Blessed

We blessed Elinor at church this week. My sister Amy and her husband Scott and 2 of their kids came down (Annie and Kyle), along with my mom and brother Matt and his wife B. We were joined by Amy's daughter Sarah (attending BYU), and my cousin Dan and his wife Lorri and daughter Hope drove out from Tooele to attend. Elinor's grandpa Pugh also drove out from Orem to see and help bless her. Glad to everyone who came out despite the snow storms that littered the weekend (especially Sun morning)! Ells had a nice little blessing even if she cried through most of it. Little stinker is the quietest little thing and never makes a peep or protest unless she is hungry and guess who got hungry 5 minutes before blessing time? Oh well, daddy held her as far from the microphone as possible and her cries didn't reach it, therefore you couldn't tell she was the one that was crying (I could as the mom of course), but it wasn't obnoxious and loud in the mic at least. It was fun seeing all that came out, thanks for the support, we appreciate you all! It's always fun to have you out to visit and to fill our house with lots of laughs (Lola got the biggest laughs Friday night with her lerpyness and stretch sessions).

Me and the brood

The whole gang

Just the little one

Just the ruffly bum
(I couldn't resist)

Insight as to why Uncle Scott called her KKK baby once (or twice)

Dinosaurs and Sparkly Lights

I took the kids to the Festival of Trees on Saturday (I love how haggard the kids look here! Me? Fresh as a daisy, I tell you...... but alas, looks are deceiving-- believe me I felt a lot more like Scout seems to be feeling after hauling those girls around for 4 hours). We didn't mean to stay that long, but a snowstorm stuck us there while Rob was caught in traffic. Sue was originally going to join us, but due to some stomach ailments her dog displayed in her living room the day before, she was unable to join us.

Scout was being so funny loving this giant nutcracker and told me to take a picture and for some reason, lost all playfulness when I pointed the camera at her and I was left with this melancholy scene.

We filled most of our time there in the kid's corner which was Festival of trees for "cheap crafts". Thank you thank you for all you did for me that day, one can only look at so many Christmas trees, and crafts are Scout's favorite thing ever.

I laughed at this tree so much and thought I should buy it for Sue since she couldn't join us (it was still for sale for a measly 3,500) If you can't tell, it is a Star Wars Nerd's dreamland consisting of four trees decorated with Star Wars figures "eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee (*nerd noise*) all in their original packaging" and a little scene in the center with more figures taken out of their protective cocoons. All constantly pitched by a nerdess trying to convince the crowd what a deal this tree was and how it's market value will skyrocket someday. Anyway, I had to take a picture of it for Sue since I didn't have such cash with me (dang) and it was her perfect tree until I came upon this one about 15 minutes later...............................

If you can't tell, it's a Lord Of the Rings Christmas with so many toys in their original packaging, I had no way to fit them all in my lens. Sorry Sue, this one was sold already (double dang). Some nerd is going to blow his little mind this Christmas.
Even Scout looks kind of impressed.

As you can see, you REALLY missed out-- and you thought it would be more fun to stay at home and scrub dog poo. Sue was sad about not joining us and had Tuesday off, so we decided to go to Thanksgiving Point's Dinosaur Museum (or Museum of Ancient Life, I should say)

Sue and Tiny E killing time while Scout buries dinosaurs in water and sand.


They had a little display where you can build your own dinosaur, I told Scout to go stand by our handy work and she one upped us by posing as the T- Rex's baby.


Still a dinosaur baby, but I believe this was after we built the stegosaurus.


This was probably the item that made the biggest creep out impression on me (ok there were plenty of those moments) but LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THIS TURTLE!!!!!!!!!! It was found pretty much in tact too AND somewhere around where was it Kansas or something Sue? Blew my mind.

C R A Z Y.

Let us take a moment and look at a cute baby because next was the creepiest thing by far for Sue......................(and this will come as no shock to anyone that knows her at all).......

This beauty is just the head of an ancient shark-- for whatever reason they decided to recreate only it's head. Could it be because this shark was over 70 feet long? (Sue quickly did the math and estimated it to be about 3 Jaws long.) I tried to get Scout to stand in front of it so we could get a perspective for the picture, but she wouldn't get anywhere near it and Sue had to even carry her through that room (but who was going to carry Sue?)
Unsurprising perhaps, Sue and I decided several time throughout our museum experience two things.
1. I'm glad those are extinct
and
2. Those were in Montana? That's close! *panicked look in eye*
(for some of these creatures, hearing they were found in South America elicited the same response).

