my new boyfriend:

Yesterday I finally got around to getting Gabe's hair cut. This was pretty significant because not only was it Gabey's first haircut, but the fist haircut for either of my children. So being a first for both of us, it was bittersweet. I was sad to see Gabe's little curls in the back go, but happily said goodbye to his fast approaching mullet.

I really want to cut Gabe's hair, but he is a crazy man. I decided to watch a professional do it first (paying way too much) and see just how uncooperative he would be. Much to my surprise, he sat very still and didn't fuss at all. It seems that all he needs is a movie, a sucker, and someone who can cut his hair to perfection in less than five minutes. So that is my goal - to tackle his next haircut. It will definitely take longer than five minutes and it will definitely be a challenge for me as I know next to nothing about hair cutting. (Once I cut Jonny's hair when we were dating. It took me so long, I was nervous the whole time, and Jonny just had to fix it up himself anyway. But cutting Jonny's hair is another goal of mine. We'll save that one for later though.) I know I can do it once I just take to time and opportunity to learn how. I'm not in a hurry though, so hopefully Gabe's hair takes its time growing!

Anyway, we can't get enough of our new little man around here. I knew he would look so much older without his baby hair. It is definitely the truth. I call this dashing stranger my boyfriend because he is certainly no longer my baby and is just too handsome to pass up kissing at every opportunity. I think I will go do that right now.

(As you can see, he didn't take his eyes off the Curious George movie the entire time. We will definitely be using that distraction come haircut time at our house.)

packing

While packing for a little weekend get-a-way, Julia decided she'd help by packing her own stuff. I told her to put some jammies and underwear in her backpack. She put those, and a few more things:

-a book (I certainly never go on a trip without a book myself)
-a stuffed sheep for her friend "Omi" (Naomi) who would be at the cabin
-a sippy cup, freshly filled with cold water
-a toy taco from her kitchen (a snack?)
-a jar of jalapeno jelly (I had set it out to pack with the food)
-a shirt for mommy (She said, "Mom, I packed yers green stripe shirt. So you just tell me when you want to wear it and I will get it for you.")

I thought it was a nice assortment of essentials.

Halloween Preview

Since we will be out of town this weekend during the trick-or-treating, I dressed up the kids a few days early to get some pictures of their costumes. (Julia still needed a costume for preschool. And Gabe fit into her candy corn one from last year. Sweet.)

Julia loves dressing up as a witch. I told her she was a nice witch, but she corrected me in that she is a "meeeeeean witch."

No, I did not make her dress. I actually bought it at a consignment sale a few years ago, thinking it would be great for a costume someday. But I did buy the ribbons for her sash to match her hat. They were held in place with double-stick tape, but I have since sewn them together with the beautiful new sewing machine Jonny surprised me with for my birthday! (Yes, sewing ribbons together must be the simplest thing in the world. But as a brand new seamstress who is just learning how to wind a bobbin, I was thrilled with my first project! Oh brother.)


And of course there is a ridiculous amount of pictures that I have put into a slide show. I just love the different expressions and Gabe's constant attempts to escape, so I had to document them here.


While I'm posting I might as well share a video of Gabe dancing at preschool today. He figured out how to push play on the CD player so he can jam whenever he's in the mood. (Don't forget to check out his bed-head from his nap. And if you listen closely you can hear Julia singing the clean-up song at the beginning of the video. I just noticed one more thing in the background. That poor dragon is getting beat up by Mario! Where was the teacher during all of this?! Oops.)

Maryland Again

For the past five years I have visited Cheverly, Maryland to rightfully spend a birthday weekend with my twin sister Emily. And every year I cry when it's over.

Most years I blubber through the airport after giving a final hug to Em. Last year I believe I actually held back the tears until I got home, being busy with my squirmy 5-month-old traveling buddy. So this year I was quite proud of myself for making it all the way home and through the next day (our actual birthday) happy and satisfied after a great trip.

But yesterday the tears came. There weren't many, but I couldn't hold them back. I'm not sure what brought on the crying. I was just tying my running shoes when my eyes began to sting and I came to that repeated realization that Emily and her babies live thousands of miles away. I only cried for a few minutes, as Julia is very sensitive and would be seriously concerned if she saw me distraught in any way! So we went about our usual business and of course everything was fine.

