Advice!

So.... Now that it is getting colder outside, Jack and I cannot embark on our typical outdoor adventures.

What do you do with a 19 month - 2 year old inside all day?? And in a little home, I might add. On an even smaller budget?

He's going to drive me up a wall with all his bottled up energy!

And no. TV is not an answer!

This is going to be a loooooooooooooooooooong winter!

Forever 21...

I actually forgot how old I was! WHAT?! Now that I'm a mom and passed the 21 year mark, I lost track. I don't feel older than 21! I don't even think of myself as any more mature than an 18 year old. Ok, so I'm only 22, but I forgot! I thought I was still 21. I still see myself as a young girl, but somehow I have a family - a husband and a son - and I've even graduated from college. Somehow my brain hasn't caught up with my body. Time goes way too fast!!

My baby is 19 months tomorrow! He is just talking up a storm all of the sudden, learning a new word almost every day. My favorite word that he says is "cereal" and a close second is "cookie." I made cookies once like 3 weeks ago, and now he asks for them all the time! I'm hoping if he doesn't see them for a while he'll forget, but that hasn't happened yet. He just lights up my day!!

Love stinks.

A conversation between me and Juan after I was trapped in bed with him passing some less than pleasant gas...

Me: "AAAAAAHH!! I can't handle it anymore!"
Juan: "What do you mean you can't handle it?"
"It smells like you are dieing inside! What did you eat?!"
"Same as you. You made it!"
"No, I didn't eat the beans. It must be the beans!"
"Did you make them with love?"
"Yes, of course."
"Then that's it!"
"What?! Why?"
"Because love stinks!"

Oh, the joys of being married.

Ready to go!

ONE MORE DAY! totally ready to go!! We deep cleaned the house and are all the packed. California here we come!! Too bad I still have to teach primary tomorrow... :/

Did I mention that I was in primary in my last ward for at least a year and a half?... and did I mention that I was called into primary again in my new ward? Same age. CTR 5. But this class has about 10 kids (sometimes 13) that come regularly. YIKES!

i'm killing them, but at least they're dead... right?

Jack is THE MESSIEST eater. I thought that we would be past the playing stage.... but 6 months later it is still just as funny to throw a bowl of food on the floor. He also insists on eating Rice Crispies (quite possibly the messiest of all cereals) for breakfast every morning. He takes a huge handful and tries to shove it all in his mouth with a 20% success rate - meaning 80% of his breakfast lands on the floor. And did I mention that he won't eat it unless there is milk in it? Because that's the way mommy does it. So it's 10x stickier than normal.

Anyway. Needless to say. long story short. etc. My floors are always messy! I should sweep after every meal. I should mop every night. But let's be honest here people. It doesn't always work out that way. We've had a few ants. It's a summer thing. And I hate it. The good thing is, despite the world's messiest eater that grazes in my kitchen, we've only had about 15 at a time at most. Well, I've come to realize that most of them are dying before they can take the food back into their hole. They are dying on top of my food. What is that saying about my food? It's killing them. Even the ants can't eat my food.

And if it's killing the ants... what is it doing to us? But, at least they are dead... right?

Four more Days!

We'll be in California. I can't wait for a little vacation time with my family. We'll be hitting up the beach, the pool, the beach, the pool and Disneyland. Please feel free to join! I would love to see everyone while I'm down.

Who does that?

Found metal BB's in my baby's inflatable pool. Yeah... not so inflatable anymore.

Who does that?

The End

I went to see the final Harry Potter movie this morning. Juan's work graciously gave him and his coworkers two tickets each to the early bird showing. So, I dropped off Jack at the neighbors and had a nice little AM date with my husband.

The movie was more than I ever could have expected. Even though I read the books and knew the ending, I was totally captivated throughout the entire movie. I was full out crying towards the end of the movie - partially because of what was taking place on screen and partially because of what was taking place inside my soul.

Harry potter was a huge part of my childhood, and even as I've grown into adulthood, Harry Potter and the gang have been right there with me. It was my one connection to adolescence, and now it is gone. No more magical spells. No more giddy excitement for the newest book or film. No more midnight showings. No more Harry Potter.

It has been a great run Harry - you will be missed.

I LOVE SUMMER!

Summer is my absolute favorite season of the year. I would not change the hot weather for anything! And I'll even take the occasional thunderstorm. I love it all!!!!!!!! (I could do without mosquitoes though)

Today Jack played in the pool. Then we rode the bike to Target. I bought a popcorn combo for $1.82, and then we rode to the nearest park and watched a baseball game while enjoying our treat! After that, Jack played on the playground for an hour, pet all of the dogs he could get his hands on, and we rode home in the warm summer rain :)

It was total bliss!

A Mental Vacation

After graduation (Yes, I did it!), I decided I needed a little mental vacation. I had been pushing myself so hard for so long. And with my last semester being a winter semester, (imagine no sunshine for months and subzero temperatures) and with all the stress, and with all of the time spent away from my family, I felt I deserved to be completely unobligated (yes, I made up that word - I'm a linguist) to ANYTHING or ANYONE (except family). And that is exactly what I've been up to.

I wanted to make up lost time with Jack. I know it was hard for both of us for me to be gone so much. That's not what a mom is supposed to do. I did BF for a full year- to obligate myself to make it home to spend time with my little one. It was the one thing I could do to keep us connected. But now, we are home together all day, and he is my best friend. He follows me everywhere. He helps me put dishes in the dishwasher, clothes in the washing machine, and the rest of the time is spent just playing and enjoying our time. We go on bike rides almost every day, we play with our new friends in the neighborhood, and we play in the pool. I love being so free. I can tell he is so much happier. And so am I :)

I plan on slowly updating my life again. We have done soooo much since I last wrote, but like I said, I was on a mental vacation. Now I'm back, so keep a lookout!