Congratulations!!

Sariah in Vancouver had her baby! Go check out the beautiful pictures and read about the birth. While you are reading about it, feel free to be a bit envious of Sariah. It seemed a little too easy to me! ;) Just kidding, Sariah! Anyrate, be envious at the gorgeous new little girl. She's a keeper, for sure.

News

Mr. Universe got a job offer!!!!

That's right folks, we won't be jobless and homeless and starving in a month. Yay! He will be teaching at a middle school not too far from where we will be living, so it's a nice commute. He will only be teaching band (no guitar, strings, choir, general music, or music appreciation!!). There are some really good numbers to the bands already, so he's pretty excited. Oh, and the best part (besides that he is employed, of course!!) is because it's middle school, he will not have marching band. Because we are moving and I'm having the baby, I will not have marching band. This will be wierd!! No Friday nights taken up. We actually have every Saturday in October free. No marching band camp. No extra rehearsals after school. No pep band (no basketball band, either!!). I will actually SEE my husband. I won't be the band widow. It's gonna be so wierd!! I think we'll both miss marching band, but it will be nice to take a year off. Then next year, we're both hoping to get on with some high schools in the area, and it'll be back to no family life each fall.

Okay, I wrote more than I was going to, but I knew that everyone has been praying for us and thinking of us and worrying for us. Thank you all for the support and prayers! We are very happy right now. Yay!!

Random Friday

I hate getting my "Friday Letter" from my university's Alumni Association. Every now and then there is something interesting in there, but most of the time it seems like they are just informing us of more ways to donate money for student atheletes. I'm all for scholorships and alumni donations, but dang it all! Don't'cha think other students need financial asisstance, too? Not just the atheletes? There are never that many music scholorships to go around, and the competition is tough. It seems like all you have to do is be able to throw around a ball a little, sit on the bench all season, and you're given scholorships, free tutoring, and clothing allowances. I get a bit frustrated at that. Stepping off my soap box now (for a moment or two, anyway).

*****

Ches has a phone interview this afternoon and another school just called to confirm some parts of his application and touch base. There is still hope. We will be in Arizona in one week, and it would be nice to have a job when we get there!! We are nervous, but still hopeful.

*****

Did you know that Jack Dempsey was Mormon? Yup, it's totally true. His name was actually William Harrison Dempsey, but he chose the name "Jack" because he said he wasn't a very faithful Mormon (from the term Jack Mormon, I'm guessing. Or did we get that term from him??? Hmmmm.)

You can find out about all the famous Mormons, infamous Mormons, and rumored-to-be-Mormons (but aren't) at this site. It's really interesting, and goes far beyond Donnie and Marie Osmond.

*****

Dallin say "thank you" now! That's right! I gave him a cup of milk the other day, and without any prompting he said "thank you" and walked away. It's so cute!!

Honestly, my kids are little monsters. I can't keep the house clean for anything and they are both climbing on everything and getting into everything. They run around and scream and yell just for the heck of it. However, I wouldn't trade them for the world. I think they are smart and adorable and polite and a lot of fun. So there.

*****

We saw a bunch of movies recently (loving Blockbuster online!!), and rather than giving you full-on reviews and links to every movie (I just don't feel like doing all that work today), I'm going to tell you what we saw and what we liked.

"Guess Who" with Bernie Mac and Ashton Kutcher. I have only wanted to see this because I loved the old "Guess Who is Coming for Dinner" with Katherine Hepburn and Sydney Poitier. I haven't seen it in years, but I loved that movie. The remake is almost nothing like the old one, but it was very, very enjoyable! We were quite surprised at how much we liked it and just how humorous it really was.

"Eight Below" with Paul Walker (another Mormon! Well, he was raised Mormon, anyway). Really good family movie, and if you like movies with animals as the stars, you'll love this. Aiden keeps asking to watch it more and more, and I have a feeling if we get a dog someday, it'll be named Maya or Old Jack. We all enjoyed it, and I didn't cry (although it was close a few times!)

"Nanny McPhee" with Colin Firth and Emma Thompson. This was really, really cute. Predictable in so many ways, but still cute. I liked it. I'm curious about the books that it comes from now. Oh, and Angela Lansbury has a part, too! (How can you not love Angela Lansbury??)

