Picture Tag - Thanks Alexis!

Alexis posted this on her blog and "openly tagged" everyone who read it so I'm going to play - it looks too fun to pass up. Besides, Taren always claims she needs help with ideas for her blog, so I specifially Picture Tag Taren, and anyone else who wants to play.

Just google image search your answers to the question - and pick a fun image to post!

age you will be on your next birthday:

(I have a special place for MJ in my heart, we have the same birthday)

your favorite food:

your middle name:

your college major:

your favorite color:

a place you would like to visit:

where you live:

name of a past pet:

one of your favorite places:

your favorite holiday:

a bad habit:

your favorite animal:

19 months - Hasta La Vista Bopple

Well Logan we all survived the holidays and it's finally back to normal around here. You did ok with the Christmas decorations for the most part, although our tree did look a little odd with all of the breakable glass ornaments about 3 feet from the bottom and up. You were pretty well spoiled this year - you got a spring horse, toys, puzzles, and clothes from us and your grandparents and a bunch of new books from your Aunt Lisa and Uncle Joe. Your dad and I were super excited for the books cause kid, we love that you like to read but you can only read Hop on Pop about 3 times a day before you want to scream - STOP! NO MORE HOP ON POP! I can't complain at all though, I think you are a genius (your dad will be mad I'm writing that cause he thinks it will go to your head) and I know that a love of reading will only make you smarter.

While we were at Christmas Sylvia mentioned that Quade was starting to get off of his bottle so I decided to give it a shot with you. I was worried about it and had put it off for a while because 1) you really seemed to like it and I hated to take it away from you and 2) no bottle = no more baby. You did awesome. All I do is give you a sippy at night with your milk and you do just fine. The first night it worked I gave your dad a high five but then I got really sad because seriously you are not a baby anymore. I loved how cute it was at night when you would walk to the kitchen in your pajamas, hang on the handle of the refrigerator and say Bopple? Milk? Bopple = seriously the cutest word for bottle ever. You never asked for another one. I couldn't ask for a more easygoing kid when it comes to stuff like that. You got sick once when you were about 7 months and decided no more binky. Then you got sick when you were about 13 months and no more nursing. Now this, you just give up the bopple no questions asked. Thanks - you make me look good as a parent and I need all the help I can get.

You got a cool puzzle from your grandma for Christmas. It has a bunch of colors, foods, animals, textures, etc., that you can match together. Like bumpy goes with alligator and red goes with strawberry. Not long after you got it I started drilling you. You sit on my lap and I put about 8-10 of the pieces on the floor and ask you where each one is and you point to it. And you get EVERY ONE RIGHT. Then I get 8-10 more and you do it again. You surprised me with how much you had picked up on them already. The best part is when I picked up the rabbit and asked you what it was thinking you might say bunny or kitty or something. Nope. You pointed in your finger and said "RABBIT!" It was awesome and it made me laugh. Then grandma taught you that the frog says "ribbit" and you don't even get confused. The bunny is the rabbit and the frog says ribbit. See, genius.

Colors are a little tougher. When I ask you where the green puzzle piece is you point right to it, the red one, no problem, blue is the same thing. You know them when I ask you to point to one but if I point to something and ask you what color it is you say geena. Everything is geena. Your dad figured out though that if you say geena, all he has to do is say no, look at it, what color is it and you usually get it right.

In two days your dad and I are going to have an ultrasound but much to everyone's annoyance we aren't finding out what we are having. You have your opinion about what you think it is but that depends on what we say last. For example if we ask you if it is a boy or a girl, you say girl. If we ask if it is a girl or a boy, you say boy. Same goes for sister or brother. I don't know how you will feel about this younger sibling by the time you read this, but you are really cute right now. I don't know if you really get that there is a baby in my belly, but when we ask you where the baby is you point to it. You'll even give it a kiss sometimes which seriously melts me. I wonder if you'll freak out when the baby is big enough to give you a good kick when you are blowing raspberries because if that baby kicks anything like you did you might end up with a black eye.

