To be left alone for a minute

Tonight as I went upstairs to use the bathroom, Brendan came with me. He told me he was "following" me. He came inside the room with me and locked the door. When I asked him why he said, "So the ghosts can't come and get you, Mom." Gee thanks, son. Why don't you lock yourself out so I can potty in peace? Any other parents out there ever just wish they could use the bathroom alone, without an entourage or children beating on the door? If this hasn't happened to you yet, your time is coming.

Temper, temper

This past week has shown Eva's true colors. As she is about to turn one, her personality comes out more and more. I can see that she has quite a temper. Her very first tantrum was last week - the complete flailing, kicking, screaming kind. It was short-lived, however, since she is still at the age where she is easily distractable. She also tried to bite her brother when he took a toy from her. We'll need to nip that in the bud fast.
She is also deviously naughty. Someone once told me that girls and boys were just as naughty only girls were sneakier about it. I think its true. Brendan was always so loud that we caught him before the trouble ever really started. Eva is quiet and stealthy so we come in on the trouble as it is about over (i.e. all the wipes in the container pulled out and strewn over the floor). I guess I need to keep a closer eye on her. But she is so stinkin' cute that I forget sometimes what a turkey she can be.

Grown Up Tag by Danica

RULES OF THE GAME:
1) Each player answers the following questions
2) After answering all the questions, the player tags 4 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves a comment letting them know they are tagged!

10 years ago we were: I was in my last semester of college at BYU, student teaching a 2nd grade class. Jason was in the Army, going to start Ranger School soon.

5 things on my list to do today: 1. Get the kids and myself ready for church 2. Go to church 3. Keep the kids quiet during Sacrament Meeting 4. Coax Brendan into Sunbeams 5. Do my visiting teaching and go with Jason to do his home teaching

10 Things I would do if I became a Billionaire: 1. Pay off debt 2. Pay tithing 3. Donate 4. Travel 5. Buy another car 6. Help family members out of their financial situations 7. Buy a house 8. Buy some new clothes 9. Treat myself to a makeover 9. Invest 10. Avoid the paparazzi :)

3 bad habits: 1. Not telling people how I really feel/holding things in until its too late 2. Being critical 3. Avoiding doing the dishes

5 places we've lived: 1. Glendale, AZ 2. Phoenix, AZ 3. San Rafael, CA
Those are the only 3 places we have lived together

Something most people don't know about me: I don't like fish so a lot of Bay Area cuisine is wasted on me.

5 jobs I've had: 1. Nanny 2. Custodian 3. Games Center employee at BYU 4. Teacher 5. MOM

People I tag...anyone who wants to have something ready-made to write about on their blog

300

Jason here. Christine and I just ordered several edited movies from a company closing its doors. We ordered 300 and just finished watching it tonight. All I can say is that 300 seems like one long Chuck Norris joke.

Helping save books and the environment while promoting literacy

I came across this on GoodyBlog.com from Parents magazine and I wanted to let others know about it. I especially love the children's book section. I think you should try Better World Books at BetterWorld.com too. What makes them better?
1. The company collects used books and textbooks (otherwise destined for landfills) from thousands of campuses and libraries.
2. It resells them online and gives a portion of the revenues back to the libraries and campus groups, and another percentage to one of five major global literacy groups.
3. Shipping is free anywhere in the U.S. ($3.97 flat rate anywhere in the world).
4. Since a lot of the books are used, they're also cheap.

C.A.A.D.

This from an email that my sister forwarded to me. I think it is hysterical and had to share!!

Recently, I was diagnosed with C. A. A. D. D. - Child Activated Attention Deficit Disorder.

This is how it manifests:
I decide to do the laundry. As I start toward the laundry room, I notice that there are cheerios all over the floor and my car keys are in the cereal bowl. I decide to pick up the cheerios before I do the laundry. I lay my car keys down on the counter, put the cheerios in the trash can under the counter, and notice that the trash can is full. So, I decide to take out the trash. But then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox when I take out the trash I may as well pay the bills first. I take my checkbook off the table, and see that there is only one check left, my extra checks are in my desk in the office/playroom, so I go to my desk where I find a sippy cup full of juice.

