Ryan, Erica, Trenton, Chase

Storytime with Grandpa

2012-01-26T14:51:00.000-08:00

This is a sight I could never tire of:

My dad sometimes pops into town, having driven from Salt Lake to Oakland with my grandpa, who owns and manages some condos there. At the end of his visits, he always tells the boys a story. Trenton starts asking for it, in fact, the moment he walks in the door. T loooves a good story. He frequently asks Ryan and I to "talk about a story in the jungle." My brain is running out of action-packed jungle stories, but thankfully, my dad's small-town upbringing and ability to enhance his own life experiences provides some darn good entertainment for the grandkids! (We love Varmint the dog!) Thanks for coming over to see us, Dad!

Officially a CPA

2012-01-20T14:01:00.000-08:00

I should really have posted this months ago, but I hesitated because poor Ryan probably doesn't want to be the center of a blog post, but oh well; I'm in charge here in this little corner of the web, and I'm proud of my husband!

After clocking many, many hours both in school and at work, studying for and passing four rigorous exams, and filling out a whole lot of paperwork, Ryan is officially a CPA! The funny thing is that now that he's got, he's moving a different direction, but I figure it can never hurt to have those letters behind your name. :) Congrats, honey!

Brave

2012-01-16T21:27:00.000-08:00

The other day we found ourselves in urgent care for the second time. And for the second time, a doctor glued Trenton's head back together! (See the first incident here.) At least this time the cut was behind his hairline. So if you've wondered about that white tuft of hair, now you know—it's glue!

T was so brave. He gashed his head on the TV, but thankfully it stopped bleeding pretty quickly and was small enough to be glued rather than stapled. No more head injuries, okay T?

Daily Sightings: Bare Buns

2012-01-10T17:34:00.000-08:00

"Trenton, why did you leave your pants and underwear off after you went potty?"

"Because I wanted some nice air."

Oh the life of a child!

Let Why Lead

2012-01-08T12:55:00.000-08:00

Back here, I mentioned my interest in starting a blog dedicated to living a life of meaning. I'm happy to say that I'm on my way. This is the first I've mentioned of it to anyone other than Ryan, and I still have a ways to go with it, but since all of my readers over here are practically family, I thought I'd stifle my desire to not let anyone see it until it's perfect and instead point you to my new blog: Let Why Lead.

I love having an outlet to talk about things I think are important (and sometimes just fun!), and I hope it'll inspire others to live lives of meaning too. I'm still finding my voice, but please feel free to join me on this adventure!

Wow.

2012-01-07T12:04:00.001-08:00

I had a nice, rare couple of hours to myself this morning while Ryan and the boys went to the gym. Then they came home. Chase screamed because Trenton ate his candy, Trenton screamed because we told him as a consequence that we would no longer be going bike riding, and now they're both screaming in their beds because we're making them take naps!

It is a party over here!

Sleeping Angels

2012-01-06T14:05:00.000-08:00

I feel like I'm starting to enjoy the fruits of my labors (literally, labors, haha) with the boys, and I cannot keep myself from sharing. Maybe having them 18 months apart was not so bad after all! In fact, I think I might just love it.

After reading stories the other night Chase was NOT okay with getting put in his crib. He was trying so hard to climb out I knew he'd fall to the ground any minute. So we tucked him into Trenton's bed just for fun (and also pulled out the trundle). They were pleased as punch when we said good night, and to my surprise, they stayed exactly that way until 7:25 the next morning.

I never love them more than when they're soundly asleep. :)

T's First Two-Wheeler

2012-01-02T20:36:00.000-08:00

At risk of getting all sentimental, MY BOY IS GROWING UP! When you become a parent, the passage of time becomes simultaneously deeply relieving and utterly terrifying. It's a relief when you realize your baby has stopped throwing all his food on the floor or when it occurs to you that you cannot remember the last accident your potty-trained child had. But when they pass milestones, sometimes you just want to grip onto things exactly as they are and never let go.

T has always been pretty coordinated. He stepped on an older friend's two-wheeled scooter at age two and a half and was flying around in no time. Tonight Ryan spontaneously decided to let him have a go at riding his bike without the training wheels. Trenton hopped on without fear and had it down almost immediately. He still needs more practice; as you'll see in the video, if anyone talks to him while riding (which I did), he is easily distracted from riding in a straight line... :)

This video makes Ryan and I laugh so much...but maybe that is because we know our kids' personalities so well... T crashing with style and Chase contentedly twirling a pole. Good times.

Christmas Wrap-Up

2011-12-25T20:12:00.000-08:00

Among our Christmas festivities this year was a train ride into the city (best activity EVER for the boys) and a walk over to Union Square. We watched the ice skaters, admired the decorations in the Macy's windows, and shared a hot dog on the side of the road. (Because we are classy like that!)

We told Trenton that one night, after he and Chase were all ready for bed, they would find a golden ticket in their beds, which would mean that we would get to go look at Christmas lights instead of going to sleep! (the ultimate dangling carrot!) On Thursday night I hid the golden tickets and put hot chocolate in their sippy cups while Ryan readied them for bed. T was ecstatic to find his "magic ticket," and walking this decked-out street in San Carlos became one of my favorite parts of our Christmas festivities this year. (Thanks, pinterest, for the new golden ticket tradition!)

On Christmas Eve we were at Lemos Farm in Half Moon Bay at 9am, right when it opens so that we could feed the goats while they were still hungry. Two dollars for two cups of goat feed and two happy toddlers!

Another two dollars for a turn operating an excavator! We had the farm practically to ourselves and got out of there with only spending six bucks. Next we were off to the farmers' market up the street from our house, which was also amazingly quiet (but strangely still open) on Christmas Eve. We sat on the grass and shared some roasted chicken and potatoes from a food truck. Lovely all around.

We spent the afternoon making baked chimichangas (a Williams tradition) and candy cane cookies for Santa. The boys' nap never happened because when I peeked in their room, I found Trenton had hopped into the crib with Chase and they were happily playing together with a few toys. They played like that for about an hour. I don't mind the loss of a nap here and there when their friendship is developing instead!

Big smiles for Mom when they realized they'd been caught!

That night we had a short but sweet tree-side program before shooing the boys off to bed. Trenton woke up the next morning excited, wondering why Santa hadn't come into his room and said hi during the night. After opening presents (THANK YOU, FAMILY!), everyone played happily while I made rice pudding and hot chocolate. Check out the boys in these darling matching church outfits!

We greatly missed being with extended family this year but tried to appreciate our low-stress holiday, without the chaos of packing, traveling, and later unpacking. However, without my own parents or parents-in-law with us to make it special, I found myself solely providing Christmas—not at all being provided for. It's not the easiest transition to make! Now that I seem to be an official adult, it didn't FEEL like Christmases in the past, but I did enjoy seeing my boys get a dose of the magic. We owe a heartfelt thank you to both our sets of parents for selflessly providing Christmas for so many years!

We know our Christmas was more abundant than many people experience around the world, and we're very mindful of how blessed we are. We hope everyone had a merry Christmas! And thank you for reading our blog during 2011!

Merry Christmas to Us!

2011-12-20T14:24:00.001-08:00

For some Christmas means presents; for other it means trash!

Managing a complex has its pros and cons (well, mostly cons, with one big pro—compensation!). December brings one of the cons—a TON of packaging. This doesn't even include the six additional bins.

Our resident garbage man is hot!

Who Needs Reindeer when You've Got a Helicopter!

2011-12-15T21:09:00.001-08:00

Don't miss the other two new posts below this one!

We stumbled across a new favorite holiday tradition this year—Santa's Arrival by Helicopter!

My boys love nothing more than planes, trucks, and trains, so this was PERFECT for us. It was at one of my favorite places, the San Carlos airstrip / aviation museum. We ran into our great friends the Bartons, which was really helpful because Dan held both Colton and Chase while I lifted Trenton—that way everyone could see Santa fly by twice in that helicopter. Since Ryan was at work (An obligatory training on a Saturday in December?? In lieu of a holiday party?? Why does this not surprise me anymore?), one of my boys would not have seen anything had the Bartons not been there to help us out! Thanks, guys!

Afterward we waited in line to see Santa, which backfired when both my boys were terrified of the jolly old man. Good times! We will definitely be doing that again next year.

Lately...

2011-12-14T13:45:00.000-08:00

Last week I asked Ryan to describe his day to me, step by step. Ever since, I have been so GRATEFUL to stay home with the boys! I have looked at my job with new eyes. Sure, it is full to the brim of cleaning sessions and battles of will. It is physically exhausting, but when my eyes are open to it, emotionally fulfilling. For my own record, here are some recent highlights:

The boys' play has blossomed lately, for which I am thanking my lucky stars. I swear Chase has taught Trenton how to play with toys. (T has always preferred me over toys, whereas Chase tends to be more of an independent player.) They spend their days stacking canned food from our food storage closet, pushing the couches together so they can get "stuck" in between them until I attack them with tickles, running circles around the green sofa in the lobby... They are becoming more and more creative and imaginative, and I love it.

After dinner every night, I have started giving them the choice of getting in pajamas and watching a kids' show or playing in their room until they're ready for pajamas. Ever desperate to avoid jammies, Trenton usually happily opts to go in their room and play with the baby gate closed. I tidy up the house (or escape onto pinterest for a few minutes, haha) until he finally gets bored of playing and tells me he's ready for jammies. (Getting pajamas on is much less of a fight when he thinks it is his idea!) Being boys, them playing in their room usually involves a lot of jumping off the bed, cheerfully whooping, occasional complaints or cries from Chase, and random "projects" like throwing every toy we own into the crib (after which T tells me, "We were working hard!" And I tell him now he's going to work hard helping me clean it all up.)

The two old ladies who live up from us are moving out, so where it has usually been almost silent up there, we suddenly are hearing a lot of furniture moving and heavy footsteps. The novelty of these sounds scares Chase, which I secretly LOVE, because he runs to me and collapses in the my arms every time it happens. Today he ducked inside my arms, with his head against my chest, for a good ten minutes, while we sat beside Trenton, who was chattering away on the toilet. :) Every now and then, the most mundane moments are my favorites.

Today a FIRE TRUCK parked outside of the grocery store we live next to. We had just finished sharing some food on "our bench" outside the store when the fire truck pulled up. We walked beside it and sat on the sidewalk, staring up at it, for fifteen minutes. I answered (or made up answers t0) Trenton's million questions ("What are those headphones for?" "What do those letters say?" "Where is the horn?"), thinking all the while about how much I love having boys! They are so fun, straightforward, and honestly, hilarious. Finally, the firemen came back out from the store and gave the boys little plastic firemen hats and we scooter-ed happily on our way.

