The Tab{lloyd}

Adventures in Traveling

2011-12-18T17:24:00.001-05:00

Our day began at about 4:30 this morning as we prepared to leave for our 8:15 flight out of Indianapolis. We were out the door at 5:30 at arrived at the airport just before 7:00. Jason dropped us off and parked far away and as we were waiting for him to come check in with us I realized that our flight time had changed to 7:30. I couldn't do anything in terms of checking in because my wallet was coming with my husband. So I stood there with a baby, two excited young children, a car seat, and a pile of luggage and panicked. We didn't make it, obviously. Being the holidays and all, there were not very many alternatives...especially since there are only three flights from slc to twin falls and slc is the only portal into twin falls. Luckily, we had a very kind and hardworking Delta attendant who searched forever to get us where we needed to go. They realized that it wasn't really our fault that we missed the flight ( even though it probably was more our fault than anyone else's). While we were waiting for them to search for an alternative, the real adventures began. 1. While Jason was sitting with the kids on the bench, Jude suddenly took a fall from the bench to the tile floor. He gashed his gum and split his top frenulum and there was blood everywhere. He was screaming, which is a good sign of course after such an injury. His lip immediately started swelling. It was huge. The tsa people working baggage claim suggested calling medical and reported that the infant was vomiting blood (he wasn't, but there was a lot of blood). The firemen came and took Jude's vitals. The policeman took a report. Then the ambulance came. They wanted Jude to go to the hospital with the reason being a small injury can turn into an emergency quickly on such a small baby and being in an airplane will just exaggerate that. They explained that delta would work with us to find yet another flight. Ha ha. We didn't go to the hospital and even though I couldn't see much in Jude's bloody mouth, I figured it was a split frenulum. (I secretly wished it was Evelyn and not Jude...not because I love her less...but because her frenulum is extra tight and needs to be split. With all of her falls, I actually surprised.). Anyway, Jude fell asleep and we were actually escorted the rest of the way.2. They took us to the Sky Lounge to freshen up and grab a quick snack before our new flight which was taking us to Minneapolis. The Sky Lounge is awesome. Their refreshments are good and their bathrooms are very European. 3. I set off the metal detector and had to be frisked. The guy knew right away what had set it off since I was wearing a huge bun on the top of my head. Hair pins. :). The ladies frisking me were amazed with the bun and we chatted for quite awhile about how to create such a full bun.4. We made it to Minneapolis and were on standby for an immediate connection to slc. The gates couldn't have been farther apart. Jason was trying to go ahead to make sure we got seats. Max was close behind him...the Evelyn...and Jude and me trying to keep up in the rear. When we approached an escalator, Jason went down with max close behind. Jason called to Evelyn from the bottom, "wait for mommy!". Max called, "Evie, come on!" I knew what was going to happen and crud, "Evelyn, STOP!". She was nervous, but she chose to listen to Max (as usual) and fell as soon as she stepped on. I ran to her and rescued her with my one available arm. Then a pilot came up from behind us and just stared at Evelyn without saying a word and gave us a look as if to say "good thing I was here."5. We made it to slc and again Jason ran ahead to try to get us some seats on the afternoon flight to twin falls. While he was gone, the kids and I waited in the play area with all of our bags and coats. As soon as we sat down evelyn needed to go to the bathroom. She tried to hold it while I tried to gather our things one-handed. Jason came back up just in time to take everything while Evie and I rushed to the bathroom. She didn't make it. Poo in her pants. 6. Now we are sitting here in slc hoping (most likely in vain) to get on the next flight because otherwise, we won't get to twin falls until midnight. The kids are crazy and tired. I am grumpy and tired. And that's why I'm venting on the blog! It is my hope that we see you all soon.P.S. Jude is doing fine. He traveled well, as he always does. Our kids are really good travelers. There were no emergencies and his lip swelling has already gone down a lot. He can still nurse, too, which I was really worried about.

A little update...

2011-11-20T20:44:00.001-05:00

1. I'm often asked by those who read my blog (so you may be wondering too) if Evelyn is still acting supernatural. No. She's not. It was really just that night. She was probably half asleep and dreaming of butterflies and pigs and scary ghost girls. She is still spunky and sweet. Oh, and I'm thinking about changing her middle name! Do any of you have experience with name changing? Today, Evelyn was holding Jude for a second. When he didn't want her anymore she sighed and said, "I wish I had a little baby just like yours."

2. Max is loving Kindergarten. He wants to move to Idaho (or California or Florida...Disney). He is convinced that a Thanksgiving tradition is staying in jammies all day. He mysteriously "forgets" a lot of obvious consequences to actions (Such as having to pick up when something is dumped out.) Just today, a friend of mine returned some maternity clothes she was borrowing. He dumped them in the living room. When I asked him to pick them up, he threw a fit about forgetting that that was the rule for dumping things out. He really is such a smart, clever (and somewhat conniving) little guy.

3. Funny story...mostly for my records:
Max was playing with his friend Hannah the other day. They were ninjas, which meant that they ran around yelling, "yee-ah" "woo-ah" while kicking. I was asking them what ninjas do besides kick and this is how the conversation proceeded:
Max: We make really bad choices.
Me: Like what?
Max: We eat things that are really bad for our bodies.
Hannah: (to me) You are DEFINITELY not a ninja! (I'm flattered.)
Hannah: We drink coffee. And tea.
Max: And we drink poison...and alcohol. And we eat drugs.
Hannah: What are drugs?
Max: They are little black dots and they make people make really bad choices and go to jail. And even kids can go to jail. Mommy, what's that jail called that kids go to?
Me: ?? uh...juvie...??
Max: No...

And that was about it. We moved on from ninjas.
I love 5 year olds. Especially when you get the right ones together and they say smart/hilarious things.

4. Jude has now taken 3 big trips with me totaling 8 flights. He travels really well and I'm happy that the family has met him.

In September, we flew to Salt Lake to attend Derek and Kendra's wedding. (Derek is Jason's little brother and the last one on both sides to be married.) It was a beautiful wedding and they are a beautiful couple.

In October, my Grandpa Vince (my dad's dad) passed away. His funeral was in Logan and was really nice. Even though he was almost 94 and I haven't seen him much in the last few years, I was really sad to lose such a "constant" in my life. He was strong and healthy up until the end and I really miss him. Tracie and I sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" at the funeral and it sounded so lovely when we practiced before the funeral. When the time came, the simplicity and emotion overtook us and we didn't really make it through. But it was sweet.

Grandpa, Grandma Della, and baby Evelyn.

Then just last week Jude and I flew to Twin Falls because my sister, Julie, was going to have her fifth baby. I meant to go and help her since she has been there to help me during or after each of my births. I flew in on November 10th, he was "due" on the 11th, I left on the 15th, and he was born on the 16th (just hours after I arrived in Indiana!) Such luck! I'm so happy to have another sweet little nephew. They named him William Beck Schnoor and will call him Beck. Isn't that great?! He has blonde hair and light-ish eyes. The rest of her kids had dark hair as babies and dark brown eyes.

Julie is pretty much my hero when it comes to child-bearing. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have had the courage to birth naturally, but because of her I do. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have stuck it out when the pain of breastfeeding was overwhelming, but because of her I did. She was due on 11-11-11, the day mothers all over the world were signing up for their babies to be born. She could have made it happen, but she chose to let her body and her baby come when they were ready and I'm very proud of her. Baby Beck completes her family of seven and he is such a lucky boy to have come into her family.

5. Jude is now 6 months old. He is starting to eat a little bit. He has the desire to eat more than is physically possible for him...with no teeth and such...but he likes to gnaw on things. He is trying to crawl and can pull himself onto his knees and rock. Maybe by Christmas? The stairs in our house are wood and are awfully narrow and steep, so I'm actually not looking forward to it. But it will be fun to see him get where he wants to go. He was a little big (for his age) a couple of months ago, but now he's turning out to be our thinnest baby. Probably because he never stops jumping. He is very sweet and very mellow. His reflux is easing up a bit. His hair is growing back a bit. He melts my heart a bit...okay...a lot. Tracie and Scarlett came to Twin Falls with us as well and it is so fun to have the twin cousins together. We try to coordinate their clothes and if one messes an outfit, they both have to change. Can you imagine all of the matching outfits you'd go through with real twins?!?! Scarlett is very sweet and always so poised. If Scarlett cries, Jude looks at her like, "what are you fussing about?" and if Jude cries, Scarlett cries.

Sorry to those of you I didn't see in Twin Falls. We had an agenda (which mostly turned into eating way too much), but my family celebrated Thanksgiving, and we tried to persuade that baby to come...and we will be back in just a few weeks for Christmas!!!

6. What do you think about pixie cuts? Like Emma Watson or Audrey Hepburn? I toy with the idea every now and then but I just don't think I can pull it off. Would I look like a little boy or would I look tres chic? The line is fine.

BigTop Halloween

2011-10-28T23:10:00.000-04:00

Presenting the Greatest Show on Earth

The RingMaster presents:

StrongMan Jude.
Weighing in at just 17 lbs, Jude will amaze the audience by lifting 10,000 lbs straight to his mouth.
Hup.

Be delighted by the funniest little clown.

Our beautiful trapeze artist performs amazing feats.

Step right up!

You won't be able to take your eyes off of the Strong Baby.
A true freak of nature.

Ladies and Gentleman, you've never seen anyone quite as handsome...
...or feminine.
Is he a man? Or is she a woman?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

And thank you, Ryan, for the inspiration.

Evelyn's Birthday

2011-10-03T22:14:00.002-04:00

We have had a great weekend celebrating the birthday of our sweet 3 year-old. Her birthday is always on conference weekend so we have a lot of treats and a lot of lounging (which makes for lazy pajama pictures most of the time!). Evelyn thinks "birthday" refers only to the cake and has a hard time understanding the rest of it for some reason. Since July (Maxon's birthday) she has been talking about having a Mickey Mouse birthday. She liked eating the ears.

Highlights from Evelyn's 3rd birthday:

On Friday, Evelyn had her ears pierced. I don't know how it happened, it's definitely not something we had planned out. I never thought 3 was going to be the age of earrings. I don't wear earrings much but when I do she notices and wants them too. So we just did it! She was brave. She sat in the chair patiently for a very long time while the piercing girl and I debated about placement. (She wanted to accommodate for future piercings. I wanted to make future piercings impossible.) Evelyn didn't cry at all. She looked pretty distressed once the burn set in, but handled it very well. She now talks about them "cutting" her ear. Her earrings look cute: little gold hearts with a pink birthstone. She does not want me to clean them so I do it when she's asleep.

Evelyn loves her ballerina outfit and does cute little not-so-graceful twirls when she wears it. She chose some of her own (pink) Legos with birthday money from Grandma and Grandpa Lloyd. Max can't play with them.

Evelyn got a mini Primary Songbook because she loves to sing and she has been using her little Book of Mormon as a songbook in church.

We also have a new baby in our home. Grandma Debbie and Grandpa Cleve sent Bitty Baby and she coudln't be more loved. She has tummy time with Jude, rides in the shopping cart and car seat with Evie, sits in the Bumbo, shares a "family bed" with Evelyn (so she can nurse her through the night), and nurses all day long at the same time as Jude. Evelyn has become a very sweet little mother and is much kinder to Jude now that she has a baby to call her own.

Evelyn's Mickey Mouse birthday.

Hey, Jude

2011-10-03T22:00:00.000-04:00

Light the Night

2011-09-25T14:55:00.001-04:00

Our family team participated in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's "Light the Night" walk last Thursday. It was a lot of fun and the kids really enjoyed getting ready for it and doing something special for Grandma Debbie. We even raised $100 for the society last minute from generous friends and family!

Evelyn and Max decked out for the special event.

Everyone was given a light-up balloon to "light the night". Supporters dominated with their red balloons, but it was encouraging to see a lot of white survivor balloons as well!

After:

Way past bedtime after the walk.

Evelyn wanted her shirt to say, "I love Evelyn", so we compromised with "Love, Evelyn".

It really does.

Showing you that his sleeve says "Maxon".

We love you, Mom, and we are so proud to be your supporters.

Family Pictures

2011-09-15T22:14:00.000-04:00

At last. The last time we had family pictures taken was when Jason came home from Iraq and Evelyn was 5 weeks old. Jessica Bateman (who took Jude's newborn pictures) did them and I think she does such a nice job. (Maybe you've already seen some in the link to her blog at the bottom of my blog.)

Even though I like the way she set them up on her blog better, and the ones she posted really are the best, here are a few more!

Jude's Blessing Photos

2011-09-04T22:38:00.001-04:00

Jude was blessed on August 14, 2011. We were lucky he still fit into his outfit! It actually would have been huge on him otherwise...which is why waiting 3 months isn't such a bad idea. We didn't wait that long by choice, it is just the way it worked out with being away for the summer and all. It was a very low-key day and one of those times that makes us want to be closer to family. We were running late and were very close to not making it on time which made Jason in a not-so-inspired sort of mood. We had really just sat down when they turned the time over to us. No time to nurse or primp. (This was probably really beneficial in retrospect, because he most likely would have thrown-up all over. He has reflux, but I think it's improving.) The microphone kept going out. (Actually, I think it was dropped.)

Jude was sweet, as always. He looked huge when he was held up at the end! It was simple and beautiful. I'm so grateful for an amazing husband and a wonderful baby boy.

Here are some photos of Jude in his little romper.

Maxon's 1st Day of Kindergarten...and more.

2011-08-16T23:14:00.001-04:00

Here are some pictures of the big day. He was brave and happy and we are looking forward to a great school year! Max is in afternoon kindergarten. Not that I didn't miss him or anything, but I really felt like by the time I got home after dropping him off, I hardly had any time before I was picking him up again. It is exciting to me that my oldest is starting school. We are ready and I know it will be good for him to have some independence to add to his accomplishments.

And while the camera was out and we were enjoying a beautiful morning, I snapped some pictures of the rest of the family.

It is very hard to catch Evie standing still...but I got her! I'm afraid Evelyn might not know what to do without Max around in the afternoons, but it will be a good time for her to have a little space and be herself. They got along much better today after Max came home.

Jude is three months old and as sweet and mellow as ever. He gives me lots of big smiles, coos, and laughs. He rolls from his tummy and holds his head up well. His favorite activity is taking baths.

Jude's naps are usually interrupted, but he sneaks them in when he can. He tolerates his siblings well, but is starting to become more annoyed at their energetic love. He is lucky that he has an older brother who adores him so much and I'm sure they will be great friends when Jude is a little older.

Jude sleeps at night. Like, really sleeps. Jason and I are blown away at the whole concept of babies who sleep. Who knew?

The funny thing is, we haven't done anything different...it's just the baby/child. I used to be in disbelief over babies who slept through the night at 3 months. But mine does!!!

Jude is the peacemaker in our family.

He didn't want to have to do it...but here it is:

The Smolder!

Pure Imagination

2011-08-09T21:57:00.004-04:00

Evelyn believes she is a mermaid. She could lie in the bathtub for hours floating with just her sweet face poking out. She loves being in water.

Evelyn is fairly unpredictable. She can be very sweet and loving and is wonderful at sharing. She can also throw a tantrum like nobody's business. Wailing, kicking, screaming.

