everett stuck his chin out and looked out the window, his bright red ears clearly displaying his growing anger.

"Well, I want to go to that white house right there!" Everett pointed to a warehouse of some sort that was situated far out in a field.

"Everett, that's not a house."

"Ye-es, it is."

"Everett, I promise it isn't."

"YES, it IS!!!"

I rolled my eyes.

"Why is it not a house?" Everett asked willfully.

"Because. It is for things, not people." My answer wasn't very specific but Everett was temporarily mollified.

As Everett took in more of his surroundings, we passed a bunch of fields filled with tall, waving grass.

"I want to bring some grass in the car so I can throw it up and make it be snowing." Everett gets the funniest ideas sometimes.

"Sorry, Everett,"I said, knowing I was only feeding into the next explosion, "we can't get any grass right now."

"I want it to be snowing NOW!!!!"

"Well, sorry. It can't be snowing now."

"Whyyyyyyy?"

"It's summer. It doesn't snow in the summer."

"I NOT WANT IT TO BE SUMMER!" Everett just couldn't get any satisfactory answers out of us, no matter how hard he tried.

Joel and I sighed and ignored him.

Everett glared at us and said spitefully, "I want to play in the snow NOW, ALL BY MYSELF!"

Joel and I snickered to each other.

"Everett, that is impossible." Joel's voice glinted with amusement.

"No, Papa, it not impossible," Everett argued back stubbornly.

"Yes it is." Sometimes Joel just doesn't know when to quit.

"No, it isn't! It not IMPOSSIBLE. PAPA! It NOT IMPOSSIBLE!" Everett's yells reverberated and magnified around our car's interior, and made our ears ring in protestation.

Everett's clumsy anger was pretty funny, so of course we did the rational thing: we laughed. We laughed pretty hard. And with each laugh, Everett turned a deeper shade of red and his face scrunched up more intensely.

Poor Everett. He was fighting hard, but it was too late now that Joel had found a good way to keep him riled.

"NO! Stop that, PAPA! STOP THAT!"

"Hah, hah, hah." Joel's laughs were fake but no less infuriating to this particular three-year-old. "Hah Hah Hah!"

"PAPAAAAAA!" STOOOOOP THAAAAAAT NOOOOW!" Everett was about to burst, I think. At least I was pretty sure there was no possible way he could be yelling any louder.

"Stop that!" Ashley yelled happily from her car seat, wanting to join in on the fun but missing the punchline.

Everett must have given up, because the next few minutes passed with a stony silence flowing from Everett's direction and a pleasant silence issuing from ours. Yes, we eventually got home and yes, he got to wear his favored "shorts like Jack's." But no matter how hard he tried and how much he wished it, Everett still could not get it to snow.

Our New Home--Pictures

I've had quite a few requests to see pictures of our fancy new digs.

Well, okay. Our house really isn't that fancy. It isn't that big. And, it isn't that well-decorated.

But we're happy here and I think it will be a really good place for us until we find our home to actually buy.

This is the master bedroom:

It's not that big, considering that we have a king-sized bed, but it fits everything we need. The closet is actually pretty roomy because it goes all the way along the inside of that wall you see next to it. We have wall-unit air conditioners, which I am fine with because the upstairs one is in our room.

Everett's room:

Everett is very proud of his new bed. Every morning, completely of his own volition, he asks for help in making it. I know this will wear off soon, but it makes me happy that he takes such care with it. (Sometime soon we'll get him a bed frame, but it works just fine until then.)

Across from his bed and below the window is a book shelf. All of Everett's clothes and the kids' toys (except the ones in the blue bucket) are in his closet.

Those bags you see hanging there used to be hanging from pegs on a shelf we have. We are not allowed to use anything larger than "small nails" to hang things with here, and that shelf needs more than that, so I had to think of an alternative. I have to help Everett and Ashley get the toys down from their hangers, but it keeps his room more organized this way.

Also, I'm refinishing that dresser, which is why the top is missing.

