Halloween

Halloween this year was some carving pumpkins, trunk-or-treat at the ward party where Dallas also tried his hand at eating a donut on a string (he gave up after two nibbles), and the Children's Museum "Enchanted Woods" event.

The "Enchanted Woods" was done in the middle of October. The children gathered at the entrance of the museum where King Aurthur sent them on a quest in search of the Golden Rose (if you ask Dallas what they were looking for on their quest, he will still tell you, "the Golden Rose"). They were to ask those they met for assistance and to give them any assistance that they could, because the kids were knights (Aurthur knighted them before they embarked on the quest) and knights always help those around them. The children traveled through the museum meeting Robin Hood, Long John Silver, Humpty Dumpty, Dorothy and the Scarecrow, and many other storybook characters. They helped everyone they met and in return the kids got information on where to find the Golden Rose (if the character knew anything) and a little treat (donated to the museum by local businesses: some small toys or coupons or candy... one stop gave them all schoolboy apples from a local farm). It was very fun for the kids and taught them a few good lessons as well. I have no pictures from that day... not good planning on my part.

Dallas' favorite song is "What's This" from Tim Burtons "The Nightmare Before Christmas." Dallas has never seen the movie, but he loves that song (and can sing most of it himself). When it was time to carve the pumpkin we went online to glean ideas from free pumpkin templates. One template was Jack Skelington, the main character, and singer of "What's This", on "Nightmare Before Christmas". Dallas was sold. He wanted a "Jack" pumpkin. So I gave it a whirl.
Unfortunatly, Jack has a stitched mouth which is fairly difficult to carve into a pumpkin, but it all worked out, although Jack is missing a few teeth...


The ward night I again didn't bring the camera with me so you don't get to see Chelane wearing her Trick-or-Treat bag around her neck and pointing to it when asking for candy or Dallas trying to eat the donut on a string. We must be content with pictures in really bad lighting instead...

Dallas got to be Woody this year and Chelane was stuck using his old Buzz Lightyear costume from last year. She did love being Buzz, although she was mistaken for a boy a lot.

These pictures are after the Trunk-or-Treat. Chelane wanted her face painted, which she didn't hold too still for and didn't keep her hands off afterwards... oh well, I should have seen that coming! Dallas has a Chinese yo-yo in his hand. He LOVED playing with it until he (or his sister) pulled the paper off.

The kids weren't the only one who dressed up. I came almost straight from work and didn't bother doing anything fun. However, Cam went all out. He grew out his hair and sideburns since mid-September when Dallas mentioned he wanted Dad to be Wolverine from X-Men for Halloween. Cam visited a local cosmetology school right before the Trunk-or-Treat to get the hair right.


He finished the look off with a flannel, jeans, his leather jacket, and old army dog-tags.

Please excuse the deer-in-the-headlights look, I really have no idea how that happened! This may be a costume we just improve upon every year, Cam had lots of fun dressing up!

The Wild Locks

Chelane was cursed blessed with fine and wispy hair that also has a loose curl. The fine/wipsy part forces her hair to do very odd things when slept on, and doesn't allow for easy styling; while the 'loose curl' part gives her hair wave with no determinable direction. Put these together and you have a volatile combination.

If left to its own devices, Chelane's hair makes her appear to be a homeless child of seeing-impaired parents. Unfortunately I don't have a picture to prove my point... or perhaps the lack of pictures does just that.

Before I started working, I put effort into Chelane's hair... once and a while (see object 1). Her hair would be very cute for approximately 15 minutes after I put it up (again you will need to trust me, I never took pictures of the ruined product).

Object 1: Cute hair Chelane

After moving to Utah, I have no time in the morning to do Chelane's hair (not to mention I am often gone before the kiddos awaken). However, on days off I attack Chelane's hair with a renewed vigor. Since it had such natural curl, I decided to force it to work in our favor and broke out the defuser.

Just like her mommy's hair, while Chelane's hair has an abundance of curl in the back, the front will not curl to save a life; so I pinned it up. I honestly believe the end product is amazingly cute (but I am bias) and wish I could make her hair do this every time.

Chelane was very unhappy at being subjected to the hair dryer. We had to console her with her binky. But oviously the binky wasn't consoling too well...

A less accusing Chelane. See all the curls?

From the back.

Of course I dolled her up so we could go out. By the time we reached out destination, Chelane had mushed most of the curl out of her hair. Oh well, at least I have pictures to prove it was cute.

Dallas's Mad Skills (lots of pictures!)

Girls like guys with skills. You know like egg-cracking skills, acting skill, photography skills...
(Yes, I shamelessly took that from Napolean Dynamite, a movie I don't really like.)

Dallas has some hidden talents. First, he likes to take pictures; pictures I did not know about until I was loading my pictures onto the computer. I did delete some of his less than complimentary work, but here is (most) of the rest in all it's glory.

Dallas and still life:

The Buzz lightyear beachball. I really feel he captured those little Green Men...

I call this one: Vacuum Over Couch

A picture of Netflix. Looks to be Bugs Bunny and the Road Runner.

Dallas and Portraits:

Chelane less than willing to allow her picture taken. I believe she is practicing for her future diva days... oh, wait she already is one

Chey and Daddy


I think he really captured Cam in this one


Say, "Cheese". Dallas taking the picture of a friend.

