Happy Halloween!

we { heart } fall

Here are a selection of pictures from our fall family photo shoot. I ended up having to take these myself (with the exception of just a few)... without my tripod. Don't ask me how I did it... it's magic.

Enjoy.

time well spent

It isn’t already Thursday, is it? Has it been a week since I really delved into the happenings here on Woodburn Drive? Well, Father Time has gotten the better of me once again. And really, nothing has been going on. Apart from last weekend, anyway.

I received several comments late last week that were all posed with the intention of finding the answer to: “What was I doing up so late?!” Well, truth be told, I am in deed a night owl. I always have been. But that isn't the reason I was up late last week. I can tell you the real reason now. I was working on my mother-in-law’s birthday gift. I ran into one of those Great-Wall-of-China-sized-hiccups, hence the late hour. And – now that the gift is given – I thought I would share it with all of you.

As you can probably see, it is a collage of photos spanning Brian’s entire life – up through his mission. I then included a photograph from Ann’s sealing to Larry, our wedding picture, our family photograph pre-Ammon, Ammon’s baby picture, and our most recent family photograph. I also included the following text (ever so slightly modified) from the Julie De Azevedo song, Angels:

The angels carried her through the fire and the rain. And the angels carried her from the end of her rope to the end of her day. And the angels sang to her, when she thought no one was there. Looking back, it’s clear – she was touching heaven all those years.

The angels have carried her through the minutes and the days. And the angels have carried her to a strong and wise and noble place. And the angels still sing to her, and I join them in their praise.

The angel that carried me until I saw the light of day, is the angel that carried me through the years of laughter, joy and pain. And the angel, she sang to me, so I knew someone was there. Looking back, it’s clear – I was touching heaven all those years.

Those words are not only touching, but fitting, I think. I am very happy with the end result, considering. I have a bad habit of letting one little mess-up get the best of me… causing more mess-ups. First off, I had to scour the world via the internet for scrapbooking hinges. I ran out of time and finally ended up dismantling another project. I mistakenly adhered a piece of vellum backwards… which wouldn’t have been an issue if there hadn’t have been words on it. Five minutes before I needed to get ready to leave, I sat on the other pane of glass that goes with the floating frame I used. Yes – I sat on it. But, Ann treasures it… and that is all that matters to me. I did find from working on this project that Ammon is the spittin’ image of his daddy. More so than I had ever before thought. I was using photographs I had never seen before… and the resemblance is uncanny.

Friday night, we delivered Ann’s gift. We were going to go out for dinner at Tampico’s with her and Larry… but, a downed power line wiped the electricity out of that half of Graceville. We ended up at The Circle Grille. Yummy. It has been a long time – as in years – since Brian and I have been there. There’s not much like a good ole’ cheeseburger and sweet potato fries. Ammon, of course, was the star of the restaurant…

We went back to Ann and Larry’s and spent the evening there. Ammon enjoyed the larger crawl space. Brian talked his mom into putting Transformers in for he and Ammon to watch on the big television (with its 60+ inches and souped-up sound system you feel like you’re at the movies). They were in heaven…

Saturday was – at its best points – exhausting. I don’t really even remember what happened. Isn’t that sad? I do remember that we had planned on going to our ward’s Fall Festival… but didn’t. I remember being upset that Ammon would be missing his first Fall Festival. I remember having a slight meltdown at that proposition. But, we did get some errands done… mostly things for my Relief Society Enrichment meeting on Tuesday.

My mom met us at our house that night. I ran around like a chicken with my head cut off – getting every little thing ready for Brian and Ammon for the next day, and packing up my things for that night and Sunday. My mom and I had a special trip planned, and I was staying at her house Saturday night.

Mom and I drove back to Enterprise late Saturday night. And… we didn’t get any sleep. Or at least I didn’t. Mom was trying to straighten out Grandma’s-plane-ticket-fiasco until almost 2:00 Sunday morning. By the time I finally went to bed, I couldn’t go to sleep. I tossed and I turned until I was so wound up in my blanket that I couldn’t move. I don’t know how much of it had to do with it being my first night without Ammon… maybe more than I thought it would. But, before I knew it, the clock read 4:30. And it was time to get ready for that special trip…

Wicked. Again. Hooray. And, yes… I wore my red shoes.

