Kristy's Cuties: 2008

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Christmas Day

Now that it's New Year's Eve, I can finally put up some stuff from Christmas! It was a nice, quiet day... too snowy for any goings or comings. So we stayed home and relaxed together! Santa brought us all lovely gifts. There was even a train to go around the tree!! (more on this shortly)

The "big" present from Santa was an inflatable jumping thing with a slide. It has been great fun for both boys. It's a wonderful outlet for all that pent-up energy in the winter. It's also safer than a trampoline because they can't fall off it or into it or whatever it is that kids do to break their legs all summer.

Here is the marvelous Rudolph train. It is the only Christmas item we have not yet put away. I'm hoping it won't be a permanent fixture in the living room, but so far it's looking that way.

Carson and I spend a lot of time doing this. He likes to sit on me while watching the train go round and round. I get bored after the first go-round, but he is entranced for much longer.

Spencer likes to turn the bell on--it's very loud! Then the whole thing falls off the track and I have to fix it. People often ask me, "What do you DO all day??" This is what I do....

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Pre-Christmas Fun

The days leading up to Christmas were SO EXCITING!! Not because we did anything special, but just because it was a fun time of year. Here are some cute photos of the boys just before the big day....

As you know, I love watching children sleep. It always seems like such a miracle, not to mention they are simply adorable and sweet! Carson is crazy about monkeys, so Grandma made him a couple of monkey pillowcases, and we both bought him soft monkeys to sleep with. He also has (by chance) monkey pj's and refuses to wear anything else to bed now!

Spencer usually doesn't like Slippy to sleep on his bed, but after he's asleep, she sometimes comes back. She's delighted to have a third warm body to snuggle up to. As he gets older, she trusts him more.

Spaghetti face! Mmmmm, that was so good! I'm never sure if he got enough in his mouth, but he sure got a lot smeared on everything else. Spaghetti night is always a bath night!

Our sweet and fluffy kitty, Slippy!

Andy went with a neighborhood friend to a shooting range, so he bought these ear protectors and the boys thought they were very fun to wear. I love how they accentuate the squooshy cheeks!

Spencer took this picture. He's actually not too bad with a camera. It helps that he can get the subject to smile better than anyone else!

The boys were all matching one day, so I attempted to get a picture of them all together. Such attempts never work out as I hope they will....

Here they are in their matching shirts from the ESPN store in New York. Aren't they so cute???

Monday, December 22, 2008

New York Part 2

So here's the continuation... The next day we took the subway all the way to lower Manhattan so I could see the Statue of Liberty. It was freezing, with a stiff wind blowing. Far different from the mild 50-something degrees we experienced the day before. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the sights.

Here she is--Lady Liberty. There just wasn't time to go out there and do the tour and stuff, but I was content to see her from across the water. She was much smaller than I expected...a dainty little thing. She looked cold standing there in the wind. Glad it's her and not me!

This is the Staten Island Ferry. I thought Spencer would love to see how big it was, and particularly that he would love the color.

Next we went to Ground Zero. Not a lot to see there besides a big construction site. I'm glad to say I've been there, though. It blows my mind to imagine such huge buildings coming down. Standing in the midst of the others, it seems impossible that a structure like that could ever be destroyed.

Next we went to Union Square where I found my beautiful purple skirt. I have a picture of myself wearing it, but it's hard to see it. I'll have to try again and zoom in more.

This is inside Macy's Department Store. They were all decked out for the holidays. It's so hard to capture the full vision in a picture, but it's the best I could do. It's a huge store. We went up to the women's shoes and just that one department was the size of my entire Macy's store here at home. Phenomenal! Again, lots of crabby shoppers. New York is not the place to go if you're looking for Christmas cheer.

This was the view out our hotel window. We were on the 16th floor. I thought the kids would get a bang out of all the taxis. I brought a little toy taxi home for Carson and it's been a major source of contention.

Here's me posing with a bronze businessman. He reminded me of Andy when he's so absorbed in finding his old "friends" on Facebook. Just about as responsive, too.

