Brainwashing

I'm starting early.

Grandpa took us to the BYU - San Diego State game.The boys had a lot of fun. Jackson is becoming quite the BYU fan. I'm so proud. The other day Jackson's friend said he didn't like the color red. I asked him what his favorite color was and he said, "Boy colors." I told him that red was a boy color and he said, "It's because of the stinkin Utes!" I laughed so hard. This exchange has deepened Jackson's love for BYU and anything blue. On our home from the basketball game Jackson was asking about the Utes and saying he didn't like them. I told them that they don't like BYU very much and he said, "Why wouldn't they like BYU? WHY mom?"

I don't know Jackson, I just don't know. :) To any Ute fan who is taking the time to read this I respect your opinions even though I don't understand them. Really, I do. Which reminded me of a funny experience I had a while ago.

I had a piano student ask me if I like the Utes. I said as nicely as possible that I'm not really a fan. She asked if I liked BYU and I told her yes. She looked kind of dissapointed and said in her six year old sweet little voice, "Do you think you will ever be a fan of the Utes? Can't you just like them?" Trying not to laugh I nicely said, "Well, I don't think I'll ever become a fan."

"But why?" She asked.

"Uhhhhh, I've never gone to school there?"

Then she looked at me like, "Oh, well that can be fixed." and we went on with our lesson.

No, it cannot be fixed, and it's funny because I wasn't really a BYU fan until after I started going to school there. Now there's no turning back though, so I might as well ingrain the fever into my children, right?

p.s. Is it wrong that I couldn't help noticing a drastic difference between these two teams, and then I took a picture of it? AND I cut my children's hair today. They look much better.

8 Years?!

8 Years ago today this is what I was doing. I love today. It makes me smile. We're celebrating on Friday with no kiddies. To think that back then we didn't have them is the craziest part. I love you Ty! Thanks for making me laugh -- every day. Speaking of making me laugh, I thought I would share a picture of one of the most classic pictures from my wedding day. I remember the photographer telling Ty's brothers to "Pick her up." I stood there thinking, "What?! Can I say no, because this is going to be awkward."

And it was.


At least it's funny now. Happy Anniversary to me!

I Have a Headache

and it's not caffeine related. I think it's from my five year old. A little from my 3 year old, but mostly from my 5 year old. Now, I am not a headache person. I rarely get headaches (that don't come directly from caffeine withdrawal). I never understood when husband would say, "That kid is giving me a headache." How can a kid give you a physical headache? "Suck it up," I would think. "It's just a headache. How bad can it be?"

Husband will be glad to know that I have been put in my place, and I can kind of relate.

I don't know if the 5 year old is getting sick, or he's just five, but everything that comes out of that kid's mouth is either hilarious and sweet, or extremely whinny and mean. Tonight we attempted to do Valentine cards for a preschool Valentine's day party tomorrow. Jackson wanted to write every one's name on the card himself. He needed help at first and then he didn't want help anymore by saying, and I quote (because I wrote them down immediately),

"Keep your mouth zipped, ok?"

"Don't say a word until I am finished."

After shushing me once, he said, "I'm thinking in my head what letter goes after!"

At least he did try to be polite by saying, "Thanks for not saying a word."

And these were the least annoying comments. All day long it was mostly a five minute long string of comments such as:

"HAYDEN!"
or
"MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMY!!!!!!!"
or
"HAYDEN DID _____________!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
and
"It's not fair!"
or
"Hayden has __________. What do I get?" etc. etc. ETC.

And All of these phrases are followed by the cry of a 9 month old girl. By the end of the night, my head was/is throbbing, and every time he talked, I cringed. Does anyone have a muzzle, or laryngitis? I just need one day without anyone talking to me, then I'll recover. Is that too much to ask?

"Stuff" Bumblebee

Let me introduce you to Hayden's new best friend.
This is Bumblebee, Stealth Bumblebee to be exact. Hayden got him for Christmas and up until a week or two ago, he didn't really care that much about him. He'd play with him occasionally when Jackson was playing with Transformers, and he'd take him some places because he wanted to be like his brother and Jackson can't leave the house without a toy, but in the last two weeks, Stealth Bumblebee or "Stuff Bumblebee" as Hayden calls it, is now Hayden's new best friend.

Hayden has learned from his older brother that when you single out a toy as your favorite toy it has to go everywhere with you. Everywhere. AND you have to sleep with it. We have taken "Stuff" with us every time we go to the car, to Grandmas and even inside the library and the store. I knew he was developing a serious attachment when he said he wanted "Stuff" in his bed to sleep with and then it stayed there.

He usually says he wants to sleep with a toy, mostly because Jackson sleeps with about 5 toys in his bed, and then when he lays down he promptly throws them onto the floor. But not "Stuff". This one has stayed in the bed for 3 days, and is now on his pillow just waiting for Hayden to smack his head on him when he flops around in his sleep. I have snuck in to his room and put it on the floor so he wouldn't roll onto it, but then he'll wake up in the middle of the night and come in my room saying he "Lost Stuff Bumblebee."

You can imagine the trauma we experienced the other day when we couldn't find "Stuff" anywhere. I looked for that thing all morning and he whined about it all morning. Every other sentence was, "Where is Stuff Bumblebee? Are you looking for it Mom? Did you find it?" I thought it was lost forever but then finally, finally, after Hayden went down for a nap and I went to make myself some lunch, I found it--in the pantry!

I was so happy, and then I realized he probably left it there when he was trying to sneak some treats without Mommy knowing. Stinker.