As you can see, not only does he take these completely independently, he is quite good at getting the item of interest in the center of the picture. Not bad Dallas!


Second, Dallas acts... sort of. As I mentioned back in this post, Dallas has started "acting" in some "partici-plays" at the local Children's Museum. Here is a picture of him as the "Woodcutter"


In this play there was a bit of standing and sitting and a few lines; not much acting. Dallas would jazz it up a bit by falling to the floor or other oddities. That play wasn't nearly as exciting for him as the play where he was the Big Bad Wolf. Unfortunately, I only have phone pictures for that play, but here they are:

I am sorry if they make your head hurt. Focus and crispness are not the forte of the phone pictures...

Dallas in his adorable Big Bad Wolf costume waiting to start.

Dallas just blew the house made of sticks down! (You can see the employee (in blue) moving the house as it "blows down")

Dallas trying to "huff and puff and blow" the third little pig's house down (his little lips are puckered and his cheeks are full of air... you can't see it with the phone-picture, but he is).

Dallas did so amazing with that part. He was attentive, followed directions, and LOVED trying to blow all the houses down. It was great fun to watch.


Third, Dallas has gained some culinary skills. Back in June, I bought some alphabet cookie cutters, so one lazy Sunday afternoon Dallas and I made sugar cookies and spelled the names of everyone in the house with the cookies cutters. Dallas had great fun and I learned that sugar cookies need to be a bit thicker than, say, pie crust...

Anyway. That day Dallas asked me if he could help crack the eggs. I gave him a short tutorial of what to do, helped him crack an egg, and thought nothing of it until we moved. A month ago, he asked to eat German Pancakes, a recipe that takes 6 six eggs. Then he asked to crack them. I gave him the bowl, and the eggs and watched:

Sorry that is is sideways and small.

I was pretty amazed. He did all six eggs and I haven't cracked many eggs since. Later I showed him how to cut up potatoes one day while making soup. He was able to cu them himself and safely. Daddy got quite nervous seeing Dallas with a knife, so I haven't continued to nurture that skill.

Yesterday, Dallas also helped my clean and carve a pumpkin. The wonders of this kid never end. More to come...

Chey's Birthday

Back in September, Chelane turned the big oh-two.

The question on everyone's lips: "is she in her 'terrible twos'?"
And my answer is: "Chelane is very advanced... we have been dealing with the 'terrible twos' for a few months now".

Chelane (and Dallas) had a wonderful time opening the cards and gifts. Here are some pictures of the day. We were going to have cupcakes and have her blow out a candle, but somehow we never got around to it. Blame it on the Mommy working; I am not good at scheduling family things while working full-time. But we do have some fun pictures nonetheless.

Chelane opening her card.

Chelane opening her first gift: the backpack. She didn't want to take it off all night.


She is very happy to show it off.


Opening Tinkerbell. Dallas and Chelane both enjoy playing with this one :)


Last gift: Baby doll set that I bought at Kmart over a year ago.

Both kids enjoyed celebrating the birthday. Chelane is growing up very fast. She is very vocal and extremely opinionated.

Also of note: as you may have noticed, the back of Chlane's hair is quite short. That is Mommy's handiwork. It was a failed attempted at what was envisioned to be a very cute bob. Obviously the "bob" part didn't pan-out; however, it has tamed her wild locks (by removing them)... for now...

Kassie #2

My mom habitually calls us kids by our sibling's names. I thought it had something to do with all us kids having K- or J- names; you seem to be setting yourself up for failure giving your kids like-sounding names (however, now that I have kids of my own, I find Moms mix up all their kids' names no matter how different they sound).

My little sister, Karma, seemed to get the worst of the sibling-name-mix-up. She was called "Kassie" so often we starting nicknaming her "Kassie #2". No one was immune from calling her by the wrong name. It wasn't only my mom, it was everyone in the family (and even some family friends).

Once when I was very upset with her, I sternly said, "Kassie!... " and the rest of my tirade was lost in laughing. I couldn't keep a straight face after calling her by MY name.

Chelane has started calling me Kassie. Cam and I correct her and say "Mom" after every time. She more often calls me "Mom" now.

It is our "fall break" here in Utah so we took the kids to the Kangaroo Zoo (much like the Bouncy Place back home), went to Temple Square and visited the Visitor's Center (Cam wanted the kids to see the large Christus), then headed a little more South to visit with some friends until Karma was off work.

All day we were telling the kids that we were going to see Karma, and Chelane would say, "Karma?" However once we got there, we asked Chelane, "Who is that?" and she said, "Kassie". While carrying her, Cam drilled her on the "Who is that?" question. Chelane would say "Karma" then when she got in earshot of Karma, would change to "Kassie". Karma decided Chelane was just doing it to get a rise out of her (where on earth did she learn to do that?!) As for me, I think it is just a reminder to Karma that she can never escape her past as "Kassie #2".

