MONDAY NIGHT MUSINGS

- We finally got to go see Bryce play basketball this week, for the first time in probably like 2 years, due to late games and rules that Gonzaga made about no kids on the court (rules that were made after the first year when all of us law school wives showed up with our kids running everywhere :). CJ doesn't even remember the last game he went to because he was still crawling around, so he was pretty much awe-struck with everything. He just sat in silence on my lap for the first 10 minutes. Then he started to get into it and yell, "Yea Daddy," or "Go Bryce." Mattie was pretty enthrawled too and actually followed the ball. It was fun, and it was great to watch Bryce play. It's been so long that I've forgotten how good he really is (everyone on the team was telling me about how good he is - he never tells me those things)...and how hot it is that he's good at sports! I mean, he'd still be hot either way, but it helps that he's actually a great athlete!

- CJ calls almonds "mangos." I don't see the relation at all...

- Mattie's been doing this funny thing: everytime you pick her up she exclaims, "Ahhh." It makes us laugh everytime.

- On Thursday, Mattie finally got the courage to stand all by herself for a significant amount of time. Way to go, Mattie! And since we know she'll be walking any day now, I spent all day Friday uploading our home video clips onto our computer and then burning them on to DVDs so that we could free up space on our camcorder (I do it about 2-3 times a year and it's an all day thing).

- On this same day, CJ sat watching other home videos. It's hilarious how he talks to the tv as if the voices he's hearing - because it's usually family - are actually talking to him now. He about had a fit as he watched himself get out of the pool last summer, because he didn't want to get out of the pool...or didn't want himself to get out of the pool...or whatever, you get what I mean :)

- Bryce turned in his bar application on Friday. He had to overnight it. I wish the process was going to be overnight, but alas, we're in store for a summer without him: classes every day, and studying every minute outside class, and then on top of that, working a little to earn some much-needed moola. But it will all be worth it...right? That's what I keep telling myself and this whole thing hasn't even started yet. Ugh.

- I got released yesterday from my calling as the Primary Music Leader. It's funny how when I first got the calling I was terrified and actually, really disappointed, because I thought I was going to be getting a different calling (some people in the ward had pretty much told me so :). But the Lord really does know what's best for you. Even though I'm not the most musical person, I had just enough skill, and help from the Lord, to get me by, and I really enjoyed the kids. I have always considered myself an "older kid" kind of person - that's why I went into secondary education - but now that I have kids and have had the chance to serve in this calling for two years, I realize how amazing children are and I really have learned so much from them and this calling. I'm sad to be released, but excited to be able to attend Sunday School and Relief Society for the last few weeks that we're here. This is kinda the beginning of the end for us here in Spokane and I've been dreading this for almost a year. It's only going to get harder...another ugh.

- For the last two weeks CJ has asked our friend Will, who comes over for dinner on Sundays, and who is not LDS, to say the prayer before we eat. Bryce and I laugh awkwardly, as does Will, and I can't even get up the guts to look at him to see what his reaction is. Then we quickly ask someone else to pray and move on. Awwwk-ward...

- Today CJ was going potty on the toilet and I heard him whispering to himself, "Do it. Do it." Then, after he did it, he whispered to himself, "Yea! I did it!" I'm laughing about  it even now.

- Mattie had two more teeth break through this week - maybe that explains her constantly running nose - her second teeth, on both her top right and left sides. She now has a total of 7 teeth!

- Bryce had his first softball game tonight. Yes, he did JUST finish basketball, and we're off to another sport. Oh well. It's nice that he has such great friends and can enjoy this right now. I don't know how it will be when we're in Wenatchee, so I'm glad he can take advantage of his last chance to ever play intramurals again, and the last few weeks he has with his friends.

- I did the dishes tonight. The dishwasher was mostly full before I started, or at least that's how it looked, but I was able to rinse the whole sink full of dishes and get most of them in before running the dishwasher. And this same scenario happens over and over. Why is it that I am able to make one load out of what Bryce would have be three? Just wondering :)

- On that same note, I'm just grateful I have a husband who even does the dishes at all ;)

- I read Hunger Games this week, in less than 48 hours. Loved it! Can't wait to read the next one in the series!

Happy Monday!

MATTIE'S FIRST PIG TAILS

TALK ABOUT MISCHEVIOUS

We've got 2 kids who like to get into things

For example:

CJ in Mommy's make-up

Mattie in both the lazy susan and under the sink at the same time

Now if we just had a kid who liked to clean...

UM, I'M NOT SURE...

