High School Musical 2

The High School Musical movie has been "THE thing" around here for the past 8+ months. I have to limit how often they watch it because they request it multiple times per day (it's recorded on our DVR....if you don't know what that is, it's like a TiVo....if you don't have one, you aren't really living).


Tonight was the BIG, HUGE, CAN'T-MISS-IT premiere of High School Musical 2 on the Disney Channel. Jordyn and Lexi were thrilled and we invited friends Ashlyn and Lindsay over for a little "party". Pizza, my homemade cookies, pillows, blankets....the whole sha-bang.


Tucker and I even participated (although, that's not saying much....Tucker can get glued to Clifford cartoons). It was a cute, 'bubble-gum' movie. Good sequel. The girls loved it.

Ashlyn, Jordyn, Lindsay and Lexi

See, here's Tucker.....totally glued.

Peyton joined in......pulled the girls' hair....squealed a little

She especially wanted to bug Ashlyn

Tis her latest trick. Carrying toys around "puppy dog" style. I just LOVE to photograph this kid!

Flashback Friday....and a special feature

In light of my soon-to-be Kindergartener, here is MY kindergarten photo. I attended a bi-lingual kindergarten class in Oxnard, CA where I learned the Pledge of Allegiance, the months of the year, the days of the week, the colors....all in Spanish! I loved it. (by the way, I remember all of it except the Pledge of Allegiance....I only remember the English version of that!).

Jamie '82

Jordyn 2007

So, Jordyn starts on Wednesday. The good news is I feel like she's completely ready for this experience. I think she'll just eat it up and love it.

It's just hard to believe this is the beginning of like 20 years of me being a mother to school-aged children. Strange.



Admittedly, I did shed a few tears yesterday when we got a letter in the mail from her Teacher, Ms. Man______. It was so cute, written directly to Jordyn....and that's when it really hit me that this is the woman I will turn my daughter over to for like 5 hours a day. Wow!



And, in case you're wondering.....the answer is YES, even with a little sadness comes some secret excitement that I will have a little "break" (from fighting) for a few hours per day. Ya gotta look at the bright side, right?







Oh, and if you want to know more about me than you need to......I was fortunate enough to be interviewed and featured here on the fabulous blog of CJane (of whom I've never met, but secretly admire).

Here is the post from her blog:

Jamie: The Sweet Toothed Devil's Advocate

This feature is my attempt at the "Pay It Forward Craft Exchange" for more information, click here. Look forward to two more interviews that will also be posted today!

Have you heard the good news about my friend Karli? Karli, and her husband Chris just brought home a bundle of adopted love, daughter Kaiya.

Do you want to know some more good news about my friend Karli? She has a very good friend named Jamie Maxfield. That is right, the Jamie Maxfield born in Hawaii in 1977. Which means that contrary to popular belief, I wasn't the only one who turned thirty this year. I am also not the only thirty-year old who hates the phone.

"I hate the phone." explains Jamie.

But her husband Tucker doesn't.

"He has not one single aversion to the phone." and, adds Jamie "He's also really cute."

Jamie the self-proclaimed "devil's advocate" met Tucker in 1999 when he was a server at the Hard Rock Cafe in Salt Lake City. She exclaims that it was love at first sight when she couldn't help but feel appreciation for his lips and. . . buttocks. He returned the love by falling for her natural red hair.

"My husband prefers for me to keep it completely red. He loves it." Tucker's love affair with red heads may have stemmed from his own dark red-headed mother who passed away when he was thirteen. While Jamie may have to wait to meet Tucker's mother, she absolutely loves the rest of his family. The red headedness is spanning the generations as two out of their three children have red locks. Yes, and Tucker loves the color red for another reason.

"He says he 'bleeds red' because he is a die-hard Ute fan."

Jamie is also a Ute and earned a bachelors degree in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Utah. (This came after she moved to Hawaii at twenty-one and had to ride her bike to a job at McDonald's to pay the bills.) She'd hopes to continue her schooling "further down the road" in getting a masters in counseling MFT (Marriage and Family Therapist.)

Jamie learned effective parenting skills from her mother and father.

