BUMMED

There's nothing like the smell of lit charcoals, sunscreen with a hint of chlorine. There's nothing like the look of sun kissed cheeks, seas of sparkling lights, both man made and Divine. There's nothing like the ease of empty squares on a calendar, flowing skirts and hair off the neck. There's nothing like the feel of barefoot toes in the grass, sand on the skin or knowing the hours only slowly fade. There's nothing like summer.

Am I the only one that gets depressed when the school supplies come out to line the store shelves?

On this September Eve, I just hate to see summer go.

Summer, this summer, thank you for being one of spontaneity and memory making. Thank you for being one of warm family days and long night drives. Thank you for allowing me to make time for the simple things. Thank you for allowing me to love them. Thank you for being better than expected. Thank you for somehow making me not expect too much. Thank you for being fuller than planned. Thank you for making it all worth it. Thank you, thank you.

I have so much to catch up on from this summer. Be prepared for my blitz.

MASTER LUKE

Though Queen Calli seems to still rule the roost, Luke's been making some noise of his own.

His stats and skills for any who are into that kind of thing...

At two months he was almost twelve pounds and at three months, my unofficial weighing had him at almost fifteen. And his height? He was in the 90th percentile. He's a big boy and a happy one too.

He's cooing, squealing, rolling over, grabbing toys and smiling. A LOT. He's got that one down.

And the most important milestone... HE IS SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT. When I say that, I mean at least eight hours, more like ten and I think he could really go twelve in the near future. Amazing.

Things aren't too bad with this guy around.

Talking

Kickin' It

Giggles

SHH!

Calli just loves this "dat-tize" picture. She proudly answers, "Who's in it?", correctly by firing back, "Jesus. John." So when we were invited to attend a family friend's baptism a few Saturdays ago, we jumped at the chance to take her along.

When wrestling to put on her pink Salt-Waters, I told Calli, "We are getting ready to go to the baptism." "Oh, okay.", she replied with a grin. Then we loaded up the car and made a quick stop at the public library before heading to the church for the event.

Inside the library, it became apparent that we hadn’t explained enough to her as she followed us around yelling, “I WANT TO SEE JESUS. I WANT TO SEE JESUS AND JOHN!” Now in the library, you want your kid to be quiet. And also not to come off as a weirdo. My fingers are crossed that she looked more "Isn't that cute?" rather than "I see dead people".

We did make it to the baptism and I think she is all straightened out now. Or is she? Maybe she knows something I don't.

THE KETCHUP CAPER

Recently, at our house around 1:00 pm...

Whew. One down and I have exactly two minutes before the other one gets up. What can I eat for lunch?

I open the refrigerator, find two hot dogs and throw them in the microwave. While they are cooking, I pull out the buns and grab the...

Ketchup? Huh. The spot where it normally is is open... Where is the ketchup? I know we had it out on the counter last night.

I look on the counter and it's not there.

Maybe I threw it away by accident, since it was on the counter.

I proceed to look in the garbage. The microwave dings. I keep looking.

This is disgusting. I know I have some ketchup in food storage. I'll grab a new bottle.

I pull up a chair and step up to the high cabinet and start digging. Luke wakes up. I can't find it.

I'm sure I stocked up on this before I had the baby, maybe the extra ketchup bottles are in my hallway storage.

I go down the hallway and look to no avail. Luke starts crying. I walk back to the kitchen.

I've got to hurry. This lunch already stinks. All I want is a little ketchup on my hot dogs!

I check again in the high cabinet and then go back down low in the garbage. Look once more in the fridge...all over. The usual spot is still open. Luke is screaming.

This is nuts.

I pick up Luke and the phone.

"This is Dan."

"Um... did you take the ketchup to work with you?"

"Oh yeah. I needed a quick lunch this morning, so I grabbed a couple of hot dogs and threw the ketchup bottle in my bag. Sorry, I forgot to tell you."

"I just wanted to make sure I wasn't losing my mind."

"No you aren't, we'll over that anyway."

Right. That's funny.

