funny little elves

So silly and slightly obnoxious, but we got a few laughs out of it at our children's expense.

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1591797871

Of course we couldn't stop there... and I bet you won't either.

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1592223869

Merry Christmas!

This is always my very favorite time of year. I still get that burning excitement every day like I did as a child during the month of December. I love to pile my kids in the car and drive slowly through the neighborhoods to see the beautiful lights people have put up. I love assembling the annual gingerbread house with my kids. I love making Christmas cookies, sitting by the tree and a fire with a good book, and singing carols at the top of my lungs in my car. I don't think I will ever grow out of it. As I see my children discover the Christmas spirit, the magic is just as real as ever. Dallin asked me yesterday if he would ever get to play in the snow again. I tell him about the Christmases when he did get to go outside in the snow, make snowmen and snowangels. He doesn't really remember it. There is good and bad to being in Tucson during the holidays. For one, the first time I took them around our neighborhood to look at lights, I was riding my bike with Malynn and Ethan in our trailer. I cracked up yesterday at Target when I saw people running from their cars into Target in the rain. Some people were wearing their rarely used scarves and hats and others splashed through the puddles in shorts and flip-flops (which are worn all year long here.) During Thanksgiving time, we would open the windows so the house would be cool enough to warrant a fire in the fireplace! Still, when the temperatures dip into the 40s, we love to pretend that we are living in a winter wonderland. People here go all out to decorate for Christmas, even going so far as to lighting up the cacti! It may not quite feel like home, but I love it all the same.

Sunday

A Little Catching Up

Just a few photos of my loves these last few weeks. Time is just flying by. We're a little worried about this new diet that Jamie's been trying out. It's called Belly for Life. Anyone heard of it?











Notice the little pink necklace that Ethan is wearing at Disneyland? Well, anyone that knows Ethan also knows his love for all things chocolate. He loves chocolate so much that he is pretty loyal to the candy and won't settle for anything else. So... when Dallin gave him this necklace on our trip, Ethan not only wouldn't eat it, but also wouldn't take it off... for three whole days! Finally, I had to force it off of him one morning because it was disintegrating. For the next two days of our trip, Ethan had a rosy tinge all around his neck. It was awful; he seriously looked like he'd been abused.





Dallin absolutely loved meeting the characters at Disneyland and having them sign his autograph book. Ethan wasn't so trusting. He would barely get close enough for a picture most of the time. Malynn loved all of them that didn't look human. She wanted to hug and kiss all the creatures, but as soon as she saw Wendy and Peter Pan, she couldn't get away fast enough. Go figure.







On a scale of 1 to 10, Dallin rated every ride a solid infinity.






Wonderful, wonderful trip.
I love these people I get to share life with.

Bubbly

I've been awake for a while now
you've got me feelin like a child now
cause every time i see your bubbly face
i get the tinglies in a silly place

It starts in my toes
makes me crinkle my nose
where ever it goes i always know
that you make me smile
please stay for a while now
just take your time
where ever you go.

-Colbie Caillat "Bubbly"

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To blog or not to blog... That is the question.

I know, I haven't posted for awhile. I'm trying to decide if I'm really a blog kind of person. I don't think I am. Here are a couple of my many reasons.

#1. I am innately a very private person. I don't like to talk about my personal life to just anyone. I've always been this way and that's why I've always had a fairly small group of friends. Who am I kidding? Besides my close girlfriends from childhood, I don't really claim any group. I only have a couple of individual friends that I've grown close to and feel comfortable with. Other than that, it's just my family...my dear close family that I need more and more the older I get. So, this privacy thing sort of limits what I want to write about, leaving this blog with a sort of impersonal small-talk feeling. Which leads me to...

#2. I hate small talk. It's exhausting and draining. Relationships never pan out for me unless they can cut through it pretty quick. I'm just not a weather/sports/whatcha up to these days kind of gal.

#3. I'm aware that I'm spending too much time these days sitting in front of screens... my computer, TV, Dallin's new Nintendo DS. I'm always complaining to myself that I don't have enough time for the things that I really want to be doing. When really, I think the problem is that I'm wasting so much time on media. I enjoy it, don't get me wrong, but I hate the power it has to just suck me in. I can't tell you how many mornings I saunter over to my computer just to check my email in my pjs with my cereal bowl in hand. The next thing I know, I'm trying to find things to occupy my children's time so I can continue to surf. Such a time suckage for me and I think it's time I start exercising a little more self-control.