...if Mattie's hair is quite ready for this - yet

MONDAY NIGHT MUSINGS

Ok, so sometimes I blog-stalk. Don't we all? It's usually people that I know - you know, people from high school and stuff - but I would never comment on their blog for fear that they would either wonder who I was or why I was leaving a comment. Anyway, there is one blog in particular that has inspired me. Every Sunday they write a post with little snippets about their week. It's got me thinking about my blog. The purpose behind our blog is for a family record. I don't journal or scrapbook, and I've had a hard time even doing my kids' baby books, but for some reason, the blog is a lot easier for me (maybe because I'm motivated to stay close to my family in some way). However, I've realized that my blog has turned into a photo journal more than anything else, which really I don't mind. But as my kids are growing and developing their personalities, there are little moments I wish I had written down and kept record of. I keep thinking I'm going to remember them, but I already can't remember things from when CJ was just a baby, and he's only 2 1/2. So I'm going to copy the aforementioned blog, and start writing once a week what's going on with us. Stay tuned if you'd like, or just skip to the pics :)

- I turned 29 on the 13th. Twenty-nine! Doesn't 29 sound so much older than 28? It's ok. I'm exactly where I want to be in life. I have two adorable children who make my life worthwhile, an amazing husband (who thinks I look like I'm 21 :) who has worked hard to earn a juris doctorate and provide for our family, a college degree and some professional work experience under my belt, great credit, a new house that's almost ours (well, I should say, the keys are almost ours...the house? that'll be another 30 years), reliable cars, excellent health, family and friends who love me and I love them, and a firm foundation in the Gospel, both in my home and for me personally. So I'm trying not to get sucked into the world's view of age...I'm not getting older - I'm getting better, right?

- Mattie had a sucker for the first time this week. CJ had abonded his to play the Wii with Daddy, and our little scavenger found it. I was so impressed at how well she was doing with it - she knew exactly how to eat it, even though she's only 1 - until she started to stick it in the couch pillow. I should have known...guess she's not ready for suckers yet.

- I love CJ's trasitional language right now - still learning new words and making up some of his own. For instance, he calls pudding "poing," burgers "boogehs," blueberries "boo strawberries," and popsicles "pop bicycles." And he still calls chocolate milk "caca melk" :)

- The other day CJ got home from the dentist and sang "Happy Birthday" to toothpaste, 2 of his favorite things! And he requested "Happy Birthday" tonight for his bedtime songs, so we proceeded to sing happy birthday to CJ, Mattie, Daddy, Mommy, Papa, and Gramma. March is a busy birthday month in our families and I guess it's leaving quite the impression on CJ.

- For like the last 6 months I've been in love with BLTs. Don't ask me why...maybe because you can actually make one that is pretty low cal, yet it still tastes SO good! Speaking of bacon, CJ will eat almost any meat if we call it bacon. Probably don't want to do that too much or he won't remember what really is bacon :)

- I'm training for a marathon. Why am I doing this again? If you asked me Saturday while I was running my long 10 mile run, I would have told you I had no idea and was seriously reconsidering it. But when I finished my run and realized I had run faster than I thought, and when I  found out how many calories I actually burned (almost my daily alotment), and most of all, when I actually finished the run without any problems and wasn't nearly as sore the next day as I thought I would be, I remembered...it hurts while I'm doing it, but it feels SOOO GOOD afterwards! I recommend running a marathon to anyone - and I really mean anyone, because if I can do it, anyone can!

- Mattie just figured out how to get out of her walker in the last couple of days. Great for her development. Not so great for her Mommy and Daddy, who now have TWO kids who get into, and out of, everything.

- Basketball has consumed Bryce's life. He's in at least two March Madness brackets, and Saturday, he got up and went and played dunk-ball (aka, basketball) for two hours, then came home and watched basketball all day. Seriously. It was like 10 PM when he stopped. At least he actually got off the couch and did something active at some point during the day. It really is "madness," isn't it?

- Have you met my son, CJ? He talks in the third person 98% of the time. We blame Elmo.

- Speaking of CJ, he's kinda relapsed with potty-training and it's driving us crazy! Not so fond of the peeing on the couch - which never even happened while he was potty-training the first time. And it's definitely testing our patience since we know he can do it and that he knows how. Ah, parenting...isn't it great?

- Mattie is developing a little wave to her hair in back. It's great because it kind of makes her hair flip out. Love it!

- CJ has decided that "cowboy," or Toy Story, is his favorite movie. He really is his father's son.

- We went to the doctor today because CJ and Mattie have had colds and CJ was complaining about his ear hurting. Sure enough, he has Strep, which can be scary for his age (it can go to his heart). Strangely enough, Mattie's age group doesn't run that risk. Anyway, he's on antibiotics but isn't contagious after the first 24 hours of medication...so now we're all on high alert around here thinking any sniffle and/or cough means that we've got Strep too. Good times. 

