All I Want For Christmas is a Date

Lately I haven't been very good about getting a babysitter so Birch and I can go out. My biggest excuse is wanting the perfect weekend when both Friday and Saturday night are free so we can swap with another couple. But something always comes up and we usually end up grabbing a pizza or some fast food and eating at home with Trevor.

This Christmas Birch and I also couldn't figure out what to buy for each other so when we were offered tickets to the U of A/BYU game in Las Vegas we decided to go. We were already driving up to Flagstaff for the holidays, so we left a few days early and Trevor got to stay with my parents.

The trip was actually really fast--we weren't even in Las Vegas for more than 24 hours. After driving Saturday morning we had lunch at the ESPN Zone restaurant in the New York, New York hotel/casino. Any guy who likes sports would have loved this place! Everywhere you looked there were big screen TV's and the menu was full of all kinds of nasty sports-watching food. The U of A basketball game was actually on when we were there so I could watch something that I kind of cared about. :)

Then I had my fun time and we walked down the strip looking through the hotels and shopping. Neither of us had been to Vegas since we were kids so it was fun to see it again.

That night we bundled up for a FREEZING football game! I think I was wearing six layers on top and still needed some hot chocolate. We were sitting on the BYU side, which was such a nice break from the language we usually get from U of A fans. But I have to say, the crowd wasn't nearly as fun on our side. I think a little alcohol (or a lot) helps the UA crowd get riled up.

Here are our friends Troy and Eevi who got us the tickets to the game. Thanks, guys!!!

After U of A won we went down on the field with the crowd to celebrate. After this trip I am determined to be better about date nights. We get so busy with school, Trevor, church, etc. that I forget how fun it is to be together when it's just us.

Scary Santa Part II

After my family saw the first Scary Santa post, they emailed me this picture of myself when I was about Trevor's age. I guess if the kid isn't brave he can blame it on his mom.

Scary Santa

We tried to put Trevor on Santa's lap at our ward party but I guess that was a little too close. So Birch and I jumped in to make it a family picture.

Toddler Questions

I've got a few questions that I've been thinking about for a while so I'll toss them out here and see what answers you have:

• When did you move your child to a toddler bed? Did anyone go straight to an "adult bed" and did it work all right?
• What do you use when your child outgrows the Pack and Play and you go out of town? My guy is already at the 30 lb. limit but isn't used to sleeping out of a crib.
• Any suggestions for books on toddler discipline? I've heard of a book called Love and Logic (is that the right title?) but haven't read it.

If you're smiling because these are obvious "first-time mom" questions, enjoy your moment and then share your wisdom with me!

Learning About Family

In the last month Trevor has started to understand the concept of family. I love seeing how happy he is to be part of our family. Whenever the three of us are together he always stops to name everyone, usually going around the circle several times: "Mama, Daddy, Fevuh, Mama, Daddy, Fevuh." He smiles and looks so happy that we're all together.

At night before he goes to bed we have a "big hug" and all squeeze together. (Cheesy, I know). That is usually followed by kisses all around.

The funniest thing is how silly and embarrassed Trevor gets when he sees Birch and I hug or kiss. He starts bouncing back and forth on his legs, giggling and saying with a big smile "Kisses!" or "Mama, Daddy hugs!" Sometimes he'll run to the couch and hide his face but still looks back, happy that we're happy, I guess.

I know that families bring us our greatest happiness and it's sweet to see that idea understood by a small toddler.

6/6 Tag & Madera Canyon

This tag asks you to post the sixth picture in the sixth folder on your computer. Thanks, Kat! And the winner is:

Trevor learning to hold his head up! How about those rolls and the bald head? Now I tag Eevi, Bridget, Megan T., Kelly and Jill.

Down in the desert it was around 80 degrees this weekend--perfect November weather, right? Birch didn't have much studying to do so we drove south to Madera Canyon to hike in the trees.

We couldn't make it through the fence opening without taking off the backpack. Since that is so difficult, we (Birch) chose this safer option, climbing over the fence.

