Sqeaky Shoes

Today at the park, a friend's toddler girl had on an adorable pair of mary janes that squeaked every step she took. It was so fun to watch her walk and squeak. I think the idea is that it's harder to lose them (and harder for them to make secret mischeif) when they sqeak with every step. I thought they would be perfect for Sam who has trouble putting his heels down when he walks (the squeaker is in the heel). She gave me the following link:
http://www.chinadirectstore.com/
The shoes are very cheap...less than $10, and she says they are great quality (she says these are a no-name version of a fancy kids shoe that sells for $40+). They also have other cute kids shoes (no squeaks)...especially for little girls. I ordered some of the boy squeakers for Sam. Laura...I was looking at these shoes and totally thinking of Abbie. Also, I noticed that this summer they will start selling a no-name version of Robeez shoes. Some are pictured on the site. They're real leather and so cute!

Husband and Wife Tag

What is his name? Mike
How long have you been married? 9 years last week
How old is he? 39 (over the hill in August)
Who eats more? He does
Who said I love you first? He did.
Who is taller? Mike
Who sings better? Him, but he doesn't like to be heard unless he's being goofy.
Who is smarter? Me. That's what he tells people, anyway.
Whose temper is worse? His, but he's getting better.
Who does the laundry? It's on his chore list, but I usually do it. A little act of love.
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Me. He wanted to door side so he could keep Ben our of our bed at night...this plan hasn't worked.
Who cooks dinner? Me.
Who drives when you are together? Depends. If we're running late, and we're waiting in the car for him, I drive.
Who is more stubborn? Probably me.
Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Me, but I still don't like to do it.
Whose parents do you see the most? Mine.
Who has more friends? Mike. He knows tons of people.
Who has the most siblings? Me (5), Mike (3).
Who wears the pants in the family? It depends on the issue...I manage the money and house, he puts gas in my car, takes out the trash, and chooses what kind of ice cream we'll buy. That's just a joke. He is in charge of anything he wants to be.

I tag Tamara...

My First Bike Wreck

So, I've been riding my bike for a couple of years now and never had a wreck of any kind or even fallen off, until today. This morning, Mike organized our annual Memorial Day bike ride which is typically a shorter ride with kids invited. There were about 8 of us riding. We took a turn down a steep bike path that happened to be wet, muddy, and slick. In front of me were four bikes, and we were all taking it pretty slow because it was steep. The first two made it down without falling, but then Dalin Russel, on of my seminary students last year, skidded out of control and wrecked at the bottom of the hill, then Kelli, my Relief Society President, lost control and skidded on her helmet and hand down the path. I headed into a mess of bikes and riders, and luckily didn't collide with any of them, but I did have to swerve into the muddy grass on the side of the path where I laid my bike down and sort of toppled over it and one other bike. I have a big goose egg on my left shin and several other pretty good bruises on my legs.
I've always wondered what it would be like when I finally wrecked for the first time, because I hate the idea of falling off of anything or getting hurt in any way. Really, the anticipation was worse than the actual event. The other two riders were essentially alright too, with a few cuts and bruises. We all sort of laughed about it in the end and realized how lucky we were not to end up in a pile on top of each other. Kelli said, "At least it happened after we got in our 13 miles. If that had happened after five miles, I would have been mad!" I guess the battle scars are more "worth it" if you got in a good ride. It was a good ride, and memrable for sure!

Marshmallows and Surgery

Today Ben got into the marshmallows unauthorized before breakfast. He came and confessed to me before I caught him. He has figured that this is the way to get in the least trouble because I almost always find out. I told him that he couldn't have any more marshmallows today.

Later, he walked in the room with a big cup of marshmallows.
I said, "Ben, you were not supposed to get any more today".
He said, "No, these are for YOU!", holding out the cup to me.
I said, "No, you're going to eat them." Take out the contraction, and I was saying 'you were going to eat them' (an accusation), he heard 'you are going to eat them' (a command).
He said, "OK, I'll eat them."

I started laughing, and he got to keep the marshmallows.

In other news, Sam is scheduled for another eye surgery in July. This isn't a big surprise, but I was hoping we wouldn't have to. It's the other eye (left). The good news is that his vision is still very good, and improves drastically when we make him wear the patch regularly. They do this cute little picture vision test at the opthamologist, and Sam does so well. He thinks it's a fun game, and I think he's so smart! Also, next time you see him, he may be sporting a new toddler size lime green walker (the real kind, not PVC pipe). I chose the color. I think he'll approve. His physical therapist things this may be the thing to get him walking. She wants to have him walking everywhere with the walker...no more crawling, ASAP. This could be a rough summer.

Mother's Day

I've been reflecting today on the blessing that it has been in my life to be a mother. I've thought a lot about what a hard job it is, and how the rewards are sometimes few and far between. There are so many things I could do better. And sometimes my very best efforts still seem to produce less than desireable results.

During the course of the Sunday school lesson today, I was reminded that the most important thing I can do for my children is help them grow closer to the Savior. So, maybe it doesn't matter so much that they watch too much TV, or that I'm not as patient or consistent as I used to think I would be (before I had kids). I also reflected on how important the scriptures have been to me in my adult life as I have sorted through problems and looked for answers to my questions. Because I can't teach them everything they will need to know in this life, I hope to teach them to listen to the Spirit and to read the scriptures. There I know they can be taught everything that doesn't sink in during thier imperfect, but hopefully happy, childhood.

Despite the struggles that come with being a mom, it is one of the greatest gifts God has given me, and one that I hoped for for many years. Having these two boys is a dream come true for me.

To all the mom's I know, Happy Mother's Day. And to my Mom, thanks for giving all you had to give and more.

Sam's creative costume

Sam has been crawling around all weekend with video cases on his arms. It's some kind of costume, we don't know what. He has to take them off to eat or drink because he can't bend his arms.

Sam sings

We got this great recording of Sam singing. He sings spontaneously, and seems to be improvising...at least it's not a song we've ever heard, and is different every time.

Our new neighbor

About a week ago, our neighbors, Blake and Jeanna brought home their second daughter from the hospital. Jeanna has been very sick since she came home from the hospital, and had a last minute doctor's appointment yesterday morning. So...lucky me! I got to babysit week-old baby Lizzy for about an hour. I think I held her almost the whole time she was here.

Also, Ben and I made rolls to take over today. He really likes to help me bake when I let him. I should really do that more often.

Happy May Day

Yesterday, I mowed the lawn in the afternoon, picked Ben up from preschool, then came home to get cleaned up. While I was showering, I heard a knock on the bathroom door and some heavy footsteps going quickly down the stairs. I was so confused. When I came out, this is what I found on the bathroom door. He had made it at preschool that day. I thought it was pretty clever to improvise using the bathroom door to surprise me with a May basket.

Same day, our neighbor Georgia came to play and brought her dogs. She lives two doors down, but there are gates in the fences so she can cut through backyards to get here...that's also how the dogs get here. Sam was in heaven...hugging and getting kissed by the dogs. They were very sweet with him.

The final picture is a bouquet of flowers from my Seminary students. Today was the last day, and they made me a book with all of their testimonies in it. Most mornings, they are pretty glassy eyed and it's hard to know if anything is sinking in, but this kind of a thank you reminds me that daily efforts make a big difference in the big picture. The best part of this teaching assignment has been the personal, spiritual blessings that have come with it. If it weren't for other demands on my time right now, I would teach forever, but it looks like I'll be taking a break for a while.