Today was a big day for our family. Eliot went to nursery at church for the first time. And I KNOW that it was harder on Grant and me than on Eliot. The whole morning I was nervously anticipating the big moment when we would take him and drop him off. Grant and I even walked through our "game plan" of who was going to stay with him, or should we just leave him, etc. And then it was no biggie. Grant stayed for the first little bit with Eliot, who was only slightly clingy at first, but even as I spied through the glass windows in the doors after leaving my boys, Eliot was barely aware Grant was in the room and was happily playing with the new treasure trove of toys he had just landed upon. I'm sure if he could talk, he would chew us out for holding out on him for so long. I can hear it now, "You mean to tell me that this room has been here all this time, and you've been trying to keep me entertained with the contents of your dumb diaper bag?!"
When Grant left Eliot, Grant said it was a piece of cake. For Eliot anyway. Grant reports feeling a decent amount of sadness after leaving our little year-and-a-half year-old (and WHO let him get that old, by the way?!) on "the other side of the door." It must have been hard on Grant, because other men from his priesthood group came up to Eliot after church and told him that his daddy had missed him today.
The funniest moment of it all, for me at least, was when I spied in on Eliot again on my way from Sunday School to Relief Society. It was snack time, and as I looked up and down the table for Eliot, he was nowhere to be found. Then I saw a couple of the nursery workers giggling a little bit and walking to the other side of the room -- where Eliot was literally climbing inside one of the play kitchens. As a middle child of six girls, I totally get Eliot's thinking on this one -- smart little bugger had it all figured out: "While they're all over their eating, I can play with whatever toys I want!" Smart kid. Though I'm sure it didn't take too much convincing to get Eliot to go get a snack. When the leaders asked me about any food allergies, I told them that yes, he is allergic to peanuts, but that their biggest concern would probably keeping Eliot from stealing other kids' food. He's kind of a big eater, what can I say.
So round one of nursery -- we'll call it a success. Phew. Maybe it will get easier on the parents as time goes on? As for Eliot, I have a feeling he's going to be one of those kids that bolts for the door as soon as sacrament meeting's over.
What I'm Lovin' . . .
Among the things I'm loving these days, these are some of my favorites:
- The song "Everything" by Michael Buble. It's on my playlist. I'm confident you'll love it, too.
These cute little graham crackers -- Keebler "Bug Bites," which I originally bought for Eliot, are not only darling but yummy. They're cinnamon flavored and probably much sweeter than Eliot or I should be eating on a regular basis, but I admit to sneaking a few when I give Eliot a snack.
Yep, The Sound of Music. This little obsession has surprised me a bit, even though I've always been a musicals lover. A few months ago, it was on TV, and I stayed up late to watch the whole thing (with commercials) even though Grant gave up on it less than half-way through. And then I watched it again the next night when it was on TV again! And yes, I made Grant watch it with me over Christmas break when it was on TV yet again. No surprise, then, that when Grant asked what I want for my birthday, I told him I'd like my very own copy of The Sound of Music so I can watch it whenever I want . . . at least I'll be sparing him the commercials, right?!
These little guys, the Crystal Light "On-the-Go" packets are my saving grace right now on my little post-holidays "sugar fast." When I'm craving a little something sweet, I just have a little glass of Crystal Light and I'm good to go. I know, silly. But it works!
Our Exciting Celeb Sighting
For those of you who know that our flights to Utah were much more eventful than we had hoped for, I'm happy to report that the only eventful part of our trip back was our sighting of Carlos Boozer of the Utah Jazz while we were in the Salt Lake airport!! (And P.S., that's one exclamation point for spotting Boozer and another for having no travel troubles.)Our first sighting occurred when we were going through the painfully long process of going through security, which entails taking all of our shoes off (yes, Eliot's too) and putting them in bins along with our jackets/coats, carry-on items; breaking down Eliot's stroller and sending it through scanner, taking Grant's laptop out of its bag and putting it in its very own bin; taking out all of the liquids/creams from Eliot's diaper bag -- Desitin, sippy cup, infant Tylenol, etc. -- and putting them in a quart-sized ziplock (don't push them on this issue, we've learned), etc., etc., etc. So like 10 bins later, Grant takes Eliot through the metal detector and I stay back to push our bins through. I look up and Grant's waving and pointing and mouthing something, and I look to where he's pointing and quickly spot Carlos and his adorable family. Turned out that his flight was in our same terminal, so we kept running into him again and again.
