January!

Last weekend, we drove up to Heber to get out of the yucky polluted air/fog that we've been forced to breathe lately....  It was so nice!  I actually saw the sun--it was amazing...and still yellow in case you were wondering...

We went to the Dairy Keene for lunch--I wouldn't say that they have the best food ever, but the fact that they have a train that drives on the ceiling closed the deal.  (and the kids got swim goggles in their kids meals....soooo random....)

My sister, Vanessa came with us too--we swapped her a hamburger for future babysitting--a good deal if you ask me.

After lunch, we drove up to look at the ice castles in Midway.  They were so neat!  We had never been before, but it was definitely worth the drive to see these! 

Ha ha--just noticed Bridger is wearing his 'kids meal goggles'---i guess it was a good prize after all :)

I had Kennedy at ice "castles".  She kept asking what kind of princesses lived in them and if we would see them.  I told her little ice fairies lived there and you couldn't see them in the day time--she was completely mesmerized and it was cute to see her stop and peek her eyes through any crack in the ice trying to get a glimpse.  And Bridger was sweet to go along with it:  "Kennedy, sweetheart..." he always says...I love it!





And a few weeks ago, we were able to get tickets to the Jazz game...on the 7th row...  It was so fun!  The only drawback:  It's hard to squish into those folding chairs while 6 months pregnant...my aching back!


But it was awesome to see all the players up close--I mean, really up close.  They sure sweat a lot....
And why does it seem that whenever I go to any kind of game (which, let's face it, isn't too often) I am always sitting in front of the screaming lady?  Whenever there was a foul shot for the other team, she screamed until they threw the ball.  A scream that could only be compared to a fog horn on a ship.  She was right behind me.  And I really wanted to tell her that, statistically, her screaming makes no difference...but I only told her in my head.  You don't mess with die hard sports fans...


The Jazz won their game--we must be their lucky charms--I think provisions should be made for this kind of thing...free game provisions....something like that.

Farewell old friend...

A limmerick* to our white chariot

1995-2010

may he rest in peace

There once was a geo prism

Boy, are we going to miss him

he was a good friend

true blue till the end

He had great enthusiasm

While sitting at work one day

A Suburban got away...

she slipped on the ice

and he paid the price

Our poor Geo wasn't okay

He crashed into four other cars

Each of them left a big scar

while Jer was inside

he went for the ride

That ultimately took him too far

At the end of the day he was frail

We tried to save him, to no avail

onto a tow truck he went

his life was well spent

Now we wait for our check in the mail

*not a professional limmericist.  rhyming words may not entirely make sense.

They broke the mold...

Bridger got to play indoor soccer last month and boy did he love it!  Well, let me clarify--he loved the outfit (do boys use that word??  Probably not...) I mean the jersey, shin guards, the socks that went all the way up his leg.  He loved all of that.  He loved running up and down the field while doing somersaults (that's part of soccer, right?).  He loved shouting a dramatic "YES!" after he got in a good kick.  He loved the fact that they broadcasted all of his games on t.v. (I know, they didn't really--but he thought or at least hoped that they would.  Who am I to burst his bubble?)

He loved hopping over this guard rail--flipping over it and doing somersaults over it (the kid loves somersaults!).  And after he hopped over, he loved that I would squirt water from a bottle into his mouth and give him a little pep talk (his idea--not mine.  In fact, he gave me a pep talk at the beginning of the season, letting me know exactly what he needed from me.  The 'squirting' water bottle was at the top of his list.)  He LOVED the fact that he got a trophy at the end--even though his team never ever won a game :)  He loves to run serpentine and he loves to stand in front of the goal with his arms open wide....while staring at the ceiling....

I think overall, Bridger had a great time playing soccer--we'll probably do it again sometime.....  But there were a few things he didn't like so much....

He didn't like it when another player came in contact with him.  Being a bad mother, I always forgot to bring the transformer band-aids for those 'internal bleeds'.  When Bridger got discouraged, he would slump his shoulders, hang his head and mope all the way back to me.  There was no hope.  Usually, this performance came after the other team scored a goal.  One time Bridger just collapsed on the ground, after the 5th or 6th goal, he just couldn't take it anymore.  Poor guy :)  Usually we could get his spirits up again, but there were also times when the flood gates would open and Bridger would let us know just how hopeless his situation was....

So, maybe we'll take a little break from team sports for a while....  But I do have to say that Bridger scored a few goals for his team and he was very very proud.

You just never know what you're going to get with this kid!  He has dreams--big dreams :)

And why are they making the same face in this picture????

Kennedy Grace

My little Kennedy is now 2 1/2.  She thinks she's a princess.  And she has a prince.  Bridger.  Although sometimes she asks if she can borrow my prince (Jeremy).  She likes to borrow him for special occasions--like dancing.  I can get her to do anything with a bribery of painting her nails.  She especially loves it when I paint my nails too--and as soon as she gets a chip, we have to do a touch up. 

