The Sparti Family

Who wants to be the mom?

2011-10-10T14:42:00.000-07:00

This morning I took advantage of the fact that Aliza wanted to change and dress Gage. So yay for me, I was able to wash my face and get dressed before heading to the bus stop at 8:30AM.

I'm kind of keeping an eye on her as she is wiping his bum and getting him all cleaned up when the inevitable happens...he pees. And not just a small pee, but a huge arcing pee that I can plainly see from the bathroom where I'm getting ready! Aliza is yelling out and I'm answering back, "Cover him up!" but it's too late. As I come in laughing hysterically, I see that Gage has peed on the floor, on Aliza's arm, AND in her hair! I calmly tell her that baby pee is just like water (ha ha!) and to just go wipe it off, to which she magically does!

I finish the job, check the status of Aliza, and get Gage a new diaper (the other one was covered in pee). She handles the wetness like a pro and doesn't even want to change her clothes, to which I'm surprised. Maybe she IS a little mommy after all :)

Gage Emory Sparti

2011-09-28T11:26:00.000-07:00

Hello out there....

If any of you still exist :)

Baby is here and perfect in every way. And I really mean it. He sleeps, eats, and pretty much never cries. Where did all my OTHER children come from??

We all love this little guy and I can't believe it's almost been two weeks since he joined our family. Here is a teaser until I get the professional photos up. Enjoy!

Battle of the Bulge

2011-06-27T20:40:00.000-07:00

I'm going through phases...The first, is that I'll feel cute. I get a new dress. My hair gets cut and colored. I get a compliment.

Then I have the flip side. I'm weighed and measured at the doctor. I put on my swimsuit for the tenth time that week. I'm sweating like a pig in the 100 degree weather.

And yes, I'm 7 months preggo, and I know it. I'm just wondering why I couldn't be the gal that just carries her weight in her tummy. Does my entire body really need to be chubbier? And could someone explain to me why my chest needs to have grown two cup sizes already??

Some questions will never be answered.

P.S. Isn't it ironic that I decided to eat a candy bar after jotting this down :)

How Time Flies

2011-01-31T14:22:00.000-08:00

Much has happened in the last two months. So much, I have all but forgotten my blog! But I have two very good reasons.

Reason #1: We moved. Yes, it's only a mile away from our old house, but it was still an upheaval of life. But things are progressing and we now have a wonderfully bigger home with a finished backyard. Plus, the kids are riding the bus to school! Yay for me!!

Reason #2: I'm 7 weeks pregnant! And not feeling totally fabulous. But I'm up, and I'm dressed, and that's half the battle.

So excuse my absence and I'll return when my stomach stops churning :)

A few of my favorite things...

2010-11-09T13:50:00.000-08:00

Every time I looked at this happy skeleton on my fridge, I smiled. Grace made this in her Kindergarden class. Hope it makes you smile too!

A Way With Words

2010-10-31T21:10:00.000-07:00

"Commandments. You are making some commandments!!"

This is what I'm listening to at 9pm at night while Gavin is supposed to be going to bed. And might I add it's in a gruff, mean voice?

I just love this kid. How many people wake up to their son laying next to them, stroking their faces, and hearing, "Mom, you're soooo beautiful!".

Not many.

And here I'm on child number three, and I'm experiencing it for the first time!

Gavin has a way of melting away my anger. He's just too darn cute. And the things that come out of his mouth always make me chuckle. Even if it sometimes contains the dreaded "potty talk".

My all time favorite has to be when he sings, however. He has the cutest little singing voice, and he remembers lyrics way too easily. His favorite song of the week is I Belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We're all baffled at how he even LEARNED it, since none of us have been singing it and he didn't learn it in nursery?! But he loves to learn words and constantly asks me what the next line to the song is so he can repeat them. I'm sure the people shopping at the grocery store appreciate the background music too!

Now if only I could get him to turn off when I start getting a headache...

Quiet time surprise

2010-09-19T21:38:00.000-07:00

Breaking the cycle

2010-09-11T22:25:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about how to get my children to realize their potential. I mean, they've been blessed with so many talents, and yet they take them for granted and constantly want to do something different. I have NO problem with this, but coming from a person that only feels semi-adequate at a lot of things (not to mention that my mom feels exactly the same way), I thought it'd be nice to break this cycle.

So tonight, as we're finishing up dinner, I bring up how Heavenly Father has blessed everyone with talents. After defining WHAT a talent IS, I commented on how amazing it is that Aliza has this voice that she's never taking lessons for. Or that she naturally knows how to ad lib and memorize lines in her shows. Grace was told how she was born with this strong, muscled body that can out-run, out-swim, out-bike, out-kick kids her age and older.

But my intentions were not just to compliment. I really wanted them to see how special they are and that we should develop our talents, not just become mediocre and quit.

It even went so far as to me relating the story about a man who holds a candle under a bushel, instead of letting the light shine for the whole world to see. At least that's how I remembered the story :)

So who knows what they're thinking at this point! Maybe they're understanding that their Heavenly Father made them special, and they should be proud, or maybe they'll slink back to wanting to be "normal", whatever THAT is. But I throw out a proposition: I'm making them take something musical; whether it be piano, voice lessons, guitar or what not.

It can be nice being in charge...

Long Awaited...

2010-08-30T21:36:00.000-07:00

I've been looking forward to school being back in session, especially with the long awaited 9 month track, as opposed to the year-round school that I've been dealing with.

Today was the day, and my girls were ready! Aliza was my first trip to school, at 8:45 AM.

Grace was my second drop, her being in afternoon Kindergarten. While she was getting ready that morning, she leaned over to me and said, "Mom, my teacher's going to think I'm the most beautiful one in the class!!" "Yeah she will!" I answered. That girl has an abundance of self-esteem! Later on, when it was time to walk to her class, she told me that I didn't need to walk her in; she already knew how to get to her spot and find her teacher. I was like, "Can I still be your mom for at least a little longer?!" She responded with an "I guess, Mom." and held my hand. Thanks, Grace. Also, notice the two front teeth missing. Her pride and joy.

My third trip to the school was to pick up my two girlies. Yes. I made three trips to the school in one day. I'm working on a carpool. When I asked Aliza what she did today, she told me her teacher asked her questions like what she was most excited about for the new school year. Her answer: That her classroom is a portable. Huh? I told her we better write that down, cause she'll be laughing her head off at herself when she grows up.

When we were getting ready for bed, I overheard Grace telling Aliza that she was MORE excited for her second day of school. This would be the day they would get to cut and glue a project. Aliza just looked over at her and said, "The second day is never as fun as the first, just so you know." Thanks for squashing her enthusiasm, Aliza.

Now I'm on to give Gavin something to do. He kept asking me if he was going to school too. "I'm big enough, Mom." is all he kept telling me. If only. But I've got something up my sleeve.

Sun, Surf, and Wedding Partying!!

2010-08-18T16:10:00.000-07:00

REDLANDS TEMPLE SEALING
Temple exit. The new Molly and Kenneth Beal!

Brittany, Jon, and Henry waiting outside

RECEPTION: Camarillo, CA

When Aliza wasn't singing during the reception (which was awesome!!), she was glued to her cousin Ruby, whom she loves.

The first dance

Aliza and Hunter (there were rumors that this wasn't the only kiss Aliza dished out on the dance floor!)

Getting down on the dance floor

All dolled up and taking photos outside the historic barn (where the reception took place)

Inside was beautiful with decorations my mom hand-made and fabulous food and cake. YUM.

My mom hand-drew a "fill in the blank" Molly and Ken coloring table for the kids.

Gavin spent the night sneaking stuff: #1. Pens from the sign-in table

(notice the pen)

#2. Powdered donuts off the dessert table. (Me cleaning it off Gavin's face)

#3. Kisses. He just looked so darn handsome in the homemade bow tie and boutineer!

DOWN TIME: Silverstrand and Zuma Beach

Gavin kept asking me, "Mom, what IS this?"

Grace is on her way to becoming a little surfer. She was even pounded by some large waves but just hopped up and smiled.

Aliza wasn't wanting to go, at first, but we were sure glad she did! And she even enjoyed herself, clothes and all.

MORE DOWN TIME: Pool

Three Year Old FUN

2010-08-18T15:46:00.000-07:00

Gavin's 3!!! Can't believe it's already been three years. Especially since he still wants me to carry him around like a baby :) But he's definitely grown up and has his own opinions.

Here's a taste of the day:
Morning - presents and eggs/bacon/orange juice
Afternoon - Trip to WalMart to spend birthday $ and Nap (Whoo hoo!)
Evening - Pool/friends/cupcakes

The Batman/Superman cape I made him (unfortunately I had to adjust the neck, but what should I expect when I make it the night before in 4 hours (and without trying it on him)?!

The first out of like 6 cupcakes that Gavin ate!

Buttercream and Ganache-covered chocolate cupcakes. Gav's only request was that I make some green (his self-proclaimed favorite color).

Steve dressed himself and Gav up as twiners for the day of. How funny!

Rugrats, A Live Adventure

2010-07-22T13:35:00.000-07:00

In an effort to record last night's opening night for Rugrats, I'm posting a short little spiel.