Unlike our other cohorts in the airport who called out silly/embarassing things to Carlos, we decided not to bug him, especially since he was with his family, but I admit that a pretty big part of me wishes I'd had my cell phone with the camera charged so I could have sneaked one harmless picture, and it would have been cool to have an autograph (what I would've had him sign, I'm not sure -- my boarding pass?!). If Eliot had been a little older, I think I would have used him as my excuse.
Choppin' it up
I've been long overdue for a new 'do, and thanks to my sister Lauren, I'm sporting a sassy, fresh cut with choppy bangs and fun layers. It's so nice to have a good hair stylist who I can completely trust and say, "Just do what you think it needs." So it's healthy and has a fresh new coat of color to keep it from getting dull, and instantly I just feel better. Isn't it great what a simple haircut can do for you?!
Lunch with the Girls!
L to R: Amy, Amber, Lori, me, MissyIt's a rare occasion when all of my high school girlfriends are in town at the same time, but it actually happened this holiday season! Missy and Amber, who've both been living out on the east coast, are both in the process of moving back west, so of course we had to take advantage of having all the girls together! We went to lunch at the Old Spaghetti Factory and had such a nice time catching up and just being together again! Not featured in the picture are our two special guests for the lunch date -- Spencer, Missy's adorable 10-month old, and Olivia, Amy's brand new sweet little girl! So good to be back together!
Half an elephant . . .
When we left for law school, my mom gave Grant the advice to take his "elephant" of a task ahead of him one bite at a time. So bite by bite, he's chomped away at his elephant. Well, that' elephant's now half-way gone! Grant has completed the first year and a half of his three years of school. Man are we glad to have swallowed all those big bites. Hope the rest goes down easily!
Disco Dancin' Dickinson Elves
These "Elf Yourself" movies made me laugh until I cried! So here's a little disco dancin' from our house to yours.
Comings and Goings
Our life over the past few weeks can best be summarized by one of my favorite quotes from Charles' Dickens' A Christmas Carol: "Life is full of comings and goings. That is the way of it." We've been experiencing both comings and goings in our family lately, along with the emotions, joyous and difficult, that come with each.
A couple weeks ago we learned that Grant's family will welcome a new brother-in-law in 2009 when his sister called and told us she's engaged. We are thrilled for Melissa and Justin and are so happy for them and the choices they've made. We look forward to getting to know Justin better and especially for their wedding in May.
Another of the joyous "comings" in our family this next year will be the arrival of my sister Mary's baby in March. I got to see Mary briefly before she flew out to spend time with her husband's family in Cincinnati for the holidays. Her tummy is beautifully round, she's glowing, and she and Louie could not be more visibly happy to welcome baby "Raffi" (his/her nickname for the time being since they're not going to find out the gender) into their home. They will be extraordinary parents, and it is a joyous thing to feel the excitement of awaiting a new little family member.
And as for the goings, we are saying goodbye, at least for a while, to Grant's grandmother this weekend. She passed away Tuesday evening after suffering from some serious strokes over the past couple weeks. Her health has been deteriorating over the last several months, and even when they came to visit this past summer, Grandma Moore was not quite her same old cheerful, boisterous self. Grant said the other night that he will miss her laugh most. She was (and is!) such a fun, kind woman, and we're glad she gets to be healthy and happy again and reunited with loved ones. Still, the "goings" are always hard for those of us left here.
Times like these make us all the more grateful to have the restored gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives to help us know that the "goings" are just temporary. In fact, I think Grant's typical goodbye he gives to me when leaves to go to school or work or hangs up the phone -- "Bye for now" -- might be the most appropriate thing he could say to bid farewell to his grandma. Because fortunately, we know it is just for now and that we'll see her again.
