martineau madness

A Sad Day For Sam's Mom

2010-05-27T07:31:00.001-07:00

Well,then. It's been a while since I posted multiple pictures and I forgot the rules of selecting them in opposite order of how you want them. So, the bottom pic is first in chronological order.

Yesterday was a big day for Sam. It was his very last day of being a preschooler. Which, and this is the sad part for the mom, means he's a Kindergartner.

Sam's first day of preschool, and the following weeks, were rough for my little man. This is a little boy who never fully realized Nursery and the fun that could be had there. He much preferred the company of his parents and only started to go, without the teachers bringing me a tantrum throwing child, when he turned 3. He got 6 months of Nursery time. He started preschool just 3 months after he turned three, which meant separation anxiety was in full throttle and I had a broken heart leaving a sobbing child to Miss Patti's fabulous care. After a few weeks of this, it got better, but he still needed 3 hugs and three kisses before I could go and then he'd run to the window to watch me and make sure I signed "I love you" to him.

What a difference a year makes. this year, he could care less for my proximity to him. He runs from the car to the door of preschool, sometimes without so much as a "Bye, Mom!", or "Love ya, Mom!" or "I need a 3 hugs and 3 kisses." He doesn't watch for me to sign "I love you" to him. He's far to busy with his friends and Miss Patti...or kissing the "prettiest girl in class", Tess. Yeah, that's right. I'm already freaking out about later years.

Sam and Miss Patti on Cowboy day, 2009

You know what I'll miss the most? The time I have with him in the car, just after preschool. The boy cracks me up with his craziness anyways, but sometimes, the things he'd tell me about what he learned kept me smiling ALL day long.

First day of school, 2009...yep, he's my handsomest Sam

One day, Sam got in the car and I asked him what he learned about. "Giraffes" was his reply. "Oh, cool. What do they do?", I asked. His response, and it really shows you what he's most interested in, "they go down, bend down to get a drink of water. And the an alligator CHOMPS OFF HIS NECK!" So, of all the wonderful things Miss Patti told him about giraffes, THIS is what he gets from it. What a boy!

Drawing with an orange marker...not surprising

I also love the songs he sings. Although, I can never let him know I'm listening. Just after his first program, for the three year old class, Miss Patti was SO happy that he sang. He never sings at rug time, she told me. Well, he sings all day long at home! A few weeks ago, he was sitting at the table eating lunch. He looked up at me and said, "If you bet your bottom dollar, there will be sun." And then when back to eating. "Annie" songs are always good to learn.

Cowboy Day

2008

They learned a song about lying in class a while back. It's one of my favorite songs to tease him about. One day, while we were riding in the car with the whole family, Aaron was telling me about the side effects of an herbal pill he took. His face was red and hot, he was felt like his head was going to explode, those sorts of wonderful things. Sam asked from the back seat "Did you tell a lie, Dad?" Because in the song it says "Your face gets hot and turns bright red, da duh. And your heart will start to thump in your throat will get a lump."

First day of preschool, 2008

I love Miss Patti. She loves the kids in her classes. One day, I won't have any more little kids to send to her class. That will be a sad day for me. That day is not here yet. Emerson starts in the Fall!

I'm Back...

2010-05-20T18:57:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. You missed me like mad! Truth be told, I missed me, too! For now, this post, the news is: I am in my own space. I don't feel like I'm in anyone's way, in anyone's hair, or on anyone's nerves...besides, of course, my children...but it's my job to be on their nerves, right? I do love and adore my kids...more than I have in a little over a year...yep, it feels good to like my family and not feel like I have to micro manage their every move to keep them outta trouble.

I'll write more soon...

ORANGE you glad we have Sam?

2009-06-16T13:48:00.000-07:00

What a bad mommy! It's been over a week since Sam's birthday and I haven't blogged. Well, he'll have middle child syndrome for sure! Sam loves two things more than anything else in the world right now: balloons and the color orange. So we had lots of balloons around and, of course, lots of orange! I tried to think of a bunch of orange foods and came up with a few that went well with the only things Sam wanted for his dinner (hot dogs and watermelon). We even tried to wear orange.

Here's just a few pictures from the party. I think the kids had fun. There was a treasure hunt that ended in the attic.

Can I just say I think my boy is handsome? Some poor girl out there will be blinded by his dimples and dark eyes and not know what a troll he can be until it's too late!

Okay, here goes. It's the quintessential reason's I love Sam...

S-Smile. He knows when to use it to his best advantage.

A-Adventurous. Likes to think he's bigger than he is. It's scary.

M-Momma's boy. He'll grow out of it one day. But I'll take the cuddles now.

U-Unpredictable. Just when I think I know what he's gonna do next....

E-Energy. He has so much! I wish I could harness it to power the earth!

L-Laugh. His laugh is SO cute. It makes me laugh.

On a side note, had I blogged this earlier, I wouldn't be able to tell you these cute stories! Sam was being naughty. I asked him if he wanted me to whack his seat 3 times..."I four years old. I get four whacks!" And then, the other day, Austin was trying to get him to eat, "Just take one bite?" "No, I 4 years old. I eat 4 bites of potatoes!" He just doesn't get it! I love him!

To Sea World We Go!

2009-06-03T09:32:00.000-07:00

Every time I come here I think I need to become a person that swims with Shamu. I guess Sea World has it's own magic. Not quite like Disneyland magic. More of a "Look what I could become" magic. Does that make sense?

Some of Olive's favorite things: The dolphins. She was amazed at them. Watching them swim, being so close. She is a nature/animal lover. She was SO brave and rode "Atlantis" with me. She screamed in terror and this ride, too, made her "tweasy".

Sam's faves: It was Brinnley. Hands down. (see upper left hand picture) Didn't matter what we were watching, as long as Brinnley was by him or, in some cases, holding hands as we walked. Brinnley is his favorite...and Parker, too.

Emmers loved the Sesame Street area. She went on the Elmo ride with Fun Aunt Jen. She sat and watched things well enough. The Sesame Street 4 D thing was probably the thing that got the most response from her..."Oh, wook at dat!"

Here's just a few fun Sea World moments. Petting the creepy looking Bat Rays, hanging with Nannie, chillin' with the cousins....good times!

Back to the Vacay

2009-05-28T12:46:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday night we drove to San Diego. The next morning we had another surprise for the kids....COUSINS! And Aunts, Uncles, and Grandparents...

A few of my sisters and their families had planned this portion of the trip and called to see if we wanted in. We planned Disneyland around this. Starting in the upper left hand corner: Jill, Justin (holding TJ-ers), Sadie, Megan, and Parker. Next pic: Marianne and Ferdie's family: Josh, Maizie, Mollie, Kenz. Center: Look familiar? Bottom left: Lindy and her kids: Bronco, Brady, Brinnley, and Taylor. Her husband, Jaret, joined us the next day. Last pic: My dad, mom, Haley, and Jen.

We met at their hotel for some breakfast and then headed to Cabrillo National Monument. The tide pools were so cool! Parker held a sea slug so Olivia could pet him. The kids had a great time here. We did lose Sam. He wandered off. In a place where the ocean and rocks and cliffs collide, my mommy heart was sick. I found him up on the cliff standing back in a patch of flowers. A man approached me when he knew I was the mom and told me Sam was wandering close to the edge. He could tell he was lost so he had him go stand in a high place where his parents could easily spot him. Thank heavens for nice strangers!

After some time in the tide pools, we headed to see the light house. It was pretty cool. One side looked out over a Naval base {I think}. Anywho...there was a submarine coming up out of the water. It was cool to see. The view was amazing!

Then off to Mission Beach. The kids had no apprehension here. Straight into the water they ran. We buried Olivia and Meg in the sand and made them mermaids. Olivia still enjoyed "basking in the sun"...

This boy. I LOVE the middle picture of him. He had fun building sand mountains and cars with his dad.

Emerson mostly slept. She woke up just as we were leaving the beach and just in time for one "awake" picture.

A few random/fun pics: Jen connecting with her inner self on the beach, Aaron and me, the grand sand sea turtle, and a pic of Aaron and kids.

Then it was to the hotel for dinner. Lindy and Jill were in charge this night! After a day in the ocean a nice warm home cooked meal was so nice!

Remembering...

2009-05-25T08:42:00.000-07:00

For the sake of Memorial Day....

Grandfather Cowan: I don't remember a whole lot about him. He died when I was really young. I remember the hospital bed in the front room. By the big window in the back of the living room. I remember singing "I am a Child of God" with all of the grandkids at his funeral. I remember thinking, when we sang the part about "rich blessings are in store", that it was like a can of Campell's soup...only Blessings soup. I think of him when I drive past farm land.

Grandpa Hurst: "Ride a cock horsey to Bambury Cross, to see a fine lady upon a fine horse. Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes, she will hear music where ever she goes! YEE-HAH!!" He used to chant that rhyme while giving us a ride on his foot (crossed over his knee so it would swing) then, at the end he would boost us on to his lap and generally give us a good ol' whisker rub. I remember his garden. I remember his fun wooden toys he built. I remember his marigold garden. I celebrate him with a bowl of ice cream.