She is very smart.  Too smart.  She loves to wear lipstick.  If she sees someone with red lips, she will ask them for a kiss (that way the lipstick will rub off on her).  She might be a future pick pocket, she has a way of making off with other people's jewlery. 

My mom made her this pink princess dress for Christmas--complete with tiara, white gloves and pink sparkly shoes.  This is her on Christmas morning--bed head and all.  But, she didn't care--she ripped off those pajamas as fast as she could.  And then she danced.  She loves playing dress up and she loves to play dress up with me, but I can tell she feels sorry for me, since I don't have a dress like hers.  Maybe one day (after this baby is born...) I'll put on my wedding dress--she would love that.

All she wanted for Christmas was a prince.  I'm not sure what exactly she had in mind.....

This girl loves to play and to use her imagination.  She is always talking and singing to herself.  Just tonight, as I was making dinner I overheard her with two tomatoes.... (this is one tomato talking to the other):

"Will you hold me?" 

"I can't!  I don't have any arms...." 

"oh."

She knows all the 'important' words to all of the princess songs and she knows every word to "I Am A Child of God" which is very sweet to hear.  But, she has to have a microphone--her favorite one is my car charger for my cell phone. 

She is very brave.  After getting her flu shot (Bridger wasn't getting one, but still hid underneath the chair...) she giggled and said: "that tickled!"  She loves band-aids, kisses and marshmallows.  She also loves adult food--not typical kid food.  She will stick her nose up at chicken nuggets and instead wants to eat my turkey, spinach and havarti on sourdough. 

She is a tease.  She knows how to push Bridger's buttons and she does it so innocently.  Just a simple touch or poke or word can set him off.  She is an evil genius.  (and before anyone leaves a comment--yes, I know this comes from me...but it comes from my mom too...)

She has saved me from a fate worse than death.  She potty trained herself.  It was her idea--I was basically never going to go down that road (It took me a year to train Bridger...).  She didn't need rewards, she just did it.  She only had a couple of accidents that first week.  She is an amazing girl--and I am so thankful for her mature bladder control.  We have been diaper free in this house for almost two months.  And it's all thanks to Kennedy and her princess underwear (she thinks Sleeping Beauty and Snow White will cry if they get dirty...)

And now, she's in a big girl bed.  She's even sharing a room with Bridger right now (anybody know how to merge cowboys with pink???) and they both are in heaven.  That first night, Jer and I just sat and listened to the conversations they were having.  They talked about their room decorations--Kennedy said "Oh, I didn't know your room was so cute!  I wish I had a mirror like that in my room."  To which Bridger replied:  "You do."  Bridger even shared his stuffed animals with her.  Of course, he first offered her his 'wild thing'--and she screamed (she's scared of that one...he likes to tease too...)  And then he offered her shampoo (a.k.a shamu) promising her that it is not a shark--just a whale.  A whale that likes people.  She said okay to that. 

And this sleeping arrangement has been going pretty good so far, sometimes they'll both appear in our room in the middle of the night asking to sleep on our floor in their most pathetic of voices, but we just take them back and they've always gone back to sleep. 

I just love my Kennedy--she is the best conversationalist and the sweetest little girl.  She tells me she's getting her ears pierced for her birthday (really?  I had no idea...)  She can't wait for her new sister and I know she will be the best helper.  I never wanted a stereotypical "princess" for a daughter, but Kennedy is sweet and tender and very concerned for others, so I think she has earned the title.  Luckily.  Since that's what we have to call her sometimes.....

I need a raise.

Bridger found this old shirt of mine in the mountain of laundry on our bedroom floor.  He came downstairs with it and quite accusingly asked my why I had never told him that I used to work at a place like this.  We had the following conversation:

"Mom!  Why didn't you tell me you used to have a job like this!  Why don't you still work here?"

           "I used to work there, making snowcones, when I was a teenager, but you are my job now."

"Well, I think you should go back to work there.  Daddy can stay home with us."

           {oh, sure.  I'm thinking this would be the 'perfect' life for him--unlimited lego playing time with dad        and unlimited free snow cones.  Who does this kid think he is?}

           "Well, I would miss you too much.  I would rather be with you and Kennedy than making snow           cones."

"Then why don't you just take us with you?"

            {this deal just keeps getting better and better for him.....}


I proceeded to tell him about all of my jobs:  Sonic Drive-In, Old Navy, a Japanese restaraunt manager, Cafeteria Lady at Riverton High School, Substitute Teacher, Musical Theater after school program, Summer Camp Leader, Homeless Resource Assistant.....he was VERY amused.  I think I redeemed myself to him.  He especially loved that I worked at Sonic--it's one of his favorites.  And he laughed out loud when I said I was a cafeteria lady--a position that makes me laugh out loud too :)

But in the end, he's still stuck with me.  I wouldn't have any other way.