Mini-Man Part 2

Ok, I have to finish the list. So, here are 10 ways Scotty is like his mama!

1. stuffed animal collection. This kid sleeps with three dogs, a moose, and a sheep. He CAN'T sleep without his Ruffles (a stuffed dog). Whenever Eric is gone, I sleep with a stuffed animal so I don't get lonely...and I still have a few boxes full of my favorite stuffed animals at my parents house that I can't bring myself to get rid of.

2. playing the piano. While Scotty thinks the guitar is cool, he never attempts to play. The piano, on the other hand, is one of his favorite toys. He even pauses to turn pages in the middle of his masterpiece.

3. dumb injuries. I definitely take the cake when it comes to the number of broken bones, and almost every injury was accompanied by a silly story. Yes, I was a competitive gymnast--but my broken foot came from stepping off a stool and I once cut the corner off of my toe by accidentally kicking a door as I was running to pick up the phone. Scotty bashed his nose on a concrete step at the treatment center this weekend--he was falling backward and overcorrected. Poor little boy! what a weekend...
4. passion for shoes. Scotty loves to pull shoes out of my box in his room and strut around the front room. His favorite pair is my hot red heels!

5. best moment of the day: when Eric comes home! Scotty usually beats me to the door to give hugs and kisses--and he always breaks into hysterical giggles when daddy picks him up.
6. dancing skills. Don't get me wrong, Eric picked up some serious ballroom talent after his mission, but Scotty hasn't mastered correct dance position yet. Right now, his best efforts are modern, interpretative, and tap.

7. appreciation of some good pampering. This kid lives for a good back scratch. Last conference weekend we had a girls pedicure party during the Priesthood session and Scotty did not want to miss out.I painted my toenails a few days ago and Scotty was so fascinated with the nail polish I finally caved and painted his big toe. Of course, he couldn't leave it alone so now it just looks like a bloody scab....yikes! He also loves my hair stuff--in fact, he's brushing my hair while I type this.

8. talking to my mom. Scotty brings me the phone and says "nan! nan!" at least once a day. He loves talking to my mom and sharing his woes as much as I do.

9. The Little Mermaid. Obviously, it's Scotty favorite movie, but I actually didn't bias him into liking it. Even though I thought I was Ariel growing up, because I have red hair, spent all summer in the pool being a mermaid, loved to sing, and even hosted my own Little Mermaid birthday party...not to mention marrying my own Prince Eric!

10. visiting the neighbors. While Eric likes to unwind on the couch with food or a movie, Scotty and I recharge by getting out! Besides visiting the ducks, Scotty loves to go play with the cute girls next door. The moms on the block save my sanity by welcoming my surprise visits and letting my little monkey trash their houses--thanks Annicka, Martha, and Christine (and Eliza, Marian, and Callie!)

The list could go on, including doing housework, always having cold feet, and thinking we look dumb in hats...

Mini-Man

Scotty has a plethora of nicknames, but I frequently find myself calling him my mini-man. One, he looks like a real person, only miniature. Two, more and more he reminds me of Eric!

Even more ways that Scotty is just like Eric:

1. magic sleeping abilities. When Scotty was brand new, my mom and I passed a screaming Scotty over his comatose body. Just last week, Scotty slept through our Rock Band marathon and the ensuing chaos and hilarity.

2. neither can sleep with socks on. Every time I get scotty from a nap, the first things he hands me are his socks. I wonder how he manages to sleep with footed pajamas!

3. did I mention that they both snore? I never had to worry about Scotty as a newborn, or check to see if he was still breathing because of his reassuring baby snores. Eric, on the other hand, has been known to startle us BOTH awake with sudden bursts of nasal harmony.

4. Loving me! they both give the most comforting hugs and the best kisses. I didn't like kissing before Eric came along, and while Scotty is juicier, he melts my heart by showering me with love and affection.

5. disinterest in books. I am a classic bookworm. Avid reader and writer. Burn through a book a week. Scotty? Occasionally he'll look at the picture. Usually he just stacks his books up so he can get into the higher shelves and cupboards. Eric reads for school all the time, but for fun? Not since I've known him...

6. love of gadgets. The first thing Scotty crawled for was my camera and then the cell phone. He's known how to work the remote control since he could graps things. Eric happily spends hours wandering around Best Buy just looking at gadgets he would never buy.

7. they are both ticklish! They only person who could ever tickle me was my brother and this is a common sore point with Eric. He is so ticklish that a back massage or an accidental gentle brush can trigger involuntary twitching. Scotty wriggles up his shoulders and giggles hysterically when we use the clippers to cut his hair!

