Sara's Alphabet

Sara was counting her quesadilla triangles at lunch.

Sara: 1, 2, 4

Me: That's silly, it's not 1, 2, 4

Sara: It is in MY alphabet.

Me: OOOOOOOOOkay.

I'm a Plate

Perhaps Mom is the only one who will laugh, but this just happened in the bathroom. (The kids just woke up, Agnes ran to the bathroom, and Eliot followed).

E: Poo poo
A: No
E: Poo Poo
A: No, it's pee pee
E: Why?
A: Because I'm a plate
E: Why?
A: I'm a plate
E: Why?
A: I'm a plate
E: Why?
A: I'm a plate
E: Why?
A: Because Grandma says, "I'm a jar and I say, No, I'm a plate."
E: Oh (real long and drawn out)

The Princess Castle Temple

Sara has always said she wanted to be married in the Hawaii temple, so when I asked her what temple picture she wanted in her room, it was no surprise when she said "The princess castle temple in Hawaii." A little alarm went off in my head (Hawaii in no way resembles a castle) so when I showed her a picture of the Hawaii temple, she told me that was NOT the princess castle... I got a picture of the San Diego temple, she said, "YES! THAT is the princess castle temple." Apparently she thought San Diego was Hawaii. The price of that wedding just dropped dramatically.

Sacrament Mtg. Talk

I've been asked to speak in church on 12/13 on Alma 56:47-48. If you have any thoughts or suggestions or would really like to write a talk for your mother, feel free to let me know.

Travel Fund

This post is to inform you that the travel fund has been officially opened and funded for 2009. At this rate, we'll be able to go somewhere awesome in about 10 years!

The Magical Fruit

Someone had her first taste of beans today and well, let's just say they lived up to the song... I would have been proud to claim some of those! They were the loudest farts I have ever heard from something so small. Shoot, Regular Grandpa couldn't have done better with one of his "company just left" farts! In fact, she farted herself awake because the stench of her pack'n'play was so horrendous that she just couldn't stay asleep.

Her face looked mighty similar to this. If she knew how, she would have blamed the dog!

Sara likes treats

Friday, Holly and Sara went to the grocery store. They brought me two cupcakes to work; no, the label "cupcakes" doesn't do justice to these monstrosities of frosting. They looked like two little ghosts. They were very cute. We ate them tonight for FHE treats, each one cut in half. I took about three bites and had to give up and drink something acidic. Nora finished her half. Holly gave up too. Sara went with the "no hands method."

I love my new nano!

Mia

Sam got a new iPod nano for work. He had too much fun playing when he got home.

"Normal Mode"


"Cyborg Mode"


"Kaleidoscope Mode"

Stuff Sara Says 10

It has been a while and she keeps coming up with crazy stuff to say. Here is our latest favorite:

I was about to change her diaper and picked her up to get her horizontal on the couch. I gave her my best bodyslam onto the couch and gave her a little shake for good measure.

"Hey, you don't shake me; I'm not a rattle!"

RE: Crazy Sleeping

No, it isn't mean to take pictures of your children sleeping.

Happy Birthday Nora

Happy Birthday dear Nora! Nana loves you! I hope you have a very fun day today!

Happy Birthday Kake

Have a fabulous day today! Twenty-nine years ago I went to the doctor for my weekly check-up and he said I was ready to go anytime. I went back home and sure enough, anytime turned out to be that day. Grandma and Papa drove me to the hospital and then they took Samuel home with them. I was all by myself when you were born (well, not counting the hospital people), so it was just you and me against the world. I was so excited to have you here that I didn't sleep for two nights (nope, not even a wink). We had considered naming you Rachel. I'm glad we didn't. I like your name being Karen. Besides, it doesn't sound as fun to say Happy Birthday Rach, as much as it is to say Happy Birthday Kake!
I love you! Mom

Froggy Blanket

To Mia's parental units:
I found this fabric in the drawer so I put it together into a receiving blanket this morning. It's about 37"x43", lightweight flannel.


Would you like it for Mia or shall I just stash it away?

Awake and Waiting

So, Mia was down by 8:30; Holly was asleep by 9:15. So as to be non-obtrusive, I was watching "The Unit" on the iPod Touch. As I am watching a show peppered with loud explosions, I hear not one, not two, not even three, but FOUR explosions come from the foot of my bed. Why would explosions be coming from the foot of my bed you ask... Because that's where little, tiny, delicate Mia is sleeping, and launching turd missiles into her diaper. After the third one in ten minutes, Holly pokes me and asks, "Did you hear that? Don't fall asleep because she's going to need a diaper change soon." That was about 30 minutes before Mia finally woke up; so I was just sitting there, awake, waiting for my turn on Poop Patrol. I would totally pay extra for them to come out potty-trained!

