Oh, The Weather Outside is Frightful...

Yes, that is my little munchkin guy in there! I knew it was going to snow but wanted to get a few things (i.e. laundry, dishes, etc) started before we headed out the door to run. Well, I think I waited a few minutes too long. It wasn't too cold though and Jared loved looking at the snow. After we got home he kept staring out the window on the storm door just watching the snow come down. It would have been perfect if only I had wipers on my eyes so I could see where I was going!

Peaking out his little window

Apple Munchin

After just getting home from a run, I thought I would take a few minutes to grab a bite to eat and catch up on a few emails. A few minutes after I sat down at the computer, Jared waddled into the living room with an apple in his hands that we was happily munching on. I was surprised to find my little guy biting right into an apple since the many times I have tried to get him to eat an apple he just shakes his head. It was so cute to see him sinking his teeth into one of the biggest apples we have in the house, so of course I had to take a few pictures.

The Kettle Sunday Funnies

Sunday morning as Jared and I were cuddling in Elizabeth's bed (she had previously jumped into bed with Steve and I and so I got the boot!), I was just trying to get my bum out of bed, but hadn't quite gotten there. Steve and Elizabeth came in to rouse Mommy and they jumped on the bed with the two of us. So, the whole family was laying (and jumping, and screaming, and climbing, and tickling - you get the picture right) there when Elizabeth said the following:

"I know, let's get a hammer and hammer out everyone's teeth and then we can just eat applesauce all day."

Okay, sounds like a plan!

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

Later on the kids were finishing up their dinner and were making quite a ruckus (as normal). I was asking Elizabeth to keep it down a little and said the following:

"Elizabeth that is hurting my earballs."

Steve and Elizabeth could not stop laughing. I can't blame them really! My brain must still be recuperating from the end of tax season and my 2 day tax seminar!

Extra, Extra

Okay, I know I haven't been so great about adding recipes, but I am going to try harder. I just added one tonight. I will try to mix it up with different types of recipes each time too. Anyway, if you need a fairly easy meal, check out my Mexican Sundaes over on the right!

I learned to knit

Can you believe it!?! Steve says I am too young to knit, but I love it. I actually haven't picked up my needles since early August, but hope to get back to working on a project I started back then. Here is a picture of Jared modeling the hat I made him. Sure you would know it was hand made if you saw it, but I guess that is what gives it character right!

I love the way he is looking up at me. So cute!

Going to the Zoo

Elizabeth's Kindergarten class attended the zoo on the 13th. I was lucky enough to go along and be part of the fun experience of her first field trip. She was so excited to be part of the experience that even though her teacher said she could go home with me, she wanted to ride home on the bus with the other kids. She talked about how excited she was to spend the whole school day with me for days. I was happy to be with her and share the experience. While at the zoo we got to watch a cat show as the trainers checked on the Amur leopard. It was a beautiful cat - I capture a really great shot. However, we managed to lose one of the kids during the cat show. When approximately 100 kids walked out of the cat show at once one little guy headed the wrong way. Luckily we quickly found him. As you will notice, I am obviously not adept at catching 4 kindergartners on camera and making them look good!

Pictures coming soon I am currently having technical difficulties with my movie maker!

Whole Stole the Cookie...

Jared stole the cookie from the cookie jar!

I went to go wash my face and all the sudden Elizabeth yells at me, "Mom, Jared isn't eating his breakfast. Come look at what he is eating."

I came in and somehow my little monkey had grabbed the bag of cookies sitting on the counter and started munching down. Smart little cookie!

Girls will be Girls

I love having a girl. It is fun to play dress up and get fancy. To watch her cuddle her little brother and try to help and comfort him when he gets hurt. To watch her get excited about baby dolls, princesses, dancing and playing in her kitchen. I love watching her learn to do her hair and seeing the fun (although admittedly somewhat strange) ways she does it. I love that she loves to help. It is fun to teach her to bake and cook and to see what types of foods she learns to love in the process (eggplant anyone!)

With all there is to love, unfortunately, there is the girlfriend factor. Perhaps some of you all remember the silly games and things girls do to each as "friends". Already she has come home from school telling me she isn't sure she wants to be friends with this girl or that one because they are "mean" and hurt her feelings. Of course with a little prodding it is easy to see that it is just a case of "girls will be girls", obviously she is just as much at fault as the other girls are. Wish me luck, I think I am in for a long 15+ years with our little drama queen!

