Quick Thought

I know I need to do a full blown blog...but sometimes I have a quick thought and I don't want to ever forget it.

We've been decorating for Christmas: lights...check, advent calendar...check, Christmas tree...close enough (it's the three foot fake Karl and I bought in college) check. Carson has been loving it. He's picking up on all the songs. I caught him shaking his hips to Mariah Carey "All I Want for Christmas" in his room the other day. We drove past a nativity in some one's yard and Carson shouted "Look, it's baby Jesus...asleep on the hay."

My absolute favorite this past week is Carson's impression of Santa Clause. Apparently Santa has been spending a little too much time at sea and not at the North Pole because he now says "Yo Ho Ho." (but still with a Santa voice).

When I hear Carson say "Yo Ho Ho" in his best Santa voice...I can't bring myself to tell him it's "Ho Ho Ho." He'll probably figure it out by next Christmas...and then the Santa pirate will be gone forever. Anyway - that's why I have to blog sometimes...I want to remember him saying it forever and I know it will be gone too soon.

Pet Names

No - we are not getting a pet. Not over Karl's dead body. Anyway, when Carson is in a sweet mood, he'll call me by pet names. He usually chooses the ones I call him. Tonight he asked me if he could eat my last strawberry. When I said "sure", he responded "Thank you darling sweetheart." It melts my heart. Even if he is just copying me...I'll take it.

This is in stark difference to his newly learned "bad word". He recently took up the word "Stupid". After using the word to describe none other than yours truly, he and I had a little chat. I haven't heard him use it since. I even heard him start to say it once and then stop and choose a different word. But now he has become a little obsessed about if words are "bad". He and I were driving in the car tonight and he told me he had said a bad word during the day. When I asked him what he had said, he responded "Oh my gosh" and then "that's a bad word". I simply said that if he felt it was bad then he shouldn't say it again. Really...I was just thinking it was kind of cute to hear my 3 year old say "oh my gosh". I called him fancy pants the other night. He informed me that it was a bad word. I'm sure he'll get this down eventually.

Now I'm off to watch Deathly Hallows (in the morning) and prep for Thanksgiving. Here it comes! It's always gone too fast.

Potty Training

A few nights ago, Carson was saying his bedtime prayers and he thanked Heavenly Father that his Aunt Kim and Uncle HL are potty trained. I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. I finally got through it by thinking of it literally. I too am grateful that Kim and HL (both in their 20's) are potty trained. I probably wouldn't want to have craft nights with Kim if she was peeing her pants all night long.

Halloween

In preparation for Halloween, we headed out to a pumpkin patch. Last year we went to Schnepf Farms but we thought we would try one a little closer (and there was a 2 for 1 Groupon). So we went to MacDonald's Ranch. Carson got to ride a pony named "Cotton Candy." He talked about Cotton Candy the rest of the day.

We took a horse drawn hay ride out to the "pumpkin patch." Apparently that term is used very loosely these days as it wasn't so much an actual patch but an area where the huge truck drops off the pumpkins each morning. But it was cute and Carson still loved it. He was actually most entertained by the horse poop we saw along the road while on the hay ride. See his hay ride joy below.

Carson picked out a little pumpkin and then we went to the petting zoo. Carson heard one of the workers tell another worker that they needed some hay for the rabbits. Before I know it, Carson had taken off. I couldn't figure out what he was doing till I saw him coming back with a big bucket of hay. I guess he remembered he saw one by the goats. He walked in and handed it to the worker. She looked surprised and told him thank you. He was so excited to help.

Then we wandered around and roped some cattle. And by 10 am it was hot and crowded so we got out of there. It was fun. And worth the price since we had the 2 for 1 coupon.

Halloween was marred by the fact that Karl and I were both sick. For Carson's sake, we pulled ourselves together long enough to hit the ward's Trunk or Treat (and don't worry, we tried to be very antisocial as to not spread the bug around). Carson's Halloween costume ideas changed everyday (Super hero, ghost, skeleton, Luigi, fireman, etc.). I had grand plans of making him a skeleton costume - painting the bones on black clothes with glow in the dark paint...but life got away from me and the homemade skeleton just didn't happen. Luckily, we had a friend with a box full of Halloween costumes. So Carson picked out a cute little tiger costume. Now, yes, this went against my feelings of always making your costume (see post from Halloween last year)...but sometimes I just have to let go and know when I'm trying to do too much. Carson had fun at the Trunk or Treat and I loved hearing his sweet little voice say "Trick or Treat" 100 times. Carson and this little fairy became cake walk besties. It was cute.

On the actual Halloween, we headed over to a family party. There were lots of fun mature activities like digging for eyeballs in spaghetti noodles, eating donuts off strings, and bobbing for apples. After I ate my donuts off the string and stood up with my arms raised high in victory, Carson ran up to me and exclaimed "MOM...you did it, I'm so proud of you." Isn't he the sweetest? I love the donut action shot below.

Dun Da Dun Dun

Encore you say? After over a month of the nagging and pleading of my blog followers, I have decided to once again compose. The title of my blog should be sung triumphantly - much like the tune when you finally reach the end of a level on Super Mario Bros (vintage original) and then six fireworks go off because you masterfully landed on the flag pole at a six second mark. That is the same tune (+fireworks) that goes off in my head when I finally blog after being MIA for a month and a half.

So here are some of our happenings in the last month and a half...excluding Halloween as that will be a post all on its own.

Carson got his first shiner. It was an accidental head bonking with another boy. Carson had a lovely bruise.

Carson discovered that underwear fit great on a head. I think every kid puts their underwear on their head at some point...right? Right? Please tell me that I as a kid and now my son are not the only weirdos in the world.

Yesterday, Carson was in rare form. See below.

