Hi everyone,

Just thought I'd shoot off a quick email to let everyone know what we're up to. Last night Joel and Eli had fun making a gingerbread house. Joel came home from school the other day saying that he wanted to make a gingerbread house and we finally got around to doing it. Joel really got into it which was great to see. I remember the first time I made a gingerbread house with Joel I really had to cajole, beg and plead with him to even stick a couple of pieces of candy on. He just wasn't interested. So I loved watching him really participate. As soon as it was finished Joel said, "let's eat it now!" We told him he had to wait until after Christmas.

Kelly and Joel have really gotten into this stupid Japanese show on tv called "Ninja Warrior". I don't know if you've seen it? Contestants have to go through these difficult obstacle courses, there are four stages, in order to be called a true ninja warrior. Very, very few make it all the way. Anyway Kelly made the boys their own ninja warrior course in the basement and they LOVE it. Ours is of course a little different from those seen on tv, but Joel is so proud when he makes it through the course and he loves when Kelly does the play by play as he goes through it. I did the "course" once myself and showed myself exactly how out of shape I am.

Kelly's course starts out with "Super Sommersault Carpet of the United States of America" -- Joel added the last part. Next is the spider walk bucket jump. Followed by the balance beam of doom and the gruesome gut slide. Then there is the trampoline of terror and the tunnel of torture. The last obstace is the risky rock climb. Feel free to come over and try it out yourself.

Cara contines to mostly eat and sleep, but she is having more time when she's just awake looking around. Many days she has a three to five hour kind of fussy time which is fine except when it's in the middle of the night. She really likes the pacifier which I think is a blessing.

Our home teachers brought us dinner over tonight (pizza) which I thought was pretty impressive for the male of the species. They also brought a sleeper and little jacket for Cara as well as some newborn diapers. They also brought a couple of other wrapped presents which Kelly said we have to wait until Christmas to open.

Eli contines to be adorable as ever. I just can't get over how cute that kid is. I know he's mine so I'm probably biased, but you just don't see kids as cute as him that often. Mom taught him his colors so he's very into naming the colors of everything. Today I got him up from his nap when he was half asleep and the first thing he did was grab his shirt and say "white shirt" and then grab mine and say "pink shirt". He can't really pronounce his r sounds that well so the way he says "shirt" sounds really cute.

I am loving having Kelly home. I wish he could always be home, but unfortunately somebody has to work so we can pay the bills. Dadgummit!

All for now,

Amy

Disgusting!

We celebrated Halloween a few days ago. Joel was "the lion king Simba" and Eli was a monkey, tho Eli wouldn't wear his monkey hood. Kelly and my mom took the kids trick or treating. They decided to ditch our neighborhood which had a lot of dark, seemingly non-participatory Halloweeners and headed to the more wealthy neighborhood where the Turner's live. Houses there were decorated to the hilt. My mom told me Joel would ring the doorbell, say trick 0r treat and after receiving his treat would often say "disgusting! let's go to the next house."

The reason I didn't go trick or treating is that I am pregnant and on bed rest. As of today I am 30 weeks. My mom has been here since October 8th helping us out. According to the ultrasound technician we are having a girl. Yea! We're excited, but I'm not looking very forward to the remainder of my bed rest or having a newborn. I'm also nervous about being the mother of three kids.

Joel seems to be doing great in kindergarten and seems to like it better than preschool. I think his language has really improved since school started and he's getting better and better at telling me more specifically what he did each day. He knows that part of his routine is telling mommy what happened at school as soon as he's home off the bus. He always tries to end the conversation early by giving me a big hug and saying "mom, I had a great day!" He thinks that'll shut me up from asking more questions.

Eli is talking more and more and sometimes sings songs along with us which is so precious. His favorites are the I Love You Barney song and the teletubbies theme song. He also continues to be the biggest drama king ever. If you even look at him the wrong way, he'll fall to the floor and feign tears. He's a master manipulator. He also knows the cues we give to Joel to make sure he's being nice to Eli, and if he hears even a modicum of a disciplinary statement aimed at Joel, he immediately starts fake crying, trying to get every dose of sympathy he can. He's a funny guy.

My little guys are so happy at home and I hope our home is always a place of happiness and security for them.

Don't Talk Beautifully

This morning Joel asked me for some strawberries. As I handed him his plate, in my best British accent I said, "Here are your strawberries sir." I could tell he was annoyed with the accent and he said, "mom, don't talk beautifully." I started laughing and of course he loves to be found hilarious and he started cackling too.

Joel's really into High School Musical lately. He loves to watch the sing-a-long version and sing and dance to all of the songs. It's really cute.

Today he went to a little day camp run by some teenagers in the ward and they had High School Musical 2 on. The mom of the house told me Joel was singing along with all of those songs. Don't know how he learned them as he hasn't seen number 2 yet, but maybe he saw a preview that showed them.

