I Love Exercise!

I have been exercising pretty regularly for over a year and a half now, and 5 times a week for the last several weeks. Last week, Jazzercise was closed for the floor to be refinished. I knew a week was a long time for my body to not have my normal workout, so I planned to do some at home.

I got up early on Monday morning, intending to do a workout I have on VHS, but I couldn't get my VHS player to work. Nun got it working for me later, and I did the workout Wednesday morning. It's designed for pregnancy, but the instructor seems to think nothing is appropriate to do during pregnancy, and everything was really low intensity and low impact, plus it was really short. Basically, it wasn't enough for me. I've taken my workouts down a couple of notches from my pre-pregnancy workouts, and I'll need to modify more movements as my tummy grows, but I still usually get a really good workout each time.

The rest of the long weekend, I slept in, and was really lazy for most of the next 4 days. I knew I needed to be more active, but it was hard to get myself going again. My body was not happy with my laziness. My hips were aching during the day, not just at night, and all of my muscles were stiff from disuse. I didn't have much energy, because of my laziness. Being lazy doesn't help you store up more energy - it somehow drains it!

This morning, classes started up again at Jazzercise, and I was so glad to get up at 6:15 for class. It's amazing how our bodies work. Even though I hadn't slept well last night, I came home from class with much more energy than I'd had for the past week. We tend to think it takes too much energy to exercise when we don't want to do it, but it's really the opposite - right now, I don't have enough energy to skip my workout. We sometimes think exercise will make our muscles too sore, but I was more sore during the last 3 days than I've probably been ever since I started Jazzercise. I was also in a wonderful mood the rest of the morning, which makes me a much better Mom. The endorphins didn't last all day, but I felt so energized and incredible all morning.

I wish I could capture the way I felt during and after class this morning, and save it in a bottle to remind me all the time how much my body and emotional state truly crave exercise. Of course, I don't always notice such a difference in the way I feel, but after going without it for only a week, I noticed very much! I don't always love dragging myself out of bed at 6:15 or taking up my morning for the 9:00 class, but I'm ALWAYS glad I pushed myself to do it by the time I'm done.

My mom just extended a challenge to everyone in my family. We each need to set a fitness goal, like weight loss. When we reach our goal, she will give us $50. I know it will take me a long time to reach my goal because of being pregnant, but I also know that by exercising throughout my pregnancy, it will be faster and easier to get down to my pre-pregnancy weight, which is my goal. And of course, it's making it easier to deal with my pregnancy symptoms. I want to keep the motivation I have now. It feels great!

Mimicing: Good vs. Bad

Landon is wonderful at mimicing what people say. This is both good and bad.

Good: He has an incredible vocabulary and grasp of language for his age.

Bad: He spends an evening at Grandma's house with cousins, and spends the next morning yelling, "Stupid!" at people. That's a horrible new habit that must be broken quickly!

Christmas Celebrations

On Christmas Eve, we had dinner with the Butterfields. After a wonderful dinner, we all headed downstairs for the rest of the festivities. Linda just got some wonderful nativity puppets, and Cheryl helped the kids act out the nativity story for us, with a few Primary songs thrown in. Abby really wanted to be the sheep, and was thrilled when she got her wish. She did wonderfully following directions, sitting quietly, then putting the sheep up when it was her turn. Without a speaking part, she didn't even seem nervous to do it in front of everyone. Landon sat and watched the puppet show so quietly. I think he really enjoyed it.

Next, we did a new thing Linda wanted to try: the Unity Bowl. In a bowl were holly leaves with all the names of those who were there. Everyone took a leaf, then we went around the circle, and we all said something nice about the person whose name was on our leaf. It was nice to hear all the thoughtful things people had to say.

The gift exchange came next. There was a mix-up with the names, and Landon ended up without a gift. Luckily, Grandma gave him his gift from her, and he was fine. He's young enough that he will never know the difference. Then the kids opened their Christmas pajamas, changed, and we listened as Jack read the Christmas story from the Bible, with songs throughout the reading.

