Picture Post

Here's a little picture post, so that you all can see how big our little dude is getting. There's not much new happening around our house. As usual, E is talking up a storm. He learns new words everyday, and (I may be biased) I think he's WAY advanced for his age in the vocab area. He's even putting words together into sentences now. His favorite combo? "Shoes on!" He tells everyone at the store "Hullo. Shoes on!" and promptly points to his toes, because he is so proud of his shoes. He's also been learning lots of new animal sounds, a few shapes, and colors! He's really learning a lot and getting to be a little smarty pants. My new favorite words he says are creepy, kisses, "the claw!!!" and pumpkin.
This is the new addition to our family, Peanut. Or.. P-nuuuhht as E says it. We decided to get the puppy, because every little boy needs a dog right? And despite E's usual lack of affection for animals, he really loves his new puppy. Now... if only mommy liked the dog as much as the boys did...

Here is E's super cute Halloween costume. A while ago, he picked up the phrase "YEEHAW!" and would say it everytime he saw a hat or a horse (no idea where he picked it up from.) So, I jumped at it and decided he would be a cowboy for Halloween.

E is growing up before my eyes! He's so cute I could just pinch him all day. But then he'd start using his new favorite phrase even more: "Stop it."

We took him to the pumpkin walk and even though I really loved it, he was less than thrilled by it. But he looks cute anyway.

Here he is eating, but mostly wearing, his oatmeal.

One of E's favorite things to do is help mommy bake cookies and treats. He's very helpful...sorta.

One of our favorite things to do in the fall is to go apple picking at Paradise Valley Orchard. E loves to eat the apples and I love to pick them!

I'm beginning to grow concerned about the amount of pictures cropping up with E dressed up in tutus, makeup, or wigs....If he didn't love sports so much, I'd wonder about him. Either way, he looks simply adorable playing dress up with Brookie. And it'll come in handy one day when he's a teenager.

E is a devoted Aggie fan. He likes getting all dressed up and going to watch FOOTBALL! He loves to tell the players to GO, GO, GO. And he's very good at cheering "Go Aggies!!"

Things I love about Easton

E is 21 months now, and that age comes with a certain amount of attitude on his part. When you add teething in to the mix, he hasn't been the happiest little boy lately. So...it's been a little difficult to maintain my sanity and patience lately. But, no matter what, he's still the best little buddy in the whole world, and here's why:
1. He calls me "Honey" instead of "Mommy". I think it's the cutest thing. When I'm gone, Kade said E walks around the house calling for his "Honey". What a little sweetheart.
2. My new favorite thing he says is "I'm a mess!" when I clean him up after meals.
3. When he things something is yucky, he scrunches up his whole face and says "EEWW, Gwoss!"
4. He gets SO excited to go to "chooch" (church). Despite how he behaves in sacrement, he has a really good time at church and LOVES nursery. He also loves to bless the food and always folds his arms at the table and waits to say "maymen".
5. His new favorite thing to do is talk on the phone. He gets especially excited when he gets to call Daddy or Gwappa (grandpa). If you're ever lonely, give him a call.
6. He thinks it's so funny when he falls down. How many kids laugh when they fall instead of cry? He's a real tough guy.
7. He LOVES football. He gets so excited to watch it and is always yelling for the players to "GO, GO, GO!" and to get a "TOUCHDOWN!" He is definitely his father's son.
8. He likes to pretend his food is either a car or a hat. He is always "driving" his apple slices around and saying "Vrooom, vroom." or putting his food on his head and saying it's his hat. What a goober.
9. He calls juice "douche". That's all I can say about that.
10. He likes to whisper a lot and I don't think there is anything cuter than the sound of his little whispery chipmunk voice. Especially when he puts his finger to his lips and says "Shhh...quiet".

Now, let's just hope that the next time he is rolling, screaming, kicking on the floor or in time-out, I can remember how many silly, cute things he does. I love him, terrible twos and all.

The end is near....

So...I already made this post once and it got deleted. So I'd rather not do it again. This is why I don't blog very often..it's a pain in my neck. But here are the photos from the last six weeks or so. Enjoy.




At Hogle Zoo with Daddy by the penguins.

