Vomit

Oh yes. Ethan has been a fountain today. I've cleaned up after him four times. We're on the second load of laundry. I've given up hope and left the mop out. And he's been awake less than two hours. Lots more to come, I'm sure!!

Maybe he'll take a long nap and I'll be able to do some of the packing. And I should be able to run the errands I need to tonight, as long as John gets home at a reasonable hour. My day is shaping up to be different than I'd planned!

Help Out Some Friends!

First, and the big one, is an old friend Danny. Without going into detail, he is a great guy who has had some rough spells in life. With renewed hope, he's now in PT school and his wife is about to have a baby. He is a finalist in the Wells Fargo Someday Stories Contest. Meaning he has already won $10,000 for his essay about his "Someday" goal to be a Physical Therapist and enrich people's lives. As a finalist, he can win $100,000 to put toward that goal and taking care of his family. Please, please, please, go HERE and vote for Danny. Once with each email address you have. (They use your email to verify that you are a real person and to let you know who wins. That's it.) He is a very strong second and only 500 votes behind the leader, so we know we can help him get there!

And second, my gorgeous friend Steph. She is in a baby bump photo contest to win a new nursery for her first boy. Following two older sisters, I'm sure the little guy would appreciate a more manly room. Go HERE and vote for #82. You can also find her in the photos, but it's an obnoxious system so don't feel obligated.

Ethan's Collections

Just like any boy, we constantly have a collection of sticks next to the front door. (They aren't allowed in the house.) We also frequently have cups full of leaves or flower buds as a centerpiece on the table. And we have the requisite collection of cars.

But the best one is new. Ethan has decided to collect pictures of LDS temples. There are 128 right now, and he only has 2, so we have a ways to go. The boy already has Boston and San Antonio. We promised him that every time we go to a distribution center he can pick out a new one. This might take his whole life that way. So we're asking for help. If you live near a temple or distribution center, or if your chapel has them out in the foyer like our does, send us a picture of your temple! Or of one that has particular meaning to you. Ethan will love building his collection and getting mail from his family and friends.

The ones that John and I would particularly like to see in his collection are Bern Switzerland, Preston England, Seoul Korea, Manila Philippines, Los Angeles CA, Palmyra NY, Salt Lake City UT, Mt Timpanogos UT, Jordan River UT, Provo UT, Manti UT, Washington DC, and Toronto Ontario.

(Looking over those pictures I was touched by the inspired construction of the SLC and DC temples. The main spire on each seems to be pulling the others upward. A beautiful visual reminder to uplift those around us. Love it.)

Planner

I'm a planner. Not just kind of. I have this obsessive need to know what the plan is. The family is collectively nodding their heads in agreement. I think it's getting worse. Any member of the family who has a vacation planned with us in the next several years is thinking about backing out.

The "good" thing is that I've learned to be more proactively vocal about it, rather than complaining later. I will make sure that we all know the plan in advance. Spontaneity is allowed, but in short bursts that account for the kids naptimes, mealtimes, and bedtimes. Food for me should also be scheduled because we all know how much worse it gets when my blood sugar hits the floor.

I'm thinking about this b/c I'm planning ahead for our vacation in a few weeks. So not ready! I don't even have a packing list yet. AAAHHHH! Focus. We live by our schedule around here. Traveling and doing vacationy things tends to throw everyone off. Any suggestions for doing disney stuff with kids who nap??? We're already planning to alternate busy days and relaxing days, so Ethan will be fine napping every other. But Edward. Oh, I'm so afraid of throwing off his sleeping. With his reflux (or GERD as they're calling it now b/c it's still such a major issue for him) causing sleep issues for him, it only makes it worse when he doesn't get naps that his body would let him take. Seriously, how have you managed trips like this with babies who need naps but don't sleep anywhere but the crib???

Meet Mia!

Have you seen American Girl's Girl of the Year? Yup. Her name is Mia. She has green eyes, dark blond hair, and chubby cheeks. She even has my funny, unbalanced lips! I'm kind of creeped out. (But I also kind of want one.)

PS to the Moms: Don't buy me one. Seriously.

Halloween is coming up fast!

And we can't decide what to wear. Ethan will be Buzz Lightyear (obviously) but the rest of us are undecided. Take the poll on my sidebar and let me know which idea you like.

Recap 3: The Drive Out

Apparently, we have no pictures from the people we visited on the way out. NONE! Don't ask me how that happened. Here are a few of my boys from the driving portions of the trip.

Napping during a break for lunch. All that driving wore him out.

We visited a fun cave (no pictures, of course) and Ethan loved his spelunking hard hat.

My cute hubby taking a turn driving.

The sweet boy was an angel on the drive. Slept or entertained the rest of us with his chatter.

Aren't I cute?

Hey! I asked you a question!

We don't play rough with our boys! Who told you that?

