Merry Christmas

With house hunting, moving, and juggling work and family, we didn't get to send out Christmas cards this year. Still, I hope you all know how much we love and appreciate having you in our lives! Thank you for sharing your lives with us. We feel fortunate to be surrounded by wonderful people.

Love from our family to yours, and we hope you have a very Merry Christmas.

Phoenician Christmas

I've loved the posts on many of your blogs that say: "here is the view from our house right now" and usually depict feet of white, fluffy snow and buried cars. At first glance I think: wow, that looks gorgeous! and Christmasy! And then I remember that it's cold. And you have to shovel your car out everyday.

My view seems better and better everyday.


Scotty hangs out in the cul-de-sac with his big kid friends. Today they showed him how to use a walky-talky.

He can actually pedal from time to time but mostly walks his bike around. He usually wears his firefighter helmet so he matches the big kids with their helmets.

Doesn't seem like Christmas time to you? What more do you want? Christmas colored toe nails?


At least here you can actually see them... besides, we took Scotty to see the temple lights the other week and it was cold enough that we actually got hot chocolate.

Transportation Man

My mom commented that I hadn't updated the blog in awhile. So here you go mom, pictures I took in your hall bathroom! You would think she doesn't get to see this kid everyday ;o)

He's still Mr. Transportation, so I often walk into the bathroom in the morning to discover a demolition derby in the sink or a parking lot on top of the toilet seat.

You can always tell when he's up to something...

It's Christmastime in Larsenland

In case the makeover didn't give you the hint, it is Christmastime in Larsenland! We are celebrating the winter wonderland by riding our bikes in the cul-de-sac and visiting the heated community pool.


Scotty loved picking out a Christmas tree and he brought home that little branch. I had to hook into his toddler bed--he wouldn't sleep without it.


While the big boys were out working, Scotty, Nana, and I decorated the tree. He picked out his own appropriately festive attire. He has permanently borrowed this hat from his Papa becuase it makes him look so cool. Scotty particularly loves the bicycle and tricycle ornaments and often takes them off the tree to store in the back of his bike.


He also likes to play the decorative Christmas horn...

Hoppy Toppin

I'm not sure where this came from but it makes us laugh every time.
I had to catch it on video before he outgrew it...

Frito Bandito

Ay yi yi yi....Yo soy un frito bandito...

This kid will eat just abount anything if he can dip it in sauce.

We've taken advantage of his robust vocabulary by teaching him important phrases, like "Nana is amazing! Papa Bri is cool!" Yesterday, mom had a new one to show me: "Mama is the best!"

Scotty got really excited, gave me a huge hug, and yelled: "Mommy is a bus!"

I think in his mind that's a compliment.

NSTA Conference

Yesterday I attended a regional NSTA (National Science Teacher's Association) Conference here in Phoenix, and it was a great experience. I attended as many seminars and lectures as I could fit in, wandered product exhibits and came home with a bunch of cool science loot (including an egg carton of rocks mined in AZ for Eric, the family's new mining expert). One of the main speakers was the science reporter from Science Friday on NPR and he gave an outstanding presentation on the role of science in the media...really made me think and get a little fired up about Americans who think they don't need science.

Over the past week you probably heard about the couple that "gate-crashed" a white house state dinner and heard "news updates" about a Tiger Woods late-night car crash, but did you hear about this?

President Obama, at a press conference on November 23, 2009: (watch 0:42-1:17)




"And today, I'm announcing that we're going to have an annual science fair at the White House with the winners of national competitions in science and technology.  If you win the NCAA championship, you come to the White House.  Well, if you're a young person and you've produced the best experiment or design, the best hardware or software, you ought to be recognized for that achievement, too.  Scientists and engineers ought to stand side by side with athletes and entertainers as role models, and here at the White House we're going to lead by example.  We're going to show young people how cool science can be."

Watching this I can hardly contain myself from cheering--it's about time!

Animal Lover

It's official (as if there was ever any doubt): this kid is an animal lover. Last week we prepared for Thanksgiving by spending all day at the zoo.




This turtle was posing after getting a neck massage. He stayed like that for 10 minutes, just savoring the massage....
Scotty's really into turtles right now......because we babysat these baby desert tortoises a few weeks back!

Scotty still climbs up on the bathroom counter and tells me that the turtles are bye-bye. Maybe we'll get a tortoise instead of a puppy when the time comes...

Getting crafty

To help my transition from working full-time and writing a five page paper a week to being a full-time stay at home mom, I decided I needed a project. I would love to decorate my house for the holidays, but we don't have our own space yet. I thought about sewing something or working on some of in-progress crafts, but those are all boxed up and shoved at the bottom of our storage unit. So I did the next best thing: made a firefighter trucks out of cardboard boxes.



Scotty thought it was pretty rad, especially with the moving door, the secret hatch, and the steering wheel.

I doubt it will last more than another week but it's been a good source of entertainment for the smunchkin.

The Non-Event.

Well, it came and went last week, completely unannounced, unheralded, and uncelebrated: my last day of student teaching. It apparently has already been 60 days since early August, and I am no longer required to show up at 7am and teach 130 high school students every day for no money. And I literally mean no money--student teaching is completely "voluntary" though my cooperating teacher bought me lunch a few times.

Unfortunately I was busy dying of the flu last week and simply trying to survive and I missed my moment of triumph. At least Thursday was better than Monday, when I threw up in a trash can under my desk. (and why didn't I take time off? I kept thinking it was just a fluke and I wasn't really sick.....I didn't admit defeat under Friday, when on my first day of freedom I volunteered to substitute for my cooperating teacher while she took her boys on vacation).

