July 11, 2010

July 11, 2010

Dear Family and Friends,

We've been so busy here and out of our element that I am writing very late. Monday the 5th was SUPER busy. We were all up early and going. I ran to the store with my mom to get some last minute things that we needed for a big BBQ at the house. We then came home and got all the food ready. We ate the most delicious hamburgers. My parents make quite the team. My mom makes the patties, and then my dad grills them. It was so tasty. G, Jewels and their children also came down for the day. B-man was so happy to have his cousins around. They ran and played the whole time. After lunch we cleaned up and eventually went to the Del Mar Fair. This is a huge fair that comes every year. I have such fun memories of going and was excited to take B-man. We loaded up, went to a parking place where we then got on a bus to shuttle us right to the front gate. It was very convenient. Everybody from dinner came making the event extra fun. Once we were there we first went to look at the animals. I loved the turkeys they had out, but the kids loved the huge pigs and the petting zoo. Then we wandered through the exhibition halls to look at all the fun things that people were trying to sell. During this time it became clear that J was not feeling well. Although he had seemed fine during the day he now seemed feverish and uncomfortable. I was so sad for him. I ended up carrying him for the rest of the night because he was so tired and sick. After the exhibition halls Grandpa treated the kids to a few rides. They did the carousel and a few rounds on the bumper cars. B-man was in heaven he rode with Nathan, but got to be the driver. Nathan was very patient and helped him to not get stuck. We eventually decided the kids were toast and we all headed back to the shuttle. It was super late, but a great day. We pretty much collapsed into bed that night.

The next day was recovery day. Everyone (especially the parents) were super tired and so we didn't go anywhere. We were content to play at home. In fact the next several days were pretty quiet as we tried to get back on schedule and get everyone feeling better. The weather was really very cold for July, barely seventy degrees, and so it really limited what we could do. B-man had been so looking forward to the beach that we did go on Thursday despite the cold weather. I left J with Grandma so that he didn't have to brave the cold and could take a nap. I didn't really expect B-man to get in, and so I didn't wear my suit, but once we got there he played in the sand for a while and then found a friend in the water and so he ended up playing in the water too. The water was very similar to the air temperature, so it felt chilly when you first went in, but after a few minutes was "comfortable." I was still grateful to be wearing a sweatshirt...

Friday we drove up to Orange County to spend the day with Jewels and her boys. B-man was so excited because he was going to be able to spend the night at their house. We first went to the park where the sun FINALLY made an appearance. It actually got really hot and so we left before we melted. We then came home and let the babies take naps. The boys were playing so well together it meant that Jewels and I could actually have some time to converse. After the naps we took the boys to a community pool. B-man was thrilled that there were no lifeguards and a hot tub that he could swim in. I left the boys swimming at the pool with Jewels and then drove with J back to my parents' house. Once home I put J to bed and then had a quiet night at home.

Saturday morning I was up early to go with my mom (and J) garage sale hunting. We found a few little things, and J was a pretty good sport. Although he was also pretty good at letting us know when he wanted to be at home. The rest of the day was pretty quiet. We figured out about half way through the day that B-man was having too much fun and wanted to stay until Sunday and come home then when they came for dinner. After being reassured by G and Jewels that he was doing great and not being extra work I agreed. He even got to go with his cousins to tour the stadium where the All-Star game was being held. They had a bunch of fun things going on as part of the event.

Sunday morning we got up and got ready for church. Church was great, although uneventful. J did have a great time "chatting" in Relief Society and making a bunch of happy noises. After church we quickly fed ourselves and J and then went to clear out so that my Dad could take care of some church calling stuff. I think I even got a little nap while J was finishing his nap. After my dad was done we hurried to finish dinner preparations. B-man finally made it back to me. He got a glowing report, and was happy at first, but quickly showed that he had so much fun that he was also super tired. We made sure he got to bed early that night. It was so nice to have a great meal and then enjoy some adult conversation while the kids played in the front yard together.

M has been busy on this trip. It seems like a longer one than usual, but he has been to some interesting places.

We love you all!
R, M, B-man, and J

July 4, 2010

July 4, 2010

Dear Family and Friends,

What a week this has been. It was already pretty packed full of appointments and then I went and added in a few trips to the urgent care just for fun... Monday started the week off relatively calmly. We went to get a few things at the grocery store. We wanted to run out of food, but not too early. We probably hit the pool too. For dinner and FHE we went to a friend's house. She works in Young Women's with me. It was nice to have FHE with another family and see how they do it. The lesson was on God, and learning more about him.

