A video of Daddy's boy

chances are real good

Temple Square, Salt Lake City......yesterday

pics by my sis, Kylee

I am super duper lucky
to live near this gorgeous place.
The temple in Salt Lake City
is just absolutely amazing.
Especially this time of year.

Walking the grounds

of the temple brings
such a peaceful and joyful
feeling.
I love spiritual reminders

like this
that life is good.
That I'm blessed.
That our time on earth is so temporary
and that we are part of a
much bigger and eternal plan
of our Heavenly Father.

I've got a huge hunch
that no matter where you live,
your chances of having a temple
nearby are pretty good.
And I bet that if you visit one,
just by strolling around it,
chances are also good
that you will walk away a
better and happier person.
I want to hear all
about it if you go!

advocating, fighting, whatever

I'm the kind of gal that likes things to be easy-going, light & fluffy, nice & cheery. I'll be the first to duck out of the room if the conversation gets heated. Let's all just be happy and smile, okay?

But now I'm a mother. And being Bugg's mama especially, I've had to learn to really speak up. Like when his pediatrician brushed me off when I said Bugg needed a certain blood test done. Or when the operator at the children's hospital was taking her sweet time while he was having a seizure (I did call her back and apologize for being so impatient). Or the time when I was going to have to pay for a summer movie pass when he was only two. Puh-lease. Trust me, he won't even watch it or care.

For over a year now, I've tossed the idea back and forth to ask my city's parks & rec to install a special swing at the park. One that can accommodate children with special needs. But why would they listen to lil' ol' me? I'm sure they've got lots of other pressing issues in these stressful times, right? But Bugg can only swing in these little bucket seats for so long before he'll get too big and he can't sit up in the regular swings. But why would they listen to lil' ol' me?


I love to push my girls on the swings. The underdogs, the rush of wind, the freeness, Meeskii singing, "I believe I can fly!" at the top of her lungs, Rooskii flapping her arms & legs with giddiness.

Sometimes my heart sinks when I see Bugg over there on the side. Although he hangs out patiently, I wonder if there just isn't something that I can do so that I can push all my babies on the swings at the same time!

And now, I find myself wanting to put on boxing gloves and take to the rink. I just found out that this dear sweet angel, Miss Britt........

.....will no longer be Bugg's one-on-one aide next year in preschool because of a budget cut. Instead, there will be "floaters." My heart just sunk when I heard this news.

She knows Bugg. She loves him. He loves her. Miss Britt knows his mannerisms, his cranky cues and what to do, how to comfort him, how much to push him during therapies, what he enjoys. She writes me notes on how the day went and does the cutest projects with him. She comforted me that day before school started when I was choking up and saying that it was really hard to send him to school. I knew he'd be just fine with her. And this year has been so wonderful. I was looking forward to next year being the same.

This just isn't okay with me. At first, I just accepted it. Well, he still will have his fantastic teacher. I do really adore Miss Rachael. But he needs a one-0n-one. He needs consistency. I need it, too.

I will fight for my boy. I can do it. But I'd love your help. Please?

What should I do? Have any of you "special" moms had to deal with similar stuff? What worked?

I'll try anything and everything. And if that doesn't work................

.....Bugg & I will bake. We'll bake cookies to take to the budget-cutter peoples. That'll get 'em.

Cookies before dinner? Aaaaabsolutely.

Dada is inspecting a "butterfly"
moth with his shmancy microscope.

Was 4:00pm good to you, too?

a "do" tutorial

I always do Bugg's hair
in the bathroom while
holding him on my lap,
but because I wanted
to snap pics, I put him in
his Bumbo chair on the floor.....
therefore, he is not a
happy guy in these pics.
He still loves me, though.

YOWza'!
Look at that nasty nest!
Because he is on his back so much,
he gets the tingly-tanglies
really bad.
Especially when he's
needing a haircut.
Like today.

Step 1: spray hair,
Step 2: slick all hair back

Step 3: Fluff curls with a brush,
takes about 5 seconds

Step 4: use Dad's gel to glue curls

Very handsome,
that boy is.
He got his curls
from me, you know.
Lucky guy.
(a re-post from 4/29/09)

wait for the point

Our trip to the gas station:

Documented.

I think it is so much fun
to play while I'm waiting
for my gas tank to fill.
I run around the mini
playing PeekABoo
and scaring my children
through the windows.
It cracks them up.
And gets ME so giddy!
I make faces at them,
flash them the "I love you"
sign and generally,
act like a goofball.

My hunk of a husband
is a goofball, too,
because he keeps
spreadsheets of our gas mileage.
On every car we've ever owned.
(we've owned a hand-full of them)
This means keeping track
at every fill-up,
on every receipt.
Annoying, you think?
YES, it is.
But also an excuse
to write him a
quick love note.
I've done this consistently
since we've been married
and I love this lil' tradition.

Now, through the car
wash we go.
As the roar of the wash begins,
we crank up the tunes
and DANCE.
It is super fun.
And so, would you look at that?
It could have been
another boring, routine
errand.
But we actually celebrated
FUELING UP!

Have you seen "Pollyanna?"

Woah! Did I lose you?
Trust me.
The point really is coming.
This movie is one of the best.
Besides the quaint and DARLING
town of Harrington,
the amazing chocolate cake at the bazaar
(anyone got a recipe :) for that?),
and the enchanting prisms,
the GLAD game is really what gets me.
Pollyanna, orphaned and living
with her unloving aunt,
sees the GLAD side to everything.
I love that about life.
So many trials, yet so many
opportunities to find the good.
And there is so much GOOD.
Life is good, people!
And perhaps having
our special Bugg has
allowed me to see that
there really is a LOT to celebrate.
Smiles, sitting up, babbles,
blonde curls....and on.

Birthdays and holidays overjoy me.
But they only come every so often.
That's why we celebrate everything
in between, too!
This picture was Meeskii's 1/2 b-day.
I even hid a 1/2 dollar in the cake.
We got a kick out of it.
And why not have an UN-b-day party?
I don't mean to teach my children
that every single moment is a party.
Boy, they have sure seen me
throw pity parties, for sure!
Those are no fun.
But celebrating together
is really important to me.
Creating memories.
Bonding.

My point, finally:
Everyday is a celebration.
So rock out in the
drive-thru car wash.
Dance with your lover
in the kitchen.
Eat cookies on the front
porch with your children after school.
Deliver balloons for the heck of it.
Make a cake and eat it just 'cause.
A chocolate one.
and PS:
tomorrow is
National Take a Moment to Laugh Day.
Be creative.

summing up Spring Break

LOVE

OUTDOORS

SWEETS

and JOY.
Basically.
It was wonderful.
I think we actually
got out of our jammies
a few times.
Bugg got new glasses.
Took a trip to
California.
He slept through
the entire family reunion.

The kid knows how
to party.
I mean, what would
you do in a strange place
surrounded by people
you don't know?
Exactly.

chillaxin'

Yessss!

It's Spring Break this week.

Which means,

jammie days,

lots of relaxing,

well, um, ya know.

candy eating,

(don't forget to color your

lips with those malt ball eggs!),

kite flying ,

picnicking,

snoozing (yeah, right),

lollygaggin',

bbq-ing,

and such.

Oh, well, if it ever

STOPS SNOWING

that is.

And here's to hoping

I don't lose my mind

having 100 percent children

around 100 percent of the time.

See you next week,

sweet friends!

Love, Bree

celebrating Easter

I wish you all
a very special
&
wonderful Easter!

See you next week!
love, Bree