Abby was excited to get ready for Santa's arrival when we got home. Last week, she asked me how Santa gets in the house, since we don't have a chimney. I told her he uses magic, and she said he would probably come in the front door with his magic. We got our stockings laid out, and headed to bed.

Abby usually comes to wake us up in the morning when she gets up, but she remembered Santa was supposed to come, and headed out to find her stocking on her own. This is the first year she has truly understood most of what was going on with the Christmas traditions, and it has been really fun seeing her enjoy the magic of Christmas time. We each opened one present from under the tree, and saved the rest for when Grandpa Jim and Grandma Bev would be here. Nun broke out the snow blower to clear the driveway for them, while the kids and I opened our Christmas cereal. Growing up, we always got to pick our own box of cereal to eat for breakfast on Christmas morning, and we started doing it with our family, as well.

Here is the mountain of gifts Grandpa and Grandma brought.

After all of the gifts from Grandpa and Grandma had been opened, we took a break for food. When we were done eating, we picked back up with the gift opening. Abby finally got to the gift she had been waiting for: her pink camera that takes real pictures from Santa.

The rest of the morning and afternoon were filled with going from one new toy to another, with naps thrown in the middle. This is the first year we have spent all morning and most of the day at home on Christmas day, and we loved it! We really enjoyed having Grandpa and Grandma come celebrate Christmas morning with us, and we appreciate their generocity.

About 4:00, the power went out. By 4:30, the house was starting to get a little cold and it would soon be dark. We finally emerged from the house to go to Grandpa and Grandma Pace's house for a little Christmas visit, then we stopped at the Butterfield's before calling it a day. Abby took her camera, and enjoyed taking pictures of all the people and things she wanted. She ended up with about 170 pictures by the end of the day. The power was on by the time we got home, thankfully, so we were warm during the night.

We spent the day today playing with all the new toys. I think the kids have played with each of their new gifts at least once between yesterday and today. We did find a home for all of the new gifts by the time the kids went to bed, which was an accomplishment. We still need to go through what we have and thin out the toys. Abby asked me this morning when we get to have Christmas again. 364 days doesn't go very quickly for a 4 year old. But for Nun and myself, I'm sure it will feel like it's back in another month or so.

Abby and Lexi

Zack and Lexi came over today so Zack could get out of the house and play in the snow for a little while. Abby was so excited to see Lexi, and she layed down on the floor next to her, watching her. I got such a cute picture of her holding her newest cousin, that I wanted to share. Two cute girls!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Today is my dad's 59th birthday. He shares his birthday with his youngest brother, Mike, who is 11 years younger. My mom is working on Christmas day, so we had a little party tonight, for his birthday and to swap our Christmas gifts. I know my dad doesn't mind one bit, but it's still too bad his birthday always seems to get lumped with Christmas. When I told Landon we were going to give Grandpa his birthday present, he said it was Zack's birthday, remembering his cousin's party we went to a couple of weeks ago. Abby and Emma helped Grandpa open his presents. Happy birthday, Dad!

Ultrasound

Today, I had my big ultrasound. It didn't take too long for us to see quite clearly that we are having another boy! He was very active for most of the time, and the technician had to chase him around a little to get the measurements she needed. She said he was really fast, and was surprised I wasn't feeling him more than I was. Then she said the placenta was in front, between him and my tummy, so maybe that was blocking some of the movement from me.

Everything looked good, as far as we could see. I'll see my doctor next week, and he'll go over everything for sure then. Almost as soon as she started our video tape at the end of the measurements, he stopped moving, almost completely. It was like he knew the tape was rolling and was feeling camera shy. One of the most interesting things to me was watching him drink the fluid around him. I love watching my little baby move around like that.

Abby has been wanting a sister ever since she found out we were having another baby. We've been warning her that it might be a boy. A couple of weeks ago, she was talking about the pajamas she was wearing. She said it was almost time to put them downstairs, but when the baby was 3 years old, she could wear them. Then she corrected herself, and said IF it was a girl, she could wear them. Landon doesn't seem to grasp the concept of another baby in the family at all, but this morning during breakfast, he said out of the blue, "Baby Brother". I wonder what made him say that.

