Kolob Street

Lately Oliver has been picking out words in our reading that he doesn't know the meaning of and asking what they mean. Which can sometimes be tricky to answer because it's hard to explain the meaning of say: simple, galaxy, unruly, etc.... Those seem simple to explain, and maybe they are to some people, but when you actually try and do it with a 3 yr old, it gets kind of complicated. And it also leads to a lot more questions and then it sort of snowballs and ends with me saying, "ok, we just need to finish the story." Anyway, he has also been picking up words from music that we listen to or that I sing to him and asking what they mean. (It amazes me that he can do this first of all because I am notorious for getting music lyrics wrong, just ask Zack. I have many embarrassing stories of when I thought a song said one thing and well, I was WAY off.) So today I was singing songs to him before nap time and I was singing If You Could High To Kolob (hey, I'm sick of twinkle, twinkle, little star) and Oliver asked what Kolob was. Hmmm.....how to explain this. I said it's where God lives. He said, "like in heaven?" I said, "well heaven is a big place and God lives in heaven in Kolob." I could see this was confusing. It's like explaining we live in the United States and Massachusetts and Craziville, it's complicated to the 3 yr old mind. So I explained it's like we live in Craziville, but we also live on Psycho Street in Craziville. So I explained that God lives in Heaven which is a big place and he also lives on Kolob Street. (Yeah, I know, not entirely true, but hey do we really know how it works? I know I don't.) So Oliver said, "Does God live with the Angels on Kolob street?" I said, "Yes." Then Oliver said, "Does God drive an angel car?" Hmmmm....does God drive an angel car? I don't really know, but it was funny none the less. I told him that maybe God drives an angel car, I don't really know. He seemed pleased with that, I'm sure in his mind he is imagining God riding around on Kolob Street in some hot rod car! Hey, it makes heaven sound kind of fun doesn't it?! I guess I need to work on my gospel teaching skills!

Bum Teeth and a Hair Cut!

This is a picture of Oliver with his new Batman toothbrush! The reason he got a new toothbrush was because the other night while he was in the bathtub I gave him his toothbrush so that he could brush his teeth before bed. I turned around to do something or put something away and when I looked back, he was brushing his bottom with it. (Not just the cheeks mind you, in the crack.) I immediately said, "WHAT are you doing???" Silence. I then said, "Why are you putting your toothbrush in your bum? That's gross! Toothbrushes are for you teeth not your bum." To which Oliver replied, "I was brushing my bum teeth." I then had to explain that we don't have teeth on on bums (thank goodness) and that if we stick our toothbrush in our bum then it is going to get gross and dirty. To which he cooly said, "ok" and that was that. Sigh. Where does he come up with these things? Needless to say, that toothbrush went quickly in the garbage and thus the new Batman toothbrush. I guess it could have been worse, he could have tried to brush......no wait, your bum is basically the most disgusting place you could put your toothbrush. Mission accomplished Oliver!

As for the haircut, Zack and I finally caved to just use the clippers on Oliver's hair. His hair is so wild with callicks and it grows so darn fast that it's annoying to have to keep paying for haircuts and I haven't been able to keep up with it since being pregnant and now with a new baby and often when we were out somewhere I would look over at our adorable son and think, "man he looks kind of crazy." So we gave in and finally gave Oliver the haircut that basically ever toddler boy is sporting, the buzz, in order to avoid having our child look like a total ragga-muffin. So for better or worse there you have it. It may be a little uneven since he was screaming the entire time and I was just trying to hurry, but oh well, it's better than it was!

*Update: I wrote this post awhile ago and never got to putting it on, so now Oliver's hair is sort of grown out in the picture. Time for another cut!

It's a strange world....

So I just thought I would share a crazy experience and also a random thought. I'm no Jack Handy, so they won't be deep, but how deep can a person be expected to be when they are only getting like 3 or 4 hours a sleep a day??

