Breakfast!

Kadon has reached the stage where he is gaining independence, sometimes a little bit faster than I am willing to give it up to him. Lately, his most solid conviction has been first, don't mess with the blankie, and secondly, he insists on feeding himself. I will open a perfectly good banana, but if I attempt to place it in his mouth directly instead of letting it pass through his hands first, he reacts with such disgust and abhorrance that it is almost comical. Someday I will attempt to capture this comedy on camera. At any rate, this is Kadon insisting on not only feeding himself the cereal, but plucking it out of the box himself. Toddler independence at it's finest.

Mom's Naptime

On Saturday, I decided to take the day off. In the morning, the four of us went to the local Farmer's Market, where we picked up some wonderful artisan bread, and some delicious cheese to go with it. We also got some produce, and some lamb. On our way back to the van, the kids spotted a playground, so Ammon and I sat at a picnic table and ate the bread and the cheese while the kids played. By the time we got home, it was nearly lunch time, and then it was time for Kadon to go down for his regular nap. Ammon and I, as a result of our late night after our date on Friday, started to fall asleep on the couch in the relative quiet of the living room. After we allowed ourselves to sleep for several minutes, we sent Jeremy to his room to enforce the 'quiet time' that I have been trying to establish in lieu of his nap, which he has recently given up. Well, as per usual, Ammon was unable to actually sleep once we made it into the bedroom, so he left and went out to the living room, where he proceeded to entertain both of the children after they came out of their various seclusions. At one point during my siesta, I awoke, but as the house was fairly silent (which was perhaps aided by the large fan that was blowing at my head), I decided that all was well, and decided to luxuriate in an even longer respite. When I finally emerged from my bedroom, over an hour later, I found Ammon and the children in Kadon's room, where Ammon had constructed a 'tent' of sorts. The children thought that this was about the coolest thing that they had ever experienced, and Ammon was even adept enough to remember to grab the camera and take some pictures so that I could blog them. See, isn't he so supportive? In fact, I am doing the post on Sunday afternoon, instead of my usual Monday morning, because he is a little bit miffed that he went to the effort to take the pictures and I didn't post them immediately. I guess this serves as a warning as to what can happen in a mother's absence......all in all, I guess if this is the worst kind of trouble that my boys get into without me, I could be a lot worse off. Happy Sunday to all!

Jeremy's Bike

We finally bought Jeremy a new bike the other day. To this point, he has been riding a handed down tricycle, which is fabulous, but the trickcle in question is pink and purple. We have tried to buy him a bike once or twice in the past, but every time when he gets to the store and sees the size of the larger bikes, he chickens out and says that he is too little. He started to back out this time too, but Ammon finally convinced him that he is getting bigger. He used a clever illustration about being able to put on your own shoes and socks to teach him that he can do things that he hasn't been able to do before. All in all, it worked very well, and now Jeremy loves to tell me that he is 'growing up'. Sadly, he's right. My little boy, my first born, is no longer my baby. He will barely consent to kiss and hug, and he would rather play with his friend that lives a few doors down than stay home and play with his dad and I. If I'm so torn up about this now, how am I going to handle it when he actually leaves me and goes to school? Time will only tell, I guess.

Kadon and Daddy

Kadon is finally feeling a bit of relief from his ilness. We went to Kadon's pediatrician yesterday, and he confirmed the emergency room diagnosis, which was comforting. He also told us that the reason that he has been so uncomfortable is that with this virus comes an unpleasant array of body aches, accompanied by severe headaches. Suddenly explains all the crying jags he has gone on the last couple of days. Luckily, yesterday and today were much more pleasant days. It's been strange, as he has been ill, he has responded the best to his dad. They have spent a lot of quality time together lately, especially after the long days of crankiness when Ammon comes home to rescue us all from total destruction. I have been really grateful for his ability as a father to be able to hold the fort together here, even with sick children, and give me a little bit of relief. I think he's the greatest dad (not to mention husband!) in the whole world!