8. passion for fruit snacks. Whenever I buy fruit snacks for Scotty I have to ration a certain portion out for Eric. They often share a snack--who ever is being sweeter gets the larger half of the package!

9. the daredevil gene. Now I consider myself adventurous and am willing to try plenty of things that require courage or fortitude. But plunging off the couch head first? All Scotty. Next he'll want to jump out of an airplane...oh wait, Eric already did that.

10. gorgeous blue eyes and long eyelashes! I'm jealous of them both for their eyelashes.

This list could go on and on, including aggressive driving tendencies, music loving, and sound effect abilities....

Gray Days

I am grateful for:

baby tylenol, for making me feel less helpless when my child is hurting; the occasional mid-day nap; an education program that actually fits my schedule!; an amazing husband who always recognizes and appreciates even the tiniest accomplishment; keeping in touch with friends and family through blogs; music--it makes me happier, keeps me going, and accompanies my housecleaning; Mr. Dallin and Mr. Brandon for hosting story time and entertaining Scotty several times a week; neighbors who are home with kids and don't mind surprise visits!; random freebies on campus; ducks that never tire of bread crumbs; sweet little baby hugs (including crusty jam fingers and snotty noses); 409; a nice hot shower on a cold day; warm socks; The Little Mermaid, the cure-all of last resort parenting; Scotty, for still loving me even when I feel like a bad mom; a washer and dryer in my house!

"I have discovered that life is not a series of great heroic acts. Life at its best is a matter of consistent goodness and decency, doing without fanfare that which needed to be done when it needed to be done. I have observed that it is not the geniuses that make the differences in this world. I have observed that the work of the world is done largely by men and women of ordinary talent who have worked in an extraordinary manner."

--Gordon B. Hinckley

Irresponsibility is still important.

Sometimes, even as parents, we still need to be totally irresponsible. Eat ice cream straight from the carton. Serve the family chocolate chip pancakes for dinner. Play the 84 song Endless Setlist in Rock Band. Starting at 9 pm. With only four band members and therefore, no substitutions. While your child is sleeping 10 feet away.


Come to think of it, Scotty could have woken up now and then and we wouldn't have heard it over the rocking or the laughter. Besides, we conquered.

We have achieved Legendary Status.

The whole Larsen gang. After watching for hours, we even got mom to jump in and sing a few! Plus, she stayed up with us almost the entire night. Yet somehow, the magic house elves cleaned my kitchen and did all the dishes before I dragged myself out of bed...

To our credit, we thought we could stop and save at anytime when we decided to start the set. When we realized we couldn't, we had already completed 43 songs. It only took 7 hours, including a midnight Wendy's refresher. And a few 1am phone calls to Stephen and Bekah to come sub out with us.I love this picture because you can see what time it is: 3:10 am. We finished at 4:30.

Famous last words: "Who's going to get up with Scotty in three hours?"

To our Amazing Rock Band-ites: We Salute You. Staci rocked the bass for at least 3/4 of the songs. Brent saved us with his awesome drumming skills (especially Raptor style). Eric switched it up a bit to give breaks but mostly nailed the awesome guitar solos. And, I discovered a new skill: I can fudge my way singing songs I've never even heard before...and therefore ended up singing at least 60 songs. And I still have a voice today!

Favorite moments:

Eric screaming "this is the longest song in the world and it never ends" lyrics into the mic and getting 100% on hard.

Brent drumming with his elbows scrunched up like a raptor/chicken and making us all laugh.

Meg singing "We're Deeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaadddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd" for a full minute of actual lyrics while everyone else is cracking up. Do you know how hard it is to keep singing when you're laughing and can't breathe? and those were the real lyrics!

Staci singing some heavy metal song about running from death and small creatures and having to guess at the super fast lyrics...especially funny to me because it was 3 am. And I was sitting on the floor doing CPR playing the bass pedal to help Brent out so his leg didn't fall off.

Scotty's Favorite Things

Raindrops on noses and petting the kittens
Banging copper kettles and taking off his mittens
Brown cardboard boxes that he fills with toys
These are a few of Scott's favorite things

Timbre-colored goats and gooey chocolate cookies
Open doors and closing doors and playing with noodles
Wild ducks that quack as he chases them in rings
These are a few of Scott's favorite things

Pulling mom's dresses and untying the sashes
Giving puppy eyes and batting his eyelashes
Super short winters that melt into springs
These are a few of Scott's favorite things

When the dog barks
When he breaks things
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember Scott's favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad

Hepworth Tribute Book

This is the book I made for my Grandpa's 80th birthday from the interviews I had done.