She has an angelic face and a hateful scowl.

She has always preferred sleeping on the floor.

She loves to sing and dance.

When we are in the car on a breezy day she proclaims in awe, "Look, the trees are dancing!"

Last night was interesting. Evelyn went to bed really well, slept for about 4 hours, and then woke up. She was very happy and sweet but wide awake. It was 11 o'clock and I was just getting into bed. We struggled for quite awhile as I tried to get her to stay in her bed and fall back to sleep. As I was laying by her she started talking about the monsters in her bedroom.

We've been through monsters before with Max, who has his nights of being scared, thinking there are monsters in his closet. Max is very logical so we take the approach of telling him monsters are pretend. Things like wolves, bears, beasts, etc. could be considered monsters in stories...but monsters aren't real...and he gets that.

Last night was the first night she has brought up monsters being in her room. It was a completely different experience. First of all, she pointed to a couple of different spots as she was talking about the monsters in her room. "Look, Mommy, there's a monster by my door. Look, there's one on my window." She wasn't scared, really, but was pointing them out and not wanting them to be in her room. So I took the "kick the monsters out" approach. I told her monsters weren't allowed in our house and, besides, it was bedtime and those monsters needed to go home and go to bed. We cried, "Get out of here, monsters! And STAY OUT!" Evelyn thought that was funny.

A little while later, when she woke me up again, I prepped myself for a long night. I couldn't keep my eyes open but she was wide awake. I realized that my hopes of her going back to bed were unrealistic so I turned on her lamp and told her she could read books and play quietly. She was in the best mood and entertained herself impressively. She was awake for at least 4 hours...I think she finally stayed in bed around 3 o'clock.

Here is the most interesting part of the night. (I hesitate to write it, but I'd like advice) She needed to go to the bathroom and I sat on the edge of the bathtub to help her when she was done. She looked out into our hallway and smiled. "Look, Mommy, there's a pig on our stairs! I want to play with the pig! And there's a little girl."

That part freaked me out. No. No little girls on the stairs of our 100 year old house.

She quickly moved on. Still smiling. I was quickly thinking back to everything she had consumed during the day and what might be causing her "hallucinations". I felt her body for signs of fever.

Evelyn started looking all around the bathroom. "Look, Mommy. Look at all the butterflies! Lots of butterflies!" Then she held out her palm. "I want it to sit on my hand. Look. It's yellow. It's sitting on my hand." She was wide awake. Had been awake for a couple of hours. She was happy and alert. Maybe too alert. She was talking and looking and pointing as though she was actually looking at these things. They didn't bother her. She seemed so happy in her world. Then, looking out the window "Look! A duck. It's outside. It's flying!"

Tonight she woke up and I went in to help her back in bed. She said, "I need an umbrella. It's raining. I want to sleep on my floor."

What do you think?

I'm a little worried. I know children have imaginary friends and that they can be very real to them. I've never known anyone who has, but it seems like it happens.

Are there children who's imagination is so expansive that they are actually seeing these creatures?

I tried not to think of it too much last night because I really was nervous. I sent Jason a text telling him to call me as soon as he got the chance in the morning because I was scared. But as I was talking to him about it on the phone this afternoon, it became very amazing to me.

She has been imaginative in the past, but maybe as she grows, that imagination will really start to make itself present in extraordinary ways. It made me realize that there are many people who would have to have lived in more imaginative realm to have accomplished the things they did. Composers, musicians, authors- artists of every kind. I just don't know how to deal with it. I've always been afraid of the supernatural and witnessing my 2 year-old daughter experience this was a bit disturbing to me.

At the same time, I'm excited because somewhere there is a child who will be the next J.K Rowling and maybe, just maybe, it's this little girl sitting in front of me on the toilet.

Summer Catch-Up

2011-08-03T00:25:00.001-04:00

We are home. At last. I know you are all thinking how fast that went by...I keep hearing it...I didn't feel it. It is so good to be home in our cute little white house in Indiana. Now it is time to catch-up on blogging about some very important events.

Visitors

Grandma and Grandpa came to visit us in Illinois! My mom worked so hard to be well enough to travel...we've been waiting so patiently...and she did really well. We were all impressed by how well she did and the energy she exerted. We spent an afternoon in Chicago at Millennial Park, we ate out a lot, visited the Jelly Belly Factory in Wisconsin, went swimming in the hotel, and Jason and I even went on a date (Harry Potter!). Jude came, too.

Max, Evelyn, and Jude

Jude's 2 month stats:

13 lbs 6 oz!

24 in

He's our chunkiest one at this stage by a whole pound.

(Max was 12 lbs 5 oz and Eve was 11 lbs 6 oz)

Jude has rolls and he is very fun to kiss. Just ask Max.

Max is 5!!!

Max celebrated his 5th birthday for 2 days. He was convinced that his birthday was going to be on Saturday because he was born on a Saturday. I was just going to let him think that Saturday was the 29th (instead of Friday) so Jason could celebrate with us. We decided to celebrate for two days instead.

This was an excellent decision for 2 reasons:

1. He was VERY grumpy on the morning of the 29th.

2. The birthday phone calls would have been rejected.

The whole family woke him up singing "Happy Birthday" and treated him to breakfast in bed. He didn't like it. I was reminded all morning that I shouldn't have done it. We wanted Jason to be there when he opened his presents. We played with his new airport Lego set all morning and he talked to Grandma Debbie and then Grandpa Allan on the phone. We spent the day at Kohl Children's Museum and had a picnic lunch (one of his few birthday requests). That evening, we had cake and went straight to bed in preparation for the big celebration the next day.

On Saturday, we revisited a really amazing park at The Glen in Northbrook, had Sushi for lunch (Max's favorite food), and saw Winnie the Pooh in the movie theater. Max LOVED the movie. I always love to hear him laugh so hard. It was a really cute movie and perfect for my kids.

Some things about Max on his 5th birthday:

*He loves Legos

*He is an excellent reader

*He is intensely affectionate

*He's likes to do arithmetic and we talk math throughout the day. He can add, subtract, and multiply.

*He is in love with his baby brother and snogs him all day long.

*He is very observant

*He is shy and very social all at the same time

Max is smart, sweet, and full of energy.

The Importance of Birth

2011-07-30T20:58:00.001-04:00

I've been thinking about birth a lot lately and it's significance. Our sunday school lesson last week was on the Resurrection and although the lesson was discussing death and eternal life through Christ, my thoughts were on birth and the role it plays in the Plan of Salvation. Lost in my thoughts, I realized how mortal birth is. While we often speak of death and the hope that through Christ all will be made alive, never to die again, I've never considered that birth, like death, is part of our mortal experience only. Along with that, childhood is also a mortal experience. While I'm not going to expound on all of my thoughts, I just had very bittersweet realizations that childhood is a treasure and birth is something that has become very sacred me.

Too often my thoughts about birth/children focus on being ready or not, being "baby hungry," being DONE, or coming up with some arbitrary number of children that seems like a good number for some reason (I've heard, "I'll stop at two because I've got two hands...or I'll have 5 because that's what my mom had and that seems like a good number"). But it's not about that at all. Birth is about doing what we were created to do. It is about experiencing life and womanhood at it's divine level. Birth is a sacred responsibility.

I found an article that I think is beautiful and profound and I wanted to share it. From a blog called Women in the Scriptures the article is The Importance of Birth.

I'm having a hard time attaching a link, but read it. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Have you seen this blog? The more I read it, the more impressed I am with it. I like her writing. I like that she's a feminist and a doula...and to top it all off, a scriptorian. Women in the Scriptures is my curent favorite blog. I've read the posts in her favorites links and I'm anxious to delve into the scripture links.

Independence Day 2011

2011-07-04T20:24:00.004-04:00

At the Independence Day parade in Glencoe, IL

Shoulder rides for Jude.

Posing with Daddy.

Getting a little hungry.

You should have seen the loot! Handfuls of candy, flags, chip clips, Silly Bands, cookies, water bottles, water in cups...of course I can't say 'no' to any of it. It's free!

And they were giving out books!

(1001 Ways to Celebrate America)

Jewish flag...why not?

Beiber Fever book...yes, please!

The parade was short and sweet and the village had goings on throughout the day.

We had lots of fun walking around, eating snow cones, and just being together.

Evelyn has dropped for the night so it will be a date for Max and me at the fireworks tonight.

Happy Independence Day!!!

Milk Protein Intolerance

2011-07-01T13:57:00.001-04:00

As most of my readers know, my son Max has a milk protein intolerance (MPI). Lately, I've felt like I should document it- how we found out, the dietary changes, etc. There isn't a lot of information out there and if someone else is struggling or has a child that is struggling with this or something similar, my documentation could be helpful. The organization is going to be tricky because of so many overlapping symptoms spanning his 4.93 years. Maybe I'll organize by age...

Age 0-1
The Beginning:
I noticed within the first couple of weeks of Max's life that something wasn't quite right. He was extremely fussy and gassy and would have long periods of inconsolable crying. He never spit up an abnormal amount and would never EVER refuse a feeding. He ate well and gained weight well but always seemed uncomfortable. As a new mom, I was quick to think something was wrong and in this case it was probably helpful. Max was breastfed exclusively so that meant that it was up to me to make the dietary changes. The first thing I eliminated was milk and it made a considerable difference. Now, it is never easy to give up food that you are used to eating, and I didn't eliminate very faithfully, but we always noticed a positive change in Max when I did. Other than gassiness and colic, he had mild eczema, congestion, and a sore bum. We spent many hours with Max laying on his tummy across our arm trying to ease his discomfort.

The Sleep Problem:
As Max got a little older, sleep became a problem. When he was old enough to be expected to sleep better, it never happened. He wouldn't sleep at all unless he was in bed with Jason and me. Then he started having night terrors. As a baby, he would awake suddenly and just scream. His eyes would be open but dazed and he wouldn't respond to anything. We were so frightened when these started. We didn't know what was going on with our baby or how to console him. We would be on the internet at 3 a.m. searching for answers. We discovered night terrors. They would usually last for 30-45 minutes and then he would suddenly stop, wake up a little, and fall back asleep without realizing what had just happened. Max wouldn't have night terrors every night. They probably happened only once or twice a month.
He also experienced insomnia here and there. We didn't realize the sleep problems were related until Max was 3.

Max was breastfed until he was 18 months old. I tried to eliminate dairy when I could, but there was only a significant reaction when I had obvious things like a glass of milk or ice cream. We had mostly dismissed any problem thinking that it was just something he was sensitive to as an infant. All infants are fussy and have gastrointestinal issues at some point.

Age 1
Sudden Onset Reactions:
On Max's first birthday, I made him a lemon cake with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. He liked it a lot and ate his entire piece. Once we had cleaned him off, we noticed that every place the food had touched his skin was covered in a bright red, raised rash. We started thinking about the milk being a problem again when this happened anytime he ate anything with dairy. Pesto, anything made with a cream soup, macaroni and cheese, etc. Because of the rashes, I started asking his pediatrician about it. He didn't have any answers so we just tried harder to eliminate. We started giving him rice milk with a little oil to add fat (which a healthy friend had suggested), not that he was lacking at that point in his life!

Since he was now eating real food with us, I had to make more changes to our diet. Pretty much everything I made had milk it really was a big change and we took it slowly. Also, when he was just starting to eat, it was the obvious things that would set him off so he didn't drink milk or eat cheese. We weren't very strict about it and he was still getting quite a bit of dairy in his diet...most of it "hidden" where we hadn't learned to look.

Max was no where close to sleeping "through the night" and was still experiencing night terrors. Other than sleep problems, he was a happy baby and we didn't consider his milk intolerance to be a very big problem.

Age 2
Before Max was 2, he and I moved to Idaho while Jason was deployed to Iraq. I was pregnant and didn't cook dinner while we were there (sorry mom) and Max ate what the rest of us were eating...including lots of dairy. His previous issues were still at the back of my mind, but they didn't seem to be a problem, so he ate whatever. I potty-trained Max the week before his second birthday, he was going to the bathroom like a champ! He was happy and had my undivided attention and grandma's, and grandpa's. He continued to have sleep problems. I had to force him to nap and then he would be awake until 10 or 11 at night and I had to force him to go to sleep. He didn't sleep through the night and would have night terrors occasionally, though not nearly as often- I can remember only a couple during the 8 months we were in Idaho.
Things were going well but then he started showing aggression toward other children. I dismissed it- it was his age, his daddy was gone, it was the pregnancy, he was spoiled- he was still really sweet most of the time, and he was 2.
Then Max didn't want to poop. He would hold it in for days and then when he would go, he would have blood in his poop. And it was obviously blood. Not just a little red, but dripping into the toilet. Very scary. His pediatrician said it was probably because he was holding it in and to give him Miralax so he couldn't hold it in. He still bled.
Max's last night terror was the night I started labor with Evelyn. Thank goodness.
Max became very aggressive after his sister was born. My sweet, perfect little boy was turning into a monster. It was more than just new baby aggression, too. We are still dealing with the after-effects!
Once Jason came home and we moved to Connecticut, we were better at eliminating the milk from his diet. We were better about just removing it completely from our home.

Age 3
When we moved and were settled, I asked the pediatrician again about what was going on. I wanted allergy testing done and I guess I wanted a label to the issue. Mainly because I felt like I wasn't being taken seriously. I would tell people that Max couldn't have milk but if I wasn't careful about watching, they would give it to him. There were serious behavioral problems when the milk was in his body and it was very obvious that the milk was causing the problems. The doctors didn't have answers...I don't know what they can say other than just to eliminate...the allergy test came back negative. We were even referred to a pediatric gastroenterologist at Yale. Nothing.

Age 4
We had changed our diet so milk was no longer a part of it at all.

It took us awhile to realize, though, foods such as Goldfish crackers and breads with milk, whey, casein, etc. in the ingredients also affected him. I read every single food label and Max knows how to read them now as well. I don't let things slide as much as I used to because I know that even the smallest amount of milk will set him off and it is just not worth it to deal with the consequences.

It is hard when we are away from home. It's hard because we grew up in Idaho and a large part of our family's livelihood depends on dairy farmers. For a long time I felt like to my family, Max's issues were just a joke. I was over-dramatic and over-controlling, etc. But last time we were in Idaho, in January, I think they finally realized just how serious it was. Max was going to preschool with Lucy and they were given Cheez-Its. Max knew better and it was no one's fault, but all the other kids were eating them, and that's always hard. Max went crazy. He became over-sensitive and aggressive. He woke up multiple times in the night throwing huge fits, he had digestive issues, he had an increase in OCD behaviors. He looked like a drug addict because of the way he was compulsively rubbing his face and the black circles under his eyes.

There are lots of times when other people are eating treats or something really yummy and it breaks my heart that Max can't have it. Most of the time, he tolerates it alright but there have been a few times when he has become genuinely heart broken and I have to pull him aside to talk about it. I have to remember that he is a very lucky boy and look at the bigger picture. There are so many kids in this world with so many issues much, much more challenging than a milk protein intolerance!

