How to Become a Zombie in Three Easy Steps

Summer Part Two: Post Dexter

2011-11-12T22:38:00.001-07:00

All this snow is really making me miss summer! The last half of summer was quite chaotic and we didn't get out as much as we normally do. I don't feel bad about it. I mean, I did just have a baby. We were adjusting. Sometimes I feel like all we do is try to adjust. Hmmmm...

One of the coolest, bestest, mostest awesomest thing ever was that The Charles Clan came to the States this summer! We were having Dexter while they were flying over here. I had hoped that Dexter would be a little older when they got here so we could have more fun with them but, oh well. I really do wish that I wasn't a hormonal, constantly on the verge of tears, postpartum wreck when they were here. I'm not usually like that and it kind of makes me sad that it's the version of me that they got to see, especially when we see them so little. Again... oh well.

We went to This Is The Place Monument Park.. aka Cowboy Town. Charlie especially had a great time. Riley was a bit overwhelmed by the number of people suddenly surrounding him and the heat. Dexter was just as cute and active as a five day old can be.

Amy is an amazing person. She is so fun to be around and just jumps into everything that everyone else is doing. Here everyone is having fun panning for gold.

Uncle Tom came out too and we got together for a picnic at Sugarhouse Park. Besides Riley's near drowning experience (that kid is just drawn to water) it was a nice relaxing time. I really like Joey's family and wish that we could all get together more often.

Isn't Amy so beautiful?!

We got to go with the Charles Clan to the Rodeo and it was so AWESOME!! I love a good rodeo. Our cute nieces and nephews were very concerned about the welfare of the animals, especially the calves.

Charlie was so happy to be there. He'd been trying to get us to go to a rodeo for months.

We blessed Dexter while they were here. Joey did a wonderful job and look at how cute his little blessing outfit is! Grandma Jane made it for him. She has made one for each of our boys and I'm so grateful to have something so special that they will each be able to call their own.

I had no idea that Uncle Chris was a magician with babies!

He was so tiny! I mean, he was a big baby, but looking back at these pictures makes me realize how much he's changed in 3 months.

How adorable is my niece?!Alexandra and Charlie are really close in age and he was so happy to have someone around who loved being a cowgirl. They were quite the duo.

This is how the majority of the rest of our summer went. A lot of snuggling and napping.

The Jensens got back from Europe and came to meet Dexter. We had a picnic at a park and just hung out for a while. I have the best sisters ever!

We always love having Calem around. He is so active and so much fun!

We took advantage of sweet summer rain and new umbrellas.

The sprinklers on the church lawn were just too tempting to pass up, even if it was already past bedtime.

We got to visit Joey's brother's grave. We had no idea that David's grave was so close to where we lived. It was a really special afternoon and was a wonderful reminder about the blessing of eternal families.

We spent a lot of time cooling off in the creek at Sugarhouse park. I love that this is one of the activities that Riley and Charlie really like doing together. I like sitting on the shore and watching them interact with each other. Those are some very sweet moments for me.

And here is Dexter out in the sunshine and in a hurry to grow up. He's got two big brothers that he can't wait to run around with.

We had a wonderful, eventful, memorable summer. Can't wait until the next one!

Summer Rundown Part One: Pre-Dexter

2011-09-18T21:00:00.000-06:00

What a summer we had! I was super tired being super pregnant and then I was super tired being newly unpregnant. Riley and Charlie maybe didn't have the most fun summer but we did the best we could. They did get to go to a fun summer camp twice a week at Charlie's preschool and that helped us all tremendously. Sadly, I didn't get any photos but they really did have a great time going to Kiddie Kamp together and I think it was a wonderful experience.

We spent a fair amount of time at the children's museum. I love taking them to a place that I can just let them play while I stand by watching just to make sure they don't wander out of the building. Riley definitely is old enough that he thinks I'm nerding it up when I'm hovering. He's right and I was happy to hover on a bench instead of right by him.

We tried to get in a lot of "the last time it's just the four of us" outings. There were a lot of them because Dexter just wasn't too keen on joining us. We spent a lot of time at parks, going for walks and even attempting cookouts.

Have you ever seen a kid so unenthusiastic about a smore? What went wrong?

Riley's birthday is always a party. We took him to see Rango at the dollar theater this year. He's always up for a trip to the theater.

We even ventured out to Sugar House Park to see the fireworks and we had a great time. It's so fun to have fireworks on his birthday every year!

We got to see Penny and her family, Dixie and my mom before Penny headed off to Europe for 5 weeks.

We got to go to a fun water party with the neighborhood kids. I love where we live! It's going to be a sad day when we grow out of our apartment.

We had lots of sleepovers with Aunt Dixie while she drifted in and out of Salt Lake over the summer. This is the morning of the day Dexter was born. The boys sure do love their Aunt Dixie and I don't know of many Aunts that are so willing to give up their personal space to snuggle with a couple of sleepy, stinky little boys. Best. Aunt. Ever!

2011-09-11T13:48:00.000-06:00

I can't decide who Dexter looks more like.

Riley or

Charlie

Either way, he's definitely a Lasko and super cute.

And Just Like That

2011-09-08T12:01:00.002-06:00

Summer is over.

Charlie started school yesterday. It's his last year of preschool and he gets to go three days a week this year. He's feeling pretty grown up. He got embarrassed when I walked him up to the door to drop him off. I know that should probably make me a bit sad but I LOVE that he is growing up and is so independent. Besides, he still comes to me when he gets hurt.

Riley started a few weeks ago. He was so excited. SO EXCITED. Sadly, he's gotten sick TWICE since starting. He was really disappointed when he realized that he doesn't have the same teacher as last year. We really love Ms. Tabby and he misses her a lot. He's moved up into the functional academics class (YAY!) which is right next door to his old classroom and all but one of his old friends. So he's had a hard time adjusting. Ms. Jessie is going to be a great teacher and I think that Riley will really love his class once he gets used to it.

We did so many fun things this summer and you should expect a run down of it all sometime.

Cheering up Charlie

2011-08-23T21:03:00.003-06:00

My super awesome sister, Penny, invited Charlie to stay at their house for a few days. He's been feeling a bit pushed to the side since the arrival of Dexter and this is the perfect opportunity to make him feel really special. He has been so excited to go and all the way on the drive today he kept asking if we were finally close to Penny's house. He was sure to bring two hats, two lone ranger masks, three pistols, and a rifle to share with Calem. They are going to have a great time!

I could barely get a hug out of him as I was leaving and he wiped off my kisses. :) He's growing up.

Our house has decidedly less energy tonight. I miss my little buddy but I'm so grateful to Penny and Colby for making him feel so great. I have the best family ever.

It's a miracle!

2011-08-20T22:10:00.003-06:00

All three boys looking forward AND smiling?! Amazing. I sure do love these boys!!

And no more happiness

2011-07-29T21:09:00.004-06:00

When I changed Dex's diaper today I noticed that it was tinged with blood. Not something that I ever like to see. I talked to a nurse from our pediatrician's office and she told me it's most likely that he has a sensitivity to milk protein. So no more dairy for me. It makes me feel sad. But, breast feeding is important to me and sacrificing dairy so that my sweet little guy won't poop blood is totally worth it. I mean, just look at this face!

So this is going to be an adjustment for me. Also.... dairy is in practically EVERYTHING! I'd love to hear from anyone that has tips.

The story of Dexter

2011-07-20T16:37:00.002-06:00

I have never been so wrong about anything in my entire life. I thought, for sure, that Dexter would make his appearance early. Not too early but certainly not two weeks late.

We were really apprehensive about having him come so late. I know that regular old full term is anywhere between 37 and 42 weeks but things seem to feel a little dire when you're getting close to that dreaded 42. At 42 weeks we would have to consult with an ob and at 43 weeks we would have to transfer from our midwives to an ob. We really weren't comfortable going past 42 weeks anyway but because we were trying to go for an unmedicated birth and because he was posterior we didn't want to rush into an induction either. Luckily, we found out at our 41 week 5 day appointment that he had flipped anterior so we decided to try stripping my membranes to see if that would get things going. It didn't. I called the next day and we decided that before we broke my water that I would try alternating breast pumping and walking to see if that would work. We scheduled an appointment for 5:30 pm later that day just in case that didn't work either. It didn't.

Around 4 pm we were pretty confident that we were going to have to have my water broken so we dropped Riley and Charlie off at Joey's brother's house (Thanks so much guys!!!) and headed down to our appointment. After talking with our midwives and letting them know that we had decided to switch to an ob if we went past 42 weeks they broke my water, gave us some homeopathics, instructions to pump/walk again and sent us on our way home. We stopped at Arby's on the way home because nutrition is important to us. :)

After dinner I started the dreaded pumping again. Seriously, I hate pumping so so much. I did that for 15 minutes and then Joey and I went for a walk around the neighborhood for 15 minutes. My contractions were definitely there and painful during the first round of pumping and they were becoming more steady during our walk. We got home and I did round 2 of pumping. My contractions were really close together and intense and long by this time but I wanted to wait and see if they would stay steady while I wasn't pumping.

Instead of walking again I just hung out in our room on my exercise ball and kept track of contractions. Joey was in the front room playing video games which was perfect because I didn't want him hovering when there was nothing for him to do. It's frustrating for both of us. So a half hour goes by and my contractions are between 3 and a half and 4 minutes a part and lasting between one and two minutes. I hung out with Joey trying to take my mind off my contractions for about 10 minutes and then told Joey that he needed to call our midwives and tell them that we were coming in. I know the rule is to wait an hour but it's a darn good thing we didn't.

Joey called and they said they would be there in 30 minutes. We only live about 10 minutes away from the birth center but we got in the car anyway and rushed there. Joey asked me if I wanted to drive around for a while but I just wanted to get there. No one was there when we arrived and my contractions were really close together and lasting a long time. We walked around the parking lot and then leaned on the car and finally I ended up on my hands and knees on the door mat at the front door. I honestly thought I was going to give birth outside, by a busy street, on a door mat, like I was dropping a litter.

One of the midwives finally got there. She rushed inside and ran upstairs and told me to come on up. Climbing a flight of stairs in the middle of transitions is practically impossible. I got upstairs and went to the bathroom and while I was on the toilet I felt an urge to push. I was not going to have my baby on the toilet!! So I called the midwife in and had to have her help me off the toilet and onto the bed. She checked me and I was at a 9 almost a ten. By then the another midwife had arrived and was filling up the tub. Joey was awesome and was pushing on a pressure point on my feet. So I'm ready to push and they ask me if I want to get into the birthing tub. And I do, I really do but it seems like no muscles in my body are actually under my control at this point. The pain I'm experiencing is so intense that I couldn't even tell you where it hurt or really if it was actually pain at all. It was so surreal.

They help me up and I get into the tub and, honest to goodness, it was like magic. I felt so much better. I didn't get to enjoy that sensation long though because it was time to get down to business and get this baby out. The most wonderful thing about having these midwives is that they just let me push however I wanted. They gave me pointers but there was never any irritating counting or telling me when to push or how and, most importantly, when I wasn't allowed to push. They didn't tell me to be quiet either, which was nice because, boy, was I screaming. It just felt like I was able to let my body to do what it needed to do. 19 minutes later Dexter was out and on my chest. The last midwife who was supposed to be the one delivering Dexter had gotten stuck in traffic and made it just before he started crowning. She did a great job guiding him out.

He took a minute to cry. He let out a couple of funny little moans at first but then he let out a screech and it was the most wonderful sound to hear. We sat in the tub together (which is an experience that will make you never want soup again... ever) until I delivered the placenta and then Joey got to cut the cord.

We got out of the tub and got to snuggle with him and try to feed him and just relax. After a while they came in and did all the newborn and post partum stuff and then they left. We could have stayed until 3 am but around 1:30 we decided that it was time to go home. We were out of there and home by 2 am.

It was one of the most amazing experiences of my entire life. It was wonderful and terrible and magical and primal. Of all of my births this was the most intense and, ultimately, satisfying experiences. Words are inadequate. I'm so grateful for the chance that I have to be a mother. I'm so grateful for mortality and the ability to embrace it. I'm beyond grateful for Joey. There is no one else in the world that I would want to be the father of my children. He is my best friend and biggest support. I wouldn't have been able to get through this whole pregnancy and birth without him. And I'm so so grateful that Dexter is finally here! We have fallen completely in love with him.

The Littlest Lasko

2011-07-20T13:34:00.002-06:00

He's finally here! Dexter Joseph Lasko was born July 14th at 9:44 pm. He weighed 9lbs 4oz and was 22.5 inches long. We're madly in love. (I'll post his very short birth story later when I'm not typing one handed.)

