Today is Under Construction

Camri's Wedding

2011-10-30T14:15:00.000-07:00

Let's rewind the clock to...um...July. Yeah, I'm that far behind.

In addition to some more rollerblading jaunts down the river...

...we also celebrated my little sister Camri's wedding to Larry!

I was one of her bridesmaids, and due to outrageous traffic, was almost LATE for the wedding. I got there just in time, as everyone was lining up. (We'd called to let them know when we were nearly there.) Because she's in love with horses, a little pony was the ring-bearer (the ring was tied in its mane). I accompanied one of the groomsmen who was leading the horse. Sadly, I do not have pictures of this.

Camri was beautiful, and she and Larry are so happy. We spent the afternoon and evening greeting family and friends not seen for a while. Asher loved having so many kids to play with (and animals, too-- there was a little farm just off the reception area).

Camri, Larry, and the groomsmen/groom's friends

Asher playing with some cousins

Dan, my cousin Talitha, and my Aunt Codele and Uncle Dave

My whole family

Camri and Asher

Me and my cousin Talitha

Me and my other younger sister, Kylee

Kylee, Uncle Dave, and my mom

Kylee and her husband Joey

Kylee and Asher feed the goat

Camri and Larry read a letter from my brother Preston, who is on his mission

Joey, Dan, and my Dad chat

Sadly, Camri and Larry moved away to Virginia, so we don't get to see them much. She's got a great job as a barn manager out there, though, so I'm happy for her. :) I just wish she wasn't in the middle of a cellular/internet dead zone so we could talk more!

And here we have an actual update!

2011-10-30T13:44:00.000-07:00

So. Um. Happy October. And September. And I still have updates from August to get to...so let's get rollin'.

Some general updates:

Dan works hard and schools hard. I mommy hard and write hard. We're a little boring like that. Dan's been pulling in some extra hours at work, since I've had fewer hours from work (as a contract employee, I'm kind of at the whim of whatever they give me). However, the last few weeks, I've gotten some bigger projects, so that's been great. I've been exercising more, getting back to my high school love of running, and am up to 2 miles without stopping in 20 minutes while pushing Asher in the stroller. I'm tempted to eventually try for a half-marathon...we'll see.

In my writing world, I finished another draft of my book-- the 4th or 5th, can't remember for sure-- and I'm planning on taking a break from it and writing a NEW book in the month of November. Yup, a book in a month for NAtional NOvel WRiting MOnth. I'm so excited I can hardly breath. :)

As for the mommying stuff...let's just say I think Asher might possibly be the most wonderful child in the world. Yes, he throws some tantrums, and has gotten amazingly whiny lately. But those moments aren't too often, and the rest of him makes up for it.

He's starting to talk more, which is SO fun. The other day, I took off his PJs and before I could put clothes on him, he jumped up and ran out of the room shouting, "I naki!" [naked] I couldn't stop laughing.

He came up to me the other day and pulled my hand (which he does often, while saying, "come on!"), and announced, "Deezee."

"You're dizzy?" I asked, confused.

"No, Deezee."

"..."

"Come on, mommy, Deezee!"

I followed him to his room, where he took out his illustrated Bible, sat in my lap, and announced, "Deezee!" And I realized he was saying Jesus. Talk about making my heart melt.

I also laughed when he heard a sound in the other room and looked up. "Oh!" he said. "I see a noise!"

He's become extremely sensitive to taking care of other little creatures lately, kind of like a daddy in training. One of his trucks crashed into the bed the other day, and he picked it up, patted it and said, "Bonk? Okay?" and kissed it. He also likes combing the hair of various stuffed animals.

For a while, he was obsessed with his Mike Wazowski stuffed animal (first called "Mickey," then called "Owski.") He carried Mike around, giving him bike rides, tucking him into bed and giving him kisses, pretending to feed him "cake" (a wooden block), and holding him up so Mom could take a picture of him. He also informed Mikey he was poopy, and tried to put a diaper on him.

He moved on to Pooh bear next, and gave him some additional tasks-- including that of potty training.

Yes, that would be because we tried potty training. We bought him Cars underwear ("Mayner!" [Mater] he hollered), and he wanted to put them on right away. I laid down blankets to protect the carpet, explained going to the potty and asking Mommy for help, and let him wear the underwear. I asked him every five minutes if he needed to sit on the potty.

Twenty minutes later, he followed me into the kitchen. "Uh oh!" he said. "Waler!" [water]

He didn't seem to understand he made the "water" on the floor. So while I'm still putting him on the potty a few times a day, he's not quite ready for full potty training yet.

And last but not least, he's become quite the singer. He sings nonsense words along with the hymns at church (and tries to lead the songs, too), but the cutest is when he sings along with real songs. There's a song on a Japanese movie called My Neighbor Totoro that he LOVES. He sings it with Daddy a lot [big words are the ones he sings]: "HEY let's GO, HEY let's GO, I'm HAPPY as can BE. Let's go WALKING you and ME, ready, set, COME ON, let's GO!"

There's also a song I made up for him that I sing every night called Rock-a-baby (or Rockabee, as he calls it), and he has to hear it (and sing along) every time he goes to bed.

He knows almost all the words, though he skips over some in the middle and just sings, "time close eyes, time sleep, sleep deep."

He's going to be bumblebee for Halloween, and he LOVES his costume. We went trick-or-treating at my work on Friday, and he started off hesitantly, but caught on very quickly that this was free candy. He started trying to take handfuls from the buckets. Later that day, he also got a new truck sent up by his Grandma M--. Needless to say, he's been a very happy kiddo!

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

2011-09-04T14:43:00.000-07:00

Along with learning animal sounds, learning "ACBCs" on the computer (he even started pointing out that the car license plate has "ACBCs," and his current favorite song is the ABC song), and attempting to learn that not every color is "ya-oh" (yellow), Asher is now well-versed in human anatomy. Behold:

Head (or as he says, Heh)

Eyes (Ice)

Nose (No)
Mouth (ma-oo)
Ears (ee-ah)
Cheeks (sheek)

Elbows (eh-bow)

Knees (nnee-- extra emphasis on the N)
Belly (beh-ee)

Yay for Asher!

Babbling Asher

2011-09-04T14:32:00.000-07:00

Asher has been talking up a storm lately. Not only does he still jabber away in incomprehensible syllables, he adds in dashes of real words, too. Apparently his jabbers mean something, because sometimes he'll babble, look at me for approval, and when I say, "sure!" he'll go "Okay!" and dash off to do something.

Some of my favorite words of his are:

ga-ma (grandma)

ga-pa (grandpa)

see-oo (cereal)

llllie (light-- he really does extend out the "l," making sure it's fully pronounced)

gay-koo (thank you)

wvishee (fishie)

smigh-ee (smiley-- Daddy draws smiley faces on his fingers)

He also has a tendency to end words he can't fully pronounce with the syllable "shee." So waffles are washees, peaches are peeshees, my sister's dog Baxter is Bakshee, and his own name is Ashee. He's now calling himself Asha more than Ashee, so he's progressing. :)

He's also getting the idea of sentences, and slightly abstract concepts. Today before Danny turned on the electric mixer to make waffles, Asher ran into my arms, declaring, "I scare!"

In other news, he is in love with the movie The Goonies. He loves to look at family pictures and point people out (dadee, mommy, Asha!). I am finally mommy instead of daddy. When we went to Best Buy the other day to get me a new computer (yay!), he came dashing toward me in the aisle, shrieking, "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!" and threw himself into my arms.

Yeah. I melted.

He's also a big helper. He helps me pick up his toys, and when I'm cooking I give him papers and wrappers to throw away. He still loves to sweep the floor, and his newest favorite activity is anything to do with the car-- washing it with Daddy, riding it in, or pretending to drive it..

He's hitting the independent stage, too. If he wants to do something and not have help, he'll declare, "Do-ee!" This does not always end well-- he's gotten a few bumps and scrapes from trying to "do-ee" the stairs by himself. He also insists on steering his bike himself, and walking it around rather than having us push him (he doesn't quite get pedaling yet).

He loves climbing on the back of the couch (by himself, of course!) to watch "law-mows" (lawn mowers) out the window.

He enjoys screaming in the sprinklers as they drench him and Daddy.
And he has discovered the fine art of using your body as a canvas. And anyone else's body, for that matter. He also no longer likes sippy cups-- he wants a big cup so he can "do-ee" himself.

Tantrums have kicked up a notch, but he's still the same funny, sweet kiddo as usual-- just growing up!

The Zoo and the Twenty-Fourth of July

2011-09-04T14:16:00.000-07:00

Over the twenty-fourth of July (Pioneer Day, for those not in Utah), Danny's sister Alicia, her husband Cam and their two daughters stayed with us. We decided to go to the zoo despite the heat, and ended up having a blast. Asher LOVED playing with his cousins Emma and Lailie.

We somehow managed to find ourselves at the back entrance of the zoo, rather than the front, so we started off with the giraffes. Some of them were eating, and Asher was mesmerized. He didn't want to leave, and was very upset when we finally dragged him away.

Then he realized there were OTHER animals to see, and got all excited again.

We went to some of the inside exhibits, and Asher couldn't sit still. Me, Danny, and Danny's friend Rick spent the entire time inside chasing Asher down. He'd stop and stare at one animal for a minute, then dash off to find another, then dash back the way he'd come to see an animal he'd missed. It was rather exhausting, but I loved seeing him enjoy it so much.

The zoo currently has a bunch of animatronic dinosaurs around the park, and Asher was half-excited, half-terrified of them.

The fake animals didn't end there. When Asher spotted the carousel, he was frantic to get on it. While Danny bought tickets, he struggled in my arms, yelling about wanting "that!" and unable to understand why he couldn't get on it this very minute. When we finally got on, he chose a lion to sit on, probably because he's been in love with The Lion King recently. True to Asher form, he seemed incredibly bored while we rode it, and screamed in utter agony when I took him off at the end of the ride.

Luckily, by then it was lunchtime.

We said hello to the gorillas next, which hid in the shade. Asher, Emma, and Lailie enjoyed pretending to be gorillas, though.

So did Uncle Cam. Note that they all have "grumpy gorilla" expressions (except Asher and Lailie, who don't quite know how to pull off grumpy).

Next we got to see baby elephants...

...ride wooden horses...

...go nuts at the bird show (Asher got so excited about the giant birds flying around his head)...

...and check out the lion drinking fountain. It's been there since I was a kid, and I had to try to replicate the picture of me drinking from it when I was about Asher's age.

We took a quick ride on the zoo train...

...and a long ride home. He fell asleep practically before we left the parking lot.

After we all got home and rested, we broke out the fireworks for the kids. Asher and Lailie, who are only a month and a half apart, followed Emma in whatever she did. They jumped in the (empty) pool, shrieked when she did, and danced with their shadows on the fence.

It was so fun to have cousins, aunts, and uncles around!

Some Random Fun Times

2011-09-04T13:56:00.000-07:00

There have been a lot of in-house fun times around our neck of the woods. For example, check out these babies:

Asher got a kick out of my old frog slippers. He got very frustrated when he couldn't keep them on, though.

We've also had a good time potty training. Sort of. I take him to the potty in the morning and at night, just to get him used to the idea. He reads books while he sits there, and thinks its the coolest thing ever. If I forget, he'll grab my and and say, "Potty?" and drag me to the bathroom. I hope this bodes well for the future.

We also had a few fun playdates with some high school friends of mine. We swam with my friend Nancy's two girls on one day, and also visited Michelle and her four kids while she was in town. Asher LOVES big kids, so he spent the entire time chasing her girls around the yard. He also had a great time playing on the tractor train and in the fort-- such a cool yard.

