Winter Fun with Daddy

I have a Christmas post planned, but there are so many pictures to sort through still. But to tide you over...

Erik and Lillian took advantage of our fresh snow today. This was quite the contrast from last year. The one time I attempted to get Lillian in her snow pants, snow boots, coat, and mittens, we were outside for a whole 2 minutes before she decided it wasn't for her. Today, she and Erik spent some time sledding (they took turns pulling) and throwing snowballs. Laddie even got in on the fun.

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Baby Board

Because I currently have something growing inside of me and will for the next several months, I have been following a message board on a popular baby website for women due in July 2010. I never post; I'm strictly a lurker. But I have to say, there are some days that this board provides the best entertainment EVER! For some reason, women, even complete and total strangers, can't get together without reverting back to junior high. Women on this board are constantly getting offended because someone gave their opinion to their post/question/life story. Then the person who provided the supposedly offensive opinion howls back something along the lines of, "If you didn't want an honest opinion, why did you ask? Get some big girl panties and deal with it."


A huge debate ensues, of course, with all the women taking sides.

You shouldn't be so mean. Having an opinion isn't being mean. If you can't say anything nice... I'm not going to sugar coat it. I'm reporting you to the board administrator. Blah, blah, blah.

The first drama began as positive pregnancy tests were just coming in for July. One woman asked why so many women - who had yet to even ovulate - were hanging around the board. They should be on the TTC (trying to conceive) board. This resulted in an offshoot board: just for women who had already confirmed pregnancy.

Since then, plenty of other threads have followed this same pattern. A few were even closed because of "personal attacks." A few women have actually posted I'M LEAVING posts because of the meanness, which just fostered more posts about getting tougher skin, it's the hormones, etc., etc. (Can't we all just get along???) But the real impetus for my blogging today comes from the offshoot board JULY UNCUT.

This board has nothing to do with circumcision, which I'm sure will provide a lively debate in the coming months along with breast feeding. No. This board is like the uncut version of a movie. The women who pride themselves most on speaking their minds, tactfully or not, have formed their own board so they can "tell it like it is." They warn you to get your "big girl panties" before entering because they are an uncensored group of women and won't hold back opinions for the sake of your feelings.

Now, this is fine and dandy. Apparently, they weren't receiving the satisfaction they'd hoped they would with the main group and being told they weren't exactly tactful in how they expressed their opinion, even though that itself was someone's opinion, offended them enough to pout on a board all their own.

What gets me, though, it that on the thread they posted announcing the formation of this group, the last couple responses have been discussion on why people have been booted from the board (it requires a request to join). This is the reason they gave:

We had some issues w/ some people being kind of rude and creating problems.

Are you kidding me? Isn't this why they created the group? So they could be as rude as they wanted and could voice any and all opinions? And now they're booting people for exactly what people didn't like about them in the first place? I wonder if they see the irony here?!?

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The OFFICIAL announcement

Now that I think most of our family and friends have heard the news (and OH! The controversy that ensued!!! You know who you are. :-D), I will finally do an official blog post about our baby news.

So yes...I'm pregnant and due July 3, 2010. And I'm totally thrilled, but at the same time, there's this nagging trepidation. I think my biggest cause of anxiety comes from the complications we had last time. I had my first prenatal appointment just before Thanksgiving, and the first question I asked was if there was anything I could do to prevent preeclampsia this time around. And the answer was a big NO. No one knows what causes it, and there's no way to know it's coming. And the only real cure is to deliver the baby, which is what happened last time. While everything turned out OK with Lillian, I would really rather not have another baby in the NICU for a couple weeks. So for the next 7 months, I've got that looming over my head, wondering if my "healthy" pregnancy will turn out to be not quite so much.

The rest of my trepidation comes from things that, logically, I know will all work out, but they pop into my thoughts now and again. For instance, when I was pregnant with Lillian, I was anxious because I didn't know what to expect. I'd never been pregnant before, never had a baby, never been the main care giver for a small human, and on and on. We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. Now, I DO KNOW what to expect, and that's almost just as bad! :) There are some days, when Lillian is acting especially two, that I wonder what in the world we were thinking. We really want to go through this again? Of course there are also times when I realize she's growing up so fast, and I miss the times when she was small and not so independent (defiant). Then I'm optimistic again.

Not to mention that in about 7 months, Lillian's life will be changing as she knows it. As a first born, I have to trust that this won't scar her too badly. I only vaguely remember when Garrik joined the family and really, I can't remember life before him anyway. Since Lillian and Baby #2 will be about the same age difference, I assume it will eventually be the same for her. But let's forget 20+ years from now for just a minute. It's those first couple months I'm thinking about mostly. She loves babies, granted, but usually when I'm not holding them. This could be an issue...

Again, I know everything will work itself out, but I'm a worrier by nature and I'm off to a good start.

On the physical side of things, I'm doing pretty well. I've been sicker than I ever was with Lillian. Constant queasiness 24/7. (Possible sign of a boy to come???) A remedy that works one day has no effect the next, but it seems to be easing up a little and will hopefully be gone completely in the next couple weeks.

