Our Insanity

This week marks the 9th time that we didn't listen to the government's recommendation that Sardine Canyon is closed to all but the craziest motorists. We had a doctor's appointment and needed to be in SLC by 8:30 so we thought to give ourselves a little more time then usual and left at 5:30 am. The roads in Logan often leave much to be desired, but we expected for them to get better as we got to the highway. Luckily, we were stuck behind the snowplows up until the point we entered Sardine Canyon.
This was unfortunate because they blocked the sign that said the canyon was closed due to weather, the whole time people were passing the snowplows to get ahead, (which was stupid in my opinion). Once the snowplows turned off the highway we were able to go over 25 MPH through the canyon but were unable to go more then 40 MPH. Char got to drive through the worst of it all. After we got through canyon I-15 was nothing compared to sardine, but we still kept our distance due to other people not having their snow legs yet. We got to our appointment, headed back up to Logan, and thought the roads at 9:30am had improved a ton compared to 5:30 that morning. Once we got to work, everyone was saying that the canyon was closed all morning and should re open later in the day.

The worst time through the canyon was on Christmas Eve 2008. We went down to spend some time with our families at the last moment when we were able to get time off. The way down was okay, a bit snowy but all right. On the way back up it was getting more and more snowy until we got to Sardine. At the time we were in a older car (about 10 years old, totaled a couple times, almost 200K miles and bad tires) but we were not about to turn back, had no where to stay so we decided to press on, pray hard, and trust in the Lord to protect us. On the way up cars were skidding off the road and we couldn't see further then a couple car lengths in front of us, the lines were all but invisible. It was miracle that we were able to get through the storm and safely home without a dent.

I wouldn't recommend it-unless you really feel like testing your nerves -or you don't notice those road closed signs by accident…..

Sick Babies Are No Fun

This week she has had Foot and Mouth, which was no fun to say the least, her mouth, hands, and feet had sores on it, she was extremely vocal about where it hurt, and what we needed to do to make her feel better. Oddly enough, I can sum it up to "Leave me alone, don't touch me, I want cuddles," all at the same time. Char went to work on Monday and then stayed home the rest of the week with Heidi Anne. She is normally up and running and hates to sit still, oh this week we could not get her off the beanbag.

She was all about the movies; she knows what she wants to watch which usually involves a few different movies. Monkey is one of her favorites, (not necessarily mine) it translates to Curious George. Bird translates to Up, because the big **Squirrel** Bird that squawks. Frog (with a sore throat) is the Princess & the Frog. She lets us know all the time she wants "Simpsons " also known as "Maggie" or "Grown Up Simpsons" which is Futureama, "Singing cars" is Cars. Right now she is engrossed in the Wizard of Oz and is in love with all the music and dancing.

Her not being able to talk has brought to my attention how vocal Heidi Anne has become as of late. Normally, Heidi Anne wants to share something special she created, be it blocks, a craft, or something new she found (ie. "Scary spiders") . She will say "Momma, Dadda, Come! Come!" She makes the hand gestures to have us follow her, (in some urgent scary or super cool cases she will just grab our hands) and start leading us to her little discoveries. I went five whole days without a "Momma, Come!" I started showing Heidi Anne my stuff-"Heidi Anne, look I paid bills!" "Yeah, Momma"-whispered voice.

As I said before, she clearly lets her opinions be known, I have decided this is merely a side effect her increase in language skills, and every parent goes through this.
For example, if Heidi Anne feels left out of the conversation when Char and I are talking she will say "Shhhhh... Puppy is sleeping." She will repeat this until we either include her in the conversation somehow or we're quiet and the three of us just listen to the radio / mypod.

The funniest one happened today at day care, Heidi Anne had some real butter without her Lactaid (she hates cows too,-I know just perpetuating the cycle) causing her to be rather gassy, after each occurrence the day care teachers were asking her if she was poopies. Heidi Anne kept saying "No I not Poopy", apparently this kept happening so often that Heidi Anne got fed up with all the questions that she finally said " No, I not poopies, I fart."

Daddy Thoughts

My grandmother just past away, the one Heidi Anne is named after-see our (Whats In a Name post). We had the chance to visit her twice before her passing. Lissa is trying to gather the talks given at the funeral as well.

Since this is also our journal for Heidi Anne I wish to tell you of your last two visits with your Na-Nana.

