100 Things about Me

No. This is not my 100th post. I just really enjoyed reading others' 100 things posts and thought that perhaps my one faithful reader might enjoy reading mine. And if not, well, at least only one person was affected. Here goes...

1. I have several unfounded, childish fears that I've developed as an adult.
2. I love to cook.
3. I hate to clean.
4. I am much better at project cleaning than every day cleaning.
5. Autumn in my favorite season.
6. I met my husband by dating his brother.
7. I think a good summer can be measured by the number of Otter Pops you consume.
8. I do not do well in temperatures above 80 degrees.
9. The deliveries of both of my children were emergencies.
10. I have a very long list of things I want that I cannot afford to buy.
11. I have an even longer list of things I have that money cannot buy.
12. I change my penmanship almost every time I write.
13. I love to make people laugh, even if I have to look like an idiot to do so.
14. I often quote movies.
15. I still watch cartoons.
16. I like shows made for pre-teens.
17. I enjoy singing far more than others like to hear me sing.
18. I often have dreams about high school.
19. I rarely feel like I fit in.
20. I love to watch clouds.
21. I like kids more than they like me.
22. I was a homecoming queen candidate but no one asked me to the dance.
23. Seafood grosses me out.
24. It will be a long time before I consider working outside the home again.
25. I will probably never go back to school and finish my Business Management degree.
26. I love my husband and kids beyond what I thought I was capable of.
27. I have short, fat toes.
28. I want more kids.
29. I have several allergies.
30. I used to be an awesome dancer.
31. I am having a hard time keeping this list positive.
32. I didn't know I had a soft spot until I had babies.
33. I am a fun person to have at a party.
34. I am boring one-on-one.
35. I love being part of a big family.
36. I am a terrible artist.
37. I've made several quilts.
38. Two guys claim that I "Dear John"d them on their missions, but I'm pretty sure I took care of it before they left.
39. I have a major sweet tooth.
40. I only went to one boy's choice dance at my high school; Senior Prom.
41. I am typing faster than the cursor can keep up.
42. I wish more people would comment on my blog.
43. I don't have any Hollywood crushes.
44. Calculus was my favorite subject in high school.
45. I am back to my pre-pregnancy weight, but with a different shape.
46. I actually want a minivan.
47. I have been in the Primary for 3 years, serving in as many positions.
48. I wish more people wrote hand-written letters.
49. I've bonded more with Kenley than I did with Isaac as a baby.
50. I think humor and food make just about any situation better.
51. I think I'm a true friend...to both of you. ;^)
52. Our phone seldom rings for me.
53. I'm too lazy to sort through the clearance racks while shopping.
54. I don't think I was any more spoiled by being the only girl out of 7 children.
55. My mom thinks I live a charmed life.
56. One of my favorite songs is "The Star Spangled Banner."
57. I am often selfish.
58. I watch too much TV.
59. I make a mean cheesecake.
60. I had only groomsmen at my wedding reception.
61. I had never been on an airplane until I flew to Acapulco for my honeymoon.
62. Family is very important to me.
63. I like that I have small babies.
64. I would love to build furniture, if I didn't have wood allergies.
65. I think I would be a good cake decorator.
66. I'm pretty good at almost everything that I try.
67. I am a dead-eye with a rifle.
68. I really want to learn to play the guitar.
69. I look silly in professional clothing.
70. I'm not as good of a housekeeper as I thought I'd be.
71. I taught myself how to play the piano.
72. I cannot afford to decorate according to my taste.
73. I wish my house had a library.
74. Memorizing songs is second nature to me.
75. I enjoy cooking for company, but I'm awkward at entertaining guests.
76. I cannot sleep if my sheets or blanket are not straight. (I find it strange that Jeremiah can.)
77. I feel anxiety when I see someone with only one sock on.
78. I am not a risk taker.
79. I have a tattoo, but I wish I didn't.
80. My husband would not have liked me if he had met me one year earlier than he did.
81. I'm usually the one who mows the lawn.
82. I miss the Smurfs.
83. Every time I check the mail I'm hopeful someone has sent us money for no reason.
84. I remember peoples' birthdays really well, but I'm usually late at sending gifts and greetings.
85. I am historically ignorant.
86. I still delight in simple pleasures. Ooh! Something shiny!
87. I love surprises.
88. I was grounded for months at a time as a teenager.
89. My faith has not yet been tested.
90. I have been extremely blessed with two very content babies.
91. I want to name my next boy (should I have one) Jack Davis.
92. I felt kind of silly when a friend asked me if I had a problem with her naming her son Isaac.
93. I don't think I fit the stereotype of what girls are like.
94. I was very "boy crazy" growing up.
95. My biggest pet peeve right now is the condition of our home office / nursury / toy room.
96. I am constantly hungry.
97. I sucked my thumb until I entered Kindergarten.
98. Americanized Mexican food is my favorite.
99. I love riding on roller coasters.
100. I found it difficult to write this list!

