Yay! A new look!

I decided to change the look and try this one on for size. I think it's cute. You may voice your opinion by either commenting on it below, or TAKING MY SURVEY over to the right. It's your choice. And I already tried to change the light grey font and can't. It is hard to read on the blue background.
If you are interested in changing your look as well, visit this site: http://cutestblogontheblock.blogspot.com/
A lot of the templates didn't show up on my computer for some reason. Hopefully they will on yours.
Good luck!

I Have a Hangover

Not the kind you are thinking. A Disneyland hangover. Anyone who has been to Disneyland all day with kids knows what I'm talking about. It's the horrible no-energy, no-patience, please-don't-make-me-walk-another-step feeling which starts on the drive home from a long day at Disneyland and doesn't stop until you go to bed the following night. I actually thought I might escape the hangover this time because mine didn't set in until I woke up this morning. But no, even though I've taken an afternoon nap, do you think I feel any better? I feel like I ran a marathon I never trained for. And it never seems to effect my toddler, who has as much energy today as any other.
So what are the spoils? Why do I keep going back? Because I can't get that look on Carter's face almost anywhere else. This look of total amazement:

Plus, where else would I get to take such fun pictures?
It is Carter's favorite place in the world and that makes it worth the trip there, expense of parking and eating, pain of changing diapers and feeding a baby on the run, sore feet from walking all day, and hangover the following day. Wow, the things our kids will most likely never appreciate that we do for them.
SO, will someone please tell me their cure for Disneyland hangover? Is there some well-kept secret I'm not aware of? Everyone else doesn't seem to be as affected by it. Some people actually go to Disneyland for more than one day in a row! They've got to be taking something. Tell me what it is!!
For now I think I'll prescribe myself a couple Advil, a Dr.Pepper, a hot bath, and an early bedtime.

I should have seen it coming...

I've made it 2 1/2 years without my toddler embarrassing me to the point of a red face in public. I think that's pretty good.
January 2, 2008 was the end of that beautiful era. My little boy is becoming more outspoken (when we're anywhere other than home) than ever.
So here's the story. I apologize in advance for the fact that I'm politically incorrect...
Spencer got me a new tandem jogging stroller and I decided I wanted to take the kids on a walk yesterday evening before the sun went down, so we headed to the park. We were cruising along, keeping each other involved in conversation and Carter saying "Hi" or "Hey, kids" to everyone we passed. Then, the victim was in view, running towards us.
Oh, jeez, where do I look?
I can't stare at this person. And then again I don't want them to feel bad because I'm avoiding eye contact. What do I DO?? I chose the easier way. (Wow, this square of cement is a shade darker than the next square. I never noticed that.)
The internal battle was embarrassing enough when all of the sudden, I hear a "LOOK, MOM!! (finger pointing) LOOK AT THAT KID RUNNING!!"
(you've got to hear the voice, too. He's laughing as he's saying this.)
This seems harmless. WHY is this so embarrassing, you ask?
Because that "kid" is a not a kid. He's a midget.
Oh my mortifying. There was no avoiding eye contact now. I mean, the guy was like 20 feet in front of us. He had headphones on but if he didn't HEAR what Carter said, he still would have SEEN him pointing, with a smile on his face, head thrown back in amusement. I tried to make up for it by smiling as we passed. He gave me the finger. No, just kidding. He did the uncomfortable, no-teeth, not-too-friendly smile.
It's always sad at the end of a beautiful era. I'm sure from now on my blog will be a lot more entertaining and give everyone a chance to think what I've thought about other people before.
"Wow, I'm really glad that wasn't me."

Bear with me...there's a lot to catch up on

So we're back from Christmas break, which we spent galivanting all over the western part of the US. We left on Saturday, the 16th, for Phoenix and stayed for a couple nights at Spencer's sister's house. The first night we went to see Santa and Carter and I got to ride on the cow train. (He was probably big enough to ride by himself but it looked too darn fun to pass up, so I squeezed my not-quite-back-down-to-size keister in it and we rode together, the whole time me laughing and squeeling with the rest of the children)

We left Phoenix and drove out into the middle of nowhere, to a po-dunk little no-Wendy's, no-Walmart town called Eagar, to see Spencer's Granddad and Grandma. I'm really not much of a car traveler, but it was definitely worth it going to see them. They are such amazing people. This is also where Carter first experienced snow. We had a snowball fight and built a snowman.

The next day we drove from Eagar to Salt Lake. It was a long trip on these one lane highways that was (seriously) in the middle of nowhere (have I mentioned that we were really out in the middle of nowhere?) What makes these highways great is that there are no other cars on them, they are super bumpy and uneven, and best of all, the speed limit is 65. I won't say how fast I was going, just know it was not 65.
We got to my brother's house in Salt Lake at midnight, put the kids to bed, and started eating as soon as we woke up. I don't think I actually stopped eating until we left, a week later. I was dying to go sledding so we bundled Carter up in a lot of winter clothes that either didn't fit or were made for a girl and we hit the dinky hill by my brother's house. We had a blast.
Check out this gettup...red hat and gloves, green coat, purple pants, black boots, pink cheeks.













The adults went out to dinner and bowling one night. We had a great time.
We laughed

We got to wear some sweet shoes

and we (my team) lost, thus having to clean up turkey dinner Christmas Eve.

The rest of the time we hung out (my dad, but not my baby)

Decorated cookies for Santa









and tried to convince Wes to never make this face ever, ever again

Santa did visit us on Christmas eve and the kids were so cute to watch opening their presents. The best gift-received awards go to:
1. Samantha- for her Cinderella dress and makeup. She had pink lipstick and glitter smeared all over. It was so adorable.











2. Logan- for his horridly ugly Godzilla teradactyl, and
3. Mom, for her bracelet from dad which made her cry.
Whew! Well that was fun. Now to top it all off, an adorable picture of Nolan, who was so fun to cuddle with in the cold.

My Favorite Words

1. "Thanks, Mom!"
2. "Please"
3. "I'm ready for a nap. I go sleep in my bed."
Yes, my child actually said these words to me today. It was awesome. He didn't even fight the preceding diaper change. That's my great story for today.
Time for my nap, too.

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Here Come Santa Claus

At our ward party this weekend Carter got to sit on Santa's lap. I was totally thrilled because he wasn't going to but then I put Nolan with Santa for a picture and so Carter wanted to as well. So he got up on Santa's lap and looked at him and said, "hi". Then Santa asked what he wanted for Christmas and he said he wanted a baseball (we had rehearsed this in the car. It was supposed to be a baseball GLOVE, which he may magically get for Christmas this year) Anyway, today on the way to church he asked me if Santa was going to be there. I told him he had to go home. He told me that Santa was nice and not scary.
I was changing Nolan's diaper in his room yesterday and Carter yelled, "Mommy, where are you?"
"In the baby's room"
(him)"Oh, here I are"
(Me)"It's here I AM. Can you say that"
"Here are me"
"Here I am"
"Here me are"
"HERE I AM"
"Here me are"
"HERE... I... AM"
"Here...I...are"
"Nevermind"