Chills and Thrills

This week brought the beginning of our "rabbit" fence. Can we say Brer Rabbit? We are halfway there to protecting our precious wee plants. Sunday brought our first Margherita Pizzas for the season using our starting bounty. We do miss Cafe Sano back in Reston.

Sheila danced an incredibly awesome routine "If My Friends Could See Me Now" with the Activity Committee for her ward in the Talent/No Talent Show. Proof that her dancing prowess peaked at age 15 ("Can't Touch This!").

Erik held down the fort while Sheila worked with the youth this week. He's been working late preparing for meetings and travel trips. The last one: Mexico. The next one: St. Louis (he loves that arch).

Evy and Merritt are busy growing. Merritt is teething something wicked but Evy tries to help out all he can when Merritt is having a hard time. Evy running to share his blankie is something we see quite often these days.

The weather has been beautiful!

The following link is to an incredibly fun family act "Special K and the Candy Wrappers" who performed an original song called,"Junk Food Eater!" at our ward's talent show. It is hysterically good and you can hear Everett asking to join his friends at the beginning. And, Everett loves to watch it over and over!

We've got PRODUCE!

I'm happy to report that we've got some strawberries growing. Our tomato plants are flowering. Our beans are climbing. Our squash is crawling, and our herbs look herbish.

I'm sure I'm paying more for water than I would to just buy the produce, but Everett gets so excited when he looks out the window and shouts, "IT is GGROWing, Mom!"

And, Merritt is always ready to play in the water and the dirt.

We were at the Dallas Arboretum earlier this week. And, it was a marvelously, dewishous, beautiful day! Thanks to the gracious giving of our friends, we went along for the ride and played, picnicked, experienced the mists, and ran through Texas Town. The hills that the kids rolled down and scampered on where so green and refreshing. That place is so inspiring and really shows that "stuff" does really grow in Texas. It sure was a day to treasure as Texas heat is heading in.

Is That Jesus?

We were window shopping through the aisles of Target last week (yes, I did refrain from buying anything), waiting for the pharmacy to fill a prescription.

We happened to pass a gentleman who was in a long-ish tunic looking shirt and had darker skin and shoulder length brown hair.

Evy gasped, turned to me and said,"Is THAT Jesus?"

No, baby, but you are paying attention aren't you?

Chills and Thrills

The week was busy and long.


Thrills were:

• The composter. But, maybe I already mentioned that?
• A Night of Americana: sharing some of those "must see" movies and iconic American foods with a friend who will soon return to Italy. Rootbeer floats, rice crispy treats, sugar cereals, Talladega Nights, Napoleon Dynamite, and subtitles were just a few of the elements.
• I had the chance to go part of our youth's Youth Conference. What an inspiring group of teenagers!

Chills:

• Had to postpone Erik's "Flamin' Hot Birthday Brunch."
• I've got some nerve inflammation. Lots of pills, but it is getting better.
• Erik went out of town. Thankfully, he is back and brought vanilla with him.

Merritt is officially a table dancer. We'll see how long before he scales the banister.

Ownership

Evy is ALWAYS asking "why"---always.

Today I asked him "why" about something. He turned to me and said,"Only I can ask why."

Cheeky thing.

He will be shaving the peach fuzz soon.

Today, Merritt is not bowlegged anymore. Like poof. He stands straight.

He still does his deep knee bends when he dances, so cute!

Most Ladies . . . .

Erik: I got a surprise for your mom, Everett!
Everett (excitedly): What is it?
Erik: It is a composter. Most ladies want flowers or jewelry. Not your mom, she wants something for trash.


This beauty is made of recycled plastic. It is currently in pieces, and I will have to wait to get it going until Erik gets back from the south. But, I am so EXCITED!!

And, it is a tumbling composting barrell. . . . sigh . . .

Chills and Thrills

(I feel like I repeat myself every time when I say,"Busy week for us." I should just say BWFU and go on.)


Highlight was attending a Frisco RoughRider's Baseball game on Saturday with colleagues from Erik's work. We were able to watch from a party porch which was great since Merritt likes to roam. I think the other team won, totally wasn't paying attention except to distract Merritt with what was going on when he fussed, but we had a great time talking with friends.



The garden hasn't died yet, much to my surprise. Today will be in the mid-80s. Good time for it to die if it is going to.



Everett had another blood draw last week to check his liver functions and medicine levels. He did really, really well as they take three full vials of blood. His buddy for the event was a spinosaurus (and can Dinosaur Train PLEASE come out with some dinosaurs for sale at Target, preferably? I don't know what I am going to do when he wants a mircoraptor for his next "blood draw buddy").