Tuesday was our anniversary! We celebrated by being miles apart and having a very busy day. We had found out that B-man got into a "McGruff Safety Camp" put on through our Sheriff's office. It was so exciting, he had been on the waiting list, and apparently they had an opening. So Tuesday morning I dropped him off with his bike and helmet. He was a little nervous that he didn't know anybody there, but he did great in the end. While he was at the camp I went to my doctor's appointment. I had to take J with me. That wasn't really a problem, but having long arms comes in handy. My arms were just long enough to give him Cheerios while the doctor was listening to the baby's heartbeat. Sadly the appointment had gone much longer than usual, (all of it waiting) and so when I was done I had time to run one quick errand before having to go pick up B-man. He had a great time and was excited to tell me all about his morning. We came home for lunch, and then we got to take B-man to the dentist. He was having more cavities filled and there was a chance that he was going to need a root canal with a crown!!! I was so nervous for him. Thankfully he didn't need the root canal. We are seriously so thankful. There is a chance that he still may need one, but so far so good. I was so excited because he also finished with enough time for me to get to J's doctor's appointment. (Just a one year check-up.) We went straight to the doctors for J with B-man's mouth still numb and everything. As I was signing in thinking how great it was that the timing had worked out so perfectly the receptionist informed me that we were an hour late. Somehow I had written the time down an hour later than it actually was. For a few minutes we thought we just had to leave, but thankfully the doctor had a no-show and we were able to get in. Another miracle for me that day. J got all checked out and was doing well, although he then had to get four shots. He wasn't happy about that. He was 31.25 inches long (95%) and 22 lb 3 oz (40%). After such a long busy day we were very happy to come home and have a relatively quiet evening.

Wednesday was another busy day. B-man went to Safety camp and then I dropped off J at a neighbor's so that I could go get a sonogram. When I got to the sonogram place I tried to get M on the phone, but there was no cell service. I was a little nervous to be there by myself, but I was easily distracted by getting to see our new little BOY. He was so wiggly and cute, doing flips and moving all over. I think everything looked okay because I haven't heard from the doctor that anything was wrong. I will admit to being surprised about the boy, but we are thrilled. B-man has said all along that it was a boy. I called M the minute I left the office. I then headed home and put J to bed while I worked on a few things around the house before going and getting B-man. The rest of the day was pretty quiet. That evening I did get a babysitter and I drove up to Girls' Camp for the evening. I picked up a girl and drove with her. She had gotten sick and went home the first night, but then rebounded and wanted to go back. It was a good chance to get to know her on the drive. We arrived just in time for dinner. After eating and visiting we went to a big musical program. The program was wonderful, and then I drove over to the spot where all the girls were doing star gazing before heading home. The time went super quickly and it was fun to see all the girls up at camp. Our girls were all getting along and having a good time so that was wonderful. When I got home I was so thrilled to see that the babysitter had gone above and beyond in cooking and cleaning. It was so great, and exactly what I needed. I really didn't want to have to clean up dinner dishes before heading to bed.

Thursday was productive day. I got a lot done in the morning. That afternoon B-man to play at a friend's house. He was so excited to go over, and even more excited that they went to a water fountain nearby where the water squirts out of the ground. Within thirty minutes he had somehow tripped and fell splitting open his chin. My friend was so mortified that it had happened on her watch. After figuring out insurance I met them at their house to inspect B-man. His chin wasn't bleeding very much but there was a good chunk out of it. I decided that I had better be safe than sorry and headed off to the urgent care. I was very happy that we didn't have to wait very long and got straight in. Although if I never have to fill out the medical history forms while holding a wiggly one year old again, I would be very happy. After a quick exam they said it didn't need stitches and closed it up with a few butterfly bandages. B-man was very happy that he wouldn't need stitches, but he wasn't very thrilled that he couldn't go swimming. After the doctor we came home worked on cutting some fruit and then went back over to our friends that had him over to play. They very graciously invited us to dinner and it was much appreciated. It was great to not have to cook and have some people to chat with and pass the evening.

Friday was the last day of Safety Camp. They had a little graduation and explained all the things that they had talked about and learned. After the graduation we went to get the car's oil changed and tires rotated. B-man thought it was fun to have a little picnic in the waiting room while watching one of the World Cup games. The rest of the day we spent our time working on the house, and trying to get organized for our trip. I packed up a lot and worked on laundry.

