these are my confessions, part 2

welcome to segment 2 of "confessions of a...."

i know, back so soon.
i'm telling you, there's lots to confess.
so i'll stop wasting time...and just cut to the chase.

1. the very first CD i ever owned was Fantasy by Mariah Carey. to this day, i can sing every single word to every single track on that album...and basically every Mariah song, for that matter. now, here's the confession part: when i was little, i used to choreograph lipsynchs to Mariah's songs (i wanted to BE Mariah!). i would be in the bathroom for hours doing my hair all sexy-frizzy-curly (c'mon, i was like 8) and snag some of my mom's make-up (sorry, mom!). i remember on the cover of her single CD "One Sweet Day" with Boys 2 Men, she was wearing these short-short-cut-off-denim shorts with this ballet-top that hung over her shoulder (and the bra strap was hangin out...gotta love the 90's). and so i'd always wear something similar (well....my espirit/jordache versions of those things...and my training bra). then i'd convince my neighbor friend, lindi, to come over and be the lights crew...we'd be in my bedroom for hours deciding just the right beats to make the lights go on and off- and when and how she would be my back-up dancer and singer (poor, poor Lindi). once we had a finished project, of course my mom or sister would have to come watch...and we expected standing ovations and phrases like, "wow, you really could be mistaken for Mariah!" "that was fantastic! can i have your autograph?!" "are you Mariah Carey's sister?" stuff like that. i still giggle thinking of those lipsynchs. and still might even remember some of the choreography......

2. i can fall asleep anywhere....and if i'm really, really tired...i might talk in my sleep. not always. but sometimes. in fact, i have been known to have full-on conversations with M while sleeping. from what he tells me, i have two alter-egos: the first is very sweet and kind and angelic. i'll tell him how much i love him and how much i love heaven and strawberries and other embarrassing things like that. the second is angry and feisty and rude. in this crazy state, i tell him that i'm not asleep and that i am not going to bed. i refuse any and all reason...and i might even insult poor M. the only advantage to this little narcoleptic glitch of mine is that i am convinced M will remember all of our conversations before bed because he most likely will have had them twice (that first time before bed and then again the next morning when he re-tells me what he was telling me then). brains brains brains...why are they so strange!?

3. i have a hard time keeping a neat, clean house. (whew! i said it. sweet, sweet liberation!). now don't get me wrong- we are CLEAN. i don't like germs. i don't like dust. i don't like dirty dishes in my sink. what i'm talking about is the clutter. the mess. the toys spread out across our front room because i just can't bare picking them up for the gazillionth time that day...along with some crumbs that were spilt from a baggie of snacks right AFTER i vacuumed (and put it away). i get really overwhelmed when i see the perfection of some homes and how neat and tidy they are. hopefully i'll win this battle against the messy monster...so that my kids won't be that roommate you had in college (you know, the one who NEVER picked her clothes up off of the floor...or wiped the counter clean...or vacuumed...and you wondered to yourself, does she even know how to operate a vacuum?), and so i may gain a little sanity in this crazy zoo i live in.

so there you have it.
3 more confessions.
3 steps closer to losing all respect for me :)

until next time!

xoxo

ellie discovers the world

{photo courtesy of Blush Photography...i'm DYING to see more!}

it's been a while since i gave an E update.
a long while.
shame on me, since she is my world, my life and my joy these days.

i have to admit, having a little baby-toddler-person is a ton of work....but it also is soo magical in so many ways. my favorite reason is that you really get to rediscover life again (while the little one discovers the world for the first time). it makes you appreciate the little things...things that seem so amazing from those innocent (but feisty...curious...and sometimes crazy) eyes.

with that said, here are some of E's most recent discoveries:
{slight disclaimer: you may assume from these pictures that i only dress her in one shirt...or that these were all taken on the same day. both assumptions are false. thank you.}

the first three have to do with her new-found-mobility....which is arguably her most impressive, influential discovery of the last year of her life...

walking:


walking while holding things:


chasing after things:


the carousel:
(which freaked her out at first...but then she quite enjoyed herself...especially since she got to wave at dadda, gammy, aunt courtney, and bapa}


gammy's turtle:


an explosion of words...including (but not limited to):

• mama
• dadda
• hi
• buh-bye
• night-night
• more
• ball
  
• yummmm
• dog
• cat
• duck
• bapa (grandpa)
• miiimiii (my sista)
• baaaabbbyyy
• NO!
• soofffttt
• book
  
• and the most recent, sweeeet

the fourth of july:


cute boys:



kissing cute boys:


making cute boys blush because of an overly zealous kiss:


and other cute friends:

what it feels like to get a wedgie:


adoring babies...especially her cousin rosalie:


eating real food (all the time):



folding her arms to pray (melts my heart)(when i get a picture of it, i will post it)

swimming pools (water or no water....equally fun):


seeing aunt mimi and saying with the most adoration you could ever imagine: miiiimiiiii


reading books ALL THE TIME


making animal noises:

{case in point: the bunny says "sniff sniff"}

the heat:

{look at those rosy cheeks}

how to make any family photo op impossible:


pigtails:
{and she screams incessantly the whole time i'm knotting those rubber bands...and quite frankly, it brings back disturbing childhood-hair memories...poor lil thing)


burying dadda with all of the babies at gammy's and bapa's house:


how to make the touch-down signal (you can just imagine how proud this makes her dadda):

how to prepare for wimbledon:


and the most recent favorite discovery.....drummroolllllll....
the zoo:

{Ellie was pretty amazed that all of the animals in her books were real. this was her amazed face. i'm so glad we caught it}

{then she started pointing at everything as if to say: mom, are you seeing this? people, are we safe? }


{once she got over that initial surprise and worry, she really started enjoying herself...and couldn't hold back the smiles and gasps. so cute}

and so, my one-year-old has just only begun to discover the world...
and i've just begun to discover how much love i could have for another little person.
stay tuned for many more discoveries to come.

xoxo

for all you music lovers...

i'd like to invite you to this awesome concert/art festival thingie that my cousin paul (an amazing up-and-coming local musician) is putting on. he is trying to get a little extra dough to get his album all finished....and he's reaaallllyyy good.

here are the deets on the event:

Monday July 20
Time:	7:00pm - 10:00pm
Location:	Provo Storage Unit***FOLLOW BARN OWL POSTERS***
Street:	1619 N Riverside Ave PROVO, UT

In association with Northplatte records Pablo Blaqk & Friends brings you an Album Benefit Concert & Original Art Show like you've NEVER SEEN.

