Sunday Snippets

Our Week in Review

• It has been a quiet week except for our Halloween adventures, but since I already blogged about that I won't repeat myself.
• I had high hopes of spending Thanksgiving in Houston with my kids and my husband, but I learned this week that it is not going to happen.  
• The next couple of weeks look to be full of adventures and a lot of stress, so maybe I'll actually have something to write about next time.  Until then we are looking forward to Sunday dinner with the family at Grandma's.  The kids and I really love this new (but soon to be short lived) tradition.

Halloween 2011

I should have been Scrouge for Halloween. BAH-HUM-BUG!
Dylan left half (and the important half) of his costume at school.  I didn't realize this until 10 minutes before we were supposed to leave to go trick-or-treating.  So All the money I blew on his costume so he could have something to wear for one night sat locked away in a closet at school.
My mother used to always say "someday you'll get a kid just like you"....Well folks I got a kid just like me...If that kids head wasn't attached he'd forget that too!
Every year we have a tradition where dad and the kids in their costumes pose for a picture.  This year I don't even have a picture to show. I guess I'm not that mad since Mr. Giovannoni is in Houston, Dylan was missing half his costume and Isaac didn't have one at all.
Miss Alivia had quite the swagger in her little Butterfly costume, she told her Aunt Cozy she walked like that because she was "Beautiful", heaven help me when she's a teen!  She did look pretty cute though if you ask me. 
Uncle Nyles, Aunt Kira,  Aunt Cozy, Uncle Mitch and all our little ones went trick-or-treating to the neighborhood my siblings and I grew up in, and we all really enjoyed ourselves.  It was fun to hang out with my brothers and sisters and my nephews, best part of Halloween for sure.

Sunday Snippets

Our Week In Review

• Not much to report this week.  Isaac and myself flew out to Houston Wednesday to see the Mr.  The weather was perfect in Houston, warm sunshine, slightly chilly breeze. I think I'm going to like Houston Winters.   
• My wonderful in-laws and my sweet sister Cozy watched Alivia and Dylan while I was in Houston.  I'm really grateful for their help and service.  It won't be too long from now that our family will be a thousand miles away from everyone we love.  I'm going to miss the love and support and help everyone gives to our family.
• I really struggled to want to do anything for Halloween this year, so I found myself at the Halloween store late Tuesday night paying WAY to much for last minute Halloween costumes for my kids, because I couldn't stand the look of disappointment in their eyes.
• Mr. Giovannoni celebrated his 32nd birthday, although there really wasn't much celebrating.  I really have dropped the ball with everything in life right now.  I just hope the Mister knows how much I love him and that someday I'll give him a great birthday, with gifts and everything...SOMEDAY!  
• Isaac was absolutely terrible on our flight home from Houston.  We were blessed to sit by so many nice people who were kind and understanding, when they could have been rude and outwardly frustrated!  Longest three hours of my life (and everyone elses for that matter), that's for certain.  Despite his atrocious behavior and my splitting headache from being head butted we made it back to Utah safe and sound. 

Sunday Snippets

Our Week in Review

• Uncle Eric, Aunt Cozy, Braxton and the kids and I all drove up to Sundance to take some pictures.  I love the mountains.  I am going to miss them dearly.  The crisp air and the beautiful fall colors, were enchanting.  I tried capturing a picture of the beautiful colors of the leaves on the mountain up ahead of us with my phone, but the kids were screaming and fighting, I was hanging out our van window and the sun was blaring head on, none of which makes for a good picture.

 

•  Where did my baby boy go?  He's only a year and a half, but when I look at these pictures I see just how much he has grown and changed.

 

• Then I saw this picture and I was like who's child is that?

 Isaac isn't the only one growing up.  I can't believe my little girl is turning 5 next month.  All of the sudden her underwear is to little, her face shape is changing and her capri's are actually capri's rather than pants on her.  I can't help but wonder if someone's sneaking growth hormones to my kids :)

• Dylan was to busy running around like a wild child to have his picture taken, and while his looks and appearance aren't changing much now, I see a lot of growth and change in who he is on the inside.  
• I braved taking all three kids by myself to the Lehi Legacy swimming pool.  It turned out to be a pretty fun adventure.  Isaac cuddled up to me the entire time and Livie and Dylan had a lot of fun going down slides and playing with the water spouts. 
• We tried doing a picnic at the Discovery Park one evening as well, but it got cold and dark right after we got there, so that didn't turn out nearly as fun as I hoped. 
• My make it Monday craft didn't work out so well either.  It looked very easy and simple and I imagined it being a really fun project for the kids and I.  Not so.  Maybe I'm craft impaired....We'll just have to see if I can come up with something better for tomorrow.