I caved halfway through first period on Friday, begged my department chair to find a sub, and went home to rest by taking care of my overactive toddler. My mom and I finally limped into the doctor's office Friday afternoon, and headed the pharmacy to fill prescription strength cough drops and syrup with codeine. The doctor said I had the most positive test for flu she'd ever seen.

On the bright side, I'm now a better parent: I own a cool-mist humidifier. Never mind that I bought it for myself and not my child....he can have it when I'm done with it!

In case any of you were sitting on the fence: get a flu shot.

Trust me, it's worth it.

What happens with Nana, stays with Nana

Scotty has a blast hanging out with his wo9nderful Nana while I student teach. Yesterday, she made this confession over dinner:

"I had an adventure today! Darling little Scotty, age two, walked into the garage just ahead of me. Punching the door opener as I entered, I walked around the other side of the car, carrying my broken vacuum, his water, my purse, etc. Then I suddenly heard crying. I looked over, couldn't see Scotty, and then I looked UP. Screamed and dropped everything on the concrete. Dashed clear across the garage to get him down . . . from the ceiling. He had grabbed hold of the garage door and ridden it all the way up. Then held on tight! No harm, except my heart attack. The vac was already broken."

That's my little monkey. And don't worry mom--you're not fired.

Halloween AZ Style

Halloween in AZ has some nice perks. You don't have to worry about weather conditions such as cold or snow interfering with your costume. Your candy doesn't freeze (or melt) while you're out trick or treating. Also, there isn't an overabundance of adorable small children, so yours gets special attention from toddler-deprived neighbors.


Scotty milked it for everything he's got. He would run up to the door yelling "go, go candy!" and holding his hat on. Whenever the door opened he cheered, and he always said thank you and blew kisses. He also stopped to pet every dog and cat he saw. He loved having his friends from the apartments come trick-or-treat with him in a real neighborhood, and he even relinquished his bag of candy to hold hands with the big kids.

If course, Arizona also has its downsides. I feel fortunate that I stumbled upon this one before any of the kids did.

If that doesn't say "Happy Halloween!" I don't know what does.

In keeping with the family tradition and Eric's accounting tendencies, we constructed a bar graph of Scotty's earnings. Clearly, Eric trained him well about picking the orange things because there is an overwhelming majority of Reese's and Kit Kats.

In total, he got exactly 100 pieces of candy.
That's a lot of houses and a lot of moving for short little legs!

I went with the realistic costume here, including greasy, unwashed hair, a ponytail, and glasses. I actually got lots of compliments and attention--maybe I should wear my banner more often! Good for the self-esteem.

In other news, I am probably the world's coolest chemistry teacher, but I have to see if I can find a way to transfer part of the video from Friday's classes online before I reveal my entire scheme. Stay tuned!

The Highlights

A few weeks ago Eric and I took a quick trip to Utah for a recruiting event while Scotty got to stay and get spoiled by the grandparents. It was great to see friends and family and we were sad to leave so soon!

Thanks to all of you who switched your schedules around to hang out with us! Unfortunately I only took 5 pictures the entire weekend, but I did catch this one with Annicka and Martha after church.
Alexander's: it's Aggravation Time this Christmas, and Nick--you're going down. Bytheway the series is currently tied so don't start bragging!

On our drive back to the airport I was enjoying the nice fall scenery and the new Ryan Shupe Christmas cd we bought (and got signed!) at the recruiting concert. Eric casually pointed out the window and said "that's a nice view." I glance to my right, expecting a pretty red tree or a speckled mountain, when I see a huge eye, staring right back at me.

Wait, what?! An eye? With antlers?
A pile of dead deer driving next to us on the freeway?

Welcome back to Provo, Larsens. I think I'll stay in Phoenix.

Scotty's Thankful List

Scotty is thankful for:

Trains that say "choo-choo!" * being in the flight path of a local airport * firetrucks * Timbre being a good sport and putting up with toddler abuse * Daddy * Nana * Papa * Uncle Stephen * Aunt Betah * Uncle Brent * Grandma * Grandpa * Drew * Misty * Adien * Baby Max * airplanes on the ceiling of the shower * blue trucks * yellow trucks * white cars * big trucks * goldfish * nursery * everyday!

Scotty likes to say his own prayers now, which is adorable. "Dear Heavenly Father, Thanks for today, and Heavenly Father, and today, and Heavenly Father, and today, and Heavenly Father, and today, and Jesus, Amen."

I think I have a lot to learn from him. I'm certainly not always grateful for today and I often overlook the Heavenly Father part once I start asking for things.

Just another joy of sweet children :o)

The Scottman takes on Tucson

You push a button, and you get a train!

The world's most stoic firefighter.

Need a cool new kid toy? How about a catapult?

A whole family of turtles. Apparently he sees a family resemblence.

Polar bears swim laps, apparently.

Scotty's other favorite animal.

A quick recap

Well, last week was fall break and I made GREAT use of my "relaxing time off" by accompanying Eric on a business trip to Tucson with Scotty in tow for three days and then a quick childless trip to Provo over the weekend. It was fun to be home with my little monkey again, get some sunshine and exercise, and see great friends and family--we have missed you! To those of you we didn't get to see, sorry it was so quick, we'll be back in January and you're always welcome here in AZ.

Here's a recap, picture style.