A New Way to Stop the Fighting

Connor and Aiden have been fighting lately...a lot. I have become so fed up with it! A few weeks ago, I was talking to my friend, Ashley, about it. She told me about a technique that she does with her twin boys that has worked pretty well. She told me that anytime my kids fight, I should have them do this...

No, not make out with each other (although that's what the picture looks like). She told me that anytime they fight, I should have them put their noses together for a minute or two. She said it works like a charm for her boys. And, I think it has with my boys too. After they have had their noses together for just a few seconds, they start laughing like crazy (I usually do too)...and whatever they were fighting about is quickly forgotten. Don't get me wrong...it hasn't stopped the fighting altogether, but it does tend to end the fight a little quicker. Just thought I'd share my new funny little parenting technique. Thanks Ash! You always have the best ideas! --Lindsay

Another Connor Quote

So, yesterday, I had a bad day. I woke up at 6:00 and didn't stop running until 9:00 last night when I had to go to bed (so I could get up at 3:00 am and go to work). I had a to-do list a mile long and felt like, no matter how hard I worked, I didn't accomplish anything. Just one of those days...

Anyway, so when Mike came home, I started venting to him about my day. My rant went something like this...

"I am so sick and tired of working my butt off. I am sick of running all day everyday and feeling like I have nothing to show for it. I am so sick of being tired all the time. And, I am sick of my muscles aching at the end of every day. And, I am sick and tired of time-intensive callings. I'm sick and tired of cleaning up messes around the house, just to have the kids mess everything back up again. I'm sick of doing the 50,000 loads of laundry that our family goes through in a week. And, I am so sick of having no time to myself to sit down and do something mindless for 10 minutes. I'm so sick of running all day everyday and feeling like I accomplish NOTHING."

Then, from the family room where Connor was watching TV, we heard a certain someone mumble softly, "And I am so sick of hearing you talk!"

Haha! Mike and I busted up laughing! I love that kid! He's always good for a chuckle or two! --Lindsay

Why Being a Mom is Better Than Being a Dad

The other night, we went out to dinner with my parents. While we were waiting for our food, my dad tried to keep the kids busy by asking them questions. He would ask things like, "Would you rather be a tiger or a turtle?" and "Would you rather be a carrot or a tomato?". Here's a conversation that ensued with one question...

Poppy: Okay Connor. Would you rather be a mom or a dad?

Connor: (Thinks for a second) Umm..I'd rather be a mom!

Poppy: (Surprised) A mom? Why would you rather be a mom?

Connor: Because if you're a mom then you can boss everyone around all the time!

Haha! Apparently, I am "bossy" because I ask him to do things like clean HIS room, pick up HIS toys that HE got out, take HIS plate that HE ate on to the sink, and take HIS dirty clothes that HE wore to the dirty clothes basket.

I told Connor he could trade places with me any day he wanted...he can "boss" me around, but I get to play with my friends all afternoon while he cleans the bathrooms, vacuums the carpet, mops the floor, dusts everything, does the dishes, cleans the kitchen, etc. Sounds like a good trade to me! --Lindsay

Family of Five

Well, yesterday, we attempted our family picture for 2008..."attempted" being the key word in that sentence. Can someone explain to me how increasing a family by just one member can exponentially increase the difficulty of taking a family picture? Here's some of the outtakes so you can see what I'm talking about...

Finally, we got a half decent one...

We actually cheated a bit. My photoshop-pro husband cleaned the photo up a little bit. Notice that the cabins that were in the background are suddenly non-existent, the sky is a little bluer, & the shadows aren't as harsh. Ahhh...the talent! (You can click on the picture for an up-close look.) A big "thanks" goes out to my photographer Dad for taking the shot...and having the patience to put up with some difficult "subjects". So, what do you think of our masterpiece? --Lindsay

I Would Like to Thank the Academy...

And, by "the academy", I really mean "my friend Alicia States". She nominated me for this "blog award".