And I hate to admit it, but it seems my pants have gotten tighter a lot sooner than last time. Hopefully this isn't an indication of things to come. But I will admit: I'm kind of excited about the prospect of being able to go back to elastic-waisted pants!! :) After sorting through my maternity clothes from last time, I realized I need to go shopping. You have to find that silver lining somewhere when you're looking at the prospect of having to neglect your current wardrobe for the better part of a year, and since Lily was a winter baby, my current maternity stock pile is just plain unsuitable now. If anyone has the scoop on cute maternity clothes that won't break the bank, please share.

Of course the shopping isn't just for me in my time of fashion need. I find myself checking out what's new in the baby world. Not much has changed, I guess, since I was shopping for Lily, but it's fun all the same. It's also fun to see what new things have come out and, being an "experienced" mom, I can just roll my eyes. Last time, all the fun gadgets just sounded so helpful and convenient. Now I know that most of the time, those fun gadgets are more hassle than they're worth.

Thanks to everyone for their congratulations, and we'll keep you updated on how things are going. And I'm hoping to revive my blogging desire here soon. :)

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November moments

Yes...I admit it; I'm truly a blog slacker. The motivation just hasn't been there. But I wanted to make sure you knew we weren't just sitting on our duffs for the last month. Well...we probably were judging by the state of my house for the last couple of weeks, but there were moments of activity in there somewhere.

First, there was Halloween.


Who else but Lillian could make such a dirty face look so adorable!?! Even though we didn't do any real trick-or-treating (we just went to the trusty Wal*mart), she was perfectly content with her pile of candy and had such a good time.



Next, there was Disney on Ice.


What a great excuse to go see all the Princesses skate. Last year, she had fun, But this year, I think she finally caught the whole experience. She had a great time with Uncle Lars and Addison on the ride to Salt Lake and back and actually watched most of the show this year. She could name all the princesses and was just THRILLED when Tinkerbell came out. Despite the break down during intermission and half way into the second half, it was well worth the trip.

We also spent an afternoon getting our annual family pictures done. Meg always delivers.


I don't know if the next set of pictures qualifies as not sitting on our duffs since we were at home, but really, how could I not share? Since I do a fair share of my Christmas shopping online, Lillian decided to try a recent box on for size. How much do you think postage would be??? For Erik of course...not Lillian. :)


And one last picture, just for fun...

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Composer in training

Tonight after dinner, Lillian treated us to an original composition. I don't remember all the words and what order they were in exactly, but it went something like this:

Sun is sleeping.
Sun is sleeping.
It's time to wake up!!!
Wake up sun.
Wake up sun.
Go to the park when sun wakes up.
Wake up sun, wake up sun, wake up sun (repeat and fade)

I say she's a natural.

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Obviously not my kid

Yesterday, when Lillian woke up, Erik asked, "Guess what??" In a very interested whisper, she asked, "What?" back.

Erik: It snowed!

Lily: It did? I want to see!

Erik held her up to the window to see the disastrous white stuff that fell during the night that means the end of my life as I know it. (A tad too dramatic? Sorry.)

Lily: Oooooo! I LOVE snow. Oh no! I don't have snow boots!

Erik: We'll have to buy you some, I guess.

Lily: Yeah. Let's do that! (her new favorite phrase) Mommy doesn't like snow.

You got that right, kiddo. But I guess I should just be happy that this year, she's actually excited to see the snow because last year, she wouldn't walk on it. All all. Not one boot-covered toe was ever to touch that cold white stuff. So taking advantage of the excitement while we could, we went out last night and bought some adorable snow boots, trying very hard to keep her line of sight away from the Dora the Explorer ones. Amazingly, she did see them and put them back when we asked her to. Maybe she'll turn out to be an obedient child after all.

Now I guess all we have left to get is the small snowmobile she suddenly thinks she needs. (Daddy's is too big. She needs a small, pink one.) I'd say Erik's brainwashing her, but I was there when that phrase (I need a small one.) came out of her mouth. All on its own. Completely unrehearsed. That and her small motorcycle because Daddy's is too scary and loud. You should have seen the pure joy on Erik's face.

There's got to be some of me in her somewhere, right? Right? I mean besides the OCD. Anybody???? Sigh.

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Random blogging

Because I've been lax in my blogging recently and because nothing else is really going on, today's post consists of random bits of...stuff.

First of all, how about this adorable picture of Lily and Erik in their ties. No cute story. No funny explanation. Just a cute Fred Flintstone-ish tie that was just too cute not to share.

Second, I have to brag about how brilliant my child is. And isn't that really the point of any mother's blog and the right of every parent? I thought so. I'm sure every parent totally thinks the same thing about their kid, but mine's the real deal. ;) The other day, Lillian looked at my shirt (which happened to say Wal-mart) and said, " There are lots of A's on your shirt." I guess two is a lot to a two-year-old. But that's not the point. The point here is that she knew there were A's there at all. So I asked her to find each letter. AND SHE COULD. I was amazed. I guess I shouldn't have been since she's ALWAYS asking which letters are what while we read and she plays her ABC Zoo game online. And she's been singing the alphabet for while now. But she got every single letter right. All of them. Of course when I tried to show Erik, she got every single one wrong. But the other day, I let her tag along while I ran into the office for a bit, and while I put together some meeting materials, she played her game. When she got bored, I tried to drag it out just a little longer by asking her to find letters. Once again, she got them all right.

Erik and I, especially recently, are constantly asking each other if the average two-year-old should be able to do the things she's doing or if we are just easily impressed. Whatever the truthful answer is to that question, we're amazed every day at the little person she's becoming, and I'm looking forward to seeing her continue to develop.