The Apartment * The Job * The Kids * The Hubby

The Apartment: is great. The best self-funded place we have ever lived in since tying the knot. It isn't perfect, but I am ridiculously happy with it, especially after hearing about a teenage "shooter" a block away from a townhouse we had been looking at and wanting(and almost got except the leasing guy went out of town and we couldn't get a hold of him and didn't want to wait). The area down here in South Ogden is much safer, prettier, and out-of-the-way without being way out. Dallas and Chelane are sharing a room (and a bed... it is a full), the Ward has many old people and young couples (I really love having "old people" wards, they have so much more experience and a much better perspective on life), and there are many kids in the apartment complex. I am sure pictures will come shortly.

The Job: is great. I really enjoy teaching but I get WAY stressed out over all the things I need to do. It isn't helping that about a quarter of my Algebra students do not have books (we discovered this a few days before the school year started, the wrong books had been ordered over the summer; we fixed it but the correct books are on back-order) so I am making worksheets for everything lately. Also, it is Parent-Teacher Conference this week so grades need to be in and I get to stay at the school until 8pm on Thursday (yay, me!).

I am still not very organized either. I feel like I am mostly treading water and only making little progress at a time, but it still is progress. I have to keep myself from thinking too long term (of all the things I need to do) or I REALLY freak out. Poor Cam has to deal with it all; I think my moods may have been worse than when I was pregnant. Dallas tells me to "calm down" and asks me if I am OK quite a bit. I have been having a little depression, but I think it is just tied to the new-working-Mom thing. I believe this would be all easier it I knew the kids weren't at home waiting for me to come home. Also, since I do teach math, there are always students who want to stay after because they do not understand something (especially if they missed class), which isn't conducive to the getting-things-done-quickly-at-school-in-order-to-get-home-early desires I have.

However, I did find that the school has a grant for teachers with Math and/or Science licenses: $30/hr for after contracted time spent with tutor students. I already have over seven hours since the beginning of the school-year. It is like having another part-time job.

I do love teaching and I do love math.

The Kids: are great!
Dallas: Dallas' speech is getting better. He talked to his "Nana" on the phone a few weeks ago and she could understand what he was saying without a translator. He is getting better at correcting himself and mimicking correct speech. He is also a puzzle whiz. He doesn't sit still for many things but puzzles, movies, and learning new things he does. The kid is a sponge!

He likes to help in the kitchen: measuring, baking, cleaning. His favorite is to crack eggs and he does so masterfully. You will see a video soon.

We also have a pretty awesome Children's Museum here (I bought a family membership the first week we were here) and we frequent it often (every Friday at least). Aside from there very cool exhibits that keep Dallas and Chelane busy, they have a "step on stage" program and hold a "partici-play" a few times everyday. At these "partici-plays" the kids get to act out parts while a museum employee narrates a story. Dallas loves them; Chelane has a hard time sitting through them. We have some pictures of these as well.

Chelane has started saying three word phrases like: "sit on you" and "stop it, Dallas" all very clearly. She is among the youngest in nursery at church (nursery ages are 15-36+ months and she is only 23 months) but she is almost the tallest (the only child that beats her is over 3 years old). She asked to use the potty the other night and actually went... we are thinking maybe trying to potty train her during my break in October. We haven't decided yet. She is more attached to her binky than ever. She has taken to hiding under the kitchen sink and running away from you when you call. What can I say? She is two.

The Hubby: Cam didn't start school this semester. We didn't realize that tuition was due so soon (which I should have remembered from going to college) and we didn't have all the necessary things to apply for residency yet. While we probably would have been refunded the extra tuition cost, we didn't have the money to front it all right then and were still trying to adjust. So Cam decided to take the time off. He was initially looking for a job, perhaps back at his old work, but we decided against it. The hours wouldn't work well for school and it is a solid 40 minutes away (in good traffic).

He is still looking into other part-time-in-the-evening possibilities, but he is being the stay-at-home daddy for now. During the first week he commented, "Chasing after the kids all day is tiring." Really? I mentioned that if you try to get a schedule going it works better than just trying to keep them out of mischief all day. They are usually car-less during the day so that makes doing things outside the home tough. Right now he and Dallas are doing a 100 piece astronaut puzzle.


An older gentleman sat next to me and the kids in the pew at church(Cam went home a little early with backpain). Chelane sat on his lap from time to time. He said it took him back to 50 years ago when his kids were that little. I know I will cherish these days. Working makes me miss being home. I would change places with Cam in a heartbeat.

Trepidation

I am getting a little antsy about the move and the up-coming teaching job. A few justification for this feeling:

We still have no housing nailed down. We did submit an application today (we got to fax 18 pages to Utah, so fun), so barring something the apartment complex doesn't like (such as the lack of money in the bank or the our inconsistent employment for the last 18 months), early next week, we will have an apartment reserved for us .

We haven't finished packing yet. I feel what is left can't be packed until the last minute, it being clothes, some toys, and toiletries. And I am sure that will come back to bite me.

On the job front, I still have no idea what subject I will be teaching. Well, duh, it will be math, but there are many subcategories there, and Algebra is very different from basic math or geometry or... you get the picture.

I will not be able to be at the school (to prep my room, meet any teachers, etc.) until the start of the teacher preparation week. And I just got the schedule for previously mentioned week, and it is a doozy. On top of all that, it appears I will be working a few evenings that week; student orientation and all that.