Really, it is teaching him self-discipline and has become a blessing to our family. I could never take Jason's ice cream away from him, and don't even think about touching my quesadillas when I'm pregnant, but most of the time our entire family is dairy-free. Until we had to deal with this, we ate whatever we wanted without thinking about the effect it was having on us. Now that we have experienced a food, even the smallest trace, having such a huge negative effect on our son, we've started thinking a lot more about what we eat and have made a lot of changes to our diet.

Answers to common questions:

Milk Protein Intolerance (casein, whey) is not the same as a milk sugar intolerance (lactose). Max cannot take the little pills or drink Lactaid.
I do not know if Max will ever grow out of it. While I want him to be able to make his own food choices, I don't see it as a huge hindrance and it doesn't bother me anymore that he can't have dairy products. He doesn't seem to be bothered by it either.
We use a variety of milks as a substitute to dairy milk in baking, on cereal, and just to drink. There are a lot of options available just recently like coconut milk (Max's favorite...not the canned stuff...but in an actual milk carton), and almond milk. We are trying to limit soy now that the other ones are so widely available.
MPI is most likely genetic and is not an allergy. It will not show up on an allergy test.

Symptoms:

aggression
irritability
eczema
contact rash
cramps
bloody stools
night terrors
insomnia

Now that Max is almost 5, I think we have it figured out. It has definitely taken those full 5 years to figure out, though. Starting last February, when we became more strict about eliminating the foods with the smallest percentages of milk, and settled into our new home, Max started sleeping through the night! Can you believe it took 5 years?!?! It was definitely a relief to know that it was medically related and not a parenting mistake I made...because I do like my babies to sleep in my bed. :)

Everyday Angels

2011-06-14T23:28:00.002-04:00

Our family has been in Illinois for almost 3 weeks now. We live in a beautiful little village and have loved being able to walk to the library and the park. People are very kind, happy, and healthy and we feel comfortable and safe in our village. Even so, we are in a one bedroom apartment with matresses and camp chairs and it feels like the weeks are passing by slowly. It has been hard for Max who keeps asking how many days we have until we go back to Indiana. It has just been a lot of transition in a short period and it is taking it's toll on the kids. It is hard to move from place to place. It is hard to not know anyone or have friends or family around. Over and over.

In our two weeks of living in Illinois I've been reminded, again, that we will never be alone. There are people around who will love us and care for us before they even know us. A week and a half ago we showed up at a new church building full of unfamiliar faces, which we've become accustomed to over the years. All of our wards have been very welcoming and great, and I'm not meaning to compare in any way, but the Northshore 1st ward is unbelievable. They know that we are only here for a short time but they have embraced us as though we were old friends. They remember our names and our children's names, I've been contacted and checked up on in some form almost every day. We have been invited to playgroups and family activites. Two women have even stopped by unannounced for a short visit. And the most incredible thing about it is that they are doing it on their own accord. It isnt the Relief Society president and it isn't something that has been arranged through compassionate service. It is just genuine women who know. Know what it feels like to be new and to have a new baby and to have young children. They know what it feels like to be feel alone and that no one should ever feel that way.

Today a woman from the ward showed up at our apartment with a huge box of food. I didn't know her. I hadn't even seen or talked to her at church. She is the Primary president, so she would have seen us and learned of our situation. Anyway, she stopped by with a box filled with dinner, fruit, vegetables, cookies, fruit snacks, drinks...walked it all up the 3 floors to our apartment. Then she played with my kids, held Jude, and walked around the village with us. Max was thrilled to have someone to talk with and have a break from me. I was thrilled that I could stop nagging him. She brightened the day for all of us. For us, today, in ways that probably seemed so simple to her, she was an angel. I needed her. Max needed her. Jason definitely needed her meal!

We are watched over and cared for more than we realize. There are good people in this world. I am so grateful.

The Story

2011-06-09T23:55:00.006-04:00

I've been trying to catch up on some blogs tonight because with our temporary move we have been in and out of internet service. I'm currently typing this on my iPad which is a little tricky for longer posts so please forgive mistakes. Anyway, I decided it was probably time to jot down Jude's birth story since he is (unfortunately) not getting any younger...or smaller. I have just adored having a newborn. It is funny because, well, to be quite honest, we definitely did not feel "ready" for another baby (as some of you already knew). We were so wrong. I was so ready. Jason, too.

And with the third baby you realize that the time passes by so quickly. And it makes me sad. So, where I was once content with one child..."done" with two...three has opened my heart. And don't think I love Max and Evelyn any less. Nothing could be further from the truth. Maybe it has just taken this long for me to feel confident with myself as a mother. The past couple of years have conditioned me. I feel like I can handle anything now! The transition and recovery from his birth have been smooth. Jude is truly a miracle and blessing to our family.

I guess I feel a little strange sharing a birth story because there is just not a lot to share. I feel like to share a birth story I need some drama...but I like them better with no drama. Just the simplicity and beauty of birth.

So, here is our simple story:

Thursday, May 12th started just like many of the days previous. I spent the evenings uncomfortable, waddling and achy, ready to be done with pregnancy (but apprehensive to give birth). I was still sleeping well and awoke each morning feeling like a was still going to be pregnant for...well...maybe forever...and I guess that was okay...

We ran a few errands. I think I talked to Julie on the phone about travel plans or something (she came to Indiana on the 14th to help out). I started feeling crampy toward the afternoon and wanted to get labor started-but didn't all at the same time. We turned on some music, the kids and I, and danced around the living room. We played outside. I tried to exert more playing effort than I had in a while. I ran up and down the stairs instead of taking them slowly. I ate black licorice. I hate to admit it, but I did mix a little castor oil with vinegar to pour on my salad at lunch. Just a little.

Jason came home. I think he was surprised to see me doing jumping jacks with the kids in the backyard. The little things we mothers do when birth is approaching to ensure the safety of our newborns. The children were exhausted and were put to bed at 6:45. At 7:00 p.m. I was feeling the effects of my salad dressing and black licorice. I was regretting it a bit. I sent Jason a warning that this could be more than a mere bathroom break. He sent a text to my friend, Brooke, to be ready to come stay with the kids...but not too ready. I was in labor. I always try to deny it. Three times I have. But I knew it. I spent a few minutes alternating between the toilet and the bathtub. I was just having one giant contraction. My belly was rock hard and stayed that way. Just stayed in a contraction. I have a very toned uterus I think.

Jason called and informed my midwife that we were heading to the hospital. It was about a 20 minute drive. It was around 8:00 at this point. I felt silly to be heading to the hospital after just an hour...convinced they would send me home...ready to laugh at myself if they did.
I've always been FAR from being sent home.

Brooke came over and I told her that we were going to the hospital but might be back soon
(denial). We called my mom and sisters in the car on the way which was really good because it made the dreaded ride to the hospital bearable and fast. There is no worse place to be when in labor than buckled into a car.

We got to the hospital around 8:30 and by that time I wasn't denying anything. Jason tried to start the baby name game. I told him- "Enough with the small talk!". The mega-birthwave hadn't stopped. It just stayed and continued to get more and more intense. I started to do the birthing rock. My nurse noticed too and quickly got me to my birthing room. My wonderful midwife, Ann, met us there. I told her I wanted an epidural. She lovingly essentially said, "Really? We'll see..." and then later reminded me that everyone wants one at that point. Jason said, "You told me that if you said that I was supposed to remind you that you don't." I was just so scared and wanted it to be calm and peaceful. It was fast instead. We got settled in the room around 8:45. I favored the hands and knees position this time while Jason offered counter pressure. It is interesting to me that each labor is so different in the positions preferred. After growing tired of hands and knees, Ann suggested side-lying as I was starting to push and that offers a gentler/slower approach to delivery.

Jude was born at 9:11. It was intense. It was hard. It was labor. I didn't want to do it but I felt that energizing relief when it is all over and the crazy intensity and burning immediately subside. Suddenly it was all worth it.

Jason announced, "It's a boy!". I wasn't surprised. I was so happy. And just relieved he was here and it was over. It was perfect.

But really fast. Jude came out a little too fast to squeeze the fluid from his lungs. He did take one small breath and gave a tiny whimper. Then the cord was quickly cut and the neonatal team rushed in to resuscitate him and whisk him away to the NICU. Jason went with Jude while I finished my business with my midwife.

Jude was in the NICU for just over 3 days. He quickly recovered enough to get rid of the feeding tube and the oxygen. He nursed really well when he could and then really well once the tube was gone.

The whole experience couldn't have been better. I loved my midwives and the hospital and staff were all so incredible. What a blessing to be able to look back at the experience with such fondness.

Jude is 4 weeks old today. He is filling out and getting a little roly. He couldn't be loved more by Max and Evelyn and he handles the energy well. Jude is so sweet. I am filled with gratitude for these three children and the joy, love, and energy they bring to my life. There is not a doubt in my mind that they are divine beings sent from a loving Heavenly Father. What a tremendous responsibility! There is nothing greater.

Photo Shoot

2011-05-24T19:59:00.001-04:00

Last Saturday, Jude and I had a newborn photo shoot. It was lots of fun and I am so happy to have these photos to cherish. To see a sneak peek go here.

Welcome Baby Jude

2011-05-17T19:53:00.000-04:00

Jude Oliver Lloyd made his debut on May 12, 2011 around 9:00 p.m. He was 7 lbs. 9 oz. and is the sweetest little boy in the world. We are so grateful that he is here and we are falling in love all over again with our beautiful baby boy.

Here are some close-ups of his sweet little face.

Jude's LONG toes.

How could I forget?

2011-02-17T20:41:00.000-05:00

I'm ashamed that I failed to mention the very happiest part of these last couple of weeks.

Jason and I celebrated our 9th anniversary on February 15th.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to us.

Here's to number 10! The expectations for things such as cruises and Tiffany diamonds increases dramatically during the next 12 months.

And Jason's now singing "Material Girl" in the background.

Getting Settled

2011-02-17T20:33:00.000-05:00

Here we are in a new town, again, getting settled all over again. We are happy. It is a good place for us to be and we feel very blessed that things have worked out so well. Jason has a great TA position, we found a house that fit all of our needs for size, location, and price, and there are 2 certified nurse midwifes who took me in this late in the game. Also, we've already met lots of incredible people and our ward is full of people just like us. Lots of kids the exact same ages as ours, AND they have aerobics classes at the church every week day! The kids just play around in the gym and the ladies work out...and it's good, too...I've only been once...but it was actually intense, like the teacher knew what she was doing! We have got lots of activities to keep us busy and happy.

Jason goes to school in the wee hours of the morning. It is dark and dreary and extremely cold. I feel bad that he's walking to school in those conditions. I'm grateful that he can walk to school. Once the snow melts a bit more and he gets mud flaps (with my pregnant silhouette on them!) he'll ride his bike. He goes so early so that he can be home to eat dinner with us. Then, after the kids are in bed, the homework routine begins and lasts late into the night. He's busy. Ahhhh student life.

The baby is doing well. Like I mentioned before, I found a certified nurse midwife in one of the practices here and found out that another has recently joined her. I had my first appointment with her a couple of days ago and it was really great. I have never had a midwife before because they weren't available in my areas...and within the military treatment options...but I've always wanted to work with one so I'm excited about this opportunity. The appointment went well. The baby is doing well. I feel huge. I'm still so happy that we didn't find out the gender and it never bothers me at all that we don't know. I don't feel ready to have another child but I'm running out of time to feel that way. Max has been so helpful and happy since we've moved here. Maybe because we discovered there really is milk in those saltine goldfish! ha ha. There has been a dramatic change in his attitude and behavior. That makes me feel like another one will be okay. I think he will really like being able to help with the baby. Evelyn loves babies but lately she has been very mean to her baby dolls which makes me a little nervous.

Anyway...here's to a new post!

I'm the worst blogger ever.

2011-01-17T23:26:00.000-05:00

I don't check blogs...I don't post to my own blog...I'm the worst.

So, way back in December, we made it to Indiana. We spent a few days looking for a place to call home and finally found it. (After some let-downs and a lot of persistance.) It's an old house in a nice neighborhood really close to campus and it's just perfect...or so we think...it will be. It won't be ours until February--but we think the wait will be worth it. In the meantime, Jason is in Indiana getting settled into school and work and meeting people in our new town. The kids and I are in Twin Falls for 3 more weeks. January is never-ending...even without being separated from our husband and father...but especially so now.

We're hanging out with my sister and her kids a lot and just chillin'. It's been really nice for Max to have cousins to play with and he's been a great boy. We've seen a lot of improvements, especially in the treatment of his sister, since we've been here. He's only had a couple of break-down moments from missing his daddy (which makes me grateful, everytime, that the deployment was 2 years ago when he didn't really know what was going on). Evelyn has truly become two. She's glued to me and has had a hard time warming up to the new environment. Slowly, though, she's becoming more comfortable with the family. She likes Julie's kids a lot but not Julie so much. She's getting better with her grandparents but doesn't see them very often. The Lloyds on Sunday and the Buttars' here and there.

The baby is doing well as far as I can tell. I had an ultrasound a week ago and everything looked just right. I'm so much more mellow with this pregnancy...I think I was 15 weeks or so at my first appointment. Last week was my second--22 weeks or so--not even sure on that! Naturally, since it's our third child, we're didn't find out the sex and I have absolutely no regrets and I'm really looking forward to that extra surprise on the birth day.

For now, we're anxiously awaiting warmer weather, being with Jason, and setting up a new home (One of my all time favorite things. Honestly. And thankfully...it happens a lot!)

Would you ever paint a rental?

We'll be there for 2 years, which is as long as we've been anywhere...you can't wait forever to make a house a home...

The time has come.

2010-11-16T20:37:00.002-05:00

Since most of you already know, I guess it is now time to officially announce (blogs make it official, you know) that we're having a baby! I just barely saw the doctor today...very late for a first appointment...but it made the first ultrasound that much cooler. It was an actual baby wiggling all over the place and looking so cute. In fact, we were really close to determining the sex but it just wasn't quite clear enough to be sure.

The very coolest thing of all? Well, most of you also know that my sister Tracie is pregnant. Today the ultrasound measurements kicked my due date back 5 days which was exactly how far apart our due dates were. Strangely we now have the EXACT same due date...May 17th!!! Isn't that crazy. We're having twins for my mom because she wants twin grand-babies. That was awfully clever of us to work that out without even consulting each other.

We're excited that our family is growing. There is nothing that compares to the miracle of becoming a mother and I'm so grateful for the experience and for the opportunity to fall in love all over again.

We've made a decision at last!

2010-11-12T20:19:00.000-05:00

We're happy to announce we've chosen

It feels so good to know at last so we can make our extremely last minute plans. It's crazy how we've been working on this separation/move for a long, long time yet there are a million things to do that can't really be done until the last minute. And that's where we are. We'll be out of Connecticut within 3 weeks and heading westward.

Do any of you know anyone that is currently attending Purdue or who has attended semi-recently and could offer advice? Are you familiar with the area and/or the surrounding areas at all?

Coincidently, Jason was reunited through a phone-chain with one of his Utah State buddies who is at Purdue with his family. (For those of you who were at school with us, it's the Hebdons!) It will be the first time we've known anyone at a new location and they have been so helpful already, which is comforting, because I'm already a lot more hesitant about this move than I have been about any of the others. I'm getting older and have worries and responsibilities.

