What if?

I probably spend way too much time watching Word World on PBS with Tiger.  Every time it comes on I start thinking, "What if our world was really like that?"  I begin wondering about whether some letters would be worth more than other letters.  I wonder then if a jump drive would be more expensive than a house because it has more letters?  Would all the letters required to make all the things for the house make the house so much more expensive? Would you have to buy letters in copper to make things of copper?  Would we have to mine or harvest letters?  Could we grow letters?  Would they be as valuable as mined letters?  Would we use letters like money?

And then I remember it is just a kids' show! and I should be thinking about things that really matter, like dinner.

Codenames

Just a word about the codenames.  I thought that each character in our little comic strip ought to have a name.  I thought it would be fun if we were all secret agents or something and so I came up with codenames for each of us.  It was really easy for the boys, DH thought up the ones for the parents. I will probably continue to write about them as BL, BC, and DH, but watch out for the occasional codename. 

About the guestbook

I have a sitemeter.  It tells me when people visit me.  It tells me where you are from.  It just doesn't tell me who you are.  I am glad that you visit my blog and find my life interesting, if not amusing.  If you haven't already, please sign the guestbook.  You can keep your message private so that only I can see it.  I know that you are coming, just sign already so that I don't go crazy trying to find out who you are :?  Thank you.  Enjoy the chaos that is my life.

Broken

This is the current state of cloth.   The first night BC was going to bed after it tore, I put both pieces next to him as I dressed him for bed.  He said, "Cloth broken.  I broken it."  Once a day he reminds me, "I broke cloth."   He is usually such a stickler for things being "just so".  He closes doors behind me all day long.  He won't eat broken kraft singles.  If his socks aren't on just right he will have you fix them.  But he took the breakage of cloth in stride.  It makes it easier to find (I only have to find half of it).  

On other notes, he started using the word "want" and nods his head for yes, and he will even say yes.  These may seem like they should have been old news, but he was too busy saying elephant, rhinoceros, concrete mixer, excavator, Dada Ford Harley Truck, flamingo.  Today he even started to spell "water" for me. "W-A-" I started laughing when I figured out what he was doing and that distracted him.

We went to Bass Pro Shops today for something to do after we went to lunch at The Rib House for the best KC BBQ ever.  DH wanted to buy a pellet gun target.  Now he has something to do when he can't get out to the gun range.  Now he wants a new pellet gun.

And you thought your kid is terrible.

Sorry, Emily. Every time something outrageous happens to your son I can't help but share.  

3 year old driver

Captions Please

I took this picture, but I couldn't think of what to put for the caption. Please leave your ideas in the comments.  

A Series of Fortunate, Unfortunate, and Downright Strange Events

So, yesterday was Wednesday and the weather was supposed to be kinda crummy.  I decided to stay home and do housework and other assorted, related matters (like shop for insurance).  I decided that I didn't need to change out of my pajamas or take a shower.  I just started getting insurance quotes and doing dishes and cleaning the kitchen and stuff.  BC was doing a sort of good job of leaving me alone, but BL wouldn't let me put him down.  He wouldn't let me not pay attention to him.  It was really frustrating because nothing was really getting done.  I would just get BC to play with something and BL would cry because I started using the computer.  It just wouldn't end.  UNFORTUNATE

I decided they would both like to get out of the house and would be much better behaved in public.  I decided to get dressed (it was 10:45) and put the kids in the car to drive 3 blocks to the insurance agency. (I usually walk over to that shopping plaza).  There was a truck for BC to play in and BL was really good. I also got good information about my insurance, and I came home satisfied and content.  FORTUNATE

I was feeding BC lunch, and the phone rang.  It was 12:00 or so on a Wednesday when my friend CC calls.  I am thinking, "aren't you supposed to be at work?"  She said that today was the day she was going with her family to Alaska.  She was going to have a 3 hour layover in Denver!!  I haven't seen my friend since my wedding reception (7 years this Sunday).  I couldn't believe my good fortune.  I convinced her to come out to the main Terminal and have lunch with me.  So now I am glad I got dressed.   FORTUNATE