Don't let me fool you, I am still very tickled that: I HAVE a job (doing something I love to boot), we will have money, Cam will be able to go to school, and we don't have to put the kids in child-care to do any of it.

I need to find a way to keep this positive attitude going because I KNOW sooner or later (and my bet is "sooner") the stress will get the best of me...



Oh, the apartment is not 3 blocks from a Costa Vida... can I tell you how happy this makes me? Too late, I already told you :)

My Name is Kassie and I have a problem...

I buy way too many toys for my kids at clearance sales... Seriously. Kmart and Targets seasonal toy clearances kill me. I don't really spend too much but I LOVE going there for birthday/Christmas presents. However, we were pretty set for said holidays after the LAST clearance sale, but I still went to another one today and Target hasn't even done their summer clearance sale yet. I can't miss Target's sale...

Today I went shopping at Kmart in Kent, who is having their "additional 50% off clearance toys sale", but I brought the kids with me, which I am deciding is not a good idea. The one purchase I am super happy about was a pack of 10 transformers, all about the size of matchbox cars, that actually do transform (and some rather complexly). But Dallas saw them and LOVES them; so of course they were taken out of the box and "transformed" within a half hour of returning home. So much for Christmas and Birthday presents.

I should probably just take the other three things I bought at Kmart back, especially if I am going to hit the Target sale coming up in the next few weeks...

No Children in Student Housing?

Cam received an email assigning us to out campus housing on Thursday. Also in the email was a "reminder" that children were not allowed in married housing... say wha?!

I badgered Cam into making an irate phone call (he wasn't really irate but I was) to the housing office. There was nothing on the school website with that stipulation, but apparently there was something in the contract Cam signed, but didn't read. I can't be mad at him, I never read it either...

The campus housing person said that no children in married campus housing is a Utah law (say wha, again?! we had a kid not four years ago when we lived in BYU married housing... however they are a private university, maybe they got out of it, so I let it slide). We did the only thing we could do, pulled out of our contract. Luckily we hadn't paid any deposit, just an application fee.

We have been looking at renting websites all weekend and found a few places, and hopefully will be starting on the paperwork for one today. There is an upside, campus housing didn't have W/D hookups, and I am not fond of community laundry.

On a side note: I think that law was made up. A web search turned up the exact opposite: "Any rules which limit the rights of families with children violate the Fair Housing Act and are not enforceable."

Maybe schools have special circumventing rights, but it is by no means "a state-wide law" considering Utah State University allows children in their housing.

The Interview

I know this is in reverse order (telling you that I got the job and THEN talking about the interview) but the interview(s) were just too fun not to share. So here it goes.

The school contacted via email and asked to set up a time to do a phone interview. That morning I got the kiddos fed and all situation with a movie to await the call. When it came I went to a back bedroom, to reduce extra noise but so I could still hear the kids. Well the interview was going (apparently) well when Dallas decided to pick that 30 minute period I was going to have a phone interview to have a bowel movement.

I hear a, "Mom! I went poop in the potty!" Followed by a, "Mom, wash my bum!" The yells got more and more desperate as I left him on the toilet, culminating in a shrill, "MOM!". Finally, craddling phone against my shoulder, I figure I can get Dallas taken care of without stopping the phone conversation.

I am sure most of you moms out there are betting against me already. And you would be right, it didn't work.

Nothing crazy happened, like dropping the phone in the toilet, but, much to me chagrin, I had to excuse myself. The ladies on the other end were very understanding of my leave. After I returned, they finished their questions and ended with a promise to give me another call at the end of the week.

A few days later, I decide to take a shower after breakfast while the kids are watching TV. As the water starts, I think, through the sound of the running water, I hear the cell phone ringing.

Now, I have thought I heard TONS of things through the shower. It started when Dallas was a newborn baby and I was so nervous about leaving him sleeping in his crib while I showered that I would stop the water 2 or 3 times when I "heard" him crying. Now-a-days, when I "hear" something while I am showering, I write it off as the running water playing tricks with my mind.

Only this time it wasn't.

After I stopped the water, Dallas walks to the bathroom door and informs me that Grandma had called as he hands me the cell phone. I pulled up incoming calls and, sure enough,the number of the school called 5 minutes ago.

I was a little mortified.

I immediately called them back, wondering what Dallas had done/said and how it had been taken on the other end... The school secretary puts me on hold for the director (read: principal), who answers my call with a, "How old is your son?" Yes, the two ladies, the school director and the math department head, who had conference called for my interview, had called back (on conference) only to be answered by my 3 year-old son, who talked to them for a short while before hanging up. They were both laughing fairly hard as I tripped over myself apologizing.

They had called back to offer me the job and, after all that, amazingly enough, they went through with it. I think this school may be a good fit for me.

On a side note I have been so used to, "You were one of the best interviews and we would love to have you at our school but, we went with someone with more experience..." that I was quite speechless when they offered me the job. When I could finally make words come (I had a few "gracious looser" responses prepared but no acceptance speech) I accepted the job on the spot, to which the ladies replied (laughing) "Wouldn't you like to talk it over with your husband?" Oh, yeah the husband, oops...