Well, that should have given the 'I' key sufficient use!

Privacy

If you are a mother you understand that it is very hard to find any time to yourself while raising children. They follow you everywhere. Most of the time it's nice to have a little shadow but sometimes you really need some alone time, like while you're using the restroom. I thought that I had made it possible to at least use the restroom in peace by teaching Isaac "privacy" as soon as he was able to open a door.

When he follows me to the bathroom I politely say that I need some privacy and he usually grabs the doorknob and closes the door behind him on his way out. This morning he did just that as he stated, "I will get you some privacy." I thought it was funny that he said "get" instead of "give" but I didn't think much of it until he opened the door again. "Here's some privacy" he said pretending to hand it to me. I made the mistake of laughing which only encouraged him to continue retrieving privacy, which apparently existed in abundance in the hallway.

The Dancin' Song

Isaac has a song that he sings every time he wants to dance. It goes something like this:

Shake yo' bum bum

Shick a bon bon

Chuck a boom boom

No, he has never listened to Ricky Martin.

Funny Face

Why Gwen, three posts in one day? Well, yes. I got this new camera (by new I mean new to me) and I just got the software that goes with it. So some of this is stuff that I've been saving.

This is one of the reasons I wanted a better digital camera. I'm so glad I could capture some of the things my kids do that make me laugh. I love it when Kenley does this face.

Sorry that you have to watch it sideways, I'm a novice at this stuff.

Little Star

Here is Isaac in one of those rare moments where he did exactly what I asked him to do in order to show him off. I'm just lucky I had a camera to record it! He got a little embarrassed at the end, but I thought it was cute anyway!

Baby Bath

We liked Ryan and Amber's new house. It has such a nice floor plan and it is wonderful that they finally have a place that is theirs, not "hers" or "his." We had fun staying there and shopping eating helping them settle in. Well, as much as we could anyway...technically they can't move in until it has funded, which will be tomorrow. But the fact that we were breaking the law only added to the excitement!

And Kenley enjoyed her bath in the sink. She had a good time splashing and watching herself in the mirror.

The Joy of Public Restrooms

The other day while eating out for lunch, Isaac announced that he needed to go potty. I took him into the restroom and as we closed the door, the noise from the rest of the restaurant was blocked out and the music over the speakers was more audible. Isaac approached the toilet to find that water was continually flowing into the bowl. He looked inside the commode, and then listened to the music and said, "It's a dancing toilet. I want to pee on the dancing toilet.

True To My Word...

Yesterday was better. After having a rough day on Tuesday, I think I salvaged Isaac's faith in me as a mother yesterday and today. It helped that Jeremiah had the last two days off and we all spent some much needed time together as a family. Isaac got to play with uncle Gabriel while I got a haircut. The two of them watched some silly animation on the internet which Isaac thought was pretty funny. And he also got to play "the monster game," or rather, he got to watch Gabriel play it, which seems to be far more enjoyable than playing it himself. We went to Wal-Mart and I even bought extra blueberries so that Isaac could snack on them while I made the rest into a pie. Then we came home and we played outside and cleaned up the house a little so that we could be ready for some dinner guests.

Jeremiah's Aunt Cheryl and two of her kids, Sarah & David, were in town from San Diego and we had fun having them over for dinner. Isaac wasn't too interested in the food, but he was very excited to have a table full of people to entertain. After the spaghetti feed we had a nice visit before partaking of a freakin' awesome blueberry pie and then saying goodbye.

Afterwards, Jeremiah and I went outside and set up the tent. We made a make-shift bed for Isaac out of pillows and blankets but he ended up sleeping on the air mattress with Jeremiah and me. Poor Jeremiah was sandwiched in between Isaac and I until 3:30 this morning when we finally decided to put Isaac in his own bed and grab an extra blanket for the two of us. It was kind of chilly, but nothing like the 8 inches of snow Kate and her family experienced, so I can't really complain. Besides, the chill gave us an excuse to cuddle...not that we needed one... We slept outside Kenley's window and she woke us up at about 7:30 this morning. We both came in and jumped in our bed to finish up any sleepy time we had left.

