Snapshot

If 1 is good.... then 12 is better....

Reagan was supposed to be asleep. I went upstairs and found her reading. I usually find her reading a book at bedtime, but never 12 at once. I guess she just couldn't decide which one to read.

Broken...

I'm superstitious. I'm sure you are too. I mean, the saying "everything happens for a reason".... isn't that superstitious? and I'm sure you've thought it once or twice in your life.

Anyways, I can be overly superstitious about certain things. Like the anniversary plant my mom bought for Shawn and I on our 1st anniversary. When she gave it to us she said to me "this plant represents your marriage now, so you have to take really good care of it" I'm sure she was just making a silly comment, but to someone who is superstitious, this was a huge responsibility.

I have babied the plant over the past 7 years since we received it. It's gotten all the love and attention any plant needs. I've saved up money and bought new pots as it's grown. And I've watched it very carefully. Any change in our plant signifies a change in our relationship..... right? I know how ridiculous this sounds, but it's real. When we've had each of our children, I've noticed a lot more growth in the plant. And there have been times it's suffered and leaves have turned brown and fallen off. Shawn thinks I'm a lunatic the times I've had "talks" with him because I've noticed the plant is looking sad.

Anyways.... my heart SANK yesterday when I found this..... 

I was able to save 2 of the 4 pieces.

But, what am I supposed to think of this? 

Today

I'm older

Technically, I am only 1 day older than I was yesterday but because it was my birthday, I am now 28 instead of 27. I kid you not... I woke up with more wrinkles around my eyes and huge puffy circles... and they haven't gone away. Sort of scary. Aren't I too young for wrinkles? Even my mom, who isn't afraid to be honest, told me I had too many wrinkles.

Speaking of my mom, she gave me the greatest birthday gift ever. She called me to tell me she wanted to visit for Grant's birthday. Then she said, and I quote... "I don't know whether this is something you would like to do, but I can watch the kids overnight while you and Shawn go somewhere"   WHAT? YOU DON'T KNOW WHETHER THAT IS SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE?!?!?!? I think she forgot she was talking to the most date deprived human on Earth! I just about died in excitement. She couldn't have given me a better gift. Well... I could think of better... but within reason, it was the best gift.

Shawn and I planned nothing. Just driving away from the house without kids was already the most fun I had had in a while. Wow.... that sort of sounds pathetic... but really, I was having the time of my life just driving. We agreed we had to do something. So Shawn took me to my favorite places.... Fabric Depot, and Powells Books. Fabric Depot is the largest fabric store in the Northwest. It is massive, and I could spend an entire day there. I walked away with this pattern and fabric. Oh my goodness, I love fabric!

Then we went to Powells, which is the largest book store in the world, really! It takes up an entire city block. I could live there... but Shawn can only tolerate about 1 hour. What a good sport he is. I bought: The Hunger Games, Tinkers, and The Field Guide to Wildflowers. I've already finished The Hunger Games (which has nothing to do with my story... I just wanted to say, it was really good.)

That night we ate at Red Lobster. I ate more than I ever have.... ever! I was starving, and wanted everything on the menu. Shawn and I usually fight over the lobster artichoke dip appetizer, so this year we each got our own. Then I ordered the Ultimate Feast, like I do every year. I always say I'm going to order something else, but I just can't do it. I can't! It's the biggest dish on the menu and I love every bite of it. That, paired with the salad, and 1/2 dozen biscuits I devoured, and Shawn almost had to roll me out of there like Violet Bauregard from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I know, you're not interested in every detail of what I consumed, but honestly, eating was my favorite part of our get away. I'm drooling right now and counting down the days 'til February 21, 2012!!

The next morning we got up and went to Voodoo donuts, which is a hot spot in Portland. We followed the hype and decided to go. We waited in a huge line that circled the block for 1 hour. 1 hour to get a donut?!?! These had better be some dang good donuts. After waiting that long, we decided we needed to get our money's worth, so we bought 2 dozen. The verdict..... they tasted just like.... donuts! Yes, just like the ones you can get at the local bakery. They did have some creative ones though, that I don't think you can find anywhere else!

 Like the Maple bar with bacon on top. We got the kids the 'double bubble' with bubble gum dust and a piece of bubble gum on top. They thought it was the best thing they'd ever had! 

We went home and I was greeted by my adorable kiddos who had gotten me flowers and a balloon, aren't they sweet?

Sweeter still, is my mom who sacrificed her sanity to watch the kids for Shawn and I. Thanks again, Mom. You truly are the greatest... really!

That was my birthday, short, sweet, and simple. It was nothing extravagant, but I seriously had a ton of fun. It was the most time I have spent with Shawn in weeks, as he's always studying. And it gave me just enough of a boost to make the next several weeks without him until his Boards in mid March.

So, here's to an adoring husband, 3 cuddly cute kids, a spoiling mother, and the best birthday a girl could ask for!