Okay, so that's all I can think of right now. I just thought I needed to give a little explanation to why I seem to drop off the planet once in awhile. I'm not sure how long I will keep blogging. Just need a little break from all the noise in my life. Which leads to an interesting question. I would love to know how any of you cut out some of the noise in your lives. Doen't life need to be a little simpler? Any suggestions, please?

All it takes is a little music

Can you believe how fast she just changed moods? Woah. So what do you guys think? If we keep at it, you think Malynn could be a viable candidate for 'So You Think You Can Dance 2024?' Jamie filmed this after Dallin finished opening his birthday presents on Tuesday night, so don't mind the mess! Oh, and I have to warn you... plug your ears for the first few seconds... or don't and see what it's like living in my world.

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And here's the birthday boy. We had our small family party on Tuesday night and just finished up with another party for his friends tonight. He had a blast and I was so proud of how grown up he was behaving. It was a good day for a mom.

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Those were some pretty funky candles!

"When you are a mother yourself, then you'll know how much I love you."

This is another phrase that I heard my mother say often as a teenager. At the time, I'm sure I had no clue what she was talking about. It's funny, but the day that I gave birth to Dallin, my first-born, I thought about that phrase and immediately knew. Here I was, holding this tiny, perfect body in my arms, a body that I had felt squirming and bumping inside me, and I was overwhelmed with a feeling that I had never felt before. I have always been surrounded by people that love me, but in that instant I began to understand love in an entirely different way. This love was boundless, never-ending, and almost hurt. It crossed my mind that day, 'How could my mother love me like this?' And the love I had for my own mother amplified.

I can't believe how often now I think back to how my mother did things. To me, she had the perfect balance of being firm with us and having patience, something that I find a daily struggle. So here are a few things that I really appreciate about my mom and the way that she parented me.

1. She always encouraged my reading, even if I was ducking out of helping with the dishes after dinner. She took me to the library as a child. She bought me book after book during my silly obsession with preteen paperback series. She didn't even get mad at me when I got into trouble at school for having a questionable Judy Blume book that had some pretty steamy scenes. She was excited for me in college when I brought home my new books for my upcoming classes. She also gave me courage when I first talked to her about pursuing a master's degree, but didn't know if I was smart enought to get into the program. I am so grateful to her for this gift that I truly feel she gave me.

2. My mother always had my back. I always knew that she loved me, that she thought I was special, that I was capable to do anything I wanted even when my own insecurities battled in my mind. When did she do this? When did she have time? I remember her tucking me in many nights and laying down next to me for a few minutes to have a talk. She would tell me wonderful stories about myself that almost sounded true. She helped me see that I was good, kind, worthy. That she had the thought to do that, to take the time to come in and talk with me, even on the days when I wasn't talking back much, and teach me about who I was deep down... I can't believe it and I don't know how to thank her. Reflecting back on it now, that may be why I always had such a liking for my room. I loved the feeling of safety and love that I had there.

3. She taught me how to be a girl well. She taught me simple old-fashioned rules such as not to call boys, let them call you. She taught me that it was a bad idea to get exclusive with one boy because it only limited the friends that I could make. She'd say, "You have the rest of your life to be with one man that you choose. Why give that privilege to someone now that you're not even married to." Even though I'm sure I made a couple of boys angry, I did hate calling anyone my boyfriend. Deep down, I did think she was right. I didn't want to sign myself over to someone and hated the thought that someone would believe that I belonged to him. Anyway, I'm glad she taught me these things; it always gave me a sense of control. She also taught me how a girl can always look beautiful and feminine while still being modest. I know I tried to push the envelope a bit, but I'm grateful that she helped me dress the way I wanted and find my own style while still being classy.

4. She always encouraged me to pursue my own interests. Being the only girl in a family of boys would have been tricky if I'd had a different mother. What would I have turned out like if my mom had tried to make me do all of the same things my brothers wanted to do? I'm so glad she supported me and let me lead out with my own interests. I did enjoy skiing like my brothers, but hated the inadequacey I felt on the soccer field and the tennis court. I loved dance and at a point filled four days of my week in one studio or another. Again, reading was another hobby, and my mother was the one that showed me how I could earn some money to travel to Europe to actually see the place where Anne Frank hid. I never would have thought that possible at that age, but she always showed me that anything was possible if you're willing to make a plan and do the work.