If you were wondering....

2011-07-09T10:48:00.005-06:00

whether or not Dexter has made it out of the womb yet, the answer is NO. I'm trying really hard not to complain but, hells bells, this is taking forever. He's still posterior and was measuring at 43 last Wednesday so this one is going to be super fun. This lovely photo was taken on my due date, which was the 1st of July. We have been trying for another baby since March of 2009 so I guess I can wait a couple more days. I just really, really want him here. :)

Doesn't my belly look freaky? It's okay to admit it. Waaaayyyy past the point of being cute. Instead of getting the "Oh, when are you due?" comments I've noticed that I get sideways glances and quickly averted eyes. :) It's like people are worried that I'm just going to drop him right there in whatever public place that we happen to be in and they'll have to do something heroic and gross. Or they are wondering how it's even possible that skin can stretch that far. (It doesn't very well)

On a happier note... here are a couple of random wonderful things that have happened in the last few months.

We had a really great Walk With Angels this year. Thanks so much to everyone who supported us.

We had a real birthday party for Riley. We invited a couple of kids from his class and had it at Build-a-Bear. It was chaotic and totally worth it.

Riley and Charlie are just cute together and have been getting along really well this summer. Things in this area are going much better than I anticipated. They are quite the partners in crime.
Hopefully, our next post will be soon and full of photos of a brand new, squirmy little guy. Cross your fingers for us.

Alive and kickin'

2011-04-19T16:45:00.003-06:00

This is just a very small pathetic update. I realize that it's been five months and you may be wondering if we are all alive and happy. Yes and yes. So here are a few photos of a couple of things we've been up to...

We signed the kids up for t-ball and it's been an adventure so far. We're learning lots about team work, good sportsmanship and just general participation (Riley.) More on this to come.

We've (and by we I mean Joey) been rockin' the grill lately. It's sorta become our Sunday thing. Charlie is really interested in learning how to cook and is learning the secrets of cooking with fire... okay gas, but still.

Lacey and Brandon are visiting for a week or so. You can't tell that Riley thinks Lacey is magical, can you?

Dexter (yep he's a boy and we are naming him Dexter) is growing and will be here in 10 short weeks... maybe sooner, cross your fingers.

Holiday, Celebrate

2010-12-28T18:08:00.003-07:00

Whew! Christmas is over.

We had a pretty darn good Christmas over here. The boys were so into it this year and it made it especially fun for Joey and me. Plus, we got to use the threat of calling Santa to tell him not to bring presents to help keep the boys in line. We got mixed results with that one. They know we're full of hot air but didn't want to take any chances that their parents might actually be telling the truth.

This year we decided to keep Christmas small and I got a great idea from somewhere on the interwebs but I can't remember where. Sorry if it was your blog and I'm not giving you due credit. Anyway, it goes like this....

Something you want

Something you need

Something to play with

and

Something to read

LOVED it! It is so easy to go overboard with buying the boys things. They are just so cute and it's hard not to want to give them everything they could possibly maybe want or take interest in for a couple of seconds. This gave me focus and it was easy on the bank account too. We had to really think about what the kids would want most and we did a great job, if I do say so myself. Plus, the added bonus was that I didn't think for one second about what to get Riley to help him developmentally and it was soooo liberating. I just got him what I thought he would love with no expectations (or disappointments) on my side. Magical!

Charlie was beyond excited Christmas Eve and had the hardest time falling asleep. He was determined to catch Santa "with my hands" and talk to him. He even said he would share his toys with Santa. He fell fast asleep around midnight though and slept soundly through Santa's visit. When he woke up it totally slipped his mind that it was Christmas and he was so interested in telling me about his dream that he didn't even notice that Santa had come.

We got Riley and Joey up not too long after and had a wonderful time opening up our presents. Both the boys were very happy and have been playing with their gifts ever since. So wonderful!

Thanks Aunt Dixie!!

2010-12-24T21:25:00.003-07:00

Dixie got the boys something SUPER awesome. This is for you, Dixie....

October was RAD!

2010-11-16T11:54:00.003-07:00

October flew by. Here's a brief pictorial overview.

I turned 30! It was a great day. I even got a Barbie. DREAM. COME. TRUE. Really, it was very thoughtful of Charlie. Riley got me a new can opener that I love. Joey got me Guitar Hero. He's the best.

We did lots of traditional Halloween stuff. We carved pumpkins.

Charlie had a great preschool program.

We found out just how alike Charlie and his buddy from preschool are.

We rode fake horses.

We rode real horses.

We went on a hayride.

We went to a pumpkin patch.

We wore our costumes all month long and had a great time Trick or Treating. We still have candy.

Oh yeah... and this. I feel terrible. Yay!!!!

Growing up and getting it.

2010-11-03T23:01:00.003-06:00

Riley didn't care at all when he lost his first two bottom teeth. Actually, the first one he lost we didn't even notice. His top two teeth have been loose for a couple of weeks and it's been fun to watch Riley realize how cool it is to lose teeth. I remember it being the biggest deal when I was a little girl and I am kind of reliving that with Riley. I may be a bit too enthusiastic.

We were getting ready for church and noticed that it was time for that tooth to come out. Riley was wiggling away at that tooth.

Daddy's fingers are a bit stronger and he was able to get it. Anyone who remembers Riley's intense oral aversions when he was a baby will be very proud of this photo. He's come sooo far.

He's so happy to be growing up!

He's all ready to put his tooth under his pillow. The tooth fairy brought him a mini magnadoodle. She's just as conscious about fine motor skills as we are. :)

Night of the Running Dead

2010-10-18T20:22:00.002-06:00

This year was the first annual Night of the Running Dead. Mom, Penny, the boys and I "ran" it together and had a blast! Half the people signed up to be survivors and the other half as infected. The survivors got a one minute head start before the rest of us got to run. It was just as fun as that sounds. The original plan was to have Joey watch all the boys while we ran it but he had to help his parents out that day so we just hauled them along with us. (The kids not his parents) The course included a lot of really steep, long hills so Penny and I mostly walked (crawled) up the hills trying to not lose control of the strollers. The downhill was super fun/ scary. The last leg we got going so fast and I just had to hold on and pray that I didn't trip. I don't even know what our time was but it was slllloooowww. Still, we had a really good time and I totally want to do it again next year, hopefully not pushing a stroller.

I was worried about how The kids, especially Charlie, would react to all the zombies. We had a lot of conversations about how zombies weren't real and that it was all pretend. We even had him hang out with us while we put on our zombie faces. He was very brave and didn't have any problem knowing that it was all fake. He still will occasionally come up and tell me that zombies are just pretend.

Our latex didn't hold up so well against our sweat but it did make for an awesome ripping our own faces off effect.

Mom had a really great costume and it looked much more comfy than our dresses.

Tagged

2010-10-17T20:03:00.005-06:00

At least I think I might have been. Maybe I'm just narcissistic. Anyway, Catherine is the best. Love her blog!

Rules: I answer these 8 questions, pick 8 more friends, come up with 8 new questions and ask them.

1. What is your favorite vacation spot and why?

I love going to Disneyland but only with Joey because he turns into a little boy and it's just so much fun to go overboard on Disney excitement with him. Plus, he is awesome to go road tripping with.

2. What was the last movie you watched in a theater?

Ummmm.... okay... Cats and Dogs: The revenge of Kitty Galore. I actually laughed out loud more than once.

3. What question do you like to ask people when you first meet them?

Usually it's, "Where are you from?"

4. Who is your hero and why?

My Dad. He is smart and funny and wise and always makes me feel good about me. He is the hardest working person that I know and can make anything grow. I just hope to be as cool as him someday. I have a chance, right? I mean, he is my dad.

5. What do you like to do to relax?

I watch paranormal reality TV. I'm serious. It's embarrassing to admit but I LOVE it.

6. Who do you enjoy spending time with?

Joey, my kids, my siblings, my bestie Esther.

7. What is the first thing you think of to do when you find out you have some free time?

SLEEP! But that thought is quickly followed by how much cleaning my house needs and that usually takes over.

8. What is a Christmas tradition you really enjoy?

When I was a kid we used to sleep in sleeping bags with our heads under the lowest branches of the Christmas tree and try to catch Santa. I have NEVER, not even once, caught him.

Okay, I'm tagging

Amy who is tough as nails.

Esther BFF

Mary L cracks me up.

Mary R I totally blog stalk her.

Erin cause she knew me when I was stupid and still seems to like me.

Kristi has the most amazing adventures.

Lacey should blog more often.

Kathy cause I love her sense of humor.

So here are your questions ladies.

1. What is your favorite day of the week and why?

2. Who is your guilty pleasure musician?

3. What is your favorite thing to cook? (I need ideas!)

4. What do you tell people your favorite movie is? And what is your actual favorite movie?

5. What made today great?

6. Would you, under any circumstance, eat another person? (Go with it. It's Halloween time.)

7. What is your favorite outdoors activity?

8. What is your favorite fairy tale?

Can't wait to read all your answers!

The beginning of letting go

2010-10-16T20:21:00.003-06:00

We really debated on whether or not to put Charlie into preschool this year. I came up with a thousand reasons why it just wasn't necessary. We all know that my real reason is because I don't want him to grow up yet. He's my little buddy and he's super fun and easy to be around. Charlie doesn't make me feel constantly rejected and it's nice. Selfish, I know.

I took both the boys with me to register Riley for school and that was it. Charlie was so excited to go to school and I just couldn't keep him home. He's ready, even if I'm not.

We checked out a couple of different schools and decided on one that is only 5 blocks away. His teacher, Ms. Wendy, has a philosophy that is much closer to mine. The other school we checked out started pushing academics at 18 months and made me feel like we were somehow already behind. Plus, they had a chef (sooo much fancier than a lunch lady) prepare the children's snacks from scratch. Seriously? Silliness! I'm all about focusing on social skills and confidence before really hitting the books. Kids need to be kids and learn how to get along with each other. Ms. Wendy is very good at sneaking in some solid learning while they play. Plus, I love the fishes cause they're so delicious. If Charlie wants a fresh baked muffin, I will make him one and it won't cost me $65 extra a month.

He's been going for a while now. He had a hard time the first couple of days with following a routine. Who wouldn't want free play all the time? He is really doing well and loves going. He gets to bring home so many fun projects, he gets along with all the kids and Ms. Wendy really makes him feel loved and special. I feel really good about where he is.

On a more personal note, I thought I would totally have 5 glorious hours a week to do whatever I felt like. Turns out, I mostly just clean the house. Ahhh.. that is so typical of me. I think next time I'll actually sit down and read a book. Anyone have any good suggestions?

Someone awesome is going to be born tomorrow.

2010-10-05T12:45:00.003-06:00

I come from a really small town in Idaho. My graduating class was maybe a little over 100 so in the entire high school, from freshmen to seniors, I would bet that there was less than 600 students.

A while ago I got a voicemail from this really cool girl that was in my graduating class that just said she wanted to ask me about something. Hmmm.. cryptic. I was such an androgynous, artsy, geek and pretty much at the bottom of the high school food chain. Although we were friendly with each other, we didn't hang out so reminiscing about old times was not the reason she was calling me. I did have a sneaking suspicion that she was calling me to ask about Down syndrome. I thought maybe she has a friend who just had a baby and wanted to know what would be good ways of being supportive or maybe she was writing a paper on it. So, of course, I called her back not just because it would be rude not to but, also, I was super curious. (I like talking to people I went to high school with. I'm always horrified at the thought that some people out there will only remember me as my 17 year old self and I like to see that people grew up to be wonderful adults instead of the people I remember them as being at 17. There is a reason that no one really wants to go back to high school.)

So, anyway, I called her back and was surprised when she told me that she was expecting a daughter with Down syndrome. Coming from such a small town, I honestly thought that I would be the only person I knew from high school that would have a child with Down syndrome. (Turns out there are four of us so far. Three of us ran cross country together. Try to wrap your head around those odds.)

It's such a weird experience welcoming someone else into this club. I too vividly remember the feelings of terror and grief and guilt when we found out and I know what it's like to come through that and to truly consider this one of the greatest blessings of my life.

When talking to new parents there is a fine line between being too excited about it or too realistic. I'm not sure how well I walk that line and I always just pray that I won't say something completely stupid and offensive. I always hesitate telling new parents how difficult that first year was for me, how it took every ounce of will power I had to get up in the morning or how I felt so inadequate and overwhelmed or how I wondered at times if my marriage was strong enough to take the stress of it all. They were dark, dark days but we got through them and I can now say that I am really excited about having a kid with Ds. It's wonderful to be on the flip side of that first year and to find real joy in raising Riley.

