Marshallman!

Uncle Marshall: smashingly good-looking in a tuxedo.

I recorded Marshall's concert for my parents who were house-hunting in New Hampshire. This piece is entitled Something Classical. Just kidding . . . Marshall probably knows the right name. I am blaming the terrible filming on Maya, who wouldn't stop grabbing the camera string. I couldn't get the other two videos to upload.

Duh.

The girls' room has smelled like nail polish since Friday, and I have NOT been able to find the source of the smell until today: a can of glitter spray paint tipped on its side. No wonder they haven't been sleeping well. I hope they didn't lose too many brain cells from being high.

SOS

Once upon a time Lady Erin was able to change her blog background whenever she wanted. However, this also resulted in accidentally erasing links, widgets, her husband's play lists, etc.

The handsome, cunning, and blog savvy husband Ammon would counter Erin's clumsiness by repairing the blog without complaint and restore the background to something less girly.

One day Ammon surprised Erin with a beautiful girly background! Yet, unbeknown st to her, Ammon cursed the girly background so she could never ever change it again.

If you are able, please come teach Erin how to break the curse on her own blog. She will reward you with a high five or slightly used baby that refuses to sleep throughout the night.

Awesomeness

 

Who needs dance lessons when you've got moves like this? 

Maya Cuteness

Exhausted from watching India & neighbors play in the sprinklers.

Maya is incredibly happy.  Who gets two good babies in a row?  She loves sitting and playing with toys.  She especially loves trying to get the toys Inida is holding.  The way we get India to do things fast is to "beat" Maya or us to it.  The sibling rivalry is quite funny now, but I'm sure I'll get annoyed with it in the future.

In other good news, Maya has started sleeping through the night again.  She took a 2 or 3 week break for no GOOD reason - it's not like she's a newborn anymore.  Anyway, aren't her rolls and chubby cheeks so squeeze-me adorable?  

Summer Fun

Free helium-filled balloon from grocery store + more string + hanger + child = Balloon Kiting

India did a fabulous job of painting my toenails with her new fingernail polish that she got for letting Livia-O wax her unibrow.  I love it!  Last night at work when I was missing the girls, I would slip off my glass slipper shoes (India's term for closed-toe shoes) and admire all the pretty colors she chose for me.

Family Home Evening: "Samuel the Lamanite"

Trying to Catch Up

While watching Enchanted, Panties Livia-O & Hannah gave India a princess makeover.  I didn't get a picture, but Saturday India also got her unibrow waxed off by Livia-O.  And don't you judge me . . . someday she will thank me and hopefully do the same for her children.

Cousin Jack, India, & Maya

Stay tune all week for more updates!

Sleeping

Maya has done this since she was a newborn.  And she is dead asleep.  Goofy, isn't it?

Beads

Ammon: has less than one month of school left till summer break! And we have already packed most of our summer break with plans! Since he just finished boys' soccer this week, he left school at 3pm for the first time since January! He celebrated being home early by immediately driving to the pediatrician's office to complain about a bill (which he axed down to $40 from $140 - no yelling AND no swearing, just a grumpy face).

Me:  Sariah, Livia-O, Hannah, and I went to

 jumparobics at Jump On It in Lindon.  So FUN and so HARD!  And I didn't pee my pants just a little.  They provide free babysitting where the kids get to play on the other blow-up toys and trampolines, and I just kept Maya on the platform by me.  I can't wait to go again.  I also went down to Centerville twice this week to help get my family's house ready for new carp

eting because they are moving to New Hampshire.  Sad news.  But it will be fun to go visit the

m since we've  never been to New Hampshire before!  Lastly, my hair is now dark.  Really dark.  So dark that all of my students, boss, and husband noticed.

India & Maya: India is so fun!  Every morning she asks, "What are we going to do today?"  She loves playing with friends and going to story time.  Maya is rolling over and starting to sit up on her own (finally . . .  at 4 months).  I thought I would take away the bink, but I'm weenie.