Grandma Hurst: She always had a bag of M&M's in her purse. They tasted like she smelled. So yummy. I wish I could go buy a bag of Grandma Hurst flavored M&M's. She saved all her costume jewelry for the girls to dress up in. There was always a yellow cake with chocolate frosting on her counter. I remember sleeping over with her after Grandpa died (mostly on the weekends so my older brother, Jared, could have a break). I did puzzles with her and played Solitare to pass the time. She was watching me play Solitare one time. I had no moves so I pulled a card from somewhere I shouldn't have...."I saw that", she said. I can't cheat at Solitare to this day. I celebrate her with a bucket of KFC.

Grandmother Cowan: She was VERY proper. Always called me "Michelle". Never answered to "Grandma". Only to "Grandmother". Frozen government cheese. Toast (home made bread) with honey so old it was black. Ice cream cones. She was a Depression baby...we saved tin foil and used baggies and made due with what we had. We used to dance around in her living room to an old church record. She pulled pans out of the a 350 degree oven...with NO hot pads. Bare handed. She used to recite "Little Black Sambo" to us. I wish I had a recording of her telling the story. I loved the voices she used. She used to walk in the back door to a room FULL of people and yell, "Is anybody home?" One time, we all yelled back "NO!" From then on it was "Is anybody happy?" I can't eat toast with honey with out remebering her.

That's the order in which they passed away. I miss them terribly as I type this. It's been a while since I remebered back to the things they did to make me smile.

The Big D

2009-05-18T10:49:00.000-07:00

We spent Tuesday and Wednesday in Disneyland and California Adventure. Our biggest mistake was taking the kids on the Snow White ride first. Sam was terrified. Emerson screamed, and Olivia buried her head in my side. Sam asked to go home about every 5 minutes after that. We had a hard time convincing him to go on any other rides! I think, for the most part, Olivia and I had a great time, Emerson and Aaron tolerated it, and Sam mostly hated it...until we met the Princesses...

So, Sam was a bit skeptical of the big costumed characters. He really didn't want to get too close to any of them. The princesses and fairies were a different story! He liked the pretty ones! In the end, Sam really did enjoy a few things: the Mickey Mouse shaped ice cream, the popcorn bucket, the water fountains around the park, the big wet ball in the middle of Tomorrowland, and even a couple rides--Toy Story Mania and Small World!

Olivia was a bundle of excitement from the time we told her where we were going! She is an excellent map reader and was the first to start investigating the map to see where we needed to go next. She was VERY brave and rode Splash Mountain with me. Initially when we got off the ride she said it was "AWE.SOME!" Then she changed her mind and said it made her "Tweasy". Aaron was a champ and stood in line for the family so Olivia could meet the princesses. Dads rock.

Emerson mainly rode around in the stroller looking for a new creative way to get out. And when we did let her out of the stroller, she was very vigilant about staying close, but not so close that we could grab her to put her back in! She warmed up to the characters as the days went on. She waved at them and gave them high 5's when she could. Emerson, like her mom, really enjoyed the churros. I think Small World was one of the rides she liked best.

Here are a few of our "Character Greeting" pictures. I liked Eeyore the best. He looked so cuddly! Tigger still bugs me. I'm hoping it was confussion on his part. There were 2 little girls ahead of in line, one of the girls got her little book signed and a picture. When the second little girl went to hand him her book he ushered her out. The mom consoled her heart broken daughter and then cut back in and made him sign her book. All the moms around said it was the right thing to do.

Here's just a few random pictures of fun things. I love the one of Aaron and Emerson sleeping on the bench! I wish you could see the expression on Sam's face in the one where he's on Aaron's shoulders...SO happy to be there! Aaron and the kids had a great time seeking out the penny squishing machines. Sam still likes looking at his "ovals". Aaron has consented to go again...this time being very sure to take breaks during the day...I'm counting down the days!

Here's a slide show if you have time!

Welcome to Sunny California!

2009-05-06T11:20:00.000-07:00

We woke up Easter Sunday, with the puking kiddos and everything, and decided to begin our very first trip further west than Ely, NV. Olivia was the only one to get "sick" in the car. We drove through Utah and into Nevada stopping in Primm, NV to spend the night. FABULOUS hotel prices here. Seriously, if you're heading to California....look up Buffalo Bill's on the net and look for the deals!
The next morning we headed out to sunny California! Olivia thought everything we saw was AWWWWE.SOME! We loved looking at the Joshua trees and the desert landscape. We decided to head straight for the beach and check into our hotel later in the day. About lunch time we rolled into Laguna Beach...

Olivia loves to "bask in the sun"...so the beach was perfect for her. She loved to run through the water and then go dry off. She even attempted a "sand angel". Olivia also enjoyed poking around in the tide pools on this beach.

Sam...he was terrified of the water at first. Stayed on the towel and played in the sand. Pretty soon he was saying "I wanna go step in the beach"...meaning the ocean, but I thought it was pretty cute! By the end of the afternoon he was running through "the beach" like the madman that he is!

Emerson is definitely adventurous. She's hard to stop when she gets an idea in her head. At first, she let me hold her hands as the waves got her toes...too soon she wouldn't let us touch her as the waves came up and Aaron ended up grabbing her just as a wave knocked her over. Unfortunately, she thought it was great!

This day is probably the best day, for me, of the trip. Watching the kids run and play and squeal with delight running to and from the waves. No lines to stand in, to time table to follow. Just relaxing and playing. The only thing that hinder my complete enjoyment was the fear that my kids would be swept out to sea. The beach is a scary place for overly paranoid mommas.
I also had my deepest thought on this beach. I watched my kids nervously take their first steps into a big unknown for them. They ran back to the safety of the towels the first few times. Gradually they started going further and further into the ocean playing and laughing...until a big wave would knock them over and then back to the towels. It's similar to life, really. I'm just going to get my feet wet. No big deal, I can run to the towel at any time. Maybe I'll get in a little deeper, I'm still standing. Deeper still. A wave knocks you over...can you get out?

Sorry, I'm no good at deep thoughts.

one more

2009-05-05T13:08:00.000-07:00

because my kids are cracking me up today!

Last night Sam was in trouble for getting out a bunch of Grandpa's games (checkers, trionimos, backgammon, rummikub, etc) and spreading them all over the basement while I was upstairs cooking. He was band from playing with them ever again. This morning, I got out of bed and walked past Sam's room where he was sitting on the floor shoving a big bag of Rummikub tiles in his backpack. "Sam, what are you doing?" I asked him. he looked up at me with his big, brown eyes, an impish smile on his face and said "I love you." I asked him if he was taking them to show and tell and he said " I want to show them my two thousand dollars!" I love this boy!

On the way home from school, I had to stop by Aaron's work to get a key to the house. He was telling Emerson that we were going inside Daddy's work. I told him we weren't going inside and he said, "Cease, Mommy! We are going inside!"

Today, Olivia had a field trip, so she was at school while Sam was. It was just Emerson and me. The car was in desperate need of a vaccuum. I left Emmers in hewr seat until I needed to clean it out and then she climbed all over the car while she was free. I put the car seats back in the car, hung the vaccuum tube back up and went around to put her in her seat. The door was locked. She locked me out. I looked in at her....she had the BIGGEST naughty elf smile on her face. I pointed to the lock and she came over and opened it for me (my 20 month old). As I was strapping her in I was smiling telling her that was naughty..."Funny!" ,she said!

I love the days my kids make me laugh!

Before I get on to the Vacation posts...

2009-05-01T08:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Aaron's birthday! I just wanted him to know that I really do love him....and sometimes even like him! He's a great guy and great dad....I love you, Aaron!

I attempted making a Vanilla Bean Cheesecake for him. My first cheesecake from scratch. I might try a different recipe next time.

Aaron and the kids gearing up for present time!

Easter Weekend

2009-04-29T08:40:00.000-07:00

We headed to Utah for Easter this year! After a split second decision, we packed up and headed out late Thursday afternoon. The kids were SO excited to see their cousins! Sam quickly got over his "fear" of driving through the mountains (fear because the last few trips through he has had a tendency to make it a technicolor trip)...He was saying, "I'm not gonna "trow" up, Olivia is." Thankfully, none of that happened...this trip. We played around Friday and then colored Easter Eggs with all of the cousins (35 grandkids plus a few extras!).

Olivia with her empty canvas

Aaron had SAm waiting and waiting for his eggs to "be ready". He was actually VERY patient.

Which ended up more colorful, the egg or my baby?

She may be new at this, but Emerson caught on quickly!

Sam had his priorities: first: Sixlets, second: suckers, third: eggs

Olivia and Lauren showing off their baskets.

Emerson has mixed feelings for McKinley...on one hand, she loves her...on the other, she's terrified of McKinley loving her too much!

Our Easter morning breakfast consisted of some VERY loverly Grandam Sycamore toast with cinnamon sugar on top.

Sam mostly played with his Easter Basket...then threw up, then played some more, then threw up some more.

Olivia started off her morning puking. Then more, then more, then more. So, we did the only logical thing. Packed up our car and headed for California! But, that's another post (or 10) for another day!