Sets and props are finished (hallelujah), I'm eating a quick bite and chatting it up, and Aliza is all "Angelica'd" up. Which, of course, included fake eyelashes, a huge pettiskirt with pettipants, and HUMONGOUS boutique-style bows that, yours truly, made.

12 minutes before showtime, and she's already in her spot. No one has to tell her which side of the stage to be on, or when she should be there. And they DEFINITELY don't have to feed her her lines. She's amazing.

Show begins and she's hamming it up. Mean faces, pushes. My little Angelica is perfect. Not to mention her solo, which sounded fabulous.

And the pinnacle of the production was when Aliza ad libbed several lines in two different parts because a fellow cast member totally botched it. Who knew she was capable?!

Can't wait to see the show from the front! Forget this backstage crap.

How I love thee. Let me count the ways...

2010-07-02T13:18:00.000-07:00

Having a boy has been filled with fun, a little craziness, and mostly joy. Here is my ode to you, Gavin. Can't believe you'll be three this Saturday!

Looks me in the eyes and tells me "I LOVE your hair," while petting it.

Drives cars on the walls saying "I. Am. Speed."

Knows several verses of Go, Go, Go, Joseph.

During nursery class in church, Gavin was asked what his mom's name was. Much to my surprise, he said Lindsay (as I was told later). But then he continued, "And the big guy's name is Steve."

"To insinities (infinity), and beyond!"

Big, goofy smiles as he does something naughty.

Mistakes the word girl for grill.

Calls his man-part his Weenis (rhymes with you know what)

"Mom. I'm Buzz, and you're woody." "Mom. I'm Buzz, and you're woody." "Mom. I'm Buzz, and you're woody."

Handfulls of cars tucked into bed with him every night.

Meticulously lines up EVERY car he owns. Then proceeds to drive them across the couch and meticulously line them up AGAIN. And finally one by one, drives them off the edge and savors each and every crash.

Making Friends

2010-06-29T20:27:00.000-07:00

Gavin has made an unusual friend at the pool. No, he's not two. Or even three. Maybe more around 17. And he's there every single time we swim. In red trunks.

Yes. It's the lifeguard. Julian.

Every time we walk in, he comes up and smiles at us and says, "Hey, Gavin. Hey, Grace."

Yep. He knows Grace also. But Gavin is his REAL buddy.

Who else would throw a football to you while sitting in his lifeguard chair? Or talk animatedly to a two year old while he's showing you his Lightening McQueen ball?

Julian even told me that his fellow lifeguards talk about him when he's not there. They've dubbed him "smiley". Which he definitely IS.

He's even good for some discipline. Gavin has the hardest time NOT running while at the pool. And good old Julian has told him several times not to. But it never worked. That is, until he threatened to use his whistle. Now every time Gavin is about to run, he looks over at the lifeguard and asks, "Is he going to blow his weasel?" That's when you know you're good at your job.

So thanks, Julian. Thanks for being Gavin's friend so that I can relax and get a tan. I appreciate it.

Farewell

2010-06-29T20:15:00.000-07:00

I'm in denial. And it's inevitable. But I was there. WE were there; that is, the kids and I. Along with almost every member of our family. And hoards of friends.

Vanessa is leaving.

I'm getting sad just writing this.

Oh, yeah. It's only for 18 months. And I can still email and write letters. But I'm selfish and want her all to myself.

Even Aliza was crying as we pulled out of California and into Vegas. I'm right there with you, Aliza.

Brazil is soooo lucky. Watch out.

p.s. Vanessa is dead center in our photo.

So little time...

2010-06-10T13:31:00.000-07:00

I've noticed that my blog looks barren. As in, I am too busy to post or too unmotivated to care.

But yesterday I said adios to my procrastination, and I created an entire blog, from start to finish, for my creations. My most current are BIBS. The blog site is www.pindotdesign.blogspot.com.

So check out the beginnings of my attempt to get everything done and taken care of. Item #1 done, now on to #2.

Becoming a young lady

2010-05-10T14:36:00.000-07:00

Where has the time gone? I've suddenly found myself with an 8 year old!

Over a week ago, Aliza was baptized by her dad. And what a wonderful experience that was. We had over 30 members of our family join with us to witness the amazing day. That morning, as I was getting Gavin and Grace ready, I overheard Steve and Aliza talking in her room. Not wanting to spoil their "talk", I just quietly listened in through the crack in the door. I could overhear Steve asking Aliza questions about being baptized and about the Holy Ghost, and then explaining details to her that she may have not known. It was so sweet! And I never cease to be amazed at when Steve decides to turn up the parenting knob to high all of a sudden.

Afterwards, we had lunch with everyone at the park. I made shredded BBQ chicken sandwiches, spinach salad, fruit salad/dip, and cucumber punch. My mom also brought monster cookies and Terry brought chips. Let's just say there was tons of food! But even with all the prepping, cleaning, and slight disaster, I had a fabulous, non-stressful weekend. We shopped, swam, ate, and enjoyed our warm weather and most importantly, Aliza became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and received the Holy Ghost!

Gracie

2010-03-26T21:18:00.000-07:00

How can a girl who is such a tomboy be so feminine?

I ask myself this question daily.

Mostly because she can definitely hold her own at the playground or on the soccer field. Her toes are always cut open from going barefoot or climbing on trees. And she almost NEVER cries because of injury (which happens frequently).

But on the flipside, constant are the battles we have in the mornings over dresses without leggings underneath. Or hairdo's that have been designed by her, and usually end up a snarly mess by 10AM.

And there's no way I'm allowing her to even wear a dress without the necessary leggings. Too many people would view her underwear, or she would bruise and batter her legs to no end. And I've put my foot down with the crazy or elaborate hairstyles (all of which are based off of some princess or barbie movie). She just isn't cut out for the twisted, braided, french-twisted hair that adornes all of her television idols.

Or is she?

Who else asks me to snuggle. CONSTANTLY. Or writes me love notes produced solely by herself. And she's even known to give away her personal toys to friends, just to be nice.

And how could I not mention all the make-up and nail polish that she slathers over her body daily?

True, she's a little rough around the edges.

But I like that about her. Boys and girls, alike, befriend her and who's to say that she isn't exactly what she SHOULD be. I'll take a whole body hug from her any day because I know she means it.

Gavin

2010-03-16T12:48:00.000-07:00

How fun is having a boy? At our house, lots.

Gavin is a riot and we love hearing him talk, run around, and imagine.

Now a normal mom would blog about this one incident that was so gut-wrenchingly funny and how she just loves it when he says blah blah blah. But I am blessed with a horrible memory. And as such, I've compiled, purely for selfish reasons, a list of things I want to remember at this moment. Indulge me.

Conversations with his cars, as in: "Hey HONEY! Honey, don't do that. It's DANGEROUS!" as he precariously dangles a car off the edge of the couch.

Calling his best friend (and SISTER) "You my brother". Sorry Grace.

Talking constantly. He's always asking me what type of construction vehicle's on the side of the road, or he'll be singing songs at the top of his lungs (his newest favorites are songs from ANNIE). But this kid has a lot to say.

Very observative. We'll read a book, words and all, and he'll remember them the next night. Word for word. He'll also study them. Sometimes I finish reading a page and just sit and watch him look at what is happening in the book. Love it.

Funny word mishaps: Soda (Yoda), croc-diles (his nickname for #2's in the toilet), "tinkle, tinkle widdle dar" (twinkle, twinkle), chocwhit (his candy of choice), Datman (Batman), Go, Go Jofis (how he requests Go Go Joseph while driving), nilk (milk), show you somebing (while he drags my arm to where he has something he wants me to look at), marsh=pillows (marshmellows)

How the fat girl became a runner.

2010-03-03T13:29:00.000-08:00

Growing up, I just figured that I wasn't a runner. Other girls were fast, and could breathe during our volleyball sprints. Just not me. And as I had children and gained weight, other exercise methods were no longer working. But I could see my younger sister shrink down and look good.

Her secret? RUNNING.

So I started just walk/running on the treadmill at the gym. I was by no means fast, and I was by no means running far. But I was running. I soon ran further, and even dared to join the "cute mom" group that runs in the wee hours of the morning. Pretty soon, I was no longer driving to the gym, but instead religiously running before Steve left for work.

My next step was running a 10K. And it didn't end up being my favorite (darn you, Valley of Fire), but I wasn't scared off, either, and it was an awesome accomplishment. But I wasn't signing up for another race anytime soon.

Especially after I sprained my ankle playing volleyball a few months later. The sprain was horrendous, and it took me a good 6 months before I thought of running again (and this was WITH physical therapy!). But I had put on enough weight to feel disgusting, and this motivated me.

So around September, I found fabulous friends that started going with me, slowly. It was nerve-racking how slow I'd become in those couple of months, not to mention how tight my ankle felt every evening. But I, surprisingly, became determined to get back in shape and become faster.

Fast-forward to today. I'm running 3 times a week, and just ran 7 miles last saturday! Plus, signed up for the Salt Lake City Half Marathon. This race has got me going longer and faster; exactly what I need to get me back to before my injury. Who knew that I would ever run, much less run 13.1 miles? Not me! So wish me luck!

Aliza hits the papers!