Breakfast anyone?

This morning I got up to get Jared his warm milk. I left the room for a second and came back only to find him pulling the box of cookies off the shelf. He had been lucky enough to get one of these last night after dinner, so he knew exactly what he was going to be getting if he got the box open. I decided I needed to get some pictures of this little mischievous guy.

I told him that we weren't have cookies for breakfast and this was his response. I guess he didn't really believe me. Plus I was telling him all this as I was snapping pictures of him. He just loves hamming it up for the camera. He is definitely our little charmer.

I guess he got the cookie after all!

Tag I'm It...

Okay, thanks Alli! I always hate these things because I can never think of anything to say. When you are perfect you don't have any secrets or quirks to post!!! Anyway, here goes with my 6 quirks...

1. I am very particular about my vegetable chopping. I once asked Steve to help me with dinner by chopping up an onion. However, he does it in a more haphazard sort of way. So a few nights later we were making chicken pot pies to give away and he asked if he could help by chopping onions and I told him I would do it. He could tell I said it in a weird way and he asked why. So, I had to tell him that he didn't cut them all uniform and I wanted them to look good in the dish (as if you can even see the onions in the chicken pot pie)!

2. I haven't had a hamburger in I don't know how long. It has been atleast a year probably closer to 3 or 4 maybe more. Ask me what the best veggie burgers are, and I definitely have an opinion and a bunch you could try, but we just don't like hamburgers around our house!

3. I don't know how to boil an egg. Okay, so I know the general rules, put the egg in the boiling water and cook until done. But we never eat them, so I have no idea how long you would cook them. Elizabeth asked for cooked eggs the other day and I had to look it up! I can make you a great falafel (and pretty much out of my head), but ask me to boil an egg and I am clueless.

4. I drink soymilk. My brother in law thinks we are a little (or perhaps a lot) on the weird side around our house. We don't have lots of meat and we eat all sorts of soy products. I even like tofu!

5. I have little to no willpower when it comes to eating treats! I love cookies and I can eat a whole batch if left unwatched in a room by myself with them. It is a dangerous situation to put me and cookies together. Steve and I once ate an entire bundt cake in 2 days by ourselves (this was when we were first married and had no kids even!) This phenomenon is not easily seen since I seem to be good at resisting when I have someone watching me! (Melissa, this is why I throw away perfectly good cookies, cupcakes, brownies, etc - otherwise I would be the size of a barn!)

6. I love chickpeas. These little tasty beans make up some of my favorite foods hummus and falafel. Plus they are great roasted with tamari sauce or even baked in some BBQ sauce. And they are great for you too! You should try some tonight!

Okay, I am suppose to tag 6 people but I just don't know if I can do that so here are a few (no pressure, just do it if you want :)) - Melissa, Sarah, and Michelle.

Very Thoughtful!

As I was lazing about in bed this morning trying to convince myself to get up, I was listening to Elizabeth get ready for school. She was packing her snack. The past few days she has taken some fruit leathers as part of her snack, and she told me that since she wasn't sure what flavor she would want when it was snack time, she had to take a bunch. Well, one day at snack time she shared all her fruit leathers with the kids sitting at her table, plus she took time to notice and remember what flavor the kids picked. Now on to this morning. I heard her in the kitchen talking quietly to herself while searching through the fruit leathers saying, "Jack likes cherry, Julia likes grape, Ben likes strawberry." I didn't ask her before she left, but I assumed from overhearing her talking that she pack a fruit leather for each of her table mates. What a sweetheart!

Along with that, her friend Ally has been sick the past two days. I told Elizabeth that maybe we could take Ally a surprise today after school if she wasn't feeling better. So, just in case Ally was feeling better, Elizabeth pack two treats/snacks (a sucker & some animal crackers) for her friend to pick from so her friend would know Elizabeth felt bad that she had been sick. Kudos for the thoughtfulness little one!

Catching up

Well, I have finally had some time to catch up on the happenings around our house over the past few weeks. We got our internet installed last week, and I am beginning to get the hang of our new schedule - I think! So, the next 8 or so entries are all about the things that have happened since we moved in.

