And then there were Four...

2012-01-08T09:54:00.000-08:00

Highlights for a New Year

I'm not nearly as good at taking pictures as I should be, considering how absurdly attractive my family is. Here is a smattering of the last few weeks.

This is: a pictures of Charlotte showing off her finished Christmas cookies.

The pictures I did not take: anything at all of the 20+ people we had in our house one afternoon during Christmas break when we hosted a cookie decorating party. Together, we managed to decorate well over 200 cookies. I was inspired to host this party by Matt's work friend, Terry, who has hosted a similar party for many years and who has invited us to come and frost her home year after year--despite having no children of her own.

These are: pictures of the kids in their new Christmas jammies.

The pictures I did not take: the kids running around the house searching for "Christmas angel" clues, "mary" (Charlotte) riding on "the donkey" (Grandpa), while the "angel" (Anna) stands on the coffee table and shouts, "Behold, I give you good tidings of great joy!"

This is: a picture of the kids on Christmas morning, ready to go downstairs.
The pictures I did not take: Charlotte and Anna throwing up on Grandma right before bed on Christmas Eve. Matt sneaking downstairs to turn on my new iPod dock (which started playing manheim steamroller while it was still wrapped under the tree.) A morning full of frenzied, noisy joy, crinkled paper and "oh, mommy, I LOVE it!"

This is: a picture of the girls painting each other's nails.

The picture I did not take: Anna opening her nail polish straight out of her stocking and proceeding to paint her lips with it...like lip gloss. Also, token splotches of nail polish that ended up on Jack and Ben's church clothes.

This is: a picture of Anna's stitches, the morning after her unfortunate disagreement with our TV stand. (January 7th)

The picture I did not take: blood streaming down Anna's head as I yell up the stairs for Matt, who was mercifully home and ready within minutes with lidocaine and sutures. Anna, crying but holding remarkably still as Matt put 7 stitches into her forehead right in our bedroom. The 6 OTHER children (ours, plus Lark's) that sat downstairs while all this was happening, being considerate enough not to break their heads open, too.

The picture I did not HAVE to take: Liz sitting with 6 other children in a crowded ER into the early hours of the morning, waiting for someone to get her 3 year old's head to stop bleeding. Wow, am I grateful at times like this for the highly specialized talents of my superhero husband!

2011-12-09T22:22:00.001-08:00

For my tech-savvy friends (especially the ones for whom I have no valid street address), here is our 2011 holiday letter, complete with charming pictures. :)

There’s a firsttime for everything…

Swenson Family 2011

In February, I was inexplicablyinspired to start running and started the Coachto 5K training program. Subsequently, I ran my first 5K (April 23), my first 12K (Thanksgiving),my first half marathon (July 4^th), and my first Ragnar relay(October). I offer cheerful apologies toall the runners I have taunted in the past, as well as all the non-runners whomI now badger to run with me because “it’s just 3 miles, come on!” (Since we’reon the subject, you know you reallywant to run the Salt Lake Marathon with me next spring…!)

Annahas transformed into a dangerously charming young lady this year, earningnicknames like “bombshell” and “Miss America”, in part because of her cascadingblonde hair. She will stormily protestif you accidentally call her a “little” anything (“I am NOT a little lady. I’m a BIG lady!”) She has yet to experience her first haircut, as Liz is stillremembers Charlotte’s own haircut from last year all too clearly.

Charlotte started Kindergarten andJack started first grade, and with thosefirst days came hectic schedules and a flurry of other firsts. For example, my first carpool, the first timeI made a loaf’s worth peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and froze them, andthe first time I fell asleep on top of my kids’ homework.

Jack signedup for his first organized sport--coach-pitch baseball. Although it tooksome time to learn the rules (once, he got to second base then kept runningstraight into the outfield) he enjoyed it. He also loved having Matt there to cheer him on, even when that meantDad sacrificed sleep to be there.

Doyou remember the first time you readJames and the Giant Peach or The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe? Matt cuddles up with Jack and Charlotte eachnight and reads out loud from our old childhood favorites. It’s been wonderful seeing our kidsexperience these classics for the first time!

Matthas always loved fish, but recently took his first steps into the complicated world of salt water reef aquariums. He takes great joy in watching his new coralthrive and agonizes over unexplained fish deaths (Matt’s mom: “Honestly, Matt,you should know better than to name afish!”).

Ben’s first words so far have been “Yeah!” “Uh-oh!” and afuzzy version of “Look at THAT!” He hasn’tyet taken his first steps, but sincehe can make it from my lap to the open toilet bowl in 2.3 seconds, there’s norush. He is as charming, happy, andgoogly-eyed as ever.

Whilewe’ve had plenty of new experiences this year, lots of things have stayed thesame. Matt enjoys his work and I thriveas a stay-at-home mom. Jack continues toconstantly hum his own theme music, Charlotte still gets lost in art projects, andAnna can still get out of trouble with a charming smile. We still miss our scattered friends, and we stillinvite all of you to stop by our house if you ever come our way.

Love, Liz, Matt,Jack (6), Charlotte (5), Anna (3) and Ben (1) Swenson

Halloween fun!

2011-11-02T13:43:00.000-07:00

Halloween is one of my favorite times of year. It's a wonderful combination of mischief, creativity, and neighborliness. Sprinkled with liberal amounts of chocolate. From the left: Anna as Rapunzel, Ben as a dragon, Jack as Captain America, and Charlotte as a witch.

"Mom! I have to have a green face so that I will be so spooky! My friends will not even know who I am because I will be SO SCARY!"
--Charlotte

"Mom, I'm not dressing up as Captain America. I AM Captain America."
--Jack

Anna got this Rapunzel dress for her birthday last week and was thrilled to use it as a Halloween costume. Multi-tasking bonus! :)

Ben actually looks like he has a healthy body weight in this picture. Poor thing. He got lots of candy from the adoring neighbors though!

Matt didn't go all out on the pumpkin carving this year--just three--but the kids were great helpers, scooping pumpkin sludge all over the kitchen, while Matt crafted his masterpieces.

you did WHAT in Vegas!?!?

2011-10-23T19:45:00.000-07:00

Reasons Why I am Going to Wear this Gray T-Shirt EVERY DAY for the next 2 weeks...

