While Taylor is suffering...

It's finally here. The BAR. Taylor left Sunday evening to stay some place quieter where he could be guaranteed to get a full nights sleep and have undisturbed study time all Monday, which turned out to be a good plan since Ethan has been waking up every night between 4:30 and 5am either because he's scared of the dark or needs a drink (who knew we shouldn't let him watch Veggie Tales- The Pirates who don't do anything, I mean seriously, it's vegi tales, but apparently the rock monster scared his pants off and he's been having nightmares ever since). So it was good that Taylor left. But knowing that I'd go crazy by myself for 3 straight days, I invited my friend Jessica up. She's a 4th grade teacher so she's off for the summer and has lots of time to play with us. Yeah!
Isaac doesn't like sitting in the sand and is still confused why he can't pick up the sand castle Ethan has just made, as well as why Ethan screams at him for doing it. Luckily beach balls are great fun to kick around.

Jessica was great. The boys eat up her attention and she even loves dogs so she let Oscar out from Taylor's parent's house and played around with him.

And the sidewalk chalk was a hit. Anyone know if it's non-toxic? Cause Isaac sure loves licking the stuff. Yum.

Jessica also brought up her little dog Socks. Poor thing is so little and my kids are so crazy and loud that they scared her the whole time. The one exception was when they were still and watching TV. Isaac was so in love that he even started saying "dog" and barking like one.

The real reason Jessica came up though was to help me with a project I've been planning. Living in DC for 6 years in apartments, it never seemed worth it to paint since we'd just have to paint it all back white at the end. So I lived without any color but I've been waiting for the day I could paint a baby nursery. And it's finally here!

So Monday Jessica helped me pick out paint colors and all the stuff we'd need for the job and then we got started: moving furniture, taping, spackling holes, removing outlet covers, etc. The carpets are really gross and old so luckily we didn't even have to worry about a drop cloth.

Here's the first phase of painting: green. I tried to go neutral or semi-neutral so I can switch it to a girl's nursery in a few years (if needed) by just adding some pink curtains or something.

I wanted to do a chair rail so I could have 2 colors together. In some ways it was easier than we thought- we just leveled it by drawing a chalk line on the wall with Ethan's sidewalk chalk. And in other ways it was harder- getting the nails all the way in is rough. So there's no finished pictures since it's still not totally done but here's the idea at least.

We got it all painted and one chair rail up and I think Taylor will be happy to help finish this weekend.

To make Taylor's BAR experience twice as bad, Wednesday was our 6th anniversary. He did get to take the day off of work, but not to do something fun- unless you consider 200 multiple choice questions in 3 hours fun. So once the test was finally over, we left the boys with a babysitter and went out. Joe's Crab Shack provided a fun taste of DC and was great besides the weird Macarena dance the workers performed.

After that we joined his parents for the MLS All-Star Game which was being played in Utah because they finished this brand new stadium last year. The All-Stars played FC Everton from England and it was a really great game.

Sadly, we let them score in the first 10 minutes on a really stupid mistake (our guy tried to cross the ball in- actually IN the goal box so of course their player snagged it and hammered in a goal). After that, the US basically controlled the game. We scored and had 9 or 10 really good shots on goal. Unfortunately their goalie is really good as well.

So when the game ended in a tie, they announced to everyone's surprise that their would be penalty kicks. And when those ended in a 3-3 tie, they started in on individual penalty kicks and tragically they kicked one in and we missed ours. So we ended up losing but it was a fun game and nice to sit through a soccer game without Isaac on our laps and Ethan stepping on our feet.

I'll update later on the room progress. The funny thing is that Taylor came home from work tonight about 5:50 while I was blogging and before he even changed his clothes, he started working on the babies room. He's been playing outside with the scroll saw and the chair rail pieces now for over an hour and is in high heaven to be able to work on some "personal" projects instead of studying for the BAR.

Are these boys ready for a little brother?

