Full-Fledged

Today it happened. My first-born became a teenager.

Casey's air-soft cake- complete with edible BB's

I don't know who planned this, but I now have a teenager AND a two-year old in the house. Quite possibly the worst predicament yet. ;)

This day seemed so far away for so long. But here it is. I am the mom of a TEENAGER! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

My teenager when he turned 1...seems like yesterday.

The last 13 years have been quite a ride. Here are 13 things I love about Casey:

1. He came out with eyes wide open....and he has been observant ever since! I have always said he would be a great spy....he can listen in on conversations like no body's business (pun intended.)

...when he entered this world....

2. He is absolutely full of personality. He is definitely one-of-a-kind! As a toddler, when he'd get especially rambunctious, my father-in-law would comment that he'd much rather have a kid like that than one with no personality. How true that is! Casey is full of it!

3. This boy is confident, and persistent. He does not give up easily- a quality that makes him a good salesman. He has come home many times with gifts people have given him because he somehow persuaded them he needed it.

4. He is a fabulous missionary. When he was baptized, he went door to door preaching to our friends of other faiths. He even delivered his first Book of Mormon to his friend across the street. He looks forward to, and goes Home Teaching with his dad every month.


5. Casey is sensitive and has a very giving heart. I have received numerous phone calls from people telling me of the kind deeds he has done.


6. Casey has a great imagination. Something I admire in him. Most boys his age have lost that capability.

This was his get-up for over 2 years. EVERY day. He really believed he was a firefighter.

7. I love his laugh (as evil as it is sometimes!)

8. He loves his family. Especially his dad.

9. He loves to read. I love that he loves to read, because I don't.

10. He's active- always on the move. Skateboarding, rollerblading, biking, you name it.

Check out that Ollie...his mom would be proud....

11. Casey is well-rounded. I don't know many kids that enjoy as many things as Casey does.

Daddy's little helper

12. Casey loves to learn. He doesn't necessarily love school, but he loves to learn. As a punishment once, I had to take away his encyclopedias. He thrives on new knowledge. Since he was little, he has enjoyed watching documentaries.

13. He puts up with an imperfect mom. Thanks, Casey!

I love you. Happy Birthday, son!

A full-fledged teenager.

Confused

The weather around here certainly has some confused. One day it's 74 degrees. The next, it's snowing.

Emma doesn't know what to do. Should we go swimming, or should we build a snowman?

The Innocence Part II

Added to the list of unapproved activities if you are a mom of a two- year old: GETTING SICK.

If you do dare to take a mommy sick day, expect the two year old to find the box of Sharpies that is hidden well out of her reach.

Don't you think every white vinyl railing needs a little somethin'?


It's kind of hard to see, but yes, my garage is now multi-colored.

Once again, how can I get mad at my little Picasso?

I Licked a Birdbath, Sliding Down a Hill, Because I'm Cool Like That!

I saw this on Mindy's blog, and I thought it's a good laugh. Give it a try!

Pick the month you were born:

January-------I kicked
February------I loved
March--------I karate chopped
April----------I licked
May----------I jumped on
June----------I smelled
July-----------I did the Macarena With
August--------I had lunch with
September----I danced with
October-------I sang to
November-----I yelled at
December-----I ran over

Pick the day (number) you were born on:

1-------a birdbath
2-------a monster
3-------a phone
4-------a fork
5-------a snowman
6-------a gangster
7-------my mobile phone
8-------my dog
9-------my best friends' boyfriend
10-------my neighbour
11-------my science teacher
12-------a banana
13-------a fireman
14-------a stuffed animal
15-------a goat
16-------a pickle
17-------your mom
18-------a spoon
19------ - a smurf
20-------a baseball bat
21-------a ninja
22-------Chuck Norris
23-------a noodle
24-------a squirrel
25-------a football player
26-------my sister
27-------my brother
28-------an iPod
29-------a surfer
30-------a homeless guy
31-------a llama

What is the last number of the year you were born:

1--------- In my car
2 --------- On your car
3 ----------- In a hole
4 ----------- Under your bed
5 ----------- Riding a Motorcycle
6 --------- sliding down a hill
7 --------- in an elevator
8---------- at the dinner table
9 -------- In line at the bank
0 -------- in your bathroom

Pick the color of shirt you are wearing:

White---------because I'm cool like that
Black---------because that's how I roll.
Pink-----------because I'm NOT crazy.
Red-----------because the voices told me to.
Blue-----------because I'm sexy and I do what I want
Green---------because I think I need some serious help.
Purple---------because I'm AWESOME!
Gray----------because Big Bird said to and he's my leader.
Yellow--------because someone offered me 1,000,000 dollars
Orange--------because my family thinks I'm stupid anyway.
Brown---------because I can.
Other----------because I'm a Ninja!
None----------because I can't control myself!

Works for me Wednesday

Two year olds can definitely wreak havoc in a matter of seconds. Hannah and Emma share a room, and it's living proof (OK, so Hannah does her share of mess-making, too) To keep Emma out of her big sister's stuff, I shut it in a closet and attach the best toddler proof device I have come up with. How can I say it's the best?