Reason #1: After months of planning, recruiting, shuffling, and plenty of self doubt, Ragnar weekend came: 188 miles, 12 runners, 29 hours. Here we all are at the finish line with our well-deserved medals (I would also wear the medal for the next two weeks, but Matt forbade that. Probably a good thing...)

Reason #2: No really, I promise, it was REALLY fun. I know all you non-runners are rolling your eyes at the prospect. It was 3 parts racing, one part slumber party, one part camping. All through some of the most beautiful areas around.

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Reason #3: We went pretty mellow in our costume choice--and yes, compared to many other teams, our brilliant neon tee shirts were very mellow. Our favorites: a bunch of dudes running in red dresses and a group wearing togas.

Reason #4: What better way to hang out with people than to meet them every mile of their race at the side of the road, hollering and cheering? Also, nothing like knowing the van is waiting up ahead to keep you from walking up those nasty hills. It was racing with a whole new level of support and camaraderie.

Reason #5: I took the car seats out of my van for the first time in months, and vacuumed up layers of accumulated crackers, stickers, and polly pocket shoes. Then, we proceeded to load it with junk food, 6 smelly runners, window chalk, and by the end, a complete coating of dust. I will get around to cleaning it, but I must say it was quite the spectacle in the church parking lot this morning.

Reason #5: Matt came out to support me on my night run, because I wanted him to be part of the fun and because I had to run through a trail away from the van for a while. He came along on his bike and chatted the whole time. Also note the attractive reflective running gear we lived in from 5:00 pm to 7:00 am.

Reason #6: I am a killing machine. See the red blur? That's a dude in a dress. See that yellow blur? That's me, leaving him behind to choke on my dust. Not to say that worthy opponents didn't catch up to me plenty, but I did run like greased neon yellow lightening. I made great--even PR beating--times on all three of my legs.

Reason #7: I even love the less glamorous aspects of the race--like wearing reflective vests, using porta-potties and sleeping clumped together in the back of a rank van. Just added to the whole experience.

That's seven reasons. It could have been 12 (as in 12 amazing team members), or 36 (number of legs we ran together) or even 188 (for the number of miles. or the number of porta-potties). But if I had to describe the whole thing in one word? Epic. :)

Happy Birthday, Ben!

2011-09-22T21:57:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been the mother of four for a year now. A long, hectic, wonderful year. Something about this year changed me. I'm not really a better mom, but I'm definitely a happier one. I love being with these kids; I love watching them grow up and I've even found myself taking pictures of their messes so that I can remember them when my house is empty and clean someday.

This new attitude may be the result of maturity or desperation but I think it mainly comes from looking at my little family and saying, "hey! Everyone's here. Now let's get this party started!" Add to that the considerable joy I feel at the prospect of never being pregnant again, and it's been a party, for sure. Ben is more delightful than I possibly could have hoped. I mean, look at him. If he were your kids, you'd be writing gushy blog entries about him too. :)

Is it pick-up time yet??

2011-08-30T15:56:00.000-07:00

My two oldest began school yesterday. A brief timeline of the morning follows:

6:24 am: Charlotte wakes me with a plaintive knock on my door. She waltzes in, dressed from hair bow to brown buckle shoes. "Is it time to leave for school yet?!?"

6:45 am: All my kids are up, dressed, and sitting around the table for breakfast. "Hurry, we don't want to be late for school!" Jack wears his backpack while he eats his waffles.

7:02 am: Jack now insists it really is time to leave for school and carries his Spiderman lunch box everywhere he goes, including the bathroom when he brushes his teeth.

7:15 am: I sit the kids down at the table to write their names. Saw an adorable picture on pinterest where kids held up designer chalkboards with their names written on them. I do not have designer chalkboards, so I gave the kids printer paper.

7:30 am: Hustle kids out the door and take pictures in front of the house. See above. In the market for a better camera and/or more cooperative children.

7:45 am: Charlotte runs off into the Kindergarten yard to play while I drop Jack off at the first grade line. He waves me off.

8:00 am: I stand dutifully at the back of the Kindergarten classroom while Charlotte sits with docile obedience on the carpet. Mrs. Borgos reads a sentimental good-bye story. I feel a little smug as I watch the helpless parents of weepy children. And then...

8:05 am: Charlotte's eyes fill with silent tears, her lip quavers. Then she starts emitting top of the audible spectrum shrieks and clutching to me wildly.

8:06 am: I flee the room as Mrs. Borgos pulls her away from my legs while singing "if you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!" Charlotte does not clap.

8:06-10:15 am: I spend the morning eating york peppermint patties and watching internet videos, trying to drown my panicked feeling that Charlotte just might still be screaming. Straining my ears to listen for her, 3 blocks away.

10:30 am: After being the very first mom to show up at Kindergarten pick up, I collect a daughter that is not crying nor frowning. She seems fine. I'm the traumatized one.

**Update: Now it's Tuesday. After a snuggly pep-talk early this morning, I was able to drop Charlotte off with no tears. (She even walked into the gate without me, but I hid behind the wall to watch her go in.) And Jack? Ran off into the first grade yard without a second glance.

I will probably get to the point eventually where I enjoy the quiet house and extra time with the little ones. For now, I'm just taking it one day at a time and compulsively looking at the clock, waiting to get my houseful back!

2011-08-28T17:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I was speaking with some of the wonderful women I know that are one generation ahead of me, with kids grown and gone. I was lamenting the age-old struggle of kids vs. clean house, and one of them quoted this:

Babies Don’t Keep (a.k.a "song for a fifth child")
by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I’ve grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo

The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew
And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo
But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo
Look! Aren’t his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.

I'm sitting here getting all teary about this poem and Charlotte comes up to me and has this conversation:

"Mommy, why are you sad?"

"I'm not sad."

"Well, then why are you dripping?"

"Because I'm reading something that reminds me that babies are more important than cleaning."

(with wild, hopeful joy) "Does this mean we don't have to clean up anymore?!?"

Be grateful for the messes in your life. They mean you have people to make them and better things to do than clean them up.

*note: This poem was originally published in the Ladies Home Journal in 1958. I reposted it from this blog: fatduckfarm.net*

Things I will NOT miss about summer

2011-08-23T21:41:00.000-07:00

1. Going to the grocery store with four children.
2. Having lifeguards jumping into the water to save my son. His style of swimming just happens to mimic a child in deep distress. (this happened twice.)
3. Getting burned thighs on carseats, burned toes on asphalt, and burned hands on door handles.
4. Looking around in Sacrament meeting to discover 60% of the ward is on vacation. And you are still there.

