Nate's Prayer Christmas Night

Thank you for my intendo DS.

Please bless that my DS will work.

Please bless that I won't drop my DS.

Please bless that I'll be good and be able to play my DS.

Please bless that bad guys won't break into the house and steal my DS.



*Sometimes that jolly old elf hits one out of the park.

Dynamic Duo

Is it just me, or does this picture remind anyone else of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy?



Trying to keep up with everything. Just keep trying, just keep trying . . .

Anatomy by Nate

Whispered to Aunt Valerie shortly after Ben was born: "You know, my mom pooped out the baby."

Dramatic pause.

"Or . . . she reached down her throat and pulled him out."

Testing . . . One, Two, Three

Testing . . . One, two, three. Is anybody out there? Does this thing even work anymore?

The short list of what I've been busy with:

1. FIVE. Um yeah. I had a baby in May. Ben sleeps really good through the night. I remind myself of this fact while he: 1) vomits repeatedly (darn that reflux!), 2) insists on being held while napping, and 3) pretty much insists on being held when awake. He's not my worst baby, but he's not my best either (Peter, I knew you were freakishly good!). But hey, Ben sleeps through the night, and has since about three weeks. (For real! And it's okay if you don't believe me--I've had those kind of babies too, and I wouldn't have believed me either.)

(Ben's first day home. I also need to take more pictures.)

2. Little League, FIVE boys at home all summer long, swimming lessons, vacation bible school, AYSO, doctors' appointments, piano. It's a good life, the life that's busy, right? I kept telling the boys we would do fun stuff in a couple more weeks--just until Ben was a little older. Next thing I knew, summer was over. Now we've added homework to the excitement.


3. LAUNDRY. Most recently, bedding--sheets, blankets, mattress pads. Every couple days. For those of you unfamiliar with boys, I'll let you in on a little secret. It's very common for boys to not stay dry overnight. Eventually they outgrow it. I hope. I really, really hope. In the meantime, we are walking drunken sailors to the bathroom every night around 10:00 and hoping for the best. And washing a lot of bedding.

4. 24. Holy crap, where has Jack Bauer been all my life? We signed up for streaming Netflix and watched three seasons this summer. During a "season," we watched multiple episodes every single night. We had to take a break--saving the world is so exhausting. Whew. Now I sorta wish I had special ops training. Had I seen this show before May, there's a very good chance numero cinco would have been named Jack (the Jake/Jack fact notwithstanding).

5. Diet Pepsi with vanilla syrup (sugar free!). This iced glass full of goodness is my favorite thing about the afternoon (or morning). Shhh! I'll let you in on something: this just might be the savior of my sanity.


More posts coming sooner . . . I need to write stuff down before I forget it.

Perspective

What is it about bringing home a newborn

That makes your baby look so BIG?

Loving my two babies.

Mother's Day X5

My husband gave me a baby for Mother's Day.
What did yours give you?

It's All About the Benjamin

After our fifth son failed to make his appearance on Cinco de Mayo, we decided to take matters into our own hands.

On May 8, 2010 we scheduled an induction to get him here before he reached epic proportions. My doctor agreed, not because he thought I was having a big baby, but because I was "ripe and due" and he was on call that day. I informed him I was carrying a 9 1/2 pound baby.

I'll say this about inductions: For me, it was more stressful trying to plan and get everything ready knowing when it was happening. Every other time I've gone into labor, we just roll with it and what isn't ready or clean is just what didn't get done. Not that everything got done anyway. . .

On Saturday, labor progressed as one would expect on a drip line of pitocen. Dan and I passed the time while playing Scrabble on our iPhones. (I totally schooled him, contractions and all. We won't discuss the second game, since that was when the labor amnesia began.) Baby boy took his time moving down, since he was facing up. He finally turned while crowning, and then was born with his fist on his cheek. We figured he was either practicing his swinging or his modeling.

He looked pretty small in the little newborn bassinet, but our frame of reference is skewed because of Peter. To the delight of the birth certificate lady, it only took us just under 24 hours to finally decide on his name.

Benjamin Paul
9 pounds, 4 ounces
21 inches

Yeah, he's definitely one of ours. And a keeper.

Rub-a-dub, Some Thoughts on a Tub

Recently I read an account of a home birth in a birthing tub. And I've been thinking about it, since I'm near to giving birth again. Any. Day. Now.

Basically, I'm confident you won't be hearing any tales from the tub from me this go round.