Their daughter is going to be born tomorrow. She'll bring out the best in people. She'll make the people who love her appreciate the small things. She'll make the world a better, happier place. Anyone who meets her will be blessed to know her.

My friend is already an amazing mother. She has this emotional maturity, strength and resilience that I didn't have when Riley was born. Her new daughter is so lucky to have gotten her as a mom and I'm very lucky that I know her and that she was willing to share a small part of her experience with me.

Ammendment to previous post

2010-09-24T17:45:00.002-06:00

Joey just told me that it sounded like I thought he pressured me into trying to have another baby. Not true at all. Just to clarify, the point was that I wouldn't have even thought to try again if Joey hadn't been so enthusiastic about having another the regular old way. Pressure isn't really Joey's style. He's way too cool for that. We're a team over here. :)

Cautious Optimism

2010-09-23T21:07:00.005-06:00

Hi all. I am going through one of those times when it just seems like I'm barely hanging on and blogging gets shoved to the back of my mind. And the thing is that no HUGE event has taken place that would cause my complete lack of organization or productivity . Just normal everyday stuff and I'm regretting that I'm not keeping up with, well, anything. :)

Okay, so I'm just going to throw this out there, Universe. I'm hesitant to even mention it but we could use the prayers/ positive thoughts/ crossing your fingers... whatever. We're trying for another baby. I know that I said I was done and, man, was I. Seriously, I was not at all interested in trying to conceive another child. That isn't to say that I didn't want another baby. I really, really, really do. I was just really thinking that we were going to jump into the adoption lane and hope like crazy that someone out there would think we would be good people to raise their flesh and blood. But, Joey and his silver tongue, have convinced me that it's a good idea to give it one more try. It must be those dreamy, hypnotizing eyes of his.

I'm trying not to get my hopes up too high. Heaven knows that getting pregnant doesn't necessarily mean getting a baby. I get too attached right away and I think that I'm going to take the "build a brick wall around my heart" kind of approach this time. The other sentimental, mushy side of me tends to break down in horrible ways when given a face full of disappointment. So cautious optimism is my new slogan. Do you think I should get that done up in vinyl in a crazy huge font size and plaster it in my front room? Hmmmm.... tempting, but, I think random sticky notes around the house is more my style.

2010-09-04T20:52:00.002-06:00

I feel so pretty!

2010-08-29T19:56:00.003-06:00

Dixie was purging her closet and getting rid of this adorable dress from the 40's (which just happens to be my favorite fashion era) that she found at a yard sale forever ago. Uh, yes, please! It's always been too big for her. Luckily, I'm kinda a bigger girl and it fits perfectly. Thanks, Dixie! I so love this dress!!

Gotta start 'em young

2010-08-28T08:58:00.005-06:00

A little known fact about Riley is that he loves to clean. Wait... He loves to watch other people, namely me, clean. He likes a tidy room which is hilarious considering his hurricane antics. His room is never clean for long. Does it make sense to you 'cause it sure doesn't to me.

So Riley is totally into doing laundry and likes to help me. A lot of times he "helps" when I'm not looking and we get clean clothes thrown into the already going washer and the dryer stopped mid cycle more than I like. Oh, well. It's a process. When I'm there to supervise he does a fantastic job.

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

2010-08-28T07:26:00.004-06:00

School has started and Riley couldn't be happier! (Especially now that I've cut off his movies) This year is going to be so rad. His teacher is great. His classmates sound wonderful. He comes home happy and tired. With the exception of once when he fell asleep on the bus, he hasn't had an accident at school. I am so proud of how well he is doing with the whole potty training thing. We're still working on it at home but staying dry at school is a huge deal! I have another BIG KID! I love it.

This year he goes full time which means he gets fed twice at school. I still pack him a lunch so he can sit with his class at lunch time and take advantage of all that wonderful peer modeling. Let's hear it for peer pressure!

Bring it on world; I'm ready!

The bus schedule seems to always take a while to settle into a predictable routine. We've been waiting for the bus a lot this week but I'm sure we'll all figure out what the actual arrival times will be instead of what we ideally want them to be. Riley really loves riding the bus to school and I'm trying not to be too worried or irritated that the bus doesn't even pick him up before the time that school actually starts. I guess I can take comfort in the fact that all the other kids are late too.
Riley and our new bus driver, Dave. He seems really friendly and we're excited to get to know him better. I've been meaning to make him cookies but didn't get around to it this week. I think school bus drivers don't get the appreciation they deserve. You'd be surprised how much good will a plate of cookies can bring.

So, YAY, for the school year. I'm so excited to see what progress and fun this year will bring.

By the power of Grayskull...

2010-08-22T21:41:00.003-06:00

We've been all about the super heroes around here lately and it is so much fun. I just love how into it Charlie is and how he is sure to bring Riley right along into the fantasy. If he asks me to make him a costume he reminds me that Riley needs one too. He is an awesome brother.

During one day the boys will go from being cowboys to Superman to Heman and back around. The other day when Charlie was being Superman we were talking about saving people and he, in all seriousness, looked at me and said, "Mom, it's my job."

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE having boys!

I'll be your huckleberry.

2010-08-19T09:53:00.003-06:00

So right now I'm sitting in the bathroom waiting for Riley to poop. Anybody want a good huckleberry pie recipe? Good! Hey, a girl's gotta find something to do while waiting... and waiting.. and I'm not sure it's going to happen.

So last Saturday we were in Idaho and Penny called to ask if we wanted to go pick huckleberries. Um, yeah I did. I packed the boys in the car and off we went. I was not prepared for the extent of huckleberry picking that she had in mind but luckily, after 4 hours of picking, I had enough to attempt a huckleberry pie. I have never made a berry pie from scratch let alone a huckleberry pie.

I looked up recipes on Allrecipes. I love them. I used this one as a reference but ended up changing things because it comes out super runny. Mine was still runny but not enough to saturate the crust and make it inedible. Next year I'll have to tweak it some more but in the meantime here it is....

SunDee's Huckleberry Pie (Yeah, I'm totally naming it after myself)

1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie. (I use this one but added 2 tbs sugar to it.)

5 cups huckleberries picked with love (or just bought or picked with indifference)

1 cup white sugar divided

1 tablespoon arrowroot divided (I think next time I might try tapioca but the arrowroot did make it kinda shiny)

2 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoon butter

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F

2. In saucepan add 2 1/2 cups huckleberries, 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 tablespoon arrowroot. Simmer for for 3 to 5 minutes.

3. In a small bowl mix remaining berries, sugar and arrowroot together and place in pastry-lined pan.

4. Pour pre-cooked berries over top sprinkle with lemon juice and dot with butter

5. Cover with top crust, seal edges and cut steam vents in top. Sprinkle top with white sugar. (I just grabbed a handful.)

6. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes until crust is golden brown.

It was good. I didn't mind so much that it was kinda runny because I saved the stuff in the bottom of the pie plate and put it on my oatmeal the next morning. I wish that I had taken a picture of it but it just went too fast.

Beginnings that make me think of ends

2010-08-18T21:55:00.003-06:00

In one week Riley will officially be a first grader. That means all day, folks. When was it that my little guy got big? He was a baby for so long and then suddenly he's off to school all day and telling me, in actual words, to go away. Sigh. I am the pathetic sentimental mom that gets overly anxious when school starts. Didn't see that one coming.

So thinking about all the new school stuff got me thinking about the old school stuff. Ya know, when he was just a kindergartner. Soooo long ago. I can't believe I never posted his last day photos. I have no excuses.

Here is one happy boy. Riley LOVES school and is very excited to be going back.

We've been blessed to have had amazing teachers every year so far. I'm crossing my fingers that the trend continues. Ms. Sam was wonderful. Every time I went into his class she was right there working with him. He made some seriously great progress this year. He talks now. Yeah, that's right!

He also had wonderful aides helping him out. Riley came home more than not smelling like perfume. We generally try to discourage non family hugging (it's cute at six but not so much at sixteen) but I guess they just can't resist the Riley hug. I know where they are coming from.

We had the best bus driver ever last year! We are really going to miss Linda. She was so upbeat and optimistic and just cared so much about all the kids that she drove to school.

So we're moving on and I'm sure that it's going to be a great year and next year I'll be gushing about how much progress he's made. I'm a proud mama after all. I just can't help it.

Check out my baby sister!

2010-08-12T16:49:00.002-06:00

My littlest sister, Lacey is so rad. She runs like the wind, only faster. Take a look at this.

Can you believe it?! We are so proud of her.

Go with the flow

2010-08-02T22:31:00.003-06:00

I should be sleeping but thanks to a weight lifting class at the gym at 6 this morning I can't sleep and I just feel like whining. That was not a sentence to say, "Oooohhh, look at me I'm so in shape and I go to the gym and isn't it so darn hard....." It's more like, "I should really get to the gym more often not only because exercise has made it nearly impossible to move but also I had the BIGGEST hiney in my class today." Not joking. Although, being the person who looks the least in shape gives me a feeling of freedom. I'm not going to try to knee myself in the chin because, hey, just showing up makes me look like I've accomplished some sort of feat. Nothing to prove, my friends, nothing to prove.

So I know that the question that is burning a hole in your brain is, "How did potty training go today?" AWESOME! Definitely baby steps in the right direction. My life is revolving around twenty minute time increments but it's so going to be worth it. He's actually peeing on purpose. Yeah, it's a big deal and it makes me happy.

Now I'm not one of those mothers who feel that motherhood is the pinnacle of my existence. That's not to say that I don't love being a mom. It's just that I don't find complete and total satisfaction in the everyday tasks of raising toddlers. I find myself frustrated and bored and wondering if the things I do even really matter in the long run. With Riley it can be even more difficult because there are long periods of time when it feels like we aren't making any progress. And then we hit a time where things just start coming together. Seeing Riley with a look of pride on his face as he's finally learning to control his own body is wonderful. Potty training isn't just about getting rid of diapers.

I lose track sometimes of why I do what I do. I get lost in the selfish aspects of hoping that he'll learn things quickly. I don't want to change diapers anymore. I don't want to buy diapers anymore. I want a kid that is less dependent on me and more "normal." I forget that I'm doing this for him and it really doesn't have anything to do with me. I am helping to give him the gift of independence. He won't have to sit in his own urine and feces. He will be more like the other kids his age. He won't have to hear their giggles and questions about his diaper. He will feel more in control of his life. That's what this is really all about. That is what makes motherhood so worthwhile to me. That is why I do find immense joy in raising a child with a disability. I am amazingly blessed and I am grateful for the reminder. Also.... grateful for steam cleaners.

A glimmer of hope

2010-07-30T20:33:00.003-06:00

We are embarking on a very big and possibly life changing adventure. First we needed to gather some supplies.

1. Steam cleaner. (I love love love KSL!)

2. Talking Elmo potty chair with extra high splash guard.

3. 15 pairs of big boy underpants

THAT'S RIGHT!!! We are attempting potty training for Riley again! We're on day three and I think we've finally made a breakthrough.

The last two days we've had quite a few accidents and it just didn't seem like Riley was wrapping his head around the concept of actually putting his pee into the potty. He know that's where pee goes but he's never done it on his own before. Any pee that's gotten into the toilet before was because we caught him mid act.

I am always hesitant forcing Riley to do anything. I know my boy and his temperament and I have witnessed a lot of regression when he's forced to do things he just isn't ready to do. I didn't know how else to get him to understand though so we took a different approach. First, I had Riley teach Buzz Lightyear how to use the potty just to be sure that he really did truly understand what needed to be done. Then I made Riley sit on his potty until he went. It took a while but it finally happened!

It's like a light went on in his head and he got it! He's successfully went about 10 times today. One was completely unassisted and I was just surprised with a rather large gift in the potty. It's amazing the things you appreciate when you've been changing diapers for six years. That's not to say that there hasn't been accidents today. Once he brought me a lovely lump of poo by hand. But, hey, at least he didn't just leave it on the floor.

I know that the road ahead will still be long. I don't anticipate this being a short or easy process but I'm thrilled that we have finally hit the point where it's a possibility. WAY TO GO RILEY! We are so proud of him.

I may have over done it

2010-07-26T11:59:00.003-06:00

This past week was packed and now we're all paying for it with a phlegm fest. Arrrggghhhh.... mortality.

On the 16th Penny and I drove down to Bryce Canyon so we could run a half marathon the next day. We left around 6:30 because we didn't take the kids with us and I had to wait for Joey to get home from work. Penny got to leave Calem home with his daddy so Calem could learn to take a bottle. Way to go Colby! It was such a nice break to hang out with Penny sans kids. It's a rare and treasured treat.