On Laura's Wedding:
We were waiting for Laura & Anthony to come out after the ceremony. You had been playing outside and wanted to go inside for some reason. So I followed you in. Sitting in the waiting room an in a wheel chair was an elderly lady, you ran right up to her before I could catch up to you and said "Hi Na-Nana!" It amazed me, you hadn't seen her since Christmas, but you knew her. However, Na-Nana didn't quite remember you. "I'm sorry little girl, I think you are mistaken..."
"I Heidi!"
"You can't be Heidi, you're much to big to be Heidi"
"No, I Heidi, I two" (You then held up all five fingers).
I then caught up to you. Your Na-Nana then said "Melissa, is this really Heidi, my she has gotten so big." You patted her hand. I told her about your little adventures you had been having outside with us, Sarah, and Alice. I then explained you must be calling her Na-Nana instead of great-grandma because you call Nana, Nana, therefore she was Na-Nana.
I then started with the Heidi, what does a puppy say?
"Arff, Arff, (little hands in the front like a puppy begging) pant, pant"
"Heidi what does a kitty say?"
"Meeeeoooowwww, Meeeeeoooowwww"
"Heidi, what does a turkey say?"
"Gobble, gobble, (hands go side to side).
Your Na-Nana laughed, clapped her hands at each time, she loved the Gobble, gobble one the most! You then wanted to go outside. Before we did I said give Na-Nana a hug. You gave her a hug on her leg. You gave her a little kiss on her hand. You then asked for me to pick you up so you could give her a kiss on the cheek.-This was the first time you ever gave someone a kiss on the cheek without someone asking for one first. It was very sweet.
As we went back out to play, you said your lovely, "Bye, bye Na-Nana, Love you, See you".


Last Visit:
We received an e-mail a few days later telling us that Na-Nana wasn't doing well and would be passing away soon. We were going to visit her with Sarah, but that didn't work out. We planned on going the next day after work, that fell though. It seemed like every time we tried to plan it out-something made it so it wouldn't work. So we picked you up from Suesue's and looked at each other and decided let's go now. It was late-we didn't call ahead-but we just went.
We got there, all the lights were off. We knocked on the door-No answer. We went to the other door. Knocked, no answer. Knocked again, thankfully someone was home. We went in and though what felt like a maze to get to Na-Nana's part of the house.
We just visited. You sang her little songs, like Twinkle, Twinkle, the Mr. Alligator song, we did more what does an animal say game. We talked about your pre-school and how smart you are. She told you to keep reading, and was so proud to know that you can already read your name. She loved to hear about your pre-school, how much Suesue and the other teachers love you. She liked to hear how much fun you have, and hoped that you can do music, she was happy to hear that you already loved music.
You started to ask about people in the pictures she had in her room, so she started to name them for you, how they were related, how special they were to her, and how she couldn't wait to be back with them again.
You just kept making her laugh with your songs and being so cute. You tried to get Momma to sit on your lap. I was standing and holding you, you wanted down.
Dadda, down please.
Okay, baby.
You climbed up onto the chair. Momma sit.
Heidi Anne, there isn't enough room.
Momma, sit lap.
Oh, I am too big.
Momma, sit lap.
So she sat with you. You said, "Off please". Then you just moved over instead so you two could share the chair.
Na-Nana just laughed. She loved how polite and independent you were.

As we were leaving, she asked for a kiss bye. I tried to help you up just as she was asking. You then screamed "NOOOOOOOO"
She said, "Well, she sure lets her opinions be known."
We had to explain it was the fact that Dadda was trying to help you that was the issue, not that Na-Nana wanted a goodbye kiss. Once we let you get up on your own, you gladly gave her a kiss bye bye.



Lissa's View of the Funeral:
We left Heidi Anne at Susan's-trying to be calm and quite with so many people and crowds is just to taxing for her. The whole time I kept thinking of the song "Dream a little dream of Me". I watched the 50th Anniversary video and heard different stories of his grandmother. Many interesting stories neither of us had never heard before.
Sarah pointed out that it was almost 11 years to the day that greatgrandpa had passed way. Knowing your Na-Nana, she meant for it to be that way, I know she missed him greatly. I know there is a Heaven, and I know she knew it too. I knew she was happy, healthy, and with the ones she had missed-and still watching over the ones here.

There is a saying-funerals are for the living. (Another is God only cries for the living, because it's the living that are so far from home.) So I just listened, watched, and felt. I listened to the stories, and watched the happy cries, the tears brought on by happy memories, and felt that I have named Heidi Anne after two very dear and stubborn women. I didn't cry, at times I bet I was even smiling a little-seeing the ways 1 person can touch so many lives for many years. I tried to comfort others and get down names of extended family, without the matriarch we're now left to ourselves to try to stay connected. I played with Alice, for life ever goes on, and nothing is sweeter then the sound of a baby giggle.

I'm trying to gather the talks given at the funeral, they are a wealth of insight into the life of Na-Nana.

