Holdens' Bday Bash Recap (Finally)

These have been a long time in coming, I know. Here are the pictures from Holden's First Birthday party. The theme, if you can remember back that far, was Wizard of Oz.



















Holden LOVED his cake. He's like me; he loves anything sweet. He carefully and delicately picked off one of the tiny frosting apples off the cake, decided he liked that, then picked up the whole piece and shoved it in his face. He had it so far up his nose we were worried he couldn't breathe!




It was a fun day. He got loads of attention, fun presents and toys, and we all got to visit with our family and friends.

Go Diego!

I turned on Cartoons last night for Holden in a desperate effort to finish dinner. Holden gets inexplicably cranky around 6:00 PM. He's not hungry, he's not poopy, he's not ready for bed, ???? Anyway, I feel quite pleased with myself that I have gone 13 months without relying on TV as an entertainment source for my kid. And I realized last night that even if I had, it wouldn't have worked. Holden could not have been less interested in Go Diego. He looked at it for five seconds and then moved right out of the living room to come stumble around underneath my feet in the kitchen.

I guess I should feel pleased he likes me so much. But I sure wish something would capture his attention for more than 5 seconds. We go through toys and rooms like you wouldn't believe. We probably need to get out more; but when you're working from home it seems overwhelming to leave the house. I feel thrilled when we make it to the gym twice a week.

Anyway, my munchkin is calling....

Holden's Kissing Cousin

Holden is now walking. I would show a video of this but Wes is the technologically-advanced one in the family (next to Holden) and hasn't taught me yet how to post these things. It will be coming soon though. But you'll see who Holden is walking towards below. This is kind of like a video....

This is Olivia, Holden's cousin once removed. He's totally obsessed with her. And she plays so nicely with him.

But if you know Holden, you know he only wants one thing: to bite you. He was appropriately dressed up for Halloween as a vampire bat. He loves to come in like he's looking to kiss you and then lock his 8 teeth into you and bite. It's terribly painful and terribly funny.

And he's got the Warren persistence in him. He'll just keep at you until he's got you right where he wants you - and then "kiss and chomp!"

Holden's First Birthday Party

The hunt of the Holden monster

I wonder how old Holden will be when he's embarrassed about me showing nakker pictures of him. Probably about the same time when he's embarrassed that his mom kissed him in front of his friends. "Geez, mom what if they see!?," he'll say. Or "stay in the car mom" because he's ashamed of my clothes or my hat - which I'm sure will be fantastic. "You're so lame, mom" he'll say exasperatingly - or whatever synonym is considered en vogue then. But I'll not care. I'll think about the times he used to cling to me when I dropped him off at school, the open-mouth kisses he used to plant on me when he was a baby, the way he used to stretch his arms out to me the way he never does to anyone else, or the days like these where he wanted nothing more than to chase us around the house and "get us." And then I'll stop crying and think of the nekker pictures and videos I can blackmail him with if he ever gives me any lip in front of his friends.

Ah, the glories of being a mom.

Why I Love My Man

I have been Man-Tagged by Becca so here it goes:

What is your husbands name? Wesley (Wessie for everyday, Wes for when I'm all business, Weeeehhhhs for when I'm whiny, and Wesley for when I'm getting after him)

How long have you been