C Jane, and NieNie

I've become obsessed with the story of Stephanie Nielson and her sister Courtney K. A few weeks ago at KSL, we did a story about a woman and her husband who had been in a plane crash in Arizona. Her parents are a prominent couple in local and state politics. But I didn't realize how much more there was to the story until I found a link to Courtney's blog on a friend's blog.

Courtney (c jane) is now raising her sister Stephanie's four children while she and her husband (hopefully) heal from critical burns from the plane crash. Some of you already know all of this -- I've found the blogging world to make the world much smaller. I recognized some people's names I knew in the comments on Courtney's blog and on Stephanie's, the NieNiedialogues. Anyway, almost every day I check blog.cjanerun.com for updates on her sister NieNie, and hope for the best for this family.

Read the latest article about the situation, this one in the New York Times, by clicking here.

Friday night ramblings

This picture doesn't even do it justice. When I walked outside, our tree looked gorgeous with its green and gold against the darkening sky. I LOVE fall. But this tree is a goofy one. It doesn't drop its leaves until almost Spring.

JB's camping with Max tonight at our church's annual "Dads and Kids Campout." They just called. Max is in heaven -- he has a stick, he's sitting on a pile of rocks, he's dirty -- he's all boy.

Ben's too young for such a campout this year, so we went to this:

Monet to Picasso at the UMFA. It was so crowded -- it felt like I was back in the museums in Europe with all the tourists. Good and bad -- bad, crowded (though it's encouraging to see so many appreciating art). Good, the artwork. Great, fabulous brushstrokes and colors of impressionism, realism, cubism and every other ism I grew to love as a humanities minor. Also some sculpture, including Rodin. I tried to explain it all to Benny but he just kicked and squealed in the stroller. So we left without too much more deep thinking next to "The Thinker."

Then I went grocery shopping and came home to feed myself and the baby art-appreciater. For him: Gerber's chicken and vegetables. For me: Albertson's fried chicken from the deli and shrimp from the seafood case. Plus a piece of toast and a handful of grapes. I really eat so funny when JB is gone. Last weekend when he went to the U of U-Michigan game in Ann Arbor with his dad, I made the craziest dish for dinner for Max and me. It started out fine -- pasta, white sauce, chicken, yellow squash. Then I added hot dogs. Oh yes, chopped up hot dogs. I think I hoped Max would eat it (he didn't) and I wanted to use up some leftovers.

I also watch crazy things on TV while my remote-controller is gone. I sneakily watch "America's Next Top Model," even though I think I will drop it this season. The first episode was pretty awful. I end up watching either "America's Funniest Home Videos" or a classic TV show or movie. Last weekend it was "Yours Mine and Ours" starring Henry Fonda and Lucille Ball. Tonight, "What's Up Doc" with Madeline Kahn. I list her first because she really is the funniest part of the movie.

Politickin'

You know you're watching too much political coverage when your three-year-old chants "John Muh-Tayne! John Muh-Tayne!" from his perch on the living room couch. Or it's just a sign that he may need speech help someday. Those darn Cs and Ks keep becoming Ts.

I wonder if Barack Obama invaded my three-year-old dreams after the democratic convention like he did mine?

Also, whatever your political leanings, do you ever wonder what you'd be like as a delegate to a national convention? These people go crazy with the chanting and the hollering and the waving of the signs and wearing of big hats. I wonder if I'd get caught up in it too, like the girls you see in the old Beatles concerts. I'd probably take more pictures of the people around me than of the speakers on the stage.

What am I doing rambling on -- it's past my bedtime!

Luci-fee

My sister Bekah and I have decided that the cat from Cinderella, Lucifer, had it right. Mice aren't cute, cuddly singing creatures that help put a bow in your hair and clean the house for you -- they are awful little buggers!

Her proud cat brought in a mouse to lay as a prize beside her bed. Can you imagine putting your feet down in the morning and almost stepping on a mouse? By the way, we believe this mouse came from outside. Rebekah's house is quite clean.

Also, a note about my sister. She's hilarious. If anyone's noticed, in her comments on different posts she'll surprise me with a different link to her name every time.

And she doesn't have cancer. They thought she did, took out her thyroid, but no cancer. Life is good.

An alarming night

Normally the boys are great sleepers. 7:30 PM to about 7 AM. Ben wakes up once for a feeding but goes back down easily. Last night however, it was a different story.