Marilyn Hoopes and Lael Dutson Hepworth: Our Love Story

View Project at Shutterfly

Grandpa Hepworth's 80th Birthday Party!

My mom's dad turned 80 this past week, and we had a big family party for him on Saturday night. Everyone brought incredible desserts and we put on a family program for him.

Scotty bonded with my cousins, especially Stuart, who told jokes and made Grandpa laugh.

My favorite: Why do seagulls fly over the sea and not the bay?

Because if they flew over the bay we'd have to call them bagels!

We all shared our favorite memories and thoughts about Grandpa.
I sang "Pure as Prayer," a song my mom wrote for her parents for their 49/50th anniversary.

My aunt Melanie made a great collage poster of the family to hang on the wall in his room.
I gave them the book I've been making for them. In 2006, I interviewed them about their love story for a family history class I taking. I transcribed the whole thing and picked the best parts for this book, along with pictures.

Scotty had a great time seeing his G-Grandpa and the other residents. My Grandpa has been in a nursing home since last fall and the people there love to see little kids running around. Scotty was especially sweet with all of them, blowing kisses and voluntarily giving hugs.

Here we are joking about my Grandpa leaning to the right like the true conservative he is...

And this is my grandma's wedding dress--which she still fits into!
This lady is amazing and takes such good care of the entire family.

Being a kid is hard work.

Being a kid is such hard work! First, you have to wake up early, and wake up hungry.

Then you have to not only eat breakfast but also make a mess of it too so you get your money's worth. The bath you have to take after being so thorough with breakfast isn't relaxing because there is a lot of water inside the tub that has to make it out onto the floor before you can rest.


You have to get full value of every day's clothes by playing hard and getting messy. Even playing with toys is tiring, because they have to get spread out over the entire floor in every room of the house.

In addition to the daily routine, there are a couple of extra things every kid has to some how find the energy for. First, everyday you have to find something new and different to get into that mom and dad haven't yet baby proofed.

(Hey look, mama, I figured out how to turn on your camera!)


Also, you have to save enough energy for that "in the middle of making dinner" tantrum.
Best of all are the millions of hugs and kisses!

It's tough work, but someone's gotta do it!

My Hood-lums

I love these boys.

Daylight Savings

I believe daylight savings was created by the housecleaning elves for one purpose: to force me to dust my clocks twice a year.

Having grown up with plenty of daylight in Arizona, we never felt the need to force our bodies to adapt to unnatural time changes semiannually. Even after 7 years in Utah it still strikes me as odd. The only thing I've gotten better at is remembering how to change the clock radio in my car. Since having a child, the concept of deciding the time has changed strikes me as even more bizarre. Every fall we turn to our children and say: "guess what! you get to sleep in tomorrow! fall back!" and they of course proceed to wake up at the exact same time as always as kids are not so easily fooled. As parents, we respond with patience and maturity by gasping in horror at the clock that now reads 6:05. Eventually, they adjust to the time change in bedtime and nap schedules just in time to spring forward again.

When did science decide that politicians should have a say in natural phenomena like sunrises? I want a recount.

The Scottish Report

This is what happens when you buy a 2 lb. bag of Swedish Fish to get your husband through a week of tests:

Eric thinks it's so funny that he makes Scotty sign "fish" before giving him just about anything. Our son will now grow up thinking that anything gummy--like fruitsnacks--are fish! Oh, well, it is pretty hilarious.

The 18 month stats:

Weight: depends on the number of fishies he's eaten. Last week it was 23.5, a few days ago it was just under 22....?

Height: talk about a growth spurt! they measured him at 32", which is a jump from 5th percentile to 50th.

Teeth: still just 12, plus two permanently swollen gums...

Words: he now attempts to say "apple", "up", and "ow-wow" (as in, "what does a dog say?") but pretty much sticks with sign language. Thus, we've graduated from Baby Signing time to regular signing time, which has songs even more likely to get stuck in my head. He picks up almost a sign a day, with this week's highlights being thank you (which he started on his own!) and cracker.

Best trick: whenever he needs a diaper change he walks into his room and brings out all the supplies (including wipes if he's messy!) and lays on the floor waiting for me to change him. It's practically as glorious as being potty trained.

Favorite book: The Hungry Caterpillar (thanks Papa!) but he's mostly just into turning pages really quickly and rarely has time for actual stories.

Food of the week: April's chicken salsa fajita mix--this kid is not squeamish about spice! he happily downs chips and salsa with us as well :o)

Funniest moment: I was in a hurry to get ready this morning and head to Provo high to help in the chemistry department. Scotty looked up at me as curiously, pointed, and then signed "milk." That ship has long since sailed, kid!

