The Happiest Place on Earth

JW and I went to the Happiest Place on Earth last week with Papa and Omi, Auntie, Uncle D and Co. We catered the trip to my four year old niece, Noelle, but one might be a little suspect when they see how much fun we were having on this fast paced ride. Can you believe there wasn't a line for this? So we all went twice.

Thanks for 11 Months

Sweet boy, where has the time gone? I blinked my eyes and suddenly you are 11 months old. I know if I actually close my eyes I'll wake up and you'll be 18 and off to college, so I'm trying to keep my eye on you as much as possible. I don't want to miss a thing.


You've spent the better part of the last month advancing your skills in a few choice activities including, walking and standing, eating and talking. You can not walk on your own yet, but this does not stop you from trying. You will be cruising around the furniture and suddenly let go for a moment while you stop to concentrate on something other than your two feet. You are completely unaware of your lack of stability as evidenced by the number of times you fall over and inevitably donk your head on the corner of something hard. The Dad and I usually laugh at your expense, but you know how to pull off the crocodile tears because they get you lots of loves and kisses without fail.


Even though you only have two teeth, you seem to think it's time for corn nuts and hard candy. You don't appreciate the ready-made pureed stuff anymore. You let me know this by spitting it at me. I'm not so sure I'm ready for you to graduate to adult food yet. I was really hoping you would eat Gerber until you were 12 and could fend for yourself. This milestone not only means that I need to figure out how to prepare meals before you go to bed, but that I actually HAVE to plan meals, my least favorite thing in the world. Alas, growing boys need to eat. I will not be a bit surprised if your first words are "What's for dinner?" since The Dad asks this question everyday and you are every bit like The Dad.


Speaking of first words, I think you have figured out that dadada is for "Dad," and "Feed me!" and "Get me out of bed!" and "I love the bath!" This is your word of choice and you use it for most anything. What is really endearing is that you say mama indiscriminately. It sounds more like "mumma," but it is the one word you've reserved just for me and I turn into a gooey mess every time you say it, it's so sweet.


Dear Dubs, not a day goes by that I don't thank the greater powers of the universe for sending you my way. I know you wonder how on earth you got such stupid parents (I know you think this by some of the looks you give me), even so you are such a good boy. We love you so much.

Halleeeeee-luuuuu-jaaah!

Handel's Hallelujah Chorus is an all-time favorite piece of music. I think my love for this piece began as a young girl when I would join my Mom for the annual Utah Symphony Messiah Sing-In at Abravenel Hall. The best part of the chorus is the very end, when there is a brief, or long, pause. I would wait for the silence, inevitably interrupted by some guy's cough, and then end in a grand finale and a roar for the hall when it was over. The older I get the more awesome the song becomes. It moves me to tears almost everytime I hear it and sing it. Who knows why? Maybe it's the words and the exuberance in praise the song invokes.

So when my Mom sent me this link today I was blown away. I wish I were there the day this happened in the middle of a Macy's department store. Instead, I just pretend I was there. I'm pretty sure I would have started singing at the top of my lungs, even though I probably wouldn't have been one of the invited choir members. I probably would have cried too. The experience would have been amazeballs.

Experience it for yourself.

Dinner Time with The Dubster

JW thinks he's pretty funny with his new dinner time antics. This video was shot the other night when I was still a tolerant mother. JW was quite offended when I tried to teach him table manners tonight.

Halloween Rewind

This year was a Halloween first for The Dubster and me...my first Halloween as the mom and his first Halloween as the kid. I was pretty excited about getting in costume. JW thought it was all pretty overrated.

His preschool had a parade with all of the kids in costume. JW in typical fashion wasn't thrilled either way about the whole parade thing, or the costume for that matter. He did get shotgun on what I like to call the "Infant bus."

Do you see the enthusiasm in this kid's face? Yeah, me neither.

He kept looking at me like he was being tortured.

"Are we having fun yet?"

Lucky for JW the preschool planned a fire drill during the parade. However, the school failed to let the fire dept. know it was only a drill, so a slew of fire engines showed up to put out a faux fire. Dubs LOVES the fire truck.


Later that afternoon I took JW to my office Halloween party. I stayed up almost all night making my princess dress to match my li'l dragon. It took me three days to catch up on that lost sleep. Talk about overrated. What was I thinking?! I tried to get G to be our Knight in Shining Armor, but he'd rather die than dress up for Halloween. He'd make a good Stick in the Mud.

Happy Halloween

This little dragon says "roooaaarrrr!"

HaPPy HaLLoween!

10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10

10 months! Happy 10th birthday, baby! I do have to say, it's late and I almost didn't post anything, but how could I not? It's tradition. Tradition! One big deal that I failed to mention is this year we celebrated 10/10/10. Get this: on this day, 10/10/10, you were 10 days away from your 10 month birthday. How crazy is that? I should have taken a picture.

Anyway, this month has been eventful. For one, you had a class picture taken. In my stuck-in-1980 mind, I thought this would be a classic blue backdrop school picture. Instead, it was full-on professional with fancy props and stuff. Of course I ordered a packet and when I got it back, I couldn't help but laugh. Can you see why? What is with the white socks with blue stripes? You, on the other hand, are stinkin' cute. {I will insert a picture here after I fix my scanner since I just threw it out the window because it sucks}

You are a rascal. I'll have you know that The Dad and I find ourselves under a table rocking back and forth every time we have to change your diaper or get you dressed. You can not sit still for 30 seconds while we change you. We have to literally pin you down which just makes all of us insane. Hopefully this is just a phase otherwise your parents will need to be institutionalized.

