Mon May 21 2012 13:54 Goodbye, Sis: Speaking of Dalton. One of his first words was "iss", although it took us a while to figure out he was saying "Sis" for "Sissy". He called Maggie that exclusively for nearly a year. Until last week. He called her Maggie once, twice, and then completely dropped the "Sis."

Maggie started calling Dalton "Dalt and Tin". Recently, this lead to Daddy being called "Daddy Tin" which is super cute.

(2) Mon May 21 2012 12:59 First Stitches for Dalt: Dalton got his first stitches last night, after tripping down the porch steps and getting his sunglasses smashed into his face by the cement. I think this event proves how abnormally well-behaved and laid back Dalton is. He only cried about 2 minutes after he first hit his head, then was perfectly fine. I took him to the urgent care, but they sent me to Primary Children's. They mumbled something about possible brain injury, but the urgent care can't sedate and I think they just didn't want to stitch up an unsedated 2 year old.

Primary Children's didn't end up sedating him anyway. He was so calm they decided to try it with just the shots. They just straight-jacketed him with a pillow case, wrapped him up like a burrito, and had a nurse hold his head while they gave him a couple shots and stitched him up. Oh, and they put on Toy Story and brought someone in to blow bubbles (seriously). He actually almost cried at one point, then I suggested busting out the bubbles and that worked. He kicked at them with his feet while the doctor finished stitching.

The head ER guy kept thanking me for letting them do it without sedation (I guess some moms can't stand to watch their kid be awake while being poked?) and for not making them do a CT scan when he was obviously fine.

Thu May 17 2012 18:27 Privateers: Dalton talked in his sleep quite a bit last night. One of the things I caught was "pirates". Maggie informed us that she had a dream about pirates in Utah, but she paused it because she had to wake up and start a day.

Wed May 16 2012 19:36 You Can Laugh at Me: This afternoon we went back to our future new house to take some measurements and a few pictures. It always looks different the second time, but we are still very happy with it. It's a 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath in a really great neighborhood, right, RIGHT next to the San Diego Creek Trail. We're going to really love living there.

Here's a hilarious anecdote from the day. After house checking out, we grabbed some dinner and went to the beach. We went back to our old haunt, Newport Beach, because we couldn't find anything to eat at Laguna Beach. Dalton played on the playground while Maggie and I went walking down by the water looking at shells.

A wave surprised us and got one of Maggie's feet wet and dirty. Naturally (stupidly) we decided to dip her foot in the water to rinse it off. Next thing you know, a big wave came and stole THREE of our flip flops! I ran up the beach, dumped our stuff and my remaining shoe on the dry sand, then hurried out in the water to try to catch them. Not only did I not catch them, I got wet. Luckily, when I turned around, Maggie was picking up her sandals from the sand where they'd already washed up, and then picked mine up. I called her a hero, which she loved. All flip flops saved! And we made a really fun memory.

Wed May 16 2012 14:52 Spending to Save: I'm not sure we've gotten $175 out of our Thanksgiving Point membership, despite my best efforts. We usually do something there at least once a week. I guess a museum visit would normally cost $17 and we've probably been close to 10 times, but I wouldn't have gone 10 times if I had to pay full price.

But anyway, today I used the reciprocal membership to take the kids to the Discovery Science Center, where I saved $28. Who would pay that? Yikes. The kids are still a little too young to thoroughly enjoy it, but we had fun.

Mon May 07 2012 16:35 The Hunt is On: John and I have begun the search for a place to live in CA. Mostly John. He's even taking care of all the phone calls to realtors, which is awesome. We've found quite a variety in our price range, close to work, close to schools (in the good district), close to the grocery store, close to parks (since we don't want a yard). In four days, we're driving down to see what we can in person, make a choice, and of course invest in Disneyland annual passes.

I'm so excited to move! We've been getting rid of tons of stuff. We made three trips to the DI containers when they were at our stake last week, and we already piled up more in the garage since. We're downsizing, which basically means cutting out all the space in our house that we currently don't use. And less "herding" needed. Not looking forward to packing, but everything else is going to be great.

