Eaton Family Reunion 2013

Over Memorial Day weekend, the Eaton family had its first Family Reunion in Duck Creek (Crick?), Utah.  It was strange that we've arrived at this phase of life, but it was so much fun, I'm glad we're here. Here are some pics:

I always catch Harry giving Sarah the most adoring looks.  Loooove is a many splendored thiiiiiing.  This is how they can often be found: sharing a couch and reading.

Classic mom.

Ian's presence turned Jude into a much more independent tike.  Usually Jude wants me to be in his line of vision at all times.  After this family reunion, he's much more comfortable to go play in the backyard or at the park without me at his heels.  They had so much fun throwing things off this deck to the ground (or parked cars) below (like about 7 cans of Coke Zero and tons of Hot Wheels), riding their cars, sliding, and engaging in other forms of mischief.

I had a box full of jewelry I hadn't opened in about 3 years, so I brought it and let my nieces Sadie and Julia have at it.  Who's their favorite aunt now??  Holler!

Of course we dibble dabbled in hair and nails.  Kacie's blonde hair is inspiring me to lighten mine....
Also I did some bomb manicures and pedicures on Sadie and Julia (also why I'm the favorite aunt -- holler!).

Cozy naps.  I could go for one right now.

We had a brief run with Family Olympics.  I was "in charge" and hacked 2 events from my SIL Angie from my OTHER family's Family Reunion in St. Jorge last summer.  Yes, only 2 events.  And they were the only ones involving food.  But the wood floor in the cabin would've resulted in some broken angles (and beyond) if we'd done a gunny sack race, and also, I'm lazy (or tired and busy). 

So we did a donut eating contest, one round with the big kids (Sam, Sadie, and Julia), and one with little kids (Jude and Ian).  We picked up the donuts in Cedar City right before we went up the mountain to Duck Creek, and since we were close to the end of the drive and the kids were getting cranky, Jeff offered to run in and get them while we kept the kids contained in the car.  He came out with a box of very fancy and glorious donuts, and since there were some without holes and thus couldn't be strung up, the adults had their own "contest" after.  And when I say "contest" I mean we enjoyed them without any strings attached.  And in true Eaton girl fashion, about each of those donuts were siphoned away at until they were gone.  Because things don't have as many calories when you only cut a piece off every 7-20 minutes.  The other event was blowing bubbles with frozen Bazooka gum.  Kris won that one -- the prize was the rest of the bag of Bazooka :).  

Sam won this event.  He's a 10 year old boy with a 6'6" dad and 5'10" mom.  His scarfing skills are well-honed.

I love my Sadie girl.

Cameron, if I had a nickel for every time you pulled this face in a picture last-minute, I'd buy a house in Bermuda and only let you visit if you promised to never pull this face in a picture ever again.

Jammy time.  And then Jeff and I can sit down time, because bedtime is just around the river bend.

Donut Eating Contest for the little kids: hilarious and cute.  They were thrilled at what was before them, puzzled for its presentation, and then annoyed that it made life difficult.  Cheating quickly happened and obviously no one cared.

Your donut ship will come in, my child.  

I never had to look very far for someone to hold and entertain G while I had to go do _____.

I always felt bad for Elizabeth's kids being so much older than any other cousins, because they'd get so bored at reunions.  Actually, all of the big kids are very good with babies and Jude, and they give such sweet attention, they never acted bored or put out.

Twins!  And I have to give props to Aunt E: Jude woke up anywhere between 5:30 (so 4:30 California time) and 6:00 each morning.  Since all 4 of us were in the same room, he'd wake up and be like, "Oh YES!  There's mom and dad; they can't hide now!  Party time!"  And since he'd wake up Graham if I let him cry for any amount of time, I had to appease him.  Each morning when Elizabeth heard my pitter patterings in the main room, instead of barking to keep it down from her own room (which would've been fair/understandable), she'd mosey on up to help me.  She'd help me put on movies, get breakfast for Jude, bring me a Diet Coke, etc.  If it were me I'd have taken the sleep :).  Thanks Elizabeth!  And also, then we got more time to talk.

Mom, J, and Kacie post-church.  We went to a local Branch which was so highly attended that day we were put in an "overflow room" down the hall from the chapel with the meeting coming through the intercom.  We were all dying laughing during every hymn because the organist was playing like a death march and every time we'd finish a verse, we'd realize everyone else in the chapel was at least a line behind us. 