Evelyn turned 2!

2010-11-01T18:02:00.000-04:00

It was on Sunday, October 3rd, so we lounged around and watched General Conference and snacked all day long. I think she liked it!

Her birthday "meal" was her favorite black bean salsa and we had cookies and ice cream for her treat.

Her favorite gifts were the bear that Max helped her make at Build-a-Bear (she named her Rorie), her backpack, and her Belle phone (the only thing she wanted out of the entire toy department at Target).

Evelyn is a thrill-seeker. She is patient and compassionate. Even though it took a little while, she's now talking a lot and saying lots of new words everyday. The one we hear the most is "I try!" She told me her name is "I"...now she's starting to say her name is "E". She loves to sing and knows lots of songs. Her current favorites are "Baby Mine" and "The Wheels on the Bus" ("Beep"- not to be confused with her previous favorite "Jesus Wants Me For a Sun-BEEP"). Although those who were around her as a baby may be shocked, she's actually the sweetest little thing ever and really, really loves people...even those she scowled and screamed at in the past.

Tracie and Jonny came to visit us a couple of weeks ago during their Fall Break and Evelyn adored them. They will be our last visitors to Connecticut and I'm glad they made it out here. We still hear about "Nonny" many times throughout the day. (She thinks they're both "Nonny"). We had lots of fun going to Boston and the Book Barn, Cows and Cones, and playing LEGO Harry Potter.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EVELYN!

PICTURES

2010-11-01T17:58:00.000-04:00

I followed Des's advice and posted my pictures from photobucket. It was sort of an experiment- I didn't know if it would be a link or what- I guess it's a slide show, which is better. So you have ALL of the pictures in our October file. Evelyn's birthday (I guess I should publish that post now), the kids jumping on the bed one day, Halloween, and maybe a few more things thrown in. It worked, and for that I'm grateful. Thanks, Des.

2010-11-01T17:53:00.001-04:00

Nevermind

2010-10-31T22:20:00.001-04:00

I am so frustrated with this blog lately. We cannot post pictures. This blog is nothing without them. So if you've been wondering about Evelyn's birthday, for example, that was a month ago, I've written a post about it and it is just waiting for pictures. She turned two and she is more sassy and adorable than ever, but how can you trust me if I have no picture proof?!?

Now Halloween. We dressed up and looked spooky/sweet/dashing/afterthought (Max/Eve/Jason/me) but it could be next year before I get the pictures posted.

Then, hours ago, I tried to make up for the lack of pictures by posting some really fun videos starring Max and Evelyn but had to say "nevermind" to that idea as well.

On to my next dilemma:

As most of you know, Jason will be resigning from the Navy in December. We've enjoyed our experience and are excited to be moving on to the next adventure-- grad school. The dilemma is that we just cannot decide where to go. The choice is between three schools all with excellent programs. If anyone has any input/opinion at all (for good or bad) please comment. Even if it is "we'd never come visit you there" or "we'd totally come visit you there". Here's the list:

Penn State- State College, PA

Purdue- West Lafayette, IN

Virginia Tech- Blacksburg, VA

Penn State is the only one that has offered funding in the form of a research position. The others haven't yet because of a combination of Spring enrollment and 1st semester student.

We have of course put a lot of thought and prayer into the matter but they are all great choices!

Where should we go?

Some Quick Photos to Share

2010-10-18T21:12:00.000-04:00

Sorry resolution is not great, but they are cell phone shots.

Cowboy Max and Cowgirl Evelyn.

We'd like to thank Costco for the props... How many people do you know that can ride a horse while eating a hotdog?! Yeehaw, Max!

Faneuil Hall, Boston, MA.

Samuel Adams poses for you immortalized in front of a famous hall on the Freedom Trail. Many events took place here that helped to shape our republic.

Paul Revere's tombstone, Boston, MA.

Ever remembered for the fateful "Midnight Ride", Paul Revere lays to rest in one of the coolest, creepiest, and most Halloween-ish graveyards I've ever seen. Two lanterns glowed like the fervor of our infant nation in the tower of the Old North Church...Red Coats approaching by sea.

USS Constitution, Boston, MA. "Old Ironsides"

Oldest commissioned US Naval Ship. Yep, she's still commissioned! She has an active duty crew assigned to her and it even sails on special occasions. You can take tours onboard this the 3rd of 6 US Navy frigates commissioned to fend off the Algerian pirates as part of the act to provide a naval armament signed by President George Washington in 1794. She was nicknamed "Old Ironsides" because the strength of her live oak hull, which was known to reflect cannon balls off her sides as if made of iron.

-Jason

Some pictures...

2010-09-07T23:17:00.001-04:00

Max on his first day of preschool.

Max is starting a new trend...I had to document it so you knew where you saw it first: The Gentleman

"Do I look handsome, Mommy?"

Evelyn and Max love their Wheely Bugs!
I love them, too.

Product recommendation: A+

Some potty pictures of Evelyn.

Preschool and Potty

2010-09-03T22:02:00.000-04:00

Max went to his first day of preschool yesterday. I was really hesitant to send him because I've got a bit of an attachment to him, but it was fine and I hope that he likes it. He had fun yesterday and wants to go back...I guess that's a good sign...but he was crazy when he came home. Has anyone else ever experienced that when their kids go back to school? I've heard people say their kids are exhausted but I've never heard of crazy kids becoming more crazy...what do you think?

In other news...

Evelyn is POTTY TRAINED!!!

And we've had a little friend over this week (whose parents are in Hawaii) who is also being potty trained. Not because I think I'm an expert or anything, but because I don't want Evelyn to see me changing Ruby's diapers and decide she wants that again. They are a little competitive about it which has helped...if one gets a sticker and potty treat, the other will do what she's gotta do to get it. There have been a couple times when they try to push each other off the little potty because they both want to use it at the same time. It's been a little messy around here but getting better everyday!

Now there's a hurricane coming. Wish us luck!

Bear Lake

2010-08-15T23:54:00.001-04:00

Three new posts in one night with pictures! At last.

I'm having a lot of trouble with Max's birthday post, so for now, it is what it is.

LOTS of pictures from Bear Lake:

Jack and Ellie.

(For those who aren't familiar, the 4 children that aren't mine belong to my sister Julie and her husband Clint.)

Sorry Clint, but I think it's hilarious and Julie looks really pretty. You pose, I post.

The Newlyweds- my sister Tracie and her husband Jonny.

We've got this same pose in every outfit and location. It's classic.

This hottie-body doesn't see much sun...I tried to change the coloring a bit so he wouldn't be embarrased by the "farmer tan".

I LOVE this man.

My brother Ryan and his wife Chelsea.

Not a great picture, but the only one of Max and Evelyn together.

Audrey ate a lot of sand.

Evelyn LOVES the water!

Max, Jack, Audrey, Grandma Debbie, Evelyn, Ellie, and Lucy

The next few photos were taken at the Logan Temple.

This is the most typical Evelyn face. She's very offended.

Where it all began...

No need to question. I'm not. It's just a billowy shirt. Phew!

Lloyd Family Reunion

2010-08-15T23:18:00.001-04:00

We flew to Utah/Idaho the night of Max's birthday, which was a Thursday and arrived in Twin Falls Friday evening. On the drive from Salt Lake to Twin Falls, I got really sick with a high fever and cough and painful lungs. Saturday happened to be the Lloyd Family Reunion (Allan's siblings) so Jason took the kids just past Pocatello and I stayed in Twin. Sorry I missed everyone. Saturday night, I ended up in the ER very sick with a fever of 102 and was diagnosed with Bacterial Pneumonia. I spent the rest of our vacation battling the coughing and pain and fevers and trying not to get everyone sick...especially my mom who started chemotherapy again last Monday through Wednesday and is preparing for a bone marrow transplant.

Here are some pictures from the reunion:

Jason's sister Vanessa and our nephew Ridge

Max and Grandma

Evie and Maddie

Fishing for treasures

Max's Yellow Party

2010-08-15T23:03:00.000-04:00

Growing Into 4

2010-06-15T23:31:00.001-04:00

Max's birthday is on our double calendar in the kitchen and the writing is right at eye level for Max to see that it's coming up. He's, of course, very excited. He just understands everything so much better and is able to remember now what birthdays are. He remembers his birthday last year and he's been to friends birthday parties and it's just so much more tangible to him. He's been growing. When his shoes are too tight and his pants are too short I've been saying, "you're growing your 4 year old feet"...or "your 4 year old legs". He's amazed at this and loves to say it himself now.

I think 4 is going to be a really good year. We struggled through 2 after Evelyn was born and especially 3 and part of that was because of his dairy protein intolerance and its reactions in his body, part of it was jealousy, part of it was my not being able to handle two babies and expecting him to be older than he was...moves, changes, health of family members, etc. But things are really looking bright. Lately, he's been so kind and inclusive to his sister. He'll ask her if she wants to play and she's able to say "uh-huh" and follow him. They actually play together without me in the room and are really enjoying each other. It's like a miracle! My favorite is when he says, "Evie, do you want to play with me? I'll be kind. You're my best friend-- I love you." {melt}.

We had such a fun day today and I just had to document it. I don't ever write in a journal anymore, but I also wasn't really documenting anything on my blog because I didn't want everyone reading my "journal". So just now, I made it completely private, but I'm not really sure how that's going to go. Actually, now that I think about it, I should probably just create a separate journal blog so that I'm still able to share pictures and stuff...I just feel like I'm so over blogging at the moment. So private it is....or maybe not...

This is Jason's second week being out of town and Max has really missed him. Today, in my email inbox, was an activity that Jason had created for Max. Max has been playing "detective" a lot lately with his backpack and his flashlight so this was just perfect. Here it is:

Detective Max,

This is your mission, should you choose to accept it. We need your detective skills to find some very important things. We have gathered a few clues, but this is all we know at this time. Agent Daddy will catch up with you on Thursday or Friday to see what you have been able to find out...If you need help, ask Agent Mommy. Her proven skills could help you out!

Clues:
1. Long, black plastic case. We think it's shaped like a rectangle and may be kept in a closet somewhere.
2. We're looking for a short sailor whose boat may have crashed. He's known for carrying a blue fishing pole in his boat with him.
3. A green and yellow colored item. We're not sure what it is, definitely not a blanket, but we've gathered that people like to lay in the shade between trees in one of these.
4. The next item we are looking for has a bag that stands up by itself. We think that it carries long metal sticks of some sort.
5. We got a tip from a source the other day telling us that there might be some skiis at 7 Orion Avenue. We don't know anything more.
6. An important piece of evidence in a new case is a movie. We need to locate this movie. All we know at this time is that it has a furry blue monster on the cover. It may have a green monster too.
7. We don't now much about this next item either. It's a big white box of some kind that we think has water that pours into it when a silver handle is turned.
8. This item is very suspicious to us. We don't know what it looks like, but we're told it is dangerous for children and daddies to wear ties. It's some kind of a paper eating machine...
9. This is used to hold children's shoes. Our sources tell us that it is kept in a dark cave upstairs.
10. A very curious item needs to be detected. We think that it started as a little bulb underground and we're told that it grows everyday, but to do so it needs water, soil and sunshine.
11. The last tiem is that most important of all. It's very valuable to Agent Mommy and Agent Daddy. We know that there is yellow on top. Our sources also tell us that to find this you'll need to follow these directions very carefully: ride your tricycle around the block, make three swings in a swinging couch on the porch, ring the doorbell two times, enter through the front door and check under the ottoman with your flashlight. Next, crawl over the green couches and check under the computer table, then look in the cave bathroom by the kitchen. There's more! Next you need to climb the tall, steep mountain all the way to the top and crawl down the hallway quietly on your hands and knees. Crawl into your bedroom and look under the bed and chair. You may need to read one of Evelyn's books to look for more clues, try Pat the Bunny {we actually read "The Tale of Tails"}. Next go to the bathroom by your bedroom, but don't turn on the light! Place your red stool in front of the sink-- then have Agent Mommy turn on the light. We're told that you'll see this most precious thing with yellow on top.

Good luck Detective Max. We're all counting on you!

Detectives R'Us Headquarters

So fun and that last clue just had me in tears. So all day I've been calling him the treasure with yellow on top.

He's really been into riding his trike lately. He'll ride that thing all over the neighborhood. We like to walk around the block- Evelyn pushing her little baby stroller and Max on his trike.

This afternoon, we decided to brave the cold water (and not so warm weather...but sunny) and try out the neighborhood pool. Max was so excited to go in but I was so hesitant because it was freezing! I finally decided I just had to do it- for him- so I did and he had a blast! He was wearing a life jacket and was hesitant at first but as soon as he found out he would float, he was all over the place. I've never seen him so proud of himself. It was something that he thought was scary...he felt he wouldn't be able to do it on his own...and then he just risked it (very unlike him) and tried and was successful and he just beamed. It was wonderful! I'm looking forward to many more accomplishments and discoveries...and a lot more sibling bonding!

We had sandwiches outside for dinner and played in the grass before coming in for bed. It felt good to just be able to play and be outside and be genuinely enjoying it instead of forcing myself to enjoy it. For our family as a whole, I think we've got a lot to look forward to.

After a week...

2010-05-28T11:44:00.001-04:00

It's been a week exactly since Jason was driving me to the hospital for surgery. We had dropped off the kids. Max was apprehensive for me because he knew they were going to cut my tonsils out and that it would be painful...

A week's not bad to be blogging again. This will probably be a really boring post, you've been warned.

Recovery hasn't been as painful as I expected. The annoying thing is that I can't really take medication. So, while I've been prescribed a nice little bottle of Percocet, it does nothing for me. I feel the exact same afterwards. It's like that with all medication- doesn't work. Except general anesthesia. That worked. (Pheeeww!)

It's funny because when I woke up after the surgery, they told me that the anesthesia made me very giggly. They said they never see that. Most people are angry and mean, but I was giggly. I'm glad I could make them smile. They really were very kind.

So, while recovery hasn't been as painful, it's been very long. It's been 7 days now and it's all the same basically. I'm growing wary of being alone in a quiet house (the kids have been with friends everyday this week). But it really is the only option. I don't have the energy or the voice I need to care for them. Thank you to everyone who has taken care of them. They've had a lot of fun. Especially Max. And in a way, I think it's been really good for them. It's made me realize how much of a dictator I am. When I'm out of commission, they play with and listed to and prefer their daddy...and seem to be playing a little more independently. The tricky part is that Evelyn's been sneaking in random naps at various times of the day so she doesn't want to go to bed at night. And she thinks that everyone who comes to our doorstep is going to take her away so she hides.

Since I was searching beforehand for tips on recovery, I thought I'd offer some of my own.

Drinking:  Water. All of the juice and smoothies that I bought is just about the most disgusting thing I could possibly think about. In the last couple of days, the SoBe Life Water has been okay.

Eating: Ice. That's all. No ice cream, Popsicles, sorbet. No way.
                   Cream of wheat and macaroni and cheese after Day 6. Warm and bland.

Run the humidifier constantly.

