Sliced Bread Ain't Got Nothin' on Me!

I bought Owen some cheapy sunglasses from Target (at their "Dollar Spot") and Caroline decided she liked them and wanted to play with them. I put them on her, and she thought she was the coolest thing since sliced bread. I hope this is not and omen of things to come! Heaven help me if it is!!!!!!!





She does look pretty freakin' cute however. I'm so screwed when she hits 13, aren't I?

Swimming or Screaming Lessons? - Part II

As previously posted, I took Caroline to her lesson the other night. Thursday night, she screamed the blood curdling scream of being hurt or in pain. It's not a scream of being afraid of the water, it's just a hurt cry. When I left the lesson to come home, a lady out in the parking lot and I had this conversation:

Lady: I really admire you're perseverance
Me: Thank you
Lady: I don't know if I could do that to my child.

After I got Caroline and myself into the car, I started thinking, "What am I doing that is so bad? What is wrong with teaching my daughter to swim, even though she is not liking it?" I still can't figure out what the lady meant by those comments. Got any suggestions? Why can't people just mind their own ^%$@*& business? It's not like I'm beating my child for Pete's sake!

Not knowing who I would run into in the parking lot again, last night, I had Adam come with me and I must say Caroline did better. She cried, don't get me wrong. But the cry was no longer the blood curdling cry, it was more of the whining, "I don't want to do this!" cry. She still got dunked several times throughout each night, but I think we might be making a small stride in progress.

This time, while I was swimming, Adam had a chance to snap these pictures of me and Caroline. I am glad they were taken from a distance, even with the zoom lens!

I Wonder......

The other night while I was with Caroline during her swimming lesson (more on that later), Adam snapped some great pictures of Owen. Owen was wandering around the grassy area, just being curious and seeing what all is out there in this great big world. He wandered and wondered and solved some curiosity questions, but it was great to see these pictures when I got home. I love the expressions of Owen that Adam captured with these pictures. I just wonder what is he thinking? Then again, maybe I don't want to know what he's thinking.

Swimming or Screaming Lessons?

The last time Caroline was in our pool, which was quite chilly, she screamed and screamed until she realized that all she had to do was just relax in the floatie and everything would be alright. Once she figured that out, she screamed when it was time to get out of the pool. Damned if I do, damned if I don't. Geeez! I signed Caroline up for swimming lessons, the first session of the summer. It started this past Tuesday and goes for 2 weeks. I like Adam to do the lessons with the kids because it gives me a break from them and they can spend the one-on-one time with their Daddy.

Tuesday night I went with Adam and took some pictures of him and Caroline in the pool on the first night of swimming lessons. Not that she needs any lessons in how to scream, she screamed and screamed during the lesson. Not hearing all of the screaming, I thought she did better than expected. Adam expected more and got less. Neither one of us can win with this girl, I swear. Last night Adam took her and I stayed home with Owen (due to a horrible cold and other things....ahem). When he got home with Caroline, he said after about 15 minutes he had to get out of the pool all together because she just kept screaming "Momma! Mommy! Momma! Mommy!"

I'm going to take Caroline tonight to see if she does any better. But, I'm telling you -- if she screams in my ear and won't settle down, I'M GONNA DUNK HER! (For those of you who only see her when she's smiling and happy, I've put some pictures on here to prove to you that she does cry and scream and carry on, just like any other girl)

Not too sure about all of this.

"Daddy, don't make me do this!"

Daddy dunked his little girl. Way to go Dad!

"I don't want to do this anymore. Pleeeeease!"

"Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!"

Memorial Day Fun

We had our friends over for Memorial Day. We swam, ate, ate, laughed, and ate some more. It's a lot of fun to have good friends that are your neighbors. All of the kids get along pretty well (although there are those moments), but really what can you expect with 7 kids with various ages of 6 and under?

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Since I didn't have pictures of all the kids swimming, I did throw in a couple of pictures from a previous swim time with the kids. The Diet Coke fountain was fun to see - but not as good as the original fountain done last Labor Day by John. We were guessing it was the sugar free mentos that made the difference. Back to the original formula I suppose.

Adam left to go help Steve pick up the flags around the neighborhoods. While he was gone, my favorite part of the day took place. My friends, Becky, Brooke, & Chelsea, and I are going to make tutus for our little girls later this week. Chelsea made a prototype and needed someone to try it on for size. None of the other boys would step up to the plate to do this. So, I got Owen, strapped on the tutu and he LOVED running around in his camo short, his alligator chomp shirt, camo shoes and the pink tutu around his waiste. THAT boy is secure with his boyhood.

A Vampire in Our Midst

This sweet little girl....



has done this to her brother........



These pictures above are of his right leg. These were taken HOURS later. I could have made a perfect impression of the teeth from the marks that were left in his leg. Fortunately, she didn't break the skin. It's been a week since this happened, and he still has the bruises!
Then, today she does this.....