Things I will miss about summer

2011-08-22T21:22:00.000-07:00

1. Getting everyone piled into the car and heading for UT without school, ball games, or ballet lessons to miss.
2. Letting the kids stay up late reading stories with Daddy.
3. Waking up with a whole day to fill with adventures. Or to stay in pajamas.
4. The baking, broiling, blistering Vegas sun, drying us off seconds after we get wet.
5. Doing everything together. Everything.

A summer snapshot

2011-08-21T21:47:00.000-07:00

So, looking at my blog you've probably guessed that as bad as I am at keeping it up to date, I'm even worse at posting pictures. Life just goes too fast, and if I stop to take a picture, I feel like I'm missing it.

However, these are a few pictures that remind me of this summer. Below, Matt with Jack and Charlotte out on the kayak at Big Bear Lake. Anna is in the foreground, pulling the kayak to shore. I am taking the picture, being the fabulous kind of parent that will stand there and watch a 2 year old try to lug 200+ lbs onto the shore.

Matt and I went with some of his family on a bike ride to go visit the "Largest Lodgepole Pine in the world!!!" Despite sounding a little like a cheesy roadside attraction, it was an awesome sight, and a good introduction into the world of mountain biking.

This is Charlotte being cute in her carseat. Most likely, she spent 10 minutes posing and asking us to take her picture. Then, when she was not appeased by my pretend camera "click", I must have pulled out the cell phone.

Oh, and this. I took this picture so that I could text it to a friend of mine. She was about to send her son over to our house for a play date, and I wanted to be perfectly clear about what she was sending him into. No children have catapulted out of the pool and into the barrel cactus, stage right. Yet.

This was a view I couldn't resist while I was trail running, again at Big Bear Lake. I wish I could describe the freedom and peace I felt, running by myself through the woods, stopping to watch wildlife, take a picture, or decide which fork in the trail to follow. Well, the freedom and peace I felt until about mile 7, when Matt started texting me.. Good ole cell phone GPS. Husband built in. :)

I'm grateful for Dr. Matt

2011-08-20T23:09:00.000-07:00

I really am coming around to the idea of blogging as a form of personal history. I have a goal to become more active and want to start posting every day about small, meaningful things in my life.

Today, I'm grateful to be married to the man who kicks into high gear when I am panicked and disoriented. namely, when there's blood involved. Charlotte had an unfortunate run-in with a dog in front of Petsmart today that ended up with her face scratched, blood streaming down her cheeks and into her eyes. I was paralyzed by the horrifying thought that something may have happened to her sight. Matt was sweeping her up in his arms, cleaning her off with stacks of napkins, and convincing the store manager not to call 911.

I ended up at home with the other three kids, helplessly wringing my hands, eating stress foods and playing dr. mario. Matt was, well, playing Dr. Matt, getting Charlotte admitted to the ER, supervising her care, and cashing in on extra attention from a host of nurses he has treated with respect for the last two years. Charlotte came home in Matt's arms with neatly bandaged stitches (a measly 4 in total, despite the waterfalls of blood), a stuffed puppy, a popsicle stained tongue and grand stories about cupcakes and cartoons.

I don't know how I would have made it through today without him.

Good alternatives for Chit-Chatty strangers

2010-06-06T15:23:00.000-07:00

Recently my friend Austin, who just went through a painful and elaborate leg surgery, blogged about how he was really, really sick of everyone asking him how he hurt his leg. He didn't want to get into the unpleasant details with a perfect stranger, especially not for the 100th time that week.

*Blush*, because I'll use just about any excuse to strike up a conversation with a friendly looking stranger. But then I started thinking about how tiresome it gets, as the pregnancy progresses, when people seem to stop seeing me and only see the belly (and possibly, the other 3 children I'm wrangling at the time.) Case in point (actual recent conversation):

Friendly old lady: "Oh, so you're expecting aNOTher baby? Are ALL these babies yours?

me: "Yes. It's a boy, and he's due in September. We're really excited."

Old lady: "So you'll have two of each. How nice."

me in my head: Yes, I figured that one out on my own, actually.

me: "Yes. It will be fun for his big brother not to feel so outnumbered."

not so friendly old lady: (firmly)So you are done having children now. You won't be able to afford any more.

me: "Oh, I'm not worried. My husband has a great job."

me in my head: again, maybe I've done this math already?

even less friendly old lady: "It might not be so bad now, but wait until they get older! You'll have to buy yourself a new Frigidaire just to keep up! Go grocery shopping, and it'll be all gone 5 minutes later!"

me: (exit stage left. I wander off to find Jello.)

So. I vote that we begin a campaign to stop all frivolous ice-breaker questions--they always end up being tedious and/or judgmental. No commenting on somebody's crutches or pregnant belly or that weird rash on their face or why their pants are on backwards. Stumped? Here's a list of new ideas for that friendly person behind you in the checkout line:

"Hi! I see you like gum. I do, too. We should be friends."

"Remember The Truman Show? I wonder if they're watching us now."

"I'm going to the beach and I need a great book to read. What's the most life changing book you've read lately (that you wouldn't mind getting wet)?"

"I don't think it should be required by law for adults to wear their seat belts. We have the right to be stupid if we want to. Discuss."

See? Friendly people just need to get more creative.

Charlotte's new hair cut

2010-05-09T14:39:00.000-07:00

This is Charlotte, Thursday.

This is Charlotte, Friday morning, post clandestine scissors in the bathroom episode.

This is Charlotte, Sunday morning, post mommy bawling for the better part of an hour, a mullet eliminating hair cut, and some creative use of a head band.

Yeah, so apparently this happens to everyone. Doesn't mean I can't cry about it a little! Although now, I have to admit, I'm enjoying the punk rocker look. She'll just have to wear a hat or a headband for the next 3 years to cover the big bald patch.

It's a boy!