Then we went to the cemetery. We didn't follow the procession. Char wanted to drive by his grandparents old house first. We drove by, he told me some memories he had-we looked at the house his grandparents shared for decades, then went to the cemetery, where they will be together again for many more decades. We were the first here as well. It was cold, blustery, and just quite. More family came, but it stayed just as quite as when we first arrived. He went with the other pallbearers-I stayed with Sarah and Emily. Someone was talking, but for the most part the wind just drowned out all sound. Everyone was somber. How can you not be? I think everyone was saying a final goodbye in their mind. If anyone tried to out loud-the wind took it to the Heavens. The pallbearers placed their flowers on the casket, loved ones huddled together against the elements and for support, as the final prayer was said.

Now everyone has gone their separate ways. When and if everyone will gather again I'm not sure. I'll never know why it is only a funeral can bring everyone together, as the saying goes funerals are for the living.

Mammas Goal # 723 and # 724

To realize that it's okay that my little girl has an unusual appetite, and may even be a vegetarian all before the age of three, despite my attempts.

Now-I am not against being a vegetarian, or people that choose to do it. I myself, am lactose intolerant (Can't help it, I Just hate cows). That being said I think that a lot of parents limit their child's diet really just hurts the kid down the road. Sure, we may not like Guava or turkey bacon, but that doesn't mean we can't feed it to them. (I think of is as the old Life cereal commercial-Hey, give it to Mikey, Mikey eats anything).

When Heidi Anne started eating solid food, we decided early on we want to expose her to a verity of foods (translation-at least try), we weren't going to force her to eat things she didn't want (I don't like the Clean Plate Club), however, we weren't short order chefs. She is served what we all eat at home, but she has chosen more often then not to avoid meat and to gobble up fruits and veggies.

When we talk to her day care they tell us that she normally eats more then any of the other kids and she is often caught trying to trade away her treats for their fruit for veggies. Yes-she will trade her cookies to get corn or apple slices. If she has nothing to trade she will convince the other kid that their food is "EEEW Gross!!" That child then gives the dreaded piece of cauliflower to Heidi Anne-the Victor.

It's just so funny to me that we expose her to all this verity but there are still those like mother, like daughter patterns. Just like me, she likes fish, chicken, eggs, and LOVES rice and potatoes! Just like me, she's allergic to milk, and she just doesn't like red meat or pork.
Unlike me-I would never trade my cookies for veggies. Sorry, I'm just not that healthy.
So I guess I should also realize that it's okay my little girl is like me in some ways--just means I have to be careful now that I know she's watching.....

Wedding and Baby Alice

So last weekend was my sister in laws wedding, as always Heidi Anne made it an adventure.
The first was the pretty blue dress-which was a surprise gift from her Aunt Emily so she could match Baby Alice. Heidi Anne liked her brown dress she was going to be wearing, but LOVED the sparkly blue dress. And yes, those are brown leggings and brown with pink sneakers-she wouldn't part with those (she's so active she needs leggings and shoes that grip anyways).

Laura looked so beautiful in her "Princess" dress. Her new husband Anthony, he is the coolest guy ever, Heidi is smitten with him, he tosses her around and tickles her. Laura is now lovingly referred to as Anthony. With Heidi Anne (and you don't have 2 names like her) once your paired, it's part of your name-I'm Momma/Dadda & Char is Dadda/Momma-I'm waiting for her to call Anthony LaAnthony.


We got to see so many people we haven't seen in a long time. Luckily Heidi Anne got to see her Baby Alice and they got to play, giggle, be silly, all around just be rather cute together. Recently, Heidi Anne has renamed one of her favorite dolls from Emma to Baby Alice. She will help her doll to walk, have Baby Alice say Hi to all the other dolls, and if Char and I are being too loud she will come up to me and say "Shhhh Baby Alice asleep."

Halloween Adventures

I LOVE Halloween at work. As you can tell we really get into it, everyone dresses up, some teams do themes (like Wizard of Oz, Toy Story, Glee). Seriously, even our even the CEO dresses up for the Halloween party where all the employees' little kids come dressed up and go from desk to desk collecting sugary treats. (We all know that most of us will later snack on or share any leftover treats with our co-workers, so it's a win-win either way).
Heidi was all dressed up as a Polar Bear, but people have said she looks like a cat, a dog, and Princess Leah.

