So Grown Up

I can't post about Max and not tell stories about Lukas...

Today Lukas was at the store with me and INSISTED that we buy a Sponge Bob b-day card for Emily. With no prompting from me, he told me that he wanted to draw on it and then put it in the mailbox for the mail lady to pick up and deliver to Emily. I bought the card for him and when we got home I just had him dictate what he wanted it to say. We sent it in the mail and now he keeps checking to see if the mail lady picked it up. (I have no idea why he thinks its a lady, I don't really know who gets our mail.)

He had a friend over today (Tommy) and they were playing in the toy room. Lukas said it was time for his puppy's nap and so he got a tupperware container and two washclothes. Later I found Pat's office door closed and the puppy covered and sitting on the chair. He kept telling Tommy, "We have to be quiet, my dog is taking a nap."

Time goes by and these little guys get bigger. Pretty soon they'll be wanting to take the car to go pick up their buddies. Yikes!!!

I guess I'm trying to cherish the moments!

Mr. Disaster

What has happened to my sweet little Max? He has all of the sudden turned from cute, cudly, adorable and sweet to onery, whiney, destructive, explorer!!! Just today we were at Target and he would NOT sit in the cart. He kept standing, so I put him in the cart part and let him stand there. Well, he had a slushie and threw it on the ground and of course it went everywhere. Then while I was trying to clean that up, he was quickly throwing stuff out the sides and it was getting dirty from the slushie. Then I decided to get him out of the cart while I finished cleaning and he took off running. Grrrrr! I vowed today never to take him shopping again. Well, at home is no different. I put him in his high chair only to have him stand and almost fall out, so I take him out and he climbs on the kitchen table chair and stands on the kitchen table. I fix him lunch and he throws it on the ground along with all his snacks and other food. Giving him applesauce is a complete mistake because it ends up all over his arms, face, legs, clothes, the highchair, the floor and anything within 10 feet of where he is eating. (Which reminds me yesterday I got him some chicken nuggest from CJ's and I opened the car door on his side and out came the nuggets on the ground.) He has got a thing for throwing. Oh, and I went upstairs to get something and Lukas comes to tell me that "Max made a mess". So I come down and he has dumped over a vase with stick and rocks in it and it's all over the living room. I still have yet to clean that one up. Oh and minutes after this happens, I find him in the bathroom IN the sink spreading sand and water and soap all over everything. I think I want to scream!!!

We got a book from the library with little lift-up windows and I find pieces of the book strewn about the house b/c Max had torn them all off.

He got in Pat's office last week and pulled out all the recyle paper all over the floor and got the paper clips out and decided to throw them like confetti. Despite all of this, I still can't resist his cute lips and his little voice when he talks. He does cuddle and his smile is the cutest. So I can't stay mad at him forever...but when will I find time to clean up the messes???

Website for Design By JaNece Inc.

It's finally done! After many days, weeks and hours of hard work, I'd like to announce my website!!! Design By JaNece is officially web-ready! And I couldn't have done it at all without my web-designer/creator EMILY! She is amazing and creative and wonderful! She created the backgrounds/header herself, as well as so many other cute features of the site. I know she put in a lot of time and it shows because I think the site is awesome!! So, if you'd like, add it to your favorite links or go to the Button Link page on the site and copy the HTML code to put it on your blog! We're open for business!!!

www.designbyjanece.com

The Boys

LUKAS I have seen such a change in Lukas lately. He is growing up so fast. He doesn't throw nearly as many tantrums and the whining/crying has significantly lessened. He wakes up happy and says the cutest things. He is still a hyper ball, but I don't know if that can be helped. He says his sweet little prayers (with one eye open to find out what to say next). He loves to call daddy or nana on the phone and talk talk talk. Pat left for work the other day and we were outside saying goodbye. Lukas had one more thing to say, but Pat didn't see and drove off. Lukas was so sad he started crying and I could feel the hurt he felt. It was so sweet. Pat came back and gave him a big hug and it make my heart melt to see Lukas love his daddy so much. And he is starting to play better with Max. Just this morning he said, "Max is my baby brother and I want him to play with me more". I had a date with Lukas this weekend and took him to see "Horton Hears a Who" (which is a really cute movie, by the way) and while we were getting in the car Lukas said to me, "I want Max to come with us, too. He'll have fun." I wasn't about to sit through a movie with Max running a muck, but it was nice that Lukas wanted him to come. Lukas does this thing if he wants to talk to me. He'll say "Mom on the phone?" and put his hand up to his ear like it's a cell phone. And I'm supposed to answer by putting my hand up to my ear. We have lots ot conversations this way, then when we're done, we'll just say, "Bye, love you." If I'm upset with him, he'll say, "Mommy, why are you nervous at me?" I guess he doesn't quite understand the meaning of that word. And Lukas is doing really well with the whole potty thing, which is truly a miracle to me. I honestly thought I'd be sending Lukas to kindergarten in diapers. Just now I was reminding him to go potty and he said, "Are you gonna be mad at me if I go in my diaper?" And I told him I'd just be disappointed. He replied, "I don't want you to be disappointed in me. I won't let you down." He surprises me constantly with his witty comments and questions. This picture is what he actually wore to the store with me the other day. He got dressed in two different PJ's and put on his hat and garden gloves. He is sure independent. And he loves to put my socks on and pull them up to his knees.

