An Ode to Uncle Gary

Several months ago my uncle Gary sent us home with a few boxes of old National Geographic Magazines that he collected over the years. He thought that they would be good for Ty to look through and play with. How wise that man has proven to be.

The weather up here has been crazy and it has been dumping rain for almost two weeks straight. Needless to say, my two year old is more than a little stir crazy at this point and I think the four walls were starting to close in on him. So- in one of my more brilliant moments- I remembered the boxes of magazines stacked in a corner of our garage. I brought one in and pulled out all the art supplies that we had in the house; crayons, markers, glue, scissors, paint and construction paper-- and just let Ty have at it. I helped him go through the mgazines and find the pictures of the animals that he wanted to glue onto the paper. We only used one magazine- but it kept Ty entertained for over two hours. TWO HOURS!! That's almost an eternity in toddler time. And it was so nice that everything we needed was only an arms reach away- so the very pregnant mom didn't have to get up a zillion times.

Anyway- it was a very pleasant afternoon and Ty is already asking when we can do it again. THANKS UNCLE GARY!!! WE OWE YOU ONE!

Is Bald Really Beautiful?

I have been trying (unsuccessfully) to talk Shaun into shaving his head for the six years we have been married and for the year that we dated. I don't know what the appeal is. This idea however, wasn't really something that my conservative little husband was very fond of... until recently! I don't know what brought on the change or if he was just tired of me suggesting it everytime he had to have a haircut... but tonight- he let Ty and I shave his head! Yay! I think he looks totally hot (and I want you to know that this is not a word I use loosely)! Ty watched me take a few passes at his dad's head before he would come very close. When I asked him if he wanted to cut dad's hair too- his face just lit up! It was like Christmas had come early. I gave Ty the clippers and helped him guide them across dad's head. Ty just giggled like a little girl- he thought it was so funny. Afterwards I asked him if we should cut his hair like dads and his eyes got big and he shook his head and said "No No No Mama." I guess I have another one to convince.

BEFORE

AFTER

Follow the Leader

It is probably something that annoys Shaun (or maybe he secretly revels in it)- but Ty just idolizes his dad. I suppose it's that whole father/son bonding thing that, as a mom and wife- I just don't understand some of the things that appeal to the both of them.

Shaun was mowing the lawn the other day (it has been raining like crazy up here for like two weeks straight- and it was a rare afternoon that the grass was dry enough to mow- Shaun could only get in two passes before the bag was full and he had to empty it again) and I looked out my kitchen window (it overlooks the backyard) and I saw Ty following Shaun EVERYWHERE. It didn't matter if Shaun was mowing or emptying the bag- Ty was right by his side every step of the way. It was too cute not to take some pictures of.

Boise (Finally)

Okay- I quit being lazy (but probably just for today) and I used some rare downtime after a ward primary activity to download pictures off of my camera onto my computer. Because it's been a while- I have a few posts to add to the blog all at once. I'm generally not a fan of this approach because I would rather tell you what we've been doing a little at a time rather than go whole hog and do a mass entry- but you are going to take what I give you because I am 47 months pregnant and I can get away with that kind of thing right now.

Anyway- a couple of weeks ago, Shaun loaded up the car and Ty and I and we took off to our former home of Boise. However, as nostalgic as this may sound- it was not to go and have a look at all the places that we miss- but it was a chance that we had to go and show our support and excitement over the fact that Chase and Jeni were graduating from BSU. We give a shout out to you two because we know how much work, dedication and abject stubborness went into both degrees- and we're very proud of you both. Yay. Apparently however, we did not take any pictures of anybody graduating- so instead- lwe are going to share more pictures of ourselves.

Disney

Ty has been a little off lately. I think that he's tired from a trip that we took to Boise (if you're lucky- I'll quit being lazy and actually download the pictures to our computer so that we can show off the newest college grads in the family) and now he has a pretty nasty cold. And the weather has turned kind of cold and wet. Really all he wants to do is snuggle up in my chair with me and watch movies. And since I'm all fat now (I used to have ankles- but now my calves just turn into feet. My ultra sensitive husband calls them my "stumps") I have no problems doing just that with him. Besides- I figure that my time with just Ty in my lap is pretty limited and I feel a little guilty about it. Ty loves Disney movies and we just watch them over and over.

