avoiding the laundry

It snowed today...only a couple inches, but there is still obviously visible snow in the shady parts of the yard.

Two things I don't like about winter:

1. Coats

I don't necessarily mind wearing a coat when it's cold, but there are certain logistical aspects that I find annoying. One is what to do with it when I'm not outside. At home, no big deal--hang it on my hook in the closet. Done. Anywhere else, though? Like the store...you can wear it and be hot or take it off and have it get all mixed up with the groceries. Annoying. And what if it was snowing and the coat is wet?

And then there's the fact that I'm still allergic to most everything coats are ever made out of. So, I either wear a coat and choose to be itchy, or I can wear the coat into which has been shown a homemade liner consisting of an old t-shirt. That gets hot really fast, as well as adding extra weight to be annoyed with in the store. Ugh.

Any amazing seamstress out there want to design a fabulous and extremely thin cotton something that I can wear inside a coat as needed? Hmmm? Any takers?

2. Shoes

Remember last year when I fell and sprained my wrist? Yeah, still hurts quite often. Lame. Unfortunately, I still only have the same shoes that I fell in last year. I bought new ones, but they lasted all of maybe three months before they literally split at the seams. Lame. So, I have to buy new shoes with better traction. Again.

In addition, I buy all our kid shoes at DI. The only problem with that is that I can't choose the styles. All of my girls' shoes have laces, not velcro. That means I have to tie their shoes on and take them of myself every time we go anywhere. That's a switch from Jane wearing sandals she can put on and take of herself and Megan never really wearing any shoes at all. Sigh.

Two things I do like about winter:

1. Christmas

For the first time in our married lives, we are having Christmas in our own house. Yay!! We're also having all of Chris's family come...should be fun!

2. Christmas

Anyway...speaking of clothes. Which we weren't.

Remember how Megan is in the 54th% for weight and 84th% for height? I looked up Jane's stats from her first year appointment--8% for weight and 27% for height. Um, yeah. That's four pounds lighter and three inches shorter. When four pounds is a fifth of your total body weight, that makes a big difference.

The upshot of that is that when Jane was the size that Megan is now, it was summer. All the clothes I have that fit Megan are summer clothes, with the exception of the clothes Mom bought Megan for her birthday. Thank you! But we will still need to do a little more winter shopping. Sigh again.

Anyway...here are some more random things I can tell you about while I don't put away the clean clothes.

I went shopping with Mom, Lisa, Megan, and Nicole. It was sort of a last-minute trip, so we were in Mom's car with me squished between the two car seats in the back. Lisa ended up buying a set of shelves. They didn't fit in the trunk.


Good thing she didn't buy two sets. At least it was raining--I think rain always makes moments like this funnier.

In addition to being squished in the back while Lisa was squished in the front, I was also holding an ice cream cake on my lap.


Michael and Amanda came to stay with us for a couple nights over the weekend. Yay! It was Amanda's birthday yesterday--HAPPY BIRTHDAY! It was Michael and Brenda's birthday (they're twins) last week--HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

You guys should have birthdays and come visit more often...that cake was oh so delicious.

At Megan's one-year check-up on Monday, she had seven shots. SEVEN. Six immunizations, one flu shot.


Poor girl. She was a trooper, though. She cried while they gave her the shots, then as soon as we all let go of her arms and legs, she was totally fine. Awesome.

Jane, on the other hand...


She had one flu shot. Just one. She cried from the moment the nurse walked into the room, while she got her shot, while Megan got all SeVeN of her shots, and all the way back to the car. Oh, the drama that is her life.

Megan and I matched today. Not on purpose. I figure it's bound to happen now and again when one person is responsible for choosing three people's outfits every day.


It was kind of an odd color combination to end up matching, though. And it's kind of funny because we don't match anymore. I had to change my pants because they have weird belt loops, making my belt basically useless and my pants kept slipping down. Megan's shirt had to be changed after an unfortunate diaper incident.