I had to tend some children this morning from about 9:00 to 11:00 and Isaac had fun playing with his friend Mason and his sister Megan. After they left Jeremiah surprised us with a family outing. We went to Bajio for lunch. (Can't go wrong there!) Isaac had his share of rice and beans while Jeremiah and I enjoyed our giant chimichangas. And then we headed to the theater to see Cars. It was a cute show and we all enjoyed it.

And the fun isn't over yet! Tomorrow, Isaac is looking forward to a play-date with his Nana and then we are headed to Boise under the pretense of helping to help my brother and his family move. Isaac is really excited to see "Ty-wha and Caw-teh."

No, I didn't do all this to make up for Tuesday. This is probably how these two days would have turned out anyway. I know I'm not a bad mother, I just wish I was a better one sometimes!

Dear Son,

I'm sorry that I was not a very good mother today. I did not feel well and I gave you very little attention today as I tended to myself and my own needs. I tried to sleep during your sister's nap and left you to your own devices. Then as you entered my room, probably because you only wanted the attention of your mother, I often snapped at you and told you to be quiet, leave the room, go finish your movie and the like. I didn't try to explain to you why Mommy needed rest. I treated you as though you were an older child able to tend himself without any supervision. I asked you to act beyond your years. For that I am sorry. I should have realized that you are barely 3, and no matter how brilliant I think you are, you are still a toddler!

And yet, you did act beyond your years today. I know you tried to stay quiet and play by yourself. You whined less than usual - which I hope you keep up, by the way - and used your "nice voice" when you asked for things. And although I was not very nice to you, you did not cry. I helped you brush your teeth and then you put yourself to bed. You did not ask for a story, a song or anything to drink. You even tucked yourself in. By the time I finished getting myself ready for bed you were already asleep. I came in, kissed you on the head and told you that I loved you. Then I realized that that was the first time I had told you that today and you didn't even get to hear it. And then I cried.

I'm so proud of you. You're such a great kid, in spite of me. I'm sorry that you didn't get the love and attention from your mother today that you deserve. I hope you'll forgive me, and I hope you don't remember this day. I do hope, however, that you remember tomorrow, because I promise you it will be better.

Love,
Mom

Father's Day Shopping

I went to Wal-Mart last Friday to buy an air mattress. As I was choosing which one would best suit our needs (and budget), Isaac kept himself busy by looking at all the flashlights on the opposite side of the aisle. I told him to pick one out and we would give it to Jeremiah for Father's Day from Isaac. He, of course, chose the Spiderman flashlight, turns to me and says, "I want...Daddy wants this one." Nice try kid.

Although Isaac didn't get the Spiderman flashlight, we did pick out a package that had two flashlights, an orange one and a blue one. I asked Isaac if he thought Daddy would like having two, to which he responded, "I get the blue one."

A Great Dad

I remember the first time I saw Jeremiah interact with children. I wasn't dating him at the time but I was at a family function of his and got to see him play with his cousin's kids. I remember smiling as I watched him get down on the floor in his church clothes and toss the boys around and keep them laughing. I was also touched when I saw another of the children just come and climb on his lap and snuggle up to him, like he was the only person on earth he wanted to be with.

Needless to say Jeremiah is even better with our own children. He stood by my side as I delivered Isaac and he was first to hold him. I was very sick and I have few memories of the delivery room but I will never forget waking up to see my brand new baby in the loving arms of his awestruck father.

After Isaac's birth I had to go back to work after only 2 weeks. It would have been very hard for me if it weren't for the fact that Isaac was home with his daddy. Jeremiah didn't take any classes that summer and he and Isaac formed a bond over that time that they still have. He was the one who always got up in the middle of the night to feed Isaac so that I could sleep. And he never complained about it. Jeremiah had such a soft spot for Isaac. I remember suggesting that it was time to move Isaac into his own room after just a few weeks and Jeremiah couldn't let him go just yet. In fact, the only time I've seen Jeremiah even close to tearing up was when he stood to bear his testimony the day Isaac was blessed. Also, to this day he is the only parent in our household who has been pooped on. Isaac seemed to make the best of every opportunity for that...

Isaac looks up to Jeremiah so much and he is always excited when "Daddy is coming today." (That's pretty telling of how often we've seen him lately between school and work, but things should be slowing down!)

