the jackson five

I'm Cool

2011-07-23T10:48:00.005-06:00

It seems like it's not cool to blog anymore. No wonder I stopped.

But seriously, I have not felt the blogging urge in awhile (obviously), but I thought I'd give a stab at it today just to see how it goes.

So much has happened in the last 5 months, but I'm just going to stick with the happy stuff:

Nash turned 3! He is such a handsome charmer, and I honestly can't control him (probably because he's my baby and my last). He does what he wants and gets what he wants. That about sums it up.

Sydney turned 6! Syd is a bright star! She is always happy, and is full of spunk! She has the cutest giggle and I love hearing it every day.

Trace, well is still 7, but soon to be 8 and baptized. He is growing up so fast and becoming so mature. He just got some new specs this week that I LOVE...

I just got a job at Maple Mountain High School that I'm starting in the fall. It's less than 5 minutes from my house, which will be so nice! So, I'll be working 2 part-time jobs. Yep, makes sense huh?

The kiddos and I are leaving for VA in a few days and I am ready for some good times! There's just something about "home". I miss my family and can't wait to talk, relax and play games.

On a random note, I was sitting at Erin's house a few weeks, and looked outside to see this...a double rainbow. What does that mean? Maybe it's good luck. Whatever it is, it's good right?

100!

2011-02-11T12:58:00.004-07:00

It was Sydney's 100th day of school celebration. Lots of one-hundred activities were highly anticipated. But, I had no idea how much I would enjoy it, until this little number came out of her backpack:

Hilarious!

Delish...

2011-01-21T14:34:00.003-07:00

If you need something to comfort you during the January blues, here it is.

I am going to divulge my recipe for the perfect (*light) chocolate milk shake. There are no measurements here, folks. Just go with it.

Bryers Neopolitan Ice Cream (Yep, Strawberry. Vanilla. Chocolate. ) And, do not skimp; it must be Bryers or I cannot guarantee it.
Milk
Vanilla or almond extract
Magic Bullet (optional, but perfect for a single serving)

You're Welcome.

*Indicates light chocolate flavor, NOT light in calories. I cannot be held responsible if you get fat.

One week down...

2011-01-21T14:18:00.004-07:00

I never thought it could be this easy.

Sydney has not sucked her thumb for one whole week...

I am so proud of her!

Say good-bye (hopefully) to these teeth, and hello to some ortho work to fix her bite (one day).

How did we do it you ask? Two things:

Bribery
Fear (of the dentist's "painful" appliance")

Life Is Good

2011-01-17T10:57:00.004-07:00

Don't worry, this is not one of those "brag about my awesome life" posts. No siree.

This is a from the heart, how I am feeling today, post.

I am usually struggling in January, trying to get through the winter blues, for no reason. Except that I like to complain about the cold, the snow, and the darkness.

This January, I find myself with problems, worries, trials, concerns, and unanswered questions.

But, in the back of my mind, I keep hearing Tyler's wise Grandpa Jensen saying, "Life is Good".

And, he's right. Life is Good.

I was wired with an inherent ability to find the negative in everything, to be the pessimist. But I am trying daily, on a minute by minute basis, to find the good, the positive, the light in everything.

Without trials and struggles we would not progress and grow. I don't want to get any taller, but I do hope I am growing.

Everyone has trials; it's how we handle them that defines us.

My blessings certainly out number my tribulations.

And, so, Life is Good.

Gratitude Day Eighteen & Nineteen

2010-11-19T22:42:00.001-07:00

I am struggling keeping up with this thing!

I was just reminded on my comments section of something that I really love...my heated toilet seat. Oh yes, it's the best thing that has ever happened to me in the winter.

I should also mention my gratitude for insultators. You know who you are. Without you, Tyler would still be eating his sandwiches upside down, and I wouldn't know how to properly maintain a candle.

*sorry bout the inside jokes*

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Gratitude Day Seventeen

2010-11-17T20:49:00.001-07:00

Grateful for my kids' active imaginations. It keeps me laughin.

Just as an example, about two weeks ago, Nash announced at the dinner table that baby Gianni (his cousin) was in his belly. That's right folks, Nash thinks he's pregnant. It hasn't been a fleeting episode either. He talks about baby Gianni all the time. "baby Gianni is hungry"' which translates to, "I want a treat".
So last week at Sunday dinner, Nash wanted to hold baby G and I asked him how Baby G got out of his belly. Nash seemed just as confused about the whole thing as I am.

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Gratitude Days, Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen and Sixteen...Sheesh

2010-11-16T19:40:00.002-07:00

Okay, okay, so I'm behind a few days. My phone wasn't letting me blog whilst I was away on a short vacay. So, here goes my make-up session:

I'm grateful fer

1. forgiveness
2. my kids' amazing teachers
3. my kids' amazing primary teachers
4. twix
5. modern appliances

Gratitude day eleven

2010-11-12T00:18:00.001-07:00

Grateful fer the St. George condo. I love it here!

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Gratitude Day Ten...

2010-11-10T20:22:00.002-07:00

Grateful fer my job. Another one of those things that has taught me A LOT.

Love the kids and people I work with...

Holla!

Gratitude Day Nine...

2010-11-09T20:23:00.001-07:00

Grateful fer brothers. We've had some great times together!

Gratitude Day Eight

2010-11-08T20:34:00.002-07:00

Grateful fer funny. I love to laugh.

But, I've noticed that raising kids makes me serious. I need to laugh more.

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Gratitude Day Seven

2010-11-07T14:26:00.001-07:00

Today I am grateful fer my in-laws. ALL of them! I am surrounded by the best people.

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Gratitude Day Six

2010-11-06T10:18:00.001-06:00

Glad my kids let me sleep until 7:30 this morning. I'm grateful fer lazy days!

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Gratitude Day Five...

2010-11-04T21:03:00.006-06:00

I'm 3 hours early! I hope it still counts...

This gratitude post, has to do with the future. I'm hoping that in about 20 years from now, I'll be able to say,

"I'm grateful my youngest child is still a man."

But for now, we'll just let him be the princess of his choice.

Sydney always has the best (unprompted) poses.

This picture might evoke the question,
"Do pirates actually wear snow boots?"
To which I would reply,
"Only in this economy. "

Gratitude Day Four

2010-11-04T09:35:00.004-06:00

I'm grateful fer these folks:

Everybody's got 'em. But I've got the best ones.

My parents are Strong, United, Generous, Loving, Thoughtful, Faithful, Healthy, Sincere, and Dedicated to their Family. I'd say they molded me into a pretty decent person...and I now know (being a parent myself) that raising a good family does not just happen. It takes sacrifice, patience, time, work, prayer and unconditional love.

Thanks Mom and Dad for sacrificing every day to be the best!

One of these days, I'm gonna get these Southern folks to move closer to me! Probably not any time soon, though. It may have to come in the form of a mission call.

Gratitude Day Three

2010-11-03T20:48:00.001-06:00

Grateful fer my warm, cozy bed. It's calling my name right now.

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An Attitude of Gratitude

2010-11-02T20:07:00.003-06:00

It has recently come to my attention that my friend, Morgan, issued a challenge to post one thing you're grateful for each day for the month of November. I'm already two days behind. Which is why I'm grateful for procrastination.

But seriously folks.

Day One:

Trace, Sydney and Nash. Not only was I blessed to be the mother of these little ones, but they were sent to me healthy, smart, funny, talkative, creative, loving, and full of personality. They are miracles and they make me a better person (most days).

I just hope I don't mess them up too bad.

Day Two:

Tyler. I am so grateful that I chose Tyler to be my husband. Cheesy. I'm sorry.
I have grown immensely in our 11 years of marriage because of him.

He has taught me...

how to be more confident.

how to be more generous.
not to sweat the small stuff (and it's all small stuff).

about politics (still working on that).

how to be a better communicator (really still working on that).

how to be more positive (will always be working on that).

I'm a work in progress.

Kids

2010-10-30T13:12:00.004-06:00

Two stories worth mentioning:

#1
I was sitting with Nash having lunch today and he said, "Mom, I am a beautiful girl." Usually this would just make me laugh. But, because of the following list, I'm starting to worry...

Nash's favorite color is PINK. He fights with Sydney over the pink plates, bowls, etc.
Nash's favorite book was once Pinkalicious. We haven't read it in awhile for obvious reasons.

Nash likes to play with dolls. He also likes to play house and be the mom.

Nash wants to be Cinderella for Halloween (I think we are going to let him indulge in this, purely for the laughs). Pictures to come!

Help me out here people, is this just a stage???

#2
About 2 weeks ago, the kids were playing outside and Sydney left Trace's scooter behind my car. Sydney went missing, and Trace was on the hunt. Once he found her, he herded her out to the garage where his scooter was left in a predicament.

This is when Tyler caught his eldest son sounding much like himself...

Trace steered Sydney to the crime scene and in a stern voice said, "Sydney! This is the kind of crap I'm talking about!", and he pointed to his vulnerable scooter.

Sydney decided not to let his tone of voice offend her, and she fluttered away as if she could not hear him.

The End.

Thanks again Lifetouch...

2010-10-12T20:15:00.005-06:00

But this time, thanks for nothing.

Okay, so Trace's picture is fine. But, nothing to get too excited about. He's a pretty cute kid, but maybe I'm a little biased.

Sydney's on the other hand...well let's just dissect it for a minute. First off, let's start by saying, Sydney herself couldn't be any cuter. Love her.

BUT, is it that hard for the Lifetouch employee (I would use the term photographer, but I think that would be WAY too generous) to say,

"Hey Cutie, do you wanna fix your headband a little? It's kinda in a weird spot on your head..."

Or

"Hey Cutie, wanna zip up your fabulous cardigan sweater so that we can see the classic argyle print on there that your mom paid an arm and leg for so it will look super cute in your picture?" Mmmmmkay, thanks.

But, they didn't.

Or maybe they did and that's what happened with the headband as a result.

On a somewhat related side note, I regret to inform that I do not have my annual school pictures yet to brag about. I opted not to have my portrait made when I realized I came to work wearing the same shirt I wore for my photo shoot last year. Embarrassing. I know.

Another side note about Nash: As we were walking to C & E's house the other day, a little girl was outside who looked to be about 3-3 1/2 years old. Nash walked right up to her face and said "What's your name, cutie pie?"
What a stud.

Potty time

2010-09-29T22:59:00.002-06:00

Just wanted to share my bathroom story with the world...

Yesterday I had to go "potty". And because I cannot walk into a bathroom without the entire gang immediately sensing my absence, and launching a search party, I locked the door. As they proceeded to bang on the door, I shouted,

"I am going potty, and I would like some peace and quiet!!"

To which Nash responded:
"Mommy, I am peace and quiet."

Yes, Nash is peace and quiet personified. Who knew?

Love this boy...

Seriously

2010-09-25T21:04:00.016-06:00

Seriously, why have I not been blogging lately? Because I'M BUSY, MmMmMkAy? I have soccer games to watch and barbies that need to be played with...

Now that that's out of the way, I just wanted to document--fo' the record (I stole that from you Morgan, but you already knew that) what's been going on with us in no particular order. I'll start from our trip to VB and end with, well, the end.

***We went to visit my parents in Virginia Beach the first 2 weeks of August. We had a blast. We exhausted ourselves at the beach daily, to the point where Nash was begging to go home and take a nap. Nice. Cousin Christine came down for a weekend with her clan (send me the pics already, girl) and Sydney and G'Weezie had their annual birthday celebration.

Oh, and, as always we went to Busch Gardens. I'll say it again...I LOVE THIS PLACE:

Hehehe...Sydney was at least trying to be brave...at the beginning.

