What will be next to go?

To put it bluntly, I am TIRED. Being out under the hot sun makes me tired. Chasing my toddler all day long makes me tired. And being pregnant makes me really tired. I just don't have the energy that I did a few months ago and so to compensate I have been slowly eliminating things from my daily schedule. Sadly, the first thing to go was cooking. I used to be one of those good wives who wakes up and makes their husband a yummy breakfast all from scratch. Lately, I just makes sure the cereal shelf is well stocked. I even broke down this week and purchased Eggo waffles for the first time in my life. (I'm sure my mother would be so disappointed in me).

Next to go was my personal hygiene, don't worry, I still shower, shave and put on deodorant, but the days of blow drying and straightening my hair have come to an end - at least for the rest of this pregnancy. Now I am all about the wavy, disjointed curls that come from letting my hair just air dry on my way to the library or the park. As if that wasn't bad enough, last week I caught myself putting on a collared shirt without ironing it, an absolute unparalleled act of laziness for me.

All of this leaves me sitting and wondering what will be the next to go. What else can I cut out so that I can still have the energy to make it to the top of the slide when I am playing with Ollie at the park?

(Oh, and for the record, I actually thought the the Eggo waffles were really yummy).

Summertime

Ollie and I spent most of our morning weeding our garden (I pulled weeds, Ollie mostly pulled and stepped on the vegetables). In the afternoon we decided that we needed a break and rigged up a makeshift waterslide. Oliver loved it and I loved just sitting and watching him play. I'd have to say that at this point I love anything that just allows me to sit, I don't think I'm lazy, just really pregnant.

I had to included this picture of my little fruit-o-holic. I can't seem to keep enough fruit in my fridge to keep him satisfied. Here he is devouring an apple and a nectarine simultaneously.

Does that make me a bad person?

So, a couple of weeks ago the bishop called us into his office to extend us callings in the ward. First, he called Sam to be an assistant in Young Men's. Next, he turned to me and asked about my musical abilities. I promptly replied that I didn't play the piano or lead music or even enjoy singing and that my musical ability extended no further than turning on the radio. After which he asked me to serve as the ward music chairman and chorister. WHAT!??! Of course I accepted the calling, but with a rather shocked and dazed look on my face. I kept thinking about an experience Sam shared when he was serving in the bishopric of the student ward. They would reorganize the ward every semester as tons of students moved in and out. This made for long lists of callings to be extended and of course room for mistakes. One time things got mixed up and the bishop asked a girl who didn't even know how to play the piano to be the ward organist. Rather than balk at the calling (as I did inwardly) she got super excited and asked if that meant God was going to teach her to play the organ. Her comment cued the Bishop to the mistake and they got things straightened out, but I think her faith was commendable.

Unfortunately I don't have that kind of faith, or at least that kind of desire. I didn't want to learn how to lead the music and I especially didn't want to get up in front of the ward every Sunday in my current state of pregnancy. Yuck. I think that the Bishop must have sensed the vibes I was sending out all the way from my house because he called me in today, rescinded my calling and gave me a new one. (I hadn't been sustained yet). I would like to state here that I would have done the calling and probably learned to enjoy it, but do you think it makes me a bad person because I really didn't want it?

For The Record

Today I received my very first "you look like you are ready to pop any day now" comment. I just smiled and said yup. Because really what is the difference between one day and 76 days? Ha.

I thought only girls did that....

When I left him upstairs he was happily engaged in playing with his trains. It was a little quiet but I didn't think much of it. Then he came downstairs with an open tube of my mascara. Fortunately, he only applied it to himself. So, while his hair may be dyed black for a while, my carpet and bedspreads came out unscathed. Whew.

Swing batta' batta'.....

Nothing beats a warm summer evening in your own backyard.

Zoo Day

Sam has had a busy week; with trips to the doctor in Denver, Young Men's, and a lot of big projects at work, we haven't seen much of him. Despite all our efforts, we still have no friends down here so to break up the monotony of our long days, Ollie and I decided to take a trip to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. The zoo is on the side of the mountain and it is nice and cool with great views of the city below. The animals were great too.

Man Food

One of the things that Sam was most excited about when we moved into a house this summer was the opportunity to break out his dutch oven. It all started with some yummy barbecue ribs a couple of weeks ago.

Then for Father's Day he got a new grill, and the "man food" just keeps coming. I think we have grilled outside everyday since (and you won't see me complaining!) Sam's grilled steaks are far the best ones I have ever had.


Of course, he always has his little helper.

Happy Father's Day

A very happy Father's Day to all of the dads in our lives, we love you and all that you do for us!

It's just easier this way

We put a toy box in Oliver's room to hold all of his cars and trains, but he kind of missed the concept. I guess he thought is would be easier to just get in himself than to get the toys out.

A league of his own

I have always known that I had an extraordinarily active toddler. Having spent the majority of our time around other toddler girls, I simply assumed that the difference had to do with the fact that Oliver was a boy. Wrong. I had my eyes opened this past week as Oliver and I began swimming lessons. The class is made up of almost all boys, but Oliver is by far the most energetic. While the other boys cling to their moms in the water Oliver does his best to squirm/run/wiggle his way out of my arms. While the other boys gently practice blowing bubbles in the water Oliver is usually engaged in contorting his body so as to get the most force into his full-body splashes. (I feel bad for the moms who come with their hair already done because no one within ten feet of Oliver manages to escape the pool still dry.) When it is time to jump off the wall to mommy the other kids gently fall into their mother's outstretched arms. Oliver, on the other hand, does one of two things, he either turns and bolts toward the deep end or he yells and then jumps to the side in an effort to "escape" me. The most obvious difference however comes in the locker room. I have watched in amazement this past week as all the other little toddlers sit patiently while their mom's dry off and dress. I knew beforehand that would never be an option for me. I don't bother with the lotion or the drying off or brushing my hair. Instead I scramble as quickly as I can to pull some sweats over my dripping wet swimsuit. Just in the time it takes me to do that I usually have to pull Ollie out of the bathroom stalls at least twice and the garbage can once. There are days when I seriously consider investing in a child leash.

Good to the core.........and beyond

I consider myself to be an apple snob. I love apples but am totally picky as to which ones I will actually eat; they must be super crisp and tangy. I usually stick to Pink Lady, but I can stomach a Granny Smith if necessary. I think my son may have similar inclinations. We brought home a batch of good apples this week and he has totally devoured them. I give him a whole apple and a half-hour later he gives me back a tiny little stub of the core. (He ate three just like this yesterday). The seeds and half of the core have usually been eaten, he has not yet tried to digest a stem but I wouldn't put it past him as he has no qualms about swallowing the leaves on top of strawberries. I am pretty sure the only reason any of the core remains is because he can't figure out how to hold onto the apple and still find a spot to nibble.