"I love that my parents introduced me to the Gospel- they taught me to be grounded and open-minded simultaneously."

Jamie's mother was inactive in the LDS church for most of her life. After Jamie was born (the oldest) she decided to give church another try. This "full force ahead" life change initiated a devotion to the LDS church. Jamie's father, who was not a member, took three years to investigate.

"He had to know everything before he joined."

Jamie's father also knows everything about math.

"[He] constantly did math with me-it taught me to love numbers."

Meanwhile, Jamie's mother had an equal important lesson to teach her daughter.

"My mom has a sweet tooth and treats weren't scarce-it taught me that a sweet tooth is okay . . .in moderation."

Now she has her own family, a nest of daughters. And given her ability to use unique adjectives I asked her to describe each daughter. Jordyn (5) is fiery, spunky and in-charge. Lexi (3) is soft, quiet and imaginative. Peyton (10 months) is still coming into her personality, but so far she is happy, observant and (best of all) cuddly.

And then the inevitable question: is there a son in your future?

"[Tucker] loves his girls so much, but he desparately wants a son. I get deathly sick during pregnancy, so we are strongly considering adopting a fourth and final child . . . possibly we'll get our boy."

With an adoption possibly in her future, Jamie will most-likely rely on her friend Karli for advice. This I can speculate for a couple reasons, one being that Karli knows Jamie very well. Of her friend she says "You will find her madly interesting and pretty much amazing!"


So true. Red head, freckles, sweet tooth and all.

9 1/2 Months

Thought I'd do a little Peyton update. Pey is definitely leaving the passive phase and moving on to a more opinionated one (ie a REALLY high pitched squeal all day long). She is cuter than ever, and I'm not the only one who thinks so! I never imagined the girls being so fascinated with her. Just today, Lexi said "Mom, it's time for Peyton to wake up from her nap". I sad "why, do you need something out of your room?". She was like "no, I just want to talk to her". How sweet, huh?

• Peyton says Hi, Da da & Ma ma (appropriately, not just babble), Ba Ba (like bottle) and then she does a few signs like "more" and "all done".


• Crawling around ALL over now. My carpet must be dirtier than it looks because at the end of each day, her feet and knees are so dirty! Sick!


• She will NOT eat anything unless she can feed herself. Makes it tricky, but she loves eggs, ham, cheese, nuggets, fish crackers, noodles, plums, peaches, green beans. No baby food here!


• She has the most passionate love for her baby cousin Paxton. I can't explain the hysteria that happens when she sees him. It is so cute


• She wants to keep up with her older sisters SO bad. Today they were playing with Polly Pockets, so they closed the bedroom door and she got extremely upset!


• She is trying to pull herself up on the couch or side of the tub, but can't quite do it. Gets very frustrated.


• Still loves baby Einstein and Signing Time, but I think i need some new ones because the magic has lessened slightly.


• Peyton goes to bed around 8 and gets up around 7 (or 5:45 like today). But she does wake up like 3-4 times in between and wants some bottle. I need to do something about that!

Teeth

In some ways, I am pretty lucky in the teeth category. The main way being that they are near perfect in straightness - with no braces, ever. [Although I have to admit I ALWAYS wanted a retainer and would make them out of paper clips to convince my friends I had one. Did you ever do that?]

But in other ways, I am not so lucky with my teeth. For example, it is not unusual after a checkup to hear the dentist say "well, it looks like you have about 8 cavities". YES, I said EIGHT!

Today was one of those "not so lucky" days. He didn't say I had 8 cavities. He did say "It looks like I need to scrape out your old fillings, give you two crowns and possibly a root canal. Then we will schedule you for 4-5 other fillings with possible crowns in a couple other teeth".

He may as well have said "Hand me your next few paychecks and we'll call it even".

So, my wonderful friends babysat my kids today while I had four wonderful hours of quiet time....well, with the dentist and his drill that is.

Oh, and I even got to see my beautiful mom leaving the dentist as I was arriving. She also had three crowns today. Wait a minute......speaking of that......mom.....I think I have found the ONE thing I am NOT glad I inherited from you. Love you anyway!

The Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Cups of Coffee

Maybe you've heard this and maybe you haven't. My cousin Kelly emailed this to me. I hadn't heard it and really like this analogy (but then again, I'm really "into" analogies). Enjoy!


When things in your lives seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee:

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar.

He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things--your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions--and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your houseand your car. The sand is everything else--the small stuff. "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you."Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first--the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

Then, one of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee (or some ice cream!) with a good friend."

My Early Risers

Even at the [undesireable to me] early hour of 6:30 am, as we slowly lounge in our pajamas watching cartoons and playing with toys, I wonder......

How can I love something THIS MUCH?

and THIS MUCH?

and THIS MUCH?

I'm definitely a lucky girl.

Something [Non-Edible] I Love...

I'm a make-up girl. My friends and family have always known this and even teased me for it. I remember back in Jr. High, we became obsessed with Lancome makeup - no kidding. My friends and I would literally go to the department store and buy lipstick for like $20 or something ridiculous, esp at such a young age! That was nice of our moms to endulge us.

Anyway, as life goes, my makeup typically comes from Target now, Loreal is prob my fav. But a while back at Costco they had a triple pack of this Cover Girl mascara - so I grabbed it. It's called "VolumeExact".

And I LOVE it!!!

To me, it is perfect. Not too thin, not too clumpy, lasts forever. You should try it!

*by the way, thanks for the comments on my "personal" post. Nice to know I'm not so strange in my thoughts :-)

4 Things I (shouldn't) LOVE

I want to talk about 4 things that I absolutely LOVE. 4 things that are completely bad for my health and will proably take years off my life....or at least add unwanted inches to my waist-line. But does this stop me from loving, and wanting and eating these 4 things? Nope!

To my credit, I would say I'm semi health conscious. Like today, for instance. It was noon.....I was on my way home from taking the CBEST test (a California state test, but that's another topic) and I was starving. All sorts of yummy things ran through my mind, but I chose to stop by Subway.....wheat bun, no mayo, the whole bit. I also try to drink a TON of water.

But, true to my nature, I dabble in a bit of everything. I like to wash down my healthy meals with a cookie or soda or SOMEthing bad. It's like I can't get myself to be TOTALLY good in any area. That's the rebel in me, right?

So back to my 4 things. These are probably the top four things I would choose as a bad treat any time, any day, for any reason. Ready? Here goes:

#1: Brownies. Ah, brownies. What more needs to be said? They are heaven. Chewy, frosting-less, preferrably the edges for me.


#2: Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies. Straight from my oven. I have a recipe that, to me, is perfect. I resist the urge to make them almost on a daily basis. I try not to let myself make them more than every other week (because inevitably I eat 10 right out of the oven). Lindy has introduced me to McDonald's fresh baked cookies, which are quite an acceptable alternative to my quadruple batch. Try 'em if you haven't.

#3: Fries! Ah, I love fries. Salty, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. MMMM mmmm. And personally I think McDonald's skinny fries are the best. I also grew to love fry sauce during my years in Utah. Sad that its NO WHERE in Cali has it (except Sonic, and I don't want raw chicken).

#4: Soda. I love soda. I know it's not good for me, I know that sugar turns into fat, I know that carbonation has all sorts of bad effects, caffeine isn't good for you, whatever whatever. But I love it. Any kind, preferrably brown and preferrably Pepsi. Ahhh, any meal washed down with a soda tastes better. My siblings feel the same way and on both sides of our family (mine and Tucker's) there is plenty of soda at our family gatherings. Funny thing is I wasn't raised that way. We never had soda in the house, just wasn't healthy. Sorry mom ;-)

Flashback Friday

As I was browsing around for a photo for Flashback Friday, I actually laughed out loud when I saw this picture. This was almost 4 years ago, just before I had Lexi (quite obvious). We were at Pismo beach. Doesn't it make you uncomfortable just looking at me? And everyone else....it's just so strange the difference a few years can make!!

How do you KNOW

I mean, how do you REALLY know when something is the best decision for you? Some things are obvious....uh.....like broccoli is BETTER for you than chocolate (although we all know which TASTES better). Then there are bigger decisions.......like......should we buy a new car? (like one with dual air which I DON'T have). Then there are HUGE decisions that paralyze someone like me. Like......should we have more children?