I'm going to look for my checks, but first I decide I should put sippy cup in the refrigerator to keep it cold. As I head toward the kitchen with the sippy cup, a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye--they need to be watered. I set the sippy cup on the counter, and I discover baby wipes that I've been searching for all morning. I decide I better put them back in the bathroom, but first I'm going to water the flowers. I set the wipes back down, fill a container with water and suddenly I spot the TV remote, one of the kids left it on the kitchen table. I realize that when they go to watch TV, I will be looking for the remote as they fight over who lost it, but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs, but first I'll water the flowers.

I splash some water on the flowers, but most of it spills on the floor. So, I set the remote back down, get some paper towels and wipe up the spill. Then I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do. At the end of the day: the laundry isn't washed, the bills aren't paid, there is a warm cup of juice sitting on the counter, the flowers aren't watered, there is still only one check in my checkbook, I can't find the remote, I can't find the wipes, and I don' t remember what I did with the car keys. Then when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all day long, and I'm really tired.

I realize this is a serious problem, and I'll try to get some help for it, but first I'll check my e-mail. Do me a favor, will you? Forward this message, because I don't remember to whom it has been sent. Don't laugh -- if this isn't you yet, your day is coming.

Wild Thing

For Christmas we bought Brendan the Scholastic Treasury of Storybook Classics DVD collection. They are popular children's books that are animated or made into live action short films. We have loved being able to watch them. His absolute favorite has been "Where the Wild Things Are" by Maurice Sendak. He quotes it and tells me that they "roar their terrible roars" and "gnash their terrible teeth". He talks about Max's "wild rumpus" and about how Max is king of the wild things.
Anyway, last week I was at a children's consignment store nearby. I came across a stuffed toy that was the character Max in his Wild Thing garb. Given Brendan's enthusiasm for this particular story, I had to purchase it. He really likes it. He told me, "Max sit on the couch and watch sharks and steamrakes ('stingrays' in Brendan-ese) with me". Later he asked me to "talk to Max, Mom."

He plays with Max like he is a real boy. They read books together, have quiet time together and Max joined us at the table for breakfast this morning (minus a bowl of cereal for him, of course). I love that Bubbs loves books and stories as much as his father and me. He has reached the age of imagination and I think it is wonderful. I can't wait to see what he'll come up with next.

Random cuteness

This post is mostly to show off some pictures I took of the kids this weekend. I couldn't resist the shirt Eva is wearing. I thought it was great for a dentist's daughter. I know I am biased but I think they are adorable.

Kids say the darndest things

Today while I was dressing Brendan he pointed to a patch of dry skin on my forehead and said, "What you got there, Mom? Oatmeal?" Guess I need a better moisturizer. :)

Mixed Emotions

Jason here. After a fun weekend with the in-laws I came home and was checking the news. Today is Martin Luther King Day and it also happens to be the day before our first black president will take the Oath of Office. As a history major with a concentration in modern American history, I fully realize that this is a historic moment. I only wish I could be happier about it.

I have no doubts about Pres. Obama's public speaking ability or his charm. What I do have serious reservations about are his positions ranging from foreign policy to abortion. I want to cheer for him, I want to say congratulations and all that, but... I just can't.

For the sake of frankness, I will just put this point blank: Obama was elected because of the color of his skin, not because of the content of his character. No white person with Obama's lack of experience and radical voting record would have a prayer of getting elected. This just seems to me like political affirmative action. He has sold his legislative soul to the far left of his party in order to assure a political future. He seems to me to talk a good game, but his voting record speaks for itself in opposition to the words that come off his silver tongue.

