Humiliation Averted

Don't you love it when you know you could have been absolutely humiliated, but as things turned out, you're none the worse for whatever happened?

So, I was at the park yesterday morning. It was a rare morning when no one else was out with their kids yet. Rudy and I were swinging our guts out, hooting and hollering with the exhilaration of it all, when I heard a Rrrrip and suddenly my bum felt more breeze than it's used to feeling.

I hopped off the swing to find my pants had ripped almost from the waistband to the crotch. Yikes! Lucky for me, it was a bit of a cool morning, so I was wearing a sweater over my T-shirt. Soon enough, the sweater was tied around my waist, and Rudy and I finished our play time at the park.

Whew! Thank goodness for that sweater. It would have been a humiliatingly long walk home with my underwear flapping in the wind for everyone to see!

My First Re-upholster

A couple weeks ago, we picked up a cute kid sized rocking chair with great potential from a garage sale for $2. I thought I'd be able to fabreeze the smoky smell out of it, but NO, that smoke was goin' NOWHERE. So, instead of just recovering the cushion, I ended up having to tear the whole thing apart, paint the wood (to trap in the smell) and entirely replace the cushion. Not so easy as I had though it'd be when I bought it, but still fun and fulfilling to 'rehab' this old smoky, grimy thing into something fun and cute again. Rudy helped pick out the fabric. :)

Before

After

A few things I have learned from this upholstery adventure.

1) Never buy something from a smoking home unless you don't mind that smoky smell.

2) Measure twice, cut once. :)

3) Re-upholstering is not as simple or quick as you may think.

Home Owners!

After signing all these papers,

We went and took this picture.

The Ugly Duckling (we call her Ducky for short) is ours. I can't believe it, can you?

Rudy's First Sleepover

Rudy spend the night and following day with my parents from Sunday night through Monday. It was delightful to wake up with no need to tend to a child first thing, and move through my day with consideration only of what I needed to accomplish, though I really did miss him. He had a blast with Oma, Opa, and Sam.

They spent most of the day outside,

Except for a visit to the library for story time

And some toy exploration with Rudy's sidekick, Sam

That night, we read a dragon book he and Oma had checked out from the library,

and this morning, Rudy asked for green 'dragon' pancakes. :)

twenty-eight

On Saturday, I had my 28th birthday. It was a lovely day filled with doing things I felt like doing, spending time with family, and eating good food. Even the weather was beautiful (until the night, but I kinda like stormy nights). The next day, Jason, Rudy and I headed up to my parents' house to enjoy more good food and great company. It was just awesome.

I just did a search for an image of 28 to stick in this post, and learned some really cool things about my current number of years:

28 is a perfect number, meaning it is the sum of all it's divisors (1,2,4,7,14). The first perfect number is 6, the next one is 496. So, I think it's safe to say that this is the last time I'll get to have a perfect number describe my age. It is also one of seven magic numbers in physics. A magic number is a number of nucleons (that's either protons or neutrons for those of you who have been out of school for as long as I have) that results in them being arranged into complete shells within the atomic nucleus. This kind of arrangement creates super stable isotopes. So maybe this year I'll finally master emotional stability! Though with a move and a pregnancy on the horizon, I can't quite see myself as emotionally stable in the near future. Maybe I'll be able to achieve some Zen by imagining I'm a super stable isotope with the magic number of nucleons to make me very resistant to breakdown(s). :)

Anyway, I started this post to make a list of twenty-eight things I love about life to celebrate my birthday, so with no further ado, here goes, in no particular order:

1) sleeping in freshly washed sheets with freshly shaved legs 2) holding Jason's hand, and thinking of the first funny moment our hands ever touched. 3) reading books deep into the night while telling myself "one more chapter...one more chapter" 4) reading way more bed time stories than Rudy needs to settle down and fall asleep, just because we're enjoying our snuggly, giggly moments too much to put an end to them. 5) those mornings when you wake up energized and ready for an exciting day. 6)heartfelt prayer 7) a long phone call with a loved one 8) peanut butter and chocolate 9) feeling the warm sun on my skin 10) gulping down cool water on a hot day 11) healthy, beautiful houseplants 12) good dreams 13) snuggling into Jason in the middle of the night when I get too cold by myself 14)blogging 15) the smell of changing seasons-fall is probably my favorite smell. 16) finishing a task, and taking a moment to revel in a job well done 17) babies 18) toddlers! 19) watching trees' branches sway in the breeze 20) swinging so high I leave my stomach behind 21) Feeling warm earth beneath my bare feet 22) fussing over my aquarium 23)warm, moist, whole wheat pancakes with blueberries and honey 24) daydreaming 25)going to the library 26) feeling strong and invincible as I run 27) feeling the Holy Ghost testify of truth 28) Good, solid hugs

Sunset, Sunrise

Well, we've turned from Happy Hamster Hospice to mortuary. Our little guest is chillin' in our fridge until we can bring him up to my parent's house for a proper burial later today. Gus Gus went the way I'd love to go: he was active and full of life yesterday morning, and then peacefully passed a way by the time I came to feed him last night. Simple, not drawn out, and timely (he was an old man-in his 80's by hamster standards).

Rudy doesn't get death at all. "Dead" is in his vocabulary, mostly in relation to the myriad of dead worms he finds on the sidewalks in our daily wanderings around our condo complex. He equates death with sleep, though. He's always telling the worms to 'wake up!'

I've heard from tons of sources not to tell your kid someone went to sleep when they really died, 'cause of the confusion and anxiety around going to sleep it causes for the kid. I've always thought, "Duh! I'd never tell my kid that," but somehow, Rudy has told himself that. Both Jason and I have been trying to help Rudy understand that when something dies,(we haven't talked too much about people dying) it goes to Heaven and leaves it's body behind to help nourish the other living things on the earth. (Kind of a circle of life approach.) Maybe it's the fact that this kid is not even two yet, but the whole thing flies right over his head. Sigh. I might try helping him see that Gus Gus can't wake up, and see if he gets it a bit more with a living creature he has known in life and now death, but I don't know yet.

What if death is just to hard to understand, and all I end up doing is scaring Rudy that if he sleeps too long, we'll bury him in Oma's yard? Sigh. One of those first time mom moments, I guess. For now, I've avoided the whole issue by putting Rudy to bed and then having my sister come retrieve Gus Gus's cage and supplies so that he's just gone. (Except for his body with is between our orange juice and milk- I figured Heidi's roommates may never recover if they knew their food was sharing space with a dead rodent.) So far, Rudy hasn't questioned where Gus Gus went, so maybe I can choose to simple ignore the potential teaching opportunity and wait till Rudy's a bit older to try to tackle the concept of death with him.

**Update: I went the ignore route. Maybe when our next pet dies, or next time we find a dead bird or something. Maybe then I'll tackle death. In the mean time, I'll focus on the frenzy of life around me.***

As Gus Gus's time with us came to a close, a new beginning dawned. The orchid I bought off the clearance rack at Smith's Grocery store bloomed this morning. I bought her for $2.50, totally barren of any sign of a bud, let alone a bloom. (I personify my plants. It's a long standing tradition stemming from my childhood. Call you eccentric if you like, but I call my orchid Penelope.) :) My sweet Oma, who has been tending orchids with great care for several years, sent me home with some orchid food and a book all about caring for the exotic little guys. About 6 weeks later, I have this beauty to show for my efforts. (And the miracle of life, I suppose, since I could water and feed a rock with all diligence to no avail.)

It is exciting to see what color her blossoms are, and fun to have a new breathe of beauty in my living room.

A Study of the Sippy and Self Portrait

Rudy tried his hand at photography today. Here are two of the results (Most were just blurs of color 'cause he really loves to look in the lens part of the camera to take his pictures.) Someday he'll realize what he's actually doing when he pushes the button and a light blinks, and then maybe he'll look at the view finder screen thing instead. In the meantime, we get treated to a few random shots that probably just result from accidental button pushes while Rudy is bringing the camera into shooting position. :)

Clinging to Consistency

The whirlwind of getting under contract, securing a loan, and preparing to move has affected all of our equilibriums, I think. We all have our different ways of dealing with the loss of our routine. Rudy's is pancakes.