(1) Tue May 01 2012 17:33 Superlative: Dalton has been saying "very, very" for a few days. He started off using it correctly. "I'm very, very hungry" or "That was very, very funny (fun)" or "Very, very sunny eyes!" Then today, he took off and is applying it to everything. "That's very, very mine", "Very, very not that!" and "Very, very bacon!"

(1) Sat Apr 21 2012 18:39 Peach Cobbler: I'm having peach cobbler. For dinner. I've been craving it for a few days thinking of the peaches I canned a few years ago that should be used up before we move. Today we went out and got vanilla ice cream and I whipped up a cobbler and YUM. The best part is, I can have some for breakfast tomorrow! I haven't forgotten my roots.

Hmm. Looking at my recipe again, I DID forget the half stick of butter in the biscuit dough, and you know what? I can't even tell! Hurray for low fat.

Fri Apr 20 2012 15:32 Maggie Sue: I guess the kids aren't as funny lately.

3/18: Wind, go make some arches and leave us alone!

Early March: Me: You're the one who was peeking when I said "no looking."
Maggie: I keep trying to do that but it's hard. I try and it keep not working!

4/20 (reading): Puh... Pop! Like "purple."

Fri Apr 20 2012 15:31 Dalton: 2/29: He always says "big" with his arms spread out vertically. Big bite, big cat, big shoes.

3/8: 9 kids at birthday party. One drink spilled. One Dalton sitting at the table. Two drinks spilled. This is why we still use sippy cups.

3/8: (re: chocolate cake) Milk! Want milk on it, too. (We know he's in the right family)

3/17: It's sand! It's sand! (In Moab at Sand Dune Arch)

3/17: Hiking to Delicate Arch: Edna Mode. Edna Mode. (Dalton's favorite character in The Incredibles.)

4/20: M, handing out pretend hot dogs: Do you want mustard or ketchup on yours?
D: On yours.

(1) Wed Apr 11 2012 20:31 C25K Complete!: Today was my last day of the Couch to 5K program. You run 20-30 minutes 3 times a week for 9 weeks and at the end of it you can run a 5K! Just like that!

Well, I'm pretty sure I can't run a 5K. And I haven't lost a single pound. And the one time I ran outside on the trail with Dalton, the stroller, and a lollipop, the lollipop stick was in better shape by the time we got home.

BUT: I can "run" for 30 minutes straight on the elliptical. I fit into most of my pre-pregnancy clothes, and I couldn't help but admire my legs in a store window the other day (we don't have a full-length mirror at home).

As I told Rachel, laundry is my motivating factor in working out. I was tired of only having one pair of pants that fit. So I'd call it a success. For me, it's not about the actual 5K. I thought about signing up for one, but changed my mind. I'm happy with the level of physical fitness I achieved in the last 9 weeks. And since I started the program after an unhappy ending to my pregnancy (during which I gained 12 pounds combating morning sickness), all the better.

Also, I watched the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy and a couple other movies while I worked out. I finished The Return of the King tonight along with my last workout. Awesome. And by "last workout" I don't mean I'm stopping.

Mon Apr 09 2012 09:21 If it Ain't Broke: Ham and potatoes, ham and potatoes, and for dessert more ham and potatoes.

Sat Apr 07 2012 10:52 Easter-y: Happy Easter! We celebrated by waking up early to take the kids to the egg "hunt" at Smith's. They had free donut holes and chocolate milk. Each age group had section taped off with candy all over the ground. Maggie filled up her entire Easter bucket with candy! Just what we need! The kids got their picture taken with the Easter Bunny as well.

Afterwards, we realized we had enough time to get breakfast and still go to the Draper City egg hunt. So we did. It was really cold outside and we had to wait half an hour. The kids got to see Elmo, Darth Vadar, the Easter Bunny etc. This egg "hunt" lasted about 2 minutes. Maggie got 8 eggs, Dalton a few more. We went back to our car and sat for 25 minutes waiting for the traffic to die down. And remembered why we decided to do the Smith's event this year.

