the secret life of z's

pumpkin patch. part 1

2011-10-26T21:42:00.000-07:00

we have been pumpkin patching with these guys for 3 years now.

they live in LA- so instead of meeting up at Bates like we did the past two years

we met half way- in Irvine- at a pumpkin patch with a train.

and rain.

not that it is always raining there,

but when we went it was.

so we got very few pictures.

reecie slept through the whole thing.

we took a little train ride.

we ran round thier little patch.

jules and i stood in the rain and talked about potty training

while the boys jumped their hearts out in the bounce house.

the boys got a pumpkin and then

we finally packed up to find an indoor play place to eat lunch

cause we weren't ready to part ways yet,

even if it was pouring rain.

we ate chick-fil-a and chatted while the boys played some more.

they are such great little buddies and

even after a few months apart they pick up right where they left off.

it's really cute to see how much fun they have together.

ollie smiled through it all.

then puked all over his momma.

i wish they still lived half a mile away
cause i love 'em all!

if you mustache why...

2011-10-26T21:12:00.000-07:00

we would say beacuse uncle pat's birthday makes you want to put on a mustache or two and take a photo shoot.

easiest kid ever!!

2011-10-26T20:52:00.000-07:00

no, not elliot-bless his energetic spunky sassy little heart.

but benny, his cousin.
he is not only adorable, but as sweet as they come.
the kind of kid that makes you want to have 20 more.
ben is the baby in his family.
he follows a very stubborn and challenging,
but also adorable brother.
the Lord gave them ben as a tender mercy after collin.
ben is such an awesome example and buddy to elliot
he teaches him
how to share
how to not cough in your hand, but in your arm fold.
how to catch polie bugs
what a pirate ship is made out of
how to eat all your dinner
and
best of all how to play for HOURS without mom!!

we like to invite benny over as much as possible. (but he's a big preschooler now)
we'd even pay him if we needed to.
but lucky for us, he thinks elliot is pretty great and comes for free!
we also get all benny and collins wonderful hand me downs.
so every time elliot get dressed he comments,
"that's so nice for benny to share his shirts wif me, huh mom?"
it's true, benny is really nice.

three favorite words

2011-10-26T20:27:00.000-07:00

it makes my heart so happy
when e comes running into the family room after reading stories with dad and says,

"TIME FOR FRIP-SHURES!" (scriptures)

because that means we made it through another day.
it means dinner was decided and eaten (i struggle with what to fix for dinner. A LOT)
it means baths are done
jammies are on
and bedtime is less then 5 minutes away.
it means that even though i may have done lots of things wrong
at least we are ending the day with something right.

JACKPOT!!!

2011-10-04T20:45:00.000-07:00

i love that when a baby starts smiling you feel like you have won the lottery!!

nesting

2011-10-04T20:39:00.000-07:00

reecie boy came 24 days early.
i was in MAJOR "nesting" mode when my water broke.
so did my vacuum.
so i went to my parents and borrowed theirs cause
i was not going to bring a baby home to a dirty house!
i had done my big shop to fill the pantry earlier that week
(i did the same thing when i was nesting with elliot-
it's the only time i ever shop at stater brothers. a week before i go into labor. strange.)
and i did have a box of diapers and a car seat to bring him home in.
we had just pulled down the bassinet and baby clothes from the attic.
i had to wash them still.
so even though my water broke- well started to leak around 8 am- i cleaned and did laundry and went to target and the library. finally went to the hospital at 4pm.
i digress.
this is not about reece's birth, but about fact that he came early
and i was NOT finished nesting!
i felt like i was going to be about 24 days behind for the rest of forever.
the pile on my dresser was as tall as me,
and reece's clothes were in little piles here and there and everywhere.
i learned it is VERY hard to nest when your baby bird has already hatched!
so i took a deep big breath and counted 1-2-3.
and soon enough that sweet baby bird of mine was sleeping more than 2-3 hour stretches at night. even 10 hours sometimes!
so when i too got some sleep i could finish a project or two. or five.

this mirror is now a HAPPY
shade of yellow and hanging
above our "linens" dresser

this dresser was originally my dads
oldie but goodie
a few cans of spray paint later...

all this nesting and our "baby bird"
sleeps in the closet
just like harry potter

the boys got our old dresser
cause it has two even sides
that works perfect for keeping things in order

i even managed to find an "arfor"
i.e. an R for reece

now the nest is in order and the baby bird is chubby and sleeping
i will have to soon go back to work. :\

3 months

2011-10-01T20:46:00.000-07:00

he's cute
he's fat
and i want to eat him!

he goes to bed about 6:30
is up about 7ish
and only wakes once to eat

during the day he likes to
eat every 3 hours
at least.

he smiles
he coos
and he loves his bouncy seat

"good luck with your face"

2011-09-22T20:56:00.000-07:00

LOTS of bruising.
but nothing broken and no stitches!

we had another milestone as parents yesterday...

our first medical crisis.

lots of tears

lots of blood

lots of wondering what we should do...

elliot tripped and hit his face on the legs of a chair.

as a nurse i feel very out of my element when teeth are involved.

perhaps it's cause i hate the dentist, so i hate thinking that my kid will have to endure some awful dental treatment. after about 5 minutes of his unconsolable crying, a phone call to my mom (not home), a phone call to elliots dentist (closed for 3 weeks) i said, lets just take him to dr. marlers office and ask what we should do. of course this happened while making dinner.

turn off the burners.

wake up the baby.

load into the van.

thankfully it's only about 1 mile to his office.

we went in and asked for "dr. marler or JJ, i mean, dr. Campbell." JJ came right out and took a look and said he will have a pretty sore mouth for a few days, he shoved the teeth back but kids have spongy bone and so it should be alright. we can follow up with an xray when he is not so sore. the teeth will probably turn black.

he almost bit through his bottom lip too.