***Trace started 1st grade. He's loving school except for the recess part. He complains that kids don't want to play with him. Tyler insists that he's just socially awkward like me. I beg your pardon... I'm pretty charming, in a shy-at-first, weird kind of way.

***Sydney started kindergarten and loves it! She has the same teacher Trace had, so she already knew what to expect. She walked into class the first day like she owned the place. She's a social butterfly....much like her daddy, I'm told. Sydney also started dance and gymnastics. Her dance teacher told that she is very coordinated and a natural dancer. No surprise there, she gets that from me.
[Insert Syd's first day of school pic here if I can ever get it off my camera..Arrrrg]

***Nash PREtended to start PREschool. Part of being a great mom is knowing what motivates your child. Well, Nash wouldn't stop hinting around that he wanted to go to school, so I decided to make that a reality for him...as long as there was a reward in it for me. Hence, the potty training began. Once he started meeting his dry underwear criteria, I started to panic to find a preschool for 2 year olds. I offered my friend, Saedi, a box-o-peaches (she'll do anything for food), to let Nash come for a few hours to her day care and, viola! Everybody was happy. I'm genius, I know. And so are you, Saedi (thanks again!).

***Tyler, although too busy for extracurricular activities during "Corn Season", did find the time to explore his wild facial hair side and grow out an attractive new beard thing. It screams Brigham Young...or is it John Deere? I can't decide.

***Trace joined the "Lynx" this year for an intense soccer season. Let's be honest, no one really knows their actual record, but it's safe to say, the Lynx kicked some 1st grade butt. Sydney took to photography at each of his games. Check out these shots:

***The "Corn Season" ended tragically for the Jackson kids when they fell off the forklift one Sunday afternoon. Nash and Sydney emerged with a few scrapes, but Trace ended up with 8 stitches and some nasty cuts in his mouth...which led to some seriously bad breath later on that week.

***Trace had a burfday and turned the big 0-7! I threw him a pretty amazing party at the one and only, Classic Skating (well, the one and only one in Orem). It was a good time filled with skating, scootering, snowballs, Icees, pizza, cupcakes, and uninvited guests (Will). Trace still can't figure out how the DJ knew his name. When the birthday boy got to request a song, there was no hesitation from Trace. Bring on, "Who Let the Dogs Out" (who who who who--you know you're singin it)

***I had yet another "teaching moment" with my children about cleanliness and respect for toys. After countless times of asking them to "kindly" clean up the playroom, I warned them I was going to take all the toys away. Well, I did just that, much to Sydney's dismay. It was a proud moment for me.

They are still earning their coveted possessions back one at a time, and the playroom is once again a huge disaster. Lesson learned.

***I started running (and I use the term "running" VERY loosely). Yes, in case you didn't catch that in my last post, it is true. I am doing the 2 things I hate the most in life. 1) getting up early and B) RuNnIng! What the...? I must say though, it makes me a better mom, which is pretty hard to do. Thx again Saedi...

***Megan & Stefano had baby Gianni on Sept. 21st. And, Chris and Erin's twins are due in a few weeks. This seems like a nice segway to announce that I'm expecting. But, I'm not. It was a nice segway tho, yes?

The End. I promised.

This one's for you, Saedi

2010-09-16T20:53:00.002-06:00

My awesome friend, Saedi keeps texting me, BEGGING for a blog entry. What can I do? I have A fan, I cannot let her down. So, this post is dedicated to YOU, Saedi, and I would like to cleverly entitle it, A POEM FOR sAeDi:

Saedi, Saedi the marathon runner,
Running with her couldn't be any funner.

But now Saedi's sick,
And I am sore,
This we should do never more, never more.

(Unless of course Saedi gets any fatter and then we can't be friends).

The end.

Hope you're feeling better girl!

Somtimes we just need to hear it...

2010-08-25T19:44:00.001-06:00

I need to post about my trip to Virginia, but I can't get the pics off my camera, so you're getting this instead...it's better than anything I could say...

FIVE!

2010-07-07T13:14:00.004-06:00

Happy Birthday to my Sydney Lou!!!

Our Five Favorite Things about Sydney:

5. She knows what she wants! Seriously, she told me everything she wanted for her birthday down to the very last detail (including a balloon centerpiece and a "number 5" shirt and a detailed present list)
4. She's still a momma's girl, which I love!
3. She's a great help around the house and takes good care of her brothers.
2. Sydney is becoming a great little swimmer. She will even jump off the diving board now (although she prefers to do it with a life jacket)
1. Sydney is still my earliest riser, she's usually up right at 7:00 or earlier...okay this one is probably my least favorite, but the positive part about it is she is always HAPPY, even when I'm grumpy in the morning :)

Corn Widow Dialouges, Chapter 2

2010-06-28T20:06:00.003-06:00

Dear Children of the Corn:

Did you know that summer is a great time to sleep in? There's really not much that needs to get done at 6 am that can't wait until 8 am. See my wisdom here?

Let's experiment with this tomorrow. Everyone try to get up around 7:30 or LATER, and mommy will be much, much happier.

Hugs & Kisses,
Mommy

Quote of the Week...

2010-06-12T07:41:00.002-06:00

As I am scolding Sydney for always having to tell her to put her seat belt on, Trace sees his opportunity to shine:

"I always put my seat belt on...unless I forget."

Disney

2010-06-01T15:24:00.006-06:00

I'm not usually one to brag, but, WE WENT TO DISNEYLAND!!!

(Enter excited face picture HERE).

We went with the whole Jackson Clan at the beginning of May and had a blast. Thanks Steve and Judy for a memorable trip!

Beware: Picture overload...

We left early Sunday morning and drove straight to California. Tyler wanted something special done to his hair while we were on the road. This is what I came up with:

We went to "Breakfast at the Park" our first day there. Awesome!

We took as many pics with the characters as humanly possible. Gotta get your moneys worth.

On day four, the crew took a break from Disney and headed to the beach. I flew to Charlotte to go to a family reunion.

PS...Thanks for the pics Erin. I've decided that, number one, I hate taking pics, and number two, I hate my camera. Number one is probably directly related to number two. I apologize for all the number one number two talk; I'm semi-potty training Nash right now, but I digress.

Corn Widow Dialogues

2010-05-31T19:55:00.005-06:00

Entry #1:

My life as a seasonal corn widow began on Wednesday. This year, Tyler and Chris decided to open up for Memorial Day weekend...JOY! While it's nice to have money coming in again, it's hard to face the reality that I've got 3 solid months to hang with my3 exhausting kids...with...out...Tyler.

So, I had myself a little cry last night.

Tyler asked me why I was crying, and really all I could figure was, I just needed to get it out. There are always tears from the wives during corn season, right Erin?

But now I'm done crying and ready to get on with it again and conquer this summer. Luckily, sister-in-law who is also corn widowed, now lives only 3 houses down from me. So at least we can mourn together.

Buy some corn people and make it worth it for me!!!

The End.

Obsessed Much??

2010-05-28T08:07:00.005-06:00

So whenever my kids start watching a new show, the inevitable obsession begins. We watch, live, breathe, color, cut, and paste the new show. Unfortunately, the newest one introduced to us by cousin Cher was "Yo Gabba Gabba." What a classic! Let me introduce you to the cast of this brilliant series:

So, thank you Nick Jr. and the clever creators of this genius, instant classic. Now, can anyone suggest a new show we can obsess over for the next few weeks?

10 days...

2010-04-22T21:40:00.001-06:00

This one's for you Jon...

See you in 10 days Disneyland.

My husband, the loser

2010-04-15T21:32:00.003-06:00

That's right people, Tyler lost 30 lbs in 12 weeks!

If you see him at the gym or Subway, make sure you give him a congratulatory thumbs-up.

Way to go baby!

2010-04-10T20:31:00.003-06:00

Tyler took all three kids to BYU's spring training or something, er other...Whatever it was he took them to, it equaled 4 hours of free time for moi.

What did I do with my free time, you wonder??

NOTHING!

It was GlOriOuS!!!

(Okay, I might have watched some tv possibly even a lame-o movie on Lifetime. That's all).

Swimsuit Season

2010-03-25T21:25:00.002-06:00

Last night I did the first annual stare down of my body in preparation for swimsuit season. (Don't judge me, you know you do it too). I was kinda feeling okay about the whole situation until...I...turned...around...

To my dismay, and utter disgust, I noticed a possible glimmer of cellulite on my buttocks--and let's be honest, it's creeping down my legs.

I decided not to panic though.

To alleviate this problem, I did approximately 12 lunges on the way to bed.

That should take care of it, as well as a full body wet suit.

PS--I'm thinking about going to the gym (eeew). The VIP membership comes with free daycare. I'm pretty sure I can workout all day with that incentive.

Goooooo Cougars!

2010-03-22T19:36:00.002-06:00

Since I live with BYU's second biggest fan, (first place definitely goes to Braden, who's son's middle name is, "Cougar") I must post on this sad occasion.

Let me first start by thanking all y'all for your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time in Tyler's adult life.

I'd like to share a little poem I wrote as sort of a good-bye to this season of BYU basketball:

Cougars, cougars,
You're really NOT losers,

You ended a 17-year drought,
By letting Lloyd and Jimmer out.
At the end there was no "Rise and Shout",
Until next year, Tyler will pout.

Tyler often wonders where his life would go,
If the Cougs would actually vanquish the foe.
No life-changing win tonight,
Maybe in 2011 they'll get it right.

It will be many months long,
Before we get to sing our song...
As for now, we will take down our florescent "Y"
To minimize the sadness of poor, poor Ty.

Rah, rah, rah, rah, rah...
(add your own somber fist pump if you'd like)

I'm not a poet...

It has been 11 glorious years

2010-03-10T21:19:00.007-07:00

of marital bliss. Oh, how I adore a cheesy, lovey dovey post, but I'm going to somewhat spare you of that for now.

Instead, you get this:

The "Do's" and "Don'ts" of, my man, Tyler...

DO pick up Tyler's socks and shoes regularly. Otherwise, they will never be worn again.

DON'T loan Tyler tools. They will never be found, plus we all know he's not actually using them.

DO talk to Tyler...he's a great communicator, a rare find in a guy.

DON'T plan to be on time if Tyler has not showered yet.

DO edit Tyler's letters and memoirs for spelling and punctuation, which is optional to Tyler.

DON'T put Tyler on a budget.

DO let Tyler read to the kids at night.

DON'T root against the Jazz or BYU. I don't even want to imagine what would Tyler's life would be like if that happened.

DO remember to ASK Tyler to help around the house. He will gladly do any chores, IF ASKED.

DON'T let Tyler go to Costco alone unless you need an excessive amount of canned beets and creamed corn.

DO, however, let Tyler sell corn. It's a unique talent given to only a few.

DON'T remind Tyler that you've already heard that story. He's going to tell you anyway.

DO laugh at Tyler's jokes--most of them are pretty funny, especially the first time around.

DON'T feel bad if your knowledge of useless sports facts is sub-par when compared to Tyler's. Everyone's is.

DO catch Tyler in a lie about a white Nike jumpsuit. What's up white shadow?

DON'T eat out at Mexican, Chinese, or Italian restaurants. Meat and potatoes only.

DO cover your ears when Tyler sneezes. Trace & Sydney already do...which leads me to the next one...

DON'T let Tyler forget his allergy meds in the spring, summer or fall.

DO watch movies with Tyler while devouring a pint of pineapple coconut ice cream.

DON'T debate Tyler. You will lose, miserably, and begin to question what your point was in the first place.

And, the most important one of all...

DO let Tyler go on bro-mantic trips 3 times per year (minimum). This will be the only reason I can get away with this post.

Love ya & have fun baby!

This post is about nothing, seriously, don't click on it...

2010-03-10T21:08:00.003-07:00

You fool. I told you, I have nothing to say. Except for this...