We are loving our new neighborhood and our new house. And even though we are realizing how much work a new house can be, we are enjoying the opportunities and settling feeling it has given us, knowing we could stay here forever and be perfectly content.

I hope you enjoy the following stories and anecdotes about life in our new home.

The Tooth Fairy Returns

Elizabeth lost her second tooth just over a week ago on Friday September 12th. She was really hesitant to let me pull it out, but the dentist had told her she need to do it because the other tooth was already coming up and it didn't have any where to go. She finally let me help her get it out after I put some orabase numbing gel on it. She was excited that she was the one that pulled it completely out though, because I didn't quite get it with the floss.

With her tooth that night she left a note for the tooth fairy asking her what she did with all those teeth she collected. The tooth fairy, who incidentally is not very creative, left a note saying she kept them in a very large pillow case under her own pillow. Along with her reply, the tooth fairy left her token golden dollar coin which Elizabeth was very excited about.

Congratulations Elizabeth on loosing your second tooth!

Funny Happenings Around the Kettle's House

Here are just a few of the funny bloopers and blunders that have happened since we have moved in.

The Case of the Overflowing Dishwasher
Coming from a home with no dishwasher, we were grateful to finally have one. We didn't bring any dishwasher soap with us, but I have an environmentally friendly laundry soap that I use that I read oodles of comments from people mentioning that they used it in their dishwasher and it worked great. They said they used 1 tablespoon. So, the first night in our house I had the dishwasher loaded with some dishes we had unpacked and thought I would give it a whirl. After about 30 minutes of the dishwasher going, I happened to walk into the kitchen and saw it spewing forth a plethora of bubbles and water. Apparently that soap wasn't going to work in our dishwasher, oops!

Raindrops are coming through my door
The day we moved in turned a little ugly around 9:30 or 10:00 in the morning, and the rain steadily increased over the next few hours. As my mom and I were unpacking boxes of food and dishes we were collecting the boxes of stuff I wasn't sure about in our mudroom. After the rain had been going for a while my mom took a box in and noticed a small pond of water by the door. It was closed and had been for quite some time. We started getting concerned that perhaps Steve's first order of business might have to be fixing or replacing the door, when we realized the storm door had not been closed during this time. We closed the storm door, mopped up the pond of water and prayed. Luckily no more torrents of water swept into the mudroom. Good thing too, because Steve had plenty of projects on his list already!

London Ladders Crashing Down
Since we moved in Steve has been steadily working away at a room in attic. He spent the first week after we moved in up there and traipsed through the renters house multiple times a day. He felt a bit awkward doing this and when he discovered he couldn't finish it all that week, he decided to just enter through the roof window via a ladder. This past Saturday night we had attended an Elders Quorum social at our neighbor's house. The wind really started picking up and so we moved the party inside. Not until we got home and saw Steve's extension ladder crashed into the side of the fence with a healthy chunk missing did we even consider what the outside commotion would mean for us. Oops, I guess that adds one more thing to Steve's list, fixing the fence!

Bare Bum = Poopy Floors
This morning I was changing Jared's diaper just before we headed out the door to take Elizabeth to the bus stop. I was trying to hurry and had already removed the pee wet diaper he was wearing when I realized that box of diapers I had just bought were with Dad at the train station. Oops! I spent a minute or two scrambling around looking for a spare diaper. I finally found one and hurried in to grab Jared and stick the diaper on him so we could go, when I noticed a little poo on the ground. I thought perhaps he had just started going so I thought I might be able to catch it. However, after a visual scan of the room I noticed a nice pile of poop right on the floor. Thank goodness for hardwood, that is all I can say!

Work in Process

Our new house is a work in process. We have lots to do, and not enough time to do it in, so it seems. Steve has been finishing off an unfinished room on the other side of the house, so we can utilize that as renting space this winter. It has taken a bit of work including installing a roof window, taping, mudding, sanding, and priming. We are getting there, but still have closet building to finish up. Hopefully it will all be done soon.

The yard is also in need of some help. Steve has been busy removing ivy from off the stone wall, so that he and our brother-in-law can build a fence to help keep the kids contained. Our road isn't busy, but it would be nice to have some place I could let Jared play without worrying that he is standing in the middle of the road.

