My Walkers

Here’s a picture of Keely with her primary teachers Katie and Cory. She loves them and calls them “my Walkers,” which is their last name. She’ll say “mom, can I draw a picture for my Walkers?” or “I want to call my Walkers!” Keely wants to share everything good and exciting in her life with them. The other day I didn’t want Keely watching a TV show because I felt the content was too adult for her and a little while later she came up to me and said, “Mom, I forgive you for not wanting me to watch TV with you. My Walkers taught me about forgiveness and it’s okay that you didn’t want me to watch that boring show; I forgive you because it’s the right thing to do.” Thank goodness for her Walkers, otherwise I might never have been forgiven!

On a very serious note, we feel like Katie and Cory have been heaven sent. Shawn and I have thanked God for them time and time again and Keely remembers them in every prayer she utters. The kids (Sunbeams) that Katie and Cory teach are just forming their impressions of church and we are so grateful that their class has so much good to look forward to every Sunday. As parents who worry about and pray for our kids there is no greater comfort than being able to drop your child off in class and know without a doubt that she’ll be as loved and cared for as she would be at home. So my Walkers - thank you, thank you, and thank you for all that you are and all that you do!

No Sweets, No Sweetness

So Shawn and I had this crazy idea to go off sugar. I have to admit that Shawn has actually done this several times, but I have never managed to join him – just doesn’t sound fun to me. I have to clarify that I am knowingly a chocolate addict and that’s why I decided to finally go a few weeks without sugar. You know how people say that when they stop drinking caffeine they get caffeine headaches? Well, that’s what happens to me. If I go a day without chocolate I get a horrible chocolate headache – not my imagination! Anyway, you’re probably thinking that I’m a few days into my commitment and I’m having a really hard time. Well I’m not, I’m 2 days into this and I’m having a really hard time. That’s right, day 2! I found this picture and although it’s not the most flattering picture of me, it really reflects how I’m feeling inside.

Here’s a story to illustrate me without sugar. Last time we all flew to Utah, in June, I had a really busy day packing and getting everything ready for the trip and we didn’t have any sweets in the house because I was trying to eat more healthfully. I was a little stressed and on top of that fact I hadn’t had any chocolate for about 24 hours. Well, when we got through security and to our gate I went searching for some food for the trip. After I stocked up on some “healthy” food I ended up running into this delicious little chocolate store, I don’t even know what it was called, but I purchased a chocolate almond bar. When we finally boarded the plane and sat down I opened the bar right up – not even worrying about that healthy junk – and took a bite. Turns out that it was seriously the best little piece of chocolate I’ve ever had! The almonds were salted and combined with the perfectly creamy milk chocolate it was HEAVEN. I turned to Shawn and said, “This is the best thing I’ve ever tasted!” and then he turned to me and said, “That’s the nicest thing you’ve said all day.” Oops!

So….right now I am focusing on being nice to my family and not eating sugar! I’ll keep you all posted. Aaargh!

Travel Log - Sorry!

I know it has been a super long time, but there are two reasons for that: 1. We have been in California on vacation, 2. I have been reading “Eclipse,” but the kicker is that I’m reading it out loud with Shawn ‘cause it was kind of our travel book. Anyway, anytime either of us has a spare moment we hole ourselves up and read (Lame!) The reading process is a little more slow going than I like, but it’s fun reading it together.

So we had a great time in California, we stayed with my Aunt Lisa whom I am named after and who treated us very well, except when her husband Tim met us at the door he said (in a really bored voice) “Oh hey, you’re here. You’re supposed to put your stuff in the blue room.” Good to see you too Tim! : ) Thank goodness he wasn’t such a party pooper the whole time! We also got to see Uncle Rick and Aunt Robyn for a barbecue. Keely has fallen in love with Robyn, especially since she gave her a bag of seashells to bring home, priceless treasure!

Of course we got in some good “grandma time” with Grandma Gibby. It was so cute, when we got to her house she had cookies baking (which I’ve never seen her do before) and when I mentioned it she said she had just read an article that said a grandma’s house should always smell like cookies when her grandkids come over. I don’t know what magazines she’s reading or what decade they come from, but we all appreciated the suggestion. Considering the fact that she’s the sweetest grandma in the world, however, we would have been happy even without the cookies.

Another bonus to our trip is that the Atwoods joined us. Keely was so happy to have Gavin to play with, Shawn was so happy to have Steve to play with, and I was so happy to have Debbie to play with. Poor Benji was the only one without a play companion, but I’m pretty sure he doesn’t know the difference yet. Speaking of Benjamin, he is one sweaty baby! Between the heat and the humidity he was sticky all the time. We kept hearing, “Wow, does he always sweat like this?!” from everyone who picked him up. The great thing about Benji though is that he’s all smiles all the time, he just sat there and grinned every time someone talked about his sweat.

Of course we made the trip to Lego Land and Disney Land and the kids were in heaven (when they weren’t throwing tantrums). Keely got to meet three Disney princesses in person, which I figured would be her highlight (and she did love) but it turns out that the “Small World” ride was the winner. I think that the fact that the ride consists of about fifteen minutes of singing, dancing dolls dressed up like people around the world really put the ride over the edge. How could three princesses top 2,000 dressed up dolls?

The final highlight of our trip (for me) was a little reunion with a couple of my college roomies. I loved seeing them and being able to catch up. Stephanie has an adorable home and an even more adorable baby, and Chelsie and Matt have one little cutie on the way (yay!), not to mention they were amazing volunteer babysitters at Disney Land. Anyway, all in all the trip was short but fantastic! Can’t wait to get back!

Tagged and Loving It!

Okay Jana, here you are! I hope you’re happy, doing this made me realize how boring and normal I really am. I’m not quirky, artsy, or any of those other cool things to be. I’m so sad I have to go sleep now…thanks a lot!