My last random topic for this post is Lily's vocal performance debut:



Thanks, as always, for reading my ramblings. :)

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Where's Erik's Hazard Pay???

What's great about this is that Erik recently had an employee who threatened to bring a gun and shoot everybody. Needless to say, he no longer works for the company...

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

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Fall Festival 2009

Following tradition (is it a tradition if you've only done it once before?), we headed out to the American West Heritage Center this weekend for Fall Festival. Last year, if you'll remember, Lillian ended up donating her sucker to a very hungry goat. While nothing nearly as exciting happened this year, Lily had a great time playing in the hay jump, riding the train, NOT riding a pony, petting the goats (we left the suckers at home), trying to take a cat home, and going down a slide on a burlap bag.

At least she said the slide was fun.

Actually, her exact words were, "That was FUN, Daddy! Let's not do it again." Take it how you will.
But probably the highlight of Lillian's day was spotting a very fuzzy caterpillar on the ground. She spent a good 10 minutes staring at it from every angle - even trying to get down to eye level - and working up the courage to pet it (It's spiky! It will sting me!!!). We were only able to tempt her away by promising another chance to jump in the hay.

It's so fun to watch her at events like this now that she can actually enjoy them. I know she probably won't remember going -even after we pull out the pictures - but just knowing that she had a great time while she was there makes it all worth it.

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It's finally happened.

Last night, we were out at dinner, and Lillian never actually sat down. At all. Not once. Through the entire meal. And then it hit me. It used to be that we'd go out and our angel of a daughter would sit in her high chair and munch on bits of cracker or bread. As she got older, she'd color and say cute things. More than once, someone near us would comment on how well behaved she was and express their desire to have kids that laid back.

Those comments have abruptly stopped. And last night, as Lillian bounced up and down on the seat and stared at (and even counted!!) the people in the booth behind us and crawled under the table several times to sit by each of us, I realized that we've become one of THOSE families. You know the ones - the ones who can't control their children and seem to be completely oblivious to what's going on around them? Yeah. That was us.

And I was so totally embarrassed and wanted to climb under the table myself if that wouldn't have added to my embarrassment level. Because I totally hate when some stranger's kid stares at me through my entire meal or bonks me on the back of the head while they jump on the seat (thank goodness I don't think that actually happened last night). Of course I never blame the kid - It's always the PARENTS' FAULT.

But for those of you who aren't yet experiencing this wonderful stage in toddlerhood, let me share my recent epiphany (and hopefully those who have experienced it will back me up): IT'S NOT THE PARENTS' FAULT. And we definitely weren't oblivious - as much as it may have seemed that way while we tried to actually enjoy our own dinners. No matter how many times we asked Lily to sit down or stay in one spot or turn around or "Please eat your grilled cheese sandwich that you asked the waitress for very loudly and then decided needed an entire jigger of grape jelly when it came but now you haven't even touched," she just continued to do whatever she wanted.

I suppose we should have just left, but as embarrassed as I was, I'm hoping it wasn't as bad as I remember or thought at the time. Or maybe it was and the people around us were cursing our very presence. In an effort at complete honesty, I will tell you that although we weren't oblivious, we were just thrilled she was happy and not screaming and crying like she had been an hour earlier at Wal-mart, so admittedly, we probably weren't as forceful as we could (should???) have been, especially since she was being relatively quiet despite the constant movement. All I know for sure is that I was completely, totally, and utterly exhausted just from watching Lily's activities for the hour we were at that restaurant.

I also know I will now be a million times more tolerant when it's someone else's kid and eternally grateful when it's not my own.

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Western Caribbean Cruise

After about 8 months of anticipation, planning, working out, and just plain excitement, September 5 finally arrived, and Erik and I (along with 4 other couples) set out on our Western Caribbean cruise. (And in case you're wondering, the whole "working out" thing wasn't as successful as I'd hoped, but what can you do?)

Our adventure started when we picked up the McCombers at 4:00 a.m. - yes, four in the morning - for our flight to Miami. Just let me say, flights to Miami from Salt Lake are not convenient. It was either this ridiculously early flight the day before the ship left or a redeye on the same day. Despite the early hour, I'm glad we went in the day before. We were able have a nice, relaxing evening (including a Cuban dinner) and didn't have to feel rushed getting to the cruise terminal.

Once on board, it was pure heaven. Ice cream and pizza 24 hours a day. Gorgeous views every where you look. A new country each day. A fantastic manicure. Some good shows, including a very funny ventriloquist. Not quite Jeff Dunham, whom I LOVE, but it was fun.

This time around, we opted for the Caribbean rather than Baja Mexico, and I am so glad. While snorkeling in Cabo San Lucas was fun, it was nothing compared to the warm, beautiful, amazingly blue water of the Caribbean. Our first stop was Grand Cayman where we did some snorkeling and went to Stingray City. Stingray City was AMAZING!!! We were able to stand in water a little more than waist deep and just watch the stingrays swim all around us. Well...they did more than that. They were very friendly and even jumped out of the water and bumped up against everyone. I was brave and held one although I decided I didn't need to feel one suck a raw squid from my hand.

