Life Goes By So Quickly

I can't believe how quickly time passes. Here it is, almost Thanksgiving. I've known, conceptually that Thanksgiving is coming, but emotionally and all the rest, I don't feel like it's that time of year. I have been so busy, and perhaps TOO busy lately. Sewing up a frenzy has been fun, but I think I've been spending too much time with it, and neglecting other things I should/want to be doing. Case in point--I'm told from all sides that I need to be taking more picutres of the girls! (This comes from the grandparents.) And they're right! I usually manage to get the main ideas, but it's the day to day pictures that I love to look at. I took SO many pictures when Leiden was a baby, and I loved them. I still do. I look through her baby book all the time, and eventually I want to scrap all the pictures I have beyond her first year and all of Mac, and all the other family things I've got, but I'm not working on it!


Which leads me to my next neglected venue for creativity: digital scrapbooking. So, last night, after Sunday dinner, I sat down and completed two more pages for Mac's baby book. Here they are:



Mac had a particularly funny face-pulling session the other day. Some of the pics may be blurry, but the faces are great. Lest anyone should misunderstand, these pictures are not an example of how cute Mac is. They are an example of the scary faces she can pull--the kind of faces you want to say, "Stop that! It's not cute!" at the same time you're laughing. There is scrunchy face, fishy face, and generally scary face--although they all kind of blur together.

We're in Utah now, for the Thanksgiving holiday. Brad will join us for the actual day. Both girls are, of course, sick, so we are plugging along as best we can.

How bout them Utes? Who am I, sir? A Utah man am I. A Utah man, sir, and will be till I die...

On the Move!

Mac is finally moving about! It is awkward and inefficient, but she is doing it. Here are some clips:

Washtub and Wringer?

I do not live in the 1800's.

I do not own a washtub, nor do I own a washing board, nor do I own a wringer.

I do not consistently plunge my hands into hot or cold water until they crack to wash my clothes.

This is what my washer is for.

However, when said washer starts billowing firecracker smoke and wailing like a fire engine, one wonders if Target sells the above items. It's amazing what you see around your house that needs to be washed when your washer is no longer with you in the land of the living. My table cloth is sorely in need of a good scrubbing. All of Mac's bibs are filthy, and I can't bring myself to use dirty ones again. Every dish towel in the house is dirty, as I've been using them for Mac's bibs. I think I'm clamping them behind her neck with a drapery clip. Leiden has approximately 0 pairs of pants to wear tomorrow, and her comforter has Desitin on it from one of Mac's many diapering escapades. The pants I want to wear Friday to the Twilight soiree also have Desitin on them. Did I mention that Leiden has no pants to wear tomorrow?

Anyway, the folks at Sears are bringing me a nice, new, working washer tomorrow, and they'll kindly take the firecracker stinky one away. That would be after I remove the soaking wet clothes that were mid-cycle when the wailing started and the spinning stopped. Not to mention the water that is still in the basin of the washer that I have to siphon/bail out/hope it evaporates/upend the washer to get rid of. I'm still undecided on my method, but upending the whole washer sounds fun. This was all determined, of course, after I had talked to several companies and found that they could get a washer to me by Saturday. Great. IT'S TUESDAY.

At any rate, disaster averted. Maybe I'll get my pants clean in time for Twilight after all.

Catch Up

Brad brought Mac into the kitchen a couple weeks ago--I'm behind!--and she was carting this sack around. She is remarkably strong.


This is amazing. On November 4, it was 71 degrees outside! It started cooling off directly after that, and now it's 30's, but it was nice and warm while it lasted. I think I can safely say that that was the last of the heat. For 9 months. Uuuggggh.


My birthday was great. I got some nice things, and we had friends over for cake and ice cream, which Brad got from Coldstone. It was delicious. The kids really liked it, too.




It snowed here a few days ago--like 12 days ago! So we went from 70 degrees to snowing. Leiden was thrilled, and wanted to go out and play in it. I came into the kitchen to see her outside throwing snow on the deck.



It seems like every time I put video up on this blog, it messes up the layout. Those of you who know that I have obsessive compulsive disorder can understand that this REALLY bugs me! I really try to make it uniform!


The girls took a bath together the other night. Great fun for both girls. Machara makes the most wet mess I've ever seen, and kicks her legs so hard that she scoots around the bathtub. Her favorite part is sticking her hand, and sometimes her head into the running water as it's coming in.

Well, now that the catch up from the camera is done, Brad is now in New Zealand! Why am I not with him, you ask? That would be because we have two children, and a week is too long to ask anyone not family to watch them, and family wasn't available for a week, either!