I took some before shots of the place to show what the yard looked like before our renovations. Although it is a lot of work, it is nice to have a place to call our own and that we can make all the decisions on.

Steve is standing on the rock wall we are trying to clear off so we can build a little fence on top of it. And yes, we will be removing that old metal pipe.

Here is a shot from up on the street. There is a fence that is being "eaten" by the large tree that we will remove to open up more space for the kids. Hopefully these projects will happen sometime soon!

Sick, Sick, Sick

Well, I don't know about the rest of the world, but at our house we have all come down with the first cold of the season. Mom and Jared got hit the hardest and spent a week ago Sunday inside all day long. It helped a bit, but Mom just can't seem to stay down when she should so it has lingered on and on. Luckily we all seem to be doing much better, and other than a bit of lingering stuffiness, we are all feeling fine.

The Box Girl

After unpacking box after box, we had plenty lying around. Elizabeth took advantage and used them to play in. She decided that it was fun to sit inside one to watch her favorite cartoons. Here she is all scrunched up inside her little box.

Chocolate Pies

Aunt Heidi sent home with Steven & Elizabeth some mini graham cracker pie crusts and some chocolate pudding mix to make some mini chocolate pies. Elizabeth was very excited to help make them, and loved that they were small and cute. After dinner they let Jared dig into a mini pie. He loved scooping out all the pudding, but wasn't too excited about the cookie crust. Thanks Heidi for the fun pie making supplies!

You need two hands for this pie!

Mmm.. delicious!

Adventures of the Toilet Paper Boy

Jared has found the toilet paper. In our old house, he never seemed to do much with it. But ever since we have moved in, he has become fascinated with the toilet paper roll. A few rolls have been almost completely sacrificed as part of his new found past-time. Steve snapped a few shots of him trying to carry around his loads of paper.

First Day of School

Well, the day after we moved in, Elizabeth started school. Here are some pictures of her outside our house that her dad took.

Here is our smiling little school girl!

Here she is showing off the new backpack she got. Mom was mean and wouldn't let her get a princess, pony, Dora, Barbie, etc backpack like the other kids!

Here she is standing on one of the pedestal things at the bottom of our front steps.

She was VERY nervous to start school and we have had our share of tearful goodbyes. However, she absolutely LOVES school and gets excited about all the new fun things she is doing there. She has received moon pies from the moon, met a dog ("Mom, it just a man dressed in a dog costume") name chief, and learned lots of fun songs which she loves singing to me.

She is also meeting some new fun friends. There are three girls from the ward that all started school with her, and then she has met some other girls that are in her class. She also tells us that she seems to play chase the boys a lot at recess, so she has gotten to know a bunch of them as well. We can't believe she has already started that. We thought we still had a few more years!

Congratulations Elizabeth on starting school and entering this fun new chapter in your life!

Moving In

As many of you have guessed, I am not much of a picture taker, so I have nothing to share as far as pictures. But we successfully moved in on Monday September 1st! We had a friendly helping hand from the Elders Quorum and Young Men in our new ward. That was unexpected but definitely appreciated. A big thanks to my brothers, Dad, brother in law, Steve's dad and our friend Scott for their help loading the trailer and getting the odds & ends. And a really HUGE thanks to Eric for letting us use his trailer & truck so we didn't have to pay U-Haul a bunch of money! We are glad he trusted us with his stuff while he was busy that day!

The rain held off while the guys from our ward helped with the first trailer load, but poured down on the guys while they loaded it up the second time. It successfully soaked our TV, toaster oven and microwave. Luckily they all started working just fine the next day after they had some time to dry out. I wasn't looking forward to replacing all three!

Of course I can't forget to thank my mom for all her help cleaning and helping me decide how to organize my kitchen. She spent a huge part of her day helping me line cupboards after I wiped them out and then helping me unload boxes of dishes and the like into the kitchen cabinets.

We spent the rest of that first week getting situated, and as happens with most moves, are still getting situated and re-arranging every day. We have most of the unpacked boxes in hiding, oh I mean stored in the basement, which helps us feel like our house isn't so chaotic.

Thanks again for all those who helped us with our big move!

