Brother & Sister

After breakfast this morning Sarah & Grant were playing in the kitchen and Sarah reached over to give Grant a hug. She said, "you're my best brother." Then Grant said to Sarah, "you're my bes fren." (best friend) They aren't only close in age, but they are close friends. Sarah & Grant are at the perfect age where they play together well and love each other....most of the time. I hope they will always remain close and always get along so well.

Sarah & Grant just after church in January 2010
Grant & Sarah on his first birthday, October 2008

Awwhnwwh!!

Yesterday Steve let me sleep in and he got up with the kids. I finally rolled out of bed and came downstairs around 9:30 and found Grant all alone in the kitchen. He was sitting at the kitchen all by himself with his entire hand in a bag of brown sugar (I'm pretty sure it was used for their oatmeal). He knew he shouldn't be eating straight brown sugar and didn't put up a fight when I took the bag away.

Then he said, "Awwhnwwh!!! You nemmer lemme hab it!" (You never let me have it!) Of course I don't let you eat sugar by the handful! And then he was done with the tantrum. Love this boy!

Grant put this ensemble together all by himself, complete with his
cowboy boots, earband, sword, and Eeyore sippy cup.

Girls Trip to NYC

Highlights:

• seeing Jane's apartment, her life, seeing her in her element. She was, by far, the perfect tour guide/"cruise director". She was giving us NYC trivia the whole weekend. I'm not sure if she knew everything, but she acted like it and we believed her!
  
• visiting the Manhattan temple all together. Even though I was fighting a head cold and can't say I was completely awake during the whole session, it was definitely a highlight. We also went to church with Jane & she shared her testimony of Christ. She is such a wonderful, solid, and tender person. I felt her love of the Savior as she spoke and it reminded me of how much I respect her strong spirit.
• the food. oh, the food. Jane knows all the good spots to eat and we didn't waste time on healthy meals. It was all made better by the fact that I didn't have to shop for, prepare, serve, or clean up any meal over the weekend. We ate every few hours and I dream of the Levain bakery. I'm going through withdrawals of their chocolate chip walnut cookie. In fact, I've already found a few different copycat recipes that I'm dying to try.
  
• constant girl-talk.....Gilmore Girls, hair loss after pregnancy, recipes, shoes, blisters, etc.
• spending the morning with Liesel (one of my very closest friends growing up). She met us for brunch at Sarabeths, then went shopping, and finally we walked over the Brooklyn Bridge together. I love that although we hadn't seen each other in over a year it was as if we talk every day....truly a mark of a great friendship.
  
• Shopping in SoHo. (I don't really know if we were actually in SoHo, but isn't that where people go to shop while in NYC?) I didn't buy anything, but it was fun to see all the people and movement.
  
• Carrying around a bag that only had MY necessities: gum, wallet, lip gloss. No diapers, wipes, toys, treats, etc.
• Celebrity sightings....we were on the set TWICE of Damages, a sketchy TV show on FX starring Glenn Close. We also were on a bus with Kyra Sedgwick. Who knew she rides buses?
  
• the entertainment. We went to Carnegie Hall on Friday night to hear the San Francisco symphony perform Mahler's Resurrection. It was surprisingly moving and it got me thinking about Easter. On Saturday we saw the Fantasticks (which Grandpa Madsen designed costumes for in San Franscisco) and it was "fantastick!" Apparently, it's the longest running Broadway show ever. It was playing in a little theater just off Broadway and we were lucky enough to get front row seats. The cast of eight seemed small at first, but each character is super. It was truly memorable and unique. When I think of Broadway, I usually think of the enormous theaters with a cast of over 50 and incredible sets and effects. But going to the Fantasticks has broadened my opinion of Broadway. I loved being close enough to actually interact with the actors. After the show we even talked to the lead role, el Gallo. It was just his sixth time performing this show and he was incredible. It was definitely a night to remember.
  
• Coming home to see my adorable little ones (poor Grant caught a stomach flu while I was gone) and a great husband who took care of them. I missed them all so much, and I was ready to jump back in full-swing.
  

Grant's Surgery

Last Thursday Grant went through a 2 1/2 hour surgery. He had a thyroglossal duct cyst removed, adenoids removed, and ear tubes put in both ears. The adenoids and tubes aren't really a big deal, but the cyst was kind of serious. The thyroglossal duct is something that usually disappears during gestation, but Grant's didn't & it became a cyst. I first noticed it back in mid-December, right before we went to Utah for the holidays. One day it just popped out of his neck. It was the size of a giant marble and it looked like he'd grown and Adam's apple overnight. Steve knew right away what it was, so I went to the doctor the next day. Since then, we've seen four doctors about his cyst and hearing situation. We finally got an appointment with a pediatric ENT & he's the one who decided to not only take out the cyst, but also to put in ear tubes and remove his adenoids. We had Grant's hearing tested and it was quite a bit below what it should be. The ENT was pretty confident that once tubes were in place his hearing would improve.