My parents had 8 grandkids before Lexi was born last month: 4 girls and 4 boys. Lexi upset that balance. Our baby will balance the cousins out again.

Here's a profile of his head and body. You can see his cute little nose, the tips of his fingers, and his heart. What a miracle!



Here's my tummy at 18 weeks.

A Day of Music

Yesterday was the choir program in Sacrament Meeting. I have been practicing the piano diligently since September, just to prepare for this program. Most weeks, I practiced at least 5 times during the week, often for an hour at a time. I wish I was good enough to not need to practice that much, but I'm not. The program was close to an hour long. The choir sang 6 songs, and we also had one soloist, an a cappella quartet, and a piano/organ duet. I played for 5 of the choir numbers, and the soloist. Plus, between the songs, we had narrators telling the story of Christ's birth. I played in the background during most of the narration, as well. So I played the piano for most of the hour.

Although I had practiced so much, I still make lots of mistakes (I'm just getting a little better at hiding them). By the time the meeting was over, I was relieved, but also worn out and tense. Then I had to hurry to Primary, where I played the piano off and on for the next hour and a half. My brain was fried by the time we came home from church. The program was so much work and stress for me, but I still enjoyed being a part of it. Our choir director does a wonderful job, especially working with a ward choir. The program was beautiful, and the Spirit was present throughout the meeting. It's amazing to be a part of such a fabulous program. I am definitely looking forward to not practicing the piano a single time all week, and having a break from choir for a few weeks, too.

Then, after dinner at the Butterfields, we went caroling. This is a fun tradition we do every year. We all get bundled up in our warm clothes, pick several places to go, then go to a few houses to sing some Christmas songs to people. Caroling is such an uncommon thing to see, but we love doing it. We always have someone playing the guitar, bells for the kids to ring, and lots of people to sing. Our kids didn't sing at the houses, but we sure sang a lot in the car while traveling from one stop to another. Landon learned his own version of Jingle Bells. Abby said she's too scared to sing in front of all those people. After we finish singing, we all go back to Jack and Linda's house for hot chocolate before heading home. This is a tradition we look forward to each year, despite the cold weather. Maybe Abby will be brave enough to sing next year.

Mountain of Animals

Abby absolutely loves her stuffed animals. She plays with her dolls every once in a while, but it's usually her animals. And she has A LOT of them. She has one toybox in her room completely full, plus a bunch in the playroom. A few nights ago, I put her in bed, and there were 3, maybe 4 animals in bed with her. In the morning, I found most of the animals in her room on her bed with her. I almost wondered where she slept, with the bed filled like that. She said after I left the room, she got out of bed, turned on the light, put them all on her bed, turned out the light, and went back to bed. Then she had an easier time falling asleep. I love all the details she gives when she tells me a story. Who wouldn't love sleeping by such a wonderful mountain of animals?

It's Hard!

Here's one of our favorite sayings from Landon. Anytime he's struggling with something, he says, "It's hard." This is frequent when doing puzzles, using a fork or spoon, or doing anything that he needs multiple attempts to accomplish. I knew that no one would get the full impact of how cute it is when he says it without hearing it. So last night, when he was struggling with a book, we got out the camera to capture it. Being the wonderfully helpful parents we are, we just stood back and enjoyed his frustration.

With the book in the video, you have to slide the "pen" on the green circle at the top of each page, then tap on various items on the page to make Elmo talk. It is difficult for him to do it himself, especially when the pen is turned off. Just after finishing the video, he turned it on, but he still wasn't getting Elmo to talk much. I love hearing his cute little voice!

Flashback Friday - Elementary School Song

While getting Landon dressed this morning, he said something that reminded me of my elementary school song. I have no idea what it was. In any case, I started singing it for the first time in many years, and Landon giggled at me. When I finished the song, he wanted it again. Then it was stuck in my head most of the morning. I realized that I learned my elementary song much better than my jr. high or high school songs. I'm sure if someone else started singing them, I might at least be able to hum along. I did play the jr. high one several times in band. We sang it at assemblies a few times a year in elementary. Since it happens to be Friday, I thought I'd write it down, even though some of my siblings are probably the only ones who might care.

