My Weird Side...

I've been tagged again. Here's the rules...

Share 7 random or weird facts about yourself.

Tag 7 different people to do the same.

1.) I can't brush my teeth without gagging. It started when I was pregnant with Aaron and the taste of toothpaste would make me nauseous. To this day, I still gag every time I brush my teeth, and I have tried every flavor of toothpaste there is. Nothing helps.

2.) I have to have a "breathing foot" when I sleep. Even if I am cold, and my toes are covered in socks, I have to have one foot sneak out on top of the covers. I need to "breathe".

3.) I like salt on my pineapple. My husband insists that this is absolutely disgusting, but I love it!

4.) I really don't like sweet meat. This includes meats that have been 'honeyed', 'sugared', 'mapled', or glopped with various pie fillings. Original, smoked, or mesquite, please, and keep the sweet stuff to yourself.

5.) My brother, Jordan, and I have memorized one of our favorite Chritmas Movies, "Muppet Family Christmas". We have been known to ramdomly throw quotes from this movie out in the middle of conversation, much to the confusion of others around us. Sorry! (To Jordan- "Careful of the icy patch!" and "I don't care if the turkey said the dog is the turkey. The dog is not the turkey. The turkey's the turkey, You Turkey!" ) (Janice was there, too!)

6.) When driving, I really REALLY hate it when people make a turn lane where there's not one. It is probably my biggest pet peeve ever! I have been known to position my car smack dab in the in the middle of the street so others can't squeeze around me to create a non existing lane.

7.) I bite my kids. When each of my kids went through their 'biting' phase, I bit them back, pretty hard. Needless to say, they didn't like getting bit, and the phase only lasted a day or two.

Now that you know more about me than you probably ever needed to know, I will finish off by tagging 7 (lucky?) unsuspecting individuals.

Janice

Jared

Matt

Andrea J

Andrea D

Cami

Carrie

A Conversation with Caleb

This morning as we were driving Aaron to school, Caleb asked me a series of questions. The conversation went like this:

"Will I get to drive the car when I'm a dad?"

"Yes, Caleb, when you're bigger, you can drive a car."

"But who is going to sit next to me and talk to me while I drive?"

"Well, Caleb, your wife will probably sit by you when you drive."

"My wife? Who is my wife Mom?"

"I don't know Caleb, we probably haven't met her yet."

"I know! I can marry Kellie! She can be my wife."

"No Caleb, Kellie is your sister. She can't be your wife."

"Well then who is my wife?"

"I don't know Caleb, we haven't met her yet."

"Well I just can't do it."

"Can't do what?"

"I can't find my wife all by myself."

"Why not Caleb?"

"'Girls are just too hard, Mom."

Out of the mouth of my four year old. Girls are too hard. Poor guy- what have we done to him?

Somebody's 2!

Today is Kellie's birthday. I can't believe my little ball of energy is 2 today. 2 years ago, I thought she'd never come out. I went in on the 24th at 6 am and she held on and refused to be born until about 3:30 in the morning on the 25th. Needless to say, it was a really long day. We are so glad to have this pink little bundle in our lives. I dedicate this post to all things Kellie. Here goes:

1.) Kellie loves her boys. This includes her brothers, her grandpas and most especially, her dad. Even as a baby, she tolerated me, ignored Grandma, and fawned over the men. About her 1st birthday, she decided the women in her life were okay, too, but if given a choice, she prefers her following of men to the women.

2.) She is VERY curly. Her hair is wild and amazing. Every time you see her, it looks different. Her hair is actually a little past her shoulders when it is wet, but you wouldn't know it because her curls bouce up so high.

3.) She loves all writing implements. (as the coloring on my walls will testify.) She will color anywhere, on any surface. Her "masterpieces" have shown up on doors, walls, floors, computer screens, skin, and the refrigerator.

4.) She loves trains. She loves to play with the little magntic Thomas trains, much to the irritation of her brother, Caleb.

5.)She loves dum dum suckers. You have to be really careful, though because she sneaks into them and I find little sticks all over the house.

6.) She has been very independent from day 1. She refused to wear a bib and feed herself before she was even a year old.

7.) She loves to eat cheese sticks. She will go in front of the refrigerator and beg.