Here are the boys taking a break to explore. Trevor liked smashing the leaves while he walked. :)

April 16, Several Times a Year

My dad is a CPA (certified public accountant), so every year from January until the tax deadline on April 15 he is putting in extra hours at work. "Tax season," as we call it, comes to an abrupt end on April 15 at midnight which makes April 16 a family holiday. My dad usually takes a few days off work and gets started on the Honey Do list, happy to be out in the yard rather than in his office.

At our house I've noticed a similar pattern since Birch has started med school. Every month or two he'll have a big test and the week before we move into "tax season mode." Birch is actually really good about being home to study even if it means staying in the office with the door shut. But I'll admit the day before his test I'm about to go a little crazy, tired of keeping Trevor busy and quiet, and ready to have my husband replace the man with the glazed eyes.

Then....April 16 arrives! As soon as Birch walks in the door after taking his test he is a new man! Suddenly there are things to talk about and all kinds of games he needs to play with Trevor. Just in the last few days I've found the boys playing baseball in the living room and later learning to dance to Weezer. We've even had a few meals cooked by dad himself--yum!

Here's a project that Birch and I worked on together in the last few days. He did the cement work and I was the painter.


After our many trips to Rocky Point we found something we hadn't bought before: numbers for our house. I think we almost fit in now with our Mexican neighbors, now all we need are tiles with "DeGomez" written above our door and we'll be set.

Holiday Traditions: Thanksgiving

Some friends and I met this week to share our family holiday traditions. It was fun to swap ideas and hear what other families do to celebrate. I love what my family did for each holiday when I was growing up but I also want to start traditions that will be unique to my own little family.

So now I'm opening it up to all of you! Rather than talk about all of the holidays at once, I thought I'd post about Thanksgiving first and talk about the rest as they come along.

Here's what our group came up with:

• Run in a Turkey Trot (5k/10k) or play in a Turkey Bowl to burn a few calories before the big feast
• Give kids holiday pajamas on Thanksgiving to wear through the month of December
• Bake rolls with messages/questions inside (wrapped in foil) to get the "thankful" conversation started
• Go around the table and give everyone a chance to say what they are thankful for
• Play family games after the meal (i.e. BINGO, white elephant)
• Decorate the Christmas tree on Thanksgiving weekend
  

So what does YOUR family do to celebrate Thanksgiving?

Happy Halloween!

Our ward had a great Halloween party with a carnival and trunk-or-treat. It's fun to have Trevor old enough to understand a little of what's going on. By the end of the night he knew what was supposed to happened if he said "Trick or treat!"

Here's Trevor in his lion costume. Of course, every person asked him what a lion says and I thought he would get burned out. But by the end of the night he was still giving a great "Raar!"

Somehow Trevor went home with the "Cutest Costume" award. He really got excited when they gave him the prize: his own cupcake! (Good memories from that first birthday, right?)

Pumpkin Patch

When I imagine going to a pumpkin patch, I expect to bring a jacket and enjoy some hot chocolate or apple cider while I'm there to keep warm. As you can see, Halloween in the desert means highs in the 80's with shorts and sunglasses required. At least you get to wear your costume "as is" rather than hiding it under a thick coat while you trick-or-treat.

It was especially fun to have Birch's parents came to visit for the weekend.

I was too busy at the pumpkin patch to take a picture, so here are our beauties, soon to be carved or painted. I love the white pumpkin--it will definitely be looking like a ghost!

Trevor wasn't too sure about petting this hairy sheep.

Rocky Point

A few weeks ago we got to escape to Rocky Point with some friends from school. We had a long weekend to relax after the boys took a test and it was nice to have a little vacation. I definitely wasn't the best picture taker on the trip, so many of these are stolen from Allie and Kelly--thanks, girls!

The crew: Kelly, Roger, Birch, Trevor, Camille, Matt, Allie & Nash.

I've never stayed at a resort in Rocky Point before and it was so much fun! The best part was all these pools where we spent hours every afternoon. It had kiddie pools and a lazy river so even the kids were happy.

Trevor gets a little nervous to jump into the water. Here we made a "hoop" with mom's arms.

Trevor and his buddy Nash got along so well! It was great having a friend to play with.

Out to dinner for some yummy tacos (luckily no one got sick!)