I love the show "Modern Family"

Thank you Celeste.

The end.

PS--It's my blog and I can write whatever I want.

Birthday Bash for Nash

2010-02-23T20:32:00.005-07:00

We had an intimate celebration for Nash's 2nd birthday complete with close family (2 siblings plus 2 parents), cake, and presents.
What more could a 2 year-old ask for?

Around here we make 'em sing their own birthday song.

Classics

2010-02-17T12:49:00.006-07:00

As Sydney sits on the couch watching her latest favorite show, The Sound of Music, I am reminded of a funny story.

A few weeks ago, I came home from doing the grocery shopping. When I walked in, I noticed Tyler and all the kids were on the couch watching a movie. All I saw on the screen was Nuns in full Habits singing. Immediately, I went to my mental movie repertoire and said, "Hey are you guys watching Sister Act?" (One of my childhood favs, I might add...Whoppi was GeNiUs!)

Tyler glanced over at me, and with a condescending look replied,

"No, Paige, we're watching The Sound of Music."

We both laughed out loud because it's the perfect example of how differently we were raised.

When Tyler was a lad, he watched musicals, went to symphonies, and practiced fine etiquette at nice restaurants (doesn't all of that just SCREAM Tyler?).

Meanwhile, when I was a youngin' in the South, I watched classics such as Sister Act, Sister Act 2, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, The Never Ending Story, and Return to Oz, just to name a few. And, we dined every Friday night at Pizza Hut where my brothers, dad, and I would have spit ball fights. *Cringe*

Yeah, we had quite different upbringings, but somehow we mesh pretty well together.

I'm becoming more open-minded to musicals and whatnot, and Tyler, well, when you get past the bad-A exterior, down to his deeper layers is pretty darn refined!

*PS--Did anyone see the Oprah about Nuns? I learned that Nuns believe they are married to Jesus. That seems awfully presumptuous to me, but what do I know, I'm just married to mortal Tyler.

Deja Vu

2010-02-17T09:11:00.005-07:00

Tyler's in Vegas again working with his dad.

I'm having deja vu from two months ago when he was gone for two weeks, and I was doing research projects.

Yesterday, I decided to end the mundane repetition that is our life, and get out of the house...

Crazy, I know.

I took Nash to story time at the library. This is a serious deviation from his rigorous tv schedule, but it was more for my sanity. (Erin and Cher came along so I could have some adult conversation!)

Next, we hit McDonald's for some happy meals and a play date. We met Saedi and her boys. If you'll recall Sydney's first kiss was with Ethan, Saedi's little boy. They haven't seen each other for quite some time, but when it's true love, it doesn't matter. Sydney kept calling Ethan, "Ian", and told him repeatedly that she really, really likes him. They were inseparable, but fortunately, I don't think they found time to kiss (as far as we know).
Nothing like rekindling your first romance at the germ-infested McDonald's playplace.

The last thing we did was made cookies and then took some to Tyler's grandparents. They live just a few minutes away from us and are the sweetest, kindest people. I feel bad that we don't go over more often. I always enjoy visiting with them.

I feel like I have 3 sets of grandparents. I'm glad that my kids have the chance to know their great-grandparents too!

It was a good day. Now, what should we do today?!?

2010-02-16T11:14:00.002-07:00

I woke up this morning with a POUNDING headache. UGH.

This delicious delight followed shortly after I brushed my bed head.

Problem solved.

I'm Available for Hire

2010-02-05T09:40:00.005-07:00

It's been awhile since I posted anything about Nash, and he is changing everyday.

He talks in full sentences now and loves to sing.
He knows his ABCs and can count to 13!
He likes to sit on the potty, but has yet to actually "go."
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, I Am a Child of God, Baptism, and My Eternal Family are some of his favorite songs and he knows all the words.

Because I am clearly such an amazing mom, I thought I'd offer a special 2-year old training camp for those of you who are interested in impressing your friends too. Your *tuition will include (but is not limited to), the following:

1) Lots and lots of Cheerios (many varieties will be offered)
2) Gum and/or candy (only if it gives me any additional peace)
3) One hour of Sesame Street (commercial free)
4) One additional hour of Elmo's World (commercial free)
5) One half hour of Dinosaur Train (very educational--they even learn that all dinosaurs poop)
6) One story (most likely Nash's favorites, Up, Up, Up, Pinkalicious(?), or Moo Baa La La La
7) One full uninterrupted hour of alone time in the playroom
8) 10 minutes of singing time in the car
9) One essential 2 hour nap so I can prepare for the rest of the day by blogging

The *tuition is worth the amount of quality TV time your child will receive. Plus, I need some help paying for the luxury of Direct TV--how else am I going to tape all these shows? Please contact me when you're ready to begin. I know you want to. Hurry, spots will fill up quickly.

*Tuition is based on how much "training" your child will need. It's not easy getting 2-year olds to watch hours and hours of TV, but the results are worth it.

Anyhow--back to Nash--one of my favorite things he's done lately is when I tell him "no" and threaten to put him in his crib, he'll say, "Time out!" I've rarely even used the phrase time out with him, so it made me laugh when he came up with that one.

Nash has also started calling me "Paige". I just answer to him, like it's completely normal. He usually gives me a "Hey Paige!" Pretty courteous I think...

Signing off.

The tooth, the whole tooth, and nothing but the tooth...

2010-01-24T15:03:00.005-07:00

****Tyler and I cannot wait to go see this movie!!! Maybe we will get some pointers on how to be better fairies.****

Yesterday, Tyler gingerly yanked Trace's baby tooth out of his mouth because the permanent one was already coming in behind it. To assuage his pain, we reminded Trace that the tooth fairy would be coming to bring him a surprise in exchange for his nasty tooth (who thought up this tradition anyway?).

Anyhow, this made him feel much better about the whole traumatic incident, and he was already dreaming up all the possible surprises he could imagine. It was actually a disappointment when I reminded him the "surprise" was probably going to be monetary.

When Trace awoke this morning, to his surprise, his delicate, decaying, 6-year old tooth was still under his pillow! Eeeeek!

Luckily, Tyler is quick on his feet and taught Trace a very valuable lesson: The tooth fairy does not work on Sunday.

Good thing Tyler was the first one on the scene today. I might have told Trace the tooth fairy does not donate money for inadequately brushed teeth.

Side Note: As I was searching for the image above, I noticed that this movie received sub-par reviews. SHOCKER!

January can "Go suck an egg"

2010-01-20T16:15:00.006-07:00

Usually I hate the month of January for the following reasons :

The holiday high is over
There's nothing to look forward to for months...
It's gloomy
It's snowing
It's cold
It's dark
It's cold and dark
I don't like the cold or the dark

But, through all this darkness there has been some unsuspected light...

THANK YOU, Wal-Mart, for putting these puppies out unseasonably and ridiculously early. You made my day!

A few weeks before...

2010-01-06T20:33:00.009-07:00

Every year a few weeks before Christmas, the Jensen's hold the annual family Christmas party. And every year, Santa comes and brings all the great-grand kids a little pre-Christmas present. This year was no exception, and I was curious to see how Nash would react to this "Santa Claus" who is such an enigma to all the youngins.

I was impressed to find that despite his cousin Cher's wailing and gnashing of teeth, he remained quite composed upon Santa's arrival. In fact, Nash was not afraid of Santa at all and even stood in close proximity to him when it wasn't his turn.

When Santa finally called Nash's name (he was the very last one) he literally galloped/hopped/skipped over to Santa and jumped right onto his lap.

Like he'd been doin' it for years.

He sat angelically on Santa's lap, posed for pictures, graciously accepted his gift, and was on his way.

One happy little boy.

Upon Sydney's turn with Santa, we were privileged to find out that she wanted a "Ballerina" for Christmas. "Ballerina" was not on Sydney's original letter to Santa and therefore did not make it to our home Christmas morning. Sheesh. Santa's elves can only produce so many gifts.

Trace's turn with Santa did not reveal anything new. He was desperate for the movie, Ice Age 3. He wanted that as badly as Ralphie wanted a Red Rider BB gun.
Well, since there was no chance of him shooting his eye out with this flick, Santa delivered Ice Age 3 along with many other superb gifts. And, if you ask Trace what his favorite thing he got for Christmas was, he'll immediately tell you... Ice Age 3. It's all about keeping the expectations low my friends.

***More Christmas stories to come. ***

*For all of you who are still wondering about the angel, I hate to disappoint, but I did not purchase her. On Dec. 26th, I had one goal in mind: The tree. I got the tree on clearance--50% off. I'm so glad I waited! Next Christmas will be GlORiOus for the upstairs tree. The ghetto tree downstairs, however, will have to endure one more year, sans the angel.

Update!

2009-12-17T17:15:00.005-07:00

I found her...

She's Fiber Optic, she's Gold, she has plastic flowing hair, and she's B-E-A-utiful!

The only problem is that price...$16.50? Who are you kidding Wal-Mart?

I'll see you after Christmas you golden princess...

Research Opportunity

2009-12-12T20:28:00.004-07:00

Today, I decided to take a small sample of how many times one child can actually say "Mommy" during a 30-minute time period.

After the data collection was complete, the final "Mommy" tally gathered from Nash* during a 30-minute sample was 42.

The question is, how many times does a child have to say "Mommy" during the day before the mommy actually begins to lose sanity?

I believe the answer is somewhere around 30.

This means I only had full sanity today from about 7:30 am until 7:50 am.

Tyler, please pick me up at the mental hospital when you get home on Monday.

That is all.

* It should be noted for validity purposes of the study that this was a sample of ONE child, the other two were not accounted for, however, they were contributing on a smaller scale.

Sydney

2009-12-08T19:37:00.007-07:00

It's been awhile since I had a good Sydney post. She's had a couple of good stories lately, so I'm writing them down, you know, for journaling purposes.

Episode #1

Last night she was brushing her teeth when she suddenly looked up at me and said,

"Mom, do I have walrus teeth?"

Of course, seeing the opportunity to help her kick the thumb sucking habit, I nonchalantly replied,

"Yes. Yes, you do. And they'll get even worse if you don't stop sucking your thumb."

As Sydney's facial expression turned from puzzled to frightened, she proclaimed,

"But Mom, I don't want my teeth to stick outside of my mouth!!!"

After an intense discussion of thumb sucking and the "walrus teeth" consequences, she went to bed trying her very hardest not to suck her thumb. I think she even succeeded.

I'm planning on using this picture as a wallpaper border to redecorate her bedroom:

Who knew this could be so motivating!

Episode B

I was busily working in the kitchen whipping up a gourmet meal, when I couldn't take it no mo'.

"STOP!!!" I reverently hollered to all three midgets.

"STOP SAYING, Mommy! Mommy? Mommy. Mommy?! Mommy? Mommy!! Mommy! Mommy. Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!!!"

And without even taking a breath, Sydney continues,

"Paige. Paige? Paige! Paige!? Paige! Paige."

::I can't wait for Tyler to get home. 9 days down, 6 days to go! Miss you!::

Anyone want to put up my tree?

2009-12-03T22:09:00.005-07:00

My house is still quite barren of Christmas decorations. I can't muster up the strength or desire to put up our tree. (I think I lost the will after I put up Tyler's "sports" tree, aka TWTT, "The White Trash Tree." It's strategically placed in the basement where most guests don't have to see it).

Here's my dilemma...I want a new Christmas tree. Our home has high ceilings now, which makes our old tree look like a short, stubby, round, leaning mess of pine needles.

I have my heart set on a tall, (9') elegant, classy, much leaner tree to adorn the eastern wall of our family room. It would be lovely, but I can't talk myself into buying a $200 tree now that I KNOW will be half price come December 26th.

Looks like Stubby's going to see one more Christmas.