Poor little Eli's been sick. He's had a fever, and his right eye, especially in the corner, is really bloodshot. He seems to be on the mend tho. Hopefully he'll be completely thru it ASAP.

Visiting Grandma while a student at BYU, Grandma asked my ideas about some national and local political issues. Completely absorbed in my college cocoon I was oblivious about any of the goings on in the world and void of opinion. Disappointed Grandma let me know that when queried identically, my then high school drop out cousin had presented thoughtful responses and educated opinions.


Obviously a college student should be a student of the world and intellectually curious about its events.


Intellectually curious herself Grandma is a modern woman, probably more so than any of her daughters or maybe even granddaughters. Born in rural southern Utah in 1917 opportunities for women were few and expectations limited. But Grandma didn't let geography and circumstance stunt her education.


Grandma has always been a reader and particularly an avid follower of politics. An independent thinker, she makes up her own mind and doesn't follow the crowd if she disagrees. For many in Utah, George W. Bush might as well have received his presidential office from the church. To disagree with his decisions is seen as somewhat heretical. Testimony and commitment to the gospel can be suspect if one questions Brother Bush's policies.


Yet though a staunch Republican, Grandma has been vocal about her opposition to Bush's policies particularly concerning the war in Iraq. A frequent contributor to the Republican party Grandma let them know she wasn't happy with the decisions of party leadership and didn't plan to donate when she received a solicitation call. The fundraiser probably thought a woman in her late eighties was set in her ways and a shoe in for a contribution. Not Grandma. She continues to evaluate and consider each new situation and then make up her mind.



I can only hope that I will be able to maintain such an agile mind if I make it to age 80, let alone 90. Happy Birthday Grandma!



Love,

Amy

I'm Not Cute and I'm Not Handsome!

Earlier this summer Kelly decided to shave his head. I do not like the way it looks but he says it's cooler and continues to do it. Unfortunately he has clogged up the sink in the upstairs hall bathroom. But that's all beside the point.



One day I asked Joel where Daddy's hair went and he replied that it had gone to "the Hair Cuttery."



Last Sunday I wanted to brush Joel's hair before church. He didn't want to go to church and thus was not keen to participate in any of the preparations. When I walked toward him with hairbrush in hand, he yelled out, "I'm not cute and I'm not handsome!" We always tell him how nice he looks after his hair his brushed and his comments were letting us know that he had no interest in grooming in preparation for church.

He always likes to be like his Daddy, so I said, "Daddy, do you want to be handsome?" "Oh yes!" Kelly replied. "He doesn't have any hair!" Joel shouted. Apparently one has to have hair in order to be handsome.

I later asked Joel if Eli was handsome.

"No. "

"Why not?"

"He has curly hair."

So I guess you also have to have straight hair in order to qualify for handsomeness.

Get your buncus up!

Laurie has been staying with us this summer before she heads off to India at the end of August. Yesterday she was doing push ups in the family room and Eli was down on the floor trying to figure out what on earth was going on. Trying to pull Joel into the mix I asked him what Laurie was doing. "Exercising," he replied, and then, lickety split, he had jumped on her back and lied prostrate on her backside. Immediately Laurie caved to the floor. "Up, up up Laurie!" Joel yelled. "Get your buncus up!" Laurie collapsed again and we all started laughing.

Potty Training

For the past couple of weeks Joel has started wetting his pants again. I think I've heard that this behavior can signal some kind of psychological stress in the child, but I don't think that's the case with Joel. He's just lazy. A little wetness in the crotch doesn't bother him, so why should it bother anyone else?

He doesn't do it at preschool or when we go out -- just at home. I knew I had to punish him somehow or he would do it forever. He hates getting his hair washed, so I decided the punishment would be pouring water over his head. If you think this is an odd punishment, you are right. I could go on and on about Joel's sensory issues and explain why this is the most appropriate discipline that I could think of, but I won't.

Since instigating this punishment he has continued to wet his pants but the frequency is declining. I insist that we perform this ritual in the backyard. He insists that he takes all his clothes off beforehand, as he does not want to get them wet. (There's definitely an irony here -- he doesn't mind having his clothes soaked from urine, but pure unadulterated water is unacceptable!)

Anyway I always wonder if any of my neighbors are watching my naked, screaming son having water poured over his head. Who knows, Children's Protective Services may be on it's way soon!

In the Beginning . . .

Okay, so I don't write in my journal anymore, but need a place to express myself and this is gonna be it.

Also, looking forward to posting pics of my precious and funny boys, Joel and Eli.

Blessedly, Joel and Eli are at the park with their Daddy now, and I hope they have a great time there for a loooonnnnngggggg while. Mommy alone time is rare and cherished!

Unfortunately, already gotta go because the dirty kitchen is beckoning, and I would like to get it cleaned up before everybody gets home . . .