Slipping through my fingers...

There's a certain Abba song that my sister, Lisa, can't listen to without breaking down into sobs...

...you know the one about watching your babies grow up and no matter how hard you try to hold on to the passing memories, they end up slipping through your fingers like sand?

I think I'm just now coming to understand that song.

When Ezra was tiny I couldn't wait for him to grow!

I anxiously anticipated the days when we could talk, laugh, play, and enjoy one another's company No matter how many people told me to just enjoy those early days with him I literally felt as though there was a clock in my head ticking away the months until he was older.

Now that I'm here...I want it all to freeze.

I know it won't,

I know it can't,

but for the first time......I feel that achy slipping sadness, the dred of knowing that time won't stop for me to just sit back and enjoy.

Sigh....

So why the melancholy rhapsodizing?

We changed Ezra's crib into a toddler bed yesterday.

HA!

A happy day, really, but as that high, slatted wall came down I saw Ezra's babyhood being tucked away in the closet with it.

HE of course is ECSTATIC!!

All of this came out because lately he's been telling me that he "needs to take a break" whenever he gets frustrated by a toy or a situation.

He would barrel down the hall to his bedroom and then reappear a few minutes later with a silly little smirk.

One day I followed him down the hall to see exactly what "taking a break" entailed.

I was BEYOND surprised to see him crawl right up into his crib...relax for a bit...then shimmy back out.

I had NO CLUE he could do that!

And so the day had arrived...

my baby had outgrown his baby bed.

=(

The men got right to work unscrewing and refiguring....

Then they pulled out the new bed rail.

Ezra was SO proud. Look at that face!

HA!

With a few more adjustments....

TA DAH!

The new bed was complete!

Ezra jumped right in...squealing all the way!

Of course, as a true daughter of a mother who likes to change things up...it was time to "re-do" the room. =)

Although I let a few tears fall...there is something to be said about the excitement of growing up. Watch out preschool...I'm determined to NOT be one of those moms who drives away from the first day in tears.

I guess we'll see. =)

Ezraisms #4

...A few more worth documenting.....

On Friday, our church was holding a blood drive.

Ezra, of course, had an EPIC breakdown when I tried to leave him in the nursery while I donated. Hearing his screams down the hall, I plucked him out of the room and then spent the next 10 minutes with him on the couch in the foyer trying to figure out why he's decided that he hates to go to nursery (on Sunday or any other day....)

Finally I flat out asked him..

"Can you just tell me WHY you don't want to go to nursery?"

He looked me straight in the eye and said...

"Because.....I don't have to!"

HA HA HA, oh dear...he's figured that out too quickly.

Along those same lines....

at church today the refusal to attend nursery held strong....

...he spent 2 HOURS without toys, snacks, or any other distractions (we're trying to make life outside of nursery as boring as possible) and sat quietly on a chair in the "grown up" meetings. I'm a little afraid of how powerful this kid's resolve is!!

Yesterday at the ward picnic, a strong wind would occasionally blow across the tops of the tables tossing napkins and styrofoam plates to the ground.

Ezra was waiting for one of his friends to finish dinner so that the two of them could run off to the play ground.

Suddenly, a gust blew his friend's plate across the table and he cried out.

I quickly remedied the situation and told our little friend that everything was alright.

Ezra decided to help by patting his shoulder and nodding....

"It's ok babe, the wind is all gone! Come play!"

Babe?

Well hello tiny Talin!

HA! =)

We decided to grab a quick dinner at one of our favorite chinese restaurants.

After the meal, the waitress brought out a tray of chilled oranges for Ezra and, of course, three fortune cookies.

Ezra immediately dove for the cookie but I hastily moved them away and declared that once he finished his orange slices he could have one.

He grumpily chomped his way through two slices and then danced with glee as I passed his treat over.

Snapping it in half, he handed the slip of paper that fell out to me and I jokingly asked him what his fortune had said.

He looked at it....thought for a minute...and stated:

"It says 'STOP EATING ORANGES!"

Ezraisms #3

Last night after a rowdy bath, Ezra declared he needed to "go potty" all by himself.

He did a great job, and after much praise, he plopped down onto Daddy's lap to commence the brushing of the teeth.