You are cruising around like a mad man these days. You have discovered so many joys in life that seem to be centered around the toilet. First it was the toilet brush. Next the toilet paper and now the toilet bowl. No matter how many times I pulled you away, you bee-line for the toilet brush. Son, this is really gross, especially when I find you playing in the crusty goo at the bottom of the brush holder. Now that I have removed the toilet brush from your reach you have moved on to the TP which is hung on the wall at just the right height for you to get a hold of. You can't just unroll the TP, you also have to eat it too. This can not be good for your colon and you practically bite my finger off when I fish TP out of your mouth. Finally, you have discovered the toilet bowl. You find it entertaining to crawl over to the toilet and stand there while The Dad goes to the bathroom. How endearing, my two boys being boys...until you stick your hand in the toilet bowl!! That's just too gross for words...sigh...

But despite it all, you are a very good baby. I really believe this goodness is just in your DNA and has very little to do with mine or The Dad's awesome parenting. Last weekend we left you for the first time for a weekend at Gramma Nay's house while The Dad and I went to Las Vegas for some adult time. While it was nice to get away, I missed you dearly. I called Gramma a few times to check on you. I tried to be strong, but deep down I was struggling to keep my composure. I know, it's silly. Gramma said you were a perfect boy. She and Grandpa Bear said they enjoyed your company and I believe them.

The Pretty Poppy Giveaway!

You all need to go to The Pretty Poppy to enter to win some really fabulous accessories. I mean really people, who doesn't love to accessorize with some chic vintage earrings, or a personalized charm bracelet? I've seen with my very own eyes their work and it does not disappoint. So get your little patooties over there and enter to win. Or don't, which just increases my chances to win that much more.

9 Months

Hey Shorty, it's your birthday! We're gon' party like it's your birthday! You're such a lucky boy. Know why? Because you get to share your 9 month birthday with your dad's birthday {HAPPY BIRTHDAY G!}. Every month I say how much you suprise me with your tricks because you are always coming up with something new. You are officially on the move and you are entirely capable of following me around the house without my assistance. I never know when you are going to peek around the corner. As if that's not enough you have now taken to standing on your own. You pull yourself up to whatever surface you can get a grip on. This too has it's pros and cons. You are totally awesome at pulling up, but you still need a little practice getting down. On a few occassions I've had to rescue from your crib because you stand up, angry that you have to go to bed, but you get stuck standing there. Eventually I have to rescue you from yourself.

You are almost an expert with the pincer grip too. This has taken an immense amount of practice and you were often so frustrated while trying to eat a Puff because you'd lose it just before it got to your mouth. But as with most things in your life, you are persistent and you keep trying until you get what you want.

Speaking of persistence...as part of your bedtime routine I love to read you a couple of books - classics, like Goodnight Moon and The Bear Snores On. You have a favorite too, which I was a little slow to pick up on. Tonight you were being so crazy while I tried to read you a new book that I had never read to you before. You were so squirmy and kept reaching for the pile of books on the side table. Finally, I picked up That's Not My Dragon and you sat right down, ready to listen. That's the one you wanted. I read it at least 16 times and you never bored of it. Is it even possible for you to have a favorite book at 9 months? I think so.

You hit me pretty hard this month. Not hit, like smack hit, but I was overcome with YOU hit. I am your mother. YOUR MOTHER. You have no idea what a huge responsibility this is. I have so much to teach you and you me. Right now I can't help but soak in every moment of YOU.

The Fair Only Comes Once A Year...Thank Goodness

I took JW to the State Fair today. I thought it would be fun and maybe he would enjoy the animals since he is always so enthralled with Gramma Nay's chickens. I can see now why my parents never took us to the fair. First of all, you either pay big bucks for parking or you park 3 miles away. Have you ever seen where the fair grounds are located? G.H.E.T.T.O. You risk losing your rims if you don't pay for parking {I took the risk and LUCKILY I still had all four tires when I returned to my car}. Second, it costs $9/person to get in. Think about the cost for a family of six! And once you're in, it's more $$$ for cotton candy, hot dogs, unsafe rides, a glimpse at the most gigantic alligator in the world, never mind the endless booths of crap that appeal to every little kid. The one and only time we went to the fair I can remember my mom saying, "We aren't spending ANY money." I bet you can imagine how much fun we had that day.

Fortunately JW is small enough that he is free admission, loves to cruise in the stroller - so he didn't complain once about the 3 mile walk to and from the car; could care less about the rides or the most gigantic alligator in the world and hasn't tried a corn dog to know just how enticing a FOOT LONG corn dog can be. So we looked at animals, art and people. I especiallly loved the lady in the Creative Arts area who had gigantic painted on eye browns. She should have entered herself. I would have given her a blue ribbon. Holy cow! I was impressed. JW could have cared less.

Little lambsy wanted some attention. I gave the little guy a pat on the head. Once again, JW paid no attention.

Zuckerman's famous pig was some serious bacon. Never mind for JW. We strolled through the chicken barn too. JW thought, "Whoopty damn doo. I get to feed Gramma Nay's chickens whenever I want."

Do you see a theme here? I'm glad JW humored me even if he could have cared less. I think we'll do it again next year :)