No Way!

No way! That is what I said when I ran across the street to meet my new neighbors and saw who it was. Shawn and I snowboarded, like every day, in college. I could even blame him for not ever going to class because he was such a good boarding buddy. But also could thank him for helping me snag Jake because snowboarding was our first date, and I had him when he realized I could keep up with him. Shawn even watched me get drug down the hill and into an ambulance when I didn't so much make a jump...
Anyway he married Stephanie and she is A-MAY-ZING! And they live across the street! And our little girls are BFF's. And my Beck will marry their Hallie. And their next one will be BFF's with Indie (cause it's gotta be a girl too, right?). And Jake and him are hilarious. Like, pretty sure they took sense of humor classes from the same professor. I mean, can life get better? It can't. I could follow this with some mushy stuff about Steph and how much I love her and needed her and think the world of her, and how grateful I am that we are friends, but she is already pregnant and emotional so I won't.


So they took us to the Jazz game last week and it was super fun. Even though our husbands are.... weird. But, again, the same kind of weird, so it works.






Look at them, like talking, and hanging out and being friends. What?? They even had on the same old green shirt and got asked, "are you gonna wear that??"


Definitely the best no way ever.

Already?

Um, Piper thinks she is a teenager already, or at least is determined to be one AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Shoot me. In the head, preferably. She likes to get dressed (after much consideration of what to wear) and prance around waiting for compliments, or me willing to take pictures of her practicing her posing. The other day she spotted a "teenager hat" that she wanted really bad. I am sure we will be posing in it shortly :)






What is this? HA HA.





Usually she insists Indie matches her, and I go with it, to avoid another ten minute blank stare into her closet while she picks something else that matches what I put Indie in, but is cute enough for her to wear.

Hi Lou Lou, don't you look innocent here.


From munchkin to teenager, who knew?

A Light At The End Of The Tunnel

The sun came out and so so did we. Been on a couple of bike rides and walks and man, bring it mother nature. Done. Done. Done. That is what I am. Done with cold. Done with RSV. Done with fevers. Done with boredom. I am ready for warmth, just like everyone else! Excited for the kids to run the neighborhood and give me a heart attack. Excited for warm weather so I actually get my butt out there running and biking and get ready for the races I have committed to. And excited for play dates with friends because I miss you all so dearly. Oh, I am also excited for all my prego friends to have their babies this summer.

I love all the apps for your phone that take pictures. Hello, take the pressure off for picture taking and editing. And I don't have to push bikes and strollers with a big honking camera around my neck. I can just load off the phone and load onto the blog. GR8, just like Tony The Tiger. (Man, I haven't been called that for awhile) Oh, and my printer is busted and that is the way I get my photos off my memory cards. And I way too lazy to go dig through my computer box down stairs for an alternate way, so I will just wait for pay day to buy a new printer.

So.. I basically just want to eat Indie in these pictures, all bundled up in her hat with her binkie. In some of them her cheeks are literally red because I kept kissing and biting them.






One bad thing about having your nephews live a couple houses down~ the kids want to knock on the door to play every time you walk by and when they aren't home you have to coax them and then physically extract them from the front porch in tears. That picture of my peanut is in the middle of the coaxing and right before the physical extraction.

Thanks George

So this is sort of random, but I heard George Clooney on E! one day a long time ago (so what if I Tivo it??) and he said something that has totally stuck with me because I sort of feel like it's always been my go to mantra. He said, YOU CAN'T TAKE YOURSELF TOO SERIOUSLY. He was talking about fame and Hollywood crap of course, but come on.. totally applicable to Utah culture and being a stay at home mom, right?

I have never really been a person who cared what others thought, if I could or could not "pull this off" (purple hair-bring it on) or if this goes, or if I should say this. I just do. I be. I don't take myself too seriously. I don't over think too much or care too much about much of anything. Possibly because if I really wrapped my head around who I am and what others thought it would be crippling and exhausting and devastating. It's easier to not care. Maybe it's because there isn't anything seriously special about me, I am not overly pretty, overly talented at anything, never been overly popular, or overly anything. Therefore the fear of failing isn't too high for me. Expectations and disappointments just don't really exist. The bar isn't too high.

Anyways I thank George Clooney and my Hollywood obsession for putting a label on my attitude about life. I thought I'd share because it was such great advice.

Here are some recent pictures I have sent to friends or family asking for advice.

For example, "should I buy this?"


"Do you like these glasses? Or are they way too big for my face?"


This is obviously serious business, deciding which ones to wear today to the grocery store, I mean heaven forbid I buy the wrong percentage of milk.

Concentrate.....Yep, still like the race car glasses better. Hard decision, better just get Lasix.



