Pete Pages

Friday, August 28, 2009

My day

Maybe it's because my house feels like a complete mess (again)...

Maybe it's because two of my kids weren't being nice to each other...

Maybe it's because all I felt like doing was holding/taking a nap with the baby...

Maybe it's because the electric bill was over $600 (and I'm still hot!)...

Maybe it's because there is still so much to fix, replace, and buy for our "new" home and it's all so expensive...

Maybe it's because I don't get enough sleep...

Maybe it's because I'm trying to "ween" myself off of sugar...

Maybe it's because making new friends isn't always easy...

Maybe it's because my hormones are still crazy...

Maybe it's because I have a ton of personal goals that aren't being met...

Maybe it's because the two-yr-old didn't nap and is into EVERYTHING (he "decorated" the banister with the entire contents of my brand new floss, ripped into a box of cereal, pulled out all of the books out of the bookshelf when he got upset--oh wait, that was the 4-yr-old, etc.)...

Maybe it's because I feel alone a lot even though I am surrounded by people...

Maybe it's because I miss my friends...

Maybe it's because I miss my mom...

For whatever reason, I had a good sob today (well multiple sobs, it was just one of those days). It made me wonder, does a woman really need a reason for a good cry? As I waited for Burke's bus this afternoon (and yes, I drive to the bus stop; it was over 110 today), I turned on the radio which is rare, and my favorite Coldplay song happened to be on. I turned up the radio as loud as I could allow myself and tried not to worry about what the neighboring parents were thinking of the hysterical, ugly-crying, half-laughing woman in the "Utah" plated minivan. And for the next three minutes my world seemed wonderful again. My tried and true combo (tears and a little music) was just the right therapy.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Facelift

I thought it was time for another facelift. I figured that I might at well embrace the palm tree (hey, better than a cactus, right? ha, ha) as they surround me here. I've never lived anywhere where palm trees grow (so in that aspect it still feels like I am only here on vacation), and I have always loved them thanks to a mother that spent a semester of college at the University of Hawaii... My laundry room is even decorated in palm tree wallpaper!

The other feature that stands out here: blue sky. Every day. Thus the blue background. Now you have a glimpse into my new "world."

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Just giving "the people" what they want...

more photos of Liv!

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Chins:

absolutely. love. them.

Smarty pants

Burke just got glasses. Not really a shocker since Rob and both of my brothers got glasses in 2nd grade. Rob and I don't think he looks that much different really...it sort of "fits" him if you know what I mean (looks like the smarty pants that he has always been).

Speaking of being "smart," Burke was complaining after school yesterday about being "SO hungry." We've had the problem lately of him not really eating any of his lunch (too busy visiting with friends--hey at least he's making new friends, right?), and then he'll come home wanting all sorts of snacks to eat. Well, I went into my whole shpeal about how he is welcome to finish what was left from his lunch and that we'd be eating dinner soon (blah blah...), and he says, "Mom, you need a stomach like mine. You don't know what it's like to be hungry!" Umm excuse me? Too bad the comment made me laugh out loud even though I was trying to act all upset. Smarty pants indeed.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Project central

We've stayed VERY busy this week with various house projects. We enlisted the help of some great visitors (thanks guys!)...we'll see if they ever come to visit us again. I don't know if I have ever painted a room in my life and was surprised at how much fun it was to pick out colors and paint (stripping wallpaper was another story). I gained some confidence in some areas that have always scared me to try and also learned that I'm actually pretty good at painting edges without taping--who knew? I have to give a brief testimonial on "sample-size" paint: I think it's well worth spending $2.99 a can to really see if you like the color on the wall...some of the colors we ended up going with seemed like they would be too bold or dark in the store and ended up being my favorites!

The first room painted was a perfect pale pink room for Liv, of course. The crib-size quilt I made for her this spring finally has a home...

and we are beginning to feel more and more "at home" too.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Opa

If I had to sum Tosh up with one word it would probably be charismatic. This kid has so much life and enthusiasm stuffed into one little body that it's no wonder he has curls--an extension of his lively demeanor and zeal.

Every morning Tosh greets me (and everyone else he may see) with pure excitement as if he is seeing some long-lost friend. I look forward to this greeting every day, even when the greeting comes earlier than I would like (no daylight savings in AZ = he is always up before 6:00am)...

This morning Tosh greeted me with an enthusiastic, "Hey Babe!"

As I write this, he is running around the house yelling "Opa!" Seriously, "opa" like he is at some Greek festival and he is having the time of his life! And that sums it up.

Pete said...

Hewitt was just telling me about a new game he created where you can't touch the ball with your hands or feet. He said, "You can only hit the ball with your leg or foot-wrist." And so I clarified, "You mean your ankle?"
(10/8/09)

Me to Hewitt: Whatcha doin?
Hewitt: Arting. It's making art.
(10/2/09; Hewitt's 5th b-day)

Two jokes by Burke:
What does a storm wear?
Thunderwear!

