An Off Again, On Again Relationship

My air conditioning unit is toying with my fragile, sleep-deprived, emotions. Earlier this afternoon it decided to quit working. Again. The house hit a miserable 82 degrees (yes, I know that I am a wimp and I'm at one with it) and I just wanted to cry. If there's one thing I don't handle with grace it's this: I can't stand being uncomfortable. In any manner.

This is our third bout with a stubborn AC unit. I finally decided to take matters into my own hands. I calmly walked outside and kicked it. Not once. Not twice, but three times. Three good solid kicks to the side of the offending appliance. Take that, stupid AC thingy!

It's now the middle of the night and I'm sitting in a cool, air-conditioned home. I don't know that the kicking actually worked or if the AC unit is simply messing with my mind. But I almost don't care...I'm comfortable for now. Who knows what tomorrow will bring.

Over The Ocean

This last weekend Ian had a chance to spend some time with his older brother, Steve, in England. It was a short, but eventful, trip. 

Day 1

They visited the village of Lacock in Wiltshire. (Side note: Lacock was used in the BBC's 1995 production of Pride and Prejudice to represent the town of Meryton.) 

They toured Lacock Abbey, a 13th-century nunnery which, after the dissolution, became the home of Sir William Sharington who preserved much of the abbey's architectural elements.

(These might look familiar to some of you Harry Potter fans)

Day 2 

Ian and Steve visited the city of Bath in Somerset where, apparently, you find gentle fauns on the streets of the city amusing the crowds with flutes. (Notice Ian enjoying the music?)

They toured the ruins of the Temple of Minerva, a Roman temple constructed in 60-70 A.D. and the ancient Roman baths. And no, Ian did not take a dip...apparently you're not allowed anymore. But you can tell he wants to, can't you?

They also tried to understand a little more about Cricket. They found a group of women playing a rather serious game.

Here's Ian trying it out himself. (Where are those knee pads, buddy?)

Also, they took a double-decker bus tour of the city and drove by Jane Austen's house and the Jane Austen center. Once I heard this, I think I might have actually cried a few tears of jealousy. 

He had an overly-eventful trip home. It took him about 30 hours to get to our house after enduring several stand-by nightmares. He was certainly glad to get home to his family. And his bed. And we are glad to have him back with us too. We missed you, hon.

Oh Well

One advantage of having a pilot for a husband is that I get to have a queen-sized bed all to myself when he is out of town.

Or, so I thought...

Great Grandma

Grandma's visit was pretty low-key but thoroughly enjoyable. The girls don't get to see their great-grandma very much, so they made every minute count. They just wanted to share everything with her. They were thrilled that she came to church with us, and that she slept over!

It was such a blessing to have her with us. Not only did she make the girls extremely happy, but she provided me with a little adult conversation I would have been hard-pressed to find otherwise. 

We love you Grandma. Come back anytime!

"My 4's" Tag

Four places that I go to over and over: 

1. Target,
2. Albertsons
3. Broadbents
4. My Pantry
   

Four favorite places to eat: 

1. Olive Garden
2. Zupa's
3. Mimi's Cafe
4. Olive Garden
   

Four places I'd rather be right now: 

1. With my hubby
2. At the movies
3. Olive Garden
4. Biggest Loser Ranch (I know...oxymoron)

Four TV shows I watch: (I can't do just 4)

1. Lost, Chuck, Heroes, The Office, 24
2. Grey's Anatony, CSI:New York, Life
3. How I Met Your Mother, Eli Stone
4. House, New Amsterdam, Wipeout

Four people to tag:

1. Autumn
2. Natelli
3. Amy D.
4. Lindsay S.

Thoughtful...I Think

Tomorrow is a big day for Lindy. We have two visitors coming to stay with us for the weekend and she is nearly beside herself with excitement. First, Aunt Jody is bringing her dog, Macey, to stay with us while they vacation in Jackson Hole. And, as if that weren't enough, Lindy's favorite grandma, great-grandma Radford, (apologies to all the other g-ma's) is coming as well.

