waz up!

This is my handsome, sweet, brilliant James in his 2007-2008 preschool picture. What a perfect little smile! It is so him. Or is it...


Actually, I'm not sure how the photographer got that sweet, innocent smile. It seems all I can get from the kid as of late is something that looks like one of the "Waz up!" Budweiser commercials from a few years back. You know, the ones that feature a bunch of guys calling their friends and yelling "Waaaz uuup!" with their tongues hanging out of their mouths? I don't think James has ever seen those commercials, but he's got the tongue-thing down. He's definitely his father's child.

my day before mother's day

Happy Mother's Day! This was taken at Carly & Brian's a couple of weeks ago while their magnolia tree was still in bloom.


True to form, Christian was on call today, which means I spent Mother's Day alone with the boys. This did not make for the best Mother's Day ever. Let's just say that by the time I finally got them in bed, after wrestling them at church and most of the rest of the day, I was in tears. Seriously, they know how to push all my buttons. But the night before Mother's Day was about as close to perfect as I could imagine.

I got my real Mother's Day present a few weeks ago. A new bike! We've taken a few long rides on the trail as a family and it is so fun! Christian pulls the trailer and I try to keep up. It's a great workout! And I love having a cross-training option when I get bored with running. Here' s a picture of it after a long ride (you can tell how long by looking at James' face!).
But last night I got something even better. First, Christian took the boys to Chuck E. Cheese's while I enjoyed a girls night with some friends from church. We saw Made of Honor (there were Milk Duds, Coke, and a hot costar, so it didn't really matter if the movie was a tad predictable), then went out for appetizers and dessert (six-layer chocolate cake--evil!) at Claimjumper. Just having a night with no kids and good conversation was so relaxing--just what I needed. But it got better. When I got home about 10:45, the kids were still up, but they were bathed and completely ready for bed, and Christian was folding laundry. I know. You don't believe that Christian and laundry could exist in the same sentence (unless I was referring to the piles of scrubs he leaves in the laundry for me), but it's true. He had folded the three loads of whites I had done earlier in the day. A-maz-ing. Then the kids got to give me my present, since Daddy wouldn't be there on the actual day.
They had gone to the store and picked out bunches of my favorites to make me the best basket ever! Tropical Starbursts, Junior Mints, Chocolate-Mint Milano cookies. . .oh, and dark chocolate-covered macadamia nuts. Are you kidding me? I'm already fighting the battle of the bulge, but come on, it's Mother's Day. How can I turn down treats picked out by my sweets? Plus some fun pampering items for soft feet, face, and lips, and my guilty pleasure--Us Weekly. But the very best part was that magnetic key case you see in the front of the basket.

My husband is such a very thoughtful gift-giver, just like his father. In the last year, I have locked my keys in my car three times. That's more times than in the rest of my entire life. The last two were only about a month apart. Of course it happens when I am far away and have no family to bail me out. So when it happened last week at the post office on a night that Christian was on call, I decided I had to do something. I needed an extra key attached to my car.

I had been putting it off all week, dreading taking the boys to Home Depot to wait for a copy of my key while they climb in and out of the cart, run laughing down the plumbing aisle, and generally drive me out of my mind. But it had been on my to-do list all week. The best present you could ever give me was that key and key box, Cree. You know how much I hate doing stuff like that. I LOVE you! And I'm so glad I don't have to worry about calling you at work to ask you to come get me in Marysville ever again. What a great gift, and a perfect {night before} Mother's Day!

Being a mom is hard. I will not lie--my kids are challenging to me right now. I've been accused of looking like I have a perfect life on my blog. Well of course I want to post all the good, cute, funny stuff. But sometimes their silliness is enough to make me want to run screaming, when I know I should be cherishing their sweet giggles. Sometimes saying, "James, leave your brother alone" and "Adam, get out of the water!" for the millionth time in one day pretty much sends me over the edge. Maybe it's just too much time alone with them, and not enough sleep for me. It has been a hard six months or so. But then I look at how sweet they are sleeping, or pass a drawing James has done for me on the refrigerator, and I want to give myself a good talking-to for being so selfish. I have two beautiful, perfect children, who are smart, healthy, and full of life. I have a loving husband who gives me every opportunity he can to take a break. And I have amazing friends who often commiserate and offer wonderful advice when I complain.