Roatan, Honduras, was our next stop. To me, it was the epitome of "tropical island." It was so green and beautiful. Erik decided to windsurf along with Jared and Eric. The rest of the group did some more snorkeling, but I decided to hang out on the beach with my book and watch Erik fall off his board. :-P Not really. All three guys did a great job for their first time despite Mickey's (the instructor) constant insults and complaints at their lack of ability. Let's just say he lacked some people skills. Mickey's operation wasn't affiliated with the ship at all, so we were able to get a view of the island that probably many people don't see. We headed to the opposite side of the island from the pier and had fabulous views all the way there.

Our third port was Belize. This was the stop I was most looking forward to since we were taking a tour of the Mayan Ruins, and I loved them. The site wasn't as big as I had expected, but for the most part, it was very cool. We were able to climb to the top of the tallest ruin to see the entire site and learn about some rituals that were performed on the altar (they weren't pleasant). One disappointing thing about the site was the reconstruction of some of the ruins. Apparently some features were covered up when they rebuilt parts of the temples, but it was still pretty impressive. The second half of this excursion was a river tour. Honestly, we both could have done without it. It was blisteringly hot that day, and the boat didn't have a cover. And the animals weren't really cooperating so it ended up mostly being a hot ride in a bumpy boat, but the iguanas were very cooperative and posed nicely for us.

Our final stop was Cozumel. Erik and I went on Mini Jeep tour of Punta Sur, an ecological preserve. It was very dusty, but we were able to see come cool stuff. There was a Mayan lighthouse and hurricane alarm. The top had conch shells placed in a way that when the wind blew just right, they would sound and warn everyone a hurricane was coming so they could move inland. We also climbed to the top of a modern lighthouse with an amazing view. We wrapped up our day in Cozumel relaxing in some hammocks at a fairly deserted beach.

One unexpected twist to our trip was the rescue of some divers after leaving Cozumel. The ship detected a distress call, and we headed out to investigate. It turned out to be some divers whose motor broke and started drifting. We ended up anchored in the middle of the ocean for a while with a little boat tied to the side until the Mexican authorities could come pick them up. So even the time at sea was eventful!

Our last day was spent in Miami. Again: flights between Salt Lake and Miami are not convenient. We were off the boat about 8 a.m. but our flight didn't leave until 5:30 p.m. So we all rented a few cars and headed out to the Everglades. We stopped at the Everglades Alligator Farm and took an air boat ride and watched a crazy guy stick his head in an alligator's mouth. We ate lunch in South Beach and then headed home.

It was a great vacation, but we were both ready to get home to Lily and Laddie. When Lillian woke up Monday morning, she looked around for Nana before realizing were were in our bed. "You guys came home?!?!?" She was so excited to see us, and I have to say, I was thrilled to see her. I think we're done cruising for a little while, but maybe next time she can come with us.

Here's some pictures from the trip because I know everyone's favorite thing is to see slides from someone else's vacation... :)

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Celtic Festival and Highland Games

I have a very fuzzy memory of my mom taking me to a Celtic festival in Salt Lake when I was little. I think it was at This is the Place State Park, but I can't be sure. I do remember the Irish step dancers, though. So when Erik discovered that Cache Valley would be holding its inaugural Celtic Festival and Highland Games, I jumped at the chance to go.

I wasn't sure what to expect, really. But they had some fun things going on. We watched the dancers for a little bit and looked around the booths full of Celtic knick-knacks. We also tried some"authentic" Celtic food. We opted for the meat pies; haggis seemed a little too authentic. :)

Then we were treated to an awesome pipe band. I know what you're thinking. One bagpipe is bad enough but an entire band? Well I have to tell you, if you've never experienced a large group of talented pipers, you don't really know how great a pipe band can be! They were all dressed in their kilts, and it was so cool to watch them march and play. Since Utah State claims connections to the Scottish (umm, hello!! The Scotsman is played at EVERY SINGLE SPORTING EVENT!!), we decided they need to get their pipe band started and put them all in an Aggie tartan.

Maybe USU should also start a "weight over bar" team and compete in traditional Celtic sports, which were also going on. Their record couldn't possibly be worse than the football team...

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A small monkey

Lillian Schaelling proudly presents Conversation 5607...

While on our cruise last week - which I'm going to post about, I swear - Erik was joking about our river guides because every time they pointed out an animal, it would disappear. At dinner tonight, it came up and he said, "Oh look: a monkey! Oops. It's gone." Lillian looked very excitedly in the direction he pointed. Here's what happened next:

Lily: A MONKEY!!! It's over there!

Me: Really? There's a monkey?

Lily: It's coming over here. IT'S ON THE TABLE!!! (She was very excited.)

Erik: Where's a monkey? I don't see one.

Lily: He's right here (pointing to the table by her plate). He's a small monkey.

Me: Oh...a small monkey. OK.

Lily - wacking the table where the monkey was supposed to be standing: I squished him!!

She looks at her hand. Then she rubs it with her other hand and says...

Lily: I CAN'T GET HIM OFF!!! HE'S STUCK!!!

I about fell off my chair. Who knew the kid had such a good imagination?!?!?

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Just a little glow

So I've never been a tanner, not that kind any way. I've never had a desire to pay to put on weird goggles and lie on what looks like a very uncomfortable bed under UV lights for something that is completely and totally free. Don't take this to mean I'm an SPF freak, though. (Although, I probably should be, especially as I continue to inch closer and closer to 30. I'm sure my skin would appreciate it.) Admittedly, this means that my tan usually has several layers with my arms and neck getting fairly dark by the end of summer, my legs having a little color, and a lighter layer that outlines my swimsuit. Since the number of times I'm actually in swimsuit is pretty few and far between, I don't stress about it too much.