Oh, whusst

2009-04-07T20:30:00.001-07:00

She was being quiet. TOO quiet. I wondered if she had gone upstairs. I walked into the living room towards the stairs and, there she was! Olivia's library book in one hand, a pack of ball point pens in the other. She dropped them immediately and said, "Oh, whust!" Translation: Oh, whoops! Ain't nothing "whust" about drawing in a library book! She is SO adorable! Too cute to get a spankin'....so, I walked in the other room to blog aboutit.

Orange Rolls...mmmmmm

2009-04-01T13:03:00.000-07:00

Have I ever told you that my sweetie can cook? Well, he can. Delicious food. I am a very lucky girl! One of the family's favorite things he makes is Orange Rolls. They are heavenly. I should clarify: Heavenly when made sans raisins, of the devil when made with them. Katie, Aaron's older sister, wanted a tutorial on how to make them when her family was out here for the wedding. What a fine excuse to make them! Sorry, no professional baking pics, no recipe.

Katie and Kyle taking mental notes on technique.

Special twisty motion to put them together.

No, no, no...not yet, they must bake first.

mmmmmm...tasty!

Wanna bite? Too bad...Julie doesn't share food!!! (think Friends)

The girls weren't very interested in Orange Roll Tutorials, so they played with the pretty wedding things.

Esther's Weddin'

2009-03-23T13:37:00.000-07:00

Aaron's sister, Esther married Brandon on married February 19. We had a great time at the wedding and reception. Here's a few favorite pictures...

The happy couple

Watching the festivities

Way to go, Esther!

The lovely bride

Our little family
HOT SHOES! I'm the foot on the right of the bride'sSam and one* of his ladies

The exhaustion sets in

*Yes, ONE of his ladies. He has his own harem.

Valentine's Breakfast

2009-03-23T13:26:00.000-07:00

So, I'm really far behind. No excuses, really. I just thought that since I gave my sister a hard time about no updates....I should update!

Valentine's. Aaron and I prefer hanging out with the kids over a night alone, so we took them to The Original Pancake House for breakfast on Vday. We did, however, forget our children's aversions to eating food faces...

The blog thing is being weird and showing text instead of pictures in the composing part, so...Emerson....she's a ham. Sam, really liked the looks of his pancakes man, and ate his nose, mouth, and eyes...but not much else. Liv, ornery as ever refusing to say cheese, contemplating how to get out of eating the pancake man.

A Brand New Outfit

2009-02-11T13:29:00.000-08:00

I'm slow on the trends, but I catch up eventually...

25 Extremely Random and storylike things about me

2009-02-06T11:43:00.000-08:00

I posted it on Facebook, but Figured it might be a fun Blog entry

1. I like peanut m & m’s.

2. I have been scarred for life by a man who wears purple spandex.

3. I once stopped traffic in San Fran. Yes, it was a long time ago, around age 18….and FINE! It was just one car, but I stopped it.

4. I have been banned from Smith Food and Drug in Payson, UT for what will forever be known as “The Jelly Belly Incident”.

5. I did once ask my sister if octopus were real. I did not, however, ever think that Mt. Rushmore was carved by the wind.

6. When I was Preggers, I watched “Moth Man Prophecies”. I made Aaron wake up in every time I had to go pee in the night from that night all the way through my pregnancy.

7. I never left the state of Utah until I was in 8th grade.

8. I have been scarred for life by a man who wears really short shorts and a thong whilst on the elliptical trainer. I was on the rowing machine next to him…same man wears purple spandex….Speedos and pants.

9. I started to train for a triathlon (sprint) last year. Then I realized I couldn’t swim and stopped training for that, but I did run my first 5k.

10. I shamelessly flirted with this one guy on Feb. 13th, 1999. I said since the girl next to me got a kiss from her Valentine I should get one, too. Now we’re married.

11. I once spoke, with out thinking, to my Mia Maids class and told them to “Be careful who they let sleep in their beds.” I was talking about a bed bug outbreak. It just came out wrong.

12.I once vehemently defended Edward Cullen from a vicious attack by a woman who didn’t even know him. She called him abusive. I’ll tell you who’s abusive. Starts with Jacob ends with Black.

13. When I was in High school I had a womanly mishap in Chemistry. I couldn’t get up to leave because I was too embarrassed to ask Mr. Hill for a sweatshirt. I waited for Mrs. Baum (I think) to come back so I could ask her for a sweatshirt. It took all lunch long.

14. I have been scarred for life by a man in a purple Speedo doing crunches on the deck of the pool. Seriously, man! Was there a clearance on this material?!? Did your mama make them for you? Can you please go in the locker room to work on your abs?

15. When I was in high school I went on a first date with a guy to “Scream”. I really wanted to leave after the opening scene. I sat in fetal position the remainder of the movie. When I got home, Jill wasn’t home yet and I thought I heard something behind me. So rather than turn around to see what the noise was (what, and end up pummeled like Drew Barrymore?!?) I stood in the same position until Jill arrived home an hour or so later.

16. I mostly blame my extremely low tolerance of scary movies on my sisters. They made me watch “Poltergeist” when I was in Kindergarten or 1st grade and then they wouldn’t take me to the bathroom when I had to go. So I did the only logical thing. Peed on the couch. Boy did they get in trouble.

17. Once when one of my sisters was watching me I got in trouble for something silly like moving or sneezing. She got after me and I made her really mad by laughing instead of crying. So she kept beating me (not really beating, I can’t remember what she was doing), and I kept laughing. It really hurt. I have a crying reflex now when I laugh.

18. I can’t bend over and touch my toes unless it’s right after Yoga class or a run.

19. I was in Mexico on 9/11. They thought the tourists would feel more secure with large open bed trucks full of soldiers holding big guns driving around. They were wrong.

20. Once, when I was in 4th grade, I threw up Macaroni and cheese and cream corn all over in my sister’s hair. Her hair was to her waist.

21. I didn’t read Pride and Prejudice until after I fell in love with Mr. Darcy. Thank you Collin Firth.

22. I worked for IFA for 4 years.

23. I requested mashed potatoes and gravy from KFC after Olivia was born.

24. I have never broken a bone.

25. I swear to this day on my life I never kissed Joel or Aaron Frost. I don’t care who thinks they saw what. It NEVER happened. I think Jill may have created this story to hide the fact that she kissed Ryan. This, of course, is just speculation.

Christmas Eve 2008

2009-01-23T13:09:00.001-08:00

Feeling a little too lazy to type out the whole day! Enjoy the pictures!

Fun December stuff...the BIG day not included....

2009-01-15T12:54:00.000-08:00

Olivia is loves to practice writing and sounding out words. She wrote me this poem.

I love you mom

be happy in your heart

there is love in hearts

I think she's amazing!

The little sweetie all bundled up for the Zoo Lights! A vendor that Aaron works with takes his group to the Zoo Light every year....and they feed us, too!

Little Miss Emerson ready to roll through the zoo!

My Mr. Sam-man. He's adorably troublesome and sweet and hard headed.

Zoo Lights!!

We did a little FHE Gingerbread Night. No Gospel principles were taught here, although I'm sure we could have talked about how our homes should be sanctuaries from the world....hey, I think I've got something for next year...

Sam's Candyland Masterpiece

OK, so technically it was in November, but Olivia's Kindergarten had a Western Day. They danced in the gym for us with their 3rd grade buddies.

This is Sam sitting next to me playing on his computer. He cracks me up!

Holy in need of an update, Batman!

2009-01-15T12:31:00.000-08:00

Wow. I'm behind, I know it. I figure if Amy can jump back on the bandwagon, so can I!!! Let's start off slowly with Thanksgiving....

Wednesday the 26th we packed our car and headed to Utah! We only got about 20 miles into the trip before our car wigged out and we turned around to come home! Thanksgiving Day, bright (or dark) and early (about 3 am) we drove Grandma Great's car to Utah. Sam got car sick from watching the trees go by in the dark and lost what smallish amount he had in his tummy about an hour into it. The kids slept nicely through about Grand Junction and we made it to Payson with just enough time to change out of our traveling clothes and get to dinner!

We had a great time catching up playing with all the cousins for the rest of the day. Then, the sisters got together and planned a wild and crazy day of shopping for the next day! Lindy, Jill, Jennie and I decided to go Walmart to scope things out at about midnight. Lindy and Jill decided to stay all night at the lovely establishment whilst Jennie and I went home to sleep (12:45 am). The rest of the shopping party joined Lindy and Jill at about 4:30-45. We stayed out for the better part of the day! We went from Wallyworld to Shopko to Target to Toys R Us to the mall to Cafe Rio!!! Oh, Cafe Rio, I would go on many a crazy shopping day to enjoy a nice Pork burrito there. I went home to catch some zzzz's whilst the other ladies sallied forth with their elfish behavior. I think that night we went to Twilight, but then again, it could have been Saturday night.

Saturday morning we had a family Christmas Party where we had a knock down drag out Gingerbread House Decorating competition. It was fun! And Santa came. And kids cried. Not Sam though. He was content to avoid eye contact, grab his candy and get out.

So, these are two of the very few pictures I took this weekend. What a bad scrapbooker I am.