And thanks to the knowledge we do have, which allows us to know that there is life before and after death, and that family relationships perpetuate beyond the grave, it's interesting to consider that the "goings" here are "comings" there, and vice versa.
"Life is full of comings and goings. That is the way of it."
A couple weeks ago we learned that Grant's family will welcome a new brother-in-law in 2009 when his sister called and told us she's engaged. We are thrilled for Melissa and Justin and are so happy for them and the choices they've made. We look forward to getting to know Justin better and especially for their wedding in May.
Another of the joyous "comings" in our family this next year will be the arrival of my sister Mary's baby in March. I got to see Mary briefly before she flew out to spend time with her husband's family in Cincinnati for the holidays. Her tummy is beautifully round, she's glowing, and she and Louie could not be more visibly happy to welcome baby "Raffi" (his/her nickname for the time being since they're not going to find out the gender) into their home. They will be extraordinary parents, and it is a joyous thing to feel the excitement of awaiting a new little family member.
And as for the goings, we are saying goodbye, at least for a while, to Grant's grandmother this weekend. She passed away Tuesday evening after suffering from some serious strokes over the past couple weeks. Her health has been deteriorating over the last several months, and even when they came to visit this past summer, Grandma Moore was not quite her same old cheerful, boisterous self. Grant said the other night that he will miss her laugh most. She was (and is!) such a fun, kind woman, and we're glad she gets to be healthy and happy again and reunited with loved ones. Still, the "goings" are always hard for those of us left here.
Times like these make us all the more grateful to have the restored gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives to help us know that the "goings" are just temporary. In fact, I think Grant's typical goodbye he gives to me when leaves to go to school or work or hangs up the phone -- "Bye for now" -- might be the most appropriate thing he could say to bid farewell to his grandma. Because fortunately, we know it is just for now and that we'll see her again.
And thanks to the knowledge we do have, which allows us to know that there is life before and after death, and that family relationships perpetuate beyond the grave, it's interesting to consider that the "goings" here are "comings" there, and vice versa.
"Life is full of comings and goings. That is the way of it."
White Christmas Wisdom
Grant and I discovered a great "new" classic holiday movie -- White Christmas with Bing Crosby. It's new to us only because we've never watched it before, which surprises me because it's one of Grant's mom's favorites. I have to admit, I was expecting a pretty stale "old" movie, but it's really very fun. The dialog was surprisingly witty and humorous, the storyline pretty interesting, and the music was a mixture of super cheesy and wonderful. But even that wasn't too much of a distraction, because with Bing Crosby singing, almost anything sounds fantastic.
My favorite part (so far, anyway -- we haven't quite finished it yet -- it's a long one!) was the song "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep," which I've never heard before but just loved. It was a "warm fuzzy" moment for me as I listened to the words and wished I'd grown up knowing that song. I plan to add it to my lullaby repertoire and might even have a vinyl lettering board made up with some of the words to hang over my bed (seriously -- that good!). So here are the lyrics:
My favorite part (so far, anyway -- we haven't quite finished it yet -- it's a long one!) was the song "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep," which I've never heard before but just loved. It was a "warm fuzzy" moment for me as I listened to the words and wished I'd grown up knowing that song. I plan to add it to my lullaby repertoire and might even have a vinyl lettering board made up with some of the words to hang over my bed (seriously -- that good!). So here are the lyrics:
“Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep” from White Christmas
I count my blessings instead of sheep,
And I fall asleep counting my blessings.
When my bankroll is getting small,
I think of when I had none at all,
and I fall asleep counting my blessings.
I think about a nursery,
And I picture curly heads,
And one by one I count them
As they slumber in their beds.
If you're worried and you can’t sleep,
Just count your blessings instead of sheep,
And you'll fall asleep counting your blessings.
If I'm worried and I can’t sleep,
I count my blessings instead of sheep,
And I fall asleep counting my blessings.
If you’re worried and you can't sleep,
Just count your blessings instead of sheep
And you'll fall asleep counting your blessings.