For a change of pace, I paused our gym membership, and the boys and I have been having several at-home workout sessions a week. I give them plastic peanut butter jars to use as weights, and blast some music. We dance around, do jumping jacks, high needs, air kicks, etc. We do squats and bicep curls and crunches. When I go down, Chase exclaims, "DOWN!" and they hit the floor too. The other day, they actually ran circles around a peanut butter jar on the floor for almost twenty straight minutes! These workouts have been such a fun—and surprisingly effective—way for us to bond. I can't say they won't lose interest eventually (they usually do!), but no matter what, I'll have some great memories from this time.

Thanks for reading (or even skimming!) my novel! I love being a mom!

The Magic of Christmas

2011-12-13T09:44:00.000-08:00

I can't imagine anything makes Christmas more magical than having small children in your home. (Although being a small child at Christmastime was pretty darn great too!)

T was too timid to sit on Santa's lap, but he did very clearly and politely tell him that he wants a train set. At least he wasn't hiding behind my legs while I held a yelling Chase, which is what happened at our previous attempt to sit on Santa's lap. :) Although in this picture, you can see Chase is still wary of the man in the red suit. Only this time he's staring him down rather than yelping in fear. Oh the fun these boys bring into our life!

Ornament Shopping

2011-12-10T08:07:00.000-08:00

Only the nonbreakable ornaments are out this year—I wonder why?!

This is Chase ornament shopping. Our tree is like a drive-up window. Stop your truck, grab some ornaments, stash them in your cab, and speed away!

He has a little compartment under the seat that he likes to "hide" them in. Soo sneaky, Chase! You're not at all conspicuous on that bright yellow truck!

Napa, California

2011-11-30T20:44:00.000-08:00

Sometime during Ryan's six-week stay in Austin, he booked our family a night in Napa. I think he was feeling bad for me, home as usual with the sweethearts while he stayed at the nicest hotel in Austin. :) Anyway, our family get-away was refreshing, although Napa itself is kind of an interesting place to visit when (a) you have toddlers and (b) you don't drink wine. But that's okay! My favorite part was actually being in the hotel. The boys think a hotel room is a grand adventure, and we enjoyed a fun night playing in the jacuzzi and pool. The pools were outdoor and it was a bit chilly, but the boys didn't mind for a second and we had the pace to ourselves!

Bedtime was surprisingly fun! We wore them out at the pool, then all four of us lined up in age order on king-sized bed, and we watched TV until first Chase knocked off, and then Trenton. We moved Chase to the hotel's port-a-crib and Trenton to his little bed on the floor, and voila!

The next day we drove the 25 minutes between Napa and Calistoga, a quaint, tiny town in the middle of wine country. November is the perfect time of year to make that drive—the leaves were beautiful! It was so nice to see some real fall foliage! And the grape vines are yellow and burgundy right now—gorgeous.

We visited a big castle (technically a replica of a castle since it was built in the 90s!). This picture makes us laugh. The lengths a kid will go to to avoid having his photo taken... Nice bum shot, T!

Much better. We may have "incentivized" him this time around. :)

I wish I had gotten better photos of the grapevines, but getting the boys in the car was becoming enough of a struggle at this point (oh that dear, stubborn Chaser) that it was not worth making any extra stops!

Pretty much anytime two or more members of my family are looking at the camera and actually looking pleasant, I am compelled to post it.

Thanks for a fun get-away, babe!

Sleeping Beauty Strikes Again

2011-11-18T12:03:00.000-08:00

The combination of the time change, a fading cold, and a drive to and from preschool twice a week has created one drowsy Chase. I laughed when I uploaded some pictures today because I just happened to have several separate series of Chase looking exhausted on our couch. As cute as these pictures are, his drowsiness has actually complicated life for me, but oh well!

And one more thing: Chase, I hate to break it to you, but you are kind of a crier! Lately you lower and shake your head vigorously when I propose something you don't want to do (like a diaper change), and you squawk loudly whenever someone encroaches on something you perceive as yours. I suppose it's just karma, because I believe I was a crier baby myself. Sorry Mom! (And I still love you very much, Chaser!)

I really do love all these pictures, though, even if the exhaustion has thrown us a little off our game! Here's to a better week next week than last!

GUYS—

2011-11-10T12:16:00.000-08:00

"Guys. This daylight savings thing is no joke."

It's rare enough that whenever my boys fall asleep somewhere other than their beds (or in Chase's case, the carseat), I can't help but grab my camera. Today he was watching Sesame Street at 11:10am while I got us ready to go get T from preschool. I noticed his head bobbing while sitting up, so I plopped him over on his side and there he stayed.

A Question I Hear Frequently...

2011-11-07T21:31:00.000-08:00

"What can you do for me, Mom?" A certain three-year-old asks me this multiple times a day lately. Sometimes every two minutes! (I turn it around and ask him, "What can you do for me, kid?")

It almost feels a little insulting, knowing how very much I do do for him. Goodness sakes, child, have you noticed who wipes your bum every day?

In his defense, I think what he's really trying to say is "What can you do with me," not necessarily "for" me. Big difference, sweetheart! I try I should be flattered that he wants my undivided attention so very much, even though it's a little hard to get anything done!

Halloween Marathon!

2011-10-31T21:25:00.000-07:00

Introducing the fireman...

And the cowboy!

After more than a month of anticipation, our Halloween festivities began with a party at preschool.
Our little cowboy with his best bud, Colton the astronaut, and the handsome fire chief.

Aw. Colton's not sure what to think about the hand holding...

I love the preschool-age version of Halloween. Adorable costumes and nothing scary!

The next party in the lineup was our church social. We were happy it was on Saturday because it meant Ryan was in town!

And to wrap up all the partying, we arranged to go trick-or-treating within our building. Since we manage it, I know all 52 sets of neighbors, so I called all the old ladies and asked if they'd like trick-or-treaters. Additionally, a neighbor put a little pumpkin printout in the mailroom and encouraged people to post it on their door if they had candy to give out. It was so fun going around searching for those little signs! Pictured above is our sweet little friend Clara (her mom and I are great friends) with the boys.

As you can tell, the ladies in the building really went all out! They STUFFED the boys' bags! The two bags on the left were our original bags. The other two were given to us by a lady who bought them just for the boys and filled them to the brim with organic treats! So sweet!

Anyway, I think Halloween sufficiently lived up to Trenton's expectations. Now I just have to figure out how to get him to let me take down the Halloween decorations! (Maybe I'll just have to swap them out directly with Christmas!)

Thing 1 and Thing 2

2011-10-31T20:24:00.000-07:00

Every great now and then I can convince Trenton that an official photo shoot would be fun. So today I pushed aside the couch, threw down the blanket, and snapped a dozen pictures before they were ready to move on. Happily, I got a couple of keepers!

I adore them.

Halloween Preview!

2011-10-23T20:33:00.000-07:00

Since September our home has been ringing with the singsong words, "I'm so excited for Halloween." Some days I hear it every ten minutes. And every neighbor will attest—this boy is excited. For weeks he has flagged down anyone walking near our condo and made them wait while he ran inside and brought out a Halloween item to show off. (Good thing we know all of our neighbors!)

As we began decorating, T latched on to every decoration I brought out—the glittery trees, the spooky haunted house, our "beware" sign, the spider with a candle inside...

The spidery fabric I bought to place the decorations on—he took it to preschool to show his teachers. :)

We regularly drive around neighborhoods in search of pumpkins, ghosts, witches, and spiderwebs.

The other day, Trenton and Chase took their trick-or-treating bags on a walk to the grocery store nearby. They were "just practicing."

Have I sufficiently convinced you that this child is excited?

In the past, I've never been hugely into Halloween. But experiencing it through Trenton's eyes has been by far and away better than experiencing it myself. Happy Halloween!

Carving a pumpkin! Family photo a la self-timer! Trenton smiling better for the auto function than when a real live person is behind the camera! Chase with pumpkin guts on his forehead!

Our piano, all spookified!

Let's Go Fly a Kite - Take 2

2011-10-15T22:32:00.000-07:00

Don't be entirely fooled by the number of fun family outings I post. Exploring is just how we stay sane with two little boys! How they love a good adventure. Our weeks are full of long work hours for Ryan and many a diaper change for me, but getting out on the weekends helps us keep perspective!

The view I see so often of my little Chase. Always on the go! (And an imperfect hairline, as usual, compliments of myself.)

Still in love!

I pulled out the camera and said, "Say—" He cut me off with: "I LOVE CANDY!"

Another lovely Sunday afternoon spent flying kites, this time on the little beach just below Ghiradeli Square. The city was packed, by the way, now that summer has officially arrived in Northern California. (Our seasons are strange!)

TGIF

2011-10-14T21:04:00.000-07:00

After a rather intense two years, I have been deeply inhaling the changes that are coming our way as the boys grow. It's amazing how simultaneously terrifying and relieving a child's growth can be to a parent.

This morning the boys and I shared a simple picnic lunch on the steps of the nearby Pulgus Water Temple, pictured below. Neither of the boys got precariously close to diving into the reflection pool. No one started taking off shoes in an effort wade. They toddled around discovering pine cones and spider webs. They ran circles around the pillars and talked about how much exercise they were getting. (Well, the one who can really talk, that is.) It was pristine. Then we meandered back to the car and left each boy's long stick in the pebbled parking space next to ours. Within 20 minutes we were back home, with the boys tucked into bed for naps. (They've recently started going down at the same time, rather than staggered. It is a huge time saver for me!)

When Ryan came home from work at 4pm, we headed to the Stanford Shopping Mall just to wander the grounds, woof-woof-ing at dogs and playing a very basic version of tag. I love this brief moment of stillness:

And to top off a lovely evening, we enjoyed a rare sunset sighting while driving the 280 home. It seems that the hills that block the west often dampen of our sunsets, but not tonight!

You can see why I've been breathing deeply lately, right?

Let's Go Fly a Kite

2011-10-09T21:02:00.000-07:00

Treasure Island is a strange little jewel. Incredible views of the city, claimed by dilapidated, former-military housing. That real estate would be so expensive if they redeveloped it! Whatever Treasure Island may be, it is an excellent place to fly a kite on a Sunday afternoon.

Trenton felt so special helping his dad set up their new stunt kite. This thing can really get whipping in the wind! It pulls so hard that I wouldn't dare hold it on my own, for fear of sending it crashing into a building or an innocent bystander or something.

Fantastic sky, huh?

Attempting to get both boys to smile, I made some insanely loud animal sounds (for which I only received weird looks, from the boys...and probably others) and then attempted a game of peekaboo. The only problem was that they wanted to play too! Cute nonetheless. And check out that city skyline in the background.

Hello Teal

2011-10-05T16:33:00.000-07:00

I took a bit of a risk and added teal as an accent color. I already had some teal around the house (piano knobs, Anthro vase, family photos above the sofa), and now I've sealed the deal. At least until I'm ready for another change... We also bought that table on craigslist. A 1920s table from a row house in SF for 60 bucks? Sold!

