i'm going on about 3 hodge-podged hours of sleep here, but here's an update:
- the kitchen painting continues. assume it will continue, seriously, for the next 3 years minimum. but carson woke up the other day and found me painting. "mom, this kitchen looks SPLENDID!" made me smile. and also, mental note: no more watching thomas the tank engine. that vocab is bordering on waaaaay too nerdy. (he also heard layla crying in her room after her nap, "can you heah (hear) layla's TEWIBLE cwy? let's go get huh (her)!" loving these adjectives, kid.)
- layla's been sick and hasn't slept well at nights. actually, i lied. all she really needs is to be held and rocked, and she'll sleep like a...i don't know, something that sleeps really well. but night after night, that rocking chair and i agree less and less. thank goodness for self-repairing bodies! (eventually...)
- more snow in logan. awesome.
- i love being my kids' mom. seriously. i've had some fun times with my babies lately, and even though i complain a lot (probably too much), there is nothing better than stretching out an afternoon building with legos or coloring or dancing together.
- jazz suffered an extremely disappointing and frustrating loss to the rockets last night, bringing the series to 2-1. come ON. how dare they give tracy mcgrady the satisfaction?
- have i ever mentioned how much i enjoy eating tootsie rolls?
- in the words of kip dynamite, "peace out."
Friday, April 25, 2008
Friday, April 18, 2008
private blog in full force
hey everyone, our blog is now private. not that there are, like, millions of people out there just DYING to read this thing, but if on the off chance you happen to know someone who didn't get an invite to the exclusive club of the "smart family blog readership," let me know (give me their email address), and i'll get them added.
thank you and goodnight. oh, and go jazz. (tomorrow night)
thank you and goodnight. oh, and go jazz. (tomorrow night)
Thursday, April 17, 2008
a dad's derby duty
a father's inherent obligation and duty, one that he probably looks forward to with intermingled senses of fear, excitement, and a little competitive edge, has presented itself before paul earlier than he or i expected: helping carson build a winning pinewood derby car (for a ward activity this saturday).
it took the majority of last saturday morning (after carson woke up every day during that week, rubbing his eyes, clutching his car kit, and asking first thing, "is dis duh day daddy and i can build my car?" only to be sorely disappointed to find paul already gone to work). i think it was worth the wait, though: carson is in love. he carries that car everywhere, drives it around, cradles it in his arms, finds "safe" places for it to park while he's gone, etc. he plays with it so much that paul and i are actually a little worried it won't make it until the race in two days. dah well.
p.s. carson's love for this car is happy and heart-warming and stuff, but the best, for me, was watching paul re-enter childhood with his son while sawing, sanding, building, painting, adding more windows and racing stripes, and otherwise perfecting the car...whose "finished" product kept getting more intense (the fabulous end result actually isn't shown here). carson couldn't have been more thrilled with his cool dad and his sweet skills. i love my boys.
p.p.s. do you like how un-involved carson looks in these photos? he did help, really. :)
p.p.p.s. note to self: when i'm old and gray and am looking for one of my children to take care of me, i'll simply grow 4 wheels, paint myself blue, and viola! instant t.l.c. from my firstborn.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
calling all parental experts
okay, so i need to know what you would do, or what i should've done:
in tumbling class today, carson got three quick "warnings" from the teacher/coach because he kept playing with part of the obstacle course while she was explaining the circuit. he deserved it; he needs to learn to listen better (we're working on this...but...i'm finding it pretty much impossible). anyway, so then she starts letting the kids (there are 3 other girls in his class) through the circuit, one at a time. his turn is last, but she invites him when it's time.
he just pouts and sits there and shakes his head "no." the coach, very nicely and calmly, says something to the effect of, "it's your turn if you want to go, carson, but it's your choice if you want to just sit there instead." so he sits there.
the other kids go through the circuit a time or two; carson stays put and pouts. i'm trying to not be one of those over-involved moms when another authority figure is in place, but finally i can't take it anymore. (mostly, it's because i'm paying money for him to go to this class, and HE WILL PARTICIPATE, DANG IT.)
i sneak in and discreetly call him over to the corner to talk to him. he nearly starts crying: "i don't want to hab any whynings [warnings]. coach gabe me tree whynings." i explain that he got those because he wasn't listening to his coach, but if he started listening now, he wouldn't have to worry about the warnings. i encouraged him to try the circuit (a.k.a. "if you don't try to participate, we're not going to the library after tumbling. your choice."), but he went back onto his carpet mat and pouted some more.