"Mawnkees!" He was pretty excited to see all the different monkeys

We picked Daddy up at the airport before the Zoo. E was pretty excited to finally see his Daddy.

As you can see, E is really getting big. He is also talking at a 2 yr. level according to the doc.

It was really, really hot.

In the Penny Arcade in Disneyland (where I got to escape to for a weekend with my love.) Apparently his kisses are "sexless".....

....while mine are "ecstasy".

This is a particularly hideous picture of me...but my mom and sisters will get it.

There are actually people inside those giant balls.

The view from Hotel Maya in Long Beach

Yes...he's naked.

Helping mommy with the sweeping.

The Dodgers game Kade went to with his dad.

Kade and Dennis at the game. Happy Father's Day boys!

The Queen Mary next to Kade's hotel.

Talk, talk, talk

This post is completely for my own memory to remember all the things Easton is saying and doing at this point:
He says mama, daddy, bye, hi, car, dog, nana, please, thank you, wow, socks, shoes, nose, toes, cheese, cracker, nanight, no, book, ball, baseball, go, outside, toons, gramma, grampa, all done, whoa. He knows where his nose, hair, and belly are. He knows the sounds a duck, snake, and monkey make. He seems to recognize almost everything I say to him, and usually is good at following directions (The best is when I say "Put that back" and he does!). He's 17 months old. He can walk, run, and climb. He gives the best hugs in the whole world (I especially love when he pats my back). He's stingy with his kisses, but he'll give them out on rare occassions. He is almost always happy to blow you a kiss or give you a high-five. He has 6 teeth (2 bottom, 4 top). He can ride his push bike and likes to play outside the best. He's content to watch cartoons or read a book. He really loves to ROOOAARRR at whoever he can. His favorite foods are fruits, veggies, and cheese. He has kicked the binky habit.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

Kade left last Tuesday for Princeton, NJ for an entire 22 days. So far I am hanging in there, but only because being a single, working, student mom provides me with a lot to get down in a single day. It's a lot harder than I anticipated to go without Kade's help around the house. I think we are both appreciating the work we do for each other ten fold. But his absence has prompted me to make this list:

Top Ten Things I Miss About Kade:

10. He'll kill me for putting this on here...but...umpiring funds.

9. Having 2 people to cook for. Cooking for one is hard!!!

8. The #2 man in the 2 man pin that it sometimes requires to get E to let me change him.

7. Having someone to share the bed with.

6. Not thinking that every little noise after dark is either a burglar, rapist, kidnapper, or murderer.

5. Being able to leave the house past 7:30. Once E goes to sleep, I'm grounded.

4. Having help around the house and with errands

3. Going on dates

2. Not having to find babysitters when I work

1. Getting hugs, cuddles, and kisses... :(



However, it has also prompted this list:



Top Five Things I Like About Being Home Alone:

5. I can stay up as late as I want without someone telling me to come to bed.

4. The treats in the house are lasting a LOT longer

3. Sports have not been on my television ONCE!!!!!

2. No snoring!

1.My house is SOOOO clean!



So far E has sustained 2 injuries while Dad has been gone. First, he fell in the shower and cut his eye. Then, he fell and hit his mouth on the table and cut his lip open. *Sigh*......

Today I made these tasty treats:

www.bakerella.com/easy-as-pie

Yep....it's true. Mini pies on a stick DO exist. And they ARE delicious.




I'll post some photos from Kade soon....