PHEW!!

we got lucky this time!

elliot has been a trooper and adapted to his new fat lip

by sipping a straw out "my front teeth,"

and is trying to milk the injury for all the fruit snacks he can.

i'm a sucker and he got 2 bags of them today.

at bedtime he asked if his teeth were going to fall out.

i said "probably not. but they might turn black."

he said "or maybe pink."

maybe.

BEFORE-
this picture was taken the morning of the accident.
cause he LOVES to have pictures of himself and
then look at them on the back of the camera

his gums look like hamburger meat

but we still think he is cute!

blessed

2011-09-18T20:41:00.000-07:00

someday i will have my act together enough to get a picture of the baby with all those who blessed him. it would require me being really early to church and it's not happening. we give ourselves high fives every week cause we are just barley on time.
and someday i will get a family photo of all four of us.
hopefully before there is five of us.

we really do feel so blessed to be trusted to raise such noble and bright spirits. it is such an honor to be a mom. as jon has blessed our babies, and i listen to the words pour out about their future and the righteous desires we have for them in this life, it's strange to think of my little peanut as a missionary or husband or father someday. but i see how quickly time goes and i realize that these moments where they are under my watch care will be gone before i know it. i know they are not really mine, just on loan to me from Him. and i really want to make sure i help them return Home with honor. but for now we will work on pooping on the potty and sleeping through the night.

like a fine wine

2011-09-16T21:16:00.000-07:00

not that i have ever had a drink of wine (but i did drink a sip of my nana's vodka (it was next to my 7-up) on accident when i was about 7 or 8 years old and i thought i would die or get in trouble so i spent about 30 min in the bathroom praying not to die or go to hell and then tried to make myself puke. nothing happened- death, hell or puking. so i returned to the festivities and have never had a drink since.) but that is not my point. my point is that kids just get better and better with age. i told my mom several years ago (pre marriage) that i could not wait to have my own 3 year old someday. and elliot is now two and a half and well on his way to hillarious.
he still can be found snacking on dog food, he likes to play "minjas" and put anything around his head for the costume, he sings LOTS of songs but mostly the abc's in several different voices, LOVES his cousins, thinks he's 10, loves to read books and watch a "moomie", likes his yellow hair, knows a lot of his letters but still struggles with naming colors- especially black and white, is really good to baby reecie and likes to hold him for about 17 seconds a day, is addicted to fruit snacks, gives awesome hugs and proclaims his love for us about 6 times a day, is HIGHLY motivated by sugar, can put his shoes on himself, loves to play tag and hide and go seek, is getting much better at helping and listening, clears the dishes from the table, is SLOWLY overcoming his fear of pooping in the toilet, still refers to our car as "the new white van," he insists on wearing jammies and doing prayers and scriptures at naptime, likes to eat things "out of the bag," words that start with "s" he says with an "f"
i.e. fwimming.
i need to start recording the funny things he says. the stuff you think you will never forget cause you die laughing. like the other day when he came in carrying a white plastic whiffle ball and said "it my hona-wena to show me to the pwomise wand." and carried it around all evening like it was a liahona.
and bummer about him not being able to say his L's cause when people ask him his name he says "eddiot" and they look at me like i'm the idiot for naming him "idiot." I say, ELL-iot and smile.

powerless

2011-09-12T19:42:00.000-07:00

from thursday at 5:27 pm to friday at 2:24 am
we were without power
(and my old friend- mr 102 degrees was still visiting!!)
we had bbq baked potatoes with chili
listened to the neighbors radio blast through our open windows
tried to call and text on the phone- unsuccessfully
read books by flashlight
and had the worst night sleep EVER cause
it was SO hot and there was no breeze
and i probably tried to turn on the fan 3 or 4 times
cause i would think, "the AC is out we will just use the fan."

102 degrees

2011-09-07T21:36:00.000-07:00

Something about this heat makes me nostaligic...
i remember the week of my wedding and eating popcicles for dinner
or

sleeping many nights out on the trampoline cause it was so stinkin hot
or

recess at the "little school"
or
the millions of of pool memories and smelling like chlorine and burning eyes.

i think growing up without air conditioning

in a place where it can get to be 100 plus degrees

this intense heat feels like an old friend.

Today we went to the library
and then swam with the cousins and played match

(we played with a "tee" when i was a lad)

and Emily jumped into the pool with reckless abandon- in all her clothes (shoes and all)

it was awesome.

My new calling in church is with the 8-11 year old girls. what a group!!

from sweet to bizarro and everything in between

i know these girls will be quite the source of stories and laughs for me.

And i know it has been months since i posted.

but i have to let go of perfection and realize it is better to record something

than to record nothing perfectly
there is an adage in nursing
"if you don't record it, it never happened."
and life is happening.
and since i forgot to take grandpa to the dentist today,
i don't want to forget the good stuff. . .

elliot pumping milk for reecie

ps. i did put a bit of breast milk on elliots oatmeal this morning cause we were all out of milk .
jon and i had eggs.

2 months

2011-09-01T20:34:00.000-07:00

2 chins

2 rolls in your thighs

almost 2x birth weight(12.5lb)

23.5 inches

wake 2 times a night to eat

like to eat every 2 hours- but mom tries to hold you off for 3

FYI: reece is EXACTLY the same size as elliot was at this age- good thing pictures are dated cause they look just alike too- but looking alike comes in handy cause i know my mom tried to pass off pictures of my siblings as myself many times.

1 month

2011-08-01T19:47:00.000-07:00

weight:9 pounds
height: 22 inches

he looks so guilty...
but really he is a great baby
he eats and sleeps and poops and eats
and we love him to pieces
our reecie piecey

since you came 23 days early i told everyone
that i would try to not let you cry and hold you as much as possible since you were still supposed to be inside cooking for a little longer. you took LOTS of naps and slept most of the night right on my chest.

what's up?

