Where are you from?

So here's the thing. I was reading about Christmas traditions this week, wondering of course how I could make more work for myself (not really, but it always turns out that way) by instituting some "country of origin" traditions. Then I thought, what is my country of origin? Well, America, duh, but what about before that?

I have a friend whose children celebrate St Nicholas Day, another whose kids hunt for the German pickle ornament, another whose children do Mexican tamales. I was wondering if my kids weren't getting cheated somehow by not having some sort of ethnic celebration (the Kwanzaa and Hanuka days at school don't really count).

So what should we be celebrating? Where am I from? How about Mike? I have the pedigree charts but need something more, so anyone out there who might have some insight, I would love it! I am thinking mish mash of British and Scandinavian? Does Mormon Utah count as a country? How about the South? So we get St Lucia Day, St Nicholas Day, (what do the English people do, or do already copy them?) and what? Green Jell-O and Mac N Cheese?

Where are you from? How do you celebrate? Can I copy you?

Happy Halloween! (yes, I know it is the end of November)

I know it is past Halloween, and this post would have been much better on the October background, not the snowman. However, here is how we celebrated Halloween, in case you need some tips for next year. We recommend you do the following:

Carve lots of Jack-O-lanterns

Be proud, even if you didn't actually do anything to help...

Make Mom do it so you don't have to touch it!

Yuck! Dad to the rescue.

Try it just once to say you stuck your hand inside the slimy thing.

Volunteer to take off the lid and put in the candle at the end, so you don't have to do the middle parts.

Clone yourself, because there can never be too many Spider men keeping us safe

Discover the ultimate rock star mirror, perfect for checking out your braids

Go into outer space

March in a costume parade at Fort Discovery

Dress up as Hannah Montana for your friends birthday/Halloween party

Let your mom paint your face, but refuse to look in the mirror because its too scary

Trick-or-treat as a cowboy- not scary!

"Yee-Haw!"

Trick-or-treat as Hannah Montana

Because rock stars can wear whatever they want, even ballerina tutu's and glow sticks

Spend weeks making a Halloween pinata,

Then joyfully smack it to pieces

Sing in a program at school

Play party games

Get your face painted at the church party

Get stuck between two costumes, and choose to go as "Super Spiderman!" to the church party

I hope you had a Happy Halloween and find these suggestions helpful when planning next year's celebration!

Fire Safety

October is Fire Safety month. As a preschool teacher and mother of small children, this is something that I get to celebrate every year. This year, a fire truck came to visit our preschool class and Lenna's school, and we went to the fireman's demonstration at the park.
Nothing exciting to narrate really, so I will let the pictures tell the story.
One funny thing, Lenna really liked the two fireman who came to her school. She remembered their names (I don't I would give them a shout out) and really hoped to see them again at the park. She even changed her clothes into what she had worn to school that day, so they would be able to recognise her. Sadly, they were no shows at the park so she made do with the hose guy.

Fact finding : fireman have stinky boots and heavy helmets.

Those uniforms can be scary. It is easier to be brave with a friend, and a little distance.

Thia fireman was nice, but not the one she had hoped to see!

Someday (when I am 18!) I will get to drive for real!

Finally I get to drive!

Lenna putting out the fire (well, a target in a wooden house cut out, but still fun)

Andrew, trying not to fall over in the mud, that hose was pretty strong!

Happy Anniversary!

Dear Mike,

Thank you for 9 wonderful years! I have so much enjoyed growing up with you. I am so blessed to have you as my eternal companion and as the father of my children. Here's to 99 more great years! I love you bunches and bunches!

Love always,

Jannet

PS. I'll save the mushy stuff for in person so as not to embarrass you in front of all our family and friends!

Happy Birthday Lenna

Happy Birthday to my Lady Bug!

Lenna had a birthday a few weeks ago. I neglected to write about it then, but knew I better at least get it in the right month! Here are some highlights from the day she turned a great big 7!

