The Countdown is Over

It's finally September 9th! James started Pre-K today. When I mentioned preschool about a month ago, James' reaction was not quite what I hoped. He was scared. Since then, I've worked hard to change his perception and talk him through his fears. Last year, James enjoyed preschool most of the time, but sometimes fought going.

I started a new tradition. James got to go back-to-school shopping with me. It was a mommy-son date. James got to pick where we ate dinner, and he got to choose some new clothes. My day was made when James picked Cafe Rio for dinner. I splurged and got James a quesadilla with meat. James was giddy as we strolled through Target and definitely had his eyes set on specific things. The best part of the evening may have been the fashion show when we returned home. James loved showing off his new clothes and Izzy was ecstatic for him. (I expected jealously and was pleasantly surprised.) I explained one thing to James-- he had to wait to wear his new clothes until preschool began. Suddenly, going to preschool wasn't so bad after all. Mission accomplished.

We created a paper-chain countdown to help James visualize how many more days until preschool. James' feet were itching to break in his new Paw Patrol shoes and he eagerly put them on this morning, several hours before school began. He even considered an outfit change, but I convinced James that the outfit he had on looked perfect. 

Since we didn't know where our new home would be, I was later than some to sign-up for preschool. This meant that all the morning preschool spots were taken. At first I was disappointed, but I've since realized it might be a good thing. Afternoons go by slowly for me, so breaking them up will be a relief. James has preschool on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday afternoons for two and a half hours. So far, I've been impressed with his preschool. There are only 9 kids in his class which might be my favorite part. Andrew pointed out that this preschool is over double the price of his last preschool, so no wonder it's better.

Getting a good picture turned out to be quite challenging. Izzy didn't want to stay away and I haven't found "the spot" to take photos at our new house yet. Isabelle can't wait for the day she gets to go to preschool and told me many times that she is big enough to go now! Luckily, I was able to convince her that coming home with me would be worth it-- I painted her nails and we ate chips and dip together. 

Classic Andrew face. Notice Izzy's feet.

In addition to going to preschool, we're supplementing and doing a free, at-home preschool program called Upstart. I actually interned at Upstart back in the day and know a lot about the program. Kids learn to read using the computer for 15 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Watching James learn brings me so much joy. He's curious and is catching onto letters quickly. He even wrote his name on his own this week. At first I wondered what I got myself into when James couldn't maneuver the mouse at all. Thankfully, that was short lived and I no longer need to click for him.

When I picked James up from preschool, the first thing he told was, "Someone told me they like my whole outfit. First, they told me they like my Spiderman shirt, but then they said they like everything." Maybe I put too much emphasis on the clothes this year, but I hope the excitement for learning and school stays. I just hope Miss Debbie can handle James' smarts and energy. 

Here's to a wonderful, tear-free school year for James!

Bye Bye Bye

We've said lots of goodbyes lately. Some of the goodbyes were sad, but some of the goodbyes were necessary and a huge relief. I'm giddy to be done with: 1) The water feature 2) Diapers. 

1) Water Feature

The water feature in our new backyard has been the bane of my existence. We convinced ourselves that removing it would be an "easy fix." What an understatement that has been. Initially, we were going to wait to tackle this project, but I want a functional backyard for my kids stat.

When you hear the phrase, "water feature" I bet you're envisioning a quaint little pond with some rocks. If only it was. Instead, our water feature (ugh, I hate to claim it) is over 5 tons worth of massive rocks pilled on-top of each other. I imagine at one point it was nice, but it has been neglected by renters for at least 2 years. Needless to say, we decided to hire someone to remove the water feature. About halfway into the project, Alfredo, the man we hired, told us the rocks were too heavy and he couldn't proceed. (He didn't have equipment.) Booooo. We were back to square 1 with a large hole in our wallets and an unfinished project.