He speaks of restoring dignity to the White House while he relentlessly slandered and disrespected the sitting president. He says that marriage should be between a man and a woman, but he supported voting against Prop 8. He wants to end the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in the military. I have heard his voice oppose legislation that would ban "live birth" abortion, this father of two beautiful daughters. I just don't get this man. He is like a walking contradiction in terms.

Funny thing is, I am really not all that outraged at him, but at the establishment media for giving him a free pass. If the media had chosen to highlight the gaffes of Obama or Biden (who is a walking gaffe, lemme tell ya) like they did to Vice President Quayle who made one, yes one spelling error, then everyone would be convinced that Obama was a moron.

Tomorrow, Obama will be the President, and Commander in Chief, and since I am in the military will have to try my best to keep my opinions to myself for the next 4 to 8 years. Who knows? Now that he doesn't have to lick the boots of the radical wing of his party, maybe Obama will find the middle ground. Who knows?

Sicko

Brendan has had this awful cough that was not going away. He had fevers and claimed his ears hurt. Yesterday we took him to the doctor's office. She said he has a double ear infection and possible pneumonia in one of his lungs. So he is now on that lovely pink bubble gum medicine. His cough is still hanging on but it has only been one day since we started the medicine. Apparently he is tired of being sick. This morning, after a coughing fit, he pointed to himself and said, "No! Stop, cough! You mean!" You tell 'em buddy!

Brendan's new favorite toy

I read about this great new toy, the Fisher Price Easy Link Internet Launch Pad, on one of the blogs I subscribe to. It was on major sale (from over $20 to $4). After reading what it can do, I bought it for Brendan. He loves to go to the Thomas the Tank Engine website and play the games, but I had to set it up for him every time. This device had Smart Keys that a child can place into the pad and it will take them to that site. Once there, they cannot access anything but the site (no pop ups, no printing, not the site's store, and not your important documents). You can feel safe that your child cannot mess up your computer or go somewhere they shouldn't. It even has a timer that will shut off the device so you can have a time limit for computer use. The only trouble we have had with it is teaching Brendan to use the mouse properly. Once he had that down, he can now enjoy these learning games all by himself, allowing me a little more free time and teaching him independence. When Bubbs had a friend over they took turns picking which key to use and what game to play. Here they liked the "Find a Shape" game on the DragonTales website. We really like this toy and so does he.

First steps

Eva has finally gotten up the guts to let go of furniture (or her parent's pant legs) and stand on her own. She started this about a week and a half ago and is an expert now. Two days ago she took those first few faulty steps. She managed one, almost two, before she grabbed onto my leg. She has done this "controlled stumble" a few times now. She also loves to push the walking toy around. Its hard to get a clear picture because she's never still.
Surprisingly, her brother is excited. He clapped for her. Little does he know that once she can really walk, his world will be forever changed. :)

They're here!

Eva now has three of the four teeth that have been threatening to erupt for over a month now. She erupted these teeth all within 8 days of each other and man was she cranky! One even bled as it came in. But now I have my sweetie back. She still has one that looks like it is on its way but she shows little signs of that in her behavior. This is not the most flattering photograph but if you have ever tried to get a shot of a baby's mouth, you'll know why it is this way.

P.S. While I am excited that her teeth are in now, I am not excited that she, for the first time, bit down while nursing yesterday. Well that session ended abruptly, I can tell you!

An Award

Our blog has won the Lemonade Award from my friend, Jen. This award recognizes blogs that show both "attitude and gratitude". It got its name because of the saying, "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade." I guess having two ridiculous kids drive you crazy and chronicling it for all the world to read will qualify you for honors such as these. Here's what I get to do now . . .