She had her special birthday outfit picked out the day before- all pink of course!
Lenna helped me decorate some cupcakes to take to school. It was pouring rain that morning but no cupcakes were damaged or soggy thanks to Mike's careful delivery.

After school she had her favorite dinner- chicken nuggets and mashed potatoes. We have been having that on her birthday for three years running. We passed the time by going around the table and saying all the things we love about her. I enjoyed watching her face light up, then turn pink with embarrassment, with each thing shared.

I made her a Hannah Montana cake (well, frosted it, Mike's mom baked it) and then she was spoiled with presents.

She got, among other things, Hannah M PJ's and a CD. Andrew picked out this microphone to share, er give, to her. She was able to give a concert before bed.

I was so proud of her for understanding when we were unable to throw a big party with her friends or take her to a restaurant or to the Build-a-Bear like she had hoped, due to the recent upheaval in our household that week. (Don't know what I am talking about? You don't deserve to read any further. Click out now!)

So here are 7 things that make Lenna great!

1. She is a very loving big sister. She is great with both her little brother and her little sister and loves to take care of them and help them.

2. She is very compassionate. Yesterday she asked if she could please serve Andy's time out for him (he was confined to a chair for hitting her)because she couldn't stand to see him so sad.

3. She is a very hard worker. She tries her hardest at everything she does, from learning to do a cartwheel at gymnastics, to teaching herself a song so she can spell "quarter" and "whisper" for her spelling test.

4. She loves to learn new things. She is always asking questions and reading books and trying to find things out, from where babies come from to the water cycle, anything is fair game!

5. She is enthusiastic about life. She loves to jump right in to everything she does. Everyday can be an exciting new adventure. She is teaching me to have more fun and enjoy things.

6. She wants to make good choices. Her spirit is very strong and she has a very strong sense of what is right and what is not, and is true to her feelings when she makes her choices. I am proud of her integrity, even if it means she has a tantrum when I try to park in the expectant mother spot when I am not expecting.

7. She has so much love to share with everyone else, it is impossible not to love her back. She loves her family, her huge extended family (if her attention span was longer you would all receive a letter every week telling you so), her friends, her teachers, her cat, the birds outside, the clouds in the sky, strangers who need through toys for tots or her school's angel program. I love that I am the recipient of such love daily, even if her best snuggles come at 6 in the morning.

Happy 7th Birthday, Lenna!

Nope, no baby pictures. Those were before we went digital, and I am not scanning photos at 1AM, I must draw the line somewhere!

102 (105) things- part 3

I better start this one off with why I love being a stay-at-home mom, since I started off the last one with reasons why I missed working. I don't want to give the impression I would rather be there than here, because there is no where I would rather be than at home with my kids (sort of, see #s 71-80).

61. My little boy can now enjoy the luxury of "stay-at-home days" more than once a week and can stay in his footie pjs until noon on cold days if he feels like it.
62. No more brown-bag lunches. I hate packing lunches!
63. The only tantrums I have to deal with are coming from my own son, and I can simply shut the door to his room if I can't take it any more. Not so with other people's kids.
64. No time clocking mocking me each morning with 9:03, 9:07, or at the end 9:18, reminding me and everyone else that I can't seem to get in the door by the required 9:00.
65. There is no one looking over my shoulder to catch my mistakes or analyze my every move. If I screw it up with Andy and Rebecca before lunch, no one else has to know!
66. If Andy has the urge to ride his bike or play in the sand or go to the park or watch Movie Time Monday, he can do it that day instead of having to wait until Thursday and squeeze it in between errands.
67. I don't have to share the squeezy hugs and squishy kisses with anyone else.
68. The only noses and bottoms I have to wipe belong to my son. Still yucky, but not nearly as much as when you aren't sure what germs you are dealing with!
69. If I don't make it into the shower until 10, no one has to know (unless I post it on here. Huh.). In fact, having the option of not taking a shower until 10.
70. Peace. Not silence, but inside, knowing I am exactly where the Lord wants me to be, even if it isn't always easy.