And finally, the sidewalk chalk! I bought it on a whim and Asher thought it was the most amazing thing in the world. He scribbled up and down the sidewalk all day.

Preston's Mission

2011-09-04T13:46:00.000-07:00

So our Uncle P (my brother Preston) is serving a mission in Oklahoma right now! He got his call back in March.

He was so excited to go to Oklahoma-- he has a thing for tornados and other big storms-- and he left for the MTC on July 7th. Before he left, Danny and I were lucky enough to be the witness couple in the temple when he recieved his endowment, and got to be there for his setting apart.

We sent him letters and postcards a lot in the MTC, making sure he had mail waiting for him before he even got there. Now that he's in Oklahoma, we mostly use email. He loves being a missionary, and we love getting his updates.

One of the hardest things for Preston was knowing how much he'd miss of Asher growing up during the two years he's gone. Asher colored pictures that we sent to Preston, and we pray every night for "da P," as Asher calls him.

We love our missionary!

Summer Flashback: The Fourth of July

2011-09-04T13:05:00.000-07:00

Ahem. Hello. Long time, no see. I doubt anybody reads this blog much anymore, but since I would like a written account of the good family times we've had this summer, I'm doing a bit of a flashback. Let's rewind the clock...two whole months!

My parents and siblings joined us for a celebration of the Fourth this year. Since my brother Preston is something of a pyromaniac, he brought the most gigantic box of fireworks I've ever seen. He was also thrilled to death that aerials were legal in Utah this year, and brought some of those, too.

We don't have a barbecue, so we made hamburgers on the stove and enjoyed a nice little cook-out (in?). Danny had to work, but luckily he got off early enough to enjoy a hamburger and join in for the fireworks. My sister Kylee and her husband Joey came, too, and my parents couldn't wait to see Asher's reaction to the fireworks.

Preston served as our master of ceremonies. He let Asher choose the fireworks, and then he lit them all, even stacking new ones on top of dead ones for better effect. To look at Asher's face while the fireworks went off, you'd think he hardly cared-- he just stared at them. But every time one finished, he asked excitedly, "Again?"

Preston was happy to indulge.

The aerials were by far the coolest. I've never been directly under an aerial firework as it burst, and it is SO COOL. Asher sat on Preston's shoulders with his head craned back into the sky, his eyes and his mouth wide open.

We did sparklers, too, even letting Asher try it out. And, of course, he got burned and I felt like a horrible mother. Just a tiny spark that landed on his hand, but he screamed and screamed. We cooled it in a cup of water, and it didn't bother him at all after that.

It was a fun-filled night, especially for "Uncle P," who left on his mission just a few days later! But that's for another post...

Fun around the house

2011-07-24T13:04:00.003-07:00

We had some fun around home in June, too. Dan had a birthday, and ended up getting a present for Asher instead of a present for himself. You see, Asher is OBSESSED with bikes, and we found a tricycle at Wal-mart that had a handle for parents to help steer it. Asher was a fan, and so were we, so we bought it.

Being a big boy now, Asher helped Daddy put the bike together...

...and then went out for his first ride. He loves his bike, and we go on rides almost every day. He gets the motion of pedaling, though he doesn't quite have the strength to do it on his own yet.

We also found a book that had gotten lost and Asher discovered something wonderful inside it: "stick," or stickers. We stuck stickers on everything-- hands, faces, the book, the carpet-- until they were all gone and all out of stickiness.

Other activities include lots and lots and lots of climbing. He can climb on pretty much anything nowadays. He even moved a chair over to the washer so he could climb up and get himself some fruitsnacks. There was a little intervention after this picture was taken, since he'd already had a few too many snacks that day. He was not happy about it.

The front yard has also seen a lot of use lately. Asher loves to go swimming. We went with my friend Nancy and her two little girls, and he's wanted to swim as often as possible ever since. I enjoy being able to get in some reading while he splashes, and Danny enjoys getting in some naptime.

Asher also loves playing with his pool INSIDE the house. It becomes a little lounging station where he watches his movies from, cuddling up with a few blankets and pillows. The pool also serves as a playhouse, a place to hide, and a tumbling toy. Who knew a five-dollar pool could have so many uses?

Mallow Roastin'

2011-07-24T13:04:00.001-07:00

Did I mention we love going up the canyon?

When Danny and I were dating, he took me on a hike. We found a gorgeous little meadow hidden off the trail with a firepit, and it's where we first played truth or dare (which ended up being mostly truth-- though I did eventually dare him to kiss me. :) ) We've gone back since, and we decided it was a perfect place to have a marshmallow roast when Danny's best friend Rick came to town.

The hike isn't too long, so Danny carried Asher on his shoulders and we found our spot. The boys made a fire while Asher explored and I trailed him. He kept falling because the ground was a lot more rough than he was used to, but he still refused to sit still. Rick managed to coax him into sitting on a log for a bit so they could practice their evil laughs together. Rick would throw his head back and cackle, and Asher would do the exact same thing. It was hilarious.

The meadow is beyond gorgeous, and I wandered around for a bit practicing my amateur photography skills and just reveled in the quite and the beauty.

We pulled out our mallows for roasting, and to my surprise, Asher didn't like them. He didn't want mallows raw or mallows roasted-- he just wanted to watch the fire. I'd forgotten how yummy roasted marshmallows were, so I was happy to eat his share.

We stayed until the sun set, then packed up and headed back to the car. The city looked amazing from above, and it was the perfect ending to a perfect evening.

Up the Canyon and To the Fair

2011-07-24T13:03:00.001-07:00

One of our favorite summer activities is going up the canyon. We rollerblade the nice paved trail up the river and just play around. Our first trip up this year was a blast, mostly because Asher is now big enough to appreciate it.

He loves riding in the stroller while we go, but mostly he loved the park at the end of the ride. He could have played there all day-- trees to climb, grass to run on, and slides to go down. It was gorgeous, but we had to watch him because the nearby river was swollen with all the rain we've been having.

Speaking of rain and rivers, we rollerbladed the opposite direction on the trail a week or so later, heading to the lake. There are several places where the trail goes under bridges, but the river was so high it had washed out the trail. Eventually, we were guided on a detour. And, wow, was it a detour. We ended up in the middle of town miles from the river before deciding to head back the way we'd come.

June was also the city summer fest, and Asher was big enough to ride some of the kiddie rides. We took him to the firetrucks and ambulances first, because he LOVES cars of all kinds, and had a hard time getting him out of the firetruck. In the end, I think he was glad, though, because then we found something better: cars that move. We put him first on the carousel, but he only had eyes for the cars. So we let him ride. He didn't actually look like he was enjoying it, but when I went to get him out, he asked, "Gin?" (again)

So we bought more tickets, and back in the cars he went. Every time they stopped, he cried and asked, "Gin?" When we finally pulled him away, he cried and screamed until he couldn't see the cars anymore. Danny and I, being mean parents, laughed as we comforted him all the way back to our real car.

I think he forgave us when we let him try out some sparklers later that evening.

Starting off the Summer

2011-07-24T13:02:00.000-07:00

The summer has been going swell. We've been up to lots of fun and busy things. Asher and I started out June with my favorite thing ever-- books! The Utah Festival of Books was held at my good ol' alma mater, so Asher and I turned out for a day full of fun. I got to meet a few of my favorite authors and get some books signed. James Dashner (The Maze Runner) and Kiersten White (Paranormalcy) were awesome, and I was surprised to learn that James remembered me. We'd met briefly at a conference, and I had won an early copy of one of his books on a blog contest, and apparently my name rang a bell.

Being a dolt, I forgot my camera, and asked to get a cell phone picture. Then, being a bigger dolt, I accidentally deleted it and asked sheepishly if I could get another one. No photo with Kiersten, as my phone camera doesn't work too well in really bright sun, but she did sign her book for me.

Asher then got to play some games, including a book walk (like a cake walk) where he won a book. He was quite engrossed in it. He colored himself a paper hat too, but he wouldn't keep it on.

I let Asher out of the stroller to stretch his legs and found...this.

What is this, you say? A big block of books. It's a modern art sculpture, and it's like twenty feet tall, all made of stacked books. Because I'm a nerd as well as a dolt, I got a huge kick out of it. Asher got a huge kick out of running around it.

It was great to get out and do some book-loving things with my boy.

In other news, Danny has been working a fair amount as well as taking summer classes, and he's a good example for Asher. Whenever Daddy puts on ties to go to work, Asher wants one on too. (And yes, I stopped him before he strangled himself.)

Apparently I'm also a good example. I play the piano and sing a lot, and now every time Asher gets up to play the piano he tries to sing along. He can't quite stay on tune, but it's pretty darn cute.

May Days

2011-05-29T13:23:00.001-07:00

May has been a rather boring month, thanks in part to the incredible amount of rain we've had and in part to Dan's busy summer schedule. I spend my days working, writing, cleaning, and of course, playing with this little guy.

Asher is suddenly understanding the concept of a conversation. He's been babbling nonsense for ages, but now it's structured nonsense. He'll say something to us, and we'll respond with "Yeah? Really? Cool. Tell me more." Lately, he'll babble, and I'll say, "Really?" and he'll reply "Uh huh." If I say something like "We'll take a bath after dinner, okay?" He'll reply with "Okay." It's adorable.

Other words he's saying are bye (no longer buh buy, it's a nice clear "bye"), bubbles, "coo" (cool-- he even uses it properly when he sees something he deems "cool"), "was dat" (what's that), and hide. This one is usually shrieked over and over while we chase him around the house. He also says "yup" and "nope." I was hiding a fruit snack in one of my hands the other day, and held out both hands for him to choose. He pulled open my fingers and found no fruit snack in the first hand. "Nope," he said. He opened my other hand, and there it was. "Yup!" He snatched the fruit snack.

He also talks on the phone. We gave him an old phone of Danny's to play with, and he holds it to the back of his neck and says, "Ho?" (hello), then starts to babble. And when he throws balls, he holds them up and says, "Two, two, two!" because we always count "one, two, three!" when we throw things. And just this morning, while I was putting him in the car and we were getting rained on, he shivered and said, "Is code!" (It's cold!)

But the cutest by far is when he hides his toys. We were playing on the floor the other day, and he snatched a toy and hid it under his leg. "Erda go?" (Where'd it go?) he said, holding his hands with palms to the ceiling. Then he whipped the toy out, held it up and said, "Yay!" and started clapping for himself. We now play this game quite often. :)

One thing that seems to have helped all this language development is a website called Starfall. Asher is practically addicted to it. It's got different levels of "learning to read" stuff, with fun animations, movies, and games. We play it for about twenty minutes a day, and whenever I tell Asher we're going to play Starfall, he runs to my computer chair and pats it, waiting for me to sit down and put him on my lap. I'd highly recommend it!

Other daily activities include climbing. Lots of it. Climbing on kitchen chairs, climbing on the couch, climbing on the piano bench, and climbing on the toilet.

He climbed on a park bench a few days ago, fell off, and got his first split lip. After he finished crying and we got him all cleaned up, though, he wanted right back outside. He loves watching bugs and airplanes, and sometimes we put on his galoshes so he can go out and splash in the puddles from all the rain we've been getting.

Also this month, I chopped ten inches off my hair.

I love it; it's simple to do, and is cute and fun. I do this every few years and donate my hair, and every time, the hair stylist acts like I'm going to have a breakdown. "Okay, I'm going to cut it now. Are you ready?" Yes! Chop it off! When I first came home with it cut, Asher was the one who had a problem with it. He saw me walk in the door and promptly ran to Daddy. He refused to look at me, turning his head away for the next twenty minutes every time he glimpsed me. After convincing him to play with me, he seemed to get over it-- until his nap was up. When I went to get him out of bed, he laid absolutely still, refusing to get up. I had to get Danny to get him out of bed! Luckily, he now recognizes me as Mommy again. :)

Little Updates

2011-05-15T21:07:00.000-07:00

The daily life around our household is almost as fun as all our other activities. :)

Danny is insanely busy right now. He has a full school schedule for summer, and works almost every night. Poor Asher has been missing his daddy-- and so have I. Danny's a good sport about it, though, and with him pushing through, we should be graduated by December! I think we're all ready to be done being a student family for a while.

