Clues For Andrew

I've been giving out clues to my husband about the surprise that he'll be getting when I visit him soon. I thought I'd start sharing them with everyone. It's been kinda fun keeping him on his toes.

Here are the first 2 clues:
1. No pistols or cowboy hats needed.
2. Coordinates: 37°45′35″N 100°1′6″W

And here's the new clue for him:
3. You'll find paradise between the "South Pacific" and the "Swiss Family Robinson."

Good luck, honey!! HA! HA! I love it!

An Eye On You

I can't always keep an eye on Regan, so I trust Aurora and Jesse to tell me if Regan's doing something she shouldn't. Like yesterday, Regan got in the bathroom and started making confetti out of the toilet paper....Aurora let me know. The day before that, Jesse caught Regan trying to put a Fruit Loop in her mouth. See! My little spies are working out great.

So, when I was in the kitchen today, I asked Aurora, "Aurora, do you see what Regan's doing?" She answered, "Don't worry, Mommy. I have an eye on Regan."

Then I heard Jesse reply afterwards, "And I have my eye on Aurora!" Don't you love it?

Getting Older

My 4-year old announced to me today that she's getting old. She didn't say it like she was happy. She sounded depressed! I asked her why she thinks she's getting old. She promptly showed me the bottom of her feet and pointed out the dry skin, especially where her toes bend. She said, "Look! I'm getting old!" I couldn't help laughing....I then told her she isn't getting old, her skin is just dry because it's cold outside in the winter. Now she's trying to peel all the dry skin off, informing me that she's going to be young again. Wish I'd thought of that....

Housing Crisis Hits Home

The housing market has officially become a disaster for us. We've had our house on the market for a year now and we've only had one offer that was WAY TOO LOW! Andrew and I have been apart for about 8 months now and looking at being apart for at least another 3 months. So, in light of the fact that we aren't even getting showings anymore, we've decided to take it off the market.

We are working with an attorney friend of ours to negotiate a "Swap" with our mortgage company. What this means is that we ask Countrywide (our mortgage company) to trade us a house that they own in Salt Lake City for our house. Same price, of course. They would then "own" our home. This would be to their benefit, because right now they have a paying customer (us) and they only "own" 1 house. They can either keep us as customers or lose our business and have 2 houses they own. They'd have 2 homes because if they refuse to swap with us then we are just going to give our house back to the bank. We wouldn't be foreclosing, that would mean we were in default on our payments. We just can't wait around for another 2 years for the market to rebound. We need to be all together. This swap idea is a great alternative for people who are currently paying their mortgages every month, can't sell their home due to the influx of homes on the market and the current economic crisis and need to relocate quickly due to job change, etc.

We know that there could be repercussions in giving our house back to the bank, but our attorney friend said that we might be able to find a bank to give us a home loan. Crazy things are happening now with the economy and if we can prove an income and we haven't defaulted on a previous loan, then some might work with us. Otherwise, we might have to rent for a few years, but even that's better than where we are right now.

We're concerned with forward movement right now. We want to get settled somewhere by this summer. Aurora starts school this year so the need is becoming desperate. Hopefully everything will work out. We are luckier than most. Most people are losing their homes. I feel fortunate that we aren't in that position.

Sleeping Arrangements

I never know what I'm going to find when I check on the kids before I go to bed. Regan has thrown everything she can out of her crib onto the floor. Jesse, most of the time, is hanging out of his bed with books all over him, but no blankets. And Aurora.....well, look for yourself! Yep, she taped everything up. If you look closely, you can see a toy baby bottle, the Valentine's card from Andrew and a doll shoe. I laughed my head off when I saw this. Hope it gives you a laugh too!

Pony Takeover

I think Aurora has taken over my house! Everywhere I look there are My Little Ponies in one form or another. Up the stairs, in the hallway....in my bedroom. When she ran out of ponies, she started coloring pictures of ponies and taping those up on the doors. I feel like I'm living in Ponyville and should be singing the theme song, "My little pony, my little pony. You'll always be in my heart!!" Now she's talking about having a pony party....I wonder if there'll be invitations?

Boys and Their Toys

If you want to see a grown man cry, just check out the library where my husband is viewing this picture. This is what happens without a man's influence for 7 months!! At least he's playing with the BYU Cheerleader Barbie and not the mermaid....

