Dumb Question

Trey's hair hasn't been cut for about 3 months and is starting to get curly. I love it. Anyhoo, a lady in an elevator asked me the other day if Trey's hair was naturally curly. I had to bite my tongue.

My gut reaction was to say, "No, it's naturally straight. Every morning I get the curling iron out and curl my 4 YEAR-OLD BOY'S hair. Except for when I put it in curlers the night before."

Hmm, maybe she doesn't like silent elevators and just asked the first question that came to her mind. But really, what would be the alternative if his hair isn't naturally curly? Curlers or curling irons. On my four year-old boy. And what are the odds of that? Pretty dang low, one would hope. So anyway, I kept my sarcastic remark to myself. I simply said, "why, yes it is."

Kevin's First Day of Second Grade

So basically.....I DREAD the first day of school. Kindergarten because my little guy was growing up and starting a big, new school. First grade because he was going to be away from me all day. You'd think by second grade I'd be fine. I wasn't. Two words - BASKET CASE. What is my problem? Is this normal? Or am I some sort of crazy mom who doesn't know how to let her children go? The Saturday and Sunday before school started, I couldn't think or talk about it because I would start to cry. Then Bryan leaves town for work on Sunday and leaves me to deal with Monday all by myself.

Maybe I get like this because it seems like time goes by so quickly. I mean, it doesn't always feel like that - not when I'm telling Kevin to simply take his shoes off for the 39th time because there is dirt all over my once clean floor. Or when I'm trying to find the one single lego piece that Trey has to take to bed with him. But really - wasn't Kevin just learning how to walk? It seems like yesterday that Trey was a fiesty little baby that wouldn't stay swaddled. Now they're 7 and 4. I would pay a lot of money to just keep them at these sweet, innocent ages. But they're growing up way too fast. Maybe that's what gets me.

Or maybe it's because I never feel like a good enough mom. Am I teaching them enough? Do I read to them enough? Are they getting the life experiences they should be? Do they laugh enough? Are they gaining a testimony? Do they have enough self-confidence? Maybe I didn't do enough with them during the summer. And now the summer is gone and they start school. And they are under the influence of others for most of the day. Did I do enough?

I know, right? BASKET CASE! And then I drop him off. I shed a few tears and then meet some friends for breakfast. I play with Trey, and then I am a normal person again. And things are just fine.

Anyways, Kevin loves school and very easily makes friends. There is really nothing to worry about. I asked him if he had butterflies in his stomach on our way to school. He didn't understand. I said "butterflies" is when your stomach feels funny when you are nervous about something. "Mom, I don't get nervous" was his answer. Not my child. We said hi to his teacher and then Kevin was all about finding his friends on the playground.

Not wanting to get out of bed so early.

Awww, if only every morning could be like this.

Notice the shark shirt. It's only a matter of hours before his teacher will learn about at least 3 different species. And that's only the beginning.

His teacher, Mrs. Hansen. She also taught both of my brothers when they went to Viewmont.

Kevin asking if he can please just go play with his friends and stop posing for pictures.

When he came home, I asked him how his day was. His response - "It was Terrific. Awesome. And really, really great." After telling me about his day, he said "I am so lucky. I get to go back the next day and the next day and the next day - for nine whole months!" Again, not my child. I'm so glad he likes school so much. Now, I just need to make it through Trey starting preschool in a few weeks.

Nice Try

Five minutes after I put Trey to bed for the night, he gets up and this is our conversation...

Trey: Mom, I think I'm going to throw up!

Me: You're going to throw up? What hurts?

Trey: My chin.

Hmmm . . . I smell a big, fat FAKER!!!

Just to play along, I put a bowl to the side of his bed - just in case his chin got the better of him.

"Mom, I Did a Bad Thing and I'm Really, Really Sorry!"

Silly Putty. Meet my TV remote. Oh wait, it looks like you already have.

Not sure how to go about tackling this one...

Don't Try This at Home

I'm out with the boys the other day and there is this guy who is making animals and hats and different things out of balloons. The line of kids waiting for their dumb little balloon dog is at least a mile long. Of course, the boys want a balloon animal of their own. So here's my GENIUS idea. For some reason I can't remember, I have a bag full of those long balloons at home - complete with a book of how to make those strange animals. I tell them that when we get home, they will get their own balloon animal - whatever type and color they want - made with love from their mom. Sweet.