Jeremiah is equally great with Kenley. He can walk into the room and she instantly grins and starts to get excited. He was a little worried when he found out we were having a girl. He comes from a family of 6 boys and wasn't sure he would know how to handle a baby girl, but he's done a great job. Occasionally he needs a little guidance, as he did when he put her ruffle-bum pants with the ruffle in front, but she knows he loves her, and that's all she needs.

I know that I am very blessed to have a husband who is also a great father. He is interested in his kids and loves to play with them. He provides them with love and entertainment. He also helps with the discipline, too, and I appreciate that...I don't always want to be the "bad guy."

I love you Jeremiah. Happy Father's Day.

Creative Parenting

I have a new digital camera that can take video clips. The other day Isaac was throwing a fit, so I pulled out the camera and began taping the tantrum. I thought that I would show it to him so that he could see how unattractive his behavior is during those fits. After he had calmed down I sat down with him to review his actions. I was certain that he would see that the Isaac on the camera was no fun to be around and that we could talk about how much we love the fun, helpful, well-behaved Isaac.

The idea backfired.

I wasn't counting on Isaac being a narcissist and loving to watch himself on the tiny screen. He asked several times to "watch the fit again!" - with a little too much zeal, might I add. It didn't quite work out the way I had hoped, so I deleted the short clip. It would have been cool if it had worked. It didn't...but that would have been cool.

Rebuilding Bridges

Or, at least, putting up a plank.

Not too long ago I called a person I hadn't spoken to in five years. We had a falling out (one of several over the course of about 10 years) right at the time we both got married. The timing of that was both unfortunate and perfect. On the one hand we weren't the friends you'd like to have on one of the happiest days of your life. On the other hand it was a good time to let go of old things as we started new lives and went our separate ways.

I'm not exactly sure what made me call. I wasn't trying to revive a friendship with her. I didn't call to apologize either. I suppose I just wanted to say that I had not forgotten her as a person and that although we may never speak again, it's not because I hate her. She, of course, was shocked that I had called but we had a nice little chat. Nothing real personal, just a catch up on how many kids we'd had and things of that sort.

I don't expect to hear from her; our friendship faded a long time ago. But I'm glad I called. I feel better about myself knowing that I made that call.

Happy Clappy

Miss Kenley has learned how to clap. It's so cute to watch her little hands find each other mid-air and almost make an audible sound.

The best thing about this recent accomplishment is that she claps for me. I walk into the room...she claps. I get out the bib and spoon...she claps. I make a funny face...she claps. She now claps for pretty much anything that excites her . It feels really good to be applauded at every turn. I know that it will not last very long so I am really going to enjoy it. And each time she claps for me, I think I'll take a bow.

*****

I think Kenley is going to keep me pretty busy. She's started taking a few steps along the furniture and already has explored far more in the house than Isaac ever has. She seems to always be looking for an adventure and is rarely content to sit still. I have a feeling that if I am to have more kids one had better come soon before Kenley is all over the place and I have a chance to change my mind!

Her most recent exploration took her to the kitchen. More specifically the oven. I was baking, so of course the oven was hot, and she decided that the space between the oven and the drawer beneath it would be a good hold to help her stand. It proved to be a good hold but it apparently was as hot as the oven as well. Needless to say her tiny finger blistered from the burn. I felt so bad! I had never realized that there was a space down there that was hazardous!

I called Jeremiah at work to explain what happened, just in case he saw the blister and wondered what realm of torture I had exposed our children to while he was away. As I was cooking dinner the next day, Jeremiah looked at the oven and said, "Is this where she burned herself?" As he said it, he too placed his fingers in the space. Wouldn't you know it, the oven was on again. He'll claim that he burned himself to better sympathize with Kenley but I will always refer to it as "The Idiot Factor."

It's All Behind Us

Isaac discovered the joy of speaking through the wand extension vacuum attachment long ago with some help from Jeremiah. He's not had the opportunity to do it for quite a while since we lost the one off our old vacuum. But now we have a new vacuum and Isaac rediscovered that joy the other day. He was having fun listening to the megaphone effect when all of a sudden he had a great idea. He held the tube behind him and said, "I'm going to fart."