Travel Plans

After all that hassle we went through with the probe and irrigation surgery for Regan's eye, she still has a problem. It didn't take, so the Opthamologist is going to see her back in about a week and then if it's still bad (I'm sure it will be) they're going to insert a tube in her eye. Her pediatrician only knows of one other child that she has seen who has had one. The surgery is 95% effective, but wouldn't you know? My child had to be the other 5%. So, another surgery is coming up in our future. Thank goodness I've found someone wonderful to watch the kids while I have to be at the hospital. They'd rather go play at that place then be home at anytime. Should I feel offended? :)

I've made plans to visit my hubbie in Utah next month. I'm splitting the babysitting between 2 of my siblings. They are so wonderful to be doing this for me!!! They each agreed so quickly and excitedly. I hate asking others to watch my kids because I feel so guilty, but my kids (at least the older 2) can talk of nothing else...."Are we going to Uncle Bub and Aunt Mindy's house now?" I hear that every time we get in the car. Aurora's already talking about the cats too. She mentioned that there's the good one and the bad one and Jesse shouldn't be pulling tails.....on and on. So, I'll have no problems leaving them in Bub and Mindy's capable hands.

I worry most about Regan, though, because she's really bad with strangers. So I'm leaving her with my other sister who can devote all her efforts to winning Regan over. Regan is so sweet when she's comfortable with you. She likes to cuddle and hug and laugh and play. But, get her near a stranger and she becomes a nightmare. I'll definitely worry about her the first few days and then I'll be ok. Stefanie will have lots of fun, hopefully, with her. Thanks again both of you guys for agreeing to help me out!!

Andrew and I have some fun things planned already. I know I want to go to the BYU Campus to see how everything's changed. It's been 8 years since I was last there and I can't wait to see all the improvements. We've also got tickets to a Utah Symphony performance! I'm so excited! Hopefully Andrew won't fall asleep. I know he's going because I love it....He's such a trooper. We're planning on attending Music and the Spoken Word on Sunday morning. That will be so cool! I also have a GREAT surprise for Andrew but I can't spoil it and mention it yet. I will post all about it after I get back. I'm counting the days.....

Oh, by the way, Aurora told the Assistant Manager at the grocery store today that he "missed the party!" HA! What a girl!!!

Regan Update

Ok, so Regan is now 15 months old. All my other kids were walking at 15 months. But nope! Not Regan....She refuses to even stand. She likes jumping in her jumper, but if you try to make her stand she does that thing that kids do when you try to put them on the grass for the first time. She lifts her legs like she's going to sit down. If I do surprise her and get her to stand she just screams until she can sit down. What a little stubborn girl! I don't like crawlers and now it seems that I am being blessed with the perpetual crawler. I think I must have been bad during her pregnancy...too many donuts or something.

She goes back to the opthamologist today for her post-op visit. Her eye is still weepy....I don't know how long it takes for it to clear up, but hopefully she won't have to get a tube inserted. Her last surgery was bad enough. I can't imagine what that would be like. But we do what we must, I suppose.

Cutting Hair

I got tired of how tangled Aurora's hair kept getting every day. It seemed that as soon as I had it brushed out it was tangled again. So, I decided to grab my sharpest scissors and SNAP! All that extra hair was gone. She really likes it now because it weighs less and it doesn't take 30 minutes to brush. I think it looks really cute. She's such a poser, huh?

A Little Blog Fun (cont.)

The deal: The first 5 people to respond to this post will receive something made by me for you! It will be my choice, but custom designed especially for you. Just so we’re on the same page, here are the details: No guarantees my gift will make you will feel absolute true love, but possibly some happiness, slight fervor, or maybe chocolate. It will be done sometime this year. You will have no clue what it will be… cookies, a photograph, a piece of homemade jewelry. It may be some other random thing I am capable of making or doing that would be enjoyable to you! I may bake something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you! That’s for sure. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

The fine print (which is actually the same size, but whatever): You must repost this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on their blog. When you get your lovely homemade goods from me, post a picture on your blog so I know my love arrived without a hitch. I got this from my sister-in-law's blog and I couldn't NOT keep the love going around. Who wants to play?

Never Met a Stranger

I was quietly reading a book last night after putting the kids to bed when I heard Aurora yelling, "It's me...Aurora!" I ran up the stairs to her room to find her yelling out her opened window to the Schwann's man who delivers to our next door neighbors. I couldn't believe it! I yanked the window down and she and I had a talk about strangers and what not to say to them. I wasn't worried about the Schwann's man....just the other teenage boys that roam the streets at different times during the day. I can just see her having conversations with everyone from her bedroom window. Kinda like Rapunzel, right?

This has become a trend with Aurora. She's so NOT shy!!! Case in point - We were going to a Valentine's party yesterday and we stopped at the grocery store on the way there to pick up some fruit to take with us. We were met by the Assistant Manager (we've all met before on several occasions) and Aurora promptly invited him to the party. "You can come with us. We're having pizza and decorating cupcakes and now we're getting fruit to take with us." On and on she went...."It'll be lots of fun. And my brother Jesse will be there too. But my mommy has to go to the doctor with my baby sister. Her name is Regan...." It was like watching a train wreck! Then, off to check out and she invited the cashier and the lady behind us in line. Same shpeal, same invite!!! They thought it was cute, but I just wanted to get somewhere private and explain again and again that we don't talk to strangers unless Mommy or Daddy says it's ok.