Tonight as we were getting ready for bed Lindy started listing off all the things she was going to do with our guests. She mentioned trips to the park and the bakery (I've got her trained), and some rip-roaring games of Zingo and Go Fish. As she was getting into bed she said, "Mom, I don't want you to feel bad." When I asked what she meant she said, "I would like to have a play date with you, but I'm going to have to spend more time with grandma because she's really, really old."

True enough, I suppose.

Ignorance Is Bliss

Today as I drove through the McDonald's drive-thru (hey...these aren't your kids!) I ordered The Usual, paid my money, and drove up to the pick-up window. I almost fell out of my seat as I was handed my drinks and meals by a girl who should NEVER be allowed near food...especially other people's food! I can't even begin to describe the lack of dental hygiene. I feel like someone ought to point that poor girl in the right direction...

"See this guy?"

 

"He's your new best friend."

But it's not going to be me. I'm currently on a fast-food hiatus...until the gag reflex calms down. 

Blech...

Public Apology

I just got in trouble. Ian seems to believe that he was the one to "solve the case" and I stole his thunder by taking all the credit in my last post. Well...he's partially right (otherwise, believe you me, I wouldn't be making any apologies, buster). So I have to admit that Ian is the Mulder to my Scully and it's only through teamwork that we were able to unravel the mystery.

Even though I could have done it all by myself. But, whatever.

Man, I stink at apologizing.

Agent Amy Jones

I should have been in the FBI. There was actually a period of my life when I wanted to join up (probably a result of my addiction to the X-Files). But it wasn't until today that I discovered that I might actually have a penchant for solving crime. 

I walked into the house after a brief fabric-shopping absence. Immediately, my highly trained powers of observation kicked in. My eyes focused on a small irregularity on my family room wall. Is that a booger? I look a little closer. Affirmative...we have a rogue booger sighting.

Who could be responsible for such a diabolical act? From the size of the booger and it's vertical placement on the wall I am able to create a brief profile of our perpetrator: 

1. Female. 
2. Age 3-5 years. 
3. Lives in the vicinity.

I quickly check off three individuals from my list of suspects. I compare the remaining two suspects' modus operandi and voila! I have ascertained the identity of the culprit! "How?" you may ask. It's elementary, my dear reader...I simply ruled out one suspect based on her well-known booger-eating habits.

Case closed. Take that, Scully!

On The Job Training

In my current profession I have to admit I've been less than perfect. If I were employed by someone (other than a benevolent Father) and had regularly scheduled "performance reviews" I would have been fired LONG before now. 

The other day Tanya and I both agreed that each of our children should have come with their own, individually-tailored, instruction manual. It got me thinking. While I still have a lot (a WHOLE LOT) to learn, I have actually been able to pick up on a few incontrovertible facts while on the job so far:

• If you have crayons in your house you will, at least once, have crayons on your house.
• A freshly mopped floor will soon be covered with various sticky spills. Likewise, a freshly vacuumed floor will soon be host to innumerable crumbs, dirt, and rocks. 
• A potty-trained child will need to visit a store restroom at least twice.
• You will say things to your child you swore you never would.
• When you are in a hurry your child will move slower than molasses in winter.
• There will be at least one occasion where you ask yourself, "Why did I have kids?"
• If your child can get pink eye, he/she will get pink eye. And...if your child gets pink eye, you will probably get pink eye.
• Your own words will be thrown back in your face enough to convince you that you might need to stop talking to your children.
• Your clean shirt will soon have someone else's food, tears, puke, boogers, urine or poop  on it.
• You will be heard to make at least one hypocritical statement. (i.e.: "We don't hit in this house! If you hit your sister one more time I'm going to smack your rear end!")
• When you say "Don't Touch Anything!" a child will immediately want (and try) to touch everything.
• If you plan a family vacation/outing one, or all, of your children will come down with something.
• You will use the following words an inordinate number of times: Stop it, listen, come here, don't, no, because...etc.
• If you cook it, they will hate it.
• If it comes from McDonald's, they will love it.
• You will hear "Please please please please please please please please please!" more times than you can count. And you won't like it.
• There is no longer such a thing as a good nights' sleep.

