Uh Oh

Joseph 9 Month Stats:

5th percentile for weight
12th percentile for height
17th percentile for head
95th percentile for languange development
99th percentile for happy babiness

Okay, I made the last two up, but here is video proof that I'm right (excuse the stripper at the end):

Uh Oh from Brianne Lindsay on Vimeo.

Baths, wet hair, and swimming

I don't usually put all the kids in the bath together for several reasons, but mainly because they fight. I had decided Joseph needed a bath, then Caleb wanted to get in, then of course Savanna couldn't miss out on all the fun.

After the bath, I braided Savanna's hair. It doesn't look great, but it is a vast improvement from many previous attempts.

Joseph crawls...? from Brianne Lindsay on Vimeo.

And Joseph is mobile. I think he looks like he's swimming.

Tidbits

I've had several ideas swimming around in my head of things I want to blog about. But I'm not sure I would have much to say about any of them. So here are a few of my thoughts for your reading pleasure.

1. It seems that many people are trying to be politically correct about what wishes and greetings they offer each other at this time of year. And so I have made a specific effort to say "Merry Christmas." Jesus Christ is the greatest gift we have been given. Let's celebrate Him, and not just some generic holiday. People just need to get over themselves if they are offended by Christmas.

2. I don't know when I learned how to close doors properly, but there is a proper way. A loud ka-chunk is just not okay if there is A) a meeting going on or B) the possibility of a child sleeping. It is just as easy to get in the habit of turning the doorknob before you pull the door quietly closed, then turn the doorknob back to latch. Unfortunately, all my doorknobs squeak, so I will be buying new ones soon.

3. My parents moved. I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, I'm glad. I'm glad that they are closer to us now. I'm glad to leave behind a lot of my conflicted feelings associated with adolescence and certain people and difficult memories. I'm indifferent because I keep in good contact with my friends who are still there, and many of my friends have moved from there anyway. I'm indifferent because my parents moved into a new house after I went to college, so I'm not attached to the house. I'm very sad to leave behind other certain people and wonderful memories. I haven't lived there for almost ten years, but I feel so sad that I probably won't go back now that my parents are gone. And we won't likely go back to the place Bryan went to grad school either. And I'm very sad to leave behind those friends, although many of them have left too. It's a weird kind of nostalgia.

4. My youngest child's name should be pronounced [ʣo'zəf] not [ʣo'səf].

I guess that's all for now. Thanks for reading.

D-E-P-E-N-dability

Some of you, maybe none of you, may have seen a rant post on my blog about a month ago that quickly disappeared because I was afraid of sounding really negative.

Whether you saw it or not, I feel the need to explain/vent. So forgive me for being negative, and forgive me for my soapbox. (While the general ideas are true, the names have been changed and the details obscured.)

Today, the woman with whom we carpool to school didn't show up for the Xth time. Which meant that I had to get Hpesoj up from a nap, feed him, get everybody's socks and shoes and coats on, load everyone into the van, arrive at the school Y minutes after school started, unload everyone from the van, and sign Belac in late. (It's hard to make this sound as exasperated in print as I was in real life. And I'm leaving out a lot of details of my frustration with this woman.) Later in the day Betty Jo explained that she was forgetful, her life is crazy right now, and she didn't have a way to reach me. "So, sorry." And that was it. As unemotional and insincere as it looks in print.

SO...I called off the carpool completely. Now I have control over my time, and I can plan my day without relying on other people.

While I am not perfect, I try to be dependable. I missed driving to school once because Belac was sick. And I called several hours before school started to let them know.

If a person is going to be late (or not show up), he/she ought to call in advance. And if that is not possible, a profuse apology would be appropriate.

That's okay? Nope.

Savanna tends to use too much toilet paper. So this morning, I took it off the dispenser and put it out of her reach.

She said, "Mommy! That's o-not-kay!"

Twelve Excuses

I know this is bold, but I have to be completely honest with you.
Most people post pictures of their house after they clean, paint, upgrade, or decorate.
This post is not about any of those things.
My house is a mess.
And these are my excuses.