". . .Recognize that the joy of motherhood comes in moments. There will be hard times and frustrating times. But amid the challenges, there are shining moments of joy and satisfaction." ~M. Russell Ballard

I am going to do my best to remember that, and take more time to see and appreciate those shining moments. Being a mother is my favorite blessing, and I believe it is my purpose, my mission in this life. I'm thankful for a mother and mother-in-law who have taught me how to mother, and given me perfect examples to follow. I am so grateful for my boys, and my future girls! And I'm grateful for an incredible husband to share this adventure with! Happy Mother's Day!

let's go fly a kite

James has been begging me for a kite for months. Maybe since our trip to St. George last October for the marathon when Grandpa Brent flew the dragon kite with him. I finally broke down when I saw these kites for $1 at WalMart. I figured they probably wouldn't get off the ground, but I also wouldn't care if they got trashed the first time we used them. James has been watching out the window for wind constantly since we bought them, and today he finally got the perfect combination of sun and wind. Look at these kite-flying maniacs!


P.S. The picture and sound are distorted because I edited the clips in iMovie and compressed them. That's why it sounds like there are poltergeists in the background. I'll refrain from compressing in the future so I don't creep everyone out.

our visit to the sun

Ah, vacation time. Christian scheduled a vacation this month so he could go to Southern Utah and mountain bike. The kids and I went along to visit the sun. Unfortunately, Mr. Wind was also in St. George, so it was a little cooler than we hoped it would be. But the sun was still there, and the cooler air made it perfect biking weather.

We drove through the night (knocks almost two hours off travel time when you don't have to stop and eat lunch, take 20 potty breaks, and adjust the DVD player every two hours). We almost made it in time for the first session of General Conference, but we were delayed by a nail in our tire for about an hour. So we joined in the solemn assembly from our car, which was quite a unique opportunity. We were greeted by the Sybrowskys with pancakes and homemade syrup when we finally made it to Sandy. It was so good to see everyone! We were also able to finally meet Lewis the chihuahua and see a silkworm stigma under Grandpa Layne's grade school microscope.


While the boys attended the priesthood session, the girls took advantage of ladies night at TaiPan Trading. (Why oh why can't they open a store in Seattle? It's tragic.) What an exciting day! And of course on Sunday there were the traditional Bear Claws and Horns O' Plenty with chocolate milk while we watched Conference. I love family traditions. Plus we had our favorite flank steak dinner with all the siblings and cousins. I really felt the blessing of family on this trip. It was so fun to watch the cousins play together. Thanks for all your wonderful hospitality, Grandma Jode & Grandpa Layne!



When we left for SG on Monday morning, it was snowing. What?! We really did pick the worst week to be in Utah. The day before we got to SG it was 80 degrees; during the week it dipped down to the low 60s; and the day after we left it shot right back up to 80°. Seriously? But we did have a blast.

We got to spend the day with Sam, Lucy, Sara, and Dan (at least for lunch) in sunny (but windy) Las Vegas. It was so windy that we had to ditch the park for the McDonald's Playland. We loved seeing their house and playing on the trampoline! James was so sad that Sam wasn't coming back to St. George with us. They had such a great time together. And it was fun to see how big little Luce is getting! Thanks for having us, Sari!