"Ice Princess" with Kim Cattrell, Joan Cusak, and Michelle Trachtenburg. I really only wanted to see this because of Michelle Trachtenburg (she played Dawn, Buffy's little sister on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", my favorite TV show). It was cute, and I think it's really good for tween girls. Aiden had no interest (other than "That sure is about ice skating!"), but it was still cute and not a total waste of my time to watch.

I'm pretty sure there were more, but I can't think of them now. We still have "De-Lovely" and "XXX - State of the Union" sitting on top of the entertainment center, waiting to be watched. I don't think either of those are appropriate for the kids, so we'll get them to bed early one night and Ches and I will watch them.

*****

Aiden has decided that he can tell jokes now. Except that they don't really make sense. It's usually Aiden just telling us something, like different things he likes to eat, then he throws in something else and starts laughing hysterically. Here's how it went last night:

"I like juice and fruit snacks and popcorn and oatmeal and milk. Hahahahahahahaha!! Get it?? Milk!!! Hahahahahahaha!!"

It's all about the words "get it?" He thinks that is what makes the joke and he is always asking if we get it. Which we don't.

*****

We went to a concert last Friday night. It was an outdoor concert by the Reno Philharmonic for the Silver Legacy's birthday (the Silver Legacy is a big casino downtown). They had a lot of fun music on the program, including a slot machine concerto (only in Nevada!! Heh.), and fireworks afterwards. Well, Mother Nature had something else in mind. We got a huge thunder and lightening storm. The Phil didn't even make it to the end of the first piece before the downpour started. We headed back to the van, which thankfully was parked in the Circus Circus parking garage. Just as we started driving home, we realized there was a very funny sound. One of our back wheels was completely flat. (Aiden even asked, "Is it flat as a pancake, Mom?") So Ches learned really quickly how to change to the spare tire in the van. I'm glad we were in the parking garage, even if it was hot and humid in there. At least we didn't get soaked because we were outside.

The wierd thing was that no one stopped to ask if we needed any help. I mean, lots of people drove or walked by and looked at us, but no one asked if there was anything they could do. I think I even saw two guys stop and stare (well, I did see them stop and stare), and they they were pointing and laughing in our direction. I'm hoping with everything I have they were pointing and laughing at something else. Two teenagers did walk by and offer help, but Ches was pretty much done by then, so he said thanks but no thanks.

Two teenagers. That's it? I was getting a bit upset at the lack of courtesy, but Ches said he probably wouldn't have stopped either. If it had been just me (big ol' pregnant lady with two kids in the minivan, screaming), then he would have absolutely stopped to help. However, there was clearly a guy there who had it under control, so why offer any help?

I see his point, but I still think the polite thing is to stop and see if you can be of any assistance. Just because there is a man there doesn't always mean that he can do it all. That's all.

*****

I got this in my August issue of Parenting Magazine, and just knew I had to share:

4 Dead Giveaways You're a Mom
1. You're swaying.
2. The Dora the Explorer bandage on your thumb.
3. Seven of your toenails are polished.
4. You're eating string cheese.

*****

I have been faithfully watching two TV shows this summer: Treasure Hunters and Last Comic Standing. At first, with Treasure Hunters, I didn't think there was any way I could be on that show because you have to think of so many things and solve all these clues that I just don't think would ever cross my mind. But then there are episodes like on Monday, where I think all the contestants are total idiots. For example, they find a clue that will lead them to a statue (they are in Paris, btw) of a famous Frenchman who was a friend to Washington and Americans. The clue was found in the catacombs under Paris, and is a plaque from the late 1700's. No one knew who they were looking for. These contestants are all Americans and I'm sure have studied American history at some point. It was so obvious to me that they were looking for Lafayette! Hello?? Anyone else think otherwise? But no, not one person realized who they were looking for until they got to the statue and saw that it was a statue of Lafayette. Oh, and they have laptops with wireless internet that they can use to look anything up on Ask.com. Sheesh. There was another part of the show about Benjamin Franklin in England as a spy, and it was another really obvious answer to me. They just didn't use their brains (or again, the laptops!!), so it took some people hours to figure out this clue.