Our trip to Atlanta was uneventful and we arrived safely. For my mom’s sake I won’t mention the humorous moments regarding the red parking lot, etc.. We arrived at the Fox a couple of hours early and enjoyed walking down the sidewalks; taking in the brisk, chilly air; lounging around the lobby and soaking in all that atmosphere. They don’t call it the Fabulous Fox Theatre for nothing. Walking up that grand staircase, thinking of Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh at the premiere of Gone With the Wind. Sitting in the Ladies’ Salon, thinking to yourself, “When has a bathroom been so delightful?!” Just entering the auditorium – an indoor Arabian courtyard with a sky full of flickering stars and magically drifting clouds – brings with it sheer awe. It doesn’t matter how many times you go there, you are still swept away by its presence and beauty. Grandeur beyond imagination.

To quote a review, “My fellow Ozians: There are times when the world could use an infusion of green. There are times when our spirits are gravity-laden. There are times when the soul needs escapism. These are times for Broadway’s Wicked.” And it – of course – was spectacular. One of those “must sees”. As my mom and I were talking about on the way home – this production affects you like none other. Changes you, in a way. Teaches a value. Shows a point. Just more to love.

The show itself didn’t differ a whole lot from when we saw it in Orlando in April. There, of course, were subtle differences. I noticed a lot that I missed the first time. There are still things that need to be caught. And, we didn’t have our dear family with us this time. We missed you, gals. I know I was thinking about you. But, I’m glad for the opportunity. Glad that Mom and I could go. Glad that we could live in the moment for that day. So often we find ourselves dancing through life, just skimming the surface, gliding where turf is smooth… it is nice to slow down every once in a while… escape to a different world… and fly.

Brian and Ammon survived Sunday with flying colors. Ammon was good in church and even sat with our sister-in-law while Brian went to sit up on the stand. Brian had to sit up there because our Bishop was there by himself. I'm surprised Ammon didn't pitch one of those fits. I'm told that Ammon giggled when Brian got up to say the prayer. How funny.

After church, they went down to Brian's parents' house. They also visited Mama and Daddy Kindig (the parents of Brian's best friend, Brad) for a bit. I'm sorry that I missed that visit, too.

Monday was mostly a catch-up day for me. Catch up on rest. Catch up on putting things away. Yadda yadda yadda. Brian was a big help… he helped do the laundry so I could take a break. He always helps with Ammon in the afternoons. That’s their time… and I’m grateful for the break.

I did start the documentation for our week-in-our-life album Monday. It is proving to be quite the daunting task. Carrying a camera around with you all day long (and actually using it) is more difficult than it sounds. And, I don’t think this is the best week to be doing this – this week is not our “usual” week. But, nevertheless, it is getting done. To no avail, I am getting photographs of those not so normal things. I will probably look back at them all on Sunday and say, “Next week would be better.” Who knows? I did decide, however, to just share the finished project with all of you… rather than pictures from each day. Such a wiser idea. I have gained something from this experience, though. I am seeing where changes need to be made. I am seeing where progress needs to be made. And, I find that I am trying harder to be better. Be better at so many things. I continue to fall short – but then again, I don’t know many perfect people. This project has – as I knew it would – show me those gaps in productivity and lack of fulfillment. And, as I am documenting this week for all to see… I am hoping to truly learn from my missteps.

Tuesday was spent, for the most part, preparing for my Enrichment meeting. I managed to get everything done. I am receiving some true help now… and I am so grateful. Inspiration is coming to me in ways it never did before. And, best of all, our activity went off without a hitch. We were able to assemble 18+ freezer meals for emergencies that may arise in our ward. Everything went splendidly. Hooray for that. My lesson/talk on compassionate service went well, I thought – and I didn’t loose my voice. I did cry through the whole thing. I really don’t know why. And why is it that we don’t cry when practicing at home, but we do in front of a herd of people? So glad it’s all over. So glad it went well.

We have been having a string of dreary days lately. I am not complaining, as I like overcast weather. But, I will not deny that it has put a damper on my mood and level of energy. I would love to tackle some of those Christmas projects. I would love to read a book. But… I just can’t find the motivation. So instead, I am building tall towers for a little boy to knock down. I am rolling a ball for him to chase. I am cleaning up mess after mess, and changing diaper after diaper. I have the motivation to do these things, so I am doing them. And I find this a blessing in disguise, because while I am building that tower and changing that diaper, I am also prioritizing my to-do list. Perfecting the method behind my madness. This way, I don’t jump head first into something and then realize, all too late, that I have no idea what I’m doing. And… It will all get done. It always does.

So, it is Thursday… and I can’t really remember the ins and outs of this week… even though I have it all written down somewhere and on my camera… and our behinds are ding dong tired. But, we’ve had full hearts even if our days may have been a little on the empty side. Time well spent, if I do say so myself.

sweet sorrow

Have you ever just needed a good cry? Sometimes it is therapeutic. When you have lots of emotions and thoughts running through your mind, it is a nice release. And I needed that release yesterday. So, while Ammon was taking his afternoon nap, I curled up on the couch under a nice fuzzy blanket – tissue in hand – and watched Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet.