*Show Will fill up VERY VERY quickly show early!!
get your wrist bands or JESS SMILEY Stamped certified.

(Cause)
Im finished recording my record, that me & Joshua James have been working on for about 7 months now. finally. :) It's going to cost me an arm and a leg to mix & master it now. So I organized this rad little Benefit Concert to Help pay for most of those costs & with the help of many it's turned into a mini-Woodstock. :}

Intimate lighting with 2 or 3 Acoustic songs by:
-Drew Danburry
-Desert Noises (Kyle Henderson)
-Katie Brandiburg
-Scott Shepard of (New Nervous)
-Mudbison (Spencer Russell)
-Drew Capenar (The Color Gypsy's)
-Joe Castor of ( Mathematics Et Cetera)
& (Boots To The Moon)
& many many more!!!!

Only $3 All proceeds go towards mixing & mastering!!

-Special Guest!!
If you wanna know you gotta show up!!!
2 or 3 Acoustic songs each person
Ill be previewing some songs from the album aswell!!!

-Jess Smiley a local artist has designed pieces specifically for the show & will be selling them in support of the Album

-GALLERY STROLL*showcasing many up & coming local
artist art work all over our walls!!

-Legion Skateboard company will be there working on board designs exct. *Specialists

WILL BE CAPTURED BY: Justin Wymans HD Camera :)

-Other Craft Venders will be present
They will be announced soon!!! Food as well.

hope you can go out and make an appearance...it promises not to disappoint.

xoxo

sisters, sisters

happy 18th, baby sister.
welcome to adulthood!

we adore you...always have, always will.
and heaven knows Ellie loves her aunt "miiiiimmiiiii"

hope your day was extra special!

xoxo

confessions of a half-cuban-stay-at-home-mom-drama-queen PART I

i'd like to welcome you to my newest blog segment:
"confessions of a.... yadda yadda yadda."
aka, welcome to my circle of trust.
each week, (or less...or more) i will share with you some of my latest confessions.
things that i probably shouldn't tell you.
and that i would prefer you kept between me and you.
things that you may judge me for or love me for....
but hopefully things that will make us closer.
i will start my segment with 3 simple confessions.
here we go.

#1. tonight i went to a hip-hop class for the second time. which means i danced hip hop for the second time in my life. yes, i am terrible. yes, my ankles are throbbing. and yes, i. love. it. and just when i was having second thoughts about my stiff hips and lack of popping skills, darren, the amazingly talented, huge, big black hip-hop instructor glided back to my corner and said, "mmmm you move it girl, yeeeeaahhhh." and i felt empowered. and i will continue to pop it and lock it every wednesday at 9:00 pm.

#2. i may or may not have the following artists on my ipod: nsync, mylie cyrus (and her alter ego...which i can't even type out of embarrassment), hilary duff, high school musical 1...and 2...ok, and 3, and (gasp) hanson..... (remember mmmbop?). and i may or may not exercise to those artists on a regular basis. im a sucker for the cheesy-happy music. wow, that felt really good to get that out there.

#3. i have worn fake hair (double gasp!). no it wasn't a wig, and no, it wasn't extensions. remember those clippie thingies they used to sell at the mall that had all of the different hair colors attached to them...so the cool thing to do was to match it to your hair color and make it look like you had this gorgeous, lush pony-tail? yeah, i was a sucker for that. before a football game one friday night, my mom and i were at the mall and this lady at the clippie-hair kiosk convinced us how gorgeous i looked with that wad of fake hair attached to my head. so we bought it. now, i was either a sophomore or a junior in high school... and i was a cheerleader (i guess this is a double confession). and, anyone who went to Davis High knows that everyone and their dog goes to those football games. so we were warming up our tumbling skills on the track and the game was about to begin. it's my turn to tumble. i get my running start...round-off...back-handspring....and KER-SPLAT. what the heck was that!? i look behind me...and there is this huge pile of hair greatly resembling a large rodent carcass. i run as fast as i can to pick up my hair remnants....and scan the crowd to see if anyone noticed...and sure enough, there's my mom, laughing sooooo hard, i thought she might have a heart-attack. to this day, this story could make my mom pee her pants in laughter. word of advice: stick with your real locks...unless the fake ones are permanently attached to your head.

hope you enjoyed this week's confession segment.
stay tuned for many confessions to come.

xoxo

happy july!

october may be my favorite month...
but july is a verrrrrry close second.

i love the smells.
the warm pavement on my feet.
the colors.
the parades.
the pancake breakfasts and crowded parks.
the cool trails by the river.
watermelon seeds.
water fights.
popsicles.
bbq's.
the frizbee-throwing and volleyball-playing.
the sparklers.
the tired-eyes from swimming and playing in sprinklers.
the bangs, pows and wabams.
the colorful skies.
and of course, the red, white and blue (and dressing my baby girl in it!)





oh sweet july.
how i love thee.

let freedom ring!
and of course, enjoy your fourth...

xoxo

do you feed your children bugs?