Upcoming on the horizon: Twilight! I am so excited I can hardly stand it. I think I've watched every trailer there is about 50 times each.

Also, new things coming to my Etsy store this week! Christmas is coming!

Dave and Debra

Today is my birthday! For those of you who don't know, I am 28 now. I thought it would be appropriate to talk about my parents, Dave and Debra, today, as they are the reason I'm here! I have a wonderful mother and father. They have been so supportive of me--even when that support meant saying goodbye as we went across the country. They love me so much, and I them.

Since becoming a parent myself, I have come to better understand, although only marginally, how it is to love another more than myself. As young children, and really until we have our own, we rarely understand that depth of feeling. We become desensitized to our parents, often failing to recognize the things they do for us. I am so grateful for them. They are so wise, and I can only hope to achieve that kind of wisdom in my lifetime. They have taught me the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and exhibit faith in our Savior, and continue to influence my life, although from a farther distance! They have prepared me in so many ways to be a mother myself. I don't always do what I should, and I make plenty of mistakes, but I am who I am because of them.

I have reason to know that I knew my parents and chose them before coming here to this Earth. What an excellent choice I made. I love you, mom and dad! Thanks for bringing me into this world 28 years ago.

More Funny Leiden

Today Leiden came down the stairs to me, carrying her big dog. She said,

"Mommy, I need an Old Navy dress for doggie."
"What?"
"I need an Old Navy dress for doggie!"
"You want me to buy doggie a dress at Old Navy!?" (What?)
"No, mommy. I'm at Old Navy."
"OOOhhh, I see. Well, (as I point to her dress up bin) maybe if you look in there, you'll find something you like for doggie."

She looks at the bin for a minute, and then says,
"Do you have any smaller?" (Apparently I'm the help at Old Navy.)

She's full of interesting commentary these days!

There are some new items in my Etsy store--go check out Kelly's Evie! She did such a great job for the photo shoot, and thanks again, Kelly, for the use of your awesome camera!

Funny Leiden

Today I was hauling all of Leiden's stuffed animals to the laundry room to wash, and she spied her stuffed pig, Wilbur, in the mesh bag.

"Mommy, what are you doing with Wilbur?"
"I'm putting him in the washer, sweetie. He needs to be clean."

I put the bag in the laundry room and went out to her tea table to get the other animals, and while I'm out there, I hear,

"Wilbur, I love you so much, but Mommy has to put you in the washer. It's okay, it's okay, she needs to wash you."

Then, during the dinner prayer, Leiden so helpfully said,
"Please bless mommy and daddy that they won't freak out when Mac cries."
Well thanks, Leiden. That's a good thing to pray for!

Clapping

Today I was sewing, and Brad was upstairs with the girls. All of a sudden I hear "Mercedes, come quick!" Well, for all I know, someone's bleeding, so I run upstairs to find Brad clapping at Mac saying 'yay'--and Mac clapping back at him! I'm not sure when clapping starts, but I don't think Leiden was this early!




Mac has had another eventful weekend. Not only did she learn to clap today, but yesterday she cut her fourth tooth. It's the tooth to her left of the front teeth. No, her front teeth are not in yet. I was worried for a time that they were missing, but now she's working on them. The little ridges are there. She's a little fussy these days, and I think it's the teeth. It's astounding how you take cheerful dispositions for granted--until they are not being cheerful anymore!

Mac's hand coordination is also improving. She can pick up things and get them in her mouth the majority of the time, and she can totally lift up her sippy cup to drink. Sometimes she gets really into it, and she'll tilt her entire head straight up. Bottoms up. This usually results in sputtering.

The following videos were on my camera when I got the clapping one off.

Leiden was kind enough to share one of her Halloween treats with Mac. I don't think she knew what hit her!


It would appear Mac is destined to move around just as strangely as (if differently than) Leiden. She gets on her knees, but then just plops down. This was actually the first time I saw her actually try to get something out of reach. It was a few days ago, and I haven't really seen it since!


This was Mac this morning before church, looking so pretty in her pink dress. Leiden also wore her pink dress to church, but she was having a bit of a rough morning, so she was not in any pictures.


Weekly Goals:
This week it's simple, and trying to get back to the basics.
We've been having a bit of trouble with Leiden. It's almost as bad as right before Mac came, and that was horrendous. So, we need to try something different, because whatever we're doing is not working. I realize she's only three, but something has got to change. To that end:
1. Scripture study--with Brad, alone, and as a family. All three rarely happen, but our home needs the peace it provides.
2. Time each day specifically set aside for Leiden--doing big girl things without Mac. Perhaps some focused attention will help.