- At that same doctor's appointment CJ was weighed. Ok, so he doesn't even weigh 29 pounds yet (he was 28 something). Should we be concerned that he's only gained like 3 pounds since his 2 year check-up SEVEN months ago? The doc didn't say anything, so I guess he's ok. But just in case you're wondering, he does have a condition known as an epigastric hernia that we've been told most likely won't go away on it's own and CJ will have to have surgery when he's about 4 or 5, if we don't end up in the ER before that. Lovely.

- Ok, to end on a good note. The other team forfeited tonight, so Bryce got to come home early from his county league basketball game tonight. Yea for slackers who don't show up!

Happy Monday!

P.S. I had a lot on my mind tonight since this was my first post like this. I know I'm long-winded, so I'll really try to keep it short and sweet from now on...but we'll see

SITTIN' PRETTY

Mattie's gettin' herself into all kinds of things these days

BEST BUDS

Even though Brody and CJ have different personalities in a lot of ways, they LOVE playing together, and even ask for each other when they're not together. We hope they're friends for life, even after we go our separate ways in May!

PAIGE TURNS 29

Paige turned 29 on Saturday, March 13th. Bryce spoiled her by letting her sleep in, taking care of all the kids' needs (feeding, dressing, diapers/bathroom, etc), running errands for her, and taking her out that night. Her favorite part of the day was when she was getting ready and CJ came running in holding a big gift bag and saying, "Happy Birthday, Mommy!" He was so excited and had the hugest smile on his face! That was gift enough. But Bryce still had some gifts for her anyway: her haircut, a new pair of jeans, a book of her choice, and a Garmin GPS watch to use for her marathon training (which will arrive in 4-6 weeks :). And the next night, Bryce had friends over for cake and ice cream. It was a great birthday! And the first of many twenty-nines ;)

Dinner at Clinkerdagger, a Spokane favorite

Clinkerdagger not only gave Paige creme brulee for dessert, but a cheesy card too :)

Birthday kisses outside the restaurant overlooking the Spokane River falls

Thank you, Heather and Tyson, for watching our kids so we could enjoy a night out!

TIP:

If your toddler gets gum in their hair...
(I know - who gives their 2 1/2 year old gum? We do, ok. Deal with it. It's better than candy.)

...don't reach for the scissors!

A little cooking oil works just fine!

SPRING BREAK IN UTAH

Ever since CJ went to a birthday party a couple of weeks ago at the YMCA, he's been asking to go swimming practically everyday. So while we were in Utah for Spring Break, we met some of Bryce's cousins, and their kids, at the Lehi Legacy Center, which has a great pool facility for all ages, even infants. It has wading pools, a lazy river, several slides of all sizes, play gyms for smaller and bigger kids, and it even has bouncers for infants. And it was indoors, but during the summer it opens up to an outdoor area as well. Best of all, kids under 3 are free and adults are only $5! We'd recommend it to anyone and we'll definitely be going back there next time we're in Utah (it may become a tradition)!

Look how happy CJ is!!

Besides swimming, we had fun just relaxing, shopping, eating, and spending time with family.

CJ found a great spot to make his own little campout...behind Grandma Forsgren's couch!

Paige got a haircut, flowers, chocolates, and a shopping trip with her Mom as early birthday gifts

Some of Paige's family met up for a late lunch at The Cheesecake Factory to celebrate an early birthday for Paige

Three generations...and we're all March birthdays

This was my parents' neighbor's dog, Biffy. We all loved him, especially CJ. These pictures are the morning we left to drive back home...CJ was bummed for lots of reasons, but Biffy may have been the biggest

MATTIE'S FIRST BIRTHDAY

While we were in Utah for Spring Break, we had a family birthday party on Sunday to celebrate Mattie turning 1! Even though it was two days before Mattie's actual birthday, we wanted to get the most people there. Too bad Paige's brother's family was sick (pink eye and ear infections - poor kids) and one of Paige's sisters had the flu! So we had a smaller gathering than expected, but Paige's sister, Courtney, and her daughter, Kenya, were there, along with Bryce's brother, Tyler, and his family. 

Mattie woke up Sunday morning and found her loot and went straight for it! 

We opened presents - or really, CJ opened presents - and unfortunately, it was right during naptime for Mattie (hence all the stone-faced pictures)

Mattie's little cousin, Samantha, has started sporting a tiny ponytail too...but her's curves forward! Grandma Forsgren calls them her little "Whos" :)

After presents came the cake. Mommy made her a pink panda (we won't talk about the breakdown she almost had making it :)

At first she was a little timid...

...and then she got into it - literally!

After all the excitement, and a quick rinse, Mattie finally got to take a nap while the rest of her family enjoyed visiting.

