Clutz

Today is a classically bad day. Not quite awake yet, I reached above my head for a tissue to blow my congested nose. Instead, I knocked my iPad off the shelf and it landed square on the bridge of my nose.  I cried out in pain and Ben leapt up to give me a bandage for the bleeding.  

Barely awake, I had the privilege of changing a complete blowout in three directions from Sam's diaper.

I iced my nose while cooking pancakes to keep the swelling down. Meanwhile Sam was in destruction mode and pulled one of my casserole pans off the shelf, shattering it.

I forgot I had agreed to say the opening prayer in Sacrament meeting today. Good thing I got there in time, and found a flesh colored Band-Aid instead of the purple rocket Band-Aid I was wearing earlier this morning.

While holding Sam on my lap at church, he jerked his head back and smashed it into my larynx. This kid. Sigh.

I'm so glad to be home and so glad that Ben is here to help with the kids. Only minutes away from quiet time Jack is drawing pictures. He drew me this cat named "Book "and it has an owie on his chin, "like you have an owie on your nose." (B-A-E-C is book)

Then he drew one with my name on it for good measure.

Call me Rasher ;-)

That was going to be the end, but he just came over with a third cat.  "Mom, did you know that I know how to spell butt?"

 Fantastic.  

It's the season...

For marshmallows!  This years they are dark chocolate and cherry vanilla.  

I also make soft chewy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies for the . . . fifth? time this fall? That recipe is a real winner. The occasion is our friends the Arcands coming over to play tonight.  It's so rare that we can get Jack and Nora together, but they love each other so.  I'm curious if Sam and Henry will interact tonight.  

This the season for colds too.  4/4 in this house are stricken, and 2/4 in theirs.  But we decided we will never all be well so might as well party tonight.  

Now I'm going to squeeze in a little knitting and QI before Sam wakes up.

Improvising when sick

Auditions for the musical were this week. We had such great plans made. Monday's workshop went fine. But that night Sam kept me up with coughing. Tuesday the day of actual auditions, he still had a croupy cough and a drippy nose. I was afraid I'd have to miss them, but Ben graciously volunteered to stay home with the kids so I could go.

I had planned to skip callbacks to take care of sick Sam, but then meet up with the other directors to cast the show after Ben got home from work. However, he woke up with a stomach flu! So now there are two completely different illnesses in our home for two people. Amanda and I managed to get a video chat window open so I could watch the callbacks from home. 

Then we did the same thing later from Jesse's house to figure out the casting together. We got it done! I think the show will be really good.

But I'm nervous as heck what's going to happen with these viruses in my house.  Who will be the next to fall? And with which illness?

Name

JACK DAJR MASON
(Self taught spelling of his middle name)

My Monster

Sam makes the weirdest noises.  He's grunter, happy or sad.  He does this gruff, staccato laugh sometimes, usually in response to cute animals.  Here we are browsing cute internet dog pictures. 

When we were reading a book on kittens last week, his laugh sounded like we were reading dirty jokes.  My baby is a coarse old man ;-)

Let It Go

Frozen hopped, skipped, and jumped across the year.  From release through the winter, DVD sales in the summer, Elsas galore at Halloween, and now Christmas tie-ins.  Like Ben said, "Disney has ALL the money."  Probably true.  Jack sang this non-stop for an hour, and started to add dance moves.  I asked him to do it on tape.

Serious snow

The snowfall hasn't stopped.  We have about four inches now and it's absolutely cold outside.  Sam loves wearing boots and gloves because he could explore the snow more.  Letting him walk to and from the building was impossible because he was so distracted.  Jack immediately tried to throw a snowball at me.  I deflected and scolded him.  He pelted Sam with four before I got him to stop.  Sam was having too much fun to care.

Jack's elementary school has many fundraisers.  My favorite are the ones that partner with food.  I can use it as an excuse to order take out.  Tonight's Papa John pizza was totally for a good cause!

Sam snot skills

Sam has learned to blow his nose!  This is the best thing for a parent with a sick kid.  Unfortunately, he doesn't do it anymore when I wipe his nose.  No, he takes a tissue of his own, puts it on his cheek, and walks around huffing his nose, getting snot down his chin.  It looks a lot like when he pretends to talk on toy phones, but he's pretending to blow his nose instead.  Hilarious AND gross.  That sums up toddlers, doesn't it?

Career Choices

Jack has a lot of aspirations. In order to help him when he is 20 and facing his future, I'm cataloging his ideas now.  

• Teacher (like Aunt Amanda!)
• Farmer
• Computer Programmer (like Dad!)
• Doctor (like Grandpa!)
• Nurse (like Mom!)
• Baker
• Paperboy (like in Curious George!)
• Ikea Worker

He didn't tell me where the last one came from.  During breakfast this morning he announced that he wanted to work in that place where they wear blue and yellow and you get stuff for your house.  Ikea, I offered?  Yes, Ikea.  I want to be an Ikea worker. 

Hmm. 

First snow

Finally we got our first snow of the season.  

The boys are enchanted with it. Jack always has such high hopes that the powdery flurry inevitably disappoints. 

Here he is harshly judging his snow angel.

Traditionally I make yeasty, sugary waffles for the first snow.  Yesterday I was more in the mood for cinnamon rolls.  The rolls get full credit for cheering up my grumpy boys after their long winters naps.  

A major award

I love going to Zumba. This week I've gone three days in a row. I feel great. I get to dance! I'm losing weight! And it's a great stress relief after being with whining, crying boys all day. I'll say it. It makes me feel sexy.

Last night was my favorite teacher's last class there at the Apex. He had a prize tee shirt for "the person with the most flavah."  

At the end of class, "Oh girl, this is yours by a landslide.  You were killing it all night."

Yes, yes I was.  Thank you.

Bedroom battlefield

A knight, a dragon, and I got relegated to squire.

Toe battles