I mean, I don't even really like taking baths in the first place. First off, I'd have to scrub the whole tub down before getting in it--I've seen the water after four fairly clean boys have been through it, and worse, I've seen what comes out of their orifices in the bathwater.

For another thing, it's boring. What is one supposed to do when soaking in the tub? Read you say? Not for me--I can't handle the thought of desecrating a book that way. Stare at white tiles? That would lead to counting them or examining the grout, neither of which is very relaxing. And I can easily think of a half dozen more comfortable places to stretch out with my feet up.

Moreover, it seems to me that taking a bath is redundant. What's the point when I'd still have to shower afterward? Seriously, why should I wash my hair with the same water my butt's sat in?

*
*
*

So back to the birthing tub idea. Insert necessary disclaimer: I'm all for women taking charge of birth and doing what works for them. This is just me, expressing what works for me.

I can think of four words why I won't be delivering in the water: Turds in the tub.

Yep, I know what warm water does to young boys' bowels, and I know what delivering 10 pound babies does to mine. I can't even imagine spying a floater in the birthing tub while leaning up against my husband. Ewww! We are quite open about bodily functions in my household (remember, there are four young boys living with me), but there is a limit even for me. With my luck, our dog would probably walk by, drink the water, and eat it up. (Being a lab, she'd also be sorely tempted to join us in the water.)

And where would I put a kiddie pool to give birth in? In my living room? The absurdity of that would give me the giggles, and I'd be useless for pushing. I've learned from four previous experiences that I am hilarious in labor, or at least I think I am. I find everything hilarious. Or annoying. And then I start swearing like a sailor. Which sometimes leads to crying and then more giggling. Do we really need cartoon fish decor on the tub with that kind of emotional side show? And what does one do with a used kiddie/birthing pool? I assume you buy your own, just based on the "ick factor" of using another woman's. Are they recyclable? Or do you save it for summer so you can watch the kids play squirt fountains in it? Eww, eww, and more eww.

After a tub delivery, I'm quite sure I wouldn't get up and cuddle in my bed with my newborn. No, no, no, no, no. I'd have to shower first before climbing into my clean, sateen sheets. Which just isn't practical, because I usually have postpartum rubber legs. Heck, after my fourth was born, I couldn't even raise my arms to hold him.

And who cleans up the tub? Does one drain the water by bucket? Wouldn't it slosh across the living room floor while you dragged it to the door? And has anyone in the history of the world ever successfully emptied a kiddie pool without soaking his legs? What if your dog rolls in the dumped muddy water and tracks it through the house? These practicalities alone are decisive enough for me.

So yeah, no home birthing tubs for me. Give me a hospital with an endless supply of warm blankets and clean sheets and those handy disposable blue mats. Give me a bathroom that someone else is paid to clean up. And give them to me soon. Please.


If you are still planning a home water birth, my vote's for this appropriately stylish tub.

Easter

There may not have been Easter dresses at our house, but we still got dressed up for Easter.

Whether we liked it or not.

We also enjoyed egg hunting at Nana and Papa's house.

Even the Unabomber.

And now it's time to rescue the straggling jelly beans out of those baskets and put them away for another year.

FIVE!

Nate turned FIVE over conference weekend. (Fooled you, didn't I?) This was a significant birthday for him because:

1. 5 has been his favorite number since he was two and a half;

2. He really, really, really wanted Super Mario Bros. for the Wii (to the point of asking every person for it for his birthday, and I do mean every single person he's met in a store or at preschool or anywhere), and he got it; and

3. He entered the age of Legos.

The Top Ten Things that make Nate great are:

1. Every night he sneaks out of bed to get another hug and a kiss. He always says, "I'll give two hugs and kisses to Mom because I love her the most, and I'll give Dad one hug and kiss, because that's almost the same."

2. He may or may not have difficulty distinguishing reality from Wii-ality.

3. He enjoys watching his brothers play Wii as much as he enjoys playing it.

4. He loves to read Curious George stories.

5. He'd pick waffles and strawberry milk every morning if we let him. And we very nearly do.

6. His best friend is his cousin Owen.

7. He still believes he can pedal faster on his tricycle than he could on his bicycle.

8. He's very inquisitive.

9. He's very good about wearing his glasses. He's not very good about keeping his glasses in one piece.

10. He's a great cuddler. And he really loves his blankets.

March Summary

Nate's Preschool Field Trip to the Fire Station.

