Sleep Talker

We hear things from Jaxon's room almost nightly. Most of the time it's just moans and indiscernible ramblings. One of the nights Jaxon was sick he spent the night in our bed.(Yeah, as if it takes him being sick for us to let him in our bed!) I hadn't fallen asleep yet and was a little startled when Jaxon sat straight up in bed....still very much asleep.

"What's going on here!?!?" He patted his pajama shirt and then let out a long sigh, "Oh, I thought I was naked." Laid back down and continued to sleep.

Just one more random moment in the life of our child.

No! It's a GIRL baby!!!

Much to Jaxon's dismay the ultrasound technician has declared that it is in fact a boy baby. We weren't going to find out, but at the last minute Brian gave the go ahead. Jaxon has said from the first day we told him he was going to be a big brother that the baby was a girl. Never wavering from his position. So, when they showed us the proof that it was a boy, he yelled "No! It's a GIRL baby!!"

I have to admit I was leaning towards a girl. Mostly, I think, because I couldn't see how Jaxon could be wrong. I was disappointed initially and I even shed some tears on the ride home. Then I cried over the fact that I was crying that it was a boy. (Oh, the joys of raging hormones!) I love my little boy and I am truly, honestly, 100% excited that we are having another one!

To Jaxon's question "What happened to the girl baby, mom?" I hope that the answer "I guess she's still in heaven." holds true.

Christmas 2007

Christmas was really fun this year. Jaxon really caught on to the excitement for the first time. He even met St. Nick...yes, the first time. He may be deprived, but what does he know? He can't remember any other Christmas. Besides that, I never had to deal with the guilt of making my child scream on Santa's lap.

We started out Christmas Eve morning with my family. We went to my parents church and had lunch and played. We were able to share it with my dad's brother and sister. With both of my dads parents gone, it doesn't seem like we get together as an extended family often enough. The kids had a great time running wild in all the open space, playing baseball, basketball, kickball, and, of course, tag. The adults played Foosball, ping pong, badminton, and basketball.

Later that night Brian, Jaxon, and I did the traditional Christmas Eve stuff. We ate waffles, sang Christmas songs, read the story of the first Christ's birth, and opened up our presents from the Elves. Pajamas. Would it be anything else?

Jaxon started running a fever that night and we all spent most of the night awake. Since we were all wide awake at 6:30 Christmas morning we decided to get the show on the road and open the presents. Jaxon, though extremely sick, was a riot. Each gift was met with an "Oh, my gosh!" and then after opening it he would say "Is that from mom or dad or Santa?" If it was from either Brian or me he would run to us, give a huge hug, and say "Thank you soooo much!" It didn't last long before he was exhausted and needed to lie down for a bit. You can see from the pictures just how sick our little man was. Later Christmas Day we realized that he had strep. Though the look on his face does not show it, he really was excited over his new tool bench from Santa.

I'm personally not a fan of weapons. However, Jaxon received both a gun and sword...and of course, absolutely loves them. He's done a great job saving us from monsters. Another bonus: my vacuum attachments haven't been touched since!!

Is it sad that the one smile (forced as it may be) came while sporting his new U of U jersey?

What's Christmas without the white stuff? Jaxon got to try out his new shovel Christmas morning. Just hope he doesn't get tired of shoveling too soon. He's got a lifetime ahead of him!

After opening our presents (and shoveling snow) we headed for Perry to spend the day with Brian's family. We had the traditional Ebelskiver (really I have no idea how to spell that....little pancake puff thingie majigs) for breakfast. The much awaited phone call came shortly after finishing breakfast and we were all able to talk to our favorite missionary: Elder Brady.

Mounds of presents later, Jaxon had had enough fun for one day and very bluntly told us it was time to go home. For being as sick as he was he was a great sport and had a wonderful Christmas. I can only imagine how fun it will be next year when he's not sick (knock on wood). The spirit of Christmas comes to life when you watch it through the eyes of a child.

Anniversary

Building a Strong Foundation

by Brent A. Barlow

• Study the Proclamation on the Family. It contains 9 essential building blocks for a successful marriage.



• Keep Marriage a High Priority (D&C 42:22) Eliminate everyone and everything that is not helping your marriage (See Mormon Doctrine pg 188).



• Avoid Apathy in Marriage (1 Nephi 28:21)



• Remember Marriage Vows, Commitments, and Ordinances.



• To Attain Happiness...Keep the Commandments of God. "Happiness is the object and design of our existence and will be the end thereof if we pursue the path of righteousness" (J.S. pg 255-256)



• Practice Forgiveness (D&C 64:9-10)



• Resolve Conflicts Effectively and Quickly (Ephesians 4:16)



• Pray Always (D&C 31:12)



• Attend Church Meetings and the Temple Regularly



• Read the Scriptures Often (2 Nephi 32:3)



• Avoid or Reduce Stress, Fatigue, and Over-Commitment (Mosiah 4:27, D&C10:4)



• Take Time for Recreation...Together and Alone (D&C 136:28)

Subtle Hints

I think this was Jaxon's way of telling me that he was done shopping for one day.For the record: he slept from cart to car to couch.

In Memory

Laura Bradshaw Anderson

September 1, 1925 - December 11, 1992

I won't forget my days with you

Your memory will not leave my view.

For you have changed my life you see

And in my heart you'll always be.

Your friendship is my greatest prize

It warms my heart like summer skies.