Sunday Snippets

Our Week in Review

More appropriately titled the last few weeks in review

• The home in Cypress which we loved and hoped and waited for twice, finally SOLD to someone other than us. 
• Alivia and I have had a rough week. That girl is insanely stubborn and can throw the mother of all psychotic fits.  After a particular situation in which I reacted horribly to her tantrum, I just fell apart.  Later that evening Alivia looked at me and said, "Mom you are doing a great job with your kids"!  I was horrified and touched all at the same time.  I do not know what motivated her to say that, but it certainly made me think twice.
• The children are driving everyone crazy.  Living in someones elses home if beyond hard, for every one involved.  I'm living in total dread of fall break this next week.  
• Alivia has learned to spell and write her first name, she has so much fun writing it and is so proud of herself.   I totally burst her bubble the other day though when I tried to teach her her last name....My poor children!  Can you imagine having to learn and spell GIOVANNONI.
• Isaac has begun his morph from calm, gentile, sweet innocent baby into a saucy energetic, pushing, hitting, throwing, destroying angel!  I love him more than words, I really do, but oh my he can really make a mess and he throws tantrums that almost beat out Alivia's.  He screams like he's at deaths door if I walk out of his line of vision.  He gets into a smack down fight when ever I put him with other toddlers, it makes nursery time one anxiety filled event (for the both of us). 
• Dylan is still doing fantastic in school.  He is currently keeping himself busy by "writing" books and spouting facts and teasing his great grandmother.
• We have surpassed the 4 month mark since Mr. Giovannoni left us for Houston.  Life really is what happens when you're busy making plans.  Because none of this was in my plans! 
• I've been absolutely horrible about keeping current on this blog, mostly it's because I'm suffering from bi-polar emotions and I've been afraid that I'd jinx myself or say something absolutely horrendous, so I've just kept quiet. 
• Dylan and I went to our first live general conference session thanks to my parents who invited us along and my sister who gave us tickets so we could go.  Dylan slept through the entire thing, but I enjoyed every second of the peace and quiet and the messages.  I got to sit with my mother, my father and one of my brothers as well as my two little sisters.   It was awesome to have so many of my family there together. 
• I like to escape to the park with my kids, it gives everyone a nice break.  Isaac always goes and finds a puddle to sit in, silly kid.  I'm going to miss our park excursions, once the cold settles in and winter begins, I might officially go insane this winter....Let's all cross our fingers and say a little prayed that we (and by that I mean the kids and I) can be in Houston before that happens. 
• I've been teaching my sister in-law to crochet.  I'm not a very good teacher, but I think she is doing a very good job.
• I've decided to do a little project called Make it Monday with my kids.  Hopefully I can make a go of it and start making some good/happy memories, while we're at Grandma's.
• I got to help Ernie and Diane and Grandma "Joe" harvest their potato crop.  I was in seventh heaven, I really do love gardening.  It's the first time in months I momentarily forgot my problems.
• Halloween is almost here and I have no desire to make or buy my children costumes this year, can we just cancel the whole darn thing?
• The fall leaves on the mountain are just stunning right now.  I'm hoping their brilliant colors will stick around for another week or so, so I can take the kids on a long drive through the canyons, so we can be surrounded by beauty. 
• Alivia and Dylan did so good with their parts in the primary program today.  It was nice to have an uneventful primary program for once.

A Year and a Half

Sunday Snippets

Now I'm grumpy!
I spent two hours last night typing up the last two weeks of Sunday Snippets. I even saved the post a few times along the way and when I went to post it today it posted the title, but there was no text.    Everything I typed inside was gone, so here's attempt number two.