Story #1: The coloring page he brought home from Nursery was "I Will Take Care of My Body." He and I were reviewing the pictures of what we can do to take care of our bodies. One of the pictures was a boy sleeping but Carson said he was resting. Later, it was his "Quiet Time". To bring the Nursery lesson full circle, I told him he needed a little rest and that it would be taking care of his body. He responded "I'm not taking care of my body. I'm gonna break my body." What? Oh his little rebellions make me laugh.

Story #2: He was riding his bike around and kept telling us he was riding to McDonalds and then he would ride for a little bit and then get off and pretend he was at McDonalds. (I swear we don't eat fast food very much, but something about those Golden Arches calls to Carson...this kid would eat french fries all day every day if he could). Anyway, then he told us he was going to ride his bike to Disneyland. He asked me to come with him, but I was sitting comfortably on a chair on the lawn, enjoying the beautiful weather we are now having, so I didn't really respond and I thought he might just go on playing. Carson asked again. Then he said "Mom, I've asked you twice. I don't want to have to ask you again." Oh, he makes me laugh. So I got up and he rode his bike to Disneyland and I walked. Yes...I am amazing and can walk to Disneyland. Somewhere along the way he got distracted though and it just turned into a race.

Story #3: I asked Carson to clean up his toys. He started to clean and automatically started singing the "Clean Up" song. A few bars in, he stopped and looked up at me. Then he said "I hate that song. I sing it all the days and now I hate it." That song used to really work to get him to help clean up...looks like he's reached the point where the song just annoys him.

Here is a video of Carson singing the ABC's. I am so glad I caught this on tape because he has already figured out that there isn't two K's in the alphabet. He still says B's for his V's, so at least there are still two B's in his alphabet.

We headed up to Flagstaff a few weeks ago to take some family pictures. I just love having family pictures. Growing up, my mom made our family do it every once in a while and it was this horrible event. I can remember complaining and grumbling all the way to Olan Mills. They made me stand on a ladder and pretend that I loved my sisters (just kidding - I did love my sisters, but maybe I wasn't in the mood that day). But now that I'm an adult, I'm the one forcing the family pictures down their throats. Luckily, Carson is only three so I don't have too much opposition yet. We'll see how it goes when he is 15. Back on track - we went and found these beautiful aspen trees and all the leaves were yellow and orange. It was gorgeous. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the pics (see slide show top left).

When Will I Get Used To This

Proof that I'm still not accustomed to the weather of Phoenix - I stored all of my Halloween decorations in the garage this summer. So when I unpacked my decor tonight, I found three misshapen pumpkin candles and several other decorations with a nice waxy residue all over them. The list of "Reasons Why I Love Phoenix" gets longer everyday.

Auto the Fish

Carson's cousin had a birthday party a little over a month ago. One of the party favors was a gold fish. When they handed it to Carson he was SOOOO excited. I was less excited...I think I mumbled "Is that real?" through gritted teeth and a fake smile. I was just thinking about how I now had to go buy a fish bowl and fish food...and whatever else a goldfish needs. So we got home and I put the fish in a glass kitchen bowl. We thought he would die so we didn't want to spend the money on fish supplies. But after a month, he was still alive. So last week we finally bought a tank. Carson named the fish Auto, after the gold fish in the book "A Fish Out of Water." Carson's reference to this book has made it easier for him to follow the feeding rules " Never more than a spot, or something may happen...you never know what." (In the book the little boy feeds his fish too much and then the fish can't stop growing and gets huge.) Carson loves his fish. He eats several of his meals by his fish. He feeds the fish all by himself and talks to him a few times a day. Luckily, Karl is willing to change the fishes water...I'm pretty much unwilling to handle anything that involves poop (besides human babies of course).

Carson is now going potty and getting dressed all by himself. While it is very convenient, he often ends up looking like this - shirt tucked in to the underwear.

We had a Woodard girl's craft day a while back. We all worked on these I Spy quilts. Carson loves his and makes sure we call it a "quilt", not a blanket. I think it's pretty fun.

We got our car AC fixed...the money we had to fork out seemed well worth it after driving around with out AC. I still can't believe how hot it is. The high for the next three days is 106...crazy. I'm ready to decorate for Halloween and it's 106 degrees out.

Good Sport

We were playing a game as a family last night. Carson was doing really well - being patient, taking turns, finding the matches, etc. About half way through the game, Carson decided he would rather play the blue chips instead of the green chips. Karl didn't care, so they switched places. Afterward, Carson said "Thank you Dad, that was bery(very) nice to me." His inflection was the exact same as when I say things like "Thank you for sharing Carson, that was so nice." It was just too sweet.

Perfect

I am so excited that we are having record highs this week. I love when it is still 107 on September 20th. Also...I love that the AC on my car went out...during this record high week. Perfect.

It's about this time every year that I find myself literally craving the cold: snow, slippers, heavy blankets, flannel PJ pants, hot chocolate, coats, etc. Doesn't that just sound wonderful (and actually perfect, not sarcastically perfect).

Other Happenings

Karl had a birthday last week. I got him Jack Johnson tickets. We're pretty excited. Karl's never been to a concert before and the only ones I've been to are Boys II Men and Dixie Chicks. (Get the laughs out now). Yes, I went from Motown Philly to Wide Open Spaces. The question is...which one are you singing in your head now??? I know that I'm breaking it down to Motown Philly.

The other day I asked Carson how he liked playing with one of his new friends (that's also a girl). He responded that he "needed to kiss her." I laughed, Karl started saying that kisses were for Mom and Dad and grandmas and grandpas. Carson interrupted and said "No, we kiss girls." He stated it as a fact. I laughed (again). Karl looked worried. HA HA...I'm laughing again. Oh - I just had a thought (laughter gone...serious face). There was a kid in preschool that we all called kisser boy. We all thought he was weird because he would chase us and try to kiss us. (Our name for him was very creative). Note to self - make sure Carson doesn't become the kisser boy.

Did that just happen?