I bet my kids are going to read things like this years from now and be embarrassed by their mom.


You know, I'm okay with that.

Megan Leigh

As of Monday...

21 lbs 9 oz.
54th percentile

30 in.
otherwise known as 2 and a half feet
84th percentile


Megan's newest tricks,
almost all gained within the last couple days...

Hugs
she'll lay her head on your shoulder

Kisses
mouth wide open

Clapping
anytime anyone else does, or just randomly when she's sitting on the floor by herself

High Five
at least, she'll hold her hand in the air and wait for you

Folding Arms
when we pray, she folds her arms--cute!


I love this girl.

just can't get enough

The girls and I were in some serious need for non-related, same age and gender socializing, so when my dad said he was going to Logan and we could hitch a ride if desired, we took full advantage of the opportunity for a playdate with the Datwylers. [That was a long sentence.]

We stopped first in Ogden. We stayed in the car and ate pb&j sandwiches and fruit snacks while Grandpa did a Phase I on a building and lumberyard.


Note the matching car seats. After much debate, Megan is now forward-facing and loving it.

Once we arrived in Logan and had lunch at Tannie's house, we all packed up and headed to the park. Despite being the middle of October, the weather was perfect.



Yes, Megan is walking now. She was still iffy about the whole thing for a while, but she's caught on that you can carry things if you walk instead of crawl. I think that sealed the deal for her. By the way, she beat Jane by a month, but I'm not sure that would have happened if Jane hadn't broken her leg...

Claire somehow missed the other pictures, but she was definitely there.

Yay for best friends when you're little!

I had a dream last night that everything out of my purse was stolen--my wallet, checkbook, sunglasses, camera, everything. I woke up very, very disappointed that I had lost all these pictures! Forget the wallet, I wanted the camera.

Good thing it was a dream.

I prefer it when my children...

At least this last week, I preferred it when my small children threw up, as opposed to when my husband threw up.

Caution: This post may be ever-so-slightly graphic. Consider yourself warned.

Megan only threw up once, in bed. I pulled her out and put her right in the tub, then pulled all her sheets out in a ball and tossed them into the washer. Done.

I have already chronicled Jane's episode, but to recap, she threw up several times. The first couple times I had to change the sheets (again, straight into the washer) and the following times she always made it into the bowl. Rinse out and done.

Chris, on the other hand. Oh, man. (By the way, I do have his permission to post this.)

Chris hadn't been feeling well on Saturday, but we ventured out to my parents' house for a change of scenery and free food. The windows were down for the fresh air, I was driving. We hit a speed bump.

According to Chris, we hit the speed bump and next thing he knew, we were already parked in front my parents' house a block away and he had thrown up all over the car door. He had passed out.

I rushed the girls inside and left them with my mom while I went back out, armed with paper towels and wet rags and proceeded to wipe down my car, inside and out. Fun stuff.

That was Saturday afternoon. Early Sunday morning, around 1:00, I woke up to a very loud crashing sound. I jumped out of bed and went into the kitchen and found Chris laying on the floor, again having passed out...and thrown up.

He sat on the kitchen floor while I scrubbed around him, including the counters and sink within falling distance, then started a load of laundry while he took a shower. Fun middle of the night activity, eh?

Neither of us could sleep after that, so we stayed up a watched two episodes of Monk before finally going to bed. Long night.

All in all, this time around, I found it much, much easier to clean up after my 2-year-old and 1-year-old daughters than I did cleaning up after my 25-year-old husband. I wouldn't have guessed that. He has never passed out like that before, but it happened twice this time.

I haven't gotten sick. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

10.10.10

In true orange fashion... Last Sunday was Dad's birthday!

Much to his chagrin, we held a family party with an open invitation to any and all who wished to stop by. Lisa was a much more faithful photographer this time around than I was, so I don't have any pictures of the party guests, the orange decorations, or the lovely window display I painted on the front of the house. I should at least get a copy of that one.

I do, however, have a few shots of the small family celebration held right before the open house started.

