Carving pumpkins...or something

A few weeks ago my mom and I took the kids to the pumpkin patch behind the county jail and let them get pumpkins. Kai's pumpkin has sat on our front porch untouched until tonight when I got put on call at work and was so bored even being crafty sounded good. So, we pulled out the old towels, stripped off Kai's clothes and got down to business. I knew that I couldn't trust him with a knife (Go ahead and give me Mother of the Year right now) so we opted for finger paints. I thought that he would really enjoy taking out the seeds and inside of the pumpkin, after all that is a very messy job and my son has never been one to worry about being dirty. But, he wasn't too interested and let me do the dirty work.

Don't worry though, he got his hands, tummy, legs, arms, kitchen floor and walls messy when it came time to paint. Thank heavens I am a smart mommy who used washable paint.

After the bath, which he really needed we put his super man pj's on. I heard him giggling on the stairs and went to see what he was doing. He goes "Look mommy! I am flying!" and then slid down the stairs on his tummy. He makes me laugh!

In Case You Are Interested...

Twilight: The Movie

Well, the movie comes out on November 21st. I have mixed emotions about this. You know how sometimes you love a book and then you see the movie and it kind of ruins it for you? Well, that is what I am afraid will happen this time. I have seen the trailers and I get where they are going with it but here is my problem...The Edward is not gorgeous, Rosalie isn't a natural blonde or the most beautiful girl in the world and Emmett isn't big enough! Yeah, I know small stuff. I was really frustrated with this right after I read the books but the more I look at the pictures and the closer it gets the more ok I become with the situation. So, I am going to go see the movie. I am going to have an open mind and I am going to enjoy it! That's my resolve.

Update: I just talked to Denae and we now are getting tickets to see Twilight at midnight on the 20th. OK...maybe I am a little excited!

Blogger Slacker!

Ok so I have been a blogger slacker. A lesser person would come up with various excuses as to why they have not blogged in over a week. But not me! Nope, I am going to own it! I have been slacking. So since we have established that I am big enough to admit that I have been slacking here is what my excuses would have been had I not been such a big person:

1) In the last 2 weeks I have read all 4 of the Twilight books and what is available on the internet of Midnight Sun. I know my earlier post said that I was hoping for one of them to get hit by a bus and no that didn't happen although, Bella does almost get flattened by a van. I couldn't believe how VERY much I enjoyed them. No need to panic though. I don't think that I am obssessed. I will not be sending Twilight flair to you all on Facebook or running to the nearest kiosk at the mall to pad my wardrobe with pro Edward shirts and socks. I enjoyed the simple love story, the easy reading and even gasp! the romance. I loved the way the writter described a simple touch or kiss...it made me smile and remember the early days of love. It even made me think a little about the future (No, I don't see a stunningly beautiful vampire in it but, maybe another first kiss!). That idea makes me hyperventilate a little!!! These books were a great escape for me, eventhough I think Kai watched a little too much Scooby Doo as I escaped.

2) I got the divorce stipulation from my lawyer which lead to several INTENSE conversations with Charlie. These conversations did not leave me exactly warm and fuzzy or in the mood to see, talk or breathe around another human being! So, that lead me very easily back to excuse #1! After some compromises the stipulation has been signed and is awaiting the judges approval as I type.

3) We got to watch Brynlee a lot this week! It was very fun having that sweet little girl around. She is so easy to watch and Kai just adores her. On Monday I had to run to Target to change his Halloween costume for a bigger size and Lisa met us there to pick up Brynlee. As soon as she opened the van door Kai started crying and said "No! My baby! My Brynee!" Yeah, I think he is in love!

4) I went to the doctor on Thursday to get the results of my colposcopy. Everything is fine! I wasn't terribly worried but you know anytime anything is abnormal it makes ya a little nervous. HOORAY for not having cancer! I just have cervixitis. The doctor says it mostly happens from having intercourse before the test... Awkward pause followed by slightly hysterical laughing and then profuse apologies to the doctor...Hmm any other causes cause that is NOT the case here!?

5) On Saturday I decided that I had had enough sulking and I needed to get out. Thankfully, Denae was feeling the same way! So we got dressed up in some of Charlie's old cammies and went to Christin's Halloween party. We were glad we were able to be there and represent 6th floor! We had a good time playing games, competing to see who the least coordinated person was on Dance Dance Revolution and having a psychic read our cards. Apparently, I am destined to be poor and depressed...I did not need a psychic to tell me that! I believe that is called Divorce! It was interesting to hear the things she had to say. I still think that I will trust my path to a more omniscient and comforting source. But, it was fun none the less.