Or "could my face possibly have more zits?" Ok not really, this one was to my fake eyelash friend. "Check out my new pair."

10 Months

Today Indie turns 10 months. Ok, said it before, and I'll say it again, where does time go?
I was going through checking out my other two kids when they were ten months just for fun comparison and first of all, I can't believe how big they are! and secondly, I can't believe I'll blink my eyes and Indie will be all grown up like them. You know, cause 3 and 5, is technically ALL GROWN UP.
So here's to ten months and the wonderful cute age it is. And a jaunt down memory lane.




Piper was walking by ten months, look how funny it looked. These pants she is in, Indie just out grew and they are 3-6 months pants, pretty sure those pants weren't made for walking.



My peanut and all his peanutey-ness. Yep, gonna keep kissing those lips as long as they'll kiss me back.


You missing my old house right now? Yep, me too!
It's going to be downright impossible to tell Piper and Indie apart when I am old and senile and can't remember which kid did what...













Really missing the old house...and it's OLD ness.


There's Pipe, bossing Eli around already.






Piper or Indie, Piper or Indie, who can tell???
Oh, green blankey, check- it's Pipe.



















It's so amazing to look back at my life with my family this far and think how great it is and how many good times and memories we have already. It's also amazing to know that no matter what happens there is so much good to life and so much good to look forward to. Life and loss happens, but to be blessed isn't something I take for granted (even though talking to me, you wouldn't know it!).

SO here's to having a few more ten month olds..
Ok I really think I need a few more, what's that you say, Jake, NO? That I can baaaarely handle the three that I have. And what if we get another one like Indie? Well one can dream.

Reflections From A Sick Mom

We have been truly sick here at the Carroll household. It's just gone from one person to the next and then back again. It's been a sick age that will go down in history. You know what's awesome???? Being sick yourself and getting woke up on the hour by your sick kid. Awesome. Then your sick kid wakes up the baby. So here you are not getting the sleep you need to function and get well for the next day. All in the name of love, man.

So the last two days I decided I had had it with whatever kid is sick watching cartoons all day. So I turned it off. Not to make my life any easier of course, or maybe I just thought I might actually DIE if I watched Max and Ruby ONE MORE TIME. Like. Die. And it hasn't helped that I am sick and therefore not busy busy busy and able to tune out "Max and Ruby, Ruby and Max.."

I can't believe how ridiculously hard it is to limit television. Sometimes I wish I just didn't have one, so I wouldn't have to be so disciplined. But then I watch, Gossip Girl and Kardashians.. and decide to be realistic. We live in hard times when it comes to raising children. Even with Indie I am finding it difficult to teach her that she CAN just SIT and PLAY. She doesn't need me to hold her, entertain her, feed her, constantly. I am trying to teach her to play in a playpen multiple times a day, to explore and learn and be creative, but even at 10 months old ITS HARD! The winter is especially hard, obviously, and add on top of that a household of sickies. So I ran into this today and it made me feel better about being home for a week strait now (no, more) and restricting television to the kids even though they are sick.

"Boredom is good for kids. Children are seldom truly bored, they just haven’t lately exercised that part of the brain that requires them to use their imagination. Make a rule that if your kid announces they’re bored, they’ll have to do chores. So if they truly can’t think of anything off-hand to do… eventually, they’ll think of something.

It’s a good lesson to learn that life is not always entertaining, and that they’re not the center of attention. And if you’ve got a typical home, there’s actually plenty they can do. So don’t feel like you always have to provide options and events for your children. They’ll be just fine exercising their brain."

http://simplemom.net/20-indoor-activities-for-kids-besides-tv/

Feliz Cumpleanos

Happy Birthday to my lover!

Yep my hot pants turns THIRTY today. How did we get that old, boss?
He says it best when he says he doesn't mind getting old because he has the life he wants. Happiness. I feel the same.

Today is preeeeeetty much the most important day of MY life because Jake was born today. I mean, life would suck if he wasn't born. He pretty much made my life, so.. it was imperative that today happen 30 years ago. So I celebrate the importance of today more so than he.

I would go on to tell you all the ways he is wonderful, but that is personal. And honestly, I am sort of insecure in the fact that if you knew (you, being a bunch of females for the most part) how wonderful he was, you would most definitely try to steal him from me. And you are not arguably cooler and cuter than me so he'd likely take the bait and upgrade and then you'd be celebrating today instead of myself.

So, therefore. He. Is. Awesome. More awesome than you could ever know.

I love you, boss. Hope you have a great day. You deserve it. And even though I am not one for thinking people deserve things, you DESERVE this day to be exceptional.
~ME