In doing this however, I have come to appreciate the darker side of Disney. Think about this- in an effort to impart some kind of moral to the kids- Disney uses some pretty dark humor. Tell a lie- get eaten by a whale (Pinnochio). Be mean to an old lady- get turned into a monster (Beauty and the Beast). Go down some strange dark hole and all of a sudden cats will start to disappear, tea parties go nuts and some queen will start yelling to cut off your head (Alice in Wonderland).

The Hulk

Ty was irritated with me the other day. It was beautiful outside and the sun was shining- but all he wanted to do was lay on the couch and watch a movie. I, being such a responsible mother with my son's best interest at heart, told Ty no and that he was going to go out and enjoy the weather instead. So I literally had to carry him out the back door, while he continued to kick and scream "NO!!!" I figured that once he was outside and distracted by the swing set or something that he would forget about his movie and want to be outside- I mean come on... Aren't kids supposed to like being out in all the fresh air? Shaun has been pumping me full of crap for years about the country air being so fresh and all un-polluted. Kids should eat that up right? Right.

Anyway, I was right. After a while- Ty was a little distracted from the thought of going back inside and decided to chase the bugs in our backyard. He watched the bees on the flowers (okay- "flowers" is kind of deceptive- the plants with petals in our backyard are technically dandilions), chased a beetle and buried a worm. Then he yells at me to come and look at this BIG spider that he found. I was weeding on the other side of the garden, but dutifully got up to come and see his discovery. However, since I am "heavy with child"- it took a minute. While I was hefting myself upward, Ty yelled that the spider wasn't moving. I told him that he was probably sleeping or that he was dead. "He's sleeping?" questioned my innocent little boy. Then without another thought- he reaches his little hand out toward the spider. At this point- I was close enough to actually see the spider he was talking about. This thing was MASSIVE. HUGE. If it had been a human- we would be calling him The Incredible Hulk. I was halfway through my sentance, telling him not to touch it-but my warning cries were a little late. Ty's fingers had reached The Hulk and he poked him. Now instead of scuttling away like any normal bug would do when confronted with a chubby poking device- The Hulk jumped up onto Ty's hand and then started crawling (quickly) up Ty's arm.

We are talking blood curdling screams.

Then Ty takes off running toward me flinging his arms in every direction- trying to dislodge The Hulk from his arm. At one point- The Hulk either fell off or jumped back into the garden and Ty glommed onto my leg saying "Mama save me!" I held him for a few minutes until he calmed down enough to see that The Hulk had gone back to "sleep" next to my pile of discarded weeds. Ty then calmly climbed down and walked resolutely to the back steps. He climbed to the top one and sat down with his arms folded across his chest. He turned to me and said "Mama- I want to go inside now and watch a movie."

Needless to say- we spent the rest of the morning watching "Lady and the Tramp."

The Lawnmower

I feel... old...? No, maybe grown-up...? I'm not sure. Either way- Shaun and I are totally homeowners now. We bought our first lawnmower on Monday night. Our lawn has taken on the looks of a jungle- Shaun and I were debating on whether or not we should buy the lawnmower or a machete instead. We decided that in the long run- the mower would probably be a better option. I'm sure our neighbors were starting to worry that we were never going to mow.

Anyway- I learned something new. Lawnmowers apparently do not come all put together. They come in a box. You take your box home and you assemble it there. This is one of those times that I am grateful that I am married. My job was to go get the gas for it. Shaun got the lucky job of putting things together. Ty was his "assistant" for the evening. It was cute- Shaun had Ty help him measure out the right amount of oil and then showed him how to check the level of the oil on the dipstick. Ty was fascinated. I went inside for a few minutes to get dinner started, and when I came back out- Ty started jumping up and down yelling "Mama look! I helping!!"

Red Badge of Courage... Or Clumsiness

Today Ty wears his first scars of the summer. We went for a walk today after dinner and Ty totally ate it in our front yard. Luckily it was as we were getting ready to go in for a bath- so we were able to distract him from the tears pretty quickly. After his knees were all washed though- it doesn't even look like he got hurt- but he told us that they still did. I figured it was blog-worthy. It's not the first set of skinned knees he's seen and I'm sure it's not the last.