Look at this beauty

We attempted to sell the colossal rocks. Even after listing them multiple times, nobody was interested. Can you blame them? The rocks are so humongous you cannot lift them with 4 muscular men. Apparently, "you'll need to haul them yourself" was a turnoff. We were starting to feel desperate and eventually even listed the rocks for free. Our attempts were futile. 

The pics don't do it justice. Note how high up against the fence the rocks go.

In the meantime, we had some other bids to remove the rocks and one was over $7,000. Another bid that was lower, but not quite as low as we wanted (especially since we'd already had to pay Alfredo for doing half of the job). We decided to weigh our options and hold off for awhile. Someone knocked on our door and it was one of the contractors! He said he found a place that would take the rocks for cheaper and came down on the his original estimate. We decided to move forward with Paul and boy am I grateful we did.

The more rocks Paul took out, the bigger they got. We had considered renting some equipment to take this eye-sore of a water feature out ourselves, but decided against it. Thank heavens we didn't go that route. It has been quite the job. The rocks are so gargantuan that some of them could not fit in a Bobcat and Paul had to break the rocks. Imagine having a magnitude 10 earthquake in your backyard. This is what it felt like while he was breaking the rocks. I'm glad we can still hear.

Broken up. This puppy was huge.

We've also drawn a lot of attention to our home. Yes, we're the newbies and we've made sure everyone knows. The rocks were coned off in front of our home for several days, expensive and large equipment have been parked blocking the road, our fences were down, everyone experienced the said earthquake, chips of rocks were scattered, our grass is barely hanging onto life by a thread, and boards covered our grass (for the equipment to drive on).

I anticipated this project being a 1 or 2 day thing. Here we are, over 2 weeks into this mess and the rocks are FINALLY gone. Everything that could work against us did. The biggest rainstorm UT has seen in decades (over 5 inches in less than 2 days) made for a muddy mess, and the Bobcat broke not only once, but twice.

What a thing. Good riddance, ugly water feature. We didn't like you and I think our bank account agrees. We will be planting grass and replacing the useless water feature with something much more kid-friendly immediately. (Hello trampoline or swing-set!) Dirt has never looked so good.

2) Diapers

Isabelle is smart and mature for her age. She talks in full sentences. For awhile now, Izzy tells me right after she dirties her diaper and asks to be changed. She has also asked to go to the bathroom. I put off potty training because of the move. I don't have any excuses anymore, so I went for it. She was seriously SO easy to potty-train. She was definitely ready. She didn't want anything to do with her diapers after picking out special Minnie Mouse and Frozen underwear. 

The first day of potty-training was disastrous. I thought, "what was I thinking?" so many times. I eventually even put a diaper back on Isabelle. She hadn't had one success going in the potty and had only had accidents. She asked for her underwear to be put back on later in the afternoon and had a successful potty trip. All hope wasn't lost. She woke up the next morning and went #2 in the potty. Day 2 of potty-training was a whole different story. She caught onto the idea quickly and ran with it. I even took Izzy to a park, IKEA, etc, all within the first couple of days of potty-training and she kept her underwear dry and even used public restrooms. In my experience, potty-training a girl was definitely easier.

My big girl. Thanks mandiraephotography

Here are some of my potty-training tips. I'm no expert and truly think the timing and child play into this process far more than the teacher:

• Read lots of stories beforehand about going to the bathroom. 
• I did not teach Isabelle to go to the bathroom using a small-sized toilet. From the get-go, I put her on the normal sized potty without an additional seat. I learned with James that using a toddler sized toilet added another step and transitioning to a regular sized toilet was tricky.
• I used lots of skittles to reward success and I bought my favorite kind because I deserved a skittle just as much as Izzy did. Potty-training is no joke. 
• Be positive. Compliment any possible thing you can. "Thanks for stopping your pee and putting the rest in the potty!" Don't ever react negatively. Izzy felt really bad every time she peed on herself and would cry. She didn't need any additional comments to make her feel worse.
• Plan a time to get out and leave, so your partner gets the chance to tackle potty-training with your child. Potty-training took about every ounce of patience my body has.