We stayed in Panguitch. We didn't get there until around 10:30 so we didn't get to enjoy the town much. But, from what I saw it seems like an interesting and definitely unique town. The hotel clerk was very friendly and told us all about how he had been living in Boston when they had the first marathon there and how he thought all those runners were crazy. I think he's not far off the mark on that one.

We had to get up before 4 am the next day so we could get to the starting line and get our packets. The race started at six and it was awesome! We ran it in 2:10:34 which ended up being a 9:58 mile. Since I'm not a super strong runner I was really hoping to do it with a 10 minute mile so I'm thrilled that I actually pulled that off. Penny is a much better runner than I am and was nice enough to take it easy so we could run together. I have the best sisters ever!

It was a beautiful run and I'm so glad that I did it.

After the race we drove straight home without even stretching which was a huge mistake. The next morning we left for Montana and ran ourselves ragged there. So it's been a really fun and exhausting week. It was wonderful to be able to spend so much time with my sisters. It doesn't happen often and I just love when it does. I can't believe how lucky I am to have them.

Yee Haw!!

2010-07-24T14:33:00.003-06:00

Heaven on Earth just might be in Montana. I know that Charlie thinks so for sure. Penny and I braved a ten hour trip with the three boys to spend some time with Dixie on what is seriously the most amazing ranch that I've been to. I should confess that I haven't actually been on a ranch before but the sentiment is still the same. SUPER COOL.

The reason for the ten hours is not just the the driving but also all the stopping that needs to happen when you have three little ones as travel buddies. Bathroom breaks, feedings, and just the need to stretch tiny legs add way more time then you'd think. Here we are at a Subway in Salmon, Idaho. And, just saying, but what is the deal with the crappy prizes in kid's meals lately? Okay, so we did stop at Subway and Arctic Circle so my expectations shouldn't be high but Charlie's were and an actual wail of despair escaped his lips after discovering a cheap plastic cup from Oriental Trading in his kid's meal bag. I try to feel sorry for him but COME ON! I didn't even get kid's meals when I was a kid. Also, I had to walk uphill in the snow both ways to school, right?
There's only a limited amount of time that you can have a water fight in your undies. Although, I think that would make a great youtube video. Somebody go for it!

We got to hang out with the four coolest kids on the planet. This is Tucker. Real cowboy. Seriously, you wouldn't believe how these kids can handle horses.

What would a trip to the great outdoors be without a wienie roast? There is nothing quite like a hot dog roasted over a fire. It's one of my very favorite things to eat.

Charlie made tremendous progress in conquering his fear of animals. He was riding this horse all by himself. No one was leading it for him. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!!!

The first day we played nonstop and didn't get around to riding horses until around 6:30 and Riley was a bit overstimulated by then and refused to get on a horse. He was much more willing when we started the day off with it. He was a real champ even though we did keep him very busy the whole time we were there.

Check out these fierce warriors. Charlie was so thrilled with his Lone Ranger mask that we had to paint another on him first thing the next morning.

This is Tyson the real cowboy. Charlie was so excited to hang out with him and would follow him around calling him cowboy. It was adorable. We actually got to "help" round up some cattle and watch a bunch of cowboys rope some cattle out in the wild. It was a dream come true for Charlie.

I was so proud of Charlie for being so brave. It's amazing how some kids are just instinctively afraid of animals and other aren't. Sometimes peer pressure isn't such a bad thing.

Thanks for invited us up to spend some time with you, Dixie! It was so much fun and will definitely be one of the highlights of Summer '10.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

2010-07-05T23:11:00.003-06:00

Hello people of the internet. It's been a while. Sorry. I've been duly chastened by many and really I'll do better. It's been a really awesome and wonderful, if not a somewhat stressful, month.

First off, I need to find the thingy that lets me upload my pictures. I know it's around. Until then enjoy this courtesy of Esther and her skills. (Don't worry, Jane. He's had haircut since this photo.)

So the biggest news is that Joey got a job! He's working at Axis 41 and loving it. Whew! It really does make a huge difference in our house when Joey likes his job. We're thrilled. We've moved to Salt Lake in the Sugar House area. I was really hoping to move out of Utah but there are lots of great things about here and I am completely content. We moved to an area where the schools are supposed to be fantastic so that makes me a bit more optimistic. We found a great deal on a basement apartment that is literally twice the size of our Wymount place.

Can I just tell you how happy I am that we are out of Wymount?! Sweet, sweet freedom from so many things. It's like I can breathe again. The boys and I have been spending quite a bit of time cleaning the old place. It's mostly done but I'm not putting in one more second of scrubbing. Do you want to hear something totally sad and pathetic? I asked the RS in our Wymount ward to help me clean a bit (Seriously it was almost done. I just wanted some help scrubbing crayon off the wall) and no one showed up. NOT. ONE. PERSON. Sigh. I have never been good at making friends with women. (Which was just fine until I got married and it was suddenly inappropriate to hang out with men. And rightfully so.) I did try though which I guess makes it even more disappointing. Maybe I should give everyone the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they ALL were busy.... at 10 in the morning... on a Tuesday... during the summer.... hmmmmm. Are you convinced? Yeah, me neither. Blech. Oh well. Our new ward seems nice. We're going to a playgroup tomorrow. (and the vicious cycle starts again)

The boys are adjusting slowly to the move. Riley doesn't seem to mind the actual move at all. He has been really thrown off by the change/complete lack of routine lately. Bed time is a disaster lately. Charlie is having a really hard time with the change and keeps asking to go back to the old house. Poor kid. But I think that he'll get used to it soon.

Did I mention that we have and washer and dryer? It's bliss. Never again will I have to include a sled in the list of items needed to get our laundry done. Oh, and we have a dishwasher! LUXERY!!! I love it.

We have done lots of fun things lately too. Riley graduated from kindergarten. Joey and I went to a biker fest. (SNORE. Not even joking) The Manwarings came for a visit. (LOVE THEM) We've started swimming lessons with Aunt Emily. (LOVE HER) AND, of course, Riley had his birthday and is now a whole six years old. All will be blogged about in time. Where is that thingy? Be patient with me.

Now I'll be off to bed as soon as I feed Riley for the last time today. Looking forward to sweet, sweet sleep.

A boy and his bike

2010-05-27T21:28:00.003-06:00

Wymount is full of kids and kids have bikes. Charlie has been admiring many bikes around the complex and we finally decided to get him his very own. I know that a bike is just a bike but seeing how it makes Charlie so happy makes it a magical object. It is so wonderful to watch him and to be able to experience a small part of his joy.

How Norman Rockwell is this?

Walk With Angels

2010-05-25T14:52:00.006-06:00

The very first United Angels Foundation Walk With Angels was held on Saturday. It was so much fun! Our team, Riley's Office, was able to raise $377! Thanks so much to everyone who came or donated. You guys seriously rock.

We woke up that morning to the sound of rain. I had to be there by 7 to help set up. (I totally helped make the balloon arch. I can't believe we pulled it off.) It was so cold and I was really worried that we wouldn't have a good turn out. Luckily, God smiled down on us and it got warm and sunny just before the walk started. Lots of people showed up which was especially great because it was our first walk.

There were tons of fun things to do, bouncy houses, free food, games, balloons, lots of mascots and people in costumes. It was magical. Everyone on the committee worked so hard and it really turned into something amazing. Seriously, people poured their sweat and blood into this thing and we are so grateful for them.

Riley and his buddy, Alex. They are in the same class at school so it was extra fun for Riley to see him on a Saturday.

Mom and Dad drove all the way down from Preston and back to walk with us. I couldn't ask for better parents.

A couple of proud parents. Joey designed our buttons. I totally loved them.

This is just before the walk. Danny, Somer and Johnny Cakes walked with us. We just don't see them enough and were so happy that they came. One of these days I'm gonna get that kid to smile at me. :)

The Walkers also came with their gaggle of kids, even the newest one! We are so lucky to have such a great family and so many that are close by.

Total surprise. Charlie LOVED Barney and Baby Bop. Riley was terrified.

First thing Charlie did was ask to see his gun.

Fun and dancing was had by all.

This time GIRL STYLE

2010-05-17T10:33:00.005-06:00

All of our hot, rugged men decided that it was male bonding time. They all got together for a Man Trip filled with camping, fishing and pushing boulders down a hill. I don't even pretend to understand. All of us ladies decided that we wanted a little getaway ourselves. We decided to head to warmer climes. Yep, St. George. I know we just went a month ago but it's warm and fun and I LOVE Zion.

We got a couple of rooms at the ever so luxurious Coronada Inn and Suites. It was awesome and this time the toilet worked. The boys loved the pool even though it wasn't so much heated. We played in the water until just before hypothermia set in. It's totally worth it to see Riley having so much fun.

Riley and me chillin' in the hotel.

On Saturday we went to Zions and walked the river trail. Charlie had to stop every few feet to check out the dirt and rocks and bugs. He loved to balance on the mini rock walls and every stick he found turned into a gun that was used to shoot bears, birds, squirrels and dinosaurs.

Best. Aunt. Ever!

Riley was a bit more laid back this trip and wanted to spend the majority of the hike in the stroller hanging out with Squishy Mc Fattums, otherwise know as Calem.

I just want to nibble his cheeks!

The squirrels were overly friendly. They weren't afraid of people at all and kept getting way too close to the boys for my comfort. I'm sure they aren't rabid but I so didn't want to deal with Riley trying to grab their tails and getting bitten.

Luckily the dirt was so fascinating that he didn't notice his little friend.

We had a great time hiking. It was neat to have so many fun aunts around and the boys really enjoyed our time with them.

Just me and my rascals.

We also got to hang out with my grandparents and Aunt Suzy and Uncle Ron. Lots of fun but I won't post pics because Grandpa had a nasty fall and probably wouldn't want me to show off his awesome black eyes. They were pretty freakin' rad though.

It was way cool to hang out with everyone and I'm so glad we got to go. (Also, I found the best deal ever on a swim suit. NINE BUCKS! I'm not even kidding.)

Love-Love

2010-05-13T19:39:00.002-06:00

We recently ventured out to play tennis for family night. (HAR-HAR. Love-Love. Get it? Cause it's like love in tennis and we love our family. Go ahead and vomit if you think I'm clever.) Anyway, Joey really likes to play tennis which is kind of sad because I am TERRIBLE and, well, the kids are only slightly better than me. It's awesome that Joey is still willing to play with us and I think he secretly wants Charlie to get into it so there will be a fun tennis partner for him in the future. Let's get that boy in lessons!

We drove all the way up to Orem to go to one of our favorite parks that also happens to have a wonderful fenced in court. I have NEVER seen anyone playing on the tennis court before so we thought that it would be a safe bet that it would be free. Nope. To our surprise it was packed. So we drove around some more hoping to run into another park with another tennis court but we couldn't find one. We were about to head home when Joey remembered that there was one in our old neighborhood at the junior high.

"Oh yeah. The one with all the broken glass?"

"Yeah that one."

So we went. As you can see it's well maintained which is lucky because, with our skill level, we insist on the nets drooping to the ground.

I can totally see this turning into a Charlie and Dad thing. It just melts my heart.

I've already flagged this photo in my head as one to put into the slide show at Charlie's "I just won Wimbeldon" party. Hey, ya never know.

The word you're looking for is RAD.

2010-05-11T09:33:00.001-06:00

Fin de siècle

2010-05-09T23:37:00.004-06:00

He did it! Joey graduated last month. LONG. TIME. COMING. I'm so proud of him. Seriously, I can't believe how determined and dedicated he's been even when things at home were less than ideal. They don't make many like Joey, that's for sure.

He decided against walking. It's not so much our style. But, you know what is? BBQ! We ordered Famous Dave's had a family get together to celebrate.

Thanks so much to everyone who came! A lot of you traveled a long way and we're so grateful for all the support you've shown us over the years. We have the best family in the world!

Could life be better?

We hung out in one of the Wymount basements. Not the most festive environment but it's much bigger than our apartment.

Lots of Laskos.

Hard to tell these two are related. :)

Riley had a great time too. Yeah, he's sleeping. Yeah, his eyes are open. Yeah, he gets it from me.

We got Joey a Playstation 3 for his graduation present. He so deserves it.

Spring Break Part 2

2010-04-24T08:44:00.003-06:00

Ahhh, beautiful Zion. I love it there. I love that Riley has a Golden Access Passport and that I don't feel like we have to spend all day there to feel like we got our money's worth. See, there are perks!

It was so fun to have Grandma along. The boys just adore her and so do I!

I was so proud of Riley. He hiked a really long way before getting tired and riding in the stroller. He was really interested in the environment around him and was willing to explore. I'm just so impressed with the endurance he seems to be building. It makes it a lot easier for me when I don't have to carry him or push him in the stroller!