Christian biked almost every day. Layne, T, and Roger came down to bike one day and found out that Christian really IS a doctor. When Roger took a tumble and a rock to the face, Christian pulled out his suture and sewed him up right on the trail. (My mom has speculated that Christian likes to take inexperienced bikers on rides just so he can practice his wilderness medicine skills, since this is not the first time someone in his group has been sent to the hospital.) We swam, watched movies, shopped, and of course we ate well. All I really cared about was a Cafe Rio run for pork tacos, and they did not disappoint. It was so fun to spend time with my mom. Even with all her aches and pains, she kept up with us--what a trooper! It was such a relaxing week. Thanks for letting us take over your house! We were so glad Grandpa made it down for the afternoon before we left--the kids had a great time with him.

James: "Grandpa, do you have any prizes for me? Grandma is all out."

Friday we took our new bike trailer on a little spin on one of SG's great paved trails. We biked up to the top entrance of Snow Canyon (literally along the marathon route, only uphill), then coasted down through the gorgeous state park, stopping once for a snack break and to take a little hike. The boys went crazy for the red rock and the chance to run around. After the 18+ mile ride, it was nice to get back to the house, but it inspired me to find a cheap Craigslist bike and put that trailer to use! It was great exercise! Christian got really good exercise pulling almost 100lbs. behind his bike. He is amazing!


To my family: doesn't this look very similar to baby pictures of me? I think it's the eyes.






I have missed St. George so much. When we lived in Utah, we probably went down there about once a month. We decided this trip that no matter where we end up, we will own a vacation home there. It is the perfect getaway. We were able to make it back in time to enjoy Saturday with the Sybrowskys again (mmmm, Crown Burger). And Lind & Code were able to squeeze me in for a cut and color--you rock! Thanks to everyone for making it a great trip!

tanks easto bunny, bok bok!

And the eating goes on. Easter was delicious. The boys and I dyed eggs with Ella and it reminded me how much I like hard-boiled eggs. I really missed the annual Ivie-Wawrzyniak Easter breakfast in St. George this year--especially my dad's creamed eggs on toast. I would've made some in his honor, but I would have been the only one eating them, and creamed-anything should not be on my menu right now. Christian missed the big egg hunt (again), and most of the candy, but he did make it to church in time to teach his lesson and then stayed awake to accompany us to Derek & Bonnie's for Easter dinner. And it did not disappoint. Bonnie is a gem--she got a real, true Honey Baked® Ham! I had forgotten how much better they really are than the Costco spiral cut honey hams which we've switched over to in hard times. There is a difference, and it's a tasty one. She also made the most fabulous cheesy potatoes, of which I ate way too many servings. We brought asparagus and Jody's famous trifle for dessert, which unfortunately did not turn out as good as Jody's. (The easily-distracted being that I am, I only added one box of white chocolate pudding to the milk measurement for two boxes. Oops--pudding soup. That's what I get for attempting to prepare food while my children are out of bed.) This, however, did not stop me from having a huge serving that night and again for the next two nights.

Bonnie was so thoughtful and bought a dinosaur floor puzzle for the boys. The little boys. I guess James wasn't in the mood to show off his puzzle skills, though. How many orthopaedic surgeons does it take to put together a children's floor puzzle?


We loved being able to spend the holiday with part of our Seattle "family." Thanks for having us over! We hope you still want your child to be born after spending three hours with ours.


P.S. I do have footage of the boys searching for eggs for the grandparents, but I need to edit for length before I post it. Watch for it soon. . .

marmaduke eats it all (happy birthday to me)

Birthday brownies. Birthday brownies with cookies n' cream ice cream. Oh, and Carly's pork burritos with LOTS of cheese and dressing. That's what we ate for my 31st birthday. After my mom and sister left I found myself standing on the scale in shock. How could I gain 7 pounds in one weekend?

I'll be honest--it wasn't just the brownies. Let's see, Thai on Thursday, big fat cheeseburgers with fries on Friday, and coconut curry mahi mahi on Saturday, followed by a medley of desserts. Plus lunches at the Nordstrom Cafe, Taco Time, and Joey's, all with a real Coke. (I am Coke deprived, and I don't like Diet Coke, so when I finally get a chance to go out, I drink at least three of the real thing in a sitting. Do not tell me how many calories that costs me. I don't want to know.) And the peanut M&Ms were flowing all weekend. Seriously, all we did all weekend was eat and shop!