Grant was so sweet at the hospital. The first night he said,"I yuv you too," in the middle of the night & patted me on the arm. It was like he knew he needed to be comforted, so he did the things to me that he knows comfort him.

All Grant wanted to hear was the "BINGO" song ("there was a farmer had a dog and Bingo was his name-o. B I N G O..."), and from 3:30-4:00 a.m. that's all he wanted....so that's what I sang and he was completely satisfied. He even forgot about the oximeter that was attached to his toe.
It was so fun to just spend time with Grant, doing the things that he loves to do. We watched lots of Cars, ate lots of pancakes (for four meals), played with cars on a race track, read books, colored, put on bandaids, did stickers, and had lots of cuddling time.
By the second afternoon Grant was up and moving around and eating pancakes and applesauce like crazy. His hearing seemed to improve almost instantly. He even responded to a whisper, which he hasn't ever done. I love this boy more than words can say and I am so glad/relieved to see him doing so much better. He just melts me.

Playing Doctor

This week in Preschool we talked about doctors. I figured it was good timing, with Grant's surgery coming up this week. The kids had a great time putting their own black doctor bags together, complete with a plastic syringe (which they pretended to be a shot), a few bandaids, a mirror on a headband, Q-tips, and popsicle sticks. These quick kits provided hours of play time fun for the kids and the following conversations between the kids and Steve. I just jotted down the funny things as they were talking.

Sarah: You weigh 20 pounds. (holding a popsicle stick up to his forehead)

Sarah, looking in Steve's mouth with a popsicle stick: You have a red infection. You have mashed potatoes in your ears. You have a lump on your neck. You're going to need surgery today.Can I put the medicine in your mouth? You'll feel better. Don't worry. You'll see your Mama. (Just for pretend, I promise.) Then kisses him goodbye. I'll check on my next patient and then I'll be right back. Do you like bubble gum? (asking about the medicine) Ok, you'll like it. I don't like bubble gum.

Sarah: You have a lump.
Steve: Is it cancer?
Sarah: What's cancer?
Steve: It's bad.
Sarah: Then it's cancer.

Sarah, feeling Steve's arm: Whoa, you've got really strong bones. You've got to drink lots of milk so you can be strong.
Steve: Strong what?
Sarah: Strong bones.

Grant: I get you bandaids. ok, Seetie?
Steve: what did he say?
Sarah: He called you Sweetie! giggles.

Grant has stinky buns, and Steve says, "Dude, you stink."
Grant, with a big smile and sweetest voice says, "yeah."

Grant, wearing gloves and responding to Steve's fake cry: It's OK. No cry. I sawyee. I get bandaid. Then he put the bandaid on his own arm because it had a shark on it and Grant wanted it.

Every 5-7 minutes he does a sneak attack shot to Steve HARD. Then Grant smiles.
Then every 2-3 minutes Grant rediscovers his six bandaids and laughs with pure joy.

At the pretend pharmacy:
Kasey, the pharamicist: Have we filled his prescription before?
Sarah: Yes.
Kasey, pretending to write on the computer: When is his birthday?
Sarah: 20 o'clock

Sarah & Grant are at such fun ages. They love to pretend to do anything grown-up. Grant basically worships everything that Sarah does and copies it. And Sarah is loving all the attention. I hope they'll always be this close and have this much fun together.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I don't usually do a ton for Valentine's Day and this year wasn't much different. We did manage to make sugar cookies which we gave to a few friends. However, the real project for Valentine's was the twirly, ruffly skirt I made for Sarah. I think it fits her personality to a "T"....it's all shades of pink, it's perfect for twirling, and it's all girl! She wore it for her preschool Valentine Party and also to church today. I was inspired by Dana at MADE and I had a great time figuring out how to make the skirt look right. I am totally happy with it and I'm already planning another one!

Holidays 2009 Recap

Highlights:

Nutcracker with the girls...Sarah being thrilled to go just with the girls...no boys allowed. She wore her tutu and talked the entire time. It was seriously a play by play of the entire ballet. She knew the music when the mice were coming, she knew when the Plum Fairies were coming, she knew it all and hasn't stopped talking about it since.
Skiing
Sledding
lots of eating out
6th anniversary...overnight at the Marriott, temple, dinner
shopping
fun times with sisters...taking Mom shopping.
haircuts
visiting with cousins
Natalie takes the kids' pictures
promising not to do projects, but not being able to stop myself (jane's LR, mom's skirt, Sarah's tutu, Sarah's queen dress, Peter Pan vest)
cortisone shot under ultrasound..worked like a charm
New Year's Eve....sparklers on the front porch

Sick Kids

There's no better way to relax after the holidays than by being sick. It started with the kids, then went to me, then to Steve, and back to Grant, and finally to Sarah. The kids just watched all their favorite movies and cuddled with their blankies. It's so sad to see them sick, but on the other hand it's nice to have them mellow for a bit.