There's always more this closet designer would like to do (mauve carpets?! popcorn ceiling?! new sofa?! sure!), but I'm trying to bloom where I'm planted, be content to rent, etc. Life is good!

The Why

2011-09-25T22:14:00.000-07:00

I know I'm not the only woman who loved President Uchtdorf's message during this year's general Relief Society broadcast (a yearly broadcast just for women from our church leaders in Salt lake City). When he started talking about the "why," I felt like he had tapped me on the shoulder to make sure I was paying attention before proceeding to talk directly to me! Lately, I've been thinking a lot about the whys in my life and how much a difference focusing on our motives can make. I recently even registered the blogger address letwhylead (Let Why Lead) and have been toying with the idea of starting a blog along those lines. You can see why President Uchtdorf's words felt more than coincidental to me!

Of course, President Uchtdorf said it best:

...Seek out the majesty, the beauty, and the exhilarating joy of the "why" of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The “what” and “how” of obedience marks the way, yes, and it keeps us on the right path. But the “why” of obedience sanctifies our actions, transforming the mundane into the majestic. It magnifies our small acts of obedience into holy acts of consecration.

Follow this link and watch the first video clip (2 min) to hear exactly what I'm talking about! And I'll let you know if I end up following through with that new blog... :)

Trenton the Protector

2011-09-21T22:43:00.000-07:00

"Walk carefully, Chase. Like I do."

Melt my heart!

Chase Talking at 19 Months

2011-09-19T21:45:00.000-07:00

A cute video showing off a few of Chase's words, along with Trenton's encouragement.

The Chaseter isn't a huge talker, but at 19 months, he's regularly saying key, Dada, Mama, hi, woof woof, quack, key (for blankie), thank you, go (including "go, go, go!" from the Cat in the Hat song on PBS) ball, and hot. "Hot" is one of his favorites. He uses it for anything that he perceives as dangerous, like when he stands at the top of several stairs or like the other day, when he went poo poo on the carpet after hopping out of the bath and just stayed really still after doing the deed, repeating "hot, hot" again and again. :) He also looooves trucks. He'll be all excited and continue repeating "cuh!" (truck) for up to 15 minutes after seeing the UPS truck drive by through our windows. The beginning stage of talking is so FUN!

Little Buddies

2011-09-15T22:50:00.001-07:00

Tonight before bed the boys watched a few minutes of Bob the Builder together. (It happens to be the first show Chase has shown interest in. He sits there and says, "Cuh! Cuh! Cuh!" (truck!) over and over while they watch those animated tractors. Since Chase plopped himself down right next to Trenton, Trenton said, "Mom, look! We're sitting together! You take a picture?" I always happily comply to requests to take a picture.

I love seeing their friendship unfold. Tonight in the bath, I noticed Trenton lean down to Chase's level and say, "I love you, Chase." A moment like that—completely unprompted—makes me treasure my job.

Tangent: As Chase catches up to Trenton in size, more and more people are asking if they're twins. It still makes me laugh every time...

The Last Hurrah

2011-09-15T22:24:00.000-07:00

This is what happens by 9:45am when you decide to get up at 5:30. Regardless, I love that face. At nineteen months, I'm calling this the last hurrah of babyhood. He's still my sweet baby, complete with squeezable baby cheeks, legs, and buns. I could just eat him up! He also still lays his head on my shoulder when bedtime is approaching and I scoop him up, blankie and all. But new words are coming out of his mouth every week; he climbs into his own booster seat when he's hungry; he sometimes won't eat until I give him a utensil, even for a bowl of goldfish. By the time he's two, he will look more like a boy... I'm almost surprised to say it, but I don't know if I'm ready for this boy to graduate babyhood.

T Takes on Academia

2011-09-13T13:18:00.000-07:00

Today was a big day in the Nielsen house—T's first day of preschool!

He's going to a little preschool at local Lutheran church. There are only ten students with four amazingly sweet teachers, and it only costs 100 bucks a semester—unheard of around here! (Although part of that is due to the fact that it is only four hours a week... :) The school only accepts children born in even years (which both my boys were born in), because the whole class of ten kids stays there for two years before moving on to kindergarten.

T was so excited and proud that he actually stood still and let me snap some pictures! And Chase seriously thought he was going to preschool too. He kept saying "cheeeeese" during our photo op at home, and then when we were at the school, he dead-legged me to get out of my arms and was perfectly happy wandering around exploring the classroom. Trenton, on the other hand, told me he was "a little afraid" all the sudden and chose to "roar" and hide behind me instead of talking to the teachers. Great social skills, right?? But that only lasted a minute—until they told him they were going to PAINT today. Then he got all chatty and excited and actually told me, "I'm kinda ready for you to leave." Ha! Oh how I love that boy. He spells everything out for me.

Notice Chase, the wanna-be preschooler :) He could not figure out why he was stuck leaving with me a little while later.

T and his best buddy, Colton. This is going to be a wonderful home-away-from-home for Trenton!

Survival Guide

2011-09-09T23:12:00.001-07:00

A week (or two or three) with Ryan away means a fun outing or two like this:

Lots of crazy simple (borderline embarrassing) dinners like this:

And just to make it a little more fun, plenty of bare baby legs like these:

When Ryan travels, a thoroughly planned week is essential. In a way, I actually do better when he's gone, thanks to that planning session on Sunday night. I start my week equipped with activity ideas, both at home and away; playdates scheduled with friends; meal ideas; and projects to fill my evenings after the boys are snoring softly in their beds.

The only problem is that by the time Ryan comes home—all ready to play—I am exhausted! haha Oh well, a good night's sleep works wonders on this girl. So good night, sweet readers!

B-Y-U

2011-09-03T16:05:00.000-07:00

Maybe this will be the season I finally learn to like the sport my husband loves! Well, it might take more than one season to get to that point, but I do like the college football atmosphere, whether it's in a stadium or watching it at home with two super hyped-up boys and some game-day food.

We talked BYU football up so much with Trenton that he was stoked when the game finally came on. And Chase—he took a cue from the rest of us and clapped his hands and rolled around in sheer excitement for at least the first 15 minutes of the game (which is about how long both of them lasted actually watching, haha).

Don't worry, Notre Dame friends, we kept tabs on the fighting Irish too!

By the way, I think I do like football; I'd just like it a lot more if games were shorter!

Today Is a New Day.

2011-08-25T08:54:00.000-07:00

And maybe someday my boys and I will be able to take a self-portrait where more than one of us is actually looking at the camera. :)

iPhones and Nice Cars

2011-08-22T12:39:00.000-07:00

Does this slippery slope sound familiar? I recently heard myself say to a friend, "It's just faster and easier to do it for him." I was referring to something as simple as dressing Trenton. (He has never had much interest in doing it himself.) As I thought about it more, I had to ask myself, what else do I do for him because it's faster and easier? Clean up toys, put clothes away, clear the table... I am in trouble!

I don't do those things alone all the time, and I do have him help here and there, but unfortunately, it is not my first instinct. My oldest child is only three(!), and I can already tell this about myself.

Even before Ryan and I had kids, we knew we wanted to raise children who didn't feel entitled to x-boxes and iPhones and nice cars. They may (and probably will!) want those things, but I hope they won't feel like they deserve them just by virtue of being alive. Ryan's time in Chile and my short time in Zambia cemented that desire in our minds. (How many preteens in sub-Saharan Africa demand an iPhone of their parents?? Um, not many! I want my kids to have a little perspective!)

But I also know that raising children who take ownership for their actions is a tremendous task. So for starters, I've preordered this book and redoubled my efforts to have Trenton contribute more (age appropriate here - I'm not expecting miracles overnight!) at home. If you're interested in this topic too, check out this blog post with a rough draft introduction to the Eyres' book. (By the way, I love that blog. The author, Shawni, inspires me to be a better mother!)'

Those of you with children, especially older ones, feel free to share any tips that have worked for you!

Boy Heaven

2011-08-19T13:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my dear friend Desirae and I took our boys to the San Carlos airstrip. Our three kids were in BOY HEAVEN, and I have pictures to prove it.

The instant I pulled out the camera, this little dude struck the above pose. Luckily, I managed to snap the camera despite my shock. Btw, only the best moms give their boys pink sippy cups.

And T really wanted you to be able to see every tooth in his mouth. And Colton? He is just always that sweet. (Really!)

Thanks for coming, Desirae and Colton! See you there next week?

The last few posts have me thinking - If/when we leave here, I will really miss this place.

T Turns Three!

2011-08-18T21:43:00.000-07:00

Happy (belated) birthday to the greatest three-year-old I know! We had a super simple park playdate with cupcakes to celebrate.

He spent his actual birthday with Ryan's parents, who took care of the boys while Ryan and I went to my grandma's services. (Thank you, Gregg and Julia!) Julia had a Primary activity that day, so she told Trenton that the entire pool party was for his birthday. Hot dogs, swimming, and being doted on by Grandma and two fantastic aunts! What a lucky boy!

The Farmers' Market

2011-08-18T21:36:00.000-07:00

I adore farmers' markets almost as much as I adore berry picking. I'm especially fond of the one up the street from our house. We have spent more than a dozen Saturday mornings there, sampling all the produce, buying food from vendors, and sitting in the grass eating our loot. Fantastic oranges in the winter; the juiciest peaches in the summer. Ryan usually chases the boys around the grass, and T rolls down a hill, and then five minutes later, we're back home putting the boys down for naps. Now that's a great Saturday morning.

So sneaky, Chase!

Strawberry Fields

2011-08-18T21:35:00.000-07:00

Could there possibly be a more beautiful U-Pick strawberry field? I've officially decided berry picking is my favorite thing to do. (As in, I'd rather go berry picking than eat pizza. That's saying something!) Here are a few photos from one of our best family outings of the summer.

Rest Time

2011-08-18T12:52:00.000-07:00

Warning: Random mommy ponderings follow!

Several weeks ago Trenton started some new evening antics. After I put him bed, he'd open his door multiple times and just peer out, closing it really quickly if either Ryan or I made eye contact with him. I think he finally figured out that we don't really go to bed at the same time he does! I can't blame him for being curious about what we do in the evenings!

It wasn't a big problem since he never comes out of his room, so I would just ignore it, and eventually he'd go to sleep in his bed. But when the duration of spy antics started extending to 9pm or later—after being put to bed at 7!—I started thinking maybe he didn't need as much sleep as I like him to get. :)

Putting him to bed later was not going to happen. Not being a night person at all, I would actually prefer that he go to bed early rather than take a day time nap. (I know, I'm crazy!) So I tried something new for naptime, and we have been loving it.

Every afternoon I put T on the master bed with a few toys and his blankies. I tell him he doesn't have to sleep; he can play. But he can't get off the bed until Chase wakes up. The first couple of days, he stayed awake till the bitter end and then got all excited when Chase woke up. But most of the time now, he sleeps at some point. Overall, his naps are shorter than they used to be, and he isn't getting up much at all in the early nighttime hours. Problem solved! (At least for now!)