I used to use this on the doors when Casey was a toddler. That's how I know it's the best. Not even Casey could open doors like this. He had no problem getting past those big plastic door knob covers. But this...well it took while. That is until he found some scissors and cut the sock off. ;)

First, slip a sock over the door knob. A child sized sock is best- not a baby one, it will be too tight and it won't work well.

Loop a thick hair elastic around it as many times as you can.

Pull the sock back over itself.

Tie it in a knot if it's long enough.

Fold it back over itself if it's really long.

When they try to turn the knob, the sock simply slides around and they can't get a good grip. Older kids (and Grandmas) can open the doors easily (which is another reason I prefer this method,) because their hands get a grip around the knob. You can color-cooridnate, too if you are savvy like that. And the thing about this is, the harder the toddler pulls on it, the tighter it gets. Muahaha!

I Pay for Torture Part II

I recently came down with an infection. One that required more than my home remedies...or so I thought. So last Wednesday, I made an appointment with the 'Specialist'. A $20 appointment. When I showed up, they decided to go ahead and do my annual examine. An impromptu annual exam. Now ladies, you know what these visits typically entail. I was so not prepared for that. In fact, in my state, I hadn't even showered that day. Torture #1.

The so-called 'specialist' prescribed an antibiotic and sent me on my way. That was exactly what I didn't want to have happen. I have never taken an antibiotic that my body tolerated. But I was confident that this 'specialist', well-aware of my past history with antibiotics, knew what he was doing when he prescribed a drug in family all its own.



I waited 45 minutes for the top-notch pharmacists at Wal-Mart to fill my prescription. Torture #2.



I took my first dose at 8:30. I woke up around 5:00, needing to use the restroom. I shuffled to the toilet, and immediately felt chills throughout my body. Then, the all-to-familiar sense overcame my body. I was about to faint. I shuffled as quickly as I could back to bed. I barely landed on it before I passed out. When I regained consciousness, I woke up Randy. And I went downhill from there. Torture #3....by far the worst ever.

The extreme headache and general all-over ache was accompanied by tingle, numb legs and arms. My skin felt as if I were sunburned from head to toe. I was pretty much incapacitated. As Randy spoon feed me some hot cider, he affectionately referred to me as his little vegetable.

Randy called the doctor to see what could be done for me. The office was very uncaring and told him they would be "hard-pressed to call it an allergic reaction." Are you kidding me?!



I asked Randy to give me a priesthood blessing. I had to be better by that afternoon. At least well enough to attend the fifth grade maturation program. I couldn't let Hailey be the only one without a mom there. And I was in charge of the refreshments. I know there are many I could have called to do it for me. But I had Randy with me and he did most of it. So I showered and dressed, and we were off.



Part-way through the presentation, it hit hard. So hard that Randy traded places to sit next to me in case I fainted again. I barely made it through the presentation on our changing bodies. Boy was my body changing. The aching in my hips was unbearable. I laid on the couch in the faculty lounge while Randy cleaned up. Then I went home to start the torture all over again.

Friday was a little better. But still not feeling well. Finally by Saturday, I felt better enough to stay out of bed all day. I don't care what they want to call it, but I am NEVER taking an antibiotic again. And to think I paid $25 for that.

The Innocence

Taking a shower and going to the bathroom are apparently not on the list of approved activities for a mom of a two year old.

I know, because this......

.......is a daily occurrence.

When confronted about her actions, she shrugs her shoulders, tilts her head and says, "Sorry Mom. I didn't mean to."

I ask you, how could someone this angelic do so much damage?

I'm Goofy

Mindy, Hailey, Casey, Randy, and me- I am the bank robber....preparing to brave the chilly mountain.

I snowboard with my right foot forward. In snowboarding terms, I'm referred to as "Goofy". After the events that transpired last Friday, I know why.




I have been told by more than one person that the more you snowboard, the better you get. They lied. This was my third time snowboarding and I was significantly worse than I was the first time I went.

The first thing that went wrong was the fact that it was night skiing....or snowboarding, in our case. In the mountains, in snow, when the sun goes down. It can't be good. My body doesn't work right when it is frozen. I wasn't able to turn my board at all. So in frustration, I did 'falling leaf' all the way down the hill to avoid falling flat on my face....that was until I came upon Julie.

We soon discovered the easiest way down the mountain.....sitting on your snowboard. Who knew snowboards double so well as toboggans?

If you choose to do this, however, it is best to strap the board to your ankle so your board doesn't end up torpedo-ing down the mountain and you end up riding down on the back of your friend's board....not that we would know that first hand or anything.

True Colors

As a family, we try really hard to do the things we are supposed to do. But we are not prefect. I know, it's a shocker.

While we fall short in some many areas, we are faithful in others. Our scripture study may only be weekly, but we eat together every night. And I am happy to say that we hold Family Home Evening every Monday night. We love getting together- learning and playing and enjoying each others company. And the kids enjoy taking their turns with the lesson. But the thing I love about Family Home Evening, is it just brings out the best in each of us.