8.) Oswald is her favorite tv show. When she hears the theme song, she runs from whereever she is in the house to come watch.

9.) She is getting very good at blowing kisses.

10.) One of her best friends is her dog. She loves to hug and kiss and pet Sally.

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl.We love you!

Kellie's Newest Word

I was kind of hoping to avoid hearing this word for a while, but the word has arrived, right on schedule and in time for her 2nd birthday this weekend. I guess I'll just have to get used to hearing the word NO.

"Kellie, will you come here?" Her response, "No."

"Kellie, please stop doing that!" Again: "No."

"Kellie, use your f0rk instead of your hands, sweetie. "

(Need I say it...) "No."

Unfortunately, I have only found one way to get her to stop saying the dreaded word. It goes like this:

"Kellie, I said NO, don't do that!"

Her emphatic response: "YES!!!!"

What a defiant little thing! I guess you gotta love her, although, I hope she figures out fairly quickly that it will be much more pleasant around here when she stops arguing with me...

My Newest Favorite Cleaning Product

I am really not trying to bore you, I just had to share this! I'm sure you've all seen the commercials for the New SCRUBBING BUBBLES TOILET CLEANING GEL. The lady walks up to her toilet, sticks a wand in the bowl and stamps on an extra sticky glob of gel that slowly dissolves over time and supposedly helps keep your toilet cleaner between scrubbings.

Ever the sceptic, I probably would not have even tried this product, but I was at the store and needed new toilet bowl cleaner. I saw this right underneath the cleaner and thought I'd try it. This product is amazing. It really is easy to use; I probably shouldn't admit this, but as far as cleaning supplies go, it is probably the most fun to use, too! You kind of feel like a Jedi with a light saber! (okay, maybe that is pushing it a bit, but it was still fun!)

I love it! My most favorite features: 1.) It's disposable, you can use it six times and then you toss the dispenser 2.) It's easy to use and actually does what it says it's going to and 3.) IT WAS UNDER $5. Can't beat that.

Adventures at the Doctor's Office

We showed up for the boys annual checkups this afternoon. It took me a few minutes to check in since they had to update their files and insurance information. While I was standing at the desk waiting, the kids went just behind me to the sitting area where the tv and toys are. This was our first problem.

For whatever reason, they have removed all the toys. As a parent concerned about sharing other people's germs, I'm okay with this. As a parent of 3 kids who are stuck in a waiting room for half an hour or more with nothing to do but annoy other people, I was not too happy. Caleb came running to me, whining about nothing to do. I'm standing there, trying to rush the receptionist so I can go manage my kids- and she is impersonating a Walmart checker. (slow and indifferent...)

Meanwhile Kellie got pushed and starts screaming. I go to get her, and the receptionist says, "Don't worry, I'll wait," and stops working until I am standing in front of her again. Meanwhile, the line is backing up. It took me over 10 minutes (no I am not joking) to check in. (It normally takes about 2)

I finally get over to the waiting area and I see that they have mounted a huge chalkboard on one wall for the kids to draw on. On the surface this sounds like a good idea, and I will say the kids had fun. 25 minutes later, as we were walking back to the examining room, my kids are covered (and I mean COVERED) in multicolored chalk dust. I don't know why I bothered to bathe my kids this morning. There clothes are completely covered in a fine mist of chalk and there hair looks like they have serious dandruff. (I was watching them, and I still don't know how they managed to get it in their hair...)

We stop at the nurses station to get their vitals and I find out that Aaron can't see and needs to have an eye appointment because he probably will need glasses. Meanwhile, Caleb has a complete breakdown when they put the blood pressure cuff on his arm and it starts tightening up.

We find our way into the room, and before the doctor can even join us, Aaron has a hissy fit about getting a shot. Caleb, who has never been scared of shots in the past, has a little breakdown and is sobbing when the doctor finally arrives.

While I am trying to talk with the doctor, Aaron decides it is time to jump and roll like a gymnast on the examination table. I told him to stop, which he did, for about a minute, and then he was back to his wild monkey antics.

While this is happening, I am holding and trying to calm down Caleb, who has decided that the Doctor IS NOT getting anywhere near him. It was like trying to wrestle an octopus, while the doctor is trying to examine him.

