Marching to the Beat of a Different Drummer

We are HUGE Amazing Race fans, but I don't think you have to be a fan to appreciate this video from last episode. We rewound it over and over again and were dying laughing. We thought he was a little special, but I dare you all to have your husbands try it. Not as easy as it looks for those rhythm challenged white boys.

Another Try

I don't think the videos I posted are working for some reason. So I think I'll attempt to put the links here and see if that works. Let me know if you can watch the videos through the links.

Jude

Luke

Kobe

HSM 3

I keep forgetting to publish this post! Weeks ago I took the boys to see 'High School Musical 3: Senior Year' on opening day. Right after I picked Kobe up from school, we rushed to the theatre. Jakob was still at work, so it was just me and my guys. I was more excited than they were, and it did not disappoint! I loved it and can't wait to see it again, hopefully over Thanksgiving break.

The boys loved it, too, aside from some parts that were just too mushy. Luke gets especially uncomfortable with those parts, and turned around in his seat, covered his eyes, and kept whispering to Kobe, "Don't look! It's private!"

The next day, we bought the soundtrack and have been rockin' out to it ever since. The boys' favorite songs are "Now or Never", "The Boys are Back", and "Scream". My favorite song is called "Last Dance", I think.

I've posted some movies for your viewing pleasure staring my own Troy Boltons and their lady friends. My boys love watching each others videos, but DIE of embarrassment when I put on their own. They have gone back and forth as to whether I can post these on my blog, but they're sleeping now so they have no say!

The girls in the videos are used without permission and their pictures were stolen from their mother's blogs. I hope you guys don't mind! (FYI - These videos take FOREVER to load!)

PS I went to see "Twilight" again tonight.....AND IT WAS EVEN BETTER THE SECOND TIME! Everything was better. I'm beginning to think it's some of the finest acting I've ever seen and anticipating some Oscar nods.

Twilight, The Movie

Last night, Jakob and I went to see 'Twilight' together. I was super excited to see it with Jakob because he read "Twilight" and loved it. (Well, at first he loved it. And then I said, "You love it too much. That's weird. Stop loving it." So then he stopped loving it. Then I said, "Well, I want you to like "Twilight", just not love it." So then he did that. Then I wanted him to read "New Moon", but he wasn't as interested. So then I changed my mind and wanted him to love it again so we could love it together, so he did. And now he has read "New Moon" and some of "Eclipse". And he loves them. Isn't it fun being married to me?)

It was Kids' Night, so we had babysitters for the kids, but took Tate with us. This is the part where I insert that Jakob is truly my own personal Edward. We were so excited to have babysitters and be able to see 'Twilight' together. So excited, that we kind of forgot that we would be experiencing our first viewing of 'Twilight' with our own little Cullen baby right at his bedtime. (That's what we call pale Tate.) As the lights went down and the movie started, little Taters began his crying and I was mortified. Two reasons: 1. I am always completely paranoid of people being mad at me for my crying babies. People at church should get over it, but people paying for a PG-13 movie shouldn't have to. And 2. I have only been looking forward to this movie for two years now, and I was watching the beginning while frantically bouncing my baby on my knee and holding his chew toy in his mouth. This was not working.

I was super frantic and almost crying and whispering to Jakob, "What were we thinking?" and wanting to just rush out of the theatre and yell and cry and feel super, duper sorry for myself. (Welcome, new readers. I am dramatic.) Then my own personal Jakob Cullen (not to be confused with Jacob from the Rez) said, "I'll just take Tate home and pick you up after the movie." And he did. I got to enjoy the whole movie with no crying baby on my lap. By myself, which I actually love. Jakob sacrificed the movie and our date night for me, and I am so grateful. He did get to go home and watch the BYU game, so not all was lost. Can't say the same for BYU.

So, there's the prep for my movie review. Here is my movie review:

I LOVED IT! I LOVED IT! I LOVED IT!!!!!!!!! I had low expectations because everyone kept putting it down. But it turned out to be EXACTLY what I was hoping for. Was it so full of cheese it could've topped a stadium full of tortilla chips? Yes! Was the acting at times overly dramatic and C-O-R-N-Y? Yes! Was Carlisle Cullen's make-up so fake that he looked like he jumped right off the pages of a Party City ad at Halloween time? Yes! But that is what I loved about it! I loved it all.

I was glad I was all by myself because I could contain my laughter better at the really uncomfortable, over-the-top parts. But, one time, I did burst out laughing. And I heard sporadic laughing from older women throughout the theatre at different times. And, one time, I literally covered my eyes with my hands. The love vibes were just too intense for me. I felt just like my boys when they see a kissing scene on TV.