"Stand up for Westbrook, stand up and cheer,
Stand up and sing out for Westbrook loud and clear.
We are the Wildcats, the greatest in the west,
The students and the faculty are rated as the best.
And we are proud to be Wildcats, silver and blue,
We'll stand by our colors, loyal and true.
We have come a long way up to now, together we'll go far,
Oh, yes, Westbrook will go far!"

Marker Mess

I've had to let Landon start some things a little sooner than I did with Abby. This is mainly because he tries to copy almost everything she does. There have been a few times he's colored with markers with her, and has managed to only get a couple little stray marks on his hands. Then he usually starts screaming for me to get it off for him, saying he's messy. This week, however, he was a little less careful and less upset when he got a little marker on him. He was grabbing the tips of the markers over and over, and this is what we ended up with:



I'm amazed he didn't get more on his clothes. Kids like Landon are the reason that washable markers were invented.

Gingerbread House

Grandpa and Grandma Butterfield always give the grandkids a gingerbread house kit during the Christmas season to decorate at home. The kids were thrilled when we got it out last Saturday! The kit had lots of good candy to choose from, and was super easy to assemble. Dad put the house together, and I did most of the icing for the decorations. The kids both put a few candies on when we were decorating, but had much more fun eating it - go figure. The funny thing was, Abby actually put more candy on the house last year than she did this year. Maybe it was Landon's great example!

Why?

Landon's new favorite word is "why." I don't think he really knows what it means, though. He asks why all day long. I got tired of giving him real answers, especially since I didn't think he knew what I was talking about most of the time anyway. I started telling him "because" when there wasn't a good answer. Then he started talking to himself at random times saying, "Why? Because. Why? Because," over and over.

The best time he asked his favorite question was at Grandma Butterfield's house. He asked Grandma for a cupcake, and she said she didn't make any that day. He immediately asked, "Why?" I don't think there's a good answer for that one. I mean, what could possibly be a good excuse for not making cupcakes every time the grandkids come over?

Enjoying the Snow

Abby is absolutely loving the snow! Last year, she didn't get to play in it as much as she wanted to. Our back yard was just mud, and I didn't always have the time to take her out when she wanted to. But this year, with our yard finished, she can just get all bundled up, and go play. She's played outside almost every day since Saturday. One day, she was out there for about an hour. Landon has liked it almost as much as Abby. He usually comes in a little sooner than her, but since he learned that he has to keep his mittens on, he lasts longer than the first time.

They walk all around the yard, crawl around in the snow, roll down the hill, make snow angels, and who knows what else. Abby was even "washing" the house with the snow. She is so excited it's snowing right now. She hopes it's still snowing this afternoon so she can play in the snow storm.

My Favorite Times of Day

Here are some of the times of day I look forward to the most:

Lunchtime - Not the preparing or cleaning up, but I love when the kids and I all have our lunches and are eating. They are usually so pleasant during lunch, and much more willing to eat than at dinnertime. I love relaxing and visiting with the kids. Sometimes they get so silly, and they make me laugh a lot.

Naptime - This comes shortly after lunch. I usually just have an hour break because of Abby's quiet time, but I love getting things done by myself, or even sneaking in a nap here and there. Sometimes I'll read or do something for myself for just a little while.

When Dad comes home - I really love this time of day! I get excited to see Nun each day, and this is one of the hardest times of day when he is gone. I love hearing the kids run to the door to greet him and give him kisses and hugs. I love having adult conversation, too.

Bedtime stories - Nun and I trade off reading to each kid at bedtime. After getting ready for bed, Nun will take one kid and I'll take the other. The kids pick their books, and it's just a little one on one time before they go to bed. We'll have to modify our routine when there's another kid to put to bed. I also love reading to the kids throughout the day. It's a wonderful way to snuggle up on the couch and enjoy being together.

After bedtime - Nun and I always have some time each night before we go to bed. Sometimes we do our own thing, but we also spend time together, just the two of us. I frequently enjoy this time too much, and stay up too late!