Here's the way the "Blog Awards" work:

1. Whomever I nominate get to put this same picture on their blog.
2. Link back to me on your post.
3. Nominate 5 other blogs.
4. Link up to them.
5. Leave a comment on those blogs to let them know they were nominated. So, here are some of my faves:

Marion: I love, love, love to read my old friend Marion's blog. She and I served in the Primary Presidency together about a million years ago. At the time, we both only had one little boy each. Now, we both have 3 little boys each. She always has the greatest stories about her little guys...and it makes me feel better knowing that I'm not the only one drowning in testosterone.

Tara: Tara is my old stylist who quit this past summer after she had her 3rd baby. Tara and I became great friends over the 4 years she did my hair. Now that I don't get to see her on a regular basis, I miss her terribly! So, I love to read her blog & see what she and her cute family are up to all the time.

Kelli: I love reading my friend Kelli's blog. She is always so happy & upbeat! She & her family had a pretty rough month a few months back, but she was just so happy through it all & was always looking for the silver lining. You can't read Kelli's blog without smiling from ear-to-ear. She is awesome!

Kerri: My friend Kerri is a crack-up! She is flippin' hilarious! After I hang out with her, my abs hurt from laughing so hard. Her blog is no exception!

Karin: I love reading my friend Karin's blog because she always posts the funniest things about her kids. They are always getting hurt in one way or another & she always writes about it and posts pictures of their battle wounds. I love it...and I'm glad I'm not the only one with accident-prone children.

So, those are my nominations. I could have nominated so many more! If I didn't nominate you, don't be heartbroken & cry yourself to sleep tonight. If you do, at least grab a quart of ice cream and start eating while you cry...and call me, I'll come over & join you! I never turn down an invitation for an "ice cream cry fest"! They are the best! --Lindsay

Everything You NEVER Wanted to Know About Me

I have been tagged 3 times in the past few weeks, but due to lack of time, I haven't gotten around to doing them until now. I think I've done all of them before, but I figured I'd do them again because I KNOW how much you all want to learn new & exciting things about me! :) I've actually combined two of them because they are very similar. Alicia's tag was to tell 7 random facts about myself; Rebecca's tag was to name 6 of my weird quirks...so I decided to combine them and tell you 7 facts/quirks about me...

1) I am a perfectionist...to the point where it's not healthy. Most of you that read this blog already know this. I figure if you're going to do something, you might as well take the time to do it right. And, it really bugs me when others don't feel so passionate about the quality of their work. I know...I'm a weirdo!

2) I have EXTREME powers of concentration. When I get into something, whether it be reading or studying or even blog writing, I can pretty much tune out everything around me. My mom tells the story of coming to visit me at my apartment at BYU. She said that all my roommates were hanging out in the living room having a great time watching TV & listening to music. Where was I? Sitting at the kitchen table with my nose in one of my textbooks. I'm a total nerd...this I already know!

3) I am also a fairly smart person, if I may say so myself. :) I graduated 3rd in my high school class & 7th in the College of Arts & Communications at BYU. Go me!! Yes, yes...that WAS my own horn that you just heard being tooted! :)

4) I am addicted to news of any kind. I love it & can never get enough of it. Thank goodness for 24 hour cable news stations...they make middle-of-the-night feedings seem not that bad.

5) I get nervous anytime I fly...but I'm not nervous of flying. I know, it sounds like I just contradicted myself, so let me explain. It's not the actual flight that stresses me out. I worry about things like making it to the airport on time, the airline not having record of my seat reservation, my baggage making it to my final destination, making my connecting flight on time, etc. I drive Mike nuts when we fly!

6) I boycott Walmart at all expense! I HATE that place!!! You can never find what you're looking for & if you ask one of their employees to help you, they will always lead you on a wild goose chase...you go from toys to arts & crafts to housewares to grocery to clothing and then somehow end up in the electronics department...and you STILL haven't been able to find the item you're looking for. HATE IT!!! The one upside to shopping at Walmart is that, after going there, your workout for the day is done because you've walked about 5 miles!

7) I love RED! I have loved it for as long as I can remember! Every room in my house, except for Cohen's room, has red as one of the major colors. I also love poppies and you will find them all over my house as well! It's just such a happy, fun flower.

And, here are the 7 people who I tag: Devyn Johnson, Kristin Walker, Jackie Kitchen, LeAnn Betts, Kristy Barlow, Kerri Sutton & Alicia States. You're welcome girls!!!