Another "fat talk" rant

This is probably a post for my other blog, but I think more people will see it on here. A lot of you will skip over this and write it off, because I preach about this subject a lot. But it's important to me. Today I attended Family Week at work. This is our 3rd time doing it, and I have gone every time to meet the families and listen to Doris Smeltzer speak. She is such an inspiring woman. She lost her daughter, Andrea, to bulimia at 19 after only 16 months of practicing bulimia. I still cry when I hear their story. I can't imagine losing a child to such an unneccesary disease. When I got on home, I logged on to facebook. I was completely disturbed and overwhelmed by the amount of "fat talk" I see on that page. Statuses, advertisements, comments...it's everywhere. Why do we as women and mothers allow this sort of thing to continue? Dont we all realize that when we say WE look fat and WE look ugly, others hear that? A child's strongest role model is their same sex parent. How would you feel if your daughter felt she was fat or ugly? Did you know the most common age for a girl to try dieting the first time is 10? TEN YEARS OLD. What the hell is wrong with this world that a fifth grader can't even feel good about his/her weight?! I find nothing more offensive, more disgusting, than a woman who says outloud "Oh gosh, I can't eat that! It'll make me fat!" People go up in arms when you use a racial slur or the word "retard" (as they should, because that's terrible!) but no one bats an eye when you say you are fat or say something like "She's too fat to wear that." And the really sick part? We encourage all this! We motivate each other to continue! "Good for you! You lost 10 pounds. You look so good!" When did our bodies become the bad guy? I think we ought to be showing gratitude for our bodies. This is the only one you're going to get. And hey, remember that real special Man who made that body especially for you? How do you think it makes Him feel when you say that your body isn't good enough? My body isn't perfect. It's full of rolls, stretchmarks, extra skin. But guess what? I really couldn't give a damn. This is MY body. So the next time you want to say "I can't eat that." or "I need to lose ten pounds" or "Geez...she's gained weight.", do me a favor and zip it. No one wants to hear it. And the FACT is, that talking this way will lower your self esteem AND the self esteem of those listening. Keep it to yourself. I'm not interested.

Fat Trap

No time to post an update....

I just wanted to share this very wonderful article from the New York Times.

The Fat Trap
By PEGGY ORENSTEIN
Published: April 18, 2010

Food is never just food. Food is love. Food is solace. It is politics. It is religion. And if that's not enough to heap on your dinner plate each night, food is also, especially for mothers, the instant-read measure of our parenting. We are not only what we eat, we are what we feed our children. So here in Berkeley - where a preoccupation with locally grown, organic, sustainable agriculture is presumed - the mom who strolls the farmers' markets can feel superior to the one who buys pesticide-free produce trucked in from Mexico, who can, in turn, lord it over the one who stoops to conventionally grown carrots (though the folks who grow their own trump us all). Let it slip that you took the kids to McDonald's, and watch how fast those play dates dry up.

Doing right by our kids means doing right by their health - body and soul. Yet even as awareness about the family diet has spread across the country (especially among the middle class and the affluent), so, it seems, have youngsters' waistlines. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a full third of America's children are overweight, and 17 percent are clinically obese - a rate that has more than tripled since 1976. Those figures may be alarming, yet equally disturbing are the numbers of children, girls in particular, who risk their health in the other direction, in the vain pursuit of thinness. In a 2002 survey of 81,247 Minnesota high-school students published in The Journal of Adolescent Health, more than half of the girls reported engaging in some form of disordered behavior while trying to lose weight: fasting, popping diet pills, smoking, vomiting, abusing laxatives, binge eating.

Parents, then, are left in quandary, worrying about both the perils of obesity and those of anorexia. How can you simultaneously encourage your daughter to watch her size and accept her body? My own initial impulse, when I found out I was pregnant with a girl, was to suggest that my husband take responsibility for feeding her. After all, he doesn't see a few extra pounds as a character flaw. Nor does he serve up a heaping helping of internal conflict with every meal. It's not that I'm extreme; it's just that like most - heck all - of the women I know, my relationship to food, to my weight, to my body is . . . complicated. I did not want to pass that pathology on to my daughter.

At best, weight is delicate territory between mothers and their girls. Michelle Obama found that out firsthand when kicking off her campaign to eliminate childhood obesity. In an attempt to destigmatize the condition, especially for African-Americans, she confessed that the family pediatrician warned her that "something was getting off-balance"; she needed to watch her daughters' body-mass indices. So she cut back on portion sizes, switched to low-fat milk, left fruit out on the table, banned weekday TV viewing.

The news that the First Mom put her daughters on a "diet" set the blogosphere abuzz. She was accused, even by supporters, of subjecting her daughters' bodies to public scrutiny, making their appearance fair game. Some grimly predicted that years of purging awaited the girls. The actual message Mrs. Obama was trying to get across - that minor changes can make a major difference in kids' lives - was, at least temporarily, lost in the uproar.