How hard can it be? I have a step-by-step instruction book after all. Kevin wants a dinosaur. Sure, no problem. Trey wants a giraffe. Great. After 90 MINUTES and about 26 popped balloons, THIS is what they get...

Those are supposed to be baseball hats. Look closely and you might be able to catch the vision.

Really, balloon twisting is a tough job - especially if you want to end up with a balloon that actually resembles something recognizable. Those guys who make it look easy and can do it in 7 seconds have some fierce talent. Oh, and the sound of balloons rubbing and twisting together when you do it too slow is awful. Worse than fingernails on a chalkboard. I'm not exaggerating.

The point - I should have waited 20 minutes in line. It would have saved a lot of time, and a small piece of my insanity that day.

Happy Birthday To My Little Rascals - A Bit Late

Kevin and Trey have both had birthdays within the last month. Kevin turned 7 and Trey turned 4. I know this is late, but I have to wish them HAPPY BIRTHDAY and let them know how much I love them. Sooo... a picture and something I love about them for every year of their little lives...

Kevin...

-You make friends easier than anyone I know. This is one of your greatest talents, and I hope you keep it up. It doesn't matter where we are - the park, McDonalds, the mall even - you ALWAYS make a friend.

-You are very sensitive to others' feelings.

-You have a very strong testimony, and I see it growing all the time. I love hearing that you say silent prayers in your head when you need help with something at school. I love talking to you about those prayers and seeing the tears (that you deny) in your eyes as you feel the Spirit.

-You are very smart! You love to learn. I know more about ocean animals than I ever thought I would through you. I love that you want to be a Marine Biologist. Whatever your dreams are, I hope you have the courage to follow them.

-You have always been a snuggler, even now with your long, growing body. When you come in our bed in the mornings, you still manage to mold your body to ours and snuggle as close as you can.

-You laugh easily.

- You are very creative. The other day, you made a submarine out of food and turned your bed into a boat. I love it!

Trey...

-You are determined. When you want something, you don't stop until you get it. While you are four, this can be frustrating for both of us. I think when you are older, this trait will serve you well and help you to accomplish many things in life. (That's what I keep telling myself).

- Self-mastery is very important to you. You will practice catching a ball until you have it just perfect. You will do something over and over again until you have it just how you want it. Even if it takes hours. Or days.

- You like to be goofy. This is kind of new for you, but you seem to have caught on pretty good. Whenever you sense that somebody is upset at something, you do something funny to diffuse the situation. We can't help but laugh!

-I love the random hugs and kisses you give me throughout the day. "Mom, I need some hugs" and "Mom, I love you" are phrases I hear multiple times each day from you. Please never stop!

Oh, and I can't forget their cupcakes. It's pretty easy to guess whose are whose.

I'm back!

Dear Beloved Blog...

It's been over two months since we've last talked. I really don't have any good excuses for not stopping by. Where has the time gone? We've missed so many things - Easter, the end of school, Mother's Day, Father's Day, traveling for the first time by myself (pathetic, I know), a couple funny stories, some boring stories and a few things in between. So what to do? How about we just say that the last two + months have been great and call it good. Now, this is kind of hard for me. My OCD wants to fill this void (as nominal and boring as it might be) but I'm going to start here and move on. Soooo...let's start with our vacation a few weeks ago.

Newport Beach!!!

The Salmon Fam (My parents, siblings and spouses) spent a week in Newport Beach...with no children. Re-lax-ing!! We woke up when we wanted, went to movies without coordinating babysitters, didn't have to worry about naps or getting home in time for bed, only had to take a single small bag to the beach, and basically did whatever we wanted. It was so nice to get away. I missed Kevin and Trey like crazy and it was great to get back to them. Bryan's cousin, Annie, babysat and the boys LOVED her! She did such a great job with them. After spending a week with her, they probably realized that I am a boring mom.

Some fun memories from Newport...

-Watching Trevor and Bryant try to put on girl wetsuits that were too small on the beach.

-Even funnier...watching Mer try to peel the suit off Bryant when he was done. It ended with his butt skidding across the sand.

-Taking a line-drive tennis ball to my face from MY HUSBAND.

-The Angels vs. Rockies game and the "Go Fish" game with the 1980's baseball cards. "Do you have any guys who look like serial killers?" was the best question asked. Mer had two, possibly three.

-"I'm right here!"

-"Donation..." (You don't want to know).