1. When I asked Bryan's aunt (who has 8 kids) for advice on raising children, she said,
"It's okay to have a messy house."

2. Although he can sit up, roll, and scoot, Joseph still likes to be held a lot. When he's awake, it is hard to hold him and clean anything below my waist level.

3. Paying attention to my kids is more important.

4. We really do clean up our clutter on a daily basis. But we really do have 5 people contributing to the clutter.

5. I would be cleaning literally all day if I wanted a clean house.

6. Caleb takes a long time (and a lot of encouragement) to get ready for school. This means we are usually rushing out the door to get him there on time, leaving behind our lunch mess to clean later.

7. Sometimes I don't have time to clean.

8. We can't work all day, we have to play too.

9. I took a short nap this morning.

10. Potty-training makes me pause whatever I'm doing and come running to try to prevent accidents.

11. Sometimes I don't feel like cleaning.

12. One mom vs. three kids. 'Nuff said.

Sweet Tooth vs. Pocketbook

I would like to be able to say I have always been frugal. As a child, my sister Sharley would hoard money, candy, and other various treasures. On the other hand, you would find me eating the candy as fast as I could, then spending my money to buy more.

I think I finally figured out frugality when I started earning money. No, probably when my parents promised to match what I saved for college. Then I got frugal, fast.

And I have been ever since.

I would also like to be able to say that I have never had a sweet tooth. Alas, we all know now that that can't be true (see above).

Since Bryan and I got married, I started buying groceries that two people could actually live on. On a budget that only one person could live on. So we have never been in the habit of buying junk food. We can truly say that we very rarely buy chips, soft drinks, candy, or hot dogs. (Now don't get me wrong, we still eat our fair share of homemade goodies and ice cream.)

The problem is when other people give us junk food. Don't get me wrong here, either. I love sweets.

I guess my point is, though I wish I had self-control over my sweet tooth, I do not. But I have plenty of self-control over my pocketbook. And that, my friends, is how I indirectly control my sweet tooth.

The end.

Valued

I have a vague memory of Kelly from my BYU choir days. She was in Singers, so we must have passed each other every day between Singers and Concert Choir. And we must have passed each other during every concert the two groups did together.

This Christmas season, she and I have been asked to dust off our talents and perform at several events together. (It really makes me sad that we didn't have the excuse to sing together before now. Six months wasted!!!)

We have practiced a few times together already, and performed one song tonight.

Singing with her is the funnest thing I have done in years!

Our voices match so well that when we are singing the same pitch, you can only hear one voice. When we practice, we don't have to learn notes or rhythms; we get to work on phrasing and dynamics and technique and interpretation!

Because she received the same degree from the same school from the same teachers (went through the same refiner's fire, the same heartaches), I feel valued by her in a way that no one else can. And because we became friends long after the fact, there is no competitiveness. Only camaraderie.

She also teaches me about great humility. She asked me to come listen to her practice an aria from the Messiah. She wanted my "expert" opinions and constructive criticism. LIKE SHE NEEDED MY HELP?! She has a beautiful voice and would do just fine without me. But she invited me anyway, and I felt valued.

She is a kind, gentle, spiritual, generous person. I really look up to her.

I guess I am still too prideful since I still need to feel valued and validated. But I feel grateful to now have a tangible example in my friend of confidence with humility.

This makes me happy...

This is what happens when...

...you roll to get around.

...you need new socks.

...your kids have nothing better to do.

Old Year's Resolution

I just ate 3 cookies. And no, they weren't the first cookies of the day...

So I'm making an old year's resolution to only eat one dessert per day this holiday season.

Anybody wanna do it with me?!

I'm also going to try to avoid handing out treats. Maybe I'll hand out homemade bread.

Christmas Letter Time

Yes, we're finally going to do one this year:

1. I am not pregnant and climbing a mountain every day, so I have energy.
2. We are not scraping by on students loans and a very tiny income.
3. We just got some cute family pictures taken.

Please email me at briannehlindsay@gmail.com with your address if you would like to receive our letter (immediate family and grandparents do not need to respond).