My story:
So we were at the park the other day, and it was busy because it was the weekend. Now lets keep in mind that we had to go to a park in Craziville because the one we normally go to was too far to go with our allotted time. (Normally we head outside of Craziville to avoid ghetto park experiences such as when my car got kicked in and dented by someone with a big foot, person still unknown, dent still there.) So we picked the lesser of the ghetto parks for this particular day. But of course going to a ghetto park also insures that you get some good people watching. Zack and I love to people watch. Well on this day we found ourselves a douzy of a suspect! This woman had I believe one child with her, not sure as a few kids sort of drifted in and out of the picture. She was wearing an ever sporty crop top/hoody jacket. So from chest down we were bare until you hit the insanely tight jean shorts and the kicker was the awesome eighties ratted hair on top! So that alone was catching our attention because she just looked so great! (Her entire show takes place while she is pushing kids on the swing.) So I look over and she is pushing kids on the swing while talking on her cell phone, no biggy, parents do this all the time. Nothing says quality time like talking on your phone while playing with you kids! So then I look over again and she is now eating a bagel while pushing kids, I look over again and she is now talking on the phone while smoking while pushing kids. Yeah, smoking at a playground with TONS of kids around. Hmmm....I'm pretty sure that's taboo. So then she gets off the phone and is smoking over by the little toddler playground area, not cool, but to make matters worse, instead of holding the cigarette up high above the little children's' heads, she is holding it down way low, so she doesn't get the smoke in HER face. NICE. She about gave Oliver a cigarette burn when she was bending down holding her smoke behind her not watching and Oliver came around to get on the stairs. Needless to say, we moved on from that spot quickly. But my other favorite part was when she started talking to her friend who was then lifting up her shirt to put healing cream on her new tattoo that was across her stomach. I mean just a couple of real classy ladies. I was going to get their number to see if they wanted to start a play group or something, but unfortunately we had to go then.....

My observation:
So I am driving to the grocery store today and I notice on someone's back window one of those Calvin (of Calvin and Hobbs) peeing on something. And I just thought to myself, "Really? Are people really still putting those on their cars?" Because this was a newer looking car. I mean hasn't that whole thing gotten old yet? I remember those back in like Jr. High and that was almost 20 years ago! I mean it's not funny to me at all I've always thought that was really stupid, but can it really still be that funny or cool to other people? It amazes me that it's still so popular and apparently funny/cool. Does anyone else agree? I mean what is the deal? I guess I'm just not a bad apple! If I were a bad apple I would have a picture of someone or something peeing on my car. I guess I have enough children peeing on me in real life and in my car (in their diapers of course) that it just doesn't seem cool!

At Long Last.....

 

 

 

 

So our little girl was born and she has been a complete doll! Such a good baby. She does have her days and nights sort of mixed up, so the nights have been a little rough, but honestly she is so much better than Oliver was that it just seems crazy to us! Zack and I keep thinking at some point she's going to turn into a nightmare baby like Oliver was with sleeping. But so far so good, hopefully it keeps up!
And most importantly, after a week of diliberation and much pier pressure we have finally named her. We decided not to go with "Sister" as Oliver voted, but instead we have named her RUBY KATHLEEN. So there you have it, a baby, a name, and actually we moved 2 days before she was born, so a new apartment as well, all within a 10 day span. It's been a busy 10 days, but wonderful too, I'm just glad my parents were here to help us!

He's Back!!!

Well Zack has safely returned from Japan! We are so happy to have him home with us, even if he did leave behind some really beautiful places. Here are some more pictures that I failed to put on before of his stay in Japan. It really does look like such a gorgeous place! Maybe he will take us back someday with him now that he's practically a native!





Zen Garden
Zack eating a little Tofu lunch at a nice restaurant.
View from their table. No wonder it's a popular place to eat!
Outside view from the restaurant. How beautiful.
Zack trying to blend in by acting like he knows how to use a cell phone!


Not sure what Zack was doing in the Geisha district?
This picture is to prove that Zack actually did do some semblance of work while in Japan, it wasn't all fun and games!!

Karaoke Anyone???