The second tag was from my sister Kristin. It's the ABC tag...

A- Attached or Single? Attached (Love you Mike!)

B- Best Friend? Mike.

C- Cake or Pie? Boston Creme Pie...which is a cake, even though it has the word "pie" in it's name.

D- Day of Choice? Probably Saturday, even though I have to get up at 3:00 am. I love getting home from work at 8:45 and having the rest of the day ahead of me. Plus, Mike is home!

E- Essential Item? Shoes...love em!

F- Favorite Color? RED! But, I bet you already knew that from the above tag.

G- Gummy Bears or Gummy Worms? Gummy Bears... especially when they are in ice cream or frozen yogurt. They freeze and become ULTRA delicious!

H- Hometown? Orem, Utah

I- Favorite Indulgence? Diet Coke! I wouldn't make it to work so early in the morning without one! Cherry & lime are my favorites!

J- January or July? July all the way! January is so depressing here! The valley inversion usually kicks in for a week or two & we live in smog & 20 degree temperatures! I hate it!

K- Kids? 3 crazy, but extremely awesome & cute, little boys! Love em!

L- Life isn't complete without? My family

M- Movie favorite? Gone with the Wind. 3 Hours & 51 minutes of pure bliss...and the best line in cinematic history..."Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn!" Yay Rhett!!!

N- Number of Brothers and Sisters? 2 cute sisters, Ashlee (Sosha) & Kristin (Stuage Jr.).

O- Oranges or Apples? Grapefruits...oh wait, that wasn't an option. But, I do love the things...and they are coming into season now! Yay!

P- Phobias or Fears? One of my children being kidnapped. I think I would rather go through ANYTHING than have that happen.

Q- Quote? "The most thoroughly wasted of all days is that on which one has not laughed." --Nicolas de Chamfort. So true!

R- Reason to Smile? Mike's sarcasm!

S- Season of Choice? Summer! Love everything about it!

T- Tag a few friends: Audra Armstrong, Brittainey Timothy, Alyssa Hertzler (You're welcome!)

U- Unknown Fact About Me? I'm allergic to the inside of pumpkins...and I DESTROYED my sisters lives growing up because they couldn't ever carve them because of it. They always had to paint them. They remind me of this travesty on a daily basis.

V- Vegetable? Corn on the cob

W- Worst Habit? Eating WAY too many sweets everyday! Personally, I don't think there is anything wrong with having a Ding Dong for breakfast, but others (like my family physician) disagree.

X- X-ray or ultrasound? Ultrasound...maybe one of these days (far in the future) when I have another one, I'll find out I'm having a girl...or maybe not. :(

Y- Your Favorite Food? Mexican...especially Joe Vera's! Delish!

Z- Zodiac Sign? Libra

So, there you go! Everything you NEVER wanted to know about me! --Lindsay

Double 3s

Mike turned 33-years-old yesterday! What an old man! :) I asked Mike, about a week ago, if there was anything he wanted to do for his birthday. He told me that he really wanted to go mountain biking. Hum...mountain biking? By "mountain biking" did he mean "something with his wife"? Nope...he meant mountain biking. See, Mike has been obsessed with mountain biking lately. He bought a new mountain bike a few weeks ago because the shocks on his old one were beyond shot. By the end of our Moab trip, his hands were basically numb because of the vibration..hence, the new bike & the current obsession. I decided to grant his "birthday wish". I asked my dad if he would pick a good ride up Provo Canyon...then, yesterday morning, I popped the surprise on Mike. He was flippin' excited...you'd think I had just given him a million dollars, not a bike ride! It was funny. Anyway, I guess Mike & my dad had a great time (I wouldn't know though...I wasn't there...steep narrow biking trails & I don't mix so well). Here's some pics from their ride. They were taken with a camera phone, so the quality is not all that great...

After their ride, the whole family went out to dinner at Carabba's. Pretty darn delicious...

So, that was Mike's 33rd birthday in a nutshell...pretty exciting, huh? Happy birthday Mike! Thanks for being such an awesome husband...even if you ARE old! Oh wait, I'm only a few years behind you! Shoot!!! XOXO --Lindsay