Daddy vs. Momma

It would really be hard to survive without either one. Dad's are so much more important than society has led us all to believe and Mom's are the lifeline for most children.

I'm immensely grateful for a fiercely loyal husband/protector/provider. And grateful for the gospel which teaches us - when the world gets completely confused - about our most important roles in life.

But to bring this discussion back to how this relates to my life . . . ; )

Mary loves both of us. I love that Jeff can completely handle taking care of Mary. Though differences are often hard, I think this is a good example of why God puts us together. You need someone who is harder and someone who is softer. You need someone is a little overly protective and someone who is more free. You need the balance that a man and a woman create together. At least, that is what I think.

Jeff is distrustful of most people. I trust everyone practically. And yet Mary will need to learn trust and caution. Both are vital for her happiness.

It is interesting to see the activities she and I do together and the activities she and Jeff do together.

Jeff sometimes likes to tease that she cuddles way more with him and gives him more kisses than she does with me. But I realized the other day - it is because I don't really sit down all day - except if I'm reading to her (or when she naps). I try to make sure she gets exercise and at least one outing a day and I try to expose her to new things. I'm trying to take care of the household (and myself) by doing dishes, preparing food, shopping, straightening, cleaning, running errands, exercising or getting myself ready - all whilst taking care of her too. I hope too that I am spending enough time just enjoying Mary and taking it all in instead of being stuck in my own world of thoughts and chores.

So anyway the point is . . . I'm so glad Mary has both of us and that we all have each other.

How I found Mary and Jeff tonight. I love that she holding Jeff's finger.





Mary and Me going on a walk yesterday in our new sunglasses.


Mary likes to push her own stroller before, during, or after our walk.


Just another cute pic with her new sunglasses.



And tonight before Jeff put Mary to bed, she came in to say goodnight and he spun us around in the chair together. So fun to do something altogether instead of separate.

"Pull"

With Mary turning 18 months old last week, it seems like she really has starting talking more - Hannah (my neice) noticed too. So I thought I'd share with you some words that she has been saying. And now that I am writing them down, I realize she has been saying lots of these words for awhile. But I don't know, I just really noticed an increase in the last week. It's like she tries to say the beginning of many words now.

So here are her words starting with my favorite:
"Pull" = apple
"Haa" = Hat
"Boo" = Balloon
"Hah" = Hot
"Du" = Juice
"Bah" = Ball
"Uh!" = Up
"Tah" = Stop
"Dow" = Down
"Wawa" = Water
"EE!" = Eat
"Sshue" = Shoe
"Wowah" = Flower
"Beh" = Bread
"Boo" = Spoon
"Dah" = Doll
"Daa!" = Dad!
"Momma" = Momma
"Sah" = Sock
"Baby" = Baby
"Poo" = Poo
"Pee" = Pee
"Uh oh" = Uh oh
"Tee" = Cheese
"Cah!" = Car (and sometimes chair : ))
"Haa" = Hands
"Byee" = Bye!
"Bi" = Bike
"Pah" = Pants
"No!" = No!
"Bahr" = Bear
"Daiee" = Day
"Bubbuh" = Bubbles
"Dah!" = Dog - and she usually makes a raspberry noise to represent the bark while doing the sign for dog (patting your leg - except she pats her chest and does it over and over). It's cute. In fact, she signs with many of the words above.

I think she probably knows more, but these are the ones I was able to remember.

Easter

We had a nice Easter weekend.

Yesterday Mary and I colored eggs and we all just relaxed mostly during the day. Then Jeff and I got to go on a date together and that was nice too. We had Red Lobster and it was fabulous.

Mary enjoyed her Easter basket this morning. Sacrament meeting was very good and I was happy with how my lesson went.

We had fun dressing up a little more for church today and coordinating our colors. Mary wore the cutest bonnet ever!!! She looked so adorable. And today she got to go to the nursery for the 2nd and 3rd hour since she is now 18 months old!

We went to my folks' house tonight and had a nice time. Unfortunately we weren't able to come for the egg hunt. But that is really okay. Mary got a little candy this morning and a little tonight and she doesn't really need more.