circuit time was over, now it was time for the balance beams and long trampoline on the other side of the gym (which he normally loves). once more, his coach nicely invited him to join in the fun so he didn't miss out; he wanted to (i could tell) but continued to sit there and glare/pout. she took the other kids across the gym, and carson ran, crying, out to me.
dilemma: what would you do? what should an insightful, with-it, sensitive, recognizes-every-teaching-moment-ever-presented parent do?
probably not what i did. i sat him in a chair in the waiting room and told him quietly, "if you're not going to participate in class, then you'll have to just sit here and be bored until class is over." he started crying harder and got up repeatedly to come cry at me. i ignored him.
layla took this as an open invitation to join in the cry-fest, so in about 2 minutes flat, both of my kids were screaming, i was pretending to be oblivious but was completely embarrassed (there were 5-10 other parents in the waiting room), and i also didn't know what to do. so we left, mostly because the other parents were giving me "looks" (i.e., "why can't that lady control her kids?" "get those crying kids out of here, can't you see how annoying they are to me?" "what kind of bad parent are you, anyway?" etc. etc.).
[editor's note: my sis-in-law, who was there as well, and i were talking about how we totally remember how hard it was to be disciplined by someone other than our parents. like, when a teacher got after us or something, it completely ruined our whole day. so, i understand carson's overarching emotion, but i don't know how to help him recognize that the cause is in his hands.]
on the way home, i didn't say anything about the incident (i usually talk these things to death, but i've recently decided to try a new tactic: withhold extreme attention, one way or the other, on behavior like this). a few minutes into our drive, carson sniffled and said to me, "mom, i'm sad dat i really missed out on some fun in tumbling. i REALLY missed out!"
me: "yes, you did."
carson: "but dat makes me soooo sad!"
me: "well, it was your choice to miss out. coach invited you to join in, but you chose not to." [i should've stopped talking, but i couldn't help myself with one more comment] "making bad choices usually DOES make us sad."
carson's punishment is: no library, no dessert after lunch, and naptime instead of playtime. he's currently exiled to his room until i go get him. it may be a few days.
i bet this makes you all jealous that i'm not your parent, doesn't it. either that, or scared for the world's outlook that i'll soon have another child.
help. please. advice?
in tumbling class today, carson got three quick "warnings" from the teacher/coach because he kept playing with part of the obstacle course while she was explaining the circuit. he deserved it; he needs to learn to listen better (we're working on this...but...i'm finding it pretty much impossible). anyway, so then she starts letting the kids (there are 3 other girls in his class) through the circuit, one at a time. his turn is last, but she invites him when it's time.
he just pouts and sits there and shakes his head "no." the coach, very nicely and calmly, says something to the effect of, "it's your turn if you want to go, carson, but it's your choice if you want to just sit there instead." so he sits there.
the other kids go through the circuit a time or two; carson stays put and pouts. i'm trying to not be one of those over-involved moms when another authority figure is in place, but finally i can't take it anymore. (mostly, it's because i'm paying money for him to go to this class, and HE WILL PARTICIPATE, DANG IT.)
i sneak in and discreetly call him over to the corner to talk to him. he nearly starts crying: "i don't want to hab any whynings [warnings]. coach gabe me tree whynings." i explain that he got those because he wasn't listening to his coach, but if he started listening now, he wouldn't have to worry about the warnings. i encouraged him to try the circuit (a.k.a. "if you don't try to participate, we're not going to the library after tumbling. your choice."), but he went back onto his carpet mat and pouted some more.
circuit time was over, now it was time for the balance beams and long trampoline on the other side of the gym (which he normally loves). once more, his coach nicely invited him to join in the fun so he didn't miss out; he wanted to (i could tell) but continued to sit there and glare/pout. she took the other kids across the gym, and carson ran, crying, out to me.
dilemma: what would you do? what should an insightful, with-it, sensitive, recognizes-every-teaching-moment-ever-presented parent do?
probably not what i did. i sat him in a chair in the waiting room and told him quietly, "if you're not going to participate in class, then you'll have to just sit here and be bored until class is over." he started crying harder and got up repeatedly to come cry at me. i ignored him.
layla took this as an open invitation to join in the cry-fest, so in about 2 minutes flat, both of my kids were screaming, i was pretending to be oblivious but was completely embarrassed (there were 5-10 other parents in the waiting room), and i also didn't know what to do. so we left, mostly because the other parents were giving me "looks" (i.e., "why can't that lady control her kids?" "get those crying kids out of here, can't you see how annoying they are to me?" "what kind of bad parent are you, anyway?" etc. etc.).