Charlie was so excited to be hiking and exploring. I love how he is just so interested in everything we do and so willing to have a good time. He loves being outdoors and it makes it a joy to take him to places like this.

We hiked to the first Emerald Pool. It's a hike we haven't done with the kids before and it was lovely. Charlie and Grandma had a great time getting splashed by the waterfall but Riley was a bit apprehensive. Truthfully, I wasn't so keen on trying to push the stroller back up a muddy, slippery hill either so it worked out just fine.

They advertise horse rides but really these are mules. And not very happy ones, it seemed. Riley and Charlie were happy to visit them for a while and would have been much happier to ride them.
Charlie is really working up his courage around animals. We still struggle but he was very willing to get kinda close to these "horses."

Later that night we got to visit with my cousin Jenn and her super cute kids. We had a really good time hanging out and taking part in the chaos.

Spring Break Part 1

2010-04-19T21:29:00.004-06:00

I think enough time has passed since spring break to revisit it. I was going through our pictures and, it turns out, it really does look like we had a great time. I'm just gonna run with that feeling.

Here is that rainbow I promised you! Look how well it started out. We stayed at the Coronada. There were some awesome things about it (like having an actual kitchen in our room and an indoor swimming pool although not in our room) and some not so great things (BAD plumbing and heavy "end table" falling off of the wall) but it was great for what we needed and especially for what we paid.
New swim suits. Charlie was so excited to pick out a Cars suit and Riley was content with the new swim diaper that I made him. Let me repeat that. THAT I MADE HIM. Seriously, I'm so proud of myself. It's even lined with terry cloth. AND it only took me making two to get one to actually fit.

Another lovely feature in our kitchen: instant hiding place.

We tried so hard to get these kites going. Grandma was more determined than the rest of us and did sorta get it flying.

We visited Grandma and Grandpa Lasko. Always a treat. They boys absolutely LOVE this book and Grandma is always so willing to read it to them.

We went to see the dinosaur tracks at Johnson Farm. I think it's a one time sorta thing. I guess I'm glad we went but anytime I take kids to a place where my most uttered phrase is, "Don't touch that!" just isn't worth a second trip.

Ah, look how much fun we're having!

Parts two and three coming. I know you are all so excited!

Lasko. Joey Lasko

2010-04-17T08:08:00.003-06:00

Joey got a bunch of stuff into the annual student show and they had the art department's award presentations last week. I didn't get to go last year and it just happened that we were driving back up to Idaho from St. George that day so I was able to make it. It was so fun to go although I felt a tad overdressed.

Joey got an honorable mention for his James Bond book covers. He acts like it's not that big of a deal but it totally is! We're super proud of him.

Hells Bells

2010-04-13T14:28:00.003-06:00

Wow. What a week it's been. We survived spring break. I think that maybe the boys had fun some of the time... possibly. I'll tell ya, I was trying so hard and I failed most of the time. Have you ever been through those times when no matter what you do it's just the wrong thing and everyone ends up miserable and cranky? Yeah, it was like that. Struggle. But, there are some photos with them smiling. I'll put them up later in a post that will be sickeningly upbeat and will highlight the PERFECTNESS of our trip and the PERFECTNESS of my mothering skills so freakin' PERFECTLY that you will feel like you've just gotten a rainbow enema. Prepare yourselves to cough up gold coins.

This is not that post.

I cannot blame the difficulty of our trip on the boys, entirely. Yes, they were cranky and fickle and, since Riley has perfected the nnnnnn sound, NO is his favorite word. But, they are 3 and 5 and I'm a grown up.

I am struggling to pull myself out of a bit of a melancholy and it really affects my immediate relationships. I'm aware of it and I'm trying my best. I'm not always in a great mood but I am still trying to be the best mom I can be. Ya know, it could be that the trip really wasn't that bad but I'm just viewing it from the not so happy place that I'm in right now. I feel powerless and unimportant when it comes to decisions being made about where we're going to end up in a few months. Kinda pissed off about that. I'm on a new birth control and haven't adjusted yet so that sucks. I'm still grieving over the baby that we just lost. Yeah, I know it was almost two months ago but there are so many constant reminders around me that it's making it nearly impossibly to get over. My brother and sister in law are having a baby that is due a few weeks after the one we just lost. Seriously. That happened again. (I mean what are the odds of getting hit in the face by a runaway tire twice. Turns out, pretty good.) I am HAPPY for them. I am, truly. My grief over my loss doesn't mean that I am jealous or want their baby. It just means that I'm sad about my loss. And it's not just that we lost the baby, it's also that we aren't going to try again. There is just such a weird finality to it and I'm also grieving the life that I thought we would have. I feel good about this decision but somethings are hard to let go of. (Also, if you feel inclined to tell me a story about someone you know or someone you know who knows someone else that had a billion miscarriages and then a miracle happened and they had a litter, you can go to hell. I don't want to hear it. It doesn't make me hopeful. It makes me want to punch you in the face.)

Soooooo... I'll get over this. Really I will. I think it'll just take more time than I anticipated. I'll keep getting up in the morning and smiling and refraining from wearing pajamas to the store. Soon this will be distant. Everything is going to be fine.

We're so not in Provo right now!

2010-04-06T08:36:00.003-06:00

Ahhhh.... Spring Break! We're currently kickin' it in St. George. LOVE IT! Joey's finals are fast approaching so we figured this would be the best time to let him stay home and just work without us as distractions. As much as we try not to distract him, it's impossible. We're just too darn cute to ignore. :) We do miss him though and wish he was here with us. Almost done!

Grandma Johnson is here with us and we are having a blast. We're totally going to go to Zions (thank you Riley and your Golden Access Pass!) and visit lots of people that we love. We went swimming after we got here last night. There is nothing better than splashing around in a pool with the kids after a long drive and it has the added bonus of really wearing them out. Bedtime wasn't a fight last night.

I'm sure there will be lots of pictures coming but I forgot the cord to our camera. I love vacations!

One last time

2010-04-02T10:03:00.003-06:00

Mother nature surprised us with snow. Last week was so beautiful. I was hoping that spring was here for real. Oh well. I was tempted to just stay inside, sip hot chocolate and park in front of a movie with Charlie. But, the snow was calling to us. We didn't get much good sledding in this year so out we went. There wasn't a ton of snow, just enough to get going. We're lucky that Wymount has lots of little hills around that are perfect size for a three year old.

He is finally big enough to drag his own sled up the hill. It made it much more fun for me and he felt so grown up.

He didn't even need help to get going. My little guy is growing up! We weren't out for too long but it was a nice ending to our winter fun.

Cause ya gotta have frieeeeends.

2010-04-01T12:45:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was the first time that Riley got to bring a friend home with him after school for a play date. Riley talks about this kid (we'll call him A) every day. This has been a really big year. He's making slow but good progress in all areas but it's been especially fun to watch him blossoming socially. Of course, he still isn't at age level but he's starting to interact with other kids, join in games, say "hi" first and make friends.

Riley still mostly prefers parallel play but did join in some of the time. Luckily, Charlie is very very social and kept A busy and entertained most of the time. They played non stop for four hours. The energy level in our house was astounding. By the end I was exhausted just from watching them play. A was so good and willing to join in with whatever we were doing. He didn't mind that Riley sometimes went off by himself and was so nice to Charlie. He was really interested in how we fed Riley and insisted on helping hold Riley's tube during one of his feedings. The fact that Riley is different doesn't phase him at all. It's so rare to find a kid who is so completely accepting. He was a joy to have over and I hope that we'll be able to have a lot of play dates before we move. I'm kind of sad that Riley has made his first friend so close to us leaving.

Festival of Colors

2010-03-28T22:52:00.003-06:00

I've been wanting to go to the Holi Festival at the Hare Krishna temple in Spanish Fork for years but have never made it. Since this is our last chance while living here we were sure to go. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!

The Holi Festival is about ushering spring and bringing spiritual and social harmony. I'm so glad that we were able to take the boys. There isn't a ton of religious diversity here and I think that it is so important to expose them to other's beliefs and traditions. Not that they understand it now, but, I hope by taking them to events like this they will gain an appreciation and respect for different cultures and religions.

Charlie was all about the "chalk party" and had a blast dancing around with Grandma, Dixie and our family.

Riley just lit up while we were there. He usually gets a bit over stimulated around large crowds but didn't seem to mind this time.

This is totally going to be our Christmas card photo this year.

BFAwesome

2010-03-28T11:54:00.002-06:00

Joey has a couple of pieces up at the HFAC right now. It's on the 5th floor if anyone wants to see them. It will be up until the 30th. We are so proud of him and his stuff looks AWESOME. It's really cool to see some of his work on display. I see him working until insane hours of the night and it's just so neat to see the end result hanging. I married the coolest guy in the world!

This is something he did for a group project about giving back to the community. It's pretty rad. He made stamps that you put on your hand with invisible ink and then you can see it under the black light that is inside this box. It's fun and looks great.

Joey's BFA project is a giant plinko board that teaches about the pros and cons of both organic and industrial beef. I love that it's interactive and educational.

This is us on the night his show opened. CRAZY DAY but we survived. Tons of people got to see it and everyone loved being able to interact with it. It's so awesome to have something displayed that you can let people, especially kids, touch.

Here is Joey being adorable.

Two big projects down. Lots to go but GRADUATION here we come!

Where does pee go? In the POTTY!

2010-03-26T16:30:00.002-06:00

Charlie is 100% potty trained! I have been changing diapers for almost six years and I was almost to the point of believing that potty training was just some kind of myth. It's TRUE, everyone! Kids do eventually learn to control their own bowels. (Insert giddy, crazed laughter)

I have been very anxious for Charlie to potty train for a while. We would try to put him on and there would be resistance, to say the least. So we waited, and waited some more. We talked about it a lot, had a potty prize bucket filled with candy and toys and gave him lots of opportunities and I just kept saying to myself, "He'll do it when he's ready. Don't push it or it will only make it worse." Most of my parenting failures (and there are plenty) have been because I was pushing Riley to do something that he just wasn't ready or willing to do. I was determined not to make that mistake with Charlie.

Then, one day when I was frustrated that Charlie had turned three and I was still wiping poop off his butt, I remembered that Riley and Charlie are about as opposite as kids can be. Night and Day. Black and White. That day we started to push potty training on Charlie. There were a lot of tears and screaming of "NO LIKE" and "CAN'T, MAMA, CAN'T" but within a week he was going all by himself with hardly any accidents during the day. He would wet the bed about every other night. That went on for a couple of weeks and then we finally broke out the big guns.

"Charlie, if you can stay dry for five nights in a row we will take you to the zoo." The rest is history, my friends.

Life practically normal

2010-03-20T21:59:00.003-06:00

Our little guy made it through his surgery and is well on the road to recovery! There was a lot of infection (A LOT) that they were able to clean out. His left side was particularly gunky and barely had a sliver of an opening so it pretty much wasn't draining. They also saw that his bones were much thicker than they should be at his age which means that all this infection over the last few years has really been doing some damage. They were able to open things up and clean things out and we can already see a difference. Hopefully, we'll be able to prevent any more infections from making a permanent home in his head.

There was one hiccup. When they gave him narcotics he stopped breathing. That's never happened before and it scares the crap out of me. We've been really blessed that plain old tylenol has been enough to manage any pain that he has. I am really hoping that this is the last surgery that he ever has to have.

He was so ready to go home. In the past he has been almost unbearably ornery after surgery. Not this time! I don't know why. Maybe it's that all that pressure and infection is gone and he automatically feels better. I'm so excited to get to know the Riley that doesn't have a constant sinus headache!

Also, this is what he did while I was in the shower today. Yep... life is normal.

News on the surgical front/ Joey is awesome

2010-03-18T14:25:00.002-06:00

We found out yesterday that Riley will be having surgery tomorrow. YIKES. They happened to have a cancellation so we grabbed it. The next available was April 13th. We check in at 7:15 in the blessed morning. Wish us luck; pray for us; send us your positive energy. We need it.

Also, Joey's BFA show reception is tomorrow. Not only his BFA project but also one of his group project will be there also. AWESOME! If you are around it will be at the HFAC on the 5th floor from 7 to 9. Show up and play some plinko and get a fake invisible tattoo.

We'll keep you updated when we get a minute.

Some days you just need to make cookies

2010-03-15T21:18:00.002-06:00

You guys! I can't even tell you how great an experience it was making cookies with the kids the other day. I have NEVER before really been able to get Riley to participate in any sort of food preparation without a bit of a fight. Not this time!! Give us a big WAHOOO!

