To Blog or Not To Blog?

I know it's been a long time since I've blogged and actually...I haven't really felt like blogging. I usually blog because I feel that something interesting or noteworthy has happened. Or something happened that I would like to memorialize. But lately...not so much. I'll give a brief update and some pictures, though, to make this blog worth reading for all my readers (whoever you are).

-Updates-
Work: I started working full time at a music store. I love my job. I love the people I work with. I love what I do. I don't love the hours. I don't love being away from my kids ALL day. And I don't love working on Saturday. I love the money. I love the commission. I don't love the fact that sometimes I get really competitive and it brings out a nastiness in my personality. I don't love that by the time I get home some evenings, all I want to do is go curl up with a book and not talk to anyone. I love how happy my kids are to see me when I get home. I don't love that Ella cries when I leave in the morning. As you can tell, its a little bitter sweet. I've decided my ideal situation would be working part time, 11:00a.m.-3:00p.m. That would be perfect. Just enough to get me out of the house so the chances of me murdering my children are less, but not enough time that I feel like I'm missing my kids too much.

Work II: Tom is starting a business with his brother doing taxes. So far things are trucking along, but slowly. Right now he is trying to juggle so many things that it is crazy. He is doing his MBA program (AND GETTING STRAIGHT A'S EVERY SEMESTER *shout out! woot woot!*), trying to start this business, AND be a stay at home dad. Yes, he is a better stay at home parent than I am, even if he won't admit it. Every day I come home (I'm not kidding or exaggerating) the house is SPOTLESS and he is busy cooking up dinner while listening to his class online, or trying to wrangle the kids. His cooking has been a complete success, as well. Needless to say, I am one lucky girl. We have decided, also, that in May or June we will reassess the work situation and change something if something needs changing. Tom is not the biggest fan of being a stay at home parent....in fact, I think sometimes he hates it. Who can blame him? It is a hard transition from being bacon earner, to bacon cooker. I'm going the opposite direction and it is a lot of pressure earning the money! Sheesh!


Ella: Sassy as ever. This kid is attitude through and through. She has an opinion about EVERYTHING and will tell you about it...even if you tell her to be quiet. Be Quiet and Hold Still are commands she does not comprehend. This girl is energy to the max. All day. Every day. Until well after sun down. Luckily she doesn't wake up until 9:00ish...so that's nice, but she doesn't go to sleep until after 9:30 most nights, even if I put her to bed at 8:00. I would like to put her in preschool and I think she would benefit from it like CRAZY, but alas....it is too expensive, so we are trying to sort of teach her stuff at home. She can almost read...I just need to work with her more. Sometimes I feel like a terrible parent because 1) I can't afford preschool for her and 2) I can't dedicate the time to teach her preschool myself. Am I a bad parent?? She is eating better, which is good because she is in the 3% for height/weight averages. She is a bean pole. Completely. Her favorite foods? Macaroni and cheese and candy. Big surprise. She looooooves to play Old Maid and Go Fish and do puzzles. Her favorite shows include: Jake and the Never Land Pirates, and Mickey Mouse Club. Shows she does NOT like? Anything Tom and I want to watch.


Tommy: Such a sweetheart. For as sassy as Ella is, this boy is all snuggles. He is a little rough when he plays, but he's just husky and throws his weight around. He looooooves food. Like...LOVES food. Seriously, he would eat ALL day if we let him. As soon as we walk into a restaurant, or he sees that we are starting to cook - he runs to his high chair and starts hanging out it and whining. This kid LOVES to eat. Even when we are watching TV, he will point and go "neh!" at the t.v. if there is food on it. Yep. He's a little chubs. We love him. His nick name is Wiggles. He smiles ALL the time and is such a little tow-head. He has LOTS of teeth and loves to brush them. He loves bathtime and is starting to talk. Words he has mastered: ball, dada, mama, ella, night night, buh-bye, more. He loves to give kisses, high fives, and throw balls...er...throws EVERYTHING. Favorite things: food, balls, cars, whatever toy Ella is playing with. Least favorite things: sacrament meeting, washing his hair, sitting in his car seat. Oh, we just found out he has hip dysplasia in his left hip. We have a Dr.s appointment on February 17th. Hopefully everything goes okay...I'm a little worried about it...


Church: I officially am sick of my calling. Being the ward choir director of a lackluster choir is discouraging to say the least...but when my average number of attendance is six...it gets a little ridiculous. Bless my regulars. They are so dedicated it makes me so happy, even if when we perform it is like nails on a chalk board and even Tom tries not to say anything when we sit down - I have my dedicated little choir members. I have been doing it for a year and am finished. I want to be in the primary so I can watch Ella sing "I Love to See the Temple" and watch Tommy bounce up and down dancing to the primary songs. Church is now at 11:00 which means we actually go to the first hour (sacrament is last). We have become a statistic. When church is at 9:00 and sacrament last...we make it there for sacrament. Yep. Oh well. Now we are completely active and on time.

Anyway, to be completely honest, there are a lot of hard things going on right now in my life, which is why I think I haven't really blogged much. But I hope you enjoyed this update and the pictures. I'll probably blog again in a couple months...it seems to be my average lately.

How cute are these kids? Seriously?!