Goofy Jordan

Jordan's learned that "cheese" warrants a response of some sort.  He usually winces his eyes (I think this originated with the flashes) and then does this silly smile.  Today, Andy started marching around Quinn style (this old march our buddy used to do that was so funny and awkward), and Jordan instead started kicking his legs up along with Andy.  We have to get it on video, it was beyond hilarious.  What a funny goofy boy.

I'll Never Let Go

If Jordan's not in his carseat or hasn't naturally fallen asleep while drinking his milk, getting him to take his nap even when he's so dang tired, is just impossible.  Now that his personality has turned into a quirky, silly, and extremely active and fun loving boy, he just wants to read, or play with cars, or stomp on his Sophie the Giraffe and laugh hysterically.  He is full of life and love for it, but that nap is so important!  Without it, he is still silly and funny, running around chasing after balls and climbing on and off the couch and dining room chairs, but a slight bang anywhere on his body, something merely a light touch that wouldn't even have been noticed with a nap, becomes magnified to the nth degree of pain tolerance.  He will scream and cry like it is the most painful thing ever, which is funny considering his real threshold for pain is quite insanely high.  And, I really value the time I get to work (give me a small break, I've been working for a straight hour and worked two hours this morning, I need a break!) whether that means BlueSky work or blogging fun.

Today, when I tried to put him down for his nap, he started bumping his head on the back of the crib, making a funny sound everytime his head hit the crevice, then the crib again, thinking he was so hilarious for noticing it could make his head bump bump bump.  Then, he asked me to read him a book (by merely pointing, we're not that advanced with our words yet) and after I read it, he pointed to the area of books he had amassed from an earlier failed attempt at a nap, and signed for more.  After 45 minutes of me getting frustrated and trying to hold his legs and arms down (that used to work, he'd fight and then give up and fall asleep.. but now he has gained more determination to stay awake and it has not worked in weeks), I gave up and let him do his fake sleep.  You see, he will pretend to lie down, close his eyes like a big ham, and smile really big, knowing that once I leave, he can just get up and play.  Well, he was doing it again, but this time I succumbed.  Sure, just have some quiet time playing.  It doesn't matter that Daddy is working until 10 PM so it's just me and you tonight bud.  It doesn't matter that only I will get your cranky everything hurts even if you poke me attitude.  So I tucked him in, knowing he would get up the moment I left, and told him nap nap, see you later.  As I was closing the door, I could see him looking for that magical moment when the door would close and he could do whatever his lil' heart desired.

I started reconciling numbers.  Accessing invoices online.  Doing my thang.  And after about 20 minutes, I was curious why his play sounds were so quiet.  Was he being super nice and playing that quietly as to trick Mommy more?  I took a peep inside his room.  And what I saw was him, in bed, blanket on top, with a book clutched tightly in one hand.  So somehow, he had managed to get up, grab the book, go back to bed, put his blanket on, and sleep like an angel.  And boy, was he holding that book tight.  I'll never let go mom.  Never.  This book is sleeping with me.  Well, you win some, you lose some.. but looks like I won today!

Andy asked me if I took a picture.  Did I dare do anything that might wake him up?!  Heck no!  I didn't even enter the room, I simply opened the door slightly ajar, peeked in, made an observation, and then closed the door as gently as I could.

We Passed Through The Seven Levels of the Candy Cane Forest!

One of my favorite all time parties of the year were always the ugly Christmas sweater parties.  Since becoming Momo, I haven't been invited to a Momo ugly Christmas sweater party so when Andy and I started dating, I was so pleased that he eagerly agreed to wear some ugly Christmas sweaters to the Singles' Ward Christmas party.  And so our lil tradition began...

2009: our first Christmas together, we had just begun dating and after failing at the Goodwill stores and not wanting to buy anything expensive, we decided to make our own sweaters ugly with the aid of glue, ribbons, glitter, bells, and foam.  Success was ours!

2010: was a repeat of 2009... cuz nobody saw our outfits from the family ward so why waste a good thing.  Haha.  We recycle whenever we can!

2011: we went bowtie crazy with shirts we didn't care too much about.  This was an old work sweater that I didn't plan on ever wearing again, the candy cane stripes were from an old polo Andy had that was too big, and the red poms were from a stash of craft stuff I had.  

2012: "Can't we just buy Wal Mart stuff that's ugly?" I asked Andy.  "No," he said, very determined, "then it won't be as tacky and original as if we made it ourselves."  Okay.. so here we went.  Red t-shirts, green felt, black felt, some bells, and gold glitter puffy paint.  Pretty easy.   I wanted to be green elves like Buddy the Elf, but there were no perfect green colored shirts.  

Jordan was by far the cutest in the shirt.  He looked absolutely ADORABLE in it!  He kept picking at the bells and eventually, successfully detached the middle one.  A kid commented, "you guys look like strawberries!"  Oh yeah... maybe I should have made the collars the same sized triangles, but that I had to improvise with the amount of green felt we had so ....

Can you see baby #2?  I'm starting to show.  But really I just look fat and not pregnant yet.  This stage is the worst.  ..!

Christmas = Bonus!

I've never been more excited or grateful for a work bonus.  In the past, it was always an expectation, a measure of how awesome or awful I was... but this is the first time I truly didn't expect anything and have been pleasantly surprised by the Company's goodwill to me during this holiday season.  I am jumping with joy.  Shouting with excitement.  Leaping with glee.  

And with that, Jordan and I had an orange julius AND a pretzel from Auntie Anne's at the mall yesterday.  We're ballers... I know.

Christmas Cruise

On Monday night, we went to Coeur d'Alene in Idaho, a short 40 minutes away, for dinner at Cafe Rio and then a Christmas cruise we got on Groupon (thanks Melissa!).  It was truly magical and Jordan loved it, though I'm not sure what he liked more, the big deck space to run amuck or the lights that sparkled.  One thing's certain, he didn't notice when Santa called his name and he didn't want hot chocolate inside the warm dining room.  

Morning Job Description

Breakfast chef.  Bed maker.  Laundry maid.  Family historian.  Mickey Mouse Clubhouse remote.  Tooth brusher.  Face washer.   Day planner.  Room tidier.  Nose picker.  Crumb gatherer.  Mail sorter.  Bill payer.  Music player.

...and those are just the job descriptions so far today.  What more will the day bring us?!

There's nothing quite like motherhood to show you what you're capable of in a very short time.

Please Tell Me Markers Aren't Poisonous

Cuz while I was trying to get a work e-mail out, I'm pretty sure Jordan licked a red marker.  Well, to be technical, what I saw was him licking his hands after drawing them red but I have no doubt he also licked the marker itself too.  Now, his hands have faint pink residue and his lips have a nice pink glow about them.  But he is sitting next to me, happily munching on tostitos (with a hint of lime) and dried squid.  We are going out for our daily outing soon, but I had to put out some fires and send some reminders before naptime (aka worktime).

yum yum!

see my red hand?

 they taste better than my face would imply

 I eat you pen!