I'm so inherently frugal it's annoying.

If you made it this far into the post, then here is your early Christmas present from me. Clark Griswald made me do it:

PS-the picture doesn't fairly represent how many branches are actually missing/rigged together, or how nicely it leans to the right. And, I am still looking for the finishing touch: a classy, blinking angel for the top. Oooo, I'd also like to find some retro icicles--you know the ones.

Thank You Lifetouch...

2009-11-08T20:17:00.005-07:00

Trace is in kindergarten...

Now can you guess what grade I'm in?

Try not to be envious, but...

I get a free set of these amazing pictures every year. They're really starting to pile up because I'm not quite sure what to do with one 8x10, two 5x7s, four 2x3s, and multiple wallets. I think it's collage time. And, Tyler will inevitably be the lucky recipient. Yes that will be nice.

Anyhow, here's what Mr. Mom has been up to on Thursdays....

Tyler is a great Mr. Mom, but not a great hairstylist. Sorry Syd.

Superhero Trio

2009-11-01T21:09:00.005-07:00

Here are the obligatory pictures of the kids' Halloween costumes...

They're pretty cute if I do say so myself.
Happy Halloween!

2009-10-26T20:46:00.016-06:00

Corn officially ended on Labor Day, and we've been making the most of Tyler's freedom.

Therefore, I'd like to entitle this post, FALL FUN. Very creative, yes?

To begin the Fall Fun, we went to Lake Powell. Tyler's cousin Rachelle & Brandon invited us to go. We had a great time! It was my first time ever. The weather was perfect, the houseboat was amazing, and we had the best tour guide around (thanks Brandon). There was never a dull moment. Thanks for the invite!

The cliff jumping was really fun...we even forced Tyler to participate!

How can I call this post "Fall Fun" if and not include football? Tyler and I got BYU football season tickets this year, and thanks to some magical strings Celeste pulled, we got phenomenal seats. We are literally on the first row. Not only do we have a great view of the defensive line (is that the correct football lingo?)

but we also get to watch the band walk by for their solid half time performances,

AND we get to make fun of the seriously lame security guards.

Trace got to come to one of the games too.

Now onto St. George...
No pictures to prove anything amazing happened, but trust me, we had an eventful Rhino trip to Sand Hollow State Park. Let's just say that at the end of the day, Tyler was keeping the kids entertained by playing a lively version of Duck, Duck Goose, properly renamed, "Rhino, Rhino, IMPOUND!"

Anywho...
Before our St. George trip, we took a leisurely trip up Hobble Creek Canyon with Chris and Erin...it ended a little prematurely when the Rhino's battery died. We just weren't meant to Rhino.

And, finally, Tyler and I just got back from a great trip to Virginia Beach for my brother Jon's wedding. We had a great time, and THOROUGHLY enjoyed the "no kids" part.

We had one full free day there and made the most of it. After some encouragement from Ben, we decided to rent bikes on the boardwalk.

We had no idea Neptune was going to be
there. I felt so inferior, and so overdressed.

Next, Jon invited us for an intense game of frisbee golf. Check out my form. It's all in the flick of the wrist. Nice.
(I'm pretty sure I won...the high score)

And, finally we went to see "A Law Abiding Citizen." Great movie, BTW.

Then, it was onto wedding fun...I wish my pictures were a little smaller, but this is the best I can do for now. I had to steal them from the Sam's Club website and apparently they only sell them to midgets.

Hopefully, I can get normal size ones when the lovely couple gets back from the honeymoon...YAY for Puerto Vallarta...

"Just promise me you won't go bungee jumping in Mexico, they just don't have the regulations" (that quote is for you, Jon! Please use your best lisp).

A HUGE THANK YOU to Chris, Erin, and Megan for keeping the kids for us!

And, Stefano, you're welcome for the free birth control.

Someone's Six!

2009-09-13T21:26:00.005-06:00

Happy Birthday Trace!

For Trace's birthday, we took him to the best people watching event of the year:
The Utah State Fair.
He loved every minute of it! He rode lots of rides and saw lots of stinky animals.

Here are 6 things that describe Trace at age 6:

Trace is simply a happy kid. He is rarely in a bad mood (if ever) and seems to just enjoy life! He's also loving kindergarten and learning how to read.
Trace is a good worker/helper. He likes to go do corn with Tyler in the summer and usually has jobs he can do. He's also a good helper around the house.
Trace generally wants to please others and wants to do what is right.
Trace is a good singer and likes to sing along to showtunes in the car.
Trace is a healthy eater. I finally starting getting him the alternative to french fries at the fast food joints because he prefers fruit to fries. What?!
Trace is adventurous...he likes roller coasters, water slides, carnie rides, and playing in the ocean. He's also a great swimmer.

The Blanket Diet

2009-09-10T20:48:00.002-06:00

I decided a few days ago after coming across this book at work that it was time to face my fears, practice what I preach, and tackle Sydney's thumb sucking habit.

Ugh.

The only time Sydney sucks her thumb is when she has her blanket.

That means, she sucks her thumb ALL THE TIME.

Well, being the genius that I am, I immediately realize this: Less blanket time=less thumb sucking.

And thus the blanket diet was born.

Like everything I do around here, I began the diet because we were forced into it. While taking my parents to the airport yesterday, I realized I forgot Syd's blanket (Gasp!). Usually, she would notice the blanket's absence IMMEDIATELY, but on this particular day, she didn't say anything until about an hour into our journey.

This is when I decided the moment was right to lay it on her.

"Sydney", I said calmly, "I've decided that you do not need your blanket during the day anymore. You can have it at night, and that's it."

As I looked in my rear-view mirror all I could see was the look on Sydney's face. This look might be comparable to the look you'd see on a portly person's face if he were just told, "Today is the last day you will ever eat a piece of cake my friend."

Utter disgust.

They grow up too fast.

2009-08-26T14:30:00.005-06:00

Well, the day has finally arrived.
Trace started kindergarten!!!

He looks like he might get to ride the short bus to school in this picture, but alas, it is not his fault. I am a horrible photographer. Sorry, buddy!
(Check out the retro high tops Trace picked out. Nice.)

I cried the whole morning...

No I didn't, you fools!

Don't get me wrong, I love Trace and enjoy having him around the house; however, he is going to be SIX in a few weeks and we were both MORE THAN READY for this new chapter in his life to begin. Yipee! Free school!

Plus, kindergarten in Utah is only half of a half day (2.5 hrs). Sydney's preschool is longer than kindergarten! So, I feel it is merely an extension of preschool, thus no need for tears. Maybe I'll cry when he starts 1st grade and is gone all day. But, maybe I won't.

Tyler wanted to start a tradition with the kids and take them back to school shopping, himself. I knew I didn't want to drag 3 little kids into the stores with all the other moms and screaming kids, so I happily agreed that Tyler could begin this tradition. They had a fun day of male bonding and Trace was thrilled with his new clothes and shoes.

Trace also started soccer and had his first game last night. Tyler was able to get the night off, and joined us. The first half of the game, Tyler was quite concerned about his eldest son's athletic abilities. He eluded to the fact that at least he has two other possibilities coming down the line. Sydney probably being the most likely to have the aggressive instinct and athletic genes (since she is Tyler's clone).

So, after watching Trace clumsily kick the ball for awhile, he finally broke away from the midget pack emerging with the ball. He kicked it towards the goal leaving the other kids in the dust (he's quite fast--maybe track will be his thing). He was about 15 feet away from the goal when all of a sudden, eeeert! He stops and turns around.

Tyler's facial expression clearly said, "What the ______?!" (you can fill in the blank).

In Trace's defense, his cleat had come off. And, it wasn't until half time that Tyler noticed neither one of his too-big cleats were tied!

Ah ha!

Being the good parents we are, we tied his shoes and sent him back onto the field. He mentioned to Tyler a few minutes later, "Dad, I can play so much better with my shoes tied!" And, truly, he could.

Turns out he's not that clumsy and non-athletic after all.

Tyler was VERY relieved.

Squints

2009-08-16T21:08:00.004-06:00

Trace has a new nickname

Now--name that movie referenced in the title! It's one of my all time favorites :)

A very exciting update...I know you can't wait...hurry and push the link...hurry

2009-08-02T23:32:00.001-06:00

Whew.

You have arrived to a very exciting post.

Brace yourself.

I cannot be held responsible if you cannot sleep after this post has been read.

Seriously.

My summers are off-the-charts fun.

Okay, but really seriously, I'm sorry in advance for the lameness of this post. But, I must document my awesome life, starting (and ending) with our recent trip to the doctor. This is probably the most interesting it's going to get from me for awhile.

So, I took the kiddos to the doc a few weeks ago, and felt like I got my money's worth for a change (we have a high deduct).
Nash had his 16 month check-up and shots...ummm guess he was more like 17 months, but whatever......Trace got the rest of his kindergarten shots and while I was there, I decided to surprise Sydney with shots so I wouldn't have to bring her in twice before kindergarten next year. I thought she would be fine getting her shots, if you recall this post. But, no such luck. Trace went first and the crying began for everyone. I'm so glad it's over!

Nash's check-up went well, he is 25.5 lbs (60%ile), and 34" long (99%ile). So, it's looking like lanky Trace will be the basketballer and chunky Nash the footballer. Tyler is well pleased.

I also decided to take away the pacifier from Nash last week. I knew it was time but was dreading it. It actually went pretty well! No bink, no bottle, now if I could add no diaper to that list. I guess I could, it would just be pretty disgusting.

Nash has added a few new words to his repitoire; his favorites being the first two:
nuhooo (with lots of voice inflection, he's truly southern)=no
deidoo=thank you
iuhmo= I want more
wawa=water, or anything liquid for that matter

And, to add a little more excitement to this horribly boring post, I though I'd add these fab pics taken by the cutest photographer in the world...thanks again, haley, you amaze me!

If you've managed to make it to the end of this post, I applaud you. Good night.

2009-07-07T00:59:00.004-06:00

Happy Birthday, Sydney!

Four things that would best describe Sydney at age 4:

1) Sydney is a momma's girl. Syd loves to cuddle with me. She also lets me know that she missed me if she's been gone for awhile. And, whenever I get Sydney something she really likes such as ice cream or a movie, she always remembers to follow it up with an "I love you, Mom."

2) Sydney is relentless. For example, she loves to watch tv. The other day she asked if she could watch a show. I tried to hold her off with a firm, "maybe in a little while." She waited about 6.7 seconds and said, "how about now?"

3) Sydney loves treats (and will do just about anything for one). When we were at the lake, Sydney refused to go tubing. After many, many attempts to get her on the tube, I offered her a cupcake. Tubing--DONE.

4) Sydney still gives out the best stink-eye in town. I challenge you to find anyone who is better at it. I'd love to have a stink eye-off.

Eye Carumba!

2009-07-06T23:55:00.006-06:00

Last week, Trace had a fight with Nash's suspenders.
Score after only one round:
Trace--0
Suspenders--1

Picture this:
I'm busily cleaning house (no laughing, please) when all of a sudden, I hear Trace start to cry, and cry, and cry. I figured he was jumping on his bed again, and hurt himself, again. No rushing upstairs necessary. After about 2-3 minutes of wailing, I decided to offer some support.

Here's a taste of the dialogue that occurred:
Trace: My eye, my eye!
Me: What's wrong with your eye? What happened?
Trace: I don't know, it just started hurting!
Me: Did you hit it?
Trace: No! NO!! I don't know what happened.
Me: Why is it hurting?
Trace: I don't know, it just started hurting. Really bad.

There was no apparent wound on his eye initially, and since they're so Asian-like (no offense CamErin), I had to pull his eye down to further examine. I then got a nice visual of a long blister-looking thing that was bluish/redish on the white part of his eye.