I watched it all the way through. But the water didn’t run. Usually, I’m crying before it even gets started … because I know what is coming. I cry when Romeo is writhing on the floor of Friar Laurence's cell after killing that rascal Tybalt. I cry when Balthasar rides past the man with Friar Laurence’s letter on the road to Mantua. I cry when Romeo and Balthasar again ride past the man with Friar Laurence’s letter on their way back to Verona. I cry as Romeo dies just as Juliet’s fingers start to twitch with life.

That tragic last line, “For never was a story of more woe Than this of Juliet and her Romeo” didn’t do it for me yesterday. This was even more maddening than the depressing notions running through my mind. Just as I was about to give up hope, I remembered something. This whole scenario suddenly reminded me of an Everybody Loves Raymond episode. Of course. One in which Debra requests some alone time after Ray walks in on her bleaching the peach-fuzz on her upper lip (which Ray sees as a Snidely Whiplash-esque moustache). Ray spies on her during her alone time and sees her crying. He goes through a whole day trying to figure out why. Finally, after confessing to seeing her, Debra tells Ray, “I was just in the mood and I made myself cry.” Ray asks incredulously, “How do you do that?!” “I just take my mascara off and sometimes I put on a sad song and I make a crying face and it just comes out!”, she says. Of course, now Ray thinks Debra is a little nutty (enter Brian). Trying to get him to see her side of things, Debra asks Ray, “Haven’t you ever just felt like crying?” Ray: “Yeah, when something happens, you know, when I slam my finger in a car door. I mean, I’m a human being, but I don’t like to cry. I don’t schedule time to cry!”

Anyway, Ray – of course – loses the battle, is unable to prove his point, and the story is over. But the tag scene at the end of the episode is where I’m trying to get to. Ray decides to try out Debra’s theory … unsuccessfully. Just like me. And laughter proved to be the best medicine – yet another time.

So, to shed a little light on this most depressing of tales … here’s that little clip from Alone Time. Enjoy. So much for singing the blues.

who the heck am i?

Remember that Twilight character quiz I posted a bit ago? Well, I really wanted Brian to take the male version of it… but I was hesitant. First of all, he would laugh in my face. Second of all, he would give me that “Why?” look. Third of all… he wouldn’t be an Edward. Of this I was certain. He would be a Carlisle. Which is perfectly fine… I like Carlisle, too.

Well, that Brian of mine surprised me once again. He saw that post and got me talking about it. I told him that I already knew who he would be so there was no point in him taking the quiz. Of course, he shocked me with, “Well, I want to do it.”.

So he did. Even though he had no idea what any of it was about. And, sure enough, he is a Carlisle. Surprise, surprise.

You are intelligent, strong willed and patient. A peaceful lifestyle and helping others is very important to you. You’re not a take charge kind of guy and sometimes rely too much on your feelings when you make decisions, but you always mean well and try your best to do what’s right.

Afterwards, I decided to take the quiz again. Just for kicks and giggles. I remembered buzzing through the questions/answers the first time… just answering with the first thing that came to my mind. This time, I decided to really sit and think about the questions… and then give the best answer after a lot of thought. Well, this time I turned out to be an Esme rather than a Bella.

You are thoughtful and care very deeply for your family. A loving home is of great importance to you and you always try to make people feel welcome. Although you have a great capacity to love, you also have a great capacity to hurt, so at times you can be sensitive. You're firm when you need to be, but people trust your judgment and appreciate the kind way you always handle things.

I don’t mind being an Esme. Really, when I first did this quiz I thought I would be an Esme (…or an Alice…). And it is proof – once again – that Brian and I are a perfect fit. Esme is Carlisle’s wife. Funny, no?

So, I guess I am on the fence, personality speaking. One point in either direction and my character changes. Because, truth be told, I do share similarities with both. It just lends fuel to that question, “Who the heck am I?”.

Someone is celebrating something great today.

She is Mom to Brian. She is a wonderful mother-in-law to me. She is Sissy to Ammon. And... she is special to all of us.