Cheers!

I have arrived.

Caleb is in school now. (I know. Weird.)

So we carpool with a couple families in the area.

When it is my turn to drive, I need two extra boosters, which I bought for about $40 total.

In my van, I have two car seats and three boosters.

I only have three children.

I think this means I have arrived.

And not to be outdone...

My mom also sewed these fantastic costumes:

Cinnawewwa
(we also had glubs for her hands, but forgot them for the picture)

Still has both shoes so far

Jack Jack
You may remember from 3 years ago that my mom made this costume (I helped a very little) for Caleb, who was Dash. And since Savanna refused to be Violet, Caleb decided that Joseph should be Jack Jack. Got that?!

Wall-E

My parents came to visit this past week. When I asked them to help me make Caleb's desired Wall-E costume, I never in my wildest dreams expected it to turn out so AWESOME! Mom sewed it, Dad painted it. WOW!

Caleb painting his Trick-or-Treat bag next to Grandpa.

The front

The back

The eyes

The hands

In cube formation

The bag

Little Pigs

Bryan (outside of Savanna's room): Little pigs, little pigs, let me come in.
(Lots of squeals and giggles coming from inside Savanna's room.)
Caleb: We're not little pigs!
Bryan: Little kids, little kids, let me come in!
Caleb: Not by the hair of our chinny-chin-chins!
Bryan: You don't have hair on your chins.
Caleb: What?
Bryan: You don't have hair on your chins!
Caleb: Then not by the hair of our heady-head-heads!

Okay, now for some pictures.

I never want to forget this: sucking his left thumb, fingers through the blanket. You know he's tired when he sticks that thumb in his mouth and reaches for something, anything, to hold in his right hand, including but not limited to a burp cloth, towel, or just my shirt.
P.S. I can't remember who gave this blanket to us. If it was you, you win! It has been christened as Joseph's official baby blanket!

Seconds later, waking up with a smile on his face.

Waking up little more.

Smiling some more.

Wearing a hat my sister Audri made, sucking on the tablecloth.

People often ask me, "Is he happy like this all the time?" And the answer: YES! He does cry like any normal kid who hasn't mastered language yet, but he is truly very happy 99% of the time.

Savanna modeling the hat Audri made for her.

He likes these toys. I mean toes.

See, always smiling.

Hanging out with Caleb.

These boys really like each other.

And last but not least, FHE and cookie-decorating with some friends. Bryan knew Drew from his mission. I knew of Kelly at BYU because she also graduated in vocal performance a couple years before me. And their daughters are both gorgeous.

Update

I am officially annoyed with blogger right now because it won't allow me to upload pictures.

So I will do that later, but for now I will give you a short update on our family.

Bryan is a (very) little less busy than he has been. He still works 50 hours a week at least. So it's hard to justify doing anything besides spending time with him when he's home. Because, frankly, if he works 50 hours a week, that's 10 extra hours a week I work too, without a break for me. But how can I complain when he's not getting a break either? And we thought we were busy in college...

I am (slowly) finding my place in this small town. I have recently been able to use my musical talents (a little) more than before, which pleases me. I am getting more comfortable with my visiting teachers, who, while quirky, are actually quite nice. And I'm tearing down some walls, one brick at a time, with the young women I work with. I'm starting to mesh a little better with the other leaders too, the more I get to know them, and the more they get to know me. Mostly, they just intimidate me because they are all such amazing women with amazing talents.

Caleb is enjoying school, but still "not learning anything." Which is not entirely true. But if he thinks school is just fun, that's fine by me. He loves to play with (tease) Savanna and Joseph. But he does really love them, I think. He is also very sensitive. Both in that he gets his feelings hurt easily, and that he has great sympathy for others who are sad.

Savanna is talking in paragraphs now, and some of the things she says just catch me off guard. She is transitioning to no-naps, which breaks my heart into thousands of pieces. She can throw a mean tantrum, but she is also learning how to say "please" and "thank you" and ask for things without whining. She loves everything princess, mostly Cinderella. So we are trying to use this obsession to encourage her to be "modest like a princess," and "talk nicely like a princess." And since she is still not potty-trained yet, I thought about making a princess throne so she can "go potty like a princess."

