Because I Said So - That's Why!

This year our Christmas was definitely an eventful one! The Monday before Christmas, my Dad was admitted to the hospital. After some testing, it was determined that he has Congestive Heart Failure. This was not the news we were hoping to receive, but the doctors are hopeful that with the medications available today, a low sodium diet, and exercise, my Dad will live a full life. My Dad was released from the hospital on Christmas Eve, just in time to have dinner with everyone at Melissa's house. We were all so happy that he was able to join us! And Melissa made a spectacular dinner - it was delicious! Well, enough of the sad part of our holiday. . . I'll move on to the happier highlights!

This was Matthew's First Christmas. He is our little adventurer. When we set up the tree, I was certain he would be climbing all over it, but he was actually afraid of it! Thank goodness for that - I had been worried that he would pull the tree over on himself. He was absolutely terrified of Santa. Which is funny because my Dad was the man in the Santa suit (or "Santa's Helper" as we like to call him). Christmas morning Matthew had a great time playing with his new toys. He had so much fun that he just didn't want to take a nap!

Last night we took our kids to see the movie, The Princess and the Frog. The movie was ok, not my favorite Disney movie. Anyway, the movie starts off with Tiana as a little girl and develops the relationship Tiana had with her parents. After a short introduction to Tiana as a little girl, Tiana is shown all grown up. At this point in her life, her father is no longer alive. No big deal, right? Wrong! As the movie was coming to a close, Tyler suddenly burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably. He climbed up onto my lap. I, of course, asked him what was wrong. Between sobs, he told me, "I'm going to miss you when I'm a grown-up!" It took a lot of reassuring from Jeff & me that we would still be with him when he grows up to calm him down. He also made us promise that when he is a grown-up, he can live in the house right next door to us so that he won't have to miss us. We told him we would love to have him live next door to us. I think the fact that Princess Tiana's father was gone when she was a grown-up got Tyler thinking & he didn't want either of us to be gone when he grows up. What a sweet little boy - I just love him so much!

Tyler just asked me if I could help him clean his room when he gets home from school tomorrow. I told him I would be more than happy to help him do that because I want a clean house. He responded, "Oh good because it is a messy jungle in there. And a clean house is a heaven house! It is clean in heaven & we want our house to be clean like heaven." I just love that little boy!

Jeff marked his iPod charger with a "J" to distinguish it from my iPod charger. Today I noticed that Tyler decided to add his mark to it. If you turn over the USB plug, there is now a "T" on the opposite side from the "J." That boy is hilarious, but I need to make it clear to him that he just can't go around writing his initial on things in our house.

Look at that curtain! I am still impressed with myself for making it all by myself! I even came up with the idea for the pleats on my own - I didn't even have instructions or a picture to look at. I'm sure you can tell in the picture, but those 3 pleats are perfectly centered and spaced to the nearest 1/16 of an inch! I love the fabric - red corduroy. I found it at JoAnn's & I was so excited when I took the sample home it was the exact same shade of red as the chair!

Well, thanks for humoring me & looking at the fruits of my labor! I am so glad that I can finally check this off of my To Do List! Now on to other projects!

Here's Matthew with the lady who cut his hair.

Now my handsome baby is back in his carseat, ready to go home.

One might think that wild animals live in my house. So far this week:

• My bathroom floor was flooded and little bits of toilet paper were found floating in the bathtub.
• Someone colored on the marble in front of the fireplace with a pencil (I'm guessing it was Claire).
• Peanut butter was smeared in 4 spots on the family room carpet. (One or both of my peanut butter sneaks was responsible for that one.)
• Claire knocked our torch lamp over which bent the top part so the glass didn't fit on quite right. (Jeff, my ever-so-handy husband, fixed it though.)
• Claire colored on the kitchen floor with Washable Markers.
• Tyler spilled salt all over the kitchen floor. I didn't know he had done that until I walked barefoot into the kitchen & salt was stuck to the bottom of my feet! I guess I pay extra for the salt scrub when I get my pedicure. He was just trying to pamper me, right?
• Claire locked Tyler and me in the garage when we went out to get something.
• Somebody got a piece leftover London Broil from the fridge, chewed it, and spit it on the kitchen rug for me to find.
• And the final straw, which prompted me to write this blog entry ... the wild animals attacked my beautiful homemade French Bread before we even got to enjoy it at dinner!

This leads me to ask this question - next time I fill out one of those forms where I have to write my occupation, do I write Mother or Zookeeper?

Here's the converstation I just had with Tyler:

Me: Tyler, turn the tv to channel 28.
Tyler: Why, Mommy? I want to watch "Growing Up Creepie."
Me: No. We are going to watch Sesame Street so Claire can be as smart as you are.
Tyler: I don't want Claire to be as smart as me.
Me: Why not?
Tyler: Because I want to be the smartest guy in the world!
Me: Well, good thing Claire is a girl.
Tyler: No Mommy, I want to be the smartest one!

