2012 Christmas Card

reception issues

we planned a family (FHE) outing to see the lights at the cactus gardens tonight.  it's like a mini-temple square, without a temple. in warmish Vegas weather.  Aaron was going to meet us on the way because it's closer to his work and I didn't want to go late(r).  The kids and I ran a few errands before we left to meet Dad.  Like always it was crazy getting out the door and even crazier after dragging five kids into the grocery store and library.  Aaron called me as I was buckling in the littles in their car seats.  We were about 10 minutes away from our meeting spot.  Roma was screaming, Simon was singing at the top of his lungs and the other three boys were trying to tell me something so amazing that it just couldn't wait. all at the same time.  I tried to quiet them, but to no avail.  This is my version of the conversation:

Aaron:  Where are you?

Janet:  just finishing up at the library, the kids are wired.

A: still planning on the lights?

J: Yep.  it's a little colder than i was expecting. 

A: did you bring my jacket?

J:  no.  I barely brought the kids.  no one has jackets.

A: well, do you want to head back home?

J:  no.  we're out.  let's go.

A: I thought you wanted to meet here.  I'm here waiting in the parking lot.

J:  I do want to meet. I'm not late yet.  You try hauling five kids around.

A:  Is it worth it going tonight if we don't have jackets?

J:  sure.  Let's just run around and if it's too cold, we can go back to the car.

A: Do you want to try to go another night this week?
J:  no.  We can just go without out you, Freezy Baby.  

A:  Well, I am here waiting.

J:  I have five minutes to get there, but I'm not driving because I'm busy talking to you about whether or not we should go.

A:  K- see you in a few.

J: Bye.  Geez.

When I hung up the phone I was so mad.  He has NO IDEA what I do with these kids.  where does he get off ordering me around like that?  I was festering up the whole drive there and couldn't wait to dish it out when we arrived.  A few minutes later, Aaron gets in the van.  (I am still driving.)

J:  We are three whole minutes late, why are you so uptight?

A:  I'm not.  I'm ready to party!  Hey guys!  Let's party!

J:  Of course you're all fun and games, but you don't know what it's like to cart the kids around all day.

A:  I thought you wanted to go.

J: I do, but I don't like when you assume I'll do EVERYTHING.

A:  Like what?  I didn't assume anything.  I have treats.  Who wants licorice?

Kids:  ME! Me! ME!

J: Like assuming I'm going to be late.  I'm never late.  And assuming I'll grab your jacket.  Do you know I lugged 5 kids, a stroller, and 3 bags of library books out to the car?  

A:  Sorry, I just hadn't heard from you and wondered if you still wanted to go.

J:  I sent you a text from the library.  I said we were coming.

A:  Oh.  I didn't get it.

J:  Hmm.

I pull out my phone (while stopped at a light, of course) and realize my text never sent because the reception at the library was bad..  I also noticed there were two previous texts from Aaron.  The first one said, "Hey.  I think it's going to be cold tonight.  Would you mind grabbing my jacket in the front closet before you come? Thanks hun."  The second said, "Excited to see you guys.  Let me know how things are going and if you need anything. I will swing by the store and get some treats."

I read them and laughed.  And then smiled at my sweet husband.  And then I punched him in the arm.  If he wasn't so darn nice all the time I would hate him.  He says from now on he's going to blame every disagreement on a failed text.  If' I'm mad at him, all he will have to say is, "Didn't you get my text?  I sent it a while ago asking if there was anything I could do to help."

here's us at the lights, having the time of our lives.  accept for Simon.  He was mad his gloves weren't perfectly on every finger, so he ripped them off entirely.  Aaron has a picture of the whole family on his phone, but I have yet to receive the picture text... 

.

tired

Hi.  so whoa.. it's been three weeks.  this may or may not be the longest hiatus on my blog to date.  not sure but I don't have time to find out.

we've been partying the past few weeks. Christmas parties, two different Santas, sending 2012 cards, neighborhood goodies, visits from both sets of grandparents and lots of home-grown family fun.  Homeschooling his still happening and I haven't regretted it a day since I pulled them out.  We're loving our days together... chaos and all.

Aaron has been one busy Mister lately.  He just finished up a trial in Reno. We are super excited to have him back.  After two weeks of being a single-mom, I was pretty tired.  I didn't realize it until after Aaron got home, though.  Before he came home, I was feeling like I was pretty hot stuff.  Who needs husbands anyway?  The night Aaron flew home, I had a relief society activity.  I left the older boys to babysit and had dinner on the table.  When I got home, I was so happy to see Aaron and crawled into bed to talk to him about his week and within minutes (literally) I was snoring. BTW, I never snore. Aaron took this video and showed me the next day and I was laughing so hard.  Don't remember anything he said to me that night.  How's that for a welcome home party?  Seriously, I am still trying to recover from the past few weeks.  Just so glad we've survived.

Aaron and I went on a date last night, dinner and hot chocolate.  I have been very cordial since he's been home... I'm not at all mad at him, but I also have a hard time connecting when we go weeks without really talking.  Usually absence makes the heart grow fonder, but these past couple of weeks, I've had to toughen up.  There were no tears or whining... not enough time for that. While he was away, I realized how independent I really am.  I grew up knowing that I didn't need anyone else to be happy.  With Aaron's work schedule and busy church callings and five busy kids, I think I've grown a tough shell, not just these past few weeks, but this has been building for years.  When my parents came last week, I plugged back into that strong, independent girl I once was.  So when Aaron came home, I happily welcomed him home, but I didn't want to lose any of that independence I regained.  I know it sounds silly, but I really loved feeling strong when he was gone and didn't want to be so dependent on him anymore.  So, we went out for dinner and got hot chocolate and talked in the car outside our house while all our kids slept inside.  I wanted to get out and crawl into bed, but Aaron locked the doors and wouldn't let me out.  He wanted me to talk about what was wrong.  I insisted that nothing was.  (It wasn't.  Life happens and I seriously wasn't mad.)  But the more he insisted, the more I realized that I was throwing a tantrum in my own independent way.  I don't like that he knows me so well.  That even pretending that everything was perfectly fine, he knew I wasn't being myself.  I was all smiles, but I had built walls up.  We stayed out in the car for almost two hours.  It was great to talk-- really talk about the roles we play as parents and spouses.  I wouldn't want to be married to anyone else.  He forces me to look at situations from a different angle and sometimes he knows that something is bothering me when I don't even know myself.  I've been thinking about that a lot today and wanted to write it down.  And so even if this doesn't make sense to the rest of the cyber world, I learned something new about myself.

the scream

my daughter is driving me absolutely batty.  she is the biggest cry baby ever... but she doesn't really cry.  she screams.  and the worst part is, when she's happy, she screams.  i absolutely hate that scream.

the monday after thanksgiving sux.  it was a rough day all around.  Aaron came home from work an hour early and I was thrilled... only to find out he had a fever of 104.  He laid down within minutes and fell asleep before 6.  which left me trying to keep 5 kids quiet.  family home evening was a bust.

I decided to take them shopping because we needed medicine and my christmas cards and party invites were ready.  the older boys wanted to stay home and read (nerds) so I took Simon and Ro to the store in their pjs.  Worst idea ever.  Two kids is ten times harder then 5 kids... depending on which two kids you put together.  I wanted to leave my kids in the shopping cart.  or sell them like kittens outside the store.

The drive home was terrible.  Tears came out of my eyes because I was so frustrated.  my baby girl screamed the entire drive... 20 solid minutes.  She wasn't crying, she was screaming.  Anything I passed back to her, she threw on the ground.  I came home, unloaded the milk and left everything else in the car.  I can take care of it in the morning..

Simon stayed up past everyone watching videos on our YouTube channel.  He kept playing this particular video I shot in the pet store last week.  I realize she's happy and she makes cute faces, but she starts out with the scream I hate.  Maybe one day I will appreciate it, but right now it brings tears to my eyes.

