A Whole Lot of Mommy Time

We again have had a major change in our family schedule. I am no longer helping my brothers family out or working at his dental lab. I am staying home. This came after a very strong impression that I had while at the temple. My place is in the home, not at work. We were making it work before and we would make it work again.
Don started a new job last Monday. He works at 6p.m. on Mon. & Thur. and then at 4p.m. on Tues., Wed., Fri.: he works until the work is done which is between midnight-1a.m. most the time. He is still going to school full time, and getting good grades might I add.
We are so lucky to have a dad/husband that will do so much to make his family happy. Also a new development, May is it for us. We will not be going to PT school, there are several reason to that one.
It has been a really hard adjustment for me and the boys. We were really spoiled with Don home so much over the last month since leaving he other job. Besides starting a new job he is working twice as many hours as before. Don is my best friend and not having him there after the boys go down to just talk to has been really hard. When he is home I find that we have to cover just the basics and don't have much time for what I call a REAL TALK. I am convinced that it will be good for me though, I just am still trying to figure out how it is good for me.
But the reason for the post was that since Don is gone in the evenings now, the boys have lots of time with just mommy. I was playing with them the other night and realized while tickling them that I was listening to the greatest sound in the world and my heart just over flowed. Here is a video of the greatest sound in the world:

SNOW!!!

We had a good snow on Nov. 5. I just couldn't resist going out and playing in the snow. I have found now that I am older I enjoy looking at the snow more than I like being in it, but the beauty just amazes me.
Bryson, like me, just enjoys watching. We tried to take him out but he didn't have much fun.



Jaron on the other hand loved the snow!! He didn't want to come back in. I had to entice him with a snow slurpy (which to my disappointment he didn't like).

Halloween

As Many of you might know, I am not a big fan of Halloween. I don't like to be scared and Halloween equals people dressed scary, scary decorations, haunted houses, and scary movies. But . . . the boys are so dang cute! I love this part. Dressing them up all cute. As Jaron say he was "Buzz Lightyer and Bryson is Boody"
Even though we were not with Don's family this year, we still did the Halloween soup and ghost cake. It was fun and Bryson loved the chocolate cake. Jaron however, being like me doesn't like to be scared and there were too many scary things about, so he declined the offer to trick-or-treat. This was a bit of a disappointment to both mom and dad, but we will manage.

Fall Fun

Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the smells, colors, cool air, and above all the crunch of the leaves.

GO UTES!!!

Yes, even though I was raised to be a BYU fan I have converted over the 4 years here at the U. I admit I really enjoy a good football game. Thanks to a friend we were all able to go to a game. And thanks to an awesome family Don and I watched the second half by ourselves. It was Bryson's first football game.

Wii

So I finally broke and let Don buy a Wii, on the one condition that he buy me the Wii Fit. We really have been having so much fun playing it as a family. It is interactive and you get up and move. Don has exercising on a regular basis. Give him some good scores to beat and he will rise to the challenge, even in yoga. The Wii Fit also helps me feel better about not getting out every day to exercise. It has been great! Here is Jaron doing the Wii Fit:

First Snow

On Oct. 11 it snowed for the first time this year. I wanted Bryson to see it since he was so little last winter. So we went out and looked at it, he was very intrigued. Jaron asked if Christmas was here. As he does every time it has snowed since.

Potty Training Sorrows

Since last week we have been potty training Jaron. He has been telling me since he was 18 months before he goes potty, he just never wanted to do it on the potty. So last week I decided to see what happens if we put him in underwear. The first day he just went in his underwear all day long. On the second day after a morning accident I told him that it makes me very sad when he goes in his pants and I really wanted him to go in the potty. To that he said "Oh OK," and has been peeping in the potty ever since. With the exception of a Sat. visit to Grandmas. Too much going on to go potty I guess.
Now going #2 is another story. We had 2 or 3 accidents before I had had it and told him not to go in his pants or he was in trouble. Well, Jaron needs to do what mom says and is very good at that. He was too afraid to go on the potty (still trying to get to the bottom of that one) and also too afraid to go in his pants so what is the only solution? To hold it. Which he has for several days, leading to extreme constipation. Every time he needs to go he starts screaming and runs to the bathroom, only to not want to get on the potty, so he doesn't go. After talking to my mother-in-law this morning about it I realized what I was doing. Putting fear into my child. He was afraid of both me & the potty; in the end causing himself pain. We had a talk and he ended up just going #2 on the bathroom floor, gross I know, but a happy medium. We will try and overcome the fear of the potty and going #2 on it. But until then I wanted to share with all the other first time potty training moms my mistake, in hopes that you don't end up in tears as your child tries so hard to please you, but just can't seem to get over his potty fear.
This picture is him napping at 10a.m. after his traumatic experience. He doesn't nap anymore usually, it was that bad for him.

Bryson's 1st Haircut

After much deliberation we cut Bryson's hair. Yes, I almost cried the first shave. He looks totally different, don't you think? We did it on Oct. 1st, so it would still make it in his first year scrapbook, sad I know.
He was laughing at first, but then he didn't want me to shave the back, thus the sad picture.