Ode to Gaining, Then Losing, 20 Pounds

I once wrote an ode to losing 10 pounds;
I weigh as much as I did then.

...

But to weigh the same weight that I once weighed before,
I had to lose 10 pounds again.

-- Keith

Reasons to Sing

I look at Lillian's ladybug pillow pet this Sunday morning, and there is poo in several places on it.

Mom: Lillian, is this poo?

Lillian: Yeah! It on my bum, then got on my finger, then I wiped it there!

Mom: Did you do this today?

Lillian: No, I did it Tuesday.

Mom: Did you do it yesterday?

Lillian: Yes.

Mom: Next time you get poo on your finger wash it off in the sink, and please don't wipe it on toys anymore. Or better yet, just tell me you have a poopy diaper so I can change it.

Lillian: Yeah, I can sing, 'I pooed it my diaper, la la la la la.'

Birthdays

We had some birthdays.  Keith make some cakes...

Abigail had a Merida party and an awesome Merida cake.


And for Lillian...

Keith made Belle, who is her favorite princess.

Both cakes were yummy as well as pretty.

Breakfast Time

After exercising this morning I finally had an appetite. Out comes the grill and pancake mix. As I cook the pancakes I think that they are looking whiter than normal, and they take longer to cook, "it must be the grill," I think.  They tasted not quite cooked, so this too was the grill's fault. As I am cleaning up, I get the mix to put it back into the cupboard, and I see the pancake mix already on the shelf.

I look at what is in my hand...scone mix. Well, that explains a lot.

Huge Dad

Looking at a house for sale in Provo.

Abigail: Let's buy this house. It's not on a corner!

Mom: Yeah, Dad will like that. There are no overhead power lines, and the back yard is huge. Dad will really like that.

Lillian: Yeah, because he's huge!

Whom to Marry?

We visited Don and Justine's ward on Sunday, as we were leaving we waved goodbye to Don.

Outside...

Abigail: I want to marry him.

Mom: Uncle Donald?

Abigail: Yeah

Mom:  He's already married. Who is he married to?

Abigail and Lillian: (sigh) Justine.

Mom: Isaac is not married

Abigail: I'll marry him!

Mom. Well, he's your cousin, so you can't marry him.

Abigail: Why?

Mom. You are too genetically similar.

Abigail: What's that?

Mom: Your mom and Isaac's dad are siblings, so your children will have birth defects, like an arm missing or something.

Abigail: Okay, I'll marry Sam.

Mom: Sam is your cousin too.

Abigail: Well, who can I marry? Oh, I can marry Jeram or Kaleb. (pause) I'll marry them both.

Silly vs Special

Lillian loves to say prayers. Lately she has been rather silly and started making up words and walking around the room while praying.

After one such prayer...

Keith: Lillian, prayers are special. They are a time to talk with Heavenly Father. We need to not be silly during prayers, and use real words.

Lillian: You be special, I'll be silly.

At least she is honest with her desire not to change.

Tonight we had a rough night getting to bed. There were many tears and in my attempt to help Lillian calm down I asked her to tell me a story. She began slowly at first, then added fish and colors and houses and toys to her story. She then told me about "another adventure" and went on and on with her story. I gradually moved her from the floor to my lap to the bed all while she continued her tale. She may be shy at times, but this girl has a thing for stories. Perhaps I'll have her tell the bedtime stories from now on.

Bath Time

I put conditioner in Lillian's hair during her bath.

Lillian: Let the ditioner hang out in my hair. You go away while the ditioner hangs out.

Mom: You want some privacy?

Lillian: Yeah, I hang out with my hair and me.

I'm just happy she let me wash her hair.

Quantitative Keith

Keith and I are discussing AP tests and scores.

Keith: I got fives on my calculus and computer science tests.

Me: Keith, you just have a brain for math and computer stuff.

Keith: I did do better on quantitative tests than on qualitative.


Me: Like English?

Keith: Actually, I got a five on the English test.

Me: (laughing) Then what's qualitative? 

Keith: Well, I only got a four on each of the two history tests I took.


It is at these times that I try very hard not to think condemning thoughts of my most beloved husband.
No, really, I am very happy for his successful brain.

