A Moment of Nostalgia

Per my lovely sister-in-law Becky's request, I present a picture (the 6th picture in my 6th folder):

This is Jeffrey--with his glowing daddy--about 15 minutes after he was born.

Cute idea, Becky! Thanks for the moment of remembering. Little ones just grow up so fast....

Feeling bookish

There are some places that, when you step inside, it feels like coming home. President Eyring often refers to the temple in this way. I have several such places:

• Obviously, my parents' home
• Spring City
• The BYU Cougareat (yep, spent a lot of time there....)
• Any chapel with the "racetrack" design
• 12-seater Dodge Ram vans (we had one when I was a kid. Not that I ride in 12-seater vans every other day.)
• All-wooden playgrounds--especially if there's a big grassy field nearby
  
• My high school football stadium
• The beach (don't ask me why...maybe everyone feels that way?)

I now have something to add to the list: the library. Any library. Or bookstore, for that matter. Stepping into a room with thousands of books, seeing people perusing and studying and relishing them, just does something for me.

Brian and I visited our town's library as our date last weekend. It is one of the gosh-darn cutest libraries I've ever seen. It has a humongous children's section with stuffed Paddingtons and Frog and Toad friends, rhino and dinosaur-shaped book bins filled with board books for toddlers, and over a dozen tiny tables with animal chairs. It has a "super-quiet zone", a research center, a geneology area, a business zone, a job search area, etc. There are private rooms for all the events they do (knitting classes, book clubs, events where teens teach kids to play chess), and a theatre area where they have plays and movies that families can watch on Saturdays.

Jeffrey and I went back today--to check out a few books and go to a "toddler time" activity where they read interactive books and had songs and props and games ready to go. It was a blast (even though we were the only ones there. There was some frost yesterday--gasp--and no one was traveling. Brian said several coworkers emailed in to see if work was open today before they came.)

And we just may go back again tomorrow. I've found a new home!

A Few of Jeffrey's Favorite Things

Eating ice cream (isn't this on everyone's list of favorite things?)

Looking studly

That wheely thing on the playground

His new big boy car seat. And his feet.

(Mommy's note: age-wise, Jeffrey should have been in a front-facing car seat months ago, but babies also need to be 20 pounds, and the little squirt just got there!)

Eating with a spoon

....Or without one.

Wearing big people's shoes.

Stacking stuff. (Of course, you know what's even more fun than stacking them, right?)

His fingers.

Mommy's blog. Ok, not really, but he does love computers! Soooo many buttons....

Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles....

Brian's friend once told him, "You know, we're so excited for our kids to start walking and talking, and then we spend the next 15 years telling them to sit down and be quiet."

Not there yet!

My son can SPEAK!!!!

No, he does not quote Shakespeare yet. But he says (and correctly applies):
"Mama" and "daddy" and "deffy" (for Jeffrey)
"Wow" and "whoa-whoa-whoa!"
"Uh-oh" (we use that one a lot)
"Hi!"
"Hot hot hot" (referring to food, not mama)
"No no no"
He's almost got "thank you" down. And "here go" (here you go). And he says "mmmm" when I blow him kisses.

So we've got all the essentials covered.

A little-known fact about Texas

This time of year, birds are EVERYWHERE. Especially around shopping centers--every branch of every tree, every telephone wire, every possible perching surface is covered with them.

Check out this video--but only if Alfred Hitchcock's Birds didn't bother you.

New Year Madness

And I was so worried that blogging would suck all of my time away because....?

Do you remember being a little kid on vacation? And then you came home and it was ALL OVER and there was nothing to look forward to anymore and the world was just a dark, miserable, unfun place?

Sigh. Christmas went by too fast.

I really LOVE the new year, though. Brian and I have started the tradition of taking our yearly resolutions very seriously. Right now next to my computer is a 1/2 inch binder with tabs and color codes. It contains our resolutions for the year--each resolution carefully analyzed, reworded, and tested for motivational ability, and each containing at least 6 subpoints. Also in this binder are weekly resolution checklists, monthly resolution calendars, and a series of schedules for EVERYTHING under the sun (from cleaning the house to who plans date night to how I study my scriptures to when we go on playground trips).

Can you tell I used to have a very methodically red personality? Once upon a time, I used to freak out if my pajama shirts were folded incorrectly. Growing up, being married to a spontaneous and fun-loving guy, and becoming a mommy have totally transformed me. But every once in a while Super-Organized Steph just spazzes out of me in an excess of list-making. And I am reveling in it.

I worked out four times last week, people! Four times! I haven't worked out or stretched since...I don't know...12th grade? I may have done it just so I could check off one more box, but who cares! And my apartment is superclean! And more importantly, Jeffrey has a mommy who gets on the floor and rolls around with him and makes art projects and "cooks" with him and SOMETIMES lets him play with her guitar. This week has been sheer fun. I never would have guessed that getting back to real life could be (almost) as fun as Christmas vacation.