I decided to quickly run an errand this weekend. I knew a store was having a sale and I wanted to grab a few items. As I began shopping, I thought to myself "I'll give Carson a little bit of a long leash today. He's been pretty well behaved in public lately." So I'm shopping and just kind of aware of my child 10 feet away. I suddenly realize that there is this really loud, annoying noise. It then registers that this is a fire alarm. I immediately look for Carson and he is standing by the emergency exit (about 10 feet away). At first I assumed he had pushed on the emergency exit door, but as I walked over he had actually pulled the fire alarm. I tried to push it back in, but apparently you can't just "push" the handle back in. So I found the store manager and apologized. She told me it happens all the time. That made me feel a little better inside. This whole time the alarm is deafening. Carson is sitting with his ears covered.

I decided to try and finish my shopping, with the annoying alarm going. At least now Carson was just sitting on a bench. A few minutes later the fire department showed up. While the annoying sound was helping to teach Carson to not pull a fire alarm, the arrival of five firemen and a fire truck had the opposite effect on Carson. I was busy trying to make myself look really interested in the clothing as I contemplated how I would introduce myself, "Hi, I am the mother that wasn't paying attention to her child that pulled the fire alarm that caused a total waste of time for all five of you brave firemen." I began to feel really embarrassed and the "okay" feeling I got when the manager said "this happens all the time" was fading away quickly. The firemen and store manager were all trying to push the handle back in (much like I had), but with no luck. I then heard them all discussing how they were going to have to call the alarm company to get it turned off. It was at this point that I couldn't stand the burning guilt in my chest. I kept waiting for one of them to hand me a fine but no one even mentioned it. I apologized one more time and then got out of the store.

While in the store I had tried to make Carson apologize for his actions, but he was scared stiff every time we approached the store manager. He did apologize to me though. On the drive home I tried to explain that we can't pull fire alarms unless there is a fire...etc, etc...blah blah blah (the last part is probably what he heard). The next day, Carson found the advertisement for the store's sale on our counter. He brought it over to me and said "I'm not going to pull the fire alarm, mommy." He said something about not pulling the fire alarm a few more times that day as well. Hopefully that has sunk in because I really don't want to relive that moment. Two thoughts - the "long leash" has new been shortened...and, why don't they put a little plastic box around the handle or put it a little higher. How much more tempting can they make a fire alarm to a three year old kid?

PS - This is a theoretical, hypothetical, imaginary leash. I don't literally have my child on a leash.

Break Through!!

I know a lot of you are aware that Carson is pretty much terrified of swimming. And if you're not aware - then I'll fill you in. He took swimming lessons last summer and they basically just scared him. At the first lesson, he was happy and I couldn't keep him out of the water. By the last lesson, he was crying from the minute we drove there to the minute we were driving away. I felt like I had ruined swimming for him for life. I had signed him up for lessons to 1) learn water safety...i.e. Don't jump into a pool w/out an adult, and 2) to learn how much fun water is. We pretty much only accomplished #1. As a kid (and even now) swimming was always the best part of any vacation. It made me sad to see him terrified of something I've always loved.

Back on track, by the end of last summer, I couldn't even get him in a swimming pool. I was hoping he would forget about this little fear by this summer. So June rolled around and our occasional swimming days (at Aunt Vickie's house) started. The first time we went, it took Carson over an hour to even get on the first step of the pool. I could tell his "little" fear had definitely not been forgotten. I tried to force it (gently) a few times...you know "I'll hold you, it's okay, swimming is fun"...etc...etc.) He was not buying it. Once I had the thought that if I could just get him out there with me, he would see it wasn't scary. That was a mistake...I almost lost eye from all the kicking and screaming that occurred.

So I took the patient approach. I didn't want to make a bigger deal of it than he was already making it by himself. So every once in awhile I would ask if he would like to swim with me, and he would always answer no. He always just sat and played on the top 2 steps of the swimming pool. I knew he'd learn to swim sometime. I knew he wasn't going to be 15 and scared of the third step. So I just stayed relaxed. It was also nice that I could sit by the pool and read/relax and know that he was never leaving those first two steps.

Last weekend we had family in town and some of us were swimming in the pool. We were playing "Pirates" with Carson and his cousin (also age 3 also a boy). When the game moved to the middle of the pool, Carson was sitting on the steps all alone, trying to shoot us with his pretend cannons. I swam over and instead of saying "do you want to come swimming" I said "let's go get your cousin with the cannons." He hesitated for a second and then simply said "OK" and he held out his arms. It was a very magical moment for me. I was so happy he was able to overcome his fear.

By the end of the day, he was showing me all the things he could do. Climb out by himself, kick, move his arms, climb along the edge, and jump from the edge into my arms. All the while he just kept saying "I'm not scared Mom...Look, I'm not scared." I was so proud of him. I am also SOOOO excited that I can have fun with him in the pool now. Yay! And I will say, that the year he spent being terrified of pools did have a positive...he definitely still knows that it is not safe to just go into a pool without an adult.

Quick Story

I haven't touched a camera since my last post - but since Carson is always up to saying funny things, I thought I would blog a few.

A lot of times when we are playing "pretend" he calls me honey. He'll say "C'mon Honey" or "Let's go over here Honey." The other day I wasn't heeding his pretend play demands and he said "Be a nice honey, ok?" I could not help but laugh.

He is also very into doing everything that Karl and I do. It's like we have a little shadow. Carson and I were in the store the other day and there were lots of exciting things for him to see. He was wanting to share it all with me but I was busy trying to find the items on my list. He began by saying "Mom, come look at this." I didn't really respond - I figured I could find what I needed real quick and then we could spend some time looking at the items he had found. He then got a little louder and said "Mom....MOM.....MOM....KKKAAASSSEEYYY!" I could not stop laughing. Did he really just use my first name to get my attention? All I could think was "how old are you?" As I was laughing and still not doing what he wanted, he then said "I'm going to start counting. 1........2........3. Ok, c'mon honey. I'm going to leave. C'mon." Oh this kid is rich. Obviously he's picking up something when I am saying these exact things to him and he is magically not hearing me.

