And one more thing...

I have to write this down here too, this is the kind of stuff you just don't want to forget. Ok, maybe I'm not the one writing it, because I'm too lazy right now, and it is just easier to lift it from Jeff's status on Facebook. So here it is:

"So on the way home from Phoenix Tristan (My 3 year old's) ears started to pop from the change in air pressure. He didn't like the feeling so his sisters started suggesting ideas to help stop his ears from popping, namely yawning, which he did and a few seconds later excitedly exclaimed "I found my sound!" :)"




Totally unrelated picture of Tristan doing his famous "Icky Eye".

Things I just have to tell you about

Holy cow! I just found something else to suck at... apparently I'm not very good at keeping a blog either. I would like to say that I'm going to do better, but if I'm honest with myself that is not very likely. I'm still amazed when I read some of my friends blogs showing their weekly project, or some cute craft... How do you guys have time for all that? I have time to think about what I would like to do, and after that I just need a nap. So while I would love to tell you about my latest project or home renovation, the most you are going to hear about is that I got the house clean, and in and of itself it is a huge accomplishment in my home.

Instead you will get to hear about the never-ending cuteness of my kids, sorry, I know it is probably only cute to me... but once you become a mother there is no fighting it, you just assume that everyone is delighted to hear about your kids inappropriate comment (that out of their mouth is just the most adorable thing you'll ever hear), or the ingenious places your 3 year old will think to use as a toilet. I know... it is darling, isn't it?


Well... since you got me thinking about it I may as well tell you about this week's latest. Like when Tristan was eating soup and dropped noodle followed by this dialog:
Tristan: "It fell on my boob"
Me: "You don't have boobs"
Tristan (looking down): "I have nickels"


While in the topic of boobs, a couple of weeks ago Jeff got these Mickey Mouse balloons and as he was trying to blow one up for Tristan, making sure the two "ears" were properly inflated before blowing up the rest of it, Tristan says: "nice boobs!". What????!!!!!!! He is 3! where is he learning this... I promise we don't use that sentence in my house. I was a little baffled.


And of course, there's Jaden... oh, how I love this kid! He is one smart guy, but sometimes we just have to ponder the mystery of his mind's inner workings.

He had a school program yesterday, basically singing about Utah for forty minutes (to every parent's delight), with a little dancing thrown in there too, because we all know that 4th grade boys enthusiasm when dancing is something to behold, not awkward at all!
As it's customary he gives us plenty of notice, a phone call from school an hour before this thing was going to start. We madly try to get ready and make sure to not miss the program that promises to be the best 4th grade program in school history (it has a mad cast, you know?), and we make it just a few minutes late, as we like to be fashionable.
We quickly locate Jaden on the first row, singing with the excitement that is so characteristic of him. I'm looking at him thinking I'm so glad he is wearing a decent shirt for this program, and he is looking pretty nice (he is one good looking little guy).
It was at this moment that my musings were interrupted by Jeff saying "Oh no! Do you see those neon orange things in his ears? He is wearing ear plugs!" The same ear plugs that he used when our friend Ben took him shooting the previous weekend. The ones that we told him to throw away (he likes to keep everything) just a couple of days before. Yep... that is my son... wearing ear plugs during his own performance, apparently fourth grader's singing is offensive to his ears. If you know Jaden, you will not be surprised by this though, so I just nodded and said, yeah, that is a Jaden thing to do...

So of course, as any good parent would do, we recognized the great embarrassment potential this would have in the future and had to take pictures.



I love Jaden, I hope he never changes.

I do have one question: where were the earplugs for the parents? I know... I'm mean.

The Importance of Foreplay

Foreplay... sometimes it's nice, other times I wish I could just bypass it. I tried something new, something I have managed to avoid since I was 19. Today feeling a little more adventurous and having a little more time than usual (that is the nice thing about Sunday afternoons), I went for it. I had Jeff try to teach me how to, and I have to say it was kinda fun. Here is my problem with the whole thing... Why make the process more complicated and add extra steps when it could be easily simplified?

I have to say, driving a stick shift seems kinda silly. Yeah, stick shift, what did you think I was talking about? Anyway, pull your mind out of the gutter. I just rather drive car with an automatic transmission, less steps and better results. I guess I did alright for my first time driving a stick shift, killed the car a few times as Jeff kept reminding me "You have to ease into it, baby it as you push the clutch", well... I had no idea I was going to have to romance the clutch to get the car going, and apparently this fickle clutch likes it just right. If you drove by the Springville High School parking lot today, and wondered why in the world there was a yellow car giving its passengers whiplash over and over while driving in circles, now you know. It was me trying to romance the clutch. Oh and you may want to steer clear of my neighborhood streets for the next couple of weeks.

Not ready to say Goodbye to Christmas

I really should be working a little harder on getting all the Christmas stuff taken down. But this year is even harder than normal. My cute little Tristan is truly obsessed with anything Christmas and I really don't want to see his sad face when it's all gone. I know it sounds like a lame excuse... but it makes a great excuse!

Before Christmas I caught him cutting my nice ribbon bolts, of course I asked him what he was up to... and as he took a freshly cut, mangled piece of ribbon and tied it (he can't tie really well yet, so he just wrapped it around many times actually) on the door handle to our mud room, he told me "I'm decorating for Christmas!". I did what any mom would have done, I said: "Awwww, do you need more? here are some more ribbons, go decorate".

He is his father's son in so many ways, but this Christmas mania is so Jeff! He has been taking Christmas lights out of the garage for months now, he brings them in the house, finds the closest outlet (while my heart is pounding in anticipation of the imminent electrocution), and plugs it in. His eyes light up along with the lights and... I know, I know... a good mom would not let her kid go plugging things around the house, but I just can't take that joy away from him, so I taught him how to avoid the metal prongs when plugging the lights and now I just hope those small words of wisdom have really sunked in. So far so good.

Ever since Santa came to our house Tristan has been Santa. He wears Jeff's santa hat (which is huge on him) and comes to me (or anyone that's around) and asks: "What do you want for Christmas little boy?" in his best deep Santa voice of course. One has to be careful what to ask for, because Santa has to have whatever you are requesting... so I go for a generic answer like "a toy". My little sparkly eyed Santa takes his hat off his head, reaches inside it, and surprises me with the most amazing toy (and that hat can fit an incredible amount of things, it made me think of Mary Poppins' bag). He also has fashioned a fabulous sleigh out of a laundry basket, in which he piles more toys making the refilling of the hat more convenient. He is a practical Santa after all. You may also notice he is not wearing a whole lot besides the hat, well... that's how he rolls (at least he is wearing underwear).

It would appear that Christmas is in his mind even while he sleeps. A few weeks ago I woke up to Tristan talking in his sleep. He is such a funny boy. He was saying: "Spongebob is decorating the tree!" and a few minutes later he broke into a song, excitedly singing 'Jingle Bells' (currently his favorite Christmas song). Have I said how much I love this boy? I love him and how he helps me appreciate life and everything around me so much more... nothing like seeing Christmas through the eyes of a little child.

Ok... everybody is doing it, so here I am: blogging. I'm sure my many fans will be delighted by this news. I can't promise I will make any sense.

If you are curious at all about the title of this blog, stay tuned and you will read a compelling story of youthful ingenuity, dreams, adventure, tragedy... it has it all!