John joked that the Draper hunt had better candy because Smith's had to buy their own. We were just getting our tax dollars' worth.

We went to lunch at a Mexican place, then used some free ice cream coupons we got at the Draper hunt. Still have at least three more - they were handing them out like crazy! Love free ice cream.

Mon Apr 02 2012 14:27: Remember the olden days where a nice, sunny April day meant you could wear flip flops? It's a deceitful 43 degrees outside, and my toes got very cold.

Also: Of all the trouble my kids could have caused when I fell asleep on Dalton's bed, he decided to poop in the potty for the first time, all by his big boy self. So big!

Sat Mar 31 2012 17:02 You're Not in Asia Anymore: Here's a quote from me for a change. Driving through Moab.

Is that the hotel we canceled? But they have grass! Oh wait. That's not a selling point for me anymore.

Mon Mar 19 2012 20:22 Moab Day 2 + Prehistoric Museum: On Sunday we went to Arches again. It was threatening rain, so we quickly visited the Windows, and then went to Double Arch. We were practically running so we could enjoy some time up in the shelter. It sprinkled a couple times, but we made it back to the car before the rain really began. We got some cute pictures of the kids, too.

We next stopped at the visitors' center where Maggie did the Junior Ranger program. I think this is her third one, and she actually did everything this time, including the writing.

After that, we drove to Dead Horse Point State Park. I'd never heard of this park before, but it's pretty awesome for a State Park. It's a peninsula of a plateau, with a 30 yard wide neck. You can walk all along the rim and look down on nearly 100 miles of scenery and the Colorado River (2000 feet below). Unfortunately, it was cold, which we weren't prepared for. The kids were good sports, though, and no one fell off the cliff. There were some awesome views.

Today we lazed around (We all slept for TWELVE hours last night!) and then headed home. We stopped in Price on our way to visit the Prehistoric Museum of the College of Eastern Utah. Sorry, BYU; CEU's dinosaur museum is much better. They didn't have much by way of mounted skeletons (the main diorama was dismantled) but they had lots of bones, and a really great hands-on area for kids. There were coloring pages, puzzles, stuffed animals, puppets, and two digging areas. They also had phosphorescent rocks, a tipi, and lots of interesting displays on the Fremont Indians. Highly recommended if you're in the area.

Sat Mar 17 2012 19:18 Moab Day 1 (Arches): We left a day early for our trip to Arches to take advantage of today's awesome weather. It was around 70 with a nice breeze/howling wind (depending on where we were). We carried the kids on the hike to Delicate Arch (3 miles). As we rounded the corner to the view, Dalton started chanting in my ear, "Edna Mode. Edna Mode." He loves E! We had a snack at Delicate. It was pretty windy up there.

Next we went to Sand Dune Arch and played, and finally hiked 1 mile to Landscape Arch. We decided to go up a bit (hah!) further to Partition Arch. Climbing up the sand fins with the kids was fun. I love that view though, and the kids liked that one, too. Maggie was a great sport and walked the whole way back down to Landscape. Climbing on the "red mountain" was the part she'd been waiting for.

The 1 mile back to the parking lot from Landscape was horribly windy right in our faces. We were carrying the kids (sans packs) and practically running to get out of it.

We hiked about 6 miles today and are definitely feeling it. We wanted to do as much as possible today because it's supposed to rain. Rain + slick rock = scary. Rain + red sand = clay. (Been there, done that.) So we just have a few little hikes and the visitor's center for tomorrow. We're also going to Dead Horse Point State Park. Yay!

(1) Fri Mar 16 2012 20:21 So Smart: I can't help it. She's just so funny. More Maggie quotes.

3/10: A girl's heart is pink and a boy's heart is red.

3/10: Grandma: We're going to change time tonight. Did you know that?
Maggie: No, but I know a lot of things. I know a lot about dinosaurs.

3/10: When I'm right I will be really smart.

3/10: Trying to make friends at the park: "Hi, I'm nice! Wait for me, I'm nice!"