Three friends from med school were in a triathlon while we were there and we got to cheer them on. (Thanks, Matt, for staying with the sleeping kids!)

The Ladies Are Gonna Love This!

Trevor has a birthmark right in the small of his back shaped like a heart. We haven't done anything to doctor it up, it just came that way! I'm sure he won't think it's funny when he's a thirteen-year-old boy and the girls think it's SOO cute. What a lover!

Is It Worth It?

I've never been anxious to run a marathon because of the time involved in training. Birch always predicts that someday I'll catch the marathon bug, but I'm not so sure...

Training for this 10-mile race next weekend has reminded me of why I hesitate to think about a marathon. The main reason is being dependant on other people. If I were single or married with no children it would be easier. Even now I try as hard as I can to do my workouts on my own, bringing Trevor with me. He sits happily in the jogging stroller for intervals and easy runs and hills (ha, ha, not in my neighborhood!) But there are several days a week where I can't take him and I have to negotiate with Birch or find a willing friend. He doesn't come on my long runs on Saturday or to the pool for a break from running.

I've also been surprised at how worried I get when I can't do the workout I'd planned on. When I signed up for the race I wrote out a little plan of how much I would run on what days, the type of workout, etc. so that I would be ready on race day. But, of course, having a baby and even if you don't have kids, there are things that come up and sometimes the exercise doesn't happen.

Obviously the purpose of exercise is to relieve stress and not cause it. My problem is when I get an itch to try something new or at least feel that I've accomplished something....then I look on Getsetaz.com and sign up for a race. There has to be a balance between reaching goals and not letting them bring stress to your life.

First FHE

We had our first Family Home Evening lesson with Trevor this week. We taught him the word "temple." Here's how it went:

Song: If You're Happy and You Know It

Lesson: Show pictures of the temple, have him practice saying the word, "hide" pictures of temples around the room and have him find them (kind of like an Easter Egg hunt).

Treat: pudding cups!

Total time: 5 minutes, beautiful!

We ordered one of the new Nursery Manuals online to give us ideas and it was amazing! My favorite part is the coloring/activity page that goes with every lesson. Any other great FHE ideas?

Late Nights with The Office

I've never been a big TV watcher, so when a good show comes along it takes me a while to catch up. Last week Birch and I tried an episode of The Office and now we're hooked!

Half of the time I can't believe I'm still watching the show because Steve Carell is so obnoxious....but the Jim and Pam saga keeps me going.

Those of you who have been faithful viewers from the beginning can probably tell I haven't seen the entire series. Every night this week Birch has stopped studying around 10 and we log onto Netflix for "just ONE episode." Since they're only a half hour long, when you cut out the commercials it's so short, right? Well, we've been rolling into bed closer to midnight and so far we've only finished through Season 2.

So, DO NOT make any comments about season 3, 4 or what you saw of 5 last week.

Vegetable Breakthrough!

This week I gave Trevor some veggies straight out of the freezer and he LOVED them! Maybe it feels good on the gums, maybe it hides some of that "vegetable flavor," I don't know. Whatever it is, it's working for now.

Just an idea for anyone else who needs a new vegetable trick. Send me other ways that have worked for you!

The 10:00am Curse!

No matter how much we complain about our kids' sleeping habits, I think the blame always comes back to us. I have friends who love to get up early and others who love to sleep in a little and their kids somehow fall into the same sleep pattern, no matter what time they put them to bed at night.

That being said, my guy wakes up every morning between 6:00-7:00 and I love it! Even if we've had a few late nights, Trevor is a faithful alarm clock and we go out in the jogger before it gets too hot.

The problem is the nap schedule. Right around 9:30/10:00 is when he gets sleepy and takes his long nap for the day, about 2 hours. That's also when most activities for kids start. Last week we made several attempts at storytime, playgroups, etc. but the sleepy tears won and we ended up at home sleeping instead.

There are definitely days when I am determined to meet up with a group, but often I give in and let my baby sleep. Does it change when you have two?