In darkest moments of the night

Your example brings a guiding light.

And now I see through all my tears

I'll never loose you through the years.

No matter what we'll never part

For I have locked you in my heart.

Jaxon and I went to my grandma's grave site today to visit and leave some flowers on the anniversary of her death. As I parked the car, Jaxon said "Is this heaven?" Close buddy, very close.

Facing Reality

For Sale

Here's the jogging stroller I'm selling on ksl.com. Wish I could say it was a good investment. Wish I could say I used it more than twice. Here's to hoping it goes to a good home and makes someone else healthy and happy. Better luck next time, eh?

I'm facing reality and it sure feels good.

Miracles Still Happen

To say that we pulled off our ward Christmas party would be an understatement. It was fabulous! It was an absolute miracle!!

We were told to plan on a little less than 200 people attending the party. We ordered 200 pieces of chicken cordon bleu from Golden Corral thinking that we would have enough and possibly some leftover. We had set up 192 chairs. Shortly after the dinner began Brian and friends were setting up more tables and chairs (for a total of 220). I watched the chicken nervously hoping we would have enough. The last person to walk through the line had chicken...the very last piece. Nothing but crumbs left over. A miracle.

The play was written by a lady in the ward a few years back. She let us use the play and some of the props. We had 4 musical numbers, Santa, lady being taught the true meaning of Christmas, Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, 2 angles, 2 shepherds, 2 wise men. The only time we could get everyone together to practice was the morning of the party. We went through it once. The play turned out fantastic. Truly a miracle.

In the end we had quite a few baked potatoes left over, along with the butter and sour cream. Brian and I had to drive into Ogden after the party so we decided to donate the leftover potatoes and condiments to the Ogden Rescue Mission. They were so grateful!

When it was all said and done I couldn't have asked for a better committee. They all fulfilled their assignments and were willing to do so much more. Jaxon and Brian are committee members by default and I couldn't have done it without them. From beginning to end they were by my side helping every step of the way.

Jaxon helping dry dishes in the kitchen after the party.

How Do I Look?

The other night Jaxon came out of his bathroom after washing his hands and said:

"Hey, mom! How do I look?"

Wowzers! You think he's drenched? You should have seen the mirror! Why do I even bother?!?

Better Late Than Never

Thanksgiving has come and gone, but I still thought I would post a little something. This year we ate Thanksgiving dinner with my family at my sister Kayla's house. They were able to put 3 tables together to create one table large enough to seat all the adults. The 4 "big" grand kids sat at their picnic table which happened to be positioned under a clock that Kayla and Josh had rebuilt.
During dinner the wall was bumped and the clock came crashing down. Fortunately, none of the children were injured. Unfortunately, Kayla's antique clock was in pieces.
The food was delicious, as always, but the very best part of the whole day was talking to Trevor via web cam. Josh and Trevor had set it all up earlier that week as a surprise for my mom. It was the first time I had ever talked on a web cam. The kids thought it was pretty cool. My grandparents didn't quite know what to think of this new fangled technology. Who would have thought that you could see and hear a conversation from Korea to Roy, UT?

Meltdown Remedy

Tonight as I started to have a minor meltdown over the upcoming ward Christmas party (I will be so glad when Saturday is over!) the stress tears came flooding out. Always the sensitive one Jaxon quickly came to my side and started rubbing my back. This is what he said to me:

"Mom? What's the matter? Are you feeling the spirit? It's okay. I will be your sunshine and your sweetheart aaaallllll night yong (long)".

Warnings

Exactly how expired does Listerine have to be before it is no longer effective? Is May 1999 a little too out dated? If only I had read the label before the gargle!

Long days and Even Longer Nights

Today has been one of those really long days. We did Joy School (which isn't quite as bad as I previously posted....but I still don't love it), visited grandma, took a nap, ate left over pizza for dinner, took a bath, cleaned the toilets, built towers with blocks, and we're finally heading off to bed. Not a lot to say for such a long day.
Brian is currently doing his OB/GYN rotation for school. I guess I got a little too used to his hours while he was doing Family Practice. This week the doc he is with is on-call for 7 other doctors. He called not too long ago saying he was headed for the ER (for the second time today) and didn't know when he would be home.
I've turned into a major wimp. I really love it when he is home and I get so lonely when he's gone all day and all night (how is that possible with our lively boy?!?!). How will I ever survive the 4 weeks he is in Denver?

There's Little Joy in Joy School

Call me a pessimist. Call me a realist. Call me insane. Just don't be surprised when I say no if you call me to do Joy School ever again. 99% chance that this will never happen again. I'm quite surprised at how difficult this is for me. I am, after all, a licensed professional in the field of teaching. I am not, however, qualified to teach toddlers!

Today I have decided to buck up and take it like a mom. I will not be defeated by these darling children. After dealing with boy #1 sticking his tongue in boy #2's ear and then watching as boy #2 passed it along to another unsuspecting victim, countless pulling of wrestlers apart, endless corralling, and worrying incessantly about my piano (for those that don't know...it's quite the magnet for little people), I realized that something must be done.

Next week: There will be assigned seating on their personalized carpet square (being purchased ASAP), there will be a teacher with a positive attitude, there will be fun and hopefully some learning. Oh, and yes. There will most definitely be bribery. How else do think I can pull this off?

A Funny Story....