3/11: M is trying to hide the fact that she is playing with a Cinderella doll (in her "Barbie Lego" house).

3/15: Our family's not big enough in our house.

3/16: Are you getting all the seaweeds out so the ladybugs will be safe? There won't be any scary spots?

Fri Mar 09 2012 17:47 Maggie Turns 5: Happy Birthday to the silliest of silly girls! We had a great dinosaur party yesterday. Now she is off at Disney on Ice with her Daddy, the most exciting part of which was that she got to ride in the blue car! Let's celebrate with a round-up of the latest Maggie Quotes.

3/1: "On my next birthday that's a Lego birthday I'm going to order (invite) James to my party cause he love Legos. After that is my Princess birthday." (Since then, she's decided on a Superhero birthday for her 7th.)

3/1: Maggie thinks she's doing me a "flavor" by getting herself and Dalton a treat...

3/2: "Dalton's birthday is Draper what?"

3/3: Maggie just threatened to clobber me.

3/5: "Your tummy look a little big."

3/6 "Mommy, after lunch I want to play chores."

3/7: (at the bank) Don't forget to tell them two lollipops for your two kids!

3/7: When I get up can I be a mommy just like you?
Yes. When you're a mommy, I'll be a grandma.
I don't think so that's a good idea. How about two mommies?

3/7 M: Oh yeah, yeah yeah, I'm on a diet!
Dad: Do you know what "diet" means?
M: It means you don't eat so much food you're on a diet!

3/9: "Good. But I wonder if there's anymore presents." (There weren't. And she was mad. Sheesh.)

(2) Tue Mar 06 2012 21:13 Top 5 Reasons to Move to California: We decided back in September to move to California. Actually, we decided in 2007 when we left California that we'd only be in Utah about 5 years - though moving back to California wasn't necessarily the plan. The career opportunities here weren't viable, even at the time. This move's been in the cards. And the time has come. Or will come, this summer. Here are just a few of the reasons I'm looking forward to this move.

5. Disneyland. Like you didn't see that coming. When my baby boy wakes up in the morning and says "Small world today!" I want to be able to say, "ok!"

4. The weather. This winter's been so mild, so this isn't a complaint, but I shoveled 6 inches of snow off my driveway this morning. Nuff said. We love going for walks, and doing things outside, so it's frustrating when several months of the year that's not possible.

3. Downsizing. Since coming home from India, our house has felt too large. We have too much stuff. We're not "herded". We have more money. More money isn't a bad thing, but I look forward to a challenging budget in California, along with other simplifying changes that will come.

2. It's not Utah. Sorry, Utah. You've got some things going for you, but I don't want to raise my kids here. The goal was to be out before Maggie started school. Check.

1. My husband works there. It's a long commute. The good news is, once we move, his commute will be shorter than it would be if he lived and worked in Utah!

Sun Mar 04 2012 20:01 Party the 1st: We had a family birthday party for Maggie and Hannah tonight. As we headed home Maggie said, "I'm so happy! I got Legos just like I wanted." It doesn't take much to please her. Though, she did get some pretty awesome Lego sets (Lego Friends Olivia's House and Olivia's Inventor's Workshop). She is super excited for her birthday. She gets a mini party at school, a dinosaur party at home, and then on her birthday, a special date with Daddy to see Toy Story 3 Disney on Ice. I haven't actually told her she's going to Disney on Ice, though I showed her the flier. She's going to love it.

(2) Sat Mar 03 2012 07:22 C25K: I am halfway done with the Couch to 5K training program. (ETA: I'm actually a week farther along than I thought - week 5 out of 9. yay!) I'm doing it on the elliptical, so maybe that's cheating, but it's better than nothing. I was actually sore for the first time this week, but it might have had more to do with the giant snowball Maggie and I pushed across the backyard, or shoveling 6 inches of snow off the driveway.

Anyway, I fit into some of my regular-sized pants now, so I can do laundry less often. Which means, my fitness program is successful.

