Sunday, January 26, 2014

A Sunday Devotional, by Riley and Fisher Price

I am too pooped to poop. Or blog. I just wanted to share this sweet little moment from Riley's blanket fort, her singing "I Am a Child of God" (with a "Popcorn Song" encore).

I imagine it does God's heart good to hear little kids singing about Him. God's not vain, obviously, but I think He would like it because those childhood songs have a way of sticking with a person, and their messages might help us live our lives better, and get back to Him when our number's up. I am glad Riley already has some in her repertoire.

And this scripture:
For my soul delighteth in the song of the hearth; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads. - D&C 25:12
Amen and AMEN.

(I just decided to make this into my theme this week. The week of uplifting music. I think it might be a moment of genius on my part. And to implement it...if you feel so inclined, send any and all worthy music my way - I would really love some assistance!) 

Monday, January 20, 2014

A Song and a Dance

The snow continues to build.
Here is what we do about it:
Mall play places are our friends. Here is Riley faking a need for help climbing this bridge, to get this boy's attention. It worked, I admit - they played for a long time.
Watching football - Dave is starting him young.
And today we ventured to the bookstore to get Riley some flash cards because she is recently obsessed with the alphabet. Ten times a day, at least, she quirks her head at me and asks, "Hey Mom? Abc'bs?" and we sing the song together. She also writes the letter "m" over and over again because it is the first one she has written on her own and she is excited. It is only a little creepy to find it on scrawled repeatedly throughout the house.
 
 Once at the bookstore, Riley came over to Dave and said that she had a stinky butt, and also her pants were wet. Unfortunately, she had earlier removed her diaper and replaced her pants with out telling us...ah the joys of potty training... After that she was pantless for a while, till we got her a new pair at Marshalls. 
And then there she is hogging all the fro yo.
Afterwards, Riley passed out for one her increasingly-rare naps. Holla!
 That was a whole lotta Riley. Joe was there too, in the role of the more easy, go-with-the-flow child (they take turns). But he definitely is doing his bit to keep us entertained. Here he is break-dancing like a boss.
 And cooking up furbies for dinner.
Dave starts back to school tomorrow and we are really going to miss him. But after a six-week break, you try to suck it up and not complain too much. :)

I am glad to have such good company at home, albiet company that has me pleasantly ready for bed by eight thirty every night. Who knew being a mom was so physically, sometimes emotionally, exhausting? As satisfying as it is to fall asleep before your head hits the pillow, I needed me-time last Saturday and Dave sooo rose to the occasion.

He took the kids out Saturday morning so I could put some checks on my to-do list, and do a work-out video without anyone sitting on my back while I did push-ups (or rather, tried). Hubby returned, bouquet in hand, just in time for me to take a shower and then head out for a little retail therapy, while they stayed home for naps or whatever. I didn't spend a lot - I'd say I bought just enough half-priced sweaters and Reese's eggs to feel some autonomy again. The home-cooked dinner when I got back was icing on the cake.

That Dave, he gets me. I am the one home taking care of babies most of the time, but he is the one taking care of me. I've said it before and I'll say it again - he is the rock around here.

Oh hey I just realized we are 2/3rds of the way through January! Cheers!

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Back in the land of 10,000 icecubes.

I've got no pictures today, lets get that out upfront. But who does, this time of year? I am only just barely emerging from the denial phase of post-holiday shlump. It's over. Santa Clause is not coming to town again for a very, very long time. When our tree is finally down, you will know I'm in acceptance stage. Till then...

Well we have been busy afterall. Let's see. We packed about two tons of baby toys on the top of our car and made the overnight drive from MN from VA last week (we could hear Riley's Ariel buggy singing "lets go on an adventure" from the roof when we stopped at tollbooths and gas stations). We hit very little traffic and took a rather scenic road, with only one snowstorm and a few hours of pretty solid fog. At least that is what Dave tells me - I slept through most of it and Dave is my hero, obviously.

The babies watched a lot of Charlie Brown (on the kindle, rigged to a head rest with my scarf. winning.) and got to crash a Girl Scout meeting at McDonalds for like an hour and a half. The moms were strategizing how to flood the town with cookies and once their tweens pledged to sell, I kid you not, a thousand each, they got bored and started chasing Riley and Joe around. I think Riley got in at least twenty laps. Hey thanks Girl Scouts!