2010-05-06T16:17:00.000-07:00

After enduring the necessary, but hardly comfortable 45 minute prodding and poking ultrasound, we were rewarded to hear that our new baby is healthy and growing right on target. And a boy. If you look closely in the picture above, you can see a little face profile with nose and lips (on the right side) and some tangled up legs (on the left). The ultrasound tech even gave us a neatly labeled picture with an arrow drawn to point out the prominent male-ness, but what kind of parents do you think we are?? You'll have to come change some diapers if you really are that curious. :)

Jack, Charlotte and Anna all came in to see the baby at the end of the exam. From Charlotte (upon seeing the spine) "Mommy! Baby brother looks like an alligator!" Jack was subdued-- either afraid his new little sibling was an alien, or he was annoyed that he had to stop watching "Teenage mutant ninja turtles" in the waiting room. Anna was just fussy and ready for a nap but she did squeal with delight when she saw the baby wiggling on the screen. Maybe she was just happy that Mom hadn't disappeared for good.

We're fielding name suggestions. (In honor of the sometimes wacky names we run into here in Vegas, we're telling everyone that we can't decide between "Solstice" and "Raindrop". )

More random cute pictures

2010-04-15T14:20:00.000-07:00

I haven't had a chance to load pictures up lately, so I thought I would catch up a little. Here is Anna sharing an oreo milkshake with mom!

Jack and Charlotte never cease to amaze me with their inventive ways to get into trouble. My mother in law found them like this and came down the stairs, trying not to laugh, "um, are the kids...supposed to be turning that blue blanket into a hammock? They say they're camping?" Fortunately for everyone, the blanket is not an heirloom and the kids were applauded, not punished, for their ingenuity.

This is a picture of us with my sister Sarah's kids, who came to visit the week after Easter for their Spring Break. It was a busy week, and a lot of fun!

This is Charlotte and Grandma, "watching conference" together on Easter. It was a hectic weekend visit and everyone was a little short on sleep and taking catnaps when we could!

Jack's 5th Birthday party

2010-04-15T14:08:00.000-07:00

For Jack's 5th birthday, we had a pirate themed party and lots of friends there to enjoy it with us! I made these cute cupcakes for the party (my first experience with fondant) and they were quite a sucess! I had to hide them on top of the cupboards to make sure they weren't taken by our crew of overzealous pirates before cake time!

This is the cake that I made for Jack's birthday--literally a hour before dinner, I sat there with a completed chocolate cake fresh out of the oven and asked, "I'm supposed to turn this into a pirate ship HOW?" But with help from our action figure box and a generous helping of canned frosting, I whipped up a cake that at least a five year old could accept as a pirate ship. Not going to be auditioning for Ace of Cakes anytime soon, though...

Everybody got dressed up for the party, and this is Jack's costume. He took it off about 3 minutes later because it was interfering with his climbing and running and hollering, so I had to take a picture while I had the chance!

One game we played: pirate battle! We turned our lawn furniture backwards to face each other, like two pirate ships, then let the kids pelt each other with balled-up socks. It was unexpectedly fun!

Look at a calendar, everyone...

2010-03-16T13:12:00.000-07:00

Jack was born April 6, 2005. 18 months later, Charlotte came. 25 months later, Anna came. And 23 months after her, due on Sept. 19, we're going to welcome NUMBER 4 into our family! Perhaps it's foolhardy, baby hunger--perhaps (more realistically) it's a psuedo-suicidal attempt to get all the kids taken care of in one fell swoop--one crazy, frenzied group of diapers, a crazy, frenzied set of soccer players, a crazy, frenzied time filled with high school and college applications and missions.

Anyone willing to cook and change diapers is hereby offered residence in my guest room forever, especially after the new baby comes and Matt rushes from the delivery room to the OR.

What We're Up to

2010-02-12T11:22:00.000-08:00

Jack is building space ships and action figures out of legoes. Constantly.

Anna is climbing onto the kitchen table. I did not take pictures the times she climbed up and spilled milk, cereal, spaghetti, water bottles, and crayon boxes.

Jack is pretending to be a super hero with giant carrot muscles. I promise I did not put him up this; he is this cool all by himself.

Charlotte is pretending to be a princess. Asks me daily if we're going to Disneyland today. I should have told them them in June.

More Christmas!

2010-01-11T19:53:00.000-08:00

More Christmas break pictures---I hosted most of my Lewis family here in Las Vegas and we had a really good time together. When we weren't thowing up.

Here is a picture of many of us on Christmas Day. This also includes many of my brother in laws relatives, who live in the area and came to my home for the festivities. Who says you can't serve dinner to 23 people when you only own 9 chairs?

With everyone taking turns being sick (and cleaning up after sick kids!) we didn't get our act together enough to take a complete group picture; this is as close as we get--My brothers James and Mark, and my sisters Mary-Celeste and Sarah, and me.

On New Year's Eve, we had friends over again and spent the evening in Band Hero merriment. Matt spent the night in scrubs and went to bed at 8:30, but was still a good sport about the whole occasion. We are saving our real partying for when residency is OVER! :)

2010-01-11T19:46:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas, everyone! It's been....a while since I've been on the blog, and I wanted to post a few pictures of the wonderful Christmas we had here in Las Vegas:

Here are Jack and Charlotte in front of our fireplace! I finally have a good place to put my cute stockings up (and you can't see it in the picture, but I FINALLY got around to making one for Anna, too!)

Here is one of the few pictures we took on Christmas morning. I think this just about captures the exaultant, frenzied glory. And the fact that Charlotte wore her princess clothes all day long.

Charlotte got a doctor coat (guess her bought her that one?) and a matching coat for her new barbie doll.

Anna and Charlotte. There aren't any more pictures of Anna because I couldn't get her to sit still long enough!

More pictures

2009-08-28T15:48:00.000-07:00

I guess these ones didn't go through with the last batch:

Here are the kids in front of the Salt Lake Temple. My mom works for the church, so whenever we're in town we go and meet her for lunch and enjoy Temple Square.

Here's Jack at the Dinosaur park in Odgen. It's such a fun place--nearly full size models of dinosaurs, etc. lurking everywhere!

More dinosaurs. This one was particularly creepy.

Here are Charlotte and Rachel, her cousin that lives in Logan. They had such fun playing together!