Who wouldn't want this guy fighting Orange County fires??  (That's his career plan -- and I think based on this picture alone he could get a job at any station he pleases.)

I could not love him more.

Motherhood looks good on you, Sar!

And here's the whole kit and caboodle!  A bunch of people I love to love.  Until next time!  And thanks, Reynolds Fam, for letting us use your awesome cabin!

Graham: 4 Months

My cracker is doing great.

Compared to Jude he still seems so tiny, so I was surprised to find out at his check up that he's off the charts in length, in the 85th percentile for weight, and 99th percentile for his head.  "It's like sputnik!"  Quoting that movie makes me feel old.  At one time it did not age me to know lines from that movie.

He continues to be pretty awesome.  Graham currently

• sleeps through the night.
• ate rice cereal once so far with a puzzled expression.
• loves his binky but also his hands.  This never appealed to Jude, and as far as I know, any of my parents' children.  Before I sleep trained him, I went in one night to feed him and he had begun sucking on his thumb.  Full on, Linus style thumb slurping with his index finger resting against his nose.  I pulled it right out and put in the binky.  I do not want to have to put quinine on his thumb at some point like Rhett Butler did.
• sits facing forward in the stroller.
• smiles at Jude and watches his every move.
• belly laughs with Jeff.
• is becoming a distracted nurser.
• loves to stand and climb up on my hips when I hold him.  I love this stage.
• and one of my favorite things, grabs things and brings them to his mouth, thus squishing squishy objects into his squishy face.  There is something so endearing to me about the chewing and slurping on little toys.
• rolls over from his tummy to his back, and scoots all around.
• has sprouted his first 2 bottom teeth!  It's drool city around here, no surprise since he's my offspring.

When he wakes up in the morning he scrunches up his face all disoriented and I smile at him waiting for him to stop long enough to see me there.  When he does, his sweet Graham grin spreads across his porcelain face and we beam at each other.  I don't want him to ever grow up, but thinking about his latest milestones reminds me that he just is.  I had no idea every day I schlepped through my pregnancy that such a feeling of fulfillment would come with this addition.  My friend Annie told me days before Graham arrived that you think that with the baby that makes you a mother, you have no more room in your heart for another one, but your heart grows, and love is a crazy phenomenon (or something like that).  It's too true -- I didn't think I needed anything else besides Jude.  Now, a life without Graham wouldn't work.

Thanks for being our baby, G.

TV

1. Avoid these movies like the bubonic plague:

• Hemingway and Gelhorn (awkward and flat)
• Pitch Perfect (obnoxious and flat)
• Broken City (horrible and flat)
• The Hatfields and the McCoys (depressing and flat)

2. I'm still on a Mindy Project kick.  Jeff never saw this invasion of Mindy Kaling coming.  I can't help it, I love it.  Jeff surprised me with her book and it made me chuckle out loud, I related to some of the things she had to say, and despite a few bad words it was a great, quick little thing.

3. See below for more details, but after nixing Thomas the Train from our house, Jude's riding the Bob the Builder wave.  When the theme song comes on he gives me his "OH MY GOSH!" face, and then shakes his booty.  It is perfect for him.  Construction cars and heavy machinery galore.  Plus, it showcases a couple (Bob and Wendy) that work well together, and they get into specifics of Bob's contract jobs.  "I was up all night laying linoleum in City Hall!" or "We still have to install the pergola and fence!" Jude thinks all those projects are awesome.  We turn it on as we do diapers/get dressed/breakfast in the morning, and if there's time before bed where we're waiting for Jeff to get home.

4. Thomas the Train -- what the heck??  As a teen, when I babysat children who watched that show, (then narrated by Ringo Starr) it just seemed creepy.  Then when Jude wanted to watch it, and I started paying attention to the dialogue, it was all sorts of horrible. Forget the fact that it uses really cheesy phrases endlessly. It is, in every episode, all about a bunch of insecure, scene-stealing, jealous, passive-aggressive, gutless anthropomorphic trains.  And I hear myself say these things and know I must be crazy, to be so wound up over a kids' show, but who is writing this stuff???  And for kids?? The characters are constantly being rude and condescending to each other, and then ruining things by trying to sneakily get ahead of the other trains, and when they are caught and chastised, they say "Oh dear, I am not a very useful engine."  THE END.  And next episode, start it all over again, because no one in this show can do anything else besides be lame-o.  It's been banned at our house, because it's so obnoxious, and I can't think of a single thing I want Jude to take away from this show about idiot locomotives.