A lot of moms showed up for this field trip. I wonder why??

And I have great pictures that I can't upload. Sorry!



Other stuff that made March zoom by.

8 doctors' appointments.

2 other appointments (facial and pedicure--ahhhh).

5 home showings.

1 dog in heat, plus 1 dogsitting gig.

1 lunch with girlfriends, including 1 divine smoked salmon eggs benedict.

7 baseball practices.

1 cousin's birthday with bowling.

5 cub scout meetings.

4 piano lessons for two.

1 preschool spring program.

1 Primary activity.

50+ eggs boiled and dyed.

1 furlough day.

1 dead fuel pump.

3 people stranded in dead car on freeway.

2 people and 1 tow truck to the rescue.

$1,600 in car repairs.

February Summary

Oh you poor, pathetic, neglected blog. Here's a summary to catch me up to date.

Pinewood Derby. Um yeah. This actually occurred in January, but I'm too embarrassed to include it in a separate summary, and I must document it for posterity.

1. Gabe designed his own car (Dan cut it out and helped with the big stuff, but the style and paint design are all Gabe). We warned him he might not win any races, so he'd better not whine or cry. Turned out he won every single race and took FIRST PLACE!!!!!

2. Jake was allowed to design a car too, even though he is not yet a cubscout. Because our pack is so small, the cubmaster thought it would be more fun to have more cars to race, so she invited brothers and dads to participate too. Since Jake was the only brother to make a car, he just raced with cubscouts. Jake only lost two races--one in a heat with Gabe, then the final race (after he won everything in the loser's bracket). He ended up taking THIRD PLACE!!! It was really great to involve the younger brothers. Unfortunately, we are now subjected to weekly whining: "I'm NEVER going to be a cubscout! A year is so LOOOOONG! It's not FAIR!" And the 100 Years of Boys Scouts celebration patch that one can only earn this year? It's a major thorn in his side and "totally unfair!"

3. Nate was awarded a certificate for being the Best Brother. He really was a great cheerleader for the boys, complete with dance moves and taunting. Some things to look forward to, for sure.

4. Dan felt a little pressed for time to help make all the derby cars in one week, so there were several apologies for his "unfinished" car. Can you guess which one is his? Nevertheless, he soundly won the dads' race by a wide margin. Definitely a pinewood derby to brag about!

My Birthday. I had a birthday on groundhog's day, and yes, I saw my shadow so I'm to blame for these six more weeks of winter. The highlights of my birthday included:

1. Donuts and hot chocolate with girlfriends. Shouldn't every birthday include a boston creme donut?

2. My first prenatal yoga class. I had purchased a 10 class card for regular yoga last fall, but didn't use them all because I got knocked up and felt all yucky and tired. The instructor is crediting my card with private prenatal yoga in my home. It is awesome and easier than real yoga ;).

3. Dinner with Dan, with a surprise detour to the Apple store for my very own iPhone! Yippee!!! I blame the iPhone for my lack of blogging and leaving comments--it is way too easy to just read blogs at the bus stop or on the sofa.

Jake's birthday.

Our Jacob turned 7 this year. Since this was an odd birthday, we just did a low-key cake and presents party with family.


Some fun facts about Jake.

1. He's a master Lego builder. Which works nicely since Jake really likes to put them together and Gabe does not. Jake routinely takes apart Legos just to rebuild them, and loves to create his own designs (complete with illustrated instructions).

2. He's a super reader. This first-grader is attending reading group with the second-graders and is finishing chapter books in an evening. Guess it's time to brave the library again this summer.


3. He's a charmer. I remember scolding him about something several years ago and in the middle of my stern lecture, he looked at me and sincerely said "Wow Mom, your eyes are so beautiful." Recently we were scrambling to load into the car to get to the bus stop, with all the usual yelling that seems to always accompany school mornings, and he said "Huh! Mom, I never noticed that your legs are so skinny before!" Clever boy who has learned early that flattery will get you almost everything? Possibly. But I'm still charmed.

4. He is also a master paper airplane builder. Is engineering in his future?

5. After pulling extremely loose teeth out with an electric train and a nerf crossbow (and suggesting we tie his loose tooth to the hitch of the Yukon), Jake has now decided to leave teeth in as long as possible--even when they are barely hanging on and he has to watch what he eats. Dan recently yanked out two teeth with his fingers, since the permanent teeth were halfway up behind the baby danglers.

