Night Time Scary Stuff

My clock says it is 11:32 pm. Well, the clock here on the computer. The clock on the dresser says 11:40. Either way, it's really late. I was just reading the comments on Fourth Fret's post and it got me to thinking about all sorts of weird night time things.

I am still scared of the dark. Yes, I am 29 years old and scared of the dark (although I like to say that really I am scared of what's in the dark!). I have this thing where once I turn off the light, I have to try and jump into my bed. I can't step on the floor. I don't know why. I'm afraid of something getting me, I guess. All I know is that the floor is scary once the light if off. If my bed is too far from the light switch, I run and leap into my bed, basically hitting the floor as little as possible. I have been doing this for as long as I can remember. A couple of years ago, I was visiting with my father and complaining about Aiden getting out of bed 5 gajillion times a night. He said, "Well, when you were little, I would turn off the light and then say there were spiders all over the floor and you would stay in bed." AH-HA! Now I know why I'm afraid of the floor! My father damaged my psyche! How evil is that???

Do you remember as a kid going to slumber parties and playing dumb, supposedly scary games? Remember "Bloody Mary"? If you don't, here's a quick explaination. Apparantly, you stand in front of a mirror in the dark and say "Bloody Mary" something like 10 times. Some versions say you have to have a candle lit. I don't really remember. Anyrate, after you have called her name, the mirror is supposed to turn all red and bloody like, and Bloody Mary herself is supposed to make a visit. I'm still so scared of that today that I can't have a mirror in visible view of me at night. Ches got me a beautiful full-length mirror for my birthday, but once the lights go out, I can't bear to look at it.

I, too, used to be afraid of intruders/murderers sneaking into my room at night. (All right, all right. I admit. I'm still scared of it.) I would face the wall and cover myself completely with the covers. When I awoke in the middle of the night, I was too afraid to turn over or make a sound for fear that someone was there. I always figured if I was still asleep (or if they thought I was), that nothing would happen to me.

On a lighter note, as my mom mentioned in FF's comments, we had a "ghost" or whatever named Charlie in the family. However, Mom, I remember that he was "Charlie Monster", so he wasn't a ghost. I'm scared of haunted houses and I refuse to buy an old house someday for that reason. Oh, and before anyone tries to argue that my house might end up being built on top of an old Indian burial site or something... no! I'm going to do my research first. No ghosts for me. So as I was saying... Charlie was a monster, not a ghost. And he became quite real to us. I still remember on one of our moves looking out the back window of the station wagon and "seeing" Charlie Monster in his car following us to the new destination. Charlie Monster was very friendly, by the way. Vinnie, Lura, and I played with him all the time. He was our best friend.

So, that's some of my night time scary stuff for you guys. Now my computer clock says 11:46, and I think Ches is trying to sleep, so I should turn off the computer. Even though I have sufficiently scared myself with memories that I don't think I'll be sleeping mcuh tonight. Good thing Ches is there! I use him for protection (Julia, he also snores so loud, I think he actually scares away any bad guys. Heh.)

It's Random Friday!

I just have lots of random things to say that don't really go together, so I'm instituting Random Friday. If you would like to have your own Random Friday today, comment and link to yours so I can be sure to check it out. I love randomness!

1. I had a dream 2 nights ago that I was doing something with wood and paint (tole painting, I believe), and I ran my hand along the wood and got a splinter. Then Ches and Dallin woke me up because Ches had to go to school and Dallin was hungry. My finger that got the splinter in the dream still hurt. I felt the sting for a good half hour.

2. One of my favorite cereals is Post's Shreddies. It reminds me of being a little kid (I think we ate it when we stayed with my grandfather in British Columbia because anytime I eat it I have memories that come flooding back). The only bad thing is... Shreddies is in Canada. You can't get Shreddies in the States unless you order it from one of those places I mentioned a long time ago to buy Candadian chocolates. However, I have found a new cereal that is SO close to Shreddies, I really can't tell a difference. Ches can, but he's eaten more Shreddies in his life than I have. And he says it's really, really close. Anyrate, it's Multibran Chex. I was in Heaven! I love it! AND we get it on WIC. WOOT!

