School, babies, birthday.

Blogging has been in short supply lately, mostly because the waiting game we are playing doesn't really make for interesting writing. Are we going to go to Minnesota or Carnegie Mellon? On the one hand you have a full tuition scholarship at a quality school in a land of nice strangers and long winters. On the other, a 25% scholarship at a legendaryish school (ie, more expensive school), which happens to be only 5 hours from my hometown. We will have the answer by April 18. Because they told us we have to. In the meantime, we are checking into the possibility of a better scholarship at Carnegie and praying for some inspiration as to the best choice for our family, as well as sending up thanks for two such wonderful options to choose from.

And that is what has been on my mind lately.

In the meantime, Riley is one going on 16. She likes to do Joe's non-existent hair with elastics and a brush and has recently learned the word, "duh," so that's awesome. She also has taken to housekeeping - she likes to run to the utensil drawer whenever I am stirring something, grabs a pastry brush and reaches it up to "help." She is positively, literally, dangerous with a broom.

Joe still hates every food but breastmilk. Every food, that is, except peanut-butter captain crunch - of that he will eat as much as he can get his chubby hands on. He wants to crawl so bad, but mostly can only raise up on his toes and hands over and over, which undoubtedly is great for his core. We have worked hard to get him sleeping through the night - for a while there he wanted to be nursed ever one or two, maybe three hours at night and it was KILLING me but last night he slept till six and everyone is much happier, and less likely to kill anyone.

 The boy got a rocking sock monkey from Zizi. He loves rockin on that monkey!  Riley loves pizza. Like, seriously, why don't you marry it love. Not that I have room to talk there. Mmm...

I appropriated this weekend as my birthday since we will be flying to Florida on the actual day, gosh darn it. I basically kicked back and did whatever I fancied all weekend, and bless Dave for rising to the occasion. I took naps and went shopping and had Cafe Rio, and read a book, all with my adorable babies available for play if I felt like it but cared for if I did not, and it was good for my soul! Also, Andrea came on Saturday and made us pumpkin french toast stuffed with a creamcheese and cream filling, drizzled with blackberry caramel sauce with berries on the side and it was, in a word, divine. Cards and presents were icing on the cake and thanks to everyone who thought of me and made me feel loved on this, my pre-birthday weekend. haha. Oh and hey, I got contacts too, so now I can play soccer again without breaking my glasses like a big dork! Yippee!

Cheers for the Weekend! Hurray!

After a long week like this past one, a little hell-raisin was in order. Friday night we blew off child-rearing duty - thanks, Ander! - and went to see our favorite Irish rockers. Flogging Molly gets DOWN! And their fan base is a most interesting blend of green-mohawks, kilts, tatoos... yup, found our people. (: We were down in the pit not far from the stage and I guess I should have expected it but at ten when their openers, a Mariachi band, finally finished and Flogging Molly came on, people started moshing like you wouldn't believe. A couple times Dave had to snag me back from getting carried away in the current of sweaty hooligans. Oh, and Mr. Dreadlocks in front of us! He was bouncing around all over - if he had had lice the whole crowd would have been in trouble. I was concerned, but so far, no itches. It was an experience for sure - my hell-raising quoto for the month has officially been met.

Saturday we kept as unstructured as possible. Andrea came with us to the park where we played on the swings and slides and kicked around a soccer ball, and we ate fast food and went thrifting. Later that evening, Allison came over and we went on yet another date! This one a little more toned down - we went shopping. Ain`t no girl gonna complain about that! Our babies are awesome and I love them but hanging out one-on-one with my Dave is also very awesome. He sure knows how to show a girl a good time - we are always laughing, whether we are rocking out at a concert or pushing a stroller to Walmart in our gym clothes, like crazies, we have a good time. It sure is a good thing I married that one - he is good for my soul.

And now....
Living in the Moment with Riley, and how she gets that baby-soft skin. Aside from, well, being a baby: milk bath!

She really is awesome - I love how she gets a thrill out of the basic things of life. I think we could all get more kicks out of our day...

Sunny Days are Here at Last

It was in the sixties today! Woohoooo!!! We went swinging.

Our boy could take it or leave it.

But it sure gave me the giggles - he reminded me of the characters on Wall-E.

He has been a little sad lately due to new teeth coming in. That darn teething! It makes me sad too.

Bless his little heart - you want to cuddle him better, don't you? Story of my life.

 But Riley always lightens the mood, in her own unique way.

This is occurred while i was doing dishes. I startled her with my laugh and got this face. Riley! You kill me! She was totally sur;rised that I laughed. You know, because it is totally normal to turn it into a hat when you are done with it. No big deal.

Sooo...is it Friday yet?  I feel like it should be. All this sunshine makes me ready to kick back and relax! In two weeks we can do exactly that. Florida! Woohooooo!!! Again!!!!

GOLLUM MAKES RILEY CRY

RILEY DROOLED INTO THE COM;UTER AAAAND NOW WE ARE STUCK IN CA;S LOCK. AND CERTAIN KEYS AREN'† WORKING... THIS IS SOOOO TY;ICAL.

