This One's For Daddy and Grandpa Stoddard

A short summary of our lives...

I thought this video was a pretty good summary of our life in general--mostly happiness and joy,

while occasionally getting smacked over the head unexpectedly :)

A few funny stories about the kiddos, starting with this one:

Yesterday she was really into talking about the garden we're going to plant in the spring. We were discussing what to plant and I suggested planting broccoli since Luke really likes it. "Okay," Lydia said, "I want to plant quesadillas for me!" What can I say, the girl loves her cheese.

Tyler bought her "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" and has been reading it to her nightly at her request. Today she was riding her little car around the house and I asked her where she was going. "I'm taking the Christmas tree to my shop, because..... I'm the Grinch!" (Insert a very mean Grinch-like sneer here) You probably had to be there, but it was hilarious.

Picture taken shortly after Luke peed through his diaper all over Tyler's pants :)

This little guy has been doing better napping, but he will now let me know when he wants a nap by laying face down on the floor and not moving. Today he did it in Dick's Sporting Goods. When I went to pick him up I noticed he was licking the linoleum floor. Awesome.

He's started saying "ank u" (thank you) and "ere go" (there you go) all the time. He likes to bring you something and say "ere go," then take it from you and say "ank u!" I love it!!!

Photo courtesy of Ashleigh Hansen Photography, who took our family pictures, which I will post soon

No cute stories from me or Tyler, except that our car battery died and we had to buy a new one. But I don't think that really qualifies as cute, do you?

Help!!!

So I've been a delinquent blogger lately, but we've been gone a lot in the last few weeks. First we had Thanksgiving with my family in Sun Valley, which was amazing. Unfortunately, I can't find the pictures now to prove what a great time we had. Last weekend I headed to Utah to meet up with some of my best friends and ex-roommates for the wedding of another best friend and ex-roommate. Tyler took the kids to his parent's house in Pendleton, so I had a baby-free weekend! (Thanks Stoddards!) It was fabulous to get some girl-time with some of the best ladies in the whole wide world, but I forgot my camera (and my temple recommend to get in to the wedding--no worries, I still made it in) so I have no pictures of the trip. Clearly I am lacking in brain power and this is why I need your help.

Luke is having napping troubles and I can't figure out how to get the kid to nap effectively. For the few weeks before the trip I thought he was trying to transition to one nap a day, and I was getting him and Lydia to go down at the same time. Hooray!!! It was great, but those days are gone. He wakes up at about 6:30 am every day, and is cranky and wanting a nap by 9:30am. If I put him down at that time, he sleeps for about two hours and then refuses to take an afternoon nap. (By refuse I mean moaning and crying endlessly, which wakes up his sister and grates on my nerves.) So, he is irritable and goes into destruction mode by 5 pm. I refuse to put him down then because he will wake up at 5 am if I do. So, we have a very unhappy few hours until he goes to bed around 6:30-7pm.

Yesterday I thought that I'd try to get him to stay awake in the morning by running errands, since that usually keeps him interested in his surroundings. I got to JoAnn's at 10 am and after ten minutes he put his little hands on the cart handle, laid his head on them, and went to sleep. This from the kid who screams bloody murder every Sunday when we try to hold him and get him to nap at church! So, I'm just at a loss of what to do. If I let him nap in the morning, then I basically have one hour to leave the house between his and Lydia's naps and I'm stuck at home the rest of the day. Does anyone have any great ideas of how get him wait until afternoon to take his daily nap? I can't take being a prisoner in my own home much longer!!!

(P.S. Thanks for reading my rambling mommy frustrations.)