6. He can't say his "Rs" right. Whenever he says "girl" it sounds a lot like "ghoul."

7. He taught himself to tie real ties. Now that is the only type of tie he will wear to church.


Dan's birthday. Dan had a birthday in February too. We celebrated by taking the boys to Taco Bell for dinner and watching Avatar in 3D. That's the way we roll. And, apparently, this was The Year of the Coats for Dan.


Trip to Texas. For my older brother's fortieth birthday, all my siblings and parents surprised him by showing up on his doorstep the weekend before his big day. He was stunned and thought we were a crazy group of people from church blowing horns at 10:30 pm on his doorstep. He didn't even recognize his own mother!

Highlights from Texas included:

1. Climbing into the rental car with my sisters and noticing a sticky spot on the seat. "That's okay!" we proclaimed in unison, "I've got wipes in my purse!" Except that not one of the three of us had wipes. It was a kid-free weekend for sure!

2. Touring the Sixth Floor Book Depository Museum. I don't think Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone.

3. Sprinkles Cupcakes!!!

4. Mooyah!

5. After a hassle with incompetent housekeeping at the hotel, karma paid those lazy maids back. Well actually, I threw up raisin bran in the sink and couldn't get it to drain.

6. Texas Land & Cattle filet mignon. Get the brandy sauce. Them Texans really know how to do steak.

7. Sherlock Holmes.

8. Ft. Worth Stockyards. Old Jake. Riscky's BBQ, including fried pickles. Some really cute $400 cowboy boots I passed up because my feet were swollen.

And I took some great pictures in Texas, but I can't get my memory card to upload. You'll have to use your imaginations. Thanks for sticking with this until the end. Just think how much more fun this would have been in individual posts.

Time Marches On

February, where did you go girl?

Stuff that happened in February that never got blogged: Three birthdays, the pinewood derby, a trip to Texas, and other minutia.

Guess I've got some assignments for March. Once I stop spending every single day at doctor appointments. . .

In the meantime, enjoy this photo. This is how Peter gets up every morning. He has to hand you every stuffed animal in his bed before he'll let you pick him up. Then he walks around with arms full of animals. It kills me.

Valentines

Following Christie's lead, we wish you a Happy Valentine's Day.






Pete sends his love too, but since he doesn't attend a class that has a deadline for valentines, he didn't get to make any this year.

Hope your day is LOVEly.

The Short List

A short list of things that I am tired of today:

1. Pete peeing through his overnight diapers and waking up soaked to the armpits.

2. Laundry. And folding laundry.

3. Making dinner and listening to the children wail and moan "That's ugly! That's yucky! I hate that! I don't have anything to eat!"

4. Trying to fit my recyclables into ridiculously small crates (yes, I even requested an additional crate). It's overflowing, and there's still another week until they're picked up. Come on Waste Management, gimme a giant can with wheels!

What's your peeve today?

Who Knows?

On Fridays the kids' bring home their peechees, and I review their homework before tossing 99.94% of it in the trash. It's not that I'm not a sentimental mother, it's just that I'm trying to prevent my house from becoming a fire hazard. I save a few gems to share with their father when he gets home (and then they get trashed too).

This made the first cut last Friday.


I cracked up imagining Jake tiring of the essay questions and resorting to "Who knows" as his final answer. I imagined his boredom with the silly, repetitive line of questioning. His father and I enjoyed a good chuckle.

Then Dan asked, "So did the dog get the bone?"

"I don't know," I answered, "I didn't bother to read the story." Of course the next thing I did was read the story, reprinted below for your reading pleasure.




Struggling to put aside the incredibly annoying overuse of "teeny-tiny," I diligently searched for the answer to whether the dog got the bone.

I should assure you that one of my super skills is reading comprehension--I rocked the national exams. In addition, I'm fairly good at sentence diagramming, and I used to analyze legal documents for a living.

Here's my (professional) opinion: Who knows whether that damn, teeny-tiny dog got the bone.

I clearly comprehended the story, but what I cannot comprehend is why Jake's answer was marked incorrect. I assume this sort of worksheet is testing first grader's reading comprehension, but I can't see what type of answer he was supposed to give.

The voice is never identified. And DOGS CANNOT TALK. Is she dreaming? Is there an intruder? There is simply no way to know. All of which Jake clearly comprehended in his succinct answer.


But aren't there bigger questions here? Such as, how did this kind of crappy worksheet ever make it past the editing process to get published? What exactly are my kids reading at school? And how can I now avoid hyper-analyzing all the schoolwork papers?

