confessions of a mad woman

I have a confession to make; I am a liar. I am not as put-together as I may appear. While crafts, cooking, cleaning, my calling, and mothering (couldn't think of a C-word to add to the alliteration) keep me sane, they all also contribute to my insanity; the latter of which I have been experiencing more and more frequently. It's as if it all piles up until I become extremely overwhelmed and have a melt down. Having been (and still being) sick for the past 3 weeks does not help in any way. Needless to say, I have been trying to be the perfect everything for everyone and have not focused on ME (which is really weird since I am often a selfish, self-centered only child). So, in order to combat these feelings of being "trapped", Robert and I took the boys to the Phoenix Zoo in order to escape and just be with each other. It was more for me than for anything else - the opportunity to get out of the house (I have MAJOR cabin fever going on due to being sick) and get away from the norm. Other than Joel trying to escape every time he was allowed to roam, we had a marvelous time! WARNING: Picture overload below...The pictures are SO worth going to the web album and viewing. My favorites: Joel & the baboon and Lucas & the goats. The ironic thing is, the moment our little outing was over, life came back hitting just as hard as ever. We hadn't been home for more than an hour before I received a phone call from my father letting me know my mom's dad had had a heart attack (I am not close to my grandpa at all, but such news is still difficult to take). Luckily, they were able to remove the HUGE clot in his coronary artery, but it was looking grim for a while. My parents (and I) are still amazed that he survived the experience; if his girlfriend had hesitated any longer in calling them (both nurses), he may not have lived. Kind of an eye opening experience for everyone (and before you leave a comment about eternal families, just know that I am the only member in my family. Comments like that sting). Robert and I ended the day by doing a sealing session in the temple. I smiled when we were ushered into the same sealing room in which one of my best friends, Gina, was recently sealed in (I kept thinking of you, Gina Banina). Funny how the day that was suppose to be relaxing and stress free became just another day. Ah well. That's life!

dialoges with a 15mo. old

My conversation the other day with Joel:

Leigh: "Can you say 'hi'?"
Joel: "hi"
Leigh: "happy?"
Joel: "hah-pee"
Leigh: "daddy?"
Joel: "dada"
Leigh: "mommy?"
Joel:"mama"
Leigh: "banana?"
Joel: "nana"
Leigh: "cheese?"
Joel: "chee"
Leigh: "baby?"
Joel: "bay-bee"
Leigh: "bye bye"
Joel: "buh bye"
Leigh: "Can you say 'Lucas'?"
Joel: "JOE-EWL!"

Seriously. It is a game to say his own name when we ask him to say 'Lucas'. I'm beginning to think he will never say his brother's name.

Amazingly enough, he was NOT throwing a fit in the last photo. Merely fake laughing.

what?!

Today was this big guy's 15 month check-up with the doctor: 26.3 lbs31.75 in12 teeth12+ words

Though our appointment was scheduled at 4pm, we didn't get seen until 4:45pm. It was an interesting wait; I discovered that MY child is the obnoxious little kid who runs around the lobby. You know, the one who screams once a parent tries to hold his hand and direct him to a chair. Yeah. Joy. I wasn't upset over the wait being a waste of my time; I was embarrassed that my child was practically dislocating his shoulders in order to get away from me while whining continuously. Do I really have THAT kid? No... I can't.

The visit itself was great - for a doctor's visit. Joel was scheduled to receive 2 shots, but ended up getting 4. Somehow, Robert and I walked in for Joel's 15 month appointment and walked out also receiving shots. Hmm. What a way to catch an adult off guard: prepare yourself to see your child poked repeatedly so you don't have time to think about YOUR fear of shots. If I get Guillain-Barre, I'm suing. Or if I get H1N1.

what the new year?

Can I just start by saying Y2K was TEN years ago? Remember, people buying necessities in bulk, freaking over computer crashes, and thinking the world was going to come to an end? Weird.
New Years Day was great for us; we spent nearly the entire day away from the kids (I LOVE my children very, very much - don't get me wrong. But do you know the last time Robert and I TRULY spent quality time together, 'cause I don't...)! My parents took us to see AVATAR in 3D. Holy. Freaking. WOW. I rarely get excited over movies... not even Lord of the Rings sparked much of a reaction from me. AVATAR, however, pretty much changed my life. Really. That amazing. Can't describe why. Go see it. You'll understand.
You know you want some 3D glasses like us....

After the movie... no. Not movie. Experience. After the experience, my parents took us out to eat at Charleston's. Guess what. They have a gluten-free menu. Pretty much made my night. Oh, and the food was DELICIOUS. My mouth waters just thinking about it.

Since New Years Day, my life has mainly focused on these two precious boys:

Just look at all the joy they bring me...Joel likes to play with his cousin Taylor. She is teaching him to share; she doesn't put up with his whining or bullying.Oh, and Taylor (who is 9 months) is the same size as Lucas (who is 3 months). We make big babies. Who would have thought?

For Christmas, my parents bought a gift for Robert that was mainly for me (to use on Robert). I had made mention throughout the year of purchasing said gift as a practicality; a major money-saver. Thanks Mom and Dad. I used it today!

Yeah, his hair is kinda short (the fact that his ears poke out does not help how short his hair looks). But he was getting "wings". Despite being racked with nerves the entire time, I think I did a fairly good job for my first hair cutting experience. Not only did I cut hair today, I styled hair as well. Tonight was Robert's sister Beth's Winter Formal. Woo hoo! She looked marvelous, thanks to me and Lisa. Oh, and because she is beauftiful in general.

Ps. Even if you don't comment, I can see that you are at least looking at my blog, which makes me happy. Thank you! I feel loved.