Charlie really wanted to make cookies (because what great day doesn't involve cookies for a three year old) and I asked Riley if he wanted to help. I got the usual grunt in the negative and hiding of the face. So, Charlie and I started getting out the ingredients and talking about what measuring cups we needed. Before I knew it Riley was right there with us and taking turns measuring and pouring in ingredients. IT WAS SO AWESOME!

Charlie is such a great motivation for Riley. We are so blessed to have both of them in our home.

It's that time again, kids!

2010-03-11T15:11:00.002-07:00

The new antibiotic that Riley was on gave him horrid diarrhea that would just eat through his skin. We moved his CT scan up so we could get him off of that medication sooner. There is no way we were going to make it to the 22nd. We took him to Primary Children's on Monday for his CT Scan. Other than one choking/puking episode it went fairly well. A big thanks going out to Colleen for watching Charlie for us.

Riley's ENT called with the CT Scan results today. It's not lookin' good friends. We've hit the end of the road as far as just trying to cure this sinusitis with only medication. So surgery it is. We were really hoping to avoid it. I hate to put him through another surgery but if it is successful (and 75% of the time it is) then it will greatly improve the quality of his life. It's worth it to us. Let's just hope it doesn't take him too long to forgive us. :)

As I understand it, they will go up through Riley's nose to clean out the large sinuses in his cheeks and to combine the fifteen or so small sinus cavities between his eyes into one larger one to make drainage easier. There are risks in addition to the usual surgical risks but they are pretty low and we're very confident in our ENT. They've done over 900 of these procedures and have had good success. So there it is. Bleck!

Here is Riley on our way home after he had been sedated. He's not totally with it. :)

Happy Birthday, Superman!

2010-03-10T22:40:00.004-07:00

Today is my dad's birthday. I couldn't have asked for a better father. He is funny and smart and hardworking and, luckily for me, very forgiving. He has always been there for me and has the ability to know what to say in my times of need and when to not say anything at all. Knowing when to not say anything is an under appreciated gift. I find it somewhat amusing that, although I'm a grown woman, I still find myself seeking out his approval and hoping to make him proud. I think it will always be like that and I think it should. So, Happy Birthday Dad! We love you so much!!!!!

Family Dance Party USA

2010-03-10T22:12:00.002-07:00

It was cold the other day, although deceptively sunny, so we had a family dance party to keep ourselves entertained. Charlie has some serious moves. Indoor days can be pretty rad.

ENT update

2010-02-26T15:26:00.003-07:00

We've been battling Riley's Chronic Sinusitis for a really long time. I'm talking years. Currently, he's on five different daily medications and another four week course of antibiotics. Nothing seems to be working and our little guy deals with near constant sinus infections. Try to remember the last time you had a sinus infection and just how much it sucked. Now imagine what it would be like to live with that everyday. Riley is one tough kiddo and I'm ashamed at how often I get irritated with his crankiness. I would be cranky too.

We had a follow up with our ENT yesterday. It looks like the gunk in Riley's sinuses have become resistant to another antibiotic. Not good news. So we're trying one last time to clear this up. We're trying another stronger antibiotic for four weeks and then we're doing a CT scan. If it works then GREAT! If not then it looks like there will be another surgery in our near future.

I really like our ENT's approach of trying everything that we can before suggesting surgery. I hate, hate, hate the idea of another surgery and I'm really hoping that this works. Cross your fingers for us.

Heartbroken

2010-02-22T10:28:00.002-07:00

Well, we lost another baby this weekend.

I'm choosing not to focus on the cruelty and unfairness of it all. I could let these horrible feelings of inadequacy and grief twist my soul into a dark mass of bitterness and self pity, but, I won't.

These are the things that I know.

God is good. He loves us. He has a plan for us and I'm confident that His plan is much better than anything that I come up with.

Even when we have righteous desires, sometimes the answer is just no.

I am not special. I'm not the first woman to deal with this or the last. Things like this happen and I refuse to let this shape who I am in a negative way.

I am amazingly blessed. I have two beautiful sons and an incredible husband. I cannot look at this situation and tell God that it isn't good enough. It is good enough. It's more than good enough. I am perfectly capable of being extremely content and happy with our family the way it is.

Our family is awesome. They are there for us, without fail, through every hardship and trial that we face. We are lucky to have them.

Everything will work out just fine.

Stuff we've been up to that I've been too lazy to post about

2010-02-17T15:51:00.004-07:00

Lately, I've been opting for sleep rather than blogging. We're alive and happy. We've got some big news that I will feel more comfortable announcing in a few days. (I don't want to jinx it but I'll give you a hint. It starts with P and ends with otty trained!)

So here are some things that we've been up to.

Zoo day! Always fun.

Rockin' it at Nickelcade.

The train expo. There is nothing more awesome than numerous grown men dressed in striped overalls literally giggling about model trains. Seeing that level of passion is so worth the five bucks.

BYU MOA. There is a great exhibit going on in the basement right now. We've already visited a couple of times.
Another MOA photo. Charlie is a huge fan. I'm not making that up. Last Friday we took Joey lunch and Charlie was very insistent that we go. Very insistent!

Ahhh, the Bean Museum. It's one of our best cold weather friends. This is the closest that Charlie would get to the bears and it took some convincing.

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T14:13:00.003-07:00

I love that there is a day of the year when we can be super cheesy about being in love. I LOVE YOU JOEY!!!

So worth watching

2010-02-08T20:02:00.001-07:00

See the show, the circus show

2010-02-07T21:23:00.002-07:00

We took the kids to the circus a while ago. We haven't been for a couple of years and thought that they might be old enough to actually enjoy it. They were so excited to go, mostly because they kept getting it mixed up with the zoo. It took some work to convince them that it would be just as cool.

Joey is going to love that I put up this picture. Whatever, there is nothing hotter than a good dad.
She was awesome and did numerous acts. In addition to juggling she also was rockin' like 50 hula hoops and was an acrobat. It made me totally want to join the circus.

Charlie was pretty upset that we couldn't ride the elephants.

This was during the noisiest, stinkiest part of the show. They were blasting death metal while two guys on motorcycles drove around inside an orb of death. Joey was sound asleep. Lots of late nights during this last semester. Poor guy. By this time, Riley was ready to go home. He covered his ears with my hands and started to cry. It was pretty stimulating but we made it more than half way through which beat out last time we went. We had a good time and I'm excited to take them again next time.

2010-02-06T20:22:00.001-07:00

Pretty much the best cover of our song.... EVER.

Happy, happy birthday err.... just birthday

2010-02-04T15:10:00.005-07:00

I'm not sure what exactly happened when Charlie turned three. He went from being so sweet and easy to please to a little monster. Seriously, I tried so hard to make his birthday fun for him and I mostly got screaming tantrums. (Oh, and yesterday he wouldn't let Dixie and me into the clubhouse and told us to go home. Sigh....Rejection! I thought I had another ten years.) Cross your fingers that this will be a very, very short phase.

So onto the pictures where it looks like we had fun. :)

We took the boys to Pirate Island. It's a pizza place. The waiters dress up like pirates and speak with a pirate accent. Charlie hid when they came to sing him "Happy Birthday" and then shoved his free desert across the table. Awesome. The pizza was really good though and if the arcade hadn't been so tempting then we probably would have had a better time.

Charlie did have a good time playing all the games with Joey.

He did get to pick out his birthday cake. Watching football with Uncle Bobby has had some influence on him. I don't feel even a tiny bit guilty about not baking him a cake and decorating it for hours. Give "Mother of the Year" to someone else. Oh, and did I mention that wonderful me also scheduled his well check appointment on his birthday and then I accidently gave him a bloody nose on the way into the doctor's office? A woman who was schedule to give birth the next day had to help me wrangle the kids inside. Yeah, I'm that awesome. (Also, THANK YOU mysterious pregnant woman. You made my day better! I hope everything was great with your new little one. I'm sorry for the giant dose of reality the day before it happened.)

Ahh! The first smile of the day!!!

And he did love opening his presents. We got him a Thomas the Train bath toy that sticks to the wall and he just had to take a bath to try it out. So that is one battle that didn't have to be fought that day.

I'm sad that he didn't have more fun on his birthday, although he will tell you it was fun if you ask him. (So if you see him, please ask him! Maybe it will change our memories of what really happened.) He really is a great kid and is growing up so fast. He's very helpful and kind to Riley. He gives great hugs. He's independent and smart and funny. I am SO glad he's in our family and will always think of him as a gift, even when he has off days.

Sharing the Love

2010-02-01T20:49:00.002-07:00

I have a coupon code for $10 off a $50 purchase at Fisher Price that I'm not going to use. It expires on March 31st. If you want it leave me your email and I'll send it to you.

Smitten

2010-01-30T17:29:00.002-07:00

Check out this adorable child! He's my new nephew!!! He is so cute and kissable and BIG.

10 lbs 11 oz.

I kid you not. He's a snugly chunky monkey and I just can't get enough of him.

Just look at these cheeks. They are just screaming to be nibbled. He is such a sweet baby. He slept almost the entire time I was there so I just got to hold him. It was so much fun.

He does get a bit upset when he's hungry and a kid that big is a hungry kid. Penny seems to be doing great. She's hurting but she's tough and she is already a wonderful, attentive mom. Colby is a cute papa and is so proud of his boy. They are such an adorable family and I can't wait until I get to see them again next weekend. We love you Calem!

Oh so FINE

2010-01-25T21:13:00.018-07:00

One of Riley's biggest struggles is his fine motor skills, or serious lack of. It's the #1 goal we talk about in every parent teacher conference. It's always the looming worry in the back of my mind just holding on like some stubby tentacled octopus with a very weak grip. There are so many awesome projects that I want to do with the kids but I find myself avoiding them because Riley just hates it soooo much. Well, no more, my friends! I have a goal and a plan. Okay, I definitely have a goal and sorta, kinda have a plan. I'm trying to do some sort of fine motor activity a couple of times a week. We're off to a good start.

We made snow globes with tiny little dinosaurs.

We ventured out and collected pine cones.

And then made bird feeders!

And (ta da!) cotton ball snowflakes.

Riley is being much more receptive than I originally thought he would be. He usually gets interested after Charlie gets started and is having fun. Man, I love have two kids!

This week has been SUPER AWESOME!

2010-01-22T14:43:00.002-07:00

I was giving Riley a bath because the stink coming off of him was literally singeing off my eyebrows and as soon as the tub fills up and I turn off the water he poops in a big way. This nasty yellow cloud starts radiating out from his bum into the water so I hurry and pull up the drain before the cloud gets too far. And I'm thinking "Awesome! No poop on me, sucka!" when Riley takes both of his hands and puts them behind him (where the water is murkiest WITH POOP) and then brings them forward creating this massive wave of sewage. Silver lining: I closed my mouth in time.

I have a sneaking suspicion that I've already gone through judgement and was placed in HELL.

Our little shutter bug

2010-01-18T12:19:00.003-07:00

Charlie has shown an immense interest in photography lately. We're thrilled and have been trying to encourage it as much as possible. We took the boys down center street last week and let Charlie go wild with one of our cameras. He used our old Fuji digital. It's not the highest quality but we've loved this camera for years. I can't even tell you how many times it has been dropped and it just keeps on working. It's been a great one for Charlie to practice on and he has been referring to it as "Charlie's camera."

Here a a few of my favorite shots of his. I did do some color correction but other than that they are all his.

You love me. You really love me!

2010-01-15T12:04:00.002-07:00

Wow, this has never happened to me before! Becca over at The Bates Motel nominated me for the Kreativ Blogger award. I was pretty sure that only a handful of relatives read this blog. I'm touched. Thanks, Becca!

I'm a bit embarrassed that I've been nominated during the week when I haven't blogged AT ALL. Whoops.

So part of accepting the award is having to share with all of you seven things about me that you don't know. Hmmmm....

1. I love Tic-Tacs. They've replaced Dots as my stress food of choice. I especially love the yellow and red box (maybe it's passion fruit/cherry) and will go through more than I'd like you to know.

2. I'm a secret fan of Rod Stewart. Enough said.

3. When I find myself having to wait a long time there is a black and white cartoon of dancing crows that goes through my head. They've been good pals of mine in waiting rooms.

4. Sometimes, I completely forget that Riley has Down syndrome. Other times, it's all I think about.

5. My favorite time of the day is when I get to snuggle up on the couch with the boys and read to them until they fall asleep for a nap. We just finished The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and started the Wizard of Oz today.

6. I have a constant buzz in my ear because when I was 19 (and oh so brilliant) I stood on the speakers at a Boy Sets Fire show. Lets try to hear it for hearing loss!

7. I LOVE loose change. I'm sure it's something left over from my childhood but I just love having a change jar. I'm a big fan of the quarter.