I don't want to freak her out or make her think that all people are out to harm her and she should be afraid. But, when she's opening her window at night and yelling to people on the street something has to be done, right? Geesh! What am I going to do when she's a teenager? Hopefully by then my words will have sunk in. Until then, everyone's invited to visit and let Aurora tell them all about us and what we're doing today....and tomorrow....and next week....and next year.....

A Whopping Ear Infection

So I took Regan to the doctor today to try to resolve this is issue that has popped up after surgery and come to find out she has a whopping ear infection in the left ear. She's taking Amoccicillin (or however you spell it) and hopefully everything will get better. The doc said she's coughing so much because of all the drainage. Nothing in her chest and her oxygen absorption levels were great today. So, another battle wagered and won. Yes! In a few days all will be back to normal (I'm not holding my breath though, because I'm the only one who hasn't been sick yet). Thanks for thinking about us!

The Big Day

Well, today was the big surgery day for Regan today. She was totally freaked out....about everything, starting from when they put her bracelet on her in Admissions until we walked out the door 6 hours later. She had a little bit of a cold when she went in and they say that the anesthesia may have aggravated it. Her oxygen absorption was really low and her cough has gotten much worse. They were about to admit her overnight (uttering the forbidden words RSV), but eventually let her go with my promise of taking her to the Pediatrician tomorrow. So, now I've got the Albuterol and another doctor appointment tomorrow. Yippee!

Regan's eye, since that's what she went in to get corrected, is still a little swollen and bloody but hopefully everything's been corrected so she won't have to go through with this again. Now as long as she doesn't get an infection. :) Thanks for all the well wishes coming our way today!

Skinny In-Flint

My kids are so good at insults. When they get mad at each other all I hear is, "You skinny in-flint!" yelled over and over again. I really should teach them the correct phrase, but it's just too funny to hear it the way they say it......

I'll Help Clean

We have 2 showings on the house this weekend. I try to start telling the kids about them as soon as possible. I say things like, "Remember we have to keep the house clean," or "Try to pick up your stuff because we have to show the house."

So, when I was putting my 3-year old boy to bed tonight I reminded him again, "When you wake up in the morning try not to make a mess because we have to keep the house clean." He responded, "I can help you clean. I'll use my spit." Trying not to laugh, I said back to him, "Jesse, we don't use spit to clean."

His reply: "This boy does!"

Where does he learn these things? Seriously, I'm going to have to watch him like a hawk tomorrow to make sure he isn't spitting all over the floors and/or the windows. I swear his dad calls him up and makes him say these things..... :)

Another Year Older

It's my birthday today! I'm one of those fortunate souls who has to share their birthday with a groundhog popping out of a hole to tell the world if it's going to be spring soon or not. How blessed am I, right? But, on an unfortunate note....I've broken into another age group bracket. I'm no longer in the 18-30 age group. I've moved on into that 31-45 age group where wrinkles, gray hair, and "the good 'ole days" are prominent topics of discussion. I feel so old. At least I have little kids to make me "feel" young again. Thank goodness I didn't have kids young. I don't have to turn around (on this auspicious occasion) and see my 12-year-old heading off to school. That would make me feel really old! (Am I laying it on too thick, Mindy? Hee! Hee!)

My kids have been begging me to make a birthday cake today. In their words, you can't have a birthday without a cake. Well, if they want to go in and make it, then that's fine, but I refuse to make my OWN cake and then eat most of it by myself too. So, they improvised....Jesse informed me he was going to play me a "song." Then he proceeded to put his hands down the front of his diaper and wiggled something and called that a song. Kinda like plucking strings, I imagine. Then again, I don't want to imagine. Strange boy! Aurora made an invitation and invited me to my own birthday party. I've yet to see where the party is supposed to be, but evidently I'm to be there "yesterday" (her own words...she confuses yesterday, today, and tomorrow).

All in all....it's been exactly what a 31st birthday is supposed to be....uninspiring!!! But full of laughs!!!!

I Know Why I'm Sick

My son has had a really bad cough for the past couple of days. So, when I went to get him up this morning to get ready for church, I wasn't surprised that he had a fever. His eyes looked really sleepy and he has a runny nose that seems to be running a marathon. He even stayed in bed for another hour after I told him he could get up....that NEVER happens! After he finally got up and I changed his diaper and got him dressed, he said, as though he'd solved all the mysteries of the universe, "I know why I'm sick!!! Because I stuck my tongue out."

Now, why hadn't I thought of that?