3. We went swimming Wednesday night for Annacy's birthday. Annacy is Aiden's little girlfriend. Aren't they so cute? Anyrate, Aiden became a little fish in the water. He had so much fun. Now he wants to go swimming everyday. It was Dallin's first time swimming. For about the first 45 minutes or so he just sat in his floatie, looking around with this expression of "what the heck is this place??" on his face. Then he really started to enjoy it. Because Open Swim didn't start until 7:30 pm, the kids were really tired, and Dallin kep putting his face down, into his hands and resting on the front of the floatie. It was adorable. Did we get pictures? Of course not. We forgot the camera.

4. Chinchillas eat leaves. Aiden likes to throw this out there every so often, and I thought I'd join in.

5. They Might Be Giants "Here Come the ABC's" is just about the best kids CD ever. I love it! Of course, Aiden loves it, too. His favorite song is "Rolling O", which he calls the Monster Song, and I think my favorite song is "I Can't Remember What D Is For". It's just funny. I can sing all of "The Alphabet of Nations" and the alphabet backwards now. Oh, and Aiden also loves "Go For G". This is good stuff. (I know Dana agrees!)

6. I posted another assignment on the Poetry Reading, for those of you who are doing that.

7. When I was first married, Ches and I spent our first Thanksgiving in San Diego with Peter and Aunt Marisa. Aunt Marisa loves to spoil her nieces and nephews, so of course she took us shopping. She bought me these super sweet pajamas that are like long underwear. They are white with blue snowflakes and Winnie the Pooh in a sweater, scarf, and hat. I was so cold last night, so I wore them to bed (I haven't worn these pajamas in a few years!!). I was pretty comfy all night. Yay!

8. Erica, I will check out that ice cream. I love Ben and Jerry's, I love ice cream, I love chocolate. All together, it's a great combination!

Mmmmm, Kisses -- The Chocolate Kind, That Is

It's not that I don't like "real" kisses. I do. I love to kiss my husband. I love to get kisses from my husband. I love to get kisses from my kids (even if they are slobbery, sticky kisses). I love kisses.

I also love chocolate (which I'm sure that you are all keenly aware of by now). Hershey's Kisses are great. Of course, my favorite are the dark chocolate Kisses, followed closely by the mint Kisses that come out at Christmas time. I have tried the caramel Kisses (yummy), and think Hugs are some of the gretest little bits of chocolate on Earth.

Side note: Once, in between my first and second year of college, I was taking some courses and this really cute boy in the class gave me some chocolate. First he handed me a Kiss, then a Hug, then said, "Oh look! Now we're making out!" I thought it was really funny at the time.

A week ago Aiden picked out a treat at Target. He picked up a package of what he called "colored chocolate chips." They were Kissables, a new product of Hershey's that is mini-Kisses covered in a thick, candy shell (and in different colors). They were pretty yummy!

Two days ago, while shopping at WalMart (mostly browsing as I waited for my medication to be refilled), I went down the Valentine's Day candy aisle. I saw something else new. Strawberry-creme Hershey's Kisses! I picked some up.

OH MY GOSH!!! If you like strawberry, you are going to LOVE this stuff!

So anyway, I also saw the peanut butter Kisses, and I'll have to get those next time (Ches is going to really love those). I'll get them when I get some more Strawberry-creme Kisses.

Oh, and I hate nuts of any kind, so I don't like the almond Hugs. Just to let you know.

Sooooooo Tired

I don't really know what's going on, but I'm just too tired to continue. I try so hard to get my chores done, to figure out something for dinner, to engage with the kids, but I'm just too tired.

I wish I could just get in bed, pull the covers over my head so it would be totally dark, and sleep. I want to sleep for forever. In a warm, comfy bed with the perfect amount of pillows, the perfect blanket, clean sheets, and the perfect temperature in my room so I won't wake up with cold toes. I need pajamas that won't twist around as I turn over, or have pant legs that don't come up above my knees somehow in my sleep.