*****

This morning during Sacrament Meeting, Kenley had a small burp that she kept inside herself. It kind of sounded like a muffled passing of gas from the other end. Isaac, using that outdoor voice I swear he reserves only for use inside the chapel during the administering of the sacrament, says, "Kenley farted!" I should have just kept quiet but instead I whispered, "No, she didn't." Isaac replied, again booming, "Did you?"

On a side note...I hope God has a sense of humor. Because I do. And I laughed.

*****

Isaac loves it when Jeremiah or I blow bubbles so that he can pop them with a stick. Since it's good for hours of fun I try to keep myself well supplied with bubble solution. I like the small bottles because if they spill I'm not out much and I can find a 6-pack for $1.97 at Wal-Mart. They come in different colored bottles and Isaac has taken to giving them all names according to the color of the bottle. The blue ones are Batman bubbles, the green ones are "Engine" turtle (Ninja turtle) bubbles, etc.

Well the other day Isaac came to me asking for "butt bubbles."' Butt bubbles? I repeated his request and he said, "butt bubbles." From the emphasis on "butt" I gathered that I was misinterpreting his meaning, though I had no idea just what he could be talking about. I tried to grab a blue bottle hoping that just any bubbles would work, but he insisted, "No, butt bubbles!" Exasperated I asked what exactly butt bubbles were. He said "Ernie is orange and Butt is yellow!"

Oh...yellow bubbles...Bert bubbles.

Gesundheit

This morning Isaac stood in the front room and sneezed. I quickly said, "Bless you!"

He then looked at the wood floor in front of him and replied, "I spilled my 'bless you' on the floor."

Behind the Wheel

As I was driving to the mall yesterday Isaac informed me that he wanted to drive.

Me: You want to drive?

Isaac: Yes.

Me: Do you think that would be a good idea?

Isaac: That is a very good i-dee-uh.

Me: Do you even know how to drive?

Isaac: Yep, like this.

We then reached a stop light and I turned around to see Isaac gripping his invisible steering wheel, casually glancing about his surroundings and "steering' quite gently. For a moment he looked so grown up. Not the wreckless driving from the backseat that I expected from a 3-year old.

The light turned green and we both "drove" the remainder of the distance to the mall. I told him he did a good job and someday we would let him drive for real. I know that day will come far sooner than I can now imagine. Those moments of visualizing him as a grown up will soon become a reality. I just hope he's as responsible then as he is now. Especially if he's going to be driving my car!

Why I Have Laugh Lines

Last week was Isaac's friend's birthday. We gave him a little gun that shoots foam arrows. The gift was quite a hit and all the kids at the party wanted to take a turn shooting all the other kids with it. So they all took turns (even me) and we had quite a fun time. But one time Isaac got hit on the side of his face, right next to his eye. The arrows are very light weight and don't hurt, but Isaac came over to me for some sympathy and told me, "The arrow gotted my beautiful eye."

***** ***** *****

Isaac and I were sitting at the table the other night enjoying our dinner. There was complete silence as we ate our meal until Isaac turned to me and said, "No milk for two weeks? I'll starve!"

***** ***** *****

Last night Isaac did what he usually does. He ignores me until I am right in the middle of some task and then insists that he needs my attention right that moment. I believe his request was that I read him one of the dinosaur books we checked out from the library. I was changing Kenley's diaper and getting her pajamas on so I asked him to "wait a minute." He let out a sigh and as he turned to walk away he answered, "I've heard that a thousand times."

My Little...

Safety Feet

I try really hard to keep my kids safe. I keep the doors locked even when we're home. I always check for hazards before placing my baby on the floor, etc. I think we do a pretty good job. The number of accidents we've had at our house is minimal and as far as I can remember, Isaac has ended up bleeding only once. Not bad for a 3-year old.

That being said, this morning I put Kenley in her crib while I showered. The only thing in there with her was a plush doll to keep her occupied for the 10 minutes or so that I couldn't keep a direct eye on her. You can imagine my shock when I went in to check on her after my shower and found fresh blood smeared on her sheets! I immediately lifted her out of her crib and started to survey her little body.

I started with her head thinking that perhaps she had konked her nose or something since her new favorite pasttime is to stand up every chance she gets. But her head was clean. I was perplexed as I checked over the rest of her body, unable to find the source. Nothing on her belly, arms, legs, feet, TOES! Her baby toe on her right foot was forming a small bead. Now as I said, there was nothing in her crib that could possibly break skin! Oh wait, there was something. Kenley's teeth. Looking at the size of the wound all I can surmise is that she bit her own foot and drew blood. Now, how could I have prevented that?