Joseph aims to please. He always has a smile on his face, as you will see with the forthcoming picture post. He is a happy little guy. Even when I'm having a rough day, he can smile at me and melt all my frustration and angst away. I LOVE this little guy!

Hello? Is anybody there?

I have debated back and forth about whether or not I should keep my blog private.

Since I haven't checked my Google Analytics in forever, I was curious to see who and where my readers are.

I was surprised, and somewhat incredulous, to find that I had only 9 visits in the last month, on the same day, with an average of 1 second viewing, all from Brazil. I don't even know anyone in Brazil, and my blog is private. Hmmm.

So it got me curious, is Analytics wrong?

Should I unprivatize? Or should I just quit writing, since only some obscure person is blog-hopping in and out of my site in quick succession in Brazil?

Or, if Analytics is wrong, who are you, my dear readers?

Please take the poll to the left.

And since the poll doesn't allow for essay questions, I am also curious to know your thoughts on having a private blog. Why is this a good idea, or why not?

Kick & Play

Kick & Play from Brianne Lindsay on Vimeo.

This causes me great joy.

Joseph 6 Month Stats

Weight: 16 lb. 2 oz., 50th percentile
Height: 23 in., 50th percentile
Head: 50th percentile

Basically, he's just an average Joe.

Hee hee hee.

Women, please watch this.

I had never heard of this, but it's good to be informed. Click on the link to learn about inflammatory breast cancer.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D_5tXybj-E

One of those moments of sheer joy and laughter

Me: You guys are making a good mess in here!
Caleb: Are you being...that one word?
Me: Sarcastic?
Caleb: Yeah, sarcastic.
Me: Yep.

Lonely, I am so lonely, I have nobody....

How am I doing? Yes, this is a question I've been longing to answer, but with no one to ask it. So I'm taking it upon myself to answer my own question as the necessary outlet I've been looking for.

We have lived in 7 places in the 6.75 years since we were married. We have made good friends in each of those places, but inevitably left them all behind. Most of these friends have become "virtual friends," with little to no contact outside of the internet. And even contact via internet is not usually personalized.

Since we moved here, we have met several families. But there hasn't been a lot of reciprocation so far.

So I spend my days with little children, and only occasionally break up the monotony with a play date or trip to the science center or the park.

In some ways, I am liking my new found routine, which has come about as a consequence to acquiring a more stable sleeping schedule.

I am proud of the fact that A) I have weaned the kids down to 1 hour of TV per day, and B) I have been exercising 20-30 minutes a day (hence my need for the electronic babysitter).

I have also organized most of my house, though not all. I am contemplating several sewing projects, and have yet to put up decorations for fear of putting holes in the perfectly smooth walls.

I also have been very dejected over the lack of opportunities to use my degree/talents. With a wide range of musical knowledge, I am only teaching one voice lesson 30 minutes per week. While I enjoy it, I also long for more opportunities to perform or conduct or just to teach more.

I enjoy my calling in the Young Women, but have yet to really connect with the girls or even the other leaders. I feel out of place, but I faithfully go every Sunday and Wednesday.

My visiting teachers come every month, but I'm not sure I'll ever feel like I can call them in a time of need. Or even when I just feel lonely... Granted, I don't even know who I visit teach, so who am I to complain?

I'm not depressed, but I can't say that I'm happy either. I know I have a few things to work on to make myself a better person, a happier person. And I'm working on them.

I love my kids, truly. But sometimes it's hard to love being a mom. Every day is a new battle, and yet every day produces moments of sheer joy and laughter. It is so draining, and yet so rewarding at the same time.

I adore my husband, and lately feel more in love with him than ever. I love that he works so hard so that I can stay home with the kids. But I miss him.

I guess that's all.

Misunderstood Misunderstanding

Have you ever had the experience of trying to understand a somewhat incomprehensible little kid? And they keep saying the same thing over and over again, so you know they know what they want?

