A VISIT FROM THE TOOTH FAIRY

It's official, Logan is no longer a baby! He came running up to me when I picked him up after school on Monday the 19th, "Look mom. My tooth is very, very, very, loose! Seeeeeeeeee!"
...as he was wiggling and jiggling it to get his point across.

We came home and every couple minutes came the questions...
When will my tooth come out mom?....Will it come out in a couple hours mom?....Do you think it will come out before dinner?....What if it doesn't come out today?....How long after it comes out does the tooth fairy visit?....Will she forget about my tooth mom? ....Will it hurt?

He was pacing around the house like a father waiting for a child to be born, so impatient. Up and down the stairs. In and out of the bathroom.

Here he is in front of the bathroom mirror trying to hurry things along by moving the tooth back and forth, up and down, this way and that way....and still that stubborn little tooth wouldn't budge. He begged me to help and said, "I promise I'll be a big boy mom and I won't even cry." So I tried to hurry things along by pulling a couple times but I wasn't getting anywhere. I figured I'd better save the pulling and the pain until Jason could come home and take care of it once and for all.

The moment Jason walked into the house after work Logan was there jumping up and down telling him about his loose tooth and begging him to pull it. Jason told him that if he really, really wanted his tooth to come out then he would have to do something he wasn't going to like at all. Logan's face turned very somber for a second, then Jason finished.......eat a chocolate ice cream bar! Logan's face lit up like the 4th of July....grin from ear to ear. So there he was sitting at the kitchen table halfway through the ice cream, when he yells.."It's gone, it's gone! Mom, my tooth came out!" Sure enough it was missing and we couldn't find it. He was so concerned that maybe he accidentally swallowed it and the tooth fairy wasn't going to visit him. We soon found it on the floor next to where he was sitting.
My brilliant engineering husband! How cool was that, literally. Who would've thought that getting the gum cold would make it brittle, not to mention numb and it just broke off easily, no tears, no screaming, no pain and no blood! Hallelujah. Sure wish I could relive my teeth pulling experiences as a child. I'd have chosen ice cream over pliers or the string routine any day!

When Logan was 3, Nanna Sharyn gave him a little Tooth Fairy, Co. box and told him that she got it for him from the Tooth Fairy and that one day he would need it. He was very excited to finally get to use this "special" box. We put the tooth in...
Logan was so excited.....
we placed the box safely under his pillow....

and Viola!! In the morning there were 5 quarters for 5 years old.

He came running into my bedroom early the next morning with the Tooth Fairy box, a pack of bubble gum (kinda defeats the purpose, I know) and his own container of floss. He was so excited he said, "Mom it worked, it really worked. The Tooth Fairy came into my room and I didn't even hear her! I tried to stay awake, cuz I really wanted to see what she looks like...but I guess I was kinda tired." Oh to have the faith of a little child! I sure wish I had a pillow that could magically transform things into money while I slept!

KIDS SAY THE DARNDEST THINGS..........

Yaaaay!!! Silas has finally started to say "truck" and "rock" and "work".....so long f-word, we aren't going to miss you!

Silas is learning to say words in the plural form, "We go get ghostez mom." He and Logan were hunting ghosts in the closets and under the beds with their swords before bedtime.

When rocking Silas to sleep one night, completely out of the blue he says, now cue the Wonder Pets theme song: "Dis iz siwious!"....

TODAY MUST BE A FRIDAY..............