I had a rather odd encounter tonight at the church. As we were about to leave to go see Brian's parents, a girl in the ward stopped me in the hall. "Congratulations!" she said. At first I thought she was referring to my new calling, but I was a little surprised at her exuberance. "For what?" I asked. She then looked straight down to my stomach and exclaimed, "On your pregnancy!" At this point I was completely dumbfounded. Apparently someone had informed her on Sunday that I was expecting a baby. She then proceeded to tell me that she also just found out that Jaxon was adopted. I just started to laugh. Adopted?!?! No way. I know I birthed that boy and I have the stretch marks to prove it!
She told me that on Sunday she was standing in the foyer with another lady in the ward. When she looked over at me she said the way I was standing made it look like I had a larger than normal pooch (my words not hers). She said she turned to her friend and said (pointing in my direction) "Is she expecting?" This is when she found out that not only was I expecting but what a miracle it was because I had previously adopted and continued on with my medical history.
It was at this point in the story that I realized what had happened. After church on Sunday I was standing next to my friend who IS expecting and DID adopt her two little girls. A small case of mistaken identity!

The Truth:
1. Jaxon was birthed by ME on August 9, 2004 in the McKay Dee hospital.
2. Rumors can be spread very easily by the smallest misunderstanding.
3. It's not a complete rumor.
4. Jaxon is going to be a big brother around May 8, 2008.

Now you know... and knowing is half the battle!

Happy Halloween

Jaxon's dream of dressing up like Superman was crushed by his own mother. I couldn't find a Superman costume that was cute enough for my little guy. I searched high and low and couldn't find anything that would work in his size. About a week before Halloween I had the grand idea to buy a larger sized costume and alter it. Yeah, right! What was I thinking?!?! I shouldn't kid myself like that. I am not a seamstress in the smallest sense of the word. So Monday we were off to the fabric store to create a costume. I do have to say that I thought the Caveman costume turned out really cute. He was pretty happy with the idea. (Even though this morning he informed me that he still wanted to be Superman...so sad!)

We started off the festivities late last night with the pumpkin carving. (I will add a picture later since we haven't taken one with it yet!) Jaxon chose the design, I drew it on the pumpkin, and Brian did the carving, gutting, and cleaning up. What a guy!

This morning Jaxon and I went to his Joy School Halloween party.We held it at the church so there was room for all the kids and parents. The mom in charge did a fantastic job! The kids decorated cookies, ate donuts off a string, and played lots of games. There was enough food to feed an army. It was a little slice of heaven for those 10 3-year-olds.

Tonight we went to my mom and dad's house for dinner. To keep with tradition we had hamburgers and took pictures before Trick-or-Treating. Jaxon was able to see all but one of his cousins in their costumes and take pictures with them. After my parent's house we headed off to the church for our Trunk-or-Treat activity. Jaxon's bucket was so full and heavy by the time he finished he could barely lift it!!! The youth in the ward put on a carnival in the gym where they had face painting, a fish pond, and other activities. And of course.....more treats! We then raced to Perry to see Brian's parents and have more pictures and get more treats.

This Halloween was really fun. Jaxon was finally old enough to understand the concept and enjoy it. When people would say "Aren't you the cutest Caveman?" He would simply reply, "Yeah, I am." Oh, so humble. Happy Halloweeen!!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

The Muffin Man

Today I was trying to get out of Jaxon's room so he could take a nap. I had already rubbed his back, belly, and eyes, held his hand, and answered numerous questions. As I headed for the door he used his latest stalling technique:"Wait! I have to talk to you about somefim."

Exasperated, I returned to his bed so he could whisper in my ear what it was he wanted to talk about.

"Yes, Jaxon?"

"Ummmm. Let's see... (tapping his chin to indicate that he was thinking) Do you know the Muffin Man?"

It took a little bit longer to get him to sleep than I had planned because I couldn't stop laughing. Kid's say the darnedest things!

Regression

Jaxon and I watched cousin Wyatt this morning. I brought Jaxon's Exersaucer up from the basement so I could safely confine Wyatt while I took a shower.

This is what I found when I walked into the family room later this afternoon. As I explained to Jaxon that he was too big and it was for little babies, he exclaimed: "Mom, I'm a BIG boy baby!" Pretty smug expression, wouldn't you say?

Building Blocks

Brian and Jaxon decided to build a tower with his Lego's last night. Brian's job was to hold the tower steady and Jaxon's job was to place the blocks carefully on top.

Each time it got to the point where Jaxon couldn't reach the top of the tower, he came up with a new plan to make himself "bigger".

It started with a step stool, then a kitchen chair. Then phone books on the chair, step stool and phone books on the chair. The last few blocks were applied while sitting atop Brian's shoulders.

Addicted

I first heard about the vampire books in May from my friend Ruth's blog. Being the good book judge that she is, I should have read them right then and there. Since then I have heard multiple friends, family members, and yes, even elementary school kids rave about these books. Maybe it was like the whole Harry Potter thing: "Wizards? Sounds strange. Kids love it? Probably not too exciting." What the heck. I jumped into the Potter books after they were a hit but it didn't take long to realize that I loved them.

So it goes with the vampire books. I read "Twilight" yesterday. Today I have gone to 3 different stores looking for "New Moon". Apparently everyone and their dog is into these books because NO ONE HAS IT! I feel depressed. Literally. I drove home thinking "Now, what am I going to do today?" Sad. Pathetic. I love books. I love to read. I hate knowing that I could have the next book in my hands and know right now what is happening in the lives of Bella and Edward. So I sit and I stew. What to do?!?