2010-10-12T17:54:00.000-07:00

ELLIOTS HAIR
remember that fantastic hair cut i gave him a while back
well it's growing out splendidly!

ELLIOT'S TEMPER
i have had to use his middle name a few times
and we now have an appointed time out chair

ELLIOT'S RULES
NO PLAYING IN THE STREET
NO CROSSING THE STREET
NO BALLS IN THE STREET

ELLIOT'S CHORE LIST
SETTING THE TABLE
PICKING UP TOYS- and dumping them out again
EMPTYING SILVERWARE- out of the basket all over the kichen
we hope to have him start on the lawn next month

ELLIOTS VOCABULARY
he is a parrot
he calls jon and i "babe"
and will repeat EVERYTHING
i guess i need to stop swearing

MAKE-UP
he loves it
we are wondering if and when we should worry about this
combined with the bra obcession...

ALL OF US IN THE SKY
we took a little trip to utah
more pics to come...

JONS AGE
he's finally 30!
such a young buck
and elliot got him his own elmo balloon to celebrate

SHAN'S WEIGHTno i am not pregnant
just eating WAY too many treats and
not exercising.

PENNY's STINK
poor pup needs a bath in a serious
serious way
but since i am not that great at getting the humans bathed
around here, she will have to wait even longer.

WHAT's UP with you???

1.5

2010-08-13T11:39:00.000-07:00

wahoo!
i can officially go to nursery!
i am 23 pounds & 33 inches
i have 14.5 teeth
blueberries are my favorite
and i sing a rousing rendition of baa baa black sheep
i love to wear my moms socks and bras
and when my dad chases me around the house
i like to eat EVERYTHING with a fork
and be careful what you say, cause i repeat it all
plus i just discovered the "wonder pets" and think they
are the best ever and can even sing their theme song
and i also am working on my temper-tantrums,
i try to do at least 3 a day
my feet still turn in, but i don't trip over them quite as much
someday i might be in the olympics, cause i run so fast
(that's what the dr. tells my mom to help her feel better about the feet thing)
and there is still lots of sand in my diapers.

mr sandman...

2010-08-04T14:49:00.000-07:00

you brought me a dream

a 10x10 sandbox

best that i've ever seen

filled it with sand and

toysies and fun

now i can play

all day in the sun

oh mr sand-dad thanks for this treat!

and mom is so excited for the
rest of this dream called
a landscaped back yard!!

ta-dah!

2010-07-19T14:06:00.000-07:00

so e took tumble on the kitchen chair for the 47th time

and wacked his face and got a fat bloody lip

so i gave him a popcicle and let him re-coop in the kitchen sink

and he was sitting so still

and for so long

i decided to cut his hair

and cut i did...

i think i just might change professions

cause i did such a bang up job

usa

2010-07-04T20:40:00.000-07:00

dear america,
happy birthday!
thanks for cousins
card games
homeade ice cream
fireworks
and freedom to enjoy them all!
you really are the best.

cozy coupe

2010-07-02T21:07:00.000-07:00

stay tuned for the adventures of elliot and na'no

bubba dadda

2010-06-20T05:50:00.000-07:00

i
love
you
more
than
candy
dog food
sour cream
playing ball
and even mom
(sometimes)

happy fathers day!

what the world needs

2010-06-19T13:44:00.000-07:00

is more one year old winkers with cheezy grins

and less cranky drivers and impatient fathers day shoppers!

21

2010-06-11T16:17:00.000-07:00

last saturday jon had a show-

(which was REALLY long

but he was fantastic,

and i LOVE to hear my guy sing

makes me feel like a giddy school girl

but thats besides the point)

both of our parents were at the show

and e was not invited

so he had his first time with a babysitter

(someone who is not yet a mom)

well two really

but they had matching outfits

so it was like one girl

plus their collective age is 21

i got nervous and came home

during intermission to check in--

mr. e could care less to see me

too busy being fawned over by

two sweeties;

in 4.5 hours

he got 2 baths

and 3 diaper changes

and a photo shoot on

my camera phone
and i tell you what
my house was clean
and my baby was happy
when i returned-
thanks girls!

32 and counting

2010-06-06T15:51:00.000-07:00

i
hope
this
coming
year
will
be
as
lovely
and
welcoming
and
colorful
as
my
new
front
porch

EZ's stir fry

2010-06-01T11:05:00.000-07:00

ingredients:

whatever veggies you got in the fridge

(mushrooms, broccoli, carrots, frozen corn)

1c. trader joes frozen sliced peppers

1 pkg firm tofu

1 c. brown rice

trader joes stir fry sauce (it's a little spicy)

a chair/stool

apron

a cheezy grin

heat oven 400 degrees
cut tofu into 1 inch cubes
mash a few cubes between your fingers, try some, spit it out
and toss with 2Tbsp sauce
bake for 25 min (until firm and golden)
point to oven and say hot hot hot about 82 times

make rice: 2c. water/1cup rice
help pour and measure ingredients saying "yay! " after each scoop
run fingers through rice and water mixture and say "wa-wa" about 46 times
boil then simmer about 20 min

cut veggies to bite size
point to knife and say no-no-no every time you see mom pick it up
put cut up veggies in bowl
then go play ball with dad while mom cooks up dinner
heat wok or cast iron skillet to med
add a bit of vegetable oil
once oil is hot add veggies
stir and fry for about 6 min
add cooked tofu
(take out a portion for little people -the sauce is too spicy for E)
and enough sauce to liking -1/4 c for me cause i like my food saucy

serve over rice.
eat it up!
'cept the broccoli and peepers put them in then spit them out

culinary delights

2010-05-27T10:07:00.000-07:00

elliot is obsessed with fruit snacks

"thnaxth" as he calls them

we limit him to a pack a day

and try to broaden his culinary pallet

so far his favorites include kettle corn

(most people get healthy organic vegetables from the farmers market

but we get tangelos and kettle corn and lots of free samples)

and his favorite condiment is sour cream

(actually he doesn't even need anything to put it on or dip in it)

and his number one favorite snack of all time...dog food

(he even ditched a popsicle for dog chow)

fixated

2010-04-20T12:11:00.000-07:00

this dude loves

"boodties" (books)

"baaaa" (bath)

and "goxs" (rocks)

his momma loves

treats

birth stories (found here)

and planning a trip

his dadda loves

dilbert (the cartoon)

eating out

and sweeny todd

the doddie (dog) loves

any attention

she can get

aloha!