[editor's note: my sis-in-law, who was there as well, and i were talking about how we totally remember how hard it was to be disciplined by someone other than our parents. like, when a teacher got after us or something, it completely ruined our whole day. so, i understand carson's overarching emotion, but i don't know how to help him recognize that the cause is in his hands.]
on the way home, i didn't say anything about the incident (i usually talk these things to death, but i've recently decided to try a new tactic: withhold extreme attention, one way or the other, on behavior like this). a few minutes into our drive, carson sniffled and said to me, "mom, i'm sad dat i really missed out on some fun in tumbling. i REALLY missed out!"
me: "yes, you did."
carson: "but dat makes me soooo sad!"
me: "well, it was your choice to miss out. coach invited you to join in, but you chose not to." [i should've stopped talking, but i couldn't help myself with one more comment] "making bad choices usually DOES make us sad."
carson's punishment is: no library, no dessert after lunch, and naptime instead of playtime. he's currently exiled to his room until i go get him. it may be a few days.
i bet this makes you all jealous that i'm not your parent, doesn't it. either that, or scared for the world's outlook that i'll soon have another child.
help. please. advice?
Friday, April 11, 2008
email address request
sorry, the blog's going private (hah! i just typed "blig" on accident. sometimes i find my typos quite hilarious), probably in the next week or so. i know it's a pain, but...just in case. email me your email address (so i can "invite" you: brittney.smart@gmail.com), or leave it here in a comment.
p.s. anderson and smart family members and "the sock ladies" - don't worry about sending me yours. you have a mandatory lifetime subscription, whether you want it or not.
p.s. anderson and smart family members and "the sock ladies" - don't worry about sending me yours. you have a mandatory lifetime subscription, whether you want it or not.
you're invited to dinner...
...in 2010, when our kitchen is functionable again. see you then!
(and to think i used to be jealous of people who had home projects. hah! rookie mistake.)
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
dullness is a great thing
so, i've been trying to think of an interesting, clever, unusual, thought-provoking, or surprising topic to write about today. can't. that's what a normal wear-and-tear life does, i guess. makes me appreciate the fact that our appliances and vehicles haven't broken down, our house hasn't flooded or burned, our recently fertilized lawn is getting moistened (as recommended) even though it's by yucky snow-rain, we're not sick or experiencing any broken bones or non-functioning organs, our kitchen do-it-yourself update (though slow) isn't proving completely disastrous, we don't have any schedule conflicts during "the office" tomorrow night, and i haven't lost anything too valuable lately.
all in all, i'd say that, for today at least, "no news is good news."
all in all, i'd say that, for today at least, "no news is good news."
Monday, April 7, 2008
it's a girl!
i'd accompany this post with some pics of the ultrasound, but let's be honest...they all look pretty much the same to the casual observer. (does that make me a bad mother?)
memorable moments of the exploration: her crossed ankles, her little attitude and disobeying the ultrasound tech's requests (already?!?! great. she and layla will be best friends), her face hiding under her upraised arms, her being all balled up, and her super-duper wiggle powers impressing even the ultrasound tech (i was just telling paul last week or so that this one's hyperactive). we couldn't get a good look at her face, just passing glimpses as she looked our way and mocked us before hiding again.
so, as far as i can tell, we have a shy, opinionated, wiggle-wormy baby girl on our hands. i bet she's a redhead. and i can't wait to meet her.
memorable moments of the exploration: her crossed ankles, her little attitude and disobeying the ultrasound tech's requests (already?!?! great. she and layla will be best friends), her face hiding under her upraised arms, her being all balled up, and her super-duper wiggle powers impressing even the ultrasound tech (i was just telling paul last week or so that this one's hyperactive). we couldn't get a good look at her face, just passing glimpses as she looked our way and mocked us before hiding again.
so, as far as i can tell, we have a shy, opinionated, wiggle-wormy baby girl on our hands. i bet she's a redhead. and i can't wait to meet her.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
high flying adored
so, my testimony was strengthened today. like, in the opening prayer of the first session, when the guy mentioned something about how we as parents can remember that our children are actually God's and raise them accordingly. that really hit me.