Happy Birthday, Ann. Have a great day!

happy days

I guess I need to apologize for the lengthy posts that have populated this blog of late. I’m really trying to post every, or at least every other, day… so I don’t have so much to say. The main reason for this is that my memory is pretty shoddy. I believe the experts call this mommy-brain. And really, this blog isn’t meant to be just a play-by-play of our days. That was its original purpose – we wanted, and still do want, to share Ammon with our loved ones that we don’t see often. But it has evolved into a place for me to document my thoughts, my musings, and my conundrums – more or less my observations on our daily happenings. Really our life is pretty dull when you think about the lives of others. I remember saying to myself after reading Twilight for the first time, “Gosh… and how boring is my life?”. So a play-by-play of our day would be pretty monotonous to most. But, I have to admit, that even though my life is boring – it is far from uninteresting. Interesting things happen to me on a daily basis. Humorous, comical, unlucky, and otherwise head-scratchingly perplexing things just happen upon me. It has always been that way. I cannot go anywhere, do anything or go on any adventure without something happening along the way. Not everyone can boast the same list of stories that I can. Not everyone can tout the same list of comparable memories. And I am somewhat grateful for all of that. So, while I may have been terrified, embarrassed, aggravated, or delirious at the actual time… I can look back on my life experiences and let out a well-deserved chortle.

While I may not be going from one majestic exploit to another; while I may not be exploring the catacombs of a castle or the heart of a pyramid; while I may not be touring a grand cathedral or the Sistine Chapel… all of which are goals of mine – I do lead an interesting life. Even if I am the only one who thinks so. Brian’s life has always been the same way. So we are a perfect pair. Double the trouble I always say – and we have yet to be disappointed. I have a lifetime to dream about Da Vinci and Michelangelo and wreaking havoc on a whole new continent – today my majestic exploit is chasing a certain 10-month old.

And, truth be told, the main reason that the last few posts have been on the time-consuming side has nothing to do with a full day… but everything in the world to do with a full head. I’ve had thoughts that have needed to get out – and all I could do, was sit down and write. Because really, I can only talk to Ammon for so long before he starts giving me that is-this-what-adulthood-is-like face. And just think of all the juicy snippets I have to look back on when I sit down to write my memoir…

So what have we been up to the last couple of days here on Woodburn Drive? Besides dealing with a cranky, teething, obstinate boy? Not much. Yesterday was just an unfortunate day for poor Ammon. His hunger strike continued and he again chose to forgo his afternoon nap. By lunchtime he added another scratch and bump to his catalog of injuries. He received his first flea bite (we are thanking our Heavenly Father on bended knee that he doesn't appear to have his father's allergies). He learned how to unplug the television – and by doing so also unplugged the DVD player, VCR and surround sound system – and became very, very upset when he learned that this is something we do not do (i.e.: new goose egg).

We did have a very good afternoon, though. We went to visit Brian’s best friend and his wife, Brad and Millie, in the hospital. They just had their second baby boy… and what a sweet cheesecake crumb he is with that mop of hair and those luscious cheeks. Ammon, however, has had his fill of newborns for the week. In fact, while I was holding sweet little Eli yesterday, I was stroking his cheek and Ammon grabbed my arm and snatched it away. Oh, the joys of jealousy. Ever since, Ammon has been very, very clingy.

The cold medicine or the afore-mentioned mommy-brain are really starting to get to me. We had chicken pillows last night for dinner – which means crescent roll dough. I rummage through our still unorganized refrigerator, thoroughly examine my crescent roll dough so that I can use the one with the closest expiration date, and open it up. Do I stop to wonder why the can is smaller than all the other crescent roll dough cans? Do I stop to wonder why the dough is puffing out of the opening? Do I stop to wonder why the label says “Biscuits”? No. No. And another no. Now, I had double the dough to fiddle with. I can’t really use biscuit dough (or at least I didn’t have the patience or interest in figuring out how) for chicken pillows, so I had to open another can.

So, because of the dough problem… I had to make biscuits as well. I use my Pampered Chef stones for just about everything I cook in the oven. This means, my chicken pillow were baked on my round stone. I didn’t want to wait until after dinner, when my stone was cleared off, to bake those darn biscuits. I didn't think to just use one of my many other stones. No, I used a cookie sheet. Our oven is unpredictable, so I set my timer for two minutes less than the minimum bake time. When I opened the oven I didn’t find six nice, fluffy biscuits. Instead, I found six black, charred little rocks. Brian attempted to eat the insides. I, however, did not. Lesson #3,694: When Pampered Chef stone is otherwise engaged – be patient. I have learned my lesson. A lesson that really didn’t need to be learned, but nevertheless…

So, because of the rock problem… Brian had to let some water soak in the cookie sheet while doing dishes last night. Apparently it was such a problem that it had to sit there overnight. I found it this morning. Wet bread. One of my top ten can’t-stand-its. Yuck. Just looking at it makes me gag. You don’t want to be around when I have to touch it… like I did today. I had to use a lot of paper towels… like I do when picking up a dead bug so I don’t feel it crunch.