Maybe it was the crazy thunder and lightening, maybe it was the crazy colds the boys caught -- again. But they had a rough time.

We are used to Ben standing up in his crib while holding onto the side a dozen times and squealing for help getting back down. It's part of our nightime ritual. But we are slower to respond now as he is learning to get back down on his own. For some reason last night Max hollered out each time Ben stood up. He's either an early tattle-tale or he was truly concerned about Ben's welfare.

7:35 through 7:50PM: "Mom. Mom! MOOOOMMMMM! Ben's standing (waaaaahhhh). "This sets Ben crying and Max crying even louder. I go in and lay them back down, 3 or 4 times.

7:50 - 8PM: (JB's turn) "Daaaaddddyyyyy, (sob sob), Benny climbed up again (sob, hiccup, sob)"
JB goes in and lays them both back down, says a firm "night night" and leaves. 3 or 4 times. Ben pops up immediately. It's his m.o.

8:05PM: Max realizes he has legs and climbs out of bed, opens the door, and sobs for us. I decide to bring Ben out to the living room until Max calms down and goes to sleep, then I wanted to sneak Ben back in.

8:06: Max realizes he's been left alone in the room while Ben is out of bed. He becomes so upset he throws up, all over the bed, himself, and a little on me.

8:20: He's bathed, has new sheets, a substitute night-night (blankie) but is still a little keyed up. So he sat on the couch while Ben went to bed and fell asleep almost right away. Later we sneak Max into bed.

3:25 AM: My alarm goes off. It's a holiday, I don't have to be at work, but I forgot to tell my alarm clock. Grrrr.

4:00 AM: THUD! I bolt out of bed as Max begins a siren scream. He fell out of his toddler bed for the first time, well, ever. I dash in there, scoop him up and take him to the couch but it's too late, Ben stumbles into wake-dom, spots me, and tries to stand up. Thankfully I was able to put Max back in bed and rock Ben back into sleep-dom.

6:45 AM: JB's alarm goes off. Tell the clocks it's a HOLIDAY!

7:00 AM: Both boys wake up, smiling and cooing, like they've had the best night of rest ever.

Some things resolved

From my last post: I ended up going with the bagel and cream cheese for elevensies, and had a late lunch at home. I also can see Ben is getting one or two teeth up top (he squeals when I look), and two fantastic moms with mini-vans helped take all the girls to KSL. I think they liked it! But we stayed up past Ben's bedtime.

Still unresolved: squeaky-sound when I brake sometimes. I'll call on that tomorrow. Also, Max just plain refuses to go #2 on the potty. He held it for two days because I kept putting him on the potty when he got the #2 face. Sorry to share, those of you who have not experienced this joy yet. Others who have experienced it, think of us!

Today is gorgeous by the way. Slight breeze, azure sky, temps in the 80s. Our lawn is lush and green from the fertilizer it gobbled up.

Also worth noting: If you go to sleep with the radio on, you may have weird dreams. I was listening to the DNC speeches last night on the radio as I drifted off to sleep. Barack Obama flitted in and out; I think he was a bartender at one point. Then Michael Phelps came by -- and I kid you not -- he said he wanted to marry my sister because he liked her hair. Who knows what dreams may come next week if I fall asleep listening to the Republican National Convention!

On my mind

1) What to eat for my second breakfast. The yogurt I packed, or a bagel & cream cheese from the cafe?

2)How to help my 3-year-old poop on the potty

3)Summer temps roaring back after a teasing taste of fall

4)My squeaky sounding brakes (They were just fixed. What's the deal? What do I do?)

5)How to keep my 3-year-old from freaking out about #2

6)What's making almost 9-month-old Benny wake up two times a night again (Earache? Teething? Hunger? Light sleeper?)

7)What to eat for lunch. This all depends on my story assignment today. Will I be sent out in the field without my refridgerated lunch or will I make it home in time to eat something there?

8)How to transport potentially 11 Young Women, my two car-seated boys and me to our church activity tomorrow night. We are touring KSL, but the other leaders are either out of town, or at the Scouts' Court of Honor up the canyon to watch their boys get merit badges (JB's partly in charge of it so he can't take our boys). Do I rent a bus? Beg a mom w/ a minivan to come along?