Summer Update

2009-08-28T15:43:00.000-07:00

So, I haven't blogged in weeks, and I haven't put pictures up in even longer. I just pulled 111 pictures off the camera. Oddly enough, we didn't take pictures of most of the fun things we've been doing--no pictures of the Swenson family trip to Moon Lake, no pictures of our excursion down the Green River on a rubber raft, nothing from the Logan Zoo or Charlotte's first water tubing adventure. Instead, this is what we have. Enjoy!

Jack did this all to himself, then came and asked me to take a picture. Who am I to refuse?

Here is a picture of Matt looking like a doctor and like a dad. I still giggle a little when he tells people he's a physician because this is the silly guy I know and it's a little weird to think of people putting their well being in his hands...

Here is Anna capitalizing on mom's ice cream cone and being totally happy about it!

Why, oh why, don't I have any clean pictures of my children? I promise that occasionally, I do groom them!

Stupid people

2009-08-03T21:34:00.000-07:00

Right, so the day after I left town for a vacation in UT, someone jumped our fence, broke the lock on our backdoor, and stole a bunch of stuff from our house. When Matt got home from work he found the door broken and **eek!** the front door unlocked, which the police suspect meant they had been planning on coming back for more. I'm glad Matt was there to discover it.

So we're missing some stuff. Big deal. What really makes me mad--like infantile temper tantrum rage--is that people who think that it's a good idea to break and enter actually exist. I have been pretty happy in my life thus far believing that most people are decent. Sure, the fancy rich people with expensive jewelry or sports cars make themselves targets, but we are hardly that. The stuff they made off with doesn't even add up to our $2,000 home insurance deductible. I find it tremendously disturbing that people out there think it's worth their while to break the law, violate my home, and expose themselves to potential punishment all for a handful of wii games and someone else's computer. Really?

So we feel forced to install a security system, because we want to feel safe in our beds at night. And I just know that every time that I alarm it, or forget to turn it off and send it shrieking, it's going to make me mad all over again at the stupid people who convinced me that I need it.

So in the off chance that the perpetrators are reading this (meaning that they are even literate)...fie on you!

2009-07-06T15:53:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of our kids and family that our friend Kirsi--a tremendously gifted photographer--took right before we moved from Maryland.

a houseful

2009-06-23T21:17:00.000-07:00

Sarah and Mike with their kids, Mary-Celeste, and Matt's siblings Zak and Rose just came to visit this past weekend. We all had so much fun, and the house felt used and full and alive, which was so wonderful. Now that everyone is gone, the house is probably a bit cleaner, but it feels bigger and less friendly. Anyone else want to come and visit? :)

I've been a little suprised at how difficult the move has been for me. I know, though, that with all the moves to come in the military, I need to work on making new places feel like home as soon as possible. I know that I will miss this place tremendously in 5 years, and I'm eager to start building so that in the end, I won't regret wasted time.

So, when I meet new people and greet them with judgment and suspicion, I think of the weird and wonderful people that eventually became my best friends in other places--despite my initial suspicions that they wished me evil. Without exception, every new person I meet becomes more and more dear to me as I get to know and serve them.

I also walk through the house in disbelief and feel like everything is out of place and foreign. I miss my old window seat and the big kitchen window and the azaleas and dogwoods. But then I see the my old goofy pictures hanging on freshly painted walls, and my old battered desk in a new cozy corner, and I start to feel the beginnings of love for the new space. And when I go on vacation, I'll come back and enjoy the familiarity that snuck up on me while I was away.

The unfamiliar streets will begin to seem second nature; the new and intimidating gym will gradually fill with friends and inviting routines; the playgroup full of other people's kids will gradually begin to fill with faces like those of Grace, and Barrick, and Miriam, and all the other kids that I learned to love nearly as much as my own.

It hasn't happened yet. But I have to believe that it will.

Pictures of the new kitchen

2009-06-12T23:46:00.000-07:00

So, I couldn't find the old pictures of the kitchen before we spruced it, but people keep asking for pictures of the updates, so here they are. We kept the cabinets, but replaced the countertops, sink, and faucets, and added a tile backsplash and cabinet hardware. My only complaint is that it is so gorgeous that I can't believe that I actually live here. :)

Matt actually built the corner cabinet because we couldn't find one pre-made to match the other cabinets. It pays to have a handy man around--the corner cabinet really pulls that distant lonely end of the counter back into the kitchen.

Needless to say, the kitchen is much less fun without friends to cook for and hang out with. Are you all absolutely sure you don't want to move to Las Vegas??

Quick, pictureless update

2009-05-31T19:47:00.000-07:00

Graduation was wildly fun--lots of Matt's relatives came into town to celebrate with us, and we got to see everyone we love best before we left. I even managed to fake my way out of a few tearful goodbyes by pretending I would see people soon. Then, of course, I cried like a love-sick teenager in the privacy of my own car as we drove out of town. I signed up for the military life with Matt to meet new people, see new places...kinda forgot that I couldn't just load them all up in the back of the truck when the next move came. Stinks.

But it's not all doom and gloom here. A list of things I love about Vegas so far:

1. The house is really wonderful. Although it could be significantly improved by say, furniture and dishes, we already got lovely new tropical brown granite countertops installed. I now spend more time than I should lovingly rubbing them with a burp cloth, but I haven't quite gotten to the point of naming them or anything, so it's all under control.

2. We have this giant, moon-like pointy mountain a few blocks from our house, standing separate from the nearby mountain range. It is appropriately (though not very creatively) named "Lone Mountain" and beckons me to come clamber and dirt bike and explore. It's a lovely reminder that despite commercialism and development, all God has to keep wildness about a place is just stick a big fat mountain in the middle. Try moving that thing with a backhoe!

3. The tile floor that we planned to complete in 2 days only took us 5. Knowing that for most home improvement projects, (time actually spent) = (time planned)x3, we came in an entire day behind schedule and rewarded ourselves by showering (for the first time in.....) and going out for dinner. And now, I have a truly awe inspiring porcelain-tiled bathroom floor. Be sure to schedule time for an unsolicited tour should you ever be invited for dinner.

4. Clouds roll in over the mountains in the evenings, and although we haven't actually had rain here, we've seen it falling in the distance in streaky watercolor brilliance. It also makes for sunsets layered with color and texture. All completely unobstructed by any pesky trees.

5. The girl down the street had me over for dinner, the next door neighbors gave us gardening tips, and a lady out taking a walk gave me tips on where the good local gyms are. I can already see that the neighborhood is friendly and that people are ready to make new friends.