I look up in time to watch Kellie join Aaron jumping on the table. I stand up, Caleb draped on my body since he won't let go, and pull Kellie and Aaron off the table, catching Kellie before she falls head-first to the floor. As soon as I let her go, she goes to the chair and climbs back up with Aaron. I finally move the chair to the other side of the room so she can't climb up anymore.

Before the Doctor leaves she gives the kids a nice lecture about why it is important to listen to their Mommy, and that she expects them to obey me the FIRST time I ask them to do something. I am thankful for the support, but so embarrassed that my kids were so heinous she felt the need to correct them. I thought this visit could not get much worse. I was wrong.

The nurses are sent in to give the kids their shots. Aaron goes into full combat mode screaming, kicking and hitting the nurses. Yes, hitting. It took me and two nurses to hold him down. As I'm holding Aaron down, Caleb is puddled at my feet screaming and trying to push me and the nurses off his brother.

Next was Caleb's turn and of course he chooses this time to tell me how much he hates everyone. "I hate you! and you! and you! ...." Again, 3 people to hold him down. His final comment "No one LOVES me!!!!" By now the drama in the room is pretty thick.

I pull Caleb off the table and start to dress him, when I realize that Kellie has climbed up the chair that I moved earlier and is armpit deep into the sink, splashing water everywhere.

On that joyous note, I quickly dressed my kids and escorted them to the car. I was hoping for a quick, dignified exit. Instead, I had 1 screaming, inconsolable child refusing to walk (Caleb), one child moaning about how much I'd wounded him (Aaron), and a half soaked toddler trying desperately to get away from me and get back to the sink where she was having so much fun (Kellie).

I'm not sure if the stares I got were full of pity, annoyance or concern that I'd somehow scarred my children for life. If I wasn't trying to get out of there as quickly as possible, I think I might have sat down and had a good cry right there in the doctor's office.

Anyway, here's the stats:

Aaron's 7 year check-up:52 lbs (50th percentile), 49 3/4 inches tall (75th percentile), vision 20/40

Caleb's 4 year check-up: 38 lbs (60th percentile), 42 inches tall (80th percentile), needs to visit a speech therapist

Kellie: still wet

Mom: ready to curl up in a ball and cry

LDS Journal Website

A friend of mine recommended a website called http://www.ldsjournal.com/ . I checked it out and I love it. It's a free service that is completely private for journaling. Don't get me wrong, I love my blog, but have been reluctant to put anything TOO personal here. People can be given too much information, if you know what I mean.

It has some awesome features. For instance, after you set up an account, you can be linked with pages that ask you tons of questions about the things that you did growing up, your wedding, your family now, and tons more! The format is such that you can choose a question that you want to answer, type in your answer and save it for your posterity in minutes!

And you can also add journal entries at any time you wish. You can upload pictures, poems, stories, favorite conference talks, you name it! It has a lot of similarities to a blog. The main difference is that your information is for your eyes only, which is nice when you're writing something very personal.

Another cool feature is that the company will take the information that you've put into your account and they will download it and create a bound book for you, if you want it. Or you can print each entry as you go, and compile it yourself.

My FAVORITE feature is that you can set it to email you evey day, every three days, once a week, etc., and it will remind you to add to your journal. It's nice to be reminded how long it's been since you last wrote in your journal. I find it very motivating.

I love this. Check it out.

NEW EVERYTHING

I looked out my window today and realized I had NEW leaves. Well, maybe not new leaves, but leaves with new color. I think it happened overnight. Gotta love fall.
Today, Matt starts his NEW job. He was pretty excited when he left this morning, and I am happy for him. It seems strange to be starting a new chapter in our lives, but, although unknown, we are looking forward to this new arrangement.
I will have to get used to a NEW schedule. Matt leaves about the same time every morning, but will be a little bit later getting home, since he has a farther drive. Hopefully soon, this new schedule won't feel so strange.
So, anything NEW in your life?

Why am I even curious?

I have to tell you- I have a problem. I am too curious. I just finished the last book in the Twilight series. I am so irritated that I lost those hours of my life. Whose fault is it? Mine. Let me start at the beginning.