She struck again!!!! This time it happened while we were in Home Depot. I had them sitting in the "race car" shopping cart. I don't know what happened since I was talking to an employee about some things. The next thing I know, Owen is saying "Mommy, ouchie! Ouchie!" "E (he calls Caroline 'E' as in "Cari") no, no! Ouchie E! Although this incident is not quite as bad as the first, I still can't believe she bit him again. Caroline is too young to do any real discipline. But when I tell her "No!", she sticks out her bottom lip in the best pout you've ever seen and starts in with the crocodile tears and water works as if I have just humiliated her for the rest of her life. GIMME A BREAK!!!!

Owen was never a biter or a hitter. This has thrown me for a total loop.

Conquering the Ottoman

Caroline has taken to climbing, climbing, climbing. She climbs on everything her little hands and feet can get to. She tried to climb over the pew the other day at church. While I was sitting on the couch the other day, Caroline climbed up onto the couch and then onto the back of the couch. She proceeded to crawl on all fours across the entire length of the back of the couch. Then, almost falling over the back of the couch, I caught her by an ankle.


After I saved her that pain, she screamed at me because she was mad. I put her on the floor, and she proceeded to climb right back to where she was. Fortunately, she hasn't gone over the back of the couch, yet. Instead, she climbs onto the ottoman of the glider, and will either try to stand up on the ottoman and "surf it" or, she will go into the glider itself. She goes back and forth, back and forth, back and forth between those two all day long. If she doesn't end up with any broken bones before she is 5, it'll be a miracle.

Next stop...Mt. Everest?

"Can You Hear Me Now?"

Owen is almost 2 1/2 and although his weight and height are above the average kid his age, his speech is a little bit behind. At his 2 year appointment, and knowing full well that his speech was behind, I expressed some concern and the pediatrician recommended him for the Early Intervention Program through the State.

After his cognitive and social evaluation, which came back awesome, his speech evaluation was done. This didn't come back so great. In fact, he is about 25-50% behind in his speech for his age. To rule out any ear problems (which I knew there would be none), he even had a hearing test done, which was fine as well. Even though Owen wasn't speaking really well, he was understanding EVERYTHING! The therapist told me that sometimes a child won't mimic or say a word because they aren't sure if it is going to come out correctly. So, instead of saying anything, they say nothing. This has been the case with Owen.

For approximately the last 2 months he has been doing "ongoing play-based therapy". The therapist comes to the house once a week and works with one-on-one with Owen. Couple this with the preschool class that he has been in for the last 8 weeks and Owen has learned 12 new words!!!!

Now, I realize that the words he has learned are "simple" words, but he hasn't said them before or even attempted them. They are words like "on," "no," (Owen would shake his head) "hop," "up," "park," "yes," "two," "duck," so on and so forth. He is doing so well. I must admit I thought that he had some developmental issues when he was not talking. But, those fears have been assuaged over and over and I have been reassured there is nothing wrong with Owen.

In any event, my Onie B is catching up with his speech and the therapist has said by the time Owen is 5, I will look at him and wonder whether or not he even had a speech delay. I certainly hope so!

7 Reason for 7 Years

On this special day, I wanted to tell the world - or at least those who read our blog - 7 reasons as to why I L-O-V-E Adam. It's hard to narrow it down to just 7, but I'll give it a try. In no particular order, here it goes......

7. You can fix anything! There is no project too small or too big that you can't do. I can tell you what I want or how I want something to look and it gets fixed. You're amazing.

6.You're sense of humor. I love to see you belly laugh so hard you start to cry. That makes me laugh even harder. You don't laugh like this very often, but when you do it's a crack up!

5. You are sensitive (yes, the secret is out)to other's needs and place them ahead of yours. I love that you have a hard time seeing either the kids or me upset. I love you because you can empathsize with a lot of people and the situation they are in.

4. I love you because you are a wonderful father. The kids have so much fun with you and always want to be around their daddy. I love to hear Owen and Caroline giggling out of control because you are making them laugh.

3. I love you because you provide so wonderfully for our family. You work so very hard and are trying to find ways to help provide even more for our family.

2. I love you because you are my best friend. Through all of my faults and weaknesses (to which there are waaaaaay too many) you still love me. I don't know what I would do without you. You are willing and committed to see me happy and work hard - sometimes too hard - to see me happy. Thank you!

1. I love you because I know without you I would be so lost in this world. I can honestly say I get choked up at the simple thought of not having you in my life. I love all that you do for me. You are the best!!!

What a Memorable Day!

May 19, 2001 was a memorable day for Adam and I. It is the day we got married. Seven years ago today we were racing for the LA Temple. My parents were driving me there in their car and Adam and his best friends were driving him in their car.