At least after excess shopping you look better than you did before. I have really let myself go crazy ever since Thanksgiving, I guess. I ate whatever I wanted at Christmas, then I had my little surgery in January, after which I convinced myself that I should take a break from working out so I could heal (ha!), plus I have a permanent candy dish on my counter (bad idea). But none of the weight seemed to be catching up with me, even after all the Valentine's candy. Who says your metabolism slows down at 30? No, that's not true at all. It slows down at 31. Augh! Seriously, four days after my birthday I finally saw the scale jump. And I've got to be in a swim suit in two weeks. BOOMER!

At least I celebrated big, unlike last year when Christian was on call and I lit myself a candle on a cupcake and made the boys and some neighbor kids sing happy birthday to me. Christian was on call again this year, but my mom and sister made it a fabulous day. Thank you so much for coming to see me, and for all the amazing birthday gifts! It was one of my best birthdays on record.

It was mostly a girls weekend, with neighbors and Christian helping with the boys so we could play. I was so desperate for some girl time with no kids that I actually left the boys with Christian post call. He took James to school and put on a movie for Addy, and doesn't remember anything after that. Then on Saturday I got a call from James on my cell. From what I could understand I assessed that he hurt his ear playing Ghost Run and he didn't like when daddy had to poke him with the needle. That's right--round two of do-it-yourself stitches. While circling the kitchen, he nicked his ear on a corner, popping the skin open and exposing the cartilage. Man, I'm so glad I didn't have to see that one. Christian's description of holding James down with his knee while trying to stitch it up was enough for me. Well, they both lived, so I guess it worked out. I had a great time shopping and didn't have to deal with the drama firsthand for once. Thank you so much, Cree, for giving me that wonderful birthday gift!


The boys got in some serious snuggle time with Grandma Holly. There was, of course, the requisite trip to McDonald's, plus she took them to see Horton Hears a Who while Lind and I saw Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. And don't forget the Easter presents, just a little early. Goofballs! What a great mom and grandma we have. So thoughtful and fun. We love you!













It was so great to spend time with my sister, too. We got crafty (think fabric-covered headbands and crocheted chihuahua sweaters) and read every tabloid magazine from the last three months (she takes good care of me). I miss having her right there for style and hair advice. I'm so glad I have a sister. Thanks for coming all the way up here, and for the sweet gifts! I miss hanging out with you!



Addy was positively distraught when we dropped Grandma and "Aunt Wanda" off at the airport. He cried and yelled for me to "go back a airport, right now!" I think he thought we were getting on the plane with Grandma. Poor mister.

As much as I love my three boys, sometimes I just need to be around girls. The talk is different, the expectations are different. The shopping is definitely different than with my sweet husband. And you wouldn't believe the cleaning they did before they left. My house was cleaner than before they came! I can't tell you how much I looked forward to this weekend--it really got me through some tough days with my two crazy monkeys. And it was worth the wait. I love you two!

helper monkey

He wants to wash his hands constantly. He won't wear his shoes if he notices the bottoms are dirty. He'll be the first to dump out the basket of toys in my living room and then run off, leaving a mess, but if you ask him to clean it up he'll say, "Otay" and go to work. This kid is a clean freak. Yes, Addy is much like his daddy, too. Oh it's a good thing--I love having a "clean" kid. But for some reason I was still surprised to see how excited he was to vacuum the floor the other day. He usually runs for cover from the noise. "I try!" he said when I got the Shark out for my daily crumb clean-up. So I took the long-reach handle off and voila! It was just his size! Is 2 too young to start a job chart? I think I could delegate some serious housework to this monkey! He's just the right size for those hard-to-reach places. . .


I wish you could see his facial expression when he's really concentrating. . .


Any idea how hard it was to get him to smile for this picture?
He wanted it washed off so badly I could hardly get him to pose.