Since Trace was claiming that it spontaneously started hurting, my optimistic mind begins to go there:

eye tumor = cancer of the eye = surgery = lots of debt = blindness = everything else horrible I could think of.

So, within minutes we're in the car and Tyler's getting an appointment for me at the eye doc's. As all the wonderful thoughts are going through my mind in the car, I notice that Trace's crying has weakened.

Me: Trace, is your eye starting to feel better?
Trace: A little bit.
Me: Do you know what could have happened to it?
Trace: I think I might have hit it with a belt-thing-y.
Me: What?! This information would have been helpful 20 minutes ago!!!
Trace: (Silent)

The story ends like this: Eye doctor verifies that he does in fact have a very nasty wound on his eye that will self-heal, but the bigger concern was his very, very poor vision. (This did not result from the fight, just so you know). Stay tuned for pictures of Trace and his new specs, coming in August.

Nasher

2009-06-21T21:47:00.008-06:00

In honor of Nash turning 16 months old today, I thought I'd jot down some thoughts. I usually don't make a fuss about turning the big "1-6" months, but since he's changing and doing something new everyday, I though I'd better write it down for journaling purposes.

Nash is starting to become quite verbal especially within the last few weeks. Things he says:

momma
dada
bye bye
nite nite,
more
hi
thank you (he tried so hard to say it today)
boo!
huh (means yes if it's in a happy tone, no if it's grunted)
ball
bubble

8/27/09 (18 months)
New words:
Elmo
Ice cream
stinky (he's even told me a few times when he was "stinky" even if he just tooted!)
Shhhh
Share
cookie
yeah
uh oh

12/12/09 (22 months)
What Nash can say now: Nash is speaking in full-on sentences now. Here are a few things he says often

Want some more please, mommy.
More treat please mommy.
I no want it.
Thank you.

Those are the main phrases he says, but he still loves singing songs. He can sing really well! One night a few weeks ago Tyler and I were out and we had a babysitter. When we got home, the sitter said, Nash was asleep, but he's been awake for a little while and has been singing. We walked near his room and he was singing "I Am A Child of God" He just kept repeating, "Lead me guide me walk beside me, help me find the way..." It was so cute.

4/13/2010 (25 months)

Nash is a great communicator, but sometimes it can get slightly annoying...because he literally bosses me around all day! "I want milk. Where's my pink bunny? I need my backpack!" Are just a few examples.

Nash is all boy with a few exceptions:

His favorite books are Pinkalicious and Purplicious

His favorite show right now is Zoey's Dance Moves.
His favorite color--you guessed it, Pink.
He occasionally likes to put on Sydney's dress up skirts.
He sleeps with a little baby doll. It's actually quite cute!

Some of his other favorite songs include, but are not limited to:
Follow the Prophet
Baptism
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
You Are My Sunshine
Once there was a Snowman

Things he likes:
Mom holding him
Balls
Water
Following Trace and Sydney around the house
Drinks (non alcoholic, as far as you know)
Corn-on-the cob
Swimming
Chicken nuggets
Playing at the beach
Sweeping
His blanket
His binky
Reading books
Baby MacDonald DVD (he's constantly saying E-I-E-I-O, which is my hint to get it in the DVD player before E-I-E-I-O turns into loud shrills)
12/12/09
Elmo
his boots
treats
carrying snacks in his bowl all around the house
jumping on the bed
4/13/2010
blankey
gum
candy
Celeste
Going to the gym with dad

Please ignore the snotty nose. Thank You.

Dislikes:
Cantaloupe (what?)
Being left alone in a room
Being stuck in his car seat for long stretches

Summertime Yummies

2009-06-17T08:30:00.006-06:00

How Sweet? Sugar Sweet!

Tyler started running this produce business when he was in high school and 15 years later, it's still going strong! It has evolved over the years and has become a fun family business!

We have stands from Payson to SLC, so stop by and get some fresh

AND MORE!

And, for all of you wondering what to get Dad for Father's Day, we have the perfect gift pack:

Corn griller (makes yummy grilled corn on the cob),
Corn butter (butters your corn EASILY!)
Corn de-silker (gently brushes off corn silk)
And one dozen ears of corn

Comes nicely packaged and ready to gift, all for only $20!

A perfect gift for any dad!

Our website should be up and running soon for stand locations: sugarsweetcorn.com

To preorder corn or berries for freezing or jam email us at: sugarsweetcorn@gmail.com

Flag Day and another VERY special occasion...

2009-06-14T13:50:00.005-06:00

Just wanted to wish everyone a very, very happy flag day. Oh, and, it is also someone's birthday today. Hmmmm, who could that be?

I'll give you a hint. It's someone in this picture. And it's probably not the cute baby trying to escape from his mother.

So, In case you have not called, emailed, texted or Facebooked this person yet, I will give you one more opportunity to pronounce your wishes upon him or her in the comments section.

And, if you choose not to participate because this person has forgotten your birthday (which she (or he) tends to do), then let's call it even, ok?

Family Vacation

2009-06-11T06:46:00.002-06:00

We are back from our East Coast tour!!!

We had a blast on our vacation in May, and got to visit friends and family. Here's a recap of all the places we hit, and the events that took place.

***Important Note: Many, many, many pictures are about to be revealed...I cannot be held responsible if you sustain permanent eye damage from viewing so many amazing photos of my family. Consider yourself warned!

1. Virginia Beach, Virginia

Mechling family picture

Beach time (surprise, surprise)

Pool party with Jon's fiance, Anna, and her family:)

Mingled with old friends and neighbors (no pics to prove it though)

Played UNO--winner of the VB rounds goes to Kimmie, mainly for keeping her composure and her ability to cordially hang with the competitive Mechlings. She managed to win a few times too.

2. Williamsburg, Virginia

Busch Gardens--I L-O-V-E this place!

!

My personal favorite picture trio. Poor Maddy had NO idea. Bad Daddy.

Nash spent the better half of his day naked due to my poor planning and a large poo bomb. He didn't seem to mind though.

Ben proves once again that he can sleep anywhere. Real Nice.

Tyler and friends off to kiddie land...

Great Wolf Lodge--AWESOME!

3. Pawleys Island, South Carolina

Visited my 92 year-old grandma, Tutta!
Lots more beach time.

Sydney's hair was so curly. I loved it!

Played UNO--Can't seem to remember who the overall winner of the SC rounds was. So sorry.

4. Columbia, South Carolina (Go COCKS!)

Rogers family reunion at Saluda Park

5. Shelby, North Carolina

Stayed at Uncle Ron and Aunt Bev's house (I propose to rename their place, Disneyworld's Extension Park, NC)

My second favorite picture trio:

The Race Track

Played UNO--I can tell you who won the most games here...that would be me. And I even took home the best prize ever, A WOOD BOWL turned by my own Uncle Ron...Yippeeeee!!!

6. Spartanburg, South Carolina

Went to see Ray and Jen's newly remodeled home. Nice work Ray and crew, it looks awesome!

So, there you have it! It was an exhausting trip, but many wonderful memories made. I'd like to thank everyone who made this trip possible, especially Big Ray and Weezie. Thank You! We loved every minute of it!

Morgan made me do it...

2009-05-16T11:29:00.003-06:00

So my bunco buddy, Morgan has a stinkin' cute blog, and she has called upon me, yes me, (well not me personally) to give out the best cookie recipe EVER.

As many of you will testify, we do have the best CCC recipe, and I'm not afraid to share it.

Choc Chip Cookies

1 Cup Butter Flavored Crisco (Oh yeah!--partially hydrogenateds are your friend in these delicious cookies)
2 eggs
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup White Sugar
1 tsp. vanilla (none of that imitation crap, mind you)
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Salt
2 1/4 Cup Flour (I even sometimes use 1/2 white flour, 1/2 wheat flour and they're still very tasty!)
Lots of MILK Chocolate Chips (I like the Guittard brand the best-and does anyone actually know how you pronouce that?)

Now just mix it all together and put in a 350 degree oven for 9-10 minutes (I take them out as soon as they start to brown a little so that they're soft).

Time for a new post, yes?

2009-05-14T19:58:00.016-06:00

Okay, so besides suffering from severe allergies (thanks to our filthy home and lack of a Kirby) here's what's been keeping us busy the last few weeks--since you're all DYING to know...

At the end of April, my parents came out for Ben's graduation. It was quite memorable for 3 reasons:

A) President Monson spoke.

2) It was UVU's first graduating class (Go Wolves!)

AND

D) UVU now holds the record for longest, most boring, most painful graduation ceremony EVER (except for President Monson's 10 minute talk). Even the graduates lost their enthusiasm by hour 3, and little did they know we still had another hour and a half to go.

Because of my final horrible graduation experience, I would like to put this out there for all to know: I will not be attending any more graduations except for my own children's and even that is questionable.

Anyhow, the day before the marathon graduation, we hit the Tulip Festival (kinda pricey but well worth all the free tulips the kids picked)

Here are the B-E-A-U-tiful (name that movie) pictures I took:

I should be a photographer

Strike a pose

View from Our backyard

Hey Weezie!

After a fun-filled visit with my folks, we headed to St. George for a Jackson Family reunion trip. It was mucho fun. Lots of swimming, sunburns, Ranger rides, relaxing, and eating. We also went to Pioneer Park where I was lucky enough to chaperone the kids through "the narrows". They don't call it the narrows for nothin'. Couldn't even fit my camera in my bra to prove I did it. Ha!

Tyler got this shot on his New Blackberry as we emerged from the narrows. And, yes, I am bragging about Tyler's NEW BLACKBERRY! You see, since the Utah Jazz can't win any kind of important competition, the Blackberry is the next best thing in his life now.

The Pioneer Park Tortoise

Nash LOVES the pool!

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

In other news, Nash has finally started walking "full-time". He has been playing with the idea of walking for about 2 months now, and today, he decided to make it his job.

He's also starting to say more words we can understand like:
he-yuh (here) as he's handing me something
bye-bah (aka--bye-bye--it's way too easy just to repeat the word, so he throws in a new vowel on the second word just to mix it up)
nite nite (he said this once a few nights ago, but now that he's figured out the semantics of it, he refuses to fall for it again. He may be young, but he's not dumb).

He loves the slides at Aunt Erin's house!

Kirby Phenomenon

2009-04-24T21:14:00.007-06:00

The doorbell rang today, and standing there was my nemesis.

A salesman.

I have repeatedly told my kids, DO....NOT....OPEN....THE DOOR. Not because there could be a kidnapper or a boogey man behind it, but because there could be, you guessed it, a salesman.

But, they DO NOT listen. And every time my dear children let one in, I cringe. Because I know I'm about to spend a lot of money I do not have. Like last summer, when I bought a freezer full of meat for $400. WHAT? FROZEN MEAT? Who knew they even sold that door-to-door?

I AM every salesman's DREAM.

So, my salesman today starts off with an amazing attention-grabbing technique. He GIVES me a free household product. Paper towels. WOW!!! I'm thinking, JACKPOT! You probably think the story ends there, but you'd probably be wrong.

After he presents me with the generic wipes, he says, "One minute let me run to my van." As he runs to the van, I return to my motherly duties. Upon my return to the front door, there it is, the KIRBY Vacuum Box.

"Umm", I said with a sigh of relief, "We have a central vac, so I think we're good."

"Have you ever had a demonstration?" Says the guy with a large tatoo of his 2 year-old on his arm. (Classy).

"YES! And, my parents have one, which they love, and I love Kirby's too. But, we can't afford it. We need to put in our yard, first." I thought for sure this would be the end of it...

"Well, my boss just wants me to give you a quick demonstration, " says Maurice while his eyes shift to his boss in the molester van.

"Okay, but I'm not buying," I said firmly.