Time to Blog

This is a sampler blog post - instead of making them separate posts, I just lump them all together. Bon Appetit!

Quilt #2: I have been working on another quilt. This time I did a pinwheel sampler. The block tutorials all came from psiquilt.com. So this was a HUGE learning experience. I felt like I really got to know my seam ripper during this project, we are very close friends now. I think it turned out pretty good though. Keep reading for quilt #3.

4th of July: We headed out to the Mesa Festival of Freedom. Can I just say that I loathe crowds. It makes me really cranky and I'm not ever willing to wait in a huge line. Basically nothing is worth standing in a huge line (a minor line is ok...but if it's over 15 people deep or if I'm not seeing any progress...I'm out). So the event was crowded. Carson seems to be pretty sensitive to loud noises so he had his hands over his ears ALL night...not just during the fireworks. The bands were too loud for him, the classic car engine revving was too loud for him, the general crowd noise was too loud for him. Half way through the night I saw a kid with noise canceling head phones on...maybe I should invest. *Side Note - Carson covered his ears for half of Toy Story 3 when we took him to see it (he kept asking if we could go because it was too loud). Also, he hates the Rainforest Cafe due to the noise of the "rain" storms that sweep through the restaurant. K...back on track.

The fireworks were cool though. That's pretty much all I can say about it. Here are a progression of pictures I took of Carson through out the night...try to find the common theme.

Here is Carson on 4th of July morning eating pancakes with whipped cream, strawberries, and blueberries (a special red, white, and blue breakfast...plus I made them funny face pancakes which he adores).

Quilt #3: Another one of my sisters is having a baby in the very near future so I decided to play fair and make her a quilt too. I got this pattern off Moda Bake Shop. It's the Moda Make Life fabric. I absolutely love this quilt and LOVE this fabric line. I just want to hold it and squeeze it because I think it is so darn cute. Also, I have to toot my own horn for a second - this was my first time ever doing applique and ever doing free motion quilting. I think I did awesome! The applique was kind of hard and I ended up getting a different foot so I could actually see the letter lines. I was so nervous for the free motion quilting. I had read so many blogs (and the ladies at the sewing store) that made it seem impossible. One lady said if I practiced about 120 hours, I'd be good at it. What! Who has 120 hours to practice stipple quilting? I did use one tip I read online - it said consistent speed is important and suggested putting a book in your foot pedal so it only goes down half way. I did this and I think it really helped. So there was only one spot I crossed my line and it was because I was just so caught up in the amazingly cool loops I was making...and making beautifully. So, I don't think I'll need 120 hours of practice. There is room for a little improvement...but I can display my stipple quilting proudly! Oh - and I machine bound it (same as above). I'll probably just go back and forth between by machine and by hand depending on how I feel that day.

Hmmm...I feel like there was way more I needed to say...oh well. Count your lucky stars I don't go babbling on forever.

Disclaimer: I have waited in line for a few movies/book releases in my life. It is a little different though - you can sit, you're with friends, you can eat, etc. etc. I felt I needed to disclaim or else a certain sister-in-law would call me out due to the fact that we waited in line to see a certain movie containing vampires and werewolfs just a few weeks ago. This movie will remain nameless.

Cursed Dress

During church yesterday, the power went out suddenly during Sacrament meeting. It was a very weird experience. It all the sudden got pitch black (and all the kids got really quiet). They opened up the curtains and then it was light enough for us to at least finish the meeting. So the speaker finished his talk (w/out a microphone), we sang a closing hymn, etc. all in a very dimly lit room. The Bishop then got up and said that we could all go home. So that's twice in the last month that we've been sent home after our first meeting.

Now - as for the title of this post, I was wearing the same "new" cute dress as the last time church was canceled. Yes...I know the last time was only two weeks ago and I was wearing the dress again. I didn't get a full wear out of it last time, so i figured it wasn't awful to try it again. Anyway, it seems I have a cursed dress. I'll have to be careful when I wear it.

Funny Conversation

Last night, Carson and I had a conversation that I thought was funny. I was getting him ready for bed. He had his jammie shorts on and no shirt. He was standing in front of the closet mirror doors. As I went to put his jammie shirt on...

Carson: "No, mom. I want to look at my body."

Me: "Oh, OK. Where's your belly button?"

Carson: "Right here" (pointing to his belly button). He then pointed to his nipples and said "What are these?"

Me: "Those are your nipples. They are part of your body."

Carson: "Oh my...middles...my...dimples?" (Carson attempting to say nipples)

Me: "Yep"

Carson:...long pause..."Santa brought them?"

Me: (laughter) "No, Santa didn't bring them."

Carson:...another long pause..."Jesus brought them?"

Me: "Yes, Jesus brought them."

Carson: (big smile on his face) "Oooohhhh. Look Mom, my body's happy. It's perfect."

Me: (smiling so big it hurts) "Yes, your body's perfect."

Carson: "Look Mom, my back...it's got shoulders. Just like Daddy."

Me: "Yep, just like Daddy."

Carson then gave me a big hug and kiss and said "I love you too Mommy." (even though he said it first).

How can you have a kid this sweet and not love your life. Oh, and I can't help but laugh at how a three year old puts Santa and Jesus in the same boat. In his mind they are both unseen figures who love him. I'm sure the difference will begin to clear up as he grows.

When I was teaching dance, I had one five year old student who was just precious. She had a Velma haircut and big thick glasses and I loved her to death. Five year olds love to spout off random facts about themselves during a dance class. One day she said "Sometimes, my mom loves me so much she cries." It was so sweet. Being a mother now I can totally relate. Sometimes I just love my little guy so much, it makes me quite teary. It's sweet moments like last night that help me build up patience for the next not so sweet night. There are a billion funny conversations lately, but I have a feeling my blogging wouldn't do them justice.

Carson is 3!

How did this happen? How is my little baby 3 and walking and talking (and sometimes talking back)? I'll look at his little baby pictures and I can't believe how big he is. I know most moms say this - but it's true.