I got a phone call on the house line at 7 am. I must be slipping a little because I normally sleep with the phone right next to my bed for just this reason. Of course, wouldn't you know the one time I forget, I get an early morning call! I can say that for what I lacked in forethought I made up in speed and agility. I jumped out of bed with the energy of someone at least 10 years younger, flinging covers half way across the room and with such stealth and grace I'm sure I could of impressed Jackie Joyner-Kersee. This really had nothing to do with my physical ability, believe me. It was more along the lines of a flight-or-fight-response. Any mother with young kids can relate. Protect the sleeping children at all costs! For the half of a second it took me from being in a deep sleep and completely horizontal to standing three feet from the bed with the phone in hand, a million thoughts were running through my mind: What time is it? 7am! **PANIC*** Who could be calling this early. Maybe it's Jason, maybe he got a flat tire on the way to work. No-it can't be Jason, he'd call my cell phone. **PANIC** Must be important for someone to call this early in the morning. **PANIC**Maybe it's the police telling me Jason's been in an accident on the way to work! **PANIC**Where is my cell phone? Oops, must be downstairs. Maybe it IS Jason and he tried my cell phone and I didn't answer so he's calling the house! More and more thoughts until I see the caller I.D: Cordia Communications. SERIOUSLY! Within one full minute I went from sleep, to fright, to worry, to panic, to anger then to contemplating murder! What could you possibly have to sell me that is so important you must call me at 7 in the morning. Unless it's Publisher's Clearinghouse, Gerard Butler or a nuclear missle is headed for Utah, I AM NOT INTERESTED. I gave them the courtesy they gave me. I hit TALK, waited for a hello, then hung up! The house was still quiet when I climbed back into my soft, warm bed.....then Silas wakes up. Of course! He waits until I'm all nice and comfortable and nearly dozing off again...maybe he'll go back to sleep. Not! I didn't get to him in time to salvage Logan's sleep. So we were all awake bright and early but none of us were bright eyed or bushy-tailed. As I pick Silas up from his crib, he's sopping wet! He had a fresh diaper right before bed, so how on earth? Wet pajamas, wet sheets, wet "Dumbo" and don't forget ALL 4 blankets that he was sleeping with. Then came the melt-down because I started to take his bed apart and strip him down. Then I thought for sure he was going to pass out from lack of oxygen because he was crying so hard that, heaven forbid, I should put his "fave-it blankie" in the washer! Whenever I wash his favorite blanket I sneak it during the day while he's playing so he won't miss it. After the fiasco with Silas, I find out Logan also wet the bed! Breathe...1, 2, 3, 4, 5...I guess it's really not so bad, at least they decided to do it on the same day. So between loads of laundry, Silas and Logan's bath, breakfast, reconciling the bank account, and my computer crashing, I forgot it was Friday and that Logan goes to school 2 hours early today! If it wasn't for my cell phone reminder I would have completely spaced it. So there we were 10 minutes before school starts running around the house like headless chickens looking for shoes, coat, homework, socks....frantically getting out the door and into the van. Logan made it to school just as the last of his class was heading inside...1/2 eaten banana in his hand, different colored socks, and no jacket! Oh well at least his hair was combed!

TIDBITS FROM THE WEEK............

Monday, March 29th: Logan asked Jason over dinner if he could go to work with him the next day. Jason told him that if he wanted to go then he'd have to get up really early, around 5 'o clock when it's still dark and cold outside. Logan said, "ohhhhhh" and the conversation was over. After dinner Logan was at the kitchen table coloring. Half an hour later I come into the kitchen and find a note attached to the door handle on the back door.
It reads: "Wake up Logan and Silas at 5:00 o'clock. Us up late today." So sweet! The next morning over breakfast Logan says with a sad face and his lip hanging, "Mom, dad must not have seen my note because he forgot to take us to work with him today." I gave him a hug and told him he could call and talk with dad later. Then he and I had a conversation about how only daddy's go to work.

Tuesday, March 30th: One of Logan's two front teeth has been loose now for several months. He came running up to me, "Mom, Mom guess what? I have a new tooth in the front!" I looked in his mouth expecting the new tooth to be growing behind and under his loose one, but it's actually growing behind the other tooth. Strange! Later that day he was complaining that the back of his mouth hurt when I was brushing his teeth. With a flashlight in hand I took a look and spotted both of his back molars coming in! He's quite excited about it, he says, "I'm a big boy now, huh mom?" I do have to admit that part of me was sad. He's growing so fast and no matter how hard I hang on, he's not my baby anymore.

Wednesday, March 31st: While rocking Silas for his nap he said: "Me yike dis fave-it gun Mom (he had a small green plastic gun in his hands). Me yike yew teeoo Mom. Yew make my 'ert 'appy Mom."

Thursday, April 1st: Logan and Silas were making quite a ruckus so I darted upstairs to check on them. Logan had a blanket over his head and was chasing Silas around. I asked what they were doing and Logan looked at me and said, as if I was really dense, "We're playing haunted "mention" mooooom". Silas added, "des ghosts mom, dey scewee, dey get me!"

Friday, April 2nd: We were at a wedding reception for our friend Charles. There was an art/coloring table for the kids to pass the time and Logan and Silas were busily coloring away. A few minutes pass and Silas walks up to Jason with a colored pencil in his hand and a very frustrated look on his face, "dis won wuk dad, dis no wuk no moe." It was a white colored pencil and he was coloring on white paper!

DAT NICE BUNNY....