I am soooooo tired, I can't think. But there's too much to do today.

Ches started classes today. He left for school at 7 am and won't be home until after 6 pm. I like having him around the house. I miss him already. But then again, at least he isn't home, angry at me because the house is a pig sty.

Aiden is getting over being sick. He got up twice in the middle of the night last night. Once because he was coughing and he wanted a drink, and the second time because he had kicked his blanket off, and for some reason or another needs me to come into his room and put it back on him. He hasn't figured out yet that he could probably do that himself.

Dallin also woke up twice to eat last night, but the first time wasn't until after 4 am (I think), so it's okay. He ate for a couple of minutes, then went right back to sleep. Funny thing is, he used to be our good sleeper. He'd go to bed at 8:30, sleep until 5 to eat for 10 minutes, then back to sleep until 7 or 7:30. I hope he gets back to that kind of a schedule soon.

Time to go run around town. I have to go to Wal Mart, the post office, the grocery store, and the dry cleaners. So much to do. But I'm just plain too tired! I want to park the kids in front of a movie and take a nap. Maybe after the errands. Okay, time to stop putting it off. Here I go.

In One Hour...

...My house will still be a mess
...Aiden will still be running around with a basket on his head, pretending he's either a storm trooper or a robot
...Dallin will be cold because he's wearing no pants because he wiggles too much during and after a diaper change
...Ches' migraine will probably still be there
...Nothing good will be on TV
...Even though we've all eaten, we'll probably all be hungry again
...I will be yawning like crazy because I'm so tired
...I won't care about anything because I'm going to a friend's house BY MYSELF to scrapbook!

Shame Faced

Well, I have to apologize for the previous post. It's a fake. A funny fake, but a fake nonetheless. I got an email from my sister with this picture:

Yes, yes. This is very funny, too. I did laugh. But it's not as funny when you've been thinking you're spreading around something true and funny. Once I saw this, I knew Alyson was right when she said it must be doctored because the trees in Calgary couldn't look like that in January (and it had to be in January because the challenge to read the Book of Mormon was to end at the end of the year). In my [weak] defense: the email we got stated specifically, "A church sign in Calgary".

When I first looked at the last picture, I noticed the link www.churchsigngenerator.com at the top of the sign, but I assumed it was an actual sign company. This is what I get for assuming. The crazy thing is that in high school, I spent three years in the journalism class and one thing you'd think I learned was to always do the research before you publish anything. Heck, I used to want to BE a journalist (still think it'd be cool, but I never liked doing interviews. I wanted to be a columnist.), but went into music instead.

So anyrate, this Sign Generator site will make up signs for you, and they do have some actual funny church signs on the website, too, so if you want a good chuckle, go check it out.

And this is the last time I post something without checking my references. I hope.

It's No Secret

This is my 100th post. WOOT! I've been thinking so hard about doing something special for this post, but then this morning Ches received this email from his dad. It made me laugh so much, I just had to post it for you guys.

Yes, this is an actual church sign in Calgary!

Confused

My head is getting that wierd, whooshy feeling again. Like when I haven't been taking my Zoloft for 3 or more days in a row. But I have been taking it... every day, just like I'm supposed to even though my doctor is still AWOL and I have no insurance, so can't really get a new doctor to write me a new prescription, and I can't actually afford the prescription each month, but I can't really NOT afford the prescription because then my head gets all whooshy and I think I'm going to pass out for a few seconds and I'm afraid of blowing up at my kids or my husband or my mom on the phone for no reason other than I saw a commercial for makeup and I got upset that I don't have good skin to speak of, so I've been paying for it out of whatever extra cash we come up with that I would really rather use to pay off credit cards, but hey, at least we didn't use any credit cards to buy *anything* for Christmas this year, so I won't feel as stressed out about our debt as long as I don't actually look at the statements and let Ches take care of it and i just try and keep it together here at home by doing laundry and picking up Star Wars toys 500 times a day which I would rather wait until the end of the day and just pick them up once but I'm kind of sick of stepping on them because they hurt when you step on them and besides, Aiden apparantly likes to have at least one Star Wars toy in every single room of the house just about anywhere you could look, including Ches' sock drawer.