I put BC down for a nap so that he would get some sleep before we had to leave for the airport.  The trip to the airport was uneventful and I found a parking space right away.  While I was unloading BC, I saw someone trying to start a diesel truck but it wouldn't start.  I looked and they were spraying ether (starting fluid) in it to start it.  This is an absolute no-no if you don't know that already.  The engine can blow up in your face.  I looked like this was the standard method of starting this truck (DH says he knows exactly how they blew their motor).  Anyway they got it started without incident and drove away just as I was taking BL out of the car.  UNFORTUNATE, FORTUNATE, and STRANGE

We start walking into the airport and I see a guy in an orange polo who looks familiar, I just wasn't sure it was him.  It was sort of dark in the parking structure, and I had to look again.  Yes, that was John Elway getting in his car with what looked to be his parents.  I would have had him shake BC's hand if he wasn't about to drive away.  UNFORTUNATE and STRANGE

We went inside and while we were waiting for CC to come find us BC wanted to ride the escalators up and down and up and down.  I kept him busy walking all over trying all the escalators.  Then we met CC.  It is great to see old friends.   We got BC some ice cream and then CC some food.  BC sat and worked on a bowl of TCBY for an hour while we sat and talked.  BL was really good too.  It was nice to just catch up and be in the presence of someone you really care about.   FORTUNATE

Then BL was starting to fuss and the line for security was getting longer so we decided to go.  Just as we were heading out to the car I started hearing this alarm type of noise.  I thought it was all the metal detectors malfunctioning, or some other type of security problem.  Then BC asks,  "What? sound?"  I told him what I thought, and then someone commented that it was the fire alarm.  The strange part was nobody was leaving, or paying much attention at all, really.  I then heard an announcement for. . .a change of baggage claim carousel.  At least we were almost out the door. STRANGE

Coming home was less than eventful except for BC needing to "potty" right after we got on the toll road (at 4:30 I wasn't taking the freeway home).   He held it all the way home!  We had dinner and then I wanted to go to an enrichment activity that we were having at 7:00.  Normally, I would have left both the kids home, asleep, with DH, but he is out of town all week.  I took them, I left BC in nursery and took BL with me.  Being after bedtime he was a little squirmy and grabby but nothing too bad.  I just couldn't hold anything besides him.   At 7:45 I heard BC crying in the hall.  He had skinned his knee pretty good.  They put a bandage on it and it looked fine to me, but he wouldn't stop crying.  He cried less both times he had his head glued back together!  He just wouldn't stop.  I had given BL to someone else to hold (I can't even remember who) and was trying toys, outside, bribery etc. just so that he would settle down and I could go back to my meeting.  The only thing he wanted was to go home.  So I put him in the car and went inside to get BL so we could go home.  He cried almost the whole time until he was in bed with the lights out.  At least BL went to bed without a fight (this is relatively new).  UNFORTUNATE.

This morning we were going to go to the zoo with someone we met at storytime.  BC wasn't up at 7:00 so I hopped in the shower.  He came in just as I was finishing, happy and unfazed by last nights activities.  I was ready to go by 8:00.  FORTUNATE

We were meeting M and C at storytime and then leaving for the zoo after that.  When we got to the library she tells me that she was up all night puking (she's prego) and doesn't feel like hiking all over the zoo.  We decided to go to the park right by the library instead.  We had a good time, but I think that BC really missed going to the zoo. UNFORTUNATE but ok.  

How weird the last 2 days have been.  I hope tomorrow feels more normal.  I don't usually have this good, bad, and strange occur this close together.

I've been tagged...

Skye tagged me

My Love and I
Where did you go on your first date? Date? Just to some little mexican joint in Provo.  But by then we had been friends for 4.5 years. Both had served missions and both graduated from Ricks College.  It took us a long time to decide we wanted (and were ready) to date each other
How long have you been together? 7 years of marriage, 8 years dating.
Who eats more? Marty most of the time, but I am nursing and he is on a diet.
Who said I love you first? Marty!
Who is taller? Marty
Who sings better? Marty, without question.
Who does the laundry? I wash, fold and put away during the week.  If he wants to he will wash on the weekend.  No folding, no putting away for him. 
Who pays the bills? Marty.
Who mows the lawn? Daddy and Calvin
Who cooks dinner? I do.  Marty will make burgers or use the grill (I'm not allowed.  I had an "incident").  He helps, but dinner plans are all mine.
Who drives when you are together? Marty, usually.
Who is more stubborn? Depends on the topic.
Whose parents do you see the most? We don't discriminate. 
Who kissed who first? Marty kissed me and only me.  Oh, and I only kissed him.
Who proposed? The proposal came a long time after he decided to marry me and shortly after I came around.
Who is more sensitive? Me!!!
Who has more friends? Me, though he has a lot of work friends now.
Who wears the pants in the family? I want him to, he wants me to. It just works.