Saturday I was up and going early. J had a pretty good runny nose and when I took his temperature he had a fever. That complicated things because I had already told B-man that he could go to our ward party for the 4th of July and participate in the bike parade for the kids. In the end we decided to go and not stay long. We loaded up, J was in his stroller which kept him from other kids and then B-man was in the parade. We ate quickly and then B-man stayed while I went home with J. J went down for a nap and I worked on more things that needed to get done before leaving. I got so much accomplished while B-man was gone that I started to feel too confident. B-man was brought home by some friends, and then J woke up a little later. Once J woke up I realized that he had taken a definite turn for the worse. His temperature had gone up a lot and he was breathing fairly quickly. After a lot of internal debate about whether I should take him into the urgent care, or just try to get him through until my brother could see him the next day. I decided that I had to take him in. So we loaded everyone up into the car and went back to the urgent care. I was not excited to fill out more paperwork while trying to keep J happy and contained. The doctor said that he had two infected ears. I was happy it was just ears, and that the rapid breathing wasn't more serious. Apparently when you have a fever that can cause you to breathe faster. We then were off with prescription in hand to get it filled before the pharmacies closed for the holiday. The first place we went to was already closed, I had just missed them, so we then went to another place to have it filled. Finally we went home for a dinner of leftovers and other things I needed out of the fridge. I got the boys to bed ASAP and then had to finish all the preparations for leaving. I got it all done, and finally make it to bed.

I didn't sleep very well, I was nervous about getting enough sleep and getting up early. I woke up before my alarm and finished loading the car and packing the treats. I then woke up the boys. They had both slept in their clothes so that we could just walk out the door. We picked up a very kind friend who then drove us to the airport. We flew out of DCA which is further away, but everything went super smoothly. I ran in and checked the bags, and then came back to get the boys and the snacks. We made it through security, although I did learn that yogurt is considered a liquid. They took two and let me keep one because they were nice and I apparently looked safe... I was really happy about the one. I hope they enjoyed those yogurts on their break. The flights all went really well. I couldn't have asked for better. It is still exhausting and a lot of work to fly with kids, but the ears didn't bother J, and he took two short naps during the long section of the flights. We even got in early and had all of our bags. I kept hoping that the people around me knew how lucky and miraculous of a flight we were having. I am not sure they appreciated it. But I sure did! We made it to San Diego by 11:00 am which left us with plenty of time to enjoy the 4th of July. My sister and her friend picked me up and helped me get the bags to the car. We then went home and I took it easy with J. B-man went to church with his uncle and when they got home we had a yummy dinner. I put the boys to bed early, and taped some fireworks on the t.v. for them to watch in the morning. At the last minute I went with my siblings to go watch some fireworks nearby. We stayed in the car, but it was still a fun show. I love fireworks. It was a long day, and I was so happy to be in bed.

We love you all!
R, M, B-man, and J

May The Force Be With You

This was the conversation that I had with B-man in the car today.

B-man: (holding down one nostril and breathing deeply through the other) Mom try this!

Me: (follow his example)

B-man: Feel the cold air?

Me: Yes!

B-man: It gives you... um... umm

Me: Energy?

B-man: Yes, more energy. And when you do this (continuing action) then it helps people that have the force, to get more of the force.

Me: Wow, I didn't know that...

He then continued to breathe deeply through one nostril for a while longer. I guess he thought a little extra access to "the force" would come in handy at Safety Camp.

Bring It.

We are having another boy!

Bring it on!

P.S. My sister reminded me of my enormous grocery bill that will be coming... I might need to start saving now.

J’s Birthday

J turned one.

I tried all day to get a great picture of him looking at the camera, but he was too speedy for me.

He loved his chocolate cupcake.  And the sparkler entranced him.

 

Here is a little about him, he…

crawls

cruises holding onto furniture

will scream for any fruit, but especially loves watermelon and blueberries

will eat anything I give him, even collard greens and kale

hates milk

loves to wrestle with B-man or other babies

loves to dump things out of containers

says a few words, “yes, mom, ball”, and maybe “B-man” today

can nod and shake his head with amazing clarity

loves the bath and is learning to love the pool

I love this boy, and I am so grateful he came to our family!