i know i already asked for some advice on this...
but i really really need some advice.
E is eating all meals now.
which is AWESOME.
but.
i never realized how intentional you have to be to create good, nutritious, yummy meal that toddlers (yes! i have a toddler! what!?) actually eat.
so.
in order to keep this E this happy...


i need your help.
what do you feed your children?
bugs? chocolate covered ants? grass?
just teasin.
but really, when it comes to breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks, i need some fresh ideas.
we do eat yummy foods...but we need to mix it up.
and,
i loved your suggestions before and just know you can help a sista out again.

thank you in advance.

xoxo

murphy's law

or should it be chapman's law?
i mean, who is murphy? and why does he get a law?

i was just reading up on murphy's law on wikipedia. man, i'm a wiki junkie. i pretty much think it's like an encyclopedia for dummies. so it's perfect for someone like me. anyway, wikipedia explains Murphy's law as:

anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.

wow. has Murphy been eavesdropping into my life the last few weeks?

let me give you some scenarios...and then you tell me if it should be called chapman's law or not.

scenario #1: the birthday party

weeks of beautiful weather in may. lovin' the sunshine. a bubble bath birthday party (including kiddie pools, bubbles, and ducks ducks ducks) would be perfect! of course i have this lovely expectation of everyone sipping lemonade, having otter pops and splashing each other in the sun saying to themselves, "this is the best birthday party i have EVER been to."

think again, lady.

then the most bizarre 400% precipitation for june rolls in. what!? isn't it summer? of course, our hopes were brightened the day of the party as we woke up to blue skies and sunshine. my prayers had been answered! all day i cooked, baked, prepared, wrapped gifts, set up decorations... the party was to start at 3:00. i look outside at 2:00 as M was shivering setting up the kiddie pools (what a man i have). i could hear his voice in my head saying, "well, maybe we should have a plan B." my little yapper snapped back, "no. it won't rain. there IS NO plan B." 2:30 rolls around. meeeaaannnn clouds growled in the west. M comes inside, "those clouds are heading towards us." again, i snapped back, "the clouds don't ALWAYS come from the west!!........or do they?" the clock strikes 2:50. people start to arrive. and down pours the rain. luckily, E didn't notice the rain. she loved her gifts, her cake, spending time with her little friends and family, and of course, all the ducks.


5:00- the party ends. 5:15- the rain stops.

seriously.

scenario #2 the car

looking forward to an awesome birthday party back in october. missed it because of car troubles (you can read more about it here). quick re-cap of unfortunate events: our engine broke down on I-15...which led to us buying a new one...which led to us having our car serviced for like 3 weeks- or more like FOREVER- which led to us being car-less FOREVER...which led to us ultimately buying a new car (well, new to us, it's a 2007). you don't expect to have problems with your new car right? think again. on our way to a friends birthday party today (has anyone else noticed how these murphyisms all surround birthday parties? what does that mean?) we hear the most bizarre noise- it was like a semi was tailgating us so closely that it was hitting our bumper or something. then we felt a BOOM and we knew...the tire blew out. what? aren't these tires brand new? are we seriously on the shoulder of i-15 right now? how did we not just die? will E stop crying already? then i take E out of the car. what is that wetness on my leg? did she just pee on me? (she was wearing a swim-diaper...and while those are handy for the pools because they don't swell up...they are NOT handy in any other situation because...well...they don't absorb and swell up.). yikes.


agree with me about chapman's law yet?

scenario #3 the diet

M and i have been on this health/exercise craze. M has a friend who is interning with a nutrition/personal training company that is using him as a guinea pig. but M has to be a very obedient guinea pig so that his friend can really learn the ropes and his results can be accurate so that he can become credible as a trainer (whew, i think that was a run-on sentence). anyways. so we've been really, really good. really. no sugar in this house. whole wheat everything. light yogurt. and mayo. and cheese. and anything else that can be light. yes, we're serious here. well, tonight i just couldn't take it anymore. i blame it on all these wacky hormones floating around my weaning body. well, i saw those oreos...the ones that i never used that i bought for E's party a few weeks ago..and they were just calling out my name. "eat me, eat me. marci, you loooovveee my chocolatey goodness." and i thought to myself, "yes mr. o! i do love you. who cares about a skinny butt."

so i looked around to see if anyone was looking (aka M), and i grabbed the oreos ever so quietly and subtly (i was going to sneak them under my shirt and lock myself in my bedroom and pretend to be earnestly preparing my YW lesson for tomorrow. what? don't tell me you've never secretly eaten treats before). well, i wasn't so subtle. that huge sam's club bag of pistachios that i thought was such a good deal decided to lurch itself onto me (and of course it didn't have a clip on it) and it spilled. all. over. EVERYWHERE. and did i mention that it made a huge noise? and did i mention that M was like, "hey, what are YOU doing?" and did i mention that he saw the oreos? and then asked me what i was doing with them? and then i couldn't secretly eat in peace?

stupid murphy.

well. there are many other scenarios. but i'll just leave it at those three.

so what do you think?

