Rubber Ducky

In 3 weeks the baby will be old enough to start using his Ducky Tub! I love the Ducky Tub, because it is cute. I figured he could practice sitting in it while it is dry before its maiden voyage in the Big Tub.

I think the Baby likes it, don't you?

OK, So he didn't want to spend all day in it, but it was a new and interesting experience. As you may be able to tell, it is not completely inflated, it might actually take me 3 weeks to work up the lung capacity to completely blow up the tub.

Happy Bathing!

I talk a good game, or, Where are the Friendly Forest Creatures when you need them?

I can remember being pretty young and telling myself that someday I would be really good at keeping my room clean. It still hasn’t happened. I have really good Ideas for really fun parties, but they pretty much stay Ideas. So how do I change that, how do I go from talking a good game to playing a good game?

Practice.

It just came to me, Like Magic.

Last week I made myself a chore chart; it lists one chore per day. I thought it was very sensible and easy to accomplish, after all I should be able to do at least one thing per day.

So as I sat here on Wednesday, thinking about how I am folding the laundry which should have been finished on Tuesday, because it was Tuesday’s chore, and how I really haven’t finished cleaning the kitchen- which was Monday’s chore, and how I am most likely not going to get the floors vacuumed, swept and mopped which is today’s chore, I was surprised by the thought that popped into my head.

“Did you expect to be perfect the first time?”

Why, Yes, I did. I answered the thought.

“Well it is going to take some time”

And with that I thought about all the times I have started a new job. I wasn’t just placed at a desk, or a check stand, and told, “OK, start working”, I was trained, and helped until I could do it by myself. Well, Mom worked very hard to train me, I was never the best trainee when it came to cleaning, and I guess now is my time to make up for all that.

So I am not going to give up because this week has not turned out as magically perfect as I expected it to. I guess somewhere deep inside me I still expect the birds and other cute little forest creatures to help me with all my household duties, I guess they haven’t quite figured out where I am, I should sing louder! Until they show up, I will practice and who knows, maybe I will actually get good at it.

As far as the Party Ideas go, I think that is why God gave me Ken- the Party King. I am going to start sharing those Ideas with him and see what happens.

We all Work Together

Last Friday I worked at Alta View and Yesterday I worked up at LDS. It was enjoyable, but by the end of the workday yesterday, I missed my baby, and I was TIRED! I worked full time for years, and for much of that time I enjoyed it, granted there were also other times that I didn’t enjoy it that much. I think the arrangement I have now, working when needed, but never more than one day per week, is just about right for me.

I am enjoying my new full time Job very much; I have the best boss ever. He is kind, most of the time, sometimes he screams at me, but hey, he is very particular about the way his employees complete their tasks. What are my tasks? Love, Cuddle, Feed, Love, Cuddle, Bathe, Shower with Kisses, Diaper, Feed, Love, Cuddle, Dress, Love, Feed, Cuddle, Change, Feed, Love, Kisses, Entertain, Cuddle. Everyone has their favorite job, their dream job; some of us even get to do that job all the time. I have found mine. I am not very good at all of it yet. It is a pretty big job. But I love it. The Baby is a good Boss; Ken is an amazing Co-worker and We all Work Together Well!

An Extended 4th of July

I love the Olympics. The Olympic Love started for me back in 84. Yes, I did run away, and take my little sister with me, during the Olympics that year, but that is another story.

A few moments ago they showed the medal ceremony for the Men’s 400 meters, it had been an American sweep and so 3 American flags were raised as “the Star-Spangled Banner” played. I have loved hearing our National Anthem during these games and I have loved singing along, in my head mostly.

I also have found it interesting that when I think the words of this great song, I don’t think about the first verse, which is the verse we hear the most. I think about the third verse.

“Oh, thus be it ever, when free men shall stand between their loved homes and the war’s desolation! Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the heav’n-rescued land praise the Pow’r that hath mad and preserved us a nation! Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, and this be our motto: “In God is our trust!” And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!"

I have had a hard time explaining why this is my favorite verse, but I want to attempt a try today.