Today was such a beautiful day weather-wise. I think that we spent from about 10:30 until 5:00 outside (with the exception of lunch and naptimes). Shaun figured it was time for us to go in when Ty's little legs started to turn pink (hopefully he isn't too sunburned... maybe just sun kissed) along with my forehead.

I think that my favorite time of day though is at night- just before bedtime and after Ty has had a bath. He just smells so nice and he's kind of tired- so he's up for a snuggle. Today though I think he had some alternative measures in mind. He came into the living room and climbed on my lap, gave me a hug and told me he loved me. I thought he was so sweet. Then he asked if he could share my drink. Uh-huh. Loves mama my foot. I had made a drink called frozen hot chocolate (thanks to my sister in law Dani) and Ty informed me after he downed half of it, that it was "Yummy."

Ahhh Spring.

Spring has finally sprung here in the Bear Lake Valley (I do mean finally- and even though it's supposed to snow on Thursday- I've chosen to ignore the weather reports). The last couple of days have been absolutely beautiful. It's given me hope that all isn't lost here in this forsaken town out in the middle of nowhere. Yesterday Ty got to pull out his bike and ride it up and down the sidewalk- something that he has been harping on since about mid-January. He just couldn't figure out why he couldn't go and ride it in the snow. It's just been nice that it's finally warm enough to go outside for extended amounts of time without the fear of frostbite.

Today, I literally threw him outside just because he wouldn't stop trying to "help" me put a few things away. He didn't understand why anyone would want their clothes put in the dresser (since he doesn't)- so immediately after I put Shaun's pants away- Ty was in the drawer pulling them back out again. To be fair- he kept putting them in the laundry basket- so the good intentions were there. Good intentions or not though- he ended up outside. Because the weather was so nice- we both got to wear shorts and flip-flops (aren't his little legs and toes cute?! Mine are not- so I won't subject you to having to look at mine).

While we were outside today- he discovered worms. And apparently they are okay. You can't go near him with a bug or a little water snake- but these are alright. Maybe its because you can't tell which is the head and which is the butt that makes them a little less intimidating. Anyway- I told Ty to put the worm back in the garden and cover it with dirt so that we could go inside and make lunch.

At this point though- I beg to ask the question... Is it brain damage that so affects my child? Or is it rampant congenial idiocy that stems from either the Kidd line or the Henriksen line (I know which I would say-- though it would probably be the complete opposite of what Shaun would so it makes it difficult to tell. I post my question to my readers out there)? At what point do you look at a pile of dirt (that you have just buried a worm in no less) and decide that it is a good idea to pick up a handful and place it in your mouth? I watched Ty do this very thing and promptly spit it out. He turns to me and says "Eeewww!" I felt like saying "No kidding Sherlock," but I held my tongue (apparently the mothering instinct that we heard so much about in biology is innate in all of us- though probably buried deeper in others) and asked him instead if he wanted to go inside to wash out his mouth.

That ended our adventures this morning- though if the weather holds- I'm a little bit curious to see what he eats when we go out after his nap. A rock? A tree stump? Maybe we'll be lucky and he'll stick to something a little more mellow... like grass.

New Favorite Site

Okay- I don't know if you guys have heard of this- but I found this site and it is hilarious. It's called "In The Motherhood" and it is this collection of little web movies (they are only about 7 minutes long) that are written by moms for moms. Anyway- I watched one this afternoon and I almost peed my pants (granted that isn't all that hard to imagine right now since my baby thinks my bladder is a squeeze toy- but the movie was funny anyway).

http://inthemotherhood.msn.com/Default.aspx?source=email&videoId=16

Anyway- the humor is right up my alley and makes me feel a little bit more connected to something bigger than Montpelier has to offer. Hope you guys like it too!

Ears

What is it about little kids that they refuse to listen to what you want them to hear, and the things that you would rather them ignore- are the things that they glom onto? Case in point: I am starting to sound like a broken record; "Ty- come here! Come here please. Come here. Come here. Comeherecomeherecomeherecomehere. Here. Here." "Stop it. Stop! Stop it now. Stopstopstopstopstopstopstop!" "Not that! No! Nonononononononononono!" I think you get my point. I could go completely mute and I think that the results would be the same. Sometimes- I think Ty just gets tired of listening to me.