So anyway... my head is whooshy today and I don't know why.

Fat Man Walking

I saw this guy on the Today Show this morning. He calls himself the "Fat Man Walking". His name is actually Steve Vaught. This guy used to be a Marine, and I don't know what happened since then, but his weight topped out over 400 lbs. He decided enough was enough... it is time to do something. So he embarked on a cross-country walk. That's right... a walk! He started in San Diego, CA and is headed to New York City. He walks for 6 or 7 hours every day, and I think they said he averages about 3 miles and hour. This morning, when Katie Couric was interviewing him, he was in Terre Haute, IN. He has lost about 90 lbs so far, and has changed his attitude towards life in general. I guess he has a lot of time to think! He used to think that the world pretty much sucked and people are mean and rude and stuff, but now he finds that he actually likes life and people. He doesn't sweat the small stuff anymore.

I find this guy to be an inspiration... not just for walking and losing this weight, but this internal change he has made. I don't think I'll be walking across the country any time soon, but I will try to find time everyday to think and internalize what's going on in the world around me. I want to make my life better, and change my attitude towards people in general. Thanks for the inspiration, Fat Man!

He has a website that I'm going to link under my favorites here. You should check it out.

Death Day

I know, I know. You're probably sooooo sick of these on my blog. I promise this is the last one (for a while). I'll write some real posts later. Until then...


And here I always thought I would die young. Hmpf.

10 Reasons Why I Love My KitchenAid

Here are the Top Ten Reasons Why I Love My KitchenAid 6 qt. Professional Stand Mixer:

10. It's this industrial, steel grey color (the website calls it "metallic chrome", I believe), which just looks cool.
9. It was free -- Ches entered my name in a drawing and I actually won! (I never win anything. Ches never wins, either, but the people that he enters into contests usually win).
8. It makes me feel like a real baker -- something that I'm totally not, but would like to be, maybe, someday.
7. I can make all sorts of yummy cookies and breads with it.
6. The bowl is HUGE! I mean 6 qts! That's a lot of space. We can make a LOT of cookies with that.
5. People are actually a little envious when they see it. People are so rarely envious of anything I have, so it gives me cheap thrills.
4. I've never owned a Bosch, so as far as I know this is the best there is.
3. Mashed potatos are also really easy to make. Am I the Domestic Goddess, or what???
2. There are all sorts of attachments you can buy to make your baking and cooking experience easier. Not that we have bought any, but whatever. We will... someday... maybe when we have money.
1. Did I mention it was FREE??? That really does make it the coolest thing I've ever owned. Well, maybe not the coolest, but it sure is wonderful!

Nerd?

I think we all know that yes, I am a nerd. Just not this kind that it tests for. Oh well. Maybe I'll find one that tests nerdiness according to band stuff. Hee hee.

I Am an Idiot

Friendships can be fragile things, you know? It's so exciting to get new friends and in many ways it's like being a little kid. You're so into the fun you're having and you don't really worry about much. You just go for it and see what happens.

When you're me, you get really self-involved and you don't think straight. Going for the moment, for the laugh. I have said things in haste, and had a really good friend quit talking to me for over a year and a half once. She got pregnant and had a baby in that time. The entire time I felt like such a tool, and there was this big hole in my heart I'm so glad that we are friends again and we got past that, but I will always wonder if what I said has stayed with her and there is a part of her still hurting because of what I said.

One time I had a friend call me when I was a senior in high school. This phone call came out of nowhere, it seemed. She said, "Sariah, I feel really close to you, but last year you made a comment that really hurt my feelings, and I think we need to talk about this if we can move on in our friendship." The strange thing was, I really had no recollection of the comment and it didn't exactly sound like something I thought I would say. However, it had been said, and so we talked about it, worked things out, and moved on. We were great friends, and this didn't hang over our heads at all.