2010-02-25T13:35:00.000-08:00

This article came out yesterday in our local paper, The View. It was shot during her run of Annie at the Summerlin Library. Aliza is in the middle front, if you missed her!

Indecision

2010-02-09T14:23:00.000-08:00

I can't seem to make up my mind these days. So I thought I'd allow my friends and family to decide for me.

Perfect example: Haircut and color. I've found some ideas of what I think would look good with my long face and still keeping some length. But I'm definitely antsy for a change. Let me know what you think of these or HELP ME FIND SOMETHING ELSE!

OR

Sanity, not required

2010-01-22T15:04:00.000-08:00

I'm losing my mind. Constantly.

Somehow, I'm in the midst of potty-training Gavin, and the week before Annie's opening night.

WHAT HAVE I BEEN THINKING?!

There is so much to do and not enough time (and I thought I felt this way previously!). Every time I try to get something done, while my children are awake, Gavin has an accident. Every time I try to sit him on the potty, he flexes his willpower. And this kid's got some. But then two seconds later I am sitting next to him, realizing that he just pooped his pants. Wonderful.

My realization is that I cannot do this right now. Today I threw on a diaper and told him to go to bed. I had had it.

The sad part is, he doesn't mean it. He loves me and feels bad when I'm upset over cleaning his dirty bum. AGAIN. It kills me to get mad at his cute little face. He really has me wrapped around his finger. And I love him too.

Just not so much when he's wet. Or poopy.

Where's Steve?

Future Plans

2010-01-13T14:01:00.000-08:00

Today, Gavin and Grace played over at their friends' house. Thank you, Stacy. And I was ALONE.

Very strange.

But fun.

I blasted the radio and painted. And loved it.

Now if only I could experience this a little more. Like once a week :) I still love my kids, and they still miss me. Example: Right after we arrived home, Gavin snuggled up and put his arm around me while watching a movie. Then promptly told me "You sit right here!" It was fabulous.

But a mom needs her alone time. Especially the creative type. So it was wonderful.

Now only 221 days till Kindergarten.

Resolutions

2010-01-04T14:56:00.000-08:00

As I get my cluttered house in order, my mind wanders to my "inner" clutter.

Yes. Usually I'm as disorganized as my house is.

But on Sunday I did some retrospective thinking. And I really felt grateful. For several reasons. And since I'm REALLY bad at remembering (ask any one of my siblings), I thought I'd take note of these, in no particular order, and get them neatly organized here. Hopefully I'll look back on them when life gets sucky (which is probably in our near future).

1. Steve's job, Steve's job, Steve's job. This one needed repeating.
2. Small, thoughtful gifts.
3. Exercise.
4. Good friends.
5. Family.
6. An almost potty-trained little boy.
7. Independent children.
8. Needy children.
9. Two weeks of 24/7 husband.
10. Texting. Yes, this one is silly. But I really AM grateful for it! I HATE talking on the phone.
11. Clean and organized rooms.
12. Gavin's movie quotes. My favorite: "They call me MISTER PIG!"
13. Play dates.
14. My mom. Sometimes I call to tell her just one thing that happened, or a question. And sometimes she calls me to ask one quick thing. We get each other. And we're very similar.
15. A new couch. After almost 9 years of hand-me-downs.
16. Music. And it's ability to bring joy and feelings of the Holy Ghost.
17. Guidance from a Heavenly Father.

This year's resolution is to take the small moments and enjoy them. To get on the floor and play millions of card games with Grace. Or crash cars with Gavin. But mostly to love my family.

November's Track Break

2009-12-07T13:43:00.000-08:00

Well, the month of November came and went. Aliza was on track break, which equals no quiet time for me! Our family was busy and had tons of fun, which is why no post. But I'd rather be busy creating memories than sitting around thinking of things to blog about :)

So here's the condensed version:

Visited Grandpop and Grandmother Sparti

Disneyland

Grace's Tea Party Birthday

We also spent two weeks with my family in Thousand Oaks, along with celebrating Thanksgiving. Whew. Glad that month is over. Now on to December.

Belated Halloween

2009-12-07T13:28:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know it's a little late, but I couldn't help capturing the sweet little kiddies I have.
And remembering how Grace had to squeeze into Aliza's old mermaid costume. Thank goodness for saftey pins!

Small Talk

2009-12-07T13:25:00.000-08:00

Today Gavin walked in my room, picked up his tie from yesterday's church (yes, I have yet to put it away), and fastened it to his neck.

"I want to go to nursery," he told me.

"You want to go to nursery?" I said.

"Yes."

Hopefully he'll keep saying that once Steve is released from his calling as nursery leader. It's been a year, and it ain't gonna last much longer!

Not it.

2009-10-16T13:52:00.000-07:00

This week has been one of hide-and-seek.

Me being the seeker.

And it's always in the morning as I'm trying to finagle my kids out the door to school.

Example:
Tuesday is spent making cards and gift tags for the upcoming super saturday that our relief society is having. I've spent three hours planning out and cutting scraps and sticking them together, only to find that I have no idea where my hot glue gun is. Or the box containing it. I know exactly what it looks like and where I keep it in the garage, but I've scoured and still not found it. Side Note: It's friday, and still no sign. Argh!

Wed., Grace has soccer, and I can't find her brand new, fresh-out-of-the-box cleats. I vaguely remember Steve throwing away the box, and text him to see if he is withholding valuable information. Negative. So I finally give up and send her in tennis shoes. Hours later, we're searching the house and find them in the girl's dirty clothes hamper. Not quite the place I would have thought to look.

Wed. night Aliza comes home from school with no homework folder. Her teacher never got it the day before, and I'm baffled trying to think of where it can be. Called our carpool, no luck. Searched entire house, AGAIN, but for different reasons, and still no luck. Thursday morning I've given up and called it quits. She leaves for school with an unhappy mom and a mad frown on her face. As I pick her up later that afternoon, she nonchalantly tells me that it was in her school desk the entire time. Thank you Aliza.

You would think that my house is a disaster with all the searching that has had to take place. But the most frustrating this is, IT'S NOT. All last week I cleaned under beds, reorganized the playroom, and rearranged the kitchen.

Guess I'm just a mom of three crazy kids.

The Joy of Living in the Desert...

2009-10-06T14:08:00.000-07:00

Thursday afternoon, I spied with my little eye a SCORPION. It was sitting high on the wall of my garage, just asking to be killed. Steve was home, so I told him to come do his husbandly duty. He pulled out the bug spray, drenched it, and called it good as dead.

And I believed him.

Friday hits, and no more scorpion. But I'm still leary, and make the kids avoid the garage and definitely wear shoes outside of the house.

Saturday rolls around, and no sign of him again. Later that night, I'm foolishly in the garage fishing for a box to pack some stuff in. For a split second, I consider dumping out the tissue paper that's sitting in this particular box into the garbage can next to it. But it's on overflow, so I opt not to.

Bad choice.

As soon as I stick my hand in to grab the tissue paper, bam. I have this incredible throbbing on the knuckle of my right pointer finger, and I just know that I've been stung by our very own scorpion.

I'm too freaked out to even check and make sure that it was, in fact, a scorpion, and instead run up to our bedroom and wake Steve up to help. Once back outside, however, we can't find anything. Steve does a little internet searching and discovers that all of my symptoms are indeed pointing to a scorpion bite (ie. horrible throbbing, numbness all the way up to my shoulder, thoughts of cutting my finger off). And the only way to treat it is to take Tylenol and ice the site of the sting.

So I take all the advice, and still feel horrendous. As Steve falls back asleep, I'm miserable watching him and wondering if the pain will ever subside. It gets to be unbearable and I decide to nix sleeping altogether. Instead, the dishes are getting washed, toys are being picked up, and I watch all 3 Matrix movies, which were terrible.

But all this distraction helped, and finally at 5 AM, I crashed to sleep.

48 hours later, all the pain and numbness has pretty much left the way it came, with a little still left at the site of the sting. Never in a million years would I wish this upon ANYBODY. Pain-wise, it was close to natural childbirth, minus the cute, loving baby! And I'm determined to rid our abode of every and all scorpions. The hunt is on, at least for Steve, that is. I'm too scared to hardly even step foot in the garage!

Goodbye Montero

2009-09-29T13:41:00.000-07:00

Yes. The time has come to get rid of my Mitsubishi Montero. It's been a faithful, yet gas guzzling ride and we've all come to love it.

But something new is on the horizon.

A dark, almost-new, leather interior, DVD installed, low mileage MINIVAN.

Today, Steve is trading in our Montero for a Honda Odyssey. A month ago, I couldn't sleep at night and was on the verge of tears thinking whenever I thought of possibly driving a minivan. But slowly I discovered the handfuls of super cute moms that were going around town driving their own Siennas and Odysseys. And they were STILL CUTE. Imagine that!

So, a month after looking for the right one for us, we took the plunge. And I'm actually happy that we did! Who would've ever thought. Not me. Or Steve. So call me up, catch a ride, and look cute alongside me :)

Home Recital

2009-09-23T13:34:00.000-07:00

Gavin loves dressing up almost as much as Grace.

My messy bed was the stage for their "dance routines" and my old dance costumes were their ensembles.

Not quite how I envisioned my little boy dressing up.

Can't get enough of Grace's cheeks!