Asher gets into all sorts of...um...fun every day. He currently loves climbing on EVERYTHING. He pushes his potty chair over to the big potty to climb up and grab everything on the counter. He climbs on the chairs in the kitchen. He climbs on boxes that cave in and then face-plants on the carpet. He climbs into his laundry basket.

His newest word is "hawp," or help, picked up specifically so he can let us know when he needs help climbing on things.

The poor kid isn't doing so hot in the allergy department. In addition to the excema he gets from milk, eggs, and nuts, he gets seasonal allergies too. He doesn't seem to mind any of these so much, though he would prefer baths more often. It's a fine line to walk-- bathe him often enough that the pollen from playing outside doesn't overwhelm him, but not so often that his skin dries out even more (he gets mild excema even when he doesn't eat his allergy foods). Poor kiddo!

As for me, I'm just chugging along. I'm still working from home a few hours a week, and working hard on my writing. I finished my novel and started querying literary agents, then started a new novel. And I got to go to an amazing writing conference where I learned a ton, met some great people (like author Dan Wells, below, who was my critique group instructor at last year's conference), and had a blast.

I still have my weekly writing group, too. And, lest you think I have a one-track mind, I've been exercising every day and learning new songs on the piano.

So I guess you could sum it all up by saying...life is good!

Fourth Anniversary! And Asher's first sleepover

2011-05-15T20:49:00.000-07:00

Danny and I had our fourth anniversary on May fourth! We decided to do a spur-of-the-moment night away. We haven't had a getaway with just us in two years, so we were pretty excited. Asher's grandma and grandpa were good enough to watch him, and he loves them so much he really didn't care at all that we were gone. He had a blast.

So did we. We had dinner at The Garden, on the roof of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake. The glass roof slides back, so it has kind of an open-air cafe feel. And we were looking over the temple where we were married. It was very fitting, and a lovely romantic atmosphere. :)

We wandered around the building itself for a bit. It's the building's 100th anniversary this year-- it was built as the Hotel Utah in 1911. I loved seeing the old party dresses they had on display, and the place itself is just gorgeous.

A helpful guide pointed out a side room where a 300 year old banquet table from a castle in Scotland was on display, along with a gorgeous carved cabinet with an Asian feel. I don't know what it is about old things, but I love touching them and being around them and feeling the history that has seeped into them.

We went for a walk after that, trying to find Brigham Young's grave. We ended up going down the wrong street, but the streets of Salt Lake-- especially in the middle of the week-- are charming and surprisingly empty. We did end up finding the grave, enjoyed some time in the little park, and wandered back up toward the temple.

The evening was gorgeous, and we loved just meandering around, seeing historical places, smelling the flowers, and holding hands.

We spent the night in the Cape Cod room at the Anniversary Inn, which was gorgeous.

It was so nice to get away and celebrate our marriage together. And it was just as nice to come back to our little guy and pick up the parenting stick again.

April Antics

2011-05-15T20:18:00.000-07:00

April was a lot busier than March for us. It started off with a bang-- I got to meet Ally Condie, and author whose book I love. She did a signing at Deseret Book on conference weekend. It was PACKED, but I did get to meet her and get my signed copy of her book Matched.

Afterward, Asher and I went to play at the mall. He's really gotten fond of slides lately, and we went down over. and over. and over. And boy, were some of the kids there rough. One kid climbed up the slide and OVER Asher, who was waiting to go down. And of course, dinosaur bones are always fun, too.

We did have a few lazy days to just lounge in our pajamas, read on Mom's Nook, and watch the cars go by.

We also discovered the joy of "dippy." He loves dipping his food into any kind of sauce, and because Daddy always says "dip, dip, dip" when he does it, Asher now calls it Dippy!

We also had a big family party with Danny's visiting siblings, Kami and Shawn, and Shawn's girlfriend Alex. We made tonkatsu, a Japanese item of pounded fried pork, and even used our special Japanese dishes.

A friend in the ward needed a daycare substitute while her normal daycare provider was out of town, so I volunteered. We got to have her kids with us for a week and a half. It's funny-- they were such great kids, and we had a really fun time, but I was still exhausted by the end of the day. We enjoyed lots of bubbles, an Easter egg hunt, and plenty of indoor games due to a lot of rain. On the Easter egg hunt, Asher only found two eggs. Mostly because he discovered they rattled when he shook them, so he spent the whole time running around shaking his eggs.

On Easter morning, Asher was happiest about his Pez dispenser and his illustrated New Testament. We ended up not going to church because Danny and I were sick, but we had a lovely time reading the Easter story in Asher's new book. We also went around to each picture of Jesus in the house and talked about Jesus. Asher really loves the picture we have of the Salt Lake Temple as well, and as we talked about it, he kept saying, "be-bo." Yes, that's how he says "temple." Too cute!

We did make it to the family picnic, though Asher was the only one who did much playing. He LOVED having all of his cousins around (well, my cousin's kids...whatever they are to him). He completely fell in love with a car that was just his size, and would have spent all day in it if we let him.

Happy Easter from all of us, including our growing boy!

This year

Last year

March Madness

2011-05-15T20:04:00.001-07:00

So, um...hi. And, um...fail. Let's flash back a few months to March, since I completely skipped it. And April. Ahem.

Asher's favorite things in the month of March: outside and in the fridge.

Outside, I can understand. Even on the rainy days, there's lovely puddles to splash in and beautiful flowers to smell (and pull apart-- he is a boy). But the fridge? I guess it has something to do with the ledge that's just right for sitting. And the food, I suppose.

We went to visit Danny's family in March, too. We hadn't been down in months, so it was great to see everyone. Asher is growing increasingly attached to his cousin Kyle. I think Kyle likes having a little hero-worshipper around.

While there, we went out to eat at a hibachi grill and the cook kept teasing all the girls. Asher thought the whole show was pretty cool-- until fire got involved. The cook stacked onion rings like a volcano, poured oil inside, and lit it on fire. Asher completely freaked out. He jumped a mile and started shrieking and crying. He grabbed for me, and like any good mom, I gave him a snuggle. And I might have laughed. A little.

And for the final March madness, my little brother Preston got his mission call! Danny had to work, but Asher and I got to be there when he opened the letter. He will be serving the people in Oklahoma, leaving July 7th! We're so proud of him.

And though this has nothing to do with the mission call itself, I thought it was hilarious. Preston was playing with Asher outside, jumping around on the deck, and gave a huge burp. Asher started laughing, then tried to copy Uncle P. They "burped" together for the next five minutes. Boys! :)

18 Months-- and Sick

2011-03-14T17:43:00.001-07:00

We started out this week with a trip to the doctor for Asher's 18 month appointment. He's fit as a fiddle, ahead of the developmental curve, and right smack dab in the middle of the growth curve. At 26 pounds and 32 inches long, our once mini man is mini no more. He has also proven he's all boy-- he had two big bonks this week (one from climbing on the concrete steps outside, one from climbing on his train and hitting his head on the entertainment center), and he dragged me into the kitchen to see the half-dead spider he was playing with on the floor. Ew.

He had his last shots until kindergarten, and as usually happens, he got sick within a few days of them. Dan had spring break this week, and we went out to dinner on Wednesday. Asher was fine through dinner, flirting up a storm with the little 12-month-old next to us. However, when she left, he actually began crying-- I guess he'd found his soul mate. And the night went downhill from there.

I accidentally left Asher's binkie on the table. He usually doesn't even have it except to sleep, but for some reason he had it and I left it. When we went back for it, they'd already thrown it away. We had spares, so no worries, right? Wrong. He refused them. They were a slightly different shape, and putting him to bed took nearly an hour.

Around 11 o'clock, he started crying. When he didn't stop, I went in, changed his diaper, and took his blanket off because he felt warm. 10 minutes later, he cried again, and Dan went in and announced Asher had a fever. I felt like a terrible mom for not noticing (it was 102! How did I miss that?). We gave him a cool bath and some Tylenol. The next day he was still miserable.

So we watched movies-- three of them. Another bad mom moment, but hey, he was sick. We watched Ninja Turtles over. And over. And over. He even felt well enough to sing "Go, go go!" on the Ninja Rap song. We had a dance party to it a few weeks ago, but he didn't feel up to that.

Now, he's doing much better, but Dan and I are both sick. Asher's still a little clingy-- he's gotten into the habit of grabbing our fingers to pull us wherever he wants us to go. He also learned a new word this week: No. Yes, the dreaded no. He uses it quite effectively to tell us when he doesn't want to go to bed, or doesn't want to eat something, or doesn't want to play with a certain toy. It's still cute at this stage, but I make no guarantees on how long that will last.

Other fun Asher things: he loves cheese dogs. Whenever he eats them, he pokes his finger through the cheese-hole and sticks them in his mouth. It's too funny.

After I shower, I flip my hair back and forth to separate the strands for faster drying. Asher thinks it's hilarious. He stands in the hallway outside the bathroom and flips his head like me, then laughs.

His favorite treat is a Japanese thing (at least, Dan first discovered them in Japan) called Poky's. They're biscuit sticks covered in chocolate or strawberry yogurt. Obviously, the chocolate is his favorite.

He had a good time with Daddy-- first he got to dress up in Daddy's clothes...

...and then he "helped" Daddy do the dishes. Daddy time is precious, even when they're doing chores!

The Random Joyfulness of Spring

2011-03-13T13:03:00.000-07:00

This week was a blast. The warmer weather has made it possible to do the one thing Asher loves most: go outside. And lucky for us, Daddy had a day off and could come with us.

We went to a park we'd never been to before and had a picnic. Asher bee-lined for the playground the second we got there, so we had to hide behind a little greenhouse while we ate so he wouldn't get distracted. After he finished his mandarin oranges, cheese, and french fries (I know, very eclectic), Daddy tried to teach him to play soccer.

Running is Asher's absolute favorite activity, and running while kicking a ball is about three times better.

Soon, though, he got out from behind the greenhouse and remembered there was a park to play at. He chased kids around for a while, hollering to his heart's content. Daddy helped him go down the slide...

...and helped him use the big-boy swing for the first time.

Then he noticed there was water. Lots of it, and ducks swimming on it. Again, we went running, all the way to the pond. We'd eaten all our french fries, but the ducks didn't care. They were too busy chasing each other around in a spring-induced frenzy. I've never seen so many ducks attack each other. Asher found everything about them fascinating.

He had a mini-meltdown after that when we stopped him from running headlong into a kid on the swings, so home we went for a nap. Asher is the best napper I have ever seen; he even requests naps. If he's too tired, he'll march into his room, point at his crib for his binkie and blankie, and climb on the chair to be rocked. It's amazing.

He had some other good chances to play with Daddy this week. They played peek-a-boo through the glass on the side table...

...and stacked Asher's "donuts"...

...and played hide and seek as well. During hide and seek, Asher couldn't find Danny. He turned to me, lifted his palms to the ceiling, and said, "Daddy go?" He even had the inflection down for "Where'd Daddy go?" It was one of the cutest things I've ever seen him do!

His vocabulary has really been growing lately. He doesn't talk much-- mostly he grabs our hands, drags us around, and points to what he wants. I'm trying to get him to communicate a little, and he does know the sign language for please and thank you. But this week, he voluntarily said words of his own. In addition to using the words he already knows, he added truck (guck) and car (gar) to the list. "Gar" is almost exclusively in reference to the movie Cars. He wants to watch it almost every day and throws major tantrums if I tell him we aren't watching any shows today.

