The Funny Things Report

I have a book in my kitchen where I try to write all the funny things that my kids say or do. I never want to forget all of the hilarious things that come out of their innocent little mouths. But, I decided it would be easier to save if I had it all written on the blog. So, this week we had a few funny things...
Landon is obsessed with Spider-Man. We have two Spider-Man Suits, a Spider-Man bike, a web slinger, a tent, a blanket, all of the movies, shirts, jammies, pants, shoes, snow gear, and every Spider-Man gadget under the sun. You get the picture, right? Well, yesterday we were running some errands and the boys were watching Spider-Man (the 1st movie) while we were in the car. I was in the drive-through at the bank when I heard Landon yell from the backseat, "Ewww!"
I asked, "Is this the kissing part?"
"No mom. They're not kissing. They're going like this." (Insert a 3 year old's round little face with his mouth wide open moving his head all round. Hummm, just as I thought. The kissing part. :)

The other morning I made pancakes for breakfast. In an effort to get Cooper to eat something (ANYTHING) with a little protein, I smeared peanut butter on his pancake and then covered it with a little syrup. The best! LI love my pancakes this way, and I thought he would too. Well, my two-year-old who has never spoken an entire sentence, just bits and pieces, took one bite, looked at me, and in his perfect two-year-old voice said, "Ewwwwww! Ah, don't like it mom." FINE!

Last night Landon came out of the bathroom with a big grin on his face. Naturally, I was a little worried because I knew he was into something he wasn't supposed to be into. He looked at me with his smirk, lifted up his shirt, and said, "Smell my armpit mom!" Well, okay, just because you're only three. He was so proud to show me that he had puton Ben's deodorant "all by himself".

Carpe Diem??

Love this post! Definitely a good read. It makes me feel normal!!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/glennon-melton/dont-carpe-diem_b_1206346.html

Happy Days

The last few months have been full of potty training, cabin trips, sick kids, running a business...and pregnancy! And, I am exhausted! But...if we're being perfectly honest, I wouldn't trade a second of any of it. Well, maybe the part where I'm cleaning up puke and other things that begin with the letter "p". But I figure cleaning up bodily fluids just comes with the mothering territory.
Lesson learned: never leave an economy size bottle of baby powder anywhere but the top shelf of the closet.

The last week of February we got the astonishing news that the little beach ball I've been toting around in my belly is a GIRL! We are thrilled-and completely surprised! I was convinced that we were going to be welcoming baby boy #3 into our family in accordance with Ben's plan for a Dance family basketball team. I guess I actually squealed when the nurse told me it was a girl. After the excitement of it all I made her show me on the ultrasound how she knew it was in fact, without a doubt, a girl. Now that reality has begun to sink in I think I finally believe her. The only problem: we have NO NAMES! We've tossed around a few ideas, but nothing promising. Maybe after we see her it will help. Landon wants to call her "Suzie", and I told him he can call her whatever he wants. Although, her birth certificate will without a doubt say something entirely different.
I am counting down the days until this baby girl is here! I've already done irreversible financial damage shopping for our little Angel, and I can't wait to kiss her and rock her in my arms. Hopefully summer will show its face and help the time go a little faster. Until then, Landon will be flying his kite in the cold, blowing bubbles in the bathtub, watching "Tangled" until the disc dissolves in the DVD player, and asking me when his sister is actually going to come out of my belly. And my little Cooper will spend all day following his big brother around everywhere he goes, climbing on counters and sticking his hands (and the wii remote) into the toilet. At least it's not the laptop being dunked into the clean, or not so clean toilet, right?
Real life may not be exciting or glamorous, but these are the moments I have spent my whole life anticipating. They are wonderful, and this is what makes my life worthwhile. Ask me how I feel when I have three kids age three and under. Until then...:)

Goodbye October...

Halloween is over (but the candy is still lurking in my pantry) and the Holidays are almost here! I'm counting down the days! I could hardly wait until November 1st so I could break-out the Christmas music! And as you know, only crazies play Christmas music BEFORE Halloween.(That's why I waited until the day after!!) Or, maybe I'm crazy too because most people think it's against the law in America to play Christmas music before Thanksgiving. If you are one of those people, I say, "Bah-humbug" to you! But, I do it with a smile on my face and Christmas music playing in the background. ;)

Farewell October...bring on the Holidays. That being said, here are a few pics of the October happenings at the Dance home.

Cooper's First Birthday...and the Lucky Penny (Ugh!)

October 28th, 2010. Coop's very first birthday! I got him all dressed in his birthday outfit (not to be confused with his birthday suit:)) & planned for a really fun day.
(I still get a little weepy thinking that my baby is already 1! Seriously? How did that happen??)
We had a fun day with a lot going on. Around four o'clock I noticed Cooper was kind-of wheezing. I watched him for a while & figured he must have been coming down with a cold/little cough. Then about two hours later I was in the emergency room. It was when he started crying and couldn't catch his breath that I knew something was seriously wrong. I don't think I have ever been so afraid of anything, ever. His lips started turning blue, and I had to try and remember anything at all that I had learned in infant CPR/choking training. Which was honestly years ago and did not help ease panic button.
I held him face down and started pounding on his back to see if there was something in his airway. Landon looked at me like I was CRAZY! He started crying and said, "Mommy, what doing? What doing? Copper okay?" So sad, and sweet at the same time. Ben still wasn't home from work, so I did the only thing I could think of, as fast as I could think to do it. I grabbed Landon in one arm & Cooper in the other & drove to the E.R. calling Ben and my mom on the way.
After a pretty intense half hour, and a chest/neck x-ray, we discovered that Cooper had swallowed a penny (on the x-ray it looked like a quarter) and it was lodged in his throat. A family friend (Dr. Hinckley) rushed to the ER and performed the surgery to remove the penny.
Poor Cooper. It was heartbreaking to have to see him get an IV & go into surgery. I was just so thankful that I was able to get to the hospital in time. Dr. Hinckley said we were really lucky, and it easily could have been tragic. (Ugh! Don't even say that!) I thought kids who swallowed pennies just found them in their diaper a day later. I guess Cooper is the exception! :) As the mom of this family I am making a new rule: No more trips to the ER on your birthday!! No...let me amend that rule. No more trips to the ER EVER! Please and thank you!

P.S. The next day Cooper was eating his birthday cupcake(a day late) like nothing had ever happened. We are, and were so blessed.

How could you not fall in love with these faces???

Mother of All Posts

So, after nearly six months away from the blogging world, I have been reprimanded. It took several people "nudging" me, two lessons on journals (one given and one received), an audio book about life's legacies, a comment in Stake Conference, and a journal I found from my parent's dating experience. I decided that someone was trying to tell me something. No promises, just the best I can manage. :)
So much can happen in six months. So... here's a quick recap with lots of pictures.