Grace

2009-09-16T10:31:00.000-07:00

She's creative. Energetic. A tease. Imaginative.

But mostly silly and fun.

These are just a handful of the gazillions of photos she took with Chuck E Cheese during Gavin's birthday party.

And yes, she was the biggest kid riding this "baby ride". But when does that stop this life of the party?

P.S. My favorite is the one where she's hugging Chuck E.

Small Acts of (unintentional) Cruelty

2009-09-04T13:21:00.000-07:00

We've all experienced this as parents.

It's the bank teller that gives only ONE sucker to you, as a parent, when you have three loud kids yelling out their window that they all want a sucker.

Or when your child is throwing a tantrum in the store and the store employee offers to give them candy. Are you serious? Let's treat every kid that acts up, and see if this improves their behavior.

So today, as I'm checking out at Sam's Club, Gavin spots balloons. Hoards of them at every checker's stand. I point out the colors, tell him that they're just to look at, and we go to get lunch.

I take three steps to the food counter and notice Gavin isn't following. It's OK, I tell myself, because he's an arm's reach away, and he's enthralled by the balloons.

Next thing I know, a woman is handing him a balloon. A green one. I tell her thank you, and sit Gavin down to eat his hot dog. Grace, however, can't stop eyeing his balloon and wants one too.

Of course.

So after 5 minutes of whining, I relent and we both walk over and ask for another balloon, to which they tell us that it just would take up too much helium to fill one more balloon. Really? Wasn't it YOU who started this whole mess?

Grace walks away, dejected, and sits down by Gavin. As I walk away to fill up our drinks, I hear a scream (and so does the rest of Sam's Club). Grace has released Gavin's balloon up to the 50ft. ceiling.

I can hear comments from everyone: Awww, that poor little boy just lost his balloon. Even the stingy balloon woman decides to give Gavin ANOTHER balloon. But the new, yellow balloon doesn't stop the tears. He's freaking out, pointing to the one that got away.

Now, I have to stop and point out that, yes, this balloon woman was trying to be nice. But where did her "niceness" get me? Down a long road of whining, screaming kids. And it could have all gone differently had she chosen to give Grace a balloon or even given me NO BALLOONS AT ALL.

Back to the story. So I finally calm him down, but he is insisting that I hold his balloon. At the top of the ribbon. He's decided that this is the only way it will escape the same fate as the first balloon.

And I do. I'm feeding Gavin his hot dog, eating my own hot dog, drinking a drink, holding Gavin on my lap - all while holding this stupid balloon.

The clincher was that a friend of mine walks up to me and commiserates. It's never a bad enough experience unless someone you know witness it also, right?

So enough with the niceness. Either be willing to shell out for everyone, or keep it to yourself already.

Two Years

2009-07-30T14:57:00.000-07:00

I often think about all the tears that came along with having 3 children. Mostly from ME. And especially when I'm debating about when to be preggie with #4 (yes, it IS a possibility).

But most of these past two years were of laughter. And fun. Because boys are just that. FUN.

Tomorrow, Gavin's turning 2. It's amazing how quickly it all happened. How he changed from a needy infant, to a rough and silly toddler.

There are several "every day" moments that I felt I needed to capture, before I turn around and he's an awkward boy. So:

*Loves to jump on the trampoline with his trucks. If it wasn't so darned hot, he'd be out there for hours.
*Wakes me up in the morning with his babbling about poop/pee, daddy, or mom.
*Makes deep, manly truck noises while he's driving them down my back.
*Obsessed with cars, trucks, and motorcycles. Steve has introduced him to YouTube, so he watches the beforementioned online while I'm getting ready in the mornings.
*A little fish in the water. Hardly does he want any help with swimming; his little legs kick like crazy to keep up with his sisters.
*"Cute" is his new favorite word. As we're browsing in TJMaxx, I see him pull a shirt of the rack and tell me how "cute" it is. Yes, you can tell he spends lots of time shopping with his mom and sisters.
*The pickiest eater. And in an annoying way. He will LOVE food one day, and then refuse to even sit at the table and look at food the next. Ketchup has been my rescuer. Gavin will eat ANYTHING with ketchup, much to the girls' disgust.

There are so many more, but this will do for now. Happy birthday mini Steve.

The Constant Rush

2009-07-20T14:04:00.000-07:00

So I've determined that my life is in a permanent state of HURRY.

That is, if I want to accomplish anything of value. Like exercise, attending church, going to the pool, doing the laundry, cleaning the house, going to the park. You get my drift.

I remember thinking how I couldn't even eat breakfast when Gavin was a baby. Maybe that's why I'm gaining weight now...

But back on point. Three kids = commotion.

Getting to 9 am church is going to take serious effort, if not a little yelling :) My house is going to be messy a lot of the time, because I'd much rather spend time doing anything else. 8 am gym classes are just going to be bypassed.

This constant feeling that I have to HURRY to take a shower, or drive FASTER to get to dance classes may not leave anytime soon. Maybe it's the territory of a family of 5. Or maybe my personality type just puts us in these situations.

What do you think. Am I alone in this spiral?

Gavin's New Do

2009-07-13T13:03:00.000-07:00

Yes. It's cute. And short. Even with a fading black eye.

Yesterday, Steve was complaining about how long Gavin's hair was. Little did he know that his comment would spiral into a short new haircut for the kid.

But it's soft. AND, it's kind of a mini Steve.

I love it!

The end of Seussical Jr.

2009-07-07T14:02:00.000-07:00

(Aliza in costume and microphone as JoJo)

So all last week, I kept asking Aliza if she was excited to be finishing up practices and shows for Seussical Jr. Because I sure was. I couldn't go to bed without a song stuck in my head or a to-do list running through my brain.

And Aliza was thinking the same way.

Until closing night.

After five nights of shows and countless hours of practices, she was tired and needed a break. But once that curtain went down on the last show, tears started flowing. Aliza is a pretty emotional little girl to begin with, but having the director, Jolie, talk about how proud she was of everyone and what an amazing experience Seussical and been put her over the top. I could see, sitting 8 rows back from the stage, that Aliza was getting teary-eyed during Jolie's speech.

So now, four days later, we're practicing for Annie auditions. Yes, we ARE crazy, but we love it that way. And as long as Aliza is still enjoying the process, I'll stay crazy.

(Aliza and Director Jolie)

My "mom" moment

2009-06-24T12:50:00.000-07:00

This week has been insane. Lots of driving, eating out of the car, whining kids.

And all to do with Seussical Jr.

When a show opens up in a week, you have to expect rehearsals every day. Well tell that to my OTHER kids. Their world is turned upside down, along with their schedules.

So I decided that it would be fun for both them and I to watch an assembly that Aliza was doing with the Seussical Jr. cast at HER SCHOOL. Oh, and it was arranged by me also, which meant double duty. One second, I'm consoling a crying kid, the next, I'm making sure curtains are shut and music is audible.

Yes, I'm nuts. But people already tell me that when they see me towing around 3 kids. So why not add more to my to-do list?

But back to the assembly. Classes start shuffling in (all 200 of them) and soon it starts. I'm distracting Gavin and Grace with Fruit Snacks, and watching Aliza at the same time. Now, it's duet time. Aliza is lucky enough to sing a duet as Jojo with Horton. It's my favorite song of the entire musical, and she got it. As she belts out her part, I'm getting emotional and tense. Will she remember what she's supposed to do or get nervous? Not my little girl.

Aliza hits it perfectly and I'm trying not to cry. I don't think that I could be any prouder or clap any louder.

I anxiously wait for the rest of the assembly to finish, and then run up and give her a hug. She is gonna kick butt next week in the show! I can't wait.

It's Official

2009-05-29T13:35:00.000-07:00

No. I'm not pregnant. I know that's the first thing my mom would ask.

I'm done with Physical Therapy.

Yes, I know everyone's forgotten about me and my sorry ankle. But not I. Especially not when I see everyone out running. Tried that last week and didn't get very far.

But today, as I sweat and jumped for an hour, in the back of my mind I kept thinking "I'm free!"

No more babysitters (thank you all), no more $$ down the Physical Therapy drain, and no more aching foot (whoo-hoo).

Still a little tight every time I begin exercising, but I'll endure.

Been a long three months. But I'm back.

Two of a Kind

2009-05-19T13:20:00.000-07:00

I've grown up being teased. Especially by my mom. "You know somebody everywhere we go!" she'd comment.

And I did. Don't tell me how or why, but I KNEW a lot of people. And for me, that wasn't out of the ordinary, it was just who I was.

When I was 2 or 3, I used to have a special friend that I would smile and wave to at the grocery store. Every time. And either my mom went to that particular store A LOT, or I was just naturally friendly. Maybe both.

I can also remember traveling back east, about 10 years ago, to visit my sister. During our stay, we decided to visit the D.C. temple. While touring the grounds, lo and behold, a friend from college calls out my name.

Several times my parents would visit me at BYU and realize that everywhere I go, people said hi to me and I said hi back. This was normal.

Never thought it was genetic, though.

Today, as I'm sitting in the front office of the school, I start talking to the assistant principal. The second that I tell him my name, he says, "Oh, you're Aliza's mom." Like they're best friends. Or as if she's been attending this school longer than the year and a half that she actually has. This surprises me immensely, and I end up interrupting what he's telling me with "How DO you know Aliza?" Like I even need to ask. He just does.

