The Dog

Meet our little Cooper

Well, I kind of thought I'd never give in. 

My kids have begged for a dog for years. At first, I said when we get a house. Then we got a house and I said we need a fence and a garage. I also said NEVER would I have a dog in my house.

Well, the day has finally come. I'm as surprised at myself as everyone else is. It's been a full week and to be honest, as cute as this little puppy is, right now I wish I'd said no. 

He's given me every reason that I said no in the first place. He pees on my rugs, bites my shoes and pants, scratches my new couches, tracks water and dirt in the house, wakes me up at night and on top of all that, he stinks! He has thee worst breath I've ever smelled.

But on the other hand, my kids absolutely adore him! I haven't had to fight with them to get out of bed once this week, I just put the dog on their bed and they're up. And Zach will not leave him alone, he is totally smitten. 

My husband is also a big fan. He's excited to have a hunting dog (even if just for pheasants, he originally thought we'd gotten a springer spaniel- this little cocker is not a water dog, apparently) and just have a dog for our kids. He's ever so patient with him- much more so than I am. He gets up in the middle of the night to take him out with no complaint (on a good note, the past couple nights he's slept almost 8 hours straight). And he can sense when I've had enough (so can the dog) and he takes over completely.

It's been a long week. It really seems like I've been struggling with this dog much longer. But I know it will get better. We have awesome neighbors who have given us stuff and tips for him and our cute neighbor Selda is amazing. She loves him and comes to check on him every day while we're gone (not to mention takes and feeds my kids so I can rest.) She's the best! 

And even though he's smelly, I sometimes don't mind him snuggling on my lap and it is pretty cute when he comes and falls asleep on my feet.

So I'm having faith that one day, hopefully sooner than later, I will be as smitten as the rest of my family and won't regret saying yes.

ABCs

So, I noticed on the side bar of people's blog it shows the lovely picture of me covered in dirt and wind-blown, hat hair and that just will not do. So I decided a different post was needed and I saw this on another blog and thought it would be kinda fun.

A. Age: 31
B. Bed size: Expanded Queen, which is absolutely ridiculous because I CAN'T find sheets!
C. Chore that you hate: Dusting. So bad. Not a big fan of mopping either.
D. Dogs: None. My poor, deprived children want one SO much. Maybe someday..
E. Essential start to your day: My contacts. Blind as a bat without em. And a shower.
F. Favorite color: Lots, but loving teal and gray right now.
G. Gold or Silver: I like both. I used to hate gold, but it's growing on me.
H. Height: 5’8"
I. Instruments you play: Tuba.
J. Job title: Configuration Management Specialist- sounds so official.
K. Kids: Two supercool, rambunctious, funny, awesome, sometimesoutofcontrol boys.
L. Live: in the ghetto
M. Mother’s name: Shirley
N. Nicknames: Gwen, Gwendolyn, Wendybird (in high school).
O. Overnight hospital stays: Just for babies.
P. Pet peeves: Bad drivers, people who won't take responsibility for their own actions and those who don't expect that from others.
Q. Quote from a movie: I'm gonna go home and fart in a shoe box. (LOVE Date Night)
R. Right or left handed: Right handed.
S. Siblings: 6 half bros, 2 half sisters
U. Underwear: Optional :)
V. Vegetable you hate: Most of them. I am not a veggie fan.
W. What makes you run late: being a Merrill. We are late to everything.
X. X-Rays you’ve had: Dental, chest, wrist, ankle. Ooh, I've had a cat scan and an MRI too- those are fun.
Y. Yummy food that you make: I make a mean mac n' cheese. I really like my spaghetti and chicken nachos (not together).
Z. Zoo animal: Pandas, though I've never actually seen one at the zoo.

Labor Day 2011 (My four wheeling adventure)

We didn't plan anything special for the holiday this year (actually, we rarely do) but ended up having a busy, fun-filled weekend.
Saturday started out like most of ours do- lazy morning, chores and shopping in the afternoon. In the evening we had a bbq with our fun neighbors just a few doors down and a little gathering around their fire pit that lasted until 3 AM (I actually bailed at like 1030- I know, I'm a wuss).
Sunday, we went to Rich's sister's house to swim in the pool one last time before it closes for the year. I, once again, wussed out and didn't actually get in the pool. But Rich and the boys had fun with the cousins while I lounged in the sun. That evening we had another yummy bbq where I had to do none of the cooking or preparing- my favorite kind. :) We love to visit and always have fun with Rich's family.
Monday was FOUR WHEELING day! I was super excited for this since I haven't been for sooo long. And I was actually surprised that Rich invited me to go with him and his friends. So were his friends, ha ha.
We got all ready (after a little spin on Chad's motorcycle, also so fun and something I haven't done in a while) and I got all helmeted up and we headed up the mountain. The first trail we took was a little steep, nothing I couldn't handle. UNTIL we reached a little ravine part and Rich and I started to tip! Granted, there was really no where we could go but I still didn't want the thing on top of me. It was at this point that I decided I was done. That's right, about 15 minutes into the ride I was asking for my keys and phone so I could make the trek back down the mountain on foot. I made it about 20 feet when Nate and Chad came back down because it got too steep and said we'd try a different trail. This one was supposed to be a little tamer so I put on my big girl panties and climbed back on the four wheeler.
The second trail wasn't too bad. At first. Then it started to get a little steeper and a bit rocky. Still, I was doing okay. UNTIL we reached another ravine patch and I watched Nate start to tip! So without waiting for Rich to tell me no, I hopped off and let him do it by himself. I felt much safer walking up that part of the trail.
Eventually, I did get back on the four wheeler and we made it to a little resting point. We pulled over and Chad asked "Is she ready for the cliffs?" Um...... no! I didn't even know what "the cliffs" were but if they had to ask, I knew I wasn't ready. But since I really had no other option, up we went to these cliffs. The actual cliff part wasn't really long, but the trail was about as wide as the four wheeler and on a slant. Oh, and on a cliff. I'm pretty sure some un-ladylike words escaped my mouth (I know- shocker), along with "I hate you Chad!"
But wouldn't ya know it? I made it in one piece. And after that, it was smooth sailin' (or four wheelin'). The view from the top was amazing. All out over the valley and the bay (Willard) on one side and a terrifying canyon on the other. We hung out there for a bit while the guys took pee breaks (yeah, none of those for me) and Rich scared the crap outta me walking around the loose rocks on the edge. Really, he's like a child- a child that doesn't have life insurance. After this little trip and hearing how they are much more adventurous when girls aren't there to slow 'em down, I now realize the importance of having said life insurance. We should really get on that..
Anyhoo, as hesitant as I was to make the trip back, it was inevitable. So with shaking hands (it was all very traumatic), I grudgingly put my helmet back on, which was a real shame because I looked super hot with matted down hair and a face covered in dirt (see picture below). After demanding to be let off at the cliffs, we started back down. It actually wasn't that terrible going back down, I guess because I expected it to be horrifying this time. Don't get me wrong, it was still horrifying. Especially when we reached the cliffs and my dear husband would not let me off. "You're fine" never made me so angry. But I survived again. Whew!
I was a little braver and a little less whiny the rest of the way down. I'd like to think to reward me for my efforts, Rich let me drive around when we got to the bottom. It was really fun and I drove the rest of the way home. When we got to Chad's house, I was relieved. I was dirty and sore and wanted to get off and collapse on the lawn. But it was not to be. We drove past the house and down the street to "the bog" so I could get a little more practice. At least this was just a field and I was in control. But there were still a few bumps and steep parts and I tried to throw Rich off the back at least twice. Hehe.
At last, it was over so we parked the four wheelers and tried to hose ourselves off to look presentable for our next activity. It was really a lost cause, so I showed up to Madison's (Nate and Jean's baby that I will steal one day) first birthday party looking like a bum. It was a circus themed party with a bounce house, games, face painting, a photo booth and the cutest decorations ever. The kids had a blast, despite a bit of rain and Zachary getting sick. Karter got his face painted as what else, a dinosaur. How much he gets into character really cracks me up. And I can't wait to get our photo booth pics back from Jean.
Needless to say, the Merrills had a good holiday weekend! Hope you all did too! Buh-bye now.

090211

Today was the first day I dropped both of the kids off at school and came home to an empty house. It was a bit odd and I didn't quite know what to do with myself. I thought about going for a run but I haven't run for so long and it's hard on my knees (man, it sucks getting old), so I settled on a bike ride. It was so nice! The weather was perfect- nice and cool so I didn't work up too much of a sweat. It's easier on me than running (except my poor butt!) but my legs still got a nice work out. I think I've officially converted to bike riding. I think I'll go tomorrow!
I didn't have much time until it was time to go back and pick up Zachary from morning kindergarten. And to save myself from driving to Riverdale three times in one day, he and I hung out while we waited for Karter to get out.
We were on a mission today- to find a pink boy shirt. Zach told me he needed a pink shirt to wear for pink day next week (they wear a different color everyday while they learn about colors). I love that he is such a boy but is secure enough to wear pink. Never thought I'd be searching for a pink shirt for my boy. (We found one at Old Navy on clearance- score!)
We also went to the pet store to look at lizards, fish, birds, hamsters and rats! The girl was telling us what great pets rats are. And she sold me! Never thought I'd want a rat for a pet but now I'm trying to talk Rich into getting one for the kids. Right now, he says "hell no" so we'll see.
We also hung out at the mall playground where Zachary proceeded to show off his running skills to the other kids. He is actually pretty dang fast. But also, a total show-off. And I intended on finishing my book but ended up taking a little snooze. At the mall! I've been so tired.
Picked up Karter from school and had a little chat with his teacher about some issues he is having in class. He is such a sweet, smart, creative, unique kid and it's frustrating to have to deal with this stuff when I know he can do the work. We're going to try something different next week and see if that works. If it doesn't, his teacher thinks we should get him tested for ADD so I really hope it works.
Such a mundane day, but these are the days I love. Not having to go to work (which I really dread nowadays) and being able to spend time with my kids and just hang out. These are the days I want to remember.

Vow

So, I'm taking a vow to be better at blogging (as soon as I get my PC up and running properly). I have so much going on in my life/head right now and need to put it down somewhere! :)
In the meantime, I need some help from my super creative friends: I need a name for my etsy store. I'm finally going to do it. For real this time. Here are a few things in my head right now:

-wonderland
-gwen
-hmmmm... well that's it, really. So you can see why I need some help! :)

Thanks! Be back soon.

-gwendolyn

blah, blah

So, I've been super bad at this blogging thing. Not a whole lot going on with the Merrill family and we stay so crazy busy with work and school and just living life.

Karter went to his last day of 2nd grade on Friday and he's so excited for summer. They both love that they get to go on a ton of field trips with their daycare. And Zachary is excited to be able to go to school with his brother this fall. I can't believe my baby's going to be in Kindergarten! Where does the time go? Seriously.

Rich and I finally got our housing credit back and paid off ALL our credit cards! It felt so good to be debt free (well, except the house and the car's almost done). We had all these plans for our extra money and then I took a little visit to the chiropractor. He wants me to come twice a week for 8 weeks which is really going to eat up lots of that extra cash but hopefully it'll be worth it. 

We also spent a bunch of money today on these spectacular Memorial Day sales. We got a new toilet (yay!), paint for the kids' bathroom and the living room (finally!! no more orange and gray blocks on my walls), a freezer (so we actually have room for ice and popsicles! hello!! it's summer, you have to have popsicles) AND new couches!! I'm so excited to replace this tacky red thing in my living room. Not so excited about putting them (and the freezer) on our credit card :( but we got a killer deal!

Anyway, that's it. Nothing super exciting or blog-worthy. But I'll be back soon with pics of our new living room and bathroom soon! So get ready! :)

all about moi

It seems like all I blog about anymore is my kids. And while that's not a bad thing by any means, I decided to do a me post. I was going to post a nice picture of the now me but most of you know that I do not like to be in front of the camera and I don't have any recent pics (and I'm in my jammies right now and probably will be all day so I won't be taking one today either..). Anyhoo, here goes.

Right now, I am:

reading  the Autobiography of Henry VIII (trying to, I'm in a lull) and A People's History of the United States (recommended by Deb), I'm only about 30 pages in but it's pretty interesting so far.

watching gLee. I am LOVING this show so much! At first I thought it was super cheesy but the more I watched the more I got hooked. The funny parts are so random and I actually like the singing and dancing that happens unexpectedly when the kids are walking down the school halls. I know it sounds lame, but it’s my feel-good, make-me-happy show right now. LOVE. IT.

anticipating GNO to see Water For Elephants, SUMMER!, getting our housing credit back and having all our credit cards paid off, and the Hunger Games movie (it's become an obsession of mine that's bordering on crazy).

wanting oh so many things. I know I’m not supposed to covet but I would really like: thick hair, good eyesight, straight teeth, smooth skin, a smaller waist and bigger boobs, a new car and a garage to put it in, a clothes-shopping spree, a new computer, a really nice camera, an i-slice, an old-fashion type writer, and a VACATION (somewhere tropical and/or the Mediterranean). Oh, and world peace. :)

thinking that I would like to be able to be a SAHM very, very soon. And that as frustrated as I get with my husband’s “schemes”, it would be pretty freaking awesome if one went through and I truly hope that it happens for him. And me, of course. :)

disliking people who lie outright, those who refuse to take responsibility for their own actions, music on blogs, my job (though right now, I'm very grateful that I have one), and the COLD!

listening to songs by the glee cast, paramore, muse, britney spears and florence and the machine (it’s a weird combo, I know).

splurging on new makeup, cheap jewelry, brightly-colored shoes, and lots of scrapbook supplies.

saving for our cruise! And a new microwave.

trying to be more grateful for what I have, eat better/healthier/less (ha!), yell less (at cars and my kids :), wean myself off dr. pepper, and get toned up.

looking for cute black boots, an old typewriter, cool picture frames, comfy slippers, and a new hairstyle.

loving scrapbooking galleries and blogs, pinterest, paper tape and mists, netflix, the color gray, vintage stuff (but the fake, new vintage stuff :), “boyfriend” cardigans, chocolate milk, my silly kids, and gLee!

Well, there you have it- a small glimpse of me at this moment. Thanks for stopping by and have a happy Sunday!

frogs, snails, and puppy dog tails

The other night as I climbed into bed, I was surprised with a snake under my pillow! It was meant to scare but it made me laugh. It also made me think of all the little things like this that make me love having boys.

As frustrated as I get constantly tripping over bikes, skateboards, pirate ships, nerf guns, superheroes, etc, etc, these are the things I love and will certainly miss one day.

I love reaching in my purse and pulling out bouncy balls, silly bandz, hotwheels and random happy meal toys.

I love pulling clothes out of the washer and finding rocks, pennies and whatever else my boys think they need to put in their pockets.

These are the little things make me smile.

As much as I would love to do cute pigtails and bows, it's nice not having to do hair in the morning. Every once in a while when bed-head attacks, a quick spray and comb-through is all it takes.

As much as I would love to buy pink and lace and princess things, I love buying camo pants, tony hawk belts, skater shoes, and supercool boy shirts.

As much as I would love to get down on the floor and play barbies and my little pony, I love to get down and play pirates, batman, and legos. (And they do come down and craft with me once in a while!)

As much as I would love having my little princess to dress up, spoil and paint her toenails, I LOVE having my two rambunctious, sometimes out-of-control boys and couldn't imagine it any other way.

(my green boys on st. patty's day)

Kindergarten checkup

I can't believe my baby is getting ready to start Kindergarten!

On Friday, I took him in for his Kindergarten checkup. Here are his stats:

*46.5 inches tall! (95th percentile)

*48 pounds (80th percentile) he's a bean pole.

*20/20 vision in both eyes (I'm crossing my fingers that neither of our kids get my vision, 'cause it sucks!)

Here are a few development recommendations from the pediatrician for 5 year olds:

-skips, can walk on tiptoes and jumps forward

Zach definitely does this and more! He's a wild child.

-throws a ball overhand

Holy crap can he do this. I've said before he's amazing at almost every sport!

-washes and dries hands and brushes teeth unassisted

He usually dries his hands on his shirt but I guess I'm glad he's washing them.

-can state his age

If you ask him, he will tell you he's 5 and a quarter. :)

-has a vocabulary of six to eight word sentences

I LOVE the way he talks. He's definitely developed his vocabulary and he's still got that young kid sound that I just love.

-can copy a triangle from a picture

He does okay here. He's a lefty so I think it'll take a little longer to get this one perfected.

-draws a person with a head, body, arms and legs

He drew the cutest little skateboarder with a body, arms, legs and even a hat. I'll have to dig that one up, it's super cute.

-understands right and wrong, fair and unfair

Understands? Yes. Practices? Not all the time. :) This is the kid that is constantly saying "that's way no fair!" to which I keep reminding him that life isn't always fair.

-understands that games have rules

Understands them but isn't always happy about them. What kid is when he's not winning? :)

It also says that their appetite should be much better. His appetite for sweets is ginormous! But he's a super picky eater right now like his mom. :) And he's always been a sugar addict. Also, like his mom. :)

And he's been limping around for the last three days (when it's convenient for him) because he got 4 shots to update his immunizations. He was so brave and didn't even cry (the 4 suckers afterward helped). I carried him around for a bit on Friday and that really set myself up for him milking it for 3 days. I think we're good now though.

He is so excited to finally get to go to school! And luckily, he gets to go with his brother. (We were worried about not being able to get him in too because apparently, we aren't the only ones around here that aren't comfortable with the local elementary.) And I think he's gonna be one cool kindergartener..

love notes

Oh, my boy is growing up!! In the past Karter has always been embarrassed if a girl liked him or we teased him about liking girls. But TODAY he told me he has a girlfriend! She's a cutie named Cassidy and she wrote him some love notes:

-I love you boyfriend you are so good to me

-I stil Love you Karter vere much Karter

-Dont tall Kalbe (Kaleb)

-or I can tell Kalbe that i stile Love you. Katerte shoud I?

I was so proud to see that he is good to her. I asked him about it and he said "well, she's my girlfriend." Well, duh. He also told me they kissed on the lips today. I'm not sure what to say to that. Is 7 too young for that?! I'm sure the answer is yes but I just think it's so cute!

it's Karter's turn

Last week, Rich’s parents took the boys to the Union Station in Ogden for little train expo thing. I didn’t go but I can tell from the pictures that they had the most fun!

When they got home I asked Karter if he had fun and he replied in a very matter-of-fact tone “of course I did, mom.” When I laughed at him he said “well, you know I like trains.”


And boy does he! At 7 ½ this kid still LOVES Thomas the Tank and any other type of train. He has a documentary on trains that he will watch over and over. He can tell you little nit-noid facts about trains that even surprise the guys giving the tours at these expos.


At times, he IS a train. He props his little arms and a 90 degree angle by his sides and off he goes, making chugging noises along the way. This will attract some weird looks sometimes but it is hilarious.


He is the most imaginative kid around. And that’s what I love most about him.


He’s also into elephants (still! since before age 2 he’s been obsessed!), pirates, dinosaurs, Scooby Doo and Phineas & Ferb.


THESE are the things he pretends to be most of the time. He alternates, but he is usually acting like one (sometimes two) of these things. And he’s good at it! I’m convinced he’ll be an actor one day.


He’s also an amazing little artist. He LOVES to draw and craft.


He really is very good at drawing- his teacher tells us all the time. She gets to see this on his school work- he draws everywhere!


He will cut out bunches of tiny pieces of paper (much to my dismay since most of them end up on the floor..) and five minutes later he has glued, stapled or taped them together to create the coolest things.

(Shaggy is pieced together from paper and look at the rabbit's leg- that kid pays attention to detail!)

I really cannot believe this super creative kid is mine. He is absolutely amazing!


And I love that he can entertain himself for hours!


He is very tender-hearted. He tears up easily and always says the sweetest things.


He still gives me hugs and kisses when I drop him off in the morning and is always happy to see me. I’m so happy that he’s not embarrassed of his mom- yet…


He likes to snuggle on the couch and watch 30 Rock, American Idol and Glee with me. He actually asks to watch these shows and one day he told me he wanted hair “like Jack Donaghy’s.”


He likes to shop (now that he gets from me!). He asks me often if we can go to the mall to “buy some stuff.” Last fall I took him to buy some stuff and he picked out the coolest outfit for school pictures.

Most days he’ll just throw on jeans and a t-shirt but when he puts a little effort into it, he’s got style. :)


He’s such a friendly kid- he makes good friends wherever he goes. But he has told me a few times that I am his best friend. Doesn’t get much sweeter than that!

Zach ramblings..

I know I wanted to blog more this year and I haven't kept that resolution very well. But my life just isn't that exciting and we are SO busy all the time.


I did, however, get to spend Friday with my kids and we had so much fun. They made me laugh all day long.
Zach and I took Karter to school in the morning and then ran some errands in our jammies. When it came time to go pick Karter up, Zach didn't want to get dressed and insisted it was okay since he'd "already been to the store in his jammies."
After some discussion, he did change and we picked Karter up and headed to the Air Force museum (they'd been asking to go for quite some time). We only had a short time so we did a quick run-through and then spent some time in the gift shop.

Next up was the dollar store. I don't know why I keep giving into that. As cool as it is, the toys they get there almost always break the same day. The toy Zach got broke in the car IN the dollar store parking lot! And later, one of his other toys happened to break as well and he exclaimed to me "Why do all my toys get broken?!"


We had to run a couple more errands and then pick up Dad which meant way too much time in the car. The boys got VERY rowdy, as boys tend to do. And although part of me was screaming "QUIET!" most of me was just laughing at them having a good time with each other. I love that they are good friends (for the most part..). At one point Zachary actually ended up crying (after several times faking it) and then through his sobs, he started singing 'Hey Soul Sister' which was playing on the radio. It was a had-to-be-there moment but it cracked me up!!


Zachary is my stubborn, difficult child but man, he has been making me laugh so much lately. Here are a few recent Zach quotes:


"I didn't know clowns could cry."


"Ewwwww, Richard!" -after a gross boy noise Rich made :) Yes, my son calls us by our first names. 


"Hey, it's Tracy Jordan." -when the All State commercial came on. I know it seems terribly racist that I find it humorous that my kid thinks all black people look alike but I'm really not, I swear.


"How about Dad does all the work?" -to me while lying on the couch with a migraine. Sounds good to me!


"It's because I farted." -after anyone says something is stinky. Typical boy...


"Look, I can run faster 'cause I don't have as much hair!" -the day we did his annual mohawk.

He is constantly making me laugh, even sometimes when I shouldn't be. He is the coolest little kid, I love the personality he's developed. He's into skateboards and bikes and super heroes, loves playing with water for some reason and is a bit of a punk at times. He loves money (got that from his mom)- he loves to earn it and then spend it as soon as he can. He is for sure my wild child and always has to be moving, ALWAYS. He cannot sit still, he just can't do it.

We're working on his writing skills and he often writes his name backwards. We think he might be dyslexic, which will be an interesting adventure come school time.


He is and always has been such an adventurous, daring kid. He'll try anything (except food- he's super picky) and he picks things up fast. He learned to ride his bike without training wheels at 3 and now loves to try to do tricks on his bike and skateboard. He is amazing at any sport he tries. He's a lefty but throws a perfect spiral with a small football, he can hit a baseball pretty far and always gets right under the ball with his mitt instead of shying away from it, he can dribble a basketball- he's gonna be our sports kid for sure.

It seems odd to think that we didn't plan to have a second kid (at least not when we did) but I'm so glad we did. I told Rich if we had waited until we were ready for a second, I don't think we would have. And I can't imagine our lives without him.

the good and the bad

The good news is I am done peeling and my face isn't itchy or uncomfortable anymore.

The bad news is now that all the tight skin is peeled away, I can't tell a difference. Not one bit.

(The only thing that's different are my ridiculously short eyelashes.)

Day 4

This picture is actually from day 2. And it doesn't even do it justice- it's much redder (well not now but that night it was) and so tight. I look a bit like a burn victim. I took this right after I washed it and there was no ointment on it. It was so dry and my face looked (and felt) really freaky.

Oh, and notice my eyelashes. They are no longer. Well, most of them- I'm such an idiot. I realized that the ointment was getting on the ends of my lashes so I tried to trim them. Yeah, it went badly.

 Right now, it's peeling like crazy and my kids keep telling me how weird my wrinkly face looks. Karter is very concerned, this morning he asked if we should take me to the doctor. Sweet, funny kid.  

Speaking of, we got our pottery back on Saturday. They look really cool and the kids are so excited.

I think that's blood on the mouth, very realistic.

 Zach's skateboard that he wants to make into a necklace.

 Rich with his mug. That creature on the front is a crazy chinchilla (I think it started out as a monkey). There's also a toucan and an elephant.

 And this morning! So much snow! That sneaky little groundhog tricked us.

 Rich went out and built a snowcave for the kids.

Karter is escaping from a bear that has apparently set up camp in there. Those feet would be Zachary's standing on top of the cave.What else?

 And this is my coffee table today. It looks similar to this most days. Add some tape and scissors, maybe some glue and little pieces of cut up paper all over the floor. As frustrated as I get with the constant mess, I love my little artist. :)



Happy, snowy Sunday!

post ablation

Oh man! This is killing me. Well, not really but it is driving me insane.
The actual procedure itself was painful but not too terrible and it only lasted like 10 minutes. Then it stung a bit for the remainder of the day Thursday and my awesome friend Annie brought me a McFlurry to help ease the pain. :)
Then to try to sleep- right... My face has been covered in ointment (which gets on my glasses and my contacts so I can't see half the time) and the skin is a bit sensitive so it was tough to get comfortable and worry about rubbing it off. So, there wasn't much sleep the first night.
(This ointment is part of a post ablation kit that cost me $120 dollars. But after this, I can't imagine not having it. I can't believe that some peole wouldn't get it. It's amazing.)
Yesterday was a bit better. I could see it wasn't as red and it was just super tight and uncomfortable. And my other awesome friend Ash brought me a cheesecake and put claw marks in my arms because of her excitement- she very much sees a difference already! I still can't really tell. When I cleanse it, it's very smooth but feels so weird to the touch. But without the ointment on, you can see how tight it is- there are deep grooves from it pulling. The lotion and the ointment is so soothing. I think I sighed out loud the first time I put it on.
I slept better last night but woke up the the worst discomfort yet. It is so tight and starting to peel. I can't smile or laugh (which Rich keeps trying to make me do) and I had to cut up my waffles into tiny little baby bites because I can't open my mouth. And I have to use a straw to drink my beloved dr. pepper.  :)
A few people asked if I would do it again and my immediate answer was NO. The nurse at Elase compared it to childbirth (obviously not pain-wise) in that it's painful and uncomfortable but the end result makes you forget all that and is worth it. So we will see..

A New Me

Tomorrow (Feb 17th), at approximately 2:00 pm, this will be me:

 (or something similar...)

This is laser skin resurfacing- something I've been wanting for the past 10 years or so.

For those of you that don't know or haven't noticed or whatever, I have scars on both cheeks from a year of hell right after my senior year. That sounds a little dramatic but it really was awful for me. I'd always had such nice, smooth skin (I rarely even got zits). Even when I was a baby people would stop my mom to comment on my complexion (so she says).

Then in April of my senior year ('98), I got a big, painful bump on my cheek. I went to a dermatologist twice and all he said to me was how beautiful I was and blah, blah, blah. He actually used the exact same line both times and stood across the room from me and told me the horrors of the medication he could put me on. In the mean time, I'm developing more of what I soon found out were cysts and having to deal with people asking me if I'd been burned. Most of the time I'd just walk away and cry. Then my neighbor recommended a different doctor so we decided to try him. As soon as he walked in, he told me to lie down and proceeded to give me cortizone shots in my cheeks. It was thee most painful thing I'd endured up until then (this was before child birth :).  He determined that I was allergic to my own oil and put me on Accutane (it's way more common now, but this was the medication the first doctor tried to scare me away from). I went back every two weeks for more cortizone shots and prednizone. It got easier after a while but I still dreaded it each time. This went on for about two years and finally, it seemed to be clearing up. And thankfully it did, I don't know that I could've taken much more at that point.

As relieved as I was to have it gone, now I had to deal with the aftermath- horrible scarring on my cheeks from the shots. Scars that deep were not something I could just cover up with makeup. I'd always had self esteem issues and this didn't help. I still got asked about my scars but as time went on, they lightened up. I even started to forget about them sometimes. And my sweet, sweet (lying :) friends said they didn't even notice them.

Then last October, I found a deal where I could get this laser skin resurfacing for $99!! This is a procedure that is normally around $800 (it was a Groupon thing- we love Groupon!). Then with the prospect of fixing them, the scars started to bother me again. So I went in for a consultation and now, three months later I'm going in to get rid of them... for the most part. She said it might take a couple more treatments to get rid of them entirely but that I'd notice a significant improvement. I'm super excited and a bit nervous. I have to do a deep treatment so I had to get numbing cream (which makes me think it's gonna hurt and I am not a fan of pain) and then I get to have red, flaky skin (like a sunburn) and not wear makeup for about two weeks. I really don't like leaving my house without makeup but it's a small price to pay for getting my self esteem (well, some of it :) back. Yay!!

I'll pretty much be in hiding for two weeks and then I'll post pics of the new me!

Color Me Mine

Yesterday was my nurse's consultation for my medical procedure next Thursday (sounds so serious! more about that later...). It was in Salt Lake so we decided to make a day of it. Rich's sister and her boyfriend took us to a fun little place called Color Me Mine to paint pots. When we got there, there was more than just pots! Karter picked a t-rex and Zachary chose a skateboard. We had so much fun painting and the kids CANNOT wait until we get them back (they have to dry, coat and fire them and such and it takes a few days). Karter is going nuts, he wanted to wait there at the store. 

 I love how focused they both are.

 Rich and his mug

(hmmmm...wonder where our eldest gets his flamboyant behavior from...)

 my pot  :)

 Thanks Jennifer and Clarence. We had a fun, fun day!
We should plan this as a fun Friday. It's a bit pricey but SO cool!

And a funny thing happened last Sunday. Rich and the boys went to church (for the first time in a looong time). They both picked out their outfits. I'm a big fan of Zach's three-shirt-and-tie-on-top-combo. You can't see his socks with sandals in the picture. Ahhh, such style.

When they got home, I asked them how it was and Zachary said "we had to say a lot of prayers." Huh? Then Rich explained that it was testimony meeting where everyone that gets up ends with "in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen." So Zachary thought they were all praying! Hehe, I thought it was funny.

He also told me that the neighbor across the street was "a principal at our church."

:)



San Francisco

I want to live here:

(Isn't it beautiful?)

 More specifically, here:

Is that not the cutest house ever?!

Today, I am:

*making valentines, lips and mustaches (yes, mustaches, you'll see...)
*watching Eclipse. As lame as I thought the first two were, I actually enjoyed this one when we saw it in the theater. Watching it at home, I've decided it's almost as bad. And Kristen Stuart has to be THEE worst actress EVER. Close second- the freaky dude that plays Jasper.
*thinking how cool it is that my kids asked to watch 30 Rock this morning instead of Scooby Doo or She-ra (remember that one? lame).
*really dreading going back to work tomorrow. I loved my new job when I first started, now it's just busy and a bit stressful and I hate going there.
*craving sweets like crazy (no, I'm not prego) and regretting giving into it yesterday- a LOT (like an entire carton of ice cream and a bag of Reeses cups between me and Rich). So much for my 17 pounds...
*loving all the pics of our GNO for Deb's birthday. I don't get to use a lot of girly stuff when I scrapbook so I'm going nuts with these pictures. (Also, I've noticed a shortage of Melissa in them so we need to make it a point to get more of her at the next one.) I finished this one the other day:

Anthropologie is the coolest place for a photo shoot. And Urban Outfitters. We must do it again! Agreed? 

*wondering if I'm lame that I'm upset that the exact replica of my favorite boots are now available for everyone at Target. I was so excited to find these in Vegas last year at Kenneth Cole.

They are my absolute favorite- they are so comfy and I get compliments on them wherever I go. I didn't used to be this way. I didn't feel that I had to be unique, if you liked something, you liked it and it didn't matter if everyone had it. But now I don't like the idea of everyone having them. Lame? Yes.

*excited for our cookie day on Friday. I thrive on friend time now and I can't wait.
*happy that Karter finally lost a tooth! We were getting worried. Turns out we had reason to be, his two front permanent teeth were growing in behind. We had to take him to the dentist to get one pulled and Dad pulled the other one:

Karter was so happy since all of his friends have been losing them for years. And the money from the tooth fairy didn't hurt either. :)

Sunday randoms

I love lazy Sundays. It is 11:16 and I'm still in my robe. Here are some random things going on in the Merrill home today:

*My boys are all watching Jeff Dunham (the ventriliquist) and I love that I keep hearing Karter laugh his head off even though I'm fairly certain he didn't actually get the joke. Which is probably a good thing- they're not the most appropriate jokes for a 7 year old.
*I have started the dryer 4 times since yesterday to de-wrinkle the clothes in there but I keep forgetting and having to do it again.
*I'm super frustrated that I cannot find the pictures I took of Karter on his first day of Kindergarten. I have two that I posted on facebook but I can't find the others. Gah!!
*I'm thinking about finding Empire Records on Netflix. LOVE that show.
*I love that my house smells like bacon right now. In a few hours, I probably won't love it so much.
*I think I'm getting a cold. Woke up with a sore throat and runny nose. Dammit. :(
*I got on the scale this morning (because I was bummed yesterday that I'd gained back 6 of the 17 lbs I lost) and was back down 4 of those 6!! That makes me happy. It also makes me think my scale is probably screwed up but eh, whatdya gonna do?
*I've been carrying around a KitKat in my robe pocket so I can eat it when my kids aren't looking, but now I think it's melted.
*This morning I finished a scrapbook page that I've been working on on and off for three days and I think it's one of my favorites.

I also wanted to post this one because this was the funnest night FULL of BFFs!

On a notsorandom note, Rich took the boys "snowboarding" on Friday and they did so well. I can't wait until we can actually take them to a resort. Although I need to practice myself. Rich strapped me on Karter's board in my jeans and tennis shoes and I fell about 6 times down the tiny little hill. And that was after I just about chickened out in the first place. It's been a LONG time.

HAPPY SUNDAY!

Welcome 2011!!

We spent a relaxing New Years with our friends Nate and Jean. We ate yummy food, played games and just hung out, laughed and had a good time (and a sleep over!).

(Oops, I cut off Dick's face but I love that it looks like he's wearing my earring.)

The kids had fun with some popper things from Grandma and Grandpa and stayed up WAYYY too late (and were up way too early the next morning).

(Midnight kiss)

Here are some of my 2011 resolutions (which really aren't New Years resolutions, it just happens to be New Years):

*focus on and be nicer and more attentive to my family*

*get physically fit*

(I know this is one that's said all the time but I've lost 15 pounds just by not eating so much junk and now it's time to tone it all up and get that bikini body!)

*have more creative time/channel my inner creativity*

(I'm pretty sure I said this one last year too and I'm getting there... This is not my scrap area, I wish it was! It belongs to this cute, creative girl.)

*blog more*

('nough said)

 *be more dedicated and productive at work*

(I started out my new job- in September- all ready to learn and get things done. Well, that lasted about a month and now I'm back into what we call "government mode" and I'm determined to get out of it. Oh, and since I can't take pictures in my building I put a picture of what we help maintain- F16's, kinda cool.)

*keep a cleaner home/make my home homier*

(I've been slacking so much these past few months and the mess makes me kinda cranky. Also, I want to paint and decorate a bit more- make things OURS.)

 And last but not least...

*be HAPPIER*

(I've had some tough times in 2010 and have been a very negative, snappy person- especially these past couple months. My poor family, I think they are about sick of me. I've heard "I don't love you anymore" and "you're mean, Mom" from my kids more times that any mom would care to. And I used to look at people like me (the past few months me) and wonder how people can go through life like that. Well, no more!)

So here's to a happier, nicer, fitter, cleaner, more creative, more productive year..

Happy 2011!