Yes they are! While Kristina and her husband were doing last minute loading of the truck, they left Evan inside with us. I was busy making dinner so I just set him in the walker and gave him his binky. Ethan and Isaac were very concerned by his whimpering though (I really mean whimpering- the child doesn't cry, he more just meows). So what would make him happy in a 4 year old's brain? A whole heap of dinosaurs- of course! It was really cute to see them get him toys on their own and then when Evan was less than impressed with them and continued to whimper, they would shake them and make them roar and really tried to make him happy. Here's to hoping they'll be just as nice to the new baby.
(Actually, on a side note, the other day Ethan came up and poked my belly and asked if the baby was still in there. I informed him that it was and Ethan's next question was "well when is she coming out". I said "oh, it's a boy, he's going to be your brother". At which point he started tearing up and when I asked "did you want a little sister?" there were actual tears that fell accompanying his yes reply. Ahh, a child after my own heart. My only guess is that he had so many friends that were girls in DC that he loved so he was hoping for a sister. Who knows? So now he's been telling random strangers and anyone that will listen that he's getting a baby brother but THEN he'll get a sister after that. Here's to hoping!)

To Idaho we go!

Sometimes when the Lord shuts a window he opens a door. I love that saying because I think it's really true. I think in the midst of any trial there are blessings to be had and even happiness to be found if you look for it.
I'm not really having a huge trial right now- Taylor is. The BAR is in 2 days and he's actually getting stressed- which is really foreign for Taylor. He even admitted tonight that he'd never worked this hard in law school and it's true, not anywhere near this hard. This is like every final he had over the past 8 semesters all lumped into one. Poor guy, it'll be over soon.
The only trial for me has been lack of a break and kids who really miss their dad. They've started mobbing him the second he walks in the door and Isaac, who says almost no words consistently and never on command, has started shouting "dada, dada" and dancing around when he sees him and he'll even wave and say "bye-bye" to him. This really is unheard of behavior for him and only Taylor is showered with these shows of affection. It's kind of cute to see that he misses him.
So although we're suffering from a lack of Taylor being around, the Lord blessed us by bringing some of our best friends out from DC and they invited us up to visit. Catherine had her second baby 5 weeks ago and has been recuperating with the help of her family. We joined them for 2 days and loved every minute of it. It doesn't hurt that Ethan and Kennedy can't get enough of each other and played well most of the time- come on, can you really expect a 2 and 4 year old to share ALL the time?
L to R: Isaac, Ethan, and Kennedy
The first night we were there her family took up to a dairy farm/store where we had amazing ice cream. Afterwards we got to go visit the animals which was a good lesson for Ethan in where our food comes from.

They had goats on the farm and this was the boys favorite thing since the baby goats would come and eat straw out of their hands.

Even Isaac tried to get in on the action, picking up the straw and throwing it in to them. Sadly he didn't quite get the concept of holding it for them and waiting.

The next day we had a very productive outing for the moms to a fabric/craft store where I found great fabric for the babies and boys rooms and then since they put up with having to tag along on our shopping trip, we took them to feed ducks on the river. Catherine found a great spot with lots of ducks right across from the Idaho Falls temple. Isaac spent the first few minutes eating the duck's bread and then finally joined in on throwing it to them. If you look close you can actually see the bread he threw in this shot right above the goose.

He was happy to feed the ducks until he discovered these rocks beside the river.

That afternoon Catherine's sister Kelli took us to visit her horse Louie. Ethan couldn't get enough of feeding him, unfortunately it's dangerous to get your fingers too close because they can apparently be mistaken for carrots, so Ethan had to keep his distance with the straw or have help every time which he didn't appreciate much.

Isaac wouldn't go near him except to pet him.

Ethan was brave though and rode on him. Unfortunately his sandal started to slip off so he did as well.

L to R: Catherine's cute mom, Catherine with baby Truman, Ethan, Kennedy, and Kelli.

Saturday morning we went to Bear World just outside of Yellowstone.

These are the only pictures of bears I took since you weren't supposed to roll your windows down while you were driving through the forest.

The boys were of course fascinated when the bears started fighting and of course I had to laugh when I overheard every other mother as well as myself explaining that they're just playing- not fighting. Looks like Ethan and Isaac sometimes.

They were less than impressed with the bears being bottle fed and after watching the kid who was doing the feeding cry, I'm glad we didn't shell out any extra dough for an experience that might have terrorized my kids.

We moved on to the petting zoo where again my children were less than impressed with the actual animals and just wanted to stomp in the mud puddles and throw rocks in the river. Isaac actually walked up to this baby deer asleep on the grass and when he got close enough to see that he wasn't doing anything interesting, he walked right away- didn't even care to pet him.