-Trying to get my parents hooked on "The Office" by making them watch the first season. We got some laughs, but I think the jury may still be out. Seriously, how can you not love that show?

-Backing into a car on the last day in our car THAT HAS BACKUP SENSORS!

-Bryan pulling up to a BMW (in our Oldsmobile minivan) at a stoplight and revving the engine to race. The guy wasn't amused.

-Knottsberry Farm and the Xcelerator rollercoaster. 0 - 82 in 2.3 seconds.

-Thinking I saw a shark when the boys were "surfing."

-Chronic Tacos. Hole-in-the-wall with AWESOME fish tacos.

-Making crepes on Father's Day. Probably my favorite breakfast food ever. I think I ate four.

-The "bubbles" picture. (Don't ask...really).

-Bryan licking up a piece of food that landed on his arm - from Trevor's mouth.

-Longboarding down the street to the pool area.

-Volleyball, basketball, football and tennis.

-The Crab Cooker - best seafood ever!

Basically, my family is awesome. We had such a fun time together. Thank you for the memories!

Stinky Feet

Me:  "Trey, your feet STINK!"

Trey:  "No, they don't!  They smell like marshmallows.  But not the white kind.  They smell like colored marshmallows."

I have no idea where this came from, but they definitely DO NOT smell like colored marshmallows - at all.  I think it's bathtime...  

So Typical

Conversation between Kevin and Trey last week...

Kevin:  "Trey, what did you do in school today?"

Trey:  "Had an Easter party."  

Kevin:  "What else did you do?"

Trey:  "Nothing.  We had a party."

Kevin:  "Yeah, but what did you learn about today?"

Trey:  "Nothing.  We had a PARTY.  I ate candy."

Kevin:  "You didn't learn anything?  Did you learn about a letter or a number?"

Trey:  NO!  We had a PARTY!"

Kevin pauses to think for a minute.  I can see the concern growing in his face.  

Kevin (very sternly):  "Trey, school is not just about parties.  You're there to learn."

Trey:  "No, it's about PARTIES!"

So typical.  Of both of them.  

Kevin - I hope you still think like this in 10 years.  I love it.

Trey - party on.  

I love these boys...

A Plug for Harmons

So I have to preface this by saying that I had a gazillion things to do in a very short time frame that morning.  My mind was everywhere.  One of the things I had to do was pick up some groceries for dinner that night.  I rush through the grocery store in record time and got everything on my list - three bags worth to be exact - $39.42 worth to be even more exact.  End of grocery trip, right?  Wrong.  I get home and opened the back door to retrieve my groceries.  THEY'RE GONE!  What could have possibly happened to my groceries?   I retrace my steps in my mind.  I remember pushing the cart to my car.  Did I really push the cart to my car and not take the groceries out of my cart?  I was on the phone, but...wow, that's bad.  Even for me. 

So I go back to Harmons to see if I can retreive my groceries.  It's only been five minutes.  They should still be there.  I drive around the parking lot looking for a lonely cart with three bags of groceries.  Nothing.  Now I have to go inside and actually ask if somebody found the groceries, which is slightly embarassing.

I see the front manager, who is the same woman who bagged the groceries for me.  

"Uh, hi...Did someone by chance turn some lost groceries in?"

"Lost groceries?"

"Well, yes.  I was just here, and I think I left my groceries in my cart instead of putting them in my car."

"Oh, I remember bagging them for you.  Which groceries are you missing?"  

"Well, all of them...three bags..."

"You don't have any of them?"

"No."  How can I possibly justify my dumbness here.  I can't.  "I forgot to put them in my car."  

"Well, nothing has been turned in.  Do you remember what they were?

"Yes.  Thanks.  I'll just go get them again."  Really, I wonder what she was thinking at this point.  

She then tells me to go ahead and get the groceries again, but not to pay for them this time.  I object.  She insists that I get all of the groceries I got before, but not to pay for them.  Now, is that customer service or what?  

This isn't the end.  Later after I get home, I have to load something in the very back of my van.  What do I find?  THREE BAGS OF GROCERIES - THE ORIGINAL BAGS THAT I THOUGHT WERE LOST.  They were in the very back of the van.  I just checked the back seat.

So now, I start feeling pretty good about myself.  Of course I wouldn't have pushed my cart all the way to my car and not unload the groceries.  I did load them.  I'm not loosing my mind.  Then I realize that this makes me look even dumber than just loosing my groceries - I had them and couldn't find them.  

