Veggies Please!

I have to share this story, because I think it is just what every mother wants to hear from their child...

We were watching "The Biggest Loser" on TV last night, while "snacking" on Halloween candy. The cast was in Washington D.C and they were visiting the White House.  The show toured Michelle Obama's organic vegetable garden (which I admire) and theWhite House kitchen. The contestants created this humongus salad entirely from the First Lady's homegrown vegetables. Trainer Bob Harper raved about how great the veggies were and how great it was that the Obamas are leading the nation in eating healthy. After this segment, Seth turned to me and said, "Mom, we should eat more vegetables and less candy!" Shocked, I replied, "Yes, we should eat more vegetables." Keep in mind that we eat some kind of vegetable at almost every lunch and dinner. :) Half-jokingly, I said, "So I guess that means we should throw away all of our Halloween candy." Seth thought about it a second and then suggested, "No, but we could put it all away until next Halloween." I agreed, meanwhile Aaron frantically shook his head no behind Seth. So, the outcome of this story? We set aside about half of the candy for Christmas stockings and Seth only asked me once for a piece of candy instead of the normal 15 today. I guess you could say that's a step in the right direction... :)

Bows and Bums

Some of the women in our ward at church meet together for a creativity group. We get to make things and learn new skills. Last time I went I learned woodburning, which I enjoyed and did pretty well.  This week Lisa taught us how to make boutique hair bows.  I was so excited because I now have a daughter that I can make girly things for! Lisa, if you read this let me just say "You rock!" I am so glad I learned how to do it but it is hard work. It will definitely take practice and time before my bows are "boutique-worthy." So here is my first attempt. Drum roll please...

Ta-Da! I'm proud of it.  Although, looking at it now in some of the pictures it seems to be a little bit sad.  As I was wrapping the bow, the top loops fell a little flat, so it kind of looks like a butterfly. But, it's not too bad for my first bow.  It is a dark purple ribbon (even though it looks blue in the pics) and I just clipped it onto a stretchy headband so Aubrey could wear it. (My poor baby has nothing but fuzz.) Maybe if I make a bunch of these she'll look more like a girl. When, I put the bow on her, she just started grinning. Then when, I pulled out the camera to start taking photos, it was almost like she was posing for me.  It was so cute! I think she likes it!

Meanwhile...Joshua is using the bathroom while I'm taking pictures of Aubrey. He finishes and comes out into the living room. He gets this puzzled look on his face and says "What?! My pants are wet?!" We confirmed that it wasn't an accident and that he must have set his shorts down in a puddle from the bathtub. So, he grabs a stool from the kitchen and turns on the living room fan. Then, he positions himself underneath the light/fan like this...

"What in the world are you doing?" I asked.  "I'm drying my butt," he replied matter-of-factly.  Oh, I love my children.  The funny thing is that after about 5 minutes of holding this pose, he butt was indeed dry!

Nurture the Rising Generation

Three of my blessings

I was reading the Visiting Teaching message for October, this morning. It was about teaching and caring for the rising generation. Two quotes stood out to me and inspired me this morning.

The first is from President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910-2008):“Never forget that these little ones are the sons and daughters of God and that yours is a custodial relationship to them, that He was a parent before you were parents and that He has not relinquished His parental rights or interest in these His little ones. … Rear your children in love, in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Take care of your little ones. Welcome them into your homes, and nurture and love them with all of your hearts. They may do, in the years that come, some things you would not want them to do, but be patient, be patient. You have not failed as long as you have tried” (“Words of the Living Prophet,” Liahona, May 1998, 26–27; “Excerpts from Recent Addresses of President Gordon B. Hinckley,” Ensign, July 1997, 73).

I know that I'm not a perfect mom and that I have weaknesses (like my temper). I sometimes need to be reminded that my children are also children of our Heavenly Father. He loves them just like I do. I love the last part of this quote, "you have not failed as long as you have tried." As long as I'm trying to be better, I haven't failed as a parent. So then, how can I better nurture my children and guide them in righteous ways?