Soldiering On

See this little half smile here? Yup, that's about the happiest that Kadon has been in a couple of days. He is still running a fairly high fever, and his appetite isn't any better, and he is feeling just well enough to be totally inconsolable. Not that I would ever desire it, but the exceedingly high fever is almost more desirable. It knocks enough fight out of him that all he wants to do is cuddle all day, which is just fine with his dad and I! Anyway, I plan on taking him into his regular pediatrician tomorrow, so hopefully he will be a little bit more pleasant in a couple of days.

Kadon gets Sick

Yesterday we had kind of a scary experience. Kadon woke up very early (about 6:15) and when I went in and picked him up to take him into our bed, I noticed that he felt exceedingly warm. He had a little bit of a fever the night before, approximately 102 degrees, but the warmth that I felt from him first thing yesterday morning greatly exceeded that fairly mild temperature. I proceeded to immediately re-take his temperature, and was startled to see that it had shot up to 103.8 overnight. As it was still early in the day, and he was acting somewhat normally, we decided simply to medicate him and wait it out for at least a couple of hours. Later on in the morning, about three hours after we had given him fever reducing medication, I took his temperature again, and at this point his temperature had risen to 104.2, which, as many of you know, is a very dangerous temperature in young children, especially. At this point, Ammon and I made the decision that he needed to be taken in to the emergency room, as we could not ascertain the cause of his fever, and were worried that there was something more serious wrong with him. On the drive from my apartment to the hospital, which only takes about 20 minutes, he had gained a whole extra degree on his temperature, making the ER nurse read 105.3. Needless to say, I was very relieved that we had decided to bring him into the hospital, because if a temperature of 104 is dangerous, than a temperature of 105 is only more so.

Anyway, while were there they looked him over very carefully, including doing a chest x-ray (which was traumatic for both mother and baby!), and arrived at the conclusion that his high fever and general irritability was caused by a virus that had caused some sores on the inside of his throat. I was happy to receive such a benign diagnosis, as it means that he didn't have to undergo any more invasive testing, but it does mean that there is very little than we can do for him, other than attempt to keep him comfortable, including taking lots of lukewarm baths to keep his temperature down. The doctor said that his illness could last anywhere from 5-7 days, although we're hoping he'll get over it a little faster. Last night he woke up several times, also requiring more medication at around 4 am to bring down his fever once again. Today he is almost acting like his normal self, as long as we remember to dose him on a regular basis to help keep him comfortable. How thankful I am for the modern medical profession!! I hope that Kadon recovers quickly, and that Jeremy doesn't come down with it, and that we can all soon be released from our house arrest.

Hogle Zoo

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to go to Utah's Hogle Zoo with my friend Emily, her daughter Clarissa, and my friend Christina. It was a wonderful chance to spend time together as friends, and also to enjoy some amazing animals. We left fairly early in the morning, dropped Emily's parents off at the airport (they're on their way to Hawaii. I'm trying not to hold a grudge) then went to our friend Alisha's house to have lunch with her and her children before we left to pick up Christina and head out to the zoo. It was nearly 100 degrees, and humid for nothern Utah, but we had a wonderful time traipsing around the zoo with the children. We even let Jeremy walk around for most of the day, and I was amazed at how well behaved he was. I will definitely take the next available opportunity to return, especially if my children can be that well behaved! I can't even begin to post all of the pictures that I took, or talk about everything that we did, but I will attempt here to give a few highlights. Enjoy!

Elephants

The elephants were the very first enclosure that we came to, and it was at that moment that I realized that this visit to the zoo was going to be an incredible experience for me, as well as for my children. See, I haven't been to a real zoo since I was about Jeremy's age, and so most of these animals that we were able to see are animals that I have never seen other than in stories, or pictures. As we were standing outside the elephant enclosure, the largest elephant started walking toward us to gather up some straw and eat it. Of the dozen or so children gathered on the platform, I was easily the most excited child or adult. I was jumping up and down, laughing, and crying all at the same time, I was so excited to see such a sight. In fact, I think throughout most of the day, Emily and Christina had more fun with my excitement than they did actually seeing the animals!