My camera has been acting up. I think I need a new battery but here is the one picture that I got of Denae. We both wore cammies so just envision my face over hers. I asked Kai how I looked and he smiled and said "Perfect!" I must be teaching him good.

6) My mom bought Kai Kai foam swords at the dollar store and ever since whatever free time I had after everything else has been spent fighting imaginary tigers, dragons and various monsters on Scooby Doo!

This has been my life. It wasn't a particularly bad week, just an antisocial week. I will get my camera fixed and try harder this week. I promise!

Conflicted

Another round of the 11 day diet has come to a close and though my clothes are fitting looser I still wouldn't feel completely satisfied until I see those numbers drop on the scale. So, it was with a light and slightly anxious heart that I stopped at the gym on the way home for my weigh in. I walked in and....gasp! They changed the scale! What?! But the old one was calibrated...is this one the same? Oh the frustration. OK so I take off my shoes (they were heavy high heels) and step gingerly onto the new scale...down 3 lbs! Ok not exactly the ground breaking results I had hoped for. Now I am miffed at the gym and the new EVIL scale.

I drive home angry at whoever changed the scale. In my head I am concocting situations in which a very fat person stood on the scale and broke it and that is why the gym would do something like change the scale on me. Hmm I think, I have a scale at home. Now that I don't trust the gym anymore maybe I should start using that scale. It would be more convinient. OK so I am home now and I go upstairs. I set my home scale on the ground and step onto it again...silently praying that this is an angel scale and wasn't sent by the devil like the one at the gym! 11 lbs! Yes! That is better...wait....the euphoria is ending....confusion is setting in...8 lbs difference? Hmm which scale to believe? I am not sure but I am going to start using the home scale from now on (you know 'cause it was nice and said I weighed less just like a good friend should do).

So this update on the Battle of the Bulge is a toss up: if you are a pesimist you may side with the evil gym scale and believe I only lost 3 lbs. If you are an optimist and want to live to see tomorrow you will side with me and the home scale and report a record weight loss of 11 lbs! In any case, I am starting again on Monday so on the 31st I hopefully will have a more exact update.

Faith

"And now as I said concerning Faith- faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen which are true. And now, behold, I say unto you, and I would that ye should remember, that God is merciful unto all who believe on his name; therefore he desireth, in the first place, that ye should believe, yea, even on his word." Alma 32:21-22

I have felt like the last couple of days have been a true test of my faith and yet the amazing part is that each time I have been tested or pushed and I have called upon God, He has answered me and strengthened my faith. I have seen His hand cover and protect me. He has guided my heart and my mind and I pray that as I start this next phase in my life that He will give me the same inspiration.

Twilight

Well, I am reading Twilight.

I know that I am a bit behind the major trend but like most things I had to wait for Denae to introduce it to me. Denae blogs so I start a blog. Denae is on Facebook so I join Facebook. Denae loves Twilight so...I take my time reading really long boring books about the Revolutionary War. Denae has been telling me for months that I should stop reading Prelude to Glory which I complained about often and start reading Twilight, but I just couldn't stop in the middle of book five. I felt like a failure and honestly, a little bit of a traitor. So I stuck it out. I persevered and finally finished the fifth book just 2 weeks over due to the library. This book only took me 8 weeks to read, just four more books in the series to go. OK, do the math...that is 8 months! No way can I read about the British and the pesky rabble rousers aka the Americans for the next year. So I started reading Twilight. Now I have been opposed to reading this because I have not been exactly thrilled about reading about young, beautiful star crossed lovers even if one is a vampire. A friend told me that she liked the books because it gave her hope about love. If this mortal girl and vampire could make it with all their differences, then anyone could. Well, that was not the bait that was going to hook me. After all, I live in my life where this mortal girl and her Marine couldn't even make it and we both have pulses. So as I cracked the cover open I had a silent prayer in my heart that maybe one of them would get hit by a bus!

Well, I am now about 1/3 of the way through it and there has been no tragic bus accidents...but I have enjoyed it. I didn't think that I would. And though, I don't have a new outlook on love it has been fun to read about these two young people and the awkwardness that surrounds them. I have a feeling that awkwardness will be abounding on many of my future dates. And an added bonus, I don't think that anyone will get shot by a 0.75 caliber lead ball coming from a British musket or that I will have it narrated by my very bad British accent in my head. "Eh, who goes 'er?" Yeah it even sounds Canadian to me. Here's to hoping!

Oooh Sugar, sugar!