If you haven't fallen prey to the vampires yet. Might I strongly suggest that you do....you won't regret it! Oh, but if you find "New Moon" before I do, will you kindly let me read it first?

Tough Love

Jaxon hasn't been eating very well lately. Sweets, crackers, cereal....eats 'em like a champ. Chicken, vegetables, anything remotely healthy...not a chance. Last night was a night of tough love at our house. I had made a chicken pot pie (very tasty I might add) for dinner. Jaxon mashed it up with his fork and stirred it around for awhile. Then he said "I'm done. Can I have a treat?" Done? He hadn't taken a single bite!! So the tough love began. We told Jaxon that he had to eat his dinner. Our exact words "You will sit at this table until your dinner is gone." (Does that sound anything like your parents or was I the only one who spent countless hours staring at my plate?)

The night proceeded as follows:
J: "I'm all done Daddy"
B: "You ate all your food?"
J: "Nope. Not yet."
Jaxon continued to play with his fork, cup, and plate. Still not a single bite taken.
J: "Is this Apple Pie? I don't like Apple Pie."
N: "It's not Apple Pie, it's chicken pie."
J: "I don't like chicken pie!"
He stared at his plate, hummed some unknown songs, and didn't eat a single bite.
J: "I think it's time for Family Night."
B: "That was last night. You need to eat your dinner."
15 more minutes of no eating
J: "Mom? Is it time for Family Night?"
N: "Not tonight. You need to eat dinner."
J: (Overly exaggerated sigh) "That's what Daddy said."

An hour and 15 minutes after we started dinner, Jaxon had taken two small bites of dinner. As we told Jaxon that it was now time for bed he went into near hysterics "I want to eat my dinner! I WANT TO EAT MY DINNER!!!!" Sorry Charlie, it's time for bed.

I should go make some lunch for Jaxon now. Pot Pie anyone?

Merry Thanksgiveoween

Is it just me or does it seem like Christmas comes earlier each year? I know there are many out there that enjoy getting all their shopping done early so they can actually enjoy the holiday and come December 15th I am wishing I had started a little earlier.

About a month ago we were at Home Depot and saw one of the cashiers wearing this sign :

"Merry Thanksgiveoween"

It really gets to me that Thanksgiving gets passed over so quickly. It really says something about the world we live in when the holiday that focuses on giving thanks is such a non-event, and everyone is busily searching the ads to make their lists of what they want to get. Sure we gather as family and friends and consume hoards of delicious foods, but how much thanks are we really giving?

Just me and my random thoughts.

a.k.a. Hiccups

Jaxon has had the hiccups for the past two mornings. It's never a very pleasant experience, but lucky for us once he's hiccuped he's done for the day. After the hiccups he acts as if nothing was wrong. When he feels a hiccup coming on he's great to tell me so we can rush to the bathroom and not have to deal with it any where else in the house. I hate it when my little guy isn't feeling 100%, but I sure do enjoy the cuddles and snuggles when he's not up to par. Hopefully we won't deal with many more hiccups as the cold season sets in.

Just for the record, Jaxon calls throwing up the hiccups.

We Ain't No Fair Weather Fans

We were there. We were sitting in the bleachers while these boys chased after a ball covered with pig skin in the snow. We came dressed in red sweatshirts to show our loyalty. We covered our red with heavy duty ponchos. We would have used our umbrellas but they were confiscated at the gates. Had I used by brain that day we would have also been dressed in winter coats.

Jaxon watched approximately 4 minutes of the game. The duration was spent underneath my poncho eating gummy worms and Gardetto's. (I secretly wish I could have been down there with him!) Right before half time Jaxon said something about not being able to feel is fingers. As the clock ran down for half time, our excited little boy said "I think it's time to go home, mom!"

I am sure we would have stayed had Jaxon not been there. Brian was sweet to let us leave and return to a world of warmth and dryness. It was a great sacrifice on his part. After all, I was told multiple times "This is PERFECT football weather!"

p.s. Did I mention how grateful I was that Jaxon was at the game?

Together Again

To say Jaxon loves the movie Cars would be an understatement. For his birthday he was given quite a bit paraphernalia from the movie including some die cast cars. He carried multiple cars around with him where ever we went....but one car that always went was Lightning McQueen. One of these adventures was to his friends house a few weeks ago. As we went to leave we couldn't find Lightning McQueen or Sheriff anywhere. Thinking they would surface shortly we stopping searching and went home. Almost daily Jaxon asks to go to his friend's house to get his "Lightning a-Queen and Sheriff"....they've still never been found.

Today we stopped at the store to pick up another Lightning McQueen car for Jax. He held the bag all the way to the car. He held the package all the way home. He has held the car since we got home. Shortly after we got home, I saw and heard Jaxon giving Lightning a tour of the house (with his girlfriend Sally, of course!). Showing Lightning his bedroom: "This is Jaxon Scott Vincent's room." Then on to the bathroom: "This is where I go potty."

Jaxon and Lightning napping

Lightning looks pretty happy to home!

Happy days are here again, Jaxon's with his new best friend!

Sweet Reunion

I have yet to make it to any of my high school reunions. I liked high school, I really did. Some graduate and never want to step foot in their old school or see anyone who walked the same halls ever again. High school was one of those rights of passage that I don't want to repeat, but still I hold fond memories of my days at CHS. I would have gone to my 10 year reunion this year had the scheduling worked out better. As it turns out, the schedule didn't work for very many of my fellow classmates and the turn out was bleak.