For those of you that played Scattergories with us Thanksgiving weekend, when Rob called, he asked if we were wary of the brontosaurus bones. We were babe-- (and truth be told, Scout was actually afraid of them)
Perhaps we should have awarded Rob both points?

Side by Side - about 5 weeks

Elinor.....................Scout

Well, that one was slightly easier to do.

I did say slightly.

Oh man, I love the one where they are both in the same dunglees looking like they're trying to split.

Side by Side - 2 months

I've decided to post one of these every once in a while, comparing Ells and Scout at the same age. I am mostly doing this for me, since it has been a fascinating thing for me first of all wondering what another little girl would look like that wasn't Scout, and now comparing them at similar moments in time. Well, they are definitely sisters, but have their own little unique looks for sure.

Judge for yourselves.
Elinor....................Scout

Ah, I'm going to have to go back and do this for birth and 6 weeks old too....

Meet Elinor

This is an example of what we fondly call "Elly Beans" it's the wind down before bedtime.

It often involves a move Scout perfected at that age called "motorcycle leg" but in this video, you mostly get "riding the trike". Sometimes daddy is glad there isn't a trike attached to her, as he points out she would be in St. George by now. Combined with the hand movements, we like to think she would do well in one of those giant robots controlled inside by a tiny something with all kinds of pulleys etc to make the robot do things.When she is wearing these dunglees (which are being retired today *sniff* before she busts a snap) daddy calls her "points" since the feet aren't really feet they just are sewn into points adding to the charms of these favorite dunglees of mine.

Did you think she is known as "The Chunky Monkey" because of her cute Buddha belly and darling rolls of baby fat? Well, you'd be wrong, she got her nickname because if mommy looks at the folds of skin on her neck she more often then not finds this:

Love that little girl of ours.

Meet Neil

Around 11:45 on the night before my birthday, Rob casually asked what I wanted for my birthday. I told him that a replacement ipod would be nice. At exactly midnight I laid back down from sucking snot out of my little baby's nose and landed on something hard. Thinking it was the remote, I reached to get it and instead of the remote, it was a new shiny ipod. You see, Rob has a VERY hard time waiting to give gifts. Gifts burn holes right through his pockets, so waiting until midnight was the best he could do- at least it was technically my birthday. He got me the new talking kind because he said my obituary was one huge hint. Not so! It's not my fault my old ipod died the week before my birthday, and I only mentioned the new talking kind because I went on apple.com to see how much a replacement shuffle was going to set us back and I noticed they don't even sell the old style anymore. My dad suggested I name her Neil and I thought that was a grand idea since writing an obituary for a nameless ipod was a little awkward.
Neil is pretty swanky, she (and this one is definitely a she since she talks to me) is controlled by the head phones and if I hold the play button down she tells me the name of the song and the artist, if I hold it down longer, she lists all the playlists and podcasts I have downloaded and I click again when she names one I'd like to listen to. I didn't use to keep a lot on ol greeny since I would have to wade through every song to find what I want. Now I get to keep as much as I'd like on my shuffle, it's genius. It has also prompted me to come up with some creative playlist names because I like to hear Neil say them, it makes me giggle.

Thanks babe- love you forever

Let Emily Buy It

If you've seen these on tv or at the store and are wooed by it's promises (as I was) I would like to let you all know you can save your money. I tried them and I saw zero results (scrubbing bubbles? They need to change their name to Lazy Bubbles That Do Jack). They don't just gradually disappear in a week or so either (as advertised), they gradually disappear for about a week until the last half of the gel hardens and cakes to the side of your toilet device until YOU scrub it away (how's that for irony?). Lastly, it kind of smells bad. To be fair, I bought the green one which I think was citrus so the blue one just may smell like heaven, but this household won't be finding out.

By the way, I've always really liked Scrubbing Bubbles Bathroom Cleaner, so the company isn't totally worthless- just this product.

By the way again, this isn't going to become a regular thing like "Let Bill Buy It*", but perhaps if I happen to have an opinion about a product I've tried, I will state my opinion about it for the good of the masses. While we are going there (and to save myself a post), if you haven't tried Mr. Clean's Magic Eraser yet, get your butt to the store and purchase some. They are the best things in the world of cleaning products- they bring a tear to my eye. I swear they really are magic.