Everything was going so smoothly until I see Brian, Adam's friend driving, pull up along side of my parents car. I wave to him and think nothing of it. Brian starts honking the horn and then Adam, who is trying to get my attention, starts waving papers in his hand. I think, "what is he doing?" and continue to wave and smile. And then BAM! It hits me. The paperwork had been forgotten at my parents' house. We were about halfway to the Temple at this point in time. I frantically tell my mom and dad what has happened and my mom immediately whips out her cell phone to start calling everyone who might be anywhere in the general vicinity to their house to get the paperwork. She called her best friend, my uncle, my sisters, my brothers, (who were all in from out-of-town), more friends, but with no luck. No paperwork in the car and no one who is answering their cell phone.

So, what is a dad to do to fix his daughter's wedding day? He pulls off the I-10 freeway in some who knows if I'm going to live 10 more seconds kind of a neighborhood. My dad's parting words to us were, "don't ask me how to get out of here, or back on the freeway, because I don't know myself. I'll see you there." My mom and I (along with my dress of course) jump into the car where Adam and his friends are and off we go. Brian, the great (and single) guy that he is was making light of the situation reassuring us that we would have a story to tell about our wedding day. I didn't want any stories. This day was suppose to be PERFECT! Except for now my mom asks me "Janet, where's your recommend?" Yep, folks you guessed it. It was in the car that my dad was driving that is headed in the completely opposite direction as us, back to the house to get the paperwork. In the meantime, I called the house phone and left a message for my dad telling him my purse was in the trunk of the car and that I needed that along with the paperwork when he got back to the Temple.

We arrived at the Temple, explained our situation to the matrons there, and then I burst into tears. MY day has been ruined!!!! The kind sweet matron explained that this happens frequently and I was NOT the only one. (Quick side note, the sealing was suppose to take place at 10:00 a.m. When we arrived at the temple it was 8:30) Adam and I waited for what seemed like forever in the foyer of the Temple. We watched family members file in and then look at us with the look of "what are you doing out here? What's going on?" A brief explanation to them later and off they went to wait and wait in the Chapel. The matron took my dress back to the dressing room and had it waiting for me for when I eventually get back there

Adam and I decided to go outside and walk around the Temple grounds, which were amazing! We were outside for about 45 minutes when I saw my dad at the bottom of the hill and he was already back to the Temple?! (A one way trip from my parents' house to the Temple, with out traffic, living with "Lady Luck" and on a really, really, really good day is 45 minutes. My dad made the round trip in 45 minutes. He, to this day, has never confessed as to how fast he was driving on the freeway. We don't want to know.) My dad rolled down the window dropped the paperwork and my purse, literally, into my hands and Adam and I ran into the Temple. We got back to the room, another worker looked at the paperwork, and finds a problem with it. Are you kidding me?! A quick call to Salt Lake City and President Monson who told President Davies to go ahead and marry us and if there were further issues, the sealing would be cancelled, but we would be married for time and the day could go on.

After getting into my dress and ready to go into the Celestial Room, our families were gathered (finally) into a Sealing Room. When we finally arrived into the Sealing Room (45 minutes later than our appointment), we were married for eternity.

It didn't start out perfect, but that day certainly ended perfectly! I am so grateful that Adam and I were married in the LA Temple. We have had our ups and downs in the last seven years. But, we have been blessed beyond measure no matter the ups or the downs.

Happy Anniversary, Love. I love you more than you will ever know. I look forward to many more years and eternity with you.

It's a Good Start

As you can see, I've been busy posting this afternoon, completely ignoring everything else that needs to be done, with the exception of changing Biggi's diaper. That couldn't wait any longer. It's a good start that I'm off to, but there are a couple more that need to be done. I just have to get a couple of video clips off our video camera, save them, and then upload them to somewhere that will eventually allow me to blog them here. That much I haven't figured out how to do and I need Adam's help. Hopefully, he can help me with these things tonight, or at least sometime in the very, very, very, very near future.

Improving on Einstein

Our window coverings are in need of some serious replacement. I can't stand them...in fact, I HATE THEM! They are the verticle blinds which are ugly, outdated, break easily and way too much fun for the kids to play with. But, I don't exactly have the cash laying around to get what I really want - plantation shutters - for the entire house. So, I decided to replace the two sets of verticle blinds that bothered me the most.

We have two windows in our family room that open up and down, as opposed to side to side. But, some Einstein that bought the verticle blinds put them on the windows that open up and down. Every time I would open the window I would hear the blinds cracking and clanging together in the wind. What was this particular Einstein seriously thinking? Could they not have figured out that you don't put verticle blinds on a window that opens up and down. Good grief! About 5 weeks ago, I made a trip to Home Depot and bought a couple of sets of wood blinds - real wood not the faux wood - and had Adam install them. You know who had to come along and "help" install them the next day after he realized they were there.





That boy just doesn't know how NOT to get involved in a project - even if it's a project that has already been completed.