I tag Emily

They grow up so fast

BL got this great shirt from DH when he was born.  When did it start fitting?  How soon it will stop fitting.  Where did my baby go?

Birthday Cake

BC was watching Barney this morning and they were talking about birthdays.  I wanted to try to make sure he understood what a birthday was so I reminded him that he got a bike for his birthday.  Then he turned to me and said, "Choo-Choo cake!"  We still have some cake leftover BL can't eat eggs (thus I can't eat them) and DH didn't like the frosting that I made.  The cake has been in the freezer.  I was ready to throw it away the next time I cleaned out the freezer. BC had cake for his mid-morning snack.  

Also, BC brought cloth downstairs this morning.  I looked closely, and it was only HALF of it.  It's official.  Cloth has been rent in twain.  I have to find the other half  so that I can take a picture.

I just have to tell myself it could be worse.

This story starts on Wednesday.   When I woke up BC wasn't up yet (odd).  So I went to check on him.  He was laying in bed with barf on his sheets.  Good morning to me!  I start stripping his bed and DH takes BC into the bathroom to get him undressed.  BC barfs on the bath mat while taking his PJ's off.  I came into gather the soiled clothes and notice that he has barf dried in his hair! Bath time!  While I bathe him I call my friend, that we had a play date with that morning, to cancel.  I keep him home all day and realize that he is sick because he is teething. 

Thursday I we stay home because the weather is supposed to be nasty.  It was bad, but not as bad as they had predicted.  I wasted a good day, too bad.

Friday we went out to the museum (sans our friends), but Friday wasn't a good day.  I woke up with a sore neck from sleeping on too many pillows.  I took some Advil to help with the pain, and left determined to have a good day.  BC had fun at the museum, but I didn't.  I was still in pain and moving my head made my back hurt.  I convinced BC to leave earlier than we usually do, but he insisted  on having lunch in the park.  I hadn't brought lunch!  He was content to eat some crackers for a few minutes before we came home.

After lunch at home I put BC down for a nap and I laid down with BL.  I thought a nap might help my neck/back.  When BC announced that he was done playing in his room (no nap) I didn't feel any better.  I didn't want to be a useless mommy all day, so I took some Percocet (Oxycodone) to take all the pain away.   I felt great and cleaned the oven (after a self-cleaning cycle) and loaded the dishwasher.  Then, suddenly, I started to feel dizzy and nauseated.  I laid down with the baby and let BC watch tv and play outside unsupervised.  I felt like DEAD mommy.

I was thinking that if there was anyway DH could get off work to come home I would call him. Most of the time he can be home if I need him, but not today.  He had a banquet that he had to speak at.  He was going to be home late.   I lay there for 90 minutes and then BC demanded "MAC N CHEESE!!!"  I got up and started making him some food.  I went and emptied my stomach.  I was almost done with the mac n cheese when BC started crying.  Not crying like he had hurt himself, but like he was in pain.  My super articulate 2 year-old couldn't tell me what was wrong, but just "love" which means he wants to be held.  He had one bite of his dinner and then, still crying, asked to go to bed.  He went to his room and wanted me to lay down with him.  BL was getting fed up with all this and then started crying because his stomach hurt (he has a really sensitive stomach).  I got BC to go to sleep finally and then carried BL around for 45 minutes until he too gave up and went to sleep.

I went downstairs to watch baseball because I had a headache.  I surfed a little and thought about the headache I had and nausea I felt because of the Percocet.  I still had neck/back pain.

I went to bed hoping tomorrow would be better. 