I loved the casting. L-O-V-E-D.

It was so much fun. And I can't wait to see it again with Jakob. And I CAN'T WAIT to see the next one. Rock on, Twilight!

Update

I don't know if you have noticed, but I have taken a leave of absence from the blogging world lately. If I had a job, I think I would be the same kind of worker that I am blogger. Great and reliable sometimes, and taking tons of 'mental health' days other times. There's a hundred things I need to blog about, but that seems super overwhelming. So I'm going to try and mention some stuff, but be brief. I said, "try".

DAIRY: I was supposed to go off of dairy for two weeks to see if it helped Taters. Well, after only five days off, Tate was doing no better. In fact, he was far worse and had mucus in his stool every diaper. So, I figured that it wasn't dairy that was making his tummy upset, but something else that was increased in my diet when I omitted dairy. I didn't need to torture him (or myself) for another week, so I resumed my normal diet. I was supposed to go off of eggs for two weeks, but I looked at the handout she gave me and just couldn't do it. Eggs are in EVERYTHING! I would have to basically eat just fruits and vegetables, and since I don't eat fruits and vegetables, I would starve to death, and starve little Taters, too.

So, I made an executive decision to just resume my diet and keep track of what I was eating and how it affected Tate. And so far, so good! I don't know if he just turned a corner and is a big boy now, but he is doing much better! He is much happier, sleeping much better. We'll see how it goes, but I'm so glad to not be stressed so much about what I eat. But, because I had to go without things I love for five whole days, I came back with a vengeance. I am eating non-stop. I am very addicted to food right now. Isn't the first step admitting you have a problem? I am eating exactly like a hobbit - "breakfast, second breakfast, elevenses, luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner and, later in the evening, supper." And after EVERY meal, some sort of dessert. Oh, well. I'm never good about eating while I'm nursing.

MY NEIGHBOR: I went to the funeral for my neighbor's six-week-old baby, Leonna. And it was extremely SAD. I know that my religion is not the only religion that can provide comfort in these times. (But, we do have "The Book of Mormon" and modern day prophets who receive modern day revelation for us in these times, and answers for so many questions and, if you want to know more, the missionaries can totally help you.) But this particular Reverend, I felt, couldn't provide a lot of comfort to this family because he didn't really know what to say. I was SO grateful that they believed that this little girl was in heaven with Jesus now. That, alone, was important to remember to get this family through this time.

But I left the funeral feeling much more pain than I arrived with. A poem was read entitled, "If I Had Known", that said, "If I had known this would be the last day, would I have held you a little longer? Would I have kissed you one last time?" LIKE SALT IN A WOUND! And their answer to why this was happening to my neighbor was, "God is a jealous God, and He saw the love little Leonna was getting on earth, and He was jealous and wanted Leonna to himself. So he took her back." Just simply not true.

I was glad I was able to come home and regroup and remind myself of the purpose of this life. I believe that Leonna was a very special spirit sent to this earth to receive a body. Her plan didn't include a full life on this earth, and now she will live for eternity in Heavenly Father's presence. I believe that this happened to my neighbor because this life is full of trials and tribulations, and we all have our own, individual path to take. The point of these trials is to learn and grow and use these experiences to grow closer to our Heavenly Father. With increased faith and trust in Him, he can work miracles in our lives, including peace and happiness after death and tragedy. And she will see her daughter again!

I hope that this experience draws my neighbor closer to her Heavenly Father. And I hope that I can provide a continued support to her in whatever way she needs. In my life, the scriptures that command us to "mourn with those that mourn" and "comfort those that stand in need of comfort" have never been more literal to me. And I hope that I can be sensitive to the promptings of the spirit to know what I should do next for my neighbor.

So I don't know if that was brief enough. I have plenty more to say, but my new goal for blogging is just to do little, random blogs of what I am thinking before they all start piling up in my head. We shall see.

Mis Hermanos

Last weekend my brothers - Willie, Robbie, and Kenny - came for a quick visit for the BYU/Air Force football game. (We missed you, Marce, Jamis, and T!) Will's life-partner, Grace, also came. It was so fun to see them and spend a little time with them. It is crazy that they are all men now. I miss them a ton.

When my boys found out their uncles were coming for a visit, first thought: CRAFTS! My boys are crafters, and immediately went to work making pictures for each of the uncles coming.

My brothers, Grace, and Jakob, Kobe, and Luke all went to the game. Going to an Air Force game is always super cool because the jets fly over head. Kobe and Luke had a blast! They sat by people from our ward so they got to hang out with their friends, too. The weather was mild and BYU won!