Or like how does a second grade teacher, in a different track than Aliza, even know who she is. AND gives her a book, to keep, with a message in the front telling her what a good reader she is and how he wants her to be in his class next year?

I could go on and on about my little social butterfly and how she spreads like a wildfire, but the truth is, she's just who she is. Just like her mom.

Why It's Fun To Be A Mother...

2009-05-13T13:04:00.000-07:00

1. My girls have been planning my big day for days in advance. Aliza dutifully made a list and time of when we were to handle all the merriment.

2. Mother's Day songs during sacrament meeting. I'm lucky enough to be in primary, so I slyfully suggested MY favorite mother's day song to the music leader. And yes, I Often Go Walking was performed magically that very sunday.

3. Breakfast in bed. Granted, it WAS a 7:30am breakfast, but we have church at 9am, so beggars can't be choosers. And Steve even added some chocolate-covered strawberries dipped by HIM. Yum.

4. Hidden surprises in the girls' closet. They decided that their hamper was taking up too much room in the aforementioned closet, so it got the boot. When you've spent the last week in preparation, you definitely need some space for it all. And I was threatened not to peek in it.

5. Jewelry. Steve bought me some new jewelry, which Gavin broke two seconds later. UGH. Guess I'll finally have to invest in those needle nose pliers I've been thinking about.

6. Home-made presents. Aliza took the cake with what she made in her class at school. I've attached horrible photos of what it was (2 flower pens in a vase of beans), but they don't do it justice. The poem she wrote about me said:

Lindsay
Grateful. Fancy.
Polish. Young. and Fun.
I love her pretty face!!!
Mama

I read it aloud when she first gave it to me, and I was confused by the POLISH remark. My first thought was, "How does she know that my Grandma is from Poland?" (which she IS). And Aliza jumped in and corrected me. It's polish, as in Nail Polish. Hmmm....what funny things kids think about you.

P's and Q's

2009-05-12T19:44:00.000-07:00

Gavin has finally mastered my favorite word.

And I LOVE it.

Been a While

2009-05-11T21:39:00.000-07:00

Wow, you know life has hit you when it's been a month and you haven't even visited your own blog site!

Too many days of 2X a week Physical Therapy, Seussical rehearsals, lesson planning, Seussical set designing, and just living the life of a mom with 3 kids.

Whewww.....

A lot has gone on in the last month, so let's just do the condensed version:

Aliza is officially 7. Steve, two weeks later, turned the big 3-0.

Gavin's car-sleeping obsession begins.

"Spring break" Heber-style. Gavin had a blast throwing snow balls till his fingers were numb.

Steve always tells me how much Grace is like his sister, Heather.

Easter Sunday

2009-04-14T13:40:00.000-07:00

Sundays are always a killer. That 9am church really drains you.

Easter sunday was no exception.

I was up and getting ready at 7, which meant I didn't even eat breakfast or see my kids' easter surprises with them. That was all secondhand from Steve.

We miraculously made it out the door at 8am, and to church by 8:30am. Yes, our church is about 20min away. Steve and I are both in the choir, and we had a quick practice before church.

My next assignment was what to do with our kids. Hadn't really had time to even think about THAT part yet. So I started farming them out. Grace went over to sit with a family that had an 8 year old girl, Isabel, that wanted to play with her. Check.

Gavin, Aliza, and I went and sat by a mom I know in primary that only has a teenage boy. She said she'd watch both kids when it was time for me to go up to sing. Check.

Steve was passing the sacrament. This will soon become an important detail.

So all is fine. Soon, though, I'm realizing that I never told Grace that we'd be up singing the entire sacrament meeting, and this could all end badly. She's the type of girl that needs to know her boundaries, and have threats and rewards, which I did neither. Whoops. By then, there was nothing I could do about it but let it unfold.

So the sacrament gets passed and Gavin starts to unravel. Steve is in plain sight and he wants his daddy. Da-dee! Da-dee! He keeps yelling this out, and finally is crying mad that I won't let him out of the pew to go het his da-dee. So off into the foyer I go for the last part of the sacrament.

When it's over, I walk in and hand him to Steve, mouthing that he wants HIM. Steve decides to take Gavin up to sing with us. This wouldn't have been much of anything, normally. Gavin is always by our feet during practices and mostly just walks around or drives his cars on the chairs.

This situation got drastically worse, however, when I see Grace out of my peripheral vision and she's running up to sit with me. Recipe for disaster.

Grace wants to stand by me; remember, we're standing and singing at this very moment. But as soon as Gavin gets fussy, Steve puts him down on the floor to play. Now, I have Gavin AND Grace playing at my feet while I'm singing.

I'm silently praying for kindness and love to flow through the pair of them, but I know better. These are the two that steal each others' toys, push and hit, and generally have a hard time getting along. Which is what happens next.

Grace steals toy from Gavin. Gavin trys to get toy back. Gavin loses and falls backwards. Off the step that we're standing on, onto the huge microphone stand.

For a moment, I think that all hell is about to break loose with a stand crashing and Gavin screaming, but it just teeters and corrects itself. But Gavin is on the verge of hysterics, and at the final note of our song, Steve swoops in and carries him outside as fast as he can.

Grace is given the eye of death from me, and I whisper to her that she better sit by her friend, Bryanna, and not come up there again. She immediately senses the danger, and leaves quietly.

After a solo and talk, Steve rejoins us, with Gavin in tow. We finish out the meeting, thankfully, and get out of there. I'm embarrased and just want to forget our "show" in front of the whole congregation.

Gavin sustained a huge purple bruise on his ear, strangely enough, but was otherwise OK. And Grace was an angel all through primary-a miracle.

Steve and I have both come to the conclusion that the choir may just need ONE of us. If they let us back.

P.S. As if that wasn't crazy enough, the missionaries were without anywhere to go for dinner that night and asked if they could join us. Of course I said yes, and spent the rest of the day cooking and getting my house in order. It turned out wonderful, but I was DONE by the end of the day!

All Boy

2009-03-30T22:59:00.000-07:00

Gavin loves several things "boy."

Cars, balls, trucks, dirt, spit, loud noises, motorcycles.

The list could go on and on. Twice a week we sit by his window and watch the garbage men pick up our trash. And if I don't open his curtains and blinds fast enough, he's freaking out trying to look out the window himself.

He HEARS them coming.

And thanks to all the construction here in Vegas, he has several opportunities to see construction trucks, also. Every time we come near one, he's pointing and trying desperately to tell me, "Look mom, a truck!"

Every time.

But, alas, he has two older sisters. So it's bound to happen that he also shares their love of SHOES.

Aliza's writing prompt

2009-03-24T13:47:00.000-07:00

Steve and I thought this was too cute!

Reflections

2009-03-22T13:46:00.000-07:00

As I'm elevating my foot, thoughts of some recent sundays rack my brain.

Last sunday, hurt foot, kid STILL with pink eye, and family singing in church.

This sunday, still hurt foot, teaching 8yr old boys in sunday school, our class in charge of sharing time.

Some day I'll be able to wear shoes again. Some day I'll exercise off the weight that 2+ weeks of being spoiled by my husband has already put on. Some day I'll keep up with Gavin as he runs off in the store.

There are always going to be stressful sundays, cause IT'S SUNDAY. With 9am church! But I'll hardly remember all this when I look back months down the road and forget to appreciate the little things.

Like being able to wear high heels.

The Best Day Ever

2009-03-19T13:07:00.000-07:00

As I drive Grace to preschool, she is singing at the top of her lungs, "It's the best day EVER!!!. It's the best day EVER!!!"

And to her, it IS the best day ever. She's in charge of snacks today at preschool, and I get to read her class a story. And if that wasn't enough, she and Aliza also have dentist appointments. Yes. They love the dentist THAT much.

But all her ranting got me to reflecting on how this was MY best day ever, too.

Reason #1: I got out of bed this morning and could instantly walk. It's been about a week and a half since I've been able to do that.

Reason #2: All kids were ready for the day by 9:30 AM. Yes, impressive with an injury, I know.

Reason #3: TJ Maxx AND Home Goods just opened up down the street from us. And I was walking well enough to GO IN. Grace was like "TJMaxx, whoo hoo!" as we pull in the parking lot.

So yes, it was a good day for me, and I hope it just keeps getting better.

Lil' Gav

2009-03-14T15:02:00.000-07:00

Gavin always can bring a smile to my face. Yesterday, I was so completely sure he was up to no good. I was dreading checking on him, since I would have to go down the stairs, but eventually went. When I got there, he was passed out on the floor under the blanket. No mess. No naughtiness. How great was that? I love the little guy.

My harlequin Beauty

2009-03-13T10:05:00.000-07:00

Call me crazy, or just over-ambitious, cause I'm probably both. Yes, last night we had a Relief Society Birthday party that I signed up to bring a cake for. Prior to my injury, I had made a marshmallow fondant and two cakes. How could I not finish a perfectly good project and idea? Yes, I limped around for 4-5 hrs. finishing my cake, and it was beautiful. Totally worth the soreness.

Headaches of the Impaired

2009-03-13T09:33:00.000-07:00

They say that mimicry is a form of flattery.