I now have permission to get a composter!! Whhaooooo! I am very excited about this and, yes, that kind of makes me a nerd. Check out this beauty that we are trying to get this afternoon before some other guy beats us to it:

Erik and I have been busy trying to negotiate with a couple of hospitals and physicians for some obscene medical bills. And, thanks to Erik and his awesome ambassador skills (along with my research skills, of course) we have been blessed to shave almost $2,000 off the bills. Lesson (1) You can always try to negotiate. Lesson (2) Negotiate before ahead of time if possible. Erik, You Rock!

We have lots planned for this week. I hope to remember to take pictures and share.

The Things They Say

Thursday I was hauling laundry up the stairs with Merritt crawling up right in front of me. Takes a long time for little ones to get up the stairs because they are difficult. Everett could see that the load I was carrying was kind of weighing me down.

"Mom, give some to me so I can help."
"Thanks, Evy, but Merritt is in the way. I think I've got it," I declined.
"If you give me some, I can make it easy for you!"

Merritt is busy adding words. He loves babies "ay--byyy". Almost every food item right now is requested by using the banana sign.

Pretty regularly, when I correct Everett,teaching him about safety or what is mean and nice. He'll take a step back after the interaction or after the time out and say,"Mom, I won't _____ again."

When I start making dinner, Everett runs over to ask if he can help cook. When I tell him what we are having, he'll repeat it screaming with joy and run to tell Merritt the menu. When Dad comes home, Everett runs to give Dad, gives him a hug, and tells him in a secretive hushed tone what the delicious dinner will be. "DEWIISHOUS!"

Seedlings Spring of 2010

A couple of days later

A week later

Cilantro, tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini, spaghetti squash, basil, parsley, green beans, lettuce, and rosemary were planted. Surviving so far with real growth: zucchini, spaghetti squash, green beans, tomatoes, and rosemary . . . the rest, I'm not sure. But I've transplanted those with some great growth going on in the garden. The others I am hovering over constantly. I think the cilantro is dead. sad.

Easter 2010

Easter was complete this year with coloring eggs, egg hunts, and visiting Grandma and Poppa's house for Sunday morning conference and yummy breakfast. Everett did a great job of hiding Merritt's eggs.

Merritt on the Move, Or Not

There is pretty much no stopping Merritt. Almost. He is on the move ALL the time! And, if he can't physically reach what he wants, he'll use whatever he can to climb or move over to overcome that obstacle.

Here is one time where he totally got stuck!

Bonus Pictures:

He found Everett's cap, put it on, ran in to show us, and started dancing away. What a crack-up!

Chills and Thrills

In short, it has been an extremely busy two weeks. With the beginning of my new calling in YW and finishing up some other obligations, neither one of the parents has been "in" on the same night more than 3 of the 7 nights of the week. This week is going to be just the same.

In all, we are doing really well and appreciated Erik's three day weekend.

Thanks to Grandpa and Poppa, we were able to join friends and see a taping of "America's Got Talent!" which we thought was a great experience! The boys loved hanging out with their grandparents for the evening.

Erik turned "almost 40," again. He is a pretty good sport to "let" me tease him. We spent the weekend trying to fit in what he wanted to eat, etc. He was also a great sport in trimming the tree, hauling out some prickly bushes, and sharing his birthday with Conference weekend and Easter. He has never been a fan of having his birthday on Conference weekend because it puts a limit on the partying, but we are going to schedule something soon to rectify that.

Sheila, that's me, is running again. She has a running partner for a couple days of the week and that helps immensely. Boston 2012 is ON! She also transplanted several batches of seedlings into the garden. She expects all of them to die any day now. As house elf, she feels behind all the time, but she expects that will be so until Merritt isn't thrashing the place anymore . . . maybe another two years? (hard to tell)

Everett is a delight! He functions better these days with a nap . . . but that means that bedtime is later. Last night, we "caught" him dancing in his doorway to the music that he could overhear from the TV. It was a sort of dino-disco dance complete with fingers splayed like T-Rex claws. He recently lost his blue Lightning McQueen though we still look for it everyday. He delights in displaying his wickedly awesome skills in making a Hook'em sign with his fingers. He also has a special skill in spotting "racing tyyyyres"---wheels with rims, not hubcaps. What a crack up! (seizure medication is doing the job and so far there are no negative effects on his liver, AWESOME!)

On a special note: We are learning the alphabet together. The magic moment for those letters to have meaning for him came when we got him his own library card. The librarian asked if he wanted to sign his name . . . "oh yeah!" and so we wrote his name together. Thus, that moment of teaching letters in context came and we have been talking about numbers and letters since then. He wanted to learn "E" and "3" first and enjoys the seek and finds to spot them when we are out and about.

He helped me hide Merritt's Easter eggs this weekend. It is crazy how nice and grown-up he is for a three year old. Seriously. He is just a thoughtful brother.

