LOVE

Marley is almost 7 months but we finally got her pictures taken. She is such a sweet baby and we love her. She is growing too fast, and is immitating us now with the "ba, ba, ba," and Icky is the center of her universe they are so sweet together. I am very blessed to have been given such sweet wonderful kids. They are definately two of our best decisions

A PRESENT FOR UNCLE JOSH

So today was my day off and unlike usual the kids and I mostly stayed home. (First I love to not be home, nor do I want to be at work so we do random errands, which exhaust me with two kids, but still I don't want to be home so. . . Second with the air quality and Garrick's asthma we've tried to stick home more even though for some reason I don't want to, perhaps the cleaning and nagging projects that I never get done.) Anyway Garrick was napping and my sweet Marleykins had had her milk and eaten her wonderful carrots, these two things almost always lead to the inevitable explosion. I got the poop tool box ready, wipes, pad, extra diaper, butt cream,etc. I quickly open the diaper to survey the damage. Now before you think I am nuts and need to be committed, NO I don't usually search the Marley poop for foreign objects, I usually close the sucker up so quick it doesn't know what hit it. Today I was slow on the uptake and a little face in the poop caught my eye. I looked as closely as I could, but the foreigner was being difficult and I needed a new tool, something I haven't ever used in examining feces, A Q-TIP. I pushed the face around, with the q-tip, and looked and found that it was folded. There was not just a face, but an entire boy holding a bear. As I examined it closer I discovered that it was not just any random piece of paper, it was a gift tag from the Gatherum Family Christmas Chaos party. The tag said, "TO: JOSH." The from was indecipherable but I knew Annita had Josh's name this year. SO Merry Christmas Josh, again but this gift is a little less desirable than the doggie prep stuff you really got. New mystery, has the tag been in little Marley's stomach from Christmas or did she find it at Grandma's on Wednesday while she was there! The life of a mom, examining poop, I am considering a job change to a CSI or something.

Finally Christmas

We had a great holiday and I know that I am the last person on the planet to blog about it but here it is. We started out by heading down to Carl's parents on the 22nd. Garrick, Marley and I rode the Frontrunner down, Garrick kept asking if we were going to the north pole. Needless to say he threw a fit when we got off the train. On Christmas Eve we went to Carl's sister Andrea's house for some cousin presents and a story.
Afterwards Icky decided he was going to have a sleepover on an air matress with his cousins, Abby and Erin, they both went to sleep and he kept asking about Santa. It was cute that he was so excited.

He woke up at about 7:00 and once he saw his Hogwarts Express he didn't want anything to do with the other things we got for him. It took me an hour, literally to get him to unwrap even one gift. Meanwhile Marley was unwrapping and eating paper to her hearts content. She LOVED the paper. Christmas was great and Santa really scored with the Hogwarts Express. (Oh, and the ball and little teathing blanket I made. I'm very proud of my handi work.)
We headed back up for the Gatherum family Christmas party, which is always fun but a little chaotic. Uncle Kev is always playing with one of the little ones. Icky always loves when Uncle Josh is in town because they wrestle, but this time they made Marley cry, she thought Josh was hurting the little Ick.
Then back down to Fairview for sledding and New Years Eve, which was really fun but uneventful.

We had a great holiday, and now have learned that it will be wiser to save up for the wonderful day. Thanks fam, especially the kids, for making the holiday so fun.

Stinking Tickets

Most of you would think that between my 5 month old and my 2 1/2 year old the one who would be waking me up multiple times a night would be my 5 month old. Oh no, Marley is a champ sleeper she would sleep 12 hours a night without so much as a peep, it is Garrick who is waking up. It started out as an endearing little thing he would do, but now it is the most annoying thing in my life right now. Our cute boy has always loved trains, when we showed him the Polar Express it went to a whole new level. We actually "lost" the movie for an entire year. (He never forgot about it and would ask at least once a month about it.) I made the mistake of buying the book this year, now everything is a ticket. Receipts, tithing slips, pieces of random paper, anything and everything he can get his hands on. This in and of itself is not the problem, the problem is that he wants them perfect and he wants to sleep with them. If they get wrinkled he needs them straightened and if we can't straighten them he freaks (can you say OCD). He is constantly asking where his tickets are and finding new ones. Here is where the problem is, he won't go to sleep without them (we've tried and he wakes up hysterical). So what happens is that he wakes up multiple times a night, if it is wrinkled at 1:00am then it needs fixed, if it is not where he can find it he is crying and we have to go find it, this happens at least 2 times every night (OCD). I loath those stinking tickets and would like to tear them up and throw them away, which I have done to the dismay of my bawling boy. I hate the tickets.

Tagged

RULES
1. Post rules on your Blog.
2. Answer the six "8" items.
3. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving them a comment.

8 Favorite Shows:
1. Pushing Daisies
2. Heros
3. Chuck
4. Life
5. Eli Stone
6. Backyardigans (of Icky's shows anyway)
7. Gilmore Girls (re-runs)
8. Jon and Kate + 8

8 Things I Did Yesterday:
1. Drove to and from work
2. Worked its great being a teacher
3. Went to Target
4. Went to Young Womens (second councelor)
5. Watched Eli Stone
6. Pretended my house was clean so I didn't have to clean it.
7. Stressed about stupid stuff
8. attempted to sleep

8 Things I Look Forward Too:
1. Every other day off.
2. Christmas Garrick is starting to get it.
3. Rome and Greece in April (its not too late you are all invited.)
4. Bed time with Garrick he loves to sing I am a Child of God, and Harry Potter look at the video, hilarious. SO CUTE.
5. The look on Marley's face when I rescue her from her crib.
6. Loosing the baby weight.
7. The first real snow.
8. Friday date night with Carl and some friends.

8 Favorite Restaurants:
1. Boccias de Italia they have the best calzones and alfredo
2. Goodwood
3. Applebees, not really a favorite but I've been craving their fajitas
4. Cafe Rio
5. This great greek place across the river from Notre Dame in Paris
6. If I could afford it I think the Melting Pot would be I'm good with anything smothered in cheese, especially if I am in controll over how much smothering is going on.
7. Fast Food: Chick fil A
8 . Ruby River



8 Things on my wish list:
1. A new denim skirt, very hard to find.
2. No more car payment.
3. Garrick to potty train himself
4. A good book to read (taking suggestions)
5. Another student teacher.
6. More patience with my boys
7. Someone to clean my house spotless every day for free (any takers)
8. Happiness, who doesn't want that.

8 People to Tag:
1. Amy
2. Steph
3. Kimmy
4. Leah? may have been already
5. Mandy
6. Mechelle
7. Jodi
8. Annita