Goals

It's funny how as soon as you put your goal in writing, you become accountable to complete it. My brother-in-law, Kirk, gave me an idea to help me with running. He said that at the beginning of the month he writes how many miles he wants to run on the calendar as his goal. He was saying that if you don't write down your goal first, but just look back and add up your miles, you generally find that you didn't push yourself as much as you could have. I have found this to be true. For the past 2 months I have written my goal on the calendar and then I hold myself to it. It's best way to ensure that I will be out there doing it. (Not that I don't enjoy it, but heaven knows there are some days you'd rather be doing nothing than out working up a sweat.) Last month I was out on the last day making sure I got in my final mile. I didn't want to short myself. This month I have 4 more miles to go to reach 55 for the month. That half-marathon will never happen if I can't start pushing myself further. That's what next month is for (right, Megan and Lori?)!

My Incredible Husband

I adore my husband as every wife should. He is the best. One of the things I love about him is the way he interacts with the kids. He is so creative and funny. The girls' were having a hard time going to bed because they were scared. Nathaniel gave them each an empty water bottle and told them they were "bonkers" and that if monsters came to get them they should bonk them on the nose because that's where it hurts the most. Where did he come up with that one? I don't know, but it worked and they slept with their "bonkers" for months. Another time, we were driving up to Phoenix to meet Nathaniel's brother and his family. The girls' have cousins their age that they LOVE seeing. They were getting restless in the car, so Nathaniel tells them we need to practice our "getting ready to see the cousins exercises". He had them hold each others hand, practice hugging, sharing (which meant passing a sippy back and forth), using nice/polite words, smiling, etc. It was so cute.

A Fun Day

This picture was supposed to be last. This was his first sandbox experience. I tried to intercept the handfulls of sand to the mouth, but I was holding the camera trying to get a cute picture when he did this one. I kept pushing his hands away from his mouth, so he crawled off and I thought, "oh good, he's given up on trying to eat the sand." Hardly, he crawled forward a foot or two and then intentionally face planted with his mouth open to get the sand in. Needless to say, it wasn't what he was expecting. Hilarious though!

We go to the Tucson zoo frequently and the kids were funny this time. They paid no attention to the animals but were fascinated with the statues, benches, and plants. Maybe we go too much?!
Nathaniel built this sandbox for the kids when we moved in. Nathan loves it!!! Do you love Kate's bedhead?
He is growing taller so he is thinning out...it's true, but no one believes me. What a cute little chunker though!

Sisterly love

Kate and Liza are the best of friends, just like I am with my sisters. But you can ask Brianne, my youngest sister, and she'll tell you we had a few minor fights as youngsters. They were over in seconds and we were playing together again in no time. Well, last night Kate and Liza were taking a bath together and Eliza got mad at Kate for something and she pushed Kate...right into the faucet. I grabbed Kate and was hugging her and she kept saying, "Owie, owie!" I turned her around and she had blood covering a section of her head. I know head wounds bleed a lot and they aren't usually as bad as they appear, so I grabbed the yarrow (an essential oil I don't leave home without. It helps with bleeding and helping blood to clot quickly) and gave her a little in her mouth and a drop or two on her head and wallah! No more bleeding. It stopped instantly! (The yarrow is blue, it isn't bruising.) Man I love that stuff. I think every mom should have at least one bottle of it.
The funny part of this story is when Eliza saw the look on my face and the blood on her sister's head, she immediately covered her bottom. She knew she had done something really wrong. She felt sooo bad. Hopefully she'll be more careful in the future.

Now that's gross!

Babies are infamous for getting into things they should not. Here is Nathan playing in the trash drawer. If I leave it open even a crack, he can pull it open and then crawl inside. He got stuck in there last week. I thought it was so funny that I grabbed my camera and had to get a picture. I figured I could wash him up, a little garbage is no big deal, right?
Well, today I was picking up the house and heard some laughing coming from the kids' bathroom. That is never a good sign! I hurried down the hall and found Nathan with his head below the rim of the toilet (above water of course) with both hands in the water and having a grand ol' time splashing and laughing. Kate was right next to him with one hand in splashing and the other hand had a toy in it that she was using like a car to drive over the back of the toilet. Pretty nasty, huh? The bigger problem was that Liza doesn't believe you need to flush unless you poop, so yes, the water had been compromised! Needless to say, I grabbed soap and gave a quick scrub down in the sink and had to stifle a laugh as to not encourage Kate to repeat the offense. I may leave my kid playing in the trash to get a picture, but I didn't leave him playing in the toilet pee water to get one...that's where I draw the line! (I did get this picture of the guilty ones right after it happened. Kate was trying to dance with her "prince".)