Grant

• Grant is two and I don't really feel like he's hit the "Terrible Two" stage yet. He is generally very happy and willing to do whatever we are up to. He loves to help and play.
  
• When I say,"Pssst" Grant smiles, tilts his head, and says, "I yud you." (I love you.)
  
• He is talking so much more, but I still can't understand a lot of what he says. When I can't make it out, I ask Sarah if she knows what he's talking about. I'm surprised by how much she can understand...but when she can't decipher his words we both giggle and laugh about how funny he is.
• Grant is all boy...everything becomes a sword to him. A spoon, a glue stick, a shoe...all can be swords and he picks it up and says, "Fight! Fight!" with a big smile.
• He loves the Disney characters Woody, Robin Hood, and Peter Pan. He found a knife from the play kitchen and has decided it's his favorite Peter Pan/Robin Hood sword. He takes it everywhere, even to bed
  
• Unfortunately, we don't have any boy dress-ups, so he's forced to be very creative with princess things. Luckily, Sarah has a few wands that become swords!
  
• Grant is a bit of a pack rat. He chooses a favorite little something and then carries it around for the next three days. A car will always do the trick, but lately he's loved his Peter Pan sword (from the play kitchen), his little puppy from Scott, a measuring tape, a wooden dowel, any tool from his play tool set, and an assortment of small balls.

Sarah

• Sarah gave her first talk in Primary on Sunday. She was thrilled to do it. We practiced a lot at home and she did a great job.
  

• She loves to pray. She prayed for Shayne's grandma to come back to life, just like Jairus' daughter.

• Steve and I have been trying to teach her about prayer and how faith works. I love how literal she is. Later that night she said in her prayer, "Please bless Heavenly Father that he will heal Daddy." (Steve had been feeling sick that week.)
  

• She is ALL girl....changes clothes at least 5 times a day. She talks about getting married all the time & always wants me to fashion scraps of fabric into a veil.
  

• Loves all things Nutcracker. We are planning an all-girls evening over Christmas to go to the Nutcracker. It will be Sarah's first ballet and I know she'll be in heaven.
  

I am happy

Today I woke up with the thought rolling through my mind that I am so happy. I don't have all that I want. We are in a lot of debt due to Steve's schooling and my staying home with the kids. I'm not perfect and I have a lot to work on. My kids aren't always obedient & nice. My health is not perfect. But I still woke up so happy. Despite all the things that aren't exactly perfect, I really am happy. I've gone through some things lately that have made me acutely aware of how my willingness to live the simple gospel is in direct correlation with my happiness. And I am trying to be willing to live it simply. It's funny how I thought I already learned this lesson, but I guess I need to re-learn it. So glad I am.

Thanksgiving 2009

We had a fabulous Thanksgiving this year. We were planning on having Sherri & Shayne coming for the long weekend, but unfortunately Shayne's grandmother passed away the weekend before and they weren't able to make it. We did miss them immensely, but it was also really nice to spend a holiday just as our little family. It was the first time we've ever done that.

Another first for me was cooking the entire Thanksgiving Feast. I have helped with portions of the dinner, but I'd never done it all by myself. This was also my first turkey ever. I went into the whole week of Thanksgiving with the mind-set of enjoying the experience. I knew that I would just be mad if I cooked for three days straight for a 20 minute meal. So I really tried to enjoy the shopping, planning, preparing, and baking of it all. Luckily I have the best cook in the world for a sister-in-law and she held my hand through the entire process. Aside from all her delicious recipes, the best thing Amy taught me is to schedule my oven and stove space. I created a schedule for the entire Thanksgiving day and I actually stuck to it. My schedule said we were to sit down to eat at 4:00 and we actually sat down around 4:15. I even had to wake up Grant from his nap to come eat. When I brought him into the kitchen he looked at the table and said, "oooo....yummy!"

The whole spread.

Cute Sarah behind the bird...and my new Anthropologie plates
layered on my blue/white plates (it's the beginning of a whole new kitchen!)

The turkey--I soaked it in brine overnight
and it made every piece moist and delish.

The Schedule

At this time of year I can't help but think of all that I'm grateful for. At the top is always my family. I'm so grateful to have the most wonderful kids and an incredible husband. Spending this holiday just as our family was a great way to celebrate. Next, I'm really thankful for the Lord's influence in my life. I know that God lives and that he's aware of me and my concerns. Knowing that makes me feel so secure and I'm thankful for that security. It's been a wonderful Thanksgiving!