Girls are a pain in the butt.  but she's pretty cute too... now that she's finally asleep.

thankful

Something happened to me this weekend.  I think I'm finally growing up.  Until a few days ago, I saw myself as a teenager stuck in a middle-aged woman's life.  I wondered how it happened so quickly.  Sometimes I felt stuck and frustrated.  When I used to tuck my boys into bed and they said, "Goodnight, Mom." I would look over my shoulder and wonder who they were talking to.  But now I feel differently.  Something inside of me has changed and I realized it this Thanksgiving weekend.

Part of that transformation has come from serving in a new calling in the relief society.  This past month has been rough.  We've had some big changed to our ward boundaries and it's been a struggle trying to mix two groups of women who both miss being in their old wards.  In that time, we've had five new families move into the neighborhood and no one really knows if they are new or in the other ward or visiting or what.  We've also had 4 new babies born in the past few weeks... and one major hip surgery from a new sister (who happens to be a convert to the church.)  There has been lots of meal prepping, visits and phone calls.  and up until a couple of weeks ago there wasn't a compassionate service committee to delegate the majority of the work.  It was overwhelming.  But then something tragic happened.  A husband and father in our neighborhood committed suicide.  He shot himself while his wife and son were in the home.  We had a funeral to plan and heartbroken family to console.  During that time, I've realized how important it is to reach out and love those around you because you really never know what is going on behind closed doors.

Last week in RS, this new widow bore her testimony to the sisters in our ward.  She was open and honest about her struggles.  But instead of feeling sorry for herself, she listed her blessings.. her list was long and heartfelt.  She is such an example to me to find the silver lining during such a difficult time in her life.  In these past few weeks, I've already learned so much from the women around me.  I am truly grateful for the opportunity I've been given to serve and grow in this capacity.  I am better because of it.

Thanksgiving weekend could have been busy.  We had plans to visit family and then decided not to make the drive.  We thought about going to AZ to cook it up with friends but then ultimately wanted to stay home and do absolutely nothing.  Aaron was worried about me and thought I would get lonely.  Thanksgiving should be about family and chaos..  But I knew a quiet weekend at home was exactly what I needed.  And I can honestly say I will never forget this Thanksgiving.  It was the day I realized how strong and capable and grown-up I really am.

Food prep started early Wednesday and didn't stop for more than 30 hours later.  All four of my boys were in the kitchen, cooking along side of me.  (This would NEVER have happened if they were running around with cousins.)  We made a long list of side dishes and pies and we were able to check each one off the list as we set the table for our big meal.  Zack was the vegetable guru.  He mixed the green bean casserole, chopped the veggies for the turkey platter and cooked the peas and corn.  Luke made the rainbow jello masterpiece and helped me brine the bird.  Ben was the expert roll maker.  I oversaw the first batch and let him do the second completely on his own.  They turned out beautiful and delicious.  We had sweet marshmallow sides and homemade stuffing to boot.  Aaron took over the potato peeling and mashing (with Simon's help) and everything was perfect.  The turkey literally fell off the bone and the gravy was to.die.for.  We made a total of 8 pies, but decided to freeze a few because we knew it would be harmful to eat them all in one weekend.  The dishes were all done before the meal and it was so satisfying and wonderful to be home with my little family and celebrate together.  We toasted to things we were grateful for-- and at the top of everyone's list was being together as a family... that we are all healthy and happy and together.

Somewhere in the middle of the meal, I realized that I had done it.  Not just cooked a masterpiece for my growing family, but I had actually grown up myself.  I looked around at the big boys (eating seconds and thirds of the meal we had prepared together) and knew that I was their mother.. that I had become my mother... the middle-aged woman who worked so hard to keep her own family happy and healthy.  Later that day we played games and worked on a puzzle and watched "it's a wonderful life" and I couldn't help but feel gratitude for all of the good things (and difficult things as well) that were a part of my life.  Sometimes it takes a busy month and a quiet weekend to make you realize how blessed you really are.

weekend with the Posts

last Saturday was busy...
we had the Color Run in the morning.  We furniture shopped in the afternoon and then came home to get ready for the tennis match & night out with the Newsomes.  Somewhere between lunch and dinner, Aaron told me that his BFF/mission companion and his family were passing through Vegas on their way to Utah for turkey day.  Sweet. But kind of a crazy day to meet up with them.  I asked Aaron if they wanted to do dinner somewhere before we had the tennis match and Aaron said they were able to get tickets to the match too.  Perfect.  And then he told me that after the match they were staying at our house for the weekend... This was about an hour before they arrived.

I've told you before that Aaron and I have communication issues.  Apparently Aaron knew they were coming to stay for several weeks-- possibly a whole month.  I've seen him everyday since he made those plans and somehow he forgot to tell me..  Luckily our house was somewhat put together (the sheets on the guestroom bed were clean and the bathroom had just been scrubbed) and I didn't stress about it too much.  We Love the Posts with a capital L.  And any time spent with them is a good time, even if it's not planned out well.

When they arrived, I got a phone call from a lady in our neighborhood that needed help.  I knew it took a lot for her to call and ask, so I didn't want to say no.  I told Aaron to call in some pizza and I would pick it up on my way home.  When I got back an hour or so later (with the pizza) Aaron filled them in on the fact that he forgot to tell me they were coming.  We laughed about it for a while... and I told them that even though my husband doesn't like to talk much, when he does, it's always nice and perfectly thought out..  so he really doesn't ever have to apologize.  If him not talking is my biggest complaint in my marriage, I think we're going to be okay.  And truthfully, life is too short to sweat the small stuff.

So Saturday night went (basically) as planned.  We left our 7 boys and 1 girl at home to fend for themselves..  they put the baby to bed and played awesome together.  Del and Nicole had VIP tickets to the tennis match so they got to meet the players before hand.  Aaron and I dropped them off at the Mandalay Bay and then went to run a couple of errands before the match started.  As we were out we talked about our communication issues and realized ALL of our problems stem from the exact same thing-- and that almost makes it easier to try to fix.  More important than having a perfect marriage, we have a good time together and know how to roll with the punches.  He is the kind of guy I want to have around when a real trial comes along, so there's no reason to kick him to the curb before then.  He's a great guy who doesn't like to plan or talk.  There are worse qualities in a man.

After the match, we hit up a gas station for hot chocolate and listen to our husbands talk about the good old days in Spain..  They laughed about a time when a woman was emotional and went to wipe her tears with the bottom of her shirt, only to flash their innocent missionary eyes.  She wasn't wearing a bra and they saw it  all...  Crazy that I've lived with this guy for 12 years and he's never told me that story... but then again, he doesn't tell me everything.

We stayed up late Saturday, laughing and talking long after the kids fell asleep.  Sunday morning we got up early and went hiking in Red Rock Canyon, one of our favorite spots.  We came home just in time to throw soup in a pot for dinner and change our clothes for church.  We were on the back row in Sacrament meeting and I thought about how much I loved seeing Aaron and Del together.  These two are something else... We need to figure out a way to live in the same city.

After church we had chicken noodle soup and homemade rolls (the only things I really had in my cupboards) and played games with the kids.  Del and I talked real-life murder mystery stories while Aaron and Nicole took naps (not in the same bedroom of course) it was a random afternoon, but it made me feel better about my life and marriage.  Del Post is one of the few people that knows my husband like I do.  We are both crazy about him (Del is constantly telling Aaron how awesome and talented he is, which totally makes me laugh.  but it is the truth.)  Anyway, he helped me see things from a different point of view and that always helps.  They left Sunday evening and we missed them as soon as they drove away.

The only pictures I snapped were out hiking together... we're loving this winter weather!

messed up drawing contest

for FHE tonight we told the story of the good Samaritan by each saying a sentence and then passing it on to the next person...  we got through the story with several laughs and (I think) a good moral at the end.  We learned to never leave a dying man on the side of the road... and never include your superhero-obsessed 3 year old in a retelling of a Bible classic, unless you want Hulk, Captain America and Iron Man to beat up all the bad guys... which actually might be a better version than the original.?