5. Downton Abbey.  Sigh.  I am just now able to write about this.  First season = gold.  Second season = gold.  I waited impatiently for Season 3, which turned out to be the season that saw a parting of the ways.  For Lady Sybill, Matthew, reportedly Lady Violet, and (sniff sniff) me.  I don't think I can bear to watch Season 4.  

But actually, this deserves its own entire blog post, for there is much to say.  And right now I'm sleepy.

6. I'm also on an on-again, off-again Gilmore Girls stretch.  How many times have I seen each season now?  I don't know, but it's a lot.

7. The Office.  It's been horrible for the last 2-3 seasons.  They had to start trying much too hard, stretching things much too far, and I only hung on this season because it was the last.  But I will say that when Steve Carrell made his cameo in the finale, I was suddenly tearing up!  I know, I know, I surprised even myself.  Oh wait, I cry at the drop of a hat ever since having a baby back in 2011.  I think I cried because I love the idea I have in my head of who Steve Carrell is.  One of my favorite movies is Dan in Real Life, a movie in which he is a totally hilarious sweetheart.  And in Mindy Kaling's book she goes on and on about how kind and warm he is, and how patiently and graciously he works.  I think I've started to think of him as a version of an uncle.  My family and I used to religiously watch Seasons 1 and 2 the summer before my mission, and that's made it sentimental.  Anyway, there you have it, it got to me all over again.  The show wrapped up nice and tidy, and even though I winced through a few seasons, the finale resonated with my tear ducts.  

The End

Graham's Blessing

On March 31 (Easter Sunday), Jeff blessed Graham.

We were so tickled to have all 4 grandparents, Gigi Hayes, Aunt Erica/Uncle Robert + brood, Aunt Michelle/Uncle Mark + L, and Aunt Sarah/Uncle Harry join us.  Obviously we had a great weekend.

This child of mine is cozy with his Grandma.

After the blessing we ate the big old Easter dinner with ham and lots of potatoes.  And here's a nice random pic of my mom, Amber, and Jude and Violet.

Erica and Sarah were interrupted by moi for this picture -- 2 classy beauties right here.

My friend Courtney met most of the family but was asking who the people on the couch were.  I sufficiently blew her mind when I said, "Ok so Harry is married to my sister Sarah, and then next to him is Robert, my sister-in-law Erica's husband, and guess what.  Harry...and Robert...are brothers."  "Brothers-in-law?"  "No, like, they are brothers.  They have the same mom and dad."  "Whaaaa?"

On Saturday we went to a San Clemente beach.  The weather forecast had been shutting this idea down all week with the promise of rain, which would've been sad for our visitors, but the sun championed through!  And hey!  I was there!

I love my effervescent Jude.  Not much is "not a big deal" to him.

Talking shop or something like that.

Cousin E is a devoted and attentive friend to all cousins, but the smaller ones especially.  

Be still my heart!

Grandpa and Jude checking out the playground

Cousin J clearly negotiating with Erica.  He is such a crack-up.  Before the beach, we swooped into the drive-thru at a favorite little spot, A's Big Ace.  Apparently in J's car, everyone was trying to decide what to eat and he goes, "Aw let's just order burgers and be done with it!"

Love

Gigi worked her magic with Graham.  

A brother's love is a brother's love.

Hey!  Let's go bless a baby!

Jeff gave Graham a wonderful blessing.

Papa and Graham. Side note: My dad has always been called "Grandpa" by Elizabeth's kids, but now Jude calls him "Papa".  This sort of simplifies things.  Mimi and Papa are my parents, and Grandma and Grandpa are Jeff's parents.

I majorly scored on this blessing outfit.  I had a store credit for $20 at baby gap and this was on sale for like $20.14.  He looked so cute in it I almost had an ulcer.

The day after, when everyone but Grandma, Grandpa and Gigi had departed, we took them to the San Juan Capistrano Missions.  I somehow made it through the Irvine Unified School District without ever field tripping there, so this was my first time, but Graham was uncharacteristically fussy and I missed most of it.  Now I'll just wait till Jude is matriculated and has his school field trip there, and I'll go help out :).

Graham and Grandma making eyes at each other

Graham brings unending joy to our family.  It was wonderful to be together to bless this beautiful boy, celebrate Easter Sunday, and see each other.  Hip Hip Hooray (x3).