ADIOS DIAPERS. You will not be missed.

Soon, we'll be saying yet another farewell. Can it be September 27th already? We're delighted to say bye to our jagged tile and the carpet that lies up against our kitchen island. The 72 boxes of vinyl are patiently awaiting their install. I'm getting good at goodbyes.

I'll Laugh About This Later

We've all heard the phrase, "you'll laugh about this later." I'm definitely not at the "laughing" point yet with our recent weekend experience. (And truthfully, I don't know that I ever will be.)

Allow me to start from the beginning. For Christmas in 2019, I gave Andrew a gift-card to Tuacahn. We booked tickets to see "Count of Monte Cristo" for the summer of 2020 with friends. Covid-19 cancelled those plans. We tried our luck and booked tickets once more with some other friends for Saturday, August 7, 2021.

Nothing tops a weekend without kids. We were especially eager to leave behind smoky Salt Lake. The smog was extra bad thanks to a massive fire in CA named, "The Dixie Fire." A couple of hours into our drive, we saw blue skies. We were thrilled. Unfortunately, those blue skies were short-lived. We woke up Saturday morning to a sheet of smoke filling the sky.

I checked my email constantly Saturday seeking an update from Tuacahn about whether or not the show would go on. The air quality was bad enough that it was considered "unhealthy" to be outside for everyone-- not just sensitive groups. The fact that I know this terminology is quite sad. The air quality in UT is yucky fairly consistently. In fact, recently, Salt Lake's air was considered the worst in the world-- not something any city wants to be known for.

After radio-silence from Tuacahn, we made our way to the amphitheater only to find out that yes indeed, the play had been cancelled. What! Why was this not communicated beforehand? Nobody knows. To say we were disappointed is an understatement. I had even done my homework and viewed the movie "Count of Monte Cristo" the prior weekend. This made matters worse because it made me even more excited to see it. I guess I can always read the book since seeing the play didn't happen.

How did we cope with the news? By eating our feelings of course. We quickly made our way to "Sweet Rolled Tacos" to get out of the picturesque scenery that was so close to being the backdrop for our entertainment.  As if we needed any other letdowns, it took over an hour for us to get our dessert order. This was not a sit down restaurant and we were told the line would maybe take 25 minutes. At this point, we were trying not to scream. Becca graciously asked for a refund and succeeded. I will say that I nearly peed my pants giggling after daring Becca to go offer to help the workers. She did and even mentioned that she has an up-to-date food-handler's permit. I wish you could have seen the look of astonishment on the cashiers face when Becca offered. Was the ice cream worth over an hour wait? No.

Let's leave the play out of this. Here's how we spent the rest of our time:

• Games. So many games. Did you know Grandpa Beck made a new version of "Cover Your Assets?" 
• Food. We even went out for breakfast! For dinner, we splurged and went to Magleby's which I'd recommend. Avoid the "All American Diner" in Cedar City at all costs.
• Snacks. Nick and Becca brought all the goodies and drinks anyone could ever want. 
• "Black Widow." I was pleased Andrew had someone else to watch it with while I peacefully slept.
• We got to swim for maybe 30 minutes before needing to escape the disgusting air. 
• Becca and I went shopping at the outlets. 
• Sleep. We didn't have a wake-up call, but we were still up early. Being up at dawn is typical for me, but when Andrew's awake, you know something is up. Our old, creaky bed was loud if you moved or rolled over at all.
• Time to talk in the car. A four-hour drive each way felt pretty tranquil without children. Andrew and I could chat without constant interruptions! 
• Quality reading time. However, I don't think "The Boy Who Followed His Father into Auschwitz" was the best vacation pick. I finally gave up 168 pages in. I didn't need added gloominess in addition to Tuacahn.
• Pictures and kid updates. They were in good hands. When I asked James if he missed us, his response without hesitation was, "No, not at all!" Thanks, Nana!

