“Mommy, what church does Jesus go to?”
Jan 302011
Nov 192010
Paul got in his car seat and said, “Look, Mom! I’m wearing shorts!”
Nov 192010
Underwear
Paul’s fully toilet trained and surprises me with his ability to get dressed all by himself. But. For some reason, the creators of toddler underwear decided to put Elmo’s (and Thomas’ and James’) face on the back of the underpants. Paul sometimes insists on wearing his underpants backwards so he can see Elmo (or Thomas or James).
Time
Paul loves clocks. Last week, I noticed that whenever I said, “ten minutes” or “what time is it?” Paul would look at his (naked) wrist and say “no, 12 minutes!” or “it’s 1-0-2-3″ or “it’s 5-8-9-7″. He likes to tell time and know the time. Since neither Mom nor Dad wear watches, I think he learned that people wear clocks on their wrists from his preschool teachers, both of whom wear watches.
Preschool
Paul loves preschool. When he was looking at his watch (see story above), I said, “Paul, did you learn that at preschool?” Ever since, everything he “learned at preschool.”
“How did you know how to put on your own shoes?”
“From preschool!”
“How did you learn to get the milk out of the fridge all by yourself?”
“I learned at preschool!”
“How did you get so good at putting that puzzle together?”
“At preschool!”
You name it, he learned it at preschool, even when I know he didn’t really.
McDonald’s
Since Ryan has been traveling the last few weeks, I’ve been trying to make our dinner times exciting so it won’t feel so lonely. One night, we were having Chicken Nuggets so I made Paul a menu to “order” from. I wrote a big golden arch on the front for our “McReid’s” restaurant. He saw the yellow M and said, “M is for french fries!”
We’ve only been there about twice in his lifetime (once when he was newborn in Australia) and we never watch television with commercials, so I was quite puzzled at this. I finally decided that a Halloween costume we saw (french fries in a red McDonald’s container) was memorable for him.
Christmas
There are Christmas decorations in the store and I’m working on a Christmas project. (Yes, it’s way too early, but there you go.) Each morning, Paul wakes up to ask if it is Christmas yet. This is going to be a long month.
Cheese
Paul says I should write about cheese. At preschool, they sometimes have cheese for snack. Paul leaves preschool saying, “yummy yummy cheese!” when I pick him up. Then we get home and I offer him a little sliver of cheese. “Yucky! I don’t like cheese.” So I asked him why he likes it at preschool and not at home:
“I like cheese at preschool only!”
Okay then.
Singing and Talking
Paul regularly likes singing songs as we drive in the car. But I started singing a primary song in the car the other day, and he was quite annoyed.
“No, Mommy! No singing in the car! Singing at home only! That’s the new rule.”
I asked him about singing at preschool, or singing at church, so he changed the rule.
“Number 1, home. Number 2, church, Number 3, preschool. That’s the only places you can sing. That’s the rule. Number 1, number 2, number 3. Three places.”
He also made a “no talking in the car rule” a little later. I think he was over tired and a bit cranky, though, so I don’t take it personally. He also started singing himself a little later, so apparently, it’s only a rule for me… And I find it funny that he sees it necessary to establish “rules.” Do I do that too often?
Right Now
I told Paul I was writing the cute things he says and does. He said I should write:
“Grandma. Grandpa. Great Grandma [we'll see all three of them tomorrow]. I love them!”
Yes, Paul, those are very cute things to say!
Oct 262010
I mentioned on my blog how I was impressed by how much of General Conference Paul understood. Sunday afternoon I found out just how much more than I realized.
We’ve decided to make Sunday afternoon a “Church movie” afternoon. This means that Paul can only watch movies about the scriptures or church history: essentially, he can watch any of the dozen church DVDs that we have. Now, these are not normally geared toward three year olds, but it’s motivation to do other things on Sunday afternoons. Normally, Paul wants to watch the “Temple movie” (The Mountain of the Lord”) because he loves to see the temple (and not just in song).
The other day, I was listing the titles of all the movies he could watch and he didn’t seem interested in any of them. I came to the end of them and noticed we had October 2007 General Conference on DVD. I mentioned “Or you could watch General Conference from a few years ago.”
Suddenly there was interest. “Yes, I want to watch General Conference!” Paul exclaimed.