Jonny made me a card that had a picture of each birthday since we met. It's amazing to think how much has changed over the years. The photo collage included a picture of each of my past four trips to MD. (The trip doesn't always fall on our exact birthday, but much celebrating and a cake are always involved. So it counts.) The first birthday trip was back in 2006 when I was morning sick with Julia. In 2007 Julia accompanied me. In 2008 I went without Julia but pregnant with Gabe. Each of those years a happy baby or pregnancy was involved for me, but not for my sweet sister longing for the same.

Last year Gabe traveled with me and we met the two-month-old triplets for the first time. I think leaving Em was the least difficult that year. Finally we parted ways and she was left busy at home with precious babies of her own. All the other birthday trips I dreamed of the day that would happen.

So why did I cry this year? Emily and I are both at home with our chubby children, being the moms we always wanted to be. We both have the sweetest husbands that take care of us and make us laugh. We both have family members close by. I guess it is just asking too much that we live next door to one another? Or at least in the same state?! For now, maybe so. We'll just have keep up the phone calls, blogging, and web cam business for a little longer. Their visits to Utah and mine to Maryland will continue to be highlights of my year. And if the tears come once in a while, I'll let them fall. They just remind me how much I love my sister. And being reminded of that is okay with me.

P.S. This post turned out to be more sentimental than the fun travel log I set out to write. Luckily, Em has already done that! Check out her blog if you are interested in the awesome details of our sister weekend. And I can't leave this post without saying how much fun I had partying with Lili, Penny, and Jeff who now live in Em's basement apartment! Now there are even more reasons to miss Maryland, but my mind is more at ease knowing Em and Lili have each other. We've found that we sisters need to stick together if we possibly can.

Birthday fun in MD:


Birthday fun in UT

tree loving

A few weeks ago we spent an afternoon up Provo Canyon. It was perfect. We ate a picnic, admired the autumn leaves, and played like crazy. (There was a serious Karaoke party going on at a nearby pavilion, so we even had some classic love songs playing in the background. Can't help but sing along with other Celine and Whitney Houston wannabes.)

There was a grouping of trees where Julia spent most of her time. She said it was her home and invited us in. Being a lover of trees and tree climbing myself, it was sweet for me to watch her play and see her so captivated.While trying to get a some pictures of Gabe in Julia's beloved trees (I guess you could say he was "house-sitting") I unintentionally caught Julia and Jonny playing in the background.

And of course Gabe had his turn being spun
and thrown into the air.

Just thought I'd document a memorable day in the fall. I'm not anxious to see snow so I'll hang on to the mild autumn weather as long as I can.

more burried treasure

Okay, the same day I found the bowling certificate (displayed in the previous post), I came across some old love notes. I tossed out the legitimate high school ones, but held on to these three from elementary school. Enlarge them to read. You won't be disappointed.

I think the first two are from the same boy in my fourth grade class. I seem to remember another note from him and his best friend, asking me which one I liked best. One time they both showed up at my door with roses. How did they expect me to choose between them?! Even if "my mom would let me have a boyfriend." I'm pretty sure I used that as an excuse not to have to choose. After all, my twin sister had a "boyfriend" at the time. Oh, the playground romance.

Also, take note of the cursive handwriting. (I like how Alan printed him name under his signature.) Do kids still learn to write in cursive at school, or is it a lost art? I guess these days they mostly type on computers and text anyway. Kind of sad. I think the cursive is sweet, especially in these puppy-love notes.

P.S. The shoebox full of letters, poems, and notes I have from Jonny may not be written in fancy cursive, but they are still among my most prized possessions. I especially love the ones he left on the windowsill of the testing center on campus. I believe in one of those he asked me to "check yes or no" if I liked him. Unlike the pleas above, I actually checked one and returned the letter. True love at last! You know it.

my claim to fame:

I don't know when or where I was awarded this, but I must have thought it was pretty special because I found it among some select things I had preserved from my elementary school days.

I have never claimed to be a great bowler. (Please don't ask Jonny what my score was on one of our first dates. He will certainly remember and it is certainly embarrassing.) But was the mother of the birthday party who was writing the certificates (a guess as to where it may have come from) really so strapped for award titles that this is all she could come up with? Or was my ball actually impressively slow?

Either way, now that my ball has picked up a little speed I've really got nothing going for me in the bowling alley. Hopefully I don't get invited to any bowling birthday parties anytime soon.