We didn't see the Rockettes, but this made a cool picture, anyway. New York seems to really have the holiday spirit on the outside. The decorating is beautiful.

Unfortunately, this is more the attitude you'll find when you start interacting with people (or trying to). You're lucky if you even get the fake smile.

We went into St. Patrick's Cathedral--a breathtaking archtectural wonder. It's open for tourists to come in and explore. It was filled with votive candles and shrines for various saints. The only place that photography is not allowed is right behind the pulpit. That's where they have several plaques indicating where deceased clergymen are. Creepy. I took this picture of their nativity, then I noticed there was no baby. I asked the nearby security guard if he knew where baby Jesus was. He said with a patronizing smile, "He's not born yet." Interesting. I guess he has to wait until Christmas Day or something.

This was Virgin Mary's little corner. She is obviously well-loved. I just thought all the flowers were so pretty, I had to take a picture.

This is (of course) Rockefeller Center. We tried many times, but couldn't get a great picture in the dark.

You can barely see the ice skaters here, but the ice rink was a lot smaller than I expected. It made me want to try skating again.

To wrap up a fun-filled day, we went to see Phantom of the Opera. It was incredible! We both left the theater singing and wishing for our dancing shoes so we could twirl all the way home. Dori had never seen it or watched the movie, so it was a treat for her, too. Even though it was cold and snowing, we were too wrapped up in "the music of the night" to care!

The trip home to Utah was somewhat of a disaster. I got to the airport to discover my flight was delayed 10 minutes. No big deal. We boarded and found out the plane had mechanical problems that would require at least a 30-minute repair. That was pushing it, but still probably okay. The stewardesses served snacks and drinks, then informed us we all had to deplane and rebook. That was exactly the kind of situation I was afraid of. I never do airports by myself. I'm used to just following Andy and being "along for the ride." This time I had to think for myself. I ended up getting a flight out of JFK nearly 6 hours later. That meant I had to take a taxi over there. Yikes! I found my way out and handed my voucher to the lady at the taxi booth. She sent me to a car and I told the driver where I was headed. After a few miles, he stopped for gas and asked if I had my voucher. I explained what I had done, and he said we had to go back for it. Oh well, I still had hours of waiting ahead, so it was okay. We drove over the Brooklyn Bridge. I got to JFK and was completely drained of cash. I thanked the driver for the ride and wished him a merry Christmas. He probably cursed me all the way back to New Jersey. When at last I was on another plane bound for home, there was so much traffic we taxied for 50 minutes. It may have been more, but I fell asleep. Anyway, I read the entire second book of the Twilight series that day and finally got to SLC at 9:00 pm. I thought I'd never make it.

Everything was in place when I got home. The children were asleep, the house was tidy, and there were leftovers in the fridge. Andy did an excellent job, as you probably guessed from reading his blog entry. Though I had a wonderful time, it was great to be home again. I don't know if the boys even missed me very much, but I sure enjoyed watching them sleep that night. I missed their little soft cheeks!

Family Nativity

Tonight we tried a reenactment of the nativity. I, of course, was Mary, Spencer was Joseph/shepherd, and Carson was a very unreliable wise man (he kept running off in the middle of the story). Squashy the doll played baby Jesus and Andy was the narrator. It was quite a production! We kept it short and simple, but I still wonder if anything sank in. Spencer at least enjoyed the dressing up part.

Spencer was disturbed that we didn't have enough actors, so he set up all the little figures from our kids' nativity sets to watch over baby Jesus (AKA "Squashy"). I'm sure they were humbled not only by the divinity of the baby, but also by his enormous size.

Here we are in full costume. You can see that the little wise man was not so happy to participate. He also had stinky pants halfway through the performance, so that may have been part of the problem.