I stocked up on books from the library thinking I'd never get through them all, but I have! I've been reading like crazy. They've all been pretty good, too.  Here's my list in case you need a recommendation:

The Good Fight: How World War II Was Won by Stephen Ambrose
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathon Foer*
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood(-)
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Patterson
Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli**
The Writing on My Forehead by Nafisa Haji*
Tunnels by Gordon and Williams

That doesn't look like as much as seeing the stack.  The stars are by the ones I'm recommending the most. The minus sign I'm not recommending at all!

And last night I started Mary Poppins (the book) and it is adorable! I really love the movie, too, but so far the book is even better.

AND I didn't just read this, but I've been seeing the recommendation on other's blogs...read The Help. It's excellent.

Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!  Hopefully you'll have some sunshine to enjoy and lots of good food to eat.  We've got the sunshine. I'm more than a little jealous of the good food....

The Merry month of May

2010-05-16T15:46:00.000-04:00

I was just going to post pictures because we have a camera (at last!) but now, because of computer complications, I can't pull the pictures onto the computer. Drats! I just can't win. I think I'm just done with blogging for awhile. I'm not good at it and if I don't have pictures, it seems quite boring.

For on update, here's what's been going on:

Mt parents came to visit last weekend and it was awesome! We ate a lot and drove around visiting some of the cool places around here. The kids loved having them here and Evelyn was even choosing them over me at times which has never happened with anyone. The morning they left, the kids were really sad. They kept getting frustrated with things and Max would tell me, "I just miss Grandma and Grandpa". I started asking Evelyn if she missed them too and she would say, "Uh huh." The best part of all was having my mom here to celebrate Mother's Day. It was an answer to all my prayers to see her active and playing with my children again. Thanks for coming, Mom and Dad...now come back, we miss you!

Was that just a week ago?!?

Max has been wanting to listen to primary songs a lot lately, usually when he goes to bed at night. And he's always singing them. Some of them are the ones we're learning in Primary but he'll start singing others, too, that I've never really taught him. It's really sweet to hear him and I'm surprised by all the words he know and how well he can keep the tune and carry it through the whole song. He won't sing in Primary, though, or if he knows I'm listening to him.

Yesterday, we hung out with Thomas the Tank Engine. In Essex, a small town not far from us, they have a steam engine and throughout the year they'll do special things like a Polar Express at Christmastime, for example. So in May every year, they bring out a Thomas Engine and hook it to the back of there steam engine. So we rode on Thomas and participated in different Thomas activites. We even met Sir Topham Hat who was a little freaky but looked just like him.

In other news, I'll be getting my tonsils out this Friday and I'm a bit nervous. If any of you have experienced tonsillectomy as an adult please share any advice. All I hear is that it's awful.

So, because of the surgery and my inability to post pictures, you probably won't hear from me for awhile.

XOXO

Forever

2010-05-01T21:36:00.000-04:00

Today was such a wonderful day. Jason and I were able to go to the temple...together...which hasn't happened in a really, really long time.

Our friends were sealed as a family for time and all eternity in the Boston Temple today. I've never been to a family sealing before and it was so wonderful to be with them and their sweet children on their special day. Their three year-old daughter thought she looked like an angel in her white dress and grew very fond of the temple workers (who wouldn't love 5 or 6 doting grandmas?) and their six year-old son was in shock, I think, but was happy to be in a white bow-tie (his one request).

Such a special place and such a wonderful day. It makes I'm so happy that families can be together forever.

Also, I'm pretty sure my nephew Jack was baptized today.

Jack, we're so proud of you and wish we could have been with you on your special day.

Pictures

2010-04-25T21:23:00.000-04:00

Here are the only pictures we have from the last couple of months. I pulled them off of Jason's phone!

So sweet. They love holding hands in the car. I just wish that Evelyn didn't think slugging was a form of affection. She just knows that Max does it to her and she adores him, so she punches me when she's really happy to see me instead of giving hugs or kisses.

Her new sunglasses that she actually hates.

This is Evelyn devouring the cake after her first day in nursery.

Riding the whale in downtown Mystic (taken just yesterday!)

Good news: A real camera is on the way!

Growth Chart

2010-04-23T10:11:00.001-04:00

Just so I don't forget and have a place to write it down...and for grandparents who are interested in this kind of thing...

Evelyn had her 18 month check-up last week and here's how big she is:

Weight- 22 lbs (~15th percentile)
Height- 32 in. (~70th percentile)
I never remember the head, but it was normal.

Growing Up

2010-04-11T23:47:00.000-04:00

Still no camera...

The only pictures are on Jason's phone...and there are some good ones. Hopefully someday I can share.

Evelyn went to nursery for the first time today. We were so excited that we baked her a cake during her nap to celebrate. It was a dairy-free cake mix paired with a dairy-free frosting mix and it was so nasty. I'll make my own dairy-free cake from scratch next time. But when she woke up, she devoured it. I have never seen my little girl eat so agressively! Since I'm in the Primary presidency, Evelyn hasn't really been with me so my Sunday didn't seem different. She will be sorely missed in Elder's Quorum though. She had those men wrapped around her finger.

Evelyn has also been binky-free for about a week now.  It started out rough especially at bedtime but it just needed to be gone. Now she's just fine and sleeps so much better without having to wake up for a binky. Without it, she thinks she's a big girl and is now demanding we treat her like one. She's showing some interest in potty training and I've tested it but really don't think she's entirely ready. But we are putting more emphasis on it and she did poop in the potty one time this week! Some days she only wants to wear undies and we hang out on the wood floor and have a party. Also, she's giving up naps. Should I be surprised? Probably not. Maybe it is in my children's genetic make-up? I still think it would be nice for them to nap.

She's so expressive. You can read everything in her beautiful face. She'll show you if she hates you (and most likely she does. Sorry.)

She loves to wear pearls to church and I promise I'm not forcing them upon her! She points to them and wants them and when I put them on her she laughs and smiles at herself in the mirror and then asks for lipgloss. Seriously.  She obsessed with shoes of all kinds and especially loves her white dressy ones from the wedding.

She's standing up for herself better and Max is treating her better because of it.  At last! I hope it lasts! Max's favorite book at the moment is A Weekend with Wendell by Kevin Henkes. We read it at least 3 times everyday...and I just realized it shadows his relationship with his sister. Once Sophie starts standing up for herself and gives Wendell what he deserves, they become best friends!

Max has been sleeping in a tent in his room for the past few nights. He has his stuffed friends and a flashlight with him. It's adorable. We have been working on implementing "alone time" during his day and while it's taking a little getting used to, I think it is helping him to be able to play and imagine and have that time when he doesn't have to share, etc. Max loves his cowboy boots and wears them everyday. He's been having fun at the park now that it's warming up and we're finding that there are so many kids in our neighborhood so we have people to play with really close by! A new family in our ward just moved in directly behind us and their youngest two are the exact same age as Max and Evelyn! Woohoo!

Our family participated in a Fun Run on base last Wednesday and were shocked by the 82 degree weather. It was fun and Max was really excited about the "Stroller Race with Daddy"...and there actually were a couple of other strollers. Jason was sweet and ran super slowly with me.

The weather is beautiful and we want visitors! Come see us. Yes-YOU! Come together. Come alone. Come as couples or families. We could do a girl's only trip. Guys only...whatever...not my vote...
Boston. New York. New England. Seafood. Think about it. Do it.

A Beautiful Wedding

2010-03-28T20:58:00.001-04:00

I can't believe I haven't posted anything about the wedding yet! Can you?!?! Maybe partly because I don't have any pictures to show for it and we've been waiting and waiting not so patiently for the proofs to be up on the photographer's website. They are as of today. They are amazing. Every little detail was captured and Tracie and Jonny will always have beautiful photographs to remember the wonderful day.

There are thousands of pictures. Go here to see some.

Unfortunately I did not practice long or hard enough on looking beautiful candidly.

I guess it should have been at the top of my to-do list instead of the bottom.

We had a wonderful trip spending a few days in Twin Falls and then Salt Lake with family. The weather was nice, for the most part, except rained and even snowed on Saturday (the day of the wedding). I only lost Max twice in the huge children's museum at Gateway and my purse (including my camera, phone, wallet, make-up, military ID, etc.) was stolen at the wedding. No joking. They even used our credit and debit cards.

Tracie looked beautiful and she and Jonny were both glowing. I'm so happy for them.

Then the two lovers spent the week in Rome. I'm still jealous.

Someday I'll have a camera and I'll post pictures. The kids are getting big and they're also going crazy...which means I'm also going crazy...am I the only one?!?!

I think it needs to warm up.

Evelyn stares out the back door and screams because she wants to go outside and just escape. She will as soon as I let her. She'll be the one to run away. Max won't. He's glued to me.

Any tips on teaching children/mothers to have some alone time?

Any suggestions for putting a stop to sibling abuse? (for Max)

Any ideas for feeding picky eaters? (for Evelyn)

edit: For "alone time" I was referring more to Max learning how to be alone. He is just glued to me all day long and hasn't napped in forever so I think he needs to learn a little independence. Does that make more sense? We do a babysitting exchange with two other couples that works really well and I'm fine doing activities with the kids all day. I just want Max to be able to play for a few minutes without me.

Glee

2010-03-04T18:22:00.000-05:00

While listening to the soundtrack in the car today, I realized how much I miss Glee.
Do you watch it?
Do you have the soundtrack? You should.
Do you wish you were a part of their glee club like I do?
Would you have a crush on Finn or Mr. Schuster?

What are your favorite Glee moments?
I love the "Endless Love" scene and that whole episode. Also, "I'll Stand By You" was pretty tender when Finn was singing to the ultrasound. Is that actress pregnant in real life? And nothing can top "You Can't Always Get What You Want" which is the song that my dad begged Tracie and me to do in Jive (our glee club). If only we would have listened...

Speaking of musical moments...when was the last time you heard Ellen Greene sing "Suddenly Seymour"? I'm a little sheepish to admit it but that performance makes me choke up everytime I hear it...when she first comes in all shaky and raw: "suddenly Seymour is standing beside me..."

She has a very interesting voice in that it's all babyish and strange and then suddenly powerful and sounding like a rockstar.

The Perfect Boot-y

2010-02-27T13:51:00.003-05:00

Whenever I think about my blog and how lame it is sometimes, I always think I should do product reviews. I really like knowing how products are working for other people because, well, I'm pretty particular when it comes to...everything! So I'll just start.

Today will be jeans because they are on my mind.

I've been searching high and low for new jeans. Most of this search took place in my own closet: high shelf...low shelf...because you know what it's like to shop for clothing with children. This is actually my honest shopping ritual: I go to Target beacuse we need things there anyway...I walk through the clothing section on my way to the diaper section and I throw things in the cart that look interesting to me. Then I buy it all, try it on at home, and return the things I don't like (which ends up being 7/8 of the items). It works okay. But I was getting desperate for pants that actually fit. This was my selection and I'm giving all the details just so you know how much my pants were not fitting:

Seven for all Mankind: T.J. Maxx ($?), 2005, size 28 (6), very worn with hole in knee

Lucky: clearace rack at Macy's ($10), 2008, size 4, bought when I was pregnant with Evelyn...wore throughout the pregnancy and postpartum

Skinny Jeans (x2): Forever 21 ($12), size 0 Juniors, very worn and shapeless (too tight in the hip and thigh)...and not good quality! Forver 21 is the perfect place to test skinny jeans. I was very apprehensive about wearing them. My little sister, Tracie, started wearing skinnies pretty exclusively and (obviously) looked amazing in them. She suggested trying them at Forever 21 because they are $12.50. Then if you don't like them, no big deal and if you do, then you could transition to something more quality. I'm hooked on skinnies with boots in the winter and think they look cute with flats in the spring. My starter jeans just weren't working for me anymore and I've graduated from Forever 21.

So I've been searching...but it has always seemed like a never ending search. I want the look of a designer jean but can't bring myself to pay the $200+ price or even the $100 price. The other day, I stumbled onto the GAP website. I haven't shopped at the GAP for years and years for myself and have never worn a pair of their jeans in my adult life. But I started looking and reading through their descriptions and found out that they've completely redone their jeans. Their goal has been to create the same fit, stretch, feel, and look of high end jeans with a moderate price tag. They've done great!

Jason needed to be fitted for a tux for the upcoming wedding so we all headed to the mall. After the fitting, Jason took the kids to the toy store and play area while I seized the GAP. I really liked the look of their jeans and ended up buying some in the "Curvy" fit in a 2. After wearing them the next day, they stretched a full size (but I hadn't done my homework with their size charts!). So my search continued. I decided to stick with the GAP a bit longer.

I did my homework this time. Their sizing charts for jeans are great and even include a thigh measurement. I measured a 0 (which tells you how much the old pants were really not fitting!). I seized the GAP once more and asked lots of questions of the saleladies regarding length and stretch. I'm short-waisted and long-legged and hate when my pants get short. The saleslady, who was a bit shorter than me (but of a very similar body-type) and wears the long length recommended that I choose the long as well. Unfortunately 0L can only be ordered online. Fortunately they give you a free shipping card if the jeans you need are not available. I bought one pair that were on sale: a limited edition (no length choices, but longer than regular length) in the "Real Straight" fit (slim, but not peg-skinny). I'm loving them and feel so much more confidant about my body and my curves! I went back to my shopping compulsions and ordered a bunch online so I could try them on in my actual size and return the ones I don't want to the store! I'm in love with the "Perfect Boot" appreciating its mid-rise and can't wait until mine show up on my doorstep! They also had a mid-rise skinny jean online that I'm looking forward to trying.

I hope my sweet husband will enjoy them as well. He is the best and would not ever say anything remotely critical. So, after I had found some decent pants and asked him about the old ones (requesting the blunt truth) he did say there were a couple that he thought were not very flattering. And really, there were only "a couple" to choose from! Remember my post about wrinkles and whiskers?!?! He is the best and the kindest. I just really like to be told how it is, you know!? I think that comes from being friends with my dear Julianna! "How would I have felt had he told me they weren't flattering?" he asked. Well, I would have felt liberated like I had his blessing to go and spend oodles of money on new jeans!

Anyway...for those of you who are experiencing difficulties with jeans, those who want the look of expensive jeans but just can't do it, those who are wearing things in the wrong size...here's my advice: measure yourself and give the GAP a try. (Realizing, mind you, that "designer" jeans are made to be form fitting- so they stretch and "melt" to fit your particular body.)

I've decided that I need to go back to quality over quantity. But it's easy and sometimes fun to have lots of silly things that you don't ever wear. In my quest to look my age and to be the classy lady I want to be, I need to go back to shopping like a woman and not a teenager. Then I can look like a woman and not a teenager!
And just so you know, even though you may be deceived by the price, Target clothing is actually considered quality! (he he...I really think so!)

So, readers (all 4 of you), what do you think? Do you like product reviews or should I just go back to pictures of my beautiful children? I was laughing because Dixie (who all 4 of you readers know and love), who was doing recipes and random things like posts about moles on her blog, said people were requesting that she stop and post more about her adorable newborn. While her daughter is really, truly beautiful, I was really enjoying the recipes and such!

Let me know...is there anything you'd like to be reviewed? Are you interested in reviews? Are you interested in products?