I'm enjoying Last Coming Standing a lot. Go Josh Blue!! He just stinkin' cracks me up. I had to call a friend of mine in Georgia who's 4 year old son has cerebal palsey and say "You have to watch this show! Josh is amazing." He really shows that even people with disabilities can still do so much. He is funny, has good timing, and he is a great athelete (he plays soccer for the US Paralympic team). My friend really needed to hear about this guy because sometimes I think it gets really hard to have this amazing child who has a disability and can't do all these things that other kids his age can do. I know she gets frustrated and likes to see that yes, her son can grow up and succeed to something great, despite any disabilities he has. She was really excited to hear about Josh Blue. I hope he wins!!

*****

Quote of the day:
A champion is someone who gets up when he can't.
--Jack Dempsey

Yes Folks, This Is True Love

Wanna know how I know my husband loves me deeply? I'll tell you (even if you don't care).

Mr Universe was wandering around Wal-Mart the other day, waiting for the tires to get fixed for the van, and he brought me home a treat. Not just any treat, mind you. A really good treat... and it's just for me. No one else. I can share if I want, but it's not for anyone else. Just me.

Mr. Universe bought me a frickin' huge back of dark chocolate MnMs.

Mmmmm. This is True Love.

Are You Sure About This??

I'm not at all kidding when I say this is a really close replica of an election sign I saw the other day near my apartment. Hand painted and all.

Inheritance

Without going into any details, there is something I'm learning right now. It's good to be poor. When you die, if you are poor, there will be no confusions and complications about money, assests, or possessions. You don't have anything of worth, so what does it matter???

Where Have All the Boy's Clothes Gone??

Dallin has been growing like a weed this summer. We are already on a new pair of sandals, up a diaper size, and buying all new clothes for him because everything else is stretched to the limits (he's kind of a skinny kid, but he's kind of long, too). The worst is pajamas. We are seriously stretching his little summer pajamas (they are a lot like rompers... one piece, short-sleeved, short-legged, with snaps at the bottome like a onesie for easy diaper changing access) as we try to snap them up. They pull at him, and it honestly doesn't look all that comfortable. I'd let him sleep in just a diaper (it is SO hot out!!), but I'm afraid of him taking the diaper off in the middle of the night or something. So on Friday, I piled the kids in the van and we headed out to find Dallin some new pajamas (and see what other clothes might be on sale.).

My first stop was Old Navy. When Aiden was a newborn up to about 2 years old, I think he was dressed in almost exclusively Old Navy. They had such good bargains, good regular prices, the clothes didn't wear out easily, and I could find anything I wanted and I liked everything they had.

Something has happened at Old Navy in the last few years, though. The quality of the clothing has deteriorated (I have several friends here in town that have said the same thing and won't buy Old Navy jeans for their boys anymore). The selection of boys clothing is the worst. I walked into the store to find that they had rearranged a bit. The entire back area was girls' clothing. The signs showed one corner that was for newborn to toddler boys, and really it was only about two small racks of clothing. The only pajamas I could find were pink (very definitely girl!!), there were no shoes, mainly the same t-shirts they have had since April, and a bunch of denim shorts. What happened??

We then went to the mall. I checked out Gap Kids and Baby Gap. Now, they were obviously renovating their store as there weren't even a whole lot of adult clothes in the store (all the Gap stores are in one place in our mall), but there was literally NO little boys' clothes. I went the the Children's Place, and while they still had more girls' clothes than boys, they still had a pretty good selection when it came to variety of styles, sales, and sizes. Because of the sales, I was able to get Dallin one pair of pajamas, a sleeveless romper, and some sandals for Aiden, and I only spent $10.17. I think I did well there. We headed over to Gymboree, and while they had a pretty good selection of boys' clothing (although yet again, the majority of the store was for girls!!), their prices are just too expensive for me. I'm sorry, but WHY would you pay $20 for a pair of pajamas that they will only wear for a few short months before A) the weather has completely changed and they need winter pajamas, and B) the kid will outgrow the pajamas anyway?!

After we got home, I went online and searched both OldNavy.com and Gap.com, but still found it lacking in boys' clothing. I don't understand. Do clothing manufacturers think boys only make up less than 1% of the population or something?