We went to church Sunday and drove home on Monday. It was a great, crazy, exhausting trip!

Tag, I'm it!

2008-11-11T12:47:00.000-08:00

My li'l sis Jen tagged me. I figure I'd be a nice sis and play along....

8 TV shows I love to watch: lets hope the ones that are no longer 'on the air' count...

1. ER
2. Heroes
3. The Backyardigans...they do have a few catchy tunes, you know.
4. American Idol. I never vote but I get mad when the likes of Sanjaya hang around for so long.
5. Full house. I just love how the nice cozy music comes on when the "learning moment" starts
6. Iron Chef: mostly I thank my lucky stars I'm not a judge so I don't have to eat the stuff.
7. Food Network Challenge, especially the cake ones
8. Ace of Cakes. It's the show I watch with Livs. Dubbed "The Cake Show" by her.

8 Favorite Restaurants

1. Los Hermanos. Oh, Utah, the food there comes in a close second on my list of things I miss the most.
2. Cafe Rio...I need pork. Must have PORK!!!
3. Daily Freeze. I'm a grilled cheese lover. Copying Jen here
4. The Cheesecake Factory. Currently seeking friends for a girls night out here.
5. Red Robin. Two words: Whiskey River...mmmmmm
6. Cafe Mom's....not a true restaurant, but I'd drive 8 hrs both ways to eat there!
7. Ottavio's/Tepenyaki/Glade's/Brand X Oh, Utah food, I will be there in 2 short weeks!
8. LaMar's Doghnut Shop. There are tables there and it thus qualifies as a restaurant. I love eating cinnamon rolls bigger than my head!

8 Things that happened today

1. I'm going to start my day at midnight. I woke up sure I was going to hurl. I didn't, but just as I was drifting off again....Emerson decided to join me in bed
2. Shower. Sam decided he needed one too. There's no talking this boy down in the early morning hours.
3. Dropped Aaron off at work
4. Took Sam to Preschool
5. Dropped books off at the library
6. Went to Target7. Visited a friend and explained to her she ought not use her phone when high on painkillers
8. finished my taxi?chef?mom duties and sat down for a break at the computer!

8 things that I look forward to:

1. THANKSGIVING!!
2. Bedtime
3. Christmas! Shopping and all. I started listening to Christmas music before Halloween!
4. Hearing Sam sing "I Love to See the Temple" So cute!
5. Getting a rockin hair cut from Jen Jen...Razor only, por favor!
6. Getting a few bushy eyebrows waxed by my hot sister. Start the wax a-heatin, sweet cheeks!
7. Twilight. Coming soon to a theater near you!
8. Sister's night out!

8 Things on my wish list:
1. A trip to Disneyland
2. for the votes to be recounted and McCain to be the winner.
3. A hug and a kiss from my kiddos
4. To go on a trip somewhere tropical.
5. My personal Hairstylist to move to Colorady
6. I really want to find my drivers license and gym pass so I can go work out. Where ever they are, they're together!
7. to have a lifetime gift card to Gap.
8. To be gifted a beautiful fully furnished and decorated (to my liking, of course) house with a garden tub, a shower big enough to move in, and a maid.

8 People I tag:Hmmm.. let's go with:
I tag 8 people who want to be tagged. If you haven't already done this, then tag, or not. However you're feeling. I won't be offended, I promise.

Good Gravy! She's alive...and looking a bit off....

2008-11-02T19:27:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween, everyone! I've not been able to do a lot of Internet or computer things lately, so I've been lacking in the updates department. I am here to make amends and beg forgiveness with some darling pictures of a few really cute kids!

Emerson wouldn't stand still for a picture-oh, wait, she just plain doesn't stand still at all! Today during Sacrament she lifted her hand as I was passing the water over her and gave me a nice little shower. Then, my father-in-law said something in his testimony about how he'd forgotten how hard FHE with 3 little ones was. Between the 2 events I had moms and dads alike telling me life would get easier! Hooray for ill behaving children!

Sam. He is such a handsome cowboy! He is really not a scrapbookers child. He never looks directly into the camera. The lady in front of me, Sister Knight, turned around after Sacrament meeting was done and said, "He knows the agenda, doesn't he? He could conduct this meeting!" He's very vocal about when the bread and water should be arriving and just how soon afterwards he should be in Nursery. Do you think it would be wrong to take straight jackets and gags to church??

Olivia as a Pumpkin Fairy. Her whole Kindergarten class went on a parade through all the classrooms to show off their costumes. She is fairly well behaved. Her Primary teacher calls her his rock star because she is so well behaved in his class. She has a desk set up next door at Grandma Great's. They work together, sorting and piling and going through papers. 'GG' loves to have her over because she is such a big helper. Why do children act so different around other people? Olive is a good girl, don't get me wrong...but she very rarely willingly cleans or does whatever I tell her to.

I was thinking of going Goth or Emo....but I ended up Rock Star.

We went bowling after the Trunk or Treat. Aaron dressed up as a dad. Good costume, eh?

Olive and me....Fairy Princess and Scary Fairy.

My boys. I love 'em.

Other stuff worth noting:

We moved. Emerson was an excellent help! I was packing up a box of blankets and Em decided it was an excellent bed. It took a while to convince her otherwise.

Emerson tried to declare that where ever the Nesquik went, so did she. We brought it with us for fear Emers would not like storage.

Sam had Cowboy Day at Miss Patti's. We adore her!

Olivia and her mad drawing skills.

Blessed was the day Grandma Susan pulled out her costume boxes! Emerson had a blast plying in the necklaces.

We switched Olivia's school. She's now in a school that's much closer to me. Emerson doesn't care for the car so much. She screams BLOODY MURDER the whole way home. I am SO looking forward to 8 hours in the car with her come Thanksgiving!!

Is it done yet?? I just like the picture....

My baby is going.....

2008-09-19T14:07:00.000-07:00

I had a first with Olivia the other day. The conversation started off the same as many others we've had daily the past couple of years:

Olivia: Mom, can I watch a show?
Me: Sure. Which one do you want to watch?

This is where it gets a little different....

Olivia: How 'bout Hannah Montana or the Cheetah Girls?
Me: *GULP* I'm not sure if that's on right now, let's check....

I swear yesterday all she wanted was Blue's Clues and Animal Planet shows. Just yesterday I tried watching Hannah Montana to see what it was all about. Just yesterday she told me Hannah Montana was boring and she didn't like it so can we please watch Growing Up? But, she wasn't in school then. She was in my little protective bubble....

My brother in law posted this letter on our family site. It still gets me every time I read it. So go ahead, grab a tissue, and (for maybe the first time in your life) consider all the benefits of home schooling.

Dear World:
I bequeath to you today one little girl ... in a crisp dress ... with two blue eyes ... and a happy laugh that ripples all day long and a flash of light blonde hair that bounces in the sunlight when she runs. I trust you'll treat her well.

She's slipping out of the backyard of my heart this morning ... and skipping off down the street to her first day of school. And never again will she be completely mine. Prim and proud she'll wave her young and independent hand this morning and say "Good Bye"... and walk with little lady steps to the schoolhouse.

Now she'll learn to stand in line ... and wait by the alphabet for her name to be called. She'll learn to tune her ears to the sounds of school-bells ... and deadlines ... and she'll learn to giggle ... and gossip ... and look at the ceiling in a disinterested way when the little boy across the aisle sticks out his tongue at her.

And now she'll learn to be jealous. And now she'll learn how it is to feel hurt inside. And now she'll learn how not to cry.

No longer will she have time to sit on the front porch steps on a summer day and watch an ant scurry across the crack in a sidewalk. Nor will she have time to pop out of bed with the dawn to kiss lilac blossoms in the morning dew. No, now she'll worry about important things.

Like grades ... and which dress to wear ... and who's best friend is whose. And the magic of books and learning will replace the magic of her blocks and dolls.

And now she'll find new heroes.

For five full years now I've been her sage and Santa Claus and pal and playmate and parent and friend. Now she'll learn to share her worship with her teachers ... which is only right. But, no longer will I be the smartest person in the whole world.

Today when that school bell rings for the first time ... she'll learn what it means to be a member of a group. With all it's privileges. And it's disadvantages too.

She'll learn in time that proper young ladies do not laugh out loud. Or kiss dogs. Or keep frogs in pickle jars in bedrooms. Or even watch ants scurry across cracks in the summer sidewalk.

Today she'll learn for the first time that all who smile at her are not her friends. And I'll stand on the front porch and watch her start out on the long, lonely journey to become a woman.

So, World. I bequeath to you today one little girl ... in a crisp dress ... with two blue eyes and a happy laugh that ripples all day long ... and a flash of light blonde hair that bounces in the sunlight when she runs. I trust you'll treat her well.

Sniffle, sniffle.

Good Ol' Onion Days

2008-09-10T07:50:00.000-07:00

I uploaded these pictures a little while ago, but i have not really been in the mood to blog about them. Don't get me wrong, I had an excellent time....I'm just tired and busy and going crazy and normal stuff like that. Well, on to the good stuff!

The pictures are out of order, sorry, I'm not fixing it! Monday I ran my first 5k. I actually enjoyed myself! I ran it in 30:30. Not too shabby for a running hater. I am already looking forward to running another!