Plus, he doesn't mind going down for "rest time" as much as he used to! Today, in fact, after I put Chase down Trenton voluntarily told me, "I'm ready for my nap now." (WHAT?) Then after I took him to the bed and showed him the small selection of toys (which I switch up daily), he said, "You can leave now," and kind of pushed me toward the door! (HEY!)

I can't say that happens every day. (Sometimes my "It's time for a rest!" is met with a pretty fierce yell/scream of "No!") All things said, though, this has definitely helped.

I love this face SO MUCH.

It's Midnight, Baby!

2011-08-13T21:16:00.000-07:00

A few nights ago Ryan let our sweet, stubborn sleeper out of his crib at midnight. (I say "stubborn" because he can sleep 11-12 hours at night; he just still decides to wake up a random times when it strikes his fancy. Someday it will stick! Or so I tell myself.) I was in bed but heard some crying, followed by his signature sound, "AH!" There was no way he was saying "AH!" while alone in the crib, so I went out to investigate. I found Ryan making him a bottle, and this little cutie reaching eagerly for it. Although I may have given my sweet husband an earful for letting Chase have fun in the middle of the night, I still want to remember how adorable it was. What's better than a baby in footy pajamas, holding a blanket, reaching for a bottle?

Daddy is busted!

Home

2011-08-10T20:13:00.000-07:00

One of the many things I took away from last week's events surrounding the passing of my grandma was how peaceful and personal their living spaces were. They filled walls, bookcases, china hutches—practically any space would do!—with items that each had a story. Their fridge is full of family photos, and the house showcases souvenirs they've brought home from extensive travel abroad. My home feels like a sterile (albeit often messy) hotel compared to theirs! But slowly we're turning it into a place that reflects what is important to us and that I hope conveys a similar spirit to my grandparents' homes.

New picture ledges and family photos above the couch. That "N" floats all around the house.

I can't stop myself from buying (or picking) flowers several times a month. When they cost about 6 bucks at Trader Joe's or the farmers' market, why not? And even when the house is in a state of chaos I can scarcely control, I have these beauties to remind me it won't always be this way.

2011-08-02T19:28:00.000-07:00

My heart is full today with the loss of one of the most influential women in my life. It's hard to imagine our family without our beautiful matriarch, Cheren Wood. Here she is, in this picture, looking on and supporting me on one of the most important days of my life. I'm sure she'll still be watching!

Big Sur

2011-07-28T21:54:00.000-07:00

I can't resist posting two more favorites from our Big Sur trip, this time with one of my new photoshop actions applied. :)
This boy discovered a piece of rope and kept himself entertained (with supervision, of course), for a solid ten minutes. (A very long time in toddler terms!)

Ah, these two melt my heart. Best buds.

The Return of the Big Red Tent

2011-07-24T20:58:00.000-07:00

We recently enjoyed a fantastic camping trip about three hours south, in Big Sur. Our friends the Adairs reserved a beautiful group site and invited half the ward—and cooked for all of us! They were a flawless team, making cooking for seven little families look like just another day at the campground. AMAZING!

Trenton enjoyed lots of time with his BFF, Colton. They spent an entire evening either running from (imaginary) tigers or climbing this huge rock.

T actually asked me to go get the camera after submitting it first thing in the morning.

Roasted marshmallows for breakfast—why not??

After packing up Saturday morning, we drove just a few miles to Pfieffer Beach. These two cuties spent plenty of time screaming "RUN!" and sprinting from the waves.

I wish this beach was a little closer than three hours because it was gorgeous AND kid friendly. :) The still but clear water behind the boys in the above picture was perfect for them to play in. Not too deep, warmer than the ocean, and no crashing waves. As you can tell, Chase is really into smiling for the camera these days. Ha.

And sometimes T surprises me. :)

Even without preparing dinner or breakfast (thanks again, Nate and Annie!), camping is still unavoidably a lot of work. Ryan and I decided we're okay with a once-a-year camping trip for our family... At least for now. Although if all my friends are going (like they did this time), I could definitely be persuaded to up that number!

Last year's camping trip can be seen here and here.

Great Big Hugs

2011-07-21T22:27:00.001-07:00

I recently read a blog in which the writer said she wanted her home to feel like a great big hug to her husband and her children when they enter. Tonight, halfway into my 10pm cleaning, I remembered that image and felt warm with the knowledge that tonight my home will feel like a great big hug to my husband when he comes home (well after I'm asleep).

Yesterday, as I was hurriedly throwing food at hungry (admittedly demanding) children—assembling quesadillas too quickly to clean up after myself—I sighed at the mess surrounding me and the yelps of my children in my ears. And then I stubbed my toe. Hard. A little defeated, I sank to the floor, and Trenton, always sensitive to my moods, put down his quesadilla and said, "Mom, maybe you need a snuggle."

The wife/mother job is hard; there's no denying that. But another part of me thrives on it.

DIY

2011-07-18T20:50:00.000-07:00

The design bug strikes again! Bear with me as I share another small home-improvement project...

This burlap bulletin board from Ballard Designs caught my eye, but rather than pay $79 dollars for it, I decided to make an even bigger one for less money. Yay! I covered a very basic bulletin board with linen (technically, a cheaper linen look-alike) using a staple gun and pinned brass nailheads along the perimeter. Could that have been any easier? I'm looking pinning up family photos, inspirational quotes, our family motto, etc.

A lovely addition to my mini-office area, if I do say so myself. I've got at least one more project in the works... :)

On the Runway

2011-07-17T21:51:00.000-07:00

We spent another lovely evening at the San Carlos airstrip. I love that place. It's peaceful to watch the small planes come and go. And the fact that our boys are riveted for 30 minutes makes it that much more peaceful. :)

We park and enter through the West Valley Flying club, for any of you locals who might like to try it. They are always very welcoming, and today we saw more than 30 planes take off or land.

As we walked in and saw the parked planes, I waited for Chase's first little high-pitched "Ah!" accompanied by a pointing finger. I didn't have to wait more than five seconds. And the little ah-s continued the entire time, with the sighting of each new plane. I cherish that sound.

Did you know my dad owned and flew a small plane when my family lived in Colorado? He sold it right before I was born and used the money to buy the house I grew up in. At least, that's what I've thought since I was a kid. (Am I right, Mom?)

Anyway, this was one Sunday afternoon well spent.

I Love Homemaking

2011-07-05T21:39:00.001-07:00

Our home just got a bit more personal! I took advantage of a 60% off sale winkflash.com and ordered two fantastic photos on canvas.

Credit goes to my dear friend Angelica for taking this photo. I love how it looks on the canvas! And now when residents of our complex come to my door, they'll see this beauty in my dining area and hopefully sense how important family is to us.

And this. Oh I love this photo. A huge thanks to my fabulous sister-in-law for capturing this image of T at the Clark County Fair in Ryan's hometown! This print is vibrant and joyful, perfectly suited to decorate my boys' room.

By the way, a constant desire to improve one's home is a serious hazard of staying home full time. I plot, I scheme, I mark my favorite items on etsy—and then I try to be reasonable and reign it in. :) Nonetheless, I think these canvases were well worth the 60 bucks I spent on them!

Staycation

2011-07-03T20:59:00.000-07:00

We spent Friday night at a hotel in San Rafael (about a half an hour north of San Francisco) just for fun. Ryan is traveling more this year... At least hotel points kind of, sort of make up for it! :) We spent three hours in and around the pool Friday evening. Considering we have two busy toddlers who can't yet swim, it was still surprisingly relaxing. We even ordered a pina colada poolside. I love nights like those!

You can imagine how much they loved that fountain. (And no hotel personnel shooed them away!)

Chase clearly was not into the picture taking thing, and I feel kind of dumb posting this one, but it gives the best picture of where we spent our fun night.

This guy was so excited about his floaties! (Not that they made him fearless, by any means, but still excited)

Our Neighbor Gladys

2011-07-03T20:15:00.000-07:00

This is our former neighbor, Gladys, who moved to an assisted living facility several months ago. We miss seeing her walk the halls with her walker, and we miss stopping by her condo to visit anytime we wanted to! Now we visit her about once a month in Palo Alto. I wish our boys were old enough to see what it means to her when we visit. You can see it in her eyes when we leave, even if she isn't the most expressive woman in the world. :) We love you, Gladys!

Strawberry Fields

2011-06-28T13:41:00.000-07:00

Sweet Shades

2011-06-22T20:04:00.001-07:00

Husband out of town (again). Baby with double pink eye AND an ear infection. Mom with an ear infection?? (talk about sympathy pain!) Stubbornness galore from the two-year-old. But this picture is cheering me up.

Talia is the best cousin ever! She looked after Chase for 7 days. I would seriously have brought her home with me if I could have!

Williams Cousins

2011-06-19T20:26:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a glorious two weeks in Utah. I'm sorting through a million pictures and will post half a million soon!
Of course my boys are the ones squirming away in this darling picture! Trenton soaked in every minute with his cousins. They are all so good to both him and Chase, always including them even though they're a bit younger. I wish I could have brought them all home with me!

Leaving on a jet plane

2011-06-06T13:04:00.001-07:00

And we're off!

I snapped this picture because clearly, I'm into a certain color pallet right now. And because choosing all my favorite clothes for vacation reminded me how lucky I am to have all that I have! I'm a big believer in buying fewer but better clothes. My wardrobe is pretty small for a girl, but I love most every item. Believe it or not, I got that from Ryan. :)

Btw, please bless that the flight with C and T (minus R) goes well!

And Another

2011-05-28T19:43:00.000-07:00

I forgot to post one of my favorites! This is more what a photo shoot with little ones looks like...

Family Pictures!

2011-05-27T07:28:00.000-07:00

My amazing friend Angelica took our family photos last week at the Allied Arts Guild in Menlo Park. I am thrilled with how they turned out! (Thank you, dear!) I practically spent all of spring deciding on outfits and searching for just the right photo location. I think it all paid off! Looking at these pictures makes my heart swell with love and gratitude for these beautiful men in my life!

A week later, whenever I mention family pictures around Trenton, he soberly reminds me that taking family pictures was "pretty hard." Ha!

The tamest three nights anyone has ever spent in Hollywood :)

2011-05-25T22:43:00.000-07:00

The boys and I joined Ryan on a quick business trip in L.A. this week. The boys behaved gloriously the entire trip, even on considerably less sleep and with irregular naps. Trenton loved the hotel (which at first he called "our white home"), although I probably loved it even more. No cooking or cleaning? Sign me up! It was located right next to a large outdoor mall and the Walk of Fame (you know, the stars in the sidewalk) on Hollywood Boulevard. Our location rocked because it was easy to kill time when we needed to, while Ryan was working. The boys and I made several trips to this outdoor fountain.

At night, it turns into a light show.

