Monkey

Meet Monkey. That is as creative as I get on names, so he'll have to wait until Michael can talk for a better one. After the boys were born their Aunt Sarah and cousins Rachel and Brooke sent us a box full of gifts. In the box was this stuffed animal monkey. I thought it would be rude to give it to Sam as he actually LOOKED like a monkey when he was born, down to the same hairline and pokey-outey ears, so Monkey was given to Michael.


I tried to get him attached to it last spring, but it was a one-sided relationship and Michael didn't pay any attention to him. (I can't get that picture to rotate around.)



Now, however, they are inseparable. Michael feeds Monkey, brushes his teeth, brushes his hair, and kisses him on the lips a hundred times a day with a loud "Mmmm!" Before bedtime and naptime we walk around the house together looking for Monkey and calling out his "name." When we find him Michael bursts into an enormous smile and reaches out for his little friend. He's had a few baths in the washing machine and is holding up well. So here's a long-overdue thank you to Aunt Sarah, Rachel, and Brooke for what has turned out to be a match made in heaven.

Michael dropped our camera a week or so ago so we haven't been able to take any new digital pictures. I am taking some pictures with a disposable camera we've had in the cabinet for about 5 years. I hope the film isn't too old. Anyway, until we fix it or get a new one, I'll have to use old pictures.

We're going to the beach with my sister Friday and hopefully she can take some pictures and share them with us. Wish us luck with no naps and trying not to burn the boys! I think they will be in heaven as water and sand are their 2 favorite playthings.

Cars, and Trucks, and Planes, Oh My!

This is Sam at his best. Josh's boss gave us this Richard Scarry book "Cars and Trucks and Things That Go" and we thought we'd see if Sam liked it. Turn up your volume and see for yourself! It's a little fuzzy because I standing far away and zooming in so I wouldn't distract him with the camera. It's a little long, but it's fun.

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First Haircuts

If you can't read that certificate it says, "This is to certify that Michael has bravely met all of the requirements of receiving his first haircut and has graduated from babyhood on the 16th day of May in the year of 2008. Ceremonies took place at: Senate Hair Care, Delaware & C St, NE, Washington, DC 20510."


We bit the bullet and cut of the curls. Not completely, mind you! We took Michael and Sam to the barber shop in the basement of the Russel Senate Office Building and Barber Dave Knight (no relation) did the honors. He's been cutting Josh's hair for 6 years and basically gave the boys the same cut.

Michael got through it with a fixed gaze at me or his dad in the mirror the whole time.

While Sam needed the distraction of his favorite toy ever, the Blackberry.


I don't know if I agree with the certificate that they've graduated from babyhood, I'm not read for that, but they are definitely acting like toddlers and even go off to nursery in a few weeks.

Josh got his hair cut when the boys were through and I tried taking them up to my old office to say hello to a few folks, but everyone was already gone for the weekend. I was smiling the whole time we were there because I am so grateful I don't have to work there anymore! No offence to the Senate, I am just so much happier doing what I love most everyday: taking care of Michael and Sam, up to my elbows in laundry, diapers, and hugs and kisses!

Something Borrowed . . .

Last Saturday Josh and I went to the wedding and reception for his former co-worker. It was a beautiful event downtown and we were planning how to attend for months. The wedding was at 2:30 pm and the black-tie reception was at 6:00 so we had to get babysitting arranged for the daytime as well as the night. Since it was the same day as prom, we got 2 14-year old girls from church to come from 1:30 pm until 11:00. I think they had an experience of a lifetime!

The wedding was held at St. Matthew's Cathedral in downtown Washington, DC. We'd never been there before and it is gorgeous! I was distracted by all of the mosaic artwork and Josh had to jab me once during the actual vows to pay attention to the wedding instead of the cathedral! I think it's where JFK's funeral was held. The bride arrived in a white Rolls Royce and wore a rented necklace of 20 or more carats of diamonds.

I had been stressing out about what to wear to the reception for months. Black tie in the spring? At a wedding? For a Mormon? I bought 4 things and returned them all. I tried on 8 dresses from friends and settled on one that looked pretty, young, and modest all at once without looking like a prom dress, a mother of the bride dress, or a bridesmaid dress. Josh helped me look for dresses online for hours and finally said, "You are going to look so different from every other woman there. I am so proud of you." That's all I needed to hear to feel good about being the only modest woman at this party. During the wedding ceremony someone read out of Romans about respecting the body and not heeding the dictates of the times'. It was ultimately a passage about love and I would post the reference but it wasn't in the King James Version language so I'm not sure where to find it, but I felt very good about being modest again.

The reception was fun. It was held at the elegant St. Regis hotel with cocktails in an outdoor courtyard surrounded by azaleas and pink and white blooming dogwood trees. The flowers in the centerpieces alone must have cost thousands of dollars. The bride wanted a "pink explosion" and I think she got one.


We knew a lot of people there that Josh used to work with and we had a nice time. We all left saying we need to get together again soon. Dinner was corn chowder with a miniature crab cake, fois gras with a carmelized mango sauce (disgusting), Chilean sea bass with cream ginger sauce, steamed carrots and asparagus, a small filet mignon with truffles scented mashed potatoes and green beans garnished with tempura scallions. All this is from memory! It was a delicious change from Costco chicken and tuna casserole.