Emerson's first Carnival ride! She loved it! she had the cutest little grin on her face the whole time. When the Merry-Go Round stopped she threw a big ol' kicking, screaming, back arching fit until her obedient father went to get more tickets. then , she clapped and smiled again....for 3 minutes.
Sambo and the twins (Max and Chase) thought they were pretty cool in their big truck. Although, this truck, even if it were to scale, would have nothing on the trucks I see driving around Utah. I wounder how many of the drivers need ladders to get in??

Olivia with two of her favorite reasons to visit Utah, Gracie and Lauren. Megan isn't in this picture, but she absolutely adores her cousins.

He looks like a fire fighter in this picture! But not the kind of fire fighter that poses for those "Hot Fire Fighter" calendars. I don't think I'll recommend this profession to him. I'd rather he not be going into burning buildings. Why tempt fate?

Jen's work had a little shin dig Saturday night. The kiddos loved it. Liv made it about half way up the wall. She thought she was pretty cool!

Olivia and her personal stylist! Thanks for the cute haircuts and fun times, Jennica!

Ahem...."she's a maniac, MANIAC on the floor...and she's diggin' like she's never dug before..." To answer any questions that might be in your heads...Aaron was in charge of both her and the camera. While I am generally not too terribly opposed to my children digging in the dirt, I prefer they don't do it in their cute clothes.

Olivia, and her version of cotton mouth, with my sister in law, Ashley.

We had a great time visiting family. Sure, it got a little (or A LOT) rainy here and there, but I'd run through more torrential down pours in the middle of the Band Concert and Parade to hang out with my family any time!

Here Ya Go Jan

2008-08-30T13:55:00.000-07:00

No....it's not a wig....

Firsts

2008-08-26T08:25:00.000-07:00

August has been a pretty hectic month here. We've had a few firsts for the kids and I'm getting ready for a first this weekend, but more on that later. Let's talk about the kiddos first.

Miss Liv had her first day of Kindergarten. I thought it was going to be difficult. I cried when she turned 5 just thinking about Kindergarten....but the day came and I was so tired of the continuing Sam vs. Li vs. Emerson wars that defined my summer...I could have done cartwheels! Maybe I'll cry come first grade...

This, by the way, is Olivia's extremely happy face. No big grins, just a small smile of absolute joy. She loves school.

Sambo. After a summer full of continual potty training, threats that Miss Patti wouldn't let him come to school if he pooped his pants, and endless nagging from him about when he could go to Miss Patti's, we took him to preschool today. He wasn't as excited As I thought he would be. He requested, and was granted (OF COURSE) one hug and 2 kisses...well, I actually requested the second kiss. He blew me kisses and waved me away from the window with a smile.

He'll do just fine. I'm enjoying a small slice of almost quiet here with Emerson. Here's to hoping Miss Patti makes it through the day!

Emerson also had a first this month. She had her first pig tails. They didn't last long, but they were there and I have the pictures to prove it!

OK, so there was also THIS first that included Sam and Emerson in their first cooperative tag team effort...and also the first time the fridge has been emptied to such and extent (I am a firm believer in Velcro). Fun times at the Martineau household.

This picture has nothing to do with my "first", I just think she's super cute...and, well, she is a first, my first child! Here's my first: I have, for the first time, willingly signed up to run. Now, I'm sure for most the world this is no big deal, but I loathe running, so for me, it is! I am going to Utah this weekend and running in the Payson Onion Days 5k. Or, possibly walking in the Payson Onion Days 5k. We'll see how it goes!

New Slideshow!

2008-08-18T12:15:00.000-07:00

Hey, I finally figured out how to get the slideshow of our Leadville trip to work! Now I just need to get descriptions in there....

Sweet Little Emers....

2008-08-02T09:15:00.001-07:00

It has been a crazy busy week! We got home from the cabin (more to come later) on Sunday, Emerson's First Birthday was Monday, and we had a party for her on Wednesday. Then this book (Breaking Dawn) came along a day early and consumed my Friday and EARLY Saturday morning (OK, I have a problem....I was up until 3 am). So here I am Saturday morning posting about my sweet little Baby Doll.

Emerson is a lovely baby. She does things that are so naughty! But she is the sweetest little baby in the world. She is absolutely spoiled almost to the point of rotten-ness, she yells at us when she's lacking in the attention area: "EE-EE-EE!" She is a little smarty pants. She loves baby dolls and gets very angry when you try to take them away from her. She started crawling on top of the tables this week. She loves to sing "E-I-E-I-O". She says "Cheese!" for the camera. She has a smile that makes you forget that she should be in trouble and a laugh that makes your day. She is the sweetest baby named Emerson I ever met.

Now, for some birthday highlights! Let me apologize in advance for the video, this was my first time recording on my still shot camera and I wasn't smart enough to hold the camera the right direction. The sound was also a little off. Lean your head to the left to fully enjoy! Sorry about the kink in your neck!

And now, on to the cake destruction! Lean your head to the right for this one....

A few pictures for fun....

We love this baby girl!

6 things...

2008-07-29T11:07:00.000-07:00

My friend Pam tagged me. I wasn't even in town, and yet, I was tagged.

I'm supposed to describe myself in 6 words. I've been thinking I might describe myself in 12. Six the way I see myself, and 6 the way I want/hope/think others see me.

The way I see myself (please read with a bit of humor):

1. Hilarious...I crack myself up!
2. Pretty in a Catherine Zeta-Jones sort of way.
3. Biker Chick (the kind that has pedals) I may not be very good, but I do like a good bike ride.
4. Fashionable in a sorta I-spend-my-money-making-my-kids-look-cute-so-I-never-buy-anything-for-myself way.
5. Amazing Cook/Chef. I have no less (and no more) than 3 knock your socks off recipes. Most of them include chocolate.
6. Fabulous Singer. I will, regardless of the embarassment my children may endure, continue to sing loudly in the car. I sound just as good as those folk on the radio.

The way others may or may not see me:

1. Sister. At least 16 of my real life sisters see me this way, hopefully a few more.
2. Mommy. To my three....and counting....so just kidding. We've stopped counting (for now).
3. Wife.
4. Quick Witted. The unfortunate thing here is that I rarely hold back on the things that pop into my head. I should learn to edit.
5. Friend. I'm a bit quiet before I get to know someone, but then have a hard time quieting myself after I get to know them.
6. Messy. Let's face it. I'm not so organized. I try to keep things clean, but I have 3 or 4 strikes against me: Olivia, Sam, Emerson, and their father.

Now, I get to pick 5 people to tag. You don't have to do 12. Refer to Pam's blog to see how you're really supposed to do it....

Jennie, Erika, Meredith, Jan, and Leia.....YOU'RE IT!!!!!

Memories

2008-07-15T11:22:00.000-07:00

I thought that this one would be fun to look back on memories. Here are the rules:

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

This is from my little sisters blog, and I thought it looked fun!

Top 10 Reasons We Love Jennie:

2008-07-14T12:23:00.000-07:00

Olivia and I were reading Jennie's blog. She's awfully sweet writing all that nice stuff about us. We didn't even have to pay her to do it! We thought we would tell you why we love her!

#1. Because when I got my hair cut it was my first hair cut from her. (From Olivia) She thinks it rocks that Jen cuts her hair. She wants another trim. I think it rocks that she's going to school, I want to call it Beauty School...but I think there's a more PC title for it these days..

#2. I love Jen because she now has the rockin' wardrobe and she shares with her sister who, since having kids and using her dollars to dress them cute, is challenged in the fashion area.

Jen, Emerson, Marilee and McKinley

#3. Liv's turn again: Because I....Because, ummmm....I just love her!

Olivia and Jen at the Downtown Aquarium

#4. Because she has flown out here to turn around and drive to Utah with me! And along the way introduced me to the music from "Wicked". Thanks for that, now even Liv sings "Popular" and "What is This Feeling".....cute facial expressions and all!

#5. She likes the same movies I do. I love that she plays the movie line game with me. Especially lines from "Much Ado About Nothing".....which reminds me, "What my dear lady disdain. Are you yet living?" or, or, or, or "I would that my horse had the speed of your tongue!"

Speaking of movies, here's Jen doing her best Rufio impression. With my handsome nephew Spencer and me.

#6. From Liv: That she teaches me songs on the guitar. And sings with me. And likes to have fun with me.

#7. I love that she teaches me fun new hair for my kids. Sam rocked a fohawk (see photo below)when he was but a smallish bear thanks to her!

Jen and Sam....Sam's first Fohawk.

#8. I think it's fun that there was an audible gasp when I introduced her in Relief Society. Yes, yes. We've been told we look alike. No, we are not twins....good grief, have you seen her eyes? I would LOVE to have her eyes!

#9. 2 words: interpretive dancing. It's fab and it CRACKS ME UP! Especially when it's done in fabulous outfits.

Jen and Jan tearing up the asphalt at the good ol' band concert

#10. She's hilarious. She can fart and burp with the big boys. She has excellent wit. She makes me giggle. I miss Jen. I love her to bits!