The president also has overshared about his children's weights, saying in a 2008 interview, "A couple of years ago - you'd never know it by looking at her now - Malia was getting a little chubby." He, too, was criticized, though less harshly, maybe because while fathers' comments sting, nothing cuts deeper than a mother's appraising gaze. Daughters understand that early: according to a study of preschool girls published in the journal Pediatrics in 2001, those whose mothers expressed "higher concern" over their daughters' weights not only reported more negative body images than their peers but also perceived themselves as less smart and less physically capable (paternal "concern" was associated only with the latter). The effect was independent of the child's actual size.

A 2003 analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, meanwhile, showed that mothers were three times as likely to notice excess weight in daughters than in sons, even though the boys were more likely to be large. That gave me pause. It is so easy for the concern with "health," however legitimate, to justify a focus on girls' appearances. For organic-eating, right-living parents whose girls are merely on the fleshy side of average, "health" may also mask a discomfort with how a less-than-perfect daughter reflects on them. " 'Good' parents today are expected to have normal-weight kids," says Joan Jacobs Brumberg, author of the book "The Body Project" and a professor of history and human development at Cornell University. "Having a fat girl is a failure."

By the time my own daughter was born, I realized that avoiding conversations about food, health and body image would be impossible: what I didn't say would speak as loudly as anything I did. So rather than opt out, I decided to actively model something different, something saner. I've tried to forget all I once knew about calories, carbs, fat and protein; I haven't stepped on a scale in seven years. At dinner I pointedly enjoy what I eat, whether it's steamed broccoli or pecan pie. I don't fetishize food or indulge in foodieism. I exercise because it feels good, and I never, ever talk about weight. Honestly? It feels entirely unnatural, this studied unconcern, and it forces me to be more vigilant than ever about what goes in and what comes out of my mouth. Maybe my daughter senses that, but this conscious antidiet is the best I can do.

Still, my daughter lives in the world. She watches Disney movies. She plays with Barbies. So although I was saddened, I was hardly surprised one day when, at 6 years old, she looked at me, frowned and said, "Mama, don't get f-a-t, O.K.?"

At least, I thought, she didn't hear it from me.

Pics of E-Mad

We've had a very busy month or so since I posted last full of concerts, ducks, new cars, and new jobs! It's been a good month around the Gardner home. The best news of all is that Kade will now be working for a company called Miele in Logan. He's been interviewing for the better part of 3 months for this position and we're very glad that he finally got it. He'll be doing the same thing he does now at Icon, but instead of working with exercise equipment, he's working with kitchen and home appliances. The bad news is that he'll spend more than half the summer out of state training for his new job. We're not sure how we'll survive without him. We also traded in the Expedition for a cute little Honda Civic. It's already saving us loads of money on gas, payments, and insurance. We really like it. I'm almost done with school for the semester, and ready for my 2 week break before summer semester kicks off. Kade has FINALLY been accepted to USU and we hope that we'll find time in our busy schedules for both of us to be in class this fall. Fingers crossed... Easton is growing SO fast. I can't even log all the words he uses now, but his new favorites are ball, grandpa, outside, and socks. He also knows where his belly is and can tell you what sound a monkey, duck, or snake makes. He has become completely obsessed with ducks and sometimes the first thing he says in the morning is "Kack Kack" which is Eastonese for Duck (Quack Quack). Kade and I went to Owl City (with Lights and Paper Route) and Daughtry (with Cavo and Lifehouse) this last month and had a blast. Sorry no pics. Our camera stinks in dark places. Hope you are all doing great!
Here are some somewhat recent pics of E. He's growing up before our eyes.
Super excited to see the Kack Kacks.

Eating the bread that was supposed to be for the ducks.

He absolutely loves to sit in the baby bouncer. He'll grab his milk and sit in the bouncer watching cartoons and I think it's so funny. Hopefully he doesn't break it. He weighs 24 pounds!

He loves to put things on his head from headphones to hats to helmets and bunny ears.

He has started coloring! Actually this was about 6 weeks ago, but it's still cute and exciting!