Water Day!

If you know me at all, you know I'm not a water person. I don't really like going to the beach, but I love the smell of the salt air, the sound of the waves crashing to the floor, and there's nothing I like more than an evening at the beach in front of the fire pit, under the stars. But I don't like to lay on the beach, play in the sand, get in the water or anything else about it. Sand bothers me. I'm scared of the waves and don't even get me started on the sun. To be honest, I'm surprised my nose hasn't fallen off yet with all the years of massive sunburns. My nickname was Rudolph because of my red nose. And when it wasn't red, it was peeling and scabbing over. And you know how attractive that is!

But it's not just the beach. It's the pool too. We grew up with a pool. I'd swim, but usually during the late afternoon or at night. The sun is just not my friend. Even now I can't be in the sun for more than a half hour without walking away with some serious burns.

And Todd is the same way. So by usuing my deductive reasoning, I figure our kids aren't going to be blessed with bronzed skin. They'll need to use the Baby Sun Block SPF50 for the rest of their lives. Just like their momma.

And unfortunately, because of my distaste for the sun and all water outdoors, my kids are bound to suffer for it. But I'm going to do my darndest to prevent that.

Todd and I take the kids to Oceanside each year to play at the beach (granted, we go in September so the sun isn't too bad) and I've even taken my kids in the pool. Once or twice. But this summer is going to be different. And it's already started.

Last week Bryn invited us over for a water day at her house. I hemmed and hawed all day long trying to decide if I would take the kids, but in the end decided they needed the fun. So we loaded up in the car and headed for the water. Luckily it was later in the afternoon so I didn't even bother putting sun screen on the kids. I know, bad mom. They can still get burnt even if it's 4pm. But, guess what, they didn't!

When we got to the house there was a slip n slide in the back yard, a tiny blow up pool and a fun sprinkler ring. Dax was in his suit, and Shanen and her three kids were just arriving also. We made it to the backyard and the fun began.

Or at least it was supposed to.

Isaac went straight to the playhouse. And pretty much stayed there all afternoon. (Good boy! Stay out of the sun! He's a kid after my own heart.)

Dylan didn't know what to think. She would start walking toward the slip n slide as she watched the kids, and just as she got close, she'd laugh and back away from it. She finally ended up in the pool and had quite a bit of fun sitting there. Then Dax and Kruz joined her and she wasn't too thrilled with the splashing. At first. Then I told her to kick and splash too and it was all good.

Eventually she made it to the slip n slide, but it was so funny to watch her. She walked up to it, walked onto the long slide, and sloooowly laid down on her stomach. There was no running and sliding for the girl. Just a simple walk, crawl and lay. Too funny. If you look at the pictures it looks like she handled the slide just write...it was just in slo-mo. But you'd never guess it from the pictures, would you?

All in all, I think the kids will need some outdoor water toys of their own. A pool and a sprinkler toy might be just what the dr. ordered. For me and the kids.

But not to worry, I have plenty of SPF50 in stock!

Monthly Update for May

Here's my monthly accountability to my list of 101 things in 1,001 days. I think I marked off quite a few more things. Thank goodness for great trips!

personal

1. spend three hours once a week for a month on me and only me COMPLETED (thanks Diana)

2. go to bed by 10pm every night for a month

3. make a 101 list COMPLETED (this was a gimmie)