So I go back to Harmons with my receipt.  I had to pay them back for the free groceries they gave me.  I prayed that the manager I talked to earlier was done with her shift.  She wasn't.  I then had to explain to her that I found the groceries I thought I had lost and needed to pay her back for the groceries she so graciously gave me earlier.  That conversation was as equally awkward as the first conversation.  I'm sure she thought I was a complete nut case.  I probably would have to agree.  

Moral of the story - if you're going to loose your groceries, loose them at Harmons.  Great cusomer service.  

Randomness

Some random things that have happened over the past couple of months...

**We finally got Trey in a bed (He's only 3 1/2).  Notice the car in is hand.  He can't go to bed without bringing the toy of the day with him.  Some nights it's a car, some nights it's a golf club - yes, a full-size golf club.  The other night it was a basketball.
Kevin has discovered the "Magic Tree House" series books.  He LOVES them and will easily read 60 pages a night.  We put him to bed and he gets his little light out and reads until he falls asleep.  It's great, and I can't get the books fast enough.  
Kevin took a basketball skills class and is now done with it.  His favorite day was the last day.  It's all about the trophy.  He did have a fun time and can now sort of dribble the ball.  I guess that is worth the thirty dollars?
Kevin also finished swimming lessons.  He's determined to become a good swimmer so he can "learn to scuba and become a marine biologist."  
Remember how I said that Trey always had to bring some sort of toy to bed with him?  One night my brain was on vacation and I let him take silly putty to bed with him.  SERIOUSLY, what was I thinking?  Kevin even told me that Trey should put the silly putty in a container before he took it to bed.  I told him, no, it would be fine.  Really - what could have possibly been going through my head that I thought this would turn out well.  The picture below is what we woke up to.  Aaahhh!  This is "the" stuffed animal - you know, the one that he sleeps with every night and can't let anything happen to it.  So after a little internet research, I rubbed it with hand sanitizer and WD-40 and got it out.  Who would have thought?  Note - don't let your kids sleep with silly putty.  I'm guessing this is common sense to most moms.  
We had so much fun outside with the warm weather last week.  Too bad it didn't last long.  The boys love playing in the dirt in our flower bed in the front yard (I'm hoping it will be home to flowers instead of toy trucks this year).  I don't mind them playing in the dirt.  They're boys.  That's what they're supposed to do.  

Kevin and Trey were in the bathtub for over an hour the other night with their goggles and snorkel.  I was cooking dinner and all I heard was hysterical laughter coming from the bathroom.  I finally decided to set up the video camera on the counter just so I could capture the fun they were having with each other.  The video was priceless.  I would show it, but Trey kept standing up and showing his hoo-ha.  I'm sure there's a way to edit it and cover it up, I just haven't figured it out.  (They're going to love these kind of videos when they're 16).  So for now, here's a picture.  
I did something VERY embarassing at the grocery store last week.  I'm not sure if I want to write about it - it might taint my image.  I rarely do dumb or embarassing things.  This was a doosey.  Is that a word?  

"I'm a total idiot, and if you put this on your blog - you're dead..."

Those are the words I heard from Bryan after about an hour and a half of frustration in the garage. What was he doing, you ask? Well, he happened to lock the keys in the van. It wouldn't be a big deal, except that's our only key. Thinking about it, we only have one key for both of our cars and our house. We should be smarter. Especially since it is the second time in the last six months this has happened. Last time it happened, we had to pay a ridiculous amount of money for a locksmith to come over for five minutes and open the door. Seriously - ridiculous. Not again. Bryan was determined to do it himself. He's done it before in his car (okay, we need extra keys...)

I opted to let Bryan run solo on this one. He needed full concentration. This is usually the kind of situation that leads to arguments between us. I just kept getting updates every so often of "I'm almost there." Okaaay. After a very mangled hot dog roaster and a trip to Lowe's to get something "a little more sturdy," Bryan Macgyvered the door open by sticking his contraption through the window and pushing the unlock button on the door.

So what took him so long? Why did he call himself a total idiot? (He said it, not me). He was trying to unlock the passenger door - the door with the unlock button that doesn't work. The driver must unlock the passenger door from his side. Now, this knowledge is not new to us. We are reminded every time I try to get out of the car, and Bryan has to unlock the door for me on his side. So basically, Bryan spent over an hour pushing down on a button that clearly hasn't worked since we bought the van. When the little light bulb in his brain lit up, Bryan went over to the driver's side door and finagled it open in a matter of minutes.