Zebra

This is the zebra, which Jeremy declared to be his favorite animal of all. Of course, it doesn't hurt that one of his favorite characters in the movie 'Madagascar' is a zebra named Marty. I was happy to note to Emily that the age old question of black with white stripes or white with black stripes could be answered, as the zebra's clearly had white underside, with black stripes on the top part of their body. She didn't agree, her argument being that their noses were black, so therefore they must be black with white stripes. I guess the question isn't answered, after all.

Guerilla

This is the largest guerilla that the zoo has in residence. As we were viewing the primate, we were lucky enough to be there at feeding time, and we were able to watch the zookeeper throw his food down into the pen and watch him eat. She had a mixture of various leafy greens, carrots, and several different kinds of fruit. She said that one of his favorite treats were the frozen bananas and watermelon that she threw down. I imagine it is just like ice cream for us, helping to cool him down on those brutally hot days. It was really incredible when she came out, all she did was call his name and the huge brute came from the other side of his pen, lumbering toward her to get his food. I think they are truly a incredibly intelligent animal, and I am sure that they can be taught some amazing things with just a little bit of persistence.

Meerkat

This is a meerkat, which we saw in the small animal/reptile house. Jeremy said that this was one of his favorite animals, and I had to agree that it was at least one of the cutest!! How could you not love them, with their cute little stance, and those adorable paws?

Monkey Jeremy

This is Jeremy right outside the primate house, showing us his interprtation of how a monkey moves. He was quite accurate, and also rather cute, if I don't say so myself!

Sleeping Kadon

This is Kadon, absolutely limp with exhaustion, clutching his sippy cup in one hand, and the stuffed elephant I got him in the other. Within about 20 minutes of leaving the zoo, all three children were fast asleep in the back of the van. Unfortunately they didn't stay that way, but I was glad to get this picture of Kadon in all his sleeping cuteness.

Bee Sting

Today I had the kids seek relief in the wading pool, which I set up on the grass outside our apartment. After a while, some other kids about Jeremy's age came out to join us, which left Kadon feeling a little left out. He was off exploring the bike rack, when I heard his blood-curdling, frantic scream. I could only assume that he had been stung by a bee, since they are plentiful this year, and when I reached him, the large welt on his arm only confirmed my suspicions. In his hurry to get to me, he fell and hit his head on the sidewalk, but his poor arm throbbed so much that he hardly noticed the scrape on his forehead. I quickly got him in the house, rubbed some aspirin on his sting (an old wives tale? I don't know, but it seemed to work) and tried to get him calmed down. I even went to the trouble of jumping on the internet and doing a quick search on bee stings, to find out what to look for in the event of an allergic reaction. I wanted to be especially vigilant, since it is his first bee sting. Anyway, I fed him some leftover popcorn, and he seemed to be fine, and is now sleeping peacefully. Goodnight all, and Ammon, I hope this has helped you feel not quite so far from home!! We love you!

Cabin Fever

Today my wonderful mother took my kids and I to one of my favorite restaurants for lunch. It's actually the place that Ammon worked several years ago, before Jeremy was born, but it's still one of my favorites. Anyway, my niece is in town for a few weeks over the summer, and she was helping me keep Jeremy corralled by holding his hand, and I couldn't resist capturing it for posterity.

Ammon's Business Trip

Ammon left for a business trip this morning. He got up at 4:50 am this morning, quietly got dressed, and drove to the airport. He'll be gone until Thursday evening. I hate business trips. I mean, I really, really hate it when Ammon has to take business trips. I admire the people I know who are military spouses, because their husbands are gone for long stretches of time, months even, and they seem to handle it really well. I, however, feel like I'm going to lose my mind when Ammon is only going to be gone for a couple of days. He has to attend this class in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. One of their biggest clients is teaching a computer/electronics course, which luckily mirrors what Ammon is learning in school, so this trip is actually a good thing for him. I hate it, though. Anyway, I promised him that I would post several times a day so that he has something to keep in touch with when he gets to his hotel room at the end of the night. I keep trying to tell myself it's only a coule of days, right? Maybe these trips are good for us, in a way. They make us more aware of each other, and make us appreciate how good we've got it. At least, that's what I keep trying to tell myself.