Friday, December 19, 2008

New York Part 1

Hello dear readers! I have returned from my birthday vacation to the big city! I'll attempt to give you a full report. Sorry I don't have better pictures. A lot of them turned out too dark, but I did get a few decent ones.
The plane ride there was uneventful. I was completely immersed in reading Twilight, and almost finished it before I arrived in Newark. (Anyone unfamiliar with this captivating literature should contact me immediately.) As I may have mentioned, my friend Dori went to nursing school with me, so we stayed up late visiting and poring over her physical assessment textbook. (She's in school to become a nurse practitioner. Who knew I'd have smart friends??) Lots of fascinating and gory pictures.
The next morning we were off to New York City. We went through Lincoln Tunnel, which reminded me of scenes from James Bond. I expected speeding cars and explosions at any moment.

Here is Dori at our hotel. It was beautifully decorated, but the employees were less than friendly. We found our hotel and the plan was for me to run in and store the luggage while Dori circled the block. There was a huge line at the desk, so I waited patiently, only to find out that I needed to talk to the harried employees at another desk. If you're lucky enough to find someone who speaks English, they speak so fast that you still can't understand what they're saying. Very impatient people. I asked to stow my luggage and the guy said it cost $3.75. I had left my purse in the car, not expecting to have to pay someone to put my suitcase on a rack for a few hours. The guy just threw up his hands and said, "You have to pay!" So I took my large suitcase and started back out to find Dori. Let me just say that revolving doors are not for slightly ditzy, stressed-out, country bumpkins like myself. I tried to scurry in behind someone else and still have a bruise from getting my arm, as well as my suitcase, caught in the door. I grabbed my purse and went back to visit my friend in the blue jacket. When he found out I was a hotel guest, the price went down to $1.50. I gave him a $20 bill, and he was annoyed! He didn't have change. He said I had to get some slip of paper from the person at the desk. I said, "But then I'd have to get back in line! Just let me pay $3.75--I don't care!" That was unacceptable to him, so he rolled his eyes and went over there himself. Whatever! Why is everything so complicated?
We went by Lincoln Center, then we got lunch and ate it in Central Park. What interesting people! Lots of openly homosexual couples, mohawks, and just plain weird-looking folks. One lady sat right next to us and meditated the whole time. She was really good at going to her happy place. I resisted the urge to throw something at her just to see if she would react.
There were all kinds of fun Christmas boutiques on the sidewalks. They sold all kinds of fun stuff--clothing, lotions, purses, pictures, souvenirs, etc. I almost bought a fun skirt made of patches of bright-colored knits. It was adorable, but I found a better one the next day. It's from Guatemala (fitting, huh?). It's made up of large squares of different weavings and embroidery--bright purple. I can't wait to wear it.

So here I am in the big city. I felt SO out of place.

We explored FAO Schwarz--the hugest toy store I've ever seen. It just went on and on. I played "Mary Had a Little Lamb" on the big piano with my feet (like the movie Big). No one even clapped!

Toys R Us was a riot, too. Just inside the front doors, there is a giant ferris wheel with fun little cars that kids can ride in. It was hard to get a good picture of it, but I did my best. Spencer would have loved it.

There was also an enormous, animated dinosaur in one corner. I think most kids would be scared out of their minds to see it, but it was cool. He roared and moved his head and legs like he really wanted to eat someone.

There was a big screen on the M&M store that had some really cute scenes, so I took a few pictures. Didn't buy any M&M's, but I enjoyed looking! We went to the Hershey's store, too, but it wasn't very exciting. Nothing there that I couldn't buy at home.

This one is dedicated to my yellow boy, Spencer!

I was always shocked at how horrible unhappy and just plain crabby people were there. On the subway (which is filthy), no one makes eye contact or (heaven forbid) talks to anyone else. Even the beggars on the street are rude. As we walked by, one guy shouted, "I hope you choke on your lunch tomorrow, you morons!!" It was so crazy, I had to laugh. He really expects people to pay him for insulting them! Another one had a sign--"Tell me off for tips." We decided the two of them should get together.