10 Places I want to go in 2009 before we hopefully leave Georgia to a cooler northern climate. We probably won't make it to half, but at least I have options!
71. Disney, while Lenna is still young enough to believe in princesses and fairies but old enough to ride splash mountain.
72. Sea World and Busch Gardens while it is still free for the military and only a days drive away.
73. Alaska in the summer time, because Andy is going fishing with his grandpa on a boat and he isn't going to let me forget about that promise.
74. Savannah and Hilton Head Island, because it would be a shame to be this close and never make it there. And I need a Salty Dog Cafe T-shirt, because everyone else has one.
75. Northern Ca, during fair week so my grandparents and other family can meet Rebecca and so my kids can experience a tradition from my childhood.
76. Camping. Because my children have never slept in a tent or eaten food burned, I mean cooked, over a campfire. And everyone needs to do that regularly.
77. The beach. Any beach is fine. Just need sand and sunshine.
78. Maryland, so Rebecca can meet the other half of her family and Mike can hang out with his siblings.
79. Smokey Mountains, because we need to see the other south up north while we are here. Because it's pretty and I imagine the bugs aren't quite so big if we go camping in the summer or we can see mountains in the winter with snow, and my kids need that, too!
80. Home. Wherever that is!

5 things I love about my husband:
81. He took the kids errand running today for 3 hours while I slept with the baby, and returned just before dinner time with pizza.
82. He doesn't complain when he has to load the dishwasher, wash his own laundry, or wade through a toy village to find the couch because his wife is too tired or busy to do housework that day, or week.
83. He still surprises me with romantic gestures. Even when I am still in my pjs at noon, and despite the fact that we are coming up on our 9th wedding anniversary and could be tired of each other (not yet, thank goodness).
84. He can make me laugh, even when I am in labor and want to die.
85. As he pointed out to me earlier today, "Guys holding babies are sexy."

5 things I love about my kids:
86. Lenna is very sensitive and tries so very hard to keep anyone from hurting.
87. Lenna is a kindred spirit. We have so much in common, we have the potential to be best friends as she gets older, if I don't mess up and make her hate me instead.
88. Andrew is already in possession of several great man qualities- he is loyal, funny, protective of the women in his life, athletic, hungry, works hard, and "Jesus is my example". Now taking dowry offers for an arranged marriage in about 2026.
89. He gives the best hugs ever. Even when I am in a bad mood or forget to cut his pb&j into triangles or "make him hurry up too fast".
90. Rebecca finally tucked her chin so she could move out and I didn't have to have a C-section. Thank you my dear!

5 Reasons why I write on this Blog:
91. Because I can talk to myself as much as I want and no one thinks I am crazy for it.
92. Because when I have no one else to talk to, I know someone out there has a few minutes to listen.
93. Because I am too lazy to write in a paper journal about what we do every day and wanted a way to record it for future reference when one of my kids becomes famous and I have to write a book about raising the next great someone.
94. Because I have always liked the idea of writing a book someday and thought this would be good practice.
95. Because my extended family is huge and far away, and I wanted a way to tell everyone at the same time what we are up to, so they can feel included and connected in our lives.

5 Things I have learned about myself this year while writing on this blog:
96. I am a lousy typist. Thank goodness for spellcheck, even tho it still doesn't catch all the reversed letters.
97. My kids are funny. And I love them. And I wouldn't trade all our little adventures for anything! And they are much funnier three months later!
98. I am good (subjective, I know) at narrative writing, telling people what is going on around me. I am not very brave when it comes to looking inside myself and writing about what is there. Or maybe I just never have any "deep thoughts" or insights to write about.
99. There are actually a few people out there who care, or at least take the time to read, what I have to say. Even if I have to force them to by dropping it right into their in-box.
100. Writing is therapy. And I need lots of it. So stay tuned for the next 100 posts!

5 things I am proud of:
101. My husband- he amazes me with his strength and intelligence and dedication.
102. My kids. They are great.
103. My temple marriage.
104. My brain. The world needs more un-apologetic smart girls.
105. I finished this post. It might be the only thing I actually got to finish today but it is something!