Things were going just fine until suddenly Talin felt his lap get V-E-R-Y warm....and wet.

Blech!

Leaping up he called out to me that he needed to change his pants while Ezra and I had a talk about what had just happened.

Me: "Ezra, why did you pee pee on Daddy's lap?

You were such a big a boy just a few minutes ago?"

Ezra: "uhhhhhhh."

Me: "You JUST used the potty and I KNOW you know where pee pee goes."

Ezra: "uh huh....in the potty."

Talin: (who had just returned in dry pants)

"Then why did you have an accident on Daddy's lap?"

Ezra: (pointing at Talin and grinning)

"Because you were brushing my teeth and so you get something fun!"

What?! HA HA HA

Today he followed me into the bedroom and stood chattering while I folded blankets and picked up clothes.

Our big, ornery cat, Emma had ensconced herself in Talin's blanket on the bed and made it clear that she was NOT going to move while I attempted to pull the sheets straight around her.

Ezra stared at her flat ears and growling face for a few minutes, then he pointed and demanded in his firmest voice...

"Emma! You...get....under...CONTROL!"

HA HA HA HA!

Thank you for the help Ezra Man. =)

Heavenly Ever After

Life without a camera is hard....

...let me rephrase that...

...life that you want to document on your blog is hard without a camera!

As grateful as I was to have my little cell phone camera with me at girls camp this year, I found myself wishing over and over that I could capture details like early morning sun on a spider web or pensive faces around a glowing campfire.

You know...

...the kind of things that only a TRUE camera can pick up.

Oh well.

Luckily, I was able to snag some pictures from the other leaders so that this wonderful trip won't be forgotten.

The road to camp winds up highway 1.

I can honestly say it was one of the most beautiful trips to girls camp I have ever experienced.

Once there, we set up "tent city" for the girls (25 for the whole stake!)...

...and "tent capital" for the leaders/priesthood.

(yes, I realize you can only see my tent in this shot...but there were at least 10 tents up here!)

I was so excited to find REAL flushing toilets, showers, and sinks....I had to take a picture for all my girls camping friends in Utah to envy.

(even if there were giant signs above the toilet warning us to close the lid so that "furry creatures" wouldn't fall in and drown.

blargh!)

We waisted no time getting down to the crafting!

Our girls have some serious skills!

We sang songs...

....and crafted some more.

On the second day we swam!

Can you see the white peacock watching us splash and play?

And, of course, we crafted some more.

HA!

We bundled up for skits around the campfire...

...and laughed our bootys off at the talent show...

...and crafted some more!

(yes, I took this picture once I got home...but you should have seen how wonderful the girls' were!

Thanks to my beautiful mom for the design!!)

On the last day, we had so much fun dancing around the Maypole...

...and jousting with fun noodles....

...that we didn't find time to craft.

Blasphemy!

Ha ha, just kidding!

I'm sure their little fingers loved the break from all the taping, gluing, painting, and creating.

I had the time of my LIFE at camp this year, and came away with some truly amazing memories!

But, nothing will compare to the feeling I got when I turned around on that last day and saw my amazingly handsome Talin man walking toward me in the late afternoon sun.

Eeeeeeeee!

I literally wanted to dive into his arms and never let go.

(of course, the fact that it was our 3rd anniversary may have amplified those feelings just a liiiiiiiiiitle bit.

HA!)

A quiet room

Have you ever felt so enormously frustrated,

and angry,

that you want to walk into a soundproof room and just yell...

....and yell...

....and yell?

You don't want anyone to hear....or ask what's wrong....or try to make things better...

...you just want to SCREAM....

just for a little bit anyway.

*sigh*

But then,

the confining rage passes...and your remember how lucky you are to see things like this every day

(I don't care what you say Talin...those little overall shorts make me swoon!)

And you remember how lucky you are to have such an amazing family

...and wonderful friends.

And you find yourself feeling grateful for a tiny platform to stand on that allows you to yell....

...and then reflect....

.....and then step down contentedly.

Thanks for the perspective, blog.

The End.

We are family!

I've got all my sisters with me....

We are family!

Get up everybody and sing!
WOOOO!

I've said it before and I'll say it again and again...Foto Fly you rock!