Mother-Son Double Date!
As soon as I discovered that my little boy was a pasta lover, I knew that we had many mommy-son dates to Olive Garden ahead of us! We got to enjoy the first of many such dates today, and not only that, but we got to "double" with our good friends Mary and her son Morgen! Mary's due in just a little over a month and will soon have her hands full with two little boys, so Eliot and I squeezed a quick trip to Portland into our week of trip preparations. We're so glad we did! Mary and I were so proud of our handsome little "dates." They behaved well, ate everything on their plates (and then some!) -- the perfect gentlemen! We hope this will be the first of many such dates . . . even if we have to grab it "to go" and eat at one of our apartments (which we almost did today!).
Mary and her "date" Morgen, and me with my date Eliot,
who looks a little worn out from the big event!
Me and handsome Eliot after our wonderful meal -- a shared plate of
lasagna, yummy bread sticks, and salad
(thanks, Eliot, for eating Mommy's tomatoes!).
Our bibbed boys! I love this picture of Eliot admiring Morgen and his
chocolaty face (after eating both of the mommies' after-dinner Andes
mints!). That's okay, Morgen, I definitely understand that when it
comes to anything mint-chocolate, there's no such thing as enough!
Mary and her "date" Morgen, and me with my date Eliot,who looks a little worn out from the big event!
Me and handsome Eliot after our wonderful meal -- a shared plate oflasagna, yummy bread sticks, and salad
(thanks, Eliot, for eating Mommy's tomatoes!).
Our bibbed boys! I love this picture of Eliot admiring Morgen and hischocolaty face (after eating both of the mommies' after-dinner Andes
mints!). That's okay, Morgen, I definitely understand that when it
comes to anything mint-chocolate, there's no such thing as enough!
Need something to make you smile?
Second only to my video of Eliot unloading the dryer, this is one of my favorites that can make me smile no matter how many times I watch it. Don't worry, be happy!
O Tannenbaum
I could see myself becoming a tree snob. Ever since we decided to come to Oregon for law school, I knew that at least once I wanted to get a fresh Christmas tree and preferably go cut one down ourselves. Well, my wish came true this last weekend when we went with my mom and dad and got a beautiful fresh tree, the first I've had in years. It's just perfect -- full and green, and the smell -- that smell!! -- is the best part of all. Except maybe the price -- $24 for a six-foot tree! I'm not a tree connoisseur, but my dad assured me that the same tree would cost well over $100 in Utah. And, they let us gather all the bows we wanted. So we decked our halls, set up our tree, and have a house that smells like Christmas! Even though we'll only have it for a couple weeks, it was worth every penny to have the scent, a gorgeous tree to gaze at, and to have the memory of picking out a live tree with our little family!
A view of the tree farm where we found our tree. The weather might not have felt Christmasy since it was sunny and gorgeous, but one whiff of those trees took my right back to every Christmas of my childhood!
My mom and dad were in town for Thanksgiving and got to join in the fun of picking out a fresh tree with us. Dad, who that very morning had tried to talk me out of my "impractical" idea, ended up being one of the most excited ones!
Our little family -- the proud owners of a beautiful six-foot Noble Fir.
Our hand-picked, wonderfully fragrant tree, all set to go with lights, ornaments, a brand new tree skirt (love Costco!).
The family photo in front of the tree. Only took 12 takes to get a good one.
A view of the tree farm where we found our tree. The weather might not have felt Christmasy since it was sunny and gorgeous, but one whiff of those trees took my right back to every Christmas of my childhood!
My mom and dad were in town for Thanksgiving and got to join in the fun of picking out a fresh tree with us. Dad, who that very morning had tried to talk me out of my "impractical" idea, ended up being one of the most excited ones! 
Our little family -- the proud owners of a beautiful six-foot Noble Fir.
Our hand-picked, wonderfully fragrant tree, all set to go with lights, ornaments, a brand new tree skirt (love Costco!). 
The family photo in front of the tree. Only took 12 takes to get a good one.
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