So there you have it. 105 sort of random things from me. Hope you enjoyed. Now back to real life!

Jannet

Grow Baby, Grow!

I took Rebecca to her 2 week check up yesterday. She now weighs 9 lbs 11 oz and is now 22 inches long. She has gained a whole pound and grown 1 1/2 inches since last Wednesday. Thank goodness because they were worried she was shrinking and I would have to start giving her a bottle. Anyway, that is our little update. I know that all I have written about the past two weeks is baby-related. Sorry about that, esp if you are already sick of hearing about it. That is all I have been doing, so I have to work with what I have!

Lenna is in a Thanksgiving play today, which we are leaving for in about an hour. She is the letter J in the the Thanksgiving alphabet and has been reciting her lines about Captain Jones for two weeks now. Then we will join the first grade mob for a feast of cookies and juice. I will be sure to send pictures. She pointed out that her purple J sign was the only one that wasn't colored "a boring thanksgiving color like orange or brown, so you will be able to see me".

102 things- part 2

Part 2

10 things I miss about working.
31. A paycheck.
32. Daily recognition for an exhausting day in the form of short hugs and waves.
33. I got to follow a plan every day, and it usually went the way I wanted it to.
34. A paycheck, which deserves to be mentioned twice.
35. 10 short people who usually loved me, except when I put them in time out or shortened the pit time.
36. Daily adult interaction with my boss, peers, and students parents (many who were my friends prior to turning their kids over to me)
37. Thinking about the world as it is seen and experienced by a preschooler- it is way cooler that way!
38. A daily challenge to be creative, spontaneous, adaptable, enthusiastic, and professional- and be recognized for it at the end of the day.
39. My room, my stuff, my plans, and my kids. I was a bit possessive I think.
40. Spending all day playing with my son and his friends, doing art projects, jumping on the trampoline, reading books, and singing silly songs and getting paid for it.

10 random things that have no category
41. I am so tired!
42. It is freezing here. Brrr.
43. I love RS dinners brought in. My family won't eat that well again for a while.
44. I am struggling with wanting to be alone with my baby and my pajamas and feeling totally lonely and craving some sort of human interaction that doesn't involve bodily fluids. Somebody send me an email. I probably won't answer it, but will read it three times just for the distraction.
45. My daughter went to school in her pajamas today. Too-small sweat pants and an over sized BYU t-shirt. I am sure her teachers were amused. In my defense, I slept through the morning routine and had nothing to do with it. But I am grateful for the sleep and the help, so won't dare complain. And she had her homework, her lunchbox, and sneakers for PE.
46. There is nothing on TV, at any time of day. I haven't missed anything this year.
47. Andy- "No mom, I didn't just take the couch apart to make a mess. I turned it into a slide. No, I don't think I could put it back together before dinner. Maybe tomorrow."
48. Lenna- "I asked my teacher today how you know everything, and if it really was just because you are a mom and that is your job like you always tell me and she said she didn't know. So I guess moms even know more than teachers do." Mission accomplished.
49. I hate the sound of cat scratching on the window/door to get in. It makes my skin crawl, and lessens my desire to get off the couch and open the door to said cat, who I will have to toss out in a few minutes anyway when he tries to nap in the baby equipment (swing, bassinet, car seat, boppy, all have some draw for him and have to keep being washed. Like I need more laundry)
50. I love looking at my new baby. I love her funny faces, her drunk-on-milk sigh of contentment after a nursing session, her shiny blue eyes, her tiny fingers and toes, her soft
fuzzy hair, her squishy face when she is unhappy with something, her little tongue that keeps poking out (we are thinking of "the tongue" as a nickname), and her tiny yawns.

51. Some numbers:
12 days, 30 hours of lost sleep, 2 boxes of wipes, 127 diapers (yep, I counted), 3 extra loads of laundry, 49 thank you cards (yours is in the mail), 14 stitches (OUCH), 2 adoring older siblings, 9 pounds 9 ounces, 20 inches, 1 pretty fabulous baby.

