What we are working on

This is what we are working on........Notice Jaxson's finger.........that's how he feels about having his diapers traded for underwear. Don't let this photo fool you. He will sit on the toilet for 20 seconds and then hop up to profess, "All Done" with no results. (hence the reason the photo is blurred. I had to snap it fast)

Here is a flash back to Connor's potty days! He would sit still longer than Jaxson will and didn't require books to do his business. Oddly enough, both my boys have to take all clothing off in order to use the bathroom.........Don't ask, I don't know why

Happy Sunday

Jaxson wanted to wish you all a Happy Sunday!

Things I have learned over the past year

Fighting with a toddler is like fighting with your reflection in the mirror.....pointless

Anger is a horrible quality to possess

Friends come and go but only true friends stay around

Be kind to everyone, you may need them to be kind to you one day

Sometimes it is better just to turn and walk away instead of fight

For every bad moment in life, you receive a good one to overshadow the bad, you just need to recognize those good moments. Rainbows come after the rain.

A two year old can NOT go through the house without a diaper on!

I am not ready to own another dog, or any animal at this point in my life

You cannot have much in life without working hard for it

Those people who truly love you and forgive you, are the ones you call family

People can love me or hate me, this is who I am. I should not have to change to be accepted because you either love me the way that I am or you don't.

I am not an easy person to be around, or even get to know but if I let you in, I keep you with me always.

God knows my weaknesses and like any good parent, he is always helping me work on them to become a better person.

Sometimes, I just need someone to tell me "SNAP OUT OF IT" LOL,LOL

The Hockey Player

The boys 2006-2008

The greatest joy of my life has been watching my boys grow. Each day their unique personalities mature and I see their individualism and I feel so proud to be their mother. I look back on the picture of 2005 and I remember how hard it was to have a wild 3 year old and a newborn but I will always remember it as the best time of my life. During the potty training, endless diaper changes of a newborn, crying, naptime, snuggle time, crying and more crying I fondly remember watching the love develop between these two brothers. The hours before I went in to deliver Jaxson I cried because I was so afraid of how this new baby was going to change my relationship with Connor. I was afraid that he would resent me and not love me or feel that I didn't love him anymore. When he ran into my hospital room and I saw the look of surprise and disappointment on his face to see me holding Jaxson my heart broke. He refused to make eye contact with me for weeks while I was holding Jaxson.

Finally the ice melted and we were able to convince Connor to hold his new brother.

It has been a love/hate relationship since that day. I take pleasure in every day that I get to watch their relationship grow. I hope they grow to be best friends and that they will always have each other to love and depend on when they grow older.

Mr. Postman

Two days ago my mailman hand delivered my mail to the front door. (NO, this is not like a milk man lonely housewife kind of delivery) I don't know why he did it. I suspect he did it so that he could tell me that while snooping in the mail he discovered an unemployment slip for my neighbor. (Oh, yes he did) I listened to his neighborhood gossip full of information from snooping through the mail and it did not occur to me until I shut the door, WHAT THE HECK IS HE READING IN MY MAIL??? And more importantly, what is he telling the neighbors about me? I can imagine it now, "Did you know that it is time for Shannon's annual pap? She has been avoiding it for months because the notices just keep coming and coming. " LOL,LOL I can only imagine what is being circulated. Should a mailman read your mail???

catch up

I have fallen off the blogging wagon but I am slowly trying to crawl back on. This semester has been full speed ahead and I feel between homework, studying for tests, cooking dinner, doing laundry, bathing kids, changing kids, spending time well needed time with kids and husband, cleaning house, and occasionally showering..........I need about 5 more hours in my day. I cannot do it all and I will be the first to admit that I have let those not so important things in my life slip by. (I'm really sorry Archie, I swear I will clean your cage this week) Despite all the hustle and bustle of life, I really do not have a whole lot to report.

I am homesick. I go through this at least once a month where my desire to drive down the familiar roads of Provo just tear at my heart. I stare out my window just dying to see the familiar giant of mountain peaks looking back at me but instead I see nothing but flat land. I especially miss seeing my family and my friends. I would love nothing more than to sit with family and share a meal. I am not miserable in New Jersey and I have grown to love being here but I cannot help the occasional feeling of sadness when I think of Utah.

The kids are crazy as ever. Connor is hockey obsessed. He wears a hockey jersey all day, every day, colors pictures of hockey players, searches the internet for hockey scores, practices hitting a ball with his hockey stick, and drives us crazy asking when hockey starts each evening. He is borderline obsessed fan when it comes to the Dallas Stars and has removed my cute screensaver (a picture of Connor and Jaxson at Halloween) and replaced it with a team picture of the Dallas Stars. So instead of seeing my smiling boys when I turn on my computer I see 20+ grown men that are missing teeth and trying their hardest to look "tough"

Jaxson is still in this faze that he likes to remove his clothes. All of them. And if nature calls, he will do his business where ever he needs to. I am reading to him and explaining the whole "poop goes in the potty" but he seems to be living more of the outdoors man style of life. My only sanity, taking pictures of him after he has "fingerpainted" with his feces to haunt him with when he turns 16 and image is very important for him.

I found this wonderful website that emails me my daily scriptures and I cannot express what a difference this has made in my life. I made a goal to read the Book of Mormon in 90 days and with this internet program, it has been so simple.

We are finally having our first "snowfall" of the season. I would take pictures but it is so insignificant you would laugh. I could go out and shake my pepper canister on the driveway and it would cover more than this snow. Connor is anxiously looking out the window pestering me to go out and play in it. I am laughing imagining him doing a snow angel in nothing........

Connor's hockey updates

I posted some new pictures of Connor at skating. He is doing really well. He can now skate without using the chair. I know I have my own opinion because I am his mother BUT, I think he is the best in the class. He loves hockey! He gets on the internet every morning and looks at the hockey scores and we just ordered his first hockey jersey online. His favorite team is the Dallas Stars???? Don't ask, we don't know why he picked Dallas as a favorite.