Last year, we had one of those coupon cards for some local organization with all sorts of discounts. One included a Buy One, Get One Mystic Spray Tan. As our May cruise approached, I was SO tempted to use it. I did some research to see what to expect. It seemed simple enough: stand in a booth and get sprayed with a mist. A few hours later, gorgeous tan. But I never did do it. I'd used self-tanners before and as hard as you might try, you always miss a spot or you use too much and turn orange. I just decided I didn't want to risk looking like a Cheeto in my cruise pictures. I opted instead to go on our cruise in my normal post-winter paleness. After the cruise (and once the sunburn faded from the spots my spray-on sunscreen missed), I had a beautiful tan. You could still see my tan line this spring, actually.

Here we are again, getting ready to go on another cruise. This time however, it's after summer, so I've had the chance to get a little color. Which, as I mentioned, means I have a couple different levels of tan depending on where you look. I had resigned myself to this and figured one good "Fun Day @ Sea" would probably adjust any inconsistencies and I'd be good to go.

Then Tina, a fellow cruiser I happen to work with, sent me an email. "I'm getting a mystic tan," she said. "It's BOGO on Mondays. I also have a coupon if you can't go today. Would you be interested in using it?" I thought about it, remembering all the reasons I opted out last time. But I was still EXTREMELY tempted. I figured, at least we'd look like Cheetos together if it turned out bad, right? Plus, I made sure her appointment was right before mine in the hopes I'd catch her on the way out of the spa and have the chance to be warned to RUN AWAY!!! if needed.

When I arrived, I was told someone was just getting instructions on using the booth so it would be just a little while. Turns out it was Tina because soon, she came down the hall looking...well, let's face it...not any tanner than when I'd seen her at work. Apparently it does take a while for the color to actually develop, but I was wondering where my instant tan was. She relayed her experience with the only admonition being not to forget the hair net as she had, but otherwise, it was painless. Judging from her account of her time in the booth, she left out a few details.

When it was my turn, the staff member explained the process and showed how to apply the barrier cream that would keep dry skin and hands/nails from absorbing too much tanner. It should be goopy, she said. Before she left, she asked if I wanted "clear" or "bronze" tanner. Apparently, the bronze version put a little color on immediately while the actual tanner develops the end color. I went for the bronze option. After she left, I donned my hair net so there was no way I would forget it and lotioned up. Once I thought I'd done a particularly goopy job, I waved my hand in front of the sensor and stepped in the booth.

"Spraying will commence in 5 seconds." I assumed the position as she'd shown me and prepared for the cool blast of mist I knew would be coming. I'd been warned not to scrunch my eyes when it hit, so I was making a conscious effort not to. But that was the LONGEST FIVE SECONDS EVER!!! The anticipation of the first blast was causing me to scrunch my face more and more as I waited. Once it finally hit, I had to remind myself to relax so I didn't get scrunch marks. When the process had been explained, I was told it would spray "up and down, up and down, up and down." After the third round, I expected it to stop. I don't know how many more times it went up and down, but it was definitely more than three. The theory is that it's safe to breathe, but who can remember to breathe when you're surrounded by suffocating, nasty-tasting mist and being shot with cold jets? And that was just the front side! The back was much easier since at least I wasn't being sprayed in the face, but by then, the booth is so full of mist, it might as well be spraying you in the face.

Once the door opened, I stepped out, dried off, and made my second appointment for Friday to make sure I have the best tan possible before we leave on Saturday.

The next morning, I was putting in my contacts and noticed my thumbs were orange! Apparently my definition of goopy and the correct definition weren't the same thing. From my hands, I looked to my feet, which were just about as bad. No where else seemed to be orange, so I tried to exfoliate the orange off. It didn't really help. I chalked it up to a learning curve and just accepted it. Thankfully, a few showers later and some more exfoliating, and my hands and feet have pretty much returned to normal. I was told that in my first shower, it would look like a lot was coming off - and it did - but that was just the bronzer. But apparently my hands and feet absorbed more bronzer than anywhere else and they needed a few extra washings.

So, I'll be keeping my follow-up appointment on Friday and will not skimp in any way, shape, or form on the barrier cream. All this to avoid tan lines in my swimsuit...

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Moment I want to remember

Erik has turned into a full-fledged biker, which I guess required the purchase of "leathers." In other words, a leather jacket and assless chaps. Being the petite guy he is, the chaps, of course were several inches too long, so we cut them to size. I was being silly and put the discarded cuff of leather on my head. Lillian saw it and very happily yelled, "IT'S LIKE A PRINCESS!!!!" So here we are in our "crowns."

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Good advice for all

Until recently, Lily has never really been that in to watching TV. Honestly, I was fine with that. I figured she'd have plenty of time to get sucked in like the rest of us. I've mentioned the mistake I made in putting Lady in the Tramp in one day, but it's been months since she's requested it.

But you'll notice I started this post with "until recently." I don't know if I just finally discovered the channel that would keep her attention or she just suddenly switched on the TV ROCKS button, but I now have to limit (or attempt to) her amount of television. It's cartoons all the time if I go for it. (And I'll be honest and admit there are some days I go for it. Sssshhhh.)