*Let Bill Buy for all you non Utahns, is a little blurb done by a local newscaster where he buys a product and tests it out for us to see if it lives up to scratch (they rarely do, except the SlapChop, that product is King!)

RIP, Old Friend

My dependable, trusty, never failed me Ipod Shuffle died today at the age of three.

She wheezed her last breath at about 11 am today surrounded by Emily, her adoring companion of all three years. She had just delivered a podcast of a brief history of Lord Byron and was about to load the new Scene Unseen podcast reviewing the movie "The Men Who Stare At Goats" when she passed suddenly without warning. She went fast and didn't suffer, which is good. She was born a surprise present from Rob, when Emily removed the sheets from her side of the bed one night, she was sitting there waiting for her and was her unflappable companion ever since. She served Emily through countless chores (and a recent root canal), delivering podcasts, Radiohead, recorded books, Radiohead and Radiohead. She survived some close calls being dunked in dishwater a few times, stepped on countless times, left in a burning hot car, a freezing cold car and once was even submerged for an indeterminate amount of time by Emily's sometimes mischievous, sometimes naughty young daughter Scout in a glass of apple juice (I guess it was a good thing it was apple juice-heehee sorry. I couldn't help the bad joke).
She was proceeded in death by about 10 pairs of ear phones, 2 docks, Emily's 8G video ipod, and 2 shuffles owned by Rob (I'd say 3 since Rob is on his 4th, but that one survived insurmountable odds to now reside at Sue's house). She is survived by Rob's light blue ipod and a sad lonely pair of ear phones.

RIP old friend- you were well loved, well used, much appreciated and always adored. Even though you were so lightweight, my shirt felt so much lighter without you clipped to it today and the house echoed with the podcast I never got to hear. You will never be forgotten even if I replace you with one of the new fancy shuffles that are so long and sleek and can talk.

Love you, kisses! Sniff......................sigh.

Halloween '09

Halloween started off this week with a church party on Wednesday I only found out about a few hours before it started. I had not been to church for some time since I have a newborn, so I am out of the loop. Anyway, we hadn't purchased Scout a costume yet (I'd like to blame that on Elinor too, but in reality, I often put off costume purchases and such until last minute). Anyway, I needed a costume for Scout and we put this together on a few hours notice and I was mighty pleased with the outcome:

in character


meowing

At the party playing the cake walk.... she won! (That is an action shot of her winning) she picked a caramel apple......of course.

The costume parade (one of the young women painted her hair pink to Scout's delight)

On Friday, she got to wear her costume to school for a Halloween party (she chose to wear the one we purchased which you will see in a moment). After school she had a birthday party to go to for a neighbor friend (her dad is named Micheal Moore- sorry I had to add that it makes me chuckle every time). Anyway, it was a princess party, so she got to wear her princess clothes. I probably should have taken a picture, but didn't think of it.

On Halloween day, we decorated Halloween cookies:I love Scout's by the way. I was lazy and used a cookie mix and canned frosting.... don't tell anyone. They tasted pretty good though, and a lot faster then my usual recipe and will do for this year. Maybe we'll do Christmas cookies.....
Then Cam and Sue came over for a visit and that was fun and there were plenty of beans to go around for that.

We went to the store with a puppy costume in mind, but once she saw this, there was no puppy costume that would ever do. Being 40% off (one perk to procrastination) and knowing that she will get her moneys worth wearing this long long after Halloween, I bought it for her.

Here is Scout in her unicorn costume.... About to ham it up in

5

4

3

2

1

And then we have Elinor. After shopping for costumes for a while, I deemed 6 weeks as -too small to wear a costume- and bought her a onsie instead and popped a hat on my mom bought her and viola--

First smile I have been able to capture on camera, even if it is only a half smile.

Contrary to what this may look like, she is smiling here too, but got a little too excited.

Definitely not smiling here

I love this picture! Very "rolling with the homies".

This is a classic Elinor look/stance

And a good yawn.......

And peace out

Elinor joined us in trick or treating in the wagon wrapped up in a billion blankets, daddy stayed home to watch the U of U game and to hand out candy. It was a very nice night to trick or treat, quite warm and Scout got a good haul and had a lot of fun. Then we went home and ordered a pizza.

Good times.