5. "You don't have to love me, but you have to respect me." Another one of mom's classics. My mom was always good to teach us how you talk to those in your family. We were not allowed to talk back to our parents (I remember picking soap out of my teeth at school one morning) or to yell mean things to each other. Although just like any other family, we fought and had moments where we seriously could have injured one another, Mom did set a standard of respect in our home that we knew we couldn't cross (at least when she was around.) To this day, I love my brothers so much and have so much respect for them even though we are all very different from each other. We banter and tease each other like crazy, but there is a deep underlying feeling of respect and love for one another. We never hesitate to say the words 'I love you' on the phone and we just have a blast when we get together.

I could go on... I should go on...but my fingers are starting to hurt and the munchkins are soon to wake up. So, I just want to say, I love you mom. I think I now understand. I just hope that I can turn around and give to my children the same wonderful gifts that you have given me. I am so grateful. What if you hadn't done what you did? What if you had chosen to spend your time and energy elsewhere? I certainly don't know how it all would have turned out. We needed you so much, and even now as I'm suppossed to be an adult,
I need you still.

I'm not one of those moms

I'm not one of those moms that loves to explore the artistic abilities of her children. I don't embrace mess, even though I'm surrounded by it all day. The thought of play dough makes my heart palpitate. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE the idea of my children participating in the arts. I love the projects they bring home from school. I just don't love it near my kitchen. I have enough trouble just getting last night's yams off of the high chair. When Malynn caught sight of Dallin working on a painting today, nothing could keep her off the table. Realizing that her will is stronger than mine, I took a deep breath and let her loose. The girl loved it. She had such a look of satisfaction on her face as she watched the paint swirl around on her leg. I guess I need to loosen up a bit. Please tell me that this non-toxic paint doesn't stain. Please.









I had a sad realization today that this is the only decent photo taken of me this year. I was trying to find a closer one of my face for a different project and couldn't find a single one! I guess I need to hand the camera over to someone else once in awhile. I need to stop ducking when Jamie has the camera. Don't I want my children to remember what I looked like?

A Love Note

The highlight of my entire day occurs the moment I hear the hum of the garage door opening. Not long after, in walks a man with a huge grin on his face-- and all chaos breaks in our house. "DADDDDYYYYYY!!!!" You'd think they hadn't seen him in years. Though he is tired, no doubt, after working a sometimes 12-hour day, he immediately drops the armful of mail and drops to his knees. I watch the loud tackle from the kitchen, my usual station at that time of day. The scowl on my face from trying to assemble some sort of fresh, healthy dinner with all the monkeys jumping about at my feet immediately changes. I can't help it. I wait patiently for the primates to finish wrestling and the hugs to dissipate, so that I can creep in and have my turn.

This man just lets the sun in. His day is full, indeed, before he's even walked through our door. His day of dealing with other doctors, teaching med students, listening to ailing patients, and talking with concerned family members, and the responsibility to be at the top of his game is a lot for him to carry. But somehow, he manages to shed that pressure for a moment when he walks through that door. Somehow, he knows just what we need-- his time, his smile, his approval, and more of his waning energy. And he gives us more.

Jamie, this is a love note to you.

My Daughter

Just a few photos I took of lovely Malynn a couple of days ago. (The boys were protesting having their pictures taken). I've been enjoying watching her develop her own personality. She tries so earnestly to communicate and I'm surprised every day by how much I do understand her. Her hair is starting to grow a little and it's curly in the back. She walks fast and is very busy. She also loves to eat, loves her binky and blankie, and loves her mom (yeay).

Before I had any children, I secretly wanted boys. Honestly, I was a little afraid of having a daughter. For one, I grew up with only boys, so feel very comfortable around them. It seems around the age of 13, girls go into this weird alternate universe where they hate their mothers. I know most come out of it after a few years, but the thought of having someone rolling their eyes at me, treating me like I was the absolute, most ridiculous person that ever walked the planet, and giving me responses like, "You just don't understand me," gives me anxiety. Boys, with all their volume and rowdiness, just seem simpler. There is something about having a daughter that I didn't expect. The way she holds her hands, the way she smiles at me, the way she sighs when she puts her head on my shoulder... her femininity makes my heart sing. There is something special between a mother and a daughter. I look at her and I just get her. My boys, as much as I love them and their energy, just bewilder me. So, I'm grateful to have her and hope that she will always want to be close to me. But I am going to start now with the brainwashing that she can't turn psycho on me. Suggestions, anyone?