* update *

i'd like to add a scenario #4 to my list:

scenario #4 sacrament meeting

yes, in the less-than-twelve-hours-ago that happened after i wrote this post, i have another murphysim to add to my list....one that just couldn't go undocumented.

we get a call- a meeting with the bishop before sacrament meeting.
we get another call- we're saying prayers in this sacrament meeting.
in my heart of hearts, i knew i was going to be released from my calling in the YW presidency. i was very sad about it. of course, we were running late...we got there 5 minutes before the meeting was to begin...but bishop insists on meeting with us. he was blunt and prompt: "thank you for your service sister chapman. you will now be released. the end." (ok, it was a little nicer than that, but that's how i remember it in my brain. we are so dispensable in the church, aren't we?)

so he shuffled us out of there reallly really fast. and he was conducting the meeting. it begins. tears start welling up in my eyes...inevitably. hello! i'm a girl!! and even though sometimes i complain about how time-consuming it is, or how i am nervous to teach a lesson, or yadda yadda yadda, having a calling makes us feel worthwhile...like we are contributing something. and hello! i love the girls! and the ladies i've served with have become such good friends! i love them. and will miss them. and will inevitably feel left out when they still meet for YW without me on Sundays and Wednesdays. sigh.

anyway, so after the world's shortest song, it was my turn to pray.
i say a pretty decent prayer...considering how distracting E was being.
i say amen.
i look to E.
she's pretty much freakin out now.
and.
WOOPPPPSSSSIEEESSSS.
there are STAIRS THERE.
yeah.
i fall.
you heard me.
I FELL.
i almost swear.
YOU HEARD ME.
what!? in sacrament meeting????

back to the falling part:
the four-inch heels that i thought looked so hot this morning were suddenly the stupidest things ever. i wanted to throw them out the door and i wanted to die. and everyone was looking at me. and please, can someone take the attention off of me for a second??

thank goodness, bishop starts talking again.

"we'd like to release the following sister from her calling: sister chapman as YW second counselor."

all the attention right back on me.
grrreat.

needless to say, i ran out of there as fast as i could. straight for the door. went outside. BAWLED MY EYES OUT. (i'm hormonal, remember?)

case in point: anything that can go wrong WILL GO WRONG.

the end.

(p.s. sorry i'm so dramatic :) ).

xoxo

some facts (which resemble opinions)

i'm excited to share some fun and interesting facts that have been floating around my little brain these last few weeks:

fact: we've reached 400% precipitation here in utah for the month of june.

fact: i couldn't be happier that we've broken 90 (accompanied by sunshine and blue skies, of course) the past two days in spite of that crazy precipitation statistic.

fact: even though i didn't make a father's day post, i do love my dad. he's awesome. and i do love M. he's the best daddy in the world to our E (man, i feel better now).

fact: i miss you, all of my friends. i miss hanging out with you. talking with you. watching our kids play. eating lunch. can i be so annoying and bold to invite myself to hang out with you?? i'm leaving in august and then i will be friendless. (i know, debbie downer/pity party). i love you all and am very free. every. single. day. :)

fact: amazon.com is very addicting. i got a giftcard from one of my students to spend there...and i've spent the last week heavily debating what to buy. i'm very indecisive...but just barely decided on a new swim suit...and a williams sonoma cookbook...i unfortunately already have buyer's remorse..and am thinking "ah, i should've gotten this or that or that other thing..." i'm not a very good shopper.

fact: we have a walker on our hands. everyone keeps warning me about it...but i'm lovin' it.

fact: eating healthy really does make you feel good. but that doesn't mean you don't want the unehalthy stuff anymore...ore less...or whatever. i crave frozen yogurt. and oreos. every. single. moment. of. every. single. day.

fact: E had her 1 year check-up today. she's a petite little thing! only 19.2 lbs!! what!? but just because she's petite doesn't mean she has little lungs...she screamed her guts out with those shots. yowsers.

fact: the movie he's just not that into you is by far the stupidest movie i've seen this year. or in the last 5 years. or ever in my whole life.

fact: the movie last chance harvey is runner up in worst ever to he's just not that into you.

fact: celebrating an ocassion is done best over an extended period of time. let me elaborate: we took 3 whole days to celebrate our anniversary. we saw two movies (star trek- surprisingly awesome...live long and prosper, and the proposal- also surprisingly hilarious...but i'm a sucker for sandra bullock), went to the roof (yuuummmmy), got frozen yogurt, churros, and snuggled. it was memorable. and lovely in every way.

fact: we also went to jump on it for the first time on our anniversary weekend. while it was very fun and gave me several flashbacks to my childhood days, it was pretty disastrous. M rolled his ankle and today it looks like huge grapefruit dyed blue. that's not even the disastrous part...every time i jumped too high, i peed my pants. seriously. no one told me a side-effect of labor would be that i can't control my peeing anymore. geesh.

fact: we eat edamame in our house at least twice a day. i love it, M loves it, and E tries to steal it all for herself.

fact: thanks to E, i now despise the car and try to think of any way to get out of anything that requires driving. her screaming could cause anyone to pull out their hair and their husband's hair simultaneously (not that that's happened or anything...). will there ever be relief?

fact: there are some weirdees who walk on the provo river trail. wow.

fact: weaning is very painful. while i'm ready, and am loving it for the most part (freedom!), i hate it. oh, the pain!

fact: my hair is very long. like it hasn't been this long since 10th grade. keep it long? cut it? you know i love your hair advice :)

fact: feeding E regular food is very messy. and fun. and messy. and it requires a lot of effort and thought. but it's fun. but did i mention that it's messy?

fact: being a stay-at-home mom is a lot harder than it looks. i'm so tired at the end of each day..even more than before. and i only have one kid!! still, sometimes i need a break. and sometimes i feel bad that i need a break...but that doesn't mean i don't need one. luckily, M lets me take one when i need one :)

fact: sometimes i want to throw the remote control at the t.v. so that the t.v. will break and i don't have to hear the announcers on espn EVER AGAIN. but only sometimes.

fact: i hate that jillian doesn't know what a loser wes is. can someone please tell her, already?

fact: while i hate public pools (think of all that pee....uck), we're having so much fun going to seven peaks. it's utah's beach! i try not to think about the pee water when E gulps down tons when the waves crash her in the face in the wave pool...

fact: i like to think that i am getting tanner by going to seven peaks as often as we do...but deep down, i know that i am just a slightly darker shade of white, resembling very closely my whiteness in the bleak month of january. sigh.

fact: i do a spin, sashe & kick before i get into bed every night. i wish i could be on So You Think You Can Dance (thanks ash for helping me get that off my chest. whew).

fact: i still laugh thinking about when Mary Murphy made her botox comment. she's HIL-ARIOUS.

fact: we move in exactly 2 months.

fact: i haven't packed a single box.

fact: i don't know when i will start packing.

fact: i don't want to pack.

fact: i hate packing.

fact: my heart is growing. really! it is! because i love M more than i did four years ago, and i love E more than i did yesterday..or even five minutes ago. love love love love love.

the end.