On a more sider note, in the last month Chelane has learned:
1. milk + straw = geyser of bubbles
2. inhaling air + drinking = burp on will (no joke)

While Dallas has started letting himself out of the house for walks (complete with shoes and snacks).

/sigh

Moving to Utah

Well I got a job offer and just signed the paperwork to accept it today. The job is at a middle charter school in Ogden, Utah just a couple miles from Weber State University, the school Cam will be attending in the fall.

I am very excited about the job (and it is very needed to keep my teaching license valid as it would expire next June). It also gives Cam residency and therefore in-state tuition (yipee!). However, this school starts earlier than most (teacher prep days start August 9th, the actual school year August 16th) and Cam doesn't finish his classes next semester until August 12th... We will have to figure something out with that, but we have a few months to get it nailed down.

So we will be moving to Ogden, Utah in August for a few years. Feels like everything is working out for us!

Which Would Be Messier... ?

A one-and-a-half old eating cereal or the same toddler eating toaster waffles with peanut butter and syrup on them? I don't know what you would choose, but I would think the waffles would be messier.

However.

When Chelane eats cereal, we end with it on the floor, stuck to her bum, and her bib and shirt SOAKED with milk. She hardly make it out unscathed from cereal. And peanut butter sandwiches are even worse (she likes to open the bread and give herself butter-and-jam facials and a her hair a deep jam treatment).

So why is it that when she eats waffles with peanut butter and syrup, she uses her fork admirably, and comes out with perfect hair and little need to wash her hands or face?

Chelane, I don't understand you.

PT: Day 20

Almost three week from the time we started getting Dallas to the potty and now he seems to have it down. For the first week he wouldn't go poo in the toilet and THAT was annoying. But on day 10 he did it and it seemed to "click" that he didn't need to be afraid/worried/anxious (or whatever the problem was) anymore. I think I can say he is potty trained. He also filled up his "potty chart" and now we have to go to the Bouncy Place sometime soon. We are very proud of him. He even uses public toilets. What a guy!

I am still frantically applying for jobs in Utah, however the frequency of job postings are lower now. I have one school that wants to interview so Cam, me, and the kiddos are taking a mini-vacation to Utah in June (between Cam's quarters) to do the interview and have a little relaxing time before finishing school and moving. Hopefully another school (or two) will want to interview me and someone will hire me.

Cam will graduate with his Associates in Arts degree in August right before we move and he starts school again at Weber State University. He has already registered for his classes and we have put a deposit on housing. We are keeping a little busy (as you can tell :)

As for Chelane, she sits around and looks cute.

New Tricks

Dallas' preferred method of communication was signing until September-ish of last year. Since then his speech has exploded with full sentences and some fun quirks. We haven't hit the how-do-we-get-him-to-stop-talking yet and still really enjoy hearing him express himself verbally.

Last night he sang "Happy Birthday" to his Grandpa almost completely by himself. He can count to 10 at high speed (we are working on getting through those pesky teen numbers). He doesn't just say "no" but "no no no no no ..." usually with a sing-song tune. But we were really floored last night when, after discussing who was to say the family prayer, Dallas pulled out a "Dear Heavenly Father, Thankee for this day. Thankee for Mom, Ch'ane, (his version of 'Chelane' pronouned 'Shane'), Larryboy (not sure why Larryboy from Veggie Tales was wiggling his way into Dallas' prayers, but Dallas does love watching Larryboy). Thankee for Grampa, Jadon (his 12 year old uncle). Thankee for this day. Thankee play. Thankee Dad, Larryboy, Jadon. Name Jesus Christ, Amen." With no help, no prompting, nothing. Cam and I were very impressed.

Chelane is also learning some new tricks. The most prominent one lately is following his her daddy's footsteps to earn the family name of 'Mooch' by walking up to anyone with food, saying, "bite" and opening her mouth with an "ah, ah, ah" until the bite is given.

PT: Day One

Cam and I decided to take the plunge this weekend (well I guess I more decided and then dragged Cameron off the cliff with me) and potty train Dallas.

I know, I know. Many people are probably aghast that he is almost three and-a-half and we never bothered trying, but don't worry, Cam and I haven't died yet from changing diapers. We also don't feel like any less of a parent for not trying to potty train Dallas earlier (regardless of comments from others since he was about twenty months regarding us toilet training him).

Anyway, justification aside, Dallas is doing very well. We put the underwear on after breakfast (about 9am) and had a talk about the toilet (he already knew what it was, but a reminder always helps), keeping the underwear dry, and letting Mom or Dad know when he needed to go potty. He did wet himself a little (no where near a full release) about 10:30am. Then around 11:30 he was holding himself and dancing around so I insisted he needed to go. I got him on the pot, turned the faucet on a little, and went to get him a drink of water (I was trying to encourage him all I could; when I came back he was going in the potty and it was a FULL bladder release.

He has not peed anywhere but the toilet since. Many time he tells us he needs to go and then takes himself. It is so nice doing this when he can get himself on and off the toilet.

He did have a little bowel movement in his underwear and seems to resist doing those on the toilet and I am keeping my fingers crossed about not wetting the bed tonight. he do still have a few hurdles to jump but the prognostic so far is looking just fine and dandy. We are SOO happy he didn't decide to dig his very opinionated, three year-old heels in about it (knock on wood).