No, there is no time connection between the picture and story.

WHERE'S OUR BABY???

Anxiously awaiting updates and photos and a name for your sweet baby girl

It's Magic

Why in all the previous trips to Santa Clara have I never been able to get an internet connection while sitting on my couch (as opposed to sitting on the front lawn, and even then- not so much), and now, here I sit, totally getting enough of a connection that I can do whatever I please? Does it have anything to do with the Qwest connection the guy loaded into my computer a few days ago, or is it just magic? I'm going with the magic theory.

Hotel Info

I was looking at the hotel information and out of curiosity, I checked the rates again for the dates we'd be there. They'd gone down $25! So I canceled my first reservation and made a new one at the lower rate. The difference is (I think) that the first one was refundable/changeable, and the new one is not, and it is a pay in advance reservation, which is okay with me. I'll pay in advance to save $50! Also, on this new room, it was a maximum of five people (so we'll only have to smuggle in Eliot!) instead of the other one at four people.
Also, I requested that we have a room with the connecting door and the guy said he couldn't guarantee it but that he would put the request in. Hopefully it will work out.

Happy Anniversary Laura and Nick

Four years! Congratulations! I hope that the next forty are even more fabulous than the last four. May you always be happy and head over heels in love with each other!
xoxox

My reaction to Karen's post

Good plan Karen. I really like the idea of adjoining rooms. How do we work that out? We'd need to talk to Dad about that?
I think Agnes is especially interested in swimming and the trains. Doesn't Jackson love trains?
Danny, would Jackson like to hang out with us Wednesday instead of going to school, or would that be weird for him? Who of Erin's family is going to be there? Will any of them have kids?
What is the reception going to consist of? Will there be food things there or do we need to plan a separate dinner for Thursday before the wedding?
What would you like us all to wear? I know you told Karen you don't care, but does Erin? The kids at least? What is Jackson wearing? I could make the boys all matching bow ties if you would think that is cute. They take about 1/2 hour, so it's simple to do.

Some Plan is Better than No Plan

Since Laura asked for a plan, I thought I would create one that sounds good to me and then you all can veto it as you see fit. Or we can ignore it completely once we get there.

Wednesday, Caleb and I fly in around 2:10 pm. Dad said he'd pick us up from the airport. I figure we can go back to the hotel (the Choo Choo -- hopefully Dad will stay there too since that's where the rest of us are) and have some lunch. We can take the kiddos swimming and explore all the train stuff at the hotel until Danny and Erin get off of work (and more people fly in). Then we can do dinner together (the singing restaurant at the Choo Choo looks like fun, but who knows if the food is good -- if Danny has a suggestion, we can go wherever you want) and possibly the park. I think it would be ideal if whoever is getting hotel rooms at the Choo Choo had connecting rooms. That way Laura and I can put our kiddos to bed, then slip into the connecting room to hang out with grown ups till we're all ready for sleep too. I'm a big fan of cards, so maybe we can all just play games and chill together, pretend that we like each other and what not.

Thursday, I think it would be a lot of fun to go to Ruby Falls and/or Rock City. At some point, I know that Caleb will need a nap if you don't want him to be the most obnoxious child in the world for the wedding. So maybe go back to the hotel where we can all get ready for the wedding. Or maybe, if we don't want to go back to the hotel and would rather just bring a change of clothes with us, I'm planning on bringing Caleb's stroller and it's possible that he'll just nap in his stroller as we walk around all day (Laura does that work for your kids too?).

Then the big event Thursday evening. From what I understand, all we have to do is show up. But I think we're all willing to help out with anything and everything, Danny, if you need us to.

Friday, Danny and Erin are leaving on their honeymoon, so we'll have to party without them. I think it'd be fun to take the kids to the Children's Museum, as Caleb has never been to one. But I'm sure that doesn't sound as much fun for those not bringing little ones with them (which is everyone but me and Laura as far as I know). But that's what sounds fun to me.

Our flight leaves at 5ish on Friday, but I think it's the same flight most everyone is on leaving Chattanooga, so that shouldn't be a big deal.