4. return all phone calls within 24 hours for a month

5. return all e-mails within 24 hours for a month

6. get a pedicure as needed for 6 months IN PROGRESS

7. have a meal with friends once a month for 6 months IN PROGRESS


marriage

8. talk without distraction each night for a week

9. say I love you every day for 6 months IN PROGRESS

10. give hugs and kisses every day for 6 months IN PROGRESS

11. celebrate anniversary somewhere other than home overnight

12. find one new thing we both enjoy doing together

13. laugh together each day for a month

14. have date night once a week for a month


spiritual

15. attend all HFPE meetings for a year

16. read scriptures personally every day for a month

17. attend all three meetings on Sunday for two months straight

18. have 100% visiting teaching for a year IN PROGRESS

19. read the book of mormon cover to cover

20. prepare Sunday lessons before the weekend starts for 1 month

21. no caffeine for a month

22. watch all four conference sessions COMPLETED

23. say personal prayers each night for a month


health, beauty, and fitness

24. lose 15 lbs

25. ride the elliptical 3x’s a week for a month

26. go for a walk 3x’s a week for two months

27. don’t eat fast food for a month

28. make dinner every night for two weeks

29. stop biting my fingernails for at least one month

30. get LASIK

31. take a yoga class

32. drink only water for one week


for the house

33. get Dylan into a twin bed IN PROGRESS

34. organize the kid’s clothes and closets COMPLETED

35. keep the car clean for one month

36. organize craft room

37. keep craft room clean for two months

38. get Isaac into a twin bed

39. redo kids’ bedrooms

40. redo master bedroom

41. paint kitchen COMPLETED


travel

42. leave the country COMPLETED

43. visit a national park COMPLETED

44. see Wicked somewhere in the country

45. stay at the Hotel Coronado in San Diego

46. visit a state I have never been to COMPLETED

47. visit a friend out of town

48. start an Italy fund


reading

49. read each day for at least 30 minutes for two weeks

50. read a book by a new author

51. go to the library twice a month for three months

52. start and finish a book in one day (at least 175 pages)

53. read the ensign every month for 6 months

54. read the entire book club book for six months


finances

55. put money in a travel fund for NY

56. put all spare change in a jar for 3 months

57. make and keep a personal budget for two months

58. don’t use the credit card for a week other than necessities (food, gas, bills)

59. for one month spend money only on necessities


hobbies

60. use the camera everyday for a month COMPLETED

61. finish family cookbook IN PROGRESS

62. blog every day for one month COMPLETED

63. bake something new once a month for six months IN PROGRESS

64. be comfortable with and "get" my camera IN PROGRESS

65. complete two Daily December Journals and have them printed

66. take a photography class

67. take a German class

68. be proficient in photoshop


crafts

69. complete three mini albums IN PROGRESS

70. complete two different knitting projects IN PROGRESS

71. decorate the master bedroom IN PROGRESS

72. take a knitting class

73. complete a new sewing project once a month for 6 months

74. finish Dylan’s scrapbook

75. start Isaac’s scrapbook

76. finish Isaac’s scrapbook


for others

77. be a secret santa

78. donate clothing or other items

79. donate blood

80. do a random act of kindness for someone in the neighborhood


for dylan

81. hug her, kiss her, and tell her I love her everyday for a month COMPLETED

82. say prayers with her every night for a month COMPLETED

83. teach her to ride a bike

84. sign her up for soccer

85. enroll her in swim lessons

86. get her potty trained IN PROGRESS

87. teach her to do a somersault

88. read or sing to her every night for a month COMPLETED


for Isaac

89. teach him the ABCs and to count to 10

90. take a mommy and me class

91. enroll him in swim lessons

92. get him potty trained

93. read or sing to him every night for a month

94. say prayers with him every night for a month

95. hug him, kiss him and tell him I love him everyday for a month COMPLETED


household chores

96. clean all the bathrooms once a week for a month (I hate this chore!)

97. get all the laundry and ironing done on Fridays for 3 months

98. wash and dry pots and pans each night for a month (no air drying!)


odds and ends

99. no tv on in the bedroom for a week

100. no computer for three days (at all) COMPLETED

101. no tv with the kids for a week


So thanks to a trip to Alaska and Canada, quite a few more greens on my list. I like that. I'm hoping that the summer will bring some more to me. Namely, Dylan and Isaac in swim lessons. Those are a must.

The Start of Something...

After Todd and I got home on Sunday, we spent the evening playing with the kids and just enjoyed being home with them. As we were about to give the kids a bath Dylan started to get frantic. She said she needed to go potty, so we went. Dylan has sat on her little potty a few times, but nothing has ever come from it.

As we walked into the bathroom Dylan wanted to sit on the big toilet, not her little toilet trainer. I have tried this with her before and she always got scared that she would fall in. Who can blame her? That toilet would swallow her. As we got her diaper off I realized that the top of her little toilet would sit right on top of the big toilet. It's only taken me months to realize this. But Dylan hopped on, sat there for a minute, then decided she was done. Typical.

The next morning the same thing happened. Dylan frantically needed to go potty, she sat on the toilet and suddenly asked, "Did you hear it?" I of course didn't, but couldn't say for sure if she went or not because the shower was running.

We sat on the toilet many times a day from then on, but nothing happened. Until today. After dinner Todd and I decided we would go get some ice cream. As I was getting ready to go, Dylan told Todd she needed to go potty again. Todd rushed her to the bathroom and then I heard Todd cheering. Apparently, Dylan got the hang of what was supposed to happen on the potty, and she finally went "tinkle." (By the way, that's probably not my favorite choice of words to use, but last week that was what Grandma D called it and it has stuck with Dylan. In my opinion, that's the word she knows, that's the word we'll use. AND, we'll find a more masculine choice when it's time for Isaac to start toilet training.)