I understand that it is easier to come up with a variety of styles for girls, but honestly, most of those styles are ugly anyway! These little girls are now being dressed like their older, teenage sisters. Their teenage sisters are dressing like 20-something year old college students, and these college students are dressing like they are going clubbing rather than going to class or the grocery store! Toddler girls should NOT be wearing low-rise jeans and belly-baring shirts. Most adults really shouldn't either (I'm sorry, but your stomach isn't as pretty as you think it is.). And what is it with thongs for 8 year olds?? Completely inappropriate. I also hate all the little t-shirt slogans. It's bad enough to see a 21 year old with a t-shirt that says "b*tch" or "MILF in training", but to see it on younger girls? The "spoiled rotten" and "princess" t-shirts still send out the wrong message as far as I'm concerned. Oh, and I absolutely hate the ones that say things like, "Tell your boyfriend I said thank you". In some ways, I'm glad to have boys. I don't want these messages on their chests, or clothes that are only made to show off the body in completely inappropriate ways and make 12 year olds think they are sexy.

Which brings me back to boys clothing (the actual point of this post). Unless you want to see my boys running around naked (which may be okay at this age, but Aiden starts kindergarten in just a year, so I really need him going to school in something decent!), I need to see more merchandise for boys!! Until they get their standards of quality and quantity back, I don't think I'll be shopping at Old Navy anytime soon.

Happy Blirthday to Me!

Yesterday was my one year anniversary of being a blogger. I had this really great post all written up and I was just putting the finishing touches on it, when my Yahoo! browser decided enough was enough and it shut down on me. Yes, those screams you all heard last night came from Reno. I was so upset! It was really good! I was too tired to sit and try to do it all again, so now I'm a day late, but here goes anyway. I doubt it'll be as good, but I'll certainly try.

I have really enjoyed being a part of this blogging world. I have made new friendships and rekindled old. I have learned a lot about other people (including some people I thought I already knew really well!), and I hope that others have enjoyed reading me and maybe learned one thing. Even if it's just "Llamas eat grass." Although I guess that would actually come from Aiden, not me. Anyway...

I want to share a little something that I have learned from each of you this past year, so I'm just going straight down my links list. At the end, I will mention some other blogs I enjoy, but haven't linked to them (yet). Thanks for such a good first year everyone!!

Alyson -- I learned to never write in a moment of anger about your husband. Oh, and that our boys are most definitely related (the whole Star Wars thing clinched it for me).

April -- I learned that crayon on walls will bleed through paint, so you still have to scrub off the crayon. (This is advice I may need these next couple of weeks!)

Heather -- I learned to be proud of being a stay-at-home mom, a homemaker, and a housewife. It's a hard job, but it's completely worth it.

Jen the Mom -- I learned that I'm not the only one who is adept at blowing up a casserole dish full of the dinner that we were about to eat! Oh, and that it's good to think, no, to know that you are hot while pregnant.

Karen -- This is the hardest one, because I think I have learned the most from Karen! I have learned how to appreciate the flowers I see in people's gardens, found some good music to listen to, that it's okay to be an adult who loves Harry Potter as much as, if not more than, you own child, how to pick a good dry cleaner for my umbrella, and the difference between the words jealous and envy.

Erica -- I learned that as much as I loved being 17 and 18, I sure don't want to be in that stage of life again! Instead, I would rather live vicariously through Erica and hear of all her adventures and experiences.

TexAngel -- I learned that some friendships, no matter how old, will never die. We lead such different lives in many ways, but we are still friends. Yay! And it's good to be proud of you Southern heritage (although I guess I'm not really Southern. I just lived there for a few years and picked up a thing or two).

Dana -- I learned to never try to vaccuum up frozen corn that your kids have mashed into the carpet. It will just ruin the vaccuum! I also learned that I wish I had spent more time with you that year we were at Ricks together. You are so cool! Why didn't I see it then? My huge loss.

Cara -- I learned to 1) not take myself too seriously, 2) sometimes a mohawk may just be the way to go, 3) it's cool to get Naked in the grocery store, 4) sometimes you just need a break, and that's okay. It doesn't mean anything serious is going on, but you need a break, so take one! 5) pie is good and probably essential to total world denomination. I can NOT wait to hang out with you (or should I say harrass you??) when we are living in the same city! :)

Timber -- I learned how important it is to think eternally, rather than just for the here and now. The Gospel gives us such hope and puts so many things into perspective, Timber is able to be so positive all the time. I'm striving to be like her.