Hence, the second quote by Julie B. Beck, Relief Society general president:“To nurture means to cultivate, care for, and make grow. … Nurturing requires organization, patience, love, and work. Helping growth occur through nurturing is truly a powerful and influential role bestowed on women” (“Mothers Who Know,” Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2007, 76, 77).

The part that stood out to me was "nurturing requires organization, patience, love, and work." These are all things I need to improve on, especially organization. This is a lesson I'm slowly starting to learn (as my husband can testify). I think I'm okay on the "love" part of nurturing. I love my children more than life itself. They are my life. I just need to learn to express my love a little more frequently, like in how I discipline. Of course, how could you not love a face like this?

I Belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Most everyone who reads our blog knows that our family is Mormon, so let me explain the reasoning behind this post. After church (and choir practice) I was reading an article in The Ensign (our church magazine), about sharing the gospel through our blogs. (It also included some tips about blog safety and courtesy. Check it out.) It got me thinking and inspired me. What's a better way to bear my testimony about the restored gospel than how it blesses my life everyday?! So, my goal, as I continue to blog, is to share with you some of the things that I know, that I'm learning, and that I'm blessed with. Hopefully, you will be inspired and uplifted and maybe even learn something.

So, first I'd like to bear my testimony. I feel so blessed to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Because of this gospel, I have been blessed with many truths that bring happiness to my life. I know that I am a child of God and as such, I have a Heavenly Father who loves me. I feel his love for me whenever I pray and I know that I can receive personal revelation from him through prayer and the Holy Ghost. I know that Joseph Smith saw our Heavenly Father and his son, Jesus Christ. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and through him the gospel of Jesus Christ was restored in its fullness. I know that Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon only by the power of God. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and it is another witness of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Through the Bible and the Book of Mormon, we can learn of Christ and his teachings and our Heavenly Father's commandments and plan for us. I have felt the power and sweetness of these scriptures in my heart and in my home. My family is continuely blessed because we are striving to live by the principles found in these great works. I know that our church is lead by a prophet of God today, Thomas S. Monson, and through him God continues to reveal his commandments and guidance for us. I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and that he lives. He lives! How glorious that our Redeemer has suffered for our sins, died for us, and broke the bonds of death through resurrection's power. He lives! What joy that sentences brings! He has led the way for us to return to our Heavenly Father. He has made it possible through the atonement. Our sins and weaknesses can be forgiven, when we repent, are baptized, and strive to be obedient. I have felt my Savior's love and I know that he loves and cares for me. I have been blessed by these truths. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

P.S. You can go to www.mormon.org to learn more about the church, but did you know that they now have a new feature where you can talk to a missionary about our church. Check it out at chat.mormon.org.

Welcome Aubrey!

Okay, okay I know I'm about 3 months behind schedule announcing this...The Palmer family is proud to announce the arrival of Aubrey Elisabeth! She was 7 lbs. and 15 oz. (small for our family) and was about 20 inches long. She seems to be a mellow, and happy baby and we are so glad to add her to our family. These pictures are of her on her blessing day, just before church. She was so peaceful and content watching me as I took her picture. She was so beautiful in her pretty blessing gown. I made the bracelet on her wrist. I saw the idea online for this "blessing bracelet." (I still need to get the poem that goes with it.) Basically, you save the bracelet and then when she gets married, she can use the bracelet as her "something old." You know from the saying "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue." Plus it's something she can use for her own daughter's blessing. And who can resist a tiny little bracelet next to cute tiny little hands...simply irresistable!

Dennis the Menace

We never know what is going on in Joshua's little brain. For example, I sent him to his room to take a nap one afternoon. After a period of silence (which could be good, but usually it's bad), I went in his room to find him like this... He had taken off his underwear and put it on his head, put both legs into one leg of his shorts, and had his arm around a random diaper (I have no idea where he got it). And that is how he fell asleep!