If that's so, Grace is nothing but complimentary to me.

Or just lazy. And conniving.

As she hops around on one leg or says that her foot is too tired to take her breakfast bowl to the sink, I'm wondering if this is how I'm perceived.

This morning, as I was trying to convince her to change out of her mismatched pj's, I relayed how I needed her help.

Me: Grace, don't you ever want my foot to get better?

G: No.

Me: So you'd rather I be pushed around in a wheelchair all day, laying around, and never be able to drive you to the park or dance class?

G: Hmmmmmm.........(long pause)...........

Finally, she runs out and comes back with clothes for me to put on her. JACKPOT.

(Grace in her mommy attire)

Volleyball woes

2009-03-11T14:23:00.000-07:00

I used to have two normal feet. Now, I have one huge cankle. Yes, someday I'll be back to normal (and able to go up the stairs upright), but for now I'm just hobbling along. That darn guy just had to jump UNDER the net at volleyball last night and I just had to land on his foot. What luck.

Big Boy Bed

2009-03-02T14:37:00.000-08:00

We just got our toddler bed back from our friends, so Steve decided to set it up for Gavin. His first try, he went right to sleep and stayed there. He even stayed in bed when he woke up, as opposed to playing with all of his toys just inches away. I'm so proud! Picture here tonight!

Tooth Fairy Alert

2009-03-02T14:15:00.000-08:00

Aliza has been losing her teeth, which is no surprise. She's at the point where it's happening to every kid her age, and she's been working on number 3. There's always some drama surrounding Aliza, and losing her teeth has been no exception to that. For weeks, she had told us that her tooth was loose, and it was pretty obvious by the way that it poked directly away from her mouth. But she refused to let us touch it, especially Steve, and just let her new, adult tooth make its way in back of the old one. Finally, we had enough. Steve, just yesterday, was threatening to yank it out. It was definitely ready. Then, a miracle happened. Aliza was knocked over on the trampoline. Bonk. And then later that night the toothbrush pushed a little too hard. Twist. This morning, after getting accidentally? shoved by Grace, Aliza's tooth fell out on its own. Hurrah! Her smile was so much prettier and her wallet will be a little bulkier, so we're all glad. Now if we can only work that same magic on every tooth...

On a different note, Grace had a field trip for preschool this week. I got a babysitter for Gavin and took Grace and her friend on their excursion. The plans were to visit the dentist, and then go to the grocery store. Once all 20 kids (four different preschools went together) had showed up, they got to watch a cartoon about kids fighting plaque, which Grace was enthralled by. Then, the tooth fairy showed up. She was just too cute with her sparkly white dress, wings, and wand with a tooth on the end. The kids listened to her little shpeil and believed every word she said. Then, she led them on a tour of the office and what all the tools do and gave them a sticker. Her parting words were to brush 2x a day, for 2 min. and floss. Let me tell you, Grace is obsessed with brushing and flossing now, and I think I may have to whip up my own sort of fairy whenever I need her to do something.

8 Years and Counting

2009-02-18T13:58:00.000-08:00

So this last weekend was Steve and I's 8 year anniversary. Yes, we are getting old. We'll both be 30 this year, can you believe it? But back on subject. Heather, Dave, and Drew (Steve's sister and family) came into town Saturday through Tuesday, so they said that they would watch our kiddies all day Saturday so that Steve and I could do whatever we wanted to celebrate V-day and our anniversary. Score! Dave and Steve were the one's finangling the whole thing, so I left it up to Steve to do the planning (scary!).

This is what we ended up doing (and in order, just in case you were wondering):
1. Went to the temple. As we're approaching the Las Vegas temple, Steve realizes he left his wallet in the other car. Perfect. So we called our bishopric and got several answering machines. We were just about to can it when Steve thought we should just go inside and see what they could do for us. The man at the front desk, upon hearing our excuses, hands Steve a phone. The person on the other line asked Steve several questions and said he would be able to go into the temple in a few minutes. This, I take it, was the registrar. Who knew that all it took was a simple phone call? Steve had me go in and get ready while he waited the couple of minutes. After 15 minutes of No Steve in the chapel, I was getting worried. But he finally showed up and relayed that, in temple standards, he is definitely NOT a 32 waist. Thus the delay. We make it into the next session, have a peaceful and relaxing time together, and are ready for the next stop.
2. RC Willey Outlet. Now you would think this is a strange thing to do when you have a whole day to yourselves, but not to us. First off, the oulet center is as far from our house as you could possibly be, but it's close to the temple. So it made sense to stop at the two at the same time. Second, we love furniture shopping without the kids. No chasing, yelling, treat bribing, etc. Just sitting in one couch after another. So fun! And although we walked out with nothing, I enjoyed it all the same. Wow, did I really say that?
3. Mindless errands. Store to store we went getting stuff for my sunday lesson or Steve's blue and gold dinner that was in a few days. Hand in hand we trudged along getting the necessities and it was fun and productive. And I didn't have to say no to treat-buying at every store.
4. A couple's massage. Steve really came through with this one. But what man wouldn't want his wife naked, getting rubbed down with oil? Plus, he doesn't have to get oily and do any of the work himself! I rest my case. Steve needed it as much as I did, though. It had been a tough two weeks with stress and headaches, so I was glad he could get that all worked out. The hour passes way too fast.
5. Dinner at a Japanese Steakhouse. We sat at the tepan? table where they cook your food and do a sort of show in front of you. The other 6 people with us was a family with 4 kids. Now, this doesn't sound very fun in theory. But this family, and especially the parents, were hilarious. The wife was SUPER friendly and talked all about how she practically grew up mormon (yes, she guessed we were LDS) and wanted to babysit for us. Their kids were talkative and loved sitting next to Steve-I think Yo Mamma jokes even surfaced. And the husband was so nice that he insisted on paying for our dinner. Yes. Paying for the swordfish and scallops that Steve and I had decided to splurge on. Not that they had a problem with affording us. As we walked out, with them, the wife hugged us, gave me their number so that she could babysit, and they drove away in their bright yellow Hummer to ritzy Summerlin. I was in awe as I climbed into our dirty, 200,000 mile, hand-me-down Infiniti.

All in all, Steve did a good job and we had tons of fun. We were even surprised at home by some sparkling apple cider and chocolate-covered strawberries (thanks Heather and Dave!). Love you husband!

Girls Dancing

2009-02-07T08:40:00.000-08:00

My mom sent me home from Christmas with a bunch of my old dance costumes. The girls were ecstatic and quickly threw them on, pretending to "recreate" my old routines.

Mini David Beckham

2009-02-06T20:08:00.000-08:00

Gavin's got a knack for soccer, especially dribbling. And he always uses his right foot after he's backed up to position himself. Such a cutie!

My Biggest Fear

2009-02-04T15:02:00.001-08:00

I've been having these dreams. The type of dream where you wake up, glad that it wasn't real. Happy that you can start your day and forget all about that horribleness (is that a word?) that stalked you in the night.

Pregnancy is the culprit. As friends divulge their current "preggie" status, I'm secretly happy that my body isn't changing anytime soon. I like the fact that I'm not pregnant, and not trying to be. But there's always that deep down fear that, unknowingly, I COULD be.

It's all my first pregnancy's fault. How dare I get pregnant on birth control? Aliza was a scary and wonderful surprise to us all. But I haven't been able to trust my body again. And I keep extra preggie tests under my sink, just in case I'm fearing the worst.

And it doesn't help that I can still remember trying to feed a baby who couldn't or wouldn't feed, having a horrible fever and trying to nurse, the lack of sleep, my fat body and huge chest, pregnancy backaches, and the miles I've ran to drop the weight. Etc. etc.

Yes. I'm ranting. But only because I am DEFINITELY not ready to have another one. I don't even know if I want a baby #4, EVER. Steve and I always thought we'd have four kids. We dreamt of our perfect number and how we'd fit around the table perfectly. But I distinctly remember every day of Gavin's first year and how I would tell Steve we were done.

Time is slowly numbing those hard parts, and maybe I'll change my mind. But don't keep any fingers crossed.

Two time's the charm

2009-01-28T14:24:00.000-08:00

The other day I was telling Grace about how, sometimes, there are girls on football teams. "Really!" she replied, excited. This morning she showed me her big muscles, and made me squeeze them, just to be sure I got her point. I got the point alright. Grace has no fear, or understanding of her body's abilities.

Point in fact: Two weeks ago she was sporting TWO black eyes. Eye #1: We're at Costco and I'm trying to get Grace to stay by the cart, amongst millions of shoppers. "Get over here, Grace." I yell as I am reaching out to grab some milk. Next thing you know, smack. Grace comes catapulting into the glass door, and it's handle, and I'm too busy getting milk to realize the damage. She's crying, and her eyebrow is bleeding. I search my overly crowded purse for a napkin or something, find an old wipe, and hold it on her cut till it stops bleeding. Luckily, it didn't look like a stitches situation. Next day, black eye (plus cut). Eye #2: Four days later, I'm upstairs trying to get hair and makeup looking presentable. I can hear the girls laughing and eating afternoon snacks together, but I still keep my ears open for what trouble could be happening the two seconds I'm gone. Exactly two seconds later, I hear a loud bellow, which I know belongs to Grace, and I wait two more seconds to understand whether it's a happy bellow or an unhappy bellow. It's an unhappy one. As I make it down the stairs, I'm met with a crying Grace and an already purple eye. Aliza proceeds to tell me that somehow Grace fell off our heavy, wooden bar stools and then it fell and hit her in the face. Ouch. Thus, eye #2.