Jeremy's Haircut

It has been almost 100 degrees several days over the last week, and yesterday after Jeremy got up from his nap, I noticed that his hair was matted, and sweaty. I had also been noticing that my little boy was past due for a general trim on his hair, so I decided, in a fit of productivity, to use my clippers and simply cut all of his hair off. I called to get permission from his father first, as he is (overly) protective of his son's locks, and once securing the grudging acceptance, we set off to the bathroom to make the transition. Jeremy handled the haircut reasonably well, but I didn't understand fully what I was getting into when I decided to take that much hair off. I was going to take a picture of the pile of hair on the floor, but I had my hands full getting Jeremy cleaned off and getting the hair picked up before it was tracked around my house. In fact, I barely had time to snap this picture, and it was the only one Jeremy would let me take. He even refused to smile, which is unusual for him. He loves to have his likeness captured with the digital camera. Anyway, I tried to warn Ammon, but when he arrived home he promptly declared that this is the worst haircut he has ever seen. Oh well, by the time it cools off, his hair will grow back, and everybody will be happy. Guess you can't please them all, right?

Calling all Grandmothers

Ammon's parents, who we have been lucky enough to have living fairly close to us since our kids were born, have recently sold their house in North Logan. They put all of their belongings in storage to live the life of nomads, spending their time traveling around visiting various family members and friends who live all over the world. This has been a great development for them, as I know they have spent a lot of time over the recent years greatly missing their family members who are abroad, and have often felt lonely in Utah. Although it was a happy occasion for them, it was not exactly a happy occasion for our little family. We have been greatly blessed over the last several years to live very close to them, and my children have been accustomed to seeing their grandparents on a VERY regular basis. Of course, the at-the-ready babysitting didn't hurt either! As an attempt to stay in touch, we spend a lot of time on the phone catching up on family events and just chatting about the state of things in general. Jeremy in particular is very close to his grandmother, and often asks to call her, and will happily spend at least ten minutes talking on the phone to her. Anyone who has talked on the phone with a child before, especially mine, knows that this is a serious compliment!! For Jeremy to sit still and spend ten minutes doing ANYTHING must convery the deepest respect and love for the activity. At any rate, we are greatly looking forward to Mary and Russ visiting us at the end of the summer.

Sidewalk Festival

unbeknownst to me, there is a huge sidewalk festival every year on the streets of downtown Logan. In fact, they close off two block of 1st North for the occasion, and set up booths for food, picnic tables for eating, and lots of games and rides for the younger children. All of the storefronts within a two block radius are then encouraged to set up tents and displays in front of their entrance, creating a sort of carnival atmosphere, and of course encouraging patrons to part with large sums of cash. Of course, I could never understand the point of expensive boutique-style stores putting items on sale, even on their 'close-out' prices, I still find their merchandise to be overpriced. However, complaining about it would destroy the atmosphere, so when I was invited to enjoy the festival with a friend of mine for the evening, I jumped at the chance. I was even kind enough to my poor, neglected husband to take Kadon with me, and let he and Jeremy have a quiet evening. We didn't find many interesting things to buy, but Kadon had a great time crawling on the John Deere riding lawn mowers that were on display in front of the farm store. Too bad Jeremy wasn't with us, he's been shopping for one of those for a while now!! Anyway, we had a really great time, even though it was still very hot, and we had to be home early to put the young prince to bed. The only down side of the evening, in fact, was that I finally lost the diamond out of my engagement ring. I briefly entertained the idea of scouring the streets in downtown Logan to search for it, but the thought of crawling on the sidewalk isn't very appealing. So, I guess I know what Ammon is getting me for Mothers Day/Birthday/Anniversary/Christmas for the next ten years or so!! Good thing he's working lots of overtime for the next two weeks, right?