Here's your sign....

Now if I were him, I probably wouldn't have admitted this to anybody.

Pay It Forward

Ok so I saw this on my friend's blog (Sarah) and I think it's a fun little idea. The first three people to leave a comment on this post will receive, at some point during the year, a handmade gift from me. What it will be or when it will arrive will be a surprise! The only catch is that you also have to participate yourself. Before leaving your comment you have to post a Pay it Forward post on your blog giving the same instructions to keep the fun going. Then you can come back to this post and leave your comment. After that all you have to do is sit back and wait for your gift to arrive!!!! Please also leave your email address in the post so that I may contact you if necessary!! I hope that you will play along, I really think this will be a lot of fun!!!

Where's My Incentive?

I apologize in advance for this post - I just need to express a few opinions. I've been reading up on the mortgage part of the bailout that was passed last week. All I have to say is - ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?!?

Everything about this irks me. Here is just one paragraph that stood out..."To provide an extra incentive for borrowers to keep paying on time, the initiative will provide a monthly balance reduction payment that goes straight towards reducing the principal balance of the mortgage loan. As long as a borrower stays current on his or her loan, he or she can get up to $1,000 each year for five years."

Again, ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!? So essentially, the government is bribing people with money to make their own mortgage payments on time. On what planet does this make sense? Shouldn't that just be a given? It's called PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY.

I have lived in my house for almost five years. I have made each payment on time - sometimes even early just for kicks. My incentive? SELF-RESPECT, PEACE OF MIND, AND A GOOD CREDIT SCORE. Do borrowers really need an "extra incentive" to pay their mortgage on time? After their interest rate and principle have already been lowered? I don't even give "extra incentives" to my six-year-old for doing his homework. He knows it's part of being a first-grader. I expect that by the time he is an adult, he knows that paying his bills on time is just part of being a responsible person. If you need an "extra incentive" to pay your mortgage on time, you have no business owning a house. It comes with the territory.

What happened to living within your means? My mortgage is about 70% of what the bank said we qualified for at the time. Before we bought a house, we sat down and did a budget and bought a house for what we could afford - not what the bank told us we should spend. Granted, it's not extravagant. The boys bathroom has pink laminate countertops. I'm pretty sure all of our faucets are original to the house (that was built in 1987). We're slowly replacing the floors and other things. That's fine with me. We're not asking anyone to pay for it. It's our house, and we'll take responsibility of paying for it ourselves.

Now, I know there are people with situations such as medical bills, disability and other unforseen circumstances. I'm not talking about them. I'm talking about the people who just don't know how to stop spending, don't know how to make a budget, and expect their "starter" house to be 4000 square feet with granite countertops and a 60" flatscreen above the custom-made fireplace. WHY AM I PAYING FOR YOUR DAMN MORTGAGE?

Sorry. I'll get off my high horse now. My next post will be lighthearted and have some pictures of my super-cute boys.

Ewe...Kisses From Mom

Kevin recently informed me that he will no longer be kissing me goodbye when I drop him off to school. In Kindergarten it was okay. He would even run up to me and hug me when I volunteered in his class. Now in first grade, he is older and cooler. Kissing your mom in front of everyone diminishes your status. I say goodbye to him for seven hours, and all I get are "props" or "knuckles" or whatever you want to call it. Boo.

Why do they have to grow up so dang fast? When he was little, I would get kisses all of the time. Multiple kisses. He held my hand everywhere we went. (That, too, is off limits in front of his friends). He would snuggle for hours. He still snuggles, and I cherish every minute of it because I know that will also one day be gone. Stop growing!

The other night, Kevin came up to me out of the blue and gave me a big ol' smackaroo right on the cheek. I was in shock. A kiss with no begging, bribing or forcing? I wanted to let him know how much I appreciated this grand gesture, and this is how the conversation went.

Me: "Thank you so much for that! Whenever you give me a kiss..."

Kevin: "...you'll give me a dollar?"

Me: "Um, no! I was going to say that whenever you give me a kiss it makes me the happiest mom in the world."

Kevin: "Oh.....but will you give me a dollar?"

Me: "NO!"

Happy mom moment officially over. But it did provide a good laugh.

Little does Kevin know that after he has fallen asleep for the night, I tuck him in bed one last time and kiss his cheeks and face all over to make up for the lost ones during the day.

I love you, Kevin! Mmmwahh.

