We're Here

Holy Cow we love our home! Our neighborhood is great and we couldn't be happier. Pardon our silence as we do whatever people do when they move.

My new view . . .

. . . from laying down in my backyard. Okay, our backyard. Waaaa-Hoooo!

Celebrity Outing on National Cow Day

In case you didn't know, we are celebrities. At least when we walked into Chick-fil-a dressed as our bovine friends (cause we were going to eat chicken, ya know), there were whistles, cheers, bell clanging, and all kinds of clamoring for our attention. And, all our food was FREE!

And, they made sure we had the best booth in the house, delivered our food to us, found high chairs for us and came to check on us. Aaahhh!

Looking a little strained trying to get everyone in the picture. And we are STILL looking glamorously distinguished. (It was totally hot outside.)

Afterwards, we bathed our bodies in the shade and water. The kids and adults all had a great time. Nothing like drinks and food poolside! Heatwave? What Heatwave?

Good thing Aunt Debbie is such a good sport!

A Quick Moment

Merritt is continuing to move around so quickly. He is cruising the boxes and the windowsill today. He also has started to want to walk more while holding my hands. He thinks that it is so much fun! I am continually amazed by him.

Evy and I were reading books this morning. We were talking about what each of us saw in the pictures. He spotted popcorn.

Mom: What are they doing with the popcorn?
Evy: They going take w' hands, put in mouf, go in tummy, down (motions his body), out bottom hole, and on my pants and feet! (ending with both hands thrown in the air in triumph)

We have never talked about the digestive process past what happens after the tummy. I don't know if he had a conversation about this with his dad. But, I thought it was pretty funny. (minus the poop on the pants and feet part.) (And he was so proud.)

Chills and Thrills: Week 4 of Camping with AC

We sign on the house this week! The sellers are leasing it back for a couple of days. So, we don't get to start moving until Friday. Our first night in the house won't be until Saturday. We are almost there!

Last week was busy getting all the odds and ends taken care of and making sure everyone else was prepared. We took some pictures of our soon to be empty apartment, just for the memories.

For those of you that don't read this blog frequently: We were kicked out of corporate housing three weeks ago due to the economy. The company brought someone back from abroad to stay in the corporate apartment. So, we scrambled to find a place to live and ended up staying in the same apartment complex to simplify things. We've been living in a 2 bedroom (Mom and Dad sleep in the living room). We have some boxes and a few odds and ends in the kitchen. The boys have their beds, and we have an air mattress that looks like it has a goiter (we hope it lasts through the week).

It hasn't been glamorous or fun or easy. But, Erik still has a job; so, we can't complain.

A sideways look at the most gourmet meal we've had in the apartment. Believe me, it was yummy. And, we are eating on a tabletop on the floor thanks to a loan from my dad.

This is our entertainment center. Our ghetto DVD player that is practically broken. My sisters will have a flashback to a VCR repaired by a rubberband when they see the picture of this beauty. (Yes, the fish toy is just putting the right amount of pressure to the DVD player so that it will continue to play and not think that someone just opened the tray, whereby starting the DVD over, again.) And, personally, I am loving Evy's post-nap hair.

I am mentally preparing to clean, yet again, another apartment from top to bottom. Thankfully, this one is smaller and I don't have to worry about perfectly clean dishes and linen . . . because, well, we don't have any!

This room is full of boxes. You don't see the wall of boxes that is behind me when I am taking the picture. We have two amazing large closets (for the size of the apartment) that are holding boxes as well.
Aunt Debbie and I went to Waco to visit Mandy and the kids. More on that Celebrity Outing soon.

At Play . . . with Big Brother Books

Everett has two books that are his favorites and have been for quite awhile now. He chooses these books over all the other ones about cars, animals, trucks, and the other books that light up and have music. It is really sweet to see him read these books with his dad. Everett will also read the books to Merritt as if he is telling Merritt how he is and will be a good big brother to him.