Guess what? We can exchange our "Count of Monte Cristo" tickets for another date. Are we going to? Absolutely not. After 2 attempts to see the play, we learned the tickets must be cursed. We're happy to be refunded and rid of them. Sometimes even crummy situations cause laughter, but maybe not this time?

Princess Isabelle

My baby is 2! We had a fiesta for Izzy when she turned 1, so I wasn't planning on having another party this year. It only took a little convincing to get me on board for another celebration though. Let's be honest, I wanted to host at our new house. Don't worry, elaborate birthday parties won't be an annual thing.  I'm glad we ran with the party idea. It was a hit. The princess theme made the occasion feel extravagant.

Costume Contest:

Isabelle loves all things girly and my sister suggested having everyone dress-up. So many people went all out with their costumes! Some of the costume awards given were: "Royally Boring," "Royally Funny," "Royally Original," "Royally Underdressed," "Royally Elaborate," etc. All of the kids got an award and prize. Grandma Langlois won the "Royally Elaborate" award. She had a light up eye mask, brought a pumpkin like Cinderella, had glass slippers, etc. I was shocked to see that my dad even dressed up for the occasion. I pulled out an old dress I had worn to a school dance. I considered wearing my wedding dress and went as far as trying it on. Hosting in that sucker sounded daunting.

Food:

Costco pizza, fruit, salad, soda, cookies, and doughnuts.

Games:

Kiss the Frog! Hence, the lipstick. I was impressed that the kids were able to kiss so accurately and close to the frog's lips, even blindfolded. We also played "find the missing glass slipper." Each child got a chance to hide a princess slipper and someone else found it. We helped the kids find the slipper by singing princess songs softly/loudly as they got closer to the slipper. (I learned in this process that finding a princess song that everyone knows is challenging.) Simon started an impromptu reenactment of Cinderella and Grandma proudly played the roll of "Fairy Godmother."

Party Favors:

I may have gone a little overboard with the prizes and goodie bags, but what can I say? Having a princess theme made things easy. There are princess goldfish, fruit snacks, puzzles, coloring books, magic wands, nail polish, you name it.

Attendees:

Gigi and Go-Daddy (Grandma and Grandpa Denning), Grandma Langlois, Jill (aka Princess Leia) and Daisy, Nana and Papa, Jeff, Lindsey, Simon, and Esther, as well as Jake and Hailey. Jess has had a bad cold, so we missed her and Chris. Joel and Alexa and Alex and Alexa weren't able to make it.

So glad Daisy is still here and could come!

Presents:

Man, Izzy was spoiled rotten. We didn't have dress-ups before, but now we have a humongous bin full of all the princess dresses a girl could ever want. Don't forget about accessories. She got her fair share of those too from clip-on earrings to crowns and magic wands, this girl has everything she could ever want. The game Pretty Pretty Princess was made for Izzy and she is now the proud owner.

Izzy's 2 Year Old Check-Up Stats:

Weight: 27 pounds 8 ounces (66 percentile)

Height: 34.25 inches (60 percentile)

Head: 19 inches (76 percentile)

Isabelle:

*Loves: dresses, jewelry, having her nails painted, high heels, etc. She comments on my outfits regularly and changes her outfit multiple times a day. She is in charge of picking out her outfit, so don't try.

*Loves: to be out and about. if we're out running errands, she'll frequently say, "But I don't want to go home" and gets quite sad at the thought.

*Is pretty fearless. At the pool, she wants nothing to do with me and gets mad if I help her. With her floaties on, she feels capable of doing anything. She didn't bat an eye when she recently started nursery at church and was left in a room full of strangers.

*Wants to be a big girl and do things herself. Lately, she's been asking to sit on the potty and rips her diaper off. (We'll be potty training soon.) She also doesn't want to be carried in the hiking backpack and prefers to walk, no matter how steep the hike is.

*Knows what she wants and makes it known. Her tantrums are not for the faint of heart. We're just glad she no longer gets so upset that she turns blue and passes out.