1. Thank the person who was so thoughtful for giving you this award by linking their blog to this post.
2. Put the logo on your blog or post.
3. Nominate 10 blogs which show great attitude/gratitude.
4. Link your nominee to your post.
5. Comment them to tell them about the award they've won.
I am going to cheat and nominate only 5 (since these are the people who seem to regularly read/are followers of my blog and haven't already won the award):
1. Amanda
2. Amber
3. Shana
4. Becca
5. Kristina

And I am cheating yet again in not commenting to tell them they won. Then they can be pleasantly surprised while reading my blog. Since I gauge who my readers are by comments left, if your name was not on my nominated list, you should leave more comments. *Hint hint*

Good news

I recently read about this news on one of my favorite blogs:
"On Thursday, the Consumer Product Safety Commission released CPSIA guidelines for resellers stating that "Sellers of used children's products, such as thrift stores and consignment stores, are not required to certify that those products meet the new lead limits, phthalates standard or new toy standards." and prompting consignment shop owners to send out notes of reassurance to their customers which contained the above quote from the guidelines."
To read more, click here.
However, this new law still affects those who make and sell toys and clothes. So, if you are eyeballing a handmade item on ebay or etsy, you might want to swipe it up.

Husband tag

So I was tagged by Shanana to tell you some things about my husband, Jason. Here goes.
Jason's 5 favorite things that he loves (in my mind it is hard to pick just 5 things he is obsessed with):
1. the fam
2. Pilot Dr. Grip pens with gel ink
3. Online speed chess
4. Hugh Nibley books
5. a good debate

5 things on his to-do list:
1. Finish watching Pirates of the Caribbean 3 with me
2. Coordinate Elder's Quorum stuff
3. Practice his pen spinning routine for the Over the Hump party on Saturday
4. Plan our anniversary dinner (he said he'd do it this year)
5. Take out the trash and recycling (okay, maybe that is more on my list for him to do, not his to-do list)

5 snacks he loves:
1. carrots
2. PB&J
3. cereal
4. Bell pepper strips
5. candy from the "free store"

5 facts you may not know:
1. He has pins in his ankle from an Army accident.
2. He had a picture of Hugh Nibley framed in his room when we started dating.
3. He talks in his sleep (and does other things he does not remember in the morning).
4. He really enjoys exhausting physical activities like 12 mile runs with a 35 lb rucksack on your back. Yes, he is crazy!
5. He does a fabulous Stevie Wonder impression.

5 places he has lived:
1. Travis AFB, CA
2. Salt Lake City, UT
3. Fort Campbell, KY
4. Phoenix, AZ
5. various places in Minnesota

5 quirky things about him:
1. Cannot stand hearing people chew crunchy food. Seriously, I have to eat crackers in another room if he is not eating them too.
2. Has a weird habit of making a sound like water dripping at random times. It really bugs me.
3. Spins his pen ALL the time, sometimes while driving
4. Has an irrational fear of creepy crawlies - mostly cockroaches (we lived in AZ, who doesn't?)
5. Always obsessively tweaking his computer, phone and PDA in an endless attempt to make it the perfect customization. In fact, he tries to "improve" a lot of things, often with duct tape or dental floss.
P.S. He hates that last picture but I think it is funny.

5 people I tag:
1. Amber
2. Danica
3. Katie
4. Jen
5. Barbara

Some relief for secondhand sellers?

In a recent update it looks like third party sales for children's toys and clothes will be okay (like yard sales). However, no official word has been released. You can read more about it here. It looks all the writing and calling to our government reps is doing the trick. In this post, the link to "Is relief in reach for small business owners under the CPSIA?" is a really good read. It shows that Congress has to get involved for some of the law to not be in effect retroactively (items made before the February 10, 2009 target date). So there is a lot more to this law than meets the eye.

Comfy?

Brendan actually fell asleep during ""quiet time" today so I went in to check on him. I looked all over the floor and on his bed but didn't see him. For an instant I was worried. Had he escaped from his room? I didn't hear him open the door or come downstairs. Then I looked in the rocking chair. This is what I found.