So now you know me a little better. Whether of not you like me better is a whole different slice of pie.

Now I get to nominate seven blogs that I love to creep on. (as my neighbor Kristi says)

1. Amy from Amy J's Blog

2. Christina from Redefining Me

3. Mary from Frankie Goes to Hollywood

4. Catherine from On the Sunny Side of the Street

5. Steven from the Booze and the Bees

6. Missy from That's Gross, Man!

7. Mary from Lilster and the Ludwigs

So lucky seven, here are the rules.

1) Thank the person giving the award
2) Copy the award to your blog
3) Place a link to their blog
4) Name 7 things people don’t know about you
5) Nominate 7 bloggers
6) Place a link to those bloggers
7) Leave a comment letting those bloggers know about the award

Student of the Month, YO!

2010-01-08T13:15:00.006-07:00

Part of accepting the reality of having a child with a disability is accepting the incredibly long list of experiences and skills that probably won't ever happen for my child. It hasn't been an easy thing for me to do. I'm one of those irritating people that has a hard time letting go of the notion that I can, in fact, change impossible situations by the sheer force of my will. (Yet, another example of what I've learned since Riley was born.) I think that part of truly accepting Riley for Riley is being able to work toward goals for him and hope for success but, at the same time, realizing that it is completely okay if it takes longer than expected or even if he never gets there at all.

So when I opened up Riley's backpack to see what neat projects he'd brought home from school and discovered a certificate for STUDENT OF THE MONTH for Farrer Elementary School, I immediately burst into tears. It was one of those things that I never thought would happen. I was just so thrilled about it and so proud of Riley.

In his nomination his teacher wrote, "Riley is always participating and doing his work. He is nice to his friends and helps out in class. We love Riley!" So THANK YOU Mrs. Sam and Farrer Elementary for seeing wonderful things in Riley and not just placing a value on him based on his academic level. It means the world to us.

Part of his prize was a packet with a bookmark and six different coupons for free kid's meals at various local restaurants. Let the irony of that sink in. But, whatever, we decided to use them anyway and went to Applebee's as a family.

For all of you that have been rooting for Riley to eat since the beginning, here is a little video of him at his celebratory dinner. We're getting closer!

Prepare to have your mind blown.

2010-01-07T14:01:00.002-07:00

Just look at what my mother-in-law, Jane, made for us. The first time she showed us this it was still a work in progress and I teared up because it was so beautiful. (I think I hid it fairly well though. "Just be cool, Sun. Be cool.") Jane finished it up in time to give it to us for Christmas. I cannot wait to get this framed and hung up.

This is what we had put on our team t-shirts for Riley's very first Buddy Walk. It's hard to see but that ruler is 18 inches.

Here is a more detailed look. I just can't imagine all the time and effort put into this. Thank you so much, Jane! We really love it. This will be treasured for the rest of our lives.

We also got an ice cream maker from Joey's parents for Christmas and have been enjoying it since. I don't care how much heavy cream goes into it. It's so worth it!

Partying it up Lasko style

2010-01-07T13:24:00.006-07:00

We spent a few days after Christmas with Joey's family in St. George. It was crazy and loud and FUN! Riley and Charlie both had a blast being surrounded by so much family, especially family near their own height.

I may be showing off my redneck side, but, Chuck-A-Rama is the BEST! Joey, Colleen and I manned the kids table. They were relatively well behaved for being so excited about going out to dinner. They discovered that just by crawling under the table they were magically swept away to a fort with gum. MMM...MMM...MMM.

Riley just soaked up all the attention from his aunts and uncles. My favorite was when Kathy asked my why Riley was trying to lick her. Yep, we're still working on getting him to kiss without tongue.

Kathy taught us how to knit. She is a master and I've wanted to learn for, like, ever so it worked out perfectly for me. Also, Kathy and Jane took me to check out a real yarn store that carries wool and cotton. I've been told that wool or cotton provide a much more satisfying tactile experience when knitting. I'm working on a scarf. It's awesome and variegated.

Hotels are always so much fun to sleep in. Charlie decided that Riley's bum was more comfy than his pillow. Riley wasn't so happy about the setup and kicked Charlie off a few seconds later.

We had a great time. I can't believe I didn't take more pictures.

Christmas time at Temple Square

2010-01-05T10:03:00.003-07:00

We took the kids to see the Christmas lights at Temple Square. It's been a loooong time since we've gone. I think Joey and I were dating last time we went. In fact, it was our second date.

It's such a weird feeling not knowing where we are going to be living when next Christmas rolls around. We've been trying to let the kids experience all that there is to offer locally so we don't look back and say, "I can't believe we never did _____. We were right there!" Taking the boys to Temple Square at Christmas time was pretty high on the list.

It was such a bizzaro trip. Charlie had fallen asleep on the way up and was very grumpy when we had to wake him. He cried anytime Joey put him down. Riley had a great time and was well behaved for the entire trip.

six kinds of awesome.

2010-01-04T09:48:00.001-07:00

Your argument is invalid.

Ice Fishing with Daddy

2010-01-03T16:48:00.002-07:00

Charlie got to go on a special ice fishing trip with Dad and his uncles while we were in Idaho. At the risk of sounding old fashioned, I think there is something so special about a man taking his boy fishing. It's the kind of thing that gets mentioned in eulogies.

He's a natural!

Uncle Brandon seems to be lovin' it.

Rich and Rusty are old pros.

Doesn't this just look fun?!

Pop N' Pins.

2010-01-02T09:15:00.004-07:00

Pop N' Pins is the local bowling alley in Preston. It's so rad! It still has orange and yellow decor, smells like cigarettes and you have to keep score on paper... with a pencil. So old school and I love it. When you walk in it's like you've magically been transported back in time. We spent a large chunk of my high school P. E. time there so it makes me feel all nostalgic like.

Our recent trip to Preston also included a family trip to Pop N' Pins. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN! Last time we took the boys bowling they hated it. But, true to form, the second time is always better. Riley freaked out about having to wear "new" shoes and cried until I got permission from the owner to let him go barefoot. Our outings take a bit of tweaking but we got it right this time.

Check out this fine group of men.

One happy Grandma.

My baby brother, Rusty, all grown up.

Tess and Lacey looking adorable as always.

Penny doing a celebratory shake.

Riley and Colby keeping score.

Charlie and I had a pretty good method.

Rich is showing us how it's really done!

Ah the cute newlyweds!

I don't think Riley could have been more excited.

And, of course, a bit of video.

Whew!

2010-01-01T13:57:00.005-07:00

Happy New Year everyone!

We've had a packed couple of weeks and it has been wonderful. We've seen tons of family and done so many fun things together. There is a lot of posting that I need to catch up on. But, for now, it's onto our Christmas festivities.

What a great Christmas Eve! We decided to keep it pretty chill at home. This year the boys have been really excited about Christmas. It's made this holiday season extra fun for Joey and me.

Here the boys are showing off their brotherly love and their Christmas pajamas.

We did a little hallway bowling.

We snuggled up and read the story of Jesus' birth.

We have a super fun tradition in my family where all of the kids would sleep underneath the Christmas tree. (We never caught Santa. Not even once!) We decided to let the boys try it this year. We drug out their mattresses and got them all settled and then watched Christmas Story. They boys were really into that movie and it was fun to watch it with the perspective of a parent. We thought the boys would fall asleep fairly quickly but soon it was 9 and then 10 with no signs of them slowing down. Finally when it hit 11:30 we sent them off to their own room. They were asleep within 5 minutes. Maybe next year they'll be able to handle it.

Joey and I stayed up a bit and set out all the presents and then finally went to bed. Around 2:30 we woke up to the sound of ripping paper. Riley had woken up and discovered all the presents and decided that it was time to start the unwrapping. He probably got to a quarter of them before he was caught and was so upset when we sent him back to bed. Joey and I rewrapped the presents and I slept out on the couch the rest of the night to act as guard.

Six in the morning rolled around way to quickly for my taste but Riley was ready to start the festivities. Charlie took some convincing to wake up but as soon as we told him that Santa had come his grumpiness quickly disappeared.

Grandma and Grandpa Lasko outfitted the boys with a couple of great horses just big enough for our rangers.

Charlie was thrilled with the train that Santa brought.

Riley got his very own roll of toilet paper in his stocking. He LOVES toilet paper. We have no idea why but we just go with it. Here he is watching Peter Pan and holding onto his favorite gift.

And here is some badly edited live action highlight footage of the morning. Fun times!

2009-12-26T09:41:00.002-07:00

Yeah, it was this good.

Merry Christmas everyone. We sure love ya!

You better watch out....

2009-12-24T15:52:00.003-07:00

In a city with no Christmas spirit, anything goes. It's up to one man to clean up the crime ridden streets. Steven Seagal is... SANTA CLAUS. He's making a list and he's not just handing out coal.

Seriously, is this not the most terrifying Santa that you've ever seen? One of our favorite traditions is to pick out a special ornament every year. Not a cute one. We like them bizarre. This guy was the hands down winner. He is supposed to be fishing but we chose the one without the fish and where the red circles around Santa's eyes look like he's been on a crazed drinking binge for days. Also, his nose is somehow missing. This could be our best ornament yet!

I think we'll get it right next year...

2009-12-24T11:49:00.002-07:00

We attempted, yet again, a gingerbread house. We've never really gotten good results without a significant amount of frustrations and under the breath swearing. (the swearing is on my part) This year I decided to get one of those pre-made kits that look so magical and easy. I was sort of disappointed.

So this is what I've learned over the past few years that will hopefully make next year's house a raging success. I think I'll be referencing this list next December just in case I've forgotten my own wisdom.

1. Sun, you are a terrible gingerbread baker. Don't even attempt to make your own. You'll just end up frustrated with the crappy cookies and even more frustrated that this "fun" winter activity did not bring about ANY Christmas cheer.

2. Also, don't try graham crackers. You hate how they look. They always crack and crumble and they taste, well, like graham crackers.

3. Get the pre-made kit and PUT THE HOUSE TOGETHER THE DAY BEFORE YOU GATHER EVERYONE TO THE TABLE FOR THIS, once again, "FUN" ACTIVITY. This will take out the annoying hairdryer step and everyone will be interested in hanging around long enough to decorate the house.

4. When you open up said pre-made kit immediately throw away all the candy that comes with it. It's inedible and there isn't nearly enough to make said house look like it came straight out of Hansel and Gretel.

5. Buy lots of awesome candy. You won't regret it no matter what the scale say the next week.

6. Let the kids put the candy wherever they want. It will look awesome and it's great for fine motor skills.

7. You DO NOT care that the house will be destroyed the next day. Some of the destroyed house has a fairly good chance of making it into Riley's mouth and that is a very good thing.

8. Take pictures and try to get everyone to look like they are having a good time. They won't remember the actual event and you'll later be able to convince them that they did indeed have a wonderful time. Good luck! I'm rootin' for ya!

Christmas: A Time for Family

2009-12-24T08:51:00.003-07:00

We got to hang out with Pete's family a while ago. We ate pizza, played Rock Band and let the kids go wild. It was lots of fun and we don't get together enough. Also, I didn't know that BACON is so freakin' good on pizza. I think that knowledge has made me a better person, somehow. Thanks for letting us hang out at your house, other Laskos!

Big, Snuggly Christmas Quilt

2009-12-24T08:25:00.003-07:00

I can't exactly explain why I decided to make a Christmas quilt this year.... during December. Sometimes my brain gets addled when there are great sales. It was a lot of work but, with the help of a truly amazing husband, (who stayed up with me until two in the morning hand quilting and tying it even though he hated every second of it) it got finished. I sewed on the last of the binding yesterday. It's rustic and crooked and filled with love. I LOVE this quilt. It's like Christmas ate too many candy canes and then puked up something we could snuggle in.

Riley was having a hard time sleeping last night so we let him sleep out on the couch and give it a run. This morning there was a puddle of pee on it that I was lucky enough to sit in. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2009-12-23T10:35:00.003-07:00

We started decorating ridiculously early this year. I'm talking mid November. My reasoning being that if I have to scrape ice off my windshield I should be able to put up Christmas decorations.

POWER TO THE PEOPLE! We're not gonna let the man tell us when to decorate!

I broke down and got a mini tree this year. As cool as last year's tree was I just needed a three dimensional one this year. They boys had a great time putting on the ornaments and have had a great time taking them off over and over and over ever since.

Charlie was very careful with his ornament placement.

Riley was less concerned with the placement and more with the taste.

We also broke out the Little People nativity set. Always a hit and we've been able to keep track of at least all of the main characters for a few years now. We'll see how many make it back into the box this year.

