UH-OH!!!!!

Yes my friends Michael's very first word. Everything is uh-oh. I have tried mama, dada, Tori, etc. Everything we see we tell him the name. He loves books, and loves being read it, but alas his word is uh-oh. I cannot believe that he is almost 11 months old. Tori asked if we could start planning his birthday party...of course. I love to plan parties it is one of my FAVORITE things to do.

Speaking of uh-ohs. I have a co-worker/friend who was very pregnant. Her husband and son left on Thursday for Washington State she needed to finish up working here and was to join them the following Wednesday (37 weeks pregnant). Anyway I saw her yesterday and told her if she needed anything to call me because I was working this weekend and had no life. My uh-oh was I forgot to bring my phone into our bedroom last night and she called. I realized she called 20 minutes later. She drove herself in labor to the hospital. She is my HERO. She and her baby are perfectly fine and healthy. I still cannot believe that I forgot my phone...Uh-oh

Tori and Ariel

Tori Loves Ariel. She even tells people that she has a sister Ariel. My mother bought her this costume and now she wears it constantly (Michael likes to rip off the green plastic skirt). When she wears this she thinks that she is BEAUTIFUL ! Of course she is

Summer has arrived

So as much as I love reading other people's blogs I am not very good about updating mine basically because I am not good about bringing our camara to capture our life. Also I am usually way too busy. I feel as though I live in a state of constant chaos. Wonderful chaos, but chaos nevertheless.

Where to begin...Tori is happily watching Sesame Street and Michael is taking his first nap of the day (it is 1:15pm). We went to play group today. Tori loves her friends. She has really grown up over the course of the last year. There were no melt downs about sharing, etc. She happily played. It was so nice. We try to spend everyday at the pool. Even though she had her scary experience in California she will sit in the children's pool for hours (if we let her), she is afraid of the big pool, but I am grateful that she still will go near the water. Michael on the other had not such a huge fan of the children's pool, he likes the big pool. Needless to say Jared and I both need to go to the pool with them. It is fun.

Yesterday was my birthday. It was a crazy day since I had new RA training, and getting ready for check-outs for current residents. Jared and I managed to go out for dinner. It was so nice to have dinner by ourselves. We were married for 3 1/2 years before Tori was born. We went out a lot. Having children has been a huge adjustment to our relationship. We love them, but I often do not focus as much on our relationship.

Michael started taking real steps yesterday. He also likes to spend his time emptying out all of our kitchen cupboards. I found him the other day playing in the baking soda. His sister left the bathroom door open she his lifted the lid up on the toilet and splashed around in the water (GROSS). I am not ready for this next stage. It is amazing how much I have forgotten. I am CONVINCED that the Lord allows you to forget so that we will have more children. If I remembered everything....

While we were in CA we went to the best place in Oakland...Children's Fairyland. It is so much fun. Children's literature comes alive. We would pass by the different stories and Tori would start to repeat them. They have rides, a puppet show. We had a great day.

Time to Catch up: Part I

We had a wonderful vacation in California. I love being with my mom and her new husband. The children love their home. They have the perfect grandparent house...pool, animals to feed, a playground and lots of places to explore. I even ended up with strep throat while on vacation, but Jared was an excellent care taker. I can't believe how quickly I was sick. I do LOVE the Z-pack. One dose and I was feeling better.

We have spent the last week getting back into our routine. I love California and would love to live there, but for now we are in Utah. Utah is SLOWLY growing on me. I even referred to Utah as home a few weeks ago, and that surprised me and the other I was talking to.

Updates on my children.

Michael can stand and stand steps without support, once he realizes what he is doing he falls down. he does love to climb. He is very good at it. He cut three more teeth the other night. I don't even know how many teeth that he has now...a mouth full.

Tori is growing up so fast. While we were in California she was swimming in the pool, and slipped under the water/ Luckily Jared and my mom's husband, Bill, were both right there. Bill went into the water and saved her. She still went back to swimming. Later that night when I put her to bed she asked me to pray instead of her. So I prayed and was closing the prayer and she said wait "Thank you Heavely Father for Grandpa Bill. He saved me in the pool today and I was relieved." She brought tears to my eyes. We did not make a big deal out of the incident because we did not want to scare her, but she recognized what happened and who helped her. Bill was touched by her prayer. Both Bill and Jared said that the incident was scary because they were both standing next to her and she slipped under water silently. Accidents happen so frequently and quickly. I am grateful that Jared and Bill were there and that Tori is developing her own relationship with Heavenly Father.

American Idol: The Dueling Davids

I am not a patient woman. For those of you who know me well are not surprised by this tidbit of information. At times I become frustrated with Tori because she is not patient either. I most likely become frustrated because I recognize this same characteristic in myself. Anyway American Idol's finale I found to be really LONG this year. At 8pm MDT I called my sister in NY to found out who won (time change), but she was sleeping at 10pm...must be nice. Thankfully I found the results online and knew who won. I really was not surprised. David Cook is a musician and deep down I still appreciate the 80's rock. I am still in love with Chris Daughtry, and he proved that winning American Idol does not guarantee you a music career. Taylor Who? In short both Davids will go on and have music careers. I enjoyed this season so much. Last season was DREADFUL. There was talent this year even though Brooke White and Jason Castro annoyed me. I am excited for season 8. I am also excited that they will hold try-outs in SLC this summer (they are my favorite).

In short great season! Maybe some day I will vote.....

VACATION

We are so excited. We are leaving on Saturday for 10 days in California. I really need a vacation and Tori is THRILLED to spend time with Grandma Judi! Tori is becoming so enjoyable as she grows up. We went to Walmart today to buy a doll for today. It was just her and I. She held my hand. Since Michael was born she and I do not spend enough one on one time together. She has become so polite and kind. She is even beginning to share. She is my treasure. I am sad to think that soon she will be in Kindergarten. I am not sure how she grew up to be a 4 year old. Time flies.

Michael is wonderful. He has started taking steps, but has decided that crawling is so much faster. Fine with me. The other day he pulled Tori's placemat off from the table and dumped her macaroni and cheese onto the floor. he did not even protest when he was put into his crib so that I could clean up the HUGE mess. He knew. Tori cried. Her macaroni and cheese. Oh the drama....

The O word

Tori is trying to learn how to spell. In fact she loves to spell and consequently is learning to read. Today she wanted to try to figure out and spell all of the words that she knew began with the letter "o". I taught her the word OBEDIENT. She was not a huge fan of the word at first she got my point. We are working on listening and doing the things that are asked of us. OBEDIENT. She noted that the five monkeys jumping on the bed were not obedient and that is why they got hurt. Maybe we are making progress...