I had the strangest dream last night. Well, all my dreams are weird, but I actually remember this one. I dreamed that we were on some strange-excuse-for-a-road-trip. We were in some Podunk place… just think eating-squirrels-while-wearing-Daniel-Boone-hats and you’ll be up to speed. Brian and I had three children, but Ammon was the youngest… and about the same age that he is now. I remember freaking out because I didn’t know if the other two – clearly between the ages of three and six – were able to eat hamburgers. Brian went to get potato chips and left me in the woods with some strange Robin Hood-ish people. He came back and told me that he took so long because he met Jason and Grant (of Ghost Hunters fame) there and got caught up in a juicy conversation about EVPs (electric voice phenomenon). They wanted him to go on an investigation with them sometime soon. Can anyone tell what things we have been watching all night? And do you see what I mean by interesting?

Today has been a happy day… besides the wet bread thing. The original plan for this morning was to go to the park. But, life had other ideas for me and Ammon. We ended up going to our friends’, the Mitchells, house to drop off/pick up some things. We then ran all over town looking for one little thing that shouldn’t be so hard to find. Something good did come from it though, as we now own the new Indiana Jones movie. And you know I am all smiles about that.


And – the best news of the day, by far – Ammon ate lunch! He chomped down a whole jar of apples and bananas, a whole jar of peas, and finished that jar of chicken-and-something… which we have been working on for a few days now. The key is to give him something to play with. A habit that I do not want to indulge – but, if it gets him to eat, what the heck. I’ve also run out of songs to sing during mealtime (the other key to the mint)… today I resorted to Jingle Bells.

We are all feeling better today it seems. Brian is pretty much over the funk he had a while back. I still have a lingering ticklish-something in my throat. Ammon appears, at present, to be doing so-so.

Brian is home now, and I’m off to work on that project that has a deadline of Friday – can we have a loud and boisterous, “Yikes!”. I’ve got to pull out everything in the storage space under our stairs. Always a sure-fire good time. I have no idea what’s for dinner, but I do know what flick I will be watching this evening. I want my own indestructible fedora. There’s your idea for my Christmas present…

i'm a bella...

So, I found out the dreadfully obvious today. I took this quiz that I found on the blog of my friend, Tiffane. And I am so glad... it just confirms my spot on Edward's team. Seriously though, I really (I mean really, really) thought that I would end up being an Alice... or even an Esme. Definitely not a Rosalie. But the truth always comes through in the end...

You are observant, diplomatic and often aim to please. You are unaware of your attractiveness and despite being uncomfortable with any form of attention, people enjoy your company. You can be impatient, stubborn and headstrong, but you are true to your word and mature for your age, often taking care of your family and enjoying a good book over chatting with girlfriends on the phone.

If you're a Twilight fan... which heroine are you?

a little long-winded, this one is

Well, we survived last week. Barely. I got a fortune in a fortune cookie a week or so ago that read, “No obstacles will stand in your way this coming week.”. And believe me, none – and I mean none – did. Ammon has re-instated his anti-food/anti-nap campaign. We had our inspection Thursday, and I had a lot to do on Wednesday to get ready. Ammon had other plans for me. He decided to scream for 2 hours straight and not go down for his afternoon nap – on top of not eating. I ended up having to put him in his swing to go to sleep. Holy déjà vu.

We worked our fingers to the bone getting every little thing ready for our inspection. My mom came and helped a bit. I went through 3 Magic Erasers removing those how-the-heck-did-they-get-there marks. I was proud that I only had to hide a few things. I ran out of room everywhere else, but had a few leftover projects to put away. I threw them in our laundry hamper, shut the lid, and called it a day.

Thursday morning came. I decided to wake up early, get my shower, make my bed, yada yadda yadda – before all the fun started. Well, Ammon woke up before I did, so he got to scream in his crib for a bit while I got ready. I woke up feeling terrible – worse than I have felt in a long time. I really was not feeling the pending day. Around 10:00 (Ammon’s naptime. Just imagine all the excitement.) several cars pulled up – all full of people. I was really hoping that they wouldn’t all be coming into our home… because they wouldn’t fit. Awhile later, our property manager, the property owner, and the maintenance man came in. The latter went straight upstairs to change our air filter (which didn’t need to be changed because Brian had just changed it). Meanwhile, our property manager talked with me and the owner talked to Ammon – who I had in his swing in an attempt to keep his teething-naptime-leave-me-alone-shrills down to a low roar. The owner left after less than 3 minutes. Our property manager talked to me for about 5. The maintenance man was in and out for about 10 minutes trying to change our air filter. So basically, they didn’t even look around. Our property manager knows and trusts us. She knows that we take care of our home. I don’t know if this is why they didn’t really inspect everything, or not. Either way, we busted our chops for nothing. But, all that deep cleaning needed to be done anyway. So this inspection was the motivation I needed to get it all done. So no harm done… and I didn’t fly off the handle. A few minutes after everyone left, the bug guys came. Not our normal bug people who are buddies with Ammon. This was the last straw in the camel’s back for the, no pun intended, bug. Finally, he could go upstairs for his nap. Did he take one? No.