On the other hand- there are times that I wish he wasn't paying so close attention. The other day- I smelled a smell. Ty refuses to use the toilet lately- and I was pretty sure that I knew what the problem was. So I pulled out a new diaper and some wipes and told Ty that we needed to take the poop off. He stomped his foot and told me "No way." I told him he didn't have a choice and to come get on his bed so that I could change him. He took one look at me, crossed his arms and said "Oh hell." Whoops.

I think this proves an important point though. It just solidifies in my mind the fact that my two year old hears everything I say- it's just whether or not he chooses to give me the time of day.

PS- the picture has absolutely nothing to do with the post other than it was cute.

Ahhh. Grass.

Do any of you know what this is? Take a good hard look at it... I almost didn't recognise it myself since it has been so long since I have seen it. For those of you experiencing a little bit of "I-don't-know-what-the-heck-I'm-supposed-to-be-looking-at-itis" it is called GRASS. Real grass. A little dead- but grass nonetheless. And the best part is (drum roll please): It's in my very own backyard. Yes people we are starting to see a little bit of snow starting to melt. I can see grass. The world's longest winter is finally coming to and end. Whew.

One Little Monkey Sitting in a Tree

Ty had a dentist appointment last Friday up in Pocatello- so rather than drive two hours and turn around- we drove two hours and then another 45 minutes to go to Grandma Jacki's house instead. While at the dentist- we learned that Ty did not have any cavities and that he has twenty teeth. Way to go kiddo. It was kind of funny though- the only way that Ty was going to open his mouth up for a complete stranger in a surgical mask was that the dentist had to shoot water into Ty's mouth so that he could have a drink. I guess you go with what works. Anyway- after the dentist- we hung out with the family and Ty learned how to climb a tree (with only a little help). I half expect him to put the car into drive tomorrow and drive to the store to get a gallon of milk- he just figures things out too quickly for my liking.

We're Going to the Zoo Zoo Zoo, How About You You You?

Did any of you ever sing Rafi when you were growing up? I know Jeni's family subjected her to this- but I've never heard of anyone else's doing the same. Anyway- he sings this funny song about going to the zoo that Ty just loves and it's fitting for this post. Hogle Zoo was just calling to Ty and I a few weeks ago so we went down to Salt Lake for a few days and we went to the zoo with Grandpa. We went right before they closed the gates- so the place was pretty empty which was nice because I just let Ty run amuck. He was pretty stoked that he didn't have to be in a stroller or that he wasn't stuck holding mama's hand the whole time. Ty is kind of an animal nut and he had a lot of fun running from exhibit to exhibit (okay- again- I'm not sure if it was the animals that encited all this running or if it was the fact that he could do it). He wansn't so keen on the big spiders (of course neither was I), but he thought the bears were pretty cool. And when was the last time any of you got a good look at a giraffe? I forget how freakin' huge they are!!

Ty Kidd gets a haircut

Since my haircutting abilities only extend as far as shaving my kids head- I decided that I was going to take Ty to a real barber so that he could actually have hair instead of just running around bald all the time. Trauma? Not really. I was suprised at how well he handled this big scary Navajo coming at him with scisscors and a comb. My dad has been gong to Steve Featherbutt (no I'm not making the name up) for 100 years to get his hair cut. And my brother has been going almost as long. So- the last time we were in Salt Lake, my mom and I loaded Shaun and Ty up in the car and took them both to have a shearing down at the 20/20 barbershop. Shaun was very brave and handled his haircut without any tears at all. For his effort I promised to buy him a sucker. Ty on the other hand had to be bribed with M&M's and a promise that he could sit on his dad's lap for the entire thing. And you know what? Ty came out with both ears still intact and not a divot anywhere on his head (and a handful of M&M's). He didn't shed one tear and as he went out the door he told Steve that he liked his haircut and left with a resounding "Go Utes." Steve is a big U of U fan- so he got a chuckle out of Ty's gameday warcry.

Let's Paint!