The Real Giggles

India is the only one who can make Maya laugh.  (Sometimes Maya will grunt for Ammon and me when we tickle her.)  I filmed this as I was holding Maya Moo, which is why you don't see the front of her face.  Although her laughing and "talking" sounds more teradactyl than human, I think it's adorable because I'm the mom.

Oh sweetie . . .

"Life is like a mirror, we get the best results when we smile at it." ~Author Unknown

What an Andrew Jackson Can Get You

Here's an email from my mom.  Background: Bryce & Nathanael are my brothers. Nathanael (6)  shares a room and bed with David (8). Nathanael has been scheming ways to marry Josie since he was 3.

April 26, 2009

The funniest thing happened tonight.  Bryce and Josie came over and we did the Easter candy hunt with them (yes, 2 weeks late).   At bedtime, Nathanael said that he would sleep with Josie and Bryce could sleep with David.  Bryce said, "well it cost me $1800 for a wedding ring for Josie so I could sleep with her, so do you have $1800. . . (and then just to be nice). . . or do you have 1800 cents?"  Well, Nathanael ran to his room, grabbed his $20 bill (birthday money) and ran back out to Bryce and said "You owe me 2 dollars"    So, as I write this, Nathanael is sleeping INBETWEEN Bryce and Josie in Rachel's bed, with his tooth under his pillow.  Bryce will learn not to mess with Nathanael when it comes to numbers.

So Bryce, I hope you kept the money. Maybe you could buy Josie a bit of therapy, so she'll want to keep hanging out with our family.

Ding Dong the Witch is Dead

Not really.  The only thing missing from this picture is the cool stripey witch socks.  

India dragged Maya into her secret play space while I was out of the room for 20 seconds.  I'm thinking of the  fun {read: damage} they'll have when Maya's legs start working.

Last week after lunch outside on the porch, I said:

"India, go put your plate in the garbage."

India: "No, you go put the plate in the garbage."

Me: "No, you go put the plate in the garbage. I am not your maid."

India: "You is my mommy maid."

Me:  "No, I'm not.  You've got legs.  Put your plate in the garbage.

India: "I NOT YOUR MAID!"

Me: "YES YOU ARE. GO PUT YOUR PLATE IN THE GARBAGE NOW."

Point for Them

You win PEHP.

Thanks Mom for listening to me unload my frustrations and giving me a great pep talk and advice even though you have tons of homework to finish for finals.  

Thanks Dad for being a human before a doctor and writing off many a patient bill because of his/her circumstances.  

Thank you Diane in billing for changing Maya's bill today after I balled beside your cubicle in front of my children and 13 other strangers because PEHP doesn't cover all immunizations.  

 And finally, thank you to John Schmidt's inspirational music (that I found on Kenna's blog).  After so much crying, it has been the perfect "pick-me-up."

Beautiful Baby

Just a cute picture

India wanted "Cinderella braids" today.  Wait, she's old enough to make requests?  She looked at herself in the mirror the other day and frustratedly exclaimed, "I want straight hair - not curly!"

De-Mulleting the Baby

Beautiful & Spunky: Aunt Livia-O

Before: (shudder)

After: It actually looks a ton better.  Thanks to Hannah for your honesty and to Livia-O for Maya's first haircut!

She Told Me She'd Like a Pink One

I've Learned to Upload Videos!

Maya has recently starting "talking" to us. India was not as social at this age.



These girls adore each other.

Point for Me

I loathe insurance companies.  Even more so than Walmart, bad drivers, potty soup, ranch dressing, and the obnoxious cartoon Sid the Science Kid.   We pay mega-bucks for a 100% insurance coverage, but surprise bills and more deductibles keep popping up.

But you know what?  This post-pregnancy I've actually got some time and a killer cell phone plan to battle it out.  Me vs PEHP. And they cannot hang up on me.

The Battle: Infant Audio Screening Test $84. Insurance denies the claim because the doctor is out of PEHP's network.  I go ballistic, not necessarily because of the money, but because I'm confused as to why the hell an out-of-network doctor is working at my already-insurance-approved hospital.  (No wonder people have their babies at home.  That almost might be worth giving up the epidural and going natural).

