Friday, January 29, 2010

It must be time...

...to shave my legs.  Stephen brushed up against my leg this morning and shuddered, "Ouch!! That is scratchy just like Daddy's face!"  Okay, okay, maybe they are pokey. I wear pants 90% of the time since it is winter and am on the "once-a-week-for-church" rotation - it must not be enough! 

Stephen keeps me laughing with his funny observations and hillarious statements.  I can't get enough of his twinkling blue eyes - just the same color as blueberries!

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Boston and Mom's Midnight Adventure

...or 1:00 am...that's what time we left the house to go to the pediatric urgent care. 

It all started at bedtime - Boston went to bed at 9:00, and after sleeping on and off for an hour or two it became very clear that he was NOT going to sleep anymore even though he was obviously very tired.  "Goodness child, all you have is a minor cold and cough," - I thought.  I had that mom "gut feeling" that something wasn't right when he continued to scream no matter what I did to comfort him.  Okay, really I was just frustrated and logically I knew that he had never had a night like this EVER and so something must be wrong.  My guess was that he had an ear infection.  Hence, we left the house at 1:00 AM and drove to urgent care.

I don't remember the last time I drove around town after 1:00 AM (possibly in college?) but the roads are empty and I hit all the lights green.  We made good time and arrived to find the waiting room at the pediatric ugent care completely EMPTY!!  Yipee! We were called back as soon as I managed to fill out the paperwork (which was pretty slow because of the flower attached to the pen which was a great thing for Boston to grab as I was writing, and I was not very "quick" in my brian at that time of night).


Sure enough, ear infection!  Boston had been aboslutely charming and happy since we left our house and was still game for more adventure at this point, so with prescriptions for antibiotics and numbing drops in hand, we left on a quest for a 24 hour pharmacy.

Luckily I was clever enough to find a 24 hour Walgreens near our house where we waited in the parking lot and Boston "drove" the car and watched the rain on the windshield for 20 minutes.  Each time the windshield wiper would swipe across the window he would jump and then wait in great suspense for it to go again.  It was so funny to watch him!


We made it back home a little after 2:30 AM and after giving Boston the full regime of drugs we were back in bed by 3:00 AM (and sound asleep veeerry quickly) - I thought being gone two hours wasn't too bad for all that we accomplished in the middle of the night.  It was really quite an adventure, though I would prefer to avoid such adventures in the future. Even with all of Stephen's ear infections when he was younger we never had a "midnight ride" like this.  He just slept through the pain I guess (poor baby!) and then we would take him to the doctor the next day where they never would believe that he could have an ear infection because he had been sleeping through the night still.


Boston was a new baby the next day and has been so happy ever since he started on the antibiotics.  When he sees me coming toward him with that syringe of pink gooey stuff he smiles ear to ear and says, "Yum!" Or something like that.  I am so grateful for modern medicine.  What did moms when their sweet little babies had ear infections back before antibiotics were around?  What do they do in 3rd world countries??  I prayed for those poor babies and mommys that night as I was drifting off to sleep. 

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Kloie Strikes Again. And Again.


Monday
(That tongue depresser holds my masking tape for use at church).


Tuesday


Our attempt to solve the problem is a pack of these rawhide bones...



Current Status



Leave me alone.  And yes, her eyes totally look like that all the time.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Total Randomness...


Wanna kiss??


Boston with Aunt Chery - he really liked seeing her at Christmas.


Isn't Boston a little young to be embarrassed by his mom?  I still think this face is pretty cute though.


My two white ninjas - or angels.  Either way.



Stephen - 18 months (first day of nursery).



Stephen, 3 years old.  Not much has changed!  Same adorable boy!

Lists

My life is now a list...it never ends, no matter how many things I cross off, more appear at the bottom.  There are multiple lists. "The Primary List" is a full page (binder paper) and my "Family/house" task list is shorter only because I am puposely leaving off things like vacuuming and folding clothes.  Even though I don't add them in writing, they are still there lurking inside my head in the "Head List." 

I am learning to balance my calling and my family (me time - what's that?) sort of.  Just after I go to two baptisms, prepare my sharing time lesson, and write the agenda for Thursday's meeting.  I know, don't get burned out - delegate - I do that, but even delegation takes time.  Hopefully, in the next few weeks I go from putting out "fires" to actually preventing them.

I have the hardest time just letting things go - relaxing - just roll with the punches.  I get so unsettled if I try and ignore things - "NO!  I can fix this - I can prevent that mess if I only stay on top of things."  Scott has been very supportive.  All I have to say is "Too Much, too much," and he knows and is there.  Oh yeah, Scott starts school next week.  Sigh.  I know I have so much to learn - I can't dump all this on Scott.  There is only one person who can take it all - I think I will go pray.  Only He knows how to make "Too much, too much," all better.

*Please note that although I sound down (maybe I am) in this post I really do enjoy my new calling.  It is so challenging but it is such a blessing too.

*I just added "blog" to my "Head List" so you should see some pictures of my sweet, loving, patient-with-their-preoccupied-mommy boys soon.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Park Day

Imagine my embarrassment when I arrived home after two hours spent at the park for "ward park day" to discover that I had a "flake" in my nose. 

Two hours, eight women, many children.

How embarrassing.

Why am I sharing this story?  I have to laugh at myself and thought you might laugh too.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Words to the Wise

If you were thinking of getting a cute little puppy for your kids.....







DON'T.

Hmmmm...actually, on second thought...I have a darling beagle that I am giving away.  You are welcome to have her.

*Please note - I am not actually giving her away, though I seriously considered it.  The toys she chewed up were from Stephen's brand new Trio building set.  GRRRRRRR.  It took me awhile to discover that the other thing was a pacifer.  Sigh.

Ringin' in the New Year!


We spent New Year's Eve with some good friends.  We went to their home, put Boston to bed in the pack and play, put in a movie for Stephen and played games and chatted.  The next thing we knew it was 11:45 and so we packed up and headed home to beat all the drunk drivers.  The clock flipped to 12:00 as we were driving down the road and we got to see some (illegal) fireworks here and there.  Stephen was very good the whole evening and ended up falling asleep on the way home.  (What kind of irresponsible parent keeps their 3 year old up until midnight???)  Boston woke up when we put him in the car to go home but as soon as I laid him in his crib he went right back to sleep.  Pure luck!  I can't believe we stayed out so late with both our kids and had no major meltdowns.  We had so much fun hanging out with other adults and just relaxing.

Smith Family Christmas


Santa came to our house this year instead of Grandma and Grandpa's house.  (The first time).


6:30 AM Action Shot.


Very polite for a kid on Christmas morning...


I think Boston wanted to go back to bed but he was a little interested in the train Santa brought.



This 98 cent playdough was Stephen's favorite thing...he has played with it more than any other gift!


Boston got a good sized chunk of peel off of the orange...he was very mad when I fished it out his mouth with my finger.

We had a wonderful day and got to visit with both of our families and take a nap!  What more can you ask for?