2010-04-15T12:41:00.000-07:00

elliot and i went to hawaii for easter

(thanks to the generosity of uncle dave for flying us out)

the trip there was rough

to say the least

we left home at 1pm and arrived at amy's house at 3am

we drove to LAX

flew to maui

waited 3 hours

then to oahu

then 1 hour drive to amy's

but it was WONDERFULLY worth it

e played all day everyday

and amy and i chatted endlessly

had two good target therapy sessions

lots of rain

but still some beach time and sun and

really i did not go for the weather

i went to hang with a buddy

and see my family

(pat and carrie live above amy)

and they treated us to the best donut

EVER

and yummy thai food and

a some singing and guitarin and harmonica too

and rides

e and i had a fabulous time

and can't wait to bring dad back for a visit.

( i forgot my camera and so when i get some from

amy or carrie i will post 'em)

14 months

2010-04-13T13:30:00.000-07:00

he feels entitled to use utensils now

and still eats everything...

dog food

board books

rocks and

ice cream

are his favorites

march madness

2010-03-25T15:33:00.001-07:00

he's gotta wear his shoes like this cause of his cashew feet

but it makes me laugh cause it looks like his legs are on backwards

the basics

2010-03-25T12:41:00.001-07:00

mr. e is really talking lots these days

he seems to be right on track..

mama

dada

doddie (doggie)

baa (ball)

sausage

what more does a boy need to communicate?

a little rough

2010-03-15T15:44:00.000-07:00

four

2010-03-11T07:35:00.000-08:00

apparently this many kids makes my vision blurry...

we talk about having 4 kids

but after this weekend

we also

talk about how

glad we are that they come

one

time

first trip around the sun

2010-02-21T08:57:00.000-08:00

what a journey your first year has been
you have grown 9.5 inches
gained 13 pounds
grown 8 teeth
and thickened your hair just a touch.

you learned to roll
and sit and
crawl and stand
and melt our hearts every night
when we peek at you
sleeping

you are known for your
exuberence
and
bright eyed look
of enthusiasm
your zest for life is
contagious and heartwarming

thanks for an
amazing first year
you have blessed
our lives
more than you will
ever know

happy bithday bubsey!

buddies squared

2010-02-20T11:00:00.000-08:00

(eloise looks vexed and elliot looks like dumbo)

who knew that when i did a semester in nauvoo back in winter of '98
that i would make an amazing lifelong friend?
we went on to room together at BYU that next year
and all our quirky adventures could fill a book
(and we think they probably should-we were in a movie together)
then in '99 i went on a mission and she went to SVU
where she married mr diviney and started her family
(she now has 5 intelligent, lively, adorable kids!)
throughout the years we have been able to meet up across the US
in utah, outer banks VA, williamsburg VA,
washington DC, knoxville tennessee (at kari's house),
new york city (twice), and escondido.
we love to discuss great literature,movies,musicals,
food and recipes, callings, homeschooling, family, travel and whatever
while we continue to have noble adventures wherever we are.
she inspires me to

use my mind more,
serve others,
eat tastier food,
and be more accountable for my time.
i love this lady and feel so blessed to have her friendship in my life.

our adventures this time included:
"prairie home companion" live
a nice hike/walk around the lake
"claires on cedros" and a walk on the beach
a day at balboa park including dinner at the prado (jessica's treat!)
what a fabulous 72 hours we had!

and the babies had a great time too...
a first boy child and a fifth girl child make PERFECT playmates.
miss eloise is just about
the sweetest
mellowest
squishiest
little love around

(she had jon really hankering for a girl baby)

disgustingly thankful

2010-02-17T09:23:00.000-08:00

elliot puked
i moved him
he puked again
while cleaning him up
penny cleaned up the puke for me
without even being asked
aren't dogs the best?

birthday bash

2010-02-14T20:57:00.000-08:00

mr e hosted quite a lovely and tasty birthday bash
valentine style.
we ate
chicken taco salad
sparkling lemonade
fancy 4 layer cakes
monkey cupcakes
and
enough conversation hearts to write a novel.

there were
lots of balloons,
pom-poms
and paper hearts to gaze at.

and all the family
and love
a boy could
ever ever want!

(but i was busy behind the scenes
and so few photos were taken by me.
so i must mooch some
for a more complete photo collage.)

pica: a pattern of eating non-food materials (such as dirt or paper)

2010-02-08T11:05:00.000-08:00

he eats dirt and mulch by the handfuls.
he loves to eat paper, sticks,
and anything on the ground.
a fistful of dirt is the first thing he goes for when let outside.
perhaps the iron supplements are not enough...

strong words

2010-01-19T18:31:00.000-08:00

i try not to use the word hate
i try not to hate things and
especially people
but
i
hate
getting
my teeth
cleaned

11 months

2010-01-13T20:15:00.000-08:00

*wears shoes*says shoes*signs shoes*obsessed with techno gadgets*plays ball with penny*thought he was getting more teeth--really he's just getting an attitude*growing some hair if you look close*gives hugs*waves bye-bye*has all his grandparants wrapped around that busy little pointer finger*favorite place is the bathroom*

hello darkness my old friend

2010-01-13T15:14:00.000-08:00

it's nice to sleep during the day again....

mid 2009 project: convert curtains to blackout and hang them on a rod instead of 2 nails

DONE and DONE!

working at night

means sleeping during the day

and even at night we have a street light that

shines right in on through the blinds

but now i am sleeping like a baby...

actually lots better.

perhaps the dark rings under my eyes

may even begin to fade.

perhaps...

hopefully.