MAX Max...holy cow this kid is active! He is busy busy busy! It's nearly impossible to sit through church and actually hear the speakers and lessons. But we have two more weeks and he'll go to nursrey. I'm a bit nervous about that (we have a HUGE nursrey) but I am looking forward to having my sanity back, at least on Sunday. He talks so much, it's fun to hear him. He recognizes so many things (Dora, Elmo, Jesus, ). He LOVES Nana and Papa, but particularly Papa. My parents were here the other day and were getting ready to leave. Papa was holding Max and he didn't want to be put down. Papa was in the car still holding Max and wouldn't come to me until I finally said "bottle". He climbs up onto our kitchen table (which is one of those high ones) and hasn't fallen yet. Although he did tip his high chair over while he was in it and that made him nervous, so he understands what "fall" means now. We had donuts for FHE last week and now his favorite word is "donut" which he says so clearly. We were in the car the other day driving and Lukas asked Max how he was doing. I hear a faint "good". It was cute that Max answered. And if you ask Max if he wants to stay in the tub to play or get out, he'll say "play". He is also a bit fiesty and if he's upset, he'll throw whatever is in his hand and run the other way in frustration. Or he'll come in front of me and push me until I go where he wants me to go. As soon as I open the front door or garage, Max is running outside to play. He sometimes puts dirt in his mouth, I think only b/c the reaction he gets from us. And he takes his little scooter cart right into the street and runs for his life. He also does this b/c of my reaction. He has his own little language and I just could kiss his fat cheeks every day.

My little guys are growing so much. I sure love 'em.

i Won!!!

I never win anything and just the other day I got an email from the U of U saying that I won an iPod Shuffle! Is that crazy or what? Apparently Pat entered my name into a drawing and I won! This is my lucky day. I won, I won, I won!!! And it's so cute and little and it's mine!

Salt Lake City Half Marathon

At the beginning of the year, Pat made it a goal of his to stop drinking soda. He has done amazingly well and hasn't even had the desire to drink it anymore. This is pretty amazing, because every time we'd go out to eat he'd get his Sierra Mist or when we visit my parent's house, he'd bust open a can of Pepsi. Now, instead of soda he gets his "pina colada" or lemonade when we go out. Another goal he made was to run in a half marathon. He has been inspired by my sister who has fallen in love with running and ran in two marathons herself and is gearing up for more in the future. He made this goal months ago with the intent of training and getting on a running schedule. Well he certainly finds time for basketball with the guys, but it was hard for him to schedule the running in. And he did go running a few times (and by few I mean two). Well, the week of the race approaches and he realizes he's got to run 13 miles!! He is anxious and excited. The morning of the race comes and he is ready to go with his running shoes, iPod, and determination to finish. The race started at 7 a.m. and the boys and I took Trax downtown to meet up with him and watch him finish. I must say I am so proud of him! He did it. He ran all 13 miles and didn't walk except to drink water. He did it in 2 hours and 2 minutes!! Pretty good for his so-called "training"!! He loved it and plans to do it again next year. And with a little convincing from Mindy, we may go to San Fransisco and have him run in the marathon there in August!! Way to go Pato!

