When All Else Fails, Make Your Husband Read the Instructions

This sandbox nearly ended my marriage. I'm kidding...No, I'm not. Anyway, here's the deal. We needed a sandbox because we can't keep Chase out of the flower beds, so we thought that a sandbox would be a good solution. I've been wanting this sandbox from Costco, and after a little luck (it had been sold out), we found and bought it on Saturday.

We started setting it up that afternoon. Now, Sam and I don't usually build stuff together, but when we first bought our house we did a lot of remodeling, and I was always the instruction reader. So, of course, Sam told me to figure out the instructions. The problem, however, was that the instructions only included pictures, and the wood could fit together a number of different ways. We put it together, and took it apart 4 times because something was upside down, or screwed together wrong. Each time, Sam told me that I should have read the instructions better, and I told him that if he wanted to figure out the instructions, he was more than welcome to help out. Throw in a few melt downs from Halle and Chase, and we about lost it. We went all white trash, and bickered in the backyard about who was doing what wrong, and what needed to be fixed. The neighbors could probably hear. Now, I'm embarrassed, but at the time I could have cared less.

After a whole lot of exhaustion, we finished. And we're still married. Now, Chase better stay out of my flower beds!

What's My Excuse?

I've been on a blogging hiatus. I wish I had some cool excuse, like, I've been out of the country, or we are starting a new business, but I don't. We have just been going about life lately, watching the Jazz and complaining about Utah spring weather. So, here's a brief summary of our activities since I last blogged:

A few weeks ago, we joined Halle and her preschool class for a field trip at the zoo. It was fun to see Halle interact with her school friends.

Halle absolutely loves preschool. She has learned so much, and made many good friends. She is in her final month of preschool, and looking forward to entering kindergarten.

Chase absolutely loved the zoo. I could not get him to take his eyes of the animals to look at my camera, though.

We also celebrated my 29th birthday. Umm... How did I get that old? We had a great day, and Chase really loved my cake!

Mostly though, I've been busy being a mom. I love being a mom to these two darlings. 90% of the time, they drive me crazy, but every once in a while, they look so darn cute, I can't stand it!

High Five

Last Friday, Halle turned 5! She has been crossing off the days on a calendar for about 2 months, anxiously awaiting her birthday. The day was all about Halle's favorites: presents, Zupa's for lunch, movies, Panda Express for dinner, and cupcakes. It was a great day, and we love our 5-year-old girl!

Halle is such a special girl. She loves school and is looking forward to entering kindergarten. She takes dance and already has more moves than I ever dreamed of having. She loves to play with her friends. She is a fantastic big sister. She will try any food, and likes most of it. She loves to make crafts. And, of course, she's adorable. We love you, Halle!

A Summary of my Day(s)

(during a phone conversation with Sam earlier today)

Sam: Does your whole day consist of following the kids around while drinking Diet Coke?

Me: Pretty much.

I {Heart} JIMMER!

We love the Cougars. Like, we totally love the Cougars. We have a BYU flag that hangs outside our house 365 days a year. 90% of my husband's t-shirts have BYU's logo plastered all over them. I can tell you just about any stat on this team.

So, where was I when BYU tipped off against Florida to start the NCAAs? At the Children's Museum. The freakin' Children's Museum. And, just in case you are wondering, there are no TVs there. Not one.

Halle had a class field trip, and despite many attempts of bribery, Halle wanted to go, so I took her and Chase. I was on the phone with Sam for about 2 straight hours getting updates on the game. Luckily, I made it home just in time to watch the Cougars pull it out in the 2nd overtime.

We can't wait to watch the Cougars again on Saturday. Hopefully, we can win another one and come back to SLC! Go COUGS!

Burnin' Love

For the next week, Chase's hand is going to look like this:

This morning when I went to answer the phone, Chase pulled my hair straightener down off of the counter and burnt his hand. He has blisters on his fingers and palm. The poor little guy screamed for like 2 hours straight. Luckily, it didn't burn on any joints, which would have made healing much worse. For the next week, I will be changing bandages, washing out his hand, medicating him and hopefully keep him from ripping his little mitten off.

Please let my mommy mishap serve as a reminder to everyone to keep hot things away from little people.

We're Right in the Middle of "That Phase"

Chase is 100% TROUBLE! All he wants to do is climb, wrestle, and live on the edge. It is absolutely exhausting watching him all day. I don't ever have a chance to work on anything, because if I turn my back, he is causing ruckus somewhere. He throws food, makes messes, doesn't go to bed on time, but there's one thing I know for sure: He's adorable! We love you, Bubba!