Not pictured: The Easter Egg hunt on Saturday.  It happened, the kids got a lot of eggs, and I ate way too much candy while stuffing said eggs.  Nice.

Mother's Day 2013

Another good one.  It included sleeping in, Jeff made me a fruit plate for breakfast, he and "the kids" gave me a cute skirt, and my parents, Sarah, and Harry came over for dinner.  At church we were given mini Dreyer's ice creams (I chose cookie dough).

This was my 3rd Mother's Day, and each year Jude has done something out of the ordinary to celebrate.  When he was still in his fussy infant phase, he gave me the gift of a Relief Society lesson by snoozing like the dead on my lap.  The next year when he was a tireless 1-year-old, he slept in till 9:30.  And this year, he sat on my lap for 90% of Sacrament Meeting and, in the middle of it, for no apparent reason other than he loves me, he gave me a tight, prolonged hug around my neck and a big kiss on the cheek. He always pulls through on my special day :).

We all know I love being a mom, but lately I've been feeling especially grateful to have my own Mother and Mother-in-Law.

My Mom knows how to crochet, knit, embroider, sew everything from a slip cover to a wedding dress, reupholsters furniture, paints the interior and exterior of her house, can nourish a dying flower back to life, remembers all the poetry from her English Lit classes in college (and thus was able to help me over the phone with mine), cooks healthy, and even somehow makes eating chocolate appear healthy (since she does it a lot and has never gained weight in the 30 years I've been on this beautiful Earth).  She is tactful and gracious, and I've decided she's figured out how to be a "positive realist".  She was a little hard on me in my teen years about things like curfew and boyfriends, but now that I'm a mom, I understand she couldn't NOT worry, and a vigilant parent is better than an AWOL parent.  But most importantly, she's a toasty blanket of love and the sound of encouragement and calm.  Bad day, good day, she always improves a day.  When she can, she takes a half-day off to down to hang out with me and my boys, and those days are so delicious.  We talk, we laugh, we eat a treat, and she'll always claim to have a "little bit of a headache" coming on and therefore needs sips of my Diet Coke.  Lately, Sarah joins us too.  "Mimi" is the Jude whisperer, and he's kind of obsessed with her.  She gave him a toy car, which he calls "my Mimi car!" and must take it with him everywhere.  He panics if I try to put him down for a nap without it.  Anyway, she's a blessing we all appreciate.

My Mother-in-Law gave me a hug the first time I met her when Jeff and I were dating.  She was one of the only people who encouraged me to sleep train Jude, which was a very important thing for me to do (another blog post for another day).  She goes out of her way to help me with the boys, and they love her because she's awesome but also because I know they feel so much love from her.  She also sews, arranges flowers, crochets, and has embroidered blankets for Jude and Graham, and makes Christmas jammies every year.  She's classy, honest, smart, and nurturing.  Charissa has a great sense of humor and whenever we get together we all stay up late laughing and talktalktalking.  I often crave sitting in their family room with some Steven's Hot Chocolate or a Diet Pepsi, watching TV and talking.  One of the biggest reasons why I'll love her forever is without her, and alllllll that she put into raising Jeff, I wouldn't be a wife and mother.   I hope I can also raise Jude and Graham to be clever hunks that will make a girl want to sign up for a lifetime AND eternity together like I do with my Jeff.  I can't wait for my in-laws to quit working already so they can come visit us more.

In short, I hit the jackpot on Moms, and don't think I deserve them.  As it is, however, they're stuck with me.

Happy Mother's Day to all, and to all a goodnight!

Words!

Here are some exciting updates on Jude:

• 3 weeks in speech therapy, and he is finally unleashing his inner parrot.  We are so proud of him!  We go twice a week, 30 minute sessions.  He looooves his speech therapist.  Today I got there early because I needed to nurse Graham in the car before we went in.  The entire time Jude was yelling, "Go go!!!" and pointing at the door handle.  When we were in the lobby waiting, and she (Miss Chris) came out with the kid she works with before, he ran over, held her hand while she gave the report to the parent, and then as she took him back he cheerfully waved to me and said, "Bye!"  I'm glad he has fun in there, and glad it seems to be working.  He adds a bunch of new words pretty much every day, and putting words together for sentences is in sight.  (He will already say "My ______" and "Bye bye ______" or "Hi _____" sometimes, which is awesome.)  This is the answer to our prayers.  It's hard enough being 2 years old without adding communication barriers to the pile!
• He figured out his scooter, and loves to be outside with it or his Spider-Man truck or "Lo-lo" (Back-hoe loader).  Toys get old fast, but something he can ride around on outside will be a favorite for months and months.
• He has outgrown another pair of pants and on average I have to buy him a bigger size shoe every 2 months.
• He is finally at peace (or something like it) with the ear plugs he must wear for water time because of his tubes.  I'd been worried our pool/splash pad time would suffer this summer if he never stopped trying to take them out.
• He's eating a wider variety of victuals, and is not so addicted to milk anymore.  
• He suddenly really wants to be snuggled up in blankets when he's outside of the crib, which is cute (and maybe an act of Graham jealousy).