Anyway, that's what sounds good to me, but I'm good with just going with the flow. Caleb stays up really late (and wakes up far too early for my taste). He normally naps two to three hours during the day, but he'd be all too thrilled to skip nap completely. He's sometimes really hard to put to sleep.

Tenn

So what are we doing in Tennessee? I know that Danny and Erin made that list of things to do nearby, but what exactly are our plans? Dad, my kids and I will be in early Wednesday and I think everyone is leaving Friday evening. So Danny, are there any additional wedding plans beside from Thursday at 6pm? Are there things we get to help set up? Is there any wedding work that will need to be done? Are we just to plan our own adventures for all day Wednesday and Thursday, or are we expected to be doing something together with Erin's friends and family too?
We looked at the website for the hotel and it on its own looks pretty cool. So I think the little kids would like to swim and play there perhaps.
Lastly, are we all amenable to not doing the joint custody game and trying to divide our time between our divorced parents? Because that is seriously stressing me out trying to think about.
I guess what I'm trying to say is can we come up with a little bit more of an idea of what we're all doing there in Tennessee so that we can make the most of this very brief time of being together as a family.

Happy Cinco de Mayo

I saw this online today. I laughed.

We all know the story of the Titanic: giant boat, set sail for New York from England. She sank in a horrible tragedy in the middle of nowhere 15 April 1912. Most people don't know the whole story however. Early in 1912 Hellmann's Mayonnaise (an English company) revolutionized the condiment world by successfully preserving mayo in jars. The Titanic was carrying over ten thousand jars of Hellmann's mayo in her hold when she went down. The Titanic's second port of call was to be Cozumel, Mexico. This was also the ultimate destination for the Hellmann's in her giant iron belly. It seems that mayo had never before been commercially available in Mexico and the populace was just going nuts over the stuff. When news hit Mexico of the Titanic's sinking in early May the nation went into mourning for the loss. The government of Mexico declared a national day of mourning, in fact, to be celebrated every year in remembrance of the event: Cinco de Mayo. Share with me, won't you, a moment of silence. Lest we forget. Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone.

cast iron

i wrote this yesterday morning with the on-screen keyboard because our keyboard got watered and died. then jackson shut off the computer (start -> shut down -> shut down) and erased all of it. joy.

we went to the annual cornbread festival on saturday. it was a bit hokey and there wasn't much cornbread. we did stop by lodge which is headquartered in the same city (south pittsburg, 45 min from our place) and picked up a cast iron skillet for $15. that's the same company that makes the cast iron skillets and dutch ovens that alton brown uses. we're good southerners.

so we made steak on sunday. some oil, salt, pepper, LOTS of smoke and 5 minutes of cooking created the best steak i've ever eaten outside of a restaurant. perhaps the best steak i've eaten inside a restaurant too. it was really really good. like really good. mmm.

new travel plans

I got a phone call from Priceline last night, my flight plans have changed.  The arrival is still the same, for now, but the departure is different.  I now leave CHA at 5:09 pm on Friday.  Now I have a 90 minute layover in ATL.  Fun times!

Sam's travel plans

To try to coordinate...

Arrive Chattanooga 6/4/08 at 8:33 am
Leave Chattanooga 6/5/08 at 6:40 pm

Room booked at the Holiday Inn Chattanooga Choo Choo Thursday night.

He has not rented a car.

Family News

I wanted to tell you that my uncle Lawrence (Lystrup) died earlier today. He had a stroke a couple months ago, but we thought he was making improvements from that. My aunt Irene spoke with him on the phone just an hour before he passed away.
The funeral will be Tuesday morning and I will be driving to Idaho either Monday night or very early Tuesday morning. I'll go with Cheryl and Kim. Grandma, Walt, Mike and Tom will come in a separate car.
He was my favorite uncle. My dad's sisters are both still living, as is one more brother.

It's a ...Boy?

I had a dream that Holly had the baby. Yeah, HE was about 5 or 6 months old already. HE could sit up by HIMself. HE had curly light brown hair. HIS name was Alex Curtis Rosener. I wondered why they hadn't told any of us that the baby was born, and that it was a boy! Don't even ask me where that name came from.

Yes, I have bizarre dreams.

Happy Easter everyone!

Saying "th"

I asked Samuel about Agnes' use of the sound "th." I'm now posting this as an example of all the different substitutions she uses instead of the real sound. I think she uses just about every other possible substitution.