A Visit From the Tooth Fairy

Tuesday night Elizabeth received her very first visit from the Tooth Fairy. After much persuasion, she allowed Mom to floss her tooth out. It was hanging by one little corner and just needed a little help. Mom had it out in seconds. She cried at first and said it hurt, plus she was a little apalled by the bleeding. But after a minute or two, she was so excited she had to show everyone in the house the new hole in her mouth.

That night the Tooth Fairy paid her a visit, leaving a golden dollar coin in place of her tooth. She was so excited about her coin she put her shoes on and ran right over to her aunt's house to show it off.

Congratulations Elizabeth on losing your first tooth!

Home Sweet Home

Tomorrow we close on our new home. We are excited to finally know where we are headed. I am excited to finally feel some peace about Elizabeth and her school and helping her know about the neighborhood we will be living in. She is nervous, but I know it will be nice to finally be in a neighborhood where she can ride her bike down the street and hopefully have some friends close by! This picture was found at County Archives while trying to dig up some documents to prove this beautiful home was transformed into a duplex. It was taken about 1958 just before the property was converted. Once we get moved in and have some updated pictures of our own to share, we will do so!

Picnic and the Park

We had to run some errands yesterday, and so Elizabeth suggested that we pack a lunch and head over the the park after our errands. She even made the sandwiches and packed the lunch mostly by herself! By the time we got to the park for our picnic it was nearing 1:00. I was shocked that the playground was totally deserted. We only had playground companions the last five minutes we were at the park. What a fun idea and a good change for the kids!

My Little Fairy Prince

Elizabeth has often commented that she wished she had a sister, because she can't play dolls and dress ups with a boy. However, since Jared is such an easy going mellow little guy, she can generally do what ever she would like with him. Isn't he just a doll!

Checking In

Well, I have so much time to catch up for that I have been getting overwhelmed. Unfortunately, all that worry about not being able to catch up on everything kept me from doing anything! So, I have decided I will add bits and pieces about the prior few months as I have time, but for now, I hope to just continue as if I had never left out two fun filled months here in Munchkinland!

Loose Tooth!

On Monday Elizabeth was talking to me and all the sudden she got all scared and showed me that she could push her bottom front tooth forward. I told her that she had her first loose tooth. I was so excited and thought she might want to share the news. However, when I asked her if she wanted to call someone to tell them, she just got bugged and told me I couldn't tell anyone.

Later at dinner, after many suggestions from her mother, she decided to tell Dad. Then she decided we could tell whoever. I can't believe my little girl already has her first loose tooth!

Swimming Fun

Elizabeth has been asking me for months (yes, even when there was snow on the ground), when she could get her pool out and go swimming. I kept telling her we had to wait until it was warmer. Well, yesterday as she and I were playing outside she mentioned that since today was such a hot day, that surely it was time to get the pool out.

She wasn't really willing to do much in the frigid water, except of course pour buckets full of that freezing liquid over her brother's head until he had hypothermia! They had fun even if it was a bit cold for swimming!

Yosemite

Steve was able to take some time and head to California for a little hiking adventure with our brother-in-law. He absolutely loved it. As he has commented many times before, he said "Why haven't I done this before?" They hiked Cloud's Rest & Half Dome (I think??). Someday I will have to venture out with him to enjoy the awe inspiring creations.

20 Things I Love Right Now...

Well, Rachel tagged me like 2 weeks ago and the total schmoe that I am, I am just getting around to doing this.