He has insisted on having pancakes every morning for about 2 weeks now. He doesn't mind variations in the ingredients or toppings, so I've managed not to get sick of pancakes yet. Today we had my favorite kind of pancakes by far: whole wheat pancakes with pecans. We eat them with honey (Rudy's favorite condiment of all time) and blueberries. Yummy-and nutritious enough to make me feel good about feeding Rudy the same breakfast over and over.

So amid all the changes, there is one thing we can count on every day:

We will get out our 'pancake bowl'...

toss the ingredients in while the griddle is heating up, and watch as the pancakes bubble and brown...

before eating them in 'our' spots at the table and washing them down with milk.

I'm glad Rudy has the wisdom to demand a little consistency in this crazy time.

Brama's Ouse!

Rudy's had something on his mind lately: Grandma's house! We've spent the last couple Saturday afternoons at my in-laws' house watching the BYU football games, plus Rudy's been to visit once while I was doing my gardening at Jason's grandpa's house. That's 3 times in a week, which is enough to convince Rudy that he ought to visit daily.

For the last few days, multiple times a day, he asks to go to "Brama's ouse" out of the blue. I have to remind him that we have a cool house too. Though it's not quite so cool as Grandma's with a whole walk in closet full of toys and two adults who are ready to drop everything and just play. Oh, and tasty treats at your finger tips. I guess if I think of it that way, being at our house (where the toys are all old news, Mama's 'busy' regularly, and a request for a snack is met with a cut apple) is down right dull.

Tomatoes!

Our family canned tomatoes today. Whew. I'm so glad that's done. Canning is one of those things that I dread doing and feel totally overwhelmed with until I get going, and then it's never as bad as I thought it would be. Plus, it's so satisfying to look at the finished product. I raised these tomatoes myself in my grandpa's garden, harvested them on Monday, and bottled them today. My first garden to bottle experience- I hope they turn out well!

Jason and I hurried to core, peel, deseed, and dice the tomatoes while Rudy napped. Then Jason was off to work, and Rudy and I finished up. I didn't think to get the camera out until Jason was gone, so sadly, he's not a part of our photo record of the event. He was a great help, though. I've decided to never can anything alone. It's way more fun to can with someone, and more effective too, I think. Rudy helped to get the bubbles out of the jars before putting the lids on them. And he put a lid or two on. Otherwise, he mostly "backed up" from lots of hot things. Another thing I've decided: don't bottle things with a toddler around if you can help it. It's a bit unnerving with all the potential burn opportunities. This time we all came away happy and healthy, but I'd like to limit our risks in the future.

Hooray! We're done!

Two Poops

I have two poop stories. If you would rather not read about defecation, by all means, skip these. If however, you're as dulled to the grossness of bodily functions as I am, you may enjoy these windows into toddlerhood.

The First Poop:

Rudy and I lasted almost 2 years of regular bathing before having the inevitable bath poop. Even in my heightened gross tolerance state, it was a little stomach turning to see poop chunks rise through his bubble bath to greet me. Yuck. I'm so grateful that Jason was home that evening, and so willing to help out. I plucked Rudy from what had turned into a giant toilet bowl and cared for him while Jason took care of washing all the poo from the tub, washcloth, and bath toys. I'm sooo glad I didn't have to clean Rudy up and put him to bed and then come out to face the poopy water.

The Second Poop:
Unforunately for Jason, he wasn't around for the second poop story. Last night, Rudy finally put his "poo poo" in the "potty". Hooray! He didn't even put it in his toilet trainer-he actually went on the big, flushable toilet! Both he and I were delighted, and I'm sure Jason would have loved to join in on the high fiving around the toilet. I was especially glad because Rudy was on his way into the tub when he did his poo. Maybe I'll just always suggest he have a 'sit' on the toilet before entering his bath water.