I picture in my mind, my father, my husband, my brothers-in-law, putting themselves between those they love and the danger and desolation of war. (It is pretty easy for me to picture and feel this, because I saw my father leave for the first Gulf War a week or two before Christmas in 1990, that memory is strong when I sing this verse.) In my mind I then see these men joined by their wives as they protect their homes in the ongoing war with evil, the evil that would so easily enter our homes if we are not vigilant. At times, some of us will have to fight this battle alone, but the promise remains the same for all of us. As we give our all, We remember our Savior and all that he has done for us. We rely on the power found in his Atonement and in his Gospel that enables of to create fortresses that will protect our families from the storms as they arise. We trust in Him, we seek His will and know that we will conquer if we are true and faithful to His cause.

I always enjoy the 4th of July because we sing this song, and I think one of the reasons I have enjoyed the Olympics so much this year is because I have heard this song so many times over the past two weeks, it has been like an Extended 4th of July. I Love it!

I love it- almost as much as I love my two Very Patriotic Boys!

Things that make me Smile

Flowers! I love them, I especially love them in cute vases. As such, I was very very very happy to find some vases at Ikea that cost 10 cents a piece. They a squiggly and fit together. I bought 9!

Then there are the cute little polka dot vases that they were selling for 79 cents. I only bought 5 of them. They look great with the Mr Potato Head collection, don't they.

Now, another thing that makes me smile is Baby. We have already shared his joy in his new play center, he still loves the lizard. I see A LOT of these dance moves lately.

I must say, I am very glad that we didn't get the walker. Baby doesn't seem too sad that he is not able to move around quite yet. He is pretty happy just to be able to dance.

This is exactly what he looks like while dancing.

5 Month Olds are Smart

5 Months ago our baby boy was born. This is what he looked like at two days old, the day we brought him home. He was so little and had sooooo much hair.

Now my boy is 5 months old. He has been rolling for 6 weeks and is very good at it. He is comfortable on his tummy and yesterday while rolling around on the floor, he planted his feet and lifted his bottom into the air. We think we should start baby proofing the house, because it won't be long until he is scooting and crawling.

Yesterday we bought a High Chair. Thanks to some great advice from Gina we decided to skip the padded comfortable looking chair and get the Ikea high chair. Baby likes it for its sleek European styling. I like it because it is very easy to clean and also because it comes apart and can be stored in a small space, but mostly I like it because it only cost $25. The baby looks very cute in it too.

So, My little 5 month old has started playing a couple of games that I wasn't expecting him to play for a while. The first is "I drop something and you pick it up", This has been going on for a few days, at home it is no problem and I really don't pick up what he drops- but he sure laughs when he sees and hears things hit the ground. Usually toys or empty plastic bowls. But yesterday at Ikea he kept dropping his toy lamb. I would hear the little laugh, look around to see where Lamby was and of course, give it back to baby, a few minutes later I would hear the little laugh again. At one point we lost Lamby, it took 10 minutes of backtracking through the store to find him again. Grandma T. told me I should put a string around the toys that are used in this game, that way if I don't notice that it has been thrown it won't be lost forever.

Another game he has started to play is- "I can feed myself"

He grabs at the spoon, making it very hard to feed him, I gave up for a while and took these pictures. At first he was amazed that I had let go of the spoon and he admired his prize. Then he started chewing on the spoon. I figure if he could talk, he would be saying,"See, I do it myself"

Something else that has surprised me about my 5 month old is that he is a lot less sleepy. For the past few months I have put him down for a nap within an hour and a half of him waking up from the previous nap. Most of the time he went to sleep easily and would sleep for at least 45 minutes but sometimes up to 3 hours. He has started to tell me No to these frequent naps and he is not cranky and tired so I figure he just doesn't need them. I am hoping that we have hit the period where we start the Morning, Noon and maybe Afternoon nap cycle, I just have to figure out when those optimum nap times are. Any Ideas?

Take Time to Laugh

Or at least listen to the Baby laugh.