I have realized that I am not very good with staying in touch with people. Even my closest of friends. I really don't enjoy talking on the phone and I avoid it as much as possible. Maybe it is due to the countless hours spent on the phone during my teen years or that modern technology makes emailing and texting that much more convenient. Totally impersonal. Completely convenient. That's the world we live in.

Even though I may not see or talk to many of my closest friends on a regular basis, it doesn't mean that they mean less to me or that I don't think about them often. Case in point. My friend Tori and I met at girls camp 16 years ago. Shortly after that she moved into my ward and we attended Junior High together. Upon graduation we both attended WSU for a few years before she transferred to the University of Utah.

Tori moved to New York, New York 3 1/2 years ago to live the extravagant single life in a very happening city. Recently she married her sweetheart, Tim, and I was able to see her as they came home for an open house. It's a nice feeling to see a friend. Someone you feel safe with, someone to laugh with, someone to share memories with. The time and states between us hasn't changed how I feel about my friend. True friends are friends forever. Time and space doesn't change that.

Tori and Tim

What a guy

The other day Jaxon was at my mom's while I was at work. They were on their way outside to swing, again! Since Jaxon was in the lead, and my mom was holding cousin Wyatt, my mom asked Jaxon to open the door for her. As he went to open the door he said,

"I'm Jaxon Scott Vincent the guy who helps people!"

Sprinkler, sprinklers, splinkers!

I wish that I could say that at this point our yard is in and absolutely beautiful. But, alas, we are still the depths of trenches that need to be filled, a few lines that need to be laid, and many heads to be put on. But it's coming....the yard is in deed coming! Life sure is the pits when it gets in the way of doing what you want to do, eh?

On September 8th our wonderful family spent their Saturday helping us get our sprinkling system put in. I was so impressed with all the work they did. It would have taken us FOREVER to do it by ourselves. I wish I had pictures of us actually working. Someone even asked why I wasn't taking pictures for the blog. (Were they mocking me? I think so!) Truth be told, I would have felt too guilty to take pictures of people working. So the other night I snapped a couple quick shots of Jaxon helping Brian fill in some trenches. Hopefully I will be able to post pictures of our grass before snow falls. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

One Great Grandma

On Sunday we celebrated my Grandma Taylor's 82nd birthday. For most of my life my grandparents have lived in southern Utah. Last December they made the move up to Uintah to be closer to the rest of the family. It has been so nice to have them around so that Jaxon can get to know these wonderful people. My grandma and grandpa Taylor are at the top of my list of "The World's Best People".

Here are some fun facts about my grandma:

1. She is the mother of 9 children, the grandmother of 42, the great-grandmother of 37.
2. She crochets, quilts, makes dolls and other toys, she sewed the majority of my barbies' clothes.
3. When she and my grandpa worked as care takers at Camp Woodland, she made her own fishing pole and caught a fish with it.
4. She is an amazing cook. She taught my mother well. Where I went wrong I'll never know!
5. I have never seen my grandma angry or upset. (Even after two of her 3-year-old great-grandchildren broke her wind chime at her birthday party. We won't say who. It's too embarrassing!) She is genuine and kind.
6. She has been temple worker in the Manti and St. George temples.
7. Grandma has a wonderful sense of humor. I love listening to her tell stories. She gets laughing so hard she cries. Ü
8. At 80 years old Grandma taught Sunbeams and guaranteed herself a seat in the Celestial Kingdom.

I hope that when I am 82 I will be able to do all the things that she continues to do. Happy Birthday, Grandma! We love you!!

Joy School

Joy School

2007-2008Jaxon's first day of Joy School. He looks so grown up with his "pack pack"!

It makes me feel the tiniest bit sad that he is so willing to do things without his mom. On the other hand, it's nice knowing I will have 2 hours to myself once a week. What to do, what to do?!
This is the picture Jaxon made of a butterfly. Three and already learning about symmetry!
Way to go, Jax!

Happy Birthday to my Seester

This is a shout out to my lovely older sis, Jen.

Happy Birthday!!!

Ten Things I love About My Sister:

• Sometimes she let me follow her around when we were younger.


• She would stay up late with me Christmas Eve playing Barbies in the Barbie Mansion.


• Even though I deserved to be beaten severely, she never inflicted bodily harm on me when I would stay up all night reading.


• She puts her heart into loving the people around her. She is compassionate and kind.


• She is the ultimate example of a Peace Maker.


• She is a wonderful mom to her two adorable kids.


• When strangers ask her about school assignments, she kindly tells them that she is not me.


• She is my sister by chance, my friend by choice.

Lagoon...It's What Fun Is!

Brian and I used our BounceBack passes at Lagoon on Friday. Upfront I had committed myself to ride "Wicked", even though deep down I really didn't want to do it.

This is how Lagoon describes the ride:

"Riders will be launched to the top of the 110 ft. tower at speeds up to 18.5 meters per second. This element is especially unique as most roller coasters slowly lift riders to the top of the first hill using a chain mechanism. Wicked riders will be propelled by means of a linear synchronous motor (LSM) drive system, essentially rocketing riders up and over the top of the first hill. The 8-rider vehicles travel individually and achieve speeds up to 55 mph, passing though steep valleys, high banked turns, half-pipe, heart-roll inversion and more. Riders will be seated in two rows of four, facing forward, with the back row seats elevated above the front row. The lap/leg restraints will provide an exhilarating upper body freedom for rides." Sound fun?