Remember how I once said "I say stupid things to famous people"? Well, it's not just famous people. It's everyone. Open mouth, insert foot. Constantly.

I also do dumb things all the time that end up hurting people. I really don't mean to hurt them, but I do. When it comes down to it, I really am a selfish, mean-spirited person. I don't know where it came from because my mother did not raise me to be that way.

I am trying to work on being a nicer person... a more kind person... a more thoughtful person. Sometimes I need a kick in the head just to remind myself, and you, my friends, are the ones to do it. Kick me in the head. Scold me for not being the Sariah that I think I am, that I want to be. Please.

It's been one of those days.

Engagement Ring

It's a good guess. Not what he got me, but we did look at some like this. It's one I would like... but smaller.

Your Engagement Ring

Platinum Emerald-Cut Three-Stone Diamond Ring (1 ct. tw.)

What's Your Engagement Ring?

Poetry Reading

With some encouragement from a friend, I've started another blog called The Poetry Reading. However, it's not supposed to be just my poetry. Please check it out, and if you'd like to be a contributor and I haven't yet invited you, email me with your address so I can invite you!

Another Request

I have followed like a sheep. It's Delurking Week, so leave me a comment (especially those of you who may read but never comment. Although I don't know how many of you there actually are. I'm trying to keep track of all y'all through StatCounter) or just say hi. Random thoughts always a welcome thing.

Thanks to Paper Napkin for the button and to Alyson for the introducing us to the idea.

In Pursuit of Coolness

Well, Fourth Fret says I'm not cool because I didn't like "Better Off Dead" when Ches made me watch it a million and a half years ago (this coming from the chick who doesn't believe in ninja pirates! Can you believe it???). Of course, Ches thinks the movie is awesome. What does he know, though? He doesn't like "A Christmas Story"!! What kind of people do I surround myself with, anyway.

I want to be cool, so I have agreed to watch "Better Off Dead" again. While we're at it, what else do you people want me to do to be cool? I gotta know. You know my life is all about pleasing everyone else and being popular!!

Domestic Engineer

POSITION :

Mother, Mom, Mama, Mommy, Momma, Ma

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an, often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities. Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices. Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT &PROMOTION:

Virtually none. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE :

None required unfortunately. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION:

Get this! You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS:

While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth and free hugs for life if you play your cards right.

Back of the Bottle Instructions

I'm sitting here with a peel-off masque on my face because my skin just plain feels yucky. I want to feel fresh, so I put all the goop on my face and right now I'm just really stiff. It's a wierd feeling.

Just before I put it on, I was reading the back of the bottle. My favorite statement is: "It goes on your face, not in your face -- please don't eat Product Name products."

Duh. But then again, there are some idiots out there that would think, "Hmm, it says grapefruit, so this must be edible."

My sister, Lura, told me when I was visiting her in San Diego to read the back of her husband's body wash bottle while I was showering. This particular body wash is made "especially for men", and in large, bold letters the company felt the need to share this: "This body wash will not decrease levels of testosterone in your body!" I guess some guys are so "manly" that they are afraid of a little body wash.

When Aunt Marisa and I were in London, we found this particular brand of pop that had really funny sayings on them. I don't remember the name of the soda company or anything that the cans actually said, but I remember we stood in this little convienience store in Eton (was it Eton? Maybe you remember, Aunt Marisa) laughing our heads off for about 15 minutes. All because we took the time to read the little thing on the back. (By the way, if any of you have an idea of what this pop brand is, let me know.)

What funny things have you found on the back of some of your bottles?

Throwing in the Towel

We give up. I'm just too tired to deal with it anymore. I was lying on my bed, sobbing the other night because I can't handle this. Ches is frustrated beyond belief and is sick of this process, too. So we made a decision.

We are no longer potty-training Aiden.