1. My family, from the tallest (Steve) to the smallest (Jared) and even the feistiest (Elizabeth)!
2. Creeping into my kids bedroom each night to kiss them goodnight and cover them up. I love seeing them sleeping so peacefully. It helps me remember what a joy they are!
3. The fun and creative games and things Elizabeth thinks up for us to do.
4. Hiking with my husband (we haven't gotten any hiking in recently, but hope to soon!)
5. Seeing the cheesy grin my 11 month old gives me when he knows that people think he is cute, that kid could melt anyone's heart.
6. Seeing how generous and thoughtful Elizabeth is all on her own. Of course she suffers from the me/mine syndrome, but she will draw pictures for people all the time and willingly share things she loves with others.
7. Running outdoors! Treadmills are amazing and indispensable when it is winter, but nothing beats the fresh air and beauty of an outdoor run!
8. Baking and cooking up healthy and delicious recipes I have never tried. I love trying new recipes and love to share them (that way I don't stack on more extra pounds!)
9. Spending an entire day at home with my kids with nothing on the agenda except spending time playing with them (this doesn't happen too often!)
10. Talking with my grandma about the good old days. It helps me stay grounded and reminds me what is really important in life.
11. Sleeping in (this actually never happens any more since Jared has become a 6:15 am waker, no wait now it is a 6:00 am waker, no wait now it is a 5:45 waker - and since he shares a bedroom with his sister, and since it is light, she is up too!)
12. The smell of the fruit blossoms as I walk in my front door (okay, so they don't smell anymore, but I wish they did!)
13. Chocolate cupcakes with lots of chocolate frosting (I love sauces and toppings!)
14. Looking at all the amazing creations in this world!
15. Having my kids excited that I have come to get them from the baby sitters! I love being greeted with smiles and hugs.
16. Experiencing the firsts all over again with Jared. It is extra fun to have Elizabeth so excited to see him do new things. She gets so excited she starts jumping and screaming and...well you get the picture!
17. Date night with my husband (it doesn't happen too often, because we are too cheap, but it is always a treat!)
18. Fresh fruit. I am so glad it is summer again.
19. Getting up early to run. It makes my day feel so much more productive.
20. Being a mother and learning everyday how to be a better mother. It is hard and pushes my patience to the max, but each day as I sit down to reflect I can honestly say that I love being a mother, it is the best thing in my life. I mess up constantly and wish I could replay certain days, but I feel like I am growing, changing and hopefully getting better!


Okay, now since Rachel tagged just about everyone who has a blog, I will tag my two friends Sarah & Melissa!

Sleeping Munchkies

These pictures are a bit old, but I had to share.

The other day I went in to get Jared up, because I was sure I heard him talking. However, when I went in he was still sleeping. I just had to snap some photos of him. I love how he sleeps with his little bum in the air. He does it all the time. What a doll!

A few days later, we were at my sister's house and Elizabeth mentioned that she was tired. My sister told her she could go home and take a nap. Elizabeth promptly informed her that she doesn't take naps anymore. Well we got home and I put Jared to sleep and told Elizabeth I would be in to play with her after I scrounged up some lunch.

Less than 5 minutes later I went in to find her sleeping like this. She must have been tired! I had to get some pictures before moving the radio and placing her more comfortably on the couch. What a silly girl!

Ssssnakes

Every spring we discover snakes in our yard. Last year we had a really beautiful one that Steve just about squashed because he wasn't watching. Well, sure enough last Friday afternoon Elizabeth came running into the house to get me. Not only was there one snake, but there were two snakes lazily sunning themselves. She kept telling me how she hated snakes, but kept crouching closer and closer to get a better look! No pictures yet, but maybe soon!

Spring Time in Munchkinland

The kids and I have really been enjoying the good weather we have been enjoying off and on for the last month. Jared is still learning about grass and doesn't really move after you set him down on it, but he loves to be outside and enjoy the sounds and different sights. Elizabeth loves having picnics outside, playing buried treasure following the map of the yard she makes, and of course running around the tree! Both of them love chasing balls around the yard and looking at the birds. We sure are grateful for the beautiful world we have to live in.

Do You Know the Muffin Man?

Last week I made some pumpkin chocolate chip muffins for breakfast. Jared loves to feed himself, so he loved being able to stuff the muffin into his mouth. It was an extra bonus that the muffins where stuffed full of chocolate chips! From the looks of it, he didn't like his muffin did he?

Happy Birthday Elizabeth

Elizabeth turned 5! I can't believe she is that old. It seems like just yesterday that she was a little baby. Somehow mom pulled together a last minute party the Friday before her birthday. It was mostly cousins with a few friends. Even though it was simple, the kids had fun playing pin the crown on the princess, hot potato, and musical chairs. After decorating their cupcakes with mountains of sprinkles all the kids were thoroughly sugared up, which meant it was time for them to head home with their parents, right! Elizabeth had a good birthday. She enjoyed having people come play with her (apparently Mom and Jared aren't fun enough). Here are a few picture highlights!