unfortunately, my level of attentiveness went downhill from there (too bad that "moment" was in the first 5 minutes of the 4-hour timeframe...). i tried, really i did, but there's just something about "church" on saturday and two kids (who are young and delightful but still young) and a ripped-apart kitchen (heh...wish i could blame that on someone other than myself...stupid do-it-yourself ideas) and a sick husband and an AM radio that tends to negate my otherwise acutely honed listening abilities.
don't get me wrong; i love general conference and the messages and the insights and the overall feeling. but i'd be lying if i pretended that i "soaked it all in" today. if anyone has any tips for me, feel free to send 'em my way.
but for now the church is still true, because i can read it all in next month's ensign.
p.s. one thing: during the afternoon session's song "We Thank Thee O God For a Prophet," carson started getting the giggles and told paul, "president monson is thanking God for himself?!?!?!!! " he just thought that was hilarious. i'm going to have to side with carson on this one, though...that WOULD be kind of a strange song to sing if you were the living prophet, don't you think?
unfortunately, my level of attentiveness went downhill from there (too bad that "moment" was in the first 5 minutes of the 4-hour timeframe...). i tried, really i did, but there's just something about "church" on saturday and two kids (who are young and delightful but still young) and a ripped-apart kitchen (heh...wish i could blame that on someone other than myself...stupid do-it-yourself ideas) and a sick husband and an AM radio that tends to negate my otherwise acutely honed listening abilities.
don't get me wrong; i love general conference and the messages and the insights and the overall feeling. but i'd be lying if i pretended that i "soaked it all in" today. if anyone has any tips for me, feel free to send 'em my way.
but for now the church is still true, because i can read it all in next month's ensign.
p.s. one thing: during the afternoon session's song "We Thank Thee O God For a Prophet," carson started getting the giggles and told paul, "president monson is thanking God for himself?!?!?!!! " he just thought that was hilarious. i'm going to have to side with carson on this one, though...that WOULD be kind of a strange song to sing if you were the living prophet, don't you think?
Friday, April 4, 2008
Refresh Your House with Color!
Call it spring fever or whatever, but I'm really into looking for ideas to make my house look and feel more "fresh." I found this example in an online home-decor magazine, and I LOVE it:
Color creates moods -- think of a serene aqua bathroom, a cheery yellow breakfast nook, or a kid's room done in energetic primary hues. Optimistic colors are guaranteed to brighten your mood!
Using the above-shown photo for inspiration, I tried to imitate the look by adding splashes of color onto my own couch, but I had to use items I had on-hand:
For some reason, it didn't have quite the effect I was going for...
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
it's official: i'm a wimp
i just had the post for my 2nd tooth implant drilled into my jawbone today. and the numbing-stuff is wearing off. and now it hurts. bad. and i have to take acetaminophen instead of ibuprofen, which doesn't quite cut it for me in the pain-management department.
my dentist was just telling me today, "aren't you so glad we live in this day and age etc. etc. etc." right now i'm not so sure. those wooden dentures are looking mighty appealing...
my dentist was just telling me today, "aren't you so glad we live in this day and age etc. etc. etc." right now i'm not so sure. those wooden dentures are looking mighty appealing...
life lessons
for f.h.e. the other night, we decided to have an "emergency lesson." so we talked with carson (and layla, but let's be honest...her brain remains in la-la land until treats are directly involved) about emergencies. like, what should he do if mommy or daddy "fell asleep" and wouldn't wake up?
carson: "i'd yell at you to wake you up!"
me: "good idea. that usually wakes people up all right. but what if we STILL didn't wake up? what would you do then?"
carson: "i'd yell even LOUDAH!"
glad to know we're in good hands.
incidentally, if anyone hears continuous & very loud yelling coming from our house, it might not be a bad idea to stop in and check things out. especially since my kids never, nope NEVER, yell unless in dire emergencies. like a finger touching them. or a cheerio on the floor. or someone looking at them. or having to share. you know--the life-threatening stuff.
carson: "i'd yell at you to wake you up!"
me: "good idea. that usually wakes people up all right. but what if we STILL didn't wake up? what would you do then?"
carson: "i'd yell even LOUDAH!"
glad to know we're in good hands.
incidentally, if anyone hears continuous & very loud yelling coming from our house, it might not be a bad idea to stop in and check things out. especially since my kids never, nope NEVER, yell unless in dire emergencies. like a finger touching them. or a cheerio on the floor. or someone looking at them. or having to share. you know--the life-threatening stuff.
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