Diaper Changing- The Olympic Sport

My kids are lousy when it comes to letting me change their diapers. It seems strange that they would rather sit in their own filth rather than take a 30 sec. break to let me fix them up. Nathan flips around like a fish out of water and has gotten out of my grasp several times after the wiping phase as I am getting the new diaper out. He then crawls as super sonic speed with his cute little cheekers mooning me. I have to admit that does make me laugh, but I don't get why something as "simple" and "easy" as changing a diaper can become such an ordeal. I end up making a fool of myself trying to make different sounds and faces trying to keep his attention forward and not down the hall.
Kate on the other hand I have to threaten her life just to get her to cooperate. She will deny that she is dirty even after I have checked her. She will choose time-out regularly rather than changing her diaper when I ask her to come. She knows that she will have to get it changed as soon as she is out, but would rather have it delayed in any way. Weird! When Nathaniel is home we try to tag team and distract the children with their favorites. For Nathan it is Nathaniel's keys and for Kate it is usually an m & m. But hey whatever gets the job done without a hassle works for me!

Bubba's Learned Defense

Nathan has it hard around here. He is lucky because his sisters ADORE him, but that brings with it some challenges, too. Katelyn can't let him crawl without trying to hug him on the go, this would look like a tackle to anyone that isn't familiar with the gesture. She's tried to ride him like a horse, jump over his head (which meant that she was just going to knock him over on his head), and she plays pat-a-cake with iron grip hands that he highly protests to. Nathan has discovered that he isn't helpless though. Today he discovered his lone tooth can come in handy. Kate has found herself twice on the receiving end of this. You can see it on his face, when he's had enough he leans forward and just bites her. I've tried to warn her. The boy can only take it for so long.
(For those of you who are wondering "why are there two toasters in this picture?" It's because one is for regular folks and the other is for gluten-free people and because we don't have more than 2 feet of counter space.)

My kids

I never got to travel like that when I was a kid. The DVD player is there on the left. They do alright if there is something playing, if not, we hear about it. They are both unusually attached to their pillows. Note the pillowcases Grandma made for them. They are a hit (they are both covered in princesses)!

He just cracks me up! He insisted on wearing the bib like this. I kept trying to put in down under his chin and he kept pulling it back up. I was laughing so hard at him. I could eat him up he is so handsome!!!

My first 10K!

Me and Matthew freezing (it was like 45 or 50 which is cold here) while we wait for it to begin.

Nancy (my college friend who married my brother-in-law, in red above) and I just before the race started.
I went over to Yuma to participate in my first 10K run. There aren't many here in Tucson that aren't on Sundays. It worked out perfectly that they had a 10K in Yuma because Nathaniel's parents and brother's family live there so we were able to have a little vacation as well as training.
We left on Thursday afternoon to get some play time in before the run. We were able to spend Thursday and Friday playing with the kids cousins which is always such a good time. It gives us Moms and Dads a little break to visit with each other. My husband, Coach Sorenson, was giving me advice as to what I needed to do to be ready for the "big run". He ran track in high school and coached high school track in Utah so I lean on him for counsel. He had me run a couple of miles on Friday morning and then he fixed a delicious spaghetti dinner for us that night. He encouraged me to get to bed early, which I did, but found I couldn't sleep. I was too excited. How old am I? I had run that far several times before, so I didn't think this should be something that keeps me from sleep. Anyway, I woke up before the alarm went off and got ready to go. My brother-in-law Matthew decided to go and keep my husband company while I ran. I was happy to have him. He's the best! The run was going to kick off a parade that I was unaware of and that made it kinda fun. As we began there were people lining the streets cheering us on. It felt like my own private cheering squad drowned out by my ipod. I felt a little discouraged as the 5K runners turned around to finish their race and we continued on, only to find out there was only 1 person behind me. I didn't think I was that slow. I had to remind myself that there weren't that many people signed up for the 10K but it didn't really help. Coach told me before the race that I wasn't out to beat anyone but myself and I had to remind myself of that every 2 minutes or so. I stayed right at pace with the old guy (in the bottom picture) and that was a little embarrassing. He's twice my age. But I haven't been running my whole life either. Nathaniel and Matthew were waiting for me at about 5 miles and cheered me on. How cute are they! Anyway, I finished in a whopping 65 minutes and did beat the old guy and 6 other people that I passed in the last mile. No records broken, but it was fun for me to do. I was happy to see Nancy at the end (I had conned her into doing the 5K) and proud that we had both accomplished something that although it may not be huge for some people, it was a step for us. We both plan to increase our distance in the near future.
We had a fun Valentine BBQ at the castle park (the world's best park ever) and then we had to get on the road. It was a great weekend! It always is with Nana, Papa, and the other Sorenson's!

