Bathtime

Halloween

Each year I do a bit more decorating, nothing like Kata, but just something fun and festive. I think Halloween is different when you have kids. Not that we have much planned this year, but we have already talked about future years of fun with Max.





I decided that I wanted our kitchen table to be more than a place to put things. We never eat there, but plan to have family dinners around the kitchen table when Max is a bit older. So I thought I would have fun with it and use it as part of the decorations for the holidays.

Last year we turned off all the lights and hung out in the basement. I don't mind when the little kids I know from the neighborhood come over, but there were so many kids that I had never even seen before, kids that I thought were too old, and selfish little buggers who look disgusted if you only give them one measly piece of candy. And most of them didn't even say Thank You! Anyway...I was wishing that the parents of the kids I knew would call me and say, "My kids are coming over now." Then I could open the door for them, ooh and ahh over their costumes and enjoy the experience. I decided that I liked this idea so much that I called my friends from the ward and told them that although we wouldn't be handing out candy, if they would call me before their kids came that I would be waiting for them. That made it so much fun! I got to chat with them and look at their cute costumes and spoil them with as much candy as I wanted because I didn't have to save it. And they were talkative and appreciative.

James decided that we needed It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, to watch for Halloween. So, we had just a few trick-or-treaters and watched the silly show. James wants it to be our Halloween tradition. The episode came in a set with the Thanksgiving and Christmas episodes as well so it looks like Charlie Brown has become part of our holiday traditions.


I hope you all had a great, fun-filled Halloween!

Miserable

Max was sick this last weekend. Croup, cough, not sleeping. He was so miserable and it was so hard to watch. Saturday we went to the pediatrician and they gave him a dose of something or other, which he threw up as we were walking out, and they had to give to him again. Three nights in a row he and I ended up outside on the porch swing, at around 2:00 am, letting the cold air help him breath. He was waking up almost every hour, sometimes just needing to sit up for a few minutes and cough the flem out of his throat. Sometimes the only way he would sleep at all was laying on my chest while I was sitting up. He would hold his breath for so long that I would wait anxiously for him to breath.

He had such a hard time sleeping flat and was waking up so many times in the night that we put him back in the bassinet to sleep. We were able to slant it so that he wasn't laying flat and put it next to the bed so I wasn't having to get up every time he cried out. When the difference in his size caught my attention I took a picture. He was so tiny and now...

...he barely fits in it.

He is doing much better, sleeping through the night again, but still coughing. Now James has it.

A Story of Wind & Peanut Brittle

One of my favorite books when I was young was Stand in the Wind by Jean Little. It is the story of two very different young girls who are stuck together for the summer. The adventurous tom-boy Martha is upset to be stuck with the mousy afraid-of-everything Kit. As Martha drags Kit on adventure after adventure she helps her conquer her fears and stand up for herself.

During a wild wind storm Martha drags Kit outside to face the wind, peanut brittle in hand, and tells her, "You'll never love it if you let it shove you around." As Kit faces the wind, singing and eating peanut brittle she gains confidence and realized that she isn't really afraid.

I have always loved the wind. I love storms, the lighting, thunder, but most of all, the wind. I also love peanut brittle. But I loved this story for its lessons on fear and friendship. I don't remember when I told James about this story; he has know for a long time that I love to stand in the wind and whenever there is wind there is talk of peanut brittle. He found the picture of the little girl in the wind and I loved it. And right now, I need the reminder that I will never love life if I let it shove me around.

Just Me And My Frog

I have meant to post about the "frog" since picking up the book a few weeks ago. Kimber's post, The Tale of Two Frogs, explained a bit about it and she told us what her frogs are. John also wrote about his frog and asked everyone to tell about their frog. So here is my frog story.

While waiting in Kinkos, the silly title of the book, "Eat That Frog," by Brian Tracy caught my eye. The author started out by saying that there never will be enough time to do all the things we have to do. He says, "get over the notion that you somehow can get it all done...you can't." My reaction..."OH CRAP! Really? That can't be true...BUT!?!"

Enter the frog. Based on a quote by Mark Twain..."if the first thing you do each morning is eat a live frog, you can go through the day with the satisfaction of knowing that that is probably the worst things that is going to happen to you all day long. And if you have too eat a frog, you shouldn't look at it for too long."