We went to Wicked first so I could hurry and get it out of the way. As we stood in line I tried not to watch the ride. Each time I saw a car shoot straight up, plunge straight down, and spin around the track at breakneck speeds I felt myself get more and more terrified. Brian had the complete opposite reaction. He becomes more and more excited as he watches the cars on the track. He continually compared it to the closest simulation to an F-16 that he could think of, barrel rolls and all. This description did not help in the least bit. We wound through the turn-stiles, climbed the stairs, and eventually took our place as the next riders. All the while I was becoming more and more upset with Brian. Why? Good question. I wasn't actually upset with him, although you wouldn't have believed me if you were there, I was, in fact, PETRIFIED!

It was our turn. My heart was slowly coming to a stop. We loaded into the car...front row has the best view...what was I thinking ever agreeing to ride this idiotic death ride? I pushed the safety restraint against my lap. I pushed it down again. And again. And again. Surely it could come a little closer and fit a little tighter. The car started to move. Oh, no! I stopped breathing. I was stuck. There was no way getting out of this. HOLD ON! We shot out of the tunnel....my eyes instantly shut....begin the launch. I felt a little braver. I opened my eyes in time to see us peak and go over the edge..."Oh, Crap!", I yelled as we plunged downward. The car continued to twist and turn and roll and dive and eventually came to a stop. Holy Schnikies! I couldn't believe that I was smiling as we exited the car. In fact, we rode it again that night and would have gone one more time but the line was a least an hour wait.

The best part of the ride? The way my hair flew straight out behind me, I wish I could have seen how cool it looked. It sure felt like it looked cool.

Other tidbits from our night at Lagoon:

• Brian finally was able to ride the Sky Coaster. "From a static point approximately 6 feet above the ground, the flyers are pulled aloft by a launch cable to nearly the top of the launch tower. At this point the flyers are approximately 143 feet above the ground with the flight cables taut and the flight is ready to begin. Upon being given the signal, the flyers pull the rip cord, releasing them from the launch cable and rapidly swing towards the ground at speeds reaching up to 80 mph. The overall feeling is similar to that of swooping along the ground in a hang glider, or that of skydiving." (Sorry, no photos. We forgot the camera.) Even though he wanted me to ride with him, it turned out better for him that he rode alone. From the experienced workers we learned that you don't get a true feeling for the free-fall/flying when you do it tandem. You're welcome, dear. I did it for you!
• The Spider is really fun as well. Mostly because you are turned around most of the time and you have no idea when you are going to drop or turn.
• The ROCKET BLAST OFF: "accelerates guests from ground level to 200 feet straight up in less than 3 seconds. The initial powered blast creates a force on the rider of 4.5 G and upon reaching the top position, guests are blasted downward with a 2 G-force." This kind of force has now been proven to break a cell phone...mine! The pressure broke my LCD screen. Bug! The phone is only 10 months old. I guess the good news is I'll be getting a new phone. Bad news is it won't be free. Of all the the things the warranty covers, the LCD screen is not one of them.

Lagoon....I guess it really is what FUN is! Who knew?

Water Woes

Today the water main broke in front of our school. We were completely without running water for the majority of the day (about 10:45 to 3:10). No drinking fountains, no way to wash hands, no toilets! The school district's solution? Bring in port-a-potties, bottled water, and hand sanitizer! It took an hour and a half before we saw any the above mentioned supplies. As nice as they were to let us continue on with school, it just wasn't working. They brought in 6 port-a-potties...approximately one per grade. Fourth grade alone has 140 kids on track right now. Not to mention all the faculty and staff. Imagine the longest line for a bathroom you've ever seen and DOUBLE it! To make matters worse, they didn't bring enough water. My class received 12 8oz. bottles of water....for 23 kids! Luckily, Wal-Mart came to our rescue and kindly donated water to our school.

I've tried to put a positive spin on all of this. This is what I came up with:

1. An emergency evacuation would have still taken all day (every child has to be released to a parent or other close family member...contacting them can be a nightmare at times).


2. We don't have to make up a day of school later on in the year.


3. For once I am glad Wal-Mart is the super-giant that it is. They are also generous in their own way.


4. My mom lives close enough to my school that I could run to her house and use her bathroom before my kids finished P.E. (Happy I didn't have to use the port-a-potty!!)

Exhaustion

Exhausting. That is about the only way to sum up this week. For those of you who didn't know, I decided to go back to teaching part time. Typically my work schedule will be Tuesdays, Thursdays, and every other Friday. This week was definitely NOT typical.

In order to accommodate the vast number of students in our school (1100+), our school is on a year-round schedule. There are 4 tracks (A,B,C, &D), but only 3 tracks in school at any given time. Each track goes to school for 9 weeks at a time and then has a 3 week vacation. So far, it's not been a bad schedule. Some hate it. Some loathe it. Some love it. Most just tolerate it.

I'm one that has loved it....until last Friday.

This year I am D-track, the last track to start the school year. (Oh, another piece of vital information....We have tracks because we don't have enough classrooms to house everyone. Each time we go off-track we pack up our room and move our stuff. After the 3 week break we move into a new room.) Since I am D-track I couldn't get into my room (it was being used by a 3rd grade class) to get things set up until 1:15 Friday afternoon....school started the next Monday (2 days later) at 8:30 a.m. Typically teachers have an entire week to get their classrooms set up. Begin the exhaustion.