As is our custom, we try to pack as many things in as possible into one day, there is just so much to do. When traveling down to Salt Lake to visit family, weddings, ect. It is almost like going on a three day vacation (slightly less packing but essentially the same basic things). We have to get up fairly early to get ready. Next we get the baby ready-since she is happy with her normal routine this slight change in normalcy often includes a lot of "Eeeew Gross" and "No! No!" and "I want apples!" Then we have to have a few spare changes of clothes, toys, books, jackets, dolls, snacks, any and all medications, (very important that one). And if we are lucky (and misread the clock and think we have time) Heidi Anne will let us do her hair before she wiggles and messes it up. Finally, there is the drive, if we are very lucky she will take a nap, if she doesn't take a nap...well...then the rest of the day is not as much fun as we had hoped it would be.

So we got to SLC with all the right things (Que the choir music) to visit my sister and get Heidi all dolled up. While we were getting ready Heidi Anne got a hold of a old camera that Rebekah had laying around. Heidi started taking pictures of Kay Kay, getting different angles, it looked they were playing photo shot. My favorite was when Kayla stuck the prettiest pose, Heidi put the camera to her side and said "Now Kayla, Be cute", I couldn't stop laughing.
For Halloween the were a Lion (Kayla) a Tiger (Rykken) and a Bear (Heidi). The two girls got all dressed up but Rykken warranted to take a nap for some reason, (geez infants). So we got all packed up to go trick or treating and our Princess Heidi was turning into Miss Grumpy Girl (no nap time). Just as we pulled up to our destination-it rained, and rained, and maybe snowed. Plan B was to go to the Mall to trick or treat inside, however that was packed. So we cut our losses and got Heidi to sleep. But it's okay-Heidi Anne still talks about how much fun she had fun going to Bekah's and playing dress up with Kayla. When the girls were all dressed up, makeup, hair, tutus, the works, they were spinning and dancing around. I swear the living room looked like an off Broadway production of CATS-I bet it the show we got was more entertaining too. :)

The Pumpkin Family (Snap-Snap)

Instead of cutting the pumpkins because that would be harmful to pumpkins, (*cough* and perhaps other family members as well *cough*). I can back up the pumpkin claim-in the Simpsons Tree House of Horror Charlie Brown show the Great Pumpkin said that was wrong and pumpkins feel pain, so to play it safe we paint them instead.
Heidi Anne had the best apron ever, it was one of Chars Old shirts, (by old I mean it is from 1997), we used ribbon to tie up the sleeves. I did the best one on my Cinderella pumpkin (thats what they are really called). I made a One Eyed One Horned Flying Purple People Eater-however, it ended up looking more like Mike from Monsters Inc. Char did a Scary pumpkin in which Heidi would reply with "Aaaahhh Scary" while shaking her hands by her face. Heidi had fun painting anything she could get her hands on, from the cardboard to her shirt to even getting some on her pumpkins. I am not sure what it was but they were very pretty.

Our Pumpkin Family Before Heidi Anne Working Hard On Her Pumpkin Momma and Heidi Anne Painting Heidi Anne Got To Paint The Baby PumkinsOur Happy Pumpkin Family

Mommas Goal # 498

Not to take the question "Are you her Nanny?"as an insult. Instead I try to take it as a compliment. Yes, this has happened to me about 20 times. Heidi and I like to make up our own games. For example, here we're playing a slightly modified version of the Mother May I walking game, (where you take weird steps, hops, skips, and for a little more fun, we also make into a race.) The person walking behind me asked what Au Pair agency I worked with.
This happens to me almost once a month. Sometimes it's when the two of us are just walking to the corner, doing errands at the store, or just playing outside. The out of the blue someone will come up and say "Oh, she's sooo cute! Are you her Nanny?" When I say "No, I'm her Momma."
They are very puzzled-you can tell they are trying to figure out if I am just a sarcastic Au Pair or really her mom. It used to hurt my feelings a little and I would wonder what made people think that I looked like hired help. ("What? Does Heidi Anne really look THAT different from me?" "They had said she was so smart and then asked who were her parents, do I look stupid??") As you can tell it used to get under my skin a little.
After a few years I believe I have solved the riddle-well if nothing else it's what I tell myself and I sleep easier at night. I think that since I am playing so cute and being silly with my Heidi Anne that there is no way I can be the "real" mother, so I must be the Nanny.
Typically the only adults you see singing & doing the actions for 3 Little Speckled Frogs, or answering the "WHY?" Inquisition from a 3 year old longer then the Spaniards ever could, or reciting The Cat in the Hat or One Fish Two Fish from Memory out in public, are in fact Nannies and their counterparts.
So I guess, Heidi Anne and I just have to much fun-(I do admit, it can be a little embarrassing at times, but her giggles and smiles instantly erase any moments of humiliation I may feel).
On a Side Note- If anyone wants to compensate me for spending time with my own daughter-I not at all opposed in any way ;D