No DIAPER Day

As many of you may know, I've been struggling to help Lukas get potty trained. It has not been fun and I think I stress and worry about it more than I should. I get so worried about him being the only one that isn't potty trained, that I feel the pressure and then it makes it un-fun for him! So I dug up the courage to try again this week. I tried a different approach than I had before. (I tried the potty watch, charts galore, prizes, bribes, candy, toys, you name it, I tried it). So this time around I talked up a "no diaper day" where he didn't have to wear his diaper and he could wear his favorite underwear for however long he wanted. He didn't have to sit on the potty if he didn't want to and when he was ready to put his diaper on again, he could, but then "no diaper day" would be over. He went to bed that night thinking about it and when he woke up the next morning he came running downstairs and said, "Mommy, my potty toys are waiting for me on 'no diaper day'." (I left a couple of toys that I bought for him when he was potty trained out so he could see them in the bathroom). Well, I must say that I am SO proud of Lukas. It took about 2 1/2 hours of sitting in the bathroom, reading books, talking, singing, drinking milk/water/juice, playing with his toys until FINALLY he went on his own. I was so excited and I make THE biggest deal about it! I think I might have even teared up with joy! I wasn't expecting much, so I told him he could be done for the day if he wanted. He put some pull-ups on and went to watch some cartoons. A minute later he said, "I think I have to go!" So he went in and sat on the potty for a few minutes. It was a false alarm, but again I'm oozing with joy that he even cares. I left for a second and I see him run in the bathroom. He went ALL BY HIMSELF! Again, I freaked out and spoiled him with candy and hugs and kisses! He did this all day! We called everyone...daddy, Mindy, Nana, Emily. I was in heaven and I thought my day had finally come! However, it was short-lived b/c his cousins were coming over that night and he got a bit distracted for a day or so. But, he knows how to do it now and every day he'll come to me and say "Mommy, I peed in the potty, are you proud of me?" He isn't completley potty-trained, but this is a huge step from where we were. I still am weary of letting him wear underwear outside of the house. Accidents are bound to happen, but I'm easing into it. Way to go LUKAS!

Scavenger Hunt to the BYU Ball

Last weekend, the Norton's were hanging out at our house when there was a "ding dong" at the door. I opened it to find Lukas standing there holding a handwritten note. A bit confused, I opened and read the note. It said that Emily and I were to go out on a scavenger hunt and Scott and Pat were going to tend the kids while we were gone. Come to think of it, Pat was acting a bit strange and our plans for the night kept changing, so it makes sense that the Real Estate Training that Pat and Scott were supposedly "at" took much longer than the promised hour!!! Pleasantly surprised, Emily and I got our things and headed out the door. Only we didn't get too far because our first clue was confusing and right in our backyard. Each clue took us somewhere fun and interesting. (The bathroom, the gas station, the grocery store, Hollywood Video, Wendy's, our mail box, our email, Supercuts...)

Those boys really put a lot of thought into it. Emily and I had so much fun just being together without our kids and searching for clues. We found them all and took our sweet time so we could enjoy the moment. Our very last clue was a puzzle that we had to put together and the end result was a "Will you go with us to the BYU ball?"

I, at first, thought it was another kind of ball that had to do with sports (foot ball or basket ball) but it turns out BYU has an alumni ball in the new Gordon B. Hinckley Visitor's Center. I felt so giddy and excited that I wanted to go get my nails and hair done, go shopping for a new dress and find the perfect shoes and jewelry. And I only had one day b/c the ball was the next night! Not so much advance notice, but it didn't matter, because every bit of it was awesome!! I did find a cute dress on sale and it was fun getting ready. Emily and I wanted to answer in a creative way, but since we only had less than 24 hours, it had to be quick and unexpected...

My parents drove up (an hour) to babysit the kids for that night (THANK YOU!!!) and the Norton's got a neighbor to watch Logan. Our dates took us to P.F. Changs in Orem and then we went to our "ball". It was super classy with a live band, dancing, and just mingling with other alumni. We got our pictures taken in the library and the visitor's center is just beautiful! It was a wonderful date and I give Pat two thumbs up for all the planning and effort that went into it! It was something I will never forget! We love the Norton's and who better to spend a great night with! We had so much fun. Now Emily and I need to plan something fun for the boys...any ideas?!

Jojo

I grew up in a small town in Colorado (Rifle) and lived 7 miles out of town. I had very few neighbors and even fewer LDS friends. So when an LDS family moved in right next door with a girl my age, I was thrilled! Come to find out, she became my best friend for life!! We each had capital letters in our names (JaNece, JoAnne) and every Christmas we'd get the same present! Like one year we each got scooters (hers was purple and mine was mint green), another year we got Cabbage Patch Preemies. We did EVERYTHING together. Swim lessons, 4-H, jumping on the tramp, making up dance moves/routines, sleep overs, walking to the bus, matching clothes and pajamas, sledding, riding bikes, watching "Princess Bride" over and over, playing "college" girls, or doing a British accent. She was a year older than me in school, but that didn't matter because we were inseperable. We went on each others family vacations and she was as much a part of my family as I was hers. She moved in when I was about 8 and she was 9. I was devestated when she moved to Utah after Junior High. Although she was far away, it didn't matter because we stayed in touch and visited each other. Later we became college roommates at Ricks. We had a blast there, just like we did when we were kids. She got married after the first year and a half, so I stayed behind while she moved on to the next stage in life. I was a few years behind her, but no matter the distance between us, we are still the best of friends. We went on a trip half way around the United States together and were in each others weddings and we stay in touch regularly. She has three adorable kids now and lives (lived) in Reno. She is actually moving to Washington D.C. in a couple of weeks. It's a long story, but she is moving to Turkey in another few months after her husband (who works for the DEA) finishes training in D.C. She was in town visiting her family in Layton and came by to see me. As always, things are the same between us and I cherish her friendship dearly! Love ya, Jojo!! I still can't believe it's been 23+ years of friendship. (We went through the big hair phase together and yes, we were pretty dorky, but hey, we had each other, so it was alright). Notice the twin towers in the 4th picture down. We went on a Ricks College "Mormon America Travel Studies Tour" there in 1996.

