It's March!

This week everyone was free of illness!  Knock on wood.  It was great.  I'm just thankful one day at a time.  Eureka!

Jonathan:  He came back from China this week!  He'd been gone all week and endured the 13 hr time change by working the very next day.  Ugh.  Although he did bring me some beautiful black pearls.  Jonathan surprised the kids that he was home by disguising his voice like a character on Spiderwick through Austin's door.  There was silence then a very nervous Austin swung the door open and tackled Dada in pure joy.  Ashley was stunned for a second then very quickly wanted to be in Daddy's arms every second.  She brings books to him to read to her, and booboos are much worse because Dada gives them a ton of attention.   We then went to IHOP together!

Angie: I had the opportunity to go to the temple this week on ward temple day.  It was so nice going.  The feeling I get there, the promises made.  Thanks Robyn and Erika for making the child care so friendly!  I also had so much fun making yummy banana bread with Austin and Ash.  I'm trying really hard to let them help me out whenever they volunteer.  They have so much fun and it teaches me some patience!  I have so many friends that let their kids help them cook, stir, mix, paint, do crafts....thanks for my great examples!  It really is more rewarding when they help.

Austin:  Austin has a trio of sailboat pictures on his wall.  One night I walked in and one sailboat frame was replaced with a picture of Jesus and a boy that I'd had in his closet.  Austin had found it, hung it up himself and put a heart sticker on Jesus.  He was so proud of his new wall-hanging.  He said, "This way, Jesus is looking over me when I sleep."  It will be a permanent fixture in his room.  

On Thursday of this week, the wind was blowing so hard and the temperature was in the teens.  It was so cold!  I had just put Ash down for a nap and I was just about to take a snooze myself (I was so warm and snug under the covers) when the phone rang and it was Austin's preschool.  My heart stopped, because normally when they call, it's because of some sort of breathing problem.  But this time I answered and the lady said, "Austin's breathing fine, but there's been an accident."  I thought he fell and chipped his front tooth or something.

She says, "He went to pass gas, but something more came out.  So he probably needs a new pair of underwear."

"Oh," I say.  Now you have to realize Austin gets so upset at the tiniest little mark on his undies and I just imagined Austin with a tiny millimeter skid and making it into this huge deal. I waited about 30 minutes and belabored my getting up into the harsh elements, waking up Ash 30 min into her 2 hr nap just to give Austin fresh undies.  Isn't that horrible?  I felt like if he didn't have a good sized hershey squirt, I'd be upset!  By then it was 2:30 and I pick him up for the day at 3:30 anyway, he's going underwear-less for the past little while (its not like he's never done that at home) why not wait another hour?  Bad, I know, but true.  I did wake Ash and myself and deliver the skivvies.  The skid was decent, but not worthy of the trouble.  However, I am glad about the school calling me instead of having my child waller around in dirty undies all afternoon.  Sorry Austin.

Ashley: Ash still runs away.  She flees from the scene.  Any chance, she escapes.  This week it was hiding in Target circulars in the clothing section, and running out of Coldstone about 20 feet ahead of me and 20 feet from a parking lot.  She thinks its a fun game and that nothing can happen.  If I can see her face, while I'm running to get her, a couple times I've giggled too because her face is SO excited!  If she only knew how dangerous it was.  I don't giggle when we're near parking lots.  It's when she's running through a Target store, I leave my cart to chase her and her pink little moon boots are carrying her as fast as possible as her fine wispy hair is gathering wind and is in every which direction and her face is just screaming FREEDOM!!!!  

Ash is also all girl in the sense that she hates having her hands dirty, won't eat "finger" food, rather has to eat with a fork or spoon all the time.  She screams when she gets something on her clothes or spills food on the table.  No messes!

One last cute moment:  After the delivery of the underwear, I did have an hour to kill so I got the car washed and let Ash pick a treat inside the gas station.  She picked up a lollipop for herself and then picked one out for Austin.  She said, "me and Autee."  It warmed my heart to know that she's already thinking of her big brother.  I don't remember ever picking out any candy for any of my brothers when I'd go into convenience stores with my dad to get a treat.  I'm glad Ash does that!

Happy First week of March!

Angie