We were still feeling the pass-it-along vibe into our activity and decided to have a drawing experiment.  We took 5 sheets of paper and folded them each into five sections.  Everyone started out drawing a head (only) and then folded the paper over and passed it along to the next person.  They couldn't see the section above, but had to continue drawing the next body part by only connecting the last lines of the picture.  After passing it five times, we each drew a different part of the body on all five papers.  Fortunately, out of all five drawings only one weenie made it's debut.. (along with a fart, a man who peed his pants, a couple of big booties and 4 hairy legs.)

The green head is Ben's (we made him change to a pencil after the first round.)  The peace sign is Zack's along with the weenie.. he's learning about how to be 'appropriate' in his art..  and the stinky balernia feet (slash Medusa slash chewbacca) are Luke's.  Simon was busy drawing on paper of his own.. he would not pass his drawings... (still learning to share :)

We got a good laugh over these crazy characters and after it was all said and done, the boys asked, "Can you please put these in our family yearbook for 2012?"  Yes, yes, I will.  And thank you for noticing how well I document your lives, dear children.

tennis with the Newsomes

My perfect night includes good friends and conversation.
Aaron's perfect night includes tennis.  He prefers to be playing it, but doesn't mind watching... as long as it's past world champions (namely Jim Courier, Michael Chang, John McEnroe and Andre Agassi.)
Lucky for us, our perfect nights collided!  The Champion Tennis Tournament was in Vegas and so were the Newsomes.  We've had this night planned for months.  So grateful nothing came up and we were actually able to make it happen!

Phyleen and Jonas are friends from high school.  They didn't really date, but I had a class with Jonas and he would always talk to me about how Phyleen was the perfect girl for him.  I love to see a true love story come to pass.  I adore this dear friend of mine.  She is sweet, funny, real, confident, down-to-earth and beautiful (inside and out.) We talked and talked and talked and got in trouble, even though we were whispering with our heads together.  We watched a little tennis too, but the conversation was just to good to sit and be quiet.

  

 Our husbands are both huge tennis fans and they are soon going to be BFFs too.  We sat on the 4th row and saw sweat dripping off of the tennis players faces.  It was perfect (but just a little cold, I had to wear Aaron's jacket like a snuggie.)

Andre Agassi is a Vegas hero.  We have seen firsthand the changes he has made to the community and worship him like the rest of the world.  He is amazing.  This is the third time we've been privileged to watch him play.. He is not an old man on the court..  

 At the end of the night, Andre was struggling in the last match, trying to outplay Jim Courier.  On match point, Phyleen yelled out "Finish him!" Everyone laughed, but Andre turned in our direction, looked and Phyleen and said, "I know, right?"  Her proud husband was beaming.  It was a perfect end to the best date ever.  Can't wait to hang with the Newsomes again soon (Indian Well tourney, here we come!)

Color Me Rad

we ran a the Color Me Rad 5K this weekend with our kids. 

It was perfect weather and such a great family fun time.

All of our boys loved it, especially Simon.  

We brought a jogging stroller for Roma and thought Simon would ride too, 

but the kid is an athlete and went the distance!  

Zack Luke and Ben could have done another 3 miles if it meant they could get sprayed more.

We definitely want to do it again.

We came home and made a big blueberry pancake breakfast... and then showered.

(Our kids were THAT hungry.)

Everyone cleaned up quickly and it was so nice to shower!

I had major colors in my cleavage (tmi?) 

It was a busy Saturday, but that's just the way we like 'em!  

*more pictures to come, for some reason, my computer won't upload...

nap time blues

After a day of hiking (yes, he did everything the big boys did with a little help from his brothers) Simon was exhausted on Friday afternoon.  *this was one of my favorite moments of the hike-- watching Ben and Luke carefully get Simon down the mountain.  I was right there to help, but they stayed behind and made sure he was safe.  Love my boys!

I thought he would fall asleep on the drive home or easily on his bed after lunch..  wishful thinking.  This kid will go and go and go until you physically sit on him and tell him to stop.  I had a screaming baby and an overly tired toddler, which is actually something I deal with often.  Instead of laying down next to Simon, I stayed at the top of the stairs and told him he needed to stay in his bed.  Roma was crying in her crib and he just couldn't stay put... which escalated into a full-blown tantrum.  I decided to pull out my phone towards the end of it because I knew I would want it documented. So glad I did.



This might look like a silly tantrum, but it's in fact a very wise debate on the part of my little man trapped in a three year olds body.  He wanted to go downstairs and he explains that if he doesn't go downstairs three things could happen:  #1 he could get lost, #2 he might have to die, and #3 he will run away and never come back.  What is brilliant about these consequences is that they are all things that Simon thinks would make ME sad.  He knows they would pull at MY heart strings... and this is exactly why I am laughing while talking to him.  I admire the way he debates.  None of them were valid arguments, as I try to point out, but I just love the way his mind works.  Manipulative little boy, but also very cute.

forest school

to say we are having a good time at home during school hours is an understatement..

for several months ago, Jane brought up an idea of starting a forest school with our boys... "an innovative educational approach to outdoor play and learning."  And because I was already planning on having the majority of this school year's curriculum from the boy scout merit badge requirements, I thought it would be awesome to combine the two ideas.  We invited a few of our neighboring homeschooling friends and before we knew it, my van was FULL of little boys (+Roma) and we were on our way to Red Rock Canyon.

We spent the first hour in a "classroom" setting, meaning we sat in a beautiful meadow without any classroom walls and talked about ecosystems, biomes, animal habitat and the food chain!  Each of the kids brought their own outdoor journal, and took some quiet time to write in it and enjoy the perfect outdoor weather.  I set a timer on my phone and told the boys not to talk while we listened to the sounds around us... and was amazed at how quiet they could be (aside from Simon who announced when he's quiet, his tummy gets sick.)  Jane took the little ones aside and sang songs and kept them occupied.. it was exactly the kind of classroom environment I want for my kids!  At the end of the hour, we hit the hiking trails and mountainous rocks!  These little boys were in heaven!

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(for some reason my pictures aren't uploading... coming soon.  My laptop is having issues....)

Can't wait for our future outdoor adventures in forest school!

gonna SPANK you in HALF!

Cannot go another day without writing about my adorable, stinker of a 3 year old.  Simon is unlike any other child I've ever had.  He started talking so much earlier than my other babies, and I tell you, I cannot get him to shut his trap.  And as much as I would love some peace and quiet around here, I also know these are the days I am gonna miss the most. Because it's late, I have to make this a bullet-point post.

• He was mad at Ben for something- or other- and yelled, "I'm gonna SPANK you in HALF!"  We laughed (of course) and so did he, even though he wasn't sure why it was so funny.
• One of his favorite sayings is, "you cheated me." it never has to do with any kind of game. He just assumes there are rules everyone should follow, rules he made up himself.
• While he was wrestling with the baby (they really were having fun) Roma bit him on the shoulder.  It was a hard bite (she's teething).  Simon was really hurt, but I am so glad it happened because he's usually on the other end of a bite.  He now tells everyone, "This is my baby.  She can bite."  
• He pulled Ro off her toy car today while I was trying to make dinner.  She screamed.  I took him over to the bottom stair (timeout) and before I could say anything, he started his long explanation:  "Mom, I was walking around the house and just walking and walking and then I saw this car.  And I didn't want to walk anymore.  I wanted to ride now.  And I tried to ask Roma if she would get off, but she just screamed at me."  I could NOT keep a straight face.  He was mad that I laughed and said, "Don't!  I like pink cars!"  Best explanation ever.
• We went to the dentist today and he was a total pro in the chair.  The dental assistants were literally gathered around him, smiling and listening to him talk about Halloween, Florida, our dog Sunny, how Iron Man can fly even without a cape... They asked him if he could stop talking so they could look in his mouth.  He opened up wide.  Totally going to use that tactic for naptime.  
• When he's really tired, he talks more.  I usually end up saying, "It's not time for words now, only time for breathing."  It gets him for a minute or so.  If I bribe him to be quiet, he will negotiate something better... 
• While he was going #2 in a public bathroom stall, I told a strange woman that I was waiting for my little toddler.  Big mistake.  He insisted he wasn't a little toddler, he was a big, huge Simon.  When I agreed, he made me tell the lady.  I told her and we laughed as he screamed from the stall, "Yeah!  I am a big, big, big, huge kid."  If I could bottle up that voice, I'd keep it forever.
• On the way to the airport to pick up my parents, Simon was mad he had on a pair of wet socks.  He yelled at me from the back seat, "I'm gonna get a new mom and she won't be a mean one!"  I told him I could pull over the car and find another mom for him.  That made him quiet for a minute, and then he screamed, "I'm gonna tell my GRANDMA on you!"  (Keep in mind, the last time he'd seen his Grandma, he was 18 months old.)
• While reading scriptures, Simon INSISTS on reading on his own.  He skips around the pages until he finds his "favorite" verse and then "reads" a bunch of nonsense.  It's the most random and hilarious sentences. His legs are usually crossed and he has such a serious face when he reads.  This dark video doesn't do justice..  but you get the idea.