One book is I'm Going to be a Big Brother by Brenda Bercun, and we bought it for him a couple of months before Merritt was born. This is his favorite page. It describes what is dangerous for babies to play with followed by the page about what toys are good for babies. It is like he is constantly studying to be The Protector. We always play a game of finding what toys are bad for Merritt and what toys are good for Merritt after we read the book.

The second book is one that my sister sent. I'm a Big Brother by Ronne Randall. Everett really enjoys it and can basically tell us the story as we turn the pages. (of course we substitute his and Merritt's names for the ones in the book.)

Evy's favorite page.

To Compost or Not to Compost

I have wanted for awhile to compost. But, our new house is not exactly in a neighborhood that screams "we won't mind the smell at all!"

Do I use the old fashioned throw it in the corner of the yard (I am pretty sure the HOA won't allow this). Or a compost tumbler? Or do I go so far as the worm route?

Do any of you compost? Like it, stopped doing it, compost in an urban setting?

And, no, Erik isn't convinced that this is a good idea. (I love you, Honey!)

Composting 101

Sweet Compost Bins

Chick-fil-a and Me: The Public Service Announcement

I know all of you faithful readers have been prone to skipping "those" places with a playscape since my fun adventure of having to climb up one . . . I know you've been avoiding the horror.

But, there is hope. Your children will now be able to consume their fast food delight when I let you in on this one. (and, no we didn't go back until last week since our adventure in April)

Don't avoid it because you might have to climb the structure---CLIMB the slide instead.

I KNOW! Genius right? I am sure you are amazed because you didn't think of it first (yeah, right, how slow am I?)

It works beautifully to rescue toddlers from death-scary high play structures (or having to slide down by themselves with poop in their pants).

And, yes, you have to tell the other kids to stop sliding for a 30 second period or so.

Believe me, climbing the slide is TONS better than climbing the structure to get to the slide. I know. No, seriously. I really know.

Chills and Thrills: Week 3 of Camping with AC

We've been busy. We were able to help Dad celebrate his "double nickel" birthday. Happy Birthday, Poppa!

We bought major appliances for the new house. We hunted for rugs, finding out that our preferred rug place went out of business. Not so unusual during these times, sadly.

We went to our ward's 4th of July pancake breakfast and were TRILLED that we were not in charge of it. (Totally thrilled. And thrilled to no end that we will not be in charge of *anything* on a large scale basis for at least a couple of weeks.) Everett rode his big wheel in the parade, but he actually ended up running because that is what he likes to do.

Last minute Sunday dinner with cool people Townsends. We always laugh hard with them.

Only 2 more weeks of camping with AC. We are halfway there!

Check, Check, 1, 2, 3

I've been a little mopey since my birthday. Not sure if it is just the stress of everything (the past 18 months haven't been the easiest), just transition ickyness (the inevitable missing familiarness and friends in my old home), or that I am letting the heat get to me.

My role has changed a bit in the past year. I go from having an identity, including one that exists outside my home, to total isolation through my pregnancy, transition to a new home, and now I think I am trying to reframe who I am. Reframe and remember what I want to be. My identity with being mom and wife intertwined in/with my earthly genetics.

Today, I took some time to reflect on several women I admire. My sisters, my moms, that friend that keeps emailing to check in on me though she lives far-far away, Everett's godmother-Megan, Merritt's godmother-Rosie, that other friend who emailed me on my birthday, and those women who provide examples of joy for me.

I am sure that all of them have had to reframe who they are, probably several times. It is time for me to do that again.

My identity includes a penchant for working with at-risk and troubled children (I just have a knack for getting down to figuring out what is going on and how to best go about the next steps). My identity does include the propensity to like anything a 10 year old would like (gumballs are awesome). I like to be prompt with allowing room for irreverence. I love watching my children grow up. I enjoying being a help to Erik, a sounding board for all that he is concerned about no matter the issue. My identity includes a flair for the creativity including the mess that goes with it.

That is all I have for now.

Right now, Merritt is on my lap slathering over a teether, Everett is developing the next Olympic sport--"how far away can I jump and still land on Mom." They are the best.