*Is not a fan of quiet time or bed time for that matter. 

*Has never liked her carseat. We changed her carseat from rear-facing to forward facing the instant we could. (Now that she's 2.) It has helped, but hasn't completely solved the problem.

*Is the best talker! Seriously! She speaks in long sentences. People can't believe she's just barely 2.

*Is absolutely beautiful! Random strangers comment on her hair and eyes frequently. Our first Sunday in our new ward, young women were offering left and right to babysit her. We had family pictures taken last night and the photographer couldn't get over Izzy. I'm dying to get the photos back. Based on the few I saw, Isabelle looks like the prettiest princess in all the land. Happy, happy birthday!

Sweaty St. George

Jill, Rob, and Daisy came to UT. It has been over a year since they've visited, so having them around is delightful. Daisy had her baby blessing and we also went on a little getaway to St. George before Rob had to fly home. (Jill and Daisy are here for the summer- yay!) 

Sweaty St. George has never rang more true. Wow, this summer has been scorching hot. I'm not being dramatic either-- the heat here in UT has been breaking records. On our way to St. George, we stopped at Cedar Breaks National Park. (This is near Parowan.) It was stunning and much cooler up there! We ate lunch and did some hiking. The views were breathtaking. I was proud of James for surviving the 2 miles. The car break for the kids was an excellent energy zapper. They both fell asleep when we continued our journey to St. George. 

My dad's friend, Mark Ostler, owns a home in St. George and was generous to let us stay there. We had plenty of room to spread out. We grabbed pizza for dinner and the cousins explored all the toys in the house. They were in heaven. Coincidentally, Esther and Isabelle had the same pajamas which was a dream come true for Izzy.

Monday evening, we saw the play, "Annie" at Tuacahn. The play started late, and Jeff and Lindsey were gracious to stay home with the sleeping kiddos. "Annie" was spectacular. Miss Hannigan was over-the-top. I will say that at times, the heat was pretty uncomfortable. I can't stop listening to the Annie soundtrack. Our kids have especially taken to liking, "It's The Hard Knock Life" and ask to listen to it on repeat. Andrew and I get to experience Tuachan again in August which we're looking forward to.

Tuesday morning, we hiked! The hike we originally wanted to do is booked through the year. Apparently it's quite popular and amazing. We had a couple other hiking options. That morning, someone posted that they had extra tickets to the Kanarraville Falls hike. (This hike is near Cedar City.) What! We snatched those tickets right up. There were only 4 tickets and Jill, Rob, Lindsey, and I were the lucky ones that got to go. In Rob's words, "It was the best hike of my life." The hike was about 4 miles round-trip. I was definitely glad we didn't have kids with us because we walked through water during a huge chunk of the hike. We also went in a slot canyon. It was very cool! Some rain started right as we were finishing up the hike. We were glad to be out of the slot canyon and saw lots of flooding later on the news. I'm amazed we were able to get tickets for that hike!

Tuesday evening, we had take-out from Viva Chicken, played Frisbee Golf, got Neilson's Custard (a tradition),  and played the game "Salem." I happily volunteered to stay home and put the kids to bed during frisbee golf. Have you seen me throw a frisbee? haha. We laughed a lot while chatting with everyone. For the record, I did NOT hold my concrete upside down this time and have it fall out. Joel and Alexa weren't able to make it, so not everyone was there which was a bummer. Playing games with my parent's is always a hoot. My mom knows all about the history of the Salem Witch Trials and her insights and comments made for an unforgettable game.

Throughout our time away, I had lots of phone calls relating to the new house. Fortunately, I was able to take care of most of that while we were driving in the car and our realtor was able to meet the foundation and flooring workers for us. Wednesday morning, the boys went golfing and we cleaned and then headed home. Thursday, was closing day on our new house and I was eager. The whole drive home, I kept thinking, "Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow, you're only a day away!"