I woke up this morning (after 2 visits to both boys in the night) with a pain killer induced headache, neck pain about the same as yesterday and no desire to do much of anything.  DH has to work (judging a contest for high-schoolers) today, but should be home mid-afternoon.  I was just having a quiet day.  BC is watching Thomas, and I put BL down for a nap in my bed because he goes to sleep faster that way.  I went in my bathroom to use it.  I flushed and FLOOD!!!! This flood isn't half as bad as the one from the earlier post, but I have carpet in my bathroom except where the toilet is.  I grabbed the floor mat and blocked the doorway so that the water would not seep out.  I grabbed the plunger (from the downstairs bathroom) and fixed the clog.  I cleaned up the spillage with beach towels because the baby was asleep in the same room and the shop-vac would have woken him.  

I am posting because I would like to be reminded that some days are bad, but it could always be worse! (Please don't let it be!)

Today's photo

Just a picture of BL that I took today.  He is growing up so fast.  He will be 6 months on Memorial Day.

Curtains

Here is the long awaited post about those curtains.  The first pic is the ones that I just finished last week.  They were fairly simple since I made the ones for the other windows 2 years ago.

These were much harder because I had to do all the measuring and calculating of everything.  I had no pattern, and so I just went out on the internet and got a feel for how to make them with all the seams and such.   Last year I took them down and added black-out material to them so that the room would be much darker.  I made the new ones in with the black-out fabric too.  I almost think BC's room is too dark in the afternoon, now he sleeps forever when he does take a nap (which is what he is doing right now).  Someday both boys will sleep in there after BL learns to sleep all night.

Yes, it is the same fabric.  I had to wait a month for Wal-mart to get have it in stock so that I could make the second set.  There are blinds behind the new ones so the light is different for the two windows.  

I'll send you instructions for them if you want.

Fire Drill

Imagine your smoke detectors waking you up in the middle of the night.   Imagine that it happens often enough that you actually know that the alarms are only kidding about the smoke. Our system is new enough that all the detectors are connected and when one is triggered, all are triggered.   The one in the basement is disabled all winter because it goes off mercilessly at 2 am for days on end.  See,they beep just long enough to wake you and then shut off.  Then just as you are going back to sleep they get you up again.  Needless to say, last night we had a "fire drill."  I know we should have regular fire drills and practice leaving and all that-I just don't want to practice at 3 am.  

DH went to the basement to grab the offending alarm last night.  I lay in bed hoping it would all just end.  As he was coming back up the stairs (detector in hand) the alarm went off again.  He ran in BL's room and pulled that one clean off the ceiling.   He was reaching for the one in the upstairs hall when he asked me to get the one in BC's room.  I pulled myself up on the end of the bunk bed so that I wouldn't need a stool and got hit in the head by the ceiling fan.  I ended up holding my head (well my left ear really) instead of grabbing the alarm.    Suddenly all went quiet, and I got down.  

The whole time I kept thinking, "how can the boys be sleeping through all of this?"  I hear a little voice break the silence with "Mommy, potty." So awake, wishing I was asleep, I take BC potty at 2 :10 am.   After he is back in bed I am wondering about BL.  We were in the hallway waiting for the fire drill to continue and I hear him in his room just jabbering to himself.  It was almost time for him to be getting up anyway so I went in and fed him.  Somewhat convinced that we had disabled all the offending detectors we went back to bed.

DH went to sleep after about 45 minutes.  I lay awake until 4:30 when BL woke up again (I don't like it but this is normal).  I thought that if I brought him to bed the nursing might relax me enough to let me go back to sleep.  

I heard the birds chirping when I got back to bed, and so didn't go to sleep until 5:00.  In comes BC at 6:30-so much for a good night's rest.  

I have a bruise on my ear.  I have stuff to do today so that I can have the day off tomorrow.  DH has the day off too.  He went shooting this morning and will be back this afternoon to write a presentation he needs for tomorrow morning.   I need to do laundry, check to make sure any shopping can wait until Monday, call my sitter for BL so that we can plan to hook up, etc. and all I can think about is how much I want to go back to bed.

Full Hands. Full Heart.

Since I have started going to the zoo and museum strangers ask me all the time how old my kids are.  Then they inevitably tell me that I have my "hands full."  Yesterday, I thought to comment, "I know, but I chose this."  And while I  was laying in bed last night (see "fire drill")  I thought that my hands may be full, but I don't see it that way.  My hands were so "empty" for so long that having them "full" is what I want. I am so grateful for the "full"ness of my hands that I don't feel the burden that others make it out to be.  So I have my hands full, but my heart is full and that makes it all worth it.