So I wrote under my To Buy list, Ketchup--two bottles, and ate my lukewarm, plain hotdogs while I fed the baby and read something online. Doing lunch the stay-at-home mom way is just so terribly exciting. The sacrifices we make.

I think we could really use a noontime meal makeover over here.

A COMPLETE FAMILY?

A Sunday afternoon at the Sacramento Temple grounds.

How peaceful and lovely.

What a beautiful place for family snapshots.

Except, Calli is too busy...


saying "cheese" on her own terms

and pondering

playing in the flora

and discovering the fauna.


She's peering through doors

and trying to get in!

Enter--the nephew. He's taken a liking to Dan and though he likes to explore as much as his female counterpart, he has no problem pausing for a moment to fill in the negative space.

Clearly this is an opportunity he won't miss.

He's going to do the toddler inevitable...

actually cooperate and MORE.

ALL ON HIS OWN.

When he snuggles up to Dan, I start to lose it.

Yep, I'm gone. I can take no more.

He's putting his arm around the baby for crying out loud!

Why do family photo shoots always cause drama?

At least Little Man made this one a comedy too.

DADDY DAYCARE

What happens when Daddy is in charge? Yelling. Lots of yelling.

One Sunday morning, we were ALL ALMOST ready for church. Dan was going to help by giving Luke a quick bath and get him dressed. I was in the back finishing my hair and then I heard it. The yelling. Not screaming or loud yelling, but definitely yelling.

What warranted the response?

Well Luke did what little boys do and was spraying everywhere after his bath before getting dressed. And Dan? He was in a panic trying to decide what to protect first... his suit, the couch, the ottoman... While in reaction mode, Dan put Luke in his bouncy seat to start with the puddle. However, Luke was still naked while in the bouncy seat, so, of course he proceeded to do the other thing babies do. That's when I heard it... more yelling.

This time, I could make out a few of the words being yelled. Something like, "Oh. No. Mess. Everywhere. Big. Mess. Now. You've. Done. It." came out in between his groaning and over my (I admit) laughter. I came out console my mate and help with the clean up. But I also had to ask, "What are you thinking leaving a newborn naked !?!" So much for being on time for church.

What happens when Grandpa is in charge? Diapering. Lots of diapering.

When my family was out for Luke's blessing, the gals wanted an afternoon out for a little shopping spree. Dan was at work and I took the babe along with me, which left my Dad home with the two napping toddlers. We left specific instructions about keeping the kids away from doors, eating popsicles outside ONLY and we even had a movie ready to roll if necessary.

When we returned, the kids were awake, happy and all seemed well. Until we saw my nephew. He was in a diaper. (Good) A clean diaper. (Great) Only a diaper. (Okay) The problem? He was in LUKE'S DIAPER. Poor little twenty-something pound Benson was squished into a Size 1 diaper. A speedo if you will. I guess we shouldn't have left diaper sizes out of our specific instructions.

This made me wonder... what is Calli wearing? I asked my dad and he replied while pointing to her, "That." Comforting. "What do you mean THAT?", I said. "When I got her out of bed, she was wearing that." Great.

Turns out during her nap, Calli had taken off her wet diaper and put on her pajama bottoms (shorts) to replace them. I guess my dad assumed they were oversize training pants or something and called it good. They were under her dress after all. Thing is, those "training pants" would not have held in ANYTHING, so he should count his blessings nothing more happened or he would have been in Dan's club.

I should state for the record that these two very important guys in my life are excellent fathers. And I can pick on them for a moment because heaven knows how terrible I am with a golf club, power drill, basketball, guitar...you name it. Much thanks to you both for all your help as always.

LUKE'S BLESSING DAY

" 'The proper training of childhood is man’s most sacred obligation,” for a child comes from the Father pure and sweet, “ ‘a creature undefiled by the taint of the world, unvexed by its injustice, unwearied by its hollow pleasures, a being fresh from the source of light, with something of its universal luster in it. If childhood be this, how holy the duty to see that in its onward growth it shall be no other.' "

President Thomas S. Monson, quoting President David O. McKay