Merritt is on fire. He basically gets everywhere he wants and still does the Greasy Watermelon trick when he is displeased with a change in direction from Mom or Dad. Active, active, active! This boy can dance. He turns on his dad's clock radio and busts a move whenever he is in the master bedroom. He loves being outside and riding in the car with the wind flowing around him. Although busy, he is extremely sweet and is always ready to give a hug or kiss. Right now we are back on the nebulizer for long term, and it is helping him, thankfully.

Our journal for 2010 is extremely thin. I've got to get better at posting now that our camera is in working order with a cord that I can find. The boys have grown so much!

Chills and Thrills

We started off the week with dinner with Grandma and Poppa. It was great to see them as we dined for the first time outside (a wee bit cold towards the end). During the week, we had friends over (all boys) and made bird feeders, which our birds love. Ended the week with a chance to hang out with Aunt Debbie at The Heard.

This week has been cost reduction week. We've been making changes to cut down on expenses and upgrade for better efficiency. (which is always a good idea but especially when you keep getting "surprise" medical bills in the mail)

Amazingly fun weekend! Fajitas with Aunt Debbie and Rossella. We splurged with s'mores and rice crispy treats.

Erik and Everett went to a Dallas Stars hockey game on Saturday and came back with an actual hockey stick (well, smaller than the real ones but taller than Evy!). Evy was thrilled with the experience and was able to take a friend, Jackson, and his dad.

On Sunday, we had like 9 inches of snow in our backyard. The best part was it was beautiful for a whole 24 hours and basically gone within a couple of hours the next morning. We finished out a restful Sunday at a friend's potluck. Always amazes me how much others have patience for the antics of children. We had a great time!

And, the wasps are back. For. Real. We are at a total loss as to how they are getting into the house and as to where their nest is. And, yes, we've had the bug guy over. Consensus is, until we find a nest, to use a rolled up newspaper (insert eye roll).

Sheila has a new calling, 2nd Counselor in the Young Women program (she is working with the girls 12 and 13 years old in the congregation she attends). She is excited about working with the girls! She is also back to running, a bit behind on the Boston Marathon training due a pause so her feet could heal, but she is back on the trails.

Evy and Merritt are well. Merritt was wheezing again, but today he is finally better.

Erik is holding down the fort amazingly as always. Lots of late work nights recently. You should hear how excited the boys scream when he gets home from work. Nothing better than that!

We've got our garden started . . . sort of. We are looking forward to being done with the tree trimming so we can get it all planted. Sheila can't wait for the cilantro to start growing.

The weather is AWESOME and it was great to see part of the sunrise this morning during the run.

Merritt, Merritt

Poor second child Merritt.

My updates on him are long overdue.

They are coming. Here is a preview.

He is on the move all the time.

Climbing tables, chairs, toilets, desks, drawers, couches, and recognizing that if he can get to the toy box--then he can reach another chair--and then the picture on the wall.

To watch him move is to experience wonder at this bowlegged little mover.

And, boy, is he bowlegged.

We all love him.

He is the hugger and the kisser in the house.

Moments of hysteria are saved for when he sees the milk and is afraid he won't get any (but only if warmed in a BOTTLE--little stinker).

When he doesn't want to stop but you want him to stop, he'll fling his hands to the sky and make his body slipperier than a greased up watermelon.

He knows when he up to no good and tries to get away.

He looks for his brother the moment he wakes up and watch out big brother if you aren't awake yet.

"Bawww!" (ball)

"DADA!" nothing like getting your named squealed in little boy delight.

"uu-uu-uu" means water, food, toy, book--exclusively.

He is too busy to sit still to read a book. Often, I just read as he wanders the room. Scripture time is harder as he isn't content to wander at that time of the day . . . he wants to dismantle.

Out of the blue signed for banana yesterday and said,"nana." I taught him that once like weeks ago.

And, he is smarter than his momma.

"Because We All Have a Right to Great Design . . ."

. . . is how Shelly aptly states her take on photography. This is one talented lady and photographer with experience in front of and behind the camera (be sure to check out her info page for a gorgeous shot of her). I know her because her husband grew up with Erik . . . and she has fed us on more than one occasion, which was particularly awesome when we were homeless and had no furniture. And, I've been eagerly awaiting this website so that I can share her with you!

The great thing about her is she knows how to get a great picture and how to avoid those awkward "I look like a total dork" poses. My personal downfall the is odd head pose.

Please take a look at her newly unveiled website:
Shelly Townsend Photography

If you are in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, contacting her about a photo shoot would be worth your time. In fact, you can enter to win a free session with her by sending a message through her contact option on her website and joining her fan page on facebook.

Cool Stuff . . . thermometers

I'll get to the best thermometers we've ever used in a bit. And, yes, there are some great ones out there that make even the digital thermometers look antiquated.