After Dylan went potty, and the cheering subsided we decided it was time for ice cream, and Dylan needed her own ice cream treat. She chose a strawberry milk shake (and ended up with a chocolate one) and loved every bite of it. We continued to tell her that she got this special treat because she went tinkle on the big girl potty and continued with the positive reinforcement. We even stopped by Grandma and Grandpa's afterward so she could tell them her big news. We stayed and played for awhile, then headed home to put the kids to bed.

As we were getting out of the car I sent Dylan straight to the bathroom so we could go potty again before getting her pajamas on. As she sat on the toilet she told me she was done and wanted to get off and get changed, I had her sit there for a few more minutes and what do you know? Again! She went tinkle again! Twice, in a row, with a dry diaper in between.

I think this might be the start of something. Let's hope so.

We have to be ready for preschool in August.

Dylan on her little potty

(we don't have any pictures on the toilet)

Planes, Trains and Automobiles...

And don't forget the Cruise Ship!

This last week was amazing. Simply amazing. For Christmas my parents gave each of us girls and our spouses a trip. We didn't know when or where, we just knew that some time in the next two years, we'd go on a trip. Just the adults, no kids allowed. Three of us (and spouses) were able to make it work this year, and it just so happened that high on each of our lists of itinerary choices was an Alaskan cruise.

So, we went.

We set sail on Mother's Day and cruised to Alaska and Victoria, BC for seven days. What a great trip. It was the first cruise for all the guys and we were sure they'd love it. And I think we were right. At least, when asked, they all said they'd go on another one. To me, that means success.

We visited Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway, AK and also Victoria. We had two days at sea and we cruised up Tracy Arm to take in the gorgeous scenery. We ate, and ate, and ate some more. And when we weren't doing that we played cards on the ship. In port we took a walking tour of the rainforest in Ketchikan, took a train in Skagway, and unfortunately had to find alternate entertainment in Juneau. Todd and I were supposed to take a helicopter to Mendenhall Glacier but the weather wasn't good so our trip was cancelled. I was disappointed as it was the one thing I'd wanted to do since day 1, but I'd much rather have it cancelled and get a refund than go up and not get to see anything due to bad weather.

It ended up being one of my favorite days. Todd and I spent it together as everyone else in our group decided to canoe to the glacier. We walked and shopped in the rain, found a tour bus to take us to the glacier anyway and had dinner alone. It was a nice day to spend with just each other.

I didn't want to bombard anyone with tons of pictures (because let's face it, you know we took them) but I wanted to share just some of the pictures of Todd and I out and about. There are also two group shots. I'm sure you'll see more of Josh and Shanen and Jamie and Joe on their respective blogs so I didn't want to use any of their choices for pictures. So here is just a tiny glimpse of all the fun we had.

Thanks mom and dad for a great trip and for all the wonderful memories we created!

What's the Point?

As Todd and I get ready to embark on our vacation, I've been thinking back to the last time we took a little trip without the kids in tow. It was just in February, our quick trip to California for a wedding, and it was so nice to get away. How lucky are we to be able to take two vacations all by ourselves? Not to worry though, there are plenty of trips coming up where the kids get to tag along.

Regardless, my thoughts keep running to why those two days in California were so wonderful. Then I remembered, and I have Southwest Airlines to thank for that!

I know, who in their right mind would attribute a great weekend getaway to an airline? I would. And this is why...

The weekend started like any other. We went to the airport, got on the plane and took our short flight to LAX. We tried to complete the crossword and sudoku puzzles in the in-flight magazine, read and just relaxed.

When we got to LAX we got our rental car and had a nice leisurely drive to Hollywood so we could see Wicked. Beforehand, Todd let me pick the restuarant for lunch. Nice. It didn't work out well, but it was nice of him to let me choose. We saw the show then drove to our hotel. Once we got in our room, Todd asked which bed I wanted. (Sidenote: Whenever there are two beds in our hotel room, both beds get used. We are much happier, and sleep much better that way.) I chose the bed I'd like and again thought, nice. Todd opened car doors for me all weekend long and that's something that rarely happens now because we are each spending our time getting the kids in their respective carseats. He let me listen to the Wicked soundtrack all weekend, and even paid to have it downloaded to our computer in the room. Granted, after seeing the show he was more receptive to the music, but the thought was still there.

The entire weekend went on like this. I guess I didn't really pay too much attention to these things, but I did notice how well our weekend was going. We laughed a lot, held hands and just enjoyed being with each other. Don't get me wrong, the weekend wasn't without it's issues (like Todd getting sick and not even making it to the wedding) but all in all, it was a good one.

As we boarded the plane to return home, Todd asked me if I noticed anything different. I said not really, but told him how much I enjoyed spending this quality one on one time with him. As we took our seats, he handed me the in-flight magazine. He turned to an article and told me to read. As I did, I started to realize why the weekend went the way it did.