At the Sacramento Temple for Maya

Honorable mentions that someone other than Jen might not understand: Night ensembles. The "wow' face. The reaching over and grasping of hands so as not to bust up laughing at inappropriate times. The movie collection. Introducing me to one Edward Cullen. Barb. Auntu Bethu. The Sea Urchin Dress.....please tell me you'll put this one on for me when I see you next.

I heart you, Jen!

Our Independence Day Celebrating....

2008-07-06T18:45:00.000-07:00

Here's a few fun pictures from our 4th:

We had the traditional fried chicken for our festivities. Olivia opted against the chicken and asked for mac and cheese. The one bigger than the size she gets in the laptop meal. Aaron ordered the biggest one available for her. Happy girl!

So he's upside down. He's still cute and I'm too lazy to fix it. Sam wanted a cheeseburger instead of chicken. Thank goodness for KFC/A&W restaurants.

I think she's lovely. Getting comfy for the show.
Aaron thought it would be a fantastic idea to get the little man a large tube of sugar. Hmmmm. Sam actually quite enjoyed pouring it into his hands and then dumping it out, watching it blow in the wind. Made him sticky and got sugar all over the place. Next time, I'm in charge of buying the snacks.

Olivia and her Mac 'n cheese smile.

Aaron laid down and put his hat over his face for a nap. Emerson thought it was a fun game of Peek-a-Boo. Such a little doll.

The Jones family spread their blankets next to ours. Liv and Sam had so much fun sharing their sugar sticks and treat with Macey and Connor.

The next night (July 4th) we went to breakfast at Grandma Susan and Grandpa Dean's house and then we watched the fireworks with Adin and Grandma Susan. The kids were SO excited to go with Grandma!

Olivia and Grandma Susan

Sam isn't a huge fan of the fireworks. He mostly hid but would look up when I said I saw an orange firework. That boy LOVES orange!

Emerson, on the other hand, thought the fireworks were great!

Emerson had the best seat in the house. I think this sums up how we all felt when we sat down in the car.

mY FAVORITE THING ABOUT fRIDAY IS...

2008-06-27T14:49:00.000-07:00

Because I'm lazy, I'm not fixing my title. Sorry if you feel as though I'm yelling. Jennie wanted to know my favorite Friday thing. I have 2. Aaron is home for the weekend! He gets all the poopy diapers! WOO-HOO! And, even more better is....there's no workout scheduled for Saturdays and Sundays. I get to sleep in! an even BIGGER WOOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOOOOO!

And now, for your Friday afternoon viewing pleasure....a few extreme close ups of three of the cutest kids you'll ever see:

Well, It's Official....

2008-06-19T07:09:00.001-07:00

"Mom, Sam's so cute....we should keep him for our family."

I think so, too.

New SpringWidget

2008-06-18T06:27:00.001-07:00

Get this widget!

Speaking of Spandex

2008-06-13T14:00:00.000-07:00

My Jennie just cracked me up with her Spa Day story. It includes spandex. I don't have a spa day story, but I DO have a gym day story!
I go to the local 24 Hour fitness on occasion. Quite early in the morning, I usually get there at 5:20ish. So there's this man. This man will henceforth be known as "Creepy Spandex Guy" or CSG because I'm too lazy to type all that out. Well, CSG is an odd sort of fellow. He wears head bands, which, in and of themselves are not creepy, it's just the way his long mangy hair sorta puffs out the top of it that looks a bit off. His spandex is where the REAL issue lies. It's purple. Not like purple, purple, but more of a lilac-brownish sort of purple. When the purple ones are dirty, then it's pink (dirty baby pink). When those are both dirty he opts for those really short, REALLY loose gym shorts. Oh, he tops it all off with a loose fitting tank top, the kind that hangs really low in front. So, as if the spandex wasn't bad enough....my friends and I were sure he didn't wear anything under them. It turns out he does. I had a few free sessions with a personal trainer and was telling him of CSG. He knew exactly who I was talking about. The trainer had the blessed opportunity to be in the locker room with CSG and confirmed that he does, indeed, wear undies....a thong. I am uncertain, at this point, which is more disturbing. I should mention that CSG's fave thing at the gym is the Elliptical Trainer. Hold on....

OK. Had to throw up.

So, this morning. I went to the gym, I was minding my own business swimming laps the pool room was nicely deserted. UNTIL...da da da dum. Apparently CSG found a close out on dirty lilac spandex. He walked past the pool (and into a sauna...THANK HEAVENS) in what else? A purple Spandex SPEEDO!!! I don't think I'll sleep tonight.

My Sambo

2008-06-04T11:10:00.000-07:00

Those eyes have saved his life on numerous occasions.

Sam's birthday is roday. He's be three. We're THIS CLOSE to being done with the whole terrible two's thing....not that I have ANY hope whatsoever that Sam will magically turn into a minding, well behaved little man...there would be no fun in that....it's just that I see a light at the end of the Terrible Two Tunnel (it is worth mentioning that, in Sam's case, the terrible two's started not when he was two years old, or even when he was one. No, no, no- he was a wee two days old when they started.) I think I'll share some of my favorite memories, what I was taught by them, and, in some cases, what I SHOULD have learned or done differently...

Such a sad little baby...

Let's start when he was a teeny tiny little one: My mom came out for a week when Sam was born. She was a saint and took care of him during the nights so I could get a little bit of sleep. The first night (maybe second), he. screamed. bloody. murder. until the wee hours of the night. In fact, I believe the sun was starting to creep up by the time the lad stopped. Long night for everyone in my condo building, I'm sure. What I learned: My mom is amazing. What I should have learned: Sam has his own idea of what he wants to do and when he wants to do it.

Check out the dimples. They're enough to melt you.

I MIGHT OVER SHARE HERE....SCROLL DOWN IF YOU'RE NOT INTO BREAST FEEDING HORROR STORIES!!

While in the hospital, I had a hard time feeding my boy. He was tongue tied to start with, but the nice people there took care of that for me. The worst part is he had a REALLY hard suck. He took skin off a place skin should never come off and I was never the same. Breastfeeding hurts every time I don't care what book you read. Lesson learned: Breastfeeding is not for the weak of spirit. I stopped when he was five months old. Lesson I was supposed to learn: Breastfeeding is not for the weak in spirit.

OK....YOU CAN READ AGAIN

It would have been so easy if he were always so stinkin' happy!

Aaron was making Lemon Bars for a treat one day. We went to the store and bought all the stuff we needed, this included a dozen eggs. We left one load of groceries on the counter and went outside for another. We came back in and Sam said, "I be helper" there were 3 or 4 eggs on the ground, and not in one piece, either! From this I learned that the words "I be helper" should always be responded to immediately.

Who knew that horns came in edible varieties....

One day we went to Cold Stone's for a treat. I don't think Sam was one yet, and if he was, he wasn't much past that. There we were, Aaron, Liv, Sam, and me sitting enjoying our ice cream. Enter 2 teen age girls, quite cute and dressed very much like it was summer time (tube top and shorts, tank top and mini). They chose the table next to us. Sam starred at them, well, mostly at their legs and chests. It was ridiculous. And quite embarrassing. Aaron laughed at him. To this day Sam has no problem charming the ladies. He smiles and shows off those dimples. Not too many women can resist his eyes and dimples. Lesson learned: In Sam's case the age when he can date will be no less than 21.

'nough said.

A few for fun:

Mr. Clean deserves some sort of reward for creating the Magic Eraser. It has saved the relationships of moms and their boys everywhere.

It doesn't matter who, or what, you are, you can still get in trouble in Sam's mind...."No sun, NO! You're in TROUBLE" when the sun shines in Sam's eyes in the car. "No, baby, NO! We be nice to books! Say 'sorry book'!"...when Emerson got a hold of his favorite book "Hymns".

One of Sam's many "artistic" moments. Weapon of choice? Clinique lipstick.

Patience is a virtue I used to think I had, but now I'm sure I don't. I decided to potty train him the week of Mother's Day and it WAS NOT A PRETTY THING!!! We went into underwear cold turkey. I decided he no longer wore diapers without consulting with him first. Note to all moms: I would suggest not potty training the week before you have been asked to give a talk on mothers....let's just say I wasn't feeling like a good or nice mom that week....

My sweet baby boy...where did he go??

The best thing I've learned from Sam, to date, came the day he came home from the hospital. Aaron ran an errand and my mom was across the street at Sam's Club. They left me alone with a sleeping Sam. I looked at him and asked him: "Do you know I'm your mommy?" He smiled. I asked him if he knew I loved him...another smile. OK, I'm sure you're all thinking "Oh how sweet...he had gas" but, no, it was my "Tender Mercies of the Lord" moment.

I've had fun with this boy. I've also wanted to kill this boy. He can be the biggest turkey ornery brat or the sweetest little man on earth. I've learned to take advantage of the sweet moments.

I LOVE THIS BOY!!

A Trip to the Zoo and Aaron's Birthday

2008-05-02T09:42:00.000-07:00

So Esther was in town for a few days, so we arranged a day to hang out with her. The zoo! It was so crowded with field trips and families, but we had a good time!