Jeremy the Great

We had our annual ward pool party last night, and since it was going to be held perilously close to bedtime, we were lucky enough to find a babysitter (with Emily's help) to sit with Kadon while he slept, and Ammon and I were able to take Jeremy all by himself. It occurred to us as we walked out the door last night, that this is the first time that the two of us have left Kadon with a sitter and both taken Jeremy out to do something fun. In the spirit of more 'Jeremy time', Ammon and Jeremy are going to see Cars on Saturday and to get something for dinner afterwards. I think it's really easy, in the bustle of everything that we have to do, to forget that Jeremy is our firstborn, and he needs special attention sometimes. Kadon is our baby for now, but Jeremy was our baby first, and I'm glad that we've had a couple of opportunities to focus on him. He's such a great kid!

Mudbath

Today we went to our regular play group, and on the way home it was nearly hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk. The kind of hot that comes at you like a wall when you walk out the house, and within moments your forehead is glistening with sweat. We usually walk to the park, which is perfectly comfortable at 10:00 o'clock in the morning, and the sun is at our backs. However, after the children have played happily in the relative shade of the park for an hour or more, we return to walk home close to noon, with the sun beating down merciless on our poor, defenseless stroller parade. Once we finally reached our apartment complex, the maintenance man had turned on the sprinklers. I, in my indulgent and kind nature, decided that it was a perfect opportunity for my children to run through the sprinklers, achieving the dual purpose of cooling off, and killing time until it was time for a nap. Kadon, however, wasn't interested in running through the ice cold water. In true boy-style, he found the largest mud puddle in the area, and proceeded to bathe himself in it. He was covered in mud, from his toes, in his diaper, and matted in his hair. Needless to say, we had a midday bath today, so as to not track mud throughout my apartment. It's on days like this that I'm grateful to be the mother of boys!! Something about a little boy rolling around in a mud puddle has a way of making you believe that all is right in the world.

Friends Forever

Ahhh. I love friends. I mean, the really good friends that are willing to take care of you, and to perk you up on those days that you just feel like crushing somebody's skull. Not any skull in particular, mind you, but you do get the feeling that your hands would fit quite nicely around the skull of a three year old. Now, don't get any ideas. I said not any skull in particular....

Anyway, today was one of those days. I went to the grocery store (again!) to get just a couple of things, and had to run several other errands in town. With gas prices skyrocketing, I try to only make one trip into Logan a week, so all of my Logan errands get condensed into one long, miserable day. Luckily today I only had 3 or 4 places to go, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been, but by the time we were done with the last place, the kids and I were all ready to combust. I'm talking serious spontaneous flame here. I attempted to calm the atmosphere with a sinful Lunchable (mmmm....cheese and processed meat.....) in the van, along with a diet Sobe and water for the kids. It helped a little bit, at least enough to get us home and the children fed a real lunch and down for naps. I had just settled down for a snooze myself, when my darling Kadon awoke after only 1 1/2 hours of shut eye. Not nearly enough for a busy little 1 year old. After that, it was more endless fighting, sibling rivalry, and chores. I called my good friend to see if she wanted to join us for a cooling dip in the wading pool, when she upped the ante. She suggested that instead of retiring in our apartment community; where we would surely be swarmed by several panting children who seem to have a special honing beacon on any body of water larger than a bathtub and cooler than 70 degrees; that we make the trek to her house. There the children could dip in the seclusion of her fenced back yard, and while I kept a wary eye on the children (who managed to play together reasonably well) she prepared a meal of Tacos and......Angel Food cake. Yep, that's right. Angel Food complete with strawberries and fat free cool whip. Did you know that Angel Food cake is a low-fat item? I think I have found a new best friend. Anyway, the moral of the story, is thank goodness for true friends. Taco bearing, fruit laden cake bearing, cool drink of water, friends. The kind that will blow up a wading pool for your kids (who, by the way, decide they don't like the cold water, after all) and will then provide an evening of entertainment. We might make it through this summer after all....