It's Not a Competition

We're eating dinner on this fine Fathers' Day. Abigail finishes her drink and comments that Keith still has some if his left. As he finishes the last tablespoon of liquid I hear...

Abigail: I finished before you did! I was done first, but it's not a competition is it.

parents chuckling

Abigail: I drank all mine first. But we're not talking about it. And it's not a competition.

My Ager

All day Wednesday Lillian is asking when we can go to the cabin.

Lillian: When we can play with my cousins? When my play with Jew-ee-a?
Mom: Julia's probably already at the cabin. We'll go when Dad gets back.

We show up in the evening...

Lillian: Where my ager?
Mom: What?
Lillian: Where my cousin that is my age?
Mom: Oh, Julia isn't here yet.

Later when Julia shows up...

Lillian: Jew-ee-a! You my age! You my frwend!

Writing Software: A Visual Guide to Operating Systems

I made this the other day to go along with an inside joke at work. The joke had to do with how a sleek, aluminum MacBook dares the user to create something worthy of it. I started to wonder what other computers say without saying anything at all.

May have to be a nerd to enjoy it. Good thing I'm related to a few... :)

Cheers!

Van Tricks

The battery died on our van the other day - amazing what happens when a door is left open for hours. Keith recharged it Wednesday morning and it was running fine. Wednesday afternoon around 4pm I hear a car start and idle for a while. At first I think it's the neighbors. Keith thought it was a lawnmower. Then I think, "that sounds a lot like our van." (Should a van sound like a lawnmower?)

I go down to the living room and look out the window. The van is running, and the windshield wipers and headlights are on. Keith goes out to investigate: the doors are locked, no key is in the ignition, and the ignition is in the "off" position anyway, and yet the engine is on. He turns it off and, a moment later, it starts back up again on its own. So he turns it off again and this time it stays off.

We'll keep you posted on any other amazing tricks our van does. I'm waiting for when it does something really useful, like clean itself or, perhaps, mow the lawn.

Keith the Musician

Keith is singing in the kitchen...

Keith: Abigail, am I the best boy singer in the family?

Abigail: No

Keith: Who is then?

Abigail: We could have another baby who is a boy.

Ouch!

Peeps

The Easter Bunny hid many peep chicks around our house Sunday morning. Lillian's were yellow and Abigail's pink. After placing two yellow peeps on our back deck Lillian explains:

Lillian: I leave two peeps outside for the hornets to eat. They like peeps. They told me they hungy.

~Later

Lillian: They not eat they peeps yet. I leave them here for the hornets.

As of Tuesday the peeps are still their waiting to be consumed by said hornets. I feel comforted knowing our hornets will not go hungry.

Helper Lillian

Lillian: Mom, where is Livia's fire hydrant?
Mom: Her pacifier? It's right here.

Success

Survey says?

The version worked! Done at 39 weeks. So now we just wait for labor to start - and hopefully that is soon.

Breech

At 38 weeks in this pregnancy we found out that our baby is frank breech. Which means her bum is down and her legs are up and feet kind of by her face. In an attempt to help her turn over so her head is down and she is in the “correct” position for birth we tried the following:

Breach tilt: hands and knees on a decline with head below hips

Laying on my back on a declined ironing board

Laying on my left side

Lots and lots and lots of pelvic rocks

Visits to the chiropractor who used the Webster technique and even attempted to turn the baby

Left to try?

A manual version, done by our doctor, where he turns the baby with the use of a muscle relaxer

Right now she’s in a good position for a vaginal breech birth and if I stay healthy and labor begins on its own I can do that. Wish us luck! We'll see what happens.

Vans

On a walk this fine morning.

Mom: Lillian, look there is a bright yellow van.

Lillian: Yeah, they have a van too! They van, yellow...Our van, dirty.

True that.

Unicorns

Last Night

Abigail: I am a unicorn. My horn is invisible. No one can see it except kids, 'cause kids are all unicorns. Grown-ups can't see it because it's invisible. All kids are unicorns and can see invisible things. Grown-ups are unicorns too, but they don't know it because they can't see invisible things.

This Morning
In the carpool

Abigail: (Speaking to her toy unicorn she's taking for show-and-tell to preschool):
Don't worry little unicorn, I'm a unicorn too.

(To Kaleb): You are a unicorn too. All kids are unicorn.

Kaleb: I am not a unicorn.

Abigail: All kids are unicorns.

Kaleb: I'm not a unicorn.

Abigail: Girls are unicorns, boys are just humans.

Mom's Fun Activities

Last night we were late getting to bed. In the drama that comes with exhaustion we had this conversation.

Abigail lay prostrate on her bed after stories and wailed:

Abigail: I wish I'd never been born! I don't want to exist.

Mom: Why?

Abigail: I don't get to do anything fun. Nothing I do is fun. You get to do all the fun things and I don't get to do any!

Mom: Abigail, what do I do that's fun that you don't get to do?

Abigail: Wash dishes! You get to wash all of the dishes!

Mom: Tomorrow, you may wash as many dishes as you want. You may even vacuum too.

So today, Abigail washed dishes, mated socks, and otherwise participated in fun activities.

Bruce and Emmett (Part 4)

A new copy of Bruce's and Emmett's Drummer's and Fifer's Guide is now available for download at http://www.notesoncode.com/sheetmusic/DrummersAndFifersGuide.pdf.

The latest copy adds page 90, the St. Louis Waltz, No. 6.

Colorful

Lillian’s favorite color is blue. She wants all of her things to be blue.

Lillian: Mom, blue my favorite color! I wove blue! I no want dis bowl, I want a blue bowl.

Mom: What should we do?

Lillian: Put dis pink bowl away and get a blue bowl.

or...

Lillian: I get all da blue toys. You no have blue toys, day not you color. Blue my color. I get da blue. Pink Abigail’s color and blue my color. You can have da yellow. I get all da blue.

So we have to be careful or Lillian thinks we have taken her things because they are blue.

Today Keith, Abigail and Lillian were painting. When Abigail said, "Dad, I need another color," Lillian continued with, "Dad, I need another blue color."

Her finished work consisted of several shades of blue.

I recall Abigail going through a similar favorite color episode – only her color was pink.

Sibling Love

The respite today on my bed was short-lived as Lillian and Abigail came to visit me. While they climbed on me and the bed and the pillows, Lillian asked the location of the baby in my belly. I stated that it was still there and pointed.

Abigail and Lillian then proceeded to hug and kiss my belly. Abigail began talking to the baby. It went like this:

Abigail: Don't cry little baby. You have two girls here who will take care of you, and you have a mom who will take care of you. Don't worry. You will be okay. (singing) Rock a by baby on the tree top. When the wind blows, the cradle will rock. When the bough breaks the cradle will fall, and then the baby comes down cradle and all.

More hugs and kisses on my belly from both girls, then the girls proceeded to wrestle with each other.

They are excited for their new baby to come.

New Friends

Driving to the store discussing making new friends in a new town. Abigail then states:

Mom, I need some new friends. My old friends are too old to make new friends out of them.

The Ladybug

Lillian and Abigail dump out a puzzle on the floor and begin organizing the pieces.

Mom: Abigail, look by your knee, there is a ladybug.

Abigail: Ooooh, how cute. I love ladybugs. Hello little ladybug! I heard that you eat aphids. Mom, can we get some aphids for the ladybug?

Mom: The ladybug is very good at finding its own food.

As Abigail scoots closer to the bug and it opens its wings as if to fly away.

Abigail: Ahhhhh! It’s going to get me!

Abigail quickly backs away. Lillian begins picking up her beloved stuffed animals and holding them to her chest in a very protective manner.

Lillian: Ooooh! I get all da stuff. Get it safe from da dadybug. I have all da amals.

Abigail still cautiously watches the ladybug as it walks toward the wall.

Abigail: Oooh. I wonder if it’s going to fly again.

Lillian: Da amals are safe. Day safe from da dadybug. I get dem safe.

Eventually the ladybug disappears under furniture and all is safely returned to the puzzle. All of the stuffed animals were safe from bug invasion and we all survived.