On Tuesday, Mattie's actual birthday, we tried to make it special even though the party had already past. So she got to:

Eat cake for breakfast

And bananas and blueberry muffins too

Play with her balloons

Take a bubble bath with her brother

Talk on the phone with Gamma and Papa

Take another bath after a poopy naptime mess

And blow out another candle - or really, CJ blew it out (again)

Happy 1st Birthday, Mattie Gayle!

MATTIE - 1 YEAR OLD

On Tuesday, March 9th, Mattie turned 1 year old! Here's some things we want you to remember about yourself when you turned 1, Mattie:

Weight: 23 lbs 9 oz (86th percentile)
Height: 29 3/4" (73rd percentile)
Head: 19" (99th percentile)

- You have 5 teeth - 2 on top and 3 on the bottom - with 3 more on the way
- You love your binkie. You can't sleep without it and it's often the only thing that makes you feel better when you're having a hard day, and if you wake up in the middle of the night, you find it, put it back in, and go back to sleep all by yourself. You even try to share it with your family sometimes :)

- You love to cuddle with your dollies and stuffed animals! It's the sweetest thing to watch you wrap your arms around them, put your head into them, smile, talk to them, and squeeze!

- You like to copy CJ, especially when it comes to screaming :)

- You already know how to dip fries in ketchup, dip spoons in food and put them in your mouth, use a straw, brush your hair, talk on the phone, blow bubbles with your spit, and rub your hands together with lotion or soap or hand sanitizer

- You like to look at books and sing songs. You hum along (to your own tune, of course) and you even know how to clap your hands for Bingo and If You're Happy

- You are a little jabberbox! you're almost always talking, even if you have your binkie in, and especially if you're enjoying yourself

- You are learning words and how to communicate. Your first word was "uh-oh" and you also say "mama" and "dada." And when you don't want something, you shake your head "no"

- You enjoy playtime, especially Peek-A-Boo and lap songs, like the riding song

- You have become quite the picky eater. You still enjoy your baby foods, especially the fruits, but green beans are the only baby food vegetables we can get you to eat. When it comes to solid food, you love your carbs - bread, cereal, crackers, oatmeal - and you like yogurt, but we're having an interesting time trying to figure out what else you'll eat

- You love to play with your feet when you're lying down, and you always pull off your socks (and shoes, if you can)

- It's a good thing you're finally getting some hair, because you've been pulling bows/flowers/headbands off your head for months. But your hair has just recently gotten long enough in the last month or so for us to put it in a little ponytail on top. It's even started to get some wave in the back too. 

- Speaking of hair, you like to pull at your hair on the sides of your head when you eat a bottle (if someone else is holding the bottle for you)

- You are super curious and get into everything! And you and CJ make quite the mischevious team

- Even though you LOVE kids - they always make you smile - you've developed reservations about other adults and get quite clingy when you're around people you don't know

- Ever since we can remember, you've had a little bit of a temper :), and now that you're older, you defintely let us know when you're not happy with something (usually when something is taken away). Hopefully you'll get a little better at NOT throwing little tantrums (because right now we still think you're little scrunched eyes and wide open mouth, red face, and big tears are kinda cute, but we also know that's gonna change...quickly :)

- Even though you've been crawling for months, and you can push your dollies' stroller, and you can walk holding just a few of Mommy or Daddy's fingers with one hand, you haven't quite gotten brave enough to stand all by yourself or take those first steps yet

- You love to dance. If there is any music on, you like to shake your hips and swing your arms back and forth in front of you
- You LOVE to laugh! you have lots of different types of laughs, but the best is when you make yourself laugh for no reason at all. It makes everyone around you happy! 

Thank you for coming to our family, Mattie! We love you very much and can't wait to spend another year making memories together!

MACKAY FIRST COUSINS

Bryce is the oldest in his family, so up until February, CJ and Mattie were the only grandkids on his side. But not anymore! Bryce's younger brother, Tyler, and his wife, Gaby, had a beautiful little boy named Zack. It took us a month, but we finally got to meet the little guy. Mattie loved looking at him, and CJ was very soft and tender - it was great! Here are the Mackay cousins together for the first time!

MOBIUS IN MARCH

Spokane has a great kids science center called Mobius. It was a little too old for CJ last year, but he's really enjoyed it this year. Since music class has been postponed for a few weeks, we had a play date at Mobius with some friends instead. CJ, and even Mattie, had a great time!

CJ and Brody enjoying the water. CJ's favorite!

Brody helped Mattie with her hardhat :)

SHE'S OFFICIALLY A GIRL!

Now that we can finally do this:

people better stop asking if Mattie is a boy

(apparently, puffy-sleeved pink tops don't give it away)