You May Need to Refer to the Dictionary

Note to the reader: You may need to refer to the dictionary below for this posting. Follow the asterisksksks (asteriski??).
I wish I could have heard more of Stake Conference* on Sunday** but not only was I distracted by my children (who had to be taken out multiple times), but also I was absolutely baffled and horrified at the lady 4 rows in front of us who had a horrible, horrible, white-trash horrible mullet***. I tried to concentrate but got on a slew of thought which went something like this:
How can that lady have a mullet?!?!
I wonder if she knows she has a mullet.
That is definitely a mullet.
I wonder what she told the barber?
Her- Yes, I think I want it short on top, sides, and back, but just leave the bottom by my neck. I'm trying to grow that out.
Barber****- Oh, you mean like a (hesitation)...mmmullet?
Her- Well, not a mullet. Just do it how I described.
How can anyone have a mullet? We all know that mullets are a bad haircut so do people just not care? or are they truly innocent and don't know? or can one actually think it looks good? Maybe it's the ease of styling. You don't have to brush***** the top, just the bottom. And if it has a kinky curl to it, all the better! Then no brushing involved!
Is anyone sick of reading about mullets yet? I'm certainly sick of thinking about them.
Ick.
So let me know your good mullet story. We've all got one, let's hear it!
*****************
Dictionary
*It's a large meeting for all the Mormons in your area which happens every six months to torture children. Wait, that didn't sound right...we have have to try to keep our children quiet and still while listening for 2 whole hours.
**The day at the beginning of the week where most people attempt to enjoy some sort of church meeting.
***A nasty, ugly hair "style" from the 70s, which is never and has never been attractive on anyone and is by far the most ripped-on, stereotypically trashy, gross, horrible (incase you didn't catch that), makes my stomach churn, EEW, hair cut ever.
****Someone who went to beauty school and can sometimes perform a satisfactory haircut. People with mullets usually do not faithfully visit a barber. In this case, I'm giving this woman the benefit of the doubt.
*****If you don't know what this is then there is a chance you could have bad hygiene******.
******Alright, that's enough.

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