Ty loves messes. And the messier he can get things- makes things even better. Last week we pulled out the fingerpaints and I sacrificed a few kitchen sponges to the cause- and Ty just went nuts. Apparently there are few things greater in life than having wet, slimy paint squished between your fingers. Ty had a good time pointing out the different shapes that I had made him from my cut up sponges and painted us several very pretty pictures. We hung the one of "Mama, Dad, Ty Kidd and Baby" on Ty's bedroom door and everytime he passes it- he has to point it out. I love projects like this because they keep Ty busy for an hour at a time. Most of the time, he has the attention span of a moth- and won't stay put for more than a few minutes. But for whatever reason whenever I pull out paints or something along those lines- we're set for the better part of an hour. It's really nice. If anyone else has some activities like this- let me know because the snow still hasn't melted and I'm running out of ideas!!

Is it March Madness or a Sickness?

I like college basketball just as much as the next person. In fact- it is the one time of year that you will see me sitting next to Shaun on the couch cheering for a team that in reality- I know nothing about other than the fact that they are a 12 seed beating a 5. But I do think that you have to draw the line somewhere (maybe in the puddle of drool that drips from the watchers mouth to the floor or in the trail of crumbs leading from the kitchen to the living room). In fact, I think that new legislation needs to be drawn up stating that when a person reaches a 36 game a week habit, he (or she) will be declared legally dead and their estate probate.

Boy or Girl? Did you place your bets?

Drumroll please... We finally had our ultrasound last week- and we know something that the rest of you don't! Well- only for a minute anyway. Okay- minute's up... we're having a boy!!! I really thought it was a girl- but I am really, really relieved that it's another little boy. Ty is the only grandkid on both sides of the family and I think that having another boy to run around with will be good for both of them. I hope anyway.

I'm not sure that Ty is entirely on board with the baby thing- in fact I'm not sure he really knows what's going on. I called him my baby the other day and he stopped dead, turned around on me and said "I'm NOT your baby. I'm Ty Kidd. Baby is in your tummy." So there. He's just been funny with the whole thing though. Shaun and I put up the crib in the baby's room a couple of days ago and once it was built- Ty looked at it for a minute then ran into his room, got a blanket and put it in the crib for "baby."

All in all it's kind of a scary thought- you know- having two kids. Shaun and I are still just two idiots and I can't help but think it's crazy... giving us these little ones. I mean- who's to say that we're not just going to screw them up in our own special way? Any idiot can be a parent but the state makes you have a special license to own a dog. Is that smart? Or responsible? I don't know. I don't have the answers for all of life's mysteries (just don't tell Shaun that- I think I've all but got him convinced that I know EVERYTHING), I just hope that we can be the parents that we need to be in order to have these boys grow up feeling loved and looked after.

Ahhh- Outside at Last!!

Do you know what I love about Grandma's house? The fact that not one thing is the same as at our house. And since everything is so different- it gives Ty something new to do and he quits driving me nuts. This last weekend we drove to Declo to spend a few days with Grandma Jacki and Papa. Since it's early spring- the sheep farm (is it a farm or a ranch?) down the street was "lambing"- meaning there was a bunch of cute little brand new sheep running around down there- and Papa couldn't help but take Ty to see them. These little lambs were so cute- and I would have taken one home if I wasn't certain that the neighbors might not think it was such a good idea. Ty was a little shy and totally freaked out when the babies started licking his fingers. He was convinced that they were trying to eat him.

Saturday afternoon, Shaun and his brother Chad thought it would be really "fun" (I think they were really thinking that it would be funny and entertaining for themselves) to take Jeni and I shooting. I've shot before- but it was a long time ago-and frankly- I'm not a big fan of shotguns. They kick when you shoot and it always makes my shoulder hurt- I'm not a big fan of pain either. But in the interest of doing something that Shaun loves to do... I came, I saw, I shot and I hurt my shoulder. It wouldn't have been so bad if I had been able to hit something besides the air next to the target... Maybe next time.