There are many specific activities I love to do with the kids, like going to the library and playing games, but these are the times of day that I love every day.

Flashback Friday - Baby Movements

Last night, I went to a concert at the Conference Center downtown performed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Orchestra at Temple Square, and Bells on Temple Square. I haven't gone to a concert like that for a long time, and I really enjoyed it. Apparently, my baby liked it, too. I just felt it move for the first time a few days ago, but before last night, I had only felt a couple little flutters. All through the concert, it was moving like crazy.

The reason this leads into a Flashback Friday is because last night, I was reminded of the first time I felt Abby moving like that. I was teaching school at the time. I had a training all morning at the school, so I spent the morning sitting in the auditorium and listening to the various speakers. I was distracted from the training because of all of her little movements. It was incredible! It was like one day she was too small to feel at all, then the next day she was suddenly big enough to feel all the time. I had seen her move on an ultrasound and heard her heartbeat several times, but feeling her move made her feel much more real to me.

I've never really lost the amazement I feel everytime I feel a baby move inside of me. Abby never kicked me hard enough to hurt, so it didn't even get spoiled when she was close to being born. Of course, being born 4 weeks early probably had something to do with that. Landon was a little more forceful. One of my favorite things about being pregnant is feeling the movement, and especially the hiccups. Both Abby and Landon got the hiccups almost every day. Last night brought back a flood of fond memories from my other pregnancies, and I'm so glad I'm to the point in this one that I can experience feeling my baby move now. What a miracle it all is! I'm so grateful for the little being growing inside me, and I look forward to holding my new baby in a few short months.

First Cavities

Abby went back to the dentist on Tuesday. She was incredible! She never showed much sign of anxiety, and she was perfect for the dentist. She got laughing gas, which is a wonderful thing. From previous experience with shots, I'm sure she would have been crying for a few minutes after getting numbing shots in her mouth, and been less willing to open her mouth afterward. With the gas, I don't think she even noticed that she had shots. She was like a statue the entire time he was working on her.

After she was finished, it was a little different story. She thought she was all done, but her cheek felt funny, and this really bothered her. The dentist suggested I get her a milkshake for her lunch so she wouldn't bite her cheek while chewing her food. I thought this would distract her a little from how funny her cheek felt, but she actually started crying harder. She said she wanted a sandwich. Now, what kid would cry, wanting a sandwich over a milkshake! I would have jumped at the chance to have a milkshake for lunch!

We had to go to Walgreens before lunch. Abby is supposed to have an antibiotic for 6 months after her heart surgery to prevent infection anytime she has any procedure done, even dentist work. It will be 6 months in 2 weeks. I had forgotten, but the dentist mentioned her heart murmur, and I told him about the surgery. He's obviously worked with the cardiology patients before, because he reminded me of the antibiotic rule. She only needed one big dose after we picked it up.

By the time we got to Arctic Circle and had lunch in front of us, she was starting to be ok with the idea of a milkshake. But she told me that since she couldn't have a sandwich for lunch, she wanted one for a snack after quiet time. She was afraid to take a bite, so I showed her that she could just let it melt in her mouth if she was nervous. She mostly forgot about her cheek while playing on the playset, and later, she had her sandwich, as requested. I'm so glad that's over.

Ward Party Photo

Here's our family photo taken at the ward Christmas party. At first, I couldn't stand the picture because I had psycho wide open eyes and a splotchy face. I was disappointed because everyone else looked just about perfect. But Tamara fixed it for me. Now it's so much better! I wish she could do that to my real face!

Sitting Quietly

On the way to church yesterday, I asked Abby what her favorite thing about Primary is. She quickly responded, "Sitting quietly." Since this is a requirement during Sharing Time, I guess it's an appropriate answer, though far from the answer I expected. I laughed and told her, "Yes, you are a pro at sitting quietly, aren't you?" She said she's not a pro, then asked what "pro" means. She only sometimes sings during Sharing Time, and she almost never participates, preferring instead to sit quietly. She does soak a lot of info in, just as an observer. Then last night, she told us that she's a pro at sitting quietly. That's my girl!