Sariah in Vancouver -- First of all, all Sariahs are just the coolest people ever! Actually, I pretty much knew that, but this Sariah has just helped reaffirm it. I learned not to be scared of meeting someone new, and that Mr. Universe isn't the only complete Lord of the Rings freak out there.

Kris -- I learned how to show total and complete love to my family, yet still be sarcastic with the world around me. Hee hee. Oh, and that Calgary isn't the perfect city to live in (although I still love Calgary. Sorry Kris! But then again, I just go to visit.)

Julia -- I learned that Julia and Paul are absolutely perfect for each other, that some people have goofier lives than I do, and that having a gaggle of girls doesn't necessarily mean that you are avoiding dirt and mud dragged in everywhere, rocks up noses, or loud, unexplained, sudden noises.

Lura -- I learned that Lura really can do it all: go to grad school, have a baby, entertain visitors while pregnant, have a husband in Iraq, and live with her mother-in-law. However, she can't post very regularly. Hmpf. ;)

Therese -- I learned that some people lead very funny lives. And if you ever get a call in the middle of the night from Canada and the girl sounds drunk, then she and her roommates have been havaing waaaay too much fun again. Offer her a cheeseburger and get off the phone. (This hasn't happened to me, but I have read her blog enough to know this is quite a common occurance!!)

Laural -- I learned that it's okay to get completely frustrated with the hard situation you're in and that it takes everything you've got not to kick someone in the head when they say "Everything will work out". Yes, I know everything will work out, but we sure get sick of hearing it!

Allrie -- I learned that even though I haven't lived at home in 11 years, my mom is still "collecting kids" by becoming friends with my friends.

Kenyon -- Ken is still very new to the blogging world, so I haven't had a chance to learn a whole lot yet. However... Kenyon has introduced me to some really cool music!! Thanks for letting us all listen to it on your blog.

And now a "shout out" (heh, could I be more '90s??) to the blogs I love to read, but haven't yet linked to on my sidebar: Perpetual Chocoholic, People Say Stupid Things, Post Secret, and Waiter Rant. Now, there are many other blogs that I visit here and there, and a lot of them are secondary blogs of a lot of you, so I'm not going to mention all of them. I just wanted to mention those four if you need some good reading.

Once again, thanks everyone, for a fun first year. I plan on doing this for a while, so I hope we'll all still be here for a while. Thank you for all the agreements, advice, arguements (discussions??), and laughter. And now, back to regular blogging.

3 Firsts and 1 I-Doubt-This-To-Be-The-Last

1. Aiden escaped from us at the mall. We were all in the Disney Store, and Ches and I seperated a little bit (but not much. We were still within eyesight of each other). Next thing I knew, Aiden wasn't within eyesight. I asked Ches if he had Aiden. Nope. He thought I did. So we both started looking. Since we were at the back of the store, we each went down opposite sides, going to the front. I started to freak a little bit, but I wasn't screaming his name hysterically yet. I got to the front of the store, and I'm sure I looked a bit frantic because a woman said to me, "Are you looking for your little boy?" Aiden had left the store to play on the machines (you know, where you put in quarters to "ride" a car or something), but once he got out there he realized we weren't there, and he started crying. HARD. There were some moms out there trying to comfort him and ask him where his mom and dad were. Once he saw me, he ran to me and hugged me and wouldn't let go. He was so scared. Of course, so was I. I didn't really want to let him go, either. He is still talking about how scared he was, so we'll see how long it lasts until he tries to escape again.

2. Dallin escaped from the house. Aiden's imaginary friends have been coming over to play a lot lately. For example, Dash (from the Incredibles) has been spending quite a bit of time at our house. Aiden calls up InvisaGirl and asks if Dash can come over. A little while later, Aiden announces "mom, Dash is here!" and he runs to the front door to let Dash in. The other day, I heard the announcement, and then I heard Aiden open the door. I also heard him say, "Dallin, no!" The door shut, and I realized it had gotten very quiet in the house. I ran to the door, opened it, and there was Dallin, running to the front yard and the stairs leading to the parking lot! Aiden was chasing after him, yelling, "Dallin, come back!" Oh, and both boys were still in their pajamas.