However, when he does watch it, there's one part that scares him-- the part where Mater and Lightning go tractor tipping. If I'm in another room, he'll run in, grab my hand, and drag me back to the living room so he can sit on my lap. He wants to watch it, but he has to have me there. I feel him tense up on my lap, and last time he even pressed his hands into my legs as he prepared for Lightning McQueen to rev his engine and scare the tractor. He jumps every. single. time. And I can't help but laugh. :)

When Tragedy Hits Home

2011-03-11T18:27:00.000-08:00

Whenever I hear of natural disasters, it makes my heart ache. So many people are affected in so many ways, and the tragedy is beyond my scale of understanding. But when I heard about the earthquake and tsunami in Japan today, that tragedy hit home.

Danny served his mission in Japan. He whispered romantic things to me in Japanese when we were dating, and even proposed in Japanese. I have seen pictures and heard stories that have made the land and the people dear to me. I even tried to learn Japanese, though it didn't go too well.

That has made today's disaster personal for me. Danny has been beside himself; he knows these towns and walked these streets and is friends with many of these people. He doesn't know how to contact most of them except by letter, and so he doesn't know how they're doing. He is crushed knowing the depth of the disaster, and that crushes me.

The same year Danny and I started dating, I had a Japanese roommate. We became good friends, but we lost touch after she graduated and moved back to Japan. Just this Christmas, we started emailing each other again. She lives north of Tokyo, though I'm not sure where, and I haven't heard from her. I know she is likely fine and just doesn't have the electricity to respond to my email, but the not knowing is painful and frightening.

Please pray for Japan. And if you can, find a way to help. We certainly will be doing both.

*UPDATE* I got word from my friend this morning that she and her family are fine. They felt the quake, but live far enough away that they didn't suffer any major damage from either the earthquake or the tsunami. I'm feeling greatly relieved.

Yes, We Are Alive

2011-03-06T21:58:00.001-08:00

Despite all appearances to the contrary.

It's proving to be quite a busy 2011 for us. Danny is neck deep in work and school. We see him a lot less than we'd like, and he is ready for a break. He keeps plugging away, though, and keeps us laughing.

I'm neck deep in revisions on the book I'm writing (and I, um, started a new one). I'm hoping to be done with the final revisions in the next month or two, and then start querying agents. With any luck, you might see a book of mine on the shelves in, oh, maybe 2015. :) It takes up nearly all my free time (which is little these days), and I love it! I am still working from home, which takes up some of my free time as well.

In my non-free time, I do laundry, sweep floors, and wash dishes (does anyone else hate dishes as much as I do? I'm trying to complain a lot less, but MAN those dishes pile up fast!). I also, of course, play with Asher. We read books, build with blocks, color pictures, play with the farm, race cars, chase each other around the house, and go on walks if the weather cooperates.

Asher is...everywhere. He can't sit still for longer than about thirty seconds (unless he's watching Cars or How to Train Your Dragon), and it's both fun and exhausting. He was allowed into nursery at church a month early (YAY), and he loves it. I love not having to follow him through the halls because three hours is just WAY too long for him to attempt sitting on mom and dad's lap.

He loves making noise. He screams a lot, and babbles like crazy. He doesn't say a lot of words, but he's got intonation down pat. Sometimes he'll run into the kitchen where I'm making dinner and babble something that sounds like a question. I'll answer him with something like, "That sounds great, you go do that." Then he'll run off and do it. :)

He is talking more, though. In addition to mama and dada, he also says uh oh (his favorite word), bye bye, go, no, dude, and woah. Just today, he added "show" to the list-- as in "you want to watch a show (movie)?" I've also gotten him to say bath, book, and ball (they all sound like "ba"), cheese (sheesh), and hot dog (ha da). He won't say them without a lot of prompting, though I'm certain he knows what they mean.

When we play with blocks, he refuses to let me build anything. Once I start, he jumps up, knocks my building down, and hollers "OH!" Blocks are for sorting though the lid back into the bucket, and nothing else.

He's getting quite smart. The other day, he was upset when Dan left for school because he wanted to go outside. I told him we would go get dressed and then we could go outside. He looked up at me, nodded his head once, and ran into his room to get dressed. He knows to go into his room and lay down when it's time for a diaper change, and he's getting very good at helping me clean up his toys.

So yes, my friends. We are alive. I just need to take time a little more often to update our status!

February is for Partying!

2011-03-06T21:29:00.001-08:00

Around, oh, February 1st, Asher started getting whinny. Like, REALLY whinny. And as he is normally such an easy-going kid, this concerned me. It took a few days to figure it out, but it should have been obvious.

He was sick and tired of being stuck in the house.

And with winter behaving like this...

...who can blame him? That is ice forming INSIDE our windows.

And so I declared February the month of partying.

As often as possible (aka, when I had the car), I tried to get Asher out of the house. We went to the library and the mall playground, like we often do, but we also discovered the parties all around us.

The Party of the Animals

Asher's new love is the local (free!) life science museum. On our first trip, I forgot the camera. It was kind of tragic, because the second we set foot in the door, Asher rushed to the display of animals and cried, "OHHHH!" He had this mesmerized look on his face, and couldn't get enough of all the animals (or the buttons he could push to turn on lights and information about the animals). He found a little friend in the playroom who explained every single animal toy to him (he was quite learned for a preschooler), and then I bought him a little zooming ladybug at the gift shop. It's now one of his favorite toys.

Daddy came with us on our second trip, and this time, I remembered the camera.

The Party of X-Boxing

When Uncle Shawn comes to visit, Asher loves "playing" X-box with him and Daddy.

The Party of Shoes

Asher has become obsessed with my shoes lately. He loves putting them on, taking them off, and walking around the house in them. He's surprisingly agile with such large shoes.

He also loves his monster slippers from Aunt Audrie, Uncle Jason, and Cousin Kyle.

The Party of Little Green Men

Don't you love it when your kid "discovers" a new toy hidden in his toy box? Asher spent a few days obsessing over Mike Wazowski. He even took Mike for rides on his train.

The Party of Waffles

I think we eat way too many waffles around here. Asher's favorite part is helping to mix the batter. And eating them, of course-- as long as blueberry syrup is involved.

The Party of...Not Partying?

Sometimes, it's nice just to be lazy. Asher particularly loved this when we had to take the car in to be fixed. We were in a fender-bender just after Christmas, driving home from Danny's family's house in a blizzard. We took the car seat out of the car and it sat in the living room for a few days. Danny said we should start calling him Captain Kirk.

The Party of Nakedness

Because nothing's more fun than post-bath naked romps.

The Party of Valentines

Danny got me the most beautiful flowers for Valentine's Day. Asher LOVED them. Nothing like flowers to get rid of a little winter blues. We had a lovely date-night, too-- sushi and a movie. Megamind is one of the most hilarious movies I've seen this year.

The Party of Because-I'm-Just-That-Cute

Because he is.

Flashback to January: New Year's and Other Awesomeness

2011-03-06T20:58:00.000-08:00

For New Year's Eve...well, it's just a little tough to have fun when you're hubby works nights. So me and Asher partied til the ripe hour of eight o'clock. And I gave Danny a midnight kiss when he came home.

New Year's Day, however, was much more fun! My family came over for a waffle party, and we had a blast. Danny wowed everyone with his famous waffle recipe (okay, it was his friend's mom's recipe, but he still makes a mean waffle), and we laughed and joked all morning.

My mom and little brother Preston got into a duet of Heart and Soul. They pounded it out so loud, you couldn't even hear us laughing.

The rest of January was filled with lots of playing with Christmas toys...

I had to pin the door up so he could watch Cars from his Cars tent. He's a little obsessed.

If you can't tell, Asher's fridge magnets say "Dad loves Mom and Asher 500 times."

Asher's pillowpet is named Dude. Because Asher jumped on him and hollered DUDE! and it was adorable.

Asher is mesmerized by Dan's bike. When Dan was tuning it up, Asher had to have a screwdriver to "help."

...And non-Christmas toys.

Helping is sort of a theme for the kiddo lately. He loves "helping" mommy sweep the floor.

He did get some new books for Christmas, but Go, Dog. Go! is still one of his favorites. He LOVES being read to, and likes to pretend he's reading to me sometimes too.

All in all, January was a great follow-up to Christmas!

Flashback to December: Christmas

2011-01-30T13:13:00.001-08:00

Just when I decide to blog more faithfully, my Dashboard goes down. I figured out a way around it, obviously, so now, over a month late, you get to hear about our Christmas!

We headed to Danny's family's place for Christmas this year. Everyone from his family was there, and it was such a blast. Asher thoroughly enjoyed being doted on by aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. His cousin Kyle taught him the Pee Wee Herman dance, and he and Kyle spent innumerable hours running circles around the basement doing this dance.

On Christmas Eve, we all gathered around the tree and put the final decorations on. Everyone in Danny's family has their own special ornaments they put on the tree themselves. Asher thought this was fabulous-- toys on the Christmas tree! The kids all played around the tree, and Asher even borrowed cousin Emma's tutu. But just for a minute.

Then we sat down and Danny's mom read the Christmas story "The Other Wise Man." She does it with all these fun voices, and Asher got a kick out of it. He'd try to copy her voices, going from high pitches to low pitches, and when everyone laughed, he actually started taking bows!

On Christmas morning, everyone woke up and headed in to see what "Santa" brought. Danny and I bought Asher a Cars playhut with a tunnel, and it had been set up on the opposite side of the room. Asher walked in, saw it, and bypassed every other visible toy in his dash to get inside that tunnel. That's when you know you found the perfect gift for a kid!

We spent hours opening presents. In Danny's family, you take turns opening your gifts for everyone to see and share in your enjoyment. Asher seemed to think that everyone else's gifts belonged to him, and he continually invaded his cousins Lailie and Emma's toy stash for something he wanted.

He got some fun cars and a riding toy from Mom and Dad and Grandma and Grandpa. Danny was very excited about his new bike (we went on a scavenger hunt to find it), and I was thrilled and surprised with my Nook and new iPod.

We spent the rest of the next few days playing with new toys and enjoying the whole family being together. It's a rare occurrence when that happens, and we were so blessed to have so much loving family around us this Christmas!

Pre-Christmas Activities

2010-12-31T16:30:00.000-08:00

The Christmas season was twice as fun this year with Asher. He loved the decorations, the lights, the candy, and the activities. He does not, however, love the snow. He is his father's child. Here are some of the things we enjoyed this Christmas season!

Decorating the Christmas tree. Asher didn't care much about hanging up the balls. He wanted to play with the packaging they came in.

Making messes. Toilet paper is the best thing since baskets.
Reading. Asher loves books. He'll grab one, bring it to one of us, and back carefully into our laps. Sometimes, he'll pick books up and read them to himself, babbling and pointing at the pictures like we do.

Eating whipped cream. He runs to the fridge every morning and reaches right for the can so we'll spray some straight into his mouth.
Playing with buddies and snow globes.
Enjoying the Christmas tree. Every morning, he beelines for the tree and points at the wall where it plugs in. He likes taking the ornaments off, but he always brings them straight to me, like he wants me to fix them. He also loves the musical nativity that spins and sings "Silent Night." He loves pointing out the different figures and trying to wind it himself.

Having parties. My critique group had a Christmas party, and we all had a blast. Asher loved all the kids there.

Getting clean. And making faces.

Graduating. Well, Danny's brother did, anyway. We enjoyed taking pictures and partying at his place.

Playing in the snow. Or, more accurately, whining about the snow even when Daddy shoveled nice non-snowy paths for us to walk on.