There's more. I know there is. This is just one day's worth of "Murphey's Law With Kids" brought to you by your friendly neighborhood crazy mom.

Enjoy!

Oh...and wish me luck tomorrow when we start all over again!

Daddy's Girls

Today Ian took the girls hiking up American Fork canyon. It was so cute to watch them get all "geared up" for the hike. Here's Ellie ready to go:

They both LOVE their camelbacks. We usually have to make several trips to the bathroom while on an outing. 

They had such a great time with their daddy. While they were gone mom and Curtis got a nap. Thanks, Ian!

Boredom

About 10 minutes ago I decided my children had watched enough TV for the day and switched it off. Lindy was somewhat put out, but I simply told her I was the boss (I'm a little impatient today). 

She sat on the couch spewing forth a verbal stream of consciousness. I caught a few words here and there but, for the most part, I tried to ignore her diatribe. Until she broke out with the following:

Lindy: "Hey! MOM!"

Me: "What?"

Lindy: "Didn't you know that sitting on the couch and staring at the wall is VERY boring?!!!"

All I could is laugh. That didn't really make her feel better, but it improved my mood.

Doh!

Walking through the mall the other day I ended up at the Down East Basics kiosk. I've been looking for a shirt in a certain color and stopped to see if luck was with me. I found a Lindy-sized shirt and looked all over for an adult-sized one, with no luck. I walked over to the be-bopping, teen-queen, I'm-pretending-that-I-know-what-the-80's-were-all-about, kiosk-worker and asked, "Do you have any shirts of this color in adult sizes?" to which she snidely responded, "That is an adult size."

I looked, once again, at the diminutive scrap of fabric in my hand...noted the "XS" on the tag...and said, "Oh, no it isn't." (Additional expletives may or may not have been included.) But it was...and rather than feel embarrassed, I suddenly felt slightly giddy with the knowledge that my version of "adult-sized" and little miss pocket-rocket's version of "adult-sized" were two VERY different things. Part of me wanted to rip those leg-warmers off her tiny little calves and wrap them around her neck. 

I didn't. 

Because I'm an adult. 

A Present

Tonight at dinner, in honor of our anniversary, Lindy presented me with the following:

For those of you who don't read "5-year old" it's a "Gift Certificate for Ice Cream". Tomorrow, she informed me, we are all going out for ice cream. How awesome is that?

Seven Years

Not only do Ian and I share the same birthday, we also happen to have the same anniversary. That's right, folks...there is no end to the coincidences in our family! Alright, I jest.

The real irony lies not in the fact that we happen to celebrate two significant events on the same day, but that we ever ended up together in the first place! If you think I'm kidding, I'm not. I've mentioned before that I originally felt he was not my type. At the time, I was a 28-year old girl who thought someone could be defined by the CD's in their music collection, the books they've read, their wit and grace in public situations, and their future earning potential. (Yes, I admit it...my dad did always say, "You can fall in love with a rich man just as easily as with a poor man.") When I met Ian and found out he wasn't into music, wasn't into reading, liked spending time by himself more than in a group, and was still transitioning from school to the workplace I was put off a little. What really tipped me over the edge, though, was when I learned that his favorite activities included kayaking, mountain biking, mountain climbing, hiking, camping, running, etc. To an avid couch-potato the aforementioned exertions sounded like a death sentence! No thank you!

It took me a little while, but I eventually discovered that even though he wasn't a perfect match in all the things I thought were important...he was exactly what I needed. When I overreact, he lends perspective. When I feel apathy, he gives encouragement. When I doubt, he provides confidence. When I'm lost, he's standing firmly on solid ground. What more could I ask for? Even though our life together has never been perfect, and we still ride the roller coaster of ups and downs, he is my other half and I'm so grateful that he's the one I get to share this day with. I love you, Ian!

BTW, he decided to surprise me this year with SEVEN dozen roses...a dozen for every year. What a man! :)

4th of July!

The Fourth has always been a fun day for our family. This year was no exception. The kids were dressed to celebrate from the get-go.