6. Best of all, Matt is on his way back home now from picking Jack and Charlotte up from Salt Lake. Our whole family will finally be reunited, and this house will finally begin to feel like a home.

2009-04-08T18:13:00.000-07:00

Here's Jack at his fabulous baseball 4th birthday party. I have a 4 year old now???
Here is Anna being her darling self in the exersaucer.
Matt and the kids as we celebrate his birthday, after he got back from his long trip to Vegas. I'm sure that they had a good reason for being naked...
Here is Matt wearing his new "the Todd" scrub cap and a shirt that says, "Trust me, I'm a doctor." I mean, if we're going to do the over confident surgeon thing, let's be thorough.... :)

parenting

2009-04-02T10:44:00.000-07:00

While Matt was away (and praise heaven, he's home now), I had to, out of necessity more than anything else, adjust my parenting strategy from "you'll obey me or else" to more of a "long suffering and gentle persuasion". Trouble was that the "or else" part---a time out, a spanking, or revoked privileges, was never enough to conquer Jack's stubborn streak. It literally sometimes devolved into shouting matches: "Jack, Mommy said no!" with him responding, "Mommy, but Jack said YES!" Sound familiar to anyone? :) Anyway, we've moved to a system in which I ask the kids to obey, explain why I want them to, and help along with them, but unless it's really important (like when Jack opened the back gate and ran off, or when Charlotte tried to wrestle the baby out of the exersaucer), I don't really use punishments. Because they don't work.

I'm teeter-tottering the equilibrium between too strict and too lax--and I've gotten a couple of disapproving looks at grocery stores ("Hmpf! I know that if that were my child, they would be under control..."). I've also, gratifyingly, had a few people tell me they can't believe how well behaved my children were. I blinked, cleaned my ears out a little, and looked at them suspiciously...but it's true. I do have pretty awesome kids, and one of the big problems before was that I was just always assuming they were out to get me. Which is, well, mainly untrue. I'll let you know how our continued parenting battles go--let me know how you deal with the discipline teeter-totter.

2009-03-18T06:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Matt picked up the keys to our new house and spent the rest of the evening in little boy glee measuring things and pulling off floorboards and in general satisfying the handyman within. For which I am very grateful. There is no handywoman within me--not even a little one. I tried to paint my bedroom once in high school and it took me 3 months, and even then the only way I finished was by bribing a group of friends with pizza.

It's gray and cold here AGAIN, and on days like this, I feel like maybe I could trade all of my friends and comfort and security for friendly strangers and blue skies...

**Sorry, MD friends! I didn't mean it.....really...want to move to Vegas with me?**

Homeowner--yikes!

2009-03-18T06:20:00.000-07:00

2009-02-26T19:34:00.000-08:00

We found a house! I went to Las Vegas during the last week in January because it was the only time I could go and still have free (= Matt was off work) babysitting. I saw nearly 20 houses over 3 days, but finally settled on this one in Northwestern LV. Here it is, in all its stuccoed glory. To satisfy the middle-westerner within, there is a neat square of grass in the middle of the backyard desert landscape, but all things considered, I actually think the spiky plants and rocks are pretty cool.

Why didn't I take the picture?!

2009-02-26T19:21:00.000-08:00

So, yesterday, while I was in the middle of unearthing my house from various layers of child debris in preparation for preschool, I left breakfast out on the kitchen counter. I know, rookie mistake. Next thing I know, half of the surfaces (the lower half) in my home are covered in cream cheese fingerpaint, and I catch Charlotte contentedly drawing swirls on the kitchen floor. In that moment, I was furious and incredulous, but I also had a little corner of myself that said, "you know that you're going to laugh about this someday..." Unfortunately, a much larger corner of myself started insisting that Charlotte follow me around with a dishcloth wiping walls and bookcases before I could take a picture. Now, I'm really wishing I had, because, in the grand scheme of things, it was a really cute thing for her to do. Someday, I will have a hard time convincing her that she wasn't always 16 and that I still see the finger-painting toddler when I look at her. If only I had photo evidence! Anything that you wish that you had taken a picture of, but hadn't?

First week back

2009-01-11T19:39:00.000-08:00

So, I realized this week just how many projects I promised myself that I would start after Christmas break. I've got a charming and willful 2 year old to potty train, a new house to find, and an old house to organize and clean from the inside out. Some updates:

Potty training: Charlotte has started ripping her diaper off at random and will only allow me to put a new one on her if coerced. She will sit on the potty for 3 seconds and then ask for treats.

house search: looks like we're probably going to enter the fascinating and terrifying world of foreclosures. Can anyone tell me why people like to trash their house before they're evicted? Are grown adults really that vindictive? Also, people in Las Vegas don't seem to believe in grass. They make up for it with an almost religious zeal for stucco.

organization: I went a little OCD and got matching containers for all the toys in my locking toy cabinet. Then, I went and printed little labels for all of them. Random visitors to my house have since been subjected to unsolicited tours of my toy cabinet.

cleaning: never realized just how dirty baseboards can get. I'm starting to wish we didn't like our landlords quite so much, and that we didn't convince friends of ours to move in after us.

It's been a fun week! A lot will be put on hold this next week while I teach Jack's preschool. Stay tuned for amusing 3 year old anecdotes from that adventure.

2009-01-05T12:12:00.000-08:00

Here are some more random and fun pictures taken over the holidays. From the top: 1-Jack made a snowman Daddy, and snowman Charlotte, and a snowman Jack. He came in for hot chocolate before he could build Mom and Anna. 2-My brother James LOVED holding Anna. He looks tough but he's a real softie for cute kids. 3,4- Cutest children in the world!

2009-01-05T11:54:00.000-08:00

Anna was extremely good on the flight home from UT. Matt joked, when we got her home, that we probably could have gate checked her right along with her carseat. I laughed, took this picture, and then quickly removed the gate check tag to avoid any DCFS unpleasantries.

2009-01-05T08:15:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! As promised in my Christmas letter, I am really going to try to keep my blog updated this year. With the move coming up soon, I can't afford to burn any friendship bridges, especially things like blogs that travel so nicely.