Desperate Housewives Swap

My cute friend is doing a blog swap. Click on this link Desperate Housewives Swap! for details or read below...

"With the return of one of my favorite shows, Desperate Housewives, I decided to commemorate the event with my first Swap! The theme is "Desperate Housewives" -what are you housewives desperate for? A lazy day at the beach reading a good book or magazine, listening to some new tunes, or possibly spring fever has you desperate to rearrange your house and wardrobe and you're longing for colors, flowers, photos, fabrics, etc, that inspire you! This is going to be so much fun! Tell your friends, invite your neighbors, send an email, post it on your blog. Let's get the word out and tell EVERYONE you know to join the Desperate Housewives Swap!!

As you can tell, I am very excited about this...so here are the details:

As a participant, you will be asked to send at least three objects (I seriously doubt anyone would mind if you decided to send more) that are some of YOUR favorite desperate housewife related things. As a Desperate Housewife, what are you longing for and desperate for? Be creative and, most of all, have fun with it! Objects can be new or vintage, bought or handmade... just remember, it is best to send something that you would be thrilled and pleased to receive yourself!

Please send the following information to starpansie2004@yahoo.com by April 18th:

* Your name

* Your email address

* Your blog address

* Your home address

* What you are Desperate for!

Money: You are not obligated to spend large amounts of money... you could put together home made items such as great summer recipes or a list of activities to keep your little ones busy during the summer.... there are so many cool and fun things out there, to contribute, that cost next to nothing!. Your swap partner will be emailed to you by the 20th and your packages should be in the mail by May 3rd!! This is going to be FABULOUS...tell all of your friends and please don't be shy...sign up!!"

Utah Jazz and a boy with a dream

Well, last week Pat had a lifelong dream fulfulled. He got two courtside tickets to the Jazz game and took his dad. They got VIP treatment and had so much fun acting crazy and yelling at the up-close players! Pat said they could see and hear the players talking and were talking smack to them to distract them (the other team, that is). He said his dad was extatic to be there and they both didn't want the night to end. Here are the pictures to prove it.

Puppy Love

It seems everyone in our family has gotten a dog. It started with my brother getting a Chinese pug named Buddy. Then my sister caved and got an adorable cocker spaniel puppy named Aspen. Then to my surprise, my dad called the other day and said they had a surprise...a chocolate lab named ?? Well, they are in between names right now, but isn't he cute? He is so little and cute. Take the poll to vote on a name. I think he looks like a Rocco. But don't let me sway you.

Come On Spring. Enough Snow!

I mean, it's April already. We shouldn't be looking out the window to see this. I think I speak for all Utahns. We are ready for spring. No more snow, no more storms. No more nice one day, snow the next. Break out the sun and blossoms! We want playgrounds and parks. We want capri's and flip flops and light jackets. We want to go on walks again w/out freezing our tails off. This is getting ridiculous. (Can you tell we're feeling a bit cabin feverish?)

Executive Homemaker

I just discovered a great website...I was looking for an FHE lesson on food storage and found a great monthly planner. ALSO I found a cool chore chart for kids and if I would've had more time, I think I would've found some other cool stuff. So go to... http://www.executivehomemaker.com/default.asp It's called Executive Homemaker and they have a ton of free downloads to help with family, kids, parenting and much more. It helped me, and hopefully it will help you, too!

New Kids on the Block

Ever since I was in 6th grade, I was in LOVE with the New Kids on the Block. I had posters, t-shirts, videos, buttons, cards and any other paraphanelia that had to do with the NKOTB. My friends and I would pass notes during school talking about how we thought they were so cute and so awesome and how some day we hoped to go to one of their concerts and meet them. We knew for sure if they met us they'd fall madly in love. I seriously had my wedding to Jonathan Knight all planned out. I was gong to be Mrs. Jonathan Knight. Probably not an easy thing to admit these days, but truth be told. A lot of time has passed since then and I never thought they would ever reunite and make another album. But wow... Danny, Donny, Jordan, Jon and Joey are for real and are together again. I watched a clip on YouTube and got all giddy inside, just like when I was in 6th grade. How funny!! I would seriously go to their concert if it came to SLC. We'll just have to see... (Thanks Michelle, for the news)!