Wait! no pictures of Shawn and I? That's CRIMINAL! Well, here's Shawn on my birthday...

But, we have to do something about the extreme lack of pictures we have together.

A birthday party that's Out of this World!

Saturday was the big day.... the big birthday party.

Grant asked me every 5 minutes when the party was going to start. I think he was excited!

I feel like I prepared for this thing for weeks..... then it was over in 2 hours. Oh well, it was worth it.

Grant wanted an Outer Space birthday party, so that's what he got...

 

Here's some of the decorations....

We replaced our family collage with pictures from outer space.

Planets hung from the ceiling around the sun. I painted them as accurately as possible (as if the kids would know the difference). Saturn was missing its rings, though.

The cake was Grant's 'egg free' recipe, which is better than any package cake mix I've tried! There were a ton of stars around the rocket, but they were eaten....

The US Grant, made from a huge piece of cardboard. I have to mention... for the sake of documenting something honestly... (and because I'm still a little bitter).....I made this rocket all by myself, while Shawn sat at the table studying. There were several times that I asked for his help... mainly because I didn't know how I should make the darn thing. But he refused to help me. Seriously, refused. I just wanted everyone to know what a Grinch he was! And how please I am that it turned out the way it did.... with NO help.

... and the kids just loved it! I couldn't even get them out of it.

Grant really wanted his friend Trennon to come, but he had just moved away. He ended up inviting one friend from school, and 4 friends from church. He had to be convinced that it was okay to invite girls.

After all the friends arrived, we started playing some games.

Here's Dawson playing Outer Space Bingo.

Then we played Pin the Alien in the UFO. Here's Ryan pinning her alien on...

Grant was WAAAAAAAAAAAAY off!

All the astronauts in the rocket, ready for 'take off'....

After playing for a while, I hollered from the kitchen that the cake was missing, and that a note was left in its place. We read the letter...

They put on their Rocket Boosters, and they were off to solve the clues. They did a great job finding the cake.

We sang happy birthday and Grant blew out his Sparkler candles.

 

Then he wanted to open gifts, of course.

We felt a little cooped up, so we had the kids run around outside...

It was a great day for Grant. He was the king for a day. He has such nice friends, he really is a lucky boy!

The birthday friends, from L to R...

Jefferson, Dawson, Jemma, Charley, Grant, Reagan, and Ryan

The Big 5

It is Grant's 5th Birthday today!!!

It has taken me 5 days to complete this post. Seriously, every single night, I have sat here at my computer... typing, then erasing, typing, then erasing. The fact is.... I don't know exactly how to put what's on my mind... I don't exactly know what to say about Grant. As I write this, he is sitting on the couch next to me. He keeps asking, "why are you looking at me so much?" As if looking at him more will help.

I had to add this baby picture of him. I think I've mentioned it before, but he was truly the happiest baby I've ever met. He was such a joy. And I can't believe he's 5 now...

Look at him now....

Grant is a mystery to me. He's not your average child.... he's my little outlier. Maybe that's why I love him so dang much. I adore every bit and piece of him. From his sweet, adoring, cuddly side.... to his manic, tantrum, out-of-control side. Yes, every part!

Some, Every day I complain about not being able to get away from him... literally.... He sleeps in my room (yes, we have tried EVERYTHING), and from the moment he wakes up, he is by my side. If I go upstairs, he follows me, downstairs, follows me. If I go outside for a split-second, he MUST follow me. He flips out when I have a conversation with someone for too long. Then, at night, he refuses to go to bed (yes, again, we have tried EVERYTHING) until 10-11pm. Really... it's obnoxious. He is literally by my side for 24 hours of the day. I can't help but complain sometimes. But in reality....it's not that bad. I know when he gets older I will miss my constant companion. My witty, funny, companion.

The middle-child myth certainly does not apply to Grant. He gets 90% of our attention. He is the main topic of most all Shawn and my conversations. Mainly because he has us stumped. We just don't know what to do about this guy! I'm not kidding. I love jigsaw puzzles, but Heavenly Father sent us the hardest one I've ever had. I'm not meaning to be critical of Grant. It's just a fact. And I think it may be a positive trait...... in the long run. He is unique. Can you think of a single celebrity, artist, musician, performer, inventor, or author who isn't/wasn't unique? I'd like to talk with some of their mothers.....

Grant has is own way of doing things. He's not interested in fitting in with the crowd. As a matter of fact, he doesn't even like the crowd. He won't talk to you unless he wants to. Really. People can look in him the eye, and kindly talk to him or ask him a question, and he will just stare back. But when he does decide to talk, he's got some great things to say. He's extremely intelligent, and witty. He doesn't have many friends, and that doesn't bother him. His best friend is Jefferson, and that seems to be enough.

The fact is, I cannot imagine life without him. If I tried hard enough, and did imagine life without him, it would be EXTREMELY DULL.   