Here are a few Simon related facebook status' from the last week or so...

• Simon is having one of THOSE days. After several sessions of timeout, I sat down next to him and said, "When Ben was three, he so nice and helpful. When Luke was three, he sat on my lap and hugged me. When Zack was three he was always happy and sweet. But now that Simon is three, he yells and hits and is mean to everyone." Simon sat quiet for a second and then raised his eyebrows and said, "when Iron Man was three, he didn't like his mom. And when he got really, really mad, he turned into Hulk!"

• Ben, being the awesome brother he is, picked out a few of our fave toddler books and laid next to Simon to read. Somewhere in the middle of the second story, Simon sat up, slapped Ben in the face and said, "I don't want to smell your breath anymore!" Ben, being the awesome brother that he is just laughed it off.

• At the park today, a sweet little girl tried to carry Roma (but obviously didn't realize the baby outweighed her.) Simon saw what was happening from afar and ran over to rescue his little sis. I laughed as he said, "This is MY baby. You can't pick her up or move her or kick her or punch her or hit her or bite her. But you can pet her if you want."

• Kneeling for family prayer at 9 PM, random gratitude conversation.....
  Ben: I'm SO glad it's bedtime!
  Dad: I'm SO glad we have a warm house to live in.
  Zack: I'm SO glad we have a patio in the back yard!
  Roma: mama mamama
  Mom: I'm SO glad I have a baby girl!
  Luke: I'm SO glad we're going to Utah for Halloween.
  Simon: I'm SO glad I'm happy!

zack got a new email account

Ben and Luke have been emailing for a couple of years now and it's about time Zack got his own account.  The only people he's been corresponding with  (outside of our house) are the Grandparents.  this is Zack's email to Aaron's mom this morning.  It took him forever to type, but he finally finished!

i checked my email early in the morning!

we watched a funny cat video on mom's phone. Roma was laughing so hard

i am still sick. thanks for emailing me back.

i want to tell a joke there was a mirror if you tell a lie you will get sucked in. the first girl was a redhead. she said I think I'm super smart and she got sucked in. the next was a brunette and she said I think I'm so pretty and she got sucked in. the next girl was dumb blonde. she said I think and before she could finish her sentence she got sucked in. Bens friend told me that joke.

love wacky zacky.

This is the video of the kids watching a cat video (unfortunately, it was after Ro stopped laughing her guts out.)

love marriage and death

this weekend I started (and finished) The Pioneer Woman's love story to Marlboro Man.  I loved every page and wonder why it took me so long to pick it up.  It got me thinking about my own love story and how grateful I am to have a guy that treats me so well.

The night my parents flew in, Aaron surprised us too.  his flight was delayed (along with my brother David's) so they both missed the big homecoming, but it was so much fun to celebrate with them back at the house.

Aaron and I got assigned (or volunteered, rather) to have the bunkbed room. We let Cindy and her newborn have the queen guest bed.  These bunkbeds are for the grandkids and are in the tiniest back bedroom with shelves of dusty VHS tapes.  We moved the mattresses on the floor and cuddled up 3 inches away from old television screen and watched Robert Downey Jr and Cybill Shepard in Chances Are, an old 80's flick.  I had never heard of it before...( short version: a husband dies and is reincarnated as Robert Downey Jr.  He starts dating his former daughter and then his memory comes back and he realizes he loves the mom, his former wife.... only to forget everything and end up with the daughter again.) It was a bit creepy, but totally entertaining at the same time.

After the movies was over, we stayed up talking about what we'd do if the other one died (I love these kinds of conversations... why is that?)  Aaron asked if I would pull the plug if he was surviving on machines and I totally would.  I told him I want him to speak at my funeral if I died.  He said he would, but then said he would talk about the time he walked in the house and I was naked from the waist down.  I was 8 months pregnant and Zack had just thrown up on me in the bathroom.  I reminded him that he rolled his eyes at me and wouldn't help me get any clothes.  I had to send our sons upstairs to fetch me some new undies..  That led to a long list of stories that we'd share at each other's funerals.. all of which are totally embarrassing and need to be documented sooner or later because they are hilarious.  I have got some that Aaron won't let me share now, but if he's dead, he can't stop me.  Seriously, we have some good dirt on each other.

After laughing hysterically on the floor in the corner of my parents old house, we moved to the more serious subject of remarriage.  I do not think I would be interested in getting remarried.  If Aaron hadn't come along, I would still be single.  I honestly couldn't see myself with anyone else.  I am an awesome wife, but only because he's nice and caring and considerate.  I think remarrying another man would be a huge disappointment after living with Aaron.  But if I died, I would 100% be in favor of him finding another wife.  He knows I will be mad if he stays single. First of all, he has excellent taste in women.  Second of all, he's a fabulous husband and shouldn't waste his talents.  There's a lot of single women out there that need a man like him.  And if he really loved her, I would love her too.  If I die, it better be after my kids are out of the house.  I HATE the thought of someone else raising my kids.  No one else could love them like I do.

Years ago, a friend told me that her mother married her father as a widower.  He had 3 children with a beautiful woman who died of cancer.  This second wife was not as beautiful, but she was such an amazing woman (and confidant enough with herself) that she hung pictures of his first wife all over the home, so her children could remember their mother.  This story has always stuck with me. I think it shows such love and unselfishness. Some of my greatest role models are women who have dealt with ex or deceased spouses with dignity and grace and love.  I can only imagine how difficult it would be to have to share the responsibilities of raising a child with someone else.  To bear no ill feelings or jealousy takes an incredible person.

If you're wondering why this is so random, I should have warned you I took a fine helping of Nyquil before I laid down... and all of the sudden, I am too tired to write anymore.  I hope I don't regret posting this in the morning.  deep thoughts by janet handy.

once upon a time

I used to blog.  I used to upload cute picture of my kids and write the funny things they said.  I did special posts on their birthdays about their favorite things and big milestones.

But things changed.  I have two busy, busy toddlers.  Simon is still literally bouncing off the walls and making messes and hitting people..  My little Ro is walking EVERYWHERE!  I must video her tomorrow.  She is so proud of herself.  She is so cute, but she's a pill too.  She screams at me if I am not doing exactly what she wants when she wants it.  She hits too.

My three older boys are amazing.  It gives me hope that these two littles will eventually become independent and nice.  I've officially been homeschooling for 4 days and they have been such happy days... filled with music, chores, reports, storytime!, math and laughter.  It is totally right for us and I am happy in my bones.  This morning, they were so excited about their oral reports, they were up at 7:30 am, sprawled out on the floor with encyclopedias writing away.  We stayed in our pajamas all day because no one feels well.  It was the best day ever... and nothing exciting happened (unless you think folding and putting away 8 loads of laundry is exciting, which I kinda do.)

