WOW....it's been a while!!

I am going to have to do this in baby steps I think. It has been so long since I have blogged and I have debated the blog etiquette on past-due blogs, wondering when it becomes too long past an event to blog about it. I've heard that with thank-you notes, once you've reached a year past the event, it is considered more of an insult than appreciation to send the note. However, I am not sending a thank you, so I figure I don't care so much what etiquette says for blogging. So, you'll have to suffer through Halloween up until now....my apologies. :)

I am going to start with MY most exciting moment since Halloween and not do this necessarily in any chronological order.

So, a couple weeks before Kate turned 2 in December, she started showing some interest in the bathroom and the things that go on in it and I had set my resolve to begin the potty training process once school was out and Joe and I could focus our full attention on it and make it stick (although it seemed VERY early). Apparently, however, Kate was not willing to wait until we had time for it. Joe and I were especially busy with finals, the health fair I was organizing at my internship and just life in general. So, one of these busy days, my friend Shawnie was watching Kate when she said the magic words, "PeePee." So, Shawnie being braver/crazier than I am, sat her on the toilet where she did her business. When Shawnie told me, I was excited, but was still set to start potty training after finals.

Well, the next day was the Health Fair and Shawnie was watching the kids again and when I got home, she told me she had done it again and was even dry when she woke up from her nap. I was thrilled and decided potty training couldn't/wouldn't wait. So, we went with regular procedure in our house and ditched the diapers (I have strong feelings AGAINST Pull-Ups and their enabling--I won't start) and Kate has been fully potty trained ever since. Which is especially lovely seeing as how I am going to get to go 8 whole months before I have to change another diaper. I think that, secretly, because of this, she's my favorite....oh, come on, can you blame me? :)

From the mouth of babes...

So a friend of mine came up to me after church today to share a story with me about Luke. At first I was a little scared, knowing some of the doosies he's repeated, but as she told the story, all I could do was smile and nod.
She said he was sitting with his class in primary (sharing time, for those who know what that is) and was loudly having a conversation with really no one in particular. This is how it went:

Luke: So, my mom has a little baby in her tummy...want to know how I know?

(No real response from anyone, but he certainly had my friend's attention at this point)

Luke: Because there were two lines on the stick.



(I wonder what other things he's decided to share....)

P.S. Don't worry, this is not my "stick."

Go

(She's the darling one in the middle holding the ball)

here to vote for my sister for player of the month at her college. Not only is she a mom of two little ones, but she got a full-ride scholarship to play soccer for Northwest Christian College and brought their winless season last year when she didn't play up to multiple wins with her game winning goals. After you click on the link above, scroll down just a little and on the right you can vote for her--Heather Henderson!! I am so proud of her! Thanks for the vote!

So sad.

Got this news from a blog I stalk (she's lovely--check her out). Mother's Frosted Circus Cookies will be no longer....I have lost a piece of me.

sniff....sniff....

More Mamma Mia Pics....BEWARE!!

Here is a few more pictures of our Girls' Night--Such a blast for all of us--we dress-uppers were quite the entertainment for the "Nondress-uppers" -it's safe to say, I think.
ENJOY!








Not pretty, I realize....I sacrifice this for your entertainment.
You're welcome.

Good "clean" fun!!

Some ladies in my ward/neighborhood and I have started a city league soccer team and it has been so great getting to play and getting to know these great girls--most of whom I hardly knew before the season started. I'm not sure if I blocked my high school/church ball days out of my mind (it wasn't pretty), but being back in competition has rekindled the competitor/poor sport in me. I've realized that even more than in high school, I HATE LOSING!! While trying to teach my son, who gets devastated when he loses, how to be a good sport, I am very sensitive to how I am responding to my own losses. Remembering the frustration of loss has helped me be a little more empathetic at his devastation and hopefully we can learn together how to take losing like champs.
Anyhoo, it has been so fun playing with these ladies and today was no exception. I was SO excited when I looked out the window this morning and realized I'd get to play in the sloppy, wet rain. Growing up in Oregon, I grew fond of the frequent "puddle jumping" opportunities my sister Heather and friend Jenny and I were given.


So, needless to say, today I was feeling quite at home running around in the rain and mud and with the encouragement of Jill, we created the perfect sliding spot and celebrated our win. Who says we're too old for this!?!!?





(Yes, I do realize the pooh inducing position I am in here...I'm so photogenic!)


The big blob of mud on the side of my face was courtesy of Carrie. Let's just say it's a good thing I love her....and that she's way faster than I am! :)

P.S. These women are even cooler than they look in these pics--LOVE 'EM!!!

GRRR!!!

(I'd take a pic of myself being annoyed, but.....)

So, I live my life according to blogs these days. What I mean is, when I see something happening with myself, my hubby or my kids, my initial thought is, "This would be a great blog--I need a picture." (Am I alone in this or has the blogging world shifted all your universes as well?) Anyway, this new technologically driven habit has been stunted by the annoying fact that I CANNOT, for the life of me, find my STUPID camera! So, not only can I not load up the 1st day of school pics I took of Luke and Jozlyn for my "Back to School" blog (premeditated, mind you), but when the kids throw about 7 loads of clean laundry all over my living room (yes, that's right; I have 7+ loads of clean laundry that needs to be folded--when I find my camera, I'll take a picture of that, too. It's impressive, I must say) I can't even take a picture. I had to just sigh at my misfortune of a lost camera and make the kids help me clean it up. What good is a huge mess, if I don't have a way to document it? It may finally come down to me asking Joe for a new one and while I'm at it, I may as well ask for the video camera and Kitchen Aid mixer I have been dying for.....

It could happen.....