5 reasons I don't like WalMart:
52. No service people to unload your cart or push it to your car, even if you are 9 months pregnant or have a newborn strapped to your chest.
53. Slow poke cashiers who can't bag groceries properly.
54. A five minute walk between milk and toothpaste.
55. Everything there is made in China.
56. I always buy things I did not come in for.

4 reasons I shop there anyway:
57. milk, diapers, oil, and hot wheels all in one place
58. gift cards
59. cheap stuff
60.I spend less there than I would if I went to Target

102 Things- part 1

I have been having little tidbits running through my head the past couple of weeks that I thought would make good posts. Unfortunately my brain has been unable to organize or expand any of them into a coherent post. Instead of just giving up I thought I would just mush them all together into a post anyway, because who could let the 100 post milestone go uncelebrated?
This is technically post 102 so I am going to celebrate by posting 102 random thoughts for your enjoyment, or to just endure, depending on your preference. But not completely random because I am a bit of a control freak so will force some level of organization onto them anyway.

What is that? You already scanned to the end and there was no where near 102 items here when this post popped up on your google reader or into your inbox? Well, what do you expect? I just had a baby- cut me a little slack, ok? There will be 102 by the end of the week I think.

So here we go- 102 things.

10 things I have learned about caring for a newborn that I had forgotten since Andy was born:
1. Babies cry. A lot. For no apparent reason sometimes.
2. Breastfeeding hurts.
3. Umbilical stumps are gross.
4. I hate changing diapers.
5. Never remove old diaper before strategically placing new diaper under baby, unless I am in the mood to change baby clothes and bedding at that time.
6. Baby socks do not stay on tiny feet.
7. These particular socks look a lot like little go-go boots. (photo coming)
8. Everybody loves babies. Cover and hide all tiny parts in public places to keep her from being touched by germy strangers.
9. Even 10 pounds can feel very heavy at 3 in the morning.
10. Motherhood is scary. Very scary.

10 things I learned about childbirth this time around:
11. Every baby is different, despite what I predicted.
12. Insist on due date and weight confirmation before allowing doc to talk you into waiting a week to deliver. They just keep growing when you leave them in, which isn't always a good thing. 13. Epidurals hurt going in (I didn't remember that from the first time)
14. Even if the epidural guy is the best in the hospital and has done thousands of them and has a good bedside manner, he still might botch it.
15. Epidurals that numb you from the hips down are good for the actual delivery. Having to feel all 8 hrs of contractions leading up to said delivery- not so good. Next time aim higher needle guy!
16. Ask for the drugs in the recovery room.
17. My husband is awesome.
18. If you want to freak everybody out in the delivery room, vomit and faint. Lots of people will pay attention to you after that, and then you will never be left alone.
19. I am not as big a wimp as I thought I was.
20. It was totally worth it, even though I am still complaining about it.

10 things I have learned about myself these past two weeks.
21. I really love to sleep. If I ever get kidnapped by terrorists, they will only have to put me in the sleep deprivation room for about 18 hrs before I will crack and tell everything I know!
22. I am smarter than the doctor. Esp when I tell her that my baby has a tear duct issue, the same that first daughter had, and needs it fixed now or needs drops to prevent infection. And when she says not to worry about it and it will clear up by the first birthday and not be a problem until then not to listen. Because I will bring baby home and within days her right eye will be oozing green goop, just like I said it would.
23. I can now be cast as an extra member of the Cullen family for the movie premier and require no eye make-up. These circles are 100% authentic!
24. Breastfeeding and blogging are not mutually exclusive, esp blog stalking. There is so much out there to read at 4 in the morning.
25. I am a lousy baby burper (is that an actual word?). I need help. The whole back patting thing just isn't working.
26. My son grew a foot and gained 30 pounds while I was in the hospital. What happened to my baby boy? And my little girl for that matter? My house is inhabited by noisy giants and a tiny baby.
27. I love Motrin. More than chocolate.
28. I miss my mom and sisters. Motherhood requires intimate female companionship.
29. I love being a stay-at-home mom. I missed it.
30. I am not as bad at this mothering thing as I thought. At least I think so.

