Things to Smile About

Life is BUSY right now and about to get crazier when Eric starts working in less than two weeks.

Here are things I am smiling about right now:

1. Having enough to keep me running at school but not enough to knock me over.
2. The satisfaction of feeling that a whole STACK of productive things gets done each day.
   
3. Seeing Scotty's face light up when I walk in the door.
4. Getting to see Eric the second I'm done with work.
5. Sneaking a 20 minute afternoon nap while Scotty hangs out with his much cooler relatives (aka Nana and Papa).
6. Switching off days to cook with my parents.
7. Being able to leave the house after Scotty is down for the night.
8. Hearing Scotty give the rest of us nicknames and interpreting words instead of just imitating.

I miss being home with Scotty, but since I get home around 3:30 each day I still have lots of time with him--especially because he's started getting up at 6:45 to see me each morning! I love teaching and am starting to find that rhythm of getting things in order and switching gears from class to class. I am working madly on my own unit, which has to be done before I start teaching it in just over a week...and I really am getting sold on the idea of living in an extended family unit. Grandparents are wonderful to just have lying around the house ;o)

All Grown Up

He loves to play with cars, trucks, planes, and "choo-choos."
Here's what happened when I told him to put his toys away.

Not quite what I had in mind, but the kid does have a point.

New milestones

The past few months I've heard friend after friend tell me how worried they were about transitioning their child from a crib to a toddler bed--and how it turned out to be so quick and easy. I always thought to myself: "there's NO WAY my monkey would switch that easy. Not confined? Free to roam and climb? Wander around the house in the middle of the night? RIGHT."

Our plan when we moved was the pack up his crib and put him in my mom's pack and play until we switched him to the toddler bed we already had set up in his room. Friday night I decided that we didn't gain anything by putting off the miserable transition and that should we all have a horrible night, no one had to get up early Saturday morning.

I took precautions, like making his room was thoroughly toddler proofed and minimally distracting (i.e. toys laying out on the floor). I also put a baby gate across the doorframe so even if he opened the door he couldn't get out of his room.

Results? After having to put him back in bed once, he stayed in bed and slept happily all night! Eric tells me he was still in his bed in the morning.

Since then he has happily gone to sleep in his "big bed" every night and for naps without any major problems. Who would have thought? It really was a quick and easy transition.

He was so ready for bed tonight that he was in his bed before I even made it to his room. I didn't put the gate up, so we'll see where we find him tomorrow morning!

(sorry, I don't have pictures because I'm afraid to wake him up, but he looks so grown up in a "real" bed instead of a crib...)

P.S. Eric is taking the super intense Financial section of the CPA exam tomorrow--wish him luck!

P.P.S. You're all invited to this:

A week in review

It has been a full week here in Larsenland!

Meg spent her whole week here,

reliving her high school experience (Go Thunder!)

and trying to look like a teacher instead of a student. For the most part the students can tell I'm not one of them, the teachers are surprised that I'm old enough to have a 2-year old without being a teenage mom, and the security guards are starting to recognize my face and stop eyeing me suspiciously in the hallways.

I've also done a little bit of this:

My favorite part :o) I'm lucky to have a great mentor teacher who gives me lots of freedom mixed with helpful feedback. I have 2 AP Chemistry classes and 3 Honors classes.

Eric is busting these out just about every spare minute:

He's taking the financial section of the CPA exam next Thursday and is feeling the pressure,
so I see a lot of this:

In other news, our testimonies of revelation and consistency in the church have been strengthened. It's amazing that anywhere you go you learn the same values,
hear the same lessons....

...and have pretty much the same callings. I am the official Relief Society pianist and Eric is the Elder's Quorum secretary.

Scotty turned 2 on Wednesday! We're celebrating with cake and a BBQ swim party with friends next weekend (hopefully we can find some friends by then) but we gave him a few things to open.
Unlike previous birthdays, he was actually able to open his own presents.

He is so into anything that moves right now, including trucks, trains, firetrucks, airplanes, helicopters, motorcycles, the movie Cars... Thanks Mom and Dad Larsen for the books!
(He's grumpy in this picture because Eric took the book away to hold it up)

We've all had the honor to read them at least 10 times already.

You are welcome to come read them to him anytime.

Nana and Papa got him this cool "bite" for him to learn to pedal.
He sleeps with it next to his bed.

There's also this:

Anyone want to give our talks on Sunday? We're speaking on charity and virtue.
Now we just have to decide which one of us is charitable and which one is virtuous.

Cali vacation

My parents rented a condo on the beach in Encinitas, California and we had a wonderful trip! We spent 2 days at Sea World and lots of time eating great food and playing on the beach. My brother couldn't make it (we missed you Drew!) but it was good to see his wife Misty and their two boys, Adien (almost 6!) and Max (10 months).

Here are some highlights!

My favorite moments:
1. Sitting on the patio as a family, eating dinner, with the sounds of the waves and the cool breeze from the ocean...and looking out into the water to see dolphins swimming with the surfers and riding the waves!

2. Watching Scotty at Sea World--he was fascinated by the shows the first day and cheered and waved the second :o)

Scotty and the sand

Once upon a time, there was a little boy who loved to play but hated the feeling of dirt on his hands. Or his toes. Or his shoes. One day, his wonderful mama decided to take him to the beach for a whole week! Would the little boy love the ocean despite the sand? Or scream the entire week and drive everyone crazy?

It all started like this:

You have to click on the above picture--it's too great for words.
My favorite part is the flexed toes...he just couldn't STAND the feel of the sand.

Of course, if he was distracted, he would wander out to see the cool sea weed...


Wait a second...


Yes, you're seeing that right. Socks and tennis shoes with the swimsuit.
Killer fashion statement, Scotty!


Day 2: Ever seen the movie What About Bob? We baby stepped out onto the sand and all the way up the stairs. I did bribe him with strawberry toddler puffs, but he did it.

See? Proof!


Day 3: Scotty is spotted out in the sand, crouching...is he playing?


Looks like he's enjoying himself folks! Even getting casual and tossing the sand around a bit!

Scotty has conquered his sand aversion! It looks like there might even be sand in his hair, and he's totally fine...

Ok, maybe not.


Fortunately, on day 5 we found this cool log for him to sit on.


He even wandered off it occasionally to play happily with his cousin, Max.



Ok, not always happily.



Will this kid ever get over the sand enough to enjoy the water? So far the only things he likes about the beach are the helicopters that fly by every 10 minutes.


He likes to wave.


Day 6: we finally discover the trick. A pristine towel.



Look at him...


Meditative bliss.


Unless the wind picks up or someone runs by!

Proof that Scotty had a good vacation:

It was kind of nice to have him rooted in place from time to time!

Oh, well. How could you not love this kid despite it all?

And look, another helicopter!

*for the record, Scotty actually had many happy times at the beach. On the last day he would even run and chase the waves with his Papa and cousin, Adien. It never lasted very long, but it did in fact happen. Besides, it wasn't torture to take him--every time we headed out he skipped and ran excitely all along the path! Clearly he likes the ocean, and a little sand panic isn't going to change that for him.