slobbery kisses...

So, Zack is a crazy man. We've known that since day one. But he continues to keep us entertained and constantly comes up with new material. Last week, his kisses turned from sweet little pecks into full blown make-out sessions. I am so glad Aaron was able to catch a bit on video... cause who knows how long this kind of lovin' will last.I love that he holds the sides of my face and makes my hair a mess.. this guy is a total pro. Watch our ladies!

planets and space and stars... oh my!

This week we studied all about stars and constellations. All week our crafts and reading had to do with the stars and the legends behind their names. (Very interesting, by the way.)These are our homemade pictures of Leo, Scorpius and Orion. As we were drawing the lines in between the stars, I said to the kids, "Now you know, when you look in the sky all you see is the stars, and you have to connect them in your mind to see their picture." They looked at me like I was the dumbest person ever. Luke said, "Duh, mom." That made me laugh out loud.. although a scolding would have been appropriate. "Don't talk to your mother like that- you little.."
I also had the boys create their own constellation. They drew out pictures by connecting stars, named them and told a story about them. It was so much fun (and a really easy project.. all you need is a paper and pencil.) Ben's was so intense... a tiger named 'Zareous' who was protecting his dying family.. whoa. Luke's was a big circle (all the outside stars connected) and he called it 'Blue Lake' with not much of a story. Once he heard Ben's idea, he made his a more complicated.. and drew a mountain range and named it "Three Big Mountains." I guess he's a nature-lover.

So, all week we were preparing for the field trip to the planetarium.. and got the boys really pumped up to see the constellation film on their dome screen. And for the record, it was a total bust. It was tailored for young children (based on a cat going to the moon) but it was so lame. As we were leaving, Ben said, "I don't think those people did a very good job at their planetarium. It was kinda boring." true dat. Next time we'll just rent Contact with Jodi Foster and call it good.I was so happy that Daddy could join us (but Aaron was not as happy...)Because it was so disappointing, we told the kids they could get anything they wanted at the gift shop. They had some expensive things in there, but Luke chose a 50 cent slinky.. but you aren't hearing me complain about it.

a lesson from my child

For the past couple of weeks Ben has been making casual comments such as: "I think Luke is cuter than me cause his face is so round." Or "When I look in the mirror, I don't really like my freckles or my teeth missing." and "I don't feel like I have any talents."

This is shocking for me because Ben is usually so happy and carefree..and it's hard hearing that from my sweet (almost perfect!) little boy. So, we've been talking a lot about how everyone is special in their own way and we should never compare ourselves to someone else. These are pretty mature conversations to have with a 6-year old and I wasn't sure if he was getting it. But yesterday, he said something that I thought was very profound.


"Mom, I know why it's so important to have good self-esteem....Heavenly Father created us and if we don't like ourselves, it's like saying that he didn't do a good job making us." When I asked him where he heard that, he said, "No where. I was just thinking of it myself."



I know most of us have times where we just don't think we're good enough or we compare ourselves to someone else, but it really is important to accept who we are, who we were created to be. If we're not spending energy thinking about what we don't have (or do as well as others) we will have more time to develop our own unique talents and gifts. I am thankful for the lessons my children teach me and the blessing they are in my life.

sleep deprived.

Aaron plays volleyball every Thursday night. I always enjoy having a quiet evening to myself. I put the kids down early and read a good book until my eyes lose focus. Last night I started Cold Sassy Tree, which is pretty entertaining, so far. I finally fell asleep around midnight. At 2:30 am, I sat straight up in bed. I think I was dreaming spiders were crawling on me, but for whatever reason, I was awake. Aaron was not in bed next to me, and I was worried. "He must be dead," is always my first reaction. Why did I talk him into going? He was probably so exhausted that he got into a car wreck and now I am a widow with three young kids.

I decided to go downstairs just in case the police knocked on my door to tell me they found his body. I was relieved (and mad) to find Aaron chillin' on the couch watching highlights from the US open. He's crazy to be up this late (and obviously obsessed with sports.) But I wanted the update on who had advanced to the semi-finals, so I sat down next to him and asked him how volleyball was. We talked for about an hour about his new tennis shoes and how hilarious it would be if my mother was his legal secretary. Aaron does a great impression of Bev and we laughed about how she would put him out of business if he was still doing family law. If anyone called about filing for divorce, she would talk them out of it and encourage them to work it out. She is the most uplifting person to call if you are ever discouraged... if you need her number, I will email it to you.

Around 4 am we were both in bed and at 4:30, Aaron said I couldn't talk anymore. So, I just laid there thinking about what we should be for Halloween and why the word 'bra' is singular and 'panties' is plural.

At 5:30 I was still wide awake, so I went downstairs, for the second time, to make Aaron's lunch.. frankly, because there was nothing else to do. My alarm went off at 6am. On a typical day, this is when I wake up to exercise with girls from my neighborhood. I turned it off and eventually fell asleep. The boys pulled me out of bed at 8:30 am and we have a full day ahead of us. I better get my act together because Friday is field trip day at our house...


So random that this picture was taken.. I didn't realize it until I downloaded them onto my computer. I think my camera was next to my bed, and they decided to snap a shot. They literally had to pull me out. I really don't remember it, but then again, I was super tired.

only 3 weeks to go....

I'm counting down the days until a new season of The Office. So, here's a toast to the new couple... a short clip -with background music from the Perishers. (This is my fav Swedish band! If you don't know their music, you better get with the program. Aaron and I saw them in concert in 2004 and it was absolutely fabulous.)

For those of you who don't know, already.... I'm married to Jim. I know 9/10 women have secret fantasies about him, but I married the real thing.
Let me explain: Aaron and I didn't get to where we are overnight.. it was a rocky beginning. I was fresh out of high school when we met and I loved him from day one. He was charming, sweet, funny, had his own style and he was so much fun to be around. There was something special about our relationship and we both knew it... but I was young and carefree and didn't want to get serious. I was crazy about him but also afraid of doing anything that would change our friendship. When he laid his heart out on the line, it was a cold October night. He spilled his guts and told me how he felt about me and I was shocked. My pathetic response was, "I just don't think I can ever like you like that. You are my best friend." I knew he was crushed and I was so stupid for doing it, but I just couldn't see the whole picture. Sometimes I hate Pam and wish Jim would just forget about her and get on with his life, but only for a minute. They were meant for each other.
Months went by and we continued to stay friends, but it wasn't the same. I wanted another chance, but we were living 4 hours away from each other and he was always dating somebody. We tried to cut off ties completely, but neither of us could do it. Fortunately (for me) he was brave enough to say that his feelings for me had never changed. He was mature and I love him for being so bold.. because he really thought he was going to be shot down again. But it's a happy ending! We became engaged on date #2.. (so what if 15 months had passed since our first date.) The rest is history and I feel so lucky. Marriage is blissful and I only hope people are as happy as we are.
I am so glad that this:turned into this:Thanks for not giving up on me, Aaron! I love you and feel like the luckiest girl to be with you, forever.

Jim and Pam better make it work. Pam owes it to him, don't you think?.. and she's finally letting her hair down, so I can't wait to find out what happens.. only 21 days to go.