1-2-3-4...

give me more lovin' from the very start
piece me back together when i fall apart,
tell me things you never even tell your closest friends-
make me feel good when I hurt so bad- best that i've had
i'm so glad i've found you
love bein' around you

you make it easy, as easy as 1,2- 1,2,3,4
there's only 1 thing 2 do 3 words 4 you (i love you) i love you
there's only 1 way 2 say those 3 words and that's what i'll do (i love you)
i love you.

-plain white t's

today, M and i have been married 4 years. count 'em:

1-2-3-4!

wow.
i just have to say this: i feel like i don't brag on M as much as i should.
because i should.
a lot.
he puts up with me.
crazy lady. spicy cuban. feisty woman.
e-v-e-r-y .. s-i-n-g-l-e .. d-a-y.
which let me tell you...is no small thing.

so i'd like to take a brag moment...
i wanna share with you the cutest little thing he did for me (to demonstrate his cuteness) on the last day of school a couple of weeks ago.

so it's really early. like 7 am early.
and i get in my car.
if you remember, i was emotional.
and a little stressed.
and did i mention i was emotional?

so back to the car...
i get in and notice...there's this little card on the steering wheel.
i pull it out and read it.
(insert some mushy stuff here).
he then tells me he had made me a cd with all the songs that reminded him of me. i turn on the car...that really cute song where the guy sings "they call her love, love, love, love, love" comes on...and i just lose it. tears stream down my face...other songs were that 1-2-3-4 song by plain white t's and chris brown's forever, which, let's be real, you can't NOT dance to that one...and many other cute songs. he then said in his note not to listen to number 8 till i was on my way home. i was so curious. but i loooovvvee surprises, so i obeyed. on my way home, i put on number 8, and it was: "school's out for summer." i cranked up the volume so loud on that one...even though i confess, i'm no classic rock fan . he told me that he and E were waiting to give me a big hug and rock out to number 8 on guitar hero when i got home.

cute, huh?
mega cute in my opinion.
made me feel like i was in high school again.
and that's how our love is.
how i love my thoughtful M.
he's been like that from day one.

(day one below)


(day one thousand four hundred sixty below (today...ok, well, a week ago, but you get the idea)):

our life together now is so much sweeter and better and crazier than i ever would have imagined it would be. we constantly are picking up messes, we often wonder how we're going to pay the bills, we have tons of inside jokes and quote movie lines and tv show lines constantly to each other, we talk about how cute E is a minimum of 10 times a day, we've become part of each other's families and understand each other a little better than we did before...and yet don't understand each other more than we did before, we hug often, we've made wonderful friends who we love to make memories with, we love yummy food, we sometimes get under each other's skin...like when he doesn't take the garbage out, and we love every minute of it because it's all done together.

happy anniversary, M.

4 years down, eternity to go.

gives me butterflies to think about it.

xoxo

project wean...

s.o.s., please, somebody help me...

i have so much to blog about, but i'm going to blog about this first.

project wean has begun...

but i need all you veteran wean-ers (ha ha) out there to give me some advice.

i've nursed E all along...she has had one bottle at lunch time which i pumped.

this last week, i pumped all feedings except the night-time feeding and added/mixed in 2-3 ounces of whole milk on each feeding.

my questions are these:

1. should i still be giving her a bottle at every feeding? (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Bedtime)

2. if yes, when do i stop that?

3. if no, do i get rid of one feeding per day or per week or??

4. how much milk should she be getting now?

5. what are some of your favorite foods to give your little weaned one?

oh man, i've been so overwhelmed with this weaning process. because:

a. it hurts

b. i'm torn..i'm so ready...but a teensy weensy bit sad about it too. she's really not a baby anymore. sigh.

c. i want to make sure that i am giving her what she needs...but not making her attached/forming bad habits so that at 2 years old i'm the one with the kid that has separation anxiety from her bottle.

ahhh, so it's obvious i need your help :)

just a note: both M and i have milk allergies. i'm lactose-intolerant, and M is allergic to the proteins. this has made me extra-cautious/slow in the weaning process. this is also why i am hesitant to just give her 8 ounces of whole milk and wean cold turkey....

wow. no one can prepare you for all these crazy details of parenting, huh? i guess on-the-job-training really is best :)

thank you in advance for all your help and wisdom. how i love you, my blogging bff's!

she had her cake...

and ate it too.

yes, i have a one-year old.

wh-wha-whhaaatt??

more details of today's festivities (and the rain that tried to ruin it all) to come shortly.

until then,

i'd just like to tell my sweet birthday girl...

it's hard to believe that it's already been a year that you came into our lives.

you are like a little bundle of dynamite...exploding with personality and excitement wherever you go! i love you more and more every day. happy birthday, my sweet ellie bear.

a prescription for a happy summer:

what time is it?

summer time!

it's our vacation.

what time is it?

party time!

that's right, say it loud.

what time is it?

the time of our lives.

anticipation

what time is it?

summer time!

school's out, scream and shout!

-HSM 2, as danced/sung by my kindergartners

doctor's orders: if you want to live a happy life, you must have a happy summer.
How, you ask? i have the perfect prescription for you. follow some, several, or all of the following steps.

1. don't sleep in. if you would've told me this when i was 16 i would have wanted to shoot you.but really, how can you make the best out of your summer days if you're sleeping them away??