A couple years ago, while watching some preschool programing with Erik's niece, I was dreading the day we would have these shows playing in our home. Another reason I didn't mind Lily's lack of interest. Now that she is interested, I've decided they aren't as annoying as I remember them. Maybe there's something about having a kid that turns your brain to mush so you can just soak them all in. Maybe having dealt with a toddler/preschooler, I now hope the lessons taught will sink in since there are days I don't feel my version is making any progress. Or maybe it's just nice to watch something I don't really have to think about too hard. Whatever the reason, I actually don't mind watching a couple of these shows with her. And yes, I do watch them. We dance together when it's time to dance (My name is Lily! I LIKE TO DANCE!) and we say "wa" when it's time to dig (that's Chinese, by the way). It's my little way of staving off the guilt that inevitably comes from letting her be taught by cartoons and skinny black guys in orange marching band hats. You do what you gotta do.

Besides Ni-hao, Kai-Lan, Yo Gabba Gabba is her favorite. I think it's something everyone should have an opportunity to see, so here's one of my favorite songs.

Pretty sound advice, don't ya think? And for those suckers who aren't your friends? NIBBLE AWAY!!!

As a side note, my main reason for posting this was so everyone could join with me in enjoying the refrain of, "Don't. Don't. Don't Bite Your Friends. Don't. Don't. Don't Bite Your Friends." All day. Over and over. As a constant soundtrack to their day.

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Honest, yes; humble, no.

Erik: You're sure cute, aren't you?

Lily: Yeah.

Erik: Are you humble, too?

Lily: No.

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Where's my instruction manual?

Recently, someone asked me how Lillian was. My response? Grumpy. While this was a truthful answer, I thought, what a terrible thing to say about my daughter. Is that the only thing I could come up with? What about talkative, loving, hilarious, caring, brilliant, etc., etc., etc.? Because she really is all those things.

But, as I said, it was an honest, gut-reaction response. These last few months, and weeks especially, I find myself dealing more with grumpiness, stubbornness, and straight out disobedience than anything else. Or maybe it's just that those events stick in my memory more because I dread them and often react in a way I regret. I suppose there's a reason it's called the "terrible twos," but I'm starting to feel like I'm at the end of my rope. Almost like I'm drowning and don't know how to get out of the deep end.

I've posted in the past about my trials with motherhood and dealing with a toddler (here, here, and here). I usually end on an optimistic note about how I'll keep trying or how in the end, it won't really matter that she was cranky for AN ENTIRE YEAR!!! And I'm sure there's some truth to that. Hopefully in a few years, I can look back at this time and remember how cute she was. I want to remember how sweet her little voice is when I pick her up from daycare and she says, "Hi, Mommy," as if no other little kid could be happier to see their mom rather than the two minutes later when I'm trying to get her in the car so we can go home but suddenly she doesn't want to go home. Ever. I want to remember her laugh while we have tickle fights on the bed or as she's swinging ("Higher, higher!") rather than the all-out tantrum that occurs when it's time to move on to the next activity. I want to remember when she and Carson see each other for the first time of the night and run to greet each other rather than the monster who DEMANDS she sit in the Pooh chair and provokes Carson just for the sake of provoking. (Sorry, guys. We knew she was cranky and almost didn't come, but we thought she'd be ok once we got there. Life lesson learned: never rely on a two-year-old.)

I keep hearing that "she's normal." "This phase will pass just like all the others that seemed to drag on and on." "She isn't purposely trying to make you pull all your hair out." "She's just testing her boundaries." "You're doing fine." I could go on and on. These platitudes, however, are quickly losing their comfort. And the truth boils down to this: I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M DOING! With no real point of reference, how do I know this is normal? How do I know it's not my fault that she won't listen to anything Erik or I say? Why is it I can't get her to do ANYTHING I want to her to when I actually want her to do it? Logically, I know that millions and millions of mothers before me have gone through the same thing, but in the heat of the moment, I feel frustrated, isolated, and inept.

I become my own worst critic and analyze my actions to see if I could do anything different. I make a vow to fix things. I try so hard to honor that vow. Then I fail miserably. Of course it doesn't help that the main player in the game keeps changing the rules. What works one day makes no difference the next, so I'm starting completely over each time.

So what optimistic gem can I put at the end of this post? It's becoming harder and harder to come up with them - especially when I think about the possible 4+ months this could go on until she turns 3. But how's this?: When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. (FDR). I also have to say, Thank you, Internet, for listening. Sometimes that helps make it a little easy to bear.

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Pearls

Probably my favorite comic strip of ALL TIME is Pearls Before Swine. (Those who've seen my office can verify this...) This one from last month is a great example why:

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Potty Training: Check

Extra! Extra! As of last week, Lillian is officially potty trained! Becoming a parent sure changes the things you celebrate (and blog about). But for those who aren't there yet, you'll never be so happy about not changing another diaper...

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Pioneer Day Fun

First, I need to apologize for my lack of blogging. Usually the summer is so full of activity I have a lot to post, but this year just seems more relaxed, I guess. It's probably been the calm before the storm, and August will have an exorbitant number of posts to make up for my slacking. Either that or we're just boring...