Good On Ya

My calendar informed me that today is Australia Day. So in celebration (and lacking vegemite), I made a pineapple upside down cake.

And I'd like to take this opportunity to publicly thank Australia for:

Nicole Kidman
Mel Gibson
Cate Blanchett
Russell Crowe
Heath Ledger (especially the young Heath in The Patriot, mmm, mmm)
Hugh Jackman
Simon Baker (come on, who else loves The Mentalist?)
Toni Collette
Ian Thorpe
Uggs (though I've yet to buy a pair, I totally appreciate and covet them)
The Man from Snowy River
Waltzing Matilda
William Eggington (my favorite English professor at BYU)

Just to name a few.

What do you love from Australia?

Me and Mary

Last Christmas I purchased a new Christmas album (online!).

After years of repeatedly purchasing Harry Connick Jr.'s "When My Heart Finds Christmas" cd (I knew I had it on cassette--cassette, can you imagine!--but couldn't remember if I had the cd; we now own three or four cds), I was ready for a something new.

I settled on Mary Chapin Carpenter's "Come Darkness, Come Light."


She soothed my frazzled soul (three excited boys and and a newborn) with "Still, Still, Still." She got my boys singing along with "Children Go Where I Send Thee" (can't find a video link). Other favorites include "Christmas Time in the City" and "Bells Are Ringing." This album is right up there with Harry in my holiday favorites.

As I listened to her on the loop this past December, I kept thinking how her voice sounded like an old friend.

Then I thought about my history with MCC. Because we do have history together, I assure you. Turns out she really is an old friend.

Her album "Come On, Come On," was one of my favorites in college. In fact, her song "He Thinks He'll Keep Her" contributed significantly to the break-up of a very ill-suited relationship.

I listened to "I Feel Lucky" on my way to take the LSAT, especially significant since I didn't take the prep course.

In law school, I played her album "A Place in the World" excessively, probably to the annoyance of my roommates. (In my defense, I don't think I played that one as much as Erika played "Evita" or Jessica played Celine Dion.)

I sang "Let Me into Your Heart" and "I Want to Be Your Girlfriend" while picturing this tall, good-looking guy with great calves and killer dimples (Dan). (No interest whatsoever in Ville, whoever he is.) Just look how that turned out.


So I'm wondering . . . which songs have had significant impact in your lives? Which artists do you count among your old friends?

I Had a Dream . . .

The other night I dreamed I delivered this baby. The doctor joyfully proclaimed: "It's a girl!"

"Huh?" Said my labor-weary self. "They said it was a boy!"

Trying to make sense of this turn of events, I concluded the baby must be a hermaphrodite.

"It's a hermaphrodite, isn't it?" I argued, assuming the doctor was trying not to shock me.

As if the fact that the baby looked like this wasn't shocking enough:


Clearly, I should have been less concerned with whether the baby was a he/she and more concerned that I had given birth to Cosmo.



What's the strangest pregnancy dream you've had?

Best of Catch Up, Part Two

Project. What project did you start this year that you're proud of? The Newborn Kits for LDS Humanitarian Services.

How cool was that? Those kits are stored in Salt Lake City and shipped to where ever there is a need (or stockpiles are low). Some might even make it to Haiti.

Startup. What's a business you found this year that you love? It's not a start-up, but Dan got an iphone before our San Francisco trip. I love, love, love it, almost as much as he does. My favorite app so far? Shazam, which allows you to point the iphone at the television or radio and it identifies the song and artist. That's how we identified this song from House, and now Dan is using it as my ringtone. So sweet.

Did I mention that would be an awesome birthday gift for me? I didn't? Well, it would be a super great gift. And I know I just went loco with the links, so if you can only link to one thing, please pick the song. It's so good.

Web tool. Alright, it's facebook. I've enjoyed reconnecting with high school friends and far away cousins. And sharing quick messages with local friends. And what better way to dillydally my time away?

Learning experience. What lesson did you learn this year that changed you? I learned that superglue can be removed 1) from skin with lotion or baby oil, and 2) from laminate flooring with a putty knife. See here. Were you seriously expecting something deep here?