Aaron is playing basketball now and everyone is asleep.  I wanted to write Roma's ONE blog post or Simon's BIG THREE but my throat is throbbing and I need to go to sleep.  I just wanted to quickly say hello.  Good things are happening every day.  We are SUPER duper bummed about the outcome of the election, but we are making a difference in our own home and eventually that will make a difference in the country.  I love this free country I live in.  I am free to think and speak and teach my children things that I feel are important.  I want the future of my children and grandchildren to be safe and bright and full of opportunities.  And I have faith it will.

Good night, friends.  When I'm rich, I am going to hire someone to blog for me..

they camed home

Since I last checked in, this is what has happened.

Thursday October 25th.

• Zack and Ben's last day of school
• Shopping for camping gear, ward party supplies and birthday cupcakes at 9:00 pm.  Aaron and I filled up 2 carts and had all five kids running around. It was nutzo. Roma screamed for a banana and I caved at gave it to her in the cart.  She squished it in her hand, wiped it on her clothes and threw it on the ground.   
• We picked up the bounce house and firewood around 10:00 pm.

Friday October 26th

• We set up the bounce house in our driveway at 8:00 am.  If Aaron hadn't helped me before he left for work, I would have been in big trouble.  We should have put it in back, but the concrete was too fresh.  The bounce house kept sliding down our driveway and into the street.  fun times.
• Before Aaron left, he grabbed me by the shoulders and said, "you're psycho."  as if I didn't know.
• Simon's birthday party at 10:00 am.  it was colder that anticipated.  everyone needed jackets and socks in the bounce house.  Everyone had a great time.  Love my friends and my kids' friends.
• Aaron takes Ben and Luke and 12 other scouts on an overnighter.  Ben almost forgot his bag.  I ran it to the church before they left.
• Zack, Simon, Ro and I pick up pizza on the way home from the church.
• Vaughn and Mason come to sleep over.  Jane has had my kids over a few times and it was my turn.  Crazy weekend to do this, but that's the way I work it.
• Kate and kids come over for a late-night jump in the bounce house.  It's still pretty cold!
• Four boys go to bed around midnight, but they played well and let me organize Roma's clothes.  Goodbye sundresses and shorts.  Time to break out the sweaters and boots.

Saturday Oct 27th

• wake up early.. shower, feed the kids breakfast and clean up the house.
• Take kids over to Jane's.  Pack the car with ward party items.
• wait for Aaron to come home from the camp out.  He arrives minutes before the ward party starts.  He goes smelling like roasted hot dogs.  
• soups & salads at the church pavilion.  Donut eating contest, Daddy Mummy wrap, meeting new ward members, bounce house, kids in costume.  The ward party was a success.  Michelle and B came with family.  So fun.  I went as Waldo.
• came home and made dinner for the Sister Missionaries.  Chili and baked potatoes.  easy.
• cleaned while everyone else napped.
• got in costume again for another ward's trunk or treat.  The Sisters needed a ride, and well... it's hard for me to turn down a party.  The kids had a blast.  I went as a nun.

Sunday Oct 28th

• ward council
• Aaron got the kids ready for church.  he's a pro.  Roma was in pink from head to toe.  (he thinks it matches if it's all pink.  cute.)
• Relief Society was good, but I came home from church and cried.  Feeling overwhelmed.
• Ben and Zack wrote me sweet notes and left them under my pillow.  darlings.
• Went to Leigh Ann's to be zoned.  Love her.  stayed too late.

Monday Oct 29th

• threw things in the van for Utah.  Packed all our warm clothes.  we didn't need them.  the Sunshine followed us all the way there.
• was late to my presidency meeting at the church.  cried during my meeting.  not typical of me.
• packed the kids up and hit the freeway around 10:30 am.
• needed a break in St. George.  Decided to hit up the DI and get Ben a pair of pants.  Everything that fit him last winter is 5 sizes too small.  that kid is growing like a weed.
• had a blast in the dressing room with all five of my kids.  Everyone found a treasure or two.
• took 2.5 hours to get from St George to Cedar.  what the.... everyone was DYING to get out of the car, including me.
• Picked up Cafe Rio in the drive thru (why can't they all be built this way?) Took the food to McD's and ate there.  The kids played for another 90 minutes.  Longest drive already and we weren't even half way there.
• stop again in Nephi.  Simon has to go #2.  Glad he's potty trained but it can be annoying. 
• arrive at nancy and Julie's about 9:00 pm.  more than 9 hours on the road.
• Scott and Amy are there for dinner.  We have fun visiting and the kids have a blast in the basement.
• the boys stay up in my bedroom watching "nightmare before christmas" on a VHS.

Tuesday Oct 30th

• Nance and Julie make breakfast and go into work late so we can catch up.  Nancy is sick and has no voice but she still makes great conversation.  Love these women!
• I take the boys to The Hostess Shop by my Grandma's old house.  We bought six loaves of old bread for a dollar.  We drive through the neighborhood and hit up the duck pond. 
• We fed ducks on the bridge and ran through the leaves at the park.  I was feeling very nostalgic.  The leaves were red and gold and the kids were in heaven.  I didn't want to leave.  I called Aaron from the park bench while I watched the kids play.  Someone is looking down on us and blessing us.
• We eventually pack up and leave.. but not before checking out Grandma's club house where I learned how to swim.  It looks exactly the same.  I feel so grateful for the memories I made with her as a child.  She molded me.
• While driving to Salt Lake, I think about how special is it I have a daughter named Roma.  Every day I get to tell someone why I named her that and how special my Grandma was to me.  I always knew I wanted a Roma, but I never knew it would give me the opportunity to share such personal information with total strangers.
• We arrive at Debbie's house around lunch.  I make soup for the cousin party while watching a political  show on TV.  Can't get enough.  can't wait for Nov 6th.
• Party at Lori's house.  Dinner and costumes and kids everywhere.  We make and decorate the letters we'll take to the airport.  Everyone is SO excited!!
• Hit a haunted house on the way home with Debbie's girls.  Luke and Zack were telling the girls how much I love Halloween.  Ben follows up with, "Not to mention, she basically loves every single holiday that was ever invented."  Aaron thought that was so.hilarious.  I hope they always remember that about me after I die.

Wednesday October 31st

• early morning costume parade at the charter school.  way fun.  Roma danced through the whole thing.
• head to my parents house for hard work!  The carpets are cleaned and everything looks amazing.  So proud of my siblings for everything they've done.  still A LOT to do before they get home.  So excited!
• Meet Jade and John for a quick dinner at Dickie's.  They are almost parents!  Zack is sick through dinner and won't eat a thing...  
• find some purple pants and cut them into shorts for Ben's halloween costume.  Ro was supposed to be Hulk and Ben was going to be Hawkeye.  We waited to buy a baby Hulk costume, so she was stuck being a Monkey... and she was a darn cute one.  Ben pieced together his costume last minute (using a t-shirt he already owned.)  He looked amazing... He loves Halloween like I do.
• We trick or treat with Lori's kids.  It turns out to be SO chaotic and crazy.  Lori and I lost all the kids (waiting for the toddlers).  I worried for a minute, but we were in Utah, there's no bad people there.  
• Simon loves running from house to house until he hates it.  He starts screaming at me when I tell him to use the sidewalk, "Don't tell me anything.  Don't talk to me."  People around were laughing hard and Lori and I dying.  This was supposed to be fun.  Ro loved her dum-dums.
• We finally found the older boys and they weren't even together!  They were all just running from house to house as fast as they could.  Boys are so weird.  But they got tons of candy and stayed up all night.
• We all slept at Lori's.  I stayed up watching Obama's America 2016.  We need to get more food storage and emergency preparedness. 
• The kids would NOT to go sleep.  They were laughing so hard at 3 am.  I told them if they didn't turn off the lights and shut up! we would never sleep at the Singletons again.  My threats always work.
• My van was parked behind Philip's and I woke up at 6 am to move it.  Terrible night's sleep.  I missed my bed.  and my husband.

