Only Nice Guys Sing Christmas Classics

**Christmas music is playing on Pandora and a classic carol came on.**

Jacob: Mom, who is singing this?

Me: I'm not sure honey, but it sounds like a country singer. . . . I'm gonna guess its Randy Travis.

Sophie, from across the room: (emphatically) MOM! This is not Travis. . . . This is a nice guy.

Ho ho ho and he he he!

Christmas Wishin'

Today,Jacob said in a sincere and eager voice, full of confidence and hope: Mom, if we all pitch in our money and if we ask his parents first, can we give Elliot a dog for Christmas?

I tried to let him down easy.

TopTenREVIEWS

Ya ya YA, we're all REEEAAL impressed Angela had a perfect baby girl. The Miracle of Life is old hat these days, but the INTERNET, now THAT is uncharted territory!

My first videos from TopTenREVIEWS.com are up. Here are two links.

I’ll be honest, they’re not my absolute best work. I need to smile more and put more energy into these. I think that’s why they hired me in the first place, after seeing the OraBrush ads.

Also, these videos are motivation for me to work out and focus on my posture. My shape is getting less flattering all the time.

Jokes aside, really excited to have Angela, Brian, and Jane all doing well, and excited to have Jane here. Something to be especially thankful for around this time of year.

Baby Jane

A professional photographer came through yesterday to take a picture of the baby. Here's a link to the shot of her. Thanks everyone!
http://www.utahportraits.com/hospital/index.php?action=view&BabyID=111909jge

The pictures you DIDN"T see.

So, I wanted to talk you about number 3. I've been looking at pictures of him lately thinking "He's so cute!" You see, I have a little confession. Sometimes I wasn't so sure how this kid was going to turn out (see images below) He was such a "chubby" boy that he pretty much could not move until he was 8 months old. In fact, at his 3 month appointment my Dr. told me that "he had an increased risk of obesity in adulthood"

....What? The kid is 3 months old. He is on a strict diet of his mother's milk, and that's it. Should I be watering it down? The Dr. pretty much just shrugged his shoulders and said he just wanted to pass the info along, that's all. But now, looking at these pictures of him at three months I can see how one might look at him and think obesity. Poor guy.



People often ask if the baby in the Puj Tub images is my son and I smile politely and say it's the son of a friend. My babies aren't exactly "poster child" material (just ask my Dr.) But Oh, how I love to kiss those cheeks (or is it his chin? I can't tell!)Thankfully it's all worked out and he is such a charmer these days (see video below). And as far as him not moving until he was 8 months old? Well, he makes up for it now. You can almost guarantee Sterling will be sitting on top of the counter, kitchen table, Piano, etc. He's like a cat, always has to be sitting on something.






In other news, I have made a change to my hair routine....gasp! I recently made a purchase during my 6:30 am pajama pilates session. Yes, that's right folks, I bought something off of an infomercial....gasp! (No Richard, it was not "Learn to Play the Piano like a Pro...in 3 Days!" Or a diamond saphire ring, Nancy ) I was quite embarrassed to be making the call, kept looking over my shoulder just to make sure neither Ben or the kids was watching me dial-up Guthy Reinker. It is a cleansing conditioner that eliminates the shampoo process.

I LOVE IT!!!!
Can you tell how soft and supple my hair is? I honestly can tell a major difference.

And yes Travis, my curly hair is natural. Especially now that I put "sweet almond mint" on it.

I have always been so skeptical of infomercials, they just always seem to be an impulse buy. But I've changed my mind! And as soon as my Ab Flyer Pro gets here I will have the hardest abs on the block!!! Just kidding Ben :) And I can defiantly see a need for this on days that I didn't get enough sleep.



One more thing, Puj is doing a HUGE giveaway to people with Babies and who write to a blog regularly. Find-out more info here

Remind Me

I was thinking the other day about how I like scary movies and haunted houses and Halloween in general. I wondered why. I mean, fear is an unpleasant sensation, so why did I take a Horror Film class?

I decided I like these things because they're an opportunity to face irrational fears head-on. And I think part of the reason I want to do that is because I was so often scared when I was a kid.

So my question is this: Was I scared a lot as a kid? Did I seem like a particularly frightened little boy?

Just curious. Happy Halloween. If you need me, I'll be watching Poltergeist or checking out the local haunted houses.

Remembering the Words

Sometimes it astounds me how articulate my 2 almost 3 year old is. I love having conversations with her as I learn so much about how the world works to a child. Often when she is supposed to be going to sleep, she wanders out to find me saying, in a sleepy, confused voice, “Mama, I can’t remember the words.” She is processing the days events, all the newness that she took in and when she can’t remember a new word she encountered that day, it bothers her.

It bothers me that she is growing so fast and I know that if I don’t write these things down, the day will soon come when I “can’t remember the words” to the stories that right now make up our every day life.. . . So here’s some Sophie stories from today, the little things I don't want to forget.

Today we were coming home from Costco and Sophie told me she wanted some gum. I didn’t mind giving her some, but I was behind the wheel so I needed to stall. We played a game that went like this. . .

Me: Do you chew gum with you nose?

Sophie: No.

Me: Do you chew gum with your eyes?

Sophie: No.

Me: Do you chew gum your ears?

Sophie: No.

Starting to run out of body parts so I got creative. . .

Do you chew gum with a dragon?

No.

(Somehow when this next one came out of my mouth I suspected her answer would finally change)

Do you chew gum with a fairy princess?

She paused and then a resounding “YES!”

*************

Rushing home from Costco I had this crazy hair brained scheme that I could dash into Deseret Book and finally pick up the picture I’ve been wanting for Sophie’s bedroom. She has a picture of the Savior placed close to the head of her bed, down at more of a child’s eye level and I explain to her that he is watching over her. I have wanted to replace it with this Greg Olsen work, since I know she will think it is a picture of her.

As we pulled up to the store, Sophie said, “are we here to get my picture?” “Yes,” I said, “It is a picture of you with Jesus.” “I like Jesus,” she said, “He is my favorite boy. . .that I’ve never met.” We ran in side. . .and I knew that it was Ladies Night there, but I’d forgotten that that means the line to purchase your goods meanders all the way out the door. Drats. We’ll have to pick this up another time. I scrambled and put Sophie back in the car and told her we would have to get it later. She was not happy that we were leaving the store without Jesus and when we pulled up in the house, she stayed inside the car, sweetly insisting that she would just wait there until we could go back to the store to get Jesus.

We’ll make that trip back soon, kiddo, I promise.