To celebrate his 5th year, I made lists of 5 things about this little guy (as if this blog post wasn't long enough).....

5 things Grant can't live without:

   1. Red meat, bacon, bell peppers, water chestnuts, pineapples, cereal, and toast.

   2. Where's Waldo

   3. Daily baths

   4. Computer games

   5. "Scripture Scouts"

5 things Grant just can't stand:

   1. vegetables... any vegetable, in any form (with the exception of the bell pepper mentioned above)

   2. getting dressed in the morning
   3. going to church, or preschool... we battle 4 days out of the week
   4. coats!
   5. I couldn't think of a 5th thing... so I asked Grant himself. He says, "I don't like houses that only have baby toys."

5 things Grant says DAILY:

   1. That's not fair!

   2. I'm not tired!

   3. When is Bubba going to be home?

   4. How many years 'til I get to make my own choices?
   5. Why do I have to go to bed and you get to stay up?

5 of the usual Grant habits:

   1. Refusing to go to bed EVERY night, until sometimes 11pm.... every single night of his life, I tell ya!

   2. He won't go to the bathroom unless someone is standing on the other side of the door

   3. Only sitting in his self-designated chair at the dinner table. If anyone else EVER sits there, at ANY time in the day, he flips out!

   4. He eats a bowl of pineapples in bed every night

   5. colors, colors, colors, and then wants to color again

5 of Grant's favorite characters:

   1. Lightning McQueen

   2. All Richard Scarry books characters

   3. Winnie the Pooh

   4. Robin Hood

   5. Luke Skywalker

5 things you may not know about Grant:

   1. He knows EVERY song lyric to the Broadway musical, Wicked

   2. He loves board games and puzzles. His favorite game is Stratego.... and he's pretty darn good

   3. He's obsessed with the book series "The Magic Tree House". Shawn reads them every night. They're on book #24

   4. He's learning how to read, knows addition and subtraction, and thinks it's fun to count to 100

   5. He would rather play inside by himself than outside with friends

On his birthday he:

had cereal for breakfast

colored

went to the doctor, got 4 shots

got a scoop of chocolate at Baskin-n-Robbins

ate pigs-in-a-blanket for lunch

played baseball with dad

rode his bike

watched Star Wars Episode 3

played playmobils

went to swim lessons

and had his birthday dinner, which he requested: Spaghetti, cauliflower, french bread, and juice

I'd say that was a pretty eventful birthday day.

So, to the boy I adore with all my heart....

Happy 5th, Grantman!

A Happy Valentines Day

The boys and I slaved away making homemade valentines for their classes. I didn't get a picture because I was angry at them by the time we finished..... (the valentines, not the boys.)

Shawn took me out to my favorite lunch spot, Qdoba. They were having a by-one-get-one deal if you kissed your Valentine at the check-out. I chickened out. I have a phobia of PDA.... really. Shawn gave me a look of, "you've got to be kidding, you're my wife for crying out loud",  then kissed Reagan instead. We got the deal.

My Dad surprised Reagan with a Valentines delivery from the florist. A rose, a teddy bear, and a box of chocolates.... just for her. She felt very special, and rightly so. Although, I feel sorry for the boys who come in the future (far far distant future) who will have to meet Reagan's Valentines Day standards that her Papa created for her.

Right now....

All I can think about is my Christmas gift...

That BROKE!

Just like the sewing machine I got 2 years ago.... that also BROKE!

The wierest thing was that they both broke the same part. REALLY STRANGE. I have bad luck.

The saddest part was that I paid 1/3 the cost to have the sewing machine fixed.

This time I got smart and just returned the darn thing!!!

So, now I'm waiting for my brand new serger to arrive.

It's like Christmas all over again....

Temporary Unconsciousness

Have you ever been driving down a country road, or highway, when suddenly it occurs to you that you have no idea how you got there? I mean, of course you know where you are, and logically how you got there, but you can't remember the last several miles. You're driving the speed limit, you're obeying the laws of the road... you're just not conscience of anything.You're in a trance, your body is going through movements, but your brain is somewhere else. This seems to happen to me frequently.

I feel like the last month has been an entire episode of temporary unconsciousness... or a coma. Is it possible to have just your brain in a coma, while the rest of your body functions? I think that's what's happened to me. Where did the time go? My house has stayed clean (well, somewhat).... the kids have been taken care of, and fed.... responsibilities have been taken care of.... but I'm in a trance. I don't remember how I got here. There's not a single picture on my camera's memory card, not a single entry in my journal, and I think I may have talked to 1 person on the phone. Shawn will come home and ask me, "what did you do today?" and I just glance up.... trying hard to remember... "I don't even know," I tell him.

The past few weeks have been like the month-that-never-was. It's a weird feeling. I'm ready to come back to Earth.

So, Earthlings... here I am.

Yet, I have nothing to share.

So, I will have to think of something......