Hopefully after this weekend, we will have a completely toilet trained toddler.

The Hair Cut From... You Know

The words "hair cut" sends Dallas into a frenzy.

See, the game plan the first time I cut Dallas' hair (back before he turned one) was me holding him down while my sister ran the clippers over his head. There was lots of screaming and crying... and not just by Dallas... After that I cut his hair with scissors and it took a long time. So we started moving back to the clippers, but decided to have someone else do it. That didn't work so well either. Now he associated "hair cut" with pin-downed-while-a-vibrating-horror-moves-across-my-head.

Two days ago he got gum in his hair. He really likes to chew and normally he is very good with keeping the gum where it should be, just not that day. Luckily it was on the back of his neck so I just cut it out with scissors; but I decided to do the rest to match. Dallas screamed and cried when I said "hair cut" and strapped him into a booster seat in front of the TV. He cried when I sprayed his hair down. He kept crying as I started combing and cutting his hair.

By the time I finished the back of his head he had calmed down and had no problem with me finishing. He said "Mom all done!" in a very happy voice prematurely a half dozen times so he is obviously not completely OK with hair cutting, but I think I may be moving back to comb and scissor cuts to reduce the trauma on that poor boy...

It Is All Worth It

Have you ever heard something like, "Yeah so-and-so wanted to major in such-and-such, but I talked them out of it. It just doesn't make enough money."? Too many people shy away from what they are passionate in, in search of a more lucrative career.

And some people do just the opposite. I had been majoring in electrical engineering when I first started at BYU. After a year I changed to math education. I really like teaching and tutoring; and I loved math. Now-a-days I sometimes wonder why I did that. Ok, so the circuits class gave my panic attacks whenever I thought about re-taking it, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't have gotten over it. And now instead of making money I am in a field that (in this area) recently rifted a chunk of their new employees due to budget cuts. Now I am tutoring on a fairly small hourly wage.

Often I don't have time to bemoan my fate, I am just having too much fun. I love going to a job where I often look at the clock and say, "Wow, I can't have been here for 3 hours already!" Or have the occasional student prefer to sit with me or even volunteer, "You are my favorite tutor." You never know how to take that from a student in elementary or secondary school. After comments like that, I have to re-evaluate myself: are they working harder with me than with any other tutor? am I challenging them enough? or do they like me because I am a push-over with them?

With adult students, it is different. I was tutoring someone back in December who was starting the 2nd part of calculus in January. He had taken the first part of calculus over four years ago and needed a crash-course refresher. After working with him the first day I was overwhelmed at all the calculus I didn't remember. I pulled out my old calculus book, and searched the internet re-learning many concepts so I could explain them to him. He was sharp and a hard worker. Unlike some high school students who bring the work to you without trying it on their own and expect you to give them all the answers; he had tried and brought very specific questions.

I only tutored him for a month, but I thought about him as his quarter progressed, hoping he was doing ok. The quarter ended last week and yesterday he came back to thank me for all I had done. He insisted he learned more from me in those few weeks than from his professor during the quarter. He appreciated my passion for math and teaching and that I was the reason he passed the course. I wished he could write me a letter of recommendation!

I guess teachers teach for moments like that. I may not be making lots of money, but I feel like I am making a difference.

In the Last Week

Subbing for 4 days this week, totaling 20 hours, I have worked for about a quarter of the hours I pull per month tutoring/managing at Mathnasium.

The clincher? I have made almost half of my regular Mathnasium paycheck.

I wish we could work out a schedule so I could substitute more often and not just when Cam is on break (which won't happen again until the end of the school year).

But don't get me wrong I am thankful for having the job at Mathnasium (the stability and the experience it gives)... I am just very thankful for when I can substitute too.

Taxes = Candy

Dallas does not take kindly to my spending time on the computer when he wants some mommy attention. Today, however, my computer time was not devoted to WoW - I was trying to do taxes.

Occasionally, Dallas would walk over to me and pat my lap and demand ask, "Sit with you, mommy." I was trying to explain how important taxes were, so I put in prespective.

"Dallas I have to do the taxes so we can get money. Do you know what we can get with money?"

"Umm, candy?"

"Yes Dallas, Mommy needs to do the taxes so we can get candy."

Sometimes Sims Is Like Real Life

Cam and I enjoy playing Sims. It is like real life, only better. We like making ourselves and reliving those great moments like marriage, the birth of the first child, achieving world domination...

Sometimes Sims even gets the details right like Dallas being born before Chelane, giving the kiddos blue eyes, or making Cam a famous painter... wait...

Other times it makes me wonder if it is showing us what is in store for the future. Cam made most of my family and had Karma and I rooming together at college before his character and mine met. For some reason when I moved out, Karma came along and cozied up in our basement. Cam didn't have the heart to kick her out, so there she stayed. And from our innocuous basement she progressed along to her life-long goal of world domination as the Evil Emperor.

Sometime I worry about Karma...

Subbing

I have been noticing a trend with me and new jobs: I don't sleep well the night before. I have a hard time falling asleep, I just can't relax for whatever reason, and I usually wake up early the morning after. I figure I must suffer from anxiety, but only new jobs. I slept just fine the night before my wedding...