Busy Saturday

We had lots going on yesterday. My nephew Zack had his 3rd birthday party in the morning. It was at Jungle Jim's Playland. We had never been there, but the kids adored it. There are lots of rides, and even Landon could go on all but the bumper cars. Abby couldn't get the bumper car to go, and cried until the ride was stopped for her to leave. Other than that, they loved every ride. Unfortunately, Zack's mom was unable to come because of their week old baby, but at least she didn't have to have their house ready for a big party.


We went straight to Wheeler Farm for family pictures after the party. We kind of procrastinated getting them taken, but our friend Tamara was wonderful enough to take our pictures for us at the last minute. I'm so excited to see how they turn out! The kids were wonderful, and the weather cooperated, especially for December. We used our coats while walking around from one location to another, then took them off for the pictures. We would have preferred brighter colors during the fall, but we waited too long.


We watched the geese and ducks for a while. Landon walked right up to them, and threw leaves at them. They thought he was throwing bread, and tried to get food from his hands. One goose even nipped his thumb. I would have loved having a video camera to capture Tamara chasing the geese around. Brown, crunchy leaves covered the ground, and the kids both loved jumping in them and throwing them in the air. We stopped at Wendy's for a late lunch because the kids were so cooperative.


After a late nap, we headed off to the ward Christmas party. We had a nice dinner, a program, and of course, our favorite holiday visitor. Abby was hoping for toys to play with, but luckily, Kim and Keith brought a coloring book and crayons, which Talisa gladly shared with Abby and Landon. Abby loves to color right now, and that kept her occupied until the program started. For the program, the choir sang two songs, which I played the piano for, then there was a soloist, and then the primary sang a song, which I also played for. Abby even sang some of the song. One of our neighbors was taking family pictures throughout the party, so we got yet another family picture for the day. Then we waited in the long line to see Santa. Abby actually sat on his lap without wanting me stuck to her side, and even talked to him a little. Landon just sat and smiled.

We enjoyed our full day together as a family.

Photo Editing

I took Joel and Ruthann's engagement pictures a couple of months ago. Today, my friend Tamara came over to work her magic on Photoshop with the picture they want to use for their announcements. She is AMAZING! I want to have all of her knowledge and abilities someday. She had a lot of work to do because I just use the point and shoot on my camera. Someday, I also want to learn how to use my camera better. Then my pictures won't need as much doctoring up.

Here's the original:

And the new, much improved version:

Thanks so much, Tamara! You are wonderful!

One Year Older

Abby went to the dentist today. I've been prepping her for it for 2 weeks now, because last year at the dentist was horrible. I was so close to leaving and bringing her back another day. She wouldn't open her mouth, she screamed the whole time, and they were barely able to clean her teeth or check them out. What a waste of money. So today, I was thrilled when she was 100% cooperative. It's amazing what one year will do for maturity. I didn't have to help a single bit, so I could just help entertain Landon instead. That was the good news.

The bad news: she has 4 cavities. Now, please know that regular teeth brushing for both my kids is a high priority for me. We brush both of their teeth twice a day, almost every day. The problem is I didn't think flossing was as critical this young. I have been flossing her teeth here and there, but not often. On the left side, all four of her molars have tiny cavities where they touch. We have an appointment next week to get them filled. Really, I only have to floss 4 places because none of her other teeth even touch. So, we'll be flossing every day now.

Breaking Out the Christmas Decorations

Last night for Family Home Evening, we got out the Christmas decorations. It was so fun to watch the kids get excited about each decoration as we pulled them out. They kept running from one thing to another, trying to see what each thing does, and asking for the musical decorations to be played again and again. Abby wanted to help with everything. As soon as she finished one task I gave her, she was back, ready for something else to do. They loved hanging the ornaments on the tree. After a few ornaments, Landon ended up just handing them to Dad to hang, saying, "Hard." Abby was excited to put the angel on top, until she saw how high she was, and wanted to get down.