Thursday November 1st.  

• Busy day at the Grandparents.  Lori and I leave all the kids at her house and get some caffeine on the way to Moms.  Annette, Deb, Amy & Jen show up too.  Katie is home without a husband and sick kids :(  We literally work ALL day.  I paint the door red to add to the chaos.
• The kids are all alive when we return home.  We get Sconecutter for dinner and end up sleeping back at Moms because there is still work to do.
• Buy a playpen for Grandma's nursery.  She needs it...
• Val stops over for a minute while I'm bathing 6 or 7 or 8 kids.  Love that she lives down the street.  She is the only friend I see all week... sad about that.

Friday November 2nd.  

• Today is the day!  Dusting and bathrooms get scrubbed.  Fridge is cleaned out and stocked with good food.  Lori and I spend $200 on dinner for that night (of course everyone chips in later.)  Big party planned for when they get home!
• make the banner about an hour before we leave for the airport.  I outlined it and 10 kids help fill it in with little markers.  Everyone is excited!
• I drive to Deb's house to get ready (quickly).  Mom and Dad's plane is delayed an hour..  
• Everyone meets at their house to carpool to the airport.  There are 16 cars on the street and kids everywhere.  We hang the banner just minutes before it's time to leave.  Lori is my hero.
• the airport is magical.  the kids line up with their letters that spell WELCOME HOME GRANDMA AND GRANDPA! 29 letters in all.  people are stopping in their tracks and taking pictures of these cute kids.  
• When Grandma and Grandpa finally arrive, the kids don't move a muscle.  They just stay lined up with their letters until Grandma finally kneels down and reaches her arms out for a hug.  They swarm her.  
• Grandpa meets Roma first and gives her a kiss on the cheek.  She is a little shy but gives him a sweet smile.
• There is lots of laughter, tears and pictures being taken.  The kids are now running wild.
• Paisley follows the boys while playing and gets stuck... on the OUTSIDE of the ESCALATOR and is carried up to the second floor screaming her guts out.  A strange man runs up the escalator and pulls her over the other side.  We were all so scared, but as soon as she was safe, we laughed and laughed and laughed. 
• Aaron flew in but missed Paisley's dramatic escalator adventure by minutes.  We were SO happy to see Daddy!  He looks so handsome.  Zack wrote him a special letter and filled it with Whoppers.  
• We drive back to Mom and Dad's with Cindy and baby Aubrey.  We were happy to find they were still being released at the Stake Center.
• The kids played in the leaves in the backyard with their cousins.  I was happy to catch a shot through the blinds.  They love each other and have such a great time together.

that's all I can type for now.. my husband is in bed and it's time to turn off the lights.  Pictures and more events of this crazy week later...

Chile Chili Chilly

So....  my parents get home in 9 days.  They've been serving a mission in Concepcion, Chile for 18 months.  The last time they saw Simon, he was Roma's age.  They've never met my baby girl.

The kids and I will be there for their homecoming.  And this is very unfortunate timing for Aaron because it means we will spend our first Halloween apart.  He's put up with my shenanigans for a decade, it's about time he gets a break.  I am super sad we will be apart, he is not.

We decided to do Simon's birthday party before Halloween... because it will be crazy when we get back and because he will NOT stop talking about it.  It's been three weeks of nonstop birthday party talk.  It will be simple, of course.  I love parties, but I do not go all out.  We invite friends over, play games, have cupcakes and call it a party.  That will happen on Friday and then we will head to Utah to trick or treat with cousins...  not excited for the cold, the weather here is perfection.  but there are only a few yellow and red leaves to remind us it's Fall.

Roma is walking to and from people, but nothing else.  She is super stubborn and sassy.  We love her anyway.

Motherhood is calling.  beds to make and breakfast to serve.  I really, really like my job.

the weekend (pictures later)

Friday

• laundry day.  all the sheets, towels and rugs clean.
• organize Ro's massive piles of clothes.  make a bigger mess than I started with.
• Deb, Brent and girls stop by on their way home from Disney.  one night sleepover again.
• Keyonna comes to crash too.  party!
• cancelled our plans to go to the hockey game
• pile up in the Shumwagon and hit Bellagio instead.  fountains = our favorite visitor spot in Vegas
• stop by Glaziers on the way home for dessert
• tried to convince the adults to go dancing. Deb's not a party animal like she used to be.  Aaron said he'll go another night with me.  I will hold him to it.  
• stay up late talking anyway.  Love my sis.

Saturday

• waffles for breakfast.  12 million kids were at my table.. or so it seemed.  
• cousins left, but not before Deb waxes my eyebrows
• pick up Nat, Jane and kids for Spring Mountain Ranch
• always a good time with my lady-friends.  the kids have a blast at the lake.  Simon strips down to his underwear (of course.)
• drop off the older boys at home, wrap a cute pink gift.
• Aaron, Keyonna, Simon, Ro and I hit a baby shower for Aaron's co-workers.  Two men who are having a daughter through a surrogate.
• most entertaining conversation I've ever had at a baby shower.  So interested in the process.  Gay men are the best conversationalists.  
• Cafe Rio on the way home for dinner.  heart to heart with K.
• Boys attend Primary practice while we're away.  Thanks Jane for picking them up and bringing them home.
• yardwork.. never ends.
• played Rummikub with boys and KeyKey.  Aaron always wins.
• Date to the grocery store, just my man and me.  we stroll the isles.  pick up food for Sunday's meal. and some eggnog.
• rent Bernie (with Jack Black) on a whim.  watch 1/2 of it before we fall asleep.  funny and way weird.

Sunday

• haircuts for all 5 boys.  I know better than to wait until Sunday morning. but they went relatively smooth.  Trimmed Ro's mullet.  
• Texting with the Bishopric during their meeting.. while giving haircuts.  Multitasking at it's finest.
• ward party on then off then on again.  Whip up fliers to take to church.  and a food sign up sheet.
• quick shower.  hair damp but not wet.  makeup on the drive to church.
• get to sacrament meeting 30 minutes early.  best seats for the program.  make copies of the fliers.
• talk to the sister missionaries for a while.  love them.
• tears during the kids' songs and testimony.  Miss our old primary faces.  Miss our old ward.
• Roma poops up her back during the meeting.  Able to get her to the bathroom before it gets on any of her clothes.  I am a miracle worker.  #imusthave5kids
• Give the boys hugs after the program, off to classes.
• contention during RS lesson.  it's gonna take a while for our wards to mesh...  baby steps.
• big meal after church.  love my boys for knowing how to cook.  they baked the ham, wrapped and cooked the potatoes, microwaved the peas, made the kool-aid and set champaign glasses for our traditional Sunday toast.  love them.
• 15 minute nap before visits.
• Aaron has meetings at the church.
• call grandparents
• scripture study and FHE lesson with our boys.  never enough time on Mondays.
• two chapters of Phantom Tollbooth.
• early bedtime for the kids.  late for the parents... I started going through an old box of notes and pictures.  bad idea.  but went to sleep in a great mood.

Monday

• 1/2 mile run with the kids.  Ro in the wagon.  Simon runs 1/4 mile without stopping.  Ben breaks his 4 minute record.
• quick shower.  no makeup.
• drop the babies off at Jane's.
• carpool.  parent teacher conference at the school.  both teachers.  both positive.
• left wondering why my kids are in school.
• pick up kids at Jane's.  head straight to a presidency meeting.
• lots of stuff to cover.  need to fill callings in a major way. 
• talk to Michelle.  give her directions to my house.
• RS phone calls.
• two visits with sisters in our ward.  love the social part of this calling.
• make bread bowls and soup.  creamy broccoli and cauliflower. no recipe.
• Jane calls and picks up a few items at the store.  I made bread bowls for her and she makes another pot of soup for our dinner guests.  more to choose from.
• whip up some pumpkin bread with Simon while the oven is on.
• Invite Azy for dinner too.  The more the merrier.
• Mich, B and Oliver arrive.  DIE over this cute boy. 
• Aze, Chris and boys arrive.  Love this fam.  Feels like HS again.
• no pumpkin carving.  too much talking.  kids play upstairs anyway.
• 10 pm bedtime. 
• stay up to blog, read about the debate.  Will watch it tomorrow.

my five little people

Roma's picture finally made it to the side bar! Newsflash, I have five kids.  Time to do a quick update.