Great American Road Trip

It seems my cousin, Joey Stocking, and some of his friends decided to try and visit the lower 48 in 5 days.  All 48 of them.  Check out the link to Laura's Loopy Life to see his sister's take on the trip.  Check out the links below for the complete story. 

www.greatamericanroadtrip.us

NPR story

They made it.  They finished at just over 100 hours.  Great job!  

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=3261361

Dirt.

We went to the zoo this morning.  BC wanted to see the giraffes and the lions. I wanted to see the tropical rain forest exhibit.  BC also wanted to see the train and the elephants.  The train and the elephants are a long way from the other stuff.  He was doing this other weird thing too where he kept sitting or falling down almost on purpose.  We nearly left a few times because I just didn't want to deal with this behavior.  We finally got to the train and he wanted to ride the carousel too. (He never showed any interest in it before today.)  So we rode the train and the carousel and then we came home.  

I tried to keep him awake all the way home so that he would sleep in his bed.  He fell asleep 3 miles from home.  To his credit, he did try to go back to sleep in his bed, but that didn't work, so he stayed in his room for a while and then asked if he could come out.

With him out of his room I wanted to hang the curtains I just finished for his other window.  I needed to hang the rod, position the tiebacks and sew them on, and rehang the curtains.  This also involves moving his dresser and using a step ladder.  While I was in the garage getting the drill, ladder, and some other tools BC decided he wanted to use his new lawn mower in the HOUSE.   :/   I told him to take it in the back yard so he could play and I could hang curtains.  He went out there, and after 20 minutes I went to check on him.  He was fine, he had come in the house and taken his loader outside to use in the dirt.

This is the part that freaks me out.  I never told him he could (or couldn't).  I never suggested that was what it was for.  We don't have a sandbox,  he was just playing in some dirt under a tree because all the wood chips had been moved off.    He saw the dirt, he thought the loader would be useful for digging in the dirt, and so he came in and got it.   After the curtains were hung, I took the dump truck out for him to play with too, and took his  picture.   He NEVER  plays alone. 

His curiosity, and ingenuity kept him busy just long enough for me to hang his curtains.  Thank You.   Maybe tomorrow I will post pictures of his new curtains for you to see.  

And again.

This is fun.

Lets play again

Which is which?

Which is which?

I have been wanting to do a post like this for a while, and I will probably continue to do them in the future.   People tell me all the time how much they look alike.   Look at the date stamp if you still can't tell which is which.   If you like this little exercise, please tell me in the comments or email and I will post more.  I think this is fun.  Oh, and yes, I LOVE THAT OUTFIT!  No, I didn't buy it, it was a gift.

I sit here to update you, as much has happened in the last week, though not much crazy stuff.  I usually post crazy stuff the day it happens.  First, it is snowing today.  I said SNOWING!  Check your calendar it's MAY!  There is already more than an inch of accumulation.  This snow isn't those little flurry flakes, this is the really big Christmas flakes.  "And it shows no signs of stopping."  We have had more snow since April 1 than we had all of February and March.

We went to the zoo and museum on Monday and Wednesday respectively because the weather was 77!  

Last Wed DH bought me a new sewing machine.  I got "the one I wanted because you're not getting another one."  That's how we make most major purchases.  I have been using it to make curtains for BC's room.   I made some for his room 2 years ago, and now I am making some for the other window so that his room stay's even darker (and he gets up even later).  I get some free classes with it.  DH is letting me take one next Saturday, he is taking BC all day and a lady he works with is taking BL.  Jen is my age and just got married last year.  She has no kids, but loves to borrow ours!  DH couldn't handle  both of them for more than an hour anyway, and the baby and daddy are hit and miss for compatibility on good days.  DH can reason with BC, and BC likes to go to Bass Pro Shops and Sportsman's Warehouse with DH, so the whole day together isn't so bad. Besides,  DH has to work this Saturday and the Saturday after my class, so I figure I should get a Saturday free of the kids too.  

I was planning on staying home today to do housework, but now I don't I just want to watch the snow because I can't believe it is really snowing in May.