There will be some changes in our lives in the next few months that's for sure, but somehow I know that you'll take it all in stride. At least I hope you don't end up hating us for all the times you went to daycare. I wish there was a way I could stay home with you but I know that the time I spend away from you only makes me more prepared to spend every minute I can with you when I am home. So while your dad and I work through the next few months keep that in mind - we love you and we want to spend as much time as we can with you so don't hold tanything against us when you are a teenager because it is all for your benefit in the end.

Love you chubs,
Mom

(Oh and I'll get pictures up no later than the end of this month - we're getting a new computer!)

Keeping My Mouth Shut

So I know it is a little late to be dealing with New Year's resolutions but I never keep them anyway so I'm just going to call this my list of things not to say in the coming year. As I got thinking about things I wanted on this list, more and more had to deal with me keeping my mouth shut or wishing I had the guts to tell others to shut their own traps.

So here is to 2008 - the year I try to learn to think before I speak - and hope others learn to do the same...

1. Never EVER will I say to a pregnant woman - "I bet you're ready to have that baby aren't you?". Or anything along those lines.

Now anyone that knows me probably knows that I loved being pregnant. Don't take me wrong, in the beginning I was up close and personal with my toilet bowl more often than I'd like to remember, and toward the end I was certain my ribs would burst - but overall I loved it. What I didn't love, however, was having to endure with a smile on my face endless comments about if I was sick of being pregnant. NO - but I am sick of having people ask me that! Besides, it's a stupid question anyway. If you can't say anything that's not stupid, don't say anything at all.

2. "Is your baby sleeping through the night?"

Please, PLEASE, I beg everyone I know that is reading this to never ask me (or anyone) this. It is a horrible question. If you want to ask a polite question about the baby - ask if he is, I don't know, pooping regularly. Just do not ask if he is sleeping through the night. (For the record, he is NOT and guess what - I am totally ok with it!)

Moving away from the baby-related stuff momentarily...

3. "What an idiot!"

Working with people on probation and parole, I probably say this at least a dozen times a day as I learn of something new offenders have done to mess up their success in life. However, it is not my job to judge them and I hope I can do better with this one. They may be idiots - but I don't have to announce it.

Now on to things I wish I had the guts to say...

1. "Shut the hell up!"

Ok so that may be a litle harsh, but I know I'm going to blow up and say it some day. Whether I am talking to my co-workers, distant (or close) family members, or some stranger on the street who has an opinion about how I am raising my son - shut the hell up! In the past 6 months nothing has astounded me more than how protective I am of that child and the way Dave and I choose to raise him. It is only a matter of time before I snap at someone and it won't be pretty - however I believe I'll feel much better.

2. "No."

Yeah, I'm pretty much a doormat - as indidcated above. If someone gives me advice that has to do with Logan that is outdated or not in my plans, I just nod and say "Yeah, I'll try it, thanks!" If someone asks me to do something I really don't want to do, "Sure, no problem!" If I do manage to have an excuse to get out of something and the person looks at me with even the slightest look of disappointment I immediately say something like, "But I'm sure I could make it work for you..." Some day I will learn how to say No, and I hope it's this year.

3. Say what I mean and mean what I say.

I've always looked up to people that speak their mind. And you know what I've noticed, other people like them too. Not everyone, but not everyone likes me anyway (shocker, I know), so why not give them a good excuse? I've noticed that people that speak their mind, get what they want. Squeaky wheel = grease right?

So how is that for a rambling post, but guess what? I feel better. Although none of the people I am referring to know this blog exists and won't know how I feel unless I tell them, at least I can feel better knowing that it is out there. And maybe, just maybe, I will have the guts to tell them off someday. Oh and the part about calling offenders idiots - I'm going to work on that too...

As promised...

So here is the picture from Christmas - looks like fun, right?