This morning, I heard Christmas music coming from the family room before I even got out of bed. Abby turned on the lights for the Christmas tree as soon as she could. Landon came out of his room, exclaiming, "Christmas tree!" Watching them enjoy all the decorations makes the effort to drag everything out and clean up afterward all worth it. One of my favorite things is seeing Nun be less of a Scrooge about everything related to the holiday season, all because of the kids. Christmas season is definitely here!

Putnam Christmas Party

My mom's family has their Christmas party the Saturday after Thanksgiving every year. There are always lots and lots of people there, because I have a big family. My grandparents have 7 kids, 39 grandkids, 41 great-grandkids. There were about 87 people there. This year, Santa came before dinner. Landon wanted to sit on his lap as soon as he saw other kids eating the candy he gave them. Abby took a little longer to warm up to the idea. She watched a bunch of other kids go before she would even consider it. Then she wouldn't go without me, and immediately wanted to get off his lap. She did end up telling him what she wants for Christmas - a pink camera that really takes pictures - but so quietly that I had to repeat it for him.

I have candy and a ball - what more do I need?

Of course, Landon played ball most of the time. Unfortunately, not enough other kids brought balls, so all the kids wanted Landon's ball. Next time, we'll take one that's less enticing for the bigger kids. My uncle Kyle helped him make a basket.

After dinner, the kids got to do pinatas. For as long as I can remember, we have always had pinatas at the family Christmas party, and I always looked forward to it. Landon was the first kid to take a crack at it, since the kids younger than him weren't ready as quickly as he was. Even though he didn't have anyone to copy, he knew just what to do, and started swinging away at that thing. Abby waited patiently for her turn - there were lots of kids younger than her. She didn't have much power to her hits, but she enjoyed it, and later said it was her favorite part of the party.

So we survived the first Christmas party of the season.

Flying Through the Air

Nun started throwing Landon on our bed a few nights ago at bedtime. Of course, Abby had to get in on the fun, as well. Since then, they have asked to fly before going to bed every night. Who wouldn't love being thrown wildly through the air?

Free Toothpaste

Yesterday, I had studied the deals for Walgreens, comparing the sales to the coupons I had. I had 3 deals I was going to get, including a tube of toothpaste that would be free with my coupon. I got home after shopping, unloaded my purchases, then went to pick up Abby from preschool. When we got home, she told me to come look on the ground by the car. The toothpaste had fallen out of the bag, then I ran it over with the car. My free tube of toothpaste was splattered all over the garage, then another spot was one wheel rotation back, and a few more spots were on the driveway, from when I backed out. I guess it's good that I didn't have to pay anything for it.

Pets

Abby just asked me when we can get a cat or a dog for a pet. I told her I don't know if we will ever get a cat or a dog. She then said that maybe we can get one when she's bigger. Next, she revised her statement. She said, "When I am all grown up and have my own house and my own kids, I can get a cat or dog if I want to. I can go to the pet store and buy whatever pet I want." I'm glad she can see it that way, instead of throwing a fit that she can't have a pet right now.

Date Nights

Last Friday, Nun and I went to Body Worlds. We've heard from several people that it is an amazing exhibit to see. We weren't disappointed with that. It was truly fascinating to see what our bodies look like inside. So many people feel that science and God can't co-exist, but this reinforced my faith in God. Our bodies are so intricate, I don't see how we could be a coincidence of nature. It was especially interesting to look at the embryos and fetuses, and thinking about our little growing baby. There is so much change and growth each week of a baby's growth.

My sister Amanda was curious about the exhibit, wondering if she wanted to go. After just a few minutes, I knew she would have a hard time standing and walking around so slowly. She was just 3 weeks from her due date with her second baby. Now that she has had her baby, she won't be going anywhere for a while, anyway. Before I was even half way through the exhibit, I realized it wasn't just Amanda who would have a hard time. The standing was taking it's toll on me, as well. They had benches throughout the exhibit, but not enough. I needed to sit down a couple of times without a bench nearby, and ended up just sitting right on the floor. This did make it more difficult to enjoy it as much as I would have otherwise. It felt so good when we got back to the car and I could sit.

We finished our date with dinner at Litza's Pizza. By the end of the meal, I was so hoarse from my cold and so much talking at dinner. It was a nice date, though, especially after Nun had been out of town all week.

