Tag catch up

Over the past few weeks I have been tagged to do a some memes that I haven't yet done. And since I enjoy reading them on other peoples' blogs, I figured I'd fill them out on mine. This one is from Jackie:



4 Jobs I've held

Carnival worker (mm hmm, that's right. I painted faces, filled bottles with colorful sand, and tried to hook up (in a completely innocent junior high kind of way) with the naughty boys that were doing community service from the Boys Ranch, which, I might add, resulted in more than one phone call in the middle of the night letting me know that they were "going back to rehab and just wanted to say goodbye." I still have no idea why my dad would get out of bed at 2 AM to bring me the phone instead of yelling at them to get lost... my dad is really nice).

Medical receptionist (cushy high school job at my dad's office to get some spending $)

Field and office facilitator for BYU Romania Int'l Volunteers Program (absolutely FANTASTIC jobs-- I worked with some of the coolest, most diverse people I've ever met)

Special Education Teacher (I taught kindergarten to 17 of the greatest kiddos in the world-- in my humble opinion, the most worthwhile and best job on the planet besides my current occupation of mother)



4 Movies I can watch over and over

Forrest Gump (and it usually can still make me cry even though I totally know what's coming)

The Fiddler on the Roof (can't get enough of Tevya's shaking arms during the "Rich Man" song and dance)

That's all I can think of... I'm not a big movie watcher (just ask my husband). But if it counts, I could watch re-runs of pretty much any sporting event over and over without hesitation (ESPN Classics is a staple in our house)



4 Guilty Pleasures

Otter Pops (in the summer I can't buy them or else I will literally eat at least 10 a day)

American Gladiators (wait, that isn't cool anymore? Shoot. J and I watch it almost every night on ESPN Classics)

Having the hubby put our baby into my bed with me before he leaves for work (because #1, I love cuddling him while he sleeps, and #2, then I don't have to get out of bed and get him when he wakes up and we can just lay there and play together until breakfast time)

Baby clothes (I am a huge sucker for all the tiny cuteness that is clothing for baby, and since our budget does not exactly take this into account I am a religious sale rack shopper and pretty much don't buy anything unless it is on super-sale. And luckily I have a mother who probably loves baby clothes more than anyone on the planet and her budget does allow for some splurges here and there. Thanks mom.)



4 Shows I enjoy

The First 48 (a fantastic show that follows homicide investigators around for the first 48 hours after a murder to document how they go about solving cases)

The Bachelor (that totally should have been a guilty pleasure. Don't tell anyone, please. My husband is ashamed of me when he comes home and I am watching it)

Anything sports (the most television we consume in our house is during the Jazz season. But we pretty much just like sports in general-- if ever we are channel surfing we almost always end up watching a sporting event)



4 places I have been on vacation

The Disney Parks (and they are totally calling my name again. I could go over and over and over)

Europe (I travelled all around after living in Romania)

New York (in college 4 of my girlfriends and I decided to just pack our bags and go for a long weekend on very short notice-- fantastic memories)

Cruises (if you are looking for a relaxing vacation this is the way to go. My parents surprised us with one when I was in junior high, in high school my friend Emily's family and mine went, and then J and I went on one for our honeymoon)



4 Favorite foods

Squash

Cafe Rio Pork anything

Salmon

Cheese and crackers (the real kind)

Awards I have won

Most talkative (actually, I never won that. My second grade teacher told my mom that everyone always knew what was going on with me and I always knew what was going on with everyone else-- she meant it as a bad thing but I've always thought of it as a sort of backhanded compliment)

scholarships for school

3rd place in a public speaking competition for HOSA (but it hardly counts because I think only like 5 people were in the competition)

Most likely to grow up and marry a pirate (wait, was that me or you, Krisla?)



Hobbies I enjoy

Certain crafts (though I don't claim to be good at them, I have a strange affinity for creating-- this year I'm mod-podging my Christmas ornaments and making a shelf to hold our stockings on-- things like that)

Taking pictures (again, not something I have a particular talent for, but something I really love to do)

decorating (yeah, same thing here, but you can often find me wandring the furniture and decorating aisles at Target... but I think if I had more money I could do a decent job)

writing (not like the book writing, more like writing in my journal or writing cards etc.)




Secretly, I wish I could

adopt an orphan right now

live in Africa and run an orphanage or NGO of sorts (and really, it's not because I have super noble desires or anything-- I just really loved it when I got tastes of doing those things in my life and I want my children and husband to experience it with me)

afford to travel a ton

sing (like really well)



Brooke tagged me to do one where you share 10 random facts about yourself. Since I kind of just told you all a whole lot about myself already, I'll just do five:

1. I love the smell of garages. Something about the mustiness, mixed with gasoline, mixed with engine fumes, mixed with rusty tools... I know, I'm surprised my baby doesn't have brain damage, too.
2. I really would LOVE to be a homicide detective. This is a strange, morbid passion that may or may not have gone as far as me calling our local homicide team and asking if I could volunteer my sleuth-like services (okay, mostly I just asked if I could go on a ride-along with them. Apparently that's not something they get a lot because they acted like I had just asked them to sacrifice their right and left arms).
3. I have been skydiving. And it was fun. And not that scary. The scariest part was worrying that the shoddy aluminum floor was going to give out in the plane before I jumped. That and being more than a little concerned that the guy that was jumping with me was a rapist.
4. I love pretty paper. Wrapping paper, notebook paper, stationery-- it is all lovely to me.
5. I really like decorating cakes. Not like pretty cakes for weddings or anything, rather very random cakes for random events. For John's birthday this past year I made him a giant cake of a rainbow trout. And it was awesome.