(1) Wed Feb 29 2012 10:49 Maggie in February: I think kids get sillier as they get older. When does that stop? See Dalton's silliness this month here.

2/1: When he see his shadow, Pissmas will come.

2/8: Pretending to be a superhero, she called herself "Heroman." Superheros was kind of a theme around here this month.

2/13: Eating hummus: "It tastes kind of yuck but it's good.

2/22 Mommy. When I'm big and married and there's a baby in my tummy, is it a boy or a girl and what name can we call it?

What kind of store is that?
It's a boat store.
Is it for boats that are out of stamina?
... It's to buy a boat.
Why are they out of the water? Why you laughing???

When she pretends to serve me food at a restaurant, or be a librarian, she does voices. She just makes her voice a little deeper.

"Look what's in this book! It's a duck Buddha!"

Dessert = "bessert" - I love it!
Hood = "hoof"

She invented something called a "Gradual Seahorse." It looks a lot like a regular seahorse (and you can call it that, she allows). And it does a lot of the same things a seahorse does according to the 20 minute lecture I received on the topic.

She is still obsessed with her pretend dinosaur, Whatasaurus. He's as tall as six tall, tall, buildings in the whole world each stack on each other (Burj Khalifa). He has "all the things" (spikes, toe claw, hump on his head, etc.)

Two words/concepts Maggie has learned at school are "pattern" and "collection". Except when she says "collection" it sounds like "question."

M: Can you get me more sun seeds?
Me: They're sunflower seeds.
M: Can you get me more flower seeds?

Both of the kids, but especially Maggie loves to "play parade" with Daddy. As far as I can tell, this involves swinging the kids around, turning them upside down, and generally dancing about, with crazy music playing.

2/26: During a video chat with Aunt Rachel, Maggie went to get her US map puzzle. "Where's London on this map?"

2/27: Reading That's Not My Mermaid
M: That's a India one.
Me: Why? (Thinking because she's wearing bangles.)
M: She's brown.
D: Bangles!

Wed Feb 29 2012 10:49 Dalton's Sillies: February was short but filled with lots of silliness. I tried to write the kids' silly sayings down as they happened (in my phone, in my notebook, on a scrap of paper, or a blog post draft). I may have lost a paper or two, but there's plenty to make you smile. See Maggie's here.

2/14: Bye guys! Dinosaur man! Hour! (Maggie got in the habit of saying "bye house see you in half a hour" whenever we leave. And "Dinosaur man" is "We're going to the Dinosaur Museum."

2/14: Mommy, happy face! Which was his way of asking for lip gloss.

The kids have a new game for the car where we each take turns picking a song and then we all sing it. This may or may not have been born out of hearing "Songs! Wiggles!" requested too many times. Dalton invariably chooses "Jingle Bells" or "ABCs". We sang ABCs twice on the way home from preschool today. Except once he said, "Cake." "Cake song?" "Cake." Okaaaay. So I sang "Happy Birthday."

His favorite Wiggles song is "Gulp, Gulp, Drink Some Water." He also really likes "it's a small world" and I've overheard him singing it to himself a few times.

2/21: Dalton burst into tears when he got up and found out Daddy was "on an airplane."

2/22: Every time I notice that Dalton is sitting nicely at the table I realize it's because I buckled him in.

He says "kitty" super cute still. It sounds more like "teeny" or "teengy". Video here.

(1) Tue Feb 28 2012 18:40 Party in the Works: We went on a birthday-shopping spree today, for Maggie's birthday party next week. We went to FIVE different stores! We got air-dry clay, wood shavings, paintbrushes, food coloring, and chocolate rocks, not to mention party hats and paper plates. I decided not to spend $10 on the dinosaur pinata and instead spent some of that money on stuff to fill a DIY one with. I don't want to do candy. My kids get enough candy and I'm sure everyone else's do, too. Of course, I don't want junky toys either (dinosaurs are not junky toys in our house) so I did non-candy consumables. Hah!

All I have left to buy is dino chicken nuggets and day-of balloons for the birthday girl.