Awwww

Ethan was obsessed with his drinks the whole trip. "You mean I can have juice?? Really???? I drank all of this one. We need some more."

For My Dad

My dad is always reminding me that I should sing more. Especially at home. I know that during the happy times, my mom singing was one of his favorite things. And I promise dad, we do sing a lot around here. Probably not as much as I should, but I'm trying.

I just read this post about a woman who appreciates her good-enough singing voice as a gift for her and her family. Even if she will never sing on Broadway. Mine isn't amazing, but it's good. And being low, it stands out more than average. It's a goal of mine to perform again. But for now, I want to remember the gift that it can be to my kids, my husband, and to me. Thanks dad for helping me see how much it can mean to our family.

Ike is coming

For the grandparents who are worrying, Ike will be passing to the east of us. We are expecting some flooding and power outages if it passes close enough. But probably just some strong wind and rain. We're prepared for anything, but don't expect to need it.

In all honesty, we're much more worried about our friends on the coast. Those in Houston were advised to stay put and tough it out. Keep them in your prayers!

Suit Drive

Have you heard about the Suit Drive at Men's Wearhouse? They are collecting gently used professional clothing to help at-risk men and youth move into the workforce. They'll add a new dress shirt to every suit donated. I love this. I've seen it for women before, but never for men. I'm going to pull out John's old suit and see if its in good enough shape to donate. And I know he has ties he doesn't wear. They're also accepting slacks, belts, and sport coats if you're looking to clean out your husband's closet ;)

Preschool Day 2

After his rough start on Tuesday, I was a little nervous about how preschool would go today. Drop off was fine. Mostly because Miss Karen had the playdough Ethan helped me make out on the table when we walked in. Hugs and kisses and he was off to dig his hands in.

At pickup, Ethan was happy until I asked him to say goodbye. At first, I thought he was tired and didn't want to talk to anyone else. Once we were in the car though, Ethan let me know why. "Mom, I don't want to go home. I want to go back to preschool." He hadn't wanted to say goodbye because he didn't want to leave. So we sang the songs they'd sung in chapel all the way home and he was happy. (Would you believe they sang "Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam"? The teacher has some LDS friends and has picked up some of the songs. Ethan loves it.)

A much better ending today. He's going to do great this year.

Horrible Mother

Yes. I am going to admit my most horrible mothering moment. Mostly so that I can get you to share yours and make me not feel so bad.

Yesterday, I was a little stressed out by Ethan's state of mind after preschool and by the ridiculous dinner I was trying to make. I put Edward down for a nap and went to work on dinner while trying to keep Ethan from bursting into tears every other minute.

About thirty minutes into the nap, I wasn't thinking and turned on the food processor. It was so loud. I'm sure the neighbors heard it. So it woke up Edward. I heard him cry for a second and then a loud *thunk*. Then screaming. I ran upstairs and burst into his room to find him on the floor, crawling around while screeching his head off.

I'd been so distracted when I'd put him down that I'd forgotten to raise the side of the crib. He'd gone to stand up and launched himself over the railing. Poor guy. He was back to normal a few minutes later, but it was scary. I did a thorough check. Physically and neurologically he's just fine. But my trust in my own skills is suffering a little.

Tell me your most horrible mothering moment. Anonymously if you're reluctant to share. I need to be reminded that little slips are going to happen.

Quotes from Today

"Why did you take your shirt off?" "Because my hands had ice cream on them."

"Mom, I'm all grown up. Look. I have hair on my legs. And my arms."

"Yay, chores! I'm going to make all the beds. And clean your whole room." (We told Ethan that we only stay up later than him because we're doing chores. He took a fabulous nap today, so he gets to stay up and do chores with us. He's so excited! I'm thinking the playroom needs some major cleaning...)

Preschool Day 1

Ethan started preschool today. A real one, this year. He and I have been excited about it for weeks! Him b/c he gets to go, and me b/c I get FIVE hours to have a little quiet around the house and run errands.

Here's the pictures from this morning.

All ready to go...

We were ready too early, so we goofed around for a few minutes. These boys crack each other up.

Singing "I will go, I will do..." and doing a little dance as he walks up to the building.

He's in the middle, playing with the bin of cars that are just for him. (He's the only boy in with seven girls.)

His teacher reported that he was happy and had a great first day. So we assumed his quietness was b/c he'd dozed off during their end of day rest time and hadn't been ready to wake up. We were wrong. Ethan's day ended more miserably than it began.

Ethan was quiet and reserved when we picked him up b/c he'd bit his tongue at some point during the day. He'd dabbed it on his shirt (brown, so the blood wasn't obvious) and didn't tell anyone. So he had a sore mouth for the rest of the day. Strike one.

Having a sore mouth meant that Ethan didn't eat much of his lunch. Hungry means cranky in this house. Strike two.

After being home for a few hours, our boy developed a fever. He's coming down with something. Strike three, and he's out.