Mud Pies

Elizabeth asked me what I used to do as a little girl and I told her all about making mud pies in the back yard. I ended up creating a monster. She made mud pie after mud and wanted to do it day after day! We had a lot of fun. Here she is sampling her handiwork!

The past few weeks in review

Double Ear Infections...Ouch!

Jared has been having a bit of a rough time sleeping this past week due to a stuffy head and chest, but usually I can just give him his binki, pat his back and he will drift back to sleep. However, on Wednesday night I had no such luck. I tried holding and rocking him, he just squirmed and cried. I tried nursing him, he was peaceful for a minute and then he just squirmed and cried. I tried feeding him a bottle, he drank it and then he just squirmed and cried. Finally, I decided to give him some Motrin, since he was a little warmish (definitely not a real fever). After about an hour of being up, crying and grumpy, he drifted off to sleep.

I wasn't sure if it was just his teeth coming in (I can see them coming and they should be here soon), or I thought maybe it was an ear ache. However, every story I have ever heard involving ear aches/ear infections includes screaming children that are up all night long. Since Jared didn't seem to be that bothered, I thought it was a little unlikely, but it was still an option in the back of my mind. Luckily we had a doctors appointment on Friday anyway, so I didn't worry too much and just decided to keep giving him Motrin if he seemed uncomfortable. Thursday he was a little whiney all day, although he did sleep much better the next night, staying awake for a mere 20 minutes while I gently patted his back.

But, at the doctors visit on Friday morning, the doctor confirmed that yes, he had ear infections in both ears, and was cutting his top two teeth as well. I wasn't too surprised by either one. All I could think was, "Well, if this is Jared with double ear infections, I guess I am one lucky Momma!"

High School Musical 2

Okay, I admit it, I had my name on the hold list at the library to see this show (sorry but I actually like watching the totally cheesey Disney flicks!), but I couldn't wait, so I got it from RedBox. Elizabeth, Jared & I stayed home from church on Sunday due to a lingering cough, and so Elizabeth and I relaxed on the couch and watched part of this movie. We finished it up on Monday morning and then took the movie back.

Later in the week as I was getting the kids ready to head out the door, Elizabeth was standing in front of the mirror in her bedroom and we had the following conversation:

E (while admiring her reflection in the mirror): Mommy, remember the boy I love from that High School movie.

Me (with slightly risen eye brows, thinking love?? she is only 5): Which boy?

E: The one who loved the girl that left (aka Troy).

Me: Yes.

E: Well, I kind of look like that girl he loves from the movie.

Me: Which girl?

E: The one who leaves (aka Gabriella).

Me: Yeah, I guess so.

E: I loved that movie.

Okay, so does anyone else think that she is a little young to be comparing herself to movie stars, I mean she is only 5?? Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!

Chuck E. Cheese

No childhood is complete with out at least one trip to Chuck E. Cheese for some bad pizza and a few fun games! Elizabeth had a fun time, even though she was starting to feel crummy. She played a bunch of games, watched the singing characters up on stage, ate a very little pizza, drank a lot of root beer and topped it off with a small helping of cotton candy! Sounds like every kids wish for a day. They had a fun photo booth where you could get your picture taken and then it looked like someone sketched out your picture on the screen. Eventually your print came out. Here are the lovely results from our picture taking.

Ice Princess

Back in January when Steve had some time off work, we took Elizabeth to go ice skating. She loved it, and was really confident out on the ice. We couldn't believe how quickly she picked it up. She would fall and just jump right back up. While we skated, there were a group of girls practicing for what must have been an upcoming competition. After watching them for a while, she asked, "Mom what are they doing?" I explained to her that they were learning to dance on the ice. Next thing I knew she was telling me how she wanted to dance on the ice too.

So, when Steve had a day off work this week, the two of them headed back to the ice rink. Unfortunately, Elizabeth had just started coming down with something, so she wasn't quite as excited or energetic. But she still says she had fun! I loved these pictures Steve got of her. Apparently she was only willing to pose before she actually started skating.

Getting all warmed up and ready for skating!

She just loves to get her picture taken, isn't she so sweet!!!

Acting just like a little "ice princess", with the cold glare and all!