Another Freaking Idiot

I've been sick.  I still feel like crap. But the house is moving along super-fast, in fact, if the buyer had her way, we'd be closing this coming week.  This isn't Burger King; she can't have it her way, we're still closing the day before Easter.  Because I've been sick, and Holly's been tired, we haven't kept the house in show-at-any-minute condition.  Today Sara and I stayed home from Church, we played puzzles and made a general disaster of the living room. This afternoon, Holly and Sara were upstairs asleep, Nora and I were downstairs. She was watching TV; I was lying on the couch, wearing a pair of sweats that are missing the drawstring and require effort to keep near my hips.  So, of course, the doorbell rings.  Nora gasps, I leap up and answer it and what do I see when I open the door? A realtor.  Now, prior to the house having sold, I was polite-ish, I let them in and I waited until they were gone to curse. At this point, however, I've given up on nice.  When the moron realtor said, "I thought the house was vacant," I responded, "It's very not vacant." "Well, can we show the house anyway?" "No. We're under contract and we're closing in a week and a half." Then he comes up with one of my favorite statements of this whole process: "Oh, I wondered why I couldn't find it on the MLS." Well, DUH, MORON!!! If it's not on the MLS, did you stop to think it might not be for sale! I will be so glad when we hand over the keys and I can put behind me this whole exercise in plumbing the depths of stupidity that is dealing with real estate agents who can't read or think. I understand that selling real estate isn't rocket science, and Serena, our realtor, has been absolutely fantastic, but holy geewillikers we have had some abso-freaking-lutely STUPID people come show our house. The listing specifically said, Call first and do NOT show between 2pm and 4pm.  Most people were cool about it, but sure enough, people showed up unannounced, on Sundays, between 2 and 4.  There is clearly furniture in the pictures accompanying the listing, the computer is ON in one shot, but every time I opened the door to a realtor, he looked shocked that there were people living in a vacant home. Did they ever stop to think, "Why would you call ahead to a vacant house? Why couldn't you show a vacant house between 2 and 4? This house must not be vacant!" Nope. If I had a dollar for every idiot who couldn't read an MLS sheet and didn't call ahead or realize that we still lived here, I'd have... well, enough to take the girls out for ice cream.  Maybe I expect too much from people.  Maybe expecting that they will be able to do the things that my 4 year old is figuring out (reading) is too high a bar to set.  No, I've just been privileged (punished?) to meet some absolutely asinine people. The next two weeks will bring a lot of stress and emotions. Relief to finally be done with realtors is one that I am looking forward to having.

Sam is DEATHLY ill...

And he must not be faking because he willingly got this...

after spending 3 hours in Urgent Care last night.

The girls have no sympathy.

Photo Info

If you want to access the Kiddie Kandid shots from 3/21/09 here's the info.

Click the MyStudio link and login:

Sitting number: 022070425

Sitting code: A7XA53A

Alive and Well?

I had a dream last night that I was going to see Samuel. Just as I was about to arrive, a woman approached me and asked what I was doing. I told her I wanted to see my son. She made a comment, and then told me that Samuel had died. I saw his body lying on a table, but it was what he looked like when he was 14. I screamed (literally) and woke up. I also woke Bud up from my screaming (sorry). SJ, are you all right?

HB

Happy birthday brother. I put this picture in Agnes' birthday coloring book. You look a little scary.

Believe it or not...

I made my way to the post office today, with both of my sick children. It helped that the sun was out, and even though it was not over 25 degrees, I convinced myself that it was warmer.

A Fun Morning

I wanted to post here how much I just now enjoyed reading all the posts that you have put up over the last few days. So cute, so much fun to read! Agnes with her corn dog issues, Caleb and New Years and 2AM, Nora and Sara with Christmas presents and gingerbread houses (cracked me up when Sara said "Scripture power, keeps me safe from sin") and Jackson opening presents- and Danny's post about Louisiana and finally a little info on him asking Erin to marry him.
Very enjoyable. I feel like I just opened lots of presents from all of you. Awesome.

Prison Bound

Tonight is my first night to go visit the prison. I'll update when I get back. Hope I don't have to take a shower...
___________________________________________________________
Update:
It was a lot of hurry-up and wait. Mostly wait. Once the inmates came in, we showed a video about the First Vision and then I bore testimony about the need for modern prophets and the divinity of the Book of Mormon. It was really cool, but REALLY strange to be surrounded by a bunch of men wearing state-issued orange clothing.