Furkey Tertilizer

The most common question asked of me recently is how things are going being back at work. My typical response: we're getting there. No, I don't have it all figured out yet. Generally, I feel like I'm doing fine, but I am often surprised by how quickly something makes me snap. I'm sure it's a combination of stress and lingering post-pregnancy hormones, but I'm completely fine one moment, then the tiniest thing can bring me close to tears. And if you know me, you'll know I'm not a crier--so that's saying something.

But it's not all bad. We still have our good moments...

Megan fell asleep on Chris's lap. I don't know about you, but this isn't my ideal sleeping position. It doesn't appear to be amazingly comfortable.



It would seem, however, that Megan finds it quite comfortable. She stayed that way even when we moved her into the car seat.


A nasty cough caught hold of Jane last week, so we kept her home from church just to be on the safe side. Chris went to Priesthood while I stayed with the girls, then Chris came home and stayed with them while I went to church to conduct the music in Sacrament meeting and choir. This is what I came home to.



I was kind of jealous.

Jane is all about cows now. I have told this story several times because I think it's funny. Sorry if you've already heard it--but now you have the pictures to go with it!

We drive past a field on our way home from day care. Jane points out the cows and has a lovely conversation with them as we drive on:

"Hi cows! Moo! I go get my cup. Daddy has cup at home. Just a minute. Be right back. I go get my cup. See ya cows! Moo!"

And here is Jane on that same day.


We trade babysitting with the Datwylers so we can each make it to the temple at least once a month. Claire and Linus came to hang out with us for a few hours last Saturday. We

colored...

danced...

twirled...

spun...

and twirled some more.

It was a fun visit. Even Mark came over to say hello.


Megan pretty much slept through the whole thing.


Saturday was the first time since I've gone back to work that we actually stayed home all weekend. We, thankfully, managed to get a lot of housework done, which needless to say, has been sorely neglected while I've been at school. Most importantly, we got all the laundry done.


Megan pretty much slept through the whole thing. It's what she does.


Well, she's not always asleep.


I'm counting on her to wake me up in time for school when Chris isn't home to make sure I hear the alarm.

Our grand excitement on Sunday was--drum roll please--putting up the Christmas tree.

With the toddler in our house, we have learned to keep the tree up on a table to keep it less toddler-accessible. Chris, in all his clever engineering-ness, devised a way to tie it down.


Pretty stable, huh?


Of course, then we realized that we had started with the middle section of the tree instead of the bottom...so we started over.


But it worked the second time, too!


Jane kept herself entertained throughout the evening by trying out different headwear. First up, Megan's bow.


Second, a wooden heart-shaped wreath.


Think she has a future in fashion? Or maybe hairstyling?


She was singing Christmas songs, by the way. At least, that's what she told me. I think she was secretly catching up on her Tom Clancy reading. She does call him Grandpa when she looks at the picture on the back cover.


In the end, we didn't put any decorations on the tree...at the moment, it's not worth the fight of keeping Jane away. So we have only a nicely-lit tree. It still makes me happy.


Megan pretty much slept through the whole thing.


And here's us...because we were there.



And yes, I promise that Megan really isn't always asleep. She's a cutie.




So, when I'm stressed, I look at my cute family and think of funny stories.

Even when I'm really stressed, already on the verge of tears, with two kids screaming for my attention, all I need to do is think of Furkey Tertilizer and I smile again.