Chubbing up and freaking out

The stats are in. Both kids had a pediatric appointment today and were weighed and measured. Eva now weighs a whopping 1.5 pounds more than she did last month and is a whole inch taller. Talk about a growth spurt! Brendan is now over 38 lbs and is 41 inches tall. We grow 'em big here in the McDaniel house. :)
However, I am willing to vow NEVER to take both kids with me ever again. Brendan was playing in the lobby with a truck when they called us in to the exam room. Even though I told him before we ever got in the car to go to the doctor's that there would be toys to play with that he would have to leave when we saw the doctor, he threw a fit! I am always so embarrassed when this happens. I tried to prepare him. Sigh. Oh well. The assistant was so nice that she went back into the waiting room and brought the toy into the exam room for him to play with. Sadly, then he freaked out again when we had to leave it there to go home. He cried more about the truck than about the shot he got.
Eva didn't cry at all. Not for the shot and not for the finger prick to test for anemia and not for the blood draw with a needle for the blood lead test. Oh my sweet daughter, can you rub off on your brother? Can you show him how to behave at the lab instead of pulling ornaments off the Christmas decor and picking up all the test tubes and dumping the sticker basket all over the floor? I guess I shouldn't be so hard on Bubba. Eva is naughty in her own sneaky way.

The end of secondhand stuff for kids?

"Barring a reprieve, regulations set to take effect next month [Feb. 10] could force thousands of clothing retailers and thrift stores to throw away trunkloads of children's clothing."

Read this if you buy or sell or even donate used kids' clothing and toys. Crazy! Click here to look at the repercussions of a law like this as it now stands. Now this is some legislation that is not getting enough attention. I agree that the law has good intentions but is too broadly written. I, for one, supremely enjoy a thrift store, ebay, consignment or craigslist deal. What do you think?
If this bothers you at all and you want to get involved, here are some things you can do.
1) Email or call the CPSIA - the office of the CPSC ombudsman 888-531-9070.
http://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/newleg.aspx
Comments on Component Parts Testing accepted through January 30, 2009.
mailto:Sec102ComponentPartsTesting@cpsc.gov.

2) Email or snail mail your representatives.
http://capwiz.com/americanapparel/dbq/officials/

3) Call your representatives. For their contact information just enter your zip code.
http://capwiz.com/americanapparel/dbq/officials/

4) Make your voice heard by voting on this issue. The top 3 in each category will be presented to President-elect Obama.
http://www.change.org/ideas/view/save_handmade_toys_from_the_cpsia

5) Sign the petition.
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/economicimpactsofCPSIA/index.html

6) Spread the word! Write about this on your blog. Tell others about this issue and encourage them to do the same.

New Year's marathon

There is a tradition in the Telford house that on New Year's Eve you MUST watch the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice. Yep, all 5 1/2 hours of it. I love that movie and am lucky enough to have a hubby who likes it too. We made all kinds of tasty treats to munch on while watching, put the kids to bed and started the movie viewing. Lame ole me fell asleep partway through and missed my favorite part (when Darcy is fencing and vows to get over Elizabeth) but woke up for the last DVD. Sadly, Eva woke up too due to teething and so she enjoyed the stroke of midnight with us. And that is how we rang in the new year. In my opinion, no one does P&P like BBC. Nobody.

Cranky times 4

Eva was working on 4 top teeth this vacation. She was nice enough to pop one out on New Year's Eve but is still the crankiest I have ever seen her. Her gums are swollen and red. You can see the teeth wanting to come through. She has real trouble sleeping and has become so clingy that I can't get anything done. Tylenol seems to work best but nothing else touches it (we have tried tablets, drops and Oragel). Any ideas besides earplugs?