Daddy bunny thought a great place to hide Silas' basket would be in his "faveit" spot, which is behind the big fluffy chair in the upstairs family room.
He loves this spot! Whenever he's hiding, 9 out of 10 times we find him here. He crawls behind this chair to play with his "rucksh" and "bukgunsh" and "tanshfamash". Whenever there is a marker lid and a missing marker, I find it here. Whenever scissors go MIA, I find them here. It's a given that each time I vacuum behind this chair I will find remnants of candy wrappers....as well as a collage of other oddities.


I was blissfully sleeping this morning when Silas comes walking in at 7:45. "Mawnin Mom!" he says with a big blue-eyed grin. "Morning sweetheart, climbed out of your crib again I see." "Yep" with a head nod. "Git me chocet mook mom, peas?" Grrooaannnnn...."O.K." I climb out bed, drag myself downstairs, make 2 sippy cups of chocolate milk, drag myself...and Silas in tow, back upstairs to my bed and plop down. A few wiggles, kicks, rolls, jumps, and an empty sippy cup later, Silas climbs off the bed and heads toward the playroom. Within 5 minutes I could hear ruffling and the soft click of plastic. I whisper to Jason, "Oh that little turkey, I bet he's already found his basket." I roll out bed, grab the camera and call out to Silas "What are you doing Siley?" He responds "Nuffin Mom". I step into the family room, and sure enough....

He's found the mother load! Not sure if he feels happy, nervous, or guilty. Whenever there is candy in the vicinity, he has the nose of a bloodhound.

"What did you find there Silas?", "Me haff cangies mom".


"Did the Easter bunny leave you a basket of goodies?", "Yaahuh, dat nice bunny mom".


"Dis one mines teeoo mom?"
It was only a matter of time before Logan was up and the hunt was on. It's not in the shower...
not in the washer....
not in the book nook.................
not behind the chair................
not in the bench................
not under the desk......................

not in the oven................
not in the fridge................

not in the bathroom............
not in the shoe bench................
not in the toy basket..............
not in the trunk...................
maybe behind the couch...........

Is it back here?
Let's get a closer look.
Behind this curtain....
What about this one.....
FOUND IT!!!

How many pictures must a mom take to get a good one? Let's count.......

#1, Look at the camera. Now smile.....
#2, Please look at the camera, not your toys...

#3, "See my toy Mom"......
#4, Say cheese!

#5, PLEASE LOOK AT THE CAMERA AND STOP PLAYING WITH YOUR TOYS!
#6, SILAS PLEASE SIT BACK DOWN! "But me wanna see Siwas and LoLo on camma Mama."

#7 IS THE LUCKY NUMBER! Thank heavens for digital cameras!


This is what happened to the Easter basket 15 minutes after Cyclone Silo tore through it:

YEARLY FAMILY EAST EGG HUNT

Yesterday was the 30th annual "Whitby" family Easter-egg hunt. I look forward to this day each year, it's one of my favorite family gatherings. We meet at Moyle Park in Alpine at noon on the 1st Saturday of April. Family come from all over to visit this weekend. The small grove is nestled up against the Wasatch mountains right next to a big creek. There are wonderful trails for the kids to run and explore with plenty of trees, shrubbery, fallen logs, rocks and little nook and cranny's to hide all the eggs. In the small clearing next to the creek there are two fire pits, a couple picnic tables and a bench.
We lay down blankets and set up chairs around the fire to roast hot dogs. I always look forward to seeing everyone, and spending the afternoon catching up on the past year. It's tradition to find Nita's delicious baked beans, Jen's chicken and cabbage salad, and Emily's peanut butter bars. Aunt Jen and Nita fill around 60 dozen plastic eggs with candy, toys and coins, and we hide 12 dozen boiled eggs as well. You can always count on Uncle Jim to buy back some of the boiled eggs from the little kids for a quarter, for their piggy banks, of course! When I was in Jr. High Uncle Jim would hide a boiled egg painted like a black 8 ball for the older kids, always in a really hard spot. Some years we couldn't even find it, but whoever found it won $10! He has since retired that tradition, but I think it's time for me to pick it up next year. By then I think there will be some nieces and nephews and second cousins old enough for a tough egg hunt.

Here are Silas, Maggie (their cousin, my sister Michelle's daughter) and Logan....in their little fort. Let me zoom in.

STAY OUT! KIDZ ONLY! ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK! Silas....."out dad"!, Maggie- talk to the hand!

We held off the hunt for a little while because a few of the family were late. Logan was not very happy. Just look at that face! G-pa Mike was trying to cheer him up.

AND THE HUNT IS ON.............