After dinner there was a live 80's band and Josh and I danced for about 15 minutes. This is the first time I've ever actually seen Josh fast dance. He was good and, of course, funny! We had a blast. I fell in love all over again with my 32-year old husband in a tuxedo. When we got married he didn't know how to put on a tux and now he looks so comfortable in one. Never pretentious, he just knows how to be himself.


It took a lot of preparation for us to leave the boys and get dressed up, and it took some time to recover! The boys were very clingy the next couple of days, but it was worth it. I felt like my smile was going to crack my cheeks and that I would start crying tears of love for this man who took me on as a work in progress and has patiently helped me grow up . . . just a little!

Until next time, "Walk Like an Egyptian!"

Michael for President!

Since we are less than excited about our options for the next President, we offer you a new, fresh choice . . . Michael! We went to the White House Easter Egg Roll on last Monday and Michael was pulling on this fence trying to get in. We can only assume that he has a few suggestions for W. or that he would like to live there someday. (Actually, he was enjoying the toe-tapping tunes of the military band on the balcony, the little music lover).

It was cold and the boys missed their afternoon nap to be there, but we didn't even have to wait in line for our tickets and we couldn't miss the opportunity. Here we are with the Easter Bunny. Sam liked pulling on his whiskers but he didn't seem to mind!


The boys got to color in their own bunny ears but were more interested in eating the crayons, so we didn't do that for very long. The actual Easter Egg Roll requires children who walk in a straight line. We didn't do that, but let them run around on the lawn. Sam made a bee line for the White House itself and both he and Michael danced to the music of the band on the balcony.


This year's theme was literacy and we were going to stay to hear the Secretary of Agriculture read a book to the kids, but we were starting to get looks from people wondering why our kids were crying, so we left. In our goodie bags we got the famous collectible Egg Roll wooden eggs and a book for each of the boys.


Here I'm explaining to my little boy that, unfortunately, he has to wait until he's the legal age to run for president and live in the big white house with his own band to dance to whenever he wants. For now he'll have to settle for my Ray Charles cd in the family room. Sorry, Bud.


But if you're left without a candidate in November, consider writing in Michael's name and hoping for some fresh ideas in the big, White House!

*Adorable Easter outfits courtesy of Grandma and Grandpa O. Thank you!

Four Car Seats, Three Moms: A Trip to the Zoo

A couple of weeks ago I went to the National Zoo with 2 friends and their babies. It was one of those days near 70 degrees and we just couldn't fathom staying inside. I love the National Zoo. They have a lot of animals I've never seen before. The monkeys are outside once in a while walking above the sidewalks between two parallel hanging ropes. Here are some highlights.

Have you ever seen a real, live panda? There are three at our zoo. A daddy, mommy, and baby, of course. They are great fun. Once we saw the baby up in a tree scratching its leg. I don't know how it was going to get down from there. This is the daddy panda eating some bamboo for lunch.

For the Sandra Boynton fans, here's "But not the Hippopotamus." They are enormous!


Our friends with the boys in front of the flamingos. It's getting a little harder to keep the boys happy in the stroller these days. Since they started walking they want to get out and go where they want to go - always 2 different directions, of course.


We got to see them feed the elephants before they went back out to enjoy the sunshine.

Michael Bear

Since I last posted I have been called to teach early morning seminary two days a week - just scripture mastery - and it's making me very, very tired. Imagine jet lag every Monday morning. I teach Mondays and Tuesdays and just about recover from feeling like I've been hit over the head with a 2"x4" in time for the weekend. Naps have taken on a renewed priority and blogging, well, not so much. Seminary is great, though. On the days when I am very prepared, I come home feeling so happy. I know it's important for me to study the scriptures more and the students really need to be spiritually fed before they go off to the great and spacious buildings they call high schools.

So, fair is fair and I took these pictures of Michael right after the ones of Sam, but haven't gotten around to posting them.That being said, here is the photo shoot of Michael! Josh did a better job that I did at capturing some of his classic moods.

This one is the adorabley sweet look he gives us when he is happy and content, which is most of the time. He was understandably pleased with himself for getting and eating a bite off of the fork.

This one is for Josh's family. You will all understand. A "chip off the old block" and Pepaw's kindred spirit with the ketchup bottle.Here's a shot where he looks like he's about 40 years old. Sometimes he gives me these looks and I cannot treat him like a baby. He's a grown up inside that little body.


Here he is growling like any one of a dozen animals who growl: dinosaur, lion, bear, giraffe (well, what does a giraffe say?)

Michael loves learning new things. Especially the names of things. I think he's going to be an early talker. He still likes to snuggle, be chased around, and eat potatoes in any form. He pats his brother on the head when they're in the stroller together and loves his stuffed animal monkey like a baby. He makes friends easily and flirts with abandon. He has learned to dance by walking backwards quickly and bobbing his head up and down like a head-banger. He loves reading books and dancing with me before he goes to sleep. He's our social "animal" and we couldn't love him more!