Benjamin 

11 years and 3 months old

.Ben continues to amaze us with his mature personality and responsible attitude.  He is excited about being a BOY SCOUT in a major way and has earned his first two merit badges before coming a tenderfoot.  (as if I know that that means.)  He loves doing homework and is building a massive savings account.  He won't spend money on anything.  Whatever task you give this kid, he gets it done... and fast!  He has always been so neat and clean, but recently I've noticed he's more focused on being quick than he is about being organized.  A few days ago, I sat down with him to have a light-hearted conversation about his messy dresser and the amount of clothes that aren't getting put in the hamper.  After our talk, he rushed upstairs to clean up and a minute later I found him in his room, lying face down on his bed crying about it.  I felt terrible (but was more surprised than anything because he doesn't cry often.)  I rubbed his back and asked him if everything was okay and he said, "I feel so bad, I didn't even know I was becoming messier."  I laughed (quietly) and told him about the time he was 4 and cut the screen to the sliding glass door.  He bawled about it all day and I couldn't punish him because he'd already punished himself.  We laughed and then went in the kitchen to make waffles for breakfast.  While cooking I told him I felt bad for him that he was my guinea pig... I have done a lot of parental experimenting on him over the years and he's taken it in stride.  He is growing into a young man and I couldn't be more proud.  Love my Benny boy!

Luke

9 years and 8 months old

Luke is my side-kick during the day while Ben and Zack are at school.  He spends his time reading (2-3 hours a day), playing the piano (1-2 hours a day) and working on some kind of art project, origami animal or lego village.  He is in the process of making a book of all 50 state flags and so far it's amazing.  He always keeps himself busy and never bothers me.. ever.  That's why I keep him home all day!  He is the ultimate helper with Simon and Ro and loves to get them dressed, play a game or take them for a quick wagon ride around the block. Our favorite dates together are to the library or Michael's craft. Luke is such a creative guy and is growing up way too quickly.  

Zack

6 years and 9 months old

Zack Attack has mellowed out by leaps and bounds.  I've seen a huge change in him since Roma arrived.  He is helpful and sweet and loves his baby sister.  He can still play his spaz card and we love it when Wacky Zacky comes to play!  He's not a fan of chores, but will work as long as there's music and other people involved.  He is the first person to wake up every morning and usually has his lunch made and his backpack on long before it's time to go to school.  He loves his teacher (Ms. Luke) but let's face it, he's really there for he social interaction... recess, PE, and lunch are what keeps his motor running.  We have major issues with the amount of things he keeps in "special spots" around the house.  Zack will hold on to everything he's ever made, anything he's ever looked at and of course, all of the gifts he's ever been given. I have the hardest time parenting Zack, but really he's a sweetheart.  The other day he left on a bike ride with his friends.  To my surprise, he came bounding in the front door a minute later.  I asked him what was wrong and he said, "nothing.  I just forgot to give you a hug and tell you goodbye."  He gets off the hook all the time because he's so sweet.  #watchoutladies #player 

Simon

2 years and 11 months old

This boy has a birthday coming up and he could not be more excited for his Avengers party.  He is a little man trapped in a three year old's body.  He talks nonstop all day long and I love it.  He makes dinner with me every night and loves to help with chores.  Only problem is he makes a bigger mess while cleaning/cooking, but I am hopeful he will get it one of these days.  As long as you talk to him and treat him like an adult, he's a happy camper.  A boy in the carpool likes to tease him that he's little and it absolutely drives Simon crazy.  If he wasn't buckled in his carseat, I guarantee you a fight would break out.. don't mess with the little big boy.  He's shows me how TALL and strong he is about 20 times a day.  One of his biggest concerns is that he's going to grow so big he will break our house... he will often have nightmares that he grows so big he can't fit in our car or house.  Of course, I think it's hilarious he stresses about getting too big.  I could not survive a day without this charming little boy of mine.  

Roma

1 year and 18 days old

Roma and I have a love/hate relationship.  I love her to pieces, but I am not her favorite person and she lets me know, often.  She's a tomboy and would much rather wrestle with her brothers on the floor than cuddle.  She is sassy and silly and screams when she doesn't get her own way.  She loves to be outside, preferably in the wagon or at the park.  She knows what she wants and is pretty good and letting us know when and where to take her (she points and grunts all day long).  She will say a handful of words (dada, Luute, mama, deeee for drink, and she also says the names of her two best friends Jane and Katie, who are both older than mom.)  She is a social butterfly and loves to look people in the eyes and have conversations with them.  Her all time favorite buddy is Zack and she will go to him anywhere, as long as he carries her (no walking yet.)  The other day, Zack was making her laugh while I was holding her.  I giggled too because her laugh was so darling.  She looked at me, stopped laughing and slapped me in the face as if to say, "you're not a part of this conversation."  Which made me laugh harder, but she was seriously mad at me. It's the weirdest thing to explain, but sometimes I feel like I am carrying around a midget woman on my hip. I love her zest for life and her ability to speak her mind even though she can't speak at all!  Can't wait to watch her grow and learn.  Toddlers are my favorite!! 

Atlanta dating disaster -- summer of '99

This portion of our "love story" is NOT mentioned in the original post because it's a novel in and of itself.  It's long and frustrating, but is an important part of our history so I am including it now. warning-- I am writing this late at night.  sorry in advance for typos and mistakes.

My husband and I had a great start and could have been inseparable from the minute we met.  I liked him from day one and knew he was the kind of guy I wanted to introduce to my parents.  I told him that I liked him, flirted with him and wanted him to take me out on a second date.  He not believe me when I said I liked him (he truly thought I said that to everyone), he interpreted my flirtiness as friendliness, and he did not ask me on a second date.  Instead  he asked my friend and next door neighbor on a date, to a concert I had been dying to see and could not get tickets to.  He kissed this girl a few days later and it crushed me.  When their whirlwind of a relationship was over, I pretended like I was okay with being his friend and even convinced myself that he wasn't my type.  But truthfully, I realized then that we had major communication issues.  He is not a verbal communicator, and I am an extremely intense verbal communicator.  We are like magnets that repel each other when it comes to talking about important issues.  This is a major conflict in our marriage and it was apparent almost immediately after we met.  

In a communications class, a few months after Aaron asked out my friend instead of me, I was assigned to write a paper on a relationship with conflict.  Most of my friends were writing about a female/frienemy.  I had no communication issues with other women, instead, I had this awkward relationship with this awesome guy.  I liked him and I thought he liked me back, but we could never be on the same page at the same time.  Writing the paper was frustrating because we had a fun relationship-- we could talk but only about things that didn't matter.. random topics, funny stories, television shows, etc.  But whenever I tried to talk serious, it would backfire on me.  By the end of our our first year when we said goodbye (for good, or so I thought) we both wrote meaningful letters that admitted we loved each other, but neither of us has never said those words (or even gotten close to them) when speaking face to face.  Kinda sweet... but so frustrating!

That summer, I went to live with my sisters in Atlanta with their young families.  I didn't ever expect to hear from Aaron again, but he got my number from my mom (remember, she loves him) and called me my first week out there.  We talked on the phone all summer but never (not once) about anything important or meaningful.  I often wanted to bring up the fact that he never asked me out on a second date.  I wanted to ask him why he kept calling me and tell him how hurt I was when he dated my friend.  I tried, but it never happened.  At the end of the summer, he told me he had purchased a plane ticket to Atlanta to attend the wedding of our mutual friends.  I was thrilled!  He would be spending 5 days with me and my sisters and then we would go to the wedding together on the last day before he flew out.  I took off work, cleared everything from my scheduled and planned 5 days of non-stop fun.