Well, I never figured out Savanna's "Bobocock." (Any guesses on that one?!)

But I finally figured out another of her sayings that baffled me. Kind of like Mad Gab, I had to hear it over and over again, and in context.

And it finally occurred to me that Savanna had first misunderstood what I had said, and now I was misunderstanding what she was saying.

So the context is Savanna chasing Caleb around the room, and the Mad Gab version is "Tag! I hear it!"

I know, I know, it took me that long to figure it out?

Picture Post

These pictures make me happy, so I thought I'd share:

(This was two months ago, but I like it anyway.)

(Second day of school; forgot the camera the day before.)

Doesn't this make you wish you could get a birthday card from Caleb?

Getting in Shape

Still can't roll, but does crunches all day long.
.


.

.

Here's a better angle.

Mom Jeans

I saw a lady at school today who was wearing classic Mom Jeans.

I like her.

And I like most women who wear "Mom Jeans." They are some of the most selfless, generous people I know.

So what's the problem, you ask? The problem is anyone who makes fun of Mom Jeans. The women who wear them usually have a bit (or a lot) of a pooch from having children, who might not care about fashion, and/or who might not be able to afford anything else.

And that's okay!

We all come in different shapes and sizes, and we all prioritize things differently.

And really, what alternative does this woman have? To let the pooch hang out the top of her pants? Is that really better?

So stop judging Mom Jeans, or you'll have to answer to me.

He Threw Off My Groove...(Name that movie.)

Joseph, that is.

But I got it back!

I mean, it has been over a year of being pregnant and sick, pregnant and tired, pregnant and sore, postpartum and sore, and postpartum and tired.

It helps that Joseph has been sleeping 10 hours each night for the last week. And then he has been taking regular naps during the day. And since Caleb goes to school while the other two nap, I have free time now!!!

Is this is what it feels like to have energy again? Awesome.

Beds

#1, January to November 2003: Fairly nice king size bed, owned by the couple for whom we house-sat.
We moved.

#2, November 2003 to June 2004: Taco, full size. It literally sank in the middle by about 6 to 8 inches. I had to sleep with my pregnant belly facing outward, else I would fall face-first inward.
[Given to us by my parents. Many thanks!]
We probably gave it to DI, or some other poor newlywed couple.

#3, June 2004 to June 2006ish: Daybed with trundle, pushed up next to each other, with two completely different twin mattresses. Although not pretty, better than the taco.
[Thanks go to my grandpa and late grandma.]
Still have the set.

#4, June 2006ish to August 2009: Matching twin beds with matching frames and headboards, also pushed up next to each other. It was a drastic improvement from the daybed and trundle. But there was always a rift between the beds.
[Thanks here go to my parents, again. And although you may think my thanks facetious, you are mistaken. Beggars can't be choosers, and we were beggars.]
Still have them.

#5, NEW BED!!! 6.5 years later, we finally saved up enough money for a beautiful, amazing, bright, shiny, sparkling, wonderful, brand new king size pillow top bed. Now we just need to fork out the money to cover it...

[So now we have one extra twin bed, so when you come to visit, you can sleep on a bed!]

[If you have done the math, you would have figured out that we have 4 twin beds and one king. And now you are asking why we only have one extra twin bed when only two kids sleep on them. And the answer would be: you really don't want to know what one of the beds has been through... We will not be keeping it.]

Emotional Coercion

1. I almost never get emotional when someone tells me I will, or when someone else is. Bryan will tell you that I am an emotional being, or that I do get emotional often. And that would be true.

2. But I am also very independent. I like to do things myself, in my own way.

3. I almost never realize, right at the height of huge transition, how it will affect me. And then later, when I do realize how the transition has affected me, I'm already immersed in it. And it's too late to get emotional about it.

So you might not have seen me get emotional very often.

Today was no exception, yet. I just dropped Caleb off at Kindergarten half an hour ago.

Caleb couldn't sleep last night. He was up at the crack of dawn. Every other thing out of his mouth today was how excited he was to go. I've known for a long time that he was ready, and I've known for a long time it was coming.