All Worked Up

Ammon and I have started this new diet lately. Actually, we're not calling it a diet, because diet seems to connotate a semi-permanent status. No, we have made a change for the long haul. I've been regularly exercising for a while now, and we decided that the next step was to be eating a more reasonable diet. So....Out with the processed, the frozen, the sugary, and the carbonated. That last one hurt. Our soda addiction has reached new heights, and in order to achieve our full health potential, we understand that it has to be eradicated. But oh, how it stings. Anyway, in the spirit of self improvement today, I got up out of bed full of vim and vigor, and attacked my house with a fervor I haven't felt in....At least a week. By 11:30, I have the towering pile of dishes from the weekend done, I have my laundry about halfway through the process of washing/drying/folding/putting away, and I have the stove cleaned. No, I mean the whole stove. I even took out those little metal dishes underneath the burners and scrubbed those down, and then scrubbed the inside of the stove top before I put the little metal dishes back. Yup, that's me, I am wonder woman. Oh, and remember that wonderful date that Ammon and I went on a couple of weeks ago? You know, the one where we discovered the wonderful Indian food? Well, I have found a suitable recipe on the internet, courtesy of my FAVORITE food website 'The Food Network' , (check out my links on this page, you'll love it too), and after I wash the stink of productivity off of myself, I am going to journey to the grocery store to fill my cart with exotic ingredients. When Ammon returns home tonight from his toils at school and work, he will find a sparkling home, freshly laundered towels and underwear, and a lovely, aromatic meal to partake of. See, I told you I was the greatest wife in the world!!

This thing I know

If there is one thing I have learned in my tenure as mother, it is that children are unfailingly stubborn. They are also blissfully unaware of consequence, logic, and cause and effect. We have had the Clavinova on loan from Mary and Russ for a couple of months now, certainly long enough for my darling young son to learn that it is always off limits, and if such limits are pushed, bad things can happen, namely pinched fingers in this case. I am surprised that his fingers still maintain normal shape and function after the number of times he has shut them in the lid of the instrument. I snapped this picture last night as he once again tested the limits of this particular rule. It makes me laugh that he is always so shocked and angry that his fingers are being mutilated. Hopefully at some point in our relationship I can impress upon my chldren the importance of limits and of following the counsel set forth by their parents. Of course, I'm also hoping for world peace, and end to world hunger, and unimaginable wealth.

The Marathon of my Life

Today was a very long day. I went grocery shopping once again, although this time I can say that I did manage to remember everything on my list. At Smith's Marketplace here in town, they have a supervised playland for the children under 8 and over 2, so I usually drop Jeremy off for the duration of my expedition. We made it home in time for lunch, and after the marathon of carrying all of the groceries up the stairs and putting the frozen and cold food away, I made lunch for the kids and put them both in bed. While they were sleeping, I took a short nap, then got Kadon up and played with him for a few minutes before my friend dropped off her little girl so that I could watch her while she went to the doctor. While Clarissa was here, I put together dinner, entertained all the children, and got the house picked up so that it would look presentable when Ammon got home (aren't I a good wife?!) We had Clarissa's parents over for dinner (chicken enchiladas. Yummy!), after which I cleaned up the dishes, wiped off the counter and table, and vacuumed the floor. Then it was time for the nightly marathon of putting the kids to bed. Yikes. I'm tired just reliving it. Needless to say, it's going to be an early night for us tonight. It is 8:35, both children are in bed, and I'm going to play a hand of cards with my husband, enjoy a bowl of frozen yogurt, and put myself to bed.