So for a long time I have known that my child loves the pure white stuff, the addictive drug that is sugar. He wakes up in the morning and asks for a "teat mommy?" During the summer he considered a a popsicle in each hand a balanced breakfast. Potty training went relatively well as long as the treat jar was filled with Hershey's mini candy bars. Yes, my child inherited my weakness, a sweet tooth. Well, it has finally gotten out of hand. My mom keeps her sugar and flour for baking in large drawers in her kitchen. They are lined with tin bins that have sliding lids so the product is just dumped inside. Kai Kai has known for a long time that touching these drawers result in "Oh Bummer." This is mainly because he enjoys making a mess with the flour. Well tonight I was at my mom's house when Kai came over and opened the sugar drawer. I told him No and closed the drawer. He opened it again...ok "Oh Bummer, this is so sad. Looks like Kai needs a little alone time." Well, the sneaky little bugger out manuvered me as I went to grab him, he ducked around me and stuck his hand in the drawer coming up with sugar dusted fingers which he promptly thrust into his mouth..."Mmmm Nummy! It's good!" My mom and I just laughed. So much for the Oh bummer. I agreed, sugar is good but it is bad for your teeth. I washed his hands and face and sent him back to the couch to watch Scooby while my mom and I finished dinner. A few minutes later Kai walked back into the kitchen. I heard the drawer open. "Oh bummer, who is getting into the sugar?" Bummer should have been the trigger word, I am sure in the parenting book the model child would have closed the drawer and walked sheepishly out of the kitchen. My child? He answered "Kai Kai!" and emerged with a small handful of sugar which went immediately into his mouth. Hmm, I think we have a hardcore habit developing.

Cornbelly's

The kids are back in town for a couple of weeks which means that we get to do lots of fun and exciting things like...

going to CORNBELLY'S!!! I always have had sneaking suspicions that these kids were animals. Mine really could have been raised in a barn.

Although, this picture is very deceiving. He is the most melancholy little horse but I swear as soon as I was done taking pictures he ran off like I had given him 3 cans of Coke...which I had not!

Sabina looks like a sheep that really did get its head stuck in a fence! She just cracks me up. She can be so serious sometimes.

I was so surprised at the number of things there were to do there. Kai was just excited they had water. He and water go together like...well like a fish to water.

I think whoever runs Cornbelly's must be a blogger because there were photo ops everywhere! They also have these great little wagons that are free! I mean come on, even the mall charges!

Of course, Kai had to show off his Heman strength.

That lasted for about 3 minutes before mommy convinced him to climb in and hold onto Brynlee. She was standing up and wouldn't sit down. He loves that little girl so much and would do anything to help her.

We went through the kiddie maze. I am going to claim that that was because the kids needed it but to be honest Lisa said that she got lost in the big maze last year and we didn't want to run the risk.

Good thing too because Kai was the one leading! He did find this dead end and was confused as to why I told him we couldn't go that way. Sabina is not insisting we go this route. In fact, she is explaining how this is a short cut and if we took it we would be cheating. Again, she cracks me up. Malakai looks like that is exactly what he has in mind...short cut you say?

This picture just made me laugh! The look on his face is kind of like the one his dad had on his face when he slammed my van into the back of the car in front of us on I 15 and caused a 5 car pile up. Of course, if Kai does that in 14 years I probably won't find this look so cute.

These tire swings were cute but not very stable of comfortable. I am on a horse, Kai is on a moose.

I think that it is appropriate that when you are sitting on a cow you say "MOO" not "cheese" when you are getting your picture taken! So this is all of us saying "MOO!"

And again, she cracks me up!

They had diggers so that and the water pretty much made my kid THE happiest 2 year old in the world! Now, if only his arms were longer.

Oh, and bikes...yeah I think Kai was in love with Cornbelly's.

It is a little pricey to get in normally but Hogi Yogi has 2 for 1 coupons and 2 and under is free. So for the 6 of us (Grandma, mom, Sabina, Trevor, Kai and Brynlee) it was only $20. If the weather stays warm I think I will take Kai back...I have more 2 for 1 coupons. Who wants to be my #2?!

Who loves you?

Charlie had Malakai this weekend and though I was grateful for the break I missed that little bugger. Kind of funny how when they are around you just want a break but when they are gone you just can't wait until they are back. Well, on Sunday night after prayers had been said and scriptures read I tucked him in and told him I loved him. He looked at me and I said, "Kai, who loves you?" I thought he would say mommy, but instead without hesitation he answered, "Jesus!" I smiled and said, "Yep, He sure does."

This morning when he woke up I thought I would try again.

"Kai, who loves you?"

"Jesus!"

"Who else?"

Looking at me strangely like I already answered you mom, "Jesus!"

OK thank you nursery leaders!