3. Aiden stood up to pee. While we were running errands, we stopped at Barnes and Nobles to use a gift certificate we had (got "A Light in the Attic", btw). Of course, Aiden had refused to go potty before we left, so he got kind of desperate in the bookstore. Ches took Aiden to the Men's bathroom, but apparantly all the stalls were being used. Aiden really had to go, so Ches said, "Okay, Aiden, this is a urinal." Aiden had no problems, and was quite proud of himself. However, he didn't actually tell me about it. Ches said, "Did Aiden tell you he stood to pee?" I asked Aiden about it and praised him for being such a big boy, and he nonchalantly answers, "Yeah, I know.", like "It's really no big deal, Mom. Sheesh."

4. I ruined dinner last night. I was in a hurry, trying to get all of our stuff together because we were going to an outdoor concert with the Reno Jazz Orchestra (theme of the night was "Carribean Jazz". So fun.). I was gathering the cans of food to donate to the food bank, packing the diaper bag, filling water bottles, and making dinner to take all at the same time. The pasta that was boiling on the stove ended up burning and the house was filled with smoke. I had to leave right then to pick up Ches so we'd get to the concert on time, so I ended up calling him at work and having to leave a message. The guy laughed as I said, "Could you just tell him this is his wife and I ruined dinner, so I'm running late?" I was so embarrassed. I got most of the smoke out, ordered pizza, cheesy bread, and a two-litre of pop, got the kids in the van, picked up dinner, got Ches, and we still made it to the concert in time to get a good spot on the grass where it would get shady quickly (the sun was going down) and the band hadn't started playing yet. Whew.

I have to clean out the pot of burned, dried pasta still. I have successfully burned each and every one of our pots and pans at different times, set a few of them on fire (seriously... flames shooting up!!), and blown up several casserole dishes. This is why this one is not a First, but a I Doubt This To Be The Last. Ches laughed at me a lot last night. At least I'm entertaining.

Suppertime!

Anybody know the song "Suppertime"? (Mom and Lura, you don't count. Don't answer). Just curious if you can tell me what it's from. Good song. Great play (musical, whatever... sorry Aiden.).

The actual purpose of this post is to put a huge question out there in blogworld. Please don't think me odd (even though I'm sure you already do), just understand that I'm bored out of my mind with this, and I need to know what other people do. So... here goes.

What is your dinner menu for this week? Or, if you don't make a menu for the week, what is your typical week like for dinner? I want to know it all... main dish, side dishes, desserts, whatever. If you go out for dinner, you don't have to give me all the details of that, but you do need to tell me if you went out or go out frequently so I can take that in account. I want to know what other people typically make for dinner in their own homes for their own families.

I get so bored of what we do for dinner, and I often think that we just aren't typical in how we eat for the most part. Seems like I have friends that make these really great, full-on meals, but I don't. I like easy and quick, and I run out of ideas so easily.

Okay, so you all have your assignment. Now... get crackin'!! I need to know this! (Yes, need. Please indulge the very big, hot, cranky, pregnant lady.)

Random Friday

I once had a roommate that owned a Dave Barry desk calendar. Monday, October 23, had this written on it:

Music scholars divide orchestra instruments into five families:
*Instruments You Blow Into and Eventually Have to Get the Spit Out Of (tubas, whistles, cormorants, tribunes).
*Instruments You Hit (drums, triangles, rhomboids, homophones).
*Instruments That Are Easily Concealed (piccolos).
*Furniture (pianos).
*Instruments That Could Turn out to Be Worth a Million Skillion Dollars (violins).

*****

I am currently reading The Christmas Quilt by Thomas J. Davis. I'm really liking it. It takes place in the 40's in a small town called Smokey Hollow, which is in the mountains of Georgia. I feel like I get my southern accent back a bit after I've read it, but that just may be in my head. Anyrate, it's critics have compared it to Oral History by Lee Smith and Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Burns (neither of which I have read yet, but I keep trying to get Cold Sassy Tree from the library. It's always out.).

*****

Early one morning last week, Aiden came into our room and climbed into bed. Ches and I were both exhausted still, and I didn't feel like even opening my eyes to acknowledge the boy. Aiden asked for something to drink, and I said, "Yes, just a minute" hoping that he was also so tired he would just fall asleep while waiting and I wouldn't have to actually get up. He asked again, about 30 seconds later, and I gave the same answer.

