Take me out to the (soft)ballgame

The boys and I didn't get to go to JB's game last night (he won!) and missed a recent game where he hit a home run (I want his autograph) but here are some recent pictures of a softball game.
Ben is trying to reach some of his toys during this shot so I put him down.
Max gets suckers at two places: the doctor's office and softball games. I offered him one at the first game we went to and had him sit next to me and eat it (he wanted to run out onto the field). Now every game he says "Can I have a sucker?"

Here's Number Five. So handsome!

The Adventures of Max

On Sundays Max misses his nap, and Ben never sleeps well at church (I don't either. The guilt gets to me. And the loud sleepy breathing gives me away). So if we aren't at Nona and Grampa's for dinner, I take the boys on a walk for a snooze.
I put the stroller in the sun for a better shot of their faces.
But the title of this post applies in part to another sleeping problem for Max. He got out of bed twice last night. What's the deal? He always has gone 7p-7a with no problems. JB caught him last night the first time. We thought it was an intruder -- it scared me half to death. Then at 1 AM I caught him dragging his blanket to the couch just like it was morning. He never said anything each time he got out of bed though. Also, JB and I both have gone in there to retrieve a hungry Ben in the past and have found Max sleeping on the floor next to his bed. "Cover me up," he'll mumble.

His other adventures the past three days have been sad -- three big bonks in a row. He fell off the rope ladder at the elementary school playground on Friday and got a big rope burn/bruise on his neck. It's now yellow and red and not pretty. Then in nursery on Sunday he ran into the head of another child. I'm sure he saw stars, because his nose is bruised. Then later Sunday he slipped on our hardwood floor and bonked the front door. He's got a big goose egg and cut on his forehead. But he's been such a trooper about it all. He'll sometimes look in the mirror to check how his hurts are doing.

Funny boys

Max feeds Ben lunch.
Ben loves it! (Cell phone camera, sorry for the quality -- but look how cute)

Everyday when I get home around 12 or 12:30 from work we have the same routine. Lunch, book, diaper changes, naps. I usually try to hussle them along b/c I'm ready for a nap too. Max now says at the door as I came in, "Hi mom, I don't want to take a nap!" Hmmm.

In the middle of the night last night I heard the boys' door open, then shut. I stumbled out into the hallway, and there was Max, standing there gripping his covers and rubbing his eyes. I almost cried to the heavens, "Shoot, he's learned how to get out of bed!" But I quickly remembered a "Super Nanny" episode, and without a single word to him I put him back in bed. He didn't get out again. Wish us luck tonight. Maybe he was sleepwalking?

Also, last night as I was drifting off to sleep, I reviewed the dances from "So You Think You Can Dance" in my head, and panicked when I couldn't remember the last couple -- Joshua and Katie. It took all my power to stay in bed and go to sleep without rushing out to the living room to finish the episode. I'm a goofball.

The Talk

Yesterday I had to have "the talk" with Max. Yes, I had to firmly but gently explain that no matter if it's just for fun or to see what happens, he cannot sit on top of his baby brother. Ben's pretty tough, but Max is bigger every day. What's next, talks called "Don't hit/kick/tease/lick/paint/color or flick your brother"? We did have the talk about biting but I really just think Max wanted to see what would happen. He hasn't done it since.

Memory Lane

20 years ago .... 1988
1. I was almost 9 years old, and the second oldest of 7 children in the family.
2. We moved to Maryland after years of living overseas for my dad’s job
3. I loved my pink bike, and transitioned from my Popple (remember those?) and Cabbage Patch doll to Barbies

10 years ago ... 1998
1. I was almost 19 years old, and the second oldest of almost 12 children (the last, Sarah, was born in 1999)
2. My family was in Missouri, and I was at BYU, applying to the Broadcast Journalism program and for a study abroad in Madrid (I made it into both)
3. I lived just a block away from the shoe store JB owned in Provo at the time, but we never met


5 years ago ... 2003
1. I was almost 24, and was living with my best friend Autumn downtown (we had so much fun)
2. I was promoted to full-time radio reporter
3. I officially met JB early in the year at a BBQ, and we got married November 14!

1 year ago ... 2007
1. JB and I went on a Caribbean cruise in March
2. Maxwell turned 2 in July
3. Benjamin was born December 6
4. My brother Peter returned from a mission in August, my brother Michael and wife Bethany had a baby boy, Nathanael, in April (after my little brother Enoch Nathanel who passed away in 2006)

So far this year ... 2008
1. I returned to the radio station full-time and added a new show
2. Ben is teething
3. Max is potty-training (#s 2 and 3 don’t go so well sometimes)
4. JB’s little brother returned from a mission, his sister Sarah got married, I flew out to see my sister Bekah get her MBA all in the month of May

Yesterday...June 24th
1. I voted (Max kept the sticker) and took the boys on a walk
2. I got part of a nap when Max and Ben overlapped naps
3. JB made yummy breakfast burritos for dinner
4. I started reading The Geography of Bliss and was in bed at 8 PM

Today ... June 25th
1. I woke up at 3:30 AM (this is normal for my job)
2. I will put both boys down at the same time for naps
3. We’ll all go on our almost-daily walk around the park
4. I will make cookies to take with me to Young Women tonight

Tomorrow ... June 26th
1. Same early alarm and nap goal
2. I will watch “So You Think You Can Dance” on my DVR
3. I will make more cookies to take with me to the kick-off of Stake Youth Conference

Next year ... 2009
1. I will turn 30
2. I have high hopes Max will be potty-trained and Ben will be done teething
3. I would love to take a fun trip with the family

Good eats, good company

We went up the canyon for a hot dog roast with friends Friday evening. Max loved the S'mores and the camping chair.

Andrew, Daren, Max, JB and Ben. Look at Ben already trying to ham it up!

I love how the boys are looking at each other in this picture.

Besides being worried that some gigantic bug would bite my boys and give them the West Nile Virus, or that they would fall into the campfire and be forever changed, we had a really nice time.

We also had a nice time Saturday with some friends over for a barbque. Part of the fun included rides around our backyard in a wagon. Max never gave up his spot. He's no dummy! He's also not very chivalrous yet....

By the way Ben grabbed my laptop keyboard and ripped the tops of two letters off. "J" and "B" now take some concentration and pressing down. Too bad that's the name of my husband!

Hip Hop momma

Two of my worlds have now collided. Shane Sparks, a choreographer on Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance," was on the latest episode of "Hip Hop Harry" on TLC.Suddenly I was intrigued! JB and I have seen all of the first two seasons over and over, because Max watches them everyday. But now, a new episode, with someone I recognize from one of my favorite reality shows. I'm not sure if Shane Sparks wants it known he was on a show with a hip-hop dancing man in a bear costume teaching children life-lessons. In the episode, Hip Hop Harry recruited Shane to teach a level 3 hip hop class to the new girl who only knew ballet. The life-lesson here: everybody can learn something new. And hip hop dancing is cooler than ballet.

As the children danced and high-fived, next thing I knew I was on my feet trying to pop, slide and hit too. Max thinks I'm funny, maybe crazy. I'm pretty sure JB does too.