Our Christmas vacation to UT was marvelous. We saw my sister's family up in Logan, my mom and dad in Peterson, grandparents in Spanish Fork, and all of my in-laws in Riverton. We also made a fun spur of the moment late night run to the Sizzler with Jenny and her cute kids, who were miraculously well-behaved the entire time. What fun!

I spent the second half of the trip with a large and impressive blue bruise on my lip--I hit my face with a ski pole at Brighton--and I looked like I was growing half of a fuhrer mustache. Gorgeous!

In other news, Anna is trying her best to triple her body weight and has the beginnings on a double chin, Charlotte is ludicrously un-ready to potty train but wants to anyway, and Jack's collection of Lightning McQueen paraphernilia is increasing. Matt and I stayed up late rocking out in our pajamas to Guitar Hero World Tour, and now I have a messy, mainly unpacked house to reckon with. And laundry to do. And groceries to buy. And a workout to do. And a shower somewhere in all of this.

Anyone curious anymore about why my last post is dated in August??

cute pirate children

2008-08-13T19:25:00.000-07:00

Here are the kids being cute. They literally stood next to me like this for a minute when they saw the camera. I had just taken it out to put some pictures on the computer, but I had to take advantage of this sweet little sibling moment.

San Antonio

2008-04-09T10:08:00.000-07:00

Matt and I loaded the children into our nice new minivan in Maryland and arrived in San Antonio two days later, with stains on the upholstery and travel weary souls. San Antonio has, thus far, proven well worth the drive.

We're staying in TLF which, depending on your attitude, is about the size of an awesome hotel room or a seriously tiny apartment. We've got a separate bathroom and one bedroom, with a little kitchen and a fold out couch in the living room. It's not a huge space, but it's plenty for our little family (especially if Matt doesn't take the car keys to work by mistake and leave me stranded here all day...)

San Antonio is bigger than Salt Lake and smaller than Chicago...big enough to have lots of fun activities, and small enough that you can park anywhere you go. Our main activity during the week we've been here (other than gawking at the cheap houses!) has been going to the zoo/park. The zoo is set within a larger park area, and there is a small train that runs around the whole thing. Jack has ridden it three times and talks about little else. We bought a membership to the zoo and plan on going often while we're here.

We also had Jack's 3rd birthday on Sunday--a relatively sedate experience because we are 1200 miles away from any of his friends and didn't have a party. Still, I made him a lopsided cake that he accepted as his lightning mcqueen cake and gave him his tricycle. He's been riding the tricycle everywhere, from the laundry room to the park and even out to the car. I love three year olds. :)

(While I write this, Jack has watched the video clip we took of him blowing out his candles 8 times and is working on nine. I think I might throw the camera away if I have to hear myself sing Happy Birthday off key one more time...:))

Always wear your seatbelts!

2008-04-02T06:15:00.000-07:00

I started to write an entry about our trip out to San Antonio, but I mentioned our new minivan, and the only way I could possibly begin to justify the fact that we now own a minivan (yuck) is to mention the car accident that required the purchase of a new car, and one does not simply gloss over an accident in which a car is left in a twisted heap of metal on the side of the highway and everyone manages to get out alive. I know, because I made the mistake of trying. Once word got out about how serious the accident was, I got yelled at a lot by the people I had simply told, "I was in a car accident but I'm fine."

There's not a lot in the way of narration because I was asleep (at the wheel) for the most interesting part of the accident--the impressive drift off the road and subsequent launch over the guard rail. The two eye-witnesses differed somewhat: I either hit a rock that launched me over or simply popped up on a low section of the railing, but the first thing I remember, I was barrelling over dirt and rocks at 65+ mph and thinking, "if I brake and swerve, I can get back onto the road and I won't have to call a tow truck." Then in a split second--so fast I didn't process it all for hours--I rolled several times, lost most of a tire, and landed on my side, with the airbag deployed and one window shattered. To my credit as a mom, I turned around and saw that the kids were okay before I started getting annoyed by all the damage I'd just caused. I actually sat there, alive in my utterly destroyed car, and fumed because I would have to pay to get the airbag repacked and the window replaced. Never mind the fact that, oh, I was on my side and the rest of my car was unrecognisable. It was the airbag that annoyed me. Funny how the mind works in times of stress--mine just refused to acknowledge it.

I had to crawl out of the broken side window and see my children trapped in the backseat, with all doors smashed beyond use, before I got scared. I searched around for my cell phone, but it had been sitting on the dash board and had flown off into the woods somewhere. I ran barefoot up to the highway and started to flag some cars down before I noticed the car that had already stopped ahead of me and the man coming from it. He had seen the accident occur, and in retrospect, he must have been surprised to see me running around like a crazy woman on the side of the interstate. He turned out to be a volunteer paramedic and was probably furious with me for moving after such trauma. He came back to the car, helped me inspect the damage and agreed that the kids were not going to be leaving the car through the doors. Several more people stopped--gave me blankets, a coat, helped pull the kids, then their car seats, slowly out through the passenger side window. They took us to the ambulance to check us out and wouldn't let us leave, despite my pleas for a cell phone. I was still in serious shock when we pulled away from the scene, and there are so many details lost: where I was, who had helped me, and most importantly, what that guard rail was in place to guard me from.

I was in West Virginia along route 68 when the accident happened...about 3.5 hours through a 7 hour trip back to Maryland from Dayton, OH. Matt was still in Dayton, and when he got my phone call, left the hospital immediately to come get us. When he did, we stuffed everything from the wrecked car into his car, knowing now that the car was totalled and that we wouldn't see it again. It was sobering to see the car sitting in the salvage lot, and even more sobering to watch the reaction of the people who had towed it. "you were inside that car when it crashed?" We wanted a picture, but couldn't find the camera in the mess.

We escaped with some seriously sore muscles and bruises, but nothing else. It was miraculous in so many ways--that everyone was wearing seat belts, that the car chose to veer off the road and not into other cars, that I fell off the road at, in seemed, the one section of West Virginia with no cliff, no river, no rocky outcropping. It was even miraculous in its own way, that technology has developed to make cars safe even faced with such a disaster. We were very lucky, and I'm still processing it all 2 months later. I'm still thinking about the things that God still wants me to do here.

So, we got a minivan to replace the sonata, because we were going to buy one in a year anyway. Now I'm a minivan mom who always, always, ALWAYS wears her seatbelt.