P.S. These pictures crack me up: Here is Jeremy coloring happily with his new color wonder markers (again, the greatest wife and mother ever, right?) See, Jeremy had to get NEW color wonder markers because his little brother, the delightful little sprite that he is, thinks it is the most fantastic fun to swipe the markers when Jeremy isn't looking, pry the colored lid off, and bite the tip off of the marker, rendering them almost completely useless. Luckily all of the markers were safe tonight, but the look of delight on Kadon's face just had to be captured, before his defeat was realized at the hands of an alert mother.

4th of July

Kadon wasn't quite sure what to think of the parade. It was pretty close to naptime for him, and he spent the first several minutes staring at all the firetrucks driving past him with his trademark soberness. He soon warmed up however, as it suddenly occurred to him that these were GREAT trucks, and that people were actually throwing things at him. It didn't hurt at all that one of his most recent words is 'trucks'. Later on in the parade I tried to teach him Horse, but he wasn't interested. Perhaps if the Rodeo Queens had thrown him some candy, he would have been willing to learn the correct word.




This is Jeremy waiting for the parade to start this afternoon. He had just spied the police cruiser down at the beginning of the parade. It was slowly making it's way toward us, but Jeremy could hardly contain the excitement he felt and had to bust out with a little dance to work off the tension. He even created his own music to groove to, some sort of rhythmic tune only a 3 year old (and his mother) could love.

Ouchie!!

Ouchie!! Kadon fell in the bathtub last night and hit the side of his face on the sharp edge of the tub. Thankfully Ammon was right there, and was able to quickly pluck him out of the water. With the blood looking voluminous when it mixed with the water on his face, and our past experience with facial wounds requiring stitches, it was a tense couple of minutes. Luckily, it is a minor wound, and the most he has to show for it this morning is a rather colorful eyelid and undereye area. Good things children heal quickly, right? Jeremy decided a little bit later, that the best thing to do for an ouchie, was to have a popsicle. It was so cute the way he asked and promised to share with his brother, that I figured it was the least I could do to oblige him. They both seemed to feel better after they consumed it.

Fireworks

This year we decided to light some fireworks with the kids, you know, get the whole experience of the Fourth of July. We're not allowed to set them off from our apartment, so we drove over to the local elementary school and set them off in the school bus turnaround. Something told us that we wouldn't be in anybody's way there. Most of the fireworks we had would have been a lot better if we waited until nighttime to light them, but we really wanted Kadon to be a part of the celebration, and dark doesn't come until well after he usually goes to bed.

Ammon lit the fireworks, and I kept the kids corralled, but after a while I got tired of holding Kadon, so it was my brilliant idea to set his carseat on the ground and strap him in! I was surprised at how well he took it, I think the fireworks kept him distracted enough that he didn't mind being contained. All in all, it was a really fun evening, and good prep for Jeremy to watch the real fireworks later that night.

Date Night

Ammon and I went out on a date last night, and I have to say, it was definetely one of the best dates we have been on in a long time. We threw caution (and reservations) to the wind and decided rather than spending so much time trying to be romantic, we would attemtp instead to try new things regardless of the 'romance factor'. Normally for our anniversary we would go to Le Nonne, a very expensive, but delicious, italian place in town. Last night, we ventured into an Indian Resteraunt that-get this- is inside a gas station on campus. The kitzy location aside, the Lamb Curry was some of the most delicious food I have had in a long time. After that, we ventured to the mall (where we didn't buy a thing-defying tradition yet again) then we moved on to a movie at the cheap theatre where we took in X-Men 3. Nope, not a sappy romantic comedy to be found.

From there, the real fun began. We visited a european bakery called Sweetly Divine that has recently opened in town, and the words I could use to describe their culinary delights would only shadow the greatness that we experienced there. If you haven't been introduced to a cannoli, I suggest you take the next available opportunity. You won't regret it. Your thighs might, but I gurantee that you won't.

Anyway, feeling refreshed and full of love for each other, we are now ready to tackle the next year of our life together.... *cheers*