I always hesitate to post my deep feelings. Probably because they are personal and don't need to be debated or critiqued by anyone in blogland.

But then sometimes feelings just need to come OUT so you can process them better, right? Okay, so like it or not, I'm making a list about WHY this latter mentioned HUGE decision plagues my heart and soul (*please remember that these are feelings of me, myself and I with absolutely NO judgement placed on anyone else who may feel different than me!!).

*I currently feel pushed to a do-able limit with three children
*I know that my 5, 3 and almost 1 year old will someday be teenagers, in college then getting married.....can I handle more than THREE of these things!!!????
*I feel like choosing to be pregnant again (albeit a huge blessing) is as scary as saying I will die for about 6 months and then be partially alive for another 3 months...........how the heck will my existing children be fed, clothed, and cared for during my "so-sick-I'm-basically-dead" time?
*So, then adoption comes to mind
*How do I know that is the right decision first of all? Second question....Russia, China, Domestic, ahhhhhh how to decide?
*Back to pregnancy....even if I do decide to "die" again (pardon my analogy, but that is honestly how it feels), there are no guarantees it will be a boy. Is that secretly what motivates Tucker or I to "go for it one more time?"
*Would we specifically adopt a boy? Is that selfish?
*Will the adopted child feel different than my bio children? Will I?
*We should start the adoption process now if I don't want a huge gap since it can take a while!
*Won't it be hard to do piano, dance, homework.....if I have four? I know other people do it....but can I?
*What if I'm a crazy lunatic mother-of-four? Instead of a semi-sane mother of three...
*I would love my children to have three siblings instead of two....is that reason enough?
*What am I saying, my eyeballs are falling out of my head NOW with three? Can I become a regular coffee drinker to keep up with it all if I have another child?
*This list is ridiculously long and random list, but it is literally 1/100th of what I think about.

I know there is no right answer to my ponderings. I also know I don't have to decide now. But I am a planner and like to know what I should be doing next. And I also know people to whom this is not such a dramatic decision. To me, it is. I have always been an extremely cautious person....I'm afraid of going down the wrong/hard path. I also know that I am not alone in this desicion because of course Tucker is in it with me! But he is 100% open to another child, so essentially it DOES lean more on me.

If you made it this far, thanks. I feel better. And, true to character, I will continue my obsessive answer-less thoughts while anxiously awaiting the arrival of a new pink bundle of joy to one of my best friends in the whole world. Can't wait for some news!!

Bunuelos

Yummmmy. When I was growing up, we loved when my mom would fry up some flour tortillas, then sprinkle (or dump) them with cinnamon and sugar. So imagine my excitement when I was in college working at a Mexican restaurant and they had this on their menu! They called them Bunuelos (there are various ways to make Bunuelos...typically with bread).

So now I make this yummy (but I didn't say healthy) treat for the kids and Tucker....they love it as much as I do! "I LOVE bunuelos mommy!".

Seriously...

Water Park Fun!

So Saturday was hotter than heck - seriously it was. We decided to go to a local waterpark for some fun in the boiling sun. Man, I honestly thought someone was blowing a heater on me, it didn't seem possible. The only reason we survived is the WATER!!! It was a fun day. Lindy even took baby Paxton and found a shady spot to hang out. The kids had a blast going down the kiddie waterslides. Tucker, Mike and Ryan got a real kick out of watching me and Lindy go down the Enema Slide (or at least that's what I call it).....the big water slide that drops you straight down and shoots water where it shouldn't and turns your swimsuit upside-down & backwards in 2 seconds flat! Fun stuff!

This kid could NOT get enough of the water. She would find a little spray fountain and actually position herself so it would spray in her face! Couldn't you just eat her right up? (you should enlarge this pic to see the full cuteness....and to see her strange teething patter. She's got the top two SIDE ones with no sign of the other middle one to come)

My three girls :-)

Not very often do I let the camera capture me in a swim suit...and then put it on a blog. What's wrong with me today?

Look at that BIG newborn baby! He is so cute.