In the car on the way to school, Caleb said, quite matter-of-fact-ly, "Mom, I'm going to miss you the most." But when I told him Daddy and I were going to walk in with him, he was a little perturbed because he wanted to be "dropped off."

When we got there, we still had 10 minutes before class started. Bryan and I held him off for a few minutes taking pictures. But every 2 minutes, Caleb whined, "When is it going to start? Is it time yet?" Finally, after an eternity of waiting, the teacher opened the door, and Caleb was the first to line up. When she told the Kindergartners to say goodbye to their parents, Caleb turned around and yelled in an indistinct direction, making no eye contact.

As Bryan and I walked away, I said, "That was it?" Which is exactly the same emotion I had when the realtor dropped off the keys to our new house. What? No fanfare, no fireworks, no high five?! Alrighty then.

Now I'm home, Savanna and Joseph are taking naps, and I don't exactly know how to spend my time. Should I clean? Yes, but nah. I could nap, but I'm not sure if I can sleep, especially if I know I have to pick Caleb up in a short while.

Maybe later I'll get emotional about it, but probably not.

More on Femininity

I was going to write this as a comment to my other blog post, but I felt like it deserved a little more attention:

What it boils down to for me, after thinking on this subject some more, is that femininity is not doctrine. Being Christlike is. Women and men come in all different shapes and sizes, different strengths and weaknesses, and extremely variable personalities and tendencies. Perhaps the thing we should focus on, instead of femininity or masculinity, is just being the best disciples of Christ that we can be. Wearing makeup, or not, will not determine if we get into heaven or not. And the type of perfection we should all be striving for is only possible through the Atonement of Christ and our willingness to be humble and obedient. I think we should be striving to meet the Lord's standard, not the world's. And by the Lord's standard, perhaps there are a lot of things we do to please society that just don't matter eternally. There, I've said my peace.

Don't Get Me Wrong, I Love Old People

Today some friends and I gave a classical music recital at the Senior Center in town.

I met Liz. On her left hand, she had a gold ring about half an inch in diameter. It was a fairly big ring, but it was totally dwarfed by the jewelry on her right hand. Imagine this: a round ring, two inches in diameter studded with diamonds. And a matching bracelet, about an inch wide, also studded with diamonds (probably not real diamonds...). I might not have noticed it if she hadn't tried to put her hand in her pocket. Okay, I would have noticed, but it was especially funny to see her stick only the tips of her fingers in her pocket because the ring wouldn't fit! If you thought she was kidding, you might then have noticed the glittery sparkles on her face. And if you still thought she was kidding, you might have noticed her hairspray encrusted hair, also complete with much glitter.

Dark eyeliner under her eyes and bright pink lipstick.

And she was wearing a white and yellow sweatsuit.

HI-LAR-I-OUS!!!

I wanted to get her picture, but it might have appeared rude...

When I get old, please help me...

Femininity

Tonight, the young women leaders decided that some of the girls needed an activity on "Femininity," which they delicately renamed "Girl's Night" lest some girls wouldn't show up.

But it got me wondering, what is femininity? The dictionary will tell you that it is "pertaining to a woman or a girl."

But our society, I believe, defines this differently.

I mean, come on, am I feminine only because I wear panties or bras?

Am I not if I don't?

Is "feminine woman" redundant?

Is femininity only describing girly girls? Or women who spend a lot of time on hair, makeup, and clothes? Who are pretty or dainty?

Or what about the days that I don't get a shower? Am I not feminine on those days? Or on those days, am I most feminine because I am too busy being a mother?

I mean, seriously, doesn't birthing three children give me rights to femininity?

But I don't paint my toenails very often. *Gasp!* And I usually shave my legs once a week. *GASP!* And I don't shave my armpits every day. *Faint!* And sometimes, though not in public, I don't keep my knees together. I rarely sit up straight, and I don't look good in a bathing suit.

I have fairly good hips, but no bust to be proud of.

Am I feminine? Am I masculine?

Is it bad to have qualities of both?

My real question is, what does it really matter?

I think girls should be modest. I think they should not be vulgar. I think they should be clean.

But my expectation of boys/men is no different...

I think the thing that bothers me the most is that there is a whole spectrum of women, from the super-high-maintenance girly girls to the super-low-maintenance tom-boys. Why does society, or maybe just the media, want to force us all into a little box of perfection? Should we make young girls fear imperfection, or should we celebrate our differences?

(Disclaimer #1: I'm not even saying that I disagree with the need for young girls to have lessons in social graces. I actually think it is a helpful lesson for anyone to have.)

(Disclaimer #2: And I'm really not feminist, which movement really wasn't about feminism.)

What do you think?

Orange you glad we're so funny?

Caleb: MOM! Orange you glad I bought a banana?
Me: Caleb, orange you glad I like apples?
Caleb: Hee, hee! Good one, Mom!

Three Thoughts

I will give you a real update soon, but until then, here are a few thoughts.

1. We live in a small-ish town. I had one friend put it this way: "Outside of the university, it's a really small world. You run into people you know all the time, everywhere you go." The other day, I took the kids to the library. After a while, I decided that it was time to go. On my way home I decided to stop at the local grocery store (there are actually two in town, and the other one is all the way on the other side of town, all the way to work, all the way to work--name that movie). I was in there for maybe ten minutes with all three kids, and as I was checking out, you'll never guess who I ran into. You'll never guess, so I'll just tell you: Bryan. In the middle of a work day, he decided to go to the same place as me for the same time frame, and he was checking out at the same time. I promise you, it was random. Or ESP, not sure which.

2. People keep asking me, "How is it with three kids?" And I'm here to tell you, I LOVE NUMBER THREE! I wouldn't trade him for the world. And it complicates my life only a very little more than two. Or actually, I think it is easier. Two was HARD for me, but three is just more of the same. I'm quite proficient at getting three kids in or out of the car in under 3 minutes.

3. I feel old. For several reasons. First, we just bought our first house. Second, I have three kids. Third, the oldest is turning 5 this week and starts Kindergarten at the end of the month. Fourth, I am the Laurel Advisor (the 16 and 17-year-old girls) at church. That was a looong time ago for me. Fifth, one of the kids I babysat every weekend for a few years when I was a teenager, is going on a mission for our church. Weird. Really. Weird.

More soon.

My To Do List

Courtesy of Caleb

(I'll give you an explanation, but click on it to see the details.)

1. Sign papers (I think I'm always the one with the red shirt, carrying a purse with a very small person in it). Notice the lady behind the desk.

2. Go shopping. Again, I think Joseph is in the purse, Savanna in the seat, Caleb in the basket. I'm not sure what we're supposed to buy, but I have a feeling it starts with T and ends with OYS.

3. Go to the park. The two-time-twist slide park.

4. I wasn't sure what the one on the right was, but I asked Caleb. It should actually come first. It is when the lady is supposed to call us, before we sign papers.

Dear Dog Owner,

Thanks for letting me "clean up" your mess at the park today.

Nap Time

I don't care if you're not tired.

When you're whiny, it makes me think you are tired.

And you've been ornery and whiny all day.

And I'm sick of it. I have really had enough.

When I took you to the park, you whined. I know you got an owie on the way there, but you're a big girl. Hop up, you're big, all better!

The whole time I made your lunch, you whined. I really wasn't feeling very patient with you.

So I'm putting you down for a nap.

Right after I get the kids in bed.

The Familial Anthem

Jose can you sleep 'til the dawn's early light?
What so tiredly we begged at the twilight's last gleaming.
Whose broad smiles and bright eyes through the perilous night,
Or the hours we watched when so violently screaming.
And the mommy's red glare when "bombs" bursting in air
gave proof through the night that our babe was still there.
Jose, we your bad-tempered manner yet waive
For the want of more sleep and the rest that we crave.

Joseph Laughs

Joseph Laughs from Brianne Lindsay on Vimeo.

If you can call it that.

But he attempts to laugh all the time, and it sounds like this.

Father's Day Song

And this is how it sounds.

Father's Day from Brianne Lindsay on Vimeo.