4 Takes a wash and keeps on playing

For Christmas Nate gave me a pink 'Sansa Clip' 2GB MP3 player. It got great reviews, has a full display, and a built in FM radio. It is super tiny and perfect for working out and snowboarding.

Last TUESDAY I was relaxing in the evening after the HUGEST powder day in the history of Beaver Mountain...TWO FEET!!! Then it dawned on me, although I'd checked all my coat's outer pockets, I had left my CLIP in my coat's inner pocket. AND MY COAT WAS NOW IN THE DRYER!!! Sure enough, after an extra-long cycle in the washing machine and at least 15 minutes in the dryer it would not turn on. I was DEVASTATED. Stupid me!

AMAZINGLY the next morning it turned on and played fine. The battery was nearly dead, but
it charged up fine. I can not believe that it is JUST FINE!!!

1 Last week's Scrap Night

Here's a layout that I put together a few weeks ago at our monthly scrap-night. I love only taking my laptop! Digital is so much less mess than traditional scrapbooking. I did spend most of my evening organizing and exploring PhotoShop. I'm not too fast yet, but I spend a good share of my time just playing with all the features.

0 Thankful Thursday (-ish) #7

1) Siblings: This past week Nate was able to go to St George with some of his brothers and buddies for their annual golf vacation. I am so glad that he loves to hang with his brothers. All SIX of the brothers (no sisters) are fabulous and get along great! I hear of families that aren't close and go months without talking, but I can't really picture it. I think Nate talks to at least 2 of his brothers EVERY day. Most days he sees at least one of them. In the summer they golf, boat, and play softball together. Since work has been slow this cold winter, Layne & Nate have played racketball a few times a week.

When Nate left last week, I loaded up our girls and headed to my parent's home in Rexburg. All FOUR of us sisters (no brothers) have been here. I don't see my sisters as often as Nate see's his brothers, due to proximity, but I talk to them several times a day between phone & IM. This week its been great to be together with them and let our kids -"the hord"- play.

Back when I first found out I was pregnant with baby #2, I was torn. On one hand I was estatic to welcome a new baby to our family, but on the other hand I felt very guilty for displacing my baby Allie, who had just had her first birthday. When I expressed my concern to my Mother, she pointed out that we were NOT kicking Allie out of her spot in the family, but rather giving her the most priceless gift: a sibling. How true!

2) Disposable Diapers: I can't imagine having to wash out cloth diapers! Props to our parents and grandparents. I just don't think I could do it. I've almost lost my lunch over several Kylie blow-outs this week. I don't think she's 'sick', but her system is having some issues. yuck!

3) Kylie's giggles: She really is 'Smiley Kylie'.

2 Kylie tid bits, too

Kylie is growing FAST! She is wearing 2T clothes already (she doesn't turn 2 till May), a full 9 months earlier than her sister. Since birth we've noticed how 'long' she seems: long fingers, long toes, long body. In fact, she is now wearing the Strawberry Shortcake tennis shoes -size 7- Allie got at age 3! She can reach her hand around the door knobs, but I don't think she has actually opened a tightly shut door yet. Its only a matter of time, sigh. Now if we can only get her hair to grow!

Kylie loves animals. She isn't intimidated at all, even by large dogs. Our cat, Marble, actually is much more tolerant of Kylie than Allie. Kylie is soft and loving with her where as Allie often tried to chase her.

4 Allie tid bits

Allie is all about dancing at the moment. She loves to dress up and shake her booty to the Strawberry Shortcake CD. She dances everywhere we go. She really enjoys the music during sacrament meeting and can't understand why she can't twirl down the isle during the hymns. Her Sunbeam teacher has had to institute having a 'dance party' during the last few minutes of class to keep Allie from putting on impromptu recitals during the lesson. What a silly goose.

Last night, as I was drifting off to sleep, I heard Allie getting out of bed and shuffling the hall. When I asked her if she needed to go to the bathroom she just exploded into tears. It took a while to get her sobs to subside. She nodded 'yes' when I asked if she had a bad dream. Later when we were snuggled up warm in my bed I asked her what the dream was; what she had seen. "Kylie is gone. She ran away." Ow, how tender. Allie was terrified her sister was gone. We snuggled and sang until she drifted back to sleep. When I took her back to bed we peeked into the crib to show "A" that little sis was sound asleep in her bed. What a tender thing.

2 Thankful Thursday #6

1) My own little corner of the house: It may not be 'finished' but I have so enjoyed having a a little bit of space to call my own.