Admiring the fountain for our fourth(?) time :)
The view of West Hollywood from our room on the 10th floor.

Monday morning when the boys woke up at 6:50, we threw on swimsuits and headed straight for the gorgeous (and fantastically warm) hotel pool. It was the perfect start to our day.

Then we came back and got ready for the day. Who could resist snuggling this chubby baby in clean white linens?

We took T on a few rides at the Santa Monica Pier and spent a fantastic afternoon building sand castles. I love Trenton's blossoming creativity!

This shot of T cracks me up. The sunglasses, the hat, the intent look on his face...Oh I love that boy.

And Chase—could the boy have gotten any dirtier? Doubtful. This picture was taken before he rolled his sunscreen covered head in the sand. I love this little guy too.

The boys and I also spent an entire day at my dear friend Amber's house. My boys played so well with her girls, and I loved every minute of catching up with my cute friend. (Thanks again, Amber!)

It was the fantastic trip. Three nights in a hotel was long enough to be refreshing without starting to drag on. It feels like now that I've blogged about it, it's officially over. Too bad, huh? I guess I better go unpack!

All About Chase

2011-05-16T13:14:00.001-07:00

I bought this tool set for Trenton (before Chase came along), thinking he would love it. He likes it, but it turns out it's Chase who loves it. He can sit for fairly long stretches of time, trying to get screws into wholes and the bits onto the drill.

A few other things about our Chasers...

I would describe him as generally happy and mellow, but also fairly easily set off. He's more sensitive than I remember Trenton being, so sometimes it feels like he cries if you just look at him wrong. But with that sensitivity comes more snuggles! If he is at all tired and I hold out my arms, he'll come running and just collapse into me and start nuzzling me.

Just like his brother, he loves to explore. He often shows his disagreement when we come back to the house after a fun outing! He will climb ANYthing. He likes electrical outlets, particularly the plate. He likes to try to get the plate off the wall, so I have to watch him closely at church and in the hallway of our complex!

My boys are great eaters, so no complaints there. He wasn't the all-time easiest baby to sleep train, but certainly not the worst! He goes to bed now around 7pm and wakes up between 6 and 6:30am. He's a little finicky about his naps, but as long as he goes down before he is overtired, he does all right. He loves the bath and can almost climb into the tub all by himself (oh great). He gets VERY eager (frantic) as soon as I start running the water.

Sometimes I am eager for him to grow just so he and Trenton can play more together (and so there is a little less crying/screaming in my life...). But then I look at those thick baby thighs and remind myself that I will miss those—desperately! I love you, Chase!

"I"m freeeee!"

2011-05-11T07:32:00.001-07:00

Six months ago, Trenton finally learned to climb out of his crib. This week, he finally learned to get out of his bed. It cracks me up that he treated the bed exactly like a crib for the last six months, and still does, to some extent. But last week, he started to realize his freedom. At 9 or 10pm, several nights in a row, he woke up and sneakily opened his door, saying "Ra!" (like a scary tiger, of course).

At the same time, he decided that this little spot right next to crib-sleeping Chase was the perfect place to curl up for naps and nighttime sleep. I'd tuck him into his bed and find him sleeping here a little later.

No one loves sleep like a mother, so I worried a bit that this newfound freedom could lead to sleep problems. So I "encouraged" (bribed? rewarded?) him by saying he could earn a treat by sleeping in his bed for his whole nap. As I tucked him in, he said, all on his own, "I won't sleep on the ground, Mom." An hour later, I checked—and there he was, in his favorite spot on the ground. Then when he woke up, I went in to his room only to find him on his bed (blankies and all), serenely requesting his treat. I called him on it, told him I had checked and found him sleeping on the ground, and he didn't push his luck. :) At least he has enough good sense to know when he's been caught!

The next time, he did sleep all night on the bed, and when he woke up, he asked me, "Did you check?" Haha. Yeah, kid. I checked. I gave him the treat, and he said, "I had a nice nap. The bed is nice and soft."

I'm not sure yet how all this will turn out, and as long as he isn't disturbing Chase or us, I don't really mind when he sleeps on the floor. But for now, I think I'll keep "encouraging" him to choose the bed. :)

Allied Arts Guild

2011-05-09T12:12:00.001-07:00

I did not feel like cleaning up the post-weekend mess getting back to normal life this morning, so I loaded the boys in the car and headed down to the Allied Arts Guild in Menlo Park. It's a small, Spanish-style collection of art and pottery shops set in a gorgeous residential neighborhood. The grounds are beautiful, with plenty of stones for Trenton to turn over in search of worms and fountains for the boys to splash a bit in. All was right in the world (barring the state of my house, of course).

"Jesus and Heavenly Father made me."

2011-05-03T19:50:00.000-07:00

Tonight after I had tucked Trenton into bed, he looked up at me and said, "Jesus and Heavenly Father made me." So sweet. Then it continued:

"And they made the trees." Pause.

"They live in heaven." Pause.

"Where's their poo-poo?"

Gotta love the mind of a two-year-old boy!

Half the Sky

2011-04-29T13:57:00.001-07:00

For the last few weeks, I have obsessed over the book, Half the Sky by NYTimes writers and Pulitzer winners Nicholas Kristof and wife Sheryl WuDunn. My words cannot do it justice; please read it.

Kristof and WuDunn assert: “In the nineteenth century, the central moral challenge was slavery. In the twentieth century, it was the battle against totalitarianism. We believe that in this century the paramount moral challenge will be the struggle for gender equality around the world.”

In the developed world when we think of gender equality, we consider issues like how many women are in Congress or whether it is harder for women to make it big in business. Arguably the worst we as women face is the threat of sexual discrimination.

In the developing world, gender inequality means that you—as a mother of six impoverished children—arrange for your daughter to go wash dishes in the city. Your trusted neighbor, who is making the arrangements for you, assures you that your daughter will be safe. And heaven knows you need the money she can send home. Instead, your neighbor takes your daughter across the border and sells her to a brother for fifteen dollars.

Half the Sky unblinkingly describes the plight of women worldwide, from sex trafficking to maternal mortality to genital cutting to honor killings. But the best part is, the book is a plea for us to get involved. Rather than leave the reader hopeless, the authors offer countless stories of success on the part of aid organizations and social entrepreneurs. AND they recommend how to get involved and offer a list of reputable organizations to support (whether by volunteering, writing letters, donating, etc.).

I felt my heart changing as I absorbed this book. Who am I that because I happened to be born in one of the world's best countries, I can ignore those who weren't? I tried to go shopping this morning, but my heart felt heavy with the knowledge of all that I have compared to my sisters around the world. I left empty handed.

I can't say that I will stop buying nice things. But my convictions to live a modest life and to use a good part of our means to better the world continue to grow. I owe the Lord (and those women) at least that much.

Oh My Goodness, I Just Love these Boys

2011-04-12T21:10:00.000-07:00

Today was the kind of day that reminds me why being a stay-at-home mom has always been my dream job. Sure, it's not as glamorous as I might have imagined when I was twelve, but still, there are a lot of perks! If I omit telling you about the half hour it took me just to get the boys dressed, or the four poopy diapers I changed by 1pm—my day actually can almost sound cushy.

Listen to this: we wake up; I make smoothies for my boys; let Trenton jump on the bed, which puts him in an automatic good mood; get everyone dressed and head to the park; chat with my girlfriends while the boys run wild; get home and eat lunch; put boys down for naps and take a nice nap myself(!); blow bubbles on the patio; take the boys to visit my good friend Leigh, who lives upstairs; make a simple dinner; tidy up; and put the cuties to bed!

Here are a few other random details about life lately:

In the one week we were gone, it seems that Chase grew just enough to access some areas of the house he could not previously climb to: the TV and toilets. He can climb onto a toilet without any assistance!

The little show-off himself. Love that pose.

Needless to say, I now have a second green tub on top of the other to prevent this from occurring again. (The original purpose of that tub was to cover the outlet and TV cords.)

Trenton often asks me to pull out "Sophee's bed" (she slept with us once and now he has officially deemed it her bed) so he can jump. I rarely comply, but I've gotta say, we're all usually pretty darn happy when I do!

In the photo above, he is showing me his new camera smile. For the last several months, he has turned away from the camera almost every time I pull it out. But in the last few days, he has started telling me, "I'm learning to smile!" and he'll actually do it! Love this.

And HELLO adorable boxer briefs from H&M! I smile every time I look at him when he's wearing these.

And this is him "snuggling" Chase.

Speaking of Chase, this kid gives me at least three—often four—stinky diapers to change every single day! I thought Trenton's diapers were crazy hard to change at this age (and they were!), but at least he only pooped once a day! Chase hates diaper changes and does everything he can to escape—four times a day! Phew, so glad I got that off my chest. :)

On a happier note, he has decided that walking is his preferred means of transport. He's been working on it for a couple of months now but just recently decided to walk more than he crawls.

Trenton absolutely LOVES Chase. He calls him Chasey all the time, and he can be so affectionate with him. I love seeing them interact and watching their friendship unfold.

Roadtrip

2011-04-10T20:42:00.001-07:00

We're home from a great trip to St. George, Utah. Ten or eleven hours in a car with little ones is always an adventure, but we made the most of it with the help of lots of juiceboxes, a handful of toys, and a sucker for each boy that left them sticky from head to toe! (So worth it!)

We spent the first day and a half with Ryan's parents, as well as our friends the Hoffmans, who planned a trip to coincide with ours, so that we could all have one big party on Malaga Lane! (Thank you to the Nielsens for lending us their beautiful home!) We spent the second half of our week with Ryan's brother Kyle and sister Sarah. I love Ryan's siblings like my own, so I soaked in the time with them. The boys did too—poor Sarah and Kyle were stuck endlessly jumping on the trampoline or playing two-year-old "catch" with Trenton. :) Thanks, guys!

We did the Riverside Walk (a two-mile roundtrip hike to the base of the Narrows) at Zion National Park with the Hoffmans.

As usual, Chase was just SO happy to be out of the stroller. Getting good and dirty was a big bonus.

Trenton was a trooper and hiked most of the two miles all by himself.

A few days later, we visited the Clark County Fair (in Ryan's hometown of Logandale, NV) with Sarah. Trenton LOVED the little roller coaster he was tall enough to ride. We did it at least five times, and I hope to always remember the sound of his constant giggle in my ear on that very first ride.

You wouldn't believe how Chase cried and writhed his body when I took this drink away. (Ryan thought for sure he was seriously hurt!) What a mean mommy I must be! He was SO happy sitting there drinking away.

Obviously, this picture was taken before I took the juice away. :) I love my Chase!

Animals!

Fairs are just the greatest places for pictures! (Sorry for the overload!)

To make our experience official, we sampled some serious fair food.

My brain is dead from being up since 3am, so I hope this blog makes some sort of sense. We had a great trip and now feel renewed and ready to tackle the next few months. Thanks for reading!