Today, we had another date. That's very unusual for us to have 2 dates just a week apart like that. We went to lunch, then went car shopping. We will need a bigger car when the baby is born. It's a pretty tight fit to put 3 car seats in our Jeep. We recently discovered the Chrysler Aspen, an SUV similar to a Dodge Durango. We checked them out, and test drove one. I love them! We didn't buy today, but it will probably be our Christmas this year. To finish off our date, we went to a movie - Quantum Solace, the new James Bond movie. It was ok, but not our favorite James Bond.

Maybe we should make it 3 weeks in a row. Next Friday, maybe?

Thanksgiving

We had a nice Thanksgiving. I went to the "Huff and puff before you stuff" class at Jazzercise in the morning. We went to the hospital to see my sister Amanda, and her baby Alexis, who was born at 4:04 am Thanksgiving morning. She is a beautiful baby! Abby loved holding her and smiling at her.

Next, we headed up to Hoytsville for Thanksgiving dinner with my dad's family. It was fun to see my aunts, uncles, and cousins. We don't see each other much anymore, and I always love catching up with them when we get the chance. It was a smaller group than normal because so many families were at other parties, or too far to make it. But even then, I think there were more than 40 people there. Joel had a "Wilson" volleyball, just like the one on Castaway. Landon played with it most of the time we were there. Abby had fun exploring the church, until the bigger kids started telling ghost stories, and she was scared.

After finishing our pie, we headed to Nun's parent's house for... pie! We had a nice visit with them.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Do I Have To?

Abby loves preschool. She loves all the activities they do in class, and she loves seeing her friends. There are times, however, that she asks why she has to go to preschool all the time. Most of the time, she asks this when we are getting ready in the morning. I think it's usually because she doesn't want to get dressed and do her hair. That's funny to me because even if she wasn't going to preschool, she would still need to get ready for the day.

A couple of times now, she has asked when she gets to graduate from preschool so she doesn't have to go any more. The first time she asked that, it was only 5 minutes later that she asked why I made her miss preschool when we went to Lake Powell. She had to miss some of the color days and she didn't want to miss colors. She doesn't want to miss preschool anymore, unless she happens to want to stay home to play next time.

If she's already wanting to graduate from preschool so she doesn't have to go, she's got a long road ahead of her - another year of preschool, then 13 more years of school after that. At least she does actually like it when she's there.

Doing Mom's Hair

Jenn from Girly Do's is doing a drawing. She wants to give kids the opportunity to do Mom's hair for a change, and send in pictures. I knew Abby would love this. The contest is going for 6 weeks. We didn't get entered last week because Nun had the camera. Sunday after church, I told Abby to get all the supplies she would need. She could put anything she wanted in my hair. She was thrilled to pick out a bunch of flowers, barretts, and clips. Nun took pictures to document our fun. She loved every second, and is now asking when she can do my hair again. Even if we don't win a pretty bow, we had a great time. Don't I look fabulous?

Nun's Trip

Nun had an EXCITING business trip this week. He left early Monday morning and flew into Chicago. He had some time before he needed to be anywhere, so he got his rental car and went to the Sear's Tower. It's the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. It's incredible to see the pictures he took of the city around the tower.

After his short sight-seeing trip, he headed out to Indiana. He was there for training for one of their manufacturers. He's already been trained on their products, so this was a re-certification. It also means it was not an interesting training for him. He was staying in Logansport, which is a small town. There isn't much to see or do there. He had a hard time even finding a good place to eat dinner. He spent all his evenings surfing channels on the TV, with not much to watch. He did rent a movie one night, but that was as exciting as it got for him.

After several days of not much, he drove back to Chicago on Thursday afternoon, and returned home late Thursday night. The only partly exciting thing to happen besides seeing the Sear's Tower was seeing the "snow storm" on Monday morning. There was half an inch of snow on the ground, just enough to make the roads a little slick, and they postponed school starting for 2 hours. Being from Utah, that was slightly entertaining for him. The kids and I were so glad to see him when he got home.