*DISCLAIMER: I am in no way trying to say "looky-looky" if you know what I mean. My intent for this post was to show that we should all know what size we are and that actually finding out and wearing things that fit instead of squeezing into something too tight (like Forever 21) or drowning in something too big (like the others) isn't going to be the best look. It's tricky for me to say this because of the size I am, but I in no way endorse that size 0 is the perfect size. If you're wearing something that fits and you are a 0 or a 6 or a 14 and if that is a healthy size for your particular body, than you can feel confidant and sexy and stylish or however else you want to feel!

I go shopping with friends and they are totally open about what size they are which I think is awesome but I'm always embarrassed to tell anyone my size and never do...so this is very brave of me!

Liberty of London

2010-02-23T17:00:00.001-05:00

As I walked into Target today, I noticed a huge sign hanging overhead announcing the arrival of Liberty of London on March 14th. Liberty of London will be collaborating with Target and their designs will be on a huge range of products from clothing (mens, womens, and children's) to piggy banks, bedding, and kitchenware. I'm really excited to see what's in store!

Some Valentine Pictures

2010-02-19T22:50:00.000-05:00

Some of Evelyn's little Valentine surprises were a red bear with white hearts that we named "Tiny".

Max has his white dog with red hearts "Leny"...both names are derived from VALENTINE.

The little confectionary set was a Pier1 find and it is adorable and something different to go along with toy food. Max had fun finding Valentines hidden all over the house. I think a couple of them were even hiding still the next day.

This was the banana cream pie meant for my dad on Valentine's...

It actually wasn't very good.

Getting Settled

2010-02-13T14:53:00.002-05:00

It has been ages and ages since I last posted. We've been very busy moving into the new place and we're loving the extra room and the new neighborhood. I always enjoy setting up the house over and over again since we move so much. Jason doesn't enjoy the extra things we have to buy in order to make our house a home. If only he understood.

Just kidding...I think he has enjoyed most of the things we've added with this move! So here is our latest project. We found this console at the thrift store and it was a steal! It is very solid and was actually in beautiful condition before we even messed around with it. We could have left it just as it was, but there's no fun in that especially where it was so inexpensive.

We actually remembered to take a before picture this time but not quite soon enough. Here it is with the drawers, cabinet backings, and knobs removed. The cabinet backings were just a plywood made to look the same brown color.

And here it is now!

It looks even more beautiful in person. I absolutely love it and Jason did almost all the work on it this time so it is him who deserves all the praise. The picture is tricky because of the mirrored backs in the cabinets. The room is still not quite set up besides our entertainment center now so the reflection is just a bare floor!

My parents had planned to come visit us for a few days this past weekend but because of a rumored snow storm all flights were canceled. It was such a disappointment. It has been sunny and clear every other day surrounding storm day...which did not end up being all that bad.

But, on the positive side, their planned arrival helped to motivate us to get the house put together so now it is guest ready! And you are all welcome.

Jason and I will be celebrating our 8th anniversary this weekend (the 15th).

Last night, we left the children with some friends and drove to Providence for dinner and the theater. We saw Beauty and the Beast and it was wonderful! Growing up, our family went to musicals...that's what we did...sort of like our tradition. I've seen a lot of them and have really missed not seeing them. I was pretty much crying in the opening scene just because it felt so good to be there and it really was amazing. Gaston, who is my favorite character, was incredible. I'm so glad that Jason really enjoys musicals as well and we look forward to making it a part of our own family tradition.

Speaking of Beauty and the Beast, if you live near Twin Falls, you should go see my friend Brandon because he's playing the beast in the local production. And I want to congratulate my Julianna because her husband doesn't have to kiss Belle! You should read her blog and encourage her to write a book.

Now it's time to celebrate Valentine's Day!!!

I love being in love and being surrounded by others who are in love.

I'm just giddy over Tracie and Jonny who will be getting married in less than a month!

Have you seen their engagement photo session, by the way? I keep meaning to ask her permission to link the photos to this blog. Maybe I just should because everyone else in the blogging world seems to be doing so anyway. They are amazing and they look beautiful (of course). Well-known wedding blogs keep featuring their pictures and it is so fun to read the comments when it's your own baby sister.

Hopefully there will be a link soon.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Yep...there's still a pulse.

2010-01-31T20:06:00.000-05:00

We are in our new place and almost settled except for a few things here and there...mostly pictures and such. Speaking of pictures, I have none to post because I have taken none and don't even really know where the camera is.

Thanks for all of your input on the children's room. I've decided on aqua, red, and black. If it ever gets put together, I'll post pictures. I do have some ideas for artwork and I did a little project yesterday that was installed today. I made aqua and white tissue paper poofs that I (meaning Jason) hung in two of the corners of the room. They were easy and look really fun. My friend Peggy had some in her girls room that were really cute and I found the tutorial from Martha Stewart here.

Stay tuned.

Another option...

2010-01-10T18:17:00.000-05:00

Now I'm feeling more like this:

Aqua and Red with Black.

And maybe a zebra rug like this one that's only $19.99 at Target.

I don't know if I'll ever make up my mind!

I want your opinion...

2010-01-07T10:20:00.000-05:00

We're going to be moving to a different house in the next couple of weeks and I'd like some help deciding how to decorate the children's rooms. I'm fine with what they have-- Max's is brown and blue with red accents and Evelyn's is black and white with pink accents. We'll have three bedrooms again in the new house but Max really, really wants to share a room with his sister. (In fact, he's been sleeping in a "nest" on her floor for almost 2 months!) Their current color schemes definitely clash so I can't just combine the two. I've got some ideas of what I could do without too much effort or money and I'd like your vote.

(Imagine them a lot less perfect for a more realistic room)

We'll have a full bed for Max and Evelyn will still be in her crib. We already have all white bedding and it would be easy to throw in some green pillows and accents. We can't paint the walls, though, so with something like this where the wall color is so dominant to the color in the room, I'm afraid our version would just look too white. But I love the simplicity and neutrality.

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This one is the same idea as the one above but throwing in another color. Yellow is Max's favorite color and we currently have nothing in that color! Our house has vibrant colors in it and I like the look of having a similar color palette throughout the house. We've got quite a bit of this green and I could easily make a yellow shade for the window. Evelyn's crib is black and anything to do with Max's bed is open...

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Yellow again but more muted. I love the bright blue shades and accents in this room and I really like the idea of turning the bed and setting it up to look more like a daybed. I could do that with any color scheme, though. These colors would be the hardest to do because we don't have anything yellow and it's very dominant in this room...and, again, we can't paint.

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The next idea is a combination of these two rooms with a little bit of a separation between the boy stuff and the girl stuff. The green is back and it would be the common color. Then I could use Max's brown that he already has and add some purple for Evelyn's things.

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I love this room and this bed. The green and white again but with aqua and brown. I love that it has white walls and is simple and clean but is still very vibrant.

So, what do you like?

Christmas pictures at last!

2010-01-06T20:09:00.000-05:00

I'm finally posting some of my pictures from the holidays. While in Twin Falls, there were always three cameras going so I just let Julie and Traice take over. Therefore, I didn't end up with a lot...actually just two that I'm going to post!

(I want copies, btw).

Santa Claus visited us...right at home! He came by on the night of the 23rd because, obviously, the 24th is a pretty busy day for him. I thought Max would be nervous because he was a little scared that Santa had sent him a personal email and knew his name and what he wanted and that he had a baby sister. But he was happy to actually meet Santa and just smiled and nodded the entire visit.

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We celebrated New Year's Eve in Connecticut with some friends. It was fun with lots of kids and we rang in the New Year with England at 7:00!

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Max with the snowman in our backyard.

Bathing Beauty

2009-12-13T22:16:00.001-05:00

Evelyn's turn for pictures. I know she didn't leave the best impression on you last time you saw her, but I think this visit to Idaho is going to be so much better.

Will you please give her another chance?

She's much happier and will even sometimes go to other people (especially if they've got food to offer.) She's growing quite fond of her daddy now that nursing has been decommissioned. And she's usually very happy and extremely playful and active! She LOVES the bath. Always has.

Jason snapped a few of these pictures trying out settings on our...

New camera!!!

Which is our Christmas present to each other but is now, sadly, being boxed back up and sent back because it's not working properly.

Just our luck.

It will be replaced because we are loving it and it can capture moments like these!

Countdown to Christmas

2009-12-12T11:45:00.001-05:00

In one week, we will be flying to Idaho. Where has December gone?!?! Seriously.

It has sort of been a crazy couple of weeks around our place. Also, I'm just getting over a very nasty case of Strep Throat. The antibiotics are starting to work and I'm looking forward to being with my family again without the worry of spreading the strep. We've got a trip to look forward to.

Enough words. I've been so out of it that I can't even think straight- there's no hope in getting those thoughts to flow to my fingers into the computer.

So. Here are some sweet pictures of Max so you can lok forward to playing with him so soon.

(We've got some of Evelyn, too, but that will be a treat for another day!)

While eating dinner this evening, we were making some plans for the week and talking about our travels this weekend. Max was asking about airports and airplanes and such and I said, "Yay! We're flying to Twin Falls and Daddy gets to come with us this time." Max was so happy: "You get to come with us?!?! I bet my Grandma Debbie won't even know Daddy!"

Happy Birthday to ME!!!

2009-12-05T21:58:00.001-05:00

So yesterday was my birthday. I'm 27...still...how can that be?!?! I think I'll be 28 around March sometime...but I haven't decided yet...it's getting to the point where the numbers are actually sounding pretty mature. If none of that made any sense, it's okay, I still love you.

Jason absolutely spoiled me! Contrary to popular belief, I'm actually not high maintenance. (I just like to look pretty, c'mon!) I shop at Target. I never ask for jewelry. I'm emotionally stable. I cut and color my own hair (ahh...that's why it looks like that...), I've sworn off tanning for eternity, etc. After yesterday, though, I sort of want to be. Jason sent me to the spa at Mohegan Sun and it was fabulous. I spent the whole morning there being massaged and oiled.  I had a 50 minute facial (my first ever). I was so embarrassed when she looked in the giant magnifier and spent about 30 of those minutes popping my "problem areas".    It was wonderful and those problem areas look SO much better! The massage is pure pampering and Jason's actually a great masseuse so I wouldn't need that very often. But I really think that I do need the facial...every couple of months. Jason even noticed that my complexion looked better as a result of the strawberry-kiwi mask she put on to brighten me up for my birthday.

Thank you, Jason, for the perfect birthday gift.

The rest of the weekend was spent doing things for the annual Choir and Creche exhibit/perfomances sponsered by our ward.  Everything turned out very lovely and I'm glad to have participated as part of an ensemble, a soloist, and {mainly} an accompanist. I'm also glad that it's done. One of those things.

Max was convinced that the singing choirs, decked halls, and nativities were all a part of my birthday celebration.  That might be a little sacrilegious, but it sure was cute.

My children were so naugty tonight as they attempted to watch the choir. (My apologies to all of those who were in the audience.) The little girl that kept walking up the stairs. Mine. The laughter and loud talking in the back. Mine. The screaming in the hallway. Also mine. The 50 other children sitting quietly in their seats. Nope.

Thank you for your birthday wishes.

XOXO

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade...Been there, done that!

2009-11-29T19:24:00.012-05:00

Any event, no matter how big the balloons are, should hand out free cans of Pringles. It's a new standard that we now expect after attending the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. We didn't even have a cute sign written with a Sharpie stating our dire circumstances and need for Pringles potato chips, they just gave 'em away. Brilliant!

It's early getting up to catch a charter bus at 4 AM! What's earlier is a three year-old boy who's so excited about the parade that he wakes up at 1:30 AM instead. There was no going back to sleep, though; it was New York or bust!

After being dropped off around 6:30 AM we loaded the kids into our borrowed kid haulers ( a soft piggy back style carrier for Max and a rather large metal framed pack with storage accessories for Evelyn) and headed for the parade route. Although the parade doesn't begin until 9 AM we had to get there early in order to stake our ground.

We ended up on the corner of 57th and 7th Avenues, just across the street from the Carnegie Hall. Speaking of which, if you can somehow become a virtuoso performer, or perhaps just get a janitorial job cleaning the hall behind the virtuoso, the best seats on the route are hands down on the 2nd story fire escape on the west side of Carnegie Hall! Maybe next year...

Hoping Evelyn would nap in the huge carrier on my back we headed down 7th to get away from the ever growing crowd. We found a quaint cafe whose sign read, "Bathrooms are for customers only." I bought a juice drink and only after making payment in full did I ask to use the restroom (not a bad deal if you think about it, two bathrooms for the price of one). It was a classic NY bathroom. After discussing the feasibility of Evelyn and I fitting into the bathroom with her on my back with a strange lady, we headed in. No problem, we fit in just as snug as a bug. While coming out I opened the door of the tiny toilet room, slightly ducking to keep Evelyn's head from striking the door frame, and the previously empty room was now half full of onlookers whose expression appeared as if they were seeing the first balloon of the parade! We bid them a "Happy Thanksgiving!" and returned to meet Carrie and Max.

Spiderman opened the parade just behind the traditional Macy's star balloons. It was awesome to see just how big they really are. We were at the corner of 57th and 7th Avenues...in good company. This spot came as a last minute recommendation from someone we saw as a reliable source, but again, we recommend the Carnegie Hall fire escape if you can pull it off.

Those are tire eyes, but filled with wonder too. Max loved the balloons that were, "as big as the buildings."

The floats were a lot of fun too. This one was a favorite of Max.

Admittedly, there were a couple of dull moments too...It's nothing like watching it on T.V. The bands don't all stop and perform their act for you and sometimes they hurry past to keep up with the advancing parade. However, what you don't get on T.V. is the feel of being there, of knowing you're one of thousands, perhaps, tens of thousands. You can hear the balloon walkers chant their balloon's name, or give a clown high-five while they wish you a happy Thanksgiving, all while gigantic balloons tower over head. It's so much fun...!

You can see a few kids in the background up above the audience. Their dad had willed a cart into position carrying three or four A-frame ladders that they set up against the Metro Cafe and sat on top of. This practice is not approved by OSHA, but a good alternative to the Carnegie Hall bit, assuming the temp agency can't land you the janitor position.

This was Max's favorite balloon.

Santa seemed so real. The big foam stars behind him, fake. The statue reindeer, fake. The elf driving the sleigh, pretty sure he's fake, but Santa...Santa convinced us we could believe.In the end it was a lot of work, and we were very tired, but we couldn't help but give thanks for a fun-filled day spent together.

Yep... It's true!

2009-11-20T16:55:00.002-05:00

Tracie here. I'm glad I have two great sisters to team up and spread the joy and pictures!! They weren't lying. I'm engaged!!! Yay!! Jonny and I are getting married on March 13th, 2010, in the Salt Lake temple. So here's the story:

Yesterday was Jonny's 26th birthday. I went over to his house in the afternoon so he could open his presents. A long time ago, Jonny told me that when he was little, each kid got a present on the other kids birthdays so no one felt left out. After he opened his presents, he said, "Well you know it's tradition in my family that you should get a present, so I got you something." He went into his laundry room and came out with a big wrapped present. I opened it and it was a beach towel and sunscreen (because we met at 7 Peaks... ha), and another present. I opened that one and it was some camping stuff and another present. I opened that one and it was a framed picture of us and another present... (then I started getting nervous because they started getting smaller and smaller). So I opened that one and it was this little tin with these little wind-up toys we were laughing at at Borders the other day and another tiny present. So I opened that one and it was a ring box. I glared at him and said, "This better be what I think it is." Then he got down on his knee and told me it would be the best birthday present he could ever ask for if I would marry him. So of course I said yes... I wish the picture showed up better of the ring. It was his grandma Lindsey's ring (that's going to be my new last name) and it's really unique and beautiful!