The article was titled, "There Must be 50 Ways to Woo Your Lover." It talked about a "romantically challenged" husband and his attempt to prove his love to his wife. (Remember, this was in February so it had a Valentine's Day theme.) As I continued to read the article it talked about how this man was talking to a female co-worker who felt he had to create some big, elaborate event for their 25th anniversary to romance her. She said he needed to think of as many things as he could to make her feel special. He decided that 50 was a nice round number.

The article details the couple's trip to Florida, and all the things the husband did for his wife to show his love, including letting her choose restaurants, music and the "territory" she wanted in the hotel room. The article went on and on and detailed all 50 things this man did for his wife. Some of the sweetest, endearing, simplest and thoughtful things.

This is what Todd did for me. He remembered all of the little things. Little things you don't always think about, but make for a more enjoyable experience. He read this article and put it to action. How sweet is that?

Now, here is where my point is...

As we get ready to leave for our next trip, I want to remember the little things. I'm ashamed to admit that I don't always recognize it when Todd does the little things, I only pay attention to whether or not the grand gestures were made. But it's the little things that made that weekend so special. It's remembering each other's happiness first, even if it's which bed do you want or do you want the window or the aisle seat. Those are the things I need to remember to do for Todd. Put his feelings first and try to do the little things that may not seem like much, but will make for better memories and happier experiences. That way, he'll know that I love him, and I'll feel better knowing I'm putting him before myself and constantly showing him how much I love and appreciate him.

That's the plan for the next 10 days. Wish me luck!

The Look

I've always been told I have this "look." This look that I can give people and they'll know exactly what I'm thinking. And trust me, that's never a good thing because when the "look" appears it's because I'm ticked. And wherever that irritation is directed, the subject always knows it.

I never really thought about it, but I always knew that it was true. You can read my face like a book if I'm upset. I don't know how to hide it, or change it. It's just written all over my face.

I learned last week that Dylan can read. Maybe not words in a book, but she sure can read my face if that "look" is on it.

Dylan has had the lovely habit recently of getting out of her bed during naptime. She doesn't ever get out at night, and until last week, it has never happened. But now she is getting sneaky. She gets out of bed and turns around the motion sensor we have in her room. That way, it doesn't alarm me each time she moves. It gives her free run of her bedroom. Not good.

I walked into her room the other day and this is what I found.

It would be an understatment to say I wasn't frustrated with what I saw. There were so many things wrong with what was going on.

First, she was out of bed. That's the big one.

Next, there's that little blue bucket you see in the second picture. That had been full of clothes. All of the clothes you see on the floor in the first and last pictures. They had been folded nicely and ready to be put away because they are clothes Dylan no longer fits into.

The next thing was the books on the blue bucket. Dylan has a nasty habit of ripping apart her books. All of her books. Even board books. She pulverizes them. It's awful. Therefore, all of her books are put away...or at least they were until she got them out.

After that came the fact that her blinds were open and her wave machine was off. The wave machine I get. She can reach that and turn it off. But the blinds?? Look at the blue bucket again. And look at the proximity to her changing table. Yup. My girl finally decided to start climbing. She stepped on the bucket, got onto the top of the changing table and opened her blinds.

All of that added together apparently resulted in the "look." Because that's all it took. Dylan knew as soon as the door opened she was busted. And I was all prepared to get angry and explain that what she did was so wrong and that she needed to go in time out. I didn't even get that far. I looked at her. That's all I did. I promise.

This was the result.

I just looked at her. This was how she remained for 43 minutes. No joke. She screamed and cried for 43 minutes. I looked at her, she knew she did something wrong, and she cried for 43 minutes. It was the easiest punishment I never had to dole out. I'm sure she learned her lesson.

Until it happened again the next day.

The Guard Dog

Some of you may have noticed that our guard dog is gone. Doesn't that make things nicer? If you haven't noticed, and have no idea what I'm talking about, let me ask you a question.

Did you have to sign in to read my blog today??

I didn't think so.

Todd decided that we could let our security go. I think it has something to do with the "Reverand Todd Bailey" from Georgia, or George W.'s appointment to Latvia, "Catherine Todd Bailey" or even the Facebook page for "Nicole Todd Bailey." (How funny is that last one?)

If you're feeling a little lost, go to Google.com and search for "Todd Bailey." The good reverand and Catherine seem to be more important than my dear husband.

And because of that, he's called off the guards. No more gatekeeper for this blog. Hooray!

Here's my question: Our hope is to have more people be able to find us, but in reality, wasn't that why we locked it in the first place?

Only Todd knows the answer to that.