First, I am just frustrated with Evy's gag reflux. It is a given that when he has a cough, we know he will throw up several times. And, this cold was no different. He did end up having an ear infection, which means medicine, which means further instigation for the gag reflux (so we always make sure there is enough "extra" to cover at least two vomited doses).

We usually weather it well and respond to the vomiting as a matter of fact in the course of how he gets better.

Did you know that vomit will bounce off hardwood floors? Yeah, I am trying to make his antiseizure medicine as a part of our routine and to start approaching it as such. Dumb idea. I should have made sure we were right by the bathtub as usual. (He has only thrown up this medicine twice over the past week and a half--so, I think we'll stick with it.)

I just spent an hour cleaning up a freshly mopped floor, wiping down all our dining chairs and table, trying to keep Merritt happy because he isn't used to the vomiting yet and it scares him, and trying to not make a big deal of it because I don't want Evy to develop any further issues with vomiting.

My friend in this journey is in meetings all day. I miss being able to vent.

It may be time for another trip to the ear/nose/throat doctor.

I am just frustrated right now.

Thermometers--because of our, I guess, former relationship with febrile seizures, we have purchased and tried every thermometer out there. These two have been the best ones by far:

Exergen TemoralScanner--we found on one sale at Walgreens recently. I feel like some sort of medical professional when I use this one because the science behind it is explained with the product and it is so cool, I think.

Mobi Ultra Digital Thermometer--less expensive than the Exergen, we've used this thermometer the longest and it has withstood the test of time with the kids "taking" temperatures, also. Make sure you learn how to turn the "talking" mode off before throwing away the product information.

gifts

I have come across several publications recently related to baby showers, parties, and gift giving. And, I am appalled at what I have read related to the general topic of gift giving. In general, much of the irritation revolves around the entitlement that the honorees of the occasion have around gifts.


The baby shower recipient who is irritated at her guests because they didn't use the registry. HELLO! What about the fact that it is a gathering of people willing to surround you around the birth or adoption of your baby? What about the truly incalculable level of love that they offer in attending to say,"I love you and want you to know that you are important and that your baby is important"? What about the scores of stories and nuggets of wisdom that they will be able to offer you as your along your journey as a parent. A registry is a list of suggestions, not a list of demands. A baby shower should be viewed as a celebration, not an occasion to get goods.


The birthday party honoree that accepts gifts but purposefully opens then afterward. Now, I know that special occasions can be hectic, and I have been guilty of not opening a gift at an event at the moment it was given, but I always feel bad that I wasn't able to open it in the Giver's presence. A bigger pet peeve: when children do not open birthday gifts at birthday parties. How on earth am I able to show my sons the intricacies of gift giving if the recipients horde the gifts on a table showing off the bounty but ignoring the opportunity to open and thank the children at the moment of giving? If you don't want the hassle of opening gifts at a party, then state on the invitation "no gifts, please." If you feel like you are going to be mobbed while opening the gifts, invite fewer people. I actively include my kids when making or buying gifts. Including the gift givers for the "full circle" of the giving is important.


Do you remember Gift of the Magi? Gifts that showed sacrifice, thoughtfulness, and love. We've been giving gifts a long time as humans (some research has shown that the first gifts were bark and moss). I think most people give to show love, to express concern, to fill a desire to better the other person's life. As receivers of gifts, do we keep that in mind?

Chills and Thrills

We are on the mend! Alefreakingleuia!

Merritt is much better. He escaped from his crib again this afternoon. I came upstairs to the sound of knocking. He was knocking from inside his room on his door because he wanted to come out . . . and, yes, he had totally dismantled the humidifier, that wonder that has water.

Evy is feeling better (he was afflicted by the middle of the week). Erik is better and Sheila took a nap!

We had a great time at Dessert Group last night with several other families from our congregation. Just a great group of people with some really nice kids!

I don't remember much else that happened during the week except I have never seen our house that messy/disorganized. We've mopped and the kitchen is clean. All is well.

Merritt has a well check this Tuesday. That in itself isn't interesting, but Sheila and the pediatrician's office are at an impasse. Tuesday will tell if Sheila made the right choice in continuing to go there. (Pediatrician was adamant on the phone that all will be taken care of despite, uh, inaccuracies in the past.)

We continue to stay busy with our callings.

High note: the weather is warming up. We fed the ducks and seagulls (?!) at the local "lake" on Saturday.

Great Documentary

According to Netflix, my taste in movie viewing runs along the lines of documentary, independent films, films with strong female leads (I can hear my family chuckle at this one), and inspiring family movies. Never really considered how to categorize my prefences, but they make me sound kind of boring.

In any regards, I watched a documentary recently that was worthwhile, A Walk to Beautiful. Brings a reminder to state that I love my parents, my husband, and my children. I am very blessed.