Mommy stayed home with the babies. One of Jude's favorite things to do is see movies in the theatre, so I let him choose a movie to see. The three of us headed off to see 'Madagascar: Escape to Africa'. It was cute as far as kid shows go. But watching movies in the theatre with Jude is the best. He has no quiet voice, so he's shouting the whole time, "Mom, did you see that!" or "That's gotta hurt!" Maybe bothersome for other attenders, but hilarious for me!

It was a super fast trip and, before I knew it, my brothers and Grace were heading back. Thanks for visiting, guys! It was super fun to see you and I hope we can do it more often next year!

Commissioned Watercolor Portrait GIVEAWAY!!!!

Commissioned Watercolor Portrait GIVEAWAY!!!!

(Finally something from Grosgrain I can enter! Yay!)

Five Months (November 2)

I wrote out Tate's five month post on Sunday but didn't post it. And I'm glad I didn't, because yesterday something happened that gave me an important perspective. Monday night my neighbor lost her 6-week-old baby to SIDS. I can see her house from my window, and was concerned when there were ambulances, firetrucks, and police cars outside around 8 am. I watched intensely as a paramedic carried a small, lifeless baby from the home to the ambulance. And then I saw the mother walk out onto the driveway and collapse in tears. I didn't know exactly what had happened, but I could guess.

I left my number with the police and she called me that afternoon. I brought her dinner and a General Conference article and offered my help for anything. I was glad to see her home filled with her extended family. I didn't know them well, so I wasn't sure if they would have help and support.

My goodness, I feel blessed to have Tate - and all my children for that matter. Life is so precious and can be over in an instant, for no apparent reason. I know so many people struggling with infertility or miscarriage, even infant death or disability, and now my neighbor is experiencing this loss. I am so grateful for the miracle of life and that I am blessed to have little Taters in my home. What should it matter that he is a difficult baby? He is here and mine and I am thankful. And I have a new outlook on his crying: Would I hold my fourth baby as much as I should if he didn't demand it? Probably not. I will enjoy every moment he is in my arms.

So here's a slightly edited, more positive five month post about my little guy:

Tate is now five months! And I don't know if it was a coincidence, but yesterday, his birthday, he was very pleasant and happy. Has he turned a corner? Maybe so!

Tate is such a fun baby. He gets cuter everyday. His eyes are still strikingly blue. He loves to watch his brothers play. He loves baths and has now learned to splash with his arms and legs. He is very smiley when he's happy, and also laughs all the time. Wax paper is his new favorite toy because it is so crinkly.

He talks a lot now. Always making the cute baby coos. But his favorite word is 'gee'. Sometimes when he wakes up from sleeping he'll just kick his legs around and talk. He's growing so fast and I just can't get enough kisses in. He loves to climb on us when we're holding him and stand tall. He tried rice cereal and wasn't a fan. And he can't figure out how to take juice from a bottle. But hopefully nursing will be enough for now.

When we're walking around together, I feel like Tate is always thinking that he's in an observational class. He watches and concentrates on everything I do. "Oh, so then you put the oatmeal in the microwave. I see." "You pull the kleenex out of the box, and then you blow. Interesting." He's very serious and watchful.

I love his gummy smile. I love his wide mouth. I love his long toes and fingers and the way he's always grabbing my face. He has become attached to me, which I am secretly loving. I love that he loves his mom. He's okay with his dad, but he really loves me. :)

Today I'm taking him to get tested for food allergies. I'm not sure that this will result in anything, but it feels good to keep trying to find out why he seems so uncomfortable a lot.

Five months already????? Too fast. We love you, Taters!

(For comparison, Jude's 5 month post.)

Oh, I Would Do Anything For Love

Two weeks off of dairy is what's currently required.

It turns out that Tate is allergic to shellfish. So I also have to cut that out of my 'I never eat shellfish, ever' routine. No problem. So now they want to see if maybe Tate has difficulty digesting the protein in dairy, or maybe eggs. So it's two weeks off of dairy first, then two weeks off of eggs. We'll see how he reacts to those dietary changes.

Goodbye, my lover. Goodbye, my friend. You have been the one. You have been the one for me.

Halloween Night

We got all dressed up and ready right after Daddy came home from work. The weather was perfect and warm.

As I mentioned before, Kobe and Luke were Dragon Ninjas.

Jude was Batman, and Daddy was The Riddler.

And Taters was a horsey and Mommy was a cowgirl.

We then went to the trunk-or-treat at our church. It is way better than door-to-door trick-or-treating in my book. More candy, less time.