10 miles for pacing, 3 miles for racing

2011-04-02T15:36:00.001-07:00

Well, today I ran (survived) the Golden Gate Headlands half-marathon. It was like running the most strenuous hike I've ever done—and for 13.1 miles. We ran straight up a mountain for pretty much the first four miles, and then it seemed like we just kept going up until the end—however, there must have been some downhills somewhere in there, because we ended up at sea level, right where we started! Let's just say it was the first time a workout has ever made me throw up at the end!
Me (and T) with the other runners, near the start line.

Me super cute and supportive fans! I broke into tears when I saw them on the beach waiting for me near the finish line! Tears of exhaustion...and anger toward the course designer. :)

And here I am, 13 hilly, muddy miles later! Overall, I actually felt pretty good, and I made some friends along the course. (With no ipods allowed, chatting with fellow runners was a necessity!) I can't say I'd ever do this run again, but it's always good to remind yourself that you can do hard things. Plus, I'm one step closer to my goal of doing an athletic event after every baby!

Little Bro

2011-03-30T11:56:00.000-07:00

Here's Chase stealing Trenton's CapriSun while Trenton slaves away sweeping the patio.

Sometimes it's not so bad being the younger brother.

Getaway

2011-03-26T12:21:00.000-07:00

On Friday night our wonderful, fantastic, generous friends Sarah & John watched the boys overnight while we spent the night in San Francisco. It was our first night spent together and without kids in 2 years, 7 months, and 19 days (or in other words, since Trenton's birth :) . It was DIVINE.

Thanks to the 5 weeks Ryan spent in Austin, Texas, last fall, he has a couple free nights at the Omni Hotel. Luckily, there's one here in San Francisco, so we stayed in a $250 room for free! We used having a free room as an excuse to live it up, ordering creme brulee from room service and (gasp!) actually drinking that coke and sprite from the mini-fridge!

Gorgeous, no?

The view from our window on the 17th floor.

Us in a San Fran ally.

After checking in, we walked to little Italy and ate dinner at a pizza place I've been wanting to try. Tony's has 900+ reviews on yelp, and the reviews are dead on—pizza is an art form there! We lucked out hugely in my mind, because the seating for two right next to the chef/owner (Tony himself) had just opened up. We chatted with Tony a bit, and he even bought us dessert. If my eyes look a little over-excited in the picture above, that's because I was!

Next we walked to Union Square and H&M, where I bought the cutest little clothes for the boys to wear for family pictures. For me, life doesn't get much better than pizza and shopping! We walked home in the dark, rented an on-demand movie in our hotel room, (The Switch—I'd definitely recommend it! It was surprisingly both funny and tender.), and ordered us the creme brulee Ryan has been telling me about since last fall. Perfect night.

And this is us the next morning. I felt more rested and rejuvenated than I have in about two and a half years! And I was so excited to go give my boys a big squeeze! It is unbelievable how much a little time away can renew your love, both for spouse and kids. I was reminded of why Ryan and I were drawn together in the first place. We have FUN together! Especially without the pressures of work, kids, the house, etc.

So, the point is, who else wants to swap kids with us and get away for a night?? :)

Disclaimer

2011-03-20T22:17:00.000-07:00

I think I may have misrepresented our life in my last "Day in My Life" post. It was a Friday, so I nixed a lot of the cleaning that I normally do. Does anyone else feel like cleaning consumes your life? I'm always looking for new ways to streamline my cleaning (or just get used to living in a slightly more unkempt home), because it NEVER ENDS! No, literally, it NEVER ENDS! And naturally, the boys would much rather I play with them than clean, so sometimes I have to remind myself that someday I won't remember that time I scrubbed the toilet, but I might remember that particular time I took the boys to the park or played cars for hours on end.

My point: My next "Day in My Life" post will likely feature a lot more cleaning. :)

A Day in My Life

2011-03-13T21:55:00.000-07:00

Largely for my own record, here's my day last Friday. Get ready for photo and info overload!!

Chase wakes up at his very typical 5:58. I give him a bottle and sneak in a little more sleep before getting up for the day at 7.

Boys chatting in their room, so I go in at 7:15. Little cuties.

Breakfast first thing. Oatmeal and bananas. Say goodbye to Daddy.

8:00 Trenton throws a tantrum because he threw a toy at Chase to get my attention, so I put the toy on the fridge. (Tantrums seem to have made a recent resurgence, but luckily, they don't usually last long.)

8:04 Trenton happily watches Curious George while I clean up breakfast and finish feeding Chase. Chase gets into everything he shouldn't, like usual.

8:30 Boys in the bath! I love those buns!
All up in each other's space:

Boys out of bath. I get Trenton dressed while Chase pushes a diaper box over so he can climb on and try to reach the white noise maker. I cannot take my eyes off that little guy!
9:30 Chase takes his morning nap while Trenton and I attempt to sort several kinds of dry pasta. He just wants to thread the spaghetti noodles with penne. Oh well - still good! Then I sic Trenton on PBS and get dressed to head to the YMCA.

10:15 Chase up and we're out the door! Work out pretty hard and love it. Pick up the boys. Home by 11:45.

Make lunch. T throws tantrum over who-knows-what.
We eat lunch, watch some Sesame Street while I clean up lunch, read two books, and put Trenton down for a nap at 1pm. Once I'm sure Trenton is asleep, I put Chase down in the crib (1:30). Then I take a power nap! After all, this is hard work! Then I wake up, do something constructive, and listen for the boys.

3:00 Boys are up. We play in their room before getting dressed and ready to head out again.

Most afternoons, we stay home or maybe go on a walk. But it's Friday and I need a change, so we head to Boston Market. I always feel like a senior citizen when I go there, BUT it's the best place when it's just the boys and me. It's practically empty every time, so I don't have to feel like a spectacle with my crazy boys; plus, Trenton and I really like that chicken carver sandwich, and Chase loves him a side of mashed potatoes! To top it off, give Trenton some low-cal lemonade combined with Sprite, and he is on CLOUD NINE!

5:30 Back home. Play legos. It's difficult because Chase keeps knocking over our towers. :) I'm just happy because we didn't get the kitchen or table dirty for dinner. I love you, Boston Market.
Straighten up the house, vacuum, yada yada. Pajamas, bedtime routines, Chase goes down first, Trenton next. I'm free by 7:15pm!! Ryan joins me shortly after.

Phew, that was a pretty great Friday.

Good Morning, World!

2011-03-02T08:28:00.000-08:00

This morning I heard giggling coming from down the hall. I investigated to find this little sweetheart precariously standing on Trenton's stool, splashing his little hand in the sink full of water Trenton had left after "washing his hands" (aka playing in water). Good morning, world! It's going to be another busy day!

Look at that BIG BLUE SKY!

2011-02-28T20:14:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again! I haven't blogged a lot lately largely because I'm trying to avoid complaining about Ryan's busy season (that somehow actually lasts three-quarters of the year). Oh well, a little complaining won't hurt! In fact, it just might help a bit! We do our best, but his work hours definitely strain us. I can handle not seeing him during the week, but I begin to think evil things about his firm when they intrude on our weekends. Now that he's been there longer, it seems that work is always hovering; his work laptop is out at home all too often. And if he's not working, he's pretty darn tired from the previous week. I could go on (and on), but I think I'm already feeling a little better! :)

We did get a little window of freedom on Saturday—Ryan's birthday—and used it to further explore this beautiful area. I LOVE it here! We visited Rodeo Beach (on the northern side of the Golden Gate Bridge), which is where my upcoming half-marathon starts and ends. It was chilly, but the sky was incredibly blue and the views from the surrounding hills are unbeatable.

It's Birthday Time!

2011-02-18T14:26:00.001-08:00

Happy, happy birthday to my beautiful one-year-old!

We met Ryan for lunch at a little cafe near the hospital where our boys were born. It's his busy season (officially, this time), so we knew we wouldn't be seeing him for dinner tonight. I brought a couple of gifts, some super simple homemade cupcakes (simple has been my mantra ever since he was born), matches and a candle. We Nielsens really know how to throw a party! haha

The birthday boy getting nuzzled by Dad.

Someone was really excited to "help" blow out the candle.

Chase had no problem putting that cupcake away. It was gone before I knew it!

A few things about our little "Chasee," as Trenton calls him:

He lives for cords, outlets, toilets, and open doorways. He acts like I have utterly betrayed him any time I take him away from any of these things.
Between his interests in those things and his big brother's budding desire to wrestle with him, my main job in life is to keep Chase safe.
Chase's signature sound is "AH!" It is practically the only sound he makes. If you want his attention, just start repeating "AH! AH!" to him, and he will almost definitely stop crawling, find your face, and smile. When I pick him up at the YMCA, I know he's happy to see me because he says, "AH!"
He has known how to open toilet lids since about 11 months. It doesn't help that his big brother is constantly on and off ours. :) He also likes to push up the cover on our piano so he can play the keys. It seems like he realllly likes to do that while Trenton is napping. :)
He has recently started sleeping 11 hours at night. (Hallelujah!) He usually goes to bed around 6:30 or 7:00pm and wakes around 5:30 or 6, at which point I give him a bottle and he stays quiet or talks to himself for another hour.

And last, a snapshot of me and my boy. Today I'm celebrating his birthday, but I'm also celebrating the fact that I made through the first year of having two kids! Phew!

I also have to mention that Trenton has been adorable about Chase's birthday. In the car, he kept saying, "Happy birthday, Chase!" And when he helps Chase opens presents, he actually shows them to Chase and says, "See?" Pretty good for a two-and-a-half year old!

We love you, little Chase!

Earning their Keep

2011-02-14T19:50:00.001-08:00

Trenton spent at least 20 minutes tonight very deliberately vacuuming the entire front of the house. We're borrowing this vacuum from a neighbor who doesn't need it right now (our goliath vacuum is dead again). This baby is so lightweight that Trenton, at age 2 1/2, can actually vacuum the whole house—and he wants to! Happy Valentine's Day to me! :)

I love how one of them is missing a shirt, and the other is missing his pants. To my credit, it was almost bedtime!

Sweet Dreams

2011-02-11T14:59:00.000-08:00

If I could, I would tell the whole world, at this very moment, just how much I love my babies. And mostly, I hope they know how much I love them.

Here is a picture of each boy, taken toward the end of naptime, when they sleep side by side in crib and bed. I love you, boys!

The Train to San Fran

2011-02-05T20:22:00.000-08:00

We spent another glorious day in San Francisco. (Notice that I didn't blog about last weekend because it was far from glorious—winter colds all around. We're better now, but I wanted to be clear that not allll of our weekends are glorious. :)

We took the train in, to T's utter joy, and just walked around AT&T park (home to the Giants). Trenton had been asking us all week to take him on a train; it was so fun to fulfill his simple wish.

Would you guess it is February 5th by looking at these pictures? We have had the most amazing weather lately.