He got donuts in the morning, as tradition. Then we threw Carson a pirate themed party. We had it up at Karl's parents house and invited a bunch of family. I made an awesome pirate cake. We got bandanas, eye patches, and mustaches and made everyone look the part for the scavenger hunt (that picture will be coming later). It was a pretty dang good bash. I also thoroughly enjoyed talking like a pirate all night long - scallywag, scurvy dog, land lubber, etc.

Oh - and I also made awesome invitations. I can't find it at the moment - but they were full of pirate lingo. I burnt the edges and crinkled them up to make them look old.

Carson is becoming quite the bed time procrastinator. He comes up with all sorts of excuses and knows how to butter me up with his little grin and saying "I love you mommy" and "Stay with me...just a little bit". Last night he came to find me and told me there was a monster ghost lion in his room.

He is also extremely sweet. The day after his birthday I woke up to him scratching my head and rubbing my hair gently. When I looked up at him he just said "You're welcome." Oh, I was thinking - my son is so sweet. Then I looked at the clock...5:30 am on a Saturday. No, you're welcome was not the appropriate thing to say.

Jessie's Wedding

So I think I'm starting to lose my blog juice...mojo...motivation. I just don't ever really feel like doing it. But - I feel it important since I keep no other kind of journal.

We went up to Utah to see my little sister Jessie get married. I had planned on going up and tying bows or something till 2 am - but she pretty much had it all under control. I think the day before my wedding I was running around town in crazy mode trying to get everything done. I don't think I even remembered the tables would need centerpieces till the day before my wedding. So us girls got to relax a bit (pedicure, shopping) while the boys went to play paintball.

The wedding went great and the reception was beautiful. Jessie had her three sisters and a friend as bridesmaids. Both my older sisters are pregnant right now (obviously pregnant). It was a little depressing when people would say "Now, which two of you are pregnant." C'mon...really? I know people were probably trying to not offend by guessing, but each time I'd have to suck it in a little bit more. In my defense, the dress was an empire waist and pretty loose around the stomach...so maybe they couldn't quite tell at first glance. My poor sisters had the unfortunate event of having their bellies rubbed by the majority of people that came through the line.


My friend Erica came down to the reception so we could catch up for a few minutes. She brought her new little chunky baby boy - so cute. She also got to see Carson being a crazy (he was a little stir crazy after sitting through wedding events). Erica - I know you are reading this. I promise he is a very sweet boy and not always out of control.


Anyway, the wedding was great and we all had a lot of fun. It was beautiful weather in Utah - hot to some but to us AZ'ers it was a nice reprieve. I am glad Jessie is so happy and we are excited to have Tyson in our family! Here are a few pictures.

It's Getting Hot in Here

Usually the blog title is one of the hardest things for me to write. I always want it to be clever...usually I fail (just go back and read some titles...wait, don't). Anyway, as i approached this post, this blog title came to me way too quickly. Perhaps I should be worried that a song such as this is so near my cognitive surface. And if you are now humming the tune...perhaps you should be worried too.

ANYWAY...

It is warming up in Phoenix - the hellish part of the year has begun. Our church building is old and the AC is awful. As I've been serving in primary the last two years (just released...tear) I've come to learn that the Primary room is one of the worst rooms - temp wise. It's like a torture chamber/hot box. And trying to do sharing time while being self conscious about the sweat dripping off your brow and trying to never lift your arms too high isn't fun. They are supposed to be working on our AC so hopefully it cools down soon.

On Sunday, it was really hot at church. During sacrament meeting, I was fanning myself with the program (which always makes me envision myself as a southern bell and I begin to talk with a thick Georgian accent - "Pass me that hymnal won't ya darlin' "). Carson was being a bit of a pill and as I took him out, the lobby was even hotter. I felt like I was walking into a sauna. At the end of sacrament meeting, the Bishop got up and said that the chapel was the coolest in the building and it was still uncomfortably hot. So they canceled the rest of our meetings and sent us all home. My first response was gratitude. I was so glad I didn't have to sweat it out for two more hours...in my new cute dress I might add.

As we were driving away, blasting the AC, I started to feel like a pansy. I am sure there are hundreds of church buildings all over the world that just don't have AC. So I guess I'll be grateful I was saved the suffering...but also remember that I'm blessed to have a church building at all.

To come - my little sister's wedding and Carson's birthday. Karl is taking some computer software classes and is basically on our computer all night every night. So it will be a little bit before I find a second to transfer pictures.

Stomach Surprise!

I am singing the puppy surprise jingle in my head as I type that...anyone else remember that creepy toy where you would buy the puppy and then the surprise was how many baby puppies were in her belly...hey, I said creepy. When these came out I was young enough to know about them, but also old enough to know that a pregnant stuffed puppy was a little creepy. Anyway, the jingle has stayed in my head for probably over 15 years now.

Anyway, back to stomach surprise. And...OH...I just realized how a reader could interpret that to mean something about me. Wrong...it was the stomach surprise for Karl. Meaning, what's wrong with his stomach. Now that we have cleared that up...

On Sunday Karl started to complain about intestinal pain. Now remember, Sunday was Mother's Day. So when Karl started complaining in the morning, I thought "Hey, it's Mother's Day. Let's not try to change the focus." I know, what caring and loving thoughts. But by Sunday night, he was still complaining and then I didn't mind shifting the focus a little.

So this went on for a few more days. Wednesday, I forced him to go into the doctor's. They made him get a cat scan and then we were waiting for the results. I went out to WebMD and looked up the symptoms of appendicitis. The only one he had was pain. But by Thursday night, he had half of the symptoms, so I diagnosed him with appendicitis. My vast studying of the problem made me qualified.

Friday morning, the doctor told Karl it was appendicitis (Thank you very much) and scheduled an immediate removal surgery. So then I spent the day running around crazy and trying to be in twelve places at once. Thanks to some very helpful people, we made it through. Karl's appendix removal went as great as it can and he was home hours later.