Ashley/William's room:

It's pretty simple. Just their beds and dresser. However, I'm going to switch the beds around because when William starts pulling up I don't want him to be so close to the window blinds.

Closet:

We've done some fancy things to this closet, including a disorganized pile of stuffed animals and some empty boxes.

Nice, huh?

Bathroom:

Not much to explain here. I'm losing what feels like all my hair again (happens after every baby) so usually all the surfaces in there are covered with hair. Luckily for you, I gave the bathroom a good cleaning yesterday. Also, the only bathroom is upstairs, which can be annoying when Everett insists that he needs help going to the bathroom (he really can do it by himself) or when someone needs their nose wiped (always).

Plenty of storage. That's the best thing. Plenty of storage. (Our last bathroom had zero storage.)

Downstairs: the Kitchen

Not quite as much storage as my last two kitchens, but it is made up for with the pantry. I've never had a pantry before! The washer and dryer are in a closet right there by the refrigerator. It isn't so bad to have them in the kitchen, although it doesn't help with my general reluctance to get those clothes folded and put away.

Other side:

Had I zoomed in closer, you would have seen the hand prints and smudges on the table I can never catch up with. All of our pictures are still wrapped in towels on the other side of the table. Maybe we'll just keep them that way until we move again.

Living Room

I saved the best for last!

Just kidding. This room hasn't been put together yet. Nothing, except the couch, is where it will probably end up. We have to get another cheap-o bookshelf at Walmart, and then we'll empty out our last boxes of books and fill them up. The bookshelf that is up right now is filled with random junk that just needs to go away.

Other view. Fancy, no? Everett can open the deadbolt to this door. He knows that he gets put into a very long time out if he goes outside without asking, but he still does so at least once a day. I need to come up with a better punishment/incentive.

Well, that's about it. It's not very big but we don't have very much stuff so it suits us fine. It is quiet around here and we can walk to just about anything we need to. Fun!

Everett-isms

On Sunday I was talking to a friend of mine after Relief Society when we were interrupted by the fire alarm. We chatted for a few more seconds until she mentioned that she'd better go check on her boys. Her son, she said with a loving sigh, was probably the one who did it. I asked if he had pulled the alarm before, and she said that he hadn't--but it sounded like something he was likely to do. I smiled and went to find my own family members, who were already outside. As soon as Joel saw me, he said "Guess what Everett just did?"

Given the context of the situation I didn't really need to guess. Yes, that's right. Everett was the one who pulled the fire alarm at church. (That's about how my entire weekend went. How was yours?) The bad thing is that he didn't have better timing. I could have gotten out of Sunday School!

Today we bought Everett a new bed off craigslist (I know what you're thinking--don't worry. It had only been used by one little girl with a waterproof pad, and was an absolute steal.) I didn't feel like telling the aging man and his daughter who dropped it off--and who mentioned some back problems--to carry it up our stairs, especially since they delivered it for free, so he set it down in the living room. I figured I would just wait until Joel got home and ask him to carry it up then.

But later I walked by that bed and decided that I didn't need to wait for anyone to help me. It isn't that heavy; it's just a twin mattress!

I looked at Everett and said, "I think I'm going to carry your bed upstairs. Do you think I can do it?"

"No mommy," he replied soberly, "I think you need somebody to help you."

I laughed and told him I was going to do it anyway. Everett's eyes lit up suddenly and eagerly.

"Mommy!" he said, "I can help you! I can do it because I'm very strong!" His clenched fists shook as he enunciated this statement with a guttural growl. I told him that he certainly was very strong and that yes, he could help me. Satisfied, he went over and grabbed the other side of the mattress.

"You know what, Everett? I'm strong, too. We can do it." I want Everett to think I'm strong and capable for as long as possible before he wisens up.

We carried that bed up the stairs together, and it was pretty easy. I brought it up quickly so Everett had to let go and follow a few paces behind me rather than hold the mattress. I didn't want to risk it falling on him.

"Are you helping me, Everett?" I asked with a laugh.

"No, Mommy!" he answered honestly. "I'm trying to but you're going too fast!"