The other fun thing about Declo is all the time we got to spend outside!! There was no snow there (unlike our house- which still has 2-3 feet in our front yard)- so we stayed outside almost the whole time. Ty likes to "help" Papa feed the cows- and this time spent most of the time actually in the manger. I don't know that the cows were too thrilled to have a two year old in their dinner- but they managed to avoid him for the most part. It was a really fun weekend and it really made me want all of the snow at our house to MELT! I'm so ready for spring- it's killing me. That's one of the things that I really miss about Boise. It did snow there, but then it would rain and get rid of all the snow a few days later. It was nice. You got to throw a snowball and then it was gone. I went outside the other day, here at home, and actually tried breaking up some of the bigger snowdrifts in the hopes that it would help it melt faster- but there's just nowhere to put it. Stupid snow. I'm coming to Houston- you better get your couch ready Erica!!

Winter Thrills

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!

HALFWAY!!

You know what I discovered today? We are officially 20 weeks pregnant!! Which means there are only 19 weeks left until I'm not pregnant anymore! A victory dance would be in order if I could muster the energy to do so. This baby has totally been sucking the life out of me- I don't remember being this tired when I was pregnant with Ty or this sick. One of these days I figure I'll get around to feeling better- but that day is apparently not today. Oh well. 19 weeks. We find out next week if we are having a boy or a girl- and then the great name debate begins- though I'm starting to think that if I have to be sick and tired for the whole 9 months I should just get to pick whatever name I want. Shaun doesn't really think this is such a great idea- but I'm starting to think "No uterus- no opinion." Anyway- I think this one might be a girl and Shaun is pretty sure it's another boy... So the bets are on!

Big Boy Bed!

We officially made the switch on Ty a couple of weeks ago- good-bye crib and hello twin bed. I was really nervous about this because of all the horror stories that you hear about the kid not wanting to stay in bed and not being able to sleep and climbing into bed with mom and dad... I just didn't know if I was ready to give up my bed or my eight hours of un-interupted sleep. But I also didn't want Ty to think that we were kicking him out of his bed when the new baby got here either- so we did finally get the twin bed set up in his room and sheets that he picked out all by himself (he wanted snowmen... interesting I suppose). And you know what- he never even looked back. Ty has been sleeping in his new bed for almost a month now and you would never know that at one time he even had a crib. Except for the fact that he won't get out of the new bed unless his dad or his mom is in the room with him. So every morning at 7:00 you can hear this little call coming from his bedroom "Mama! Come get me out of my bed!" Which is something he used to do in his crib too- I think it's nice- and a little strange- but I won't complain!

Happy Birthday... Dad?!

My son is admittedly an addict. I've heard that in AA, there is a twelve step program and one of the first steps is admitting that you have a problem. Well- my son doesn't know any better, so I will say it for him. He is addicted to "Elmo's World" (and admittedly anything else that looks, sounds or smells like Elmo- and a word to the wise- the "Tickle Me Elmo" that was the huge seller this Christmas is quite possibly the most annoying toy on the face of the planet. Daily I consider throwing it outside to the neighbor dog and letting him bury it for me). We never miss the show- and thanks to the PBS programming available in our area- we never have to.

Yesterday, we took our customary places in our big old armchair with a snack in hand (string cheese for those that are interested), and we were ready for the next installment of the little red monster's show. We learned about birthdays and everything that went with them. Elmo showed us about parties and getting older and cakes. It was a thrill a minute. At the end of the program, Ty turned to me and asked me more about birthday cakes. He wanted to know if everyone got a birthday cake. Then he asked me if we could make Dad a birthday cake. I told him that it wasn't dad's birthday and was about to tell him no. But then I stopped. It's cold outside and frankly Ty and I are getting a little tired of each other and the daily routine. What better way to break the monotony than by making dad an "un-birthday" cake? It was like a scene from "Alice in Wonderland" or something- we were pulling out cookbooks and flour and aprons like it was going out of style.

I let Ty pick out the perfect birthday cake for his dad, and he chose a two layered white cake with chocolate frosting. Simple enough right? It was suprisingly fun. I am always in awe of what simple pleasures can be had from the dumbest of things. Ty is facinated when it comes to the kitchen and helping me. Yesterday though- I let him take the lead. He measured the flour all by himself- three cups- which he counted all by himself. He poured in the vanilla (maybe a little too much- but hey- it was a vanilla cake, really what could it hurt?) and added the eggs one at a time. And he helped me make the frosting- there was a lot of chocolate melting over the stove- so his help here was a little bit more limited since I didn't want the day to end with us running over to the hostpital with 3rd degree burns. It was such a fantastic smell... The smell of chocolate!!