We have spent the weekend basically quarantined in our house. The doctor told me not to leave him alone for at least 24 hours. That means that Carson has had some major cabin fever, which actually happens to be contagious. I caught a major case as well. Carson and I have found a temporary solution though. Mass amounts of time spent in our two foot backyard. I think I've watered the plants more in the last two days than the whole time we've lived in this house.

Karl's doing great on his recovery. He thought his belly button wound was pretty cool. I made the mistake of letting him show it to me (gag). He actually wanted to go to work tomorrow...which I vetoed. It wasn't too hard to convince him since now he'll get to spend a day playing XBox and eating ice cream.

So that has been our weekend. And "Stomach surprise, stomach surprise". Warning: if you click play, the jingle could be stuck in your head for the next 15 years.

Picnic!

We had my work picnic last Saturday. It was a lot of fun. Carson basically played in the bouncy castle for three hours straight. He emerged long enough to eat a hot dog, squirt my boss with a water gun, play tug of war, and eat two sno cones. Sounds like a perfect day. *My boss was instigating the water fights, so don't worry, I won't get fired.

And this is how you know you've been to a good picnic.

A Hodge Podge Post

I feel like I'm in the fight of my life for some free time right now. Here I am though - finally having enough free time to finish the other higher priority items and then blog. And yes, blogging is not my highest priority...I know you're sad.

Where to begin. Chronologically of course. EASTER! Carson had a wonderful Easter. He got some new church books and way too much candy for a 2 year old. His Great Grandma (GG MA as we all like to call her) gave him these bunny ears. He not only loved them (much to my surprise) but wanted to wear them all the time.

In April, we all headed up to Sedona for my sister's wedding. The boys (Carson and his cousin that is a month older) ran the rings up when it came time. I was very impressed at Carson's execution. I thought for sure he would refuse to give up the ring or just decide to stay up there with the bride and groom. But he ran right up, handed off the ring, and then came back and sat down. Success! The wedding was beautiful, as was Sedona. The boys were adorable in their matching outfits. I love the model pose below.

From there, we headed to Utah to celebrate my other sister's graduation from BYU. While we were up there I also threw her a bridal shower because she is getting married next month. Here is a pic of our beautiful feast. Jackie (another sister) did amazing on the mini cupcakes (I lost count on how many I ate) and no party is complete without spice comantors (new readers - that's chex mix).

While in Utah, we did get to do some liesure activities too. Karl, Carson and I hiked the Y (it was just as hard as I remembered........that's what she....never mind). With Karl carrying Carson in a backpack, we were pretty even hikers. I went to a few dance classes with my sisters. We also did a lot of late night talking. Then it was time to drive home. I was a grouch the whole way...leaving family, the thought of a 10 - 11 hour drive, coming back "home" to Arizona, etc, etc. Luckily, I had a book and Karl was willing to do most of the driving.

I can't believe I summed up all that. I could have told the long version...but you're welcome.

Hello Again!

Well, it is the end of April 15th (wait...the beginning of April 16th). Our office had an "end of busy season" party tonight. It was at a casino and we were all given a few chips to gamble away. As I was contemplating the choice I had to make (in my head conversation "Do i give the chips back? No that would be rude. Well is it wrong to gamble if someone gives me the chips? Wow, these chips are a lot heavier than I imagined. I guess I'll just put them in my purse and take them home? etc, etc" I overheard someone say they were just going to cash the chips in. AH HA!! So I just cashed my chips in and walked out of that party feeling pretty good. That cash is going to pay for the massage that I will arrange for next week. Way more relaxing than losing money.

So what now you ask? Well first, I'm going to attend a wedding, a graduation, and throw a bridal shower...all in the next week. But, I'm really looking forward to the week off and finally just relaxing, reading, letting myself see the sun, and hanging with my fam. Oh, also on the to do list is probably a blog with pictures...maybe Easter or something of that nature.

The Light!

What day is it? I'm not exactly sure at this point of accounting busy season...I just keep working. But I know that the end to busy season is near. And then I get a nice week long vacation with the family! Oh blessed PTO. Anyway, you should soon see increased blog activity. I should also be able to find all the time I've wanted to work on projects and read and sit in the sun, right? Probably not, but one can dream.

Uh...Emergency FHE!

Carson sang a new version of a classic children's song today. In his version, Old McDonald no longer owned the farm, Heavenly Father did. I guess it's not awful, but I don't think Heavenly Father and EIEIO belong in the same song.

He's Larious!

Carson is too funny lately. He does so many funny things that I feel like I can't possibly blog them all. He keeps our lives very entertained. It really would be a new story every day.

He's learned that it is fun to make people laugh. His techniques aren't quite refined yet, but the old standby of a dinosaur growl will usually make a 3 year old girl laugh. After he has gotten the response he wants, he'll usually turn to me and says "Mom, I'm funny." On Sunday I responded with a sarcastic "Yes, you're hilarious." He told me "I'm not larious mom, I'm funny."

He's very into pretending he is a dinosaur or a dragon. Half the time we play it starts with him saying "You be the dinosaur Mommy and I'll be the dragon." The other day I was getting ready in the morning. Carson was being a dinosaur. He came up to me and said "Turn around, Mommy, I'm gonna bite your bum." What the what?

Lately Karl and I have been playing this game to get Carson to eat his dinner. It involves us pretending a bunny is going to come eat his food so he better eat it fast. The other is me pretending my food is for the bunny and then getting "really upset" when Carson eats the food that was for the bunny. The "bunny" games have been working pretty well. The other morning we were playing this game with him. Karl said something like "Oh, the bunny just took a bite and then ran that way." Carson said "I'm gonna go get him." He then ran in the direction Karl had pointed and made a few chomping sounds. He then came back to the table and simply said "The Bunny's Dead." Talk about a back fire.