Chili Impaired

I love chili. It's one of my favorite meals. There's just one problem - I can never make it right. It seems so simple, yet mine always turns out wrong. I've tried a bunch of recipes and I still can't get it right. Not enough flavor. The beans aren't cooked enough. Too spicy. Whatever.

I found a recipe online that had a lot of good reviews. I decided to try it. It looked so good. I even doubled the recipe to give some to my sister-in-law. I dished it up and we sat down to eat as a family. Long story short, the boys ended up eating cereal for dinner. Bryan and I ate the chili, but also ate a lot of bread with it. It was just a little too spicy - okay, really spice. We were sweating by the time we were done. And I like spicy food.

Bryan was trying to be really nice. As he is shoving loaves of bread into his mouth to tame the kick of the chili, he says to me, "It's really good. I really like it. But I can see why other people won't like it." What?!? That doesn't help at all. Then he says, "We can't give this to Mindy." Duh.

Now I have an entire pot of chili in my refrigerator, sitting there being all spicy and not being eaten. I think I am chili-jinxed. So if anyone has a good recipe, please share it with me so I can probably ruin it.

On another note, I accidentally poured lemonade into Trey's cereal this morning instead of milk. I didn't even notice it until I gave it to him and he looked at me all weird.

Three-Year-Old For Rent

I'm not ready to sell him just yet, just rent him out for about 45 minutes each morning while he gets dressed. Then I'll take him back. The rest of the day, we have a lot of fun together. But when I get him dressed, he acts like I am sticking sharp needles in him. For some reason, most of his clothes bug him. Different pieces, different reasons. No rhyme or reason. A few months ago, after a particularly memorable morning, I wrote down what had happened. In case you're interested in renting him, this is what you'll be getting into...

"The jeans I get ready to put on Trey are brand new. Of course, he wants nothing to do with them. He throws a fit and I have to pin him down to get them over his legs. I'm pretty much sitting on him. I finally get them on, and he screams even harder because he can feel the adjustable waist belt inside the jeans. Finally, he calms down.

Next, the hooded shirt. As soon as I put it on him, he decides that the hood drives him nuts. Throws an even bigger fit. Almost strangles himself trying to get it off. He keeps trying to turn around to grab the hood on his back. If I weren't so mad, I would be laughing really hard. He looks like a dog trying to catch his tail. I don't have the time or the nerve to handle another drawn out fit, so I yank the shirt off him (maybe a little too hard) and put on something without a hood or anything that may set him off again.

Now it's time for shoes and socks. I open his sock drawer and realize that the three pairs of socks in his drawer are ankle socks, which he has never minded until I bought his most recent pair of shoes. Apparently, he will only wear long socks with these shoes - not ankle socks. Great. Of course. I try not to let him notice the ankle socks as I put them on. Doesn't work. Yet, another fit. I leave him in his room. I was so mad by this point that I had to just walk away.

Fifteen minutes later, he is still screaming and has both his socks and shoes off. I resort to digging through the dirty laundry to find the "right" kind of socks. He is now wearing dirty socks with his shoes. I put them on thinking the drama is over and he is finally dressed. He then points to the velcro on his shoes and tells me that I did it wrong. What!?! Apparently, I didn't do the velcro straight enough. He carefully replaces all four velcro straps to his standards.

He then smiles and acts like the last 45 minutes of the morning never happened. I, however, am still fuming. He is the only person in the world that makes me want to laugh, cry, and scream at the same time. Or beat him and hug him at the same time."

I only document this so that one day when he is much older with children of his own, he might thank me for resorting to screaming some choice words into a pillow instead of strangling him.

One day I'll laught about this. Right?

Here are pictures of just a few of our mornings the last few months. Yeah - I take pictures of him as he is screaming at me.

New Years Goals...

I'm not sure what 2009 will bring our family. Whatever it is, I am ready and I am excited for this year! I don't make resolutions every year, but this year I have a whole slew of them. Last year was a different story completely. My 2008 resolution was simply to hang on for another year. In a nutshell, 2007 was not a year I would want to relive and 2008 consisted of getting back up from the fall.

2009 is a different story, and I have a lot of goals to make this year the best it can be. I won't post all the boring details of how I plan to accomplish everything, but here is a brief overview of just some of what I want to do.

Become closer to Him.



Go here more often.

Read all of this.

Be better at this.

Fit into this.

Save more of this.





Do more of this.

And this.

And this.