When Seth was little and into everything, we joked that he was a little Dennis the Menace. Boy, were we clueless as to true mischief! We have decided that Joshua is truly our "Dennis the Menace." "Dennis the Menace" is even one of his favorite movies (probably a bad idea to show him that one), he loves to say "Hey, Mr. Wilson!", and he even looks a little like Dennis. He's always into something or doing something crazy. He can open nearly any child-proof lock, including medicine. He is just a boy through and through. I always have my hands full with him. My favorite picture of Josh is when he was two, we found him under the kitchen table (still his favorite hiding spot) with his hand in a jar of peanut butter, PB all over his face and this devilish grin. Little did I know it was a foreshadow of many incidences to come. Heavenly Father definitely blessed me with Joshua to keep me active and to enjoy the fun and curiosity of childhood. I'm sure it was also to teach me true patience. At least that's what I keep telling myself...

In Mommy's Words

Aaron and I had a good laugh, last night. We had just finished family home evening and it was time for the boys to go to bed. Joshua kept telling us that he couldn't go to bed because it wasn't dark yet outside (it was about 8:15). Aaron looked at Josh and in his most serious voice said, "Joshua, it is time for bed. That's it. This is not up for discussion or debate. What Mommy and Daddy say is final. It's law." Joshua just looked at him, completely puzzled and said, "What did you say?" We both started laughing and realized that our three-year-old probably had no clue what any of what Aaron just said meant. So, I turned to Josh and said, "Daddy said that it is time for bed. No arguing allowed." You could see the light go on in Josh's eyes and he turned to Aaron and said, "Say it like that, Daddy." So, after we stopped laughing, Aaron repeated himself in "Mommy's Words." Then, Josh said, "Okay," and willingly went and got ready for bed. Sometimes mommies just say it better. :)

Wrapped Around Her Finger

I'm slowly beginning to realize that our daughter might be spoiled. The other day we were at Target and walked by a nursery furniture display. I commented that I liked the bedding set (comforter,sheets,etc.). Aaron commented that he really liked the furniture set and was very tempted to buy it. I just laughed because Aaron hates buying furniture, we couldn't really afford it, and we already had a perfectly fine set at home. But, he was seriously wanting to buy this $600 set, and I had to talk him out of it.
Then, a couple weeks later, Aaron woke up one morning and told me he wanted to paint the baby's room. My jaw dropped. NEVER has Aaron volunteered to paint anything, in fact he has often refused to even let me paint! So, I ran with the idea and agreed. He is even letting me pick the color! Then, a few mornings later, he woke up and told me that we needed to switch the baby's room with the boys' room and move all of our office stuff to our bedroom. I reminded him that this would require us to move around about 50% of our house and that I wouldn't be much help being pregnant. He was okay with it. He wanted his baby girl's room to be closer to us. So he spent that entire morning (a Saturday) moving everything, which ended up being a lot more than we thought.
Then, the following week when I was looking at baby bedding online, Aaron told me that he wants our daughter's room to be cute and themed and that I should work my "magic" to make it happen. I just had to chuckle. It's all I could do just to get him to be okay with me decorating other parts of the house when we moved in. I can clearly see that Aaron is wrapped around our daughter's finger and she isn't even born yet. Oh dear, I just might have to intervene to keep her from being spoiled rotten. I'll start right after I've gotten everything I need out of the deal...

Pledge to Turn-off

As a family, we are trying to be greener and more self-sufficient. It began with reusable grocery bags, then switching to an electricity company that uses all renewable energy sources (Green Mountain Energy), and starting to recycle. Aaron takes the bus to work and we are always looking for ways to conserve (including money). So, we are planning to be a part of this year's Earth Hour: one hour when the whole world plans on turning everything off, especially lights. I heard that for this year's Earth Hour even Broadway and the Las Vegas strip are planning to go dark. The city of Houston is also planning to be a part of this. I think this is an awesome idea, a great way to do something for the planet and to show where we stand. Learn more from the website: www.earthhourus.org and check out the funny videos at www.earthhourus.org/psa. I used the web site's email generator to email all of my elected officials. Most of them replied with a generic email thanking me for the concern and letting me know their position on the environment. I was very upset with one particular senator that told me that she was not yet convinced that human behavior was having an effect on the environment and climate. Are you kidding me?!!! It is our responsibility to care for the Earth. Do you think it's natural to have dying species and smog-filled cities. I don't think so. Sorry, I'll step down off my soapbox now...Come join us for Earth Hour!

It's a GIRL!

