My Hammy Sammy & the Big Deception!

Me and Sam

This nose crunching thing cracks me up!

I owe myself a treat after this!

I think he looks like his nephew, Gregory, here.

Well, tonight was a bit of a milestone. On a couple of different levels. My mom and Debbie came over for dinner. THAT'S not the milestone! Although, they are usually the ones cooking for this exhausted mom and her neglected, starving children...NOT! Okay, yes on the cooking but I hardly have neglected, starving children! Milestones, Milestones...

#1 Teaching Samuel to feed himself. I really think we seasoned parents need to let all you new parents in on a HUGE secret when it comes to teaching a child to feed themselves. Are you ready?? Get a DOG! Not to replace the child, but to clean the floor afterwards. Debbie brought her dog over tonight and woooo weeee was she a great cleaner-upper after dinner! She's not nicknamed "Hoover" (as in vacuum) for nuthin! She even did better on the baby's high chair tray than a Clorox wipe! (Just kidding, honey! really...) Too bad she doesn't clean cat litter boxes...oh, wait she has done that on occasion! Oh, ick! Where did I put the wipes????

#2 Getting Andrew to eat something other that toast or dry cereal. He decided after trying sloppy joes last week...ONLY the meat, Mom, no bread because it has seeds on it...that he liked the meat. So, I made them again tonight and added a special ingredient. Shredded zucchini!
And to top it off, he is still alive and it didn't hurt him one bit. I didn't tell anyone until he had finished his sandwich. And, yes, he had it on a bun this time because Aunt Debbie bought some with no seeds on them. I shredded the zucchini on the fine side and couldn't even tell it was in there once it cooked. I wish I'd had the camera handy when I told him.

We decorated cupcakes after that and watched a short DVD. It was fun...until it was bedtime! Samuel and ATC are so easy to put to bed most of the time. Andrew...makes me want to pull my hair out. BUT, it's my fault! Never EVER nurse your children in your bed! You may get more sleep at the time, but you will lose the advantage in the years to come...once you let em in, you can't get em out! No, he doesn't nurse anymore...he just insists on sleeping across his dad and I and I usually get his feet in my face.

I got an email about a reunion for my Forensics (Speech & Debate) Club in the middle of July. Why do those freak me out? Aside from the fact there is so much more of me to love....and any poor dentist (yeah, right!) would love to get me in the chair and rip my teeth out...(Judy, are you reading this...I swear I will go to the dentist!!) the older I get the worse my anxiety for that profession~anyway, I look forward to seeing everyone and I hope I can go this time...we'll just have to see.

One comment about the Big Give last night...excellent decision by the judges to keep all three.

One final note...b. if you read this, I have missed you this week! Get your behiney blogging! And I say that with the utmost respect!

Just thinking about....

What an incredible weekend! First of all on Saturday, I got to participate in the sustaining of a new Prophet and leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His name is Thomas S. Monson and he is an awesome man. I have always loved him...what an amazing transformation the mantle of "Prophet of the Lord" yields to those who bear it. It was like his voice became just a little deeper and he seemed to stand a little taller. To hear him speak for the first time as a sustained Prophet was a very spiritual experience. I could almost hear the prayers flowing to him to comfort him. What incredible shoes he has to fill, although I don't look at it that way. Each of the Presidents of the Church have had their own pair of shoes per se. It seems they have chores, callings if you will, to accomplish while they serve. I am so glad to be a witness of him as the Prophet and mouthpiece of our Heavenly Father. Frankly, I loved to hear him joke a bit in his closing address with Elder Ballard and then telling the story of his wife, Frances. Between he and President Hinckley, it is easier to imagine more of the characteristics that Joseph Smith must have had. I'm happy for my children and hope that President Monson will always have a warm place in their hearts as "their" prophet while they learn and grow in the Gospel. General Conference was a spiritual feast! Oh, and kudos to Elder Ballard for speaking on the importance of mothers! THAT was what I needed to hear! Prayer answered! If you want to look at the addresses that were given, they are usually posted in about a week. The website is http://www.lds.org/

Adam and ATC got home yesterday. I swear ATC got taller! They had an awesome trip together. I think they needed some father/son time.

Have to make one comment on Oprah's Big Give tonight...BIG round of applause to the judges for finally sending Rae/Rachael home!