2010-01-06T14:52:00.000-08:00

happy 2010! perhaps if we record our resolutions we will still remember them in april and hold ourselves accountable in 365 days....
* finish all 2009 projects
** finish all 2008 projects
*** finish all 2007 projects
**** no starting new projects until the others are done
***** start including prayer and a scripture in mr.e's bedtime routine
****** family hike every week (our feeble attempt at exercise)
******* learn more about the old testament then the 6 stories we know (translates to going and listening in sunday school)

******** dial back the amount of treats we eat and jon is trying not to eat 3rds (should be easy cause about 67% of our diet now is sugar)

happy christmas!

2009-12-25T15:58:00.000-08:00

holiday recap:

we had to bail on christmas eve with kc and emily's family

because e was sick and FUSSY and went to bed at 6:45

(too anxious for santa i suppose)

so i made us a little christmas quiche

and finished up wrapping gifts and

we fell asleep to Christmas Vacation

christmas morning was spent at the zierdens

where santa karna deliviered big time!

trucks and books and puzzles

and itouch stuff and home depot gift cards

and much much more.

e loved opening presents

his or anyone elses

and trying to eat the oranments on the tree

christmas night at the sean owsley house

with lots of food and family

and a little sharing of christmas stories/songs

jon sang "have yourself a merry little christmas"

and everyone was thankful that we finally

have someone who sings on pitch in the family.

next year i will start preparing in september

so that i can enjoy the season more

and decrease my stress level

i hope...

10 months-10 photos-10 facts

2009-12-13T20:33:00.000-08:00

10. i no longer crawl like a war veteran

9. i don't like cottage cheese

8. i like to eat the christmas lights

7. i have 7 teeth

6. i can say uh-oh, da-da, dog, ma-ma

5. i sign more

4. i have not fallen off anything in a few weeks

3. i hit my head 17 times a day

2. i ran, well crawled, away from home (got all the way down the driveway)

1. i have made it through sacrament meeting 2 weeks in a row

too too much

2009-12-07T11:24:00.001-08:00

craft project gone awry= photo opt

yikes..feeling so overwhelmed!!
holiday baking i want to do.
holiday making i need to do.
birthday gifts
shower gifts
neighbor gifts
young women gifts

visiting teaching treats

home teaching treats

12 days of christmas for someone

what to get the parents?
wish i had more money
or at least more time

i passed out at work last night
while a patient was getting an epidural
right after i told the dad to sit down
so he doesn't pass out
ugh.
so embaraassing
not sure why it happened.
not my blood sugar
not pregnant
(i wish i was)
maybe cause she was squeezing my hand
SO SO SO hard
maybe cause i am overwhelmed with
"to do" lists

a wise woman,
who happens to be my best friend
and my sister
and the mother to all but one of those silly kids on the couch,
reminded me,
we fill our days with "to do" lists when we ought to
be making "to be" lists

who do i need "to be" today and this holiday season?

playbill

2009-11-25T09:40:00.000-08:00

jon is a student by day

and a director by night.

he just finished another year

of directing with Arts Off Broadway.

this year's playbill included:

(Jon played Captain Hook-

who knew my husbands legs could look better in black tights than mine?

and Mr. E came and watched his first play)

(A bizarre play- but talented cast.

and Mr .E had his first stage appearance-

the nepotism begins!)

(The real success came in handling this play

and staying on top of his Organic Chemistry.

Mr. E was not invited to this at all.)

We're glad to have him back home on tuesday, thursday and saturday's

for a while....

traditions

2009-11-15T16:01:00.000-08:00

no it is not a tradition to torture small babes with lemon

but to go out to lunch with the ladies for our birthdays

my mom used to do this with her lady friends (jeri, joan, jeanne and sharon) growing up

and i was always excited to get initiate that tradition in my own life

cause lunch means lingering over your meal, chit-chatting, catching up

and having room for dessert

since i don't have close friends within 700 miles

i started this tradition with my mom and tia--

lifelong friends of mine, even if they are related--

and i look forward to it every time

happy birthday mom!

9 months

2009-11-13T19:21:00.000-08:00

mr.e is 9 months old so i want to share 9 things about being a mommy that i never knew...

no matter how often i clean the car seat there will always be goldfish crumbs in it
clipping fingernails is a weekly event for little folks
toys will NEVER be as much fun as cords
teething is quite messy
teething is painful for the whole family
teething is about a year long process
in one second a baby can fall out of the bath (aka kitchen sink) YIKES!!!
how the thought of his goofy grin can make me float when i am walking home from work
a little pointer finger could bring me so much joy

p.s.

the stats are:

height: 28.5 inches

weight: 18 lbs 12 oz

teeth: 2 on bottom 2.5 on top (and they are not the front 2)

skills: army crawls. but the doc said he should be really crawling...

eats: EVERYTHING including paper, dirt and dog food.

short on verbage

2009-11-02T15:28:00.000-08:00

pardon my many
picture only posts
while i teach myself how to
post big pics and with words
and collages.
i have been struggling for months with this.
lame but true.

while mom blogs...