2. since you're not sleeping in past 6:45 am, get out of bed. yes, eyes are heavy. yes body is achy. so. stretch. then, stretch again (you're probably really tight from all of that winter hibernation, including large amounts of sleep + food). go on a walk. or run. or bike ride. take in the brisk air. think, think, think. wonder to yourself, "how can i afford cute clothes without spending the big bucks?" or, "how do you wean a one-year-old?" or, "how long will it take me to get rock hard abs and a tight, firm buttox...hollywood style?" or, "why is jillian keeping that weirdo-feet-guy or wacky-wes-guitar man around?" or, "why can't i dance on SYTYCD?" or, "why am i the way i am?" (these are all the questions i ponder in the morning...basically, the point is to let your brain run free for an hour or so. feels great). after your run/jog/walk/bike-ride, think to yourself, "i'm awesome. i just woke up in the summer instead of sleeping in and burnt some serious calories. GO ME!" 

3. go check on and water your garden that you've so carefully tended to. if you haven't planted a garden, plant SOMETHING. it's weird because as a kid, gardening was a swear-word to me. it was SUCH A CHORE. now, it is soothing. relaxing. and rewarding. if you don't have any plants, go get a little pot and spend the two bucks for some mums or gardenias to go on your porch. they will brighten your day. we have a little community vegetable garden that we've headed up this year. it's been such a blast to pick out the plants, plant the plants, feed them, watch them grow... i'm really taking pride in it. little E loves it, too. well, she loves eating the dirt...and ripping the leaves off of our poor little pepper plants...we're working on that.


4. make breakfast. i am a believer that it is the most important meal of the day. i used to ALWAYS skip breakfast in high school. i think about that...and wonder, how in the world?? i can't function if i haven't eaten a good breakfast nowadays.

5. pick up. you'll feel better in a clean house. BUT: if you have a little monster like i do (who disassembles EVERY nice pile of laundry, throws out all the nicely folded towels out of the drawers, tosses out pots, pans & tupperwear all over the floor, and dumps out snacks in every crevice of our little place), don't get too stressed if its messy. let. it. go. it's summer, remember?

6. pick something fun to do to get out of the house. getting out of the house is crucial to summer happiness. here are some of our recent "get-out-of-the-house" options:

• Seven Peaks (ELLIE LOVES IT)

• A walk to the park

• A walk to see the ducks
• A get-together with friends (lunch, etc)
• Make lunch and take it up the canyon
• Fill up a kiddie pool- let your little monster go to town with bath toys, bouncy balls, etc. don't forget to sunblock-it-up, and to fill up the pool in the morning for warmest results. if you're feeling extra adventurous, let your monster go to town in his/her clothes.
  
  
• Play some tennis 
• Go on a weekend getaway...we went to Park City and had a blast taking E to the pool, going to the outlets, and M enjoyed the golfing. thanks Mom & Dad for making it possible :)
  
  
  
• Go to your neighborhood community theater- there are always shows and concerts going on...i went to one of my kindergartner's ballet recital...and it was SOOO cute. The Covey Center for Arts in Provo always has things going on.
• Go to a baseball game (it doesn't get more SUMMER-Y than that). The Salt Lake Bees have games going on all summer long...and buying tickets is super cheap if you buy ones to sit on the lawn in the outfield. they have really cute kid things going on during the games, too. i'm a baseball girl from childhood. i l.o.v.e it.
  

• Play a game. like life-size chess. little monsters love it.

• go to a birthday party. even if it's not for someone you know. summer birthday parties are da bessst.
• Hang out with family. talk about the nba playoffs (or listen to your dad, brothers and hubby discuss the playoffs). give each other pedi's. laugh. (the more laughter, the better....helps out with the rock-hard-abs department).
  
  
• On a rainy day or night, go to the movies. we recommend UP. i cried. but in a good way. l.o.v.e.d. it!
• Attend a graduation. it's the hip thing to do. don't know anyone graduating? who cares- they're going on left and right. find one and cheer a random soul on to their new-found success. feel the chills go up and down your spine as you hear the graduation song.
  
  
• Don't forget your camera to document your summer-funness.

7. somewhere in the mix of all these outings, you'll need to eat something. fruit kabobs are so cute and so de-lish. another summer thing we love to eat is regular-ol sandwiches, but put under the broiler for 2 minutes each side to give it a delicious toasty-ness. finally, bbq-ing chicken, burgers, corn, squash, and if you're lucky (or rollin' in the dough), steaks, is a perfect thing to do as the sun gets lower in the sky.

8. if you have a monster, put him/her to bed. enjoy the last bit of daylight monster-free.

9. have some alone time, or some couple time. rent a redbox. watch your favorite show (SYTYCD on weds-thurs, bachelorette on mon). talk. whatever suits.

10. if you're laying off the sugar because you're trying to be good and want to look good in that swim-suit, you can still have a variety of treats to end your day. sugar-free jello with whipped cream...berries & whipped cream...or one of our personal faves- buying the homemade popsicle thing-a-ma-bobs and filling them with crystal light. lemonade, fruit punch...for something extra yummy, throw some real fruit in the mix. oooo.

another delicious popsicle idea: buy your favorite naked juice and pour them in the popsicle thing-a-ma-bob. we love the mango one you can get at Sam's Club. WHAT. A. TREAT. and what a perfect way to end your day.