Thursday night we had to go grocery shopping. This was a given as all our food went the way of the Dodo when our refrigerator died. My mom came and watched Ammon, who was in no shape for an evening out on the town. Brian and I decided to go nice for dinner – as the coming shopping adventure was sure to be a nightmare. We went to Olive Garden… which always promises good people-watching. Brian calls me a rubber-necker – I just like being aware of my surroundings. We had a good bunch of people next to us that night. I chuckled as I listened to the first bunch wonder why their Tiramisu tasted like coffee. Well, duh… the bottom layer of lady-fingers are soaked in espresso, for heaven’s sake. The second couple was planning a tour of Europe and Russia. She was not a native of the US of A. She had one of those accents that I couldn’t figure out. German? Russian? And she was dressed like she was on her way to opening night on Broadway. Her husband looked fairly “normal” dressed in khaki pants, buttoned shirt and loafers. There they were, sipping their wine, discussing the advantages of staying in Milan or St. Petersburg for a few weeks as opposed to just a few days… then they decided to split an appetizer: chicken fingers and fried cheese. How these people end up in Dothan, I’ll never know. The bunch across the way… well, let’s just say that I couldn’t figure them out. And didn’t want to try…

Speaking of Olive Garden and wine: You know how they usually offer their whatever-you-want-to-call-it (house, special, yadda yadda yadda) wine before you order? Well, Thursday night marked the first time a waiter actually said, “I don’t even know if you two are old enough, but…”. Usually they just give us the look before we politely turn them down. This was the first time that one of them actually vocalized their opinion of us looking extremely young. Funny thing… I was just lending an understanding word to my friend, Tiffane, the other day about looking younger than we really are. I know that I’ve had a good laugh with my pal, Hila, about it. And I do look like a 14-year old. I know that – trust me, I suffer through that life. Folks always tell me that I will appreciate it all when I get older. And heck, people who have known me my entire life often forget that I am, in fact, an adult. But, even though it may be easier for other people to believe, Brian and I got a much needed chuckle out of it.

Grocery shopping wasn’t as bad as I had anticipated. We didn’t, however, get everything we really needed. Some of our just-in-case-staples remained off the list. Intentionally, in a way. I’m trying to see how we do without them. We don't really need them anyway. Our check-out experience is always fun, though. We do our grocery shopping only once a month – getting the bulk of our items – then get things like bread and milk as we need them. Every single time we are asked how many children we have when all the baby food gets to the front of the line. I am always faced by that inconsiderate person waiting behind us. Most people don’t stick around, which really is a good thing. I’m usually not in good, happy, peppy mood at that point. Those who know me well know that that is a recipe for trouble when coupled with a witless person. So, I was good and didn’t make a heaven-forbid-people-have-the-audacity-to-go-to-Wal–Mart-at-the-same-time-as-you comment. I could have, but didn’t.

Saturday is (thank goodness) Brian’s day to be with Ammon. And what a day it was. I was feeling cruddy during the morning. Ammon was beyond terrifying. He decided to totally skip his afternoon nap. He was happily babbling in his crib the whole time, so at least he was happy. But no nap means no fun later on in the day. We made dinner for our friends, the Mitchell family, who just had their second baby boy. It was nice to visit with them for a bit and meet their new little sugarplum. Ammon looked like a street urchin, but at least behaved like the sweet little boy he normally is. Of course, once we got home… here it is safe to say that we were all needing sedatives. But, all hope was not lost for a good day. We had a visit from my dad that morning, we had some fun playtime here and there, Brian and I watched some Ghost Hunters after Ammon finally went to bed… so we made the most of the madness.

Sunday was not the most pleasant of days, though. Sunday mornings are always hard on me because I am getting myself and Ammon ready for church without help. Brian leaves for meetings by 7:30-ish. When I went to bed Saturday night, I decided to really get a head start the next morning. But, my body had other ideas. I did not go to sleep until about 15 minutes before my alarm went off. I was achy, feverish, and had a horrendous sore throat. Needless to say, Ammon and I didn’t make it to church. I took the opportunity of going back to bed when Ammon went down for his morning nap. Brian must have been home by the time Ammon got up… because I woke up at almost 3:00.