Without the request of the man of the hour, Lisa and I baked him his own personal German chocolate cake.


With candles to blow out, of course.


For Megan, I had intended to put candles on her fruit pizza cookies but I forgot. Sad! So, I made her some cupcakes (white cake with the confetti frosting...the kind of cake that everyone likes).


Then Dad opened his presents...again to his apparent dismay, although I'd wager he enjoyed the attention more than he really wants to admit.


And finally, just a couple cute pictures. Grandpa with all of his currently existing grandkids...


And Dad with Sarah. She couldn't stay for the party because she had to work, but I had to prove that she is, in fact, still alive and part of our family. Yay!

Happy (late) Birthday,
Dad/Grandpa/Jeff!

Sleepover with Mom

Back in June, I had my worst vomit-related parenting experience yet (click here). Last night was a semi-repeat, with a few very distinct differences.

Jane first woke me up at 12:30 last night, crying very loudly in a very obvious something-is-wrong kind of way. I went into her bedroom to learn that she had thrown up in her sleep, all over herself and her bed. Not wanting to wake up Megan, I didn't turn on the lights and instead had Jane walk into the bathroom. Not the best idea ever. Then it was spread all over the floor...

In June, I had to handle everything on my own. Last night, I was able to fulfill Jane's request and had Dad come to give her a bath and wash her hair while I changed all the sheets on her bed. That was a good difference.

After Jane's bath and getting her tucked back into bed, Chris and I went to bed, too. About half an hour later, I heard Jane again. She had thrown up, again.

In June, I ran out of clean pajamas, clean blankets, and clean bowls because everything was packed to move. Last night, Jane had a whole pile of blankets to throw up on, plenty of pajamas, and a nice light-weight bowl in which to throw up. That was a good difference.

About an hour later, she threw up again. Sigh. Chris had to be up at 4:45 to go to the temple, and I didn't want to keep waking up Megan, either. So Jane and I had a sleepover in the living room.

Thank goodness Chris fixed the furnace last night.

Jane only threw up two more times. Only. I never really slept...I was wide awake anytime Jane moved or breathed differently, ready to grab the bowl for her.

It was finally at 4:00 that I fell asleep. I only woke up for a minute when Chris kissed me goodbye before he left, then we stayed asleep until almost 8:00.

No school to wake up for. That was a good thing.

By the time we did officially wake up for the day, I was starving. I called my dad and he came and sat with the girls for a few minutes before he went to work so I could run to McDonald's and get something hot that I didn't have to cook.

Family close who can help. That was a good difference.

Jane keeps telling me she feels fine and to leave her alone, but she isn't moving much. She keeps telling me she wants breakfast, but she rejects any food I offer. I think she's sick.


Of course, I just went in to check on her now, and while she's still laying on the couch watching The Little Mermaid, her cup of juice is now sitting in the windowsill across the room. Hmmm...maybe we're on our way out.

Logan Repeat

Having a Geo Metro isn't all bad...40 miles to the gallon is pretty good, in fact. After driving up for Claire's birthday party and discovering that it only costs about $10 roundtrip, I decided that the girls and I would venture up again to visit more people at a more leisurely pace.

First stop: school!


I haven't been in a school since June. Sigh. It was good to go back. It was very nice to visit with everyone there. Thank you! I enjoyed the conversation, and I believe everyone else enjoyed Jane's lunch time entertainment.

Stop 2: A tour around Logan. Pictures to follow.


Trust me, it was more exciting than they let on.

Stop 3: Datwylers again!

Linus wasn't feeling well so we didn't stay long, and I didn't take any pictures. But thanks, Tannie, for letting us crash at your house for a while.

And thank you, by the way, for the note from Claire. Jane carries it around all the time and says, "This is my card. It's from Claire because she's my friend. You can't have it."

Stop 4: Jess!

It was a rather rainy, miserable weather day so we hung out at the mall for a while. The girls enjoyed the acrobatics and Jess and I enjoyed the company.