RILEY WAS MOVED:

It's a little better now. Hopefully by tomorrow all drool will have evaporated. In fairness, Riley can't help; all the drool - since she gashed her tongue, its really turned on the faucet!

A few more random treats from this weekend for for ya:

Riley's audition for the People of Walmart

Lastly, this is what we mean when we say that Joe still doesn't want to eat food. In case you were wondering.

*This p;ointless up;date was made p;ossible by Saturday Night Live. Our boy, JT is hosting tonight so we are staying up for it. Nevermind that last night I got, oh five hours of broken sleep. Here's hoping we'll get some "Bring it on down to Plasticville" and a funny musical short. Fingers crossed!

Impromptu Silliness and That Other Thing...

 Poor munchkin Joe has such an attentive big sister. He loves it when she plays with him, and, for the time being at least, it doesn't matter if that involves girly accessories. Isn't he quite the chunk?? He has double knees, and creases instead of elbows or wrists. He still won't take formula or babyfood, so that's all me! *self pat on the back, boobs, whatever.

Aaaand, did you know that stitches on the tongue aren't really done? Riley fell off her stool the other day and bit a wicked gash into her tongue, bled all over Dave's jacket and almost made me pass out. I called the doctor and they said they probably couldn't put stitches in it but prescribed popsicles, which we have from the last time Riley fell and cut her lip. Sorry if the picture grosses you out ...at least she's happy! She sure loves those popsicles too - I have to change her out of sticky clothes five times a day but you can tell it helps a lot, so we'll deal.

 She clearly is tougher than her mommy - there was the almost fainting incident just after the accident, whilst she licked a popsicle. Then today I thought the poor baby must be exhausted and set to rocking her to sleep for her nap early. I must have dozed off because next thing I know, Riley has slipped off my nap to go behind the rocking chair and shove me practically out of my seat. She might have just been trying to get the rocking going again. Might. Anyways, I guess I was just projecting. Get tired enough and you kind of start thinking everyone must be!

The Best Birthday Ever

 

Our Dave had a birthday today and woowee, it was a good one! For starters, we had amazing bacon and french toast (Dave made it because that's what happens when your are the best at it, birthday or no). Em and Andrea joined us  for breakfast and then we all headed over to THE BIGGEST TRAMPOLINE GYM IN THE USA. There we jumped our little legs off with friends and family.

we made this video of it: 

*the song we put it to is a mash-up of the little mermaid and a song we first heard when we were first dating and went into this ghetto-fabulous store in Provo called Gen-X, "Booty Rockin'"...it's classy.

Oh my. One might wonder why one would go anywhere else for one's birthday! I've heard grownups actually have cocktail parties or such for their birthdays, buuuut, this was better. Hands down. Should you decide to go, I would recommend taking a baby with you, as it gives you an excuse to take a break from jumping - wears you right out!

Riley did not appreciate the interruption for a family picture.

Our daredevil just figured she'd jump off this six-foot ledge into the foam pit. Dave snagged her and lowered her - she probably would have sunk under the foam if she'd had her way and jumped.

 After the gym we headed over to a nearby park for pizza and play before heading home for a nap. While everyone was asleep I went to Coldstone's with my sisters and we had a nice visit - gotta love sister time! Then to finish the day, Suzette, Don and Jake came for birthday dinner and cake.

A day you get to spend with lots of loved ones, playing and laughing and eating together - that's a good day! And our birthday boy deserves every bit of it. He makes the world a better place all the time with his goodness, love, and faith (in God and people - seriously, he is the perfect balance for my worry-wort self), and that day 32 years ago was one lucky day for the world, let me tell you!

Happy Birthday, Dave!
We love you!

The Post With No Title

Here is The Sweetest Joe I Know. I'm obsessed, obviously - these babies are even cooler than I'd imagined babies could be. The other day, I was explaining to Dave that, while it gets irksome to spend so much time inside during the winter, there are no two better people to pass the time with than Riley and Joe - they are adorable, fascinating, silly, loving, and just really lovely human beings. 

Also featured: the iPhone Dave decided I needed. He figured having easy access to baby games when we're out and about would be helpful. He was right - they are small, but juggling/entertaining two babies when we are at the doctors or waiting in the car can be tricky. So happy birthday to me! Er...David. His birthday is tomorrow. Maybe I'll post something of more substance then.

And here are our babies watching Charlie Brown Falls in Love, for the umpteenth time. Joe likes to play with Riley's hair. The cutest!

They are a handful though, make no mistake. It definitely shows sometimes - after sleepless nights and following days when I look more zombie than woman, or when somebody bites someone and gets a bottle of milk dumped on them in retaliation, or when all the toilet paper has been removed and wadded into the toilet to be stirred around with my toothbrush... Parenthood has taught me about sucking it up and carrying on. Well, it's teaching me - present tense. Does letting the kids watch Charlie Brown all afternoon and heating up frozen ravioli for dinner count as carrying on? Whatever - I love our batch of crazy.



Why yes, yes I shall.