Whether this means toilet training is just around the corner or not is up in the air. I have a feeling we'll be more worried about getting into our new house and settling into the new rythm of life than we will be about potty training, but we're headed in that direction at least. Probably about half the time Rudy pees, he announces it just before or during the event. He still keeps his poos to himself, 'cause he knows that will interrupt his play. (He'll have to have his diaper changed immediately, whereas I don't hurry to change him so much when he's just wet...maybe I should, but I don't.) Anyway, Rudy just keeps growing up.

It's cool to watch him as he chooses the next delevopmental thing he's interested in, focusing all his energy on that thing. Sometimes I wish I could emmulate Rudy a little more. I wish I had the stillness of mind to be able to choose one thing to work on, and focus on that, instead of consistantly feeling like I'm drowning in things I need to work on and improve. I guess I've had that stillness before...just not now. Not while I'm trying to close on a house, choose window coverings, get a good deal on house insurance, say goodbyes to old friends, meet new ones, can tomatoes, tend my grandpa's yard, nurture my son and my relationship with my husband, keep my apartment somewhat clean, prepare lessons for Sunday school, keep my weight in check, fix nutritious meals...sigh. I need to do some yoga, I think. But when?

Bath Time

Remember when bath time could never last long enough and you wouldn't get out until the water was stone cold? Yep. That's the magical (and sometimes frustrating) stage Rudy is in right now. :)

Feeling Crafty

This week has been a stressful one. An emotional one. A busy one. A hair pullingly SLOW one while at the same time a neck breakingly fast one. Welcome to closing on a house, I guess.

With piles of paper work, heaps of emails and tons of telephone calls crowding my days, I needed something to help me remember to BREATHE. Something to restore some kind of a rhythm to my discombobulated soul.

So I pulled out the needle and thread. I spent some time focusing on that good feeling of working with fabric I love, and just pulling the needle in and out, in and out. (I also used the sewing machine, so that I could actually accomplish something with all those crafting vibes I was feeling, but the hand stitching was the more therapeutic of the two.)

At the end of my "therapy", I had created two bags. One Mama size bag for our trips to the library and wherever else a cavernous bag is helpful to have. (Which is pretty well everywhere, if you've got a toddler in tow.) :) The other one is toddler size. I made a little library bag for the daughter of one of my good friends, Bonnie, who just turned two last month. Bonnie's a huge reader, and she takes Amy to the library often (or at least she did before Noel was born...I don't know how often they make it there now, but somehow, I think Bonnie finds a way...I can't imagine she could stay away from the library for too long with out just shriveling up and dying.) :)

Anyway, they were fun to make, and I'm quite pleased with how they turned out. Being able to make them for absolutely free made it better yet.

Spiders!

Rudy's latest infatuation is with spiders. He loves them. He spots their webs where ever they are. He talks about them. He draws them (or at least proclaims that the scribbles he's made are "piders!") Our last library trip resulted in five different spider picture books, which he requests to read all the time. Luckily for me, I'm not super squeamish about spiders. Not like the librarian, at least- she couldn't even touch the books. :) I'm not freak out proof, though, as I discovered after reading Rudy several of his spider books before bed. That night I dreamt I was covered in disgusting creepy little parasites, and itched all night long. Eeew. I think I'm getting used to all this spider talk, though-no creepy dreams last night. Plus, it's fun learning new things. For example, most spiders bites (especially tarantulas) are hardly harmful at all to humans. Kinda like a bee sting. And spiders spin their webs (even really intricate ones) in less than an hour. Did you know that there is a water spider who collects air bubbles in a specially woven web allowing him/her to spend MONTHS underwater? They're really fascinating little creatures, and I have my fascinating little son to thank for my exposure to them. I'v even considered getting a pet tarantula, but seeing as they are like $30, I think I'll wait until Rudy's a bit (like years) older and can handle the little guy without risking harm to it. That is, if he's still interested in spiders by then. I'm definitely going to start work on a spider costume for Halloween, though. :) Maybe I could be Miss Muffet. And Jason could be...ummm... any ideas? Maybe just a web. Or a Daddy spider. Hopefully I'll come up with something better than that by October. :)