A ride on the carousel...a bit of trivia here. The difference between a carousel and a merry go round is the direction in which they spin. One goes clockwise, the other counter clockwise...but I can't remember which is which.

Oh, look....Daddy. Te he he...I love you, Aaron, really I do!

This is Emerson's third trip to the zoo. She actually looked around

Olivia loves to carry around the maps at the zoo. Always looking out to make sure I know where I'm going. Where would I be with out her!

Then it was Aaron's birthday! We had a good day. Aaron and I tried to go swimming, but we were unsuccessful in our endeavors. Instead we went to his favorite garden shop and bought all the fixin's for a cactus garden!

We had a great day, and, even though I'm late in posting about your birthday, I still love you...you cute ornery man.

It Looks Like Time for an Update!

2008-04-15T07:31:00.001-07:00

Wow. What a busy month! Preschool, a trip to Utah, a wedding, a couple of crazy kiddos destroying everything I clean, a house full of family. Life gets crazy sometimes! I think I'll let the pictures do the talking!

Olivia was SO happy to see her friends in Utah! Unfortunately, we can't fit all 500 of them in one picture with enough detail for you to see, so Megan and Gracie will represent.
Mike and Ashley were married in the SLC Temple. Esther watched the kids and snapped this shot while Aaron and I went inside.
Aaron loves that sister of his!
Sam taking advantage of a public setting to up his intake of sugar....

WATCH IT! IT'S AN ALIEN WITH FLOWER -LIKE EYES!!! or my loverly sister Jill.

Oh, look who made it for the wedding! It's Joey! All the way from Costa Rica!

Liv with the newlyweds!

Welcome to the family! All my sisters minus Amy.

What an exhausting day! No place better to rest than Grandpa's lap. He gives a killer back scratch!

The hottie boys in their tuxedos.

Sam working off the above mentioned sugar in a field behind my sister's house. Wide open spaces. Love it!

Starting plants for the garden.

Olivia passed of the alphabet in preschool. She knows all the letters and their sounds....What a smarty! (Olivia edits here: Smarty pants, you mean!)

We celebrated her accomplishment with cupcakes!

We decided it's time for Emerson to start pulling her weight around the house. Her new chore is dishwasher duty.

Nannie and Olivia in their matching shirts...ready to eat at IHOP!

Emers and me with Ty and Amy

Kennedy, Sadie, and Makade

Fun in the sandbox=fun in the tub! Sam, TJ, and Parker

Jared making a fashion statement. Nice.

Aaron played the role of Cinderella, he did the ironing for the whole house! Thanks, dude!

Emmy wants to join the fun!

A handsome family, if I do say so myself!

My dear brothers, Jared-the would be victim, and Jonny- the carrot wielding mad man.

Poor tired baby Tjers!

Kensie and me

The happy couple (at least Ashley is anyways...)

josh is a lady magnet. Too bad it's just his cousins!

Liv and her buddies: Megan and Lauren.

Megan took a great picture of Livvy Lou and me.

Getting ready for a sleep over!

Nannie spent a good part of her morning consoling Olivia. she was crying hard that everyone was leaving. Maybe they should come back soon!

My house was busting at the seams, but we loved it! Aaron made some fabulous pizza on Friday, IHOP made some great breakfast for us on Saturday, and, again, Aaron wowed the crowd with some gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches! I would gladly welcome such madness in my house again! I heart my family...every last one of 'em!

The Incident...

2008-03-14T15:09:00.000-07:00

So, due to my mom's luggage being flown somewhere other than Utah, we were in a panic to get the dresses for Olivia and Emerson to wear to Mike's wedding (she brought them out for the girls to try on). So on Monday morning I ran to Park Meadows with my friend Meredith. We completed our shopping and started out to the car to go pick Liv up from preschool. Here's where the drama begins. Sam sees the little square handicap buttons that you push to open the doors. As he is used to racing Olivia to them, he breaks away from me running in front of Meredith, who is almost to the door. He tripped on a stroller wheel and whacked his noggin on the door. Screaming commences, tears flow, damage is assessed. I pick him up to hug him better. Oh, my. Look at his head. No blood...yet. It's all white and in my mind I think " Oh crap! I see his Skull!" I was always one for dramatics...Well, the one thought I had that was right was that he required stitches. So ther I stood in the Macy's shoe deptartment. Sam in my arms crying, Emerson in the stroller crying, and me trying not to cry. His head started bleeding. I was unprepared for such an incident and didn't have a band aid. Meredith and I were trying to figure out what to do when the shoe man came and asked if we needed attention. The MOD was called for first aid supplies. Meredith called Aaron to inform him of the event and then took the two babies to the car. I stuck the bandaid on the boys head and booked it to the car. We called the doctor's office with one question: Should we come there or go to the hospital?? And received the response: The triage nurse will call you back. Well, as I suspected, we were at the doctor's office before the nurse called back. Meredith was nice enough to offer to drive the kids around while I ran inside to see what to do. The doctor's office it was. After 2 massive syringes full of either water and alcohol or saline, we saw the doctor. Since the cut is perfectly straight, they used glue to fix Sam up. He cried a little. They told us to keep an eye on him for concussion stuff and sent us on our way. I am so glad Meredith was there. She was a lifesaver for me and I am happy to say I made it through my first emergency type situation with no tears from myself. I think I did quite well. Now, let's just hope I can do the same when faced with large amounts of blood, broken bones, and more serious things!! Here's some pictures:

Sam is doing great. No signs of anything else. Hates to wear bandaids on his head. He keeps doing this funny raised forehead thing because of the glue. I think he's bonked his head a hundred more times since Monday, everytime I wince for him and hope it doesn't send me back to the doctor's office!

Emerson wanted to be his head wound buddy. She took a digger. Look between her eyes for the damage!

Visitors!

2008-03-12T12:00:00.000-07:00

So, this past weekend we had a few very welcome and very loved visitors! My mom and dad and brother, Mike, stayed at our house, and Mike's fiancee' was here also, but stayed with her family. This is the happenings of a very fun weekend!
Everyone got to the house Friday around 1:00 p.m. Olivia and Sam busied themselves about playing, wrestling, tickling, and, in Sam's case, pulling all the Care Bears, blocks, and miscellanious goods to the living room to show Nannie and Papa. So much for cleaning the house!!
We decided to head to the mall for a bit o' retail therapy and so the kids could see the puppy store...it's just like the zoo, only FREE!! While there, we decided on a plan for action for the evening: Red Robin (delish!) and the Downtown Aquarium! Here's a few pictures from the aquarium:

He is SO handsome!

Nannie and Emers...fast friends!

My brave Olivia decided to touch a sting ray. Sam tried, but mostly got wet!

Olivia and Ashley inside a tank.

The real reason for the visit was so we could go with Ashley to the Denver Temple. It was so nice to be able to do that with my family. It's been a long time since I have been able to go to the temple with my parents and any sibling. I loved it!

Their children are going to have the bluest eyes.

Anyhoo, they left Sunday morning to go home. I'm so excited to go back to Utah for the weddin'! I can't wait to see all my brothers and sisters and their families! I'll see you guys soon!

Tagged by Amy

2008-02-28T08:47:00.000-08:00

This is my first experience with being tagged! Thanks, Amy, for thinking of me!

What were you doing

20 years ago: Let's see. I was in Fourth grade, my first year going to Park View Elementary. My teacher was Mrs Ellsworth. My youngest brother Joey was on his way. I was busy idolizing my hot Paysetter big sisters (I won't name names, but you know who you are!!!)

10 years ago: I successfully graduated from the highly esteemed Payson High School. I learned to country dance and went two times a week with Mindi Taylor and a gruop of friends. Jump to Thanksgiving time 10 years ago and you have my first encounter with one Aaron Don. Good times....

5 years ago: I was adjusting to new mommy-hood. Olivia was born at the beginning of January. I think tv was cut out of my life for a little bit, as I found new entertainment in watching Miss Liv's every expression....at least until AI came on the air.

3 years ago: Would ya beleive I was pregnant? Sam was busily kicking the crud outta my sides, ribs, back, you get the picture. It seems he was testing the walls that were holding him in, looking for an escape. Oh, MAN! He was a painful child to carry!

1 year ago: HMMMM, let's see. Prego. Let me just clarify that i haven't spent the entirety of my marriage this way....only half of it. Oh, Emerson. I actually liked being pregnant with her. She kicked a lot, but not like she was trying to stick her foot through my side.

So far this year: I have been released from my job in the Young Women and thrown into jail...I mean Nursery, celebrated 2 birthdays, watched my baby girl grow up too fast, cleaned up many Sambo and Olivia messes, pulled the food Sam feeds Emers out of her mouth (Well, Mom, don't you think she wants to try a conversation heart, too???), and missed the parts of my dear family that doesn't live in Colorady.

Yesterday: I got up at 4:30 to go to the gym. I ate a bowl of Cheerios. I got the kids ready for the day. Took Liv to preschool, hung a little shelf up in my bathroom, picked Olive up from school, ate a nutrtious lunbch of left over Little Caesar's, watched my nephews, ate hot chicken salad (ala Aaron), went visiting teaching, went to singing group, came home cleaned a bit, watched the girls of AI (I love Brooke), went to bed, hit Aaron for snoring.