Another 30 seconds or so passed, and he was climbing over me to get in between Ches and me. Ches asked Aiden, "What are you doing?" to which Aiden replied, "I'm trying to get my mom to get me something to drink!"

I got up and got him something to drink.

Ten minutes later, Aiden said to Ches, "Dad, will you play games with me?" (Remember, in Aiden speak that means he is asking to play on the XBox, not Candyland or something). Ches replied (in a very tired voice), "Eventually".

Aiden turned to me. "Mom, can Dad play games with me?"

"What did Dad say?"

"He said, 'Eventually'."

"Aiden, do you even know what eventually means?"

"Yes," he replied with all the confidence in the world, "it means 'yes' in Spanish."

Aiden just kept looking at us as we laughed, trying to figure out the joke.

*****

Sloths like to eat berries and leaves. Because they are slow. And that is good for sloths.

Thus saith Aiden.

*****

We went to see a couple of movies recently. While Ches was in Phoenix, I took the boys to see Over The Hedge. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked that movie! It was very funny and really well done. I highly recommend it for families with kids of all ages. And I do mean all ages. It's no Pixar movie (now they know how to entertain a family), but it was still so great.

This week Ches and I took the boys to see Cars. Of course Aiden loved it! We all did. Except for Dallin. He liked most of it, but the tractor tipping scene scared him (the sounds the tractors made was too scary, I guess), so anytime the tractors came on screen he would start to cry a bit. I think my favorite part of the movie was the scenes they show during the credits. Oh, and if you haven't seen it yet, stay all the way through the credits. There is another short little scene. It isn't sooooo important, like in X-Men III, but it's still a cute scene.

We also rented a couple of movies recently (and we have the Blockbuster Online thing, so we are always getting movies in the mail. I love it), so I thought I'd let you know about a couple of those.

First was The Wedding Date, with Debra Messing. It was cute. Nothing too special. It was good to see Debra Messing in a role other than Grace, and there was no Grace in this character, so that was fun. This was definitely a rental movie.

Second was Cassanova, with Heath Ledger. Now, I have to to make this very clear... I didn't have high hopes for this movie. I don't think it got the best reviews. I got it because I'm totally and completely in love with Heath Ledger (did you see The Patriot??? Mmmmmm, yummy), and it looked like it might be a cute movie. Ches had no interest in seeing this one, so I watched it by myself one afternoon. Surprise, surprise!! I loved it! It was quite enjoyable and funny! There were so many little things in it, and the whole time I was thinking, "Ches would love this!" So if you want to watch Cassanova but your husband doesn't... make him anyway. Trust me, you'll both enjoy it a lot.

*****

I cannot get my hair to go like what the girl did when I got it cut. It's very frustrating. It makes me hate my new haircut. I'm getting better at it, but it's just not the same. Oh well. Stuck with it now!

*****

Dallin has a new favorite game. He likes to push the buttons on the TV to see what it does: he changes the volume, he changes the channels (making everything fuzzy because we run the cable through the VCR), and he brings up the menu for the TV. His favorite, though, is to turn the TV off, turn and look at us with a puzzled expression, throw his hands out, and say, "Go?" He thinks it's hilarious. I'm getting a little annoyed by it (especially when I'm trying to watch Jeopardy and I don't know the answer but I want to find out and he turns it off right as the correct answer is about to be given!). Well, I may find it annoying, but it is also very cute. He is one adorable, funny kid.

*****

Quote of the day:
Tests of our faith are priceless opportunities to discover how deeply the Master cares about the welfare of our souls to help us endure to the end.
--Elder Robert D. Hales (of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints)

Claiming a Name

I'm wondering what the "etiquette" is when you are picking out names for your baby. We don't want to use a name that is already being used by a close family member, and we don't want to use a name that has been "claimed" by a close family member, either.

Although sometimes I think that "claiming" a name is just wrong. If you have a baby before me, then use the name you love. But if I have a baby before you and I love that name, then I shouldn't feel guilty about using that name. I have a SIL that years ago stated loudly and often that no one in the family could use the name Caleb because she likes it and if she and her husband have a boy, it also goes well with their last name. A couple of years later, she "claimed" the name Brenden Riley for the same reasons. She was almost threatening in the way she would say, "I have claimed this name, so no one else can use them." Well, she is divorced now and it's not looking like she's going to have more kids, so does that mean I can use Caleb, Brenden, or Riley if I so desire?