Five years ago I substituted in a high school for three weeks for a friend on maternity leave, right at the end of the school year. Yesterday I substituted for the first time since then, for a half day in a middle school.

The ladies in the front office were very helpful and encouraging (I told them it was my first time subbing in the Kent School District so I didn't know what to do, etc.) and the classes were not bad either.

Unfortunately (for me) the teacher made the day a work-on-one-assignment-until-you-are-done day so that meant I spent five minutes explaining the assignment (this was an English class, so the assignment was a writing prompt) and spent the rest of the 55 minute period telling them they were getting too loud or splitting people up. Not much teaching just a lot of classroom management.

Some fun notes: I had three students ask me if I was a model... I know it doesn't mean anything, but it sure makes for a good day!

Tuesday I am substituting for another half-day in a high school math class. I am trying to rake up the days since Cam doesn't have classes for the next two weeks so he is home to watch the kids.

Poor Neglected Dallas

Last night, about 8:30pm, thirty minutes after Dallas' extremely loose "bedtime", Dallas wanted to play a game called Barnyard Bingo.

I didn't want to play with him (trying to unwind from work you know... and I was enjoying my time on the computer). Cam wasn't playing with him either, so we had Dallas go ask Jadon. Jadon was going to bed and therefore did not want to play as well.

What is a poor Dallas to do? He has Barnyard Bingo all out and ready as he sits by himself in the middle of the family room... just looking at it...

Until Dallas finds a friend.

Dallas picked up his Buzz Lightyear and asked, "Buzz you pay games wit me?" Buzz (or Dallas talking for Buzz) answered, "Yeah."

Dallas was so estatic. "Yay! Buzz you said yeah! Ok Buzz your turn." he said as he helped Buzz Lightyear take his turn by picking up a game piece. "Buzz you got boo tow (blue cow). Ok Buzz eye (my) turn." Dallas picked up his own game piece. "Buzz I got welwo iken (yellow chicken)."

Apparently playing for two is tiring, though, for that is all the farther Dallas made through his game with Buzz last night.

Part of me felt HORRIBLE for not playing with him (especially when he started playing with Buzz) but another part thought that this playing pretend would be good for him (and he did an awesome job taking turns!)

However thinking about it again this morning, I am a horrible mother and I could have played one, five-minute game with him...

Moral of the story: put your kids to bed on time.

Photo Shoot

Some family pictures! These were taken back in November (so the kids have grown up a little bit since then) but they are still as cute. It was also SUPER cold that day, so the kids were pretty cranky and a little runny/red nosed. However, thanks to the talents of Carrie Stroud, you can't even tell!

Waxing Philosophical

It just occurred to me that I have a wonderful life. My two 'babies' are great little people with their own budding full-blown personalities that I am privileged to shape and teach to be honest, obedient, good people who love the Lord and can be a force of good. I am also married to a wonderful and loving man who is a good father and works to be a better person. I have a good job where I have advanced quickly, have been given new responsibilities, and get to help people every day.

I am usually so stuck on "life will be better when..." or "I can't wait until...
Cam finishes school, we move somewhere else, we get a house, the kids are older... blah blah blah blah blah " No matter how perfect life is there is always something you can find to complain about. Lately I have been a complainer rather than a optimist that counts her blessings and does the best with what has been gifted to her.

Hopefully this post will remind me (and maybe all of us) of that when I want to be a downer.

New Year's Resolution!

I am horrible about New Year's Resolutions. So bad that I gave up making them years ago. Apparently deciding I am going to do something simply because a new year started and everyone else either does it or says you should do it, isn't a good motivation for me.

But I have seemed to found a good motivation: my kids. Cam and I are planning on having more kids (not anytime terribly soon, but probably being pregnant within the next year). I don't take the best care of my body. I tend to skip meals on occasion just because I get too busy and sitting on the computer or in front of the TV is so much easier than working out and pushing myself. When I was pregnant with Dallas and Chelane, I would get motivated to get in shape, but (especially with Chelane) the morning sickness/all around blah-ness really detoured me from wanting to do anything. I didn't start feeling good until I pretty far along, and by that time the only work-out that is feasible (for me) is walking. So this time I figured, why not be pro-active and start early?

So, this last week I have decided I will start working out, and guess what? I have actually stuck to it. Usually my goals like this fizzle out after a day or two (seriously, that is all the longer "working out" has lasted in the past if I am doing it on my own). But this time I have been sticking to it. My legs and arms have been achy from squats, lunges, and push-ups; and I have been running on the elliptical until my legs burn, and then running some more. Luckily I have my parents' elliptical and Weight Watchers work-out videos (I recommend these).

Since the kids are around when I am doing this (I do it in the morning when Cam is at school after the kids have breakfast... I could wake up when Cam does and be done BEFORE the kids get up, but as we have stated earlier: I seem to lack in the self control area sometimes...) so I either barricade off the elliptical side of the family room and put on a movie (awesome parenting skills!) or I get a little set of weights down for Dallas and try to get the kids in some degree of participation (this doesn't work at all... unless having Chelane run into my leg and not let go while I am trying to do squats counts...)

Before anyone feels that I am bragging too much these work-outs have only been 20-30 minutes a day, hardly anything amazing, but it is amazing what 20-30 minutes can do for how you feel about yourself.