So, later that afternoon with my mom after I have told her all about it and how cute he is.

"Kai who loves you?"

"Dump Truck!"

"What?! No, Jesus remember...ok one more time. Who else loves you?"

"Mommy!"

"OK good enough!" I will take it!

The Coral Pink Sand Dunes

Charlie's grandma lived in Kanab for many years and he spent a lot of time down there as a kid. So, I had heard good things about the Coral Pink Sand Dunes and thought that we should check them out. They were only 11 miles from our hotel room. And unlike the Grand Canyon I didn't care if Kai ran crazy here. The sand was so soft. We kicked off our shoes, rolled up our pants and had a blast. It felt like you were walking on a beach only there was no ocean.

It was pretty amazing to see things like this beautiful flower blossoming in the middle of a sand dune.

Kai just loved rolling in the sand. He had sand everywhere, mouth, ears, pockets, hair.

The coolest thing about the Dunes is that there is this area up front for walking and playing that has a lot of greenery mixed in and then farther back there is an area that is all just dune after dune that can be used by off road vehicles. There was one dune in particular that drew our attention. It was the tallest one and it beckoned to be climbed and rolled down. So, this is how we started off...hand in hand.

And this is how we ended up half way up the dune!

Nothing like a 30 lb pack and a giant sand dune to show you how very out of shape you are!

But...HOORAY!!! We made it!

Now the fun part. Going down!

Kai took the head first approach, which I applaud. I chose the much more boring and safer method of running down the dune.

This is us resting after our long hike up the dune. Apparently, after virtually swimming in the sand Kai decided that now he wants nothing to do with it and mommy makes a much better seat.

See our red faces? It was warm that day and even hotter after lugging him up that hill.

I know, buds. Time to head back to the car. Darndest thing! I don't remember the car being so far away on our walk out to the dune!

Interestingly, the sand does not look pink at all. More of a sand dune orange. Hmm.

The Grand Canyon

We left Phoenix about noon on Tuesday for our drive home. We knew that we would not have a lot of time but being so close to the Grand Canyon we had to stop and see. I have been to Moab and Arches and Bryces but I had never been to the Grand Canyon. I had a vision in my mind of what I thought it would be. To say the least, that vision did not do the Canyon any justice. The views were like nothing I had ever seen. They were absolutely breath taking. Sadly, my pictures don't show the magnificence of it very well. When I looked at it I couldn't help but think that no river could have done this. No matter how many scientists try to dispel God, one look at this proves His existence. My mom and I were discussing this topic and she told me that a professor at BYU believes that the canyon was formed when Christ was crucified. I totally believe this could be the case.

Despite all the grandeur my mom was a mess. I don't think that these signs helped. Just replace the little white man with my little white boy and you can guess why she was so nervous.

So this was the highest that we let Malakai get on his own. Notice that grandma is still holding onto his leg. I love you mom and I love that you love Kai so much! I don't know what I would do without you...probably let Kai fall into the Grand Canyon.

This is a picture of a giant ugly bird that is in the visitors center. Kai was running everywhere and I needed something to keep him focused for a minute while grandma figured out where we were going so I showed him the giant bird. He really wasn't impressed. He did however, like to run on the edge of the window. Score one for mom!

We decided that the best thing for us to do after watching Kai run along the 2 foot window sill and both of us envisioning the thousand foot drop into the Canyon was to just get out of dodge and let him swim at the hotel. But, then we saw that the last stop before you leave the park was this old tower so we thought ok let's give it a shot.

This was the view. Unbelievable! The river winding along the bottom of the canyon thousands of feet below, the sun setting the red rocks on fire, the stir crazy two year old who couldn't believe that we wouldn't put him down!


My salvation came in the form of telescopes! The boy loves them. You can't see a darn thing out of them but that didn't stop him. He was telling us all about the things he was seeing, the river, people and as you can see in the movie clip the sun.

On the way to the tower and back to the car he had fun walking on these big rocks. My kid is definately a climber.

I saw this sign and just knew that it had to go on my blog. We had a wonderful time. Maybe in a few years we will venture back this time with some sort of tether for him.

We left the park around 7:30pm Arizona time and thought we better call the hotel which was just north of Kanab and let them know that we would be late checking in. Brittney answered the phone and informed us that we were facing a 5 hour drive! So, just for your information from the Grand Canyon to Kanab it is about 2 hours...and don't listen to ditsy girls named Brittney from Carmel Junction. Oh I also got to see Lake Powell...well kind of. It was about 10:30 at night. I have to say that giant black abyss really did not live up to all the hype! I am thinking about going back next summer, this time during the day. Any takers?