Deep down, I love the Kirby demos, just because I know I'll have one room with pristine carpet by the time they're done. Well worth the LENGTHY demo, I think.

As the vacuuming begins, I'm slowly getting sucked in. (No pun intended). And, by the end of it, I am ready to chuck the central vac attachemnts and get out my credit card.

My vacuum is like a glorified Dustbuster compared to the Kirby. You should see how many dust/dirt/lint filled circles I have in my trash can right now! It's amazing I don't have allergies, or even worse, diseases. It's a miracle I'm still alive!

I LOVE KIRBY. I NEED A KIRBY.

Well, to make a long story longer, I ended up trying to talk Tyler, Chris and Erin into my Kirby dream. I figured, we can't justify buying a $2,000 vacuum for our home, but we have rental properties and so do Chris and Erin, so why not use the Kirby to clean the carpets when the renters move in-and-out? BRILLIANT! (Plus, I might even use it my house as an added bonus!)

Everyone saw my wisdom in this except Chris.

So, it is with mixed emotions that I report to you, I do not own a Kirby, yet.

Chris, if you're reading this, I'm not very happy with you right now, and neither are our carpets.

I hope you breathe in lots of dust tonight and develop severe allergies.

2009-04-17T10:42:00.004-06:00

4/09
I was trying to explain to Trace and Sydney that they were going to have a little Easter party at school and then on Saturday, we would have the big Easter egg hunt. My explanation was a little ambiguous, and here's how the talk went down:
Me: We're making these Easter eggs for school. The other eggs are for the big hunt we're going to have outside in the grass.
Sydney: Hmmmm, that's very interesting. We don't even have grass.

4/09
Sydney is playing with this toy where you make animals...you choose different heads, arms, legs, etc. So she comes downstairs and says,
Mom, these legs won't stay on. That's rude.

Spring Break!

2009-04-16T09:45:00.003-06:00

Easter

2009-04-12T21:35:00.005-06:00

"Jesus died and came alive again."

This is exactly what Trace and Sydney will say if you drill them for the real meaning of Easter. It is such a simple statement, yet so profound. I am so grateful for the true meaning of Easter, the atonement of Jesus Christ, and what it means to me personally.

"Of all the events of human history, none is so significant as the resurrection of the Son of God."
Gordon B. Hinckley

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

Now, for the true meaning of festivities. This year's fun mainly took place on Saturday. The hunt, which consisted of tons of candy, toys, and treat-filled plastic eggs scattered all over a vacant lot across from Gina's house, was a success despite the rain and abundance of deer droppings. We made sure no one mistook them for chocolate covered raisins. Tragedy avoided! The kids had a great time "searching" for Easter eggs and I was pretty proud of the loot they earned, even if the candy was a little moist.

As far as a visit from the actual Easter Bunny on Sunday morning, it didn't happen. Let me take you back a moment to Tyler's childhood when his dad (aka Big Steve) shot the Easter Bunny. I'm not sure how many bullets were used, all I know is he's dead. And, somehow this tragic news got out to Trace. Two nights ago when I was putting Trace to bed he said,

Mom, why did Grandpa "take down" the Easter Bunny?

To this, I had no reply. I just told him to talk to Grandpa about it.

Therefore, Easter eve and morning at our house was pretty uneventful as there was no anticipation of cottontail's arrival. I must say, at first I was not on board with taking the E.B. out of our children's lives, but when 11 pm rolled around last night, and I was very tired, I ended up feeling great about it. Instead of the almighty E.B. dropping off presents and MORE candy, the kiddos received new pj's and crayons from....get this....Mom and Dad! And, you know what, WHY NOT take credit for the nice things we do?!?

Don't worry, I'm going to keep the shotgun out of Big Steve's reach when Santa's coming.

The Louvre's Newest Additions...

2009-03-30T18:14:00.005-06:00

As the snow/cold weather continues to bless Utah, the Jackson's continue to be stuck inside. This weather is ideal for producing artwork in high volumes though. So, before these beauties find their permanent home, I took the time to scan them first. I'm such a good mom.

Title: Delicious
Artist: Trace
Medium: Crayon & safety scissors

Title: What's in a Name?
Artist: Obvious
Medium: Crayon, again

Title: Extreme Makeover for June
Artist: Sydney
Medium: Crayola!

Title: Ching Chong Chu the Dragon
Artist: Trace
Medium: You know

Title: Giraffe Playing in Polka Dots
Artist: Sydney
Medium: Crayons and "Dot" Paints

Title: Rainy Africa
(Actual Title by Trace)
Artist: Trace
Medium: Pen and Crayola

Are those your skis? Both of them?

2009-03-30T13:52:00.007-06:00

Last Friday, my thoughtful hubby invited me to go skiing with Chris and Erin, and offered to babysit the kids. WOW!!! How could I say no? (Plus Erin's brother gave me a free lift ticket-thanks Mark!).

I haven't skied in over 7 years, so I was a little nervous about severely injuring myself. I had visions of taking Trace and Syd to preschool this week with a neck brace on. Plus, I'm not the best skier to ever grace the slopes, so the conditions have to be just right for me:

1. Mild weather (I'm talking 50 degrees plus)
2. Packed/groomed snow OR ice, yes ice. I learned to ski in West Virginia and mainly ice skiing was my forte--anyone else who's ever learned to ski there can back me up.
3. NO powder (this nearly killed me the first time I skied with Tyler 11 years ago).
4. Sunshine--not a must, just a bonus.

Since all of these conditions were met, I found myself at Sundance on Saturday having a great time.

I'm still not the best skier in the world, but at least I still got it. Some 60+ old man came up to me and gave me some "tips" on how to ski better. Chris and Erin were convinced he was picking up on me, I prefer to think he really was concerned with my form...it is hideous.

Now for some pictures from my camera phone:

View from Back Mountain...ahhh breathtaking

My gracious hosts
The third wheel

PS-if you can name that movie quote in my title, I will semi-happily award you with ONE Cadbury Creme Egg, you better hurry before I eat them all.

2009-03-18T14:56:00.003-06:00

It's that time of year again. The Cadbury Creme Eggs are back on the shelf.

People either love 'em or hate 'em.I happen to LOVE them!!!

quotes

2009-03-09T16:30:00.000-06:00

I've been trying to write down the cute things my kiddos say, here's all I've got from the past 6 months. Geez, I need to do better!

3/9/09
Nash's words:
All week Nash has been saying, "BOO!" "Roar!" and "Hi!"
He's been saying "Hi" for awhile, but boo and roar are new. It's so funny to hear him say it. I'm going to have to get it on video!
He can say mama and dada, just doesn't really like to.

3/6/09
Trace: Mom, today is the strangest day of my life.
Me: Why?
Trace: The Leapster just turns on and then off again.

11/17/08

Sydney's prayer:

Father in Heaven, I'm thankful for my family. Love my mom. Love my dad. Except sometimes my dad is mean. And sometimes my mom is mean and doesn't listen. Name of Jesus Christ Amen.

10/08
Trace: Why do we have wrappers on crayons?
Me: I don't know, that's a good question.
Trace: We need to ask Jesus, maybe he knows.
Me: Great idea!

Happy AnniversWii!

2009-03-05T19:32:00.007-07:00

Aren't Wii Adorable???

Today is our 10 year wedding anniversary, and to celebrate this magnificent event, I decided to get my hubby a Wii.

Why, you ask? Because I'm the best wife ever. He's been wanting Rockband ever since we played at at Chad and Kim's in January, but I kept telling him, no, it's too expensive. Little did he know, I've been studying Wii's on ebay for the last 3 weeks and finally got a pretty good deal on a "gently used" Wii and Rockband.

Now, Tyler will have his dream of friends and family coming over to our home and rockin' out all night with us (because I am an awesome wife :)

Oh yeah, we're also going to spend the night at Marriott all the way in PROVO (it really is like being out of town for us now) and eat at Chef's Table. YUMMY! Thanks, Judy, for keeping the kiddos!

Love ya, Babe!

First Kiss

2009-03-02T20:34:00.007-07:00

Last week Sydney had her first official play date!

Her date was Ethan, cutest little boy at preschool.

They played.

They ate.

They made cookies.

They watched cartoons.

AND...

They kissed!!!

Don't worry, I immediately had "the talk" with Sydney about how we don't kiss on the FIRST play date. Maybe the second or third. We don't want people to get the wrong impression.

I was also surprised by the fact that Sydney was the aggressor. I thought for sure Ethan made the first move, but after talking to his mom, Saedi, I found out Syd went in for the kill, and all day Ethan kept asking his mom, "Why did Sydney kiss me?"

Sorry Ethan, I couldn't pull any answers out of her either.

Happy Birthday Nash!

2009-02-23T16:16:00.007-07:00

Happy Birthday, Nash!

February 22, 2008 at 1:23 pm, Nash Mechling Jackson was born. He started out at 8 lbs 12 ozs. and 21" long...here's how he's grown:

31 inches long (80%ile)
22 pounds (28%ile ???)
Has 2 teeth on the bottom and one fang on top (Here comes the next Edward)
Blue eyes
Has a little bit of light brown hair
Can say mama, dada, hi, and something that sounds like "yes"

LIKES:
Babbling
Playing in the playroom...cruises around and gets into everything
His bottle, but that is already being phased out, sorry buddy
Sleeping (still takes 2 naps :)
Eating (just about anything)
Drinking water out of his cup
Oatmeal with applesauce for breakfast
Trace & Sydney
Swimming
Naked time
Going for walks when it's nice outside
Reading books

DISLIKES:
Baths
Walking or standing alone
When mom leaves the room
Drinking milk from his cup, he's adjusting though
Diaper changes (oh wait, I'm the one who dislikes that)

Happy Birthday Nasher!

President's Day Weekend Getaway...

2009-02-16T20:52:00.011-07:00

We managed to make a trip down to St. George this weekend to enjoy a little R-n-R and warmer weather. We were going to leave Thursday night, but luckily, Big Steve clued us in to the fact that there was a huge wreck on I-15 and the weather conditions were bad. This actually worked out very nicely for a certain mean mom and her naughty kids.

I spent the majority of my day kindly asking the children to "be nice, calm down, stop hollering, clean your room, don't smother Nash". So, after Tyler and I decided it would be best to leave for St. George in morning, I saw a great teaching moment. I gathered the "kids gone wild" at 7:00 pm and sat them down for a serious talk that went something like this...

I asked you guys a hundred times today to be good, be nice, and help me get ready for St. George, but you were not good listeners, were you? (this rhetorical question prevoked some wimpers)

Because you chose not to listen to mom, we are not going to St. George tonight. (Loud, loud whailing from Sydney begins, utter disbelief clouds Trace's face)

BUT! If you listen now and go to bed quickly and quietly, we can go in the morning when you wake up.
Hooray! Trace exclaimed
Okay. Muttered Sydney

I felt a little bad about doing this, but I easily got over it as I plopped down on the couch at 7:05.

So, Friday morning, we were off and in only three short hours I was partaking of a delicious hamburger and fresh cut fries...yum..

I love, love, love this place (who doesn't?). And, for all of you in Utah who haven't heard yet, there's another one coming!

So, the rest of our time in St. George consisted of swimming, eating, swimming, watching tv, swimming, playing cards with Ben and Kimmie, and, you guessed it, swimming. Oh, we also discovered a new park that the kids loved, and that's the only place I took some pics.

Oh, and for those of you still concerned about my recent medical condition, I am actually doing very well. No major dizzy episodes since Wednesday! However, with this huge snow storm coming in tonight, and the looks of a very fun work commute tomorrow, it's very possible that I might have some symptoms tomorrow morning.

Who's Ever Heard of This?

