Addiction

I had no idea just how addicted I was/am to the internet until our computer crashed a few weeks ago. It was seriously painful to not be able to get on and know what was going on in the world. I feel like it's my link to the outside world sometimes. I missed blogging, emails, being able to pay my bills:( and my daily dose of celebrity gossip. It's not like I sit on the computer all day, but it's nice to know I have it when I want it! So now we are back up and running and it is oh so FABULOUS.

Groundhog Day

I can't tell you how bad I despise that movie, I have never liked it. And now, it is the story of my life. For almost 4 years now every day has been the same freaking day, I'm just wearing different pajama pants (sometimes). I never knew how monotonous being a stay-at-home mom could be, but it is. It's also the best decision I've ever made. It's so hard and exhausting and some days I just cry because I'm so frustrated, but I wouldn't change it for the world. These two little people are my reason for getting up and doing the same thing day after day:

High Hopes.

I've been trying lately to think differently about my kids qualities that I don't particularly like. Such as Tate's extreme stubbornness and need for complete independence, or Marley's oversensitivity and desire to wake up at exactly 5 o'clock every day. I've complained for so long about how irritating these things are, and it's not doing me any good. These things are not going to change, because that's who these little people are (well, dear lord please let us sleep in just a little later someday). So I'm trying to resolve how I hope these qualities will benefit them when they are older.
I hope that Tate's stubbornness to do (or not do) anything unless he wants to will help him as a teenager to resist temptation to do what he knows isn't right. I hope it will make him stand up for what he believes in and not waver. I hope he is determined in whatever path he chooses and is unrelenting in achieving it. I hope his independence makes him unafraid to be himself. I hope he wants to stand out and not disappear into the crowd. I hope he always has that fire in him I see every day.
I hope Marley will always have that sensitivity that will make her compassionate to everyone around her. I hope it drives her to befriend everyone and refuse to exclude others. I hope that her being such a morning person will mean she is excited for each day, and can't wait to start her life. I hope her stubbornness will continue into womanhood so that people can see she is a strong independent person; I hope that also drives her to become whomever she decides to be and not let anyone tell her otherwise.
I hope...

Merry Christmas (cough, cough, cough)

So the kids had a great Christmas--Tate got everything he wanted and more, and Marley had her first Christmas ever! She could have cared less about anything she got, she was just interested in whatever Tate was. And Tate said about 25 times over, "this is the best Christmas ever!!" I love seeing him so excited.
The only bummer was I was sick as a dog...I ended up at Instacare and tested positive for freaking swine flu!! Glad I got my vaccine:( So I was miserable most of Christmas and am just now starting to feel better...

Tate with his new camera and car garage

Santa brought Marley a little kitchen
Mar with her new dolly
At Grandma Love's house with his new Utes stuff she gave him

Other than feeling like death for the holidays, it was a good christmas, and it was fun to have miss Marley around this year for it! Hopefully next year we are all feeling well!...

Temple Square

Tate has loved driving around looking at Christmas lights this year, so we thought he would really love seeing Temple Square now. So.....these things are always much more fun in my head than in reality. We parked at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and inside had to pass this little cafe to get out to the lights. Well, all Tate cared about from that second on was getting freaking hot chocolate. He was so obsessed that he didn't even care about the lights anymore. Grrrr...so irritating. Oh well, at least we tried.

Holiday this and that

Last week was the Torgerson family party and Santa comes every year and brings the kids a small present. Tate was so excited to see him again...we had already gone to the mall to see him, but I think Tate thinks the more times we go and tell him what we want, maybe the more presents we'll get. Smart kid.

Marley on the other hand was ticked I made her sit on this creepy guy's lap again...don't you remember I cried the last time mother?

I don't know what this face is she's doing, frankly it's a little scary

Yesterday we did our gingerbread house and Tate was totally absorbed in it for a good half hour, it was awesome

His finished product, he was so proud of it!

My explorer...

Marley is at that stage where you literally turn your back for 5 seconds and they're into something. I feel alot more relaxed this time around though, with Tate I'd hurry and grab him; with Mar I.....grab the camera. Well, except when I found her LICKING the toilet the other day.



On a completely different note, I am obsessed these days with finding fun new family traditions for the holidays. I want my kids to look back on their childhood like I do and think of all the awesome things we did together. So one of the new traditions I'm excited about is one I think everybody now knows about called The Elf on the Shelf. On November 30th Santa dropped off a present at the doorstep to Tate and Marley. Tate opened it and there was our elf and a book. We read the story about Buddy the Elf (that's the name Tate gave him) and every day he "hides" somewhere new and watches the kids so he can report back to Santa each night if they're being good. Tate has loved every morning so far trying to find him; if it starts helping his behavior knowing Santa is watching maybe Buddy will stick around all year long...