Many phone calls later, PEHP pays for part of the claim AND I get the bill down to $50.25 for Maya's deductible.   BOOYAH!  I saved $30 bucks, and I won a moral battle.  I have now saved our family over $200 as of January because I would not give up.

Oh yeah, and it turns out the doctor is in the PEHP network.  NEVER trust your insurance. Apparently, PEHP only hires old women for customer service to make you feel bad for swearing at them, but it's still a ruse.  (And for the record, swearing only happens when x amount exceeds three digits).  

Ugh

Ammon is talking and playing with Maya in the living room when I return from work. I ask "where's India?"  to which Ammon replies, "Maybe in the bathroom.  She's been in there for a long time."  I wait a few more minutes since India does NOT like to be disturbed when she's taking care of business.  I open the door and find India swishing her hands in the toilet.  She says to me, "I making soup in the potty for you Mommy." Luckily, the only soup elements are toilet paper and un-yellow water.

We laugh, put her in time out, and laugh more.  Afterwards, Ammon explains to her that she and her friends are not allowed to play in the bathroom.  Then they role play future scenarios a couple times.  A few minutes later India yells at "Shrek" to stop playing in the bathroom.  She puts him in time out and gives him the exact same talk Ammon gave her.  Lesson learned.

3 Months Old & a Liar

I celebrated Maya's 3 month birthday by packing the newborn clothes and pulling out the three to six month clothes!  She is a very sweet baby, but managed to cry herself out of the last hour of church.

  

Last night India came crying into her bedroom.  I asked her what was wrong and she said, "Daddy called me stupid."  Naturally, I yelled at Ammon.  However, it turns out Ammon actually told India, "time to go to bed", which translated into "Daddy called me stupid."

For Daddy

India hates it when this happens.

 Oh yeah, and her only agenda today is to make sure Maya is awake while the sun is up.  However, I did Pilates and have not lost my temper yet this morning.  It is 4 hours into Monday, and I miss you already Ammon.  

Love, 

Erin

Fact

I hate March Madness.  

Does this look familiar?

Both pictures are of Maya.  She tries to suck the same two fingers as India.  And what's funny is that India found her fingers when she was the same age as Maya.  We're thinking we might lose the binkie next month and let her work on self-soothing.

I'm a Nerd

My latest find is a Satirical Political Beliefs Assessment Test.  Seriously, I can't stop laughing. Here's a teaser:

139: What should be preserved for future generations?

CONSERVATIVE: - Family fortunes

- Historic Buildings

- Black and white movies

LIBERAL: - The national debt

- Graceland

- The Ozone layer

- Barbie dolls

LIBERTARIAN: - Liberty

COMMUNIST: - The Berlin Wall

- The Iron Curtain

- Lenin's remains

176: What does women's rights mean to you?

CONSERVATIVE: Treat women better than men.

LIBERAL: Treat men worse than women.

LIBERTARIAN: Treat men and women the same

COMMUNIST: Treat men and women equally bad.

76: What bizarre practices conducted by some human cultures do you find particularly barbaric?

CONSERVATIVE: - Human sacrifice.

- Cannibalism.

- Matriarchal societies.

LIBERAL: - Animal sacrifice.

- Carnivorism.

- Female circumcisions.

LIBERTARIAN: - Arranged marriages.

- Shaming people living in torrid tropical climates into wearing clothes.

COMMUNIST: - Free enterprise.

If you appreciate good satire, go here.

Draper Temple Openhouse

Yesterday I took the girls and tagged along with the Redding family to the Draper Temple Openhouse.  Ammon couldn't come because he had parent-teacher conference.  We met a stake center and watched a brief movie about temples before we were shuttled off to the temple. India told me that "we get married and dance at the temple."  She also kept telling the bus driver to slow down.  Our silent tour through the temple was fun.  I was amazed at how reverent India and Tristen were.  My favorite parts were the baptismal font, the bride's dressing room, and the sealing room (where families and couples are married and sealed for eternity).  Also, the chandelier in the celestial room was just exquisite.  India told Susan that she wanted to wear a pink dress in the temple.  But after Susan explained to her that we wear white in the temple, India seemed ok with a white dress instead.