There you have it... I will fill out the one Ashley tagged me for sometime. I think this is plenty for now. I tag anyone who would like to be tagged. I'm bad at deciding things like that (there's another random fact about me).

Halloween pictures to come soon.

Does it make me a bad mom if...

...I dress my baby up in multiple costumes to see which one he likes better for Halloween?

(because it is, after all, all about what he wants and has nothing to do with what I think is cutest. But just for the record, which one do you think is cutest? Ya know, just in case Baby G wants some input)

seriously, can you get over that skunk tail?

What about if I prop him up on a few pumpkins for a picture?

(notice how cold he looks here... that definitely adds to the bad mom points)

Or how about laying him on some?

(note the smile in this picture... I get some points back for that one)

What if I let my baby watch T.V.?

(but what if it was General Conference and I really only let him watch it for the purpose of this picture?)

What about if I keep my baby up to all hours of the night just so that we can watch the BYU football game at a noisy sports grill?

(though it's hardly my fault that the MTN is the lamest channel in the world and is only broadcast on Comcast. I mean, really, who (other than sports grills) has Comcast?)

And lastly, what if I tickle my baby to hear his laugh even though I can tell it is practically torture for him?

(pretty please try and tune out my very obnoxious voice and pony tail in this video)

In other news, hasn't this fall been beautiful?

Because it was comical...

1. My rock star name (first pet and current car): Beau Maxima
2. My gangsta name (fave ice cream flave and favorite cookie): Starlight Mint Sugar
3. My “fly guy/girl” name (first initial of first name and first three letters of last name): E Twe (maiden name because it was way cooler)
4. My detective name (favorite color and favorite animal): Blue Dolphin
5. My soap opera name (middle name and city where you were born): Carmen SLC
6. My Star Wars name (first three letters of your last name and first two letters of your first name): Tweli (again, maiden... 3 consonants in a row are not helpful in making cool names apparently)
7. My superhero name (2nd fave color and favorite drink with “The” in front): The Green Ice Water
8. My Nascar name (first names of your grandfathers): Alvin David LaMar
9. My stripper/p-nog star name (name of your fave perfume/cologne and your favorite candy): Cool Water Twix
10. My witness-protection name (mother’s and father’s middle names): Lynn LaMar

I hereby declare that I shall heretofore be referred to as Cool Water Twix. Thank you.

A note from Baby G

Dear Loyal Blog Readers,Since my mommy is my favorite person I decided to give her a break and write this post myself. Isn't that a cute picture of me up there? I can't believe how smart I am-- I figured out how to post these pictures of what I have been up to lately all by myself. Typing is kind of hard since I don't have complete control of my limbs yet, but I'll do my best to give you all an update.

Mommy keeps taking off my clothes and taking my picture. It makes me so mad that I pump my fists on my chest like this:

I love sleeping in my Halloween jammies. I sleep best with at least one arm above my head.

Speaking of Halloween, here is one of the many costumes my mom has considered for my first night of trick-or-treating. She keeps telling me to stop growing so much so that I'll still fit in it, but I am naughty and don't want to listen.I really love my Uncle B. I am going to miss him lots and lots when he leaves on his mission in 3 days, but at least I know how to type so I can send him letters whenever I want.
I love it when my mommy holds me and we fall asleep together. Her arms are so cozy. And look, daddy is so nice. He sleeps on the floor in front of us to keep guard and protect us from the boogey man.
I am a little concerned in this picture because it is starting to get too cold to wear the handsome outfit that cousin Ash gave me. I love it so much and will be really sad when mommy tells me I can't wear it anymore.
I am mad because this picture makes it look like my neck isn't strong enough to hold my head up all by myself. Who stuck their dumb arm in this picture anyway? I am totally strong enough to sit up in my bumbo seat all alone now, and I love it.
I really love playing with my cousin L but I can't figure out why he is always trying to pull my hair.
Mommy and Daddy like to go out to dinner, and I like it too, but in this picture I was sick of being ignored in my seat so I was telling them to pick me up and let me have some of daddy's steak.

It was lots of fun to go up to the W* family cabin and see all the pretty fall leaves.

There, wasn't that fun? That's what we've been up to lately. We are all happy and having so much fun. Mommy and daddy tell keep telling me I'm perfect, and I guess I am because look, I can make this cool wavy face with my lips:
Love always,

Baby G

little boy blue's blessing

Handsome Baby G had his blessing last Sunday in our new ward in Murray. It was on the same day as my brother's farewell talk for his mission so we had a full day of spending time with family and loved ones. We are so grateful to those who came to be with us on this special day. Here are some pictures of the guest of honor in his blue (I know, I know, not the most traditional-- but it was still classic and beautiful) blessing outfit.


And here is the family. Who does the baby look like? I still can't decide.