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