“OK,” I said, not expecting this to last very long.
Well, he got through the opening song and then President Hinckley got up to talk and Paul kept watching. And then they were panning through the other general authorities and I heard Paul get excited again.
“Look! It’s President Monson! And Look! It’s President Eyring!”
Now, I knew Paul knew the prophet. But the only way he could have learned President Eyring was through the fact that President Eyring had spoken at General Conference and he heard his name a few times. He remembered.
So never underestimate a three-year-old. They are listening.
(And in case you are wondering, I think Paul got through one more song before he’d had enough.)
Oct 242010
The Sun
Paul slept really late one morning and I had to wake him to get him ready for preschool. Add to that the fact that we drove into the sun, and you get this conversation.
Paul: It’s a really sunny day.
Mommy: Isn’t it nice that the sun is out? How beautiful!
Paul: I want the sun to go away.
Mommy: Oh no! If the sun went away, then it would be night time, and we’d have to go home and go back to sleep. Plus, it would be really cold outside.
Paul (pause): I want the sun to go behind a cloud.
Ok, then. I was impressed that he found a new solution!
Not Dust
I came in the family room to vacuum and Paul didn’t want to stop playing with his toy in the corner of the room.
“Mommy, I’m going to stand right here. Don’t vacuum me up: I am not dust!”
I was impressed that he figured out that vacuums clean up dust. I don’t think we’ve ever had that conversation before.
Oct 172010
Paul favors the deep purples (no surprise there, as purple is his favorite color). I love the bright reds, although my ultimate favorites are the multi-colored trees, with green at the bottom then yellow and gold, orange, red, and purple at the top. So pretty.
I love fall colors.
Loading ...Mar 202010
Warning! This song really gets in your head. Nevertheless, Paul LOVES it! I’m putting it here for easy finding for future reference.
Jun 232009
Yesterday, Paul got his very first credit card offer in the mail. Now, that’s starting ‘em young!
I have pictures and stories for you. Sorry I’ve been bad at getting them up this month!
Jan 282009
My cousin spotlighted some of the Christmas presents that were “hits” around her house (a million years ago). I thought I’d share too. I shared Paul’s new/old Pooh chair is on his page here. That was probably his favorite thing. But this is my favorite present: a keyboard.
We could spend $35 on a kiddy piano (four keys, bright colors). Or we could get a “Made in China” 54-key piano. We went for the larger variety. It plays 60+ instrument sounds, ten rhythms, and seven “demo” songs. Paul loves the rhythms and the microphone. He “sings” in it. (Which usually sounds a lot like deep breathing.)
We realize it is cheaply made, but we’re hoping it lasts two years or so.
The must amusing evidence that it is cheaply made is the listing of songs on the keyboard. I mean, I expect the manual to lack basic proofreading, but this is hilarious!
![100_3514lr[1]](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7023/6579033163_e5f3609574.jpg)
interpretation (for number 1 and number 7): It’s a Small World and We Wish You a Merry Christmas
Jan 212009
When I mentioned to my friend that it is my birthday tomorrow, she asked me how old I will be. I had to think about it. (I’m going to be 28, I’ve decided.) It’s funny how as a child we count down the days to being “a year older!” and now it feels like a day older.
So now I’ve been thinking about “another year older.” As a result, I’ve been thinking of how my life has changed in the past decade – and the ways each chapter of my life has impacted who I am today. I’ve learned a lot, but each life chapter has had its own challenges.
Here are the titles and the abstracts of the last nine chapters of my life. I also included some “heart pictures” because I didn’t always have a photograph of most of these events.
Chapter 18 (1999): Escape
The chapter in which I jumped for joy when I discovered I could escape my dreary parent’s home earlier than I thought to go to BYU summer school at the same time as my “pen pal” boyfriend in Texas. Also, the chapter in which I made the greatest friends I have ever had. Also, the chapter in which I learned what it meant to have to “cook” myself dinner. (Thanks, Mom, for sending the meal card! I was hungry.)
Heart picture: Six girls dancing to music in our tiny Heritage Halls kitchen.
Chapter 19 (2000): Myself
The chapter in which I searched for myself spiritually (as a visitor of the BYU Jerusalem center in Jerusalem during Jubilee year), emotionally (as I accepted myself as myself), academically (as a beginning college student), and physically (as I searched for belonging in a campus of 30,000+ people).