We went to the doctor today to find out the sex of the baby. I thought for sure that we were probably having another boy, for a number of reasons: Josh is extremely whiny and clingy, the pregnancy has been fairly similar to the others (except for being more tired), the baby is carrying kind of low, plus I just felt like it was another boy. However, everyone else was determined that it was little girl. Well, Aaron and the boys came with me to the appointment to find out. The ultrasound must have taken at least 20 minutes. The tech pushed this way and that. I rolled over this way and that, and we weren't sure we would be able to find out (the baby had her legs crossed and folded). After turning and holding my breath just so, we were able to get some evidence of a ...GIRL. The tech pointed out some body parts and declared it to be a girl. She wasn't 100% sure because we couldn't get a good clear view, but there was definitely no evidence of boy parts. So, we're having a girl!
We went immediately to Wal-Mart and bought some cute baby girl clothes. I wish the digital camera was working so that I could post the pictures. We each picked one outfit. Aaron picked a pink onesie that says "Daddy is my hero." Josh picked a pink camo onesie that says "Major Cutie." Seth picked a white onesie with a pink/white striped jumper dress with black and white polka dot trim and accents. Totally cute. Finally, I picked a cute hot pink dress with white ribbon trim and bow and white embroidered flowers all over. If you can't tell we are excited. Earlier this morning, Joshua was looking at a book and was pointing out the people. It went something like this, "boy, boy, sister, boy, sister, sister, boy..." and so on. I thought it was so cute that he was saying that all the girls were "sisters." I think the boys will really enjoy finally having a little sister.

Aaron to the Rescue (Retraction)

Sorry, Aaron informed me that I needed to post a retraction/correction on my last post about the horrible day. I mentioned that I burned dinner that night. That was actually the previous night's dinner (on Monday.) Aaron read the post and said, "You didn't even mention how your husband saved your day and helped out." He had to remind me because I had totally forgot. After calling Aaron at work and complaining about my day, he came home and helped out. He made a quick dinner for the boys, lectured to them about being obedient, put the boys in bed, and cleaned up while I ran to the library. Then, he made dinner for the two of us and then set it up at the coffee table, so we could watch our favorite TV show. That truly was the highlight of the day. I am so thankful to be married to such a wonderful man. He could have very easily just come home and complained that the house wasn't clean and dinner wasn't made. Instead he helped out and totally made my day. How great is he?!

One of Those Days

So, if you have ever heard me say that I'm having "one of those days," it usually means that things are not going the way I wanted or planned and the boys are hard to handle. I don't know if it's just the exhaustion of being pregnant with two preschoolers at home or what, but I seem to be having more of "those days" lately. This week, we had an especially hard "one of those days." Tuesday, I woke up to find the boys already awake and getting dressed in their bedroom. However, I also discovered that Seth had peed on Josh's bed and the floor. (Why? I don't know...) Then our neighbor informed us that our dog, Cocoa had broken through the fence and was loose. I wrangled him in and blocked the hole. This continued about three times before the problem was solved (for the day). Thinking that we needed to get out of the house, I tried to get the boys ready for storytime at the library, which ended up taking us longer than normal. As we rushed out the garage door, I realized I had absolutely no keys and we were locked out of the house! I called Aaron, who was in the middle of a conference call at work, and he suggested walking to the park to pass some time until he could help us out. So we started down the street and it started to rain! We just sat in the garage (luckily we have some toys in there) until we figured a way to get in the house, which involved me doing some precarious climbing. This is probably the fourth time I've been locked out in the six years I've been married to Aaron. By the time we got back in the house it was way past lunch time. We ate lunch and I tried to get the boys to go down for a nap. It took me three hours to finally get both of them asleep. (I would have just given up, but I really needed a nap too.) By the time we all woke up it, Aaron was home. I made dinner and burnt some of it. Afterwards, I ran our library books to the library, getting stuck in the rush hour traffic on the way home. My only highlight of the day was getting to watch "Biggest Loser" with Aaron while the kids were quietly sleeping in bed. So, if I say I'm having "one of those days," feel free to imagine the worst. Honestly though, even with the those tough days included, I love my family and feel blessed to have them in my life. Plus, these days make good memories to look back at and laugh!