4 jobs I have had
1. Waitress (Golden Corral, Riverside Country Club and The Spaghetti Factory)
2. Office Assistant
3. Graduate Placement/Academic Advisor
4. Job Coach

4 movies I could watch over and over again
1. Pride & Prejudice (the LONG A&E version)
2. Any 80’s movies with Molly Ringwald (Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles)
3. Top Gun (Okay, I’m soooo OLD!)
4. Music & Lyrics

4 favorite movies (confession: in a different life I used to watch rated “R” movies and though I’d like to keep it clean I have to keep it real. Here’s what I came up with in no particular order.)
1. Bottle Rocket
2. The Usual Suspects
3. Pretty Woman
4. A Time to Kill

4 places I have lived
1. Utah (Blanding, Provo, SLC)
2. Phoenix, Arizona
3. New York, NY
4. Ann Arbor, Michigan

4 favorite TV shows (not very original)
1. The Office
2. Grey’s Anatomy
3. The Soup
4. The Ellen DeGeneres Show

4 favorite reality TV shows
1. So You Think You Can Dance (Go Sabra!)
2. American Idol
3. The Bachelor
4. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

4 of my favorite places I have been
1. Hawaii
2. London and Paris (Same trip)
3. Duck Beach in North Carolina
4. So Cal every summer! (I’m not really cool enough to pull that off, am I?)

4 favorite foods (I didn’t include salads ‘cause the list goes on and on, really.)
1. Flank Steak (Delsa’s Recipe)
2. Cheesy Potatoes (yep, funeral potatoes!)
3. Baked Macaroni and Cheese from Grizzly Peak
4. Rolls from Common Grill (the more carbs the better!)

4 websites I check daily
1. MSNBC
2. CNN
3. Google (always searching!)
4. Lots and lots of blogs!

4 hobbies
1. Reading
2. Shopping (sorry, but it is!)
3. Fitness (we’ll see if any of you know me at all)
4. Photography (you have to with kids)

4 friends I would like to tag
1. Tanya
2. Kristin
3. Becky
4. Elizabeth

The Bratz Saga Continues

So, here’s a little piece of a family newsletter I wrote back in April:
Lately Keely has really wanted a Bratz doll; I don’t know where it came from – preschool, commercials, or just seeing them at the store – but she keeps asking for one and I keep telling her “no.” When she asked why I don’t like Bratz dolls I told her that I don’t like the message they send, and she of course asked, “What message?” I told her I don’t like how they dress, how much make-up they have on, and then I went on to explain what the word “brat” means which seemed to satisfy her – or so I thought. Later on in the week she was mad at me for I don’t remember what, but as she was stomping away she turned to me and passionately says, “Oh, and I LIKE Bratz dolls AND the message they send!”

That was April and Keely has very seldom mentioned Bratz since then, so I think we’re done with it, right? Wrong! This week we get a magazine in the mail called “Birthday Express.” It has a bunch of pages with different birthday themes like Cars, Transformers, Disney Princesses, etc. So I walk into the office where I have set down the mail and Keely has managed to find this magazine and is looking through it not missing a page. All the sudden she looks up at me and says, “Mom, I know how you feel about Bratz! I know you don’t like them but I just have to have a Bratz birthday and if you don’t like it you can just sit inside and eat cake!” Thanks Keels.

How old is this girl again? Here’s to the teen years!

Mom's Songs

Tonight I was singing songs to Benjamin as he was falling to sleep and he just kept smiling and looking into my eyes and I remembered my mom singing the very same songs to me as a child and all the sudden I longed for that connection I felt every time she sat down to sing us one of her favorite songs.

They weren’t your typical kid songs, they were songs like “Cat and the Cradle” and “Molly Malone,” but I always knew they were songs that she liked; songs that meant something to her and that’s why she sang them to us. I remember begging for just one more song every night after she tucked us in and I think she probably thought it was a way to get to stay up a little longer. In reality, it was just a matter of wanting to be with her doing the very thing that we were doing at that moment for just a little bit longer. I remember not wanting it to end. So mom, thanks for the songs.

DC or Bust

Victory! Just got back from my first trip flying with 2 kids alone! Sure the flight is only one hour, but I’m still going to consider it a feat. People are so nice when you’re alone with two kids, a double stroller, car seat, Disney Princess backpack, diaper bag and purse. Everyone kept asking if they could help me and I felt very strong and independent letting them all know that I had it under control. There was only one moment that I got an “I hate your naughty little kids” look and that was when Keely put her feet on the guy sitting in the window seat next to her. I’m happy to say that the situation was handled quickly and there was no big outburst from either Keely or the scary man.

Our actual time in DC was wonderful. We stayed with Kristin and Abram – great hosts whose only drawback is their early bedtime (around 9 they start getting droopy eyed, yawning, and complaining of exhaustion). Amy and the kids were kind enough to make the trip from Charlottesville to DC and spent the first night and day with us also. We went swimming Tuesday night and to the hot, muggy, uphill all the way with a double stroller Zoo on Wednesday. While I personally could have done without the hike the kids had a great time and so I’m going to proclaim the event a success. My highlight was anytime we got to go to an indoor, air conditioned exhibit; Keely’s highlight was the Pygmy Hippo and the cotton candy that Amy sprung for at the end; and Ben’s highlight was anytime he got picked up and out of the stroller – good times!

I would have to say that my favorite part of the trip was the day that Kristin and I got a very expensive but very worth it babysitter from 11-5. We went and got pedicures, lunch at the Carlyle, and took in the movie “Waitress,” all things I would highly recommend. The food at Carlyle was amazing and Waitress was a fantastic movie! Anyway, thanks to Kristin, Abram and Max for a great time!