2009-11-02T15:26:00.000-08:00

From Drop Box

guess whooo

2009-11-02T13:46:00.000-08:00

just cause

2009-10-29T18:43:00.000-07:00

nates but farm

2009-10-21T15:18:00.001-07:00

nolen and elliot are 3 weeks apart

there has actually been a touch of fall in the air
(when it's not 98 - it's a lovely 72)
and i have been hankering
to do something fallish....
so we went with some friends
up to bates pumpkin patch

i had to crop this photo cause it looked like i was pooping a giant pumpkin

smelliot can't wait to come back next year

to ride the ponies and

eat more hay

8 months

2009-10-13T21:19:00.001-07:00

a tragedy has occurred....

i lost my camera!

and so instead of

posting a goofy photo

i shall describe mr.e in all his

8 month glory...

jon said e looks a bit like

a redneck named cleatus-

since he only has one tooth on the bottom.

but after three sleepless nights last week

that bottom tooth has a friend!

yep he went from no teeth to two

in two weeks.

and the little dude can finally sit.

i think the delay was in holding

up his big old noggin',

cause he has a large owsley head.

and his big ol' head is

still as bald as a cue ball.

but in just the right light and with

just enough sweat,

i can make his few hairs stick up

all stylish and fun.

he's got a gut that rivals his dad

and big buns like his mom

(and cloth diapers only make it worse).

but a grin that stops people in their tracks.

this kid LOVES to smile at people

(unless they are a brown female waitress)

it amazing to see what joy his goofy grin

can bring to all sorts of strangers.

hopefully i will find my camera so i can

share the joy with ya'll.

348 months old!

2009-10-06T15:41:00.000-07:00

stats...

height: over 6 feet tall

weight:probably 200 pounds

teeth: a whole mouth full that his wife has to bug him to brush

sitting: very well and very much as he is studying A LOT!!!!

eats: anything you make him with a thankful smile- even when it's burritos for the 10th time

favorites: spending time with his family, movies, sudoku, diet dr. pepper, getting an A on his first organic chem test.

not so favorite: broken xbox (this is however a favorite on the wife's list), homework, and when the mom is grumpy

happiest birthday ever mr jonny z!

7 months 7 days and 77 hours

2009-09-22T20:35:00.001-07:00

i thought i would help my mom out

and do my own 7 month post

since it's getting to be way past my 7 month birthday

cause my mom has been a little busy...

painting and sealing the porch behind me, among other things,

so busy that one day i slid right out of the stroller

(which she uses as a babysitter)

and onto the floor of the garage.

(this wasn't my first near death incident either- bless her heart)

no worries - no damage.

she also spends a fair amount

of time feeding me cause i think

eating should happen

at least every hour.

but here's the real deal...

i heard her say she wanted to post

my 7 month photo of me

sitting on my own.

not gonna happen-

cause sitting is lots harder then it looks!

but i am a really really fantastic roller

and have recently taken up photography...

doggy beach

2009-09-22T20:19:00.000-07:00

mr.e and i

took

miss penny b

to her beach

for a jaunt

in the waves

while e man

snacked upon a

seashell.

this boy

can make a snack

out of anything

every puppy needs a boy

2009-08-28T13:39:00.001-07:00

mr. e loves penny burger.

he loves to pet her

and poke her

and

hug her

and he even

loves her kisses.

and poor miss penny will

take any affection she can get.

2 years

2009-08-17T14:57:00.000-07:00

more than captain hamhocks loves to swim

and more than sir spitsalot loves to drive

i love you my mr. Z -jonny cakes

and i can't wait to celebrate

200 million more anniversaries with you.

we took a little anniversary vacation to palm springs.

(free time share deal, and we got another-

we never need to buy in cause they keep giving us freebies)

it was a lovely 108 outside until 8pm

but a perfect 72 in the condo 24/7.

we took lots of naps

and swims

and even a got to visit with family...

josh, mara and nolen treated us to a yummy dinner at BABES.

mighty mighty 6

2009-08-13T16:06:00.000-07:00

STATS:

1. weight- 16 pounds

2. length- 27 inches

3. hair- a tiny beeny bit in the right light

4. teeth- red swollen gums

5. rolling- all over both ways

6. sitting- not so much alone, a great leaner

HIS FAVS:

1. eating anything- food or not

2. drinking from a cup

3. watermelon

4. watching his fingers

5. swimming

6. sqawking during church

MY FAVS:

1. when he reaches for me

2. how he strokes my face when i nurse him

3. when he cuddles his monkey

4. how he kicks his legs when he is excited

5. the way he laughs and grins at strangers- brightening their day

6. that he takes great naps and sleeps though the night

step on a crack

2009-08-10T15:51:00.001-07:00

the hero within

2009-08-06T16:51:00.000-07:00

our girl's camp 2009 heroes

and the baby boy heroes (nolen sneed and mr.e )

b

2009-07-24T16:57:00.000-07:00

bright eyes

big cheeks

bald head

bowed feet

baby boy

best blessing

my dilemma

2009-07-22T16:38:00.000-07:00

while congress tries to propose a national health reform bill
and california's governator pretends to solve the huge debt crisis
my thoughts are fixated on why mr. e
almost always falls asleep
in this new car seat-
which of course
you don't take in and out of the car
and thus you wake the baby....

5

2009-07-13T14:46:00.001-07:00

1. this guy is 5 months old loves to guzzle 5 oz per feeding.

he spent the weekend as one of 5(we had my brothers four kiddos).

all you moms of 5 or more are heroes to me forever!

2. on saturday the young women's yard sale made

more than 500$ in 5 hours--pretty good for 5 girls!

3. jon's car is dying and we are hoping to get 500 bucks

and replace it with something for less than 5000.

4. back to work and average about 5 hours of sleep

on back to back work nights.