The other night he was upset he had to go to bed. He stomped up the stairs as he yelled "No fair!" I thought I had ten more years until I heard this. He must have seen someone do it. He's tried out the "no fair" comment a few more times. Luckily, it's starting to die down.

I was singing Staying Alive the other day. After I finished Carson created his own "mash-up" (Glee anyone?). He sang "Staying alive staying alive...Elmo's world."

His favorite new game is hide and seek. He doesn't quite get it yet, but he knows it involves hiding, finding, counting, and shouting "Remy or Not, Here I Come!" He usually combines those factors in any order when he requests hide and seek.

Say Ahhh!

Well - I just experienced another rite of passage...my first cavities. Three to be exact. When I found out about them at my dentist appointment (3 weeks ago), I was in denial. I just kept thinking that if I brushed really hard and flossed everyday until my filling appointment...the cavities would magically disappear. Well, unfortunately, my teeth aren't magic and I had to deal with the disappointment of learning that my teeth are not superhuman as I've always thought.

So appointment day came and I sat down in the seat. The dentist said "let's get you numbed up." It was at that moment that I realized I would be getting a shot...in the gums. Ahhhh. I wanted to say "Um, no let's not, I'm good with my cavities." Luckily, he numbed my gums with gel and then gave me the shot...didn't hurt a bit. By the time he got down to business I couldn't feel a thing. I was able to use the time to close my eyes and relax. An hour of forced laying down...not too bad.

I was fascinated by the assistant/dentist system. She anticipated his every move and kept a constant range of tools coming. Without saying a word, they would exchange tools over and over. I was smiling as I watched their fine tuned system and then I caught myself humming along to the overhead song, Barry White "Can't Get Enough of Your Love." Then I realized what a weirdo I was being and I laughed...actually laughed during my filling procedures. My jaw is craned open, I have some screw contraption attached to my tooth, the dentist is drilling away, and I'm smiling and humming Barry White. Weirdo.

After it was all said and done, they handed me a cup of Listerine to swish and spit out in the sink. Keep in mind that I have never had Novocaine lips before. I stood over the sink, took a swig of Listerine, and attempted to swish. It all just spit out of my mouth all over me. I couldn't help but laugh again. I tried one more time and tried to concentrate really hard on clenching my lips...but no, it just spittled everywhere. The assistant then chimes in "Oh, that happens all the time." I think she was trying to comfort me, but I thought "Really, you couldn't have warned me? C'mon!"

I had a replay of the spit event when I got home and tried to drink a glass of milk. I just kept quoting Airplane - he discusses the drinking problem he's had ever since the war. He then tries to drink a glass of water and pours it all over his face...ahhh ha ha ha. Drinking problem. Oh, ha ha.

And the moral of the story is...floss...or, try to remember that people can see and hear you so try not to be a weirdo all the time.

My Busy Season Outlet

While I have been working crazy hours, I've also found the increased need to find something to help me relax. How do I have time for an outlet you ask? I don't...sleep is suffering. But, if it keeps me a little bit less crazy, it's worth it. I love finding excuses to make projects. I don't know why I never make things for myself, but I think "oh, that person is having a baby" or "oh, that person is getting married", "now I have an excuse for a project."


Enter project - So this was my first non-rag quilt. It was also the first where I picked out all the fabric by myself. It was also the first time I ever bound a quilt (not needed on rag quilts). So let me tell you that I hate binding by hand and found that some people do it by machine. Of course, I didn't discover this till half way through my hand binding. Anyway - lesson learned for next time. But I think the quilt turned out really cute. I did a pretty easy pattern because I didn't want to overwhelm myself. I love the stripe on the back that ties it all together. I got the pattern from moda bake shop (I love this website!). It gives me way too many project ideas.

The Adventures of Me

I've been working a lot lately. Busy season has hit me full force and I'm pulling off some major hours. But I'm excited to be working and doing it well. I few weeks ago I was in Oregon for a audit. I actually really enjoy going up to Eugene. It's a bit of a hippie town - lots of Vegan restaurants, bikers everywhere, organic restaurants, etc, etc. You know, the things you never see in the valley. Well....maybe in Scottsdale. Anyway - I love the change in vibe. I kind of like the hippie feel. Not that I eat all organic or am a vegetarian, but it's fun to be around. The weather is pretty mild. It is close to the coast so while it can get cold, it usually isn't too bad and the snow fall usually only stays a day and then melts. I've heard it is gorgeous in the summers. It is called "The Emerald City." Unfortunately, the audit is in December and January...so I only get winters. The population is about the same as the town where I grew up...so that also feels comfortable to me.

Traveling for work can be good and bad. The first trip I had out of town, I think I enjoyed it a little too much. It was the first time I had ever had a hotel room all to myself. I could do anything I wanted at night. I stayed up late and watched TV. I kept the room spotless the whole week. I read till all hours of the night guilt free. After a few out of town trips, the freedom wore off a little and I began to miss my family sooner and sooner. I little trip every once in a while can still be nice though.

This last trip I took didn't give me as much free time at night. Since this is my second busy season, my work load is definitely heavier. So I would work out at the client's during the day and then go back to my hotel room and work some more. By Thursday night, I was going a little mad. I decided to not work for that last night and go do something instead. My hotel is right downtown and there are several cool looking places with in walking distance. So I walked and got dinner at one of my fav Eugene restaurants (Lucky Noodle) and I noticed there was a little movie theater across the street. I decided to go see a movie...by myself. This is actually the first time I have done this. 500 Days of Summer was playing and that was one I had wanted to see but Karl hadn't...perfect. I knew the movie must be close to coming to rent so I figured this must be a discount theater or something.

I walk in and it looks more like a little house than a theater. My ticket was $5. The man asked me if I would like to open a tab? He asked if I would be drinking tonight? He asked if I would like him to keep my credit card up front for my future alcohol purchases? No, No, and No. He then "cards" me in case I decide to drink later. I can say this is the first time I have ever been carded. There are people in the lobby, laughing and drinking wine. I stop to read the newspaper clippings that are framed on the wall. Light bulb - this is a theater/pub. Oh well, I can enjoy the theater part and ignore the pub part.