Jane made a new friend while we were there. That friend's grandmother came up as we were leaving and thanked us for being there--that little girl really needed someone who could play ring-around-the-rosie with her.

After playing for a while, we all went to Jess's house for movies and dinner. Thank you again for the omelet, Jess. It was delicious.

Funny moment...Mark came home while we were there, although I'm not sure if he knew that or not. Jane was sitting on the couch. When Mark walked in, she said, "Hi Mark. How was work?" As if it was perfectly normal for her to be there, even though she hadn't seen him in months.

Stop 5: David and Charyl!

We only had a little time left in the day before we needed to drive back home, so we didn't get to stay long, but we had to say hello.

David gave Jane a new treat...I don't know what it was, but I can tell you that Jane definitely didn't like it.


The cute couple!


It was really nice to be in Logan again and say hello to everyone that we did. Salt Lake is treating us well, but I do miss the people in Cache Valley.

mirror image

We had the missionaries over for dinner last night, and I think Jane was a little taken with one of the elders. She asked him to sit next to her, then she mimicked everything he did. She took a drink at the same time, used her napkin at the same time, and took a bite of the same food at the same time.

I don't think any of the menfolk noticed, but I thought it was hilarious.

A baby no more

On Wednesday, Megan turned 1. We don't have a baby in the house anymore! That went fast.

It was a good day. We started out with reading time,


then we ran a few errands. The girls took a break on a convenient bench.


We still had our playdate with Lisa, but we had to move inside due to lots of rain all day long. Megan had her first taste of pudding. Everyone needs a messy face picture on their first birthday!


Later that evening, we set the stage for Megan's first ever birthday party all for her, complete with pizza,


presents,


and decorations.


Chris deemed Megan's party "exclusive"--only his parents and my parents were invited. Yay for grandparents!


We chose pizza because it is already easily one of Megan's favorite meals.


Can you tell she enjoyed it?

Megan didn't really know what to do with presents. Her only experience thus far was last Christmas, and she was only two and a half months old. Not helpful. So, I was helpful instead.


Gift one: sippy cup that says "Megan". In our house, some things have to be clearly labeled to avoid being claimed by a certain two-year-old...


Megan is quite a meticulous unwrapper. She would find a folded corner and concentrate very hard to get it unfolded. Most of the rips actually came from me.


Gift two: "A is for Ark" flip book from Grandma Janet and Grandpa Craig. Yay for books! Thank you!


For the most part, Jane sat quietly between Grandpa Jeff and Grandma Karrie and watched, but I knew it was taking all her concentration to resist helping.


When Megan lost interest, we finally let Jane lend a hand.


Gift three: a toy medicine kit. The only "toy" Megan has ever really shown consistent interest in is the stethoscope we got from the hospital after her surgery. Following that vein, I opted for this toy. It was a hit.


Gift four: the clothes Megan is wearing! Thank you, Mom, for buying clothes that fit Megan that Jane has not already sent through the ringer, creating many holes and stains. It's nice to have something that Jane doesn't remember, either, and try to again claim as her own since she used to wear it. Who knew she'd have such a memory for clothes?

Last but not least: DESSERT.

I don't actually know if Megan has ever had cake in her life. That didn't change on her birthday. Her absolute, hands-down, no contest favorite food is--any guesses? Fruit. Seriously, this girl lives to eat fruit. Oh my goodness.


We had fruit pizza. Sugar cookies with sliced fruit on top. I handed Megan a cookie and she promptly threw it on the floor and cried for more fruit.


Can a mom complain about that?

Side note about hair: How is it that I have two blonde girls? Have you noticed how UN-blonde my hair is?

Side note about the decorations: If you use an air compressor to fill up balloons, they will stay full FOREVER. Jane's balloons lasted over three months and then only died because we were so sick of them we popped them all. Something about filling them with colder air and no moisture.


Side note 3: If you leave the cord for the air compressor coming into the living room, a child may use it to make a fashion statement.