After the tour, they served cookies and water in another nearby stake center.  What a blessing!  India had been asking for a snack the entire time.  Maya slept until refreshment time.  But no cookies for her for a while.  Tours for are still going on until March 14th for the general public.  Click here to get your reservations.

Miracle: When we returned from the temple 1 1/2 hours later, I found my car--with the lights still on.  I had a bad feeling.   However, I've gotten good at asking for help from perfect strangers and most people are more than willing to help (especially when you flash that newborn).  I opened the car to see if the car would start and it did.  The battery should have been dead, but it 

was not.  You see, I've gotten in the habit of praying beforehand every time I drive more than 10 miles , and yesterday was no exception.  I didn't deserve to have that miracle because it was my own stupid fault, but I'm REALLY grateful anyway. 

The Reddings: David, Tristan, Susan, and Drew.  At one point of the tour we were walking single- file, Susan holding Drew, David in the middle holding the hands of India and Tristen, followed by me holding Maya.  The lady behind me asked if India and Tristen were twins.  Then she asked Susan if we were sisters.  We had a short discussion sorting out who belonged to who and who was married to who and who was not married to who.  Slightly awkward.  

In other news, both girls survived their doctor appointments this week.  India is still small (12th percentile), and Maya is not as big as I thought (47th percentile).  Maya recovered much faster from her vaccinations than India did.  India told Hailey "the doctor shot me."  Maya still slept through the night and is still smiling at us.  The doctor did confirm that Maya is a lazy baby though that's not quite the word he used.  I give the kid tummy time and she just lays there. Eventually she'll get angry and start kicking her legs and crying, but still doesn't try to lift her head.  When we stand her up, she flops to the ground.  She can hold her head up when I have her upright.  She's much more complacent and laid-back than India was.

Flower Girl

Headbands designed, created, and sold by Hannah Zitting.  (Model not included). All of Ammon's sisters are so talented and creative.

Cake

This is for you Laney.  My first non-traditional cake!  I used strawberry whoppers instead of gumballs.  I don't like either candy, but it wasn't hard to find people who did.

  

Jared (nearly 15) and Marshall (recently 17)

One of the perks about a big family is that there's always a birthday around the corner.  

Grandma, Maya, Nathanael, Jared, David, Marshall, Rachel, and India.  And that's only half of us.

Bedtime.

For the Grandmas & Grandpas

Happy Valentine's Day

(a couple days late)

How can you not love those baby chubbo cheeks, tummy, and legs?  Naked babies are always my favorite.  

Maya (7 weeks old) enjoys eating, going to bed late, her butterfly mobile, baths with India/showers with Daddy,  and church - aka - 3 hours of uninterupted cuddling from Mommy, Daddy, & Kenna.  She coos and smiles a lot more now.  She dislikes putting on lotion after bath time and not being held and cuddled during the day.   However, after an entire day of catnapping and constant whining, Maya slept 8 hours last night! Unfortunately, that meant Ammon slept in and was late to work this morning.  

India (officially 3 years old!) learned something interesting in church this week.  She told us, "the rain came crashing down and the floods came up and killed Jesus." Still working on getting that story right.

On Valentine's Day I got to sleep in.  When I woke up, I found this typed note from India (transcribed by Ammon) on the bathroom mirror:

Dear Mommy, 

     Get flowers.  And get some chocolate.  And milk.  Some food.  Get some more chips.  Get some cake.  Her pretty.  My mommy pretty.  Get a movie and popcorn.  Thanks for snuggle Mommy.  Happy Valentine's Day.  

Love you.

India

And a few minutes later Ammon and India walked in the door with flowers and the rest of the V-day loot.  I love you both!

I Heart the Internet

India asked me to draw her a picture of a princess.  After attempt #1 she told me, "That not very good," which was true.  But I couldn't live with that.  So I googled how to draw a princess.  She was happy and dubbed princess #2 Sleeping Beauty.  Then she requested a horse for Sleeping Beauty.  Never mind the picture turned out to be more mythical monster than horse - India liked it.