Apparently this little stream is more exciting than turkeys, goats, chickens, deer, pigs, and other animals.

After a break for snacks and a drive through the bear habitat, we let the kids go on a few rides. Thanks Catherine for riding with Isaac since it would have been hard for me to cram my expanding belly and into those little seats.

This was Ethan's favorite. He said that at least 15 times while I was downloading these pictures.

It was a jam-packed, fun-filled few days and we were so grateful for the break. My kids were constantly entertained and I didn't have to do any cooking or cleaning the whole time. Plus there was great company and conversation. Thanks Catherine and family! We had a great time!

3 shorts months with a sister nearby

One of the reasons I was really excited for this summer is that my younger sister Kristina lives in Provo. In past years it's been fun to see her but she has been working so it really wasn't that often. She had her first baby in March though and has been staying home with him so I was excited to have more time with her. It actually worked out great because her husband had to work Saturdays and Taylor was usually studying for the BAR on Saturdays so I had a automatic buddy. She came up and we worked on projects or we'd go down and hang out there with her. It was always wonderful and I will truly miss having her this close.
Wednesday they moved to southern Illinois where her husband is starting a Masters Program in Psychology. She spent the night with us Tuesday while her husband started the long trek across country in their rented truck. It was also her birthday last Sunday so the boys and I spent the afternoon baking her pig cookies. There's no explanation besides she used to like pigs as a child and I thought these were really cute. They actually turned out great- just sugar cookies died pink with a little bit of frosting and M&M eyes. I'd prefer a little more frosting but if you're one of those who hates frosting, you'll love these. My boys couldn't get enough and have been begging for "piggy" cookies all week.
Here's her sweet little Evan. I can't wait for another cuddly baby.

Isaac really likes him too- okay so maybe he just wants to sit close so he can take his binky.

Good Luck Kristina and Fred! We'll know you'll do great and you'll love being part of the East Coast/Midwest Kitchen group. We're sad to miss out on the holidays together but glad someone could take our place!

Quiet Book

When Ethan was just 4 weeks old we moved from DC to Salt Lake for the summer. I didn't know a lot of people and was completely overwhelmed with a new baby who slept only for 2 hours intervals at night and only took 30 minute naps throughout the entire day. Let's just say I was going a little crazy being home alone with him. So I started looking for creative outlets for myself. I started making him a quiet book and a few months later a friend of mine showed me a pattern book she had with all these wonderful church themed pages. It's literally taken me 4 years to finish them all but it's been a great project to do while vegging out in front of the TV while Taylor was at night classes or studying for the BAR. Ethan loves the pages and there are enough that he is usually entertained for all of Sacrament meeting. It's great not to have to drag a whole bagful of toys to church anymore and the velcro pulling is literally the loudest noise he makes.
So I thought I'd post them and if you want me to email you the pattern or directions I would love to.
The Ten Commandments as a puzzle:
This is Ethan's favorite (bizarrely). Just a little spinner game.

This one is my favorite. Sammy is hungry and his mouth is just a hole in the green fabric so you can take the food from the refrigerator and put it into his mouth and then unzip his tummy when you're done. All the foods that are bad for him go into the trash can.

The Golden Plates with 6 picture pages. Noah's Ark complete with pairs of animals to play with. I didn't take pictures of all the little pieces but you get the point.

One of the things I really like about this pattern is that it works for younger children like Ethan who still can't read. He can still do the page though by matching shapes and later he'll be able to read the words and match based on his knowledge. Again the pieces didn't get pulled out but you get the point.

This one if for Christmas. Unzip the bible and there are all the Nativity pieces that stick on the felt fabric. Sorry about the focus.

Here's the latter-day prophet page. Ethan can't do this one yet (alright I'll admit that I cheat on a few myself) so there's numbers on the back and he likes to count and put them where they go.

Another counting one with pictures of our blessings and then a Family History page. I'll be needing to add the new babies picture in October.

Ethan loves unlocking the lock and then inside the treasure box is the blue bag with "jewels" like charity, kindness, testimony, etc that you can put on strings and make into necklaces. Inside the world pocket are little puppets of kids from around the world. This is Isaac's favorite and I don't mind either since it takes him literally a full minute just to get one puppet onto his finger and then he dances them around and makes cute talking sounds.