Three Quotes

I wish we had big news to report, but things are pretty normal around our house. Here are three quotes that sum up our family life right now:

• "It's actually broken." Birch went to the doctor this week (VERY unusual!) because his ankle was taking longer than expected to heal. The original x-rays showed a bad sprain but this time the doctor concluded the ankle is actually broken. I, of course, want to know what is wrong with the radiologist who made the first diagnosis but Birch agrees that the mistake could be made when the foot is so swollen. The highlight of this second visit was the sports medicine doctor who saw him. This guy was an ER doctor who did a fellowship in sports medicine. He spends part of his work time at a hospital and the other seeing patients with sports-related injuries. I think Birch has found his calling!
  

• "I'll be back in an hour." I decided I need a new race to work on and this time it's a 10-miler. During the week I take Trevor running with me in the jogger and we stop to play at a park at the end. But on Saturdays I go for long runs by myself. If you usually take your kids running with you, you know how great it feels to run alone. Yesterday I did six miles around my neighborhood. It's not the most scenic route so next weekend I'll have to head up north to campus or the Rillito.
  

• "No tackling in church!" Since footall season has started, Trevor likes to watch a few minutes of the games with Birch. This week while I was sitting on the floor folding laundry, Trevor came up behind me and tried to push me over. He smiled and explained, "Football!" Birch was so proud and taught him the word "tackle." We've had fun tackling at home this week but when Trevor tried to climb on my back during sacrament meeting, the game was over. Nursery kids, watch out!

Learning to Gallop

Here are two short videos, especially for family. After spending the summer in Flagstaff it seems like we haven't seen you in a long time, even though it's only been six weeks. And for others it's been even longer than that!

Trevor has been learning to run and gallop. My favorite part is watching his arms fly as he goes. What would happen if those arms were tied down? It sure wouldn't be as fun.

He's also a pretty cautious kid. As you can see his big jumps are off a coloring book (about 1"!)

P.S. He usually does have shorts on but I'm glad we ended up with bare legs for these videos.

Bedroom Makeover

When we moved into our house three years ago every room needed to be painted, either because the walls were plain white or too wild for our taste (like bright pink and blue). Slowly we've worked on each room and finally we've come to the last: our bedroom!

Birch replaced the old carpet with laminate floor before school started and I painted the walls a calm blue-gray color. Now I actually want to spend time in my own bedroom!

Blast From the Past Tag

I've been tagged by my friend Jen with a few questions about high school. Here we go...



1. Did you date someone from your school? Please see picture to the right. I dated a few guys from my ward and ended up with one as my husband!

2. What kind of car did you drive? My dad's 1990 Chevy pick-up.

3. Were you a party animal? Does coming home from a stake dance at 12:01am qualify?

4. Were you considered a flirt? Probably with Church boys but not many others.

5. Were you in band, orchestra or choir? How about piano lessons? Singing in choirs makes me fall asleep.

6. Were you on any varsity teams? Yes, but that's only because so few people wanted to do my events (hurdles & cross country).

7. What was your school's full name? Flagstaff High School

8. School mascot? Eagles, the mighty, mighty Eagles! (I think that was the fight song).

9. If you could go back and do it again, would you? Yes. There were definitely some great moments and a few things I would go back and change.

10. What do you remember most about graduation? Feeling VERY nervous! I had to speak at graduation so I was glad when it was over!

11. Were you in any clubs? Student Council, Nat'l Honor Society

12. Are you planning on going to your 10 year reunion? Yes, with Birch and I coming from the same high school it makes it easier and more fun.

Now I tag Anna, Janae and Lori. Enjoy your blast from the past!

Ball Soup

We've come up with some creative ideas to get a few fruits and veggies into Trevor. He used to be a great eater but has now changed his diet to include mainly yogurt and crackers. Last week we convinced him to eat a few bites of soup with these changes:

White beans = footballs

Peas = tennis balls

Sliced carrots = basketballs

He actually knows the difference between all the balls (thanks, Birch!) and it was much more fun to eat a bite of footballs and basketballs than beans and carrots.

We've also used balls to help with fruit. Trevor will usually eat applesauce if we top it with round rainbow sprinkles. Anything to get a few bites down!

Ouch!