June 27, 2010

 

June 27, 2010

Dear Family and Friends,

Another week has come and gone relatively quickly. Most days we were able to hit the pool. We also had a friend who invited us over for dinner several times. That always helps the days to go more quickly.

 

B-man protecting his blocks from J’s little hands.

Tuesday was a day for visiting teaching. The visits both went really well. Later B-man went to the dentist. It went really well for getting a couple cavities filled. He loves that he can watch “Mr. Magoo” while he is getting worked on. That night I took the boys to mutual. We had a class activity and worked on writing letters to the missionaries from our ward. It was supposed to be an entire Sunday lesson, but we were instructed to move to an activity.

 

J and B-man love playing with these blocks on the landing of our stairs.

Wednesday I decided to go to the farm. We picked blueberries and I was so excited that J fell asleep and took a decent nap in the stroller. Despite the very bumpy ride and heat. We then went to the corn box, and J loved it! He was so happy playing and trying to hog all the corn to himself. After coming home and going to the pool I happened to notice a big black thing on B-man’s chest. Turns out he got a tick at the farm that had hung on all during the pool. I didn’t have time to think about it, and just took that sucker out. I was so brave, and I guess B-man was brave too. I hate ticks, and we have had way too many this year.

Thursday was J’s birthday! I can’t believe it has already been a year. The time has gone so quickly. I didn’t do much for his birthday. I did get him a balloon, and we tried to sing to him a lot throughout the day. I went to lunch at a friend’s house. It worked out perfectly because I had a doctor’s appointment and the woman that was watching the boys was also at the lunch. So I ran to the doctor’s and she took the boys back to her house and put J to bed. The doctor’s appointment was super quick, but was further away than I normally go. I then picked up the boys and took them home so that we could have a nice quiet afternoon. That night after dinner we sang to J and enjoyed some cupcakes. J LOVED his and pretty much inhaled the whole thing making a delightful mess. It was a good moment for us watching him love his treat.

Friday was relatively quiet. We went for a long walk in the morning after breakfast. It has been so hot, (almost 100 degrees) and has been too hot to ride a bike. So B-man pulled his bike out in the morning to ride. It worked out really well. I think we will do it more. Later that day we went to the pool and spent a great time there. We even packed a lunch. B-man thinks I am the greatest mom when I pack snacks, then when he sees how lame our snacks are compared to all the other kids I am not as great. After the pool we went to a local restaurant that B-man had earned a free kid’s meal for being great in school. I ordered and paid fast so that we could minimize the time there. B-man was thrilled with being able to go though.

Saturday we went to a few garage sales, and didn’t really find much. We also hit the pool. After J’s last nap we ran out and did a bunch of errands that I have been meaning to do. The weather was ridiculously hot, but the boys were pretty good sports. Then we came home for dinner and bed.

Today was our Stake Conference. The two hour block was slightly brutal, but we made it through. J was being a stinker and bit me so hard on my thumb that it is still sore many hours later. I don’t think he was trying to bite me; I just got in the way of his toy. After church we let J finally open his presents. It was a good time to do it because both boys then spent a big block of time playing with his new books and toy. J’s main tactic in opening the presents was to hold onto the paper and shake it vigorously. If he ripped off a piece he would promptly hand it to B-man to hold. I think it is so fun to watch kids open presents. We then went to dinner at the Beehive advisor’s house. It was a great chance to finalize some plans for the next couple of months during all the summer craziness. We then came home for a bath and bed.

We love you all!

R, M, B-man, and J

June 20, 2010

June 20, 2010

Dear Family and Friends,

Happy Father's Day!  We are so thankful for the wonderful fathers and grandfathers that we have in our family.  We have such great examples of fatherhood to follow.  I am also grateful for M; we certainly have been reminded of how much he does around here since he has been gone.  And he does a lot!

The strategy of this week has been to stay busy.  Especially during the evening hours when it is usually the hardest time of the day and it would be easiest for me to miss M.  Monday we had a pretty normal day.  We went to the pool for a little and then after the pool we went to a friend's house for FHE and dinner.  It was an effective way to pass the time.  I did the lesson for FHE on the story of the "Ten Lepers" and being grateful.  We got home and the boys went immediately to bed.