Today: I woke up at 4:30 to go to the gym: elliptical, treadmill, and stairs today, ate some tasty Apple Jacks, I'm babysitting Aislinn, I fed Emerson a few times. I have been cleaning my bedroom. I've yawned a lot. Trying to figure out why my legs aren't wanting to work with me.

Later tonight: Temple Recommend Interview, Idol results, and (hopefully) an early bed time.

Tomorrow: Rinse, Lather, REPEAT. Tomorrow I will be working my legs at the gym....with weights, I mean. Preschool, possibly watching Aislinn. Hopefully having a movie night with Aaron.

This year I hope to: Be the Biggest Loser: Sista Edition (no worries, girls, I'm currently on track to be the Biggest Gainer), grow some patience for my wee tots, see my family, be better at mommy/wife stuff, read the BOM, read Breaking Dawn, watch David A win Idol.

Thanks Amy!

And, I think I want to end by saying: "Erika & Meredith, TAG YOU'RE IT!!!"

I know, 2 blogs in one day...

2008-02-20T10:11:00.000-08:00

Ummmm, from my fab sis in law Ursula!!

CHECK OUT THE CULLEN'S!!!!

Not only that, but let the count down to August 2 (Breaking Dawn release) and December 12 (movie release) begin!!!!

This one's for Jen

2008-02-20T09:03:00.000-08:00

February 13th

2008-02-14T06:41:00.000-08:00

I totally should have typed this one up yesterday, but better a day late than never, I suppose! So, it was Februaury 13, 1999. A Saturday. I went country dancing in Pleasant Grove with Mindi Taylor. All of my guy friends were in Colorado teaching country dancing to a group of people. I therefore set out dancing. And flirting shamelessly. I asked a few fellas to be my Valentine, nothing wrong with having back ups, right? Well, the two names I remember from these Valentines are Eric and Aaron. I happened to be dancing with Aaron on the last dance, slow dancing in the middle of the floor, not two steppin' around the outside. There was a couple dancing fairly close to us...they were obviously Valentine's as they were making out pretty good. I observed, "Oh, look. She gets a kiss from her Valentine." My very astute dance partner said, "We could share a little kiss, if you'd like." So we did. Shortly after the dance ended, I found Mindi to go head off to our usual breakfast-after-dancing-at-Village Inn, to which Eric (the other Valentine) had asked to come. Aaron approached and, in front of Mindi and Eric, asked me if I'd like to go to breakfast. I answered that I already had plans, but he was still my favorite Valentine. Eric looked at Aaron and said, "You're her Valentine, too?" OOPS! Well, to this day, he's STILL my favorite Valentine. Before I asked him to be my Valentine, I was on his list of snobby girls. My actions of this night led to him thinking I was okay enough to hitch. So, while not something I would recommend to any of my dear nieces, IT WORKED FOR ME!!!!

I love this guy. He's about the oneriest turd I've met, but I can be less than sweet on occassion, too. He's a great dad. He works hard to provide for us. He makes me laugh. My only complaint? I have had a heck of a time getting him to take me dancing!

Why do they have to grow up?

2008-02-02T08:06:00.001-08:00

My Barbie Princess Fairy Cowgirl.

I'm just sitting here thinking. This little girl turned 5. Not possible for at least 2 reasons, #1 I'm not nearly old enough to have a Kindergartener, and #2 It can't possibly have been 5 years since I first laid eyes on my little Olivia. It's just not possible!

Olivia is so smart, and cute, and sweet, and her imagiantion is so much fun to watch and listen to, and some of the things she does and says keep me on my toes.

I have a few of my favorite "Olivia Moments" I'd like to share with you.

We were driving to Grandma and Grandpa's house, Olivia was a few months shy of turning 3. She sat in her car seat, being unusually quiet when she let us into that little mind of hers, "Dad, dogs have tails and cats have tails." This sparked a conversation on what other animals did and did not have tails. Monkeys, yes. Sharks, no. I turned around and asked, "Olivia, do you have a tail?" She took a moment to think, "No! I have a bum!"

The day came when I was able to inform Olivia that I was pregnant with baby #3. I told her there was a baby in my tummy. She got the cutest little confused look on her face and said, "Are you sure?" I told her that I was sure. She then started planning her life with a new sister, i had the sad job of informing her that we didn't know if it was a sister or another brother. "Let's just call it a girl."she said. Olivia was quite sure from early on that she was getting a girl sister and not a girl brother.

Same week I was reading the Book of Mormon with her. She was quite inqusitive about what a record was, what wicked was, and what destroy meant. I finished reading and went over what we had talked about with her. "Olivia, what does wicked mean?" Answer: "It means you don't get any treats." There's also a very fun Laban story, a bit too long for this post.

Olivia loves to make new friends. When we go to the playground, when we go to McDonald's and this paticular time when we went to Target during the Christmas rush. "Mom, maybe I can make a new friend today!" I tried to explain that this wasn't a play place and that most everyone would be rushing. That, however, failed to deter my daughter. We were walking hand in hand when a family that looked mid-eastern to me passed by going the opposite direction. They had a little girl about Olivia's size. Olivia looked at her, waved, smiled sweetly, and said....."Hola!" i started walking faster....and tried not to laugh too loud.

What can I say about Olivia? She is my favorite oldest daughter. she is the cutest Olivia I know. She is a sometimes more than others patient sister to Sam. She is a mostly gentle older sister to Emerson. She is sweet, and onery, and fun, and lovely. I love her to pieces. I want her to stay small. She, however, informs me she needs to get big so she can be a mommy, too. Not so fast, my dear... let's just try getting through preschool first.

What a year!!

2007-12-31T09:47:00.000-08:00

So I thought instead of doing an entry about Christmas, I'd post a little about the happenings of the madness that is the Martineau Household:

January: Miss Liv turned 4. I also had a birthday. I was still getting used to the idea of a third child joinng the family.

February: Grandma Great's Hat Party. Liv and Sam looked so cute!

March: We found out the baby was a girl!

April: Easter, Aaron's Birthday, and the Rockies game
May: School ends for Olive

June: Sam's #2 Birthday

July: Enter Jess Emerson, a visit from Nannie, life with 3 begins!

August: My sister Lindy and her family came to town, Liv started Pre K
September: We went to a sneak peak of Barbie Island Princess where Olivia met Rosella herself!, a visit from Nannie, Papa, Jen, Mar, and Kinners, Emerson's Blessing...this month deserves 2 pictures....

October: A trip to Utah to say good bye to Uncle Joe for the next 2 years, family pictures, Halloween: Olivia was Barbie Island Princess, Sam was a monkey, Emers was a banana.

November: Thanksgiving..Sam found a new love in peeling things...like this butternut squash, potatoes, and zucchini. Even when we aren't planning on any of it for dinner.

December: Lots of Christmas stuff

Too much perhaps??

I second the motion!

Oh, the joy of little things

Things that make me sad as I post this: Look at the little baby face Olivia has in the January picture. She's getting too big! She'll be 5 tomorrow. I'm not ready for a kindergartener! I love her dearly. Although Sam keeps me on my toes, I think I'll miss these days of mischief, curiousity, and the moments, however small they are, when he shows me just how sweet the boy beneath the monster is. Emers is already going like crazy. She's getting too big. I miss the snuggles. She has recently traded cuddles for jumping on my hip. Oh, I wish i could stop time sometimes, but I can't wait to see what my little darlin's have in store for me as they grow up!

My poor little babies...

2007-12-17T16:53:00.000-08:00

Hi there,
I would like to give a really cute update about my Christmas decor. Unfortunately, it will have to wait as Olive has Croup and I think Sam is on his way....Hopefully Emers will be spared this time.
Until the hacking is over, I bid you all farewell!!

In the land of blog....

2007-12-07T12:32:00.000-08:00

Here I am. Entering now into a land I have only read about...and tried once, but I can't figure out my account info for my original blog. So here I will try to keep you updated about the happenings of my little family. Here's a brief intro to each of my little darlings:

Aaron: My husband and the dad. He likes cooking, plants (mostly exotic/tropical that don't grow in our climate), salt water aquariums, chick flicks (sometimes), and his family.

Olivia: The oldest in the family. She's for the most part sweet, but has small parts of sass, moodiness, and oneriness. She only recently came to the realization that moms do, in fact, toot. I loved the innocence of her thinking here, but thought I should break the news gently before someone else beat me to it.

Sam: Full of the dickens. Love him. He's all adorableness on the outside, but his little brain never stops thinking of ways to try my patience. He is sometimes obedient and will stop one destuctive behavior when told...but only long enough to think of another destructive thing to do. Troublesome child, that one.

Emerson: She's the baby. She's very sweet. Does as she's told (mostly). And is now hitting the spoiled stage-making me wish I had put her down a little more so she wasn't so angry about me putting her down now.

Me (Shelly): I am the mom of three dang cute kids. I love to read. I love to spend time with my family. I like a lot of things, really, but mostly my family. Not just my little family, but also my rather large family on both sides.

So, this is us. I'll try to update soon!

Shelly