The only disappointment for me this weekend is that I found out they were releasing me as Beehive advisor after only four months. I feel like I was just starting to find a groove. But this is how it goes sometimes I guess. I was expecting a presidency change when the president had her new baby. But I assumed they'd keep me. Most everyone was changed. So now I am just trying to adjust to the abruptness of it and the change again. We'll see what happens now.

So here are some pics from the weekend.

Happy Easter.

Mary's Easter Basket


She discovers the candy right away.


We read the pop up Peter Rabbit together.


Easter Bonnet and Dress


Mary peeping into the basket of the eggs we dyed. She loved doing it.


And I just had to throw this in . . . you've probably seen Mary wear this giraffe outfit before, but I wanted to point it out since she wore it yesterday.

I already posted this picture about a month ago, but here is the hoodie that goes with the giraffe outfit. So fun right?


Lastly, I just wanted to post what I gave the Beehives today for a handout for their lesson on the Temple Endowment. I compared it to an Easter egg.
Here are the other ones that I have made in the last month or so. Sorry. I just want to record this for myself. One lesson was on the Priesthood and a Father's Responsibilities, another was a crossword puzzle we did in class about our wonderful legacy that we have as members of the LDS church(I passed out Lion House muffins to go with it) and the house was a lesson about the blessings of being in the House of Israel.


I'm grateful to be a member of what I believe is Christ's true church on the earth today. I get so many blessings from it. I am glad to know who I am. And I am grateful to know that even when other Christians say I'm not a Christian, I know that I am because I believe He is the literal son of God and that He died for all of us so that we can be saved. How could I not be a Christian when I believe those things?

Have a great week! He is Risen!

Blah!

Picture this.
The play: A Year With Frog and Toad.
Frog goes to wake Toad from Hibernation and Toad says "BLAH!".
That is a little how I feel today.

My Young Women's lesson was not great this week.

I'm feeling rather "soft" at the moment from all the Easter candy. (I had a dream the other night that I was pulling jewelry out of my throat. Wierd I know. I really won't make it a habit of sharing my dreams with you as they are BIZARRE). But the interpretation is pretty clear. I'm eating too much crap!

Mary was not well on Sunday. I think she may have had an allergy attack. Maybe it's a cold. She was snotty and sneezy and puffy and her eyes were watering. Oh I can hear my Mom now. HER mother would always say something to the effect of, "People get sick in January because of too much sugar at Christmas". What is that exactly Mom? But yea, it applies here. I'm not going to tell you how many bags of those delicious Robin Eggs we've been through here. And now I'm sneezy and stuffy and my nose is running away.

Plus I just have so much to do. I don't know how you all get anything done with your 5-6 children. I have one and can barely keep up.

Oh and I had a what I've been calling a "minor devastation" the other day when I lost my entire email inbox. Good news though is that I'm getting what I need fairly well.

I think I might just need a good nap. Yea, I think so. We'll see if that actually gets done.

So BLAH! That's just how it is today.

Horsin' Around

Daddy is Mary's new horsie apparently.

I love her little hands holding on to his hair.

Okay, not a great picture of Mary, but I thought it was cute of Daddy.


Laughing. What wonderful, happy, joyous times. These are moments to be treasured.

Signing "again". Doesn't she look SO much like Ellen (my MIL) in this pic?


And here are a few pics that I thought were worth sharing from one of our days at the park last week. It ended up being colder than I expected, but Mary seemed to enjoy herself anyway. She can negotiate the slide all by herself now. It's so funny to watch how much effort it takes for them to climb up, sit down, get their legs in front of themselves and then scoot forward toward the top of the slide . Play really is a lot of work when you think about it (especially for Moms).

Here she is climbin' up to that slide . . .


Little angel . . .


Lots of giggles and squeals on the swing.


And for some reason, I just really thought this pic was cute - how she is holding the shovel and walking. She is doing such big things and yet still is so small.


Also, I just had to share with you how cute she looked for school last Monday. I had planned on this outfit, but it was Mary's idea to wear the hat. I don't think I could even count how many compliments she got - especially about the hat. So much fun to dress my little girl!

After class, we climb the steps and go spend a little time at the park right next to the library.