Yesterday evening we had a combined birthday shindig for our sister-in-law and Brian’s mom. When we pulled up, we got our normal enthusiastic greeting from our niece, Lainee. I got the normal, “Sacy! Where Aman?”. My 4-year old nephew, Caulin, then found me. After showing me his new tennis shoes – that make him run so much faster, by the way – he said, “Ooo, Aunt Stacy! I have something for you!”. He took me inside and gave me a pretty pink bloom. He then said, “You can take that home. It’s for you.”. Somebody loves me. I like being an aunt…

Overall grade for the weekend: C-. We were all at the end of our rope by the time Saturday came along, and we hadn’t even gotten to the good parts yet. Did I mention that Ammon got his first two goose eggs on his head over the weekend? I’ve heard it said in the past that raunchy rat children should just be sold to the gypsies. I couldn’t find one in my weekend travels. Probably a good thing…

This morning, Ammon and I went for a little run in the park. I was feeling a little better – more like I-forced-myself-to-feel-better-so-I-can-get-on-with-my-life – and I have needed to get back on the exercising bandwagon. We got all the way to the park, unloaded and ready to go, when I realized that I left my iPod ear buds at home. Normal people would just say, “…Oh well…”, and get on with their lives. Not me. I just have no motivation without my tunes. If I don’t have someone (i.e.: an adult) with me I have to be plugged into something. And really, I am the type of person who can still do other things while listening to music – like carry on a conversation (with others or myself), organize my week, plan out my day, visualize some realities and not-so-close-to-realities, hash out some details, sketch out some projects, layout some thoughts. But without some type of background noise, I have no focus. So back home we went. What in the world did I do before iPods? Well... I didn't do.

So we got home, I ran inside, grabbed my ear buds, ran out to the car, and headed back to the park. This time, I was having trouble with the front wheel of Ammon’s jogger (we have to take it off for the whole thing to fit in our trunk). While it worked 10 minutes before, and has never pitched a fit before, it wasn’t working for me now. Finally, all the planets were aligned just right, and we were ready to go. We usually go around the track about 10 times… this time only four. And we really only did a brisk walk type of thing, as you can easily wipe out and kill yourself on the pavement there. I mean, it looks like a mild earthquake has hit Dothan. Thank goodness for joggers. And while this park is not that great – compared to our park of preference – we still enjoyed ourselves. It was a beautiful, overcast fall morning. Still a little too warm to be perfect, but there was a nice cool, crisp breeze. I really had to convince myself that we had to go home because I could have stayed there all day. But, as we learned (for the umpteenth time) from the unfortunate mess that was last week… Naps. Must. Happen.

So I’m sitting here trying to decide what to do first today… and feel a headache coming on. Accompanied by a familiar smell. Why does my hair smell man-ish? I go into the bathroom and take a peek in the mirror and find my answer. Apparently my brush was covered in Brian’s new manly-smelling lotion – which I do not like, by the way. I prefer my natural-(but clean)-smelling Brian so much better. So, when I went to brush my hair after my shower… well, I won’t insult your intelligence by sharing the rest.

Something really awesome was going down in the scrapper-blogger world a couple of weeks ago. I personally got sidetracked with other, for lack of a better word, “projects” – and wasn’t really able to participate at that time. But – and even though it may sound strange to some – I have really felt inspired to do this now. What is it? It can be called several things – in some cases a week-in-the-life album, in others a realize-your-life journal, or just a plain old Joe this-is-what-our-day-to-day-life-looks-like-bumps-and-all.

Like I’ve mentioned before, I am an everyday-life-documenter – a life artist, if you will. I have truly felt inspired to do this. It is going to happen. Amongst the chaos. This is something that I really want to do at least once a year to document what we are doing right now, what we are thinking right now, what our goals are for right now – what our hope is for right now. You all will just have to humor me – because you’re all along for the ride – and you'll understand more once I get started and show you what I'm doing and why this is so important to me. This is a chance for me to document the nitty gritty of our everyday lives – minus a few obvious exceptions. I’ll keep everything g-rated… nobody wants to see Ammon’s dirty diapers.

I’ve thought about doing this many times before. But I’ve never felt as inspired and motivated as I do now. And don’t get me wrong… I do have other things to do. Trust me, I do. But something has grabbed hold of me – a challenge to just do it, that it will be worth it, and that I will gain a great deal from it. This something has grabbed a hold of me so tightly that I could not sleep last night due to sheer excitement. And I have a few days to go before I really get started – I plan to do this from next Monday to Sunday. I document our memories so that we can remember. So those who come after us will know us. I’ve said before that I think it is crucial that we document the good and the not-so-peppy. I think that it is also important to document where we are in our lives – so that later on, we can see how far we’ve come, how much we’ve learned, and how much we’ve grown as individuals. This is a way to accomplish that.