Yada yada yada, got home at eight am, slept, unpacked, shopped, slept, went to church, watched the Academy Awards, slept, oh hey you're still reading, went to the library, aaand that brings us to now.

Oh and here's this - I started babysitting a little guy from church full time this semester and I must say its going well. He is a happy, chill fella and Riley loves "Baby Merry" (not his name), and Joe has been more magnanimous than we could have hoped. Going anywhere is a little tricky, but ain't nobody but nobody wants to go out anyways - its arctic out there! There is this one newscaster who keeps saying to "get out and enjoy the winter because it will be over before we know it." Ha. Ha. Ha. At least we have the Olympics to look forward to! Feb. 7th people.

-Segue into unrelated but noteworthy story-

Last night I accidentally gashed my wrist while slicing cheese in a stupid way. When Riley saw Dave bandaging it she insisted that she too needed a bandage on her wrist and since then she has been bumping wrists with me and saying, "Cheers, wrist stickers, cheers." What a cutie - she has really been on her game lately. Except for the not napping thing. Apologies to the neighbors - we actually were not having an exorcism at dinner, that was just three days of nap-deprivation coming to a head.

At least she passed out by six thirty and Joe got some one on two time with us, which he loves. He sat on Dave's shoulders during scripture reading tonight, roaring and throwing his hat to the ground over and over. I read anyway. I think his spirit was totally nourished. :)

Saturday, January 4, 2014

A howdy from UT AND VA

Don sent me this video of Dave on the slopes yesterday. I think it is safe to say he is having a good time.

And so is everyone else.

We are keeping a pretty good act together ourselves. Yesterday Riley and I went into town to see Frozen and Riley loved the movie almost as much as the popcorn. I enjoyed it too. We had the entire theater to ourselves and could narrate and sing "the Snowman Song" to hearts content.

This morning Ang and I took the babies out sledding on the powder from yesterdays storm.
xx's for you, Babydaddy. If mine look tired, it's because of your son - he partied all night. Mom and Dad relieved me about 3 am and took him downstairs and when I came down in the morning, he was riding his tyke toy around and had gold fish and chocolate milk smeared over face and clothes. I am dumbfounded.

We also made a snowman. And about a million snow angels.

Seeing the world throuigh the eyes of a child really does make the ordinary extraordinary. Maybe that's why people pop out a baby and BAM, start taking millions of pictures and everyone else is like, "booooring - another picture of someone else's kid in the snow...yawn..."

Ahem. I do what I want.


Anyways, Riley is having a blast and you can't help but join her. Don't like winter? Spend ten seconds sledding down a hill with a laughing, shrieking toddler in front and you might just change your mind. Not a morning person? Wait till she crawls into bed with you and starts stroking your hair and singing,"Gingle mom, Gingle mom, Gingle allll da way." There is simply no defense against her.

Whoever came up with "the terrible two's" clearly did not know what they were talking about! And I hope I didn't just jinx something.

Speaking of age - Happy Birthday Don Harreld! I tried to text you but we don't get service out here. But it said, "Hope your birthday is as wonderful as you are!" Because you are super wonderful.

Karen - please tell Don to read this post! Thanks! :)

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Welcome 2014

Today we said goodbye to Jon and Dave as well, for a whole week. It was very sad. But we are holding down the fort pretty well.  

Our day, in pictures:


His Royal Highness, King Joseph.
And Riley, his speedster of a sister.



Riley, a monster mug, and some fishy kisses to send Daddy's way.


Then she declared herself an "Upside-down-osaurus" and asked to be put to bed. Early.
I tell you, that girl is going places.

New Year's Resolutions anyone? I have never invested much in 'em, but last year I had a single word, "Gratitude," and that seemed to work pretty well. At least, it stuck in my mind and I do think I am a bit more grateful because of it.

For this year I have been deciding between "Faith" (as in calm the heck down, cause I worry too much) or "Scriptures." The second might be the more practical, and surely would lend itself to the first. But I could just go crazy and have two words in my 2014 theme...why not?