Now...on with the post. July 24 was Pioneer Day, which meant a three-day weekend - always a good thing, right? Erik was able to arrange his schedule so we could hit Island Park, Idaho, with some friends (it's about 30 minutes from West Yellowstone). So we packed up Friday morning and headed on our way. We stayed in a great cabin (one of those houses in the woods, really) with a full kitchen, two bathrooms, two bedrooms, a loft with two more beds, and our own PRIVATE HOT TUB!!! Unfortunately, I passed on the hot tub the first night to play a rousing game of Wackee Six (Ryan and Amber absolutely creamed Ashley and me), and despite the absolute convenience of a hot tub right on our deck, it wasn't put to use again.

That evening, we had a DELICIOUS dutch oven dinner of BBQ chicken, potatoes, and strudel (although there was some debate about the appropriate term for what we had for dessert, right Tina?). I think it's safe to say Jared has perfected his potato recipe; it was FANTASTIC!!

The next morning, we got up early and headed for the river to do a little floating and fishing. It was so gorgeous. The water was crystal clear and the sky was as blue as could be. We couldn't have planned a better day to sit on a lazy river. We stopped a few times to allow some fishing, which (let's be honest) wasn't all that fruitful (fishful?). A few small specimens were stupid enough to take the bait being offered, but nothing was impressive enough to take back to the cabin for roasting (thank goodness!?!).

After a nice shower and nap (Hey - floating a river can be exhausting!), we headed to West Yellowstone for dinner and the Playmill's production of Guys and Dolls. My only experience with this musical is the medley we did for Chamber Choir my senior year. And most of what I remember from that is lame choreography to Sit Down! You're Rockin' the Boat! Without any costumes other than what we always wore for Chamber Choir. (If you'd like to see my lovely black, sequioned blazer, I would be happy to oblige. It currently resides with other choir and formal dresses that haven't seen the light of day in 10 years. Why I kept it, I don't know.) Anyway...it was nice to learn the story that went with the songs, some of which I actually remembered the words to. How can anyone not LOVE musicals? :-)

On Sunday morning, we packed up to head home, but we spent some more time in the area going to Big Spring (with some ginormous fish) and Mesa Falls. We also stopped at the river again for one more chance at catching the "big one." This stop wasn't any more productive than the day before, but there was some more beautiful scenery, and I was able to snap a ton of pictures.

Some of you may have noticed that Lillian's presence is conspicuously missing from our weekend adventure...and you would be right. While we were enjoying the company of other adults, Lily was enjoying the company of Addison with Grandma Nancy and Grandpa Trent. They had a weekend as packed full of activity as we did: the Ogden Pioneer Day parade, the zoo, swimming, fireworks, finding bugs, and just plain wearing out grandma and grandpa in general. (Thanks to Trent for the pictures.)

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Spitting out nickels

I'm sorry to do this to you all, but I have to post another conversation with Lillian. She's to the point we can have entire conversations with her and actually understand most of it, so it's a lot of fun to hear what comes out of her month. As background for this particular conversation, she was running around like a crazy girl with more energy than either Erik or I had at the time, so Erik says:

Erik: Who put a nickel in you?

Lily: I DID!

Erik: Why'd you do that?

Lily: I put it in my mouth! *PTOOOIE!* I just spit it out!

Erik: Oh good...

Lily: I have MORE!!!

And she did.

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Sharing her bed

Since we switched Lily to her toddler bed in January, she has requested that most (if not all) of her stuffed animals and dolls be in bed with her at night. It hasn't been a big deal...they usually just get stacked at the end of the bed, out of the way. After, of course, they all get a hug and a kiss along with her.

A couple months ago, she decided she also needed a million blankets to sleep with. As the weather has warmed up, she hasn't relinquished any of the blankets. She must be Erik's child because when it gets hot, I rarely even use the sheet but he's curling up in our down comforter and would probably grab another blanket if I let him. But she has us pile on at least 6, yes SIX, blankets every night. There are some things it's just not worth fighting over, and I figure if she gets too hot during the night, she'll just kick them off.

These two odd behaviors I could accept without two much trouble. To each their own, right? But last week, she decided to add her GINORMOUS teddy bear into the mix. This bear is bigger than she is and usually lives on the floor by her dresser. One night, she decided she wanted to sleep with him, and since I'd already been trying to get her to sleep for quite a while, I went with it. He hasn't moved since. This morning when I went to wake her up, this was the scene that greeted me:


It looks like I was right and the blankets get kicked off, but what do you do when the teddy bear gets more mattress space than Lily?

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Our hog for a day

Before we head out on our fun-filled weekend to Island Park, I thought I better catch up on some blogging from the last little bit. Almost two weeks ago, we rented a Harley and spent the day riding with Chattertons; Ashley's brother, Landon, and his girlfriend; Buzzy; and Brent.

Why, you ask, did we rent a motorcycle for a day of riding after Erik finally convinced me he should buy one last year (see this post). Mainly because there was no way I was going to spend the day afraid of being blown off the back and having to cling to Erik's waist. Plus, when else will we have the chance to ride a Harley Davidson given the fact they cost more than my car?

Erik went down with the guys the night before our big adventure to pick up our bike. When Lillian saw it, she was very concerned about where our car had gone (it got left in Salt Lake so we'd have a way home). And she didn't want anything to do with the big, loud motorcycle that had taken its place.