What do you call King Kong's feet?
Big Foot!
(9/26/09)

I had the following conversation with Tosh:
Me: Are you a boy or a girl?
T: Boy
Me: Is Livvy a boy or a girl?
T: Baby
Me: Yes, but is Baby Liv a boy or a girl?
T: Girl
Me: Is Daddy a boy or a girl?
T: Big boy
Me: Is Mommy a boy or a girl?
T: Mommy a babe!
(Not prompted, I promise! 9/3/09)

Hewitt had set up a bunch of toy figures and Tosh was trying to play with them... Hewitt was telling Tosh not to touch them and I asked him to share the toys or to go and get some more figures for Tosh to play with. Hewitt said, "These are not toys! They are art!" (9/3/09)

We were driving along a road near our house (a rather quiet highway, really) and Hewitt suddenly exclaimed, "Mom! I just found the road to our old house! Keep driving straight!" I looked up and realized there were some big mountains in the FAR distance. Hewitt clearly thought he was staring at Utah. (8/28/09)

Hewitt brought home a little "Groundhog's Day" craft that he had made at preschool and kept calling the groundhog a bear. When I tried to tell him it was really a groundhog he looked at me like I was very silly and said, "It's a BEAR Mom, not a CORNDOG!" (2/2/09)

I explained to Burke about the recent airplane crash into the Hudson River and knowing that he would be very concerned, I quickly told him that all of the passengers were just fine. He looked at me with a worried look and said, "What about the birds? Are they okay?" (1/15/09)

I have a trunk full of old performing costumes from when I was a kid. Hewitt saw the trunk in the basement and told Rob that he wanted to open up the "treasure chest." Rob asked him if he knew what was in the trunk/chest and Hewitt replied that it was full of clothes. When Rob told Hewitt that he didn't want him to make a big mess Hewitt said, "I won't make a mess, I will just get out one clo." I guess that "clo" would be the singular form of clothes... (1/13/09)

Burke is always mentioning how he wants us to have lots more babies because he wants "hundreds" of brothers and sisters. I was explaining to him this morning about how it gets harder and more dangerous to have babies as a woman gets older...he looked at me and said, "Well, you look young Mom, like 19!" Then he leaned in closer and said, "Well, I do see some indents in your skin around your eyes (those would be wrinkles--thanks for noticing)." (12/26/08)

Hewitt blew his nose and must have accidentally gotten some snot or tissue in his mouth because he said, "Yuck! That tastes like cow dung!" (12/24/08)

Tosh got to Hewitt's cup of water at the table today and dumped it all over Hewitt's lap and onto the floor. Rob asked Hewitt, "Are you a little wet?" and he said, "I'm a BIG wet!" (12/24/08)

Rob was playing "Memory" with the boys and when Burke got a few matches in a row Hewitt said, "Wow Burkie, you're on fire!" (11/08)

We just bought some sod for our park strip and while Burke and I were looking at the pallet, I mentioned that some of the pieces looked like crabgrass and that we needed to find the best pieces of grass to buy. Burke looked at the sod for a little while and said, "None of it looks like crap grass to me!"

While I was flossing Burke's teeth he said, "Wait--I need to tell you something." I paused flossing and he said, "You sure know how to be a good mom!" (now there's a treasured compliment!)

Hewitt watched Rob kill a fly in our kitchen and then asked, "Did he cry? Did he want his mommy fly?"

I told Hewitt that I was going to get Tosh a snack and asked if he would like one. He paused and then said, "I'll take a milkshake." What am I, a drive-up window?

Hewitt was asking for toast today and when I pulled out the bread he said, "No, the 'letter O' toast!" I finally figured out that he wanted a toasted english muffin.

Burke came down for breakfast and said, "Mom, it might not look like my bed is made and you might not like it, but it's really stripes that I did as a design on my bed."

Hewitt has really liked eating plain tortillas lately. When I asked him if he wanted one he said, "Oh. Sure. I'll have a mamma mia."

Hewitt understands things very literally. When Rob told him that he "needed to fly" this morning (go to work), Hewitt asked, "Where is the fly? In the house?" When Rob asked him if he had a runny nose he said, "No. It's just boogers."

When Rob was leaving for work he hugged the boys and told them to "be good for Mommy and do exactly what she says." Burke said, "OK bye Dad, you be good at work and do exactly what your boss says."

We were discussing prophets in the scriptures for Family Home Evening and when Rob asked Burke which prophet(s) wrote the Book of Mormon Burke said, "Nephi, Jacob, Enos..." and continued to name the books in order. Rob and I were pretty surprised and couldn't help laughing.

I was just eavesdropping on Hewitt while he was playing with his toys and heard him say, "Ladies and jumpingmen..."

Burke was heading off to a neighbor's house to play and stuck his head back in the door and called, "I'll be traveling by bike."

When the garage door opens for us to drive in, Hewitt will pretend to be scared and say, "Oh no, it's the garage mouth! He's going to eat us!"

Hewitt got distracted and starting playing with his toys during lunch and when I reminded him to please keep eating he said, "But Mommy, I'm working."