The cutest little shepherd that ever was

2009-12-22T22:01:00.004-07:00

Our ward primary did a live nativity during our ward Christmas party. They gave Riley the part of one of the shepherds. I was so excited to make his costume and we practiced his line, "Let us go to Bethlehem." But, in true Riley fashion it didn't go quite how we expected. We really appreciate how much his primary leaders include him. All the kids did a great job.

Partying with Angels

2009-12-22T21:14:00.003-07:00

We went to the annual United Angels Christmas Party to see Santa and down a serious amount of cookies. Okay, I downed a serious amount of cookies. We had a great time. Riley was so excited when Santa walked in that he followed him around until he finally caught up with him and then cut in line so he could see him first. This is one happy boy.

Last year Charlie was terrified of Santa but he was more than happy to sit on his lap this year. Before we left for the party we asked him what he was going to ask Santa for and after thinking for a second he said, "Ummmm... Trick or Treat?" We had a good chuckle then prompted him to ask for a train. Hey we gotta take advantage while we can, right?

Riley is getting better all the time. Here is a mini Christmas miracle!

Here they are shaking it to the music the Sparkly Pals were dancing to. These kids have so much fun together.

2009-12-17T11:00:00.003-07:00

This is the cleanest you will ever see this room.

So these really awesome people gave us a gift card to Ikea. I went wild. It was so much fun. We got this TV stand. It's red. (Joey pointed out that our living room was pretty much beige so we thought we'd spice it up) It's metal. It kind of looks like a locker (which I think is very appropriate since we live in a dorm) but the best thing of all is that it LOCKS!!!! Take that Riley. No more making out with the dvds. We also got the rug to match it (which can be thrown in the washer!) and a couple of throw pillows. I'm slightly embarrassed to admit that I have never owned throw pillows. So THANK YOU super awesome people that we love!

Cuteness in action

2009-12-14T22:25:00.003-07:00

Here are a couple of random videos of the boys. Feel free to pass on viewing these if you are sooo sick of videos of other people's kids. I think they are adorable but they're mine. :)

We had a great Thanksgiving

2009-12-14T21:02:00.002-07:00

Man, I love these people. We went to my parents house in Idaho for Thanksgiving. Joey grilled the turkey. There were a thousand pies. We all ate until we couldn't eat anymore. It was wonderful.
Grandpa took the boys out to the farm and let them help feed the chickens and cows AND drive the tractor. The chickens kept trying to peck off the buttons on Charlie's shirt and Grandpa taught Charlie that instead of being afraid that he could just kick the chickens out of the way. Charlie was so empowered and still talks about kicking chickens.

Riley even joined us for the feast. I'm so proud of the progress that he is making.

The second best part of Thanksgiving is the crash afterward.

The boys were pretty tuckered out too. We stayed for a few days and had such a great time. Mom and Rich were in a local craft fair and it was fun to visit them and see all their stuff. Speaking of... Richard's Etsy site is back up. Check it out here. We also got to watch the fireworks from the Festival of Lights while sitting on Grandma and Grandpa's front porch. We had a blast. It's always wonderful to go back home.

Sister Day!

2009-12-14T11:17:00.003-07:00

My sisters are the BEST! About a week ago, Lacey and Brandon happened to be in Provo for a manager conference that Brandon had to go to. They live all the way in Hawaii (lets all cry for them) so we don't get to see them often. We totally got to have a sister day! Dixie and Penny drove all the way down to hang out. That never happens and I had so much fun.

Lacey and I took the kids to the library and the Provo Bakery while we waited for Penny and Dixie. They got stuck in some nasty traffic so it was an especially nice effort on their part to come down. We got to hang around and talk while we made a tote bag for Lacey and then we went to Macaroni Grill for lunch.

It's always a gamble to take the boys out to eat and this time called for an extra large tip for our awesome waiter. Riley was on steroids for croup and was such a joy to be around. We try so hard to keep him off of steroids and if we do have to have them then we try really hard to just keep him at home and entertained. But, whatever! It was a sister day and I took him out anyway!

Charlie was his usual active self. Dixie's food seems to have a way of getting doused with water every time we go out to eat. Charlie dumped a glass of water on her pizza moments after it was placed in front of her. Our waiter was nice enough to get her another. Always an adventure!

Lacey and Brandon had a company Christmas party to go to that called for ugly sweaters. I got to add these lovely Christmas embellishments to their already horrid sweaters. I think they turned out great.

Had a hard time giving this one away. :)

2009-12-09T17:21:00.005-07:00

Sorry for the hiatus. Don't you miss the time when Christmas was magical and it took no effort at all on your part? Lots of time consuming crafting going on here. Speaking of... here is the quilt that I made for Duke.

I love it. Almost kept it for Charlie and made Duke another but didn't. Lots of people showed up at Penny's shower and it was lots of fun. Soooo many cute little baby things. I can't wait to actually meet the little guy ! (and know what his name is really going to be)

Snuggly warm and happy? Impossible!

2009-11-22T21:46:00.003-07:00

No luck having the kid's winter coats last another year. Charlie is all arms and Riley is a giant. Lots of luck having a Kid to Kid really close by though. I love love love consignment shops. Two winter coats for less than $30! ONE FOR MOM!

As with all new things, Riley needs some time to adjust. He's fine with his coat now. I think he looks very handsome in it.

Charlie is upset that it isn't his cowboy coat. Unfortunately, he also needed a coat that would keep him warm while playing in the snow. This was what I found. He still fights it but maybe by February he'll come around.

I made him this hat. He told me he wanted green. Apparently we're still having trouble differentiating between green and red because he's decided that he wants my hat instead. FINE!
I gave the green one to Riley. It ties on so he has a harder time ripping it off his head a nan0second after I put it on. ANOTHER ONE FOR MOM, SUCKA!

Good deed for the day

2009-11-21T17:47:00.003-07:00

This morning we went to the Provo cemetery for a Relief Society service project to help rake up leaves. There were three people who weren't on the enrichment committee that showed up (four if you count adorable little Lily) and I was so excited that they did! It seems that sometimes when we plan activities no one shows up and it can be a bit disheartening. So THANK YOU everyone who came!

I think cemeteries are wonderful. They are peaceful and beautiful and have so much history in them. I love getting a glimpse of who people were, who they loved and their tragedies and accomplishments. There is nothing quite like being in a cemetery to make me appreciate everything I have all the more.

Joey had to work so I brought the boys along. They were such good little "helpers." They really did do a stellar job behaving and I was so proud of them for only shedding some tears near the end of our project. It was getting quite windy and cold so I couldn't blame them.

Riley was a very determined worker. Both boys insisted on having their own rake until the interesting head stones and tempting piles of leaves stole their attention away from the work. It was well worth the effort to take them with me. I think maybe we'll volunteer again some day.

"Try again zoo day?"

2009-11-17T13:14:00.003-07:00

About a week ago Charlie asked me in the sweetest voice if it was a zoo day. Of course it was! He has excellent ideas. We waited until Riley got home from school and then took off for another Lasko Three adventure. The weather was just beautiful. It was overcast but warm enough that we didn't even need jackets.

Riley just comes alive at the zoo. He runs and talks and laughs and makes all the animal noises. It is such wonderful motivation for him. I wish we lived closer to it so we could visit more often.

Charlie is, of course, a huge fan. He got really brave and sat on the big elephant statue trunk. You will have to check out the video above. He's still a bit nervous. We got lunch and ate it at one of the picnic tables outside. There was a very determined peacock that would not leave us alone. He finally ended up stealing Charlie's hot dog and scaring the daylights out of the poor kid. It was so funny but I kept my cool and didn't fall over laughing. Ah... poor Charlie. Someday he'll think being close to animals is neat.

Check out this video of an incredibly active cat that both the boys thought was the coolest thing in the whole world.

We had a wonderful time and stayed until they closed. On the way out Charlie asked if we could try again zoo day. Sure we can , buddy. I can't wait!

Cowboy Antics

2009-11-16T12:50:00.003-07:00

Charlie's super cheap Halloween costume pistols just couldn't take the intensity of a two year old's play. They were demolished. Charlie was devastated.

I'm not a huge fan of guns. I totally get that people like them but I doubt very much that we will ever keep a real one in our house. I was kind of hoping that when the guns broke that Charlie wouldn't notice their absence. I was wrong and I had to look into a very mopey face for a few days before I took him to get a new one. Shopko happens to carry a small set that not only come with a very cool pistol but also a sheriff star AND a Lone Ranger mask. It couldn't be more perfect. We picked out one set for Charlie and another for Riley so we could avoid any non sharing issues.

These guns are played with non stop. They are not only good for shooting down bandits but have also come in handy in eradicating a recent monster infestation. Charlie is becoming very adept at taking care of any scary monsters that seem to have taken up residence in our most shadowy closets and corners.

Ramses has become the preferred horsey. I love how little kids just use their imagination and make due with whatever they have. It's a joy to behold. Even Riley is getting in on the action.

Oh so much fun going on here

2009-11-16T12:41:00.003-07:00

I haven't been able to find much time to blog lately. I'm sure you are all so so heartbroken. :) We have been doing fun stuff. We broke out the finger paints the other day. Charlie thinks they are wonderful. I tried really hard to get Riley to play but he brushed some red paint on his shins and called it good. I'm still going to count that one as a win for me. Charlie will spend close to an hour painting and has been creating some very interesting works. He loves that he has something to put up on the door next to all of Riley's school work.

Long days

2009-11-07T12:56:00.004-07:00

So this swine flu thing hasn't been as bad as I anticipated. In fact, it's been very mild compared to other illnesses that Riley has gone through. So.. YAY! But, knowing that it is so contagious we haven't gone anywhere (and I do expect snaps for being a responsible member of society) or really done anything other than rest and watch movies. There could be worse ways to spend a day. :) It's been entertaining for the boys but I have found myself very restless. Maybe it comes from years of having to multitask but I couldn't just sit and snuggle the boys and enjoy the Lone Ranger for the bizillionth time. So I looked in my crafty fabric drawer to see if there was anything I could do that didn't take a lot of thought or room. Lo and behold I had some left over yarn from a Raggedy Ann wig I'd made for Halloween years ago. I consulted YouTube for instructions for how to crochet in the round (don't know if that is proper terminology) and made this hat. Totally made it up and I think that's neat. I made a couple for Duke, which is what I'm calling Penny and Colby's baby until they name him, that turned out super cute. I won't post pictures of them though because I want Penny to be surprised. Anyway, it's not high quality and I'm sure that anyone who actually knows how to crochet would be appalled but I like it and plan on using it consistently this winter.

And, yes, I did edit out the massive dark circles under my eyes. Even bright red lipstick wasn't distracting enough to make them unnoticeable. It's been a long week and I'm vain.

Hi Ho Silver, AWAY!

2009-11-06T08:38:00.003-07:00

Charlie has found a hero.

The last few days I've just let the kids rest and watch movies and eat as many popsicles as they can. ( Okay, just Charlie is eating the popsicles.) The point being that it has been a week of pure indulgence. There are good things about being sick. :) We've seen so much animation/puppetry shows that I was going crazy. We needed something else!

A while back I picked up a dvd with a couple of Lone Ranger and The Rifleman episodes for Charlie. (Also, Chuck Connors... kinda hot) I had originally intended for it to be a stocking stuffer. But, I decided that it would be a nice break from Disney and I popped it in.

He has been in heaven. That is all he wants to watch. His obsession with cowboys has been taken to a new level. He runs around in his full cowboy get up, shooting his "Bang" and trying to sing the theme song. And when it's not on he whines for his "cowboy ranger." It's so adorable it almost makes me want to cry.

We have had to have some hard lessons on not pointing guns at people but I think there could be a lot worse role models than the Lone Ranger.

This little piggy

2009-11-04T20:01:00.005-07:00

has SWINE FLU!

It's been a long time coming.

2009-11-01T19:45:00.004-07:00

We've waited five long years to take Riley trick or treating and it finally happened! No diarrhea. No croup. Not even a sniffle. Swift kick to the nads, Fate! The Laskos won this year. Holla!

We went to Wyview. It's single student housing and they were giving out pretty darn good candy. I swear that most of the people who opened the doors looked like they were young enough to go trick or treating. Let's hear it for freshmen! It makes me wonder how old we look to them if I think they look like they just got out of primary.

Riley did a good job braving the stairs the first few doors but then decided that it was much easier for one of us to carry him. We were able to go to around 20 doors before we were all tired and ready to call it a night.

Look at my adorable boys! Charlie was so excited about getting so much candy and Riley was very polite and said thank you every time.

If you listen really close you can hear Riley's trademark thank you. Charlie had a hard time remembering to say trick or treat the second he spotted the candy bowls. We had such a great time!