I told my class the news today. It was really funny. During morning meeting we've been practicing dates. So I wrote 3-13-10 on the board and they had to tell me that it meant March 13th, 2010. I said, "This date is really important because Miss Buttars isn't going to be your teacher any more after that date." They were like- "WHAT?! You're leaving!!" I said, "Don't worry, you're new teacher looks A LOT like me. Her name is Mrs. Lindsey." They all just stared at me.... not getting it. So I pointed to my ring and said, "She's A LOT like me... EXACTLY like me." Lightbulb. It clicked. They know Jonny, but they didn't know his last name was Lindsey so they said, "Wait, who are you marrying?" I said, "Jonny of course!" Then they started clapping because they really were excited!! They are soooo happy and they all want to come to the wedding... There might be an abnormal amount of 7 and 8-year-olds there. PS- thanks for all the congrats on Julie's and Carrie's blog!

This Just In...

2009-11-19T17:15:00.002-05:00

...Tracie seen with a ring on her left hand. Could this be the best birthday ever for the DreamBoat?

(my sad attempt at being Gossip Girl)

TRACIE and JONNY are ENGAGED!!!

Congratulations. Want to see the ring? Look here!

...and Happy Birthday, Jonny! I'm sure it will be the happiest birthday yet!

Autumn Adventures

2009-11-11T22:47:00.003-05:00

I left the room for about 2 minutes the other day and came back to this:

...and the culprit was Max...in the dining room...with the marker

...turning his sister into a monster. After he told me that, I forgave him in an instant for his creativity. He was drawing strokes for hair and said, "I wanted to make the perfect monster!" Brilliant!

Superman!

If you haven't had the opportunity to hang out with Max or haven't done so recently, I wouldn't be surprised if you felt like something was missing in your life. He is the coolest. Ever. And the craziest, too. His imagination is wild these days and his energy never-ending. Evelyn, who has never been able to hold still, is on the move. She loves to run all over the place and Max loves to exclaim, "She's taking off!" Her favorite game is "chase". She runs and marches and tries to copy every movement Max makes. She adores him. We adore her.

Last Saturday, our friends called up and invited us on a spontaneous adventure to Boston. We didn't have much of a plan but it was fun to just get out and be with friends.

Max and Gabriella playing in the leaves in the Public Garden.

USS Constitution

After walking all the way here from the Public Garden, we found we had missed the last tour by minutes. Darn. We will definitely be trying again...and YOU are invited!

Overlooking downtown Boston. We rode the ferry back and were happy to learn that we can ride the T for free with our military ID!!!

In other news, Max has been getting into reading big books and it has been a lot of fun. The first one we read was Stuart Little, which we sort of rushed through, and then Charlotte's Web, which we spent more time on. Such an adorable story. He really loved it and it was so wonderful to snuggle up with him each night to read a chapter before bed.

Any recommendations for "big" books appropriate for a 3 year-old?

I just finished The Scarlet Pimpernel and absolutely loved it! I'd obviously heard of the book but never knew the story or even the genre really. If you haven't read it, read it!

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T21:13:00.002-04:00

The costumes may look very familiar...

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These are the cupcakes I made for our Trunk-or-Treat. They were a graveyard smash!

(except this is the photo from the website)
Here's the link:

http://www.delish.com/entertaining-ideas/holidays/halloween/scary-halloween-recipes

1 Year Stats

2009-10-29T15:20:00.000-04:00

...almost 13 months. Mainly for the record.

29 inches
19 lbs
I always forget the head...um...proportionate!

Away in a Manger

2009-10-25T19:52:00.000-04:00

Tonight, as I was putting Max to bed, I was singing "Away in a Manger." After the first verse he asked me, "Was Little Lord Jesus afraid of the animals?" I told him no. Then he became a little flustered and said, "But if Little Lord Jesus was laying in the hay, the animals would eat him."

Hair-dos and (pre)Halloween

2009-10-24T19:49:00.007-04:00

This is a picture of Evelyn's first hair-do. It's the only one I've figured out with the amount of hair that she has. We think she's adorable. She's also starting to show some nurturing tendencies toward her baby doll. She loves to hug it. I love girls.

When the ponies are taken out, her hair looks like a mohawk and it inspired Max to ask for this new do:

Max has been watching a new show on PBS lately called Dinosaur Train and it has peeked his interest in dinosaurs a lot. If you know Max, you know that he retains information like an encyclopedia. With this hair-do, Max intended to be a Corithosaurus who has a crest on the top of its head. So with the help of a little Corithosaurus gel we created a "crest" and he started humming music with it.

Later in the day, I had to return something at the mall and the sales associate in H&M told Max his hair looked really cool. He looked at her with an expression like “are you an idiot?” It went a little something like this:

Max: This is NOT hair. This is a crest.
Me: (quietly) a dinosaur crest.
S.A.: oh! Cool crest. What kind of dinosaur are you?
Max: A corithosaurus.

The conversation was repeated a few times throughout the day to daddy and our neighbors. It was so cute. And he does look very cool with a crest! I love boys.

I love being a mom.

Here are a couple of other stories that I don't want to forget.

Max has been going through a scared phase. A few weeks ago, we were so happy because he was falling asleep on his own (without us laying by him until he was out) and was totally cool with it. Now all of a sudden he’s scared and refuses to do it. Sometimes if we leave his lamp on, he’ll sleep, but it’s been a bit of a struggle. He’s also coming to sleep with us a lot more. So a few nights ago he was really struggling and crying and not wanting to sleep by himself because he’d be lonely (Max’s greatest fear…we’ve known it since Day1.) I was just trying to calm him and making conversation so I said, “Just a little while longer and Evelyn will be big enough to share a bed with you and you can share a room. Then you won’t be alone!” Max was excited and wanted Evelyn to sleep with him now. I reminded him that Evelyn has to sleep in a crib still. So he decided that he wanted to sleep in Evelyn’s room. We have an extra crib mattress that becomes a “nest” for wandering sleepers and Max wanted to sleep in his nest in Evelyn’s room. So I set it up while he sat in the hallway as quiet as a mouse. He came in and layed down in Evelyn’s VERY dark room. I asked, “Are you going to be okay in here?” He looked up into Evelyn’s crib and said, “Yes. As long as Evelyn’s right by me, I will be brave.”

We’ve been reading Charlotte’s Web to Max at night and he’s really enjoying reading a big book. He loves to read. Last night, Evelyn wasn’t sleepy enough to go into her own room so she and Jason joined us for the story. I was lying in Max’s bed and he was snuggled on my chest. When Evelyn joined, she sort of shimmied her way between Max and me. Max just put his arm around her tummy so they were sort of spooning and put his cheek right up against hers. He had the most content smile on his face and kept planting kisses on his sister’s sweet chubby cheek. It was adorable.

We've had some good days. I love three-year-olds and one-year-olds but some days we really struggle. It hasn't been as much as a struggle the last few days and it is so wonderful.

Today, we braved the weather and found a fun pumpkin patch in Rhode Island. The tractor pulled us on a trailer out into the field where we chose our pumpkins. We were rained on, but it was fun to be out there and Max was super excited to choose the pumpkins we'd take home. Here are a few of the pics we snapped along the way!

This is the first one with all 4 of us we've had in a LONG time.

It will probably become our Christmas card picture by default...but I sure hope not!

Two of the three have already been carved...actually, I should say "grinded" (no, not ground). Max has been talking about grinding pumpkins all month long. We're not quite sure where he came up with that verb choice.

2009-10-12T23:21:00.003-04:00

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Guest Blogger

2009-10-08T13:25:00.005-04:00

Hello! This is Carrie's little sister Tracie. I used to have a blog when I was student teaching in Washington D.C. (http://traciebuttars.blogspot.com/), but I decided that I don't have enough to say to keep it up. Instead, I'm going to be a guest blogger on here every once in a while. Before you even think about nay-saying, consider this: Steve Urkel was supposed to be a one time guest appearance on Family Matters! Point proven. Ha!

Anyway, I'm a real teacher now. In fact, I'm a veteran teacher. This is my second year. I taught 6th grade last year, and I teach 2nd grade this year. When you put 28 seven- and eight-year-olds together for the majority of the day, hilarity is bound to ensue. Well in class, the students write everyday in a notebook called Paper Talk. They can write whatever they want- stories, poems, journal entries, jokes, etc. Well the other day, little Jimmy wrote a story about me and Jonny (the guy I'm dating). It's not just a story, it's a full on Chapter book and I think it is pretty entertaining. Here is it (I fixed the spelling and punctuation for your ease):

Chapter 1: Ms Buttars and the Dragon

Once upon a time there was a girl named Ms. Buttars. She went to walk her pet kitten that Jimmy gave her for $20. She got lost in a dragon cave.

Chapter 2: The Dragon

Ms Buttars was walking in a cave. A dragon came out. "Hello," said the dragon. "Aaah!" said Ms. Buttars. "How are you Ms Buttars?" "How do you know my name?" said Ms. Buttars. "I know you and your kitten!" "Wow!" said Ms. Buttars. The dragon said, "Do you want cookies?" "Yes! Please. Yummy. Can I have a glass of milk?" The dragon said, "You are going to be attacked!"

Chapter 3: Attacked

The dragon let Ms. Buttars go. "Thank you," said Ms. Buttars. "Attack!!" said Jackson. "Sterling, Morgan get her! Yes!""Let her go!" said Ms. Buttars' boyfriend. "Jonny you saved me. My hero. You are soooo handsome. Will you marry me?" "Okay," said Jonny, "Now where is our horse so we can ride to the temple to get married?"

Chapter 4: The Baby

"Jonny I had a baby." "Yes. Can I see?" "Okay," said Ms. Buttars. "What should we name him?" "Cameron," said Jonny. Jonny and Ms. Buttars got a house.

Chaper5: Jonny Gets a Job

Jonny got a job as a fire fighter. One day he caught on fire. "Help!" he cried. He ran home and jumped in the well at home. It did not go good."

The End

Okay, so maybe that's only funny to Carrie, Jonny, and me, but I just typed the whole thing and I'm not deleting it!

Stay tuned for more funny teaching moments/teaching drama. I think my next installment might be about Ashlyn (AKA- the Vixen, Roxanne, Delilah, Street-walker Jr.). You can only imagine I'm sure.

PS- Carrie's last post was REALLY good (better than this) so don't just read this one because it's at the top! It is still her blog!

Picture Book

2009-10-04T21:13:00.011-04:00

Table of Contents:

1. Twin Falls

2. Vermont

3. Evelyn's Birthday

Twin Falls

Barbie 3 Musketeers. Ellie, you are one-of-a-kind! Max is so handsome in his "prince shirt".

My beautiful older sister with her daughter Audrey on her blessing day.

Ryan (older brother) and Chelsea (another beautiful sister-(in-law)).

Tracie (the last beautiful sister) and Ryan.

Chillin' with Lucy. They look captivated, right?!?

After fretting to find fall clothes for Miss Evelyn, the weather in Twin Falls was HOT. Evelyn enjoyed having some soft grass to play in.

Our Fondue Feast!

Tracie and Dream-boat Jonny (a Facebook Favorite) :)

Evelyn's pre-Birthday Cake. She didn't even get a lick of it!
Being pulled around the house by Gail, the "fun mom". What goes around comes around...I think I was doing this same thing with Gail's children when they were this size!

Lucy and Max on an outing to Gail's house.

Max and Evelyn's first tractor ride with Grandpa Cleve.

And another just his size!

Vermont

The monument at Joseph Smith's birthplace in Sharon, Vermont.

They played the Joseph Smith movie there that is playing in Salt Lake. Incredible.

Making friends in Stowe.

Vermont is beautiful and very rural. Probably more rural than Idaho...seriously.

They excel in breakfast, anything maple, fall foliage, being green, and dairy products.

For example:

We toured the factory and it was a very entertaining tour. I even learned something new! Pasturizing=bringing the cream *almost* to boiling

Homogenizing=mixing enough that the ingredients won't separate

It's as simple as that.

Max was given the most important job of ringing the cow bell to start the tour.

It ended with deluxe samples of Cookie Dough ice cream and seconds and even a sorbet for Max. Ben and Jerry are so considerate.
edit: Jason just reminded me that we paid $6 for that tour. ugh.

We also went to an apple cider factory and Lake Champlain Chocolate Factory (in Burlington).

It snowed in the mountains the first night we were there so we have a half autumn/half winter view. Beautiful rolling hills, bridges, colors- everything you've imagined!

Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks.

They now use tubing and vacuum extractors to "tap" the trees...which is cool but takes all of the romance out of the process.

Giving the desperate children a break from driving on a hike around Smuggler's Cave. We played hide-and-seek around the rocks and went on a rugged hike. Jason and I were both very impressed with Max who hiked like a champ. He was climbing rock stairs for a mile! Must be in his blood. Did my dad ever mention that I climbed Mt. Borah?!?! No, really.

I'm pretty sure it was his most favorite activity of all.

Evelyn was happy to be free from the car seat.

Evelyn's Birthday

We stayed at the Brass Lantern Inn and it was perfect. Our innkeeper, Nancy, was very accommadating and so cute with the kids. Max (who was calling her Clancey-Make Way for Ducklings?) loved to talk to her and wanted to tell her goodnight each night. Nancy found out it was Evelyn's birthday so she had balloons, a treat and a "1st birthday" bib waiting for us at our breakfast table Saturday morning.

After being on a strict diet of ice cream, chocolate, and everything maple, we weren't really in the mood for birthday cake. But a girl needs a 1st birthday cake.

We celebrated Sunday with pumpkin bread formed into a petite round for Evelyn.

Happy Birthday to my beautiful Evelyn.

You are perfect!

We're Home at Last

2009-10-03T22:52:00.003-04:00

After two weeks of being away, I'm glad to say that we are home yet not quite settled. The suitcases are emptied...the hamper is SO FULL. We have some food in the fridge. The mail has been sorted and blogs have been skimmed for catch-up. I need to update ours but it seems like our camera cord has been misplaced...possibly in Twin Falls.ugh. So, until it's located, there will be no pictures. poor. us.

It was so great to be with our family again. To hold baby Audrey. So sweet. So tiny. So precious! To hope for my mom to regain some strength. To just be there was wonderful.

The day after Max, Evelyn, and I returned home from Idaho, we included Jason and drove to Vermont to spend the rest of the week!

As soon as I locate the cord, I'll have lots of pictures to share!

And HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Evelyn! I'm so excited that my baby girl is 1 today. I was just telling Jason today...it feels like it's been a year! Take it as you may. One day she will love people other than her immediate family. And some day she'll love to sleep. She'll be able to withstand anything that comes her way with the lessons her brother has so affectionately taught her. He just loves her SO MUCH! What's not to love?!?!