The Fireman Pole and the Phychology of Gender

2008-01-10T15:05:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I observed something that called to my attention one of the many undeniable differences between the genders. Jack decided that it was the day for him to learn about the fireman pole (yes, this is the official term). The fireman pole is a pole affixed to the "big kids" half of the playground equipment, towering four feet above the ground, jutting out from the platform surrounded by nothing. I have, in the past, made a habit of keeping Jack away from this area to prevent his mindlessly walking off the ledge. I haven't policed the area in a while, though, assuming that if he has not yet developed the good sense to avoid running off the edge, it is a good time for him to develop it.

This is, of course, where I made my first incorrect assumption: I thought (as most rational women would) that, presented with a situation that causes him pain or damage, he would avoid it in the future. Thought process as follows:

walking-walking-walking-->FALL-->pain. Ow--> That hurt.-->I would like to avoid pain like that in the future. --> Perhaps I should look where I am going next time so that I don't fall off that threatening ledge.

Alas. Not so with my little boy. His first attempt at sliding down the pole was predictable: he reached his too-short arm out to hold the pole and, leaning farther to wrap his other arm around, fell four feet down onto soggy woodchips. He cried; I hugged him, brushed the woodchips off his knees and hands, and set him off to play on a safer piece of equipment. I had barely left the spot when I turned to see that he had returned and was attempting the very same manuever. With the same results, except this time, he didn't cry and brushed his own knees off. Thus, his thought process looked more like this:

running-running-running--> JUMP!-->ouch.--> that was totally wicked!-->I bet that if I try that again, I can get even more air...

This happened 6 times. Each time he picked himself up, I was sure that this fall would be the one to teach him his lesson. Each time, however, he ran directly back to the ladder and seemed even more excited to try again. It was only as I was tempted to pull him off the equipment and strap him into his stroller to prevent more self-inflicted injury that I remembered something that I read. Somewhere.

The book's premise was that boys and girls are different, and it mentioned that while women tend to avoid situations with any inherent risks, men will weigh risk against possible benefit. The benefit in this case being the thrill of hurtling through the air from a distance twice your height. The risk, of course, being breaking your ankles.

Seems reasonable enough once you look at it from the male perspective. I'm telling myself that my policy of non-intervention was a good parenting move. I may change my mind when Jack takes up snowboarding.

2007-09-23T04:39:00.000-07:00

This has been a great week for us. Matt just finished his surgery rotation, and loved it. Now, we've got surgery as a plan unless he finds something he likes better. From what I know of Matt, though, when he has made up his mind, he has really made up his mind. Looks like Surgery is the answer for us. Lots of people think that it's a funny choice because of all the work involved, but for me, the important thing is that Matt is happy with his work. Plus, I think a lot of maligning of surgery is based in stereotypes and worse case scenarios. What people forget to mention is that surgeons are the ones called in when no one else can do anything...they're the ones that cause all the difference in the world with one procedure. The way Matt puts it, surgeons are the superheros of medicine, and what wife would begrudge her husband the chance to 'come and save the day!' every day???

The kids are great, too. I've been too tired this week to care about cleaning the house, so I've been down on the floor playing with the kids. Jack has pushed me around on his fire truck ride on toy. We've built towers out of legos. We've run trains around tracks. We've fingerpainted. We've played "chase" around the house, with Charlotte keeping up with surprising speed. Jack and I went to his new class together, too...his speech therapy small group session is structured very much like a preschool, but with only 5 little boys. We had a blast.

We also went to a Nationals baseball game last night, too...but more about that later; the kids are asking for juice. :)

my pearls

2007-05-26T13:29:00.000-07:00

I recently emailed a friend of mine some very sappy advice about how to be a parent and a relatively sane woman at the same time. Although I went on (and on, and on) in the email, I came up with even more good stuff after I sent it. (my suspicions were correct; I am indeed brilliant.) In particular, I remembered my very favorite poem, one that Pres. Hinckley has quoted on several occasions:

You are the trip I did not take
You are the pearls I cannot buy
You are my blue italian lake
You are my piece of foreign sky.

I had this copied into my journal 3 days before Charlotte was born (Women's conference 2006) and after it, I wrote, "Jack or a trip to Europe? Charlotte or pearls? Come on." Seems like such an obvious and easy choice, doesn't it? More difficult are the more subtle ones I've had to make. Charlotte or a clean bathroom? Jack or a quiet trip to the grocery store? Charlotte or a few hundred bucks a month extra income? Matt helps me see that for all my complaints, I wouldn't give up my kids for the world, let alone a cleaner house or more time to hang out with friends. It just takes remembering that sometimes, I think. We truly have the sort of life that others are envious of; it's not the other way around.

My little pearls. However, it's hard to stay sentimental for long, because as I'm writing this, Jack has gotten himself stuck in Charlotte's walker. I'm torn between going and saving him (because he sounds somewhat frantic) and leaving him there for just a minute in the crazy (and unfounded) hope that he will actually learn not to do it again. While I was typing out my deliberations on the subject, however, he tipped it over himself and busied himself with his bubbles. Back into the trenches.

2007-05-22T06:03:00.000-07:00

Ah, the morning nap. I love this time, when Charlotte is napping, because for a couple hours, I kinda feel like the mother of one again. I actually have time to do such luxurious things as...sitting down. Jack is running around in the backyard right now, wearing one shoe and trying to use his stocking foot to step on my young squash plants. I suspect that he received some clandestine encouragement on this front from Matt, who openly despises squash and would be thrilled to see the entire plant uprooted. Of course, as soon as I sat down to write more (after pulling Jack out of the garden and making a half-hearted attempt to find his shoe) Charlotte started crying upstairs.

The thing that regularly amazes me about Charlotte is how fast she is growing up. Jack spent a large portion of his first year posed for scrapbooks while I tracked his progress by comparing him to parenting books and my friend's children. Needless to say, it felt like about eighteen years had passed before he did anything at all. Charlotte, on the other hand, is quiet enough that I forget that she's there, and am only reminded when I have to pull her out from under a chair because...what?! Don't tell me she's crawling already! I feel like her life is one of those short films in which still pictures are placed in rapid succession. Frame by frame she started blinking, then smiling, then rolling over, then scooting around on her elbows. If something isn't done soon, she's going to be going to the prom in a few minutes.

Do these things come with slow motion buttons??