A house full of cousins

All week long there was family all around. My oldest sister and her family came in from Utah to visit. My nephew, Canyon, celebrated his third birthday while we were there too. We also went to a baby blessing for my sister, Amber's twins on Sunday. Unfortunately, I have no pictures of the blessing since my SD card broke that day. Grrr!
It was great to see everyone. We sure missed my brother and his wife who couldn't come. We may just have to make a trip to see them soon! Of course, I stayed up way too late every night we were there and Eva's teething made sure I had to wake up earlier than I wanted. Darn it!
Here are some random shots of the week.
More Christmas present opening
Shiloh, my older sister, with one of the twins. Mom said that the "baby looked good on her." Shi reminded her that she already had 4 kids. I think Mom wants some more grandchildren and soon.
One of the many large family meals

Brendan and Canyon had a hard time with each other this visit. Usually they play and get along. This time . . .not so much. The one time they played together nicely for a length of time is shown in these pictures. I went out to check on them and saw that Canny had a shovel and Brendan had the wheelbarrow. They informed me that they were "cleaning up the doggy poop". They worked at it for about 45 minutes and got a good hand scrubbing when they came in.
Canyon gets one bite of his birthday cake
Brendan's turn to whack the pinata
After one of the big kids knocked it down without breaking it, Jason takes matters into his own hands. It turns out that it was one of the kind of pinatas that you don't hit with a stick. It has several strings at the bottom that you pull one at a time. One of those strings is attached to the door that opens and lets the candy fall. However, my wonderful hubby did not know this and picked it up by the strings, breaking them all. He then had to jimmy it open.

Candy frenzy!!!

Cutie patootie Hailey with her lollipop

Snow Day!!

The day after Christmas everyone set off to the snow about 1.5 hours away. My kids are seriously snow deprived and last time Brendan played in snow he cried the whole time. My mom had lots of snow gear and we picked up some more along the way before we arrived at this great sledding hill in Mineral, CA. This day was lots of fun, though I think the adults had more fun than the kids. Jason purchased a sled there. I was the official photographer wearing Eva in the Sutemi pack. She seemed pretty content.

My mom held my nephew, Dane, since he was too little to do much sledding. He was hating the snow.

My sister, Amanda took turns sledding with Tina (my youngest sister) and her oldest son, Canyon.


Jason took Brendan down the slopes. He began by going up only halfway, therefore not going very fast on the descent. Bubbs LOVED it!!

He didn't even seem to mind when he fell off the sled. You can see in the picture that Jason and the sled ran over him.

But, never fear, the next picture shows that he got right back on.

However, then Jason decided to go to the top with him. It was a giant hill and everyone coming down was just flying. I wish I had it on film because the whole way down Brendan, who was in the front of the sled, was getting a spray of powder directly in the face. By the time they came to rest at my feet, Bubba was crying and trying to wipe snow from inside his hood. Needless to say he didn't want to go up again.

Jason did. He was going fast, hit a snow ramp and broke the nose of the sled into three pieces. I have video but Blogger won't process the kind of file I have.

After that we all retired to the lodge to have some lunch and hot cider. It was great fun to go to the snow. I might need to get used to it since I really want to end up in Fort Carson, Colorado after dental school.

Christmas Day

I know you are all probably so tired of reading on everyone's blogs what they did for Christmas, so I will keep ours short. I don't have pictures because I forgot to take many in the excitement of opening presents with little ones.
The kids each seemed to like the gifts that were meant for someone else the best. Eva liked Daddy's PlayDoh Doctor Drill and Fill and Brendan liked Eva's plush camera. Jason liked his new Nibley book the most. I enjoyed my new kitchen stuff and Willow Tree figurines. The kids watched Horton Hears a Who (from Uncle Thomas and Aunt Elen) while we packed up to go to my parents house for the remainder of the day (and until the new year). Jason is really good at jamming things in the car and I was surprised everything fit. Once we arrived and exchanged the usual hugs and kisses, my dad requested that Jason go out shooting with him. When the menfolk arrived back home we opened the presents from my parents for the kids (Mom made each a set of PJs), had dinner (Dad's tri-tip), put the kids down and had adult conversation. That's it. No elaborate feast, no nativity play, no amazing stories. Just a wonderful time with family. Fabulous.