Her drama never lasts, though. She spent the rest of the week proudly telling all she saw about how she got her black eyes and then would laugh. No harm done.

10 Things to Remember

2009-01-28T14:05:00.000-08:00

1. Your "happy dance" and love for music

2. Using a sword and saying "Hi-yah!"

3. Begging to use the vaccum EVERY TIME I go near it's closet...EVERY TIME

4. Lugging your huge blanket and monkey around the house and constantly laying on them

5. Wearing my bracelets

6. Driving cars or trains around on your hands and knees

7. Wide eyes and screams at every animal, especially dogs and barking

8. Crying at EVERY single diaper change.

9. Kissing me when I'm doing anything on your level, including making the bed

10. Boy noises - spitting, car noises, grunts, blowing spit bubbles, farts (and laughing at them)

California Dreamin'

2009-01-11T23:13:00.000-08:00

We did so much and saw a lot of family over the Christmas break, that I thought I'd just show you the highlighted version.

Great Grandma Vogel's house. Unknown family=Unhappy Gavin.

Grace's favorite present. An old Halloween costume turned dress-up.
Who knew??

Grandpa Bobby and Grace

Gavin's ride-on dump truck. Thanks mom.

Cousins and games. The kids favorites!

Either Steve or Zack was playing the piano. Gavin took his post as watching over their shoulders.

Great Grandpop and Grandmother Sparti, plus brood.

Beautifully clear day at Leo Carillo Beach. Tide pools
galore and even a starfish!

The 5 min haircut

2009-01-11T23:01:00.000-08:00

Goodbye golden locks. And snarls.

Cute, but not girly long. And yes, he's been called a girl once or twice.

Happy to pose his new do'. Or just trying to get the camera.

Wicked

2009-01-09T23:39:00.000-08:00

Steve has been dying to go to a performance of Wicked. Yes. Steve. For about a year we've listened to pirated versions of the musical's songs to the point that Grace has them memorized, even the dialogue. And don't get me wrong, we all like it too, just maybe not to the point that Steve does. So, when we discovered that Wicked was playing at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood during our Christmas vacation in California, we jumped on it. I scored us some awesome tickets, practically front-row, and we took Aliza. Awesome, awesome, awesome. So glad we went (and happy Aliza stayed up till 11pm to see the entire show!). Not so glad when all three kids woke up the next morning at 6:30AM.

Christmas Wishes

2008-12-09T21:47:00.000-08:00

Aliza is thorough...too thorough. I've fretted this year about how disappointed she's going to be when she gets nothing on her list. Most of it is just incredibly expensive, with nothing under $250. But some of the other random things she's mentioned aren't practical for a wussy little gal like her. So, instead, I've modified what she's going to get with what I think will be what she wants. Let's hope for the best!

Saturday Soccer

2008-12-03T22:03:00.000-08:00

Grace decided that she LIKED soccer. This only came to a realization after the end-of-the-season party, however. Swayed by trophies and cake, perhaps? Gavin sure was.

Grace was a great little player. Only three girls were on her team of twelve, and she wanted to play every game, never fail. This is remarkable, considering she was one of the youngest (NOT smallest) and most of the team didn't even want to play 90% of the time. Goalie was her favorite position, which I think had to do with the fact that she didn't always have to know what was going on or run up and down the field. A limited attention span is a terrible thing to waste. But she would give it her all and dive for balls. And I wasn't completely shocked when two of the best players on her UNDEFEATED team asked if she was going to be playing with them next season. We'll see how much she "likes" soccer when it's time to sign up again.

Official Boyhood

2008-12-03T21:30:00.000-08:00

So here's my alien child. I can literally say that I didn't recognize his face for four days. Four days without his beautiful face. Instead replaced with collagen-looking fish lips. Poor little Gavin. No baby should have had to go through what he did two weeks ago. I must preface this story with the fact that Gavin is a walking timebomb. He is constantly falling down and running into things, so it was only a matter of time before he needed a doctor's care. So Sunday morning comes around, 8 AM, and Gavin falls onto the bottom stair of the staircase (which is carpeted too, by the way). Immediately blood starts spouting out and I'm thinking, oh crap. Steve holds him while I peek inside his mouth. Big gaping hole. Double oh crap. We decide that the ER is in order after calling some insightful moms, and Steve whisks him off. I'm on church duty with the girls. An hour later, miraculously, Steve's back with Gavin (who is now passed out asleep). Come to find out that four nurses and a doctor, along with Steve, held Gavin down while he got his 3 stiches. I'm immediately glad that I didn't have to go. I don't think I could've handled that. But five days of healing and penicilin later, I've got my little guy back, beautiful as ever.

Two Favorite Reasons Why I Love Grace

2008-11-12T13:45:00.000-08:00

#1. Her poses. I like to think of them as "princess poses". The head is always cocked to the side and usually the hands are out doing something frilly.

#2. Her vocabulary. Usually a mix-up with other words, but they always get a laugh. Cheetahs=Cheetos, Gorillas=Granola Bars, and (my fav) "his" Peanut=Gavin's Boy Part.

Clean Freak

2008-11-12T13:23:00.000-08:00

Gavin loves to clean. Our broom and mop would
constantly be on the kitchen floor, if he had his
way with things. I, on the other hand, refuse to
trip over it ten times a day and am constantly
putting it back. But I'm always thinking in the
back of my mind....reverse psychology....maybe
he's the one in the family that will want to have
a clean room all the time and actually HELP me.
Hmmm...a thought. Here's him in action.

Tears

2008-11-05T22:03:00.000-08:00

Aliza was all pumped to have a daddy-daughter night with Steve tonight. Her school was having their Literacy Night, which basically meant ANOTHER fundraiser masked as FUN to every 6 year old. She was dying to go, and even paid $6 of her own money to buy a pizza for Steve and her to share (I refused to budge...three times this month was enough "fundraising" for me). So Grace, Gavin, and I ate the chili I made earlier that day, and Aliza and Steve were off to have "fun" at the school. . . . . Fast forward to 8pm and their arrival home. Aliza is bawling, and I'm already aware of why. THE WII. Yes, every child that attended Literacy Night was, in fact, hoping to come home with a free, brand-new WII. Aliza is no stranger to the WII, and was (I'm sure) trying to finangle Steve into buying huge amounts of raffle tickets in order to win it. And surprise, surprise, they didn't win. I immediately hugged her and told her that 150 kids all wanted a WII too, and that 149 of them went home dissappointed, just like her. This didn't stop the tears, but I eventually distracted her by telling her I'd read her new book if she got ready for bed. Minutes later, no more WII talk and a happy little girl bounded down the stairs. Victory!

My Busy Boy

2008-10-26T22:34:00.000-07:00

Gavin loves his new-found freedom, now that he's walking. Often times, the girls will leave the back door open and he's out and about searching for new discoveries. On friday, I left the kids with Steve for about 5 minutes so that I could get ready for my temple trip. This is how I found Gavin...covered in dirt, and happy as can be! For several minutes I just watched him busily pick up dirt, throw it on himself, and then try to wipe it off. This process repeated itself over and over, until I finally had to clean him off so I could feed him and leave! But I'm sure he would have sat even longer and just enjoyed digging his huge hole in the dirt and covering himself with it. And, luckily for Steve, he's just too cute to be mad at.

Aliza's HSM 3 Debut

2008-10-26T21:46:00.000-07:00

So last weekend Aliza and I spend ALL WEEKEND prepping and performing in a High School Musical 3 promotion at the Red Rock Casino here in Vegas. Literally, we spend like a half an hour at home during the friday and saturday waking hours. But boy, was it fun and worth it!
I was worried, because the team was performing both Saturday and Sunday, and Aliza and I both knew that she wouldn't be participating if Sunday became an issue. Luckily, however, her teacher thinks she's the best on the team (oh yeah!) and Aliza was given the only allowance made-no sunday for her! The performance was a hit, and the girls had so much fun. They had a set of three songs that they would perform, and then they would walk around in the crowd and promote their dance academy and HSM 3. Aliza loved this part, and so fit the part. Plus, she was so darn cute in her little HSM outfit that no one could resist! And the sunday issue ended up being a blessing in disguise, because after Saturday was over, we had no desire to perform 4 hours straight again the next day.
Background info: Aliza is on a broadway performance mini team at Summerlin Dance Academy and this was their first time performing. They were given a week's notice to put together some music and dance routines to promote High School Musical 3 at the theater in Red Rock Casino. So, it was a little chaotic and there were plenty of extra rehearsals to get it together, but it all turned out good in the end.

Obsessions

2008-10-22T12:51:00.000-07:00

Steve has been a no-show for a couple of weeks now. What's he been doing, you may ask? Work. How fun and exciting is that. Yay for him to suggest that his company needs a spreadsheet made ASAP, and who do you think they wanted to have do it? Him. So he got a laptop and traveled day and night with his new little buddy. Evenings no longer belonged to our family, nor did our Saturdays. My only hope was that some day he would finish and return whole once again. And maybe even bring a bigger paycheck come review time. So on he worked away, until just last night he declared he was finished. Whoo hooo!