2009-02-12T19:39:00.002-07:00

I have an inner ear infection...I thought ear infections were for kids, and I didn't even know inner ear infections existed. That is until I woke up yesterday with severe dizziness that made me sick...literally.

So, after a quick trip to the doc's, he diagnosed me with IEI, gave me some meds to ease the dizziness, and I was on my way.

There's only one good thing about being sick...you do get a little extra sympathy and love from those around. Thanks everyone :)

That is all.

Bored

2009-02-10T21:11:00.004-07:00

I have nothing to do right now (gasp) because I'm patiently awaiting Tyler's return from old-man rec-league b-ball so we can watch Idol! The last time I started watching it without him, I was verbally assaulted. Lesson learned.

I'm trying to decide if there is anything of worth to report right now....let's see...Tyler and I have both started exercising. Tyler is one week in and going strong. I am one week in and done. Fini.

Let me describe my short-lived exercise routine to you.
1. Pop in new Pilates DVD courtesy of Wal-Mart.
2. Get down on exercise mat (beach towel) and begin the first exercise to a "Perfect Pilates body".
3. Use all my strength, breathing techniques, and will power to form a beautiful Pilates "stretch" with one leg gracefully raised in the air.
3. Try to hold this position while Trace pretends my leg is a hurdle.
4. Try to hold this position while Nash pretends I'm a bridge.
5. Try to hold this position (and not laugh) while Sydney does it along with me.

Tyler is now home. Time for some Idol.

Confession

2009-01-29T20:20:00.008-07:00

I throw away all of my kids' artwork and pictures from preschool... I also chuck myriads of colorings, paintings, doodlings, and pasted artwork they produce on a daily basis.

All of them, gone.

Before you judge, let me explain myself. I am the de-clutter queen. I can't handle messes. You wouldn't know this about me if you came to my home unannounced, but when I do have time to clean, I get rid of EVERYTHING. And, it feels GOOD!

I have been caught and tried on several occasions by Trace and Sydney. I feel so bad when they walk over to me, crumpled artwork in hand, and ask if I know why their picture was in the trash. I hate to lie to them, so I think of it as more of a "dumb blond" response, "Ooops! how'd that happen?" One or two days later, it's back in the trash...the outside one.

So, in a minor attempt to right this wrong, I am going to scan some of their best pieces and post them for all y'all to see! They really are cute little artists, and I would categorize most of their work as "abstract". Happy viewing!

Title: Funtastic
Medium: Watercolor
Artist: Sydney, 3 1/2

Title: The Forgotten Shapes
Medium: Construction Paper & Glue Stick
Artist: Trace, 5

Title: Gumbi's Distant Relatives
Medium: Pencil
Artist: Sydney, 3 1/2

Title: Untitled
Medium: Crayola Washable Paint
Artist: Trace, 5

Title: Ponies and Rainbows
Medium: Crayon
Artist: Sydney, 3 1/2
Not bad for her age, huh?

Title: Everybody Was Kung-Fu Fightin'
Medium: Crayon
Artist: Trace, 5

I just showed Trace this post, and he is frantically coloring so he can scan more pictures onto the blog. Should be a high production day for artwork around here.

Title: Billy the Parrot
Medium: Crayon
Artist: Trace

Title: Belle to the Nth Power
(Sydney has literally colored this same picture about 100 times)
Medium: Crayon
Artist: Syd

Title: African Safari with bandaged Gazelle and Rhino
Medium: Cardstock, Stickers Masking Tape
Artist, Trace

Name this movie:
"Everyone turn up your volume...Arts and crafts time is going to be extended by three hours today..."

EXTREME WEATHER WARNING!

2009-01-20T20:48:00.000-07:00

In case you haven't heard, the Palmetto Tree State got an INCH of snow today! Seeing as how I technically hail from SC, (born there and lived there twice), and much of my family resides there, I thought I'd share this little poem entitled,

"First Snow for the PT State in Probably a Very Long Time"

Hoooray! Hoooray!
Now I hope it goes away.
Because after Januar-ay,
It gets rather gay,
I hate to say.

I'm not a poet. Sorry about that.

Anyway, I'm glad y'all got to enjoy a dusting of the white stuff...meanwhile, here's what we did yesterday. I've finally embraced it.

A Flippin' Good Time

2009-01-17T10:08:00.000-07:00

Last year for Christmas, my parents gave us a Flip Video camera. We have loved it!

The purpose of them giving us this camera was to shower them with cute video clips of their grandkids. I have not done very well at emailing them, so I am just going to post a few. The last one of Nash "walking" was requested by Grandma Weezie. Hope you enjoy!

Rainbows

2009-01-07T10:01:00.000-07:00

The other day I was hanging out in the playroom with Trace. I was just minding my own business when Trace all of a sudden goes,

"Mom, there's something under your eye!"
"What is it?" I inquired.
Trace informed me, "It's under both of your eyes...it looks like a rainbow."

Hmmm. I thought, what an interesting perspective from a 5-year old. Where I see aging eyes, long nights, "serious baggage", or poor under-eye genes, Trace sees a rainbow!

So, from now on, forget the cover-up, I'm calling 'em rainbows.

Thanks, Trace!

Birthday Wishes...

2008-12-29T09:47:00.000-07:00

December 29, 1975

The blessed day that my dear hubby, Tyler was born (as well as Jon Voight, Mary Tyler Moore and Jude Law--different years of course---just some useless facts, since Tyler loves them).

Now, as most of you know, Tyler is not one who enjoys an abundance of attention, especially on his birthday. Sometimes he throws us off though, for instance, when he called a family meeting last Friday to inform the kids that his b-day was in 3 days and to be prepared, or like last night when he kept asking his niece and nephews if they wanted to give him his presents early. Anyhow, despite these rare instances, Tyler is very low key.

So, to honor him on his special day, I would like each and every one of you readers out there (you too, Mom, Gina, Judy, G&G Jensen!!!) to give Tyler a little birthday lovin'. Here are your instructions:

Compile a modest list of the things that you love about Tyler, favorite memories, most embarrassing moments, or ways he's made you laugh.
Keep the list to about 20 thoughts, anything less would be insulting. If you can't think of enough, please give an explanation (i.e. ran out of time, ran out of memories, etc.)
Please post your list on the comments portion of this post by midnight tonight, MST (Okay, not really, but try to be speedy) For those of you needing instructions on how to post a comment, call a six-year old.

Once the comments have all poured in, I will print and scrapbook them to the best of my ability (which is not that great...see evidence below) for a fantastic birthday surprise!! So, hurry before he reads this!!! If you need some ideas, I will begin the comments with my own thoughts, try not to blatantly plagiarize.

Birthday flashback '99

Weekend Full-O- FUN!

2008-12-28T16:19:00.000-07:00

Tyler rarely takes any time off from work, so since Christmas fell on a Thursday, he managed to take Friday off, and we made the most of our long weekend together. (I can't say he COMPETELY took the weekend off...there were still a few quick trips to the office and many phone calls, but that's pretty good for him)

On Friday, we had a blast sledding with the whole Jackson/Pitts/Niccoli Clan. Trace loved every freezing cold minute of it and didn't want to stop. We finally forced him inside once his snot was frozen to his upper lip.

On Saturday, we went to Jumpin' Jacks and we all joined in on the jumpin fun. I think I probably had as much fun as the kids did!

The dragon race

Playing dead

Whatcha doin' there, Ty?

Where's Sydney?

Even Nash joined in the fun.

Tyler and Trace re-enacting the Titanic

Jackson Family Holiday Lessons

2008-12-25T22:27:00.001-07:00

What not to do the night before Christmas:

1. Let your kids stay up until 11:00 or you will have this Christmas morning:

2. Fail to force dinner down their throats, or you will have this conversation at 7:30 am:
Me: I think Santa came and brought you presents!!!
A very cranky Sydney: I want breakfast!
Me: HUH?!

What not to do on Christmas Day:

1. Accidentally put one of Nash's Santa gifts in Trace's pile...ooooops!

2. Allow Tyler to make commentary about girl-y presents

What to do on Christmas Day:

1. Open presents!

Hang out with family

Make the Mechling's traditional ambrosia

And, my personal favorite, try to get Nash to keep on his new beanie...very VERY entertaining!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a Goodnight!

Close Your Mouth When You CHEW...Part 2

2008-12-13T14:06:00.000-07:00

As a speech therapist, I find myself fascinated with Nash's ability to mimic my mouth/tongue movements at such a young age. If only I could get some of my speech students to watch my mouth so closely!!! This is pretty comical, and yes, if you are a loyal follower of my blog, you will probably recall the first time I caught this talent on tape.

I'm being followed

2008-11-19T13:58:00.000-07:00

by Nash. He's been playing around with the idea of crawling, and now, he's serious about it. He knows just what to do when I leave the room, and I'm not ready for it. Time to baby proof, again.

Liar, Liar

2008-11-17T20:25:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite movies, now starring my own daughter!

A few weeks ago, there was an incident with Sydney and lying. I really didn't want to blog about this because it's something I don't think I want to remember in years to come. But, there are just too many funny stories building around it, so I might as well just share.

Day one:

I noticed that Nash's borrowed Bumbo had been decorated with pen (it was evident from the delicate cursive scribbles that it was Sydney's mark). I actually kept my cool, at first, and confronted Sydney.

"Did you do this?" I inquired, pointing at the graffiti.

"No." Sydney answered casually.

"Sydney, don't lie, did you do this?" I asked sternly.

"No, Mom, I didn't." She replied with more passion.

Oh, I know, I thought to myself, she doesn't understand what lying is yet, she's only 3. So, I took a brief teaching moment and explained to her what a lie is. Then, I calmly asked again, reminding her to tell me the truth,

"Syd, did you do this?"

"No, Mom" was her reply again.

"Sydney, do not lie to me, did...you...color...on...Nash's Bumbo?" I asked, starting to panic, wondering what to do next.

"No, Mom! I did NOT do that. I did...NOT...color on Nash's Bumbo!" She said with all her dramatic might.

It was at this point that I began to doubt myself.

Maybe she didn't do it, I thought. She certainly seems upset that I would dare accuse her. But, who could have done it? Did some spiteful 3 year-old come into our house, make cutsie scribbles on the Bumbo and frame Sydney?

Errrrrrrrrrt! Wake up Paige!! I silently said to myself while mentally slapping my face. I quickly had an inaudible pep talk with myself...

You know she colored on that Bumbo now get her to fess up!!!

"SYDNEY!!!" I yelled. "I KNOW YOU did this! If you do not tell me you did it right this second, you are going to sit in time out!"

The corners of her mouth started to turn up into a devious little smile. "Oooookay, Mom................I did it."

While she was slowly admitting her guilt, I was quickly trying to figure out what to do. I've never been blatantly lied to four times by a preschooler before.

So, after she received her Emmy Award, and made her acceptance speech, I forced her to wipe off the Bumbo, and then, she sat in TIME OUT! I then questioned my abilities as a parent for the rest of the day, and became even more anxious thinking about Sydney as a teenager.

Day two:

Sydney was watching a TV show and the little boy lied to his mom. I was sitting right next to her, and I said, "see Sydney we do not lie." She looked up at me and retorted,

"But, he still looks happy."

Hmmmmmmm.

Days two, three and four:

Trace prays every night that his sister will stop telling lies.

One week later:

Here is a little conversation Sydney had with Celeste, our babysitter while I'm at work:

Sydney: Celsete, sometimes I tell lies.

Celeste: Why do you do that?

Sydney after some deep thought...Because Jesus wants me to be happy.
Trace (shouting in the background) "THAT DOESN'T EVEN MAKE SENSE!"

So, there you have it. Liar liar pants on fire....but, we still love her a whole lot!

