12of12 on 12/12/12 (Wednesday)

Today is 12/12/12 and here are my 12 photos to document it. For having only 2 things on my calendar, one of which being, "make dinner," I sure found a way to fill the day full of stuff!

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 1. This little peanut had us up from 2-4 am last night with intermittent sobbing. I went in his room 3 times to comfort him and every time, I'd crawl, shivering, into bed, start to nod off, and there he'd go again. Now he's all bed head and adorableness, like nothing ever happened. 2. We found Rudolph (aka Rudy), hanging with the lambs and a donkey. 3. Preparing for the punk's 4th birthday. He's having a party on Friday, and each child will get to paint his/her own apron, then make a personal pizza. My talented and generous mother in-law sewed these for me and my sister in-law and I painted the names. 4. Story time. 5. We lasted 15 minutes in the story room before the basher escaped and I gave up. 6. We met Tia Paula and our friend Ella at the City Creek food court for lunch. She and the punk are so cute together. 7. Then we visited the hot new market in town. It was smaller than I had expected. 8. The basher's favorite book before nap time. 9. I am finally running again and it feels awesome (in the sore muscles, clear head kind of way). 10. Dinner and scriptures. Did you notice that we have 2 extra kids around the table? Tonight, we got a taste of what 2 sets of twins would be like. 11. My man and I dropped all four blond boys at the church for Santa's Night Out, sponsored by the young women in my ward. I should have folded laundry, but I read a book (Pride and Prejudice for the 4th time) and munched on Candy Cane Joe Joe's instead. Time well spent. 12. Bokeh christmas tree.

12of12: November (Monday)

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1. Silly Dad. 2. Purple lion vitamin. 3. The boys "helped" me do the dishes. 4. I spent about 2 hours cleaning this morning and didn't even touch the bathrooms, laundry, or downstairs.

5. Banana time. 6. Five Guys fries. Yum. 7. "I can't put my arms down!" 8. Two feet of snow.

9. Working. 10. I am ashamed. 11. Special Piano Time with the punk. 12. My mother in-law and I attended a photography class at the University of Utah.

The M Word

I remember my very first migraine. I was 11 years old and having a picnic in my front yard with some friends, when suddenly, each friend had only half a face. Laughing, I told my mom on the front porch that I could only see half of her face too! Her smile fell and she told me I'd better come inside. Having suffered migraines herself since the age of 11, she knew what I was in for.

Today, the punk came up to me and started talking, but I didn't hear a word he said because he only had one eye. The feeling that comes over me when I realize I have lost my vision can only be described as dread. In one second, all plans for my day vanish and I know I'll be useless and miserable for the next 8 hours, and "hung over" for the following 24. 

With the help of my man, who took over everything I was supposed to be doing, I have survived yet another awful migraine. (This was by no means the worst, but they are all awful.) My vision has been restored. And it's a good thing too, because when your punk has eyes like the sea after a storm (name that movie), you want to see both of them.

Trick or Treat

We had a great time trick-or-treating! That is, until the punk complained that he was cold and wanted to go home, take a bath, and go to bed. An hour early. The poor kid is feverish and miserable today. He has a Halloween hangover without even getting to enjoy his candy last night!

Bumblebee & Dragon

Cuter Bumblebee & Dragon

"Trick or Treat!"

We love our neighborhood friends!

It was a perfect Halloween night. Warm, clear, and bright. My family came over for chili. We had just the right number of trick-or-treaters, meaning I gave candy to a bunch of cutie pies, but didn't have to turn off the lights and hide behind the couch to avoid obnoxious late-comers. I was done with door duty by 8:30! Not too shabby. Now if only my punk weren't currently shivering and sweating under a blanket, I'd be content.

12of12: October (Friday)

Today was grey and rainy at 58-72 degrees. My college friend Lucynthia is in town, so we met her and her two (of 3) boys at the Discovery Children's Museum downtown. This evening, my man returned from a week in Chicago, and we hosted our girlyfriends for dinner and a movie while their parents went to dinner and ran a 5k. How many of you run races for your date night?

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1. Cold cereal just never sounds good in the morning. 2. Melancholy days make me happy! I guess that's a bit ironic. 3. The basher played with the colorful magnets while the punk tried to steal toys from his new friends. 4. Lunch on the roof. 5. Math nerds. Is it just me, or do we look about a million years older than when we graduated 8 years ago? 6. Cleaning the bathrooms during quiet time. 7. After reading together on the couch, the boys got physical. They miss wrestling when their dad is away on business. 8. Preparing to win our neighborhood pumpkin growing contest. 9. He's home! 10. Buddies. 11. I borrowed this hot air popper from my friend and may never give it back. I'm never going back to the microwave crap. 12. Mary Poppins. (I wanted to capture their glow-in-the-dark bracelets, so I kept the lights off and increased my time value. The two wiggly monkeys in the middle were blurry in every single picture.)

We Have Takeoff!

Our first butterfly has emerged from his chrysalis! When we got home from church yesterday, the punk came running downstairs to let me know that we had a butterfly!

The punk and his pet.

The basher examining our specimen.

Come out, little guy!

He stayed on the grass for over an hour, presumably hardening his wings to prepare for flight.

The next chrysalis, waiting for his turn.

Goodbye, Friend!

Fingertips

This weekend, the Bells have been sick. Both boys had double ear infections in addition to their colds and, even though my man was out of town, he and I had similar symptoms of sore throat and general ickiness. I reluctantly cancelled all my weekend plans - work and play - to take care of the little guys and try to rest myself. It's fortunate that I had already made arrangements for someone to cover me at work on Saturday morning because at about 5:30 am, after getting up to change the basher's diaper (he was crying, "oooowww... oooowww" from his bed, and it turns out he had a very red bum bum), I actually passed out and bashed my face on the toilet. I have a big red, scabby nose to prove it. It's pretty.

Don't worry, it's nothing serious. After visiting an instacare the next morning, it turns out I was probably just dehydrated. Ridiculous.

Anyway, while I was sipping my hot water with lemon and honey the night before the face-bashing incident, I was thinking to myself that I wish my mom were there to take care of me. I'm 31 years old. I have a husband and two children of my own. And I still want my mom?

When I texted my parents that morning that I needed their help, my dad immediately texted back, "We're on our way." He took me to the clinic while my mom stayed with the boys. After I came home, she took the boys to a park so I could take a nap. Later that evening, my mom- and dad-in-law picked up the punk and the basher and took them to the State Fair so I could rest some more.

It is incredibly comforting to know that I can count on BOTH my parents AND my in-laws anytime I really need help. Not only are we geographically close to both sets of parents, they are both supportive and loving and involved in our lives.

After the boys came home and I had bathed them and put the basher to bed, I was tucking in the punk. We read a book and he said a prayer, then as I placed the covers over him, he asked me if I would rub his back. This took me back to my childhood when I shared a room with my brothers. Every night, we asked for a back rub, and my mom would make the rounds. We all got a minute or two of the best kind of comfort there is. Tangible love from our mama, through her fingertips. So at the punk's request, I smiled and tickled his small, smooth back with my fingertips, and found comfort myself in knowing that I was able to show this kind of love to my sweet boy because I had been taught by my own mom what it means to take care of a child.