So, your "frog" is your biggest, most important task, the one you are most likely to procrastinate. Interestingly enough, it is typically also the one task that can have the greatest positive impact on your life at that moment.

This will sound familiar but here goes...

FROG#1
Exercise, exercise, exercise. Do I really have to say anything else here? Probably not, but I will anyway. It isn't just wanting to change the way my body looks, but also knowing all the bla bla bla about how it will make you feel better and have more energy, etc., etc., etc. Don't mind my sarcasm...it is all pointed right at myself.

FROG#2
Work. The frog can be just getting any of the work done. But a lot of my job is not time sensitive so it not so important when I get it done. I go through spurts of productivity and those things get done when they get done. So the real frog is always that one thing that I really need to accomplish which always seems to coincide with the one thing that I really don't want to do. Last week it was the quarterly taxes. This week it is the insurance audit that I have to prepare for.

I have been in the habit of putting off those big tasks to clear my desks of the simpler, easier tasks thinking, "I can just get this out of the way really quick." The book brought that to my attention but might have faded if I hadn't told Kimber about it. It quickly became a way for us to identify our frogs and tackle them head on.

So, I echo John in saying..."What is your frog?"
And add my own question..."How do you eat it?"

.

A Boy and his Pets

The cat...

Which is only still with us get his Dad won't let me get rid of him.
(sigh)

His stuffed dog. Which he loves!

If his Dad has anything to do with it...he will have a real dog.
(SIGH!)

He loves looking out the window.

Random Things of the Day

* I took all of our coins to the bank and made a deposit. Erika helped me roll a ton of coins while she was here and I was able to use the banks coin counter for all of the pennies (Thank heavens!) Final Tally: $293.76. Ironic...I wouldn't leave $300 just laying around the house, but just didn't realize how the coins can add up.

* I skipped music class because I am totally sick and have very little voice.

* James was Mr. Mom today so I could get caught up on all the "stuff." He took care of Max all day and sat with him in the car while I ran errands. He said women look at him suspiciously when they see a man is in the back of a car with the baby. Wonder what is up with that.

* I did the quarterly taxes. Although never as big a chore as I think, I still have a twinge of dread when tax time rolls around.

* To help me get things organized I went back to my childhood and took a lesson from Kimber. I took everything and put it in the center of the room. Then left it all day. :) I did finally get to it though and what a relief to have things put away. Thanks Kimber!

* A success tip that I am implementing to help keep things organized is to "Never touch a piece of paper twice." Meaning that I deal with things immediately rather than picking up the paper (or email, mail, phone call, fax, invoice, etc.) and then putting it back down to deal with later. Of course there are times when this is impossible, but for the most part it is a good strategy.

* The weather has warmed up enough that we took a nice long walk. Our little Max can be such a wild, squirmy thing and nothing chills him out like a walk.

* Dinner was Kimber's Applebee's Club Sandwich. This is one of James' favorite meals and so easy to make.

My Poor Husband

He stays home because he is sick...(we are all sick)...and I emotionally throw up all over him. I cry, I whine, I reject all his attempts to fix it. He doesn't get defensive, he continues to throw out ideas and suggestions, he hugs me and tells me it will all be okay. Which does make me feel a little better except that I am not content with that...I want to know how it is going to be okay. The details, preferably in a spreadsheet with dates. He doesn't work that way.

I don't know how to get everything done. I don't know how to stay on top of it. If I only do the high priority things then the other things never get done...and they need to get done...they just aren't as pressing so they are always last on the list.

I'm worried about my job. It is not very stable at the moment. So, after all the freaking out is over I find another option. Which includes me cutting out more time...time to take a class, update my resume, send out letters...all in the hopes that it will be in place before I actually no longer have my current job. Which will hopefully not happen, but is pretty likely.

I haven't even managed to have a shower yet. My throat is killing me and I am living on cough drops. And I am a goofball...because....

I have a husband who does dishes, laundry, vacuums, changes poopy diapers, never gets defensive, and on occasion stays home from work just so I can get caught up. I have a little boy who is healthy, who sleeps through the night and has a smile that makes my soul smile. I have a nice house with every luxury imaginable. I have a job which has allowed me to stay at home with my little boy. And I am healthy.

