Friday, January 30, 2009

I Can See Clearly Now

The sun has not made an appearance around here for days! The sky has been completely covered by dreary gray clouds. I was happy that we did not get piles of snow here in the valley (ie. on my driveway), however I missed the sun terribly.

Today the skies finally cleared and the sun showed its pale face. I was happy to see the sun, even if that means that it is COLD. I saw something else that we haven't seen recently. The mountains behind my house.


PhotoStory Friday
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Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Put a Sock in It!

If you ever see little Eli without socks on, I swear it is not because I am a horrible mother. No matter what I do this little guy is determined to take his socks off.

The funny thing is what he decides to do with the socks once they are off. Check out these photos I took with my cell phone while my husband was driving us around on Saturday.

Look, Mommy! I got my sock off by myself!

Yum-o!


Ah well, at least I don't have to tell him to put a sock in it!

Sometimes I don't actually mind the sock in his mouth (especially if it's clean!) because lately he has become a bit of a screamer. Nice, huh?

Go see who's feeling more Wordful than Eli.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Tuesday's Tribute: The Ice Castle

This week for Tuesday's Tribute I would like to salute those crazy people who go to great heights to find ways to make winter and cold weather fun. I am not a big fan of winter, so I admire anyone who can actually make winter somewhat fun.

In particular I would like to spotlight the creators of the cool ice castle that is not far from our house. Every time we pass by we were amazed at how tall it is and how intricate the shapes are that are made by the ice. We always have to slow down in our car so we can look at it. The boys and I finally managed to make it over there at the end of last week to take a picture. It has melted a little bit with our recent four day slushy downpour, but it still looks pretty cool.

If you want to know what it look like before it started to melt, check out other pictures at the creator's website, the flying wrench. It rained off and on at the end of last week, so we decided to go get a picture before many parts of it fell off. It is probably a bit too optimistic at the moment to say that I was afraid it would melt away. Maybe next month. :o)

If you want to know how they did it or are crazy enough to want to make your own, you can check out the video of how it was made here.

Tuesday's Tribute
Yet Another Jay and Deb Production.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Snack Attack

So the other day I pedaled on my indoor trainer while Jonah watched a little PBS and the Eli took his morning nap. I finished while he was watching Word World and I told him that I was going to take a shower and would be right back.

Jonah is fairly well-behaved, so I don't usually have trouble leaving him alone for a few minutes. When I got out of the shower Jonah had come upstairs because his show was finished. In his hand he had the inside pouch from a package of Teddy Grahams. That made me a little curious because I had left an unopened box downstairs. How had he gotten the box and the bag inside open?

Apparently he tore it apart with his bare hands! Ravenous little monster. :o)

The teddy bears never had a chance!

Friday, January 23, 2009

The Runaway Bunny

Earlier this week my husband was helping Jonah get ready for bed. There was quite a bit of giggling and laughter involved. Somehow Jonah ended up with his pajama bottoms on top of his head.

I told him that they looked like bunny ears, and he proceeded to run like a madman around the house. What a silly boy! We ended up with a lot of pictures of him that pretty much look like a little blue blur. Here is one where he is standing still for a moment.


I told Jonah to go stand by the couch so that Honey Daddy could take his picture. Then he totally struck a pose. Isn't this hilarious?

GQ and only two!

Do you think that when he's older he will forgive me for posting a picture of him in his underwear with his pajama bottoms on his head? Hmmm... if you don't tell, then I won't either!

PhotoStory Friday
Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Don't Push My Buttons!

Have you ever attended a baby shower where you felt like you were trapped in a room full of people, most of whom you did not know, while being forced to play ridiculous games. No? Maybe it's just me.

So when it was my turn to be the recipient of a baby shower, I insisted on an open-house type shower. That way guests could stay for as long or as little as they wanted.

We did have some games and activities for the guests if they wanted to participate. One of the activities we had was decorating white onesies. We got many fun and interesting onesies that we are still using with our second son.

Believe it or not, my favorite onesie was decorated by my brother-in-law. It still cracks me up.


You would think that by now I would have found the correct button for endlessly peaceful days. Unfortunately the right button seems to change each day! Besides, I am not always the one that ends up pushing the buttons.

Guess what this button does Mommy!

Right now Eli is at an ultra-wiggly stage. He does not want to sit still for an instant. He wants to crawl around and get into everything (toilet, anyone?). He doesn't quite understand the meaning of "no" and sometimes I feel like I chase him around all day. You can't take your eyes of him for an instant because if you do you never know what might happen. Just this morning he pitched himself headfirst into the tub. Fun stuff, huh?

Since I have to keep my eyes on him constantly, I guess it's a good thing he's a cutie. :o)

Friday, January 16, 2009

Snow Cupcakes Anyone?

Don't these look delectable?

Snow Cupcakes Recipe

Ingredients:
1 child (add more to taste)
1 relatively warm day
kitchen utensils
muffin tins
pots and pans
a dash of imagination

Combine ingredients and enjoy with minimal supervision. :o)

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Scenic View

January can be a tough month for me. So I often find myself looking around to find something inspirational. Though the view of sunshine and melting snow out my front window helps a little bit this week, sometimes I like to look through all the fun photos that I have taken recently.

Here is a spectacular shot that we took during our travels at the beginning of the month. As you head north, just before you get to Hoover Dam there is a scenic viewpoint. It caught my eye on our way south and Honey Daddy said we could stop on our way back.


If you look closely there seems to be a little oasis with palm trees at the bottom of the river. Looks like a nice place to stop and rest for a while.

The funny thing about this photo is that when you are traveling you really have no idea that this lovely view is ahead until you turn a corner and there it is! One moment you are traveling along rolling hills that go on forever and all of the sudden you find this view of the lovely gorge.

I feel like my life is about to turn that corner (I hope!). My sons are going through some awkward transitions at the moment. My two year old is hovering on the point of no longer wanting (dare I say needing?) an afternoon nap. I keep trying to put him down for one and sometimes he takes one. Then there are the afternoons like today where he sits in his room and talks to himself (and his toys) for an hour. I am not quite sure what to do about it because I don't want him to wake up his borther. Plus, I know that some days when we are stuck inside he doesn't burn enough energy to need a nap. *sigh* If he doesn't take a nap anymore I don't know how to still get in my time.

My sister lets her kids watch a movie while they have quiet time in the afternoon so she can have some time for herself. I think it's a pretty good idea, but I don't know if I want Jonah watching that much TV. He already gets to watch two movies a week with Honey Daddy on the evenings that I go to work.

Eli is transitioning from baby to toddler. He wants to walk SO badly, but just isn't there yet. He is hovering between taking three and two naps a day. If he only takes two naps, then he doesn't seem to quite get enough sleep. If he takes three naps, then they seem to be short and he stays up later. So we have been trying to stick to two naps in the hopes that eventually they will stretch out to be the length they need to be.

Right now am not fond of this part of my road with all it's ups and downs, but I know it will get better. We will figure this stuff out. I am holding on to hope that there is a scenic view just ahead. :o)

PhotoStory Friday
Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

It's Like a Heat Wave

The weather yesterday was wonderful! It was sunny and although not exactly warm, it was much warmer than it has been. I think we may have made it to just over 40 degrees.

It was so nice to see the face of the sun again. I went outside and spent some time in the sun with my son. We had a great time playing "kitchen" in the snow with some pots, muffin tins and spoons. It was nice.

The lovely day gave me hope that spring is coming. It may take a while, but it will get here! In the meantime, I have some more warm pictures from our trip to sunny Tucson to heat me up.

I LOVE the sun!


This is the pad of a prickly pear cactus that stands outside my in-laws home in Tucson that caught my eye. Isn't it great?!

I am participating in Wordful Wednesday.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Hooray for the Snow Removal Team
at the Honey House!

This week I decided to participate in a new blog carnival called Tuesday's Tribute, because even though I am the author of this blog it's not all about me, right?

Tuesday's Tribute
Yet Another Jay and Deb Production.

This week I would like to give a shout out to my wonderful, fantastic snow removal team. It's that time of year again where it seems that every other day we get a new batch of white stuff dumped upon us.


Honey Daddy and Jonah are tireless in their efforts to remove every last bit of snow from my enormous driveway. Honey Daddy grew up in Arizona and is intolerant of pavement that is not clean and clear. Jonah just enjoys being outside, helping Daddy shovel. They both do a really great job!

Can you believe my two year old has his own shovel?

Are we done yet?

January and February are not my favorite months. There is not enough sun and too much snow! I guess I can at least be grateful that I don't have to slip around in the ice and snow because of my enthusiastic snow removal crew.

Thanks guys!

Just as a fun photo comparison, here is a picture of Jonah from last year in our snowbank after a big storm.

Here is a picture of him on top of the other snowbank after a big storm this year. He actually climbed up there all by himself!

Jonah's enthusiasm for snow and winter makes it a bit more bearable for me. Thanks buddy!

Friday, January 9, 2009

It's Just a Haircut, Not the Spanish Inquisition!

One of the great things about having little boys is that their hair is so low maintenance. Once you get it cut, basically all you have to do is run a comb through it in the morning (if you remember) and you're done!

If only getting a haircut wasn't such a traumatic experience.

At our house, I cut Honey Daddy's hair and he cuts the boys' hair. Maybe that's because I have to take the role of comforter since Jonah definitely does not like having his hair cut. Maybe I'm a mean mommy, but I think these pictures are kind of funny.

It's not torture, I promise! RELAX!

While we were in Tucson all my guys got their hair cut. We usually spent the first half of Jonah's haircut trying to distract him and reminding him that it doesn't hurt. It is my job to try to get him to hold his head still (instead of moving away from the razor) so that daddy can get the job done quickly. Do you know how hard it is to get a two-year-old to hold still?

It will be over before you know it!

I sing songs, tell stories... you name it. By the time we are mostly finished Jonah has calmed down enough to realize that it really doesn't hurt at all!

That wasn't so bad after all!

He is better than he used to be, but I look forward to the day when getting a haircut doesn't result in tears!

PhotoStory Friday
Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek



Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Vacation "Hangover"

I know that my entire last post was basically about how much fun my hubby and I had on our vacation in Tucson. Now can I just say that coming home from vacation and getting back into our regular routine is hard!

Jonah seems to be coping just fine, but for some reason Eli is NOT happy. His behavior has been a bit unusual. He has been waking up from naps and in the morning just crying and screaming. He also doesn't want to go down for naps. I've checked all the medical and "comfort" reasons for this kind of behavior and have come up blank. It's like he doesn't like his crib anymore or he doesn't know where he is or something. I am baffled!

Hopefully it will get better with time. I can't blame him for being confused though. We went from nice warm weather, spending time outside, and a house full of people to cold, snow, and staying inside our house with just mommy and big brother most of the time.

I actually find myself longing for a little more heat and sunshine.
You know, something like this:


I haven't even been home a week yet and I am already sick of the cold


AND I am definitely sick of the SNOW.


That first picture is one I took in Tucson while on a bike ride with Honey Daddy. Isn't it pretty? Go on... click on it and take a nice, warm look!! :o)

Since we have come home it has snowed and snowed and snowed. We have gotten at least a foot of snow in the past 24 hours and it JUST. WON'T. STOP. I haven't even gone anywhere because the roads are nasty and who wants to be stuck on the side of the road with two little ones? Not me!

Jonah is probably the only one at our house who is loving the snow. He doesn't want to stay inside, oh no! He wants to put on his snow pants, coat, hat and gloves and go outside to shovel with Daddy and play in the snow.

I'm afraid the rest of the Honey House is suffering from vacation "hangover". Anybody got a remedy?

I am participating in Wordful Wednesday.

Sunday, January 4, 2009

The Honeymoon Our Vacation is OVER!

Yesterday we spent the day traveling from before sun-up until just after sunset. For those of you that want to know the true extend of our torture, that was just short 15 hours (3:20 a.m. to 6:10 p.m.) in the car with our two young sons!!

We are back in the Frozen North (i.e. Utah) after our glorious Christmas vacation in Tucson, Arizona. Can I just say, "B-B-BRRR!!"

For the past two weeks in Tucson when we woke up in the morning it was usually somewhere around 45 degrees and then warmed up to the mid 60s or lower 70s during the day. This morning when we got up it was 4 degrees. You heard me... FOUR! I think it warmed up to 20 degrees here today. Needless to say I am freezing my buns off!

Speaking of buns, I would like to thank Abby for believing that the tush in the first picture of the post below this could actually be mine (in my dreams, maybe!). Actually it's my sis-in-law, and it would probably take 2 of her size-2 tush to fill my jeans!

But I have to say that cycling is doing me a world of good and I really enjoy it. I may never be a size 2, but I'm looking better and getting slimmer all the time! Honey Daddy and I had a great time together in Tucson. Even though our bike tour was canceled, we cycled 100 miles in three days. In total we cycled 132 miles while on vacation and it was so much fun!

Honey Daddy and I got to spend a lot of time together while on vacation because with the grandparents around we had babysitters pretty much whenever we wanted. It was wonderful! We were able to go on long bike rides, go out for ice cream, go shopping, sleep in, go out to dinner and spend time together... alone. Plus the boys had a great time and were happy to see us when we got back.

It was basically like Honey Daddy and I were newlyweds again! (Except I didn't even have to cook or really even clean!!) We both loved it.

On our last day in Tucson we went out for ice cream and talked about how much fun we had on our vacation. We could sense the return of our responsibilities with our impending return to Utah and I sighed, "I guess the honeymoon is over!"

Now that we are home again, I need to unpack everything, do laundry, clean (the whole house!), take down the tree, and put away all the Christmas decorations. Somehow I had hoped that while I was gone all the decorations had found their way back to their boxes, but alas! it wasn't so. I also am antsy to change to look of my blog (again! 'cause I'm sick of snow/winter) and need to download hundreds of photos from my camera. Plus my honey starts work again in earnest tomorrow. Oh what fun!

Honey Daddy and I have decided that this year we both want to find ways to carve out more of that time alone together. It's just going to be much harder without our built-in babysitters!

Friday, January 2, 2009

Day at the Zoo

Earlier this week we took advantage of the warm weather here on vacation in Tucson and went to the zoo. Jonah and Eli had a great time looking at all the "aminals". I think Jonah's favorite part was feeding the giraffes.

Check out that tongue!

I love giraffes. I think they are beautiful animals and it was fun to see them up close.


I played photographer while Grandma showed us around the zoo. I love this picture of Jonah and his grandmother.


Our other favorite part was seeing the elephants. The boys got to sit on an elephant statue, which they enjoyed. I took this picture of a nice little statue they had and then noticed that the live elephant was right behind it. Nice, huh?



PhotoStory Friday
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