Heart pictures: Seeing the old city of Jerusalem when I pause in my scripture study; also, listening to Handel’s Messiah from that same private balcony.
![jerusalem1[1]](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/6578965665_4a135c8f15.jpg)
The Old City, Jerusalem, taken by me
Chapter 20 (2001): Alone
The chapter in which I felt sad and alone as I immersed myself in schoolwork and sought for a place among five very different roommates.
Heart pictures (which I’d rather forget): Reading Juno email (the most annoying free email ever) at my computer, which was on a desk propped up by a cardboard box; also, watching the twin towers fall, wanting to cry, and wondering why my four European roommates asked me to turn off the TV.
Chapter 21 (2002): In Charge
The chapter in which perseverance provided rewards as I suddenly had three jobs and leadership positions and lots of responsibility and senior-year classes and lots of papers to write and roommates and friends who wanted to “hang out” and references and hopes for the future and a chance to live in Bolivia doing “service” for ten weeks.
Heart pictures: The Sigma Tau Delta logo, which organization seemed to dominate a good portion of my life; also, my first cell phone, which made life bearable (my five roommates never accurately took messages); also, the “Magnetic Meat Market” (i.e., the single’s ward phone/picture directory, attached to magnets) on our apartment door (so we could play match maker).
Chapter 22 (2003): Missionary
The chapter in which I forsook my new degree to serve 24-hours-day as a missionary (to mostly single students) in Seattle.
Heart pictures: Sharing the gospel with dozens of young students (actually at home!) after tracting through nine inches of snow on a day when school was cancelled.
Chapter 23 (2004): Recovery
The chapter in which I rejoined “society,” stopped reading the scriptures for an hour every morning, and re-learned that guys don’t want “handshakes” upon greeting and departure. Also the chapter in which I got my first salaried job.
Heart pictures: A singles ward “linger longer”; also, my first car, a 1991? white Ford Mercury.
Chapter 24 (2005): Single
The chapter in which I decided I had enough of singles wards and single guys and I decided to live life my way, like getting accepted into graduate school and traveling Europe with my friend. Also the chapter in which I happened to meet my husband (interesting how that happened…).
Heart Pictures: Seeing Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower at night with Karen after not having slept since leaving Chicago and seeing the Louvre and taking a boat ride down the Seine.
![sept-04-87[1]](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7171/6579003215_e254d337d9.jpg)
an out-of-focus view of the Seine from the Eiffel Tower at twilight
Chapter 25 (2006): Newlywed
The chapter in which I had an ideal 100-day engagement, to my coworkers’ amazement (apparently, that’s short). Also the chapter in which I had the most perfect wedding on the most perfect day in the most perfect temple (that’s the Chicago temple, in case you’re wondering) to the most perfect man. Also the chapter in which I drop out of grad school after one class and my new husband and I despair during the four days a week in which he travels.
Heart Pictures: Seeing my husband across the altar and realizing he’s mine for eternity.
our perfect wedding day
Chapter 26 (2007): Mother
The chapter in which I spent the entire (almost) year pregnant, I quit my job, and I moved to Australia. Also the chapter in which I didn’t die in childbirth and Paul was born, finally, even without pain medication. Also the chapter in which I got very little sleep at the end.
Heart Pictures: Feeling the baby kick on Mother’s day; also, the first moment I saw and held Paul, a squirming, slippery, messy, skinny bit of perfection.
![mother-and-son[1]](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7011/6579017741_5ed14d735d.jpg)
Paul's first picture, 2 hours old
Chapter 27 (2008): Ex Pat
The chapter in which I loved living in Australia and touring Australia and New Zealand and yet began to eagerly await our return to America. Also the chapter in which I struggled to distinguish nickels from quarters upon our eventual return stateside.
Heart pictures: Traveling through New Zealand with an 8-month-old in a backpack; also, business class on an 18-hour flight (thanks to my husband’s company!).
Chapter 28 (2009): ?
What will define this year in my life? I guess only time will tell.
As I look back on these past years, I know that the most wonderful “heart pictures” of all of these are the ones with my husband and my baby. That’s what I want to remember this year for.
