A Whole New World

It has begun...we have entered the world of "uncomfortable public commentary" from my two year old.

At Costco yesterday:
A black woman backed into us, as we were both looking at the frozen goods, we exchanged "excuse me" and continued on our way. Hyrum says, "Mom, you see that!? Black, mom, black!"

I'm just hoping Hyrum isn't as talented in this new area as his cousin Carter, who is known for these awkward jewels:
"Why is that guy so big, huge, fat?" (with emphasis)
"Look Dad, Jesus is in the hot tub!" (pointing to a long haired, half naked hippie, smoking in the hot tub)
"Mom, Buzz is up my butt." (referring to his Buzz Lightyear underwear)

My favorite is the time they were standing in a checkout line (correct me if I'm wrong Shanda)the man directly behind them was dressed in drag, Carter stared and pointed and asked, "Hey dad, Why is that daddy wearing makeup?" (What do you say to that?!)

Aren't they beautiful!

My sister and I canned pears and peaches today. This was only the second time I have done canning, and the first time without my mom's help. She wasn't with us in person anyway- we did have her detailed instructions. And Colleen, my mother in law, gave us a few pointers.

It was a good day's work. We started just before noon and I took the last batch off the stove at 8:00. It's satisfying to see the finished product and reap the rewards. Feels good.

Nattalie and I deem ourselves "real" women now that we have successfully canned *on our own*.

Autumn Rain

We have had awesome rain and thunder storms this year. We had a "big one" a couple of weeks ago. We opened the windows so we could eat lunch to the sights, sounds, and smells of the storm. The kids loved hearing the big bangs and seeing the lightning flashes. I love the rain (with one exception, riding a motorcycle in the rain is painful). I've had fun sharing with my children.

Ignore the bumpy filming. And yes, Hyrum is playing in the rain barefoot, without a jacket, and with a cough.

A stumbled upon tip

The room Audrey is in had a malfunctioning door knob and so it was removed.
As long as Audrey has been in the room the door has had a hole where we have never replaced the door knob. Surprisingly, it's been perfect! I can peek in at her at any time without disturbing her. It's a lot cheaper than an official peep hole or a video monitor. I think I will purposefully remove the door knob on my babies rooms in the future. (I happened to position the crib within view, something I will have to remember to replicate later.)

PS: Hyrum's meds: Amoxicillan mixed with about 2 Tbsp of grape juice; drink with a straw. The straw is an absolute necessity.

From Bad to Ugly

Morning

(The bandaid is just for comfort)

Noon

And Night

Today I took Hyrum to urgent care. We waited for over an hour in the tiny room with the crinkly paper for the doctor to examine Hyrum. We lost it. We went through all the treats in the diaper bag, told stories about the artwork in the room, changed diapers, and we even played Hide and Seek. I finally just opened the door, and we went back to the waiting room and played with the toys. We brought some books back and read them and still waited. The receptionist could tell I was on the verge; she brought us fruit snacks and a juice box 55 minutes into our sentence. I was just about to go home when the doctor finally came in. Needless to say, Hyrum had little patience for the exam. And I had even less. It's hard work keeping a two year old from entering "Melt Down Phase" when all roads are spiraling in that direction, especially with a tired baby on your hip.

It's a good thing we went because not only does he have an eye infection, he has a sinus infection. The doctor said his throat looks very sore and that he has a the beginnings of an ear infection also. Poor kid. We tried everything to encourage him to take his medicine willfully. But now there was no stopping it, we entered "Melt Down Phase" in it's entirety. In the end, we held him down and forced him to take it. "Take it" being used loosely, referring to what he may have swallowed while he was trying to spew it back in our faces. Twice a day for 10 days...and eye drops every 6 hours.

Can anyone identify which Disney cartoon this character comes from? His name is Pink Eye Pete. I remembered him, and thought he was from Recess, but I was wrong.

This is how Audrey communicates much of the time. We have screaming stand-offs every morning; she always wins.

My dad and brother like to yell her name when they see her in a tone that would start most kids crying (Hyrum still cries when they do it to him), but Audrey just growls and then screams right back. It makes me laugh every time!

Another Welcome Addition!

Welcome Baby Taylor!
....only four more babies to go! (2 Hatch side and 2 Bezzant side)