Making waffles.

Fall is Full of Fun

2010-12-29T17:00:00.000-08:00

I am so, so far behind on blogging. November was a mad dash to get my novel finished in time for a critique group review, and December was just...December. But recording my family history is important, darnit, so I'm bound and determined to catch up! So, in no particular order, here's what we were up to in November!
Baskets. Pushing them and riding in them. It's Asher's favorite toy in the world.

Playing with trucks. You can go faster with one in each hand.
Watching movies. And tearing them off their shelf over and over and over again.
Having family dance parties in the living room. Unfortunately, we have no pictures because we were all DANCING! Jumping also became a big part of our dancing lately. As did spinning around. Asher now spins in circles whenever we sing, "Spinning around is fun to do, fun to do, to do, to do..."

Raking leaves. Asher started out with a hand-rake, but he leaned over too far and fell forward right onto his noggin. After I soothed a few tears, he wanted the big-kid rake.
Apple picking. Since Dan pruned the tree this year, we actually had apples that tasted pretty good. Asher loved putting them in boxes when we'd hand them to him. We even found a tiny one just his size, and he carried it around all afternoon, gnawing on it.

Talking. I got really sick of Asher pointing and grunting, so I taught him the signs for please and thank you. He does them both really well, and if there's something he really wants, he rubs both hands in circles on his belly like mad. He can now say mama, dada, uh oh, yeah, no, and hi. Over Christmas, he gained dude and woah. We've heard him say some words once, but never again: doggy, bye bye, and night-night. He also knows the sounds for dogs (high pitched "uh uh"), cows (mmm), and monkeys (ee ee).

Being smart. When Asher and Dan were playing a chase game, Dan wouldn't let Asher pass him and run into the kitchen. Asher ran to his chair instead and waited for Dan to come get him. As soon as Dan had moved from the doorway, Asher was up like a flash and ran straight into the kitchen.

Playing outside. And being cute.

Playing the piano with feet while sitting on Mom's lap. Also playing Mom's guitar by strumming fingers across the strings.

Having Thanksgiving. Sadly, Dan had to work. We went out with my extended family to a restaurant-- not my favorite, but we had a good time. Then we came back to my parent's and Asher got a kick out of playing with all the Christmas decorations there.

In a nutshell, our November was fabulous!

Flashback to October: Halloween!

2010-11-24T16:40:00.000-08:00

We sort of left our Halloween costumes to the last minute. That, in combination with being poor, meant we had to scrounge up costumes from around the house. I'm actually quite proud of how we turned out!

It was freezing and rainy, so we weren't sure if we were even going to take Asher trick-or-treating, but we knew my parents wanted to see us dressed up. They got a huge kick out of Asher (who doesn't love a baby pirate, complete with stubble and a mustache?). Their house always looks awesome, and Asher took his sword to go swashbuckling with all the skeletons and pumpkins.

I helped my sister Camri get ready for her Halloween party by "tatooing" her arms and face with a sharpie marker.

And then, the rain finally stopped! We took Asher out for a little trick-or-treating in my parent's neighborhood. It was still freezing, so we only went to a few houses, but he still got some pretty good loot.

Then my mom insisted he needed more. Don't worry, we didn't take it all home with us.

It was getting late, so we headed home. Danny's brother Shawn wanted a quick visit, so he met us at our house. Daddy and Asher showed off the awesome sword-fighting moves Grandpa had taught Asher.

After that, we spent a while kicking it around the living room, and finally headed to bed.

Flashback to October: Pumpkin Walk and Other Fun

2010-11-24T16:25:00.000-08:00

A local public garden had a pumpkin carving contest. We didn't enter, but Asher and I did go wander around to look at all the awesome pumpkins.

I admit it. I went for the free cider and donuts more than anything.

They had all sorts of fun little kids games, but Asher much preferred running, climbing, and inspecting the ghost-speakers that blared Halloween music than playing.

Also in October, Grandma came over with some awesome Halloween presents for Asher. These included stickers, which he loves. So Grandma helped him decorate a whole page with Halloween stickers.

October was also the month where Asher figured out how fun it is to climb in kitchen drawers...

...and he became obsessed with Daddy's iPod and headphones.

It was a busy month!

Flashback to October: Pumpkin Land

2010-11-24T16:07:00.001-08:00

I have turned into a once-a-month blogger. Sigh. I've been so busy finishing up my novel for a critique group deadline, all my spare minutes have been taken. But now (seeing as November's almost over), I'm finally ready to blog about October!

Like last year, I was determined we would get our pumpkins from Pumpkin Land. I couldn't wait to see how much fun Asher would have with all the little toys, activities, and pumpkins. We loaded him up in the big boy car seat...

...and were disappointed on arrival to learn that it would cost $4 a piece for me and Dan (Asher was free). That was a little steep for what was basically a playground, so we figured we'd just have fun in the free part.

I was quite impressed with the painted pumpkins.

Asher was quite impressed with everything.

He ran through the aisles, inspecting the pumpkins but not touching them. The giant pumpkin terrified him, and he slid off the moment I put him up there for a photo op. He did like the Halloween blow-up decorations, at least. And, as always, he loved running everywhere.

He finally got brave enough to touch a pumpkin before we left. I tried to get him to pick out a small pumpkin for himself, but he was just...everywhere. We corralled him for a few brief minutes to get some family pictures, and then he was off again.

After much more running and tripping and pumpkin inspecting, we made our way home with our two new pumpkins and an exhausted but happy Asher.

Happy Halloween...

2010-10-30T20:32:00.000-07:00

...from the pirates who don't do anything! Argh!

A Post of Utmost Randomness

2010-10-11T17:31:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the post in which I talk about all sorts of things that have nothing to do with each other!

Random #1: Tonight, Asher woke up from his afternoon nap completely grouchy. As in, there was more crying than there was NOT crying. Finally, I said, "Let's just go take a bath!"

And he stood up, stopped crying, and marched straight into the bathroom. It still amazes me when he does something to show he understands me-- especially because his talking seems to be moving backward rather than forward ("uh oh" seems to have disappeared from his vocabulary-- and it's 1/3 of his vocabulary).

Random #2: I tried to do a garden again this year-- a veggie garden this time. I was so excited about my carrots, peppers, cucumbers, and squash. They grew beautifully! And then they flowered! And then...they still grew beautifully in every way but fruitfully. This is all we got out of it:

And I swear it wasn't me! I've decided that the big barrels of dirt we planted them in have just been there so long, there are no nutrients left in the dirt. I can't think of anything else.

Random #3: Asher nearly died the other day. My sister Kylee was visiting, and Asher was eating dinner, which consisted of grapes (it was just the first course, don't worry). I had cut up his grapes, and was making real dinner, when suddenly Kylee broke off mid-sentence.

"Asher? Asher?"

I turned around to find him red in the face, mouth wide open, and at least three half-grapes crammed inside.

I rushed over, but Kylee was right next to him. She swept the grapes out of his mouth, including the one that was choking him. He took a huge breath, and immediately started screaming. I scooped him up from the chair, cuddling him close. He then threw up all over me. And I was totally fine with that, because at least he was breathing. Later that night, Asher took a book over to Aunt Kylee and had her read to him. Because when someone saves your life, you're bound to be buddies forever.

Random #4: Asher is a mega ladies' man. Yesterday at church, we were in the foyer between classes and he was wandering around. He walked right up to one of the young women, stared up at her a minute, and then took her hand and started pulling her down the hall. She ate it right up, and why not? He's awful handsome!

Then, today we were playing out on the lawn as a bunch of girls from the junior high track team came running by. He promptly jumped up, sped to the fence, and hollered at them. Then he proceeded to run the length of the fence, following them as far as he could. Definitely the ladies' man!

And finally, Random #5: Asher has a new favorite place to play: the dryer. He could sit in there doing nothing for hours. When I had to take him out so I could actually dry some clothes, he was very upset. He started pulling the clothes back out and attempted to climb back in. Luckily, I was able to distract him with some ringtones from my old phone (read: his phone). He sure is a hoot!

And just for fun, here's a few more random pictures!

Reading with Daddy.

We interrupt this reading time to bring you tickles!

Playing with his shopping cart.

Eating "puffs" and watching Cars (I swear, he really doesn't watch it that much).

One of These Things Just Doesn't Belong

2010-10-07T19:39:00.000-07:00

Asher has this thing where he grabs a "toy" (usually not a typical toy), wanders around, finds a new "toy," and leaves the old toy in its place. Can you spot the items that don't belong where they are?

Just Another Day in Paradise

2010-10-07T19:12:00.001-07:00

September was a little bit crazy for us. It started with Asher getting sick on his birthday, and it just never ended. As soon as he got better, he had to get his shots. One of them gave him such a sore leg that he cried every time someone touched it, or he moved it. He spent half of an entire day doing nothing but sitting on his butt, miserably snuggled up to me.

Then his top front teeth started coming. And stopped. And started. And stopped. Crankiness, drooling, and a refusal to eat anything but cheese and hot dogs ensued. Meanwhile, he decided two naps are for losers, and tried to give up his second one (which he is SO not ready for). After finally finagling his schedule and getting that nap back on track, he decided his FIRST nap was not necessary. Repeat process.

Add to the mix an extremely busy working/schooling daddy and a mom going through culture shock of becoming a SAHM, and you've got one miserable month. There were bright spots, of course, but mostly, I found myself wishing for just one normal day.

And today I got it.

We all woke up around 8 and had a cheerful breakfast of oatmeal. Asher then happily played trucks, farm, and run-around-the-house games until naptime. Which he went down for with no problems. Then, since Dan had no homework and my work website was down, I had a glorious hour and a half with just me and my husband. It feels like forever since we've had time together.

Asher woke up, Dan went to school, and lunch went off without a hitch. The boy happily chomped on his banana, cheese, bread, and ham while I did the dishes and sang silly songs. I decided we needed to get outside, but then realized Dan had the car-- which had the stroller in it. So I grabbed Asher's wrap, strapped him to me, and we wandered to the used bookstore several blocks from us. I actually used to work there, when it was in a different location, and it was fun to wander around. I talked with Richard, the old guy who owns the store with his son, and let Asher wander around and pull out books to show me.

We eventually picked out two books for him (a counting book and a dinosaur book), then went on a search for something for me. In the end, Asher's two books came to $3, and my nearly-new copy of David McCullough's 1776 came to $10. We happily wended our way home in the crisp fall air.

Asher wanted to look at his books as soon as we came home. So we plopped on the floor, and read them both. Then, as is typical, he jumped up from my lap, grabbed Go, Dog. Go! (his favorite book), and brought it back to me. He turned and carefully backed into my lap again, and we read some more.

After reading time, I zoomed him around the kitchen on his train, chased him around the house, and tickled him until he was thoroughly ready for nap number 2. Which he again took without batting an eye. I cozied up on the couch and immersed myself in the glory and horror of the American Revolution while it began to rain outside.

Dan came home, and Asher got some Daddy playtime when he woke up. Then, we waved him off to work and Asher pressed his cheek to mine (we call it snuggle-face) as we watched the cars whizz by in the rain. I put some macaroni on the stove, and we played the piano and tossed around a ball until it was ready. I sneakily mixed in some veggies with his mac and cheese, and he managed to eat the large majority of them without picking them out of his mouth and throwing them on the floor.

He wanted to watch Cars for a bit, so I turned it to one of his favorite scenes and we shared some Ben and Jerry's Half Baked ice cream. He wiggled his little butt to the songs, and then licked the lid of the ice cream container when we were done. I laughed out loud when he just plonked his face into it.