So then I ask where the theater is and he points to a little curtain...where am I? So I go through the curtain and just start laughing. I am in a room the size of my living room. There are six love seats and a few chairs in the "back row." There is a projector screen. I am the only person in the room. I help myself to the front row love seat and put my feet up on the coffee table. This could be fun. I love experiencing different things like this. At this point I take a sec to call Karl, take some pics on my cell phone and send them to him. We have a good laugh.

I got a second laugh when the "previews" ended and the 500 Days of Summer screen had a few options - "Play" "Scene Selection" "Language" Etc. Ha - this IS a DVD. By now there is another couple in the back. The man walks in and hits play. Let the movie begin!

So besides the occasional loudness coming from the lobby (on the other side of the curtain) as people just hung out and had a few beers, I really enjoyed my little night out at the theater/pub. And I think that Eugene is the exact place you'd find something like this. It was like having the comfort of your own home but being out on the town. My only wish was that Karl had been there too (aaahhh.)

Anyway, if you're ever in Eugene and want to visit a movie theater/pub, hit up the David Minor movie theater/pub. As far as movie theaters/pubs go, I highly recommend it.

Carson Update

This is just a post of things Carson is up to. I know my parents will suck it up like candy.

For the last month or so, Carson has become our alarm clock. He wakes up at 6:30 (as always), creeps down the hall, and then throws our door open and roars like a lion at the top of his lungs. Ignoring the abrupt awakening I get, I think it is hilarious. Then he usually cuddles with us for a few minutes (my favorite part) and then starts informing us it is time to get up.

There was one night a little bit ago where Carson really didn't want to go to bed (no surprise). But he was having a hard time and was just sobbing. I was washing his hands and his face as he stood on his stool in the bathroom. He was just watching himself cry in the mirror. Then he took the drama to a whole new level and exclaimed "I'm sooo sad. I'm sooo sad." The declaration and the sobbing combined broke my heart (but mostly made me laugh because it was just too cute).

Carson has also taken up the habit of pretending he is a robot. It involves talking in a monotone voice and moving his arms very robotically. He usually just says "I am the robot" over and over. And over...and over. And over.

Carson has also made up his own word. “Shoopie.” He uses it all the time. At first Karl and I tried to figure out what he was trying to say, but it soon became clear that the word had no specific meaning. He says things like “I’m going to go get my Shoopie.” I then say “Yeah, let’s go get it.’’ He’ll usually look around for a minute and then say “I can’t find it, it’s not here.” He sometimes tells us that we are shoopies. Sometimes he says he wants to sing shoopie. Karl and I have even picked up on it. Shoopie is now a regular word in our house.

The taunting "Na na na boo boo" is now a part of his language. I'm not sure where he picked this one up. But this morning he said "Nanny boo boo, you can't get me."

I thought I would also include an older story in this post. We went bowling over Thanksgiving. Carson loved it. We used this little ramp device so that he could push his ball down the ramp ("all by himself") and it would go down the lane. Carson would then imitate the adults and say things like "Go...go." The cutest though was when I was putting him to bed that night. He recounted to me his bowling experience three times in a row. "It's my turn...then I push the ball...go go...yeah." It was precious to me. Here's a pic.

What the What?

How is it February? Well - let me tell you about Christmas...I know you have all been awaiting this blog post with as much anticipation as Christmas itself.

My family came into town for Christmas - YEAH! We got to take them to fun Arizona things. We went and saw the temple lights one night and then hit up Organ Stop Pizza. When the stage starts rising, and the organ player is playing "Under the Sea", and bubbles start falling from the ceiling (and I'm eating pizza)...It's Magical.

We were all trying to finish up our Christmas shopping and relax too. So there was a lot of hanging out and catching up...and laughing as always. It is always fun to have all four sisters together. I also always love Christmas time because that means I can pull out my Jim Hensen and the Muppets CD. We all grew up with this being the go to Christmas CD. Nothing beats the Muppets singing Little St. Nick, 12 Days of Christmas, or We Wish You a Merry Christmas.

Carson loved every second of the holiday. His Christmas vocabulary grew exponentially. He loved the song Jingle Bells to death (literally...that song must die). He loved the Christmas lights and any spotting of Santa on some one's lawn (you know, the big blow up thingys). For Christmas, we just got him some books and toys. I think his favorite was the Star Wars figurines his dad got him. He loves playing with his "Chewbacca" and "Storm Trooper". Karl was very excited that Carson took to Star Wars so well.

Here is my little fella in his handsome Christmas outfit (pulling a Cheese face). Below is him enjoying one of his new Christmas presents.

My little sister tried to teach Carson the Kit Kat bar song over Christmas break. He would sing "Give me a blake, give me a blake, blake me off...(mumbles)...kif kaf kar." That song never failed to make me smile.

Karl's family has a tradition of making "Christmas Canes" on Christmas morning. Since Christmas was with my family this year, I thought I would make some Christmas Canes for Karl. We did it on Christmas Eve morning though as my family also has a Christmas breakfast tradition (Eggs Benedict...YUMM!). Anyway, I followed the recipe and as I was folding the dough in thirds and starting to cut, I was just thinking "these look huge...but that's what the recipe says." Well, they were huge. I wasn't imagining it. Karl's mom's canes are usually 6 inches or so. Mine were like a foot and a half. It was really funny as I placed them on the pan. So instead of having 3 or 4 like we usually do, we all just got one. They still tasted delicious.

But Christmas came and went as fast as it always does. Carson sang Jingle Bells for awhile after...he has since retired it though.

For New Year's Day, we went sledding in Flagstaff. Carson mainly just liked throwing snow "balls" (I use that term very loosely...much like the nature of his snow balls). He lasted about an hour and a half though - pretty impressive.

Well - that is the extent of our Christmas break. Hope yours was great too!