Tate and I manned our trunk. Tate did his part by providing spooky screaming sounds for all our visitors.

That night we went to a wonderful party thrown by our dear friends. The boys got to work off some of their sugar-highs.

They had fun games for the kids. Kobe bobbed for apples.

And Luke triumphed at the donut-on-a-string game.

A fun, full, full, full, fun, stressful, and fun night!

Halloween Parties

Each of the boys got to attend a Halloween party this year which was super fun. First was a party for preschoolers at the church. Jude was super excited to wear his Batman costume for the first time out. He was a cute Batman and told everyone he could that he was Batman for Halloween.

"Hello, Jude."
"I'm not Jude. I'm Batman!"

It was a super fun party with crafts, a cake walk, a running skeleton game, and a donut on the string game. Jude was so precious while he was trying to eat his donut with no hands. He really tried for a long time which surprised me. Then he finally grabbed it and ate it. Can I just say how much I love age 2?!?! I can't believe it's almost over with this little guy. He lights up my life.

Next up was Luke's kindergarten party. Luke was a Dragon Ninja this year and was super excited to wear his costume to school. They had songs and crafts. I came to the party dressed as a cowgirl and I brought little horsey Tate. The kindergartners got to have their own parade through the school, and Luke was line leader that day so he got to be first! He loves kindergarten and it was a great day.

Lastly, Kobe had his party at the end of the school day. This time I came with little Batman Jude and he sat right by Kobe through all the festivities. Kobe was also a Dragon Ninja this year. Their party was fun and sugar snack filled, too. They paraded through the school and I got him on video, but no pictures.

I felt like I was running in circles all day, but I'm glad I was able to hit up all their parties and capture a little bit of their day.

Hello, Punkin!

We made our annual trip to the garden center for our pumpkins. A little late in the season, but what is important is that we did it. A memory was made and captured on film, and that is seriously the only reason that I ever leave my house. If cameras didn't exist, my children would live very uneventful and unfulfilling lives.

Anyway, it was a fun trip with the hay maze, bouncy house, and funny pictures. Because it was later in the month, it was harder to find decent pumpkins. But the boys searched hard and found some great ones. They washed them off all clean.

We had a great time. And I got to dress Taters up in our cute fall outfit and snap a picture. I can't believe that Jude is in this same outfit on my blog! Time flies.

Then it was home to carve. No pictures of the actual carving. But it was the first year that the boys actually stayed downstairs with us to take out the guts and carve their faces. They did a super job and created jack-o-lanterns true to their visions.

After Tate was in bed, I carved a pumpkin true to my vision of little Tot. I was sure I was being clever because I knew that when I tried to take a picture of Tate with his pumpkin, he would be crying.

But he made a liar out of me. I am super grateful he loves the camera. He is a happy baby a lot of the time, so I shouldn't make him out to be so horrible. But moments later........

I am not a liar, and I proved it two minutes after the pumpkin pictures were taken. Sometimes I torture Tate by setting him down so that I can go to the bathroom. Don't tell social services.

Happy Carving!

Luke's Soccer Season

Luke had another great season of soccer this fall. Luke is going to get his own soccer post with lots of pictures.

(I am feeling very stressed about the division of attention and accolades between my children. I always wanted all of my children to feel equal and for each of them to get as many pictures and camcorder time as the other, but I just don't know if it is physically possible! If I would've known it would be this complicated, I definitely would've scaled back on how many pictures and camera time the oldest got. But he does everything FIRST, ya know?!? Being a parent is so hard.)

Luke is a soccer superstar and scored so many goals I lost count! I think his strength is his speed. For awhile his focus was on defending the goal, so whenever the other team got the ball, he would race to defend his goal and totally pass up all the players to get there. Now that he's learning how to steal the ball better, he uses his speed for that.

He also has a strong leg and loves to do big kicks. He's a great team player and loved everyone on his team. And he's a good sport - win or lose. He is a very well adjusted child and a joy to watch play AND bring home afterwards. :)

Jakob was his coach again this year which was so fun. Jakob does a great job and is so patient and kind to the kids. It's so fun to watch him coach and even more fun to not have to take Luke to and from practices. Thanks for all you do, Jakey!

Luke scored the last goal of the season with a sliding kick. He had grass stains everywhere!

The team party was at CiCi's pizza - thus the pizza sauce face.

This season I let Luke pick out the trophies and he got the ones with rotating soccer balls. He award this year was 'Super Kicker'. When Jakob called out his award, Luke yelled out, "Yes!" He loves those big kicks. Luke definitely wants to keep playing soccer, so we'll be reporting again next season. Great job, Luke!