MONDAY NIGHT MUSINGS

- We got Mattie's 1 year pictures this week. I wish we could capture all the adorable smiles that we get at home, because when she gets in front of a camera, she gets shy. The result is a lot of stone-faced pictures with just a handful of half-smiles to choose from. Oh well. We walked out of JC Penny (they're ok) having spent $13 for 2 8x10s and 4 5x7s. Boo-ya!

- CJ is fighting for his independence these days, literally. He gets so upset that he even yells at us if we don't let him do things on his own. "I can do it. I can do it!" I hear that about 500 times a day. Trust me, CJ, I want you to be able to do it. It would make my life a whole lot easier. So keep tryin, buddy!

- What is it about Bryce and me not being able to get to bed before midnight EVERY NIGHT?! We say we're gonna do better, but then stupid tv networks decide to program shows at 10 PM! And even when we do get in bed early, we end up doing a crossword together or staying up talking until midnight anyway. How do you break a night owl? 

- Thank you notes. Ah, thank you notes. I have such a love-hate relationship with you. You hang over my head for months on end, making me feel so ungrateful and uncouth until I write you, telling me that you must be hand-written because only that is good enough. Life is busy, thank you notes. I have two kids - three, if you count my husband - and a house to take care of, on top of other things, like books to read, miles to run, shows to watch, hours to sleep. But don't worry, I have not forgotten about you (I couldn't if I tried!). I promise, that by this time next week, you WILL be not just written, but sent  with love as well. Hope you're happy.

- Mattie started going down stairs today (4/5/10)! Still too chicken to start walking though...

- We went to Bell Square (Bellevue Square Mall) on Saturday to see the Easter Bunny. Mattie was totally fine sitting on his lap, but CJ was terrified. The only way we could even get him to be in the picture was if he was sitting on his Aunt Kelsey's lap AND chewing a piece of gum. Of course, I think I'd be pretty scared myself of a giant, colored bunny that's mute, beckoning me to sit on his lap. I feel ya, CJ.  

- After getting pictures taken with the Easter Bunny, the photographer came out of the little house he was taking the pictures in to show us our options. There was a basket with little bows for patrons to take and so I asked if they were for little girls and if Mattie could have one. After asking the question, I immediately noticed that our MALE photographer actually had one of these little bows in his hair. So I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when he made a comment to me about how the bows were not just for little girls. I didn't really know how to react to that...hope my courtesy laugh was ok.

- Our little boy has a great sense of direction. When we're in the car and we're headed home, he says, "No go home yet! Not this way!" Then he'll point another direction and say, "This way. This way." I'm amazed that he's not even 3 yet and totally knows where we are. He must get it from his dad, because Bryce can go somewhere once, and be able to find it again years later with no problem. Now if Bryce could just remember that when we're in Spokane, we're going "down" to Utah, not "up"... :)

- We watched The Sound of Music on Sunday night with Bryce's family. I hadn't seen it in years, and I totally loved it! We're definitely adding it to our collection. And on a side note, the story of the real Von Trapp family was really quite different (Bryce and I watched a documentary about them after the movie). Stick to the musical.

- I have a problem with being on time. Anyone who knows me probably already knows this. It bugs Bryce, and it even bugs me. But I can't seem to get on top of it. Even on the good days when I've actually given myself plenty of time and we're going to make it, those are the days when something unexpected happens, like poopy messes just as we're headed out the door, so we end up late again. It's particularly bad when we travel - we say we're gonna leave at 9 AM, and we don't leave until 1 PM. It drives Bryce CRAZY, and so by the time we get on the road, we're saying a family prayer to not just travel safely, but to ease the tension :). It happens every time. I blame my mom for instilling in me the notion that we have to leave a clean house. What my mom didn't teach me was to wait until the night before/morning of to do ALL the cleaning and laundry. Hmmm...maybe I should work on that... 

- I read Catching Fire this week, the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy. It was excellent, but now I have to wait until August to read the final book. Why do I do this to myself?

- I LOVE having Easter on Conference weekend! It just really helps to emphasize what Easter is really about (what does the Easter Bunny have to do with anything, though? We need to figure it out so we can explain to CJ next year when he'll be a lot more aware of what's going on). I loved listening to our prophets and apostles and am so grateful to listen to men and woman who serve as mouthpieces for the Lord. The fact that I'm a member of the Lord's true church on this earth, and that His prophets and leaders receive revelation for His children on earth is a testimony to me of the infinite love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have for us. But even more amazing than that is that I can receive personal revelation! The Lord can speak directly to me (He has, and He does)! What a miracle! But the greatest miracle of all, the miracle that we celebrate at this time of year, is the miracle of the Savior's atonement for us all; the miracle that after He suffered so inexplicably for us all, He then died for us all; and then the miracle the He broke the chains of death and rose again, and by so doing, broke the chains of death for us all! He lives! What a miracle! 

Happy belated Easter, and happy Monday!