It has been a year -- a year!!! -- and there has been no success. I have read every book and followed the instructions to the letter. I have followed every single piece of advice given to me (asked for or not), and it all has the same results. It works for a few days, maybe even a couple of weeks, and then we're back to square one. My house smells like pee and poop and I'm sick of doing 500 loads of laundry every week just too keep up with clean underwear and jeans for Aiden!

Aiden apparantly doesn't want to be potty trained, so we're done. We are back to him wearing Pull-Ups (known in our household as "diaper underwear"), and he will get diaper changes just like Dallin does. He will be treated like a baby when it comes to all potty-realted issues.

When he is ready to try again, he will tell us and we will do it. Until then... I'm not going to keep putting myself through this hell. I have other things to deal with.

Pictures of Yesteryear

I just feel like posting some pictures. Sorry these aren't that great to see. It's fun to take a walk down memory lane, though.

This is the bench that we were sitting on when Ches proposed in 1997. This picture was in 2002, at my brother's wedding. Ches just happened to be sitting on the bench when I realized where he was, so I had to take a picture. Besides, doesn't he look so "cool" in his Oakleys and all?? :)

Since the Olympics are almost here, I thought I'd post one from the last winter Olympics. This is Ches and me, having a great time in Salt Lake. Oh, and you can't tell, but I'm just barely pregnant with Aiden!

This isn't Ches and me. I'll let you guys take a guess who it is, and if she will let me know if we can reveal or not.

Resolution

In the year 2006 I resolve to: Get more bang for my buck. Get your resolution here

2006

Since this is the year of a 6, I'm stealing this from Sariah in Vancouver and Plastic Obsession (but changing it and combining the two).

Six Jobs You've Had in Your Life:
Waitress, restaurant Hostess, movie theatre worker, music teacher, substitute teacher, color guard instructor

Six Movies You Could Watch Over and Over:
The Princess Bride; The Singles Ward; Fellowship of the Ring; The Two Towers; The Return of the King; Toy Story 2

Six Places You've Lived:
(I'm just gonna do the last six) Preston, ID; Mesa, AZ; Moscow, ID; Rexburg, ID; El Dorado, AR; Bangor, ME

Six TV Shows You Love to Watch:
The Amazing Race; Survivor; Buffy the Vampire Slayer; Lost; CSI; NCIS

Six Places You've Been on Vacation:
Calgary; London; Oslo; Yellowstone Nat'l Park; San Diego; Tombstone (AZ)

Six Websites You Visit Daily:
Alyson; Karen; ABQ; Fourth Fret; Plastic Obsession; Yahoo! email

Six of Your Favorite Foods:
pizza; Parmesean chicken; steak; pork chops from Outback Steakhouse; dark chocolate; anything made with chocolate (and no nuts)

Six Places You'd Rather Be:
In bed; in a hot tub; London; NYC; at my mom's house; in the lap of luxury

Six Things to Do Before I Die:
Go to NYC; own my own home; wax my legs; get a pedicure; get my pilot's license; feel comfortable with my body

Six Things I Have Accomplished (Whether Big or Small):
Given birth to two wonderful boys; gotten married in the Temple; Learned to cook (pretty much); Lost weight; gotten my Bachelor's in Music; kept in touch with some good friends from college

Six Things I Cannot (Will Not) Do:
Get a divorce; eat Doritos; drive in really, really bad weather; read the last page of a book before I read the rest of the book; refuse most free things; give away my flute

Six Books or Series I Love:
The Harry Potter books; The Anne of Green Gables books; Jane Eyre; The Secret Garden; The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; The Monster at the End of This Book

Six People to Tag:
I pick all of you. If you feel like it, that is. If not, I won't be hurt. I promise!

Everybody, Look OUT!!!

Dallin (who turned 8 months today) started crawling on Christmas Eve. I guess that was his present to me for my birthday. Anyrate, by Christmas Day, he had totally forgotten he could crawl (and besides, doing a good army crawl is so much faster, you know). It only took a few more days, and now he is crawling everywhere!! I can't believe it. I was talking to Alyson on the phone the other day, and I said, "I wonder where Dallin went." She laughed, but that is a common phrase in our household lately. Dallin likes to follow Aiden around the most, but he'll go anywhere. Time to really babyproof.