Finding joy in the journey and living in the now is something that I have really been trying to work on for awhile… but I’ve hit a bit of a Great-Wall-of-China-sized-hiccup recently. My need to get back on track was really emphasized in President Monson’s talk during the Sunday morning session of this past General Conference (read it here). His words inspired me – like they always do – but this time, I really felt that these-talks-were-for-me feeling.

I think it very interesting that so many of the artists I follow have been addressing this issue lately (ironically, a lot of them are members of my faith). So many have been challenging readers and other scrapbookers to participate in similar projects. Some may call it coincidence. Or good marketing. I call it motivation. A cry to do. I need to take my focus off what I will be doing in 2, 5, 10 or 50 years – and refocus my attention to the importance of today. To love, savor and enjoy all those things that I know I will miss when they are no longer a part of my everyday life. Even the diapers.

And while I may seem a little negative with the whole Ammon-in-a-funk thing, don’t get me wrong. We are doing great. He is doing great. Ammon proves that life is just so much fun when you’re 10-months old. And even though he has been acting like a 10-year old of late, we still adore him. He continues to amaze. His intuitive nature and smarty-pants way of thinking keep us smiling. It’s one of those, “Where did this kid come from?” kind of moments that leave me breathless in wonder. I do know where he came from, I know who he is… and I’m so glad.

told you so

I told you that as soon as I bought a new pillow case the old, missing one would turn up. Well, guess what I found today? In the dirty clothes hamper. That I empty at least once a week. And check – and double check – to make sure I have gotten everything. Yes – you are right. I knew exactly what that thing was peeking out from the middle of my dirty clothes pile. I knew exactly what it was when I got my hands on it. That darn pillow case.

Apart from trying my sanity, today was a tiring, long and aggravating day. There wasn’t an hour that went by that something didn’t happen and cause my blood pressure to go up.

Ammon woke up on the wrong side of his crib this morning. He had no intention of eating his breakfast. He ended up going down for his morning nap early after his seventh meltdown – or should I say kicking-screaming-stiff-as-a-board-throwing-toy-temper-tantrum.

I was able to finish that hanging-file-scrap-thingy yesterday. I set it on my bed this morning while I made room for it by my paper. I watched, in slow motion and horror, as it fell backwards and all my sorted scraps and bits littered the floor.

Ammon got up from his nap in a better mood; however, it was short lived. Now, he had no intention of eating his lunch. He kept giving me that I-know-exactly-what-I-am-doing look as he would take off his bib. As soon as it was off, he would spit out his food. He sniffed some up his nose. He snatched his spoon and tossed it. He pitched a gargantuan-sized fit – and got his way. It was either that, or I would have lost it.

The repairman came to fix our refrigerator today. We had to get rid of almost all of our food yesterday, so I was just a little perturbed. A very kind, elderly gentleman came by and tinkered and piddled – but got it fixed. I was sitting on the edge of my seat the whole time he was here – I seriously was worried that he wouldn’t make it through his visit. He was wheezing, among other things. But, he was very polite and talked to Ammon for a few minutes. Of course, he also had to endure Ammon’s sixty-third meltdown. He even offered to sweep the floor underneath and behind our refrigerator. Two trips to the trash with the dust pan. Thank you.

I was able to get a lot done upstairs after Brian got home. He had Ammon-duty which let me finish getting Ammon’s room ready for Thursday’s inspection. I was able to finish boxing up all of his old things. I just have a few more things to do before the upstairs is ready to be checked off my list.

Brian ran to get some dinner… since we currently have no food. Ammon chose this time to refuse dinner. He and I had another boxing match, but at least he ate a little more. Brian got home and gave him his bath. By the time we got him in bed it was almost an hour past his bedtime. I was nervous that it was going to be a rough night for Ammon. He doesn't go to sleep well once he gets to that beyond-tired stage. But, not a peep. Thank goodness...

I started laundry. Found that retched pillow case. Dropped my orange fizzy pop… stupidly opened it. Orange fizzy pop spews all over the kitchen floor… right after we ran out of paper towels.

I wasn't able to finish laundry tonight. Brian decided to go to bed and there is no way that I am staying downstairs at night by myself... as I have been watching Ghost Hunters with him. My imagination is too sharp for all that jazz.

It’s been one of those days, for sure. But, I was able to accomplish quite a lot in spite of it all. I have high hopes for the rest of the week. I’ll even go so far as to say that it can’t get any worse. I’m not one to say that, in fear of what else might actually happen… but… I think in this case it’s okay.