2) Leftovers: I really enjoy cooking and baking, but sometimes it is very nice to pull a container out of the fridge and call it good. Today I've been on the computer for my job all day and dinner was the last thing on my mind.

3) Allie's growing vocabulary: I love having conversations with my oldest girl. I stand in awe of her everyday. It is so fund to see what she comes up with next.

4 Popcorn seeds do not belong in the Ear

The past month I have enjoyed swapping children with my sister-in-law Maho. On Tuesday's she watches mine so I can snowboard and on Fridays I watch hers so she can snow ski. It has worked great thanks to other carpool mom's that are cool with dropping our kids off at our opposite houses on the appropriate days. Our kids get along with each other great. Its almost easier to watch all 5 of them than just my 2. Last Friday was the exception to that rule.

The day had been going great. The kids played happily in the basement most of the morning. Lunch was calm and I was cleaning up when I heard someone crying. I didn't think much of it until I realized it was Kai, the oldest. He came out of the room sniffling and then started howling again when I asked what was wrong. With the help of the others I learned that my Allie had shoved a popcorn seed (leftover from our morning snack) down Kai's ear. CRAP!!! Allie denied it, but using a flashlight I was able to see it, WAY down in his ear canal. I hope I looked calmer than I felt. It must worked since Kai settled down. I don't think it was hurting him; he was just scared. Maho was due back in less than a half hour. I was sick about returning her kid in need of a trip to the doctor...on her Birthday no less. UGH!

The last thing I wanted to do was push the seed further in or do damage to the inner ear, but I figured I should make a few attempts to get the seed out. First, I tried spraying water in his ear to flush the seed out. I used a large needle-less syringe, but the seed didn't move. Tweezers were out since it was so snug in the ear tube, but I could see a little space under the seed since the tube wasn't as round as the seed. Kylie was crawling all over me as I attempted a delicate manuver. Carefully I pressed up on the seed from below with a toothpick. PLOP! The seed fell out. WOOAH! What relief for both Kai and I. He was all smiles as we put this prized seed in a zip-lock baggie to take home. Right on cue his mom knocked on the door. I felt silly for 'allowing' it to happen in the first place, but at least we were able to get it out with no harm done.

As for Allie, she lied about her involvement for over 15 minutes despite the other kids tattling on her before she finally fessed up. I think that is what disturbs me the most about the whole incident. And this is far form the first lie we've heard from her. In fact telling the truth has been a daily lesson at our house the past few weeks. If you have any ideas on how to teach your kids not to lie, I'd love to hear. Obviously what we are doing isn't working.

0 Kylie Bug

Kylie is quite a silly bug.

She is constantly making us laugh!
We think she will be the class clown in school.
She has a thing for shoes.

0 When the house is too quiet...

...it usually means that the girls are up to something. This time they had gotten their own snacks.

3 Help?!!?

Do you have MY copy of 'Breaking Dawn'? I was only going to read books 1-3, but I can't stop thinking about Bella & Edward. UGH! I don't remember lending it out, but I can't find my book 4 anywhere. Guess I'll read Midnight Sun in while I keep looking.

1 Thankful Thursday #4 ( a week late) & #5 (today)

NOTE: I did try to post a few times in the past 2 weeks, but blogger has been having some issues.

1) Carpooling: Allie's preschool is just around the corner, but it sure is nice to just send her out the front door over half the time. I'm especially greatful that the other mom's haven't minded dropping Big-A off at Aunt Maho's on the day's I've been snowboarding.

2) Aunt Maho & my kid trading scheme: It has been super nice this year to not feel guilty about leaving the kids to snowboard. They love playing with their cousins and since we alternate days, its all even!

3) Smart Wool Socks: The only real draw back to snowboarding is the cold. I hate being cold. BUT a few years ago I found the BEST socks and they make all the diference. I do think its time to replace mine. On day last week I was on the mountian in sub-zero weather and they just aren't are warm as they once were. Five years is plenty to justify the cost.


1) Our sharing time assignment is over for the YEAR!!! It wasn't that bad, but it's still nice to have it out of the way.

2) Good LONG BookS (aka the Twilight series): I re-read the first 3 books over the past 2 days. AHHH! Nothing quite like a romance fix when real life just isn't that fun. I'm still debating if I want to take on #4 since it wasn't my favorite. Maybe this weekend?

3) E-mail: Without the instant file sharing and conversations I wouldn't be able to do my job from home. I don't always like the hours I have to work, but I love that I can do it from home for the most part.