Little walker. So big.

Mary likes . . .

I thought I'd post a little about what Mary likes and what keeps her busy these days.

She really likes balls, bugs, books (especially song books), playgrounds (swings, SANDBOXES, and slides), swimming, sliding in the bath, bubbles, candy, her little car, all kinds of chairs and horses, other kids, balloons, being outside, and of course - baby signing time (videos and also cd in the car). Mary really loves music - toys that play music, etc., and she loves it when I sing to her. She also still likes dogs (though not quite as obsessed as she used to be) and hats and shoes too. I can't believe I haven't taken her to the zoo yet. I know she'd love it. She's not so much into dolls/babies yet. Her cousin, H is 4 months younger and she carries a baby doll all the time. Maybe I have a little tom boy? She sometimes plays with her cabbage patch doll and feeds her with a bottle or with the Strawberry Shortcake mermaid doll. But I think that last one is more so she can smell the sweet strawberry scent (and on occasion - lick it : )). She also loves chapstick and looking at herself in the mirror.


Her new bug pajamas . . .

New swimming suit . . .

Happy as a kite with a balloon at the grocery store . . .

Loves to sit in the sink while Momma gets ready (I'm always right behind her) and among other things - look at herself in the mirror . . .

Loves to play with balls . . .

And doesn't want to share (my friend, Sara's beautiful, sweet boys). . .

A very rare cuddly moment . . .

In sandbox at friend Angie's house with P. He's very sweet with Mary.

"Playing with the boys (friend Amber's) while I sit on my car" . . .

"Lemme show ya how it's done boys"

Loves the playground . . .

Loves to climb up in chairs . . .(you've seen similar pics on a different post, but this goes with this post ya know?)




Or be placed on them . . .

Or be spun in them (also a similar photo from a different post - but goes with the theme ya know?)

And loves to ride horses too . . .the one at the grocery store or this one (signing horse). . .

She even tried this one . . .
See?

Mary's First Day of School

Okay, not really. But we did go to the toddler literacy class that I signed up Mary for yesterday. It is once a week at the library for 8 weeks. It was free, but not easy to get into. I tried to get her into the infant class last year and couldn't. But this time, I prepared myself and called the first day I could to sign her up. I'm so glad I did!

Basically it is a 1/2 hour class for toddlers where we do finger plays, read books, sing songs, etc. There are 12 kids in the class - 6 boys and 6 girls! The teacher - Miss Nancy - said it isn't usually that even. Mary did so well of course and was obsessed with the balls that were set out for the kids to play with. She spent the first 20 minutes saying "BAH" while holding them and signing "ball" at the same time.

I had to laugh when I heard the other girls names - Evelyn, Eleanor, Ella, Bella, and Anna Lyvia. I was so happy that we picked "Mary" - easy, unique for her generation, not hard to get like Anna Lyvia (I got it after hearing her mom say it 3 times), and not overdone (Ella and Bella or similar names are so popular right now - not that they aren't beautiful though). And also, I like that "Mary" fits in with the popular old fashioned name thing that is going on right now. Eleanor, Elsa, Chloe, Sophie - all are old fashioned - but that is popular right now.

Momma was SO proud of her little Mary! And even Miss Nancy complimented her afterward. We had fun!!!

I would like to list Mary's current signing vocabulary - more for my record than anything.

Words Mary signs:
Baby, Daddy, Grandma, Eat, More, All done, Cereal, Banana, Milk, Water, Drink, Cracker, Apple (but she actually only signs it for Pineapple - isn't that cute that she figured that out?), Juice, Cheese, Potty, Diaper, Dog, Cat, Fish, Bird, Frog, Bunny, Bug, Horse, Socks, Shoes, Hat, Coat, Please, Thank you, Car, Airplane, Ball, Phone, Brush Teeth, Grass, Again, Soap, Wind, Tree, Flower, Up, Down, Star, Moon, Hot, Cold, Me, Cry, Dirty, Bubbles, Balloon.

We also have made up sign language words of "Danger", "Pray".

I think that is all, but I might be forgetting some.

Mary at the library after class, sitting in the small chairs. She loves those.