Teaching a Two-Year-Old to Be "Crafty" (Or is he teaching me?)

2011-01-26T19:42:00.000-08:00

We're nearly halfway into the "terrible two's," and so far, I'm not finding them to be so terrible. Knock on wood. Sure, Trenton and I have our battles (getting him dressed every morning—that one drives me crazy!), but generally, he is a sweetheart who can usually be reasoned with (although it may take a while).

But one thing I'm looking forward to is him getting old enough for us to broaden our activities/crafts. I had this creative idea for making valentines today, but mostly he was just obsessed with using the glue. (I can't blame him; it was his first time.) My vision of pretty paper hearts decorated with his cute scribbling and hanging with ribbon from a vase full of twigs quickly degenerated to this:

And then, this:

Oh well, someday!

Moments

2011-01-23T22:08:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed some more blissful moments this weekend. The nearly 70 degree weather may have had something to do with it. On Saturday morning, we sat in the grass next to the farmers' market and ate our oranges and kettle corn. After naps we played as a family at Casanova Park. I've just started letting Chase go free at parks (as opposed to being stuck in the stroller), and his pure delight is priceless. (The downside is that he will require a LOT of supervision at parks for about the next year, but oh well!) Just like his brother, Chase loves to explore. His mission in life is to crawl hard and fast enough to get through any door that opens. He cries out like he's in pain every time we close the front door, patio door, or even a bathroom door when he didn't make it through. I love both my boys' zest for adventure.

Trenton amazes me daily at how much of a boy he is, rather than a baby. However, he still asks for kisses when he gets hurt and asks to "snuggle" when he's trying to avoid going to bed. Tonight we went to the San Carlos airport and sat practically on the runway while the little planes came in. He let me hold him on my lap, wrapped in a big blanket, for about one minute, and it was the type of moment that I want to remember forever. Big blue sky, tinged with the pink of dusk, and the feel of my "baby" in my arms.

The last moment of the weekend that I would like to remember forever is holding hands with Ryan over our complimentary creme brulee with a candle in it, celebrating our five-year anniversary at Sundance Steakhouse, albeit one month late. Truly one of my favorite moments of our married life. Life is good.

One Fine Day

2011-01-15T19:35:00.000-08:00

Today was a blissful day. You have to treasure them when they come, right? After a week of Ryan working past midnight followed by a one-day flu bug that knocked me off my feet, today was bliss. (Thank you, flu, for reminding me how wonderful it is to be alive!) We visited our former neighbor, Gladys, who is now in a skilled nursing facility in Palo Alto, and while we were down there, we leisurely walked around the Stanford Shopping Mall and ate lunch on the patio at PF Chang's. The weather was warmer than it has been recently. The boys were hilarious, easy going, and adorable. And we had Ryan all to ourselves!

Trenton—so indescribably happy riding that horse, saying "Giddyup!" and "Neigh!"

Sunday Best

2011-01-11T21:03:00.001-08:00

Does it not just kill you how grown up Trenton looks in this picture?!

Thanks to Ryan's family for the outfit. He finally grew into it! He was fully aware on Sunday of how handsome he looked. "I'm handsome!" he declared while looking into the mirror...

Christmas at the Williams'

2011-01-07T21:07:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite parts of vacation was watching Trenton play with his cousins. They're older than him (12, 7, and 4), but they were so patient and loving with him. He watched Landon fly that helicopter about 15,000 times and LOVED it every time. When we woke up the morning after my sister's family left, the first thing he said was, "Friends?" (He doesn't know the word cousins yet.) He was so sad when we told him they were gone! And we were sad too, because it was a really nice letting the kids entertain him! :)

Grandpa and Grandma Wood's home in downtown SLC is always dressed to the nines for Christmas. And aren't they the cutest couple ever?

My sister Mary and newphew Landon at G&G Woods'

I love this photo because doesn't it perfectly capture how Christmas should be? Sitting, talking, laughing, relaxing. I love you guys!

By the way, next time I feel like I need a break, I might just have to fly my niece Talia (the cute redhead holding Chase) out here. She is so great with my kids!!

All decked out and ready for some sledding! (Because we watched "Caillou's Snow Adventures" on Netlix instant play several times before going to Utah, he was well-versed in snow activities. :)

Sledding with his crazy-fun Aunt Mary. Check out his face!!

The Williams sisters. (Mary - Where were you?? Oh yeah - sliding down the hill head first on your belly!)

Little sweetheart.

My dad is too cute, huh? He looks like one big, fun-loving kid here.

Our happy family. Chase was so bundled up he fell asleep like that.

Thank you, Mom and Dad, for spoiling us again this year!

Christmas with the Nielsens

2011-01-04T20:17:00.001-08:00

We can't thank either of our families enough for hosting us for Christmas. The gifts, the food, the cleaning, the babysitting(!!!)—thank you so much!

The kid has never loved anyone quite like he loves his Uncle Kyle. He idolizes him.

Grandma Nielsen wanted to make sure Trenton associated really good things with his grandparents. A pinata full of candy (on Christmas morning) definitely did the trick!

Getting dressed in his new Christmas day outfit.

Making cranberry sauce with his grandma. (And maybe showing off his cookie monster underwear?)

The whole gang on Christmas Eve, right after we took gifts to a needy family.

This year's reading of Luke 2 may have featured a certain two-year-old carrying a big wooden reindeer upsidedown pretending it was a lawn mower.

After spending a few nights at Ryan's parents' house in Provo and a few nights at my parents' place in Murray, we drove down to St. George to see the new house his parents just bought there. It is gorgeous! While down there, we went swimming at this beyond fantastic indoor pool that is right by their house.

A Magical Christmas Night

2011-01-01T20:43:00.001-08:00

Hopefully several Christmas posts will follow this one, but for now, I have to start with the most magical pictures of the season. The Nielsens took us to the Riverwoods outdoor mall in Provo because it was decked out for the holidays. I loved the ultra-vibrant lights and the warm firepits throughout. And best of all, their Santa knocked my socks off. Seriously, just look at him!

Trenton's Aunt Sarah prepped him on the drive over to tell Santa what he wanted for Christmas. As soon as he climbed onto Santa, he said very seriously, "Toys and candies." Love that boy.

Chase was all smiles as soon as we set him on Santa's knee. He started grinning and pulling at Santa's beard.

Mr. Claus, Trenton, and his fabulous aunts. I can't get enough of that rich, warm lighting.

All bundled up and sporting his future alma matter... At least, if it were up to us. :)

Who wouldn't want to grab those icicle lights?

T and Aunt Launa (Ry's youngest sister)

Strolling with Grandpa.

The line was a bit too long to go for a carriage ride, but Trenton didn't mind in the least as long as he could get close to those horses. You can't tell from these pictures because too busy being curious to smile, but he really liked them.

A big thanks to Sarah for these gorgeous photos!

Dreaming of a White Christmas

2010-12-20T12:17:00.001-08:00

We're having a fantastic time in Utah. It was exactly what we all needed. Playing in fresh snow this morning with bright-eyed Tretnon was magical. I love seeing the world through a toddler's eyes. He did great for about 40 minutes, until all at once the cold caught up with him and he was ready to, in his words, "go home!"

I hope I always remember the sound of Trenton's little voice yelling, "I got the carrot, Dad!" as he trudged toward our snowman with that little cooked carrot in hand.

Partying It Up

2010-12-15T22:06:00.000-08:00

Tonight I threw a holiday party for the 52 owners who live here in our complex. When no one volunteered to help out this year, the HOA board seemed to assume I would throw it...so it's a good thing I did! I decorated the Lounge with a mixture of complex decorations and my own. I dragged in our Christmas tree and some lamps for "ambiance." :) I cooked. I smiled. I hosted. And now I am so glad to be done!

Finally the real fun can begin—packing for vacation! Have I mentioned how excited we are?? With Ryan around so little and vacation SO close I can taste it, I am at the end of my rope. The boys deserve their old mother back—the patient one! Hopefully I will be back to my old—better, though not perfect—self at the start of the new year!

He knows if you've been bad or good...

2010-12-12T20:16:00.000-08:00

We took the boys to our church Christmas party last night. I told him Saturday morning that we were going to see Santa that night, and for the rest of the day he kept asking me, "Sleep? Wake up? Presents?" About a week ago I told him ONCE that on Christmas Eve, we go to sleep and when we wake up, we get to open the presents Santa brought us. This story really stuck with him (way better than the Baby Jesus story seems to be sticking... go figure), so he was so confused at the ward party as to why Santa would not be bringing presents that night. Poor guy. All this waiting!

Only one more week till our Christmas vacation begins!!!

New Nickname

2010-12-04T18:26:00.001-08:00

I just came home from two hours at a hair salon. I have a new nickname for my three boys: The Wolf Pack.

Filed.

2010-12-04T15:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Ryan sent me the best text ever. One word: "Filed."

The last few weeks have been a little insane because one of his clients was going public. We barely saw Ryan before 3am all week! That means he was working about 19 hours a day. Torture for us all! (Oh the visions I have of exactly what I would like to say to the managing partner...!) I don't know how Ryan does it.

But yesterday afternoon, they filed—so we've got him back! At least until the SEC gets back to them with comments... But we will take what we can get!

So today is celebration day in the Nielsen household. We headed straight for my current favorite San Francisco destination: the farmers' market on Embarcadero, near the Ferry Building. This is the perfect activity for us. We can all sample foods, Trenton climbs on big beams and chases seagulls, I browse Sur la Table (a cookware store that I love!), and Ryan eats Mexican food from a tent! (At least, he did today. Okay, we all did... :)

It was perfect. It's easy to love the Bay area on a day like today.

The boys watching a trio of musicians playing holiday music. Trenton loved it and would not let us leave for a long time. He even pawned a dollar off me to put inside their cello case!

The boys playing, on our way back to the car.

BIG BOY

2010-12-03T11:33:00.001-08:00

Guess who is potty training??

The T-Monster has been diaper-free (except for nighttime sleep) for almost two weeks. So far, it has been a surprisingly non-stressful process, even for me! In fact, I have honestly enjoyed it. He's just so stinkin' cute in underwear!

Super fancy sticker chart, huh? He lost interest in it after about the first 8 times. :) He also would tell me to stop when I tried to do a way elaborate "potty dance" for him. (Hey, don't judge - that's what my book recommended!)

We stayed home for the first three days, drinking lots of juice to give him plenty of chances to try. He did great! On day three I arranged to walk over over to two of our neighbors condos to show Trenton their toilets. :) That way he got the idea that everyone has one. Then one by one we visited other friends' houses, and Trenton went potty everywhere we went! For some reason he thinks it is super awesome to try other people's toilets. :) He even went twice at church and stayed dry all the way through nursery.

I'm so proud of how well my little sweetheart is doing! I do, though, realize that potty training usually takes several months to solidify, so I know we won't be an accident-free household for a while yet, and that's okay. I am definitely enjoying changing only one set of diapers, though!