5. feeling like i fix the same 5 things for dinner:

burritos, pasta, burritos, magical mexican feast and burritos.

simply sweet for now

2009-06-25T12:43:00.000-07:00

i put these things in my mouth.

often.

so sweet

and suculent.

and a fantastic way to elicit great grins

and giggles.

last night we visited some sick kids.

one in a mental hospital on suicide watch.

one in children's awaiting her second round of chemo.

both girls.

both 14 years old.

both needing so much hope.

as i watched mr.e bounce and kick and squeal this morning

seemingly filled with great hope for a perfectly bright future,

i had to wonder what trials he might encounter as a 14 year old

when i will no longer want to chomp on his toes,

but will still have every desire to make him smile.

four months

2009-06-18T17:19:00.000-07:00

stats:

14 lbs 8 oz

25 1/4 inch

hair-none

teeth- coming

rolling over-yep!

out to lunch

2009-06-15T16:15:00.000-07:00

thanks tia, kate and coop

for a delightful birthday out to lunch.

since this is also my state of mind lately

cause of the anxiety of returning to work.

(i am NOT worried about jon and mr.e

cause they do dashingly together

and the delightful mr.e sleeps all night)

i am worried about me.

about being a nurse again.

about being able to focus on work.

about managing my time.

and thoughts.

my poor mind is not up to working speed yet.

my mom said right before a baby is born

they reach back and pull out a handful of brains.

elliot has big hands.

and i fear he pulled out of the corner of

my brain that remembers

drug interactions.

potential side effects to watch for.

the names of medications.

the important life threatening stuff.

but for the sake of me and my patients

i pray he pulled from the dance team corner of my brain.

cause nobody will get hurt if i forget

the pep rally dance to the SPHS fight song.

busy-ness

2009-06-13T17:48:00.000-07:00

the pioneer lady better watch out cause

i have done some serious projects around here

(although my photos will never measure up to hers)

i go back to work tonight

and so last week i got busy getting the nest in order....

first sewing new elastic into mr.e's puffy pants (aka cloth diapers),

made some yummy strawberry-raspberry freezer jam.

lots.

more than our freezer could hold.

made a vat of salsa too.

got the recipe from my only brother-in-law on my side of the family.

who knew an italian guy could make such great salsa?

and planted these little beauties in the front planter.

the poor planter that has been waiting to serve it's purpose

for a whole year.

not sure that

cloth diapers,

homemade jam,

salsa

and roses

make a home orderly-

but they kept an anxious about going back to work mamma busy.

and busy-ness is my best cure for anxiousness.

ode to the boat

2009-06-09T11:54:00.000-07:00

Oh the boat

with no name

is still so great

just the same!

tubing fun

on your tummy

or on your bum.

going fast

or flying high- (20ft for miss ellie)

but careful not

to get a black eye! (poor kari)

when your not in the water

you watch those who are

and eat and eat and eat

and maybe fall asleep

and if your cool

and strong

and brave

then you try to ride the wake!

(hannah is but i didn't get her picture)

terrific times in tenessee

2009-06-06T11:40:00.000-07:00

we just took our first family trip!

(well, minus penny burg.)

mr.e did great on the plane

and had an instant fan club awaiting his arrival.

(a mighty good looking fan club too)

we went on an adventure to the lost sea

and played on the boat

and took great walks and

played on the boat

and went downtown and

played on the boat!

(and who wouldn't play so much

on such a FUN boat

and on such a GORGEOUS lake

just 15 min.from home?)

ate a lot

laughed a ton

talked a bunch

played for hours

and

LOVED every minute of it all.

(mr.e is still adjusting to life without

several constant adoring fans.)

thanks giacalone crew for such

terrific times in tenessee!

tree swing

2009-06-05T12:25:00.000-07:00

noah took us on a walk to this great tree swing
only a 12 year old boy could find such a thing!

sneak peak

2009-05-29T16:26:00.000-07:00

strawberry shortCROOK!

2009-05-24T19:10:00.001-07:00

mr. e and i joined the cousins for a strawberry picking adventure.

i brought 2 LARGE containers and pre-bought all the necessary freezer jam ingredients.

i was ready to haul in some serious berries, even with a baby attached to me.

i clean house like a good mexican lady-i figured i could pick berries like them too.

but i am cheap,VERY,VERY cheap.

if i were to fill my 2 large containers with their berries (that i picked- mind you!)

i would have to take a small line of equity out on our home.

you see these folks are charging LOTS of money for you to pick their berries.

and yes they are the best, juiciest,red all the way throughest, tastiest strawberries ever...

but they are cheaper, still not cheap- (8.50 for 3 pints)pre-picked!

that little container i am holding (1.5 pints) was 6 bucks!

6 bucks for ME to fill!

(and you can bet i did try to eat my money's worth while picking)

now if this place happen to be a quaint darling place like hurd orchards

or the people were SUPER friendly then i might be willing to pay a few bucks for the "experience."

but it's a strawberry field overlooking interstate-5 and car country carlsbad

with ms.grumpy pants manning the booth.

we will be buying our strawberries for jam at the farmers market.

pre-picked.

tasty.

and cheap!

who knew?

2009-05-18T08:04:00.000-07:00

that a thoughtful

little line

or two

scribbled onto a

post-it note

and hidden around

the house

for me to find when

showering

or dusting or

feeding the baby

could make a girl,

a mamma,

a wife

so happy?

jonny z.

that's who!

shocker

2009-05-14T12:57:00.001-07:00

that we are raising a tree hugger
that elliot can practically count to ten
that after 18 months of living here i hung something on the wall

ADDENDUM....

what is it about a baby that makes me feel the need to make our house more homey?

it starts before they are even born

with the nesting instinct- deep cleaning and stocking the pantry.

then after those few weeks, or months, of adjustment to life with this new little person

i am inundated with thoughts of

what should i hang on the wall?

what would make his little room a happier place?

where might be a better place to store my kitchen linens?

all the nesting returns,

or continues.

i had a bit of nesting right after we moved in

but only enough to get us set up and organized,

not decorated.

i am glad he inspires such activity

but i have to wonder

why and

how

such a little person

who could care less what is on the walls

inspires me to care that there is something on the walls.

happy to be....