11. get ready for bed. if you want a the most enjoyable day tomorrow, get in bed by 11. say your prayers. read....whatever it is you like to read before you go to bed. think about what a wonderful day it was.

repeat steps 1-11 daily for optimal results.

xoxo,

dr. marci

early retirement...

it's 6:48 am...getting ready for my last day of kindergarten...i'm mid-sentence, and already in mid-breakdown.

can you blame me? look how stinken cute those kiddos are.

but then again, from now on, i get to devote myself 100% to this cute kiddo:

so today, teacher-marci is very sad....but mommy-marci is very, very happy. 

talk about moody, huh?

housekeeping..

i have a few housekeeping items: (most of which have to do with movies or television, so if you're less shallow than me, maybe you don't want to read this post?? if this is the case, please don't tell me so i don't feel horribly bad about myself. thanks.)

1. if you like to be depressed and feel horribly sad, watch the movie, Nights in Rodanthe. you will cry. and you will probably really hate it. so i guess this is my backwards way of saying, DO NOT WATCH THIS MOVIE. it's very bleak.

2. honk twice if you were shocked (pleasantly, of course) that KRIS won american idol!? wow wow wow.

3. honk three times if you are STOKED that So You Think You Can Dance has finally started!

4. is it just me, or have there been some extremely dramatic finishes to this season's shows? 24, LOST, House, AI (but we established that one already), the Office....the list could really go on and on, couldn't it? if you'd like to chat about it, (and you know i would) leave a comment.

5. Seven Pounds is probably the strangest movie i have ever seen. have you seen it?

6. it's a long weekend! (woot woot!) and then only 4 days left of school!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! would you be surprised if i have an emotional break-down the last day of school? sadness and happiness are going to be simultaneously geyser-ing out of my body. it's going to be weird. watch out.

7. and just because i can't make a post without mentioning my Ellie, guess who took 6 steps today? we almost have a walker on our hands.............get ready.

eleven

11 is my favorite number.
have i ever told you that?

i don't really know why it's my favorite number...but it always has been.
i think i like how it's the only number that is parallel...constant..symmetrical. i like how it looks like a road. and so, 11, is my favorite-little-number-road.

and ellie turned 11-little-road-months-old this month. just one month till she's a year.
does that mean she's not a baby anymore after that? that's what i always thought. but now that it's here, i don't feel like she's not my baby anymore. she still IS my baby.

here's 11 recent pictures of my 11 month old ellie for you to see for yourself. she's a baby, right? oh, and she's cute.
i love her.










xoxo

here comes the bride...

something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue...

seems to be my mantra the last few weeks. people all around me tyin' the knot...wearin' white...bein' all kissy kissy and happily ever after.

it started with receiving like a dozen wedding announcements in the mail. whoa. i thought everyone i knew was married. apparently..not? it's been fun to see all the classy, unique styles of today's hip & chic brides.

wedding fever continued with watching Bride Wars. have you seen it? i'm not gonna lie...i LOVED it! there were so many parts that i laughed. out loud. not many movies can make me do that. i loved the part where Kate Hudson's hair gets turned blue. classic. maybe it was the mood i was in? don't know. but if you're in need of a giggle or two...rent it, watch it, love it.

then i had the awesome opportunity of attending the wedding of my sweet friend, Meredith. we've known each other since we were all pimply faced...and we cheered for rival junior highs. really. (do rival junior highs exist? apparently they do. this was big stuff back in '99). then we met and realized that we spoke each other's silly language...and well, it's history from there.


oh man though, can i just say, they were SO in love! so GLOWING. see:


congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Wright. you two are lovely.

and can i just say, what a special thing a temple sealing is! made me want to be a better wife. helped me re-realize how special marriage really is. made me grateful for my sweet groom who chose me almost four years ago.


that night there was a killer party...all carnival themed (with a surprise guest hoola hoop circus lady...very crazy). we danced. we laughed. we caught up with old friends. we photographed.


even E got in on the fun. her idea of fun was more like eating everyone's dropped scraps...and crawling all over the yucky floor. babies can be gross, huh?


finally, i got to teach the YW lesson on covenants and ordinances this past Sunday. once again, i was reminded how sweet it is to have temples on this earth...so that our families can really be together forever. i pulled out my old wedding DVD just for kicks...to watch M & me walking out of the temple, freshly sealed...newlyweds...a new little family unit. and it really takes my breath away to see how glowing we were. i couldn't stop dancing, for heaven sakes! Of course, E wanted to watch too....man, she LOVED watching mama and dada...and at that moment, i just had this overwhelming feeling inside of me....on that day, not so long ago, our little family was born. and even though the hectic day can be filled with newness, oldness, blueness and borrowedness....our wedding days are so special because of that....a new little family is born.

how romantic.

so, if i'm being honest...all this weddingness has made me want to get married all over again. such a special day to remember for the rest of your life, huh?

this one's for the girls

on this mother's day, i'm thinking of all the girls in my life who have made me the person i am today...and more importantly the mother i am today. so, i'd like to say thank you to all my girls out there.

thank you to my sister for being my little sister..and for putting up with my teasing. and for putting up with my mothering instead of sistering. and for loving me. and for being so you and so unique. you were the cutest baby in the whole wide world and i always wanted a baby because of you.


thank you to my sister-in-law, Courtney...for being so sweet to your new little Rosalie. it has made me want to be a better, more patient mommy. thank you to my sister-in-law Carrie- for being so thoughtful and sweet to our little girl even though we are so far apart. you always make me want to be more thoughtful and loving to others.



thank you to my aunts. and to M's aunts. you always have filled in the gaps and filled my life with love and laughter. thank you for making me feel special. thank you for being a part of my life. thank you for loving my feisty baby.


thank you to my girlfriends. my friends from high school who i've been able to watch be mommy's before me...who have paved the way and given me someone to get advice from. my college friends who always encourage me and love me and share these most wonderful of life's events with me. my provo friends- who share it all- from snotty noses, to eating dirt, to walks, to birthday parties, to advice, to yoga, to tv-nights, to dinners and bbq's....thank you for putting up with my flakiness at times and for always inviting me to do things. i love you all for that. to all my other friends- including all of you - who i know from teaching school, other jobs, wards, knowing M, and several other places- thank you for enriching my life and giving me people to look up to and be inspired by (p.s. if you're not pictured below, we need to hang out more. and with our cameras....i was saddened by the fact that i don't have many pictures of all of you, my lovely friends).