Tuesday morning I went to an awards ceremony for all of the Kindergarteners.  Each teacher gave out an award to each student.  I was expecting the awards to be slow and painful, but I was pleasantly surprised and they went fast and were done quickly.  B-man got an award for excellence and hard work in the Language Arts.  He has made SO much progress this year.  He started the year not able to write his name at all really, and now he can write two sentences together!  It's been so fun to watch him improve.  After school we ran some grocery errands and then stayed pretty close to home.  We have been talking to M during the day.  That makes it fun for the boys, but hard for us to get any important conversations done.  That evening my friend came to dinner at my house.  Her husband was working late and since she has been so great about keeping me busy I thought I would return the favor.  After leaving her house we then went to mutual.  I stayed only a few minutes since I had all the kids.

Wednesday was a crazy day.  I went to go get blood drawn, but the lab didn't have the order.  I then spent a lot of time on the phone trying to get my doctor's office and the lab to actually work together and get it figured out.  I was frustrated and really didn't want to go to my next appointment without getting it done.  Of course I was also embarrassed about it because I was the one that had lost the original lab order.  It was just all around frustrating.  That afternoon I went back to my friends for dinner.  I can't explain how nice it is to have the hours of four to seven fly by quickly.  It is such a relief!

Thursday was beach day for B-man at school.  He had a great time, but apparently he did a lot of running around because when we were walking home he kept asking for me to slow down because his legs were so tired.  Actually he was slightly mad at me for not driving to the bus stop.  I just thought it would be nice to walk in the lovely weather!  Later that afternoon we had two children of a friend come over.  Their mother was sick and it was a great chance for B-man to have people over.  The kids all played really well together and I was even able to work on dinner while they were over.  After dropping off the kids back at their house we came home for dinner.  We then changed quickly and went to the pool for a quick trip before heading back home for bed.

Friday was the last day of school.  B-man got a little teary and sad in the morning getting ready for school.  For him, not having school just means that he doesn't get to see all of his friends every day.  While B-man was at school I went and visit taught one of my women.  She is from Cambodia, and I was so excited to take her the article in the Ensign about the church in Cambodia.  Sadly though she can't read English and so could only look at the pictures.  I was also sad to see that the Conference talks are not being translated into Cambodian.  They have a lot of other languages though...  When B-man got home from school we took some pictures and then went with the other "bus stop" moms for a fun lunch.  After lunch we went to visit another woman (she wasn't home and I got her message late) and then headed to the pool after J's nap.  We had a great time at the pool.  It was a nice hot day. 

B-man in the morning of the last day of school.

Saturday morning I went to a few yard sales.  With the boys in tow it is not nearly as convenient or fun.  B-man was super excited about the two light sabers that we purchased.  One has been in his hands ever since. B-man has clearly decided which one is Darth Vader's and which one is Obi Wan Kenobi's.  Later that morning we went to the pool for a nice long swim.  It has been hot and humid during the weekend, and it was nice to have the pool.  J doesn't mind the water as long as I am holding him.  I am working on getting him comfortable with the floaty toy so that I don't have to hold him the entire time.  B-man loves the pool.  We had to go home for nap time, but decided on a quick dip just for B-man right before dinner.  After the second quick swim we went to CiCi's pizza for dinner.  B-man was thrilled.  It went surprisingly well for being by myself.  Both J and B-man ate a ton of food, and it was east to keep them happy. 

Today has been another busy day.  After breakfast I spent some time getting ready for a Beehive presidency meeting.  I totally forgot that it was Father's day when I planned the make-up meeting.  But thankfully two showed up and we were able to get things organized for the summer.  After the meeting we mostly played and read books.  Worked on dinner a little and then finished getting ready for church.  Getting out the door with all the church stuff is such a pain.  My church bag is so heavy and such a pain lug around. Church was interesting.  J was super wiggly so we had to keep getting up to leave.  Of course Sacrament meeting went longer than usual too.  I told B-man that if I had to leave that he should just sit there and be quiet.  I was a little skeptical though. But each time I left he just sat!  It was wonderful, I even double checked to make sure that he wasn't just being sneaky.  I was so proud of him.  Sunday school is always just a waste for me.  We spend the time roaming the halls trying to get J to fall asleep.  Today during opening exercises he finally fell asleep.  It didn't last very long, but it meant that we could at least have him be happy for part of the evening.  After church we came home and started working while J was eating some of his food.  We then rushed over with our veggies in tow to dinner at our friends' house.  The time went quickly, but it was nice to be distracted. 

M is having fun too.  He finds the places so exotic and interesting.  He'll have to fill you in on the fun things that he has been doing.

We love you all!

R, M, B-man, and J