And, much to the chagrin of some, we buzzed his unruly mop of hair.

We did this because:

• His curls will come back (we buzzed him last July, too).
• There was this spot in the back that didn't really curl -- it looked weird and I kept having to fight the urge to take a hot roller to it.
• When he's throwing a red-faced, flailing-limbed, ear-splitting tantrum, you look at that wild frenzy on top of his head and feel that it just adds to the chaos.  His tidier appearance really does help the vibe of the emotional roller coaster that is a day in the life of a 2-year-old Jude!

He's also, of course, just acting older.  You just have to hang out with him to see it.  It's like Graham is this little toy that smiles and gurgles at us, and Jude is a companion.  Since he's still not exactly conversational it shows up in other ways.  I know that he knows exactly what I'm talking about.  I am starting to see SOME reasoning seeping in (like "You can have your gummy vitamin AFTER you finish your breakfast").  The other day I gave him an "energy bite" to eat (maybe I'll post the recipe if I have the energy that those bites are supposed to pass along), but I told him he had to eat it right away if he was going to be out of his booster with it.  A few minutes went by wherein he held it, and then he put it next to me on the couch.  Exactly what I didn't want to have happen.  But I was nursing and didn't want to get up to put it on the counter.  So I ate it.  About 12 seconds later he came back looking for it, saw it was gone, goes, "Hmmmmm...." and looks behind him and under the couch.  Then he stands up, sees me still chewing and exclaims, "Heeey!" It was cute and funny, and he didn't hold it against me.  He had, after all, been given the terms of the energy bite bequeathal.

I get really frustrated with the blood curdling screaming he does just to get a rise out of me.  His face will be almost stoic, he's not throwing a tantrum, he just opens up his mouth and projects like an classically trained opera singer who switched careers to horror film star.  And if it were just my ears being most offended that would be one thing, but it scares the crap out of Graham and makes him cry.  And the best way to get him to stop while I'm driving or nursing is to ignore it, but then that means we all have to endure 7 or 8 screams before he gives up.  My ears are nigh unto exploding at times.  

He also, when both boys are in the stroller and Jude wants to be free, reaches over to Graham's side and grab at his face.  OOoooooh this is a problem.  He doesn't do it to hurt Graham, he does it because he knows I won't ignore it.  I block it as best I can but Graham's had a couple of scratches, or at the very least been woken up, and I don't know what I should do about this.  I can't let it go on, it has to stop NOW.  I might handcuff him :).  In a month or two when Graham can sit in the stroller without the car seat, Jude won't be able to reach him anymore.  Any idiz?

Anyway, I am trying to approach each day full of positive thinking and energy to teach him, and fill his day with the things he loves most: friends, the outdoors, and me chasing and tickling him.  As much as he can squelch my patience, the older he gets the more ways he learns to show love in return, which means my day is spotted with greater flourishes of heaven.  HEA-VEN.  Tonight he gave me about 13 kisses in rapid-fire succession.  

Which brings me to bedtime.  Last night he gave me a long kiss on one cheek, then took his little hand, said, "That," and turned my cheek so he could give me a kiss on my other cheek.  I swear, night time rituals are magical.  All the day's mischief and acts of defiance are forgiven as I read my sweet jammies boy his Night Night books, some scriptures, we pray (he now says "Amen!"), and I sing to him while he snuggles up on my shoulder.  Then I put him, his sippy, the toy cars he has chosen to sleep with, and a couple blankets in his crib, have Lovey Monkey give him a kiss on the cheek too, we say "Night night" to each other, I run my finger from his forehead to the tip of his nose as I have since he was a newborn, turn on the noise maker, and that is the end of another day with my Jude.

Love it.