Random Bits of My Life

I have to say, I have one interesting 3 year old. The things that he says and does never ceases to amaze me. Sometimes we call him a goof. Other times we shake our heads and say, "He's way too smart!" Yet other times, we just try to catch our breath to keep up with the kid.

A few nights ago, I was in the living room with one lonely light on, reading. It was quite late, but I hadn't had any time to myself that day (what else is new?), and Aiden was supposed to be sleeping. He kept getting up with some excuse or another, and I was getting pretty tired of the whole deal. Finally, I threatened him with a spanking if he got out of bed again (spankings are very few and far between in this house, so it's a real threat). Do you know what my little booger said to me???

"You need to take your medicine, Mom, so you will not be angry Mommy. We don't want angry, yelling Mommy. We want happy Mommy. You need your medicine to make you happy Mommy."

Do you know how hard it is to try to be serious when everything inside of you is exploding in laughter at the statements he just made? Oh, and I wasn't acting angry at the point, and I certainly wasn't yelling. I was whispering quite sternly, that's all.

*****

I got an MP3 player for Christmas! WOOT! I couldn't understand the instruction booklet though (it is translated VERY BADLY into English), so we're just figuring out how it works as we go along. The important part is that it has my playlist on there and I can listen to my music right now. Yay! And it has a very cool looking dragon on part of it.

I also got a classical guitar for Christmas. (I really raked in the good stuff this year between my birthday and Christmas) Ches will be taking guitar lessons this semester, so he said now we can practice together. I love my guitar. It rocks. As do I.

I got a full-length mirror for my birthday. It is one of those old-fashioned looking ones that is oval and you can tilt it and stuff. It's very pretty! I said to Ches, "This is exactly what I wanted, and I didn't even know it!" I have the best husband ever. I was looking at myself one morning after getting dressed and said, "Wow, I guess I have lost a bit of weight. I didn't think I looked this good." Ches replied with, "Now will you believe me when I tell you you're not fat?" No, I still have a ways to go before I'll be happy. Especially since I acted like a pig over Christmas and I need to lose more fat around my belly.

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Today was Aiden's first day in Primary. For those of you who aren't LDS, Primary is basically Sunday School for the kids between the ages of 3 and 11. 18 months to 3 years they are in Nursery, and once kids turn 12 they enter either Young Men's or Young Women's until they are 18 (or out of high school).

Anyrate, sometimes Aiden was excited to hear that he got to join the "big kids" in Primary, but other times he would say, "No, I'm too little for Primary. I need to go to Nursery." We have a very small congregation, so Aiden is the only Sunbeam (that's the name of his class), and they combine classes. Apparantly he did pretty well today. He just has to learn reverence a little bit better, but they said he will grow into it.

Their lesson today was on "I am a child of God." The teacher said, "And Aiden, you are a child of God, too."

"No, I am NOT a child of God! I'm Batman!"

In singing time they are learning a new song (I don't know what it is... something about the power of the scriptures??). So Aiden says he learned to sing about power. Oh, and he told Ches, "Jesus has powers!" Apparantly now Jesus is a superhero, too. I don't think that's such a bad thing, though.

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Congratulations to Sariah in Vancouver! Here's to big bellies and cute maternity clothes for the next few months. And the best excuse ever to not have to suck in your stomach!

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As some of you know, we are having quite the rainstorms here in Northern Nevada. There has been a lot of flooding (they are comparing it to the flood of '97, but since I sure didn't live here then, I really have no idea what they are talking about!). We are blessed because we live on a huge hill, so while there was a road closure on one side of the hill and lots of water on the other, we are fine. No damage to us at all. Thanks for your thoughts everyone!

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Happy New Year!!! Or, as some of you may be expecting from me: Hpy e Ya!