Oh My Liza

Eliza is pretty much me, only shorter. She is big into romance, love, and marriage. Remember, she's only 3. This has been going on for some time, too. We were making Valentines today and she asked me if she could make a Valentine for 2 particular boys (brothers of all things). Boy am I in trouble in the future. You have to see her with these two. I swear she flirts with them. It's funny and disturbing at the same time.
She also is very imaginative. She comes up with the most elaborate stories and always wants me to "tell a story out of my mouth". When she gets into trouble she can come up with the greatest excuses that have nothing to do with the crime. I have to remind her that she needs to tell me what really happened and not just make up a story.
She unfortunately has my short fuse and quick temper as well. I hate to admit it, but I am a bit impatient. If you know me well, you already knew that.
She loves to watch movies (which is what she is doing in the picture with the bowl on her head). She will act them out and I think it is so adorable. She gets really into it sometimes. My favorite thing so far has been when she watched The Chipmunk Adventure and sang and danced the girls part when they were rocking out. Anyway, you had to see it. She's dramatic. I have no idea where she gets that from:) She will be a Disney princess and Katelyn is always the boy part. For example, Eliza is Ariel and Kate has to be Eric (luckily Kate is still young enough to go along with it). We sure do love her!

My Baby is Getting So Big!

Where did the last 9 months go? Look at this big boy! He is now drinking from a sippy and thinks he is so grown up. He will take a sip and then look at me and smile like "did you see what I just did, did you see it?" He is my little shadow. I have to admit I love it. He is a mama's boy and I eat it up. Tonight as I was out jogging with Megan, we traded off with the jogging stroller so we didn't get worn out. When Megan had the stroller I looked over and saw him staring at me. I smiled at him and started to talk to him and he just lit up. That is my favorite thing in the world. There is something so special about the way your baby looks at you, it's like you are the most amazing person to ever live. As their mother, you feel the same about them.

My Brown Eyed Girl

Katelyn is my brown eyed girl. She is always keeping things interesting. The other day we had just finished having family prayers and she informs us that she has stuck a rock up her nose. (It was a peanut a few months ago.) It took us a little while, but we finally got it out successfully. The next morning Nathaniel found her in the fridge drinking the homemade ranch. I mean it is good, but that's pushing it.
Kate has this little routine she does with Daddy. First it's a high five, then a fist bump, then a chest bump, then a hug, and lastly a kiss. She has got it down. You can't forget a step. She loves doing the chest bump and is pretty good at it. It's hilarious to see her do it. I love it.
Kate is also the best older sister. She is always saying how much she loves "her boy". She can't wait to see him when she wakes up and can't for the love leave him alone. It's so cute sometimes and absolutely annoying other times.
One of our favorite things to do is climb in Mommy and Daddy's king size bed and curl up and read as many library books as time allows. It's the best when we get everyone in there for family fun time. They are some of my favorite memories.

Tagged...I'm it...Now you are!

