Hop, Skip & Jump

I went to Parent Teacher Conferences tonight for Julia and Jack. Both teachers said really nice things, but what I loved the most is something Jack's teacher said. She said, "Jack really likes to hop to the pencil sharpener."
It made me laugh because it's so true--Jack prefers hoping/jumping over walking and he seems to pull it off with ease!
His teacher said he was "delightful" and that is just how I would describe Jack--full of delight, wonder, imagination, joy and love!
Today he wrote a book for Aaron called, "A Giant of Thunder" It goes like this: once there was giant, the giant is mad, (next page) mad, the end!
He is constantly coloring and making up books--yesterday's book was "I am Jack" I am a go-Jack, I go, Who is Jack? Jack. The end.

I love that boy that hops!

Bragging Rights

I know that one big complaint of blogs is that they are too braggy---I agree, but if you are keeping a blog and neglecting your journal as I am currently doing, sometimes you just have to spill the beans about how perfect something was:
So, here's mine--Primary Program, Grace 2nd Ward, November 9, 2008---Julia gets up to say her part and has it completely memorized (something that she did completely on her own) and says it with perfect clarity to an audible gasp from the audience when she was done!
2 Nephi Chapter 4 verse 15:
"And upon these I write the things of my soul, and many of the scriptures which are engraven upon the plates of brass. For my soul delighteth in the scriptures and my heart pondereth them, and writeth them for the learning and the profit of my children."

Cookies, Cookies...

I recently saw a quote from Hillary Clinton that said, (I'm paraphrasing, but the cookie part is exact!) "I guess I could've stayed home a baked cookies all day, but I wanted to make a difference..." Ok, in all honestly I don't know about the making a difference part, but that was the main jist of it.
Well, I choose to make cookies, maybe not all day, but lately, everyday! Adam and I are getting in this great and horrible habit of making cookies everyday after he wakes up from his nap---it all starts when he goes and gets a bowl and says in the cutest voice ever, "make cookieeeees". And then how can I resist him telling me, "good mommy" with every ingredient I add.
If you can't handle the idea of little feet being a bit too close to cookie dough and then little fingers finding their way into the dough then please don't eat the cookies from our house. Oh, and the Bumbo on the counter---a big no, no, but I was standing there the entire time!

Too much on the brain!!!

Please refer back to previous posts about never getting that perfect picture with everyone looking and smiling! And I know, it looks as if Luke will soon be holding Jack instead of the other way around!
Anyone that knows me or I should say knows me well, knows that I get really into the news, issues, etc.
I remember as a teenager I heard this lady in church say that she just can't watch the news, it just makes her cry. At the time I thought this was the most annoying thing I had ever heard because I thought you have to watch the news, you must be informed, etc. Being informed on issues, current events, etc. is basically like a commandment to me.
But, I have to admit I am almost getting to the point of that lady in church. The news doesn't make me want to cry---it makes me want to scream! If I see another sound bite from the 50 million Sarah Palin interviews since the election has been over I think I will scream---15 minutes are up---please go home or moose hunting or whatever, just go! Not that I like the replacement news much more---let's change our minds yet again about how to spend this $700 billion and while we're at it let's add a billion more here and there and everywhere--it's like being Santa Claus with a noose---let's find our top 1,000 ways to raise taxes in our first 3 days of office---and the spin on the whole Prop 8 is driving me batty, if you can't already tell---
I hardly ever watch TV, I actually read all this news online, cnn, msnbc, fox news, ksl all among the daily reads, but today while trying to find a cartoon I watched just a few minutes of the View, needless to say after 5 minutes of watching I emailed Whoopi four different times (mostly because you could only have 250 characters per email) about how misguided her comments were---really, is Whoopi really going to read my emails or is she really going to care or change her views because of me---i'm thinking no!
So...this brings me to my point---is it really so bad to take a break from the news? I think that is what I need. I am still strong on my stances, I still want to know an overall picture of whats going on, but really I can't handle the half-truths, the twisting and turning of everyone's spin and agenda any longer.
Back to those that know me well, they know that I always have "just one more thing" to say--so here it is---On Prop 8, one thought: I am saddened to see so many members of the Church make comments and posts about how the Church is sorta right, but sorta not right and they agree with what the Church has said kinda, but how they would've done it this way or that way differently---seriously---take a step out of this crazy world we live in and look at the whole picture and wake up! You can love all of God's children and still have conviction--I promise it's possible--look at our amazing Prophet and then look again and listen!
Ok, I'm done--no more, back to cute & silly children stories!

Halloween times 4!

I need to get my act together with taking pictures--we had two family Halloween parties the weekend before Halloween and I did not take one picture--I even packed my camera! But, they were really fun parties--thanks to mom and dad and Aaron's parents for two great parties!
Then there was the pictureless Halloween Carnival as mentioned before. So, when the actual night of Halloween came I thought I should redeem myself with a few pictures. The only problem is that Luke was asleep, Adam put on Jack's costume, Jack wanted to be a Dracula, instead of Buzz Lightyear and Julia thought her butterfly costume wouldn't be warm enough for trick or treating, so we came up with a makeshift clown costume for her!
So, here are the Halloween pictures, sorta!

My VP....

As I mentioned before, being the PTO President is quite the adventure (well, thats one word for it!). Everyone keeps asking me, who is your Vice-President----well, I don't have one! Yes, thats right--I've been on my own, well not completely because I have Julia! So, I have decided from now on when asked about a VP, I'll say that Julia is my VP---because she is my best help!
This week we had the Halloween Carnival at the school and do you think I got one blasted picture to document the weeks of hard work I've put into this event--no! I guess you have to always forget something. It was a success though and I am very glad that it is over!!!

Lukey Lu...

Luke is now almost 5 months old---he is such a wonderful baby that I love so very much. He is pretty mellow, although he has discovered a very high pitch scream. It is sometimes a mix between a scream and a squeal, but it's always really high pitched! He is a sleeper---he reminds me a lot of Jack as a baby--loves to sleep and grow a lot! In fact, I saw this picture of Jack & Julia when Jack was about Luke's age and it really reminded me of Luke.
I scanned this picture and I can't figure out how to make the actual picture bigger, but you get the idea---chubby cheeks, big eyes, really cute! That's just how Luke is right now!
Five months has flown by and I am actually hoping that the next four or five months fly by too because Luke has to wear a helmet to reshape his head for the next 4-5 months. A couple of weeks ago he had a cast made of his head and then they make a helmet from that mold that will reshape the head to be more round and symmetrical. The reason he needs this is because since he was born he always turns his head to the left while he sleeps, so he has developed a flat area on that left side mostly. The helmet will reshape his head during the next few months. It is the best time to do this while he is still young. But, I must say he is so dang cute that he can even do a helmet and be darling!