The best part of this book is that it's useful in other ways too. It saves me once a week and then if I need a spur of the moment lesson for Family Home Evening, I just pull out a page and voila! we have a lesson.

My view while I'm blogging...

One more reason to love Utah

One of my fond memories from growing up is coming home from church, changing into more comfortable clothes and sitting down to read through the Sunday paper and ads. I have wanted a subscription for quite some time but it never worked in DC (We actually tried 3 different times but the papers always ended up being stolen by other tenants in our building who got out to the front door earlier than us- ahh DC). So I was ecstatic when Taylor thought of this on his own and got me a subscription for Mother's Day. It has been so wonderful to be able to enjoy that Sunday afternoon tradition again and the best part is that I've been able to find out about hundreds of other local events going on (FYI for all those in Utah- the farm, Natural History Museum, and gardens at Thanksgiving Point are all just $2/person every Tuesday in August- that's a savings of $14 for just Ethan and me) and the coupons alone have paid for the paper.

So last Saturday when Taylor left at 7am to study and wasn't going to return until that evening (if even then) I was fine because I'd read about the "Youth Parade and Festival" downtown. We didn't brave the parade since it was already in the 90's by 10am, but we hit up the free festival and it was great!
There were over a hundred free booths with little games and activities and giveaways. Here Ethan is doing a stick-horse race around barrels. See his cute apron? They were giving them away at the Home Depot booth and even had free wood kits for projects so Ethan made a neat little toolbox.

Isaac didn't quite understand the race concept but he loved the stick horses and almost wouldn't let the lady take it back from him.

His favorite was any kind of ball game. "Ba" is his favorite toy and favorite word currently.

Besides the booths there were 10 or 20 inflatable slide things which Isaac wouldn't touch but Ethan couldn't get enough of. We'll definitely be going back next year! All free- you gotta love Utah!

Spinach and Smoothies

I will admit I'm not always the best example on eating nutritious food. I would be happy to eat cereal for every breakfast, peanut butter and jelly for every lunch, and honestly- cereal again for every dinner. I can blame my dad for that. When my mom goes out of town now she doesn't even bother to leave meals for him, she just stocks up the cereal shelf and the milk.
So last Wednesday when Taylor met us at Ethan's soccer game after work and then announced right after the game that he was way behind on BAR studying and was going to just head right back to work to study, I thought "there's no way I'm cooking a meal if it's just for the boys and me".
So off we headed to home. I'm proud to say we bypassed McDonalds although my plan was just to cook a frozen pizza when we got home. I was surprised when I opened up the freezer to grab one out and Ethan announced "let's have chicken nuggets and spinach!" He said this in all seriousness. And while chicken nuggets may not be the best for them, it's protein. The spinach he was requesting is really Stouffer's spinach souffle- just spinach, eggs, and milk according to the ingredients. We first tried these out as part of Taylor's southbeach diet and while they're more pricey than just canned vegetables, they're on par with fresh vegis and....
MY KIDS LOVE THEM!!! Literally Isaac would eat the entire box himself if I let him.
Here's the evidence. That's his 3rd plateful by the way.

Not all of it makes it into his mouth of course but he loves feeding himself.

And here's Ethan's plate as evidence. So if you ever need your kids to eat some vegis, try these- just wait for the good sales!

It has been interesting to have a second child and see how different they are. Ethan literally would not touch sweets until he was almost 2 and fruits were the same. He finally agreed to eat grapes and watermelon last summer and we added bananas and apples over the winter- but that's all! No berries, no oranges, nothing! Isaac never had those issues and is happy to each peaches and other fruits as well as any sugar in sight.

So I was surprised when we got back from graduation where they'd spent the weekend with my mother and Ethan asked me to make him a smoothie. Apparently she told him it was a milkshake- which he loves and so he agreed to try it and got hooked.

Can you believe it? He still won't eat other fruits but he loves smoothies. All we put in them is 1 cup of juice (orange, apple, pineapple-whatever), 1 cup of vanilla yogurt, and another cup of any kind of frozen fruit, sometimes a banana too. That's it- no extra sugar so it's pretty healthy.

Even Isaac loves them. Of course the straws help.

Thanks mom! Now if you could just convince him to eat the crusts on his sandwiches!