2009-05-13T11:11:00.001-07:00

three months old!

3 not so favorite things

being hungry for more than 12 seconds
the car seat, especially at night
deep voices

3 favorite things:

eating,eating and eating
ceiling fans
his crib

3 best tricks

grinning and giggling
explosive pooping
eating

another reason to love tia

2009-05-11T10:42:00.001-07:00

(tia, me, mom at tia's birthday lunch feb 2009)

besides giving me warm chocolate milk bottles as a baby, my tia just introduced me to my new favorite dish for the coming summer months....

Wild Rice Salad

1/2 C olive oil

3 - 4" rosemary sprigs 1 t kosher salt

1/2 C dried cranberries

1/4 t fresh ground pepper

2 T sherry vinegar (wine vinegar ok)

2 T honey

3 C cooked wild rice (or one package precooked wild rice at trader joe’s)

1/2 C lightly toasted pine nuts

1/2 C finely chopped green onions

1. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat until simmering. Rinse rosemary sprigs and cook about one minute - turning with tongs. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle w/salt. Let the oil cool and set aside

2. Dressing: Combine cranberries, pepper and vinegar in a small bowl. Let stand 15 minutes. Whisk in honey and the oil you reserved from heating the rosemary

3. Combine rice, nuts and green onions in a large bowl. Crush the Rosemary over cooked rice, add cranberry dressing and toss.

4. Chill. (I usually can't wait and have a bowl immediately). Gets even better the next day so, is a great salad to make ahead

even jon liked this salad....

"it's different and totally you.

if i am not in the mood for pizza or a burrito i would choose this."

but a little warning...the wild rice can play tricks on you

and if you forget that you made some wild rice,

you might freak out

and think your dishwasher is being overtaken by bugs!

luvzey

2009-05-08T12:26:00.001-07:00

this will be my first mothers day.

i have wanted to be a mom since i was about 3

but when you don't get married till your 29

it's a LONG time to wait

for a baby of my own.

i never knew how much i could love

a little person....

and if you don't mind my sayin

i was one heck of an aunt-

but like everyone says

it's so different when it's

your own.

cause i even love him with boogers in his nose. i love the lint that collects in his palms and eyebrow creases when he sleeps. i love when he grins at me while eating and milk drips out. i love his long fingers that he got from owsley genetics. i love his feet all curved up and buddah like. and i will love him when he has to wear forrest gump braces on those curved up feet. i love that he turns his head when he hears my voice. i love that he gets like a baby barracuda when he is hungry and snorts and attacks my chest, like it might be his last meal. i even love those quiet moments when i am nursing him at 5 am and he so peacefully falls back to sleep. (and i am sure i love that since now it's only once a night that my sleep gets interrupted.) i love that he has to change his head positions about 17 times before he falls asleep. i love the way he stares at his daddy. i love that he burps as loud as any drunkard at a tavern and farts like a 10 year old boy. (i know i won't love those two for much longer). i love trying to guess what color his eyes might be. i love having him close to me in the bjorn when we run errands cause he does not love his car seat. i love when he makes a fist and it's a "t" in sign language.

i love being a mom.

bang for my buck

2009-05-06T08:57:00.000-07:00

the best dollar i ever spent

was on this basketball.

which looked more like a

basketball when we bought

it at the thrift store.

it was purchased after

miss penny chewed up

or popped

4 other balls in

one week.

she plays soccer

with this ball for hours

everyday,

with or without us.

i only hope to find

such a great toy

at such a great price

for mr. e

someday.

9 to 5

2009-05-06T08:39:00.001-07:00

9 pm to 5 am that is....

little e man has slept

those hours for the past

4 nights!!

and he is a mole baby

he likes it warm and dark

(although this picture is from

a while ago and he no longer

gets "burritoed"for sleepy time)

now if i could just stop waking up at 3am!

mr handsome pantsome

2009-05-03T10:41:00.000-07:00

i know one eye tends to sag

and i am slightly pigeoned toed

and i make less than intelligent facial expresions

but i am still a handsome dude, right?

the truth about talking....

2009-05-03T10:03:00.000-07:00

so there is more to this blog

than just giving others a chance

to stalk me...

i hope to create a little family history

a way to preserve

to remember

to capture

what our life is like.

all my life i have been a rather avid journaler

recording everything from homework assignments in the third grade

to my lofty gymnastics goals

but as my life got more complicated with

family crisis, college, mission, more college, traveling, and dating

i wrote for therapy.

but a strange thing happened when i met jon

i stopped recording and analyzing life on paper

instead i told him all my thoughts

and dreams and

passions and

fears.

it turns out-

jon is not an elephant

and he forgets.

but as the late president hinckley said:

"You will have significant experiences.

I hope that you will write them down and keep a record of them,

that you will read them from time to time

and refresh your memory of these meaningful,

significant things.

Some of them may be funny.

Some may be of significance only to you.

Some of them may be sacred and quietly beautiful.

Some may build one upon another until they represent a lifetime of special experience."

happy spot

2009-04-29T12:10:00.000-07:00

elliot LOVES his changing table!

he will lay there for quite a while

cooing, kicking, and talking to mr. fan.

stalker to talker

2009-04-28T11:50:00.000-07:00

my name is shannon

and i am addicted to blogs.

i stalk them for hours

perusing the lives of people

i have never met.

but are my friends

in my mind.

but in the wee hours of the night

while rocking and feeding my new baby

i find my mind writing posts.

posts with titles and pictures

posts for my own blog

and then i awake to realize

i don't have a blog.

but it's time to come clean.

and give people the chance to stalk me...