Anyway, we assembled the cake and decorated all before dad got home. Needless to say, dad was little confused when Ty's greeting for him was "Happy Birthday." We explained our day though and dad was very excited to get his unbirthday cake for dessert.

It was a fun day- someone remind me later to not be so uptight and bake more cakes for no

reason.

A Matter of Opinion

Andy Rooney can be kind of a dork at times, but every once in a while he hits on something that sounds just about right. I can't tell you when this was broadcasted- but I like it.

I don't think being a minority makes you a victim of anything except numbers. The only things I can think of that are truly discriminatory are things like the United Negro College Fund, Jet Magazine, Black Ent ertainment Television, and Miss Black America. Try to have things like the United Caucasian College Fund, Cloud Magazine, White Entertainment Television, or Miss White America; and see what happens...Jesse Jackson will be knocking down your door.

Guns do not make you a killer. I think killing makes you a killer. You can kill someone with a baseball bat or a car, but no one is trying to ban you from driving to the ball game.

I believe they are called the Boy Scouts for a reason, which is why there are no girls allowed. Girls belong in the Girl Scouts! ARE YOU LISTENING MARTHA BURKE ?

I think that if you feel homosexuality is wrong, it is not a phobia, it is an opinion.

I have the right "NOT" to be tolerant of others because they are different, weird, or tick me off.

When 70% of the people who get arrested are black, in cities where 70% of the population is black, that is not racial profiling; it is the Law of Probability.

I believe that if you are selling me a milkshake, a pack of cigarettes, a newspaper or a hotel room, you must do it in English! As a matter of fact, if you want to be an American citizen, you should have to speak English! My father and grandfather didn't die in vain so you can leave the countries you were born in to come over and disrespect ours.

I think the police should have every right to shoot you if you threaten them after they tell you to stop. If you can't understand the word "freeze" or "stop" in English, see the above lines.

I don't think just because you were not born in this country, you are qualified for any special loan programs, government sponsored bank loans or tax breaks, etc., so you can open a hotel, coffee shop, trinket store, or any other business. We did not go to the aid of certain foreign countries and risk our lives in wars to defend their freedoms, so that decades later they could come over here and tell us our constitution is a living document; and open to their interpretations.

I don't hate the rich I don't pity the poor I know pro wrestling is fake, but so are movies and television. That doesn't stop you from watching them.

I think Bill Gates has every right to keep every penny he made and continue to make more. If it ticks you off, go and invent the next operating system that's better, and put your name on the building.

It doesn't take a whole village to raise a child right, but it does take a parent to stand up to the kid; and smack their little behinds when necessary, and say "NO!"

I think tattoos and piercing are fine if you want them, but please don't pretend they are a political statement. And, please, stay home until that new lip ring heals.I don't want to look at your ugly infected mouth as you serve me French fries!

I am sick of "Political Correctness." I know a lot of black people, and not a single one of them was born in Africa ; so how can they be "African-Americans"? Besides, Africa is a continent. I don't go around saying I am a European-American because my great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather was from Europe I am proud to be from America and nowhere else

Just for Grandpa

Okay- I apparently neglected to put up "the best one" in regards to pictures from our President's Day weekend adventure at Bear Lake. Grandpa emailed me and I figure I better rectify this before I get any more emails!! When we were at the cabin, Grandpa and Ty went for a ride on one of the snowmobiles and came across this HUGE snow cave that some kids had dug in the mountains of snow. Ty thought it was so much fun to crawl in and out of. Anyway Grandpa- this is for you!

Dad's Little "Helper"

In the massive manual of "Life", there should be a chapter called "Stuff they just don't tell you beforehand." For example, sewing is more ironing and pinning than actual stitching; toilet seat position will be the least of your marital worries; and oh, by the way, home ownership is really about home repair. The home that we bought in Montpelier is about 50 years old and is in really pretty good condition. When we bought it we felt that we were swimming in fiscal wisdom, good fortune and artistic liberation. Before the ink had a chance to dry, however, we discovered that the house offered incontestable proof that the universe has a sense of humor. Apparently the previous homeowners thought that silicone caulk was the best way to hold anything together. And I mean anything.