What a stinker! Too bad for him, Claire is going to be just as smart as he is & I'm betting Matthew will be too!

I just came into the family room to find Claire sitting on the couch with my Boppy Pillow, holding Elmo. I asked her what she was doing & she said, "I feeding my baby." Here's the best part, when I first found her, Elmo was facing the other way - she's making sure to feed Elmo on both sides, just like Mommy does for Matthew! Oh, and she even has her shirt lifted up by Elmo's face. She's really been paying attention to what Mommy does!

Oh, my little Claire has been so mischievous lately. I should stop being surprised by the naughty things she does, because they just keep coming. I caught a few of them with the camera, so enjoy.

Claire loves to sneak food without permission. Recently she has developed a love for peanut butter. If I forget to lock the pantry, she grabs the peanut butter & hides behind the island or under the kitchen table. She must take after her older brother.

Yesterday Tyler decided that he wanted me to leave the house for a while & he should have a baby-sitter, "like Great-Grandma & Great-Grandpa or Grandma." I told him that I wasn't going anywhere & he didn't need a baby-sitter. Still trying to convince me to leave, he told me, "Mommy, you need to go food shopping. We need some pears, we're all out of pears; and we need some onions & some 'Clorox Bleach'."

I had to laugh at his shopping list. What an interesting combination of things to buy! Especially the Clorox Bleach. I don't ever say that I need "Clorox Bleach." Curious about that item on the shopping list, I had to ask, "What's Clorox Bleach? Do you know what it is used for?"

Tyler answered, "It fights stains." The tone is his voice was as though he wanted to say, "Duh, don't you know anything Mommy? I guess I'll tell you if you don't already know."

It was really hard to avoid laughing at his response. He must have seen a commercial for Clorox Bleach. It's amazing the things his little brain will absorb! I just have to be careful that he soaks up good things & not the garbage that is all around us! I also better be careful what I say around him. Who knows what might come out of his mouth we're not around!

Last night & tonight at dinner, Claire was hilarious. She did not take a nap either day & she claimed that she was not sleepy! I don't think that was entirely true. What do you think?

Dinner on Monday

Dinner on Tuesday

Tyler is getting ready to go to his swimming lesson & I've been nagging him to put his swim trunks on. He just came in my room, gave me a hug & told me, "I want you to get me dressed. That's what good mothers are for!"
Thanks Tyler. It's good to know my job requirements & how to be good at being a mom. I wonder what makes a good son & can I use that argument with him. "Tyler, I want you to clean up your toys. That's what good sons are for!"

Question: How do you know when it's time to move your sweet baby from the safety of the cradle in your room into the crib in the distant nursery?


Answer: When you find him breaking out of his swaddle wrap, completely twisted around in his cradle when you wake in the morning.


For the past couple nights, I've known that the time was coming to move Matthew to his crib. I was just putting it off because I liked having him in my room. When he's in my room, I don't have to walk clear across the house to put his pacifier back in his mouth or calm him when he cries. Last night, I fed Matthew & he just didn't want to go back to sleep. I put him in his cradle & he was just lying there babbling away. When it was close to 2:00 am, I finally gave up & took him to his crib. He cried once & I went to give him his pacifier. After that he slept the rest of the night. I think he just wanted to know that Mommy would still come if he cried. I snuck in his room around 7:30 this morning to snap a picture of him. It's a bittersweet moment for me. I think that moving him out of his cradle is the first time I have to let go & allow him to grow up. So sad - he won't be a baby forever. So I'd better enjoy his baby years while they last! I love you my sweet little Matthew!

I love roses. I guess they're probably my favorite flower. But then again, there are so many beautiful flowers to choose. This is my favorite time of year in my rose garden. Jeff trimmed the rosebushes back a couple months ago & the first blooms are now popping up on them. I'm not a great photographer like Carrie, but I wanted to share a few of my roses to show that Spring is here - even if it's been feeling a bit wintery the past week or so. Enjoy!

Seven years ago today, Jeff & I were married in the Los Angeles Temple. Life sure has changed in the last 7 years, I like to think for the better. Every year on our anniversary, I like to look at the pictures from our wedding day & remember how much fun it was. Now that I'm getting older, as I look at these pictures, I can't help but realize how blissfully naive we both were. I guess that's how it should be. Anyway, here are a few of my favorite pictures from our wedding day for your viewing pleasure. Oh, and for my old roomies - do you recognize the picture on the top. It's my picture that I always wanted - you know, the one with the whole temple in the background & the flag flying in the breeze.