**Update: This is what happened when I attempted to repair the bakugan toy. Superglue is not my friend.


Gift. A gift I gave myself that kept on giving. Other than my fifth pregnancy (which kept giving all-day queasiness, heartburn, stretch marks, etc.), I'm going with the family pictures we had taken right before Christmas by my friend from high school Jenn (see her work at kennedypix.com). We're still getting around to sorting through all the pics, but here's a sneak peak:



Insight or aha! moment. The time when I realized my boys are simply not learning enough about the facts of life in our household.

Social web moment. Meeting up with old roommate Jessica and old neighbor Sara. Good times.

Stationary. What was your stationary find of the year? My butt on the sofa watching TV? My stationary stationary bike? I do love paper stationary, but I just don't think I found anything memorable in 2009.

Laugh. What was your biggest belly laugh of the year? Was it this dinner conversation with Jake? Or was it playing Rock Band, The Beatles on New Year's Eve, since that's when my belly was it's biggest in 2009? It's a toss up.

Ad. What advertisement made you think this year? Um, this one. Seriously, I'd never thought about this before. Should I have been? Do you? Am I a neanderthal?

Resolution you wish you'd stuck with. How about one I wish I'd made and stuck with? In November I read a magazine article in which the mother explained that she avoided scheduling any routine doctor appointments from mid-November through December so her family could really get in the spirit of the season. After I spent every day of the first week of December in a different doctor's office, I vowed to do the same. The dentist can wait until January, don't you think?


And now that I've gotten this off my to-do list, it's on to some new blog ideas. Yahoo! By the way, all my questions above aren't just rhetorical. I'm sincerely interested in your feedback. In other words, leave me some comments please. :)

Best of Catch-up, Part One

Moment of peace. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings from about 9:15 until 11:00-11:30 when the boys are all in school and Pete is napping. I drink hot chocolate, read, catch up on DVR-ed shows, read blogs, or nap. Sometimes I clean without distractions or take a nap. It's almost like not having any kids.

Challenge.

This kid. From his preschool problems last March, to his chronic constipation, I literally felt my hair turning gray this year. Happily, he's becoming less of a challenge as he gets closer to five.

Album of the year. Erin McCarley, Love Save the Empty. Dan bought this on one of the online deals (because we love good music, but we especially love cheap, good music), and I've spent a lot of time listening to it this year. Especially the song "Pitter-Pat." I've linked to it before, but no one commented on it. People please, what say ye?

Best place. The spot on Pete's neck right below his ear. Delicious.

New food.
I got this ebelskiver pan for Christmas. I made chocolate-filled chocolate ones on the last day of 2009. We love, love, love pancakes at our house, and now we have one more way to love them. And I know it's vain, but I just feel like a better cook using stuff from Williams-Sonoma.

Best change you made to the place you live. Well, it was a sad, but necessary change. After our three-year-old lab Maggie snapped at Peter (she'd previously growled at a couple visiting kids), we knew it was time for her to find a new home. After the tears and the hassle of keeping her away from Pete for the time it took rehome her, it was such a pleasant relief to only have one dog. We find ourselves enjoying Molly more, and the whole house feels calmer. And I love that Pete can pet his "good girl," and I don't worry.

Rush. Panicking whether all the bathroom doors are closed when Pete wakes up from his nap. He really loves to splash in toilet water.

Best packaging.

Isn't this a wonderful way to start people?

Tea of the year. I'm not really a tea drinker. In fact, I don't think I've had any this year. But next year I will be slamming the raspberry zinger tea when my due date approaches.

Word or phrase to encapsulate 2009. Hmmm. I'm not really a one-word kind of gal, but here goes: "2009 was The Year of Shrinking Walls." We are feeling the squeeze of our growing family in our little house. Hopefully 2010 will be "The Year of the Big Move," or at the very least "The Year of Organization."

Shop. Nearly all our money goes to Costco. Nate walks down the aisles and says "We have that! We have that!" Our kids think milk comes from Costco rather than cows. But we do get a rebate every year!

Car ride.
Our family trip over Highway 4 in the Sierras. Loved the views (especially the boys peeing off the mountain top), even if the curves made me squeamish.

New person. Who is your unsung hero of 2009? Aimee. She just moved here, and we've hit it off (at least I think so). But here's the best deal. She's a hair stylist. A really good one.

Note cute hair (and cute sister and baby).

Now I don't have to think of reasons to travel to Utah so Kelly can do my hair. Now I don't have to suffer with regrowth for months. Now my nearly decade-long search for someone to do my hair so I'm really, really happy with it is over. So now I have to work on convincing Aimee to stay when her husband's clerkship is over . . .