Gratitude

2008-11-15T13:28:00.001-07:00

Since we're well into November and nearing Thanksgiving, I thought I'd share my thoughts from today (nothing too profound, don't worry). As I was in the shower this morning, alone, (a blessing in and of itself) I was thinking about how good things are right now. Things aren't perfect, they never are, but they're good. And, since I can't predict the future, and sometimes it really scares me, I've decided to do my best to "live in the moment" and enjoy how good things are right now.

I was pondering about how much I love my little family, my family family, and my in-laws. Tyler and I have been blessed with 3 healthy kids, wonderful parents and the best siblings in the world! For this, I am truly grateful.

Tyler is an attentive father and caring husband. He works hard to provide for us and then plays with us when he gets home. I love just sitting and talking with him. He rarely complains and can find the good in anything or anyone.
Trace is a pure, innocent 5 year-old who lives to please his parents. He's constantly helping me and telling me that I'm good mom. He is a great example to his younger sister and brother.

Sydney is a spunky, lively 3 year-old who fibs on occasion, but still possesses innocence. She loves treats, movies, her blanket, and her mom. She is a great sister to her two brothers.

Nash is almost 9 months old and is a joy. He has an easy going temperament, unless his siblings are tugging at his limbs. His bright blue eyes and smile light up my day.

My mom is the most patient, kind-hearted person I know. I am trying to raise my children with the same gentleness and love that she provided in our home.

My dad is an example of strength and honor. He is generous with his time, talents, and resources. He has taken us on many fun trips. He also helps me around my house whenever he visits.

My brother, Ray is a talented cook and makes us the best meals when we're together. He's lots of fun to be around and very intelligent.

My brother, Jon is a very thoughtful guy (now there's two words you rarely see coupled together...thoughtful AND guy). He also has the best sense of humor, does hilarious impressions, and can beat anyone at Nintendo (Old School). I love being around him.

My brother, Ben is a great handyman to have around. He's done countless projects for me and never expects anything in return (except maybe some food).

My MIL, Judy is the best. Whether it's sewing pillow shams, babysitting, or inviting us to dinner, she's always doing something nice for me.
My FIL, Steve is generous and a family man. He has taken us out to countless delicious dinners and is a very generous person.
My SIL, Erin is so fun to hang out with and is endlessly watching my kids for me. She is always helping someone and never complains!
My SIL, Gina is THE nicest person in the world. She took my kids for an entire day when Nash was born! She will do anything for anyone and always has kind words to say about everyone.
My SIL, Megan, is a blast to be around, she ALWAYS makes me laugh. She is also the cutest/trendiest girl I know!
My SIL, Jen is a strong, loyal woman. She is excellent at keeping in touch. She's always calling or sending us cards and pictures.
My BIL Steve has the best birthday in the world, June 14th...way to be! He's also very easy to talk to and be around.
My BIL Chris is someone who would do ANYTHING for you ANYTIME! He's good to have around when something breaks down!
My BIL Stefano is another funny one who plays with my kids and takes good care of my Megan!

Halloween Night

2008-11-05T09:53:00.001-07:00

Here's the picture of Halloween night. Please notice that Trace is wearing an elephant costume, AND expecting a flood. I finally received the "larger" size of Horton at 1:00 on Halloween afternoon. And, this costume, although still way too short and would have cut off his blood flow had I not cut all the elastic, "fit" in Trace's mind. So wear it he did!

We had so much fun trick-or-treating with the kids. Then half way into our treating, Meg and Stefano caught up with us and provided us with some great laughs. Stef was the deer you see in the pic and Meg, the hunter. Stef was not afraid to go to every door with the 3 and 5 year-olds, nor would he leave the doorstep until he had a piece of candy in his paw. Sometimes, he would dance for his candy. Then, Megan would yell, "it's a deer!!!" and Stef would start running. HILARIOUS!!!

My Little Pumpkins' Preparation Week

2008-10-30T12:53:00.000-06:00

With Halloween quickly approaching, I've been dedicated to preparing my children for the BIG NIGHT. It's taken us all week, but the results are becoming apparent. They're up to two pieces of candy per hour with minimal side effects. Thank goodness I bought my candy for the trick-or-treaters early so that we could be taste-testing it all week.

They've also been doing house laps/stairs all week long to increase their stamina. I hate weak trick-or-treaters that complain after RUNNING/WALKING a few streets. There will be no whinning as they run/are dragged door-to-door with a growing TREAT BAG!

I've also been randomly jumping out of closets/rooms to prepare them for the scary events that may or may not take place. No one likes a scare-D-cat, so don't worry about my kids being the annoying ones with the high-pitched screams. It's now more like a low-pitched moan/cry. Much easier on the ears. And, you're welcome in advance.

All this preparation leads us to one great thing..., my children will soon have stashes of candy forme to protect. It's my job, and I take it very seriously.

2008-10-28T21:22:00.000-06:00

It's Halloween week and here is an EXCLUSIVE sneek peek at what the little ankle-biters are going to be...

Okay, that was a little more than just a sneek peek. Consider yourself lucky, very, very lucky.

Nash was going to be a dog, however, since he was not thrilled about being stuffed into a way-to-small costume, he is being excused from this year's dressing-up. Next year, I will try to buy him a costume that fits (oh, yeah, and Trace too).

Very nice transition to the Trace costume saga. Trace has been telling me for months that he wants to be an elephant for Halloween. It is, after all, his favorite animal. Well, after some half-ass searching (I can say that because my own mother has said it before, half-ass, that is, and it's the only swear word I've ever heard Weezie say. And, the only one I've ever written. Anyways, back to my story...), I discovered that elephant costumes are abundant, if you're 0-24 months old. Hmmmmm.

Then, one day, a discovery of enormous magnitude!!! As I was searching ebay...I found a large enough elephant costume AND his name was HORTON!!! I thought to myself "Extra brownie points for me...he loves elephants and Horton Hears a Who!!!"

Best Mom of the Year Award, commin' up!

Needless to say, Trace was ecstatic when I showed him the picture of the shy little boy modeling the costume online. So, every day for four days, we went to the mailbox with great anticipation. It FINALLY arrived yesterday, TWO SIZES TOO SMALL!!!

Damn you EBAY!!! (ooops, that's #2)

Now, I have a young, tender innocent 5 year-old (the size of a 6 year-old) who is convinced that his costume fits okay--a little snug, but okay. Nevermind the pants come to his kneecaps and the hood straps do not come around far enough to velcro. And, I'm sure you can imagine the major wedgie he's got goin' on....

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

PS--While we were waiting for the miniature Horton costume to arrive, Trace was fortunate enough to borrow Mr. Incredible for a Halloween party. Thanks, Gina!

YeeeeeeHaw!

2008-10-25T14:44:00.000-06:00

Here's proof that Trace, Sydney and Nash's Grandpa Jackson is truly a cowboy at heart...He gave the whole clan COWBOY jammies!

The best part of these pjs was that they came with Hugh Heffner smoking jackets!

Sadly, however, it was already past their bedtime when these pics were taken, so we did not do a photo shoot with the robes.

That will be coming soon, don't worry!

So You Think You Can Dance

2008-10-17T10:37:00.000-06:00

Here are Trace and Sydney's try-out videos for "So You Think You Can Dance" (Midget Edition). I think they have a pretty good chance. And, believe it or not, they've...

"Never had one lesson!"

~Ferris Buhler

A Weekend at St. George!

2008-10-15T15:13:00.000-06:00

Swimming, swimming and more swimming! Of course that's why you go to St. George. The first day we were there, it was a nice 80 degrees so the kids had a blast swimming outside. The next day there was a drastic change in temp (about 50 degrees for the high) so we moved the fun indoors. Tyler pretty much swam with the kids non-stop and even let Erin and I go shopping for three hours! Thanks guys! I know that Cameron wouldn't have it any other way...

Here's a little picture of the midgets at In-N-Out Burger...we ate there on Friday and Sunday...YUMMY!!!

Okay, so the main pictures I took in St. George weren't actually in S.G. they were in the VAN on our way down. The van was the best part of our trip!!!

St.George

2008-10-09T14:22:00.000-06:00

We are off to St. George for the weekend! We have been trying to go since the beginning of September, and the time has finally arrived. (Sorry you missed your NFL trip Ty, better luck sneaking around next time, he he he).

The part I am most excited about is driving down with our good friends the Whites and our combined total of 6 kids! Somehow Cam scored a Sprinter van that seats 10. Perfect!

Tyler and Paige plus eight! Pictures to come...

2008-10-06T09:55:00.000-06:00

Tyler came to me this morning after trying to turn on a show for Sydney and in a cracked voice said, "Do you know why the TV isn't working?"

My initial thought was, just trying pushing the power button, honey. If any of you have a husband like mine, their first instinct when something seems broken or appears to be lost (wallet, keys, cell phone) is to immediately ask the wife without troubleshooting on their own first. WHY??? Because we have all the answers, and, it's just plain easier to ask the wife than take 5 minutes to figure it out solo.

Anyways, that was just a random tangent. Back to the TV. I asked Tyler all the appropriate questions, starting with "What do you mean?" When he explained further, he had done some troubleshooting on his own, to which I give him credit!!! Come to find out, the Direct TV box won't turn on, on either TV. Uh Oh! This is very bad news for those in this household who are addicted to TV, and they shall remain nameless.

I quickly had a great idea, since I'm tired of the non-stop TV watching. I asked Tyler,
"Why don't we have a week of no TV?"

After the shock wore off of his face, his answer was, "Why would we do that?"

Because, I thought to myself, I'm not calling Direct TV to have them come fix it!

Marathon Day

2008-09-30T22:30:00.000-06:00

Today has been the never-ending day. It actually started last night when I was trying to get myself and kids' things ready for today's activities. So here goes:

6 a.m. Nash wakes up for feeding time/grouchy time...I must say, this is usually the only time he's a little fussy for whatever reason.
7:30 - I'm off to work...(I have the best job ever, next to being a mom!)
7:30 - 9:45 Tyler plays Mr. Mom--feeds Nash baby mush, gets kids dressed and takes Sydney to preschool (we've had some issues with Sydney going to school looking like W.T.--complete with a rat's nest in the back of her head. All I ask is for him to wet it down and comb it, but I can't have EVERYTHING, I guess).
9:45 - Our wonderful babysitter, Celeste, arrives. Tyler is off to work.
Skip ahead to 4:00...I leave work and head to Erin's brother's wedding. Celeste brings the kids to Tyler dressed in their wedding apparel, Tyler brings kids and meets me at the wedding.
5:00 - mingle at the wedding until...
6:30 - wardrobe changes. Dress-down. Time to go to JCW's to meet the Marshall's, Lawson's, and Barrett's for dinner.
7:30 - delicious burger and fries down the hatch. Head to Cornbelly's.
7:35 made Tyler go and get my camera out of the car for the love of the BLOG only to find out the batteries were dead! So sad. Even though I have no pictures to PROVE IT, we had a great time with our friends, and the kids had a BLAST! A big thank you to all those who made this year's Cornbelly's adventure a success.
9:30 - leave Cornbelly's and pick up Tyler's car...Tyler goes to play jamball at a friend's house...CrAZy!
10:30 - I'm off to bed...but apparently, I'm not really ready for this day to end because I can't sleep.

I tried counting sheep. Any other ideas?

Yao is almost 7 months!

2008-09-18T09:53:00.000-06:00

I took Nash to the Doctor yesterday for his 6 month check-up...more like 7 months, but I'm just happy I got him there at all!

Baby Nash's stats are in:

Weight: 18.65.......54.9%ile (see he's not as chubby as you think)
Length: 29.5"........99%ile (He dropped a little in the percentile rank, so we'll have to go back to the stretching machine).

Overall, Nash is one healthy little guy. He is still very happy and easy going. We love having him in our family!