If you feel motivated, try it with me. Don't have an indoor cardio-machine or workout videos? Just do a few sets of push-ups, sit-ups and squats. Even these little things make a difference!

Dallas and Books

Dallas has always been a go-go-go sort of child. Even when he was little(r) he wanted to be down on the floor moving, not held and cuddled. He started rolling over, crawling, and walking fairly early. In fact his speech delay could probably be fully attributed to his lack of slowing down. He wouldn't sit still and watch us when we talked to him, he wasn't figuring out how to make the sounds with his mouth (plus the signing - talking by moving - was right up his alley).

Now-a-days he is still a go-er and do-er with one exception: books. He really loves books. And he sits still to look at them. Naptime and bedtime, better known as "quiet time" around these parts, always includes books for Dallas to look at, and often me reading to him as well. His taste is leaning towards longer and longer books.

The other day I read him Pooh's Heffalump Movie Book word-for-word and asked him questions about the pictures ("Who is hiding?" "How is Tigger feeling?") making the book take close to fifteen minutes. He wasn't the slightest bit ansy, even at the end. If you have had the pleasure of experiencing Dallas first-hand, you know him sitting still that long is a pretty big deal.

I hope when I check on him at night in the future I will be greeted by more scenes like this.

That Test

I figured I would put a little update in about that test I took a month ago that I was complaining about over two months ago.

Apparently there was a need to complain and not a need to worry.

I passed.

The scoring was 100-300 with anything over 240 passing. The test was broken up into three sub-tests: reading, writing, and mathematics. I passed all of them by a wide margin, acing the math portion.

After I got my scores in the mail I just had to show it to Cam. Then, like a little kid, I had to go tell my mom and dad how well I did. I guess you are never too old for some parental praise.

Christmas PJ's

I have a sometimes bad habit of taking pictures of things with the intent to blog... and then it doesn't happen. I happened upon this beauty:



It is a family tradition (like in many families I am realizing) to make (or purchase) new PJ's for Christmas. This year Cameron and I braved the early morning Black Friday at JoAnne's Fabric (where we spent two and a half hours, split between the cutting line and the register) to buy flannel at $1.50/yd.

Dallas has been into rockets and things "blasting off" ever since this summer. It may have had something to do with launching homemade model rockets on the Fourth of July... even though, at the time, the sound was very scary to him.

Cam and I count to three after we ask Dallas to stop doing something before we enforce (you know, the time you give the child to make the correct choice on their own... or maybe it is the time you give yourself, silently pleading that they WILL do the right thing on their own so you don't have to get up and clean up yet another mess...). At times Dallas will end our stern "three" with a "blast off" or a blast-off sound.

So when we were in JoAnne's and I found an amazing spaceship/rocket/outer-space themed flannel print, I was ecstatic.

At home when I pulled all the flannel out and started making Chelane's pair, Dallas moseyed over and saw his print. He didn't let go of it for well over an hour.

I was thinking "SCORE!" If only I can be this in tune with what he likes once he hits his teenage years...

Baby Songs

Anyone ever watch "Baby Songs" back in the day? It is a compilation of songs with catchy lyrics (scroll down on the linked page and read "Security" if nothing else... it is totally Dallas), upbeat music, with fun (usually related) skits all written by some dude named Hap Palmer and a lady named Martha Cheney. I remember there being three volumes and I loved them when I was little.

While looking through my parents' video cabinet I found one volume survived my sister's mass de-junking and put it on for Dallas.

I have very mixed feelings about the video:

1) Dallas requests to watch it at least once a day since I made him watch it the first time.

2) Dallas is trying to (and does a very good job many times) sing along. He tries to match the words and the notes, since he is still barely talking, this is AWESOME!

3) I knew all the songs when I was little and it only took one go-through to remember them and now they are always stuck in my head. This is not so awesome.

Luckily this lone surviving video is NOT the one with the freaky monkey-highchair skit, but does have the disturbing alien-bathtub scene.

You win some, you loose some.

The English Language

Dallas has been going through a contrary phase for, well, ever. With his increasing verbal skills his protests to "Dallas please help me" have gone from "no" to "no mommy" to "no help me, mommy" (the "no help me, mommy" is him negating what I ask him to do... he isn't asking for me to help him instead).

This morning, before breakfast, we were cleaning up last night's mess (Dallas had a bit of a melt down on the way to bed last night, so not much cleaning got done). I asked Dallas to help me, par always, and got the, "No help me, mommy. No help me. No help... you. No help you, mommy."

At least he is using proper pronouns when he protests now...

Chelane, on the other hand, is a helper. She love to put things "in," many people mistake this for loving to clean-up, which she doesn't always want to do.

However yesterday, with Dallas being contrary, I asked him to put his blanket, which was out in the family room, on his bed. Dallas refused and walked away. Exasperated, I turned to Chelane and said, "Chelane can you go put Dallas' blanket on his bed?" and she did. I will admit I was not expecting it. This morning Chelane also put her binkie and stuffed Nemo fish back in her crib on the first request.

I am amazed at her receptive comprehension and of her willingness to obey. Please tell me this isn't just a phase.