Sucker

Mae found these shoes at the associate store yesterday and I am a total sucker who was high of getting cans of formula for half price.  She can't walk in them but that doesn't really matter.  She sat in her car seat looking at her feet the whole way home.

Just Call Me Nancy Drew

cause I just solved the case of the fussy baby.  Poor Spike has another tooth coming in.  The funny part is that it is another bottom tooth, but not the one right next to his two teeth, the one over a space.  That kid is gonna look like a serious Arkansas hillbilly.

Talk to me baby

So I found myself once again faced with a child who wasn't talking at the same level as their peers.  I'm starting to think that maybe it's me.  We decided to get an earlier start with Mae then we did with Max.  Part of this was because of experience and part was that the two sitautions have actually been different.  I felt like with Max that he was a bit behind, but that he communicated more effectivly then Mae does.  For Max it was more of a non-polished thing and for Mae it feels more like, something isn't right.  I debated whether or not to go down to Little Rock and visit my brilliant speech therapist cousin Liz, but while I feel she would have done the best job, the 3 and a half hour trip would have made regular visits prohibitive.  So we had her checked out locally.  The therapist we met with was a wonderful gal who is positive, kind, and really works well with Mae.  After the testing we met and discussed Mae's needs.  Whereas Max had been mostly fine and did not qualify for therapy, Mae is behind.  She speaks and comprehends at a twelve month level.  The therapist isn't sure why this is exactly, but Mae is going to get speech therapy three days a week for now.  I am very excited to help Mae communicate with us.  I think it will help us all be happier in the long run.  (Although I am not thrilled about the less then convienant schedule we were able to get.)  I love my Miss Mae, who is trying to attack me with books while I type this.  I am very eager to find out what she wants to say.

Break on through to the other side

So a side effect of getting a new roof was getting the use of a full size construction dumpster.  We took this opportunity to empty the garage.

It took Jeff and I about two hours of hauling that crap up the driveway into the dumpster but it was worth it.  We kept finding the most random construction items.  We kept finding all these mirrors and panes of glass.  One pane was like eight feet by six feet and it took both of us to carry it to the dumpster.  It was very heavy and oddly enough traffic picked up that Friday night so it felt like we were extras in a stunt movie.  I was waiting for the police to chase someone right through it.  SO MANY DOORS!  It often felt like the chase scene in Monsters Inc. 

 Alas none of the doors led us to Narnia.  We chucked most of it.  We kept one nice front door and inside door for our other house, and we kept these puppies.

These guys are solid something and HEAVY!  Rumor from the neighbor has it that the previous owner took them off the P.F. Changs job site where he was doing electrical work.  I talked to a contractor friend of mine and I am gonna post them on craigslist for $700.  I have no where to put them myself.  You can't tell from the weird glare but they are gorgeous. 

So this is what the garage looks like now.  We got Jeff a garage door opener for his birthday/Christmas and he can now park in the garage.  Hooray. 

*Oh snap how clever am I with the title?  A" Doors" lyric that aptly describes getting through to the other side of the garage and the intense fear I felt carrying the giant glass sheet.  

Sleepy Guy

Help Grandma

Dear Grandma Tobler, I need my own apron please!

Love, Mae

A Day Late

So Jeff's birthday was yesterday.  Happy Birthday sweetie.  We went out to breakfast and dinner without the kids.  Not too bad.  We had intended to go to the new Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, that was built by Alice Walton right in our backyard, but we got there late and it had closed for the night.  Oops.  The museum opened in November and I keep saying that I will make it and not stressing to get there cause it isn't going anywhere, but at this point I kinda wonder if I need to make more of an effort.  I wanna see me some Winslow Homer and Norman Rockwell.  Now for the important part of this post; Jeff is 32 and aging well.  He was pretty great when we met 10 years ago, but I gotta say he does get better with age.  I could devote this entire blog to how much I love and admire him, but I don't think anyone wants to read that.  Instead I have decided to help my readers get to know Jeff a bit better.  I assume that most of my readers are here because they know me, so this post might better acquaint you with my guy.

From Jeff's point of view

I know...How to drive on the opposite side of the road
I want...The Lord of the Rings on Blu-Ray, but my wife won't let me have it cause we have them all on DVD
I have...all the Playstation gaming systems
I wish...the furnace would magically start working again
I hate...Adele
I miss...my mom and dad
I fear...that something else will have to be replaced in the car/houses this month
I Feel...that it is impossible to put my wallet on the left side of my pants wearing the back pockets out evenly
I hear...the baby monitor at 5 a.m.
I smell...candles, (He loves candles which is funny cause I don't.)
I crave...Chicken Ala King
I search...for Spike and Mae pacifiers
I wonder...what free games I'll get on the playstation plus network each month
I regret...getting the dog
I love...My kids
I care...about my primary calling
I always...take care of any plumbing issues and also get to lick all the cake/ brownie/ cookie batter bowls, these are both "Jeff Jobs." Not to shabby a trade off.
I am going...to take Max to DisneyWorld this December
I believe...in duct tape
I dance... on my Dance Dance Revolution Mat
I sing...along with Emily when she makes up songs for the kids
I fight...to defend my wife
I write...computer programs
I lose...track of my pager schedule for work
I win...all my video games... eventually
I never...hurt my kids or my wife
I listen...to Weird Al
I am scared...of heights
I need to clean...my wallet
I hope...to sell my house this spring

A few extra stats:
A Provo, Utah native
Served a LDS mission in Sydney Australia
Has a Masters in Information Systems Management from BYU
Works for the Information Systems department at Walmart
Has adorable dimples that you can't see cause he rocks an awesome beard
Is well liked by everyone.  I have never met a person who didn't like my husband, (expect his younger sister Megan, but that is a younger sister thing and he said they got along wonderfully on his last visit.)
Really handy around the house
Is completely smitten with Mae and best buds with Max