thank you to my grandmas (including M's grandmas). you've given me my parents, and M's parents...which are our greatest blessings. thank you for serving us continuously. we wish we could be closer to all of you.



thank you to my cousins. you ladies are LOVELY in every way. i wish we all lived closer to share more of our lives together.


thank you to my mother-in-law for raising such a wonderful man for me to share my life with and be the daddy of my baby girl. thank you for opening your home to me- and your family to me..and making me feel so welcome and loved./


thank you to my mama. for being my best friend. for being so generous. for serving my little family so willingly and lovingly. for laughing and talking with me about every detail of my little life...and for loving me with your biiiggg heart. i love you to the highest mountain.


and thank you to my baby Ellie. thank you for being so sweet...for giving me hugs. for giving me sweet slobbery kisses. for being so excited to see me every morning. for snuggling me. for laughing at my sillyness. and most importantly, for making me a mommy! the happiest mommy in the whole wide world. i love you, lovely sweet Ellie.



happy mother's day!

some fyi's:

fyi: mother's cookies are back. i've never seen M so excited about buying a package of cookies in my entire life.

fyi: teething is a beast. and i hate it. and it never really ends. and did i mention that i hate it?

fyi: spending an afternoon in the garden wearing summer hats and eating flowers (or should i say, watching E eat flowers...and dirt) is absolutely splendid.

fyi: watching pride & prejudice with sisters & mom is the besssssst after a day in the garden.

fyi: not all babies are colicky, much to my distorted perceptions. my niece, little rosalie, is the most peaceful human on the planet.

fyi: mother's day is tomorrow. i'm excited. first mother's day as a real mom. i'm excited to hug my mom extra tight and my ellie extra tight.

fyi: i hate using public restrooms. what is up with the 1-ply toilet paper in there? and really, is it that hard to keep three stalls clean?

fyi: the road 300 W (that the Gateway is on) in SLC has a 30 mph speed limit. we learned that after we received a speeding ticket going 44 yesterday. they were making some serious quotas because we saw someone else pulled over in front of us and someone get pulled over after us. man. why is getting a speeding ticket such a bad feeling?

fyi: johnson & johnson came out with a new bubble bath. ellie LOVES bubbles & bubble baths. what could be better and gentler than a soft bubble bath from j & j? i CANNOT wait to try it.

fyi: only 3 episodes left of 24. it's been in-tense this season.

fyi: watched little mermaid for the bazillionth time today. could still quote every line to every song. and it's still not old. i secretly wish i was ariel.

fyi: i love giveawaytoday.blogspot.com. i just wish i would actually win something for once. sigh.

fyi: i also love anthropologie and ache to be able to afford their clothes. someday. someday.

fyi: i'm nervous to teach in yw tomorrow. weird thing is, i actually do like to teach. but the last couple of lessons have made me really anxious for some reason. i keep telling myself: breathe in, breathe out.

fyi: M and i just ate some delicious frozen yogurt. i talk about frozen yogurt all the time, huh? it's just that good.

fyi: i ran out of fyi's.

multi-tasking, unfinished projects, and countdowns.

the only way i get anything done these days is by multi-tasking.
and i'm not very good at it.
see:



i'm blogging while hanging out with hubby + E, while giving E a bath, while thinking about american idol and how much i hate that Kris had a bad night...
i know.
please tell me you do this too.
anyways.
all this multi-tasking is leading to many unfinished (or procrastinated) projects.
proof:
i just posted a blog post entitled "unfinished projects"... from march. i was going to blog about unfinished projects but never finished it. now that's ironic.

other unfinished projects:

• wedding album (still)

• Kindergarten Books (which need to be finished by Thursday)

• buying a wedding gift for this weekend's wedding of one of my bf's, Mere

• organizing and putting away E's grown-out clothes (i just BARELY took out her 6 months clothes on Sunday. it was very sad. and when i say "i took them out," i mean, i just folded them and put them in a bag in her closet with the rest of her clothes. let's just say her closet is getting pre-tty full.)

• etc, etc, etc. (aka: the list is depressingly long, and i'll just stop there)
  

SO:
i've learned the way to get through hectic times is to live by a countdown. deadlines. makes it all go by...faster?
in fact, remember just under a year ago, living by the ultimate countdown. the countdown to motherhood. whoa. i had a little ticker that said something like "29 days to go." i remember thinking each day, 29 days, i can do this. 28 days, i can do this. little did i know that at 0 days, i couldn't do it anymore and i was still doing it. i'm contradicting myself now with the whole countdown thing. but really, it does keep me sane.

for example:

• 3 days till one of my oldest, sweetest friends gets married. i love weddings. i love things like this to look forward to.
  

• 17 school days left (singing "celebrate good times, COME ON! let's celebrate") which means:
• only 17 days till SUMMER BREAK and EARLY RETIREMENT and being a MOM, 100%.
  

• 1 month till i receive my teaching license- FINALLY!

• 37 days till E turns 1 (what!?)

• 2 months till my favorite holiday, the 4th of July (pow pow! (that's the sound of fireworks))

• 3 1/2 months till we MOVE (sniff, sniff). which means packing. good-byes. heart ache. change. new friendships. packing (i can't help not being overwhelmed by the thought of PACKING...and packing tape. and bubble wrap. and all that jazz.).
  

wow. craziness.

what are you counting down to?? if you're not counting down to anything...i encourage you to find something. it's fun. you'll see. and maybe it will keep you sane. or maybe it will make you even crazier than before.

who knows.

xoxo