Okay- the reality is things aren't that bad. Shaun and I have had to have a sense of humor about the whole thing because all in all- we do love the house. Shaun just never thought his ability to fix most things would come in so handy. He's thinking about starting a plumbing business on the side since he's gotten so good at it! Yesterday though- he and Ty set to work installing an under the cabinet radio in the kitchen for me and fixing the threshold on the backdoor. Okay- really Ty just sat there with a tape measure and an apple while Shaun got down and dirty, while I did the incredibly tough job of supervising.

For the Love of EVERYTHING- Make it STOP

I always loved winter- the snow was so beautiful and it made everything look so clean and white. Plus the skiing- it was just a great time of year. I loved it. Key word there- LOVED. I think I hate winter and I think I hate snow. And I'm beginning to hate Montpelier because all it does here is snow. I swear to you- it never stops. Ever. I suppose I should be grateful- it means we'll all have drinking water this summer and Bear Lake will be nice and full. Can't we just fast forward to that part? Maybe I'll just have to find somewhere else to move to next winter (I'm starting to sound like some 60 year old lady- you know one of those "snowbirds"). On the bright side- Ty likes to play out in it. A lot. Too bad it's deeper than he is tall. This means that when he wants to go and play out back- I have to put my snow clothes on too so that I can blaze a trail for him around the back yard. The last time we did this- the snow came up to my mid-thigh and sometimes up to my hip. That's pretty darn deep. This last picture is one of Ty trying to follow my tracks through the snow to get to his swingset (also covered in snow- but for some reason Ty likes to try and dig the swings out- I think he thinks that if he can get it unburied that he can use it. Good luck kid).

Out of the Mouth of Babes...

This is a picture of Ty when he was about 3 months old and obviously sound asleep. He was so little compared to what

he is now- it's crazy to look at these old pictures and to look at how much he has grown and developed. Yes this is a nostalgic post. It really hit me today that we are going to have another kid. A little late, I know- but all of a sudden we're this family. It's wierd. Anyway, Ty is such an imp lately and literally has diahrea of the mouth. There hasn't been a quiet day in our house for months. And that's okay, because for the most part- he keeps us laughing. Case in point:

Ty was having a much needed haircut a few weeks ago. His hair was shaggy long and had these wierd divots in it- so I thought I would just shave it all off and start from scratch. I pulled out the clippers and cut his hair. Ty doesn't mind because he thinks it tickles- so he just giggled all the way through his trim. Once I finished, I swept up his hair and put it all in the trash. Then I showed Ty the garbage and told him that all his hair was in there. He looked at the hair for a minute then took my hand and led me into the bathroom. He asked me to hold him up to the mirror, so I did, knowing that he just wanted to have a look at his hair. Ty looked in the mirror for a second then said "Put me down." So I did then followed him back into the kitchen where he pulled out the garbage and pointed to his hair, "Mama, put my hair back on now." Whoops. It was so funny though that he would put it all together.

Anyway, I'm hoping to stay more on track with the blogging thing and keep you up to date on what else the little chatterbox has to say. I'm finally starting to feel a little bit better now so hopefully it should happen!

President's Day Weekend

For the record- I am in protest. I am so sick of the snow and the cold. Al Gore can stick his global warming in his ear.

That said however- we had such a fun weekend this President's Day. We spent the weekend at my parents cabin in Bear Lake. It is now only a 45 minute drive for us to get there rather than a couple of hours like it used to be. We met my whole family there for the entire weekend- how fun is that? Saturday we (and by "we" I mean everyone else. Since I'm el prego, I got stay at home and get lunch ready. Woo hoo) went snowmobiling for several hours in the mountains behind the cabin. Then on Monday everyone went skiing at Beaver Mountain (again- I made lunch). Ty had such a gas- since he's the only grandkid/nephew, he is the center of attention everytime we go anywhere with my family and he just ate it up!

Ty also got to go sledding with grandpa, uncle Dave and aunt Nat. The roads up there are kind of steep so the ride is really fun. Ty went down with Dave and yelled back at him "This is fun!" It's probably a good thing that they never went down in a blaze of glory because I think all the "fun" would have gone out the window.

We all had fun though and we're looking forward to doing it again next year!