Today's Sound Bites

Bree: (after making an inappropriate bodily noise at the dinner table) "Sorry, I have gasoline."

Me: (watching Mason trying to maneuver something up the leg of his sleeper) "Mason, what's in your pants?"
Mason: "Well, it's my lightsaber, of course!"

*Check*

Lincoln pulled himself up to stand at the coffee table today. I was reading bedtime stories to Bree and Mason, and heard a rustling sound. When I peeked over the book, there was Lincoln grinning at me over the edge of the coffee table, grabbing for the bag of microwave popcorn. He. Is. Awesome.

That is all.

Doesn't she look smart?

I've suspected for a while now that Bree has needed glasses. She is doing great in kindergarten, but she often squints or has to move her face really close to the book or computer screen. And since Chad and I both have had glasses since childhood, we weren't too surprised that Bree needed them too.

I was so nervous for her as the eye doctor was narrowing down her prescription. I know when I'm sitting in that exam chair I feel like I'm under huge pressure, trying to decide if "one" or "two" looks better, because heaven forbid I screw it up and end up with an incorrect prescription for the next year or two. But Bree did great, and the doctor was impressed. Bree's prescription isn't too severe, but she also has an astigmatism that has made it harder for her to see.

There wasn't a huge selection of frames to choose from, but I was relieved that she really liked these little red sassy ones. Her new glasses arrived Friday, and she's been wearing them from morning 'til night without complaint, so I'm thinking she's enjoying being able to see. Everyone we've seen since has showered her with compliments on her glasses, enough to ensure that her confidence in her appearance won't suffer. Not that I was worried too much there.

Outer Space is Gender Specific

On Monday, Mason and Bree finally got the chance to spend the Christmas money they received from Grandma and Grandpa Wallace (our local Walmart has a small selection of toys on a good day, so you can imagine how barren the toy shelves were after Christmas). Bree came home with a big, beautiful selection of new Barbie clothes, and Mason bought a space station, astronauts and aliens to go with the shuttle set he'd gotten from Santa. They have been playing with their new acquisitions non-stop since bringing them home.

Yesterday Mason had one of the new astronauts in his hand when he came up to me as I was making dinner:

Mason: This guy's from outispace
Me: He's from out-er space?
Mason: No, out-his space. This guy is from out-his space.

A visit to the Yellow Cottage

Chad had a few days off at the beginning of January, and we got to spent some time with Rob and Jaime. The kids seem to get along a little better each time we see them, which is nice, since they have no choice in the matter. And a lot of the trip revolved around them.

A cozy, kid-size fire.

Swimming in the hot tub.

Bedtime stories.

But there was plenty to please the adults too. We just didn't take tons of pictures (or they're on Jaime's iPhone). We played games, went to Maggiano's and Cheesecake Factory for date night (yes, two restaurants in one night; one for dinner, one for dessert), and ate a lot of good food. Chocolate Pudding Cake. Taco Soup. Mini Chocolate Donuts. Grilled Chicken Caprese. Lemon Bars with lemons from the tree in the backyard.

Nothing Bundt Cake.
(Despite the way it looks, Jaime shared with everyone.)

It was a nice little break, and we enjoyed seeing Rob, who was still on winter break from school. And who knows what our next visit will bring? Camping? A cruise? To be determined.

Miraculous 9 Months

Lincoln is still so little and cuddly, it's hard to believe he's already nine months old. There are so many times when I'll look at him and think, "I HAVE to remember him at this moment." Just little things that he does that I find adorable or amazing simply because I'm his mother. I thought I'd write them here so I won't forget...