During bathtime, he shrieked with laughter every time I blew air into his face, and I sang our typical song as I washed him: "Yo ho, scrub the boy down." (It's not complicated. Those are the only words.) He protested as usual when I washed his hair, and pulled the drain plug at least three times.

I hauled him out, and we got pj'd up and read our scriptures and said our prayers. I sang to him, rocked him, then kissed his forehead and inhaled his bathed-baby smell. I laid him down, and haven't heard a peep since.

And that, my friends, is exactly the kind of perfect normal day I needed.

Birthday Bash, Part Two!

2010-09-19T15:23:00.000-07:00

Today we finally had Asher's birthday party! We invited over a few guests:

And got ready to have a crazy fun time! We had a Cars theme, since Asher loves that movie so much. I made a second cake (making sure to leave a chocolate-free section for Dan). To all of you moms who excel at cake making and decorating, I applaud you. I am not one of you. This is the best I can do:

But Asher thought it was pretty amazing when I lifted him up to see it, so we'll call it a success.

When the guests arrived, Uncle Preston had a gift that couldn't be wrapped, so Asher got that one right away. As soon as he saw it, he practically ripped it from Uncle P's hands (see how they're still right next to the front door?).

Then Asher got to open his present from Grandma and Grandpa. Mom had to help him with the wrapping paper.

He got the hang of it, but stopped as soon as he saw there were buttons he could push. Eventually, we got the whole thing out, and Asher was in heaven. Here was a toy he could ride, push, and had a billion buttons. It was the toy of his dreams. He pushed it around the living room, then we put him on it and pushed him around the living room. He danced to every song, and did not want to let that thing go.

However, we needed a little party refreshment! So we lit up the candles and sang happy birthday to my baby boy.

He looked a little confused at all the attention, and Daddy had to help blow out the candles. Then we cut the cake.

And Asher dug right in!

Happy birthday again, my boy!

One Year Pictures

2010-09-17T21:38:00.000-07:00

Ain't he handsome?

Birthday Bash, Part One

2010-09-14T19:07:00.000-07:00

The morning of Asher's birthday, I baked a cake and decorated the house with pictures he had helped me color.

By the afternoon of Asher's birthday, he looked like this.

We had planned a birthday bash with my family that night, but with the little Guest of Honor feeling miserable, we decided to postpone. Not only did I feel horrible that he felt horrible on his birthday, but my little mommy heart was sort of crushed. It was his first birthday, and all he had energy to do was lay around.

I know he didn't care or know, but I'd been planning and excited for a week.

So we had a sort of birthday bash anyway.

It was just him opening his presents, which we would have done on his birthday regardless, but it was lots of fun!

We brought out all the presents and put them on the floor. Of course, he bee-lined for the biggest one.

Inside was a new sword, since he loves his battered old light saber so much. He knew exactly what to do with it, and began waving it around, bonking mom and dad right away.

In the process, he discovered the present that wasn't wrapped: a Little People Farm.

His friend Ian has one, and Asher loves it. He kept banging on the plastic window, so Dan opened it all up for him. He could have played with it all day, making the animal sounds turn on over and over.

But we weren't done. He also got a truck, since he loves Cars so much. Again, he knew exactly what to do with it, and immediately began zooming it around the room.

Then we took a break to enjoy the wrappings.

He soon discovered there was more, however, and opened up two new books: a Cars book, and Go, Dog. Go! He wanted me to read the second one to him right away.

He also got a new shirt, but you can tell exactly how much he cared about that.

I think we made some pretty good picks for him. He's been playing with all of his new toys a lot since he got them, instead of ignoring them. We play with his farm quite a bit, and he's gotten to the point where he can identify some of the animals by the sounds they make.

And we still have a big bash to come!

One

2010-09-10T18:41:00.000-07:00

He started as this...

...then turned into this...

...and then this...

...and now he's just a big boy all around!

It's a little weird to think it's been a whole year since I lay in the hospital, holding him for the first time. Has it really been that long? And hasn't he just been here since...always?

My big boy is quite impressive, if you ask me. Here are his stats at one year:

Height: 29 inches (20th percentile)

Weight: 18 pounds 15 ounces (below 5th percentile)-- yup, still super skinny!

Words: mama

da (he's now starting to say da-dee)

ka (for cousing Kyle)

Uh (for uh oh)

He also makes a barking noise whenever he sees a dog

And a few words we've heard him use just once: ni-ni (night night), ba ba (bye bye), ba (bath)

Talents: kicking a ball (or bottle, or anything!) around the house

Clapping when you say "yay"

Doing the Indian war cry (is that even what it's called?)

waving bye bye when he sees some leaving and/or they say goodbye to him

feeding himself (very messily) with a spoon or fork

turning on the TV

opening and closing doors (if they're already open)

making everyone laugh

playing the piano

pushing any and all buttons/light switches

walking/running EVERYWHERE

showing one finger when you ask him how old he is

pushing animal sounds on his farm (like the sheep) and picking up the right animal to go with it

Favorite foods: Cheese. If the fridge is open, he'll pull it out and holler until he gets some.

Ritz crackers

Graham crackers

Macaroni and cheese

Ham

Bananas

Favorite movie: Cars. He loves the racing scenes and the neon lights/cruising scene. (Am I a bad mother for letting him watch TV already? It's only in little snippets...)

Favorite book: Any board book, because he can help turn the pages. But Go, Dog. Go! has become a new favorite.

Favorite toy: His sword/light saber. He pushes it all around the floor, like a blind man with a cane. He also loves tupperware and plastic measuring cups/spoons.

Favorite game: Chasing games. All day. And he'll come back to check if you're not chasing him fast enough.

Happy first birthday, Asher Duncan! Daddy and I love you so much.

Smart and Sassy

2010-09-03T20:01:00.000-07:00

My little man is almost one. In fact, if he'd come on his due date, today he'd BE one. Sniff. A year ago today I hated the world because he wasn't here yet. And now he's doing all sorts of grown-up-y things.

He's gotten rather independent lately. I think a lot of this has come with his walking. It used to be that I could take his hand and he'd follow me wherever I tugged him. This is no longer so. If I take his hand and tug him in a direction he has no desire to go, he pulls it right back and shakes it. Like he's saying, "Stop bossing me around!"

He also threw his first tantrum the other day. He was playing with my phone, which is fine. Except he knows he's not supposed to eat it. I warned him once, and when he did it again, I took the phone away. He let out a collossal scream and started madly bouncing while he hollered. Real, angry tears came, and he looked straight at me so I'd know it was my fault. Of course, this did not induce me to give back the phone.

He's also gotten very smart. Even though he doesn't talk much, he knows what he wants. Outside = pounding on the door and yelling. Food = banging on the high chair and yelling. I-want-that-thing-right-there = pointing and yelling. There's a lot of yelling going on at our house right now.

A lot of babbling, too. He's got about three words in his vocabulary, but he can run around chattering about "brledr" and "glal" all the day long.

He's finally figured out that gestures actually mean certain things. Like bye bye. He used to just do his cute little bend-the-fingers-and-the-wrist-at-the-same-time wave when we said the words "bye bye." Now, he's realized it means someone is leaving. My mom has been babysitting him for a few hours the last week since Dan started back to school and I hadn't quit yet. Every day when she left, as we chatted while she stood next to the door with her purse, he'd start waving.

Tonight, we were out a little past bedtime, and he was very tired. While I was rocking him to sleep, all of a sudden he started waving bye bye. Then he'd stop, then do it again. And suddenly, I wondered if he was trying to tell me to go bye bye and just lay him down. So I did, and he promptly rolled over and fell right asleep.

So far, that one's impressed me the most. I'm sure he'll be coming up with more sass and smartness as the days go by!

Things I'm Looking Forward To

2010-08-30T19:23:00.000-07:00

This is my last week as a working mama. (Well, sort of. I'll still be doing a little bit of contract work from home. But it'll be from home.) There are a million things I'm looking forward to.

Like a little more bunny playtime.

My mom made these little bunnies long ago when I was little. Asher loves them.

Like a little more reading time.

Like more coloring time.

It makes my heart happy to have my son's artwork on the fridge. Even if I did color at least half of it.

Like more outside time.

Like more time to play with friends.

This is our neighbor's son. He's only 2 but is super tall. He and Asher love playing together.

Like more time to run around with our tongues out.

I'm also hoping for a little more time here.

My writing nook. I'm almost done with the first draft of my second novel!

There are a few things I'll miss, though. I'll miss Asher and Dan sitting on the front porch, waving bye-bye in the mornings. I'll miss coming home and seeing Asher's face light up in a smile as soon as I walk in. And I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't miss my friends at work.

I'll also miss the time Asher has with his Daddy.

In order to make this work, Daddy's working full-time and going to school. I know both of them are going to miss the time they've had together while I'm at work. But Dan is amazing. And he wants me to be home as much as I want to be home.

So here's to amazing husbands-- and all the things I'm looking forward to.

Continued Vacation Adventures: Sea World and more

2010-08-20T21:28:00.000-07:00

Day 3 of our vacation was at Seaworld. By this point, Asher was pretty wasted. He'd been an absolute angel so far, even in the car. But the traffic-induced three hour ride to San Diego about killed him. He refused to sleep, even screaming at me when I covered his car seat with a blanket. Only cousin Kyle could keep him entertained with constant roars and waving of claws that Asher never stopped laughing at.

I think we were all pooped by the time we got there. Which was late afternoon. Except Grandma and Emma.

I don't know if it was just his tiredness, or if he's too young for Sea World, but he didn't care about the shows too much. We did enjoy some tasty food...

...Cirque de la Mer...

...and Shamu, which prompted everyone to jokingly do the "Sham-slam" for the next three days...

...but the sea lion show was definitely the funniest. They made fun of all their own shows at the park, which I found hilarious.

I also loved the belugas. A lot. They're funkily beautiful.

Kyle's favorite was the sharks.

Emma enjoyed the penguins (she has a cast on her nose after a surgery-- she broke it, poor thing)...

...and we enjoyed the penguins quite a bit ourselves.

In fact, I think Asher enjoyed the penguins more than anything else. So, we bought him the craziest one we could find.

And Grandma bought him one too. Grandma's was a big hit.

He slept the whole way back to Anaheim.

The next day, we headed back, after spending some time watching Phineas and Ferb (a cartoon show Dan and I found hilarious) and playing on the luggage carts.

When we got back to Dan's parents house, we had an extra day to relax. We went swimming, and Asher and Kyle played like crazy. Asher LOVES Kyle, and Kyle loves being loved. He followed his older cousin around the hotel room, around Disneyland, and laughed at everything he did. Anything Kyle did, Asher wanted to do. Like play trucks...

...and make faces.

Asher loved him so much, he actually started saying his name. He calls him Ka. For a while, we've thought he might be saying Da for Daddy, too, and that was also confirmed on this trip. I once got a Mama right before he snuggled into my shoulder. Only once, but I'm going to claim it.

All in all, we had a fabulous, memorable vacation. Thanks to Dan's whole family, it was a blast to spend so much time with you!

Disneyland-- Finally!

2010-08-20T20:37:00.004-07:00

It's been nearly two weeks since our Disneyland trip, and I've yet to blog about it. This would be due to a certain boy who now believes he never has to sleep again. But, let's focus on the happiness that preceded this condition.

Basically, we had a blast.

I was afraid Asher was too young to really enjoy much of Disneyland, but boy was I wrong. He spent a good portion of his two days at Disneyland like this:

On Daddy's shoulders, pointing at everything. The buildings, the people, the rides, the balloons, the Castle, the characters...it was magic to him.

His first ride was Pirates of the Caribbean. After the joy of watching the thousands of people in line...

...he discovered a love of pirates. And a deep hatred for sudden drops.

He chickened out at Haunted Mansion, even though Grandpa told him it's not really that scary. (Okay, it was actually closed.)