The Davidson's hosted a barbeque and there was food enough to feed an army! Amy D. makes one mean hamburger patty! After lunch, Amy D. and Steven G. threw water balloons at the kids down on the grass from under the shade of the covered porch. Now that's the way to do it! The kids loved it and had a blast. This picture is my absolute favorite from the day:

Later on that evening we got together with a group of neighbors for our annual firework celebration! 

The kids were all exhausted but enjoyed the show. 

Seriously?

My girls love getting their hair cut. Up until now their appreciation of this act of personal grooming has had little to do with their hair and a LOT to do with the fact that they get to visit Kim (one of their favorite people) and that she always lets them raid her candy jar. I was therefore unprepared for the result of a simple haircut yesterday for my five-year old.

Lindy is now obsessed with her hair. Before I was even conscious this morning she had changed into a dress, grabbed a hairbrush, and was outside grooming in the sunshine. When I asked what she was doing she told me she wanted her new haircut to be "shiny and beautiful". What followed was a day of hair-flipping and mirror-watching. She asked several times, "Mom, do you like my hair?" 

Then tonight...She came in from the front yard with a huge smile on her face and said "Mom, Jax was riding by on his bike and he stared at me for a while. I think he really likes my new haircut." As I stood combatting the laughter she trounced up the stairs to grab the hairbrush. 

Brush away, Lindy, brush away. 

Three Months!

It is mind-boggling how quickly time can pass when you want so desperately to enjoy something. My cutest baby boy is already 3-months old. In such a short time I have watched him grow and change so much. It's been fun to watch him respond to the world around him. Every expression on his face is priceless. Some days I look at those chubby little cheeks and want to smother him with kisses. (Okay, sometimes I do smother him with kisses. Just a little bit.) 

His new favorite thing is ceiling fans. If I need to distract him for a little bit while I get something done I can just lay him down under a ceiling fan and he'll chat it up for quite a while! It has come in handy when I have laundry to fold, dinner to cook, or other assorted tasks. He also seems to enjoy being serenaded by his oldest sister. He will smile and "talk" to her while she sings the ABC's, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and other selections from her musical repertoire. He is such a lucky little boy to have two older sisters who just adore him.

We have been so blessed to have this little boy in our home. He has brought such joy to our family. Happy 3-months, Curtis!

What The....?

I should've known better. I was hanging out at home, minding my own business, when Ian put a DVD in the player and pushed PLAY. Suddenly I was hooked. That's how I work. It only takes a couple minutes and I will feel a desperate need to "finish" what I started. This little personality quirk is often harmless and doesn't really get me into much trouble UNLESS:

• It's already 10 o'clock at night.
  
• I haven't had more than 5 hours a sleep per night for the last three months.
  
• The night before I think I managed 3 1/2 hours of sleep.
  
• I have dishes to do.
  
• I have laundry to finish.
  
• I have a book I need to read for book group.
• I have a million other little things I should be taking care of.

OH, and...

• It's the scariest freaking movie and I swear I almost peed my pants!!!
  

Tonight's horrible torturous experience? Cloverfield. I should have known...he did it to me a couple months ago with "I Am Legend". I'll be replaying each horrific scene for the next few weeks...while awake and asleep! Thanks, hon.

You've Got A Little Something Right There...

We had some of the girls' friends over today for a little play group. They were in HEAVEN! Finally they were not entirely dependent on their mother for entertainment! (Good for them, good for me.) They spent a little time working on "art projects" (as Lindy likes to call them), jumping on the trampoline, hunting for grasshoppers and, and blowing bubbles. While they were outside I tried to whip up a quick batch of Rice Krispie treats but the girls got "too hot" and decided to come in before the treats had had enough time to set up. They were not deterred, however, and immediately went to town. They soon discovered, to their delight, that Sister Jones makes super-sticky, ooey-gooey, Rice Krispie treats! They all decided to "pose" and show off my culinary skills:

As you can tell, they LOVED them. Thank you, girls, for playing at our house and making this mom smile! Let's do it again soon.