Here is my week in review:

Thursday, August 9th: Jaxon's birthday

Friday, August 10th: Worked 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Saturday, August 11th: Worked 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Sunday, August 12th: a much needed day of rest, but not free from the stress of not being ready

Monday, August 13th: Worked 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Tuesday, August 14th: Field trip. We went on the Heber Creeper. Worked 7:45 to 4:45

Wednesday, August 15th: Day off. Ended up at the doctor's office. Thought I was going to die!

Thursday, August 16th: worked 8:00 to 4:00

Friday, August 17th: got pulled over on the way to work, got there late (8:15) worked 'til 5:00.

I'm wondering what's going on. This isn't what I signed up for!!!

Hungry?

This is what happens when a hungry child is left unsupervised while the parents are on the phone ordering pizza... Exactly how many cherry chocolate Hersey's Kisses are there?

Good thing for old Christmas candy or our child might have starved!

Happy Birthday, Jaxon!

Three years old!

Here are a list of some of Jaxon's favorites:

Food: chicken nuggets

Toy: Cars and balls (110% BOY!)

DVD: Cars, Monsters Inc., Brother Bear

Phrases: "Are you kidding me?" "Why?" "Please!?" "UGH!"

Shoes: Flip flops

Game: Basketball and Hungry, Hungry Hippos

Cartoon: Curious George

We celebrated with cousins at the Tree House Museum in Ogden. The kids always have a good time playing together and this was no different. They ran and squealed and had museum employee's tell them to quiet down. What else would expect from three 3-year-olds and a 4-year-old. Luckily the three 1-year-olds were very well behaved.

Jaxon spent the day with the kidlets he loves the best....cousins! It makes me happy to know that there are always good friends close by.

Jaxon and Jeffrey rushing to save a burning building!

Jaxon and Lauren working on the trains.

Jaxon and Jayne waiting for the storytelling to begin. The storyteller was fantastic! I have never heard such a riveting rendition of "The Rainbow Fish".

We had a great time celebrating Jaxon's birthday with the Anderson's and the Vincent's....most of us at least. Remember the song "It's My Party and I'll Cry If I Want To"? That could have almost been the theme of the night. Thank goodness for presents to make a little boy happy again!

His favorite presents? Cars from the movie "Cars" (which was also the theme of the party). He sleeps with them, eats with them, talks to them, takes them EVERYWHERE with him (when I saw everywhere, I mean everywhere...potty included!) absolutely loves them!

Thanks to all our family and friends that helped make Jaxon's day so special!

Happy Birthday, Jax! We love you!!

A Truly Wicked Wicked

Brian and I went to Lagoon for a date night. It's been a few years since either of us had been there and we were excited to feel young again.

What you are seeing is truly wicked. A twisted form of entertainment....absolutely atrocious...terrifying.

Brian loved it. I chickened out at the last minute. I've promised to go again and actually ride it.

It will be fun. It will be fun. It will be fun.

Mamma Mia!!

I went with two of my friends to see the smash-hit "Mamma Mia!". It's a musical written around the music from the group ABBA. If you are anything like me, you are saying "ABBA? Who is ABBA?" I hadn't heard of the group before I saw the show, but as I watched the show I realized that I had heard some of their songs. The most popular songs being "Dancing Queen" and "S.O.S". It was fantastic! It has a really entertaining story line and fun music. It was a lots of fun. I would highly recommend it.
I know that it's not fair to compare musicals, but Wicked still holds my vote as the best show EVER! To those who are interested....Wicked will be coming to SLC during the 2009-2010 season! Can't wait.....wahoo!!

Dirty Boy

I found a cool new game for Jaxon yesterday. Not only does it help with letter recognition but it encourages cleanliness as well. Mind you, Jaxon has never been opposed to taking baths, he rather quite enjoys it. However, since the game was first placed in the cart I have been given subtle hints that Jaxon would rather be in the bath than doing anything else (i.e. shopping, driving in the car, eating dinner, playing outside, etc.) and I am sure it is not for the squeaky clean feeling.

• "I am sooooo dirty, mom."
• "I got dirty all over the place."
• "I need to get in the tub right now!"
• "I got dirt in my eye. Better get in the tub."

So here's to learning letters and having some good, clean fun! Oh, and did you notice how white his cute little bum is? I just love it!!

Dream Poems

Dreams are so perfect and dreams are so right.
They are all thing beautiful and everything bright.
Changed over years and altered with time.
Dreams that are sacred. Dreams that are mine.


Dream....

Lazy summer days
Under clouds so white.
A soldier riding home
From the war at night.
One man's desire
For a better place.
A belief that all are equal
And not just one special race.
A vision, a thought,
A want for something more.

....Dream


Shadows dancing in the night
Children playing with toys so bright
Mother's calling, dinner's done
Friend is howling, the game is gone.
Rainbows are falling from the sky
Little boys are asking, "Why, why, why?"
Bright beams from the morning sun
The night is over, the dream is done.

What Does it Mean?

Do you ever wake up from an uninterrupted night of sleep completely exhausted? That's how I feel today. It feels like I pulled an all-nighter, and yet I was asleep for 7.5 hours. I believe the culprit for my lost sleep is wacky-crazy dreams.