And last but not least, amount of poisonous lead destroying his perfect little body: zero! Living in our cozy little cottage has made us a little nervous about potential lead from pipes or paint, so we had him lead tested and everything came back totally negative. No more worries, Nana.

Friends

I find myself rewriting my definition of a friend as life goes on.

It used to be that a friend was someone who shared her candy and invited you over to play.

Then a friend was someone to sit by at lunch who wouldn't laugh at a bad hair day.

In high school a friend was someone to confide in, who would tell you when you were being a jerk and had food in your teeth.

When I got married, a friend was any couple both Eric and I liked spending time with.

When I was pregnant, a friend was someone who would tell you how beautiful you looked and would drop everything to come over and paint your toenails.

With a newborn, a friend was anyone willing to hold your squirming baby so you could have just a minute to go to the bathroom alone.

Today, a friend was someone willing to come watch my baby in the bath so I could clean the oatmeal he barfed up all over the house.

Thanks, Katie.

Love yourself!

I heard a sad advertisement on the radio this morning that really made me think. According to the ad: "42% of women are disgusted by their bodies." My first thought was "that's not me! I think I'm healthy and beautiful! except...."

Why is it so easy to find things we don't like about ourselves, especially our physical appearance? We wish we could have her hair, her figure, someone else's cute feet, her sense of style and fashion... no matter how beautiful we are we would always change something!

I am totally guilty of this. Especially with pregnancy, nursing, and "getting my body back" I realize that I will never be the same size or shape I was before, for good and for bad. If I focus all my time and energy on what needs "fixing" I forget to appreciate what I have now.

I love what Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said about this in October General Conference, 2005:

"I plead with you young women to please be more accepting of yourselves, including your body shape and style, with a little less longing to look like someone else. We are all different. Some are tall, and some are short. Some are round, and some are thin. And almost everyone at some time or other wants to be something they are not! But as one adviser to teenage girls said: “You can’t live your life worrying that the world is staring at you. When you let people’s opinions make you self-conscious you give away your power. … The key to feeling [confident] is to always listen to your inner self—[the real you.]” And in the kingdom of God, the real you is “more precious than rubies.” Every young woman is a child of destiny and every adult woman a powerful force for good. I mention adult women because, sisters, you are our greatest examples and resource for these young women. And if you are obsessing over being a size 2, you won’t be very surprised when your daughter or the Mia Maid in your class does the same and makes herself physically ill trying to accomplish it. We should all be as fit as we can be—that’s good Word of Wisdom doctrine. That means eating right and exercising and helping our bodies function at their optimum strength. We could probably all do better in that regard. But I speak here of optimum health; there is no universal optimum size.

Frankly, the world has been brutal with you in this regard. You are bombarded in movies, television, fashion magazines, and advertisements with the message that looks are everything! The pitch is, “If your looks are good enough, your life will be glamorous and you will be happy and popular.” That kind of pressure is immense in the teenage years, to say nothing of later womanhood. In too many cases too much is being done to the human body to meet just such a fictional (to say nothing of superficial) standard. As one Hollywood actress is reported to have said recently: “We’ve become obsessed with beauty and the fountain of youth. … I’m really saddened by the way women mutilate [themselves] in search of that. I see women [including young women] … pulling this up and tucking that back. It’s like a slippery slope. [You can’t get off of it.] … It’s really insane … what society is doing to women.”

In terms of preoccupation with self and a fixation on the physical, this is more than social insanity; it is spiritually destructive, and it accounts for much of the unhappiness women, including young women, face in the modern world. And if adults are preoccupied with appearance—tucking and nipping and implanting and remodeling everything that can be remodeled—those pressures and anxieties will certainly seep through to children. At some point the problem becomes what the Book of Mormon called “vain imaginations.” And in secular society both vanity and imagination run wild. One would truly need a great and spacious makeup kit to compete with beauty as portrayed in media all around us. Yet at the end of the day there would still be those “in the attitude of mocking and pointing their fingers” as Lehi saw, because however much one tries in the world of glamour and fashion, it will never be glamorous enough.

A woman not of our faith once wrote something to the effect that in her years of working with beautiful women she had seen several things they all had in common, and not one of them had anything to do with sizes and shapes. She said the loveliest women she had known had a glow of health, a warm personality, a love of learning, stability of character, and integrity. If we may add the sweet and gentle Spirit of the Lord carried by such a woman, then this describes the loveliness of women in any age or time, every element of which is emphasized in and attainable through the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ."