Life changing event!

It is drawing closer, I can sense it--I can sense it the way you can sense someone watching you from behind. Each day I grow more anxious. I can feel the knots in my stomach moving closer to the base of my throat and I swallow loudly, even now, hoping to suppress the growing tightness in my chest. This time of year, late summer, always brings on this antsy, itch-I-can't-scratch, time is dragging on, sort of feeling. What might be the cause of this unusual behavior?

It is almost COLLEGE FOOTBALL TIME! It is that time of year when it is ok for grown men to cry and sweet old ladies to punch the lady next to them for wearing the wrong color or cheering for the wrong team. You may think I'm crazy--one too many sleepless nights, a few too many chocolate brownies for breakfast. But let's be honest, who can ignore the feeling you get watching throngs of excited fans walk into a college stadium during a fall afternoon. The best is when the sun is just beginning to lower in the sky and the autumn leaves are shinning in the dull light. The air is crisp and so electric that the hair on your arms stand up, you almost can't help but run to your seat--even though you are an hour early--because you just can't wait to see the green of the field. The smell of grilling burgers hangs sweet and heavy in the late afternoon air and you feel the swell of pride as the band beats out your fight song. Complete strangers stand in unison, chanting as your team screams confidently out of the tunnel. It is a religious experience.

I've teared up a few times when the fight song is sung or an incredible, unbelievable, almost impossible catch is made. The best is watching the shear, uninhabited joy that grown men get from seeing messes of pads and helmets crunch together with jarring force. There is something to be said of the effort athletes give to their craft, the sacrifice, energy and soul with which they work and the simple pleasure derived from doing it well. Kids rightfully worship 19-25 year olds like they were war heroes and to those kids, watching those men exert every once of strength left on that field of battle, they are! College football is every metaphor, every cliche, every emotion, every everything. If you have never been to a game, a college football game played not for money or endorsements but for the sheer glory of the fight--REPENT NOW--go, cheer, let loose, eat great food, be inspired, learn to truly feel. It is an experience all it's own!

You can sense it can't you...it is coming and you will never be the same again!

My Big Little Boy

As some of you may know, Ryan has decided to crank up his charm lately and not sleep through the night. About 2 months ago he realized he could climb out of his crib and refused to stay in it. We first realized this when I woke up one morning and the fridge door was open, the ketchup, soy sauce and an open Yoplait were sitting in the middle of the floor. He started waking up around 4am and just didn't want to sleep anymore. He would come in my room, I would take him back. He would come in again, I would change his diaper and take him back. He would come in AGAIN, I would get him a drink or food, some Benedryl and take him back. By the time this process was done it was 5:30 and he wasn't going to go back to sleep. We would both end up falling asleep to Baby Einstein around 6:45am. MISERABLE! I was trouble shooting everything from teething to hunger trying to figure out why he wouldn't sleep through the night. I tried being nice and rocking him to sleep, reading him a story, singing songs. When that didn't work, I was a little mean and "painted his back porch red" a few times. Nothing worked. The kid is as stubborn as can be--seriously--Scott and I have never seen anything like him before. Right as I was about ready to throw in the towel, declare I was never having anymore children, and was going to camp out on his floor just to keep him in line, we had a break through. Actually Grandma Judy came to our rescue. She told us how my little brother David used to constantly climb out of bed and they could never keep him in his room. Finally they tied his door closed (there wasn't a lock on it so they just tied it from the outside to the bathroom door across the hall.) She said it was rough for the first little while--they would find him asleep on the floor by the bottom of his door--having cried himself to sleep. Sooo, we started locking Ryan in his room. I put the monitor in there, locked the door after he fell asleep and let fate happen. We would find him playing with his toys at 6 am (probably had been awake for hours but at least he wasn't wandering the house by himself in the middle of the night). Then 3 nights ago I go to check on him before we went to bed and he was nowhere to be found. Not in his crib, not playing with his toys--NOWHERE! I FREAKED out for about 5 seconds, ready to check the window to see if someone had broke in and then Scott starts laughing. He had opened the sliding closet doors and there was Ryan, fast asleep on the floor INSIDE HIS CLOSET. The next day I took his crib apart and turned it into a toddler bed. What was the point of a crib when he wouldn't use it. "Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles" he sleeps through the night now. Apparently he just couldn't get back in after climbing out and that's why he would stay awake. Now he hops right in bed, goes to sleep and I don't hear a peep until 6:45am--even then he is totally content playing with his toys until Scott checks on him before heading to work. (we keep the door locked still just in case).

Moral of the story, when dealing with a STUBBORN boy who won't stay in his crib, do the exact opposite of what logically should work. Take away the crib and suddenly he wants to sleep. AHHHH!

Summer Days...

My cousin just had a new baby and was writing about all "those" adventures. Her positive, grateful nature reminded me of a favorite quote. It is something I have always struggled with and am happy for the gentle nudges I get in this direction.

“The biggest mistake I made [as a parent] is the one that most of us make. … I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of [my three children] sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages six, four, and one. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less.”

Playing Catch Up!

We have had a few REALLY busy weeks so I'll summarize my favorite way...
1. Went to Beaver, UT for 4th of July.

2. Camped with friends for the weekend & LOVED it!
3. Tried to keep Ryan from eating anything wilderness related--he did manage to lick the grill of our friend's car. Don't ask me why he does this, we have no idea!
4. Ate, played games, went golfing, fished, made smores and lots of memories (Jason was stung by his first bee--he refuses to watch the "B" movie ever again and now refers to bees as "naughty guys"!
5. Scott went back to Kingman and the boys and I drove to Idaho to see my brother BJ get home from his mission last Wednesday.

6. Hugged & cried at the airport--he looks 2 inches taller and even skinnier (not possible right?)
7. Ate TONS of good food, went boating, swimming, shopping, even hit up Snow Shack (can't believe they don't have those in Vegas and AZ...what's the deal people?)

8. Visited Grammy Jean & Big Papa (Scott's parents)
9. Had an open house for BJ Saturday night--chatted with people I haven't seen in years--again, more good treats!
10. Played the piano so Missy could sing in church Sunday. BJ gave a great report. Ate the traditional mashed potatoes, gravy & roast beef for dinner & then drove to Provo w/Dave to crash at his place on our way back to AZ.
11. Kid-proofed Dave's apt in lightening speed--my kids make fast work out of destroying people's homes. Ryan's new & well deserved nickname is STEALTH. Gotta love that mental picture!
12. Visited Auntie Wendy & the new house Monday morning on our way out of town. The lady has a walk in refrigerater in the basement--oh how I COVET!!! Drove the rest of the way home & love having a bigger car to travel in, don't know how people make long trips without a dvd player, Ipod and chicken nuggets!
13. Gave Scott big hugs when we arrived (house was totally clean, laundry done, dishes put away :)I was so very impressed. Sooo happy to be in my own house again where I don't have to constantly chase Ryan around making sure he isn't licking the wrong thing, chewing up valuables, pounding on the baby grand etc. He keeps me on my toes!
14. Just really grateful for friends, family and all our great blessings lately. We have it pretty good.
15. Well done BJ--can't wait to hang out some more!