The other day a friend of mine tagged me and said I was supposed to list 10 honest things about myself. I started to try to think of things that make me, well, me. I have never thought much about nailing down the things that make me an individual, not a mom or a wife, but just me as Tennille. So here goes...
1. My favorite pair of jeans is at least 8 years old. I don't think I will ever be able to get rid of them even though they don't fit really well anymore (I can pull them off without undoing them).
2. Before September I couldn't run a whole mile without stopping. Now, thanks to Megan (for encouraging me and telling me I could totally do it and for going with me), Lori (for accompanying me on my runs), and Nathaniel (for support and watching the kids) I am up to 6 straight miles and working up to a half-marathon.
3. I am a very fast eater. I think it is a combination of 2 things. I love food and somehow think that inhaling it will give me more satisfaction, and since having kids I think that if I don't shovel it in I will be interrupted and have to wait until who knows when to finish.
4. I love to play games to make life more interesting. Games in the car (doubles, alphabet, I spy, playing DJ with the music, singing as off key as possible, making up your own words to the song, etc.), making my husband tell me something new about him before he goes to bed at night, name the movie the quote is from, and other random games.
5. I love to sleep. I think napping is such a treat. I get excited anytime I think I will get to partake of such wonderfulness. One of my favorite things is to get into bed at night all nice and cozy and just relax. The day is done and you get to relive the good times in your mind and whatever didn't get done can wait.
6. I make my husband kiss me on the doorstep after we go on a date. It reminds me of when we were dating and everything was new and exciting. I wouldn't trade our relationship now for that, but I love the way it makes me tingle still.
7. I look forward to having my sister, Laurel, call me everyday. I never tire of talking to her, even if it is at least once a day. It's a highlight to me.
8. I like to have toothbrushing parties. This is just brushing you teeth along with someone else or a couple of others. I did it all of the time with my roommates and now if I see Nathaniel brushing his teeth I try to hurry and do it at the same time because I think it is so much more fun to do it together. My kids are just like me and want to brush their teeth whenever they see me doing it. See, it is more fun!
9. I rarely pay full price for anything. I have no problem shopping at second hand stores, hitting sales at regular stores, or going to garage sales. It's like a challenge to me to try to find cute stuff while paying half of what everyone else did.
10. A few of my favorites... Color-Red. Number-3. Treat-Sweet's Brand Cinnamon Bears. Foods- Cafe Rio Pork, Outback's Alice Springs Chicken, Red Robin's Fries, and most recently Brazilian Lemonade. Hairdo-ponytail (that is since I've had kids). Girls' night. Hot baths. Thunder and lightening storms (especially with a short power outage). Babies Hands. Firsts (first time doing something new). Game nights. Nicknames. And my husband winking at me.

If you read this, I want you to do the same and list 10 honest things about yourself. Things that make you who you are. Hopefully it will be fun and remind yourself of little things that make you an individual. (Not that there is anything better than being a wife and mother.)

Out of the mouth of babes...

Yesterday was free Grand Slam breakfast day at Denny's. We loaded the family and went down to the nearest Denny's and waited with a good sized crowd to take advantage of this deal. There was a young guy standing next to Eliza with his pants sagging and his shorts showing underneath (luckily they were shorts and not something else). His behind was right at her eye level and she points to it and says, "Mom, he needs to pull up his pants. He's not being modest." I started laughing a little and then had to talk to her about how we do the best we can to follow what we know is right and do those things that would make Heavenly Father happy with us even if other people don't do those things. We have been talking to her a lot about modesty and things that are/aren't good for our bodies, so I was proud of her for understanding it in real life.
Kate pointed out another time the "bad girl" who was smoking. I had to tell her she wasn't a "bad girl" she was just making a bad choice. The girls always point out people smoking in their cars and say, "that's bad, huh Mommy!"
In church the other week Eliza looked behind us, pointed at an older lady and said, "look, Mom, why is that lady's hair funny?" I tried to shhh her while stifling a laugh, but she wouldn't let it go. I tried to distract her, but she wasn't having it. The lady says to her husband, "what did she say?" Nathaniel and I got a kick out of that one! Our kids are at that age where they just say things and you smile (not sure of how to rectify the situation) and hope people are forgiving and understanding or that they have a good sense of humor!