The best way to do dishes

This is what happens when I let him help me do dishes...

Somebody always ends up splashing around in the sink. Naked.

And by somebody I mean him. Of course.

Naked baby + in the kitchen sink = made my day.

Cleaning and a Cold

Tonight Nathan and I teamed up to clean out our spare bedroom (read: spare bedroom turned storage space turned black hole). We've lived in our house almost four years and during this time the junk in that room seems to have gotten way out of hand. What started out as a small pile of homeless things in the corner had grown to take over the entire room. It was gross and I'd had enough. Cleaning out this room has been on my list of things to do for a long time, but since 'organize spare room' doesn't sound very fun I've been putting it off. Until today. We got down to business and I am happy to report the spare room is clean. Finally crossing that off my list feels really, really good.
So tonight I am happy. And you know who else should be happy? My little brother, Robert. That is because my mother and father will be leaving tomorrow evening for a 3 week vacation in Europe, and while they are gone Robert will be staying here with us. Lucky guy. And since it is now clean, he can stay in the above mentioned guest room rather than on my living room floor. You're welcome Robert.
After all the cleaning fun was through I took my sleepy baby back to his room where I changed his diaper, lotioned his soft skin, dressed him in pajamas, and tucked him in for bed. I walked down the hall and to the living room to find that while I was busy in the spare room, Auden had been busy smashing saltine crackers into my newly vacuumed floor.

Awesome. But this mess will have to wait till morning, because I am pooped. Also, I think I feel a cold coming on? This is no good. Time for me to take some echinachea and go to bed.

Did you have a happy weekend too?

I had such a fun weekend. So much fun that I was sad to see it end. I asked my dear husband last night if he could maybe play hookie and stay home from work with us today so we could continue our weekend fun. He told me no (he is the more practical one in this relationship).

Weekend highlights included:

- sharing a cup of the very best hawaiian ice I've ever had with my two favorite boys

- staying up way past our bedtime friday night (thanks, I'm sure, to all the sugar in the previously mentioned shaved ice)

- flying kites purchased from the dollar store - 2 for $1 - it was awesome

- keeping my doors and windows open all weekend long and letting the cool air flow freely through our home

- an excellent relief society lesson that really made me stop, think, and re-evaluate

- watching the super bowl with a couple of our favorite people

I hope you had a great weekend too!

Makes me wish for a sister-wife... Almost

Today is laundry day at our house.

I don't like laundry day.

I am generally happy with my lot in life, you know, house-wifery and all of that, but doing laundry makes me cranky. All of that sorting and washing and switching and drying and folding (augh... the folding!). Who has that kind of time? I mean really. I don't have the patience for it.

It's laundry day that makes me think that having a sister-wife might not be all that bad. If we took a sister-wife, she would have to share the chores, right? Like, maybe she could do the laundry... especially the folding part.

But then I remember that we'd probably have to share other things too. Like him...

And then I think that maybe laundry day isn't so bad after all.

The chores can wait

I had a lot of things that I needed to get done today.

I didn't do any of them.

I spent the day doing something more important...

Being completely focused on him.

It was a really good day.

Just to name a few

Some things that are making me very happy right now include...

Bowls of fresh citrus on our breakfast bar - Thanks again Grandma Sandie!

Little shoes on the living room floor - Evidence that a baby lives here.

Happy flowers in unexpected places - Like my hall bathroom.

John Mayers new cd - Dear John Mayer, Thank you. It's perfect.

Baby Auden taking a well deserved nap in the next room - Quiet time for me.

How about you? What is making you happy right now?

The (dare)devil in him

Our son loves his blue plastic rocking horse.

Yup, that's the one. And because he loves it so much, I love it too. If I ever need just a few minutes to get any one of my 10 million daily tasks done I can pull out the blue plastic rocking horse, sit the baby on it, and let himride like the wind. And ride like the wind he will.

This has worked out well for us. Until a couple of days ago when I walked into the living room to find the baby doing this...


Riding less like a cowboy and more like a rodeo clown. Standing up and rocking with all his might. And did I mention standing up?!? This stresses me out a little bit (you know, since it's not super safe to ride a blue plastic rocking horse in this manner).

He is a brave one.


Thanks again Janet and Byron for the rocking horse. We love it!