Now, keep in mind that this was no around-town motorcycle. It was so plush, so luxurious, so...teal. Really: it looked like something right out of the 80s even though it was a brand new model. But at least it came complete with a full backrest for me, including arm rests. This backrest also had built-in speakers for the radio that I could control from my position on the back. Although when I actually tried to use that feature, it didn't work...typical. Not to mention the fact that the iPods (yes, both of them) were left in the car in Salt Lake so we had to deal with what radio reception we were able to find.

Color and lack of iPod aside, we had a great trip (although I'll admit it was a lot of driving and my butt was pretty sore by the time we got home). We started by heading up to Tony Grove and then continuing around Bear Lake. We came back through Ogden Canyon and headed to Salt Lake to return the bikes. Of course we stopped at Texas Roadhouse on the way. No trip to Ogden with Buzzy would be complete without that detour... :)

What I think is funny about trips like these is when you run into someone else doing the same thing, you are way more friendly than you would have been otherwise. This was the case here when we stoped at some podunk gas station to fill up and ended up chatting with some other bikers who were out that day. Had we all pulled up in our cars, there probably wouldn't have even been hellos exchanged. But because we were all out on motorcycles, a connection was made. I've noticed this is also the case with snowmobiling and probably most other similar activities. The repressed folklorist in me tends to notice these things more now, I guess, than I used to, and I always wonder if anyone's done a paper on it yet. Does that show how nerdy I really am?

Yeah?

Oh well.

In any event, I think this is an activity we'll have to make into a tradition. I was a little skepical at first, but it was a completely different experience driving through Logan Canyon and up to Tony Grove without the constraint of, well...a ROOF. Plus, it was great weather: it wasn't too hot (until we reached Ogden), but it was still nice enough to enjoy being outside. I wonder if they'd a rent side car for Lillian?

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Talking with Daddy

While I wasn't actually present for the following conversation, this is what I was told went down. As background, Erik starts every morning with a pick-me-up of Diet Pepsi: the breakfast of champions...

Lily: Daddy, I want some Pepsi.

Erik: No, Lily. You don't need any Pepsi.

Lily: I want it in my mouth, and I like it.

Where does she come up with this stuff?

Later, when I saw them while playing musical cars to get the Sonata serviced, I asked if she likes Pepsi. Her response? "No. I like chocolate milk." She sure knows who will give her what and what to say to get it. (Since I don't like Pepsi, she'll never get some from me.)

I have a feeling they will be secretly conspiring against me for the rest of our lives.

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Independence Day Weekend

Because our babysitter decided to take a trip to Florida, I decided to take the same week off and enjoy a chance to be a SAHM. Lily and I were able to spend a lot of time outside playing at the park in front of our house and just having fun together. We took a trip to the Willow Park Zoo one day, and even though we'd played at the park already that morning, she was more interested in the slides she could see at Willow Park. So we headed over there after checking out the monkeys and birds.

My week of vacation was capped off with our Independence Day festivities, and we sure kept busy for those couple of days. July 2 was the performance day for Lillian's swimming lessons, so Erik and I actually got to see what she'd been learning. Unlike the lessons we took her too a few months ago, parents weren't allowed to even been seen by the kids let alone get in the pool with them. They learned how to float and kick and blow bubbles, and even go off the diving board (video below)! If they cried when doing the diving board, they had to do it again. At first, I thought that was a little harsh, but after seeing how great she did, I've decided the teacher knows what she's doing.

It was so fun to watch her follow all the directions and actually enjoy being in the water. After our first round of lessons, she was still clinging to me for dear life and would scream bloody murder if her face went under water; what a different experience we had when I took her to the aquatic center last night. It took a little while for her to decide she'd be ok actually playing in the pool and not just sitting on me, but once she got going, she didn't want to leave and even went down the twisty slide. She starts a second session today; she'll be ready for the Olympics in no time, I'm sure.


After Lily's swimming performance, we headed to the park for some good grub and great company before heading to Hyrum City's fireworks. Unfortunately, my camera battery lasted just long enough to get the diving board video, so no pictures from that event . :-(

But I made up for it by taking a ton of fireworks pictures the next night during the display at USU stadium.


During both displays, Lily decided they were too loud and spent most of the show cowering under a blanket with hands over her ears. During the stadium event, she actually fell asleep in the middle, so I guess they couldn't have been that loud. And for the Hyrum ones, she did end up watching the end very sneakily, peeking out over the blanket periodically - until she realized we knew she was watching; then right back under she went.

For the actual 4th holiday, Lily and I headed down to West Jordan to see my Dad, step-Mom, and sister who were in town staying with my Grandma. Even though she's the closest great-grandma for Lillian, they've never actually met, so it was a lot of fun letting her meet some cousins and play with her Aunt Cassandra. We had a BBQ, watched the celebration at the National Mall on TV (wha-hoo, Barry!), and created our own display of sparklers and fountains outside. All in all, a very fun evening.


I have to say, I love the 4th of July. I probably don't ruminate on it nearly as much as I should, but going to events like the one at the stadium always remind me of how grateful I am to live in this country and for the sacrifices that were made so I can have the freedoms I do. I don't even know anyone in military service, and the medley of service songs and seeing those who've served stand up when their song is played always chokes me up. Not to mention the National Anthem, God Bless America, and I'm Proud to Be an American...just my little patriotic self coming out, I guess.

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