Railroad Tracks

2009-09-10T20:19:00.004-04:00

That's the nickname given to Jason's new rank insignia-- the double silver bar. He is now a Lieutenant in the NAVY! These pictures are from his promotion ceremony held at North Lake on the Submarine Base. He wanted to have the ceremony somewhere on base because his Grandpa Lloyd trained at this very base back in the 1940s. He later served as a torpedoman on the USS Paddle. Since it will likely be the last promotion of his Navy career, it was memorable to be in a location with such significance.

Pinning on the bars.

Always a speech...

Evelyn was sleeping soundly in the car (50 meters away with the windows cracked and a nice breeze blowing through) so she is not in any of the pictures. She sure looked cute though.

We had a nice luncheon for those who attended the ceremony in lieu of the traditional "wetting down". I was flattered the next day when the Commanding Officer of the base told Jason he wanted to demote him in order to re-promote him so that we could have another luncheon. He really enjoyed my food, I guess! Encouraging...especially after the hard work, intimidation, and broken fridge that went along with the preparation.

Jen Ekberg, the wife of Lieutenant Commander Ekberg who did the actual promotion, gave me this little bee. The wives of Seabees always give each other bee gifts and acquire large bee collections over the years. I probably won't end up with many, but this one meant a lot to me being my first one.

Congratulations Lieutenant Lloyd,

you are my hero.

Thirty

2009-09-05T19:08:00.006-04:00

Jason has entered the next decade. I asked him how it felt to be 30 and he said, "just like 29..." which is a good reply coming from him whose tendons are so tight they will snap any second and the one who had to give up basketball for good after too many (bad) injuries. To me, thirty sounds young and hip. I'd love to say I was thirty and then probably stop right there for a while. In fact, I think I will. I'm currently having {more} bitter thoughts about people thinking I'm 16...17--18 if I'm lucky. I get it ALL the time. Any tips on looking a bit older? At least old enough to legitimately have two babies and have people take me seriously.

Enough about me. This is about the birthday boy and his celebration of a wonderful day.

First of all, I have to give some credit to my Max who kept a very exciting present a secret for more than two weeks! I couldn't believe it. He was actually offended when I tried to remind him it was a secret. Like I didn't trust him. I'll know from now on that he can definitely be trusted. Max gave his daddy a huge Indiana Jones Lego set. They love playing Legos together and it's something that Jason really enjoys (a true structural engineer).

The Temple of Doom.

We celebrated with a delicious cake. Very chocolately and very good. I feel like I can say that because I am not good at baking delicious cakes. Maxon's sweet puppy cake? In the garbage. The cupcakes I made the next day because I felt bad about the yucky birthday cake? Also in the garbage. This one made me proud and Jason, who does not even really like cake, enjoyed it...a lot!

We went for pizza at our favorite pizzeria-- Frank Pepe's Pizza. Fabulous. We ate ourselves sick and thoroughly enjoyed bite after bite after bite. If you are ever in Connecticut, eat Pepe's.

...that's amore!

We finished the night in Norwich at a Defender's game (the local minor league baseball team).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the most incredible man EVER!!!

Quick Project

2009-08-28T23:13:00.002-04:00

As far as Craigslist goes, I visit it in spurts. I'll search and find things and have projects to do then it will be months before I even want to look again. I think I do everything in spurts. I just came out of a reading one...now I'm back to projects. I did a quickie today with this lovely little foot stool for Evelyn's room.

Before:
After:Both Max and Eve love it and, believe it or not, the same day I bought it ($7!) I saw another one posted...almost identical...so I may be doing one for Max as well...

I think they deserve them...don't you?

First Steps

2009-08-24T18:27:00.005-04:00

Evelyn's is walking! She's been taking steps here and there for the past week. Today she was taking lots of steps! (sorry for the blurriness...I guess I should have been on the movement setting...she must have been cruisen'!)

Doesn't she look so big?!?!

Speaking of getting big, she can't really wear headbands anymore because they slide off of her hair. But she has just enough that I can clip the bow right on!

She's so sweet and loves to give hugs...to me...forget it if you're anyone else!

This is her most common look:

TEETH!!!

We've been watching the top two teeth as they drop through her gums. They're at the very bottom about to pop out!

End of Summer

2009-08-22T12:16:00.007-04:00

Lots of pictures to share of the things we've been doing to stay cool as summer draws to an end.

Max playing pirates in his new attire acquired from his friend Matthew's birthday party. He likes to play with Jason. The couch is the ship, he's the captain, his daddy is some sort of Sme, Evelyn is the parrot, and I'm the Pearl Princess, of course. Every time.

Max's last day of swimming lessons. He was really happy, as you can see. When I told him that we'd be coming back to swimming lessons in September, he said, "No...today was my last day of swimming lessons."

Hmmm...

We visited the zoo in Providence, RI. This is how Evelyn felt about it...I think the rest of us felt similarly.

Until we found...

These cool things! Caterpillars, toadstools, toads, and lily pads to crawl on!

And the giraffes were cool, too.

Enjoying the afternoon at the lake with friends.

Stay tuned for Evelyn walking. She took three consecutive steps today!

Lazy Summer Days

2009-08-08T11:20:00.006-04:00

We've had some pretty low-key days. It's getting hotter- more humid than hot, I guess. Max started swimming lessons this week and will do them again next week. It's fun to watch him with the teachers and other kids and I think he's having fun.
In the afternoons we've been going over to the splash park with friends. We're just taking advantage of summer while it's here and being pretty lazy!

This is Evelyn's new sleeping preference. Jason discovered it the other night when nothing else was working. She just wants to be on the floor. (And our carpet is anything but plush!) We've been struggling with her naps because she'll just wake up as soon as I put her in her crib. This morning, I set her on the floor instead and she's been sleeping for 2 hours! Incredible!

The last couple of nights, she has slept on her little blanket "nest" and has only woken up once in the night to nurse! Then, around 6:00 a.m., she wakes up, crawls over to her door, and starts hitting it until we let her out. Whatever works!

Little Red Hen

2009-08-02T22:11:00.002-04:00

On Saturday, Jason spent all morning helping a man from our ward move into a new house. He was the only one who showed up to help so he was gone a lot longer than expected. Just as I was feeling so sorry for myself, he walked in the door and exclaimed, "I come bearing gifts!"

For Max, there was a stack of green paper to draw on.
For me, there was a NIB-never been used- WonderMill wheat grinder!

The man had ordered it and decided he would never use it. I guess it sat on his shelf for a couple of years. When they came upon it, Jason asked him what was in the box, he answered, and Jason said, "Oh, I think my wife wants one of those..." That was that. Then, before he left to come home, the man presented the box to Jason and said, "Tell your wife Happy Birthday!"

So, now I've got a wheat grinder. And I don't have a clue what to do with it!!!

I welcome all tips and suggestions.

So Thankful

2009-08-01T11:46:00.003-04:00

We got good news yesterday from my mom's PET scan. After 4 chemotherapy treatments, the cancer is gone...NOT A TRACE!!! Which is really quite miraculous considering Non-Hodgkins Stage 3. She'll still have to do 2 more treaments, unfortunately, but isn't that the most wonderful news you've ever heard?!?! Another testiment of the power of prayer, fasting, faith, and divinely designed bodies!

Thank you all SO much for your love and concern and your faithful prayers. We are blessed to be surrounded and loved by such wonderful people.

What a Day!

2009-07-29T18:20:00.005-04:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAX! Camping at Devil's Hopyard:

Sleepy Girl

PUPPY PARTY:

(Thanks, Lisa, for the design idea...it was just what I was looking for!)

Muddy Buddies and Scooby Snacks

We also had hot dogs and meatballs (also served in a dog dish).

Our little puppies

M. Lloyd, M.D.

Splash Park:

We were having a blast at the splash park this afternoon. The water was warmer than usual and it wasn't crowded. Max wasn't scared of any of the fountains. Evelyn was enjoying herself. Even I was playing in the water.

Then Max tripped and hit his face and mouth on the concrete.

What a way to end a fabulous day.

It just keeps swelling, too. Poor Max.

Birthday Boy

2009-07-27T09:39:00.004-04:00

Max will be turning 3 on July 29th!!! Here are some pictures to reminisce the past three years with our wonderful little boy.

Newborn

1 month

1 year

2 years

Stay tuned for more pictures as we celebrate!

Freedom

2009-07-23T17:47:00.003-04:00

I forgot to mention something wonderful that happened at last:

After sitting all alone for 15 months, we SOLD our house in South Carolina at the end of June! When July came around, we felt a new feeling of freedom to celebrate.

Here's Max at 1 year standing in front of our cute little home. It was a really great place for us but most of our good memories were crushed as we suffered month after month in the rotten housing market. Maybe now we can start to focus on the good again.

And thanks again to our friend Emily for being our amazing realtor and her daughter Cassie for cleaning up the dead frogs.

July Catch-Up

2009-07-20T20:53:00.006-04:00

SailFest is a big local event every July. Foxwoods Casino puts on a spectacular fireworks show. They launch them from a barge on the Thames River and they are truly magnificent. The best fireworks I've ever seen! Besides the fireworks and this guy...the rest of SailFest left much to be desired. The One Man Band.

I've never seen anyone like him.

******************************************

So, I may have lowered the bar just a smidgen...don't judge me...she LOVES them. This is the face she makes warning me to not even think about taking it from her.

(And in my efforts to be less of a hovering neurotic mess of a mother, this is a good exercise for me!)

Have you tried the Popcicle Mini Pops? They are a Popcicle Wonder.

***

Two little teeth!
Evelyn is 9.5 months and is crawling around everywhere. She loves to explore and has found every hidden ant trap in our house. She loves to go under the kitchen table and anywhere she can pull herself up. She LOVES to stand up! I think she's just happy to be able to move around on her own. She's a wiggly baby...has never wanted to hold still...ever.

***
Our fabulous new ride.
I am in love.
I am looking forward to our many adventures together.

Quinoa and Black Beans

2009-07-12T20:10:00.003-04:00

My friend Peggy introduced me to quinoa a couple of months ago. I had read about it before in health food articles but had never actually seen it or tried it (and I didn't know how to pronouce it: keen-wa). It's really good and, even better, it's really good for you!

This excerpt is straight from Wikipedia: "Quinoa was of great nutritional importance in pre-Columbian Andean civilizations. In contemporary times, this crop has become highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (12%–18%), making it a healthful choice for vegetarians and vegans. Unlike wheat or rice quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete protein source. It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest."

So there you go! Try it!

Here is the recipe I tested on my family while in Idaho. It gives the quinoa a Southwestern taste and contains black beans...so what's not to like?!?!

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

3/4 cup uncooked quinoa

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

*I actually use about 1 1/4 teaspoons of taco seasoning instead of the cumin and cayenne.

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup frozen corn kernels

1 can black beans

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned.

2. Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with spices. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.

3. Stir in corn and simmer until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.

NYC

2009-07-09T18:02:00.004-04:00

Pictures from our spontaneous trip to New York City:

We saw the twirling M&Ms and movie screens driving into the city. Max was thrilled! We made the M&M store our first stop after parking and lunch and he was so happy.

Posing in Times Square. We made the biggest mistake of our lives in forgetting any type of baby carrier. I don't know what it is lately...I just cannot remember that Bjorn. We didn't think we could do it, but we survived walking all day with just a single stroller!

FAO Schwartz: Jason and Chewbacca (made out of Legos)

AHHH! King Kong is trying to steal my baby!

Waiting in yet another line in the Empire State Building.

We made it at last! With an ornery girl we didn't get to stay up there very long...Jason was sad.

Evelyn enjoying her bread stick on the patio of the Rock Cafe (Rockefeller Center)

Independence Day

2009-07-05T21:54:00.003-04:00

Pictures from the Groton City Parade.

We had LOTS of fun.

Max's favorite part in the parade were the people who threw candy at him.

The parade was filled with colonial marching bands and a Revolutionary War era fire squad who fired their muskets. It was a really great parade.

Gillette Castle

2009-07-05T21:22:00.006-04:00

Pictures from our tour of Gillette Castle. For a little history behind the castle look here. It was built in 1914-1919 by William Gillette aka Sherlock Holmes.

This little steam engine circled Gillette's property.

The Castle

Light switches made to look like rail car switches.

Handcrafted door with special "lever action" (according to Jason).

DO NOT open this door! It holds a vacuum. This vacuum is apparently very old and needs to be preserved.
The scary tour lady appeared out of nowhere when I tested the lever action and gave me a verbal licken'. She must have heard me questioning "what's in here?" and was on me in no time. I was told not to touch anything in the home because it is very old. But I know that vacuum was not made in 1919.

The Great Room hearth. Gillette wanted red mortar for it's dramatic characteristics. He was very theatrical and liked to play little tricks on his guests with sneaky mirrors and locking the wet bar with tricksy crafted locks. I can imagine they thought he was wildly funny.

Lamp designed by the Louis Comfort Tiffany. Beautiful.

The view from the terrace. Not a bad location to build a home...right on the Connecticut River.

It's good to be home...

2009-07-05T20:47:00.004-04:00

The children and I returned to Connecticut on Monday. It was sad for me to leave Twin Falls-feeling the need to be there-but it is good to be home. I felt like I was gone forever...now it feels like I left weeks ago. It's strange how quickly environments can become "home" and then seem foreign and then turn into home again. When I walked into my parents house everything looked different to me...especially the carpet...that's been around for 10 years...and then when I walked into my house in CT, the smells and sounds seemed foreign all over again. The funniest thing is that I felt like a huge giant walking around (because our house is considerably smaller than my parents!) We were seperated from Jason for 2 weeks and it was lonely- I don't know how we ever did it for 7 months! I guess in the moment, you just do what you have to do and you're given the strength of mind and emotion to get through it. It's good to be in Connecticut again. We really do love it here.

I did take a few pictures while in Idaho but they are on my mom's camera and I forgot to get copies before I left. I'll have to post some when I get them.

Highlights of our trip:
Cafe Rio
Max: playing with cousins...Tyler, Jake, and Porter one evening...Jack, Ellie, and Lucy for a couple of days. I wish we could play together more often! Playing with Grandpa and Ryan. Learning a new language...SQUEAK!
Jason: riding his dad's motorcycle and seeing everyone again (if only for a short while) AND being with the kids-alone-for a good part of the day!
Carrie: learning to play Rummy and winning! Attempting to care for the one who has given me SO much (including my life)...it's going to take a lot of foot rubs to make up for it all! Having some much needed girl time...even though it included the ubiquitous "MAFIA". And, of course, our Michael Jackson memorial bon fire...listening to the legendary music while roasting marshmallows and dancing with my boy...Jason wasn't there for that but we really needed him because no one else could do the moonwalk.

Creepy Crawly

2009-06-07T15:29:00.002-04:00

Evelyn's crawling!!! She's been stubbling around for a while but her stubbling is getting less clumsy and more efficient by the day. I'm pretty sure that we can officially call it crawling now. I don't have any pictures or videos. You're going to have to take my word for it. She sort of crawls on her right knee and walks with her left foot...whatever works...

In other news, we're heading to Idaho this week to be with family! We can't wait to see everyone!!! Maybe I'll post while I'm there, maybe I won't...