A few months ago, some friends from church recommended I read the Twilight series. The first book was okay. Creepy, but interesting. The next two were interesting enough. Creative, but still a bit wierd. To be honest, I kept reading, not because I loved the premise, or the writing, but because the storyline was one of the strangest I had ever heard of. I finally broke down and read the last book, if for no other reason than to see how it ended. Curiosity. Pure curiosity. Will she become a vampire or won't she? What should have been a quick read to satisfy my need to know, turned into a tedious chore. 700+ pages later, I am amazed at how the darn book drug on. It should NOT take 200 pages to describe a pregnancy that lasted 1 month. Get an editor! Why did I keep reading, you ask? All I can say in my defense is, I was curious. I wanted to know how all the loose ends tied up. AAAAAHHHHH!

I should have known better. I have been duped before. I endured the Lord of the Rings junk because everybody raved about how good it was. I have read the books- they were okay. The movies were really, REALLY long, and very creepy. I don't like scary movies. I don't like violence. I watched because darn it, I was curious. I kept expecting it to get better, which it didn't.

Pirates of the Caribbean. SO DISAPPOINTING. I liked the first movie- it hooked me. The sequels were creepy with those disgusting sea creatures. I watched and at the end of the 3rd movie, was really ticked off. You can ask Matt. I was mad. Really mad. Did I really just spend the last few hours of my life watching revolting sea creatures and slap stick swordplay to have it end by killing off the main love interest? Oh, but I forgot, He's not REALLY gone. Just mostly gone. (It felt very reminiscent of a scene in Princess Bride about the difference between being dead, and mostly dead.)

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

I need to see a doctor. Maybe they have a procedure that can remove my darn NEED TO KNOW syndrome. Either that, or they can induce some rare form of amnesia that makes me forget all the time I just wasted. grrrrrrrrrrr

WANTED

WANTED: My little boy back

When I picked Aaron up from school today he was so excited! He had to show me his new necklace and the gaping new hole in his mouth. I should be used to him losing teeth by now. Today's goner was #8. I guess it's not so much the tooth, but the thought that my little boy is getting bigger. Some days, I look at him, realize how big he really is, and I have a moment of reality when it hits me that I'm old enough to be his mother. (especially since I am his mother) I guess after 9 years of marriage and 3 kids it shouldn't be so much of a surprise.

(So tonight as I mourn the loss of my 'little' boy-I'll welcome the tooth fairy. I think she'll be easier to handle than the girlfriend that I'm sure will show up in a few years. I'll take my perks where I can get them.) (big sigh)

Utah Photos

Trip to UTAH

We started our trip Thursday morning, driving through Wyoming. We stopped in Rawlins for lunch and found a really cute park with an actual train. The kids loved it!
Friday night, Matt and I attended Matt's 10 year Mission Reunion. (He was in Perth, Australia.) It was so fun to finally put a face to these people Matt has loved so much, and mentioned often. His Mission President, Danny Hamilton, and his family, were able to come. It was a wonderful night.
We spent the rest of our trip playing with the cousins, and eating lots of YUMMY food. (Janice is an awesome cook!) Here's some highlights:
1. Aaron rode a bike without training wheels!
2. Kellie loved on Sabie!(Jan's dog) She made sure she was properly accesorized with plenty of bling! (She kept putting necklaces on that poor, patient, dog)
3. Matt reminisced with old friends!
4. We learned to play Ticket to Ride! (So fun, even if I lost.)
5. Caleb soaked up attention when Aunt Janice would read to him.
6. Have I mentioned the YUMMY food? It really was pretty tasty!
7. Elf bowling. SO COOL. (I guess you had to be there.)
8. Kellie was chauffered on her own little bike, wearing bike helmet and all! ( I hope Jamie's back isn't too sore!)
9. The men attended Priesthhod session. Very uplifting!
10. We relived Jared's Greeley "Squirrel" roommate experience. (such a funny story! You'll have to ask him about it though.)
Thank you, Porters, for a great weekend! (we enjoyed your room!) We love you Corless Familly! Thank you, Mom and Dad, for watching our crazy pooch!

To see even more pictures of this fabulous weekend visit my sister's blog at http://j6porter.blogspot.com/ . She got some really cute photos!