Once we got the bed set up, he was so excited about it he wouldn't let anyone touch it. I resorted to turning a TV show on for him while I got his room organized. When Everett came back in a few minutes later, he was very displeased to see the items I had thrown on his bed in my organizational jumble.

"Moooooommmmmyyyyyy! You're making a mess!" He exclaimed woundedly. He began to throw everything off the bed. "You can't put all this stuff on my bed, Mommy. That's my bed! It's not your bed." He shook his head and glowered at me.

When Ashley came in later to play, she was very excited to see Everett's new bed. Unfortunately Everett was not excited to share it with her--at least not if it meant she looked at, touched, breathed on, or had too much enthusiasm about this very special bed that was decidedly not hers to admire. Once I cleared up the confusion that was Everett's stubbornness, organizing went underway and I was able to start getting things done.

Apparently Everett decided that it would be more fun to have Ashley as a playmate than to be alone with a non-interactive bed, because he adopted his commanding older-brother tone as he asked her to help him pile all the stuffed animals on the floor so they could jump on them from the bed.

"Okay," Ashley replied compliantly. She always replies compliantly when he is bossing her around, unless this means he is taking something that is hers. Then she erupts in an eardrum-bursting squeal.

Fortunately for my nerves (and my vocal cords), they played peacefully for the next while so I had an organized room and a pile of empty boxes to show for my time.

Seeing that it was getting time to throw dinner in the oven, I brought the kids down to the kitchen with me. I had to douse colossal melt-down after colossal melt-down from Everett for a while until he finally was inconsolable and buried his tear-flooded face in his arms. I offered to hold him, but he just ran away and threw himself on the floor in an emotional heap. I walked over, picked him up, and held him tightly as he thrashed for a few seconds, then waited until he relaxed and rested his soggy face on my shoulder.

"Everett," I asked, "Why are you so sad today?"

He looked up at me, his eyes so wet he had to blink several times before he could even see, and said tremblingly, "I sad because I want a friend to play with."

I felt sad for him, too. Change is not easy for Everett, so I have to prepare him in advance for whatever is going to happen in order to eliminate the surprise factor. Fortunately there is a little boy at church Everett has hit it off with, so I think we'll have him over to play tomorrow.

I am glad in many ways that Everett is still a little boy and needs my help with almost everything. He has a really tender side and I am interested in seeing how this will develop as he gets older, but I think I will always miss the days when a cuddle can fix everything.

Proud Parenting Moment #437

The other day when we were all playing on the patio, Everett announced that he had a little problem.

Our solution? Well, let's just say it wasn't one of our shining moments as parents. The bright side is, at least we got it all on video! (As long as our kids don't use it as incriminating evidence, that is.)

(password: potty)

(sorry that the camera work is a little crazy.)

New House Part One: The Patio

Well, we're not really in a house. We're renting a little town home for a while until we find a house we want to buy. But for some reason we use house synonymously with home. Either way, the kids love it, which is good because it's not as though they get a say in where we live.

I think one of their favorite parts of the house is our private patio. There is no fence, so I have to watch them pretty carefully, but they can do all sorts of fun things out back. We're not allowed to have a swimming pool, but we have gotten around that by filling buckets up with water and giving the kids sponges to play with.

I didn't realize when I bought this swimsuit for Ashley that the back hole was so big. It's too bad, too, although seeing two inches of diaper is definitely a nice look. The only nice thing is that the straps can't fall off her shoulder like in her old suit.

Chalk and sponges + water = hours of entertainment.

Everett enjoyed making colorful "rivers" of water by rubbing chalk in the cement crack water.

(I have to tighten up the shoulder straps, too.)

This is Joel after I threatened to get him wet. I'm putting this up because this is such a classic Joel-won't-go-down-without-a-fight look.

This is a video explaining why I'm still the kids' favorite. It's only a few seconds long, but it shows what most people already have seen from Joel any time there is water involved.

(password: mean)

I think he gets some sort of strange satisfaction from making them cry, but he does make me look like the benevolent one, and the best thing is, the kids never notice that I'm laughing at them along the way.