Mission Impossible

Mission: locate two matching socks that actually stay on new baby feet

Chances of success: slim to none

Findings: two out of 1, 432 pairs of tiny socks.

Have the people who make those things ever actually seen a baby foot?

That's all I've got for today.

Back to diapers and nursing, and fishing the 1,430 socks that didn't stay on out of the covers and couch cushions.

Baby Baby!

Announcing the arrival of

Rebecca Jean Cross

who came reluctantly into the world on

November 6, 2008 at 3:34 PM

weighing in at a family record-breaking healthy

9lbs 9oz and 20 1/4 inches long.

She has her mom's blue eyes and long fingers, dad's thoughtful frown and dimpled chin, big sister's ear lobes, and big brother's button nose, and grandpa's red face when she gets angry.

She is doing well, and now that her mom can finally put some milk into that hungry tummy, she is sleeping and eating like a professional. And pooping of course, much to the fascination of her older siblings.

More to come later of course! And can you believe it? 100 posts!! What a great 100th post topic!

Thank You

Did you know that Thanksgiving is in November? I had forgotten.

I kind of think of Thanksgiving as that forgotten holiday, the neglected middle child (not that we know any of those, it is just an expression!! Just so no one thinks I am implying anything here) squished between Halloween parties and the "24 shopping days left until Christmas" countdowns, serving only as a marker for when it is finally OK to put up your Christmas tree. I think that a day put aside just for the expression of thanks is a great idea, but why limit it to one day? So I am going to challenge myself to post something at least weekly (I was going to say daily, but why set myself up for failure?) that I am thankful for, so I will have a nice long list built up for Thanksgiving dinner when we go around and have to say what we are thankful for, and I can beyond the generic answers I always give.

I am thankful that I have so many friends willing to drop everything different afternoons or even overnight to watch my kids while I go to the doctor or the hospital to have a baby.

I was discussing with a friend at work about child care arrangements, how I had everything covered with several backups. A co-worker heard and said how she wished she had lived here knowing all of us when she had her babies the last time. How hard it was to find anyone to care for her older children, let alone bring in meals or people to scrub the bathtub when it hurt to bend over. I didn't tell her it wasn't really me, but the church support network we have built in for us no matter where we go, that makes that possible. If only she would accept the invite to come to church with me one of those times and see for herself. Someday- she now teaches 8 Mormon preschoolers with great parents- one of us will get through!

I am thankful my grandma taught me to crochet.

So that when I put on my crocheted slippers, and Lenna runs to get hers that match, and Andrew pokes out his lip and asks where his slippers are, I can tell him to pick a yarn color and wait a few hours. Then I can give him some new blue slippers so he feels included and loved. It makes me feel connected to her, and my mom who also crochets, that we all have something in common and I can keep a little piece of them with me. That when we pull an afghan out of the blanket closet, they can ask who made it with love just for them, and I can answer "Grandma" or "Great-grandma" or "Nanny" or even "Mom" and they can feel warmth not only from the blanket but from the hands that made it one yarn loop at a time.

I am thankful that I married such a good man.

Because as much as Andy loves and imitates Buzz Lightyear and Woody, Spiderman, and Mickey the Musketeer, his real hero is his dad. And I love that when I hear him say "I want to do it like daddy does," I don't have to worry about what he will be doing. From wearing Mike's old basic training BCG's, to doing push ups in the living room, to wearing black socks and a tie to church. From putting his feet up on the computer, and insisting his chocolate milk be poured into an insulated mug to keep it cold, to helping out in the yard.

And as he gets older and sees beyond the physical traits and learns to admire and imitate Mike's sense of loyalty, honesty, and duty as he works at protecting our country and in excelling at school to better provide for his family, or his love and respect and generosity towards his family, or his enthusiasm and encouragement of higher education and learning, I can not only understand and indulge his imitation, but encourage it. And for that I am very grateful!

What are you thankful for? Maybe you could start your own list!