The day before he came, he called me to confirm.  He told me that the groom would be picking him up from the airport and then he would call me after that.  I was a little disappointed because I wanted to spend the entire time with him, but then I wondered if I was assuming too much (I had done that before with him and it wasn't good.)  So I downplayed it on the phone and said, "Okay, whatever.  That sounds fine.  Just call me when you can."  The next day he flew in, hung out with his friends and then never called.... not the next day or the next or the next.  My schedule was completely EMPTY and I was literally just waiting for him to call me.  (this was before the day of cell phones when you could just text someone casually.. I had no number for him which was super annoying.)  I felt really stupid for assuming that he flew out to see me and hang out with me.

On day 4 he finally called.  He was totally upbeat on the phone and said he flew in and decided to help them with wedding prep and didn't have a chance to call me.  I tried to act okay about it too and wondered if I could still see him before he flew out.  He said that he had lunch free after the wedding and before the reception if I wanted to meet up.  I did.  I picked him up at the temple and we had lunch.  It was lighthearted and fun and we didn't talk about anything important..  but inside, I was DYING.  I was mad and hurt and so annoyed that I couldn't read him.  After lunch we drove to my sisters home and I introduced him to my nieces and nephews.  He was SO CUTE with the twin babies, I almost started crying.  Everything is great about this guy except for the fact that I can't talk to him!!!

At 2 PM, he casually tells me that the wedding reception ends at 3 PM.  I had no idea it was an afternoon reception and freaked out because it was TWO HOURS away from where we were.  We hopped in the car and started driving.  Before we got on the freeway, I was so frustrated, I just let loose and asked him a bazilion questions: Why didn't he tell me what time the reception started/ended?  Why didn't he want me to pick him up from the airport?  Why did he make we wait 4 long days before he called?  He answered them in stride and told me that I didn't sound excited enough on the phone.  I was always so bubbly and happy, but when he told me he was coming out to see me, I didn't act like I cared.  I explained that I was trying to downplay it because I was a little too excited.  He told me he'd landed and basically been a third wheel to this poor couple about to get married.. and that he'd done nothing for 4 days..  such a frustrating, but eye-opening conversation.  And that was only the first ten minutes of the drive.  The rest of the two hours we covered our history-- why he didn't ask me out (he was intimidated by my confidence).  I told him now devastated I was when he started dating my friend.. how I went home for the week because I couldn't stand seeing them together.  He explained that he broke up with her because he realized how much he liked me, but then I wouldn't give him the time of day (my confidence was covering up my insecurities..) After 18 months of knowing one another, this was our first real conversation.  Minutes before we arrived at the reception, he told me that wanted our relationship to be more than a friendship and that he could really see us together.  I loved hearing it and was so excited for the drive home!!!

At the reception (where the bride and groom had left before we arrived) we helped clean up the decorations.  Well, I cleaned up while Aaron played with the massive amount of kids running around.  He was in the middle of 20 little girls.. giving them piggy back rides, swinging them around in their pretty dresses, chasing and making them scream, etc.  I watched him from afar and knew he was the kind of father I wanted for my children.  I was going to tell him that on the drive home.  But before we got in the car, a friend of the groom (who I had never met before) asked Aaron if he could ride the 2 hours back with us, sleep at my sisters home and then catch a ride to the airport in the morning.  Aaron, being the awesome guy that he is, said yes.  I was so annoyed.

The 2 hour drive home was spent listening to our new "friend" talk about himself.  He blabbed the entire time.  I was literally going batty.  Aaron never said a word, not to me, not to the other guy. (*But when we stopped for gas and I got out to pay, he would not let me put in my credit card.  I was mad and insisted, and we got into an argument at the pump.  Ultimately Aaron won and I still think about that fight at the gas station with fondness.  He is such a gentleman and always takes charge.)  Now, back to the story... We arrived home at my sisters house at the same time the pizza delivery guy was dropping off their dinner (another frustration, we had their only car and totally ruined my sister's plans.  They needed to pick up their other car at the mechanic and grocery shop, but because our plans changed, so did theirs.  We left them home without a car and without any food in their fridge.  This added to my frustration...)  Anyway, this dude ate all my sisters pizza with his mouth open.  She kept looking at me wondering who he was and I could only roll my eyes.  She took me aside and told Aaron and I to go upstairs while she occupied him.  We gladly accepted.

I needed to change the sheets on my king size bed so Aaron and his friend could use it (instead of the twin bed in the other room where Aaron was planning to sleep.)  Aaron helped me but didn't say a word about the change of plans or the guy who was now ruining our night.  I tried to small-talk, but it didn't work.  Neither of us knew how to get back to the romantic can of worms we opened up in the car on the drive to the reception.  After some time, my sister and this annoying guy came to join us.  My sister was laughing and told me she couldn't keep him downstairs any longer.  The four of us had an interesting conversation.  My sister was telling them how I had made a lot of friends (as a waitress) and how the missionaries loved me because I was getting a lot of referrals from people I had met.  Missionary work was exciting to me and it was the focus of my summer.  Aaron asked if I planned on going on a full-time mission and I said absolutely. Then, this guy, who had met me only a few hours earlier, told me that I was not the kind of girl that served a mission and he could never see me out in the mission field.  I was so offended and beyond annoyed.  Aaron, instead of contradicting his friend, agreed.  Aaron says now that he stated he didn't want me to serve a mission, but that was not how I interpreted it.  I told them that it had been a long day and I was going to sleep in the other room.  The night was over.

After everyone was in bed, I snuck downstairs and called my mom.  She was so anxious to hear how the day had gone.  I told her it was a disaster, but that I was looking forward to dropping off his friend at the airport in the morning and then talking to Aaron for a few hours before his plane left.  I was so grateful there were a couple of hours in between their flights!  I wanted to clean the air and (at least) finish our conversation.  My mom was disappointed that the day/week hadn't gone well, but she was sure things would turn out okay before he flew home.

The next morning, I woke up early, took my brother-in-law to the mechanic to get his car, came home and showered and got ready, drove my sister and her kids to church, and came back before Aaron and his buddy had even gotten out of bed.  They grabbed a banana as we loaded their luggage in the car and we were off to the airport.  Conversation to the airport was almost nonexistent.  I was not mad, but I also didn't want to talk their ears off.  Aaron barely said two words. (now I know he doesn't talk before 10 AM.)  I pulled up to the passenger drop off lane, intending to ditch this guy and drive somewhere else with Aaron-- we had 3 hours to spare and I wanted to go to a park or get something to eat or whatever... even just stay in the car and talk.  But as I got out of the car to help open the trunk for the luggage, Aaron grabbed his bag and gave me a side hug and said, "Thanks. and maybe we'll see you later."  I stood there completely stunned, probably with my jaw dropped.  I said goodbye shortly and drove away..  I blasted the music and said out loud, "I will never see him again."  If we couldn't make it work on vacation, we couldn't make it work anywhere.  He was a good friend and it had to stay that way.  (Aaron's side of the story is that I pulled up in the passenger drop off lane without telling him that I wanted to talk to him.  and he didn't want to say anything because I already seemed annoyed from the night before.  and knowing him now and how he deals with conflict, this totally makes sense.  He will not push issues unless it's the right time to talk about it.  when is the right time?  never.)

A week later, he emailed and apologized for whatever happened, although neither of us could really explain what it was.  I was not going to ruin the friendship with my favorite guy over this, but this trip was the very reason I wouldn't give him the time of day a few months later (see porch scene in "our love story")  Looking back, it's very frustrating from both sides.  Aaron didn't know how to read me and so he avoided talking to me.  I hate when people avoid talking so I get more annoyed!  I want to punch it out and get everything on the table.  If someone can't handle talking, they can't handle me.  We could not be more different.... and 12 years later, we still have arguments (or lack of any conversation at all) because neither of us understand where the other person is coming from.  SO frustrating..  but we always find a way to work it out because what we have together is SO worth it.