Birch limped into the house Tuesday night when he came home an hour early from playing basketball at the church. He always wears a brace on his left ankle after rolling it so often in high school but this time he came down on his right. Here is the injury on Tuesday night:


We spent Wednesday morning in Urgent Care and the x-rays confirmed it wasn't broken, just badly sprained. Birch has tried to keep it elevated but had to go to school on crutches for a few hours today. His ankle was getting more and more swollen, but it had never looked like this!

Even the toes are fat and swollen--ouch!

Did You Know???

Thanks for the tag, Eevi! Here are 6 things you may not know about me:

1. I'm VERY afraid of animals. Even feeding a dog with my hand or picking up a cat gives me a shiver. When I was little, one of my uncles made me touch a bobcat skin when I didn't want to...maybe it comes from that?

2. I love trying new recipes! If you find something good, send it my way.

3. Every night around 9:00 I need something to munch on and usually I grab cereal. The best kind for a late night snack? Life!

4. My favorite restaurant is P.F. Chang's. The more people, the better, so we can all pass our food and share.

5. I get a thrill whenever I get rid of something in my house. I hate clutter so dropping off a bag at DI or Goodwill is a happy day for me.

6. I won a Chicken Dance contest on a cruise I took with girlfriends from my singles ward. My prize? A nice bottle of champagne.

Now I tag Bethany, Megan, Allie, Kelly and Brittany.

Mud Party

Whenever people ask me why I like Tucson, I try to explain events like this. I enjoy living in a big city but not as large as Phoenix, I love attending games for the Wildcats but I especially like the activities available for families.


This morning we brought Trevor to the Mud Monster Mud Puddle Party. It was a FREE event at a park for babies up to adults. Birch and I just brought Trevor around to the stations for toddlers but next year I think we'll come ready to go through the obstacle courses!


First we stopped at the kiddie pools, all filled with muddy water and sand at the bottom!










Scooping up muddy sand with the big kids. (I'm sure this lady is glad to have her behind in our picture!)




















After standing in line for some of the big mud puddles we found that Trevor was happiest just splashing in the creek.

Washing off with dad and the firetruck hose!

One-Year-Old Discipline

Like many moms out there, I find myself repeating the same phrases over and OVER again. At our house what is heard most often is, "Trevor, we throw balls!" He has a pretty good arm and loves to launch anything he can get his hands on. Birch and I both have a few bumps that have come from flying cars and play animals (usually at the face).

Rather than tell him no every time he throws, we've decided that it's okay to throw balls but everything else needs to stay on the ground. When Trevor does launch a toy, we give him a warning and after that he goes to his "time-out mat." The problem is that he doesn't show any remorse when he's in time-out. He's learning the word sit so he stays on his mat saying "Sit, sit, sit" while he smiles.

I don't think the message is getting through, any ideas???

Yosemite

Here are some pictures from our Yosemite trip. Birch and I celebrate our five-year anniversary this summer and this was our unofficial "celebration." Trevor stayed in Flagstaff with both sets of grandparents. Thanks again for watching him!

First we drove through Sequoia National Forest. These trees aren't as tall as Redwoods but they're definitely fatter!

It felt like being in the movie "Honey I Shrunk the Kids!"

We actually camped at Bass Lake and drove an hour into Yosemite Park every day to hike. Here is a view of that valley (a little smoggy from the CA fires).

The first day we hiked the Mist Trail to find two waterfalls. We were stopped at one point because a mama bear was 20 feet off the trail, glaring at hikers as she protected her cubs. Everyone waited for her to leave and when she didn't we finally walked past VERY QUICKLY. But look at those cute cubs in the tree at the top!

We were soaked with mist from the waterfalls. It was a nice break after doing this "stairmaster" hike for a few miles.

On every hike I would look behind me to make sure Birch was there and often found him in some obscure place taking a picture. Here he is on a rock ledge while the rest of us follow the regular path.

Nevada Falls, the end of our hike on the Mist Trail.

Here's some of our gourmet camping food: pineapple pizza!

Another hike in Tuolumne Meadows took us to this creek and a lake where we ate lunch. I've never seen such a beautiful place!