The other thing I wonder about is when your close friends have kids. I have several friends have had babies recently, and I really like a few of the names they have picked out. So, do I scratch those names off my list? Many of the friends, while we are close in friendship, we are not close in geography and most likely never will be. Others we are close in geography, but since we're moving anyway, I don't think we'll stay in touch for very long. So which names to I keep on the list, and which do I cross off?

It's such a silly thing to worry about, I know. The world has much greater problems than this, but I'm really curious. What is the etiquette here? Does is really matter? What's your take on it??

Why My Sister, Lura, Is Awesome

10. Lura is always nice. She almost always has a smile on her face and a kind word for everyone. No kidding.

9. She used to help me figure out how to sneak in an out of the house through the bathroom window. (Mom, you already know about this, so don't go acting all shocked and stuff)

8. Lura is so super talented!! She is getting her master's degree, and the program she is in is very competitive. The school she attends has one of the best programs in the nation, they only accept a couple of grad students a year, and her advisor is considered the guy. I had no idea my sister was this awesome until she started her master's program.

7. Lura is good about sacrificing. She just celebrated her second wedding anniversary, and in those two years she and Jesse have only been together about a quarter of that time while he was off with the military and in Iraq. Lura rarely complained about it. She just supports her husband fully and does what she can at home. She is proud to be a soldier's wife. Also, when I got married, she got up at 4:30 in the morning to help me do my hair. She helped me out with all these dumb little details for the whole day, and she looked absolutely beautiful and happy, too. And she took the brunt of criticism from family members when they were making remarks that they thought I didn't hear them make.

6. Lura always has a sympathetic ear for me. Even if I'm all crying about my own husband being gone for a couple of days, Lura never gets resentful to me. She is sympathetic and understanding and always there for me.

5. She gave birth to one of the most adorable little boys ever!! Jago is seriously a cutie (of course, I'm not going to say he's the most cute or anything, because that is reserved for my own kids). Lura is such a good mommy to Jago. I'm proud of her.

4. She gives us funny stories to tell for the rest of forever, even if they really aren't funny anymore. Hee hee: Boston Tea Ship!! Beep Baaaaah!!!! Hee hee hee. I'm seriously giggling here.

3. We've had to share a room most of our lives, and she was always really fun to room with. We would sit on our beds on opposite ends of the room and toss MnMs into each other's mouths. Of course, we hardly ever actually made it, but it was so fun anyway. We would listen to Disney tunes and pretend we were different characters and act out the songs. We were always rearranging the furniture to make things more interesting or give us more floor space or something (although that didn't always work).

2. Lura has to do everything I do. Heh. She played the flute in 5th grade because I already played the flute (but then again, she hated it and didn't play anymore after that). I always had long hair... she grew her hair out. Her favorite author is the same as mine. I love silver more than gold... so does she. I love a good cup of hot chocolate right before bed... she has to have one too. I get a surprise pregnancy while using protection... so does she!!

1. Lura is my little sister, so, uh, that's it. You can't get any more awesome than being Sariah's sister. ;)

The Waiting Game

Still no news about a job, but the holiday was only yesterday. We expect to hear by the end of this week. So, we are waiting. Patiently.

Yes, patiently. Believe it or not, I can be patient. Sometimes. When forced.

We got a wonderful offer to rent a house from some friends. It's not too bad of a commute to where we want this one job, has three bedrooms and two baths, a yard with two citrus trees and a palm tree, includes all appliances (even the washer and dryer and the microwave), is close to schools and parks, has good, central a/c, and the roof is only like five years old. Oh, and it's totally within our price range.

The only drawback is that it's some friends that we were looking forward to hanging out with. She is also a flute player, so it would have been nice to have someone to play duets with again. Oh well. By the time they move back and want their house back, we should be in a position to buy our own. I told Mr. Universe that I don't even have to think about it. Let's do it. So now it's up to him. We can hang out with these friends when they move back.

I'm ready and willing to move. Wish we had some definite offer.

Still waiting. Patiently. Really.