Aliza likes to jump rope. She discovered this only recently, and is one-track minded now. During breakfast this morning, I caught a glance over at her and she was pretending to jump and count how many times she could do it. One, two, three, four, five....seventeen, eighteen....and so on. Her cereal sat and got mushy as she focused on the task at hand. Every afternoon since, she has begged and begged either Steve or I to turn the rope for her. And she's gotten good! I love hearing all those rhymes that go along with the jump roping too; reminds me of my not-too-far-off childhood. So I guess spending every afternoon jumping outside is ok with me, as long as I can live vicariously through her.

Grace is silly. Born with a double dose, I think. She and I have off the wall conversations daily, and she's always trying to get my attention and show me something crazy and possibly dangerous. Today was my favorite. SLOW MOTION. While walking from the gym to the car, Grace is refusing to stay by my me and is trying to bolt for the car. "Stop," I tell her, "or I'm not walking another step." Reluctantly, she finally comes to my side. "We have to be buddies in the parking lot and stay right next to each other," I say. No response, but she IS walking next to me. Next thing I see is a slow motion version of her running to the car. I can't help but laugh, and that gets her performing even more. Arms in motion, legs slowing running. It's hilarious. AND, she's staying next to me. I'm thrilled, and Grace is happy. Maybe we'll be moving in slow-motion more often.

Gavin has perfected the art of clapping his hands and screaming for attention. These "abilities" were manifested for one purpose only - to get our motion-detecting spider to drop. Now the background. For Halloween, we hung up a spider from the ceiling and whenever you clapped or slammed the front door, it would drop down and then climb its way back up. Well, Gavin took a fondness to this, and everytime he would walk into our front room, he would clap like crazy. His little itty bitty clap, however, wouldn't get the attention of the spider way up on the ceiling. So, the scream evolved. It works every time and he has it mastered so that he can get that spider to drop whenever he wants. Which is every five seconds. Good thing Halloween is only a week and a half away...

I have opted to make running my obsession. Only by default, though. After having three kids, it's the only thing that is getting me back to semi-normal. All you moms out there know that "normal" is never what it was before. And so far, I'm happy with running. I've gotten over the nervousness that used to accompany my trips to the gym, and I'm actually training to run in a 10K. Who could've imagined? Certainly not me. Running was always my nemisis, and I self-labeled myself as a girl who just wasn't cut out for it. But here I am, years later, working towards 6 miles. So I'm ready to prove to myself that at 29, there's still a lot of ME left to discover. Maybe I'll rekindle my dance or volleyball skills next?

Gavin

2008-10-02T16:53:00.000-07:00

Who knew that after a year of having a brown-haired, blue-eyed baby, I'd suddenly have a blondie on my hands? Gavin was definitely born with thick, dark hair. That I'm sure of. But slowly these blonde curls made their way onto his head. After doing some searching, I discovered that STEVE had turned from brunette to blonde when he was a baby too! So the mystery is solved. Now, on to figuring out where the squawking originated. Maybe a parrot in the family?..............hmmm................

Under Construction

2008-09-23T14:26:00.000-07:00

So sorry for those who actually READ my blog. I've been experimenting and trying to find what I like best as far as templates go. Plus, I get bored. I like something new, that is, until I find exactly what I want. So bear with me!

Grace's First Soccer Practice

2008-09-14T19:25:00.000-07:00

Grace is playing soccer and I (Steve) took Grace to meet her soccer coach Saturday morning and have a short practice. The coach was really nice and Grace played really well. The coach brought sugar coated donuts and Grace was excited to have one. When we got home Lindsay asked Grace what she did.
Grace responded, "I got a donut with sugar on it." (Obviously the highlight of the practice.)
Lindsay followed up, "No, I mean what did you do?"
Grace quickly answered, "I ate it."
Lindsay and I just looked at each other and started laughing. Grace is pretty silly, but always honest.

Summer's Over

2008-09-06T23:02:00.001-07:00

So this week was number two of school back in session. Yahoo. Aliza has graduated to going to school all day, so I can ditch the driving back and forth of Kindergarten. Her only gripe is what to eat for lunch. It's hard to be a picky six year old. She somehow finagled the lunch lady into giving her a school lunch on Tuesday, which was unknown to me. She spent that particular morning reading books instead of putting her lunch in her backpack, so she, obviously, didn't have one when it came down to it. I was dumbfounded when she told me.

Grace started preschool this week and loves it. I love it as much as she does. Gavin loves it as much as we both do...he needs a break from being picked up every two seconds by his sister. Her most exciting thing that happened at school was that there was a boy named Gavin in her class. She told me this several times, told Aliza, told Steve, told the cashier at the grocery store, told our neighbor. It was pretty exciting for her.

Gavin had his first non-family babysitter tonight. And he LIKED IT. I was very surprised. Especially because he looked at her for a long 5 seconds and started crying while eating dinner. But that was it! I guess I'll have to take advantage of this new found freedom and go on more date nights or actually somewhere by myself?!

Steve played in his indoor soccer game Wed. and popped his hip out of joint. The next morning I could hear him struggling to roll out of bed, literally. I sat there at 5 am thinking how is he going to ride a motorcycle to work when he can't even bend his knees and get out of bed? But he somehow managed and has since complained for a week about how sore he is. He has no idea. Try working out at the gym on your arms and then carrying a baby around all day while vacuuming and making dinner. Then he can complain.

I've been catching up on that I've neglected. Shoes for the kids (it's soooo hard to find boy church shoes-I went to 6 stores before finally finding even 1 pair in Gavin's size), cleaning a disgusting car, getting back into my gym rhythm, organizing the house, etc. My biggest pet peeve is returning. I absolutely hate buying something I think is going to be a deal, and then it doesn't fit and I have to turn right back around and return it. I'm too busy to go to the same store twice in a week. And it's always for Aliza because she's too skinny for clothes and then they don't fit. Some time this week I need to get Gavin's year pictures taken, but I can't seem to make it over there when he's happy, fed, and not tired. Update on that next time.

Grace and Aliza's Home Performance

2008-06-29T21:20:00.000-07:00

Grace Feeding Gavin

2008-06-29T17:53:00.000-07:00

Dance Recital Chaos

2008-06-27T22:42:00.001-07:00

Last weekend was Grace and Aliza's dance recital. They have both been practicing all year for this one day event, and several family members came to Vegas to see them perform. Grace's class is a tap/ballet, and she danced to Twist and Shout. She was so awesome during the dress rehearsal, and really had her tap number down. But it all went to pot the day of the show, which I don't really blame her for. Their dance academy put up a super huge video screen showing the dancers as they performed (which wasn't there the day before), and it was impossible for the little girls to concentrate! But the end result was cute and a good laugh, and Grace thought she was fabulous.

Aliza is in a broadway bound dance class, which explains her costume. Her class is pretty much a singing, dancing, and acting foray. They performed "Hard Knock Life" from Annie and she was front and center. What really put her over the edge was that she had a wireless microphone taped onto her, so she felt like a star! She did awesome and was the best one out there (hey, I'm not partial just cause I'm the mom :)

The last two pictures are of them and their buddies (which happen to be sisters also!).

Memorial Weekend Fun

2008-06-26T22:54:00.000-07:00

So instead of spending money going somewhere for our break, we decided to spend the money being together as a family. Friday we went to the Mirage and checked out the Secret Garden/Dolphin Habitat. It was really low key, uncrowded, and fun! Kind of a super small scale zoo. The best part was when the mommy/baby dolphins jumped up two feet in front of us and spun on the step in their tank. We finished out the afternoon by going to the Hard Rock Cafe and rockin' it for lunch!

Visit with Grandma Diana

2008-06-09T14:37:00.000-07:00

Grandma Diana came to Vegas to visit us for a week, which we all loved. Unfortunately, Gavin was once again getting teeth, so it wasn't very fun for him (or me!), but we still managed to be silly and enjoy the visit. Our week was filled with fun, shopping, and getting the house ready for the Trunk Sale. The girls even privileged Grandma with a dance from their classes!

Aliza's 6th Birthday

2008-05-11T22:30:00.000-07:00

Aliza is obsessed (along with Grace) with High School Musical, so it was only fitting that we had a HSM swim birthday party for her 6th.

Gavin Taking a "shot"

2008-04-13T21:15:00.000-07:00

Soccer 08

2008-04-13T20:33:00.000-07:00

These are the before and after photos of Aliza's soccer game. Her team name is the Little Tornados and she has such a great coach. So far there have been two games so far, both at an agonizing 8am!! Way too early for us. But we managed to make it on time and she has had a blast playing. She even has had success playing goalie...which we didn't expect. But watch out players, cause Grace is poised for playing next year!!

Grace starting her practice early

Wipe Out

We have arrived...

2008-03-26T20:43:00.000-07:00

So we are up and running...hopefully I can keep this updated! This photo is the latest and greatest-taken during a hike at exploration park. The girls loved getting out...but we had to wait until almost dark for it to cool down enough.