I saw this Elmo standing on the sidewalk and thought the boys would love it if I had a picture with him. Elmo is always so cheerful and fun, it was like seeing an old friend in a strange place. I asked his permission and he mumbled something in an accent I couldn't understand. He repeated himself, "You have to give a TIP!" I have to pay ELMO to be nice to me. We took the above picture and I tossed 75 cents into his bag. I didn't look back, and Dori said he was shaking his bag at me. Good grief!

Dinner was a New York hot dog and a Jamba Juice at Times Square. It's hard to believe all that chaos that goes on there on New Year's Eve. It's not a big place!

That night we went to Carnegie Hall to hear the Messiah. It was incredible!! The place itself was breathtaking, and then the music began. It was actually a spiritual experience for me. I wondered if the performers and the audience understood the importance and personal application of what they were singing/hearing. It was just as I imagine heaven sounding. Maybe when I become an angel I'll be able to sing like that.

It's late, so I'll blog Day 2 some other time!

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Hijacking

I've decided to hijack Kristy's blog. For her birthday, I sent her to New York City to visit her friend Dori. Dori and Kristy went to college together and they both came on the trip to Guatemala with me. So I guess I've know Dori for as long as I've known Kristy. Anyway, I thought I'd write my thoughts regarding being Mr Mom for four days.

1. Being responsible for one child is much easier than two. I don't know how it will be with three (not an announcement). We will definitely need a van before we travel anywhere further than down the block.

2. I find it very difficult to balance the routine with the emotional relationship component to parenting. I have watched Kristy do an incredible job transitioning from the a-type, routine-oriented woman, to a I'd-rather-read-this-story-again-or-play-trucks-a-little-longer mother. I am learning that while she has made this wonderful change, I have failed to do the same. It is certainly something that I need to focus on.

3. I have learned why a trip to the store, library, or anywhere is a terrific break. However, it must fit in between breakfast and lunch (or nap time) and you must travel equipped to handle any situation. Sippy cups, diapers, pajamas, wet ones, and a favorite comfort item are all necessary ammuntion in the battle. The beauty of the road trip is the distraction from the day-to-day. Even better--it give me a chance to just have fun with the boys without the stress of wiping down the counters one more time before I finally sit down and play with Thing One and Thing Two.

4. I am learning that even though the boys are very different, they show an incredible level of smarts. Spencer, the mouthpiece of the family, can participate in and comprehend a very adult conversation. I have never met a child so empathetic to another's plight. I am impressed with his accute understanding of other people's feelings. Carson, the mute, can keep track of any item in the house. Just yesterday he brought my keys into the bathroom while I was brushing my teeth. I put the keys on the counter and continued getting ready to head out. About an hour later we were putting on shoes and coats and getting into the car. I happen to ask rhetorically, "Carson, where are Daddy's keys?" Immediately he turned and started running from one end of the house to the other. He ran into the master bedroom and into the bathroom, grabbed my keys, and came running back. I can ask Carson to put away most anything and he confidently puts it right were it belongs. I'm worried that by the time he's two, he'll be smarter that his father.

5. I am delighted that Kristy was able to have the time of her life in NYC. While I missed her, I love the fact she created memories that will last a lifetime. Hurry and get home my angel of music, your phantom misses you.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Christmas Preparations

There are two very excited boys here. I've been hearing a LOT of questions about Santa Claus and the elves. We've discussed several times that Santa is watching. Now whenever I mention it, Spencer says, "Oh yeah, I forgot!" I've made many attempts to get a cute Christmas-y picture of them, and here are some of the results. It's not easy!

Spencer's Christmas Sunday best....

Writing letters to Santa Claus. I am saving them in a very secret hiding place for future enjoyment.

They both love to hang out and listen to Christmas songs on the radio, especially Mickey Mouse and the Chipmunks (to my dismay). They just can't get enough of studying the tree and the lights. Carson runs to his window each night to watch our lighted deer in the front yard.

Poor Carson almost always has a big bruise on his forehead. Like his parents, he's terribly uncoordinated, and tile flooring is not kind. At present, he looks normal. We'll pray for no further accidents.