August  14-20

• I hauled three children, four pieces of carry-on luggage and two car seats through the airport by myself, so that we could go on a family vacation to Houston before Dylan started school.  We were an hour early and our flight was an hour and a half delayed so we had lots of free time to sit in the terminal.  But once it was time to board the plane my luggage decided to spontaneously explode.  The zipper broke and all the contents fell out.  A very kind women stopped and held Isaac for me so I could stuff my belongings back in and try to get the zipper to stay shut.  She even helped me load my kids up in the plane, she was an angel!  Thankfully the kids slept most of the flight. 
• After the whole flight ordeal was over and on the car ride to Mr. Giovannoni's apartment the kids were being super silly and Isaac was laughing his little head off.  There's something about babies laughing that brings me such joy.  It felt so good to be together as a family!
• Alivia's first statement when we got out of the car (in Texas) was "What is that smell"?  We laughed and laughed and told her it was just Texas.  Dylan followed up by asking, "Why is it still hot and the sun is NOT up"?  
• Before we entered Mr. Giovannoni's apartment, we instructed our children to walk softly on the floor and to not scream or fight so that we wouldn't disturb anyone.  We hadn't been there for even a half hour before there was a knock on the door.  Apparently his (childless) downstairs neighbor had turned us into management for being to noisy!  I knew we were in for it after that because my kids weren't even acting up.  The next day this "neighbor" knocked on our door and told me he was a reasonable person, and we were being so disruptive, so if we could please keep it quiet.  I tried to explain to him that I had three children one of which was a toddler and that I was doing my best to keep them quiet.  I explained we were just here for a few days and then we would be gone.  I told him during the day I was car-less, but I'd do my best to keep them quiet while we were at home.  Despite my best efforts Mr. Giovannoni's neighbor continued to knock and complain and pretend he was a reasonable person!  He really was a trip ruin-er for sure!  I spent every second we were at the apartment, threatening, scolding and putting my kids in time out for moving or breathing.  It was AWFUL.
• When we weren't living in fear of making noise and bothering the neighbor, we spent our time playing in the pool at Mr. Giovannoni's apartment complex, it really was fun. 
• Isaac slipped/tripped and fell on the corner of his daddies glass coffee table and split his eye brawl open.  We had our first experience with our new health insurance and an Urgent Care Facility down there.  Two stitches later Isaac was up and running and looking for a new way to hurt himself. 
• On Friday night we took the kids to a fun restaurant/petting zoo.  Only in Texas!   My kids thought it was a riot to eat a mouthful of food and run off and chase the peacocks and look at the one eyed horse.  I would have never ever went there if someone had told me about it, but I'm glad we went it was a unique dining experience!
• Mr. Giovannoni took Dylan to a special Star Wars exhibit at the Houston Children's Health Museum.  He really enjoyed it, but I think the kids favorite part of our trip to the museum was the 4-D movie we went to see called planet you.  
• We went to a place called Pappadeux's for dinner and tried some fried alligator. 
• Sunday was a bitter sweet day for me.  Bitter, because I hated going home, not knowing when we would be together again.  Bitter because we were no closer to finding a home then before we came.  Bitter because I don't want to be a single mother anymore and I don't like being alone.  Bitter because I had to haul all my kids and belongings back through the airport by myself so we could go home. Sweet because I was tired of being a grump to my kids. Sweet, because I didn't have to deal with Mr. "Reasonable" any more! 
• We stopped by the Houston temple and let the kids look around before we headed off to the airport.  Dylan had hoped and hoped he'd see a lizard while he was in Texas.  Unfortunately all he found was a dead shriveled up one by the pool.  Just before we left the temple, Alivia spotted a green lizard on one of the temple trees and showed it to Dylan.  He was ecstatic!  He tells everyone he had a miracle happen at the Houston temple, because he saw a lizard there.  I can't help but love that kid, it makes me smile and laugh every time I hear him tell everyone of his Houston temple miracle. 
• Dylan told me repeatedly that he was super glad to be going home to Utah because he really loves cold nights, not hot nights like Texas'.
• Thank you Aunt Jennell for driving us to the airport.  And thank you Grandma Ward for picking us up at 11:00 at night.  
• Our trip to Texas was truly an adventure.  I can't wait to finally get settled there!

August 21-27

• Dylan got to meet his new school teacher.  She seemed really nice. 
• Dylan got to ride a bus to school for the very first time, and he loves it!
• For the first time in what seems like forever, there is peace and quiet in Grandma's home.  Alivia has no one to tease and fight with while Dylan's at school, and I'm enjoying every second of it.
•  Aunt Cozy, Uncle Eric and the kids and I went to the pool for one last dip.  Dylan ran over and got in line to jump of the high dive, I was so certain he was going to get up there and chicken out, but boy was I wrong, he dived right off.  He spent almost the entire time we were there jumping off the high dive.  He did an excellent job of swimming too, for only having one set of lessons last year. I think he is an excellent swimmer.  He even got his mother and Aunt Cozy to jump off the high dive too.  He asked me how I liked it afterwards and I told him I was old because it just hurt me everywhere.  He then told me maybe if I didn't have so much extra "skin", it wouldn't hurt so bad.  Oh the honesty of a child.