"We don't care how hot it is, this is the BEST!"

ZIONS

Hello everyone in blogland! This is Tucker, I am here to tell you all about my trip to Zion National Park. I am the Venture Crew Leader in our ward, that is for the scouts 14 – 19 yrs old. This is absolutely the GREATIST calling in the church. Our bishop gave me the specific task of giving these boys “stories to brag about” to their classmates and once they become missionaries. We go on a weekend adventure once a month, then once a year we have our High Adventure. The boys raised their own money to pay for the trip, we left Monday and returned Saturday.
Here’s what we did;
Monday – Stop in Vegas to ignite the adrenaline by going on the “Big Shot” at the top of the Stratosphere

Tuesday – Warm up hike; 3 miles to the “Emerald Pools”

Wednesday – Our original plan was to hike the narrows, but since they are on fire, we chose “The Subway” (9.5 miles) hiking, repelling, and swimming. It was AWESOME!! We had to swim in narrow canyons with deep water, and do some fairly easy repelling. The worst part about it is the end – we had to hike straight up and out of the canyon, which I have named “Hell’s Canyon.” – this was the most technical hike I have done, I highly recommend this hike to everyone!!

*Actual Feelings captured @ the end of the hike

Thursday – St. George Temple, Blue Bunny Ice Cream Parlor & my beloved CAFÉ RIO!!

Friday – Lower Narrows (2 miles) & Angels’ Landing (5 miles)

*sponsored by In-N-Out

Saturday – Las Vegas Speedway – we went 100 miles on the NASCAR track & finally we arrived home! Jamie was home alone with the 3 rugrats, thanks hun for all your support!!!!!

Flashback Friday

I just love my little second born child - our "butterfly". Lexi is a ray of sunshine to me. She is a happy, cuddly, creative, independent and giggly girl.

This is Lexi when she was 7 months old, and then Lexi now 3 1/2.

Ferocious Beast

If you'll look closely, you'll notice a bloody bandaid on my thumb. You might wonder how....and why. Could it have been my needy dog in a fit of rage? Or my annoying cat as I threw him out yet one more time? Maybe it was the biting frogs out front?

No. None of the above. It was my beautiful, blue eyed 9 month old daughter. I was innocently fishing something out of her mouth (part of a raisin box, to be exact) and I emerged with a bloody war wound. It literally bled for two hours - no kidding. But, as mothers do, I love her as much as ever and hold no hard feelings. I mean, how could I with a face like that?

Dancin' & Crawlin'

I thought this dance pic of the girls turned out cute! We just got it in yesterday from the photo company. What little posers, huh?

And Peyton is officially crawling. For just about two weeks now, it's been a "real" crawl. She loves it and can more easily keep up with her big sisters (and eat their tiny toys).

Happy Birthday Mom!

For the past few years, it seems that my mom has been reflecting more and more on her mom. She admires how energetic my grandma was when she came to visit, or how helpful she was when my mom had her babies. She remarks at how Grandma remembered to send a card for every single birthday and holiday (with a $20 in it, that was the best). I think my mom is at an age where she is really identifying with her mom. And over the years as Grandma has become elderly and less healthy, my mom's role has evolved into a nurturer for her mother. My mom now frequently calls her and their conversations are about Grandma's cat, Becky, and how the lastest Wheel of Fortune was, when her next nail appointment is and if she's eating good......things in HER world, which is becoming smaller than it used to be. My mom loves when she calls and it's a "good day" for Grandma.

I always try to explain to my mom that the way she unconditionally loves, admires, is concerned for her mother is the SAME way that I (we) feel about HER. She is absolutely the biggest role model in my life. The person she is and the things she has taught me are completely weaved through me and are the foundation for the life I live. But I don't think its easy for her to "get it". That I love her like she loves her mom.....and I understand that it's a hard concept because it's hard for me to grasp that I am MOM to my kids the way MY mom is to me. It's an amazing thing and I am so thankful to be my mom's daughter.

Last night it was P-A-R-T-Y time to celebrate. Of course we had divine BBQ by "Master Mike" and I made a yummy chocolate cake (which is all my mom truly wants for dinner anyway). It was lots of fun (and we missed you Kristy, Carly and Alyson)! And tonight I think Lindy and I have convinced mom to go to the movies with us. We want to see Hairspray. I honestly don't know if I've been to a movie with my mom in the past 20 years ~ so this could be BIG!

Anyway, the point of all my ramblings is to say:

MoTHeR - HAPPY BIRTHDAY and I LOVE YOU!

A Lesson Re-Learned (and re-learned, and re-learned)

Whew, it's been a long week. Tucker's been gone all week with the scouts on a trip to Zion's. Which means it's been a-week-with-no-break for yours truly. This morning I drug myself and the three kids out in the 100 degree heat to swim at a friends house. And not with the best attitude, I might add. Sort of like "this is better than sitting at home" attitude.

Anyway, on to my lesson learned. So, Jordyn has been wanting to have her friend Tori over for a play date, and since Tori was swmming with us, I told her mom why don't I just take her home with us. She said "sure" but that she's been having a hard few weeks and would I mind if she came over for a while with all three of her kids. Admittedly, I was feeling 10000% drained and not completely social. But I sensed she needed it so I said "sure".

[I promise I'm getting to the point] So they all came over for a few hours, fed all our [6] kids, etc. Julie decided to leave around 3 o'clock, but asked if the two oldest (2 and 4) could stay to play. Tired, but realizing what the heck else am I going to do, I said yes. A couple hours later she called, and I assumed she was on her way to pick them up. But instead she said that she had been at the chiropractor with her husband, and that his back had taken a turn for the worse and they needed to go to the emergency room...and can she bring her youngest (18 months) over too? Wow.

So, I ordered pizza, we baked cookies, and now it's 10:00 o'clock pm and they will be here easily till midnight. All 6 children have been exceptionally good. But it's STILL 6 children, ages 5 and under! The good news is that my negative attitude has taken a turn for the better and my inward pity party has been stopped because [here's the lesson re-learned over and over] I SERVED someone in need. I am doing something to help a friend, and THAT is the number one thing that always helps me stop focusing on "poor me" or "tired me" or "whatever me".

The question is, why is it so easy to forget a lesson learned, and why are we stubborn enough to have to learn things over and over and over? To serve another is to be Christlike, and that is something that will bring true joy. So......I'm glad I was able to serve Julie today, I'm glad my attitude changed..........and I'm especially GLAD Tucker will be home tomorrow!

Road Trip!

I sort of went "back in time" the past couple of days. It reminded me of when I moved off to college 12 (gulp) years ago. My mom asked me to drive with Kristy to UT for the BIG move! She offered to watch the girls if I would do the dreaded drive (thanks a million to mom, lindy and beth for making it happen). I said "sure"!

It was a fun (and short) little road trip! Kristy is staying with Katie for a month until her apartment opens up. We were able to tour her apartment complex and her beauty school and they were both AWESOME! I had a few hours to spare to get Kristy situated, then flew back home to my kiddos!

I will miss having Kristy near by - A TON - we all will. But I know that she is going to have a blast and have the most wonderful experiences. Better keep blogging Kristy, we'll want to hear about it all! Love ya!

I didn't think it would be as exciting

I really didn't. I thought by the third time around, it would be sort of old news when the baby says first words, or crawls or eats. I thought it may be a little more like "whew, finally. Now you can keep up with your sisters" or something like that. But I couldn't have been more wrong. It's amazingly satisfying and exciting - every single new thing that Peyton does just melts my heart. Being a parent is a funny thing because you think there is NO way another child has ever done something as SMART, as CUTE or as AMAZING as what your child just did. There is just no way! But, alas, each parent feels this way...and so they should!

Peyton finally points to her nose!! Now, this may sound simple to you, but to me it felt earth shattering!! Andyou have to realize we've been working on this every single day for MONTHS and she DID IT! I was so happy I could have probably floated on air! It is the cutest thing - I actually got it on camera.

I also have to re-iterate that Signing Time works! Peyton did her first sign the other day (almost 9 months). She did "more". It's her own little interpretation of the word, but that is definitely what she is doing. I love it!