So, about this day, I guess I would just say, "Hope you know...I had a hard time." - From one of the conference talks.

Under the Coffee Table

Max was rolling around on the floor one morning and rolled himself under the coffee table. He was playing so well that I left him there.

He played happily for 45 minutes, longer than he usually likes to do anything. He can see out the big window and put his feet on the bottom of the table. And he has only bonked his head on the leg once.

This morning, I put him under the table on purpose.

I can Can too...

13 Bottles...only 1 didn't seal

A Week With Erika

Erika stayed with us for the last week. She was immensely helpful and it was also a nice vacation for her. She devoured books, reading at last count about 1300 pages.

And somehow still managed to be so helpful. She helped me with some of the details of an ongoing project for John (sorry, no details until it has arrived in John's manly Marine hands.) She also helped me roll $180 in coins, while watching, "What Not To Wear." She watched Max many times while I was working or on the phone. And I was able to run errands so quickly as she stayed with Max in the car or watched him at home. She was a bit taken back by my active little guy. Her little brother Hyrum is much more calm and will sit or lay still. Max is always moving. But she was so great with him and he adores her.

I learned something about Erika this week...she loves muffins. I stocked us with several different kinds and she made muffins every day. At one point, while I was twirling in my office chair, whining about not wanting to do anything, she said, "Do you need me to make you some muffins." It was a good laugh and a good snack.

I was so grateful for her help and her company. Love you JoGirl!

The Box of Clothes Moment

Erika is staying with me and needed some clothes to wear. So I did something I have been avoiding. I pulled out my boxes of clothes-I-hope-to-get-back-into-someday. It was a hard moment. I have been avoiding it for good reason...I have a TON of cute clothes that I can't fit into at all. Will I ever again?

Looking at them was like looking at a different person...a different me. I did once upon a time wear these clothes. I looked cute in them. I had favorites. I still have favorites and when I looked at them it seemed that I should just be able to slip them on. But I know better than to go there. Looking at them is bad enough; there was no way I was going to try them on. I kept my composure as I helped Erika find shirts and pants, then left quickly before she could see me get emotional over a bunch of clothes.

Then, I called Kimber to cry on her shoulder for a moment. She presented an interesting question; it is not just a question of..."Will I ever fit into these clothes?" There is also the question of..."Do these clothes still fit me?" I am a different person now. Do the styles, colors, patterns, prints, etc. reflect the person that I am now? Are they too young, too cutsie, too whatever to really ever fit the me that I am now? And how much of the girl I was is still here? If (no, I should say WHEN) I fit back into those clothes, will these clothes fit me?

Jessica's Baby Shower

Kata called me last week to tell me that Jessica was going to be in Idaho this weekend and we decided she needed a baby shower. Although it was short notice, it was very fun to put together and even more fun to attend. At first I was a bit nervous because I don't know any of Jess's family and I hadn't been to the house where we were having the shower. Mostly I just don't like the unknown when I am in charge. But it worked out great.

I had a bunch of stuff to take into the house so took Max in first and sat him by the door in his car seat. Jessica's brother Jared immediately got him out of the car seat and started to play with him. I thought Max would cry but he took to Jared right off.

I didn't actually hold Max for the next two hours as Jessica's siblings took turns holding and playing with him. He was hesitant with Grandma and Grandpa but sure liked her family. And it did make things easier for me. Wish I could have them around all the time!

Jared stuck around playing with Max and Hyrum for most of the shower.

It seemed just a bit awkward at first, as it always is with people who don't know each other. But once everyone got into playing Baby Bunko we loosened up and had a great time. I think every first time Mom should have a baby shower and I was glad that we could do one for Jess. As we were leaving we hung out for a few moments looking at Jessica's quilts. She is amazing! So talented! I am thinking of hiring her to make me a quiet book and a quilt.

After the shower we hung out at Mom's for a couple of hours. I felt like I was coming down with something and was so tired. I tried to take a nap but Max wasn't having it. Kimber and I got talking and somehow Erika ended up coming home with me for the week. It wasn't planned so she didn't have any of her stuff but we will manage. She definitely helped keep me awake on the way home and I can certainly use her help. I have a nanny for a week!