While mom and dad rode Thunder Mountain, he chilled out with Grandma and Grandpa, and then we all enjoyed lunch.

While everyone else did Indiana Jones, we got the "baby fastpass" and rode the Jungle River Cruise, where the guide wanted to offer him up as a sacrifice. Um...no.

We also did a little shopping.

After mom and dad's Indiana Jones ride...

...we followed tour guide Aunt Kami to the Matterhorn, where we watched everything until it was mom and dad's turn.

The day was rounded out by riding Finding Nemo's submarine, which was a huge hit. (Especially for the random kid behind us who screamed at approximately 500 decibels every time he saw a fish.)

Day two started off by checking out cousin Lailie's adorable face-paint. She was a little sleepy already, but in her defense, it was 11:30 by the time we joined them and she'd been at an early princess party.

We took a little journey with Mr. Toad...

...which we all found appropriately wild.

Then a tired and grumpy mama took a tired and grumpy baby to Tomorrowland to feed him.

And he wanted to be carried while she pushed the stroller. And she tried to lift the stroller over two steps only to have it dump the diaper bag and scatter its contents. And a very mean lady next to them LAUGHED and walked away. And then a very nice lady helped the grumpy mama lift the stroller up the stairs. And the mama almost cried in gratitude. And the papa bought the mama a new shirt so she wouldn't be so dang hot, and she wore it and was cute. And all were happy.

And THEN we had an experience I've always wanted at Disneyland: we had lunch in the Blue Bayou, the restaurant inside the Pirates ride! The food was amazing, and it was so cool to be in there while people in boats floated past, on their way to a pirate-y adventure.

After that was a trek to California Adventure. We did a little more shopping...

...and rode King Triton's Carousel...

...and ate a Mickey ice cream. We definitely have another chocolate lover in the house.

While some of the older peeps enjoyed big-people rides, Danny, Asher and I went to Fantasyland.

And there we found Asher's favorite ride: Small World. He danced. He clapped and hollered. He pointed. And mom and dad enjoyed every minute of it.

We tried out all the other Fantasyland rides (well, most of them, anyway), and Asher was constantly admired by others in line. Which I enjoyed, even if he didn't care. :)

Asher finally got brave enough to try the Haunted Mansion, which he loved. And Winnie the Pooh, which he also loved. But neither as much as Small World.

We kept him up late that night, eating...

...and walking...

...and listening to Elvis while watching fireworks...

...until he was properly tuckered out.

And then the amazing daddy took him back to sleep at the hotel and let mom ride her favorite: Space Mountain.

Thus, Disney was over. But it was a magical trip for us all!

Mall Trippin'

2010-08-02T19:26:00.000-07:00

We're prepping for a Disneyland trip (yay!), and that means Asher needs shoes. I don't want him traipsing all over Disneyland barefoot (as much as he'll be traipsing, anyway). So I called my mom, who's always game for shopping, as well as anything Asher-related, and off to the mall we went.

Asher's never worn shoes. Never. Since it's gotten too warm for socks, he's gone barefoot everywhere. So I wasn't sure how things would pan out.

The first pair of sandals had soles so heavy, he clomped around like the abominable snowman, his feet going twice as high in the air as they needed to. The second pair were better, but something about them covering his toes made him hesitant to walk. The third pair were the charm. And they were even on sale. We put them on, and off he went, pulling shoes off the shelves.

I was surprised he walked so well in them. In fact, he didn't want to take them off. So we left them on him. Here they are (finally off). Little baby shoes are so adorable!

Then, we found some of those little quarter rides. You know, the little cars that move up and down? He loves his car toy at home with the steering wheel, so we put him in the jungle jeep to see how he liked it.

And oh, did he ever like it.

He knew just what to do, spinning the steering wheel and patting his lion companion on the head. Then he decided he wanted to try the convertible.

He liked that one even better, standing up and hollering over the windshield while he whipped the steering wheel around in a mad frenzy.

I think it's safe to say that Asher's favorite part of shopping was playing with cars. He's so definitely a boy.

That's What I Get for Thinking I'm Smart

2010-08-02T19:12:00.000-07:00

Beware: This post talks about poop. You've been warned.

Asher has been teething again, and it's given him some diarrhea. We've been changing poopy diapers six to seven times a day. It's not bad enough that he's dehydrated, but it is bad enough that he's gotten an absolutely horrendous diaper rash.

After two days of listening to heart-wrenching sobs every time I wiped him down, I was ready for the thing I thought I'd never do: let him run around diaper-less. This was particularly tricky considering the cause for this diaper rash. So I got strategic. I laid baby blankets all around the living room, turned on Cars, and plopped him down. The movie kept him well entertained, and if he tried to wander off the blankets, I'd just pull him back. We played, too, of course, since no movie will keep an almost-eleven-month-old in one spot for too long.

And it was great. He didn't even pee.

It went so well, that we did it again the next day. This time, I was smarter. I put him, sans diaper, into one of those onesies with shorts attached. Tight enough to keep messes in, loose enough to keep from causing a blowout. I was a genius.

Asher, Dan and I then played on the porch, watching it rain. Within about twenty minutes, Asher's onesie was both wet and pooped in. And just like I'd planned, no mess. I brought him in, stripped him down, and set a clean, naked boy upright.

That's when I thought, oh, he just went. He should be fine to run around stark naked for five minutes while I wash out his onesie. Famous last words.

He promptly waddled over to the door, banged to go back out, and pooped. All over. And remember the cause of all this? Yeah, it was not a nice poop (if there is a kind).

Dan was laughing his head off, and Asher was starting to slip in his mess, smearing it all over the linoleum in front of the door. I picked him up at arms length, carried him to the tub, and Dan sprayed him down while I cleaned up the unpleasantness in the other room.

That's what I get for thinking I'm smart.

And here's a bored, spiky-haired Asher. The picture has nothing to do with the post, it was just too cute not to share.

The Daily Drill

2010-08-01T17:30:00.000-07:00

You guys probably don't care how our average days go by. Someday, though, I'm sure I will.

Every morning, I wake up at 6 a.m. to do my exercises. Sometimes, if Asher wakes up early, he'll take his bottle while he watches me finish. If not, he'll take it on the floor by the bathroom, where he routinely gets up to pull back the shower curtain to make sure I'm still there. Or wander around, getting into things to make mom late. Once I'm ready for work, I plop him in the bed and he gives his Daddy a cheery hello. They say goodbye to me from the porch, and sit on the steps and wave until I'm out of view. I love Asher's awkward little wave.

Then, of course, it's work until 2, and then I'm home again.

Asher crawls straight for me when I walk in the door, squealing and smiling. I play with him while talking to Dan about our days, but not for too long. He's ready to go down for a nap by this point, so I take him off with a bottle and settle him down. Then I get a few hours of me-time (or, if Dan hasn't headed to work yet, us-time), and usually try to at least attempt to make the house a little cleaner.

When Asher wakes up, it's playtime! Sometimes we'll just play with toys in the house, but sometimes we'll go out and play on the lawn. Occasionally, we'll have friends over, like our neighbor Cheryl and her two cute girls. Sometimes we'll go grocery shopping, and I'll buy a candy bar to eat at home. Asher got to try one last time we did that, and when it was gone, he snatched the wrapper and then my hands looking for more. He was so disappointed it was gone, he cried.

Sometimes we'll go out and do fun things, like walk to the park, go to the library, or play at the mall playground. Asher loves the mall, and has made some little friends at the indoor playground there.

Dinner time hits, and then bath time. I take him into the bathroom, let him stand up next to the tub, and turn on the water. The second the tap starts, Asher starts bouncing. He shouts and babbles and even helps me take his clothes off, he's that excited about it. He grabs at the running water, tries to drink from the tub, and pushes his little toys around in circles.

We get all pj'd and lotion'd up, grab his Eeyore "soft-soft" blankey and a bottle, and settle into the rocking chair. While he eats, I read to him from the Book of Mormon Stories. Then we say prayers (with Daddy if he's home), and I sing to him. His favorites are All the Pretty Ponies, Sleepsong, Prayer Song, Da Na Se (a Ghanaian song), and Love You Forever. If he's a little too awake, he'll point at my face and we'll practice naming face parts, or I'll pretend to eat his palms.

Soon, he pulls his blankey up over his head or rubs it on his cheek and drifts off. I rock him for a few extra minutes, just enjoying cuddling him.

But our daily drill will be changing soon. Because in just one month, this working mommy will become a stay-at-home mommy! And I couldn't be more excited.

Pioneer Day

2010-08-01T16:40:00.002-07:00

Every year, my Aunt Karen and Uncle Lon host a big family hoo-ha up the canyon. There's camping, camp fires, card games, hikes, horseback riding, lake swimming, and lots of good food and good family.

This is Lon and Karen. And Dan, pretending he's King of the Mountain.

We were only able to go up for a few hours this year, sadly. Curse Dan's job. (Oh, wait, don't curse it! We like eating and having a house to live in.) Anyway, we still had fun. We enjoyed sandwiches and my Aunt Karen's amazing homemade chili for lunch, and talked it up since some of us hadn't seen each other in a while.

Some of the family up there had never met Asher before, and he was a big hit. The "talking circle" made a rather perfect play-pen, and he got lots of attention. He enjoyed it a lot. He also enjoyed climbing up the stairs of the fifth-wheel...

...getting completely filthy...

...playing with his cousin Seth...

...and sitting on a horse-- Jinx. Actually, he wasn't so sure about Jinx, so he didn't stay up there too long.

We had so much fun, we didn't want to leave, but duty calls. It was wonderful to spend Pioneer Day with family we love in such a beautiful place!

The First Haircut

2010-07-29T19:09:00.000-07:00

Asher's hair has been getting very unruly lately. Especially because of the little cowlick right smack dab in the middle of his forehead. It makes his very long front hair do wonky things. I've trimmed the hair around his ears twice, but I've never dared tackle the rest of his hair for fear of turning out a haircut so horrible, we'd have to buzz his head.

And so, today we headed to the salon for his first haircut.

They were really cute about it, giving him a little certificate and saving a lock of hair for me. He sat on my lap while the stylist clipped and snipped. Like the mellow guy he is, he just sat there, occasionally trying to grab the scissors or the buzzer.

And then I brought my handsome guy home and had a horrible realization. As scraggly and nearly-eye-reaching as his long hair was, I loved it. I loved the wonky things it did. I loved watching it float around in the bath. I loved the cuteness it gave to his baby face.

Now he looks like a little boy.

I rocked him to sleep for his nap, musing on all the growing-upness that's going on around our house. The walking. The eating of real food. The words beginning to form. The little puzzles of everyday life he's solving. I got a little sniffly, and put him down. Then I sat down on the couch, started to cry, and said to Dan, "I miss his long hair."

Growing up is hard to do.

A Month of Birthdays

2010-07-25T07:57:00.000-07:00

Within a month, we've celebrated Danny's birthday, America's birthday, and my birthday! I turned 26 on July 17, and we had a ball.

The only thing I wanted for my birthday was the P90x exercise program. I'd had an epiphany a few days earlier about needing to be healthy-- not skinny, just healthy!-- and did some research. Several people had recommended P90x, and so, we got it (and quite cheaply, too). Asher can show me up already.

For the day itself, we went to the local pool. I've been dying to take Asher, and we had a blast. Danny's brother Shawn and his girlfriend came too.

Asher wasn't so sure about it to begin with, but once he got the hang of things, he loved it. It's a great place for kids, with a splash pad, plenty of water toys, a lazy river, two water slides, and even an adult pool and diving area. We kept to the kiddy pool, letting Asher walk around and play in the shallows. He liked the lazy river, too, because we'd hold him up on his belly like he was really swimming.