My beautiful ~~little~~ big boy at 2 years and 4 months old

Another Holiday Craft and Free Holiday Cards

2010-11-22T14:16:00.000-08:00

Growing up, my mom put a framed collage of vintage Santas over our piano during the holidays. (I think here grandmother had made it for her.) Eventually she started leaving it up all year and telling us that Santa was always watching, so we had better practice that piano! I remember staring at those glittery Santas, longing to go play (aka NOT practice the piano) but also wanting more than a lump of cole come Christmas. Now that I have a piano, it was time to make a Santa collage of my own. So here it is!

On another note, I wasn’t planning on doing a Christmas card this year, mostly because I don’t have any great pictures of the four of us to use, but my friend Desirae blogged about how Shutterly is doing a promo for bloggers: blog about their promo, and earn yourself 50 free cards. Sweet! So here’s my blog, and soon I’ll be getting my free cards. :) I was actually pretty impressed with their designs. (Your can them out here and here.)

Btw, this year I am hoping to make a big holiday craft (I can’t get it out of my system!) to display my Christmas cards: an empty photo frame with twine strung across it that I “clothespin” your cards to. (If I actually make it, you know I’ll blog it!) So send me a card and you will be immortalized in our home—through December anyway! And use Shutterly, and you can do it all for free. ☺

Growing Growing Growing

2010-11-21T13:53:00.001-08:00

Doesn't he seem way too young to be doing this?

Today at church three people saw him crawling around and said something along the lines of "Where did the time go?" I know! Mostly I'm just grateful, because I feel like I have a handle on life again. The first six months with Chase, particularly with Trenton being just 18 months older, were a bit of a whirl. But now the fun is beginning in this house! Trenton is starting to take more notice of Chase, and he sometimes even plays alongside of him AS IF THEY ARE FRIENDS! At least for a couple of minutes, anyway. :) Sometimes Chase chatters in the backseat of the car, and Trenton imitates him. And when I go into Trenton's room first thing in the morning and Chase wanders in on his hands and knees, Trenton gets excited and says, "Chase comin' in!!" I can't wait to see their friendship develop.

Here's to the last nine months and the next, say, 18 years!

Getting Crafty, Part 2

2010-11-12T11:08:00.001-08:00

Apparently I used crafts to fill the void Ryan left for three weeks. (Well, that and a little shopping. :) Tutorial found here. I have one more holiday craft up my sleeve. It involves a styrofoam Christmas tree, a million coffee filters, and a whole lot of hot glue. Hopefully coming soon...!

It was a little more labor intensive than I was expecting. It took me about two hours, but I'm happy with the results!

A little known fact about yours truly...

2010-11-11T23:33:00.000-08:00

I'm 25 years old and I have restless leg syndrome.

Right now I'm tired but cannot sleep because my legs feel like they're going to run away from me! From what I've read online, it has a genetic component, and my Grandpa Williams had it. If I do indeed have it, it's a mild case—really just something to laugh about because it's funny to say you have "restless leg syndrome." :) Some people say it's stress related, and interestingly, I've had it a lot during these three weeks Ryan has been out of town. People describe it as a "creeping" feeling in the legs, most often noticed at night when you're trying to sleep. (Williams ladies - Is anyone else with me on this??)

So you know that game where you have to tell two truths and one lie about yourself and other people guess the lie? I now have a great truth to add to the mix!

In other news, Ryan comes home tomorrow night!! These weeks have passed slowly, and I am eager move on with life! And with a great guy no less!

The Chase-ster

2010-11-08T22:00:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning we drove to Baker Beach in San Francisco. It was beautiful but pretty chilly. After all, it is November. Maybe we'll have to finally admit to ourselves that beach season (at least for this desert girl) is over. We also swung by Arizmendi Bakery, a bakery near Golden Gate Park that serves great pizza-by-the-slice. (Daily pizza menu here.)

I love this picture of my sweet baby. It blows my mind that he will be 9 months old on the 18th. I see newborns and think Chase is still one of them!

Don't miss the story of Trenton's big boy bed transition below!

Jailbreak!

2010-11-06T13:55:00.001-07:00

I'm surprised it took him this long, but on Saturday the T-Monster finally climbed out of his crib. Twice. I put him down for a nap, and only moments later he was out of his room asking me for leche. I could tell from the little lift in his step that he was pretty darn pleased with himself. So I put him back in the crib and watched silently from the doorway as he climbed out again. That boy moves like a fox! It looked like he'd been doing it all his life.

Luckily, we've been talking a lot about his big boy bed lately. (He likes to say that his crib is "getting old.") So Saturday was as good a day as any to make the switch. I settled him in the twin bed and left the room. Then each time he tried to come out, I would walk him back to his bed without saying anything. Below are his attempts, in order of occurrence, at flouting his newfound freedom.

"Leche?"
"Crib?"
"Fader?" meaning "Can we say another prayer?"
"Monkeys?" while holding his monkey book.
At my redirection he climbed right in bed, and as I put his blankies over him, his only word was "sorry."(the little sweetheart)
I can't remember this one...
Forgot this one too...
As I redirected him, his only words this time: "Go sleep." (Me thinking, yes please!)
"Yogurt?"

After attempt #9, he fell asleep on the carpet, snuggled up with his blankies, halfway between his bed and the door. That night, it only took one attempt, and ever since then, zero.

I cannot believe my boy is in a real bed! It was one of those moments when Ryan and I just looked at each other, reeling that he is growing up. Next thing we know he'll be wearing underpants! (AAHHH!)

All Talk

2010-11-04T19:31:00.000-07:00

I have been loving age 2. It's so much fun to see Trenton's language progress. He talks just enough for it to be cute and useful but not enough for it to be incessant or annoying. (They tell me it might get that way eventually. :)

I love it when he shares a memory out of the blue, like when he was talking in his crib the other day before falling asleep, and I heard, "Gemma's house. Cake!" It had been a couple of weeks since we'd had cake at his friend Gemma's house, but obviously he was still thinking about it!

One of his current favorite conversations is about Christmas. At least once every day he says, "Christmas. Grandpa! Drive. Long time." Translation: "Christmas is coming. We're going to see Grandpa! We're going to drive to Utah, but we have to wait a long time." He occasionally throws a "Candy!" in there too.

Today as we were eating lunch, he rested his little head on the table, looked right at me, and very deliberately said something he has never said to me before: "Big brother. (Pause) Chase's big brother." I gave him lots of praise for this because we don't talk a ton about how he's a big brother, mostly because he's just not terribly interested in Chase yet. :)

After the praise, he looked at me again and tried another new word, "Su-eet." He was trying to say "sweet"! I could tell because he cocked his head to the side and made the sweetest little expression you've ever seen! And it gets even better. After I praised him some more and agreed that he is a very sweet boy, he said, "Hug" and held out his arms. He wrapped them around me and gave me little pats. (Ultimately, the pats distracted him because then he started trying to "burp" me, but that's not the point of this story.)

His bedtime prayer tonight cracked me up; it's pretty representative of how his prayers usually go. "Heaven Fader. Thank you - Daddy. Texas. (Daddy's in Texas right now.) Tuca. (We have no idea what this word is, but he says it nearly every night with a big smile on his face!) Bless us safe. Christ. AMEN!"

Praying with a toddler is so much fun! I was amazed at how quickly he started inserting his own words, not just repeating ours. For a while there, he thanked Heavenly Father for "broccoli" in every prayer. (We had no idea he liked broccoli that much!) Chase, Mommy, the park, and his friends Colton and Sophee (Foo-fee) also make regular appearances. Uncle Kyle made it in the other night, and it's been months since Kyle was here.

For a while Trenton was really into prepositions. I think we owe his Dr. Suess books for that. Now he's really into pronouns. He correctly uses "my" regularly. But he also likes to say "her." My favorite is when he refers to himself as a "her." ("Her turn!" he says, referring to himself. So funny.) He's also getting the hang of "I." We hear a lot of "I do it!" around here. Maybe it's my nerdy editing/Engligh background, but I think it's fascinating to see his language skills develop.

If you read all of this, you deserve a big fat gold star! The point is, we love our Mr. T!

Oh how I love those legs.

Aunt Launa

2010-10-31T14:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the boys and I headed down to Stanford to see this sweet girl (Ryan's sister) tear up the field for the BYU women's rugby team.
It was fun to see her play (even though I had no idea what was going on since it was RUGBY), and it was even more fun to talk to her afterward. We introduced her to a smiley little Chase, and she won Trenton over with snack food. :)

Now if only we'd been there when she broke her wrist playing in this same tournament later that day... Get better soon, Launa!

Getting Crafty

2010-10-28T21:14:00.001-07:00

I loooove a good project. (As evidenced by the piano. Man was that a project.) To fill my evenings when the boys are asleep and my hubby is traveling, so far I've finished the piano bench and made this burlap wreath:

I found a tutorial for this wreath HERE. The flowers are from Forever 21 headbands that I bought just for this purpose. The fun thing is that I can switch them out seasonally.

The bench! I love this fabric. It was easy to staple on, and I have extra, so if (when?) the boys ruin it, I can just replace it!

I'm so happy with how the whole thing has turned out.

Today

2010-10-28T18:27:00.000-07:00

The kids were driving me so crazy today that I cried—just a little. Turns out that was the best thing I did all day. Trenton hugged me, kissed me on the lips, said sorry, and actually started behaving better—all of this unprompted! I should cry more! But then of course it would probably lose it's effectiveness...

Love This City

2010-10-23T19:53:00.000-07:00

Today was the perfect Bay Area Saturday.

A big part of Ryan's personality is his love for adventure. Whenever he's with us, he wants to go on big outings, rather than stay at home and let our bored children gang up on us. :) So we often throw ~~caution~~ naps to the wind and head to the city, the beach, or somewhere down south—anywhere, really. We typically go into San Francisco a couple of times a month, though it doesn't make the blog every time.

So today we headed to the farmers' market on Embarcadero, the one that surrounds the Ferry Building (another one of my favorite places in the city). It was a gorgeous, blustery day, so typical of San Francisco in the fall/winter. Ryan and Trenton fed some aggressive pigeons and seagulls, Chase chilled in THE exact same position in the stroller the entire time, and I drank some rich hot chocolate and sampled fancy cheese and sea salt. (Insert Trenton's voice saying, "FUN!!")

This is how Chase looked for pretty much the whole stroll. Except when he saw that we were eating some bread and he wasn't. My boys love to eat!

A happy Mr. T with hot chocolate on his face. A bit before this, I asked Trenton for a sip from the cup of hot chocolate he was holding. He told me in no uncertain terms, "Sit!" So I sat down next to him, and he graciously handed over the cup. It's always good to know things are sinking in!

Guess Ryan didn't make the cut. (Sorry, babe!) Our camera is on its last leg, so I didn't get a ton of pics.