So for Zack's farewell party, the other grad students had a night of Karaoke!! I'm pretty sure that was Zack's idea! (Ha, ha) I guess it's a must in Japan. To my surprise, Zack managed to do several musical numbers both as duets and solos! Oh how I wish I had some video of this. His set list consisted of:

Welcome to the Jungle- a duet with Tomo (I think)

Yellow Submarine- solo

Octopus Garden- solo

Some Unknown Monkey song- a duet

Free Bird- Solo (a long solo)

and the piece de resistance

Ice Ice Baby- Solo

I think he had a lot of fun, and he said it was such a funny thing to be there listening to everyone really get into it. In fact the Professor that he worked with while he has been there did some numbers where he has taken a popular song and made his own Psychology related lyrics to go with them. I'm not sure how these went over, nerdy comes to mind, but then I'm not a part of the psychology world! What Zack found very interesting was that there were about 30 rooms for people to sing with their groups and when they were walking by, there were people that had a room all alone. Hmmm.....interesting. And then he said there were quite a few rooms with only 2 people in them. Talk about an awkward first date!! Solo anyone? Anyway, enjoy the pics......

A little G-N-R duet! Welcome to the Jungle!
A Little "Free Bird" by Lynard Skynard. I mean you can't do Karaoke in Japan and not do Free Bird! It's a must.
I don't know that I've ever seen someone sitting down to Karaoke! But who am I to judge?
Ice, Ice, Zacky! Apparently this one brought the house down! He had the whole group rockin' to Ice Ice Baby. He said he did the dance moves and all! I have to say, this is a new side to Zack that I guess the Japanese have been able to draw out!
I'm sure this is the other students cheering on "Vanilla!"

Japan/Zack Update by picture

As you can see, Zack's research trip to Japan has been just awful! Just slaving away in a foreign land!
When in Japan.....



Which of these things is not like the other??
Zack eating at a Korean restaurant. He had many interesting things like intestines, liver, heart, and tongue. He was a little scared at first, but said it was all really good! Here he is cutting up some beef.
Apparently the Japanese are very hospitable! Here Tatsuya is cleaning off Zack's shirt for him. I thought only I could do that! ha, ha.

More pictures to come.....

Some pics from our Utah trip!

Playing blocks w/ Grandpa D
The Three Amigos at Cafe Rio
Giddy Up Cowboy!
Seafood anyone?
Oliver and Granpa B

Fishing in Provo Canyon
Cousin Gage and Oliver

Just a little golfing out on the green!
Grandpa's Caddy!

Some pictures of the Golden Temple in Kyoto

 

 

 

 

A True American!!

Happy 4th of July to all! I just wanted to share some patriotic tidbits that Oliver has expressed recently to kick off your holiday: While in Utah he must have been struck by all the republican talk radio that my mom listens to each day. So we were at the post office waiting for my mom to mail something inside and he saw the flag outside waving in the breeze and said, "Mommy is that the American flag?" I said, "Yes it is." Then a few minutes later he said, "Mommy is that Barack Obama's flag?" Laughing, I said, "Well I guess it is!" It was truly funny, and I'm not really even sure how he remembered Obama's name, but none the less, he feels he is a True American! Eat your heart out Glenn Beck! Then a week or so later, Oliver and I were driving in the car to Zack's parents house. Oliver was telling me he wanted a present because we had wrapped one to give to Grandpa. So I had been telling him that he would get a present when it was his birthday and then I asked him what he would like for his birthday. He thought for a minute and then said, "Ummmm......maybe a Statue of Liberty toy? And a McQueen car, no 3 McQueen cars!" Where he got the idea for a Statue of Liberty toy I have no idea, and I really have no idea what a Statue of Liberty toy would do, but he wants one none the less......I guess it just shows how patriotic our son is. What can we say, he loves his country! So may you all strive to be as into America as Oliver is on this great day!! :)

Sidenote: Apparently Zack has taken our camera cord with him to Japan, therefore I can not download any pictures from the camera to our computer even now that I am home. Sigh. Thus I only had an old picture to put on this, but Oliver is wearing red! Errrr....Zack, you are totally busted!