I tried out one of the slides, which was fun. Then we all had to control our laughter as we passed a woman lying on her side in the kiddy pool, her hip raised up provocatively. Her hair was perfectly coiffed, and she held a little yellow Japanese parasol to shade her head. She was so obviously posing, we looked around for the photographer. Who was she trying to be provocative for, the kids? Their dads? It's not exactly the best pool for picking up a date!

Anyway, I digress. We all came out of the pool with very wrinkly feet and headed home for a nap.

That night, Danny and I got to have a date. We went to Red Lobster, and I splurged for the feast of crab legs, lobster tail, and shrimp. It was divine! We were going to try to go up the canyon and roast marshmellows, but we were exhausted from the two and a half hours at the pool (plus P90x). So we went to see a movie.

And now, I face the latter years of my twenties. If they're anything as good as the former years of my twenties, I've got a lot to look forward to.

Independence Day

2010-07-25T07:33:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I know I'm practically a month late.

This year, we got to spend the Fourth at Danny's family's cabin! It was a long drive, as always, but we took a little time out for Asher to play.

Asher got to show off to his grandma how he could do "woo hoo" with his arms flailing. Unfortunately, that was about all Asher got to see of Grandma. He went to bed, and by the next morning she had contracted a very nasty stomach bug. Poor Grandma!

The next day, we took Asher four-wheeling! Danny strapped him on with the carrier, and I watched as my speed-demon husband took the roads carefully and slowly. It was gorgeous, and kind of nice to go a little slower and enjoy everything around us. We even took a little time to stop and meander along a little stream.

There was plenty of time to hang out, enjoy nature, and play with family. Asher and his cousin Lailie get cuter together every time we see them. And as always, he watched Kyle like a hawk. Someday, he's going to follow that boy everywhere he goes.

We came to the realization, however, that Asher is allergic to traveling. He got sick for only the second time in his life, and both times have been while we were visiting the family! For a while, he just had a low-grade fever. No other symptoms, and he had no problem continuing to play. Danny and I put him to be early and stayed home from the big fireworks that night, which ended up being like a date night for us. Danny showed me how to properly play Super Smash Brothers, which significantly increased the number of times I won.

But then. The boy cried. We gave him a cool bath, then back to bed he went. We put in a movie. He cried again. We gave him more Tylenol. And all night long, every hour, he woke up screaming as his fever climbed and climbed. By three thirty a.m., I had pulled him into bed with us, and Danny had stretched out across the bottom of the bed so Asher wouldn't get hotter from our body heat. His temperature was now 103. There was no instacare. We were in the middle of the mountains in the dark. So Danny woke up his brother Shawn, and they gave Asher a blessing.

And oh, how I love the priesthood! He fell asleep for the rest of the night, and by morning, his fever had broken. He still didn't feel good that day, but we dressed him up in belated Fourth of July regalia, and he played and played. (Though after we came home, he ended up breaking out in a rash.)

In the end, the only fireworks we got to see were some little street ones that Kyle set off, but that's okay! We spent time with family, had fun, and remembered the love we have for our country!

10 Months! (10 Days Late)

2010-07-22T20:32:00.001-07:00

10 months old, and cuter than ever!

Active Asher

2010-07-22T20:12:00.000-07:00

Asher never sits still. While he's still "mellow" in personality, he's anything but in his activities. He has to be everywhere, all at once. And while he's at it, he's going to figure out all the cool things to do wherever he is.

Today, for example, he pulled out Mike Wazowski. He rolled around, tugging Mike with him, for at least five minutes, trailing green arms and legs. Then he proceeded to attack Mike with his teeth.

Eat Mike's horn, eat it!

When that got old, he refused his firetruck and instead grabbed Dad's calculator. He then zoomed himself all over the room by putting both hands on it and pushing it while he crawled.

Upon growing bored with that activity, he hopped up and started walking from one end of the house to the other. He's been crawling more than walking still-- until today. Today, he was the master of the walk. Back and forth, stick a finger in the socket, grab Mom's telescope, pull apart the kitchen drawer, scurry for the bathroom, try to grab Dad's computer cords. He had a blast. I got some good exercise.

Bathtime came upon us, and I had to constantly admonish him that we do not stand up in the tub. His favorite toy, of course, is the scrub brush. Never mind all the cute sea animals, he wants that brush. And for the first time, he attempted to drink his bath water. He stuck his face right in it, then sat up with a jerk, snorting water out his nose.

This is the face we make after snorting up water.

When bedtime came around, he spent a good five minutes shaking his head vigorously from side to side, showing his extreme disapproval of sleeping. I, however, thought otherwise. I had caught him sneakily cuddling up to his blue bear, which he has started carting around wherever he walks. It didn't take long before he cuddled up with blue bear and Eeyore blankie and was out.

And, other than chase Asher from one end of the house to the other and smother him in kisses, what do I do? I laugh with my husband. I do my P90X workout at 6 am every morning (okay, so I've missed two). I write my young adult novel. I read. I encourage my carrots, cucumbers, squash, and peppers to keep growing despite the heat. I go to work. I guess you could say I'm an active mommy, too!

Behold...

2010-07-16T19:39:00.000-07:00

...the boy walketh!

Sometimes

2010-07-09T18:46:00.001-07:00

Sometimes, Asher lets go of the couch and takes six or seven stumbling steps, then falls into my arms giggling.

Sometimes, it's appropriate for all three family members to wave their arms in wild abandon and shout, "woo hoo!" (Or just "ooooo!" for the smallest of us.)

Sometimes, even when it's bedtime, the thing baby needs most is for mommy to nibble and smooch his face and arms so he can giggle while she rocks him.

Sometimes, it's nice to take your fuzzy Eeyore blanket to Daddy and snuggle right up to them.

Sometimes, it's okay to eat cheerios off the floor.

Sometimes, you find a toy that's exactly what you've always wanted: a fire truck. And you even know how to play with it just right.

Sometimes, the piano is better played with your feet.

Sometimes, life is just peachy.

Happy Birthday, Danny!

2010-07-09T14:06:00.000-07:00

Somehow, the last few months seem to have gotten a whole lot busier, and my blogging a lot less frequent. This post is a few weeks over due, but better late than never, right?

Danny turned 30 on June 26th, and we had an awesome day. He just wanted to relax at home most of the day, but that night we went out on the town. His request was sushi, so off to our favorite Japanese place we went. The restaurant has a fun atmosphere, complete with a koi pond...

...golden Buddha...

...and, uh, snowmen. Why not.

His brother Shawn came with us, which was fun. He kept with the theme of the night by giving Dan a Japanese movie he's been wanting for ages.

Asher spent the whole time flirting with our waitress, an Asian lady who could not get enough of him. Does he wave goodbye to mommy when she leaves for work in the morning? Nope. Does he wave to the waitress when he spots her at the next table? Of course. He also got his own dinner there, which he thoroughly enjoyed.

Then we went home to enjoy the yummy Oreo cheesecake I made him and sing happy birthday. Danny helped Asher lead the music, and they blew out the candles together.

Happy birthday to my wonderful man, who makes the best father and husband I could have asked for!

Five for Five

2010-06-28T08:52:00.000-07:00

What have you spent five dollars on lately?

I've spent it on a new book. A lunch salad from Bajio's. The original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles DVD.

I shell out five dollars or more quite regularly for the things I want. I'm lucky to have that five dollars to spend. Sometimes I feel incredibly poor, like the months when we barely make rent. It's the life of a student family, I suppose. But I still spend that five dollars at least once a week without thinking, because it's really not that much to me.

I'm guessing it's really not that much to you either.

To five kids I love from Ghana, five dollars can pull them out of slavery. The slavery of poverty, of a life where they can earn five dollars in a whole week. The education that will give them freedom only costs about $5,000. If a thousand people gave five dollars, that's all we'd need.
Five dollars isn't that much. And a thousand people is less than the number of kids that went to my high school.
Can you give $5, and make a sandwich for lunch tomorrow instead of going to McDonald's? Can you be one of one thousand? Can you tweet or Facebook your friends to add to that one thousand?

Wherever you're at in life, I bet you make more than $5 a week. I bet you could do those things.
Five dollars for five kids. It's really not that much. Make a tax-deductible donation now through our raffle, and you can even have a shot at getting something out of it.

What will you spend five bucks on today?

Bumps and Bruises

2010-06-27T09:33:00.000-07:00

Asher is gathering a nice little collection of bumps and bruises, which brings on a few tears a day.

Most of this is due to his determination to walk by the time he's 10 months old.

He's been pulling himself up on things and cruising since he was about seven months or so, and demanding we hold his hands and walk him everywhere as well. And in the last few days, he's started the all-important journey of taking those steps on his own.

It started with just letting go of things. My hands. The coffee table. He'd stand there for a minute, his eyes wide, then plop onto his diapered butt. Then he decided he wanted to go from the coffee table to the couch, but there was no one right there to help him. So he did it himself. He almost made it, too, but in the end sort of crashed. Bumps and bruises began to form.

He can now take up to five steps on his own. He still crashes a lot, but he gets really excited when he makes it to his intended destination. I'm pretty amazed, pretty proud, and just a little bit groaning inside. He's going to be into everything.

On the bumps and bruises note, he had a very big bump the other day, thanks to another bad mommy moment. You see, I've been meaning to lower the crib mattress for, oh, two months now. I always remember when it's time to put him in bed. I didn't worry about it too much, since he's still so tiny. What was he going to do, climb out?

Yes. That's exactly what he did one morning last week.

Nothing wakes you up faster than you baby screaming bloody murder. I dashed into his room, half-asleep and frantic with Dan on my heels. And there he lay, on his back, cradled by the boppy on the floor that broke his fall. Somehow, he'd leaned far enough over to bump his forehead on the crib side as he flipped completely over. I scooped him up, cuddled him, and Dan and I checked his little body for anything badly damaged. Bless that boppy and divine intervention, he was fine.

I, however, was not. I berated myself for my horrible mommying skills, covered my boy in apologetic kisses, then handed him over to Dad and lowered the crib mattress that second.

Just call me mother-of-the-year.

Daddy's Day

2010-06-21T21:15:00.001-07:00

For Dan's first Father's Day, I decked Asher out.

Okay, not really. But I did make him a little sign that I pinned to a beanie that said, "I have the world's greatest Dad!" Then I looped the gift bag over Asher's arm and walked him in to give his daddy a big kiss. He pouted most of the time because he didn't like the bag banging his legs, which of course made us mean parents laugh.

Dan loved it. He couldn't stop talking about it all day.

It was a wonderful Father's Day. I got to celebrate my man, who is the most loving, protective, fun father Asher could get. It's amazing to see how, since the moment he saw Asher, Dan has been completely devoted to him. Some of the most amazing moments in my life have been watching Dan be a father. The chases around the coffee table while Asher shrieks in delight. The snuggles when Asher bumps his head. The way Dan gets uncomfortable thinking about somebody strange (i.e. our kind next door neighbor friends) babysitting his little boy. He loves Asher completely. And Asher loves his daddy to pieces.

I also got to celebrate my own daddy. And I don't think I could have had a more perfect father than him. From corny jokes ("Dad, will you make me a peanut butter sandwich?" "Poof! You're a peanut butter sandwich!") to nights waking up at 3 a.m. to watch a meteor shower to hours spent perched on the counter talking about writing or dating or the gospel or anything, he has proved himself to be the best dad in the world. And thus far, a pretty stellar grandad.

And finally, a happy 18th birthday to my very big, very beloved little brother! I used to carry you everywhere on my hip, you know, even when you were so big I had to lean over until I was practically parallel to the ground. You could probably lift me up with one hand now, but you'll always be my baby brother! Love you and happy birthday, Bug.