In high school I had a humanities class that talked about what dreams meant. For example, if you ever have a dream where you are trying to run and you can't, it most likely means that you are feeling like you don't have control over things that are happening in your life.

Does anyone know the meaning of this dream?

I was walking through the neighborhood I grew up in when I saw a man. He was walking in front of me towards some road construction. Suddenly the man walked right into a huge hole (at least 20 ft long and 10 ft deep). I went over to help him get out of the hole. When I tried talking to him I realized that he was deaf. I tried signing to him, but all I could remember to sign was "Where is your mom?" As soon as he was out of the hole I became very afraid of him. I didn't know why I was so afraid. I started to panic. All I wanted to do was get away. I ended up taking him to Danny and Natasha's house so he could wait for his roommate to come get him. As soon as he called his roommate, I took off in a panic run.

The next thing I knew I was shopping in Smith's and had to use the restroom. When I walked in they didn't have any toilets, just squatters like they do in European countries. Luckily one of my friends was in the restroom and explained how they worked. As I was leaving Smith's my brother Trevor came into the the store with a broken hand. When I saw his hand I knew that the man from the hole had broken it. I took off running again. I was petrified that he would find me.

Jaxon then woke me up saying "It's morning time, mom. Let's go have some cereal." So we did. I'm still super tired. I just might take a nap today with Jaxon. I don't know how I will make it any other way.

Farewell

It has come time to bid you all farewell. For, you see, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is now in my possession. Many things will be left neglected until I know, for myself, just exactly, how the boy wizard, Harry, destroys He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named once and for all.

I've tied up all loose ends. There is milk in the fridge and cereal in the pantry. Chicken in the freezer downstairs. Even some leftover Mac and Cheese if the boys become desperate.

I've spent too long on this blog already. Harry is waiting.

Rainbow

Rainbow

When the world that you live in comes tumbling down

And you feel that it's hopeless to try.

When you feel that your strength has been stretched to the max

Just sit down and have a good cry.

Then look to the sky in the midst of your soul

Through the clouds you'll see a great light.

Then rejoice and remember what you've often been told:

The morning always follows the night.

The rising sun will bring a day like no other before

And yesterday will forever be gone.

So, try to forget all the heartache, the stress and the pain

Pick your feet up and try to move on.

You can plan for the future by living today

And letting the pain of yesterday go.

No matter how dark the storm, what follows the rain

Is one of God's greatest treasures - your own rainbow.

J is for Jaxon

Tonight Jaxon is helping me go through my boxes of teaching supplies in an attempt to only haul back the essentials. (As if that is physically possible for any elementary teacher!) It's turning out to be quite a daunting task!

As I sat sorting files I heard Jaxon having the following conversation with himself.

"What's this letter?"
"It's a J for Jaxon!"
"Good job, people!"

(At this point I look to see what he is doing. He is talking to the sofa and holding a blank clipboard so that all the "people" could see what he was referring to.)


"This letter is for Lauren."
"Yeah, for Lauren!"
"See this?"

"This is Jaxon and Lauren!" (pointing to the blank clipboard)
"Jeffrey is back here."

(Now turning to me) "Mom? You kids are naughty?"

How does he remember? Last fall Jaxon came to visit me at school. I had 3 kids staying in from recess because they were....well....being naughty, I suppose. It's made a lasting impressing on him. Three poor, sad, totally picked on kids have scarred him for life!

To all of Jaxon's future teachers: You're welcome! I hope he never misbehaves!

Sidenote: We've been working on letter recognition. So far he knows J for Jaxon, S for Superman and Scott, X for Jaxon, and O for ? Never tied O to anything. Better get right on that!

The Dating Game

This weekend I went on not 1, but 2 dates... with two different guys!

On Friday, my sister and I did a babysitting switch. I watched her little man while they went to the movies Friday afternoon. When they came to pick up Wyatt, they took Jaxon home with them so Brian and I could enjoy some time together. (I think we need to do this switch thing more often!)

Brian and I went miniature golfing at Eagle Lake in Roy. Either I am a really bad miniature golfer or it was a really tough course! (I like to think it was really tough.) Brian blew me out of the water! It's a good thing I am a good loser (with all my practice I better be good at it) or I would have been really upset with my score. You know the 6-stroke rule? Yeah, I had to use it MORE than once! It was truly disgraceful!! The most important part of any game is not who wins or looses, but who you play the game with. I would loose every time if it meant spending time with Brian. Thanks for the date, babe!


School has been extremely busy for Brian lately (another reason why golf meant so much) and Saturday was no different. Brian was gone from sun-up to sun-down working on a paper. So, Jaxon and I decided to make the most of it. We ate cereal for dinner, danced in the living room, rented movies, and popped popcorn. We watched "Charlotte's Web" first. I have to say that I was quite disappointed. I've said it before and I'll say it again....books are always sooooo much better than the movie! The best part of the show was the song during the credits. I loved it! Jaxon thought Charlotte was gross. He mentioned more than once that he didn't like spiders.

Not wanting me to spend the evening alone, Jaxon stayed up to watch the 2nd movie "Music and Lyrics". Yes, it was cheesy. And it was predictable. Of course I liked it! It was full of 80's type music and really bad dancing! What's not to love?

At the end of the movie I tucked my little man into bed and told him thanks for being my date. He replied: "I'm not a date! I'm your Jaxon guy!"
Thanks, Jaxon-guy, for being a great date!