Finally!

I finally found a background I like (for now anyways)! I've added a few things here and there and edited and I finally feel like our blog is the way I like and can be proud of. Yeah!

Funny story: Last night I came home from a R.S. activity, looking a little more put together than most days. I was talking to Aaron while we were sitting on the sofa watching "The Biggest Loser" (which we are totally addicted to--hoping maybe I'll be brainwashed into more healthy habits). During a breath in my long monologue of a story, Aaron interrupted me to tell me that I "looked really nice, today." I told him thank you and then began to relate (for about 5 minutes)how it is such pain to get ready some days, especially when the boys always seem to start fighting or destroying something if I don't have my eyes on them for a few minutes. I continued to tell him how it was so nice to have that effort appreciated when it is such a struggle everyday. He chuckled and said, "Marissa I think that is the longest thank you I have ever heard in my life!" I apologized and then said, "Thank you for noticing." "Much better," he replied. :)

New President

Tuesday, the day of the inauguration, was a busy day. I had a doctor's appointment and then we went to the library for storytime. As we walked in to the library (which is at our local community college), we noticed crowds of people gathered around some of the TV monitors in the lobby. I looked at the monitor to see what was happening (for fear of another 9-11 event) but couldn't see anything as my boys sped off for the kid's section. About an hour later as we were checking out our books, I realized that it was coverage of the presidential inauguration. I explained to Seth that we would be getting a new president today, Barack Obama, and that he would start his new job as president. I told him the old president, George Bush, would go home and wouldn't be the president any more. Seth asked, "Well, what will his new job be?" I chuckled and replied, "I don't know." Later, when we were home, I turned on the coverage of all of the inaugural events and realized we had just missed Obama's speech. Seth asked why I was sad and I told him that I missed the president's speech. Seth thought about it for a moment and then said, "Mom, Obama is NOT the prophet. He's the president. Thomas S. Monson is our prophet." I laughed. We often watch General Conference from home and point out whenever the prophet is speaking. I think he thought that is what I was talking about. I then explained to him that he was right and we talked about the difference between the president of the country and the president of our church. So smart to pick that up on his own!

Josh's surgery

So Josh had surgery this morning. We went in at 6:30am. At about 7:15 the nurse gave him a mixture of Tylenol and a sedative. We were watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in his room, when about 15 minutes after taking the meds, Josh started getting drowsy. He said, "Look Mom it's two Mickey's and two Goofy's," which of course there wasn't. He was just started to get a little loopy. I was fixing his shirt and he told me to stop tickling him. So, I tickled him anyway. He said "I'm gonna get your face. " Then he moved his arm in extremely slow motion towards my head. By the time his hand finally reached my face, he only had the energy to pinch my nose. Aaron and I were laughing hysterically. It was so funny to watch him and listen to him as he made little sense. When he was thoroughly sedated and it was time for surgery (8:00am), the nurses came to get him. One nurse had a pink jacket and blue scrubs on which looked just like me, (I had a pink hoodie and blue sweats on). Josh did a double take, and went with her without much complaint. He had his adenoids removed, his tongue clipped (from being born tongue-tied), and tubes put in both his ears. About an hour later we were let into the recovery room. When Josh started to wake up he wanted me to hold him. So I held him in my lap as he drift in and out of sleep. After about 30 minutes of waiting for him to wake up, I asked Josh if he wanted a something to drink. He immediately woke up and wanted some apple juice. He drank a whole cup and then drifted back off to sleep. He slept most of the afternoon since we've been home. He seems to be doing fine. He already wants solid food, which doesn't surprise me. He's my eater. So, now we are just keeping our fingers crossed and praying that he'll recover without any complications. Hopefully, this well help him out in a number of ways.

Due Date

So, after my first OB appointment this pregnancy, we were left with a little surprise. This entire time we thought I was 8-10 weeks pregnant. After an ultrasound, the doc decided I'm closer to 12 weeks pregnant. Hence my due date is July 23, 2009 instead of the middle of August. That means I'm 3 months pregnant! Only 7 more to go! That's a pleasant surprise. The less time pregnant during a Texas summer the better! So, hurray for ultrasounds!