• His little mitt-like fists always grasping for something, those sausage fingers opening and closing to test the texture of the nearest object
• The way he twists around and reaches out to touch the face of whoever is holding him
• His eyes fluttering and rolling back when he's nursing but getting full and sleepy 
• His belly laugh that sounds like a baby doll
• Him sticking his tongue out and sucking on it when he's getting ready to drink
• Raspberry blowing all the time
• The chuckle that can mean so many things: "I'm ready to nurse," "I'm happy you picked me up," "I'm getting tired," etc.
• The way he toothlessly gums his cereal puffs, like an old man without his dentures
• His grin that consumes his entire face, and the tiny dimples at the lower corners of his mouth
• The dimples on his knuckles
• The way his hair grows into a mohawk
• How he sticks out his tongue and curls it upwards
• Him rocking back and forth on his hands and knees, then pushing into plank position
• The way his brother and sister make him smile, even when they're treating him like a rag doll
• His crazy ability to roll/scoot/push himself all around the floor, and push himself up to sit
• The way he has finally found his voice, usually saying "ba-ba-ba" and occasionally "ma," "la," or "da"
• How he snuggles into me and wraps his hands around my neck
• How I love him so much

As I sat at the computer this evening, wondering if I had a recent photo of Lincoln to finish up this post, Bree said, "Look! Lincoln's crawling!" Chad and I were like, "Uh huh, that's nice," because we thought she must be referring to his scooting or pivoting skills. But when we looked over, Lincoln was actually crawling!



It's always a big deal when our kids reach milestones. But this milestone is a HUGE deal for Lincoln. Chad and I are so pleased.

Of course, we can't take too much credit. Sure, Lincoln has therapists who visit us once a month and give us pointers on how we can help him progress. So we make more of a conscious effort to play with him in way that helps him get exercise. But I think it mostly boils down to the fact that I don't like carrying a baby around all day, and I let Lincoln fend for himself most of the time, so he has no choice but to take matters into his own hands (and knees).

That, and the fact that Lincoln is awesome.

It's a FLOCK

"It's a flock of birds."

The art Bree created for school today.

30 Things in my 30th Year

In an effort to make my 30th year one of the best years ever, and in lieu of making trite New Year's resolutions, I've adopted this idea from a couple friends of mine. I made a list of 30 things that I will accomplish in this, my 30th year. My goal is to complete the list by December 31st, and hopefully do a little learning and growing along the way. Here they are in no particular order:

1. Paint the exterior of my house (I started this project 3 or 4 years ago, and am still not finished)
2. Sing in a recital
3. Make bagels
4. Set up irrigation to my peach and pear tree and blackberry bush (I'd really like to have fruit this year!)
5. Sew a dickie (to make those v-neck shirts more modest)
6. Read the Book of Mormon
7. Pay for a stranger's meal
8. Publish my 2010 Blog Book
9. Take an inventory of my food storage
10. Take a family name to the temple
11. Display recent family photos in my home
12. Attend a theater performance
13. Write a children's book
14. Watch a film from the AFI Top 100 list that I've never seen before
15. Make cottage cheese
16. Write the story of how Chad and I met and fell in love
17. Read The Grapes of Wrath
18. Donate used books to my library
19. Write a thank you note to someone from my past
20. Turn off all electronics for 24 hours
21. Bear my testimony in church
22. Invite someone I'd like to know better over for dinner
23. Don't eat out (or take out) for a month
24. Bake and give goodies to my mail carrier
25. Leave a $5 bill and a note inside a library book
26. Make Thai food
27. Surprise Chad
28. Don't complain for a whole week (remember, these are goals, not strict requirements)
29. Make a list of places I'd like to visit during my lifetime
30. Donate blood

And because I came up with more than 30 goals when I originally made my list, I narrowed them down. But I had trouble getting rid of ALL of them, so here are five more that I'll just call my bonus list, to tackle if and when I complete the first 30:

1. Paint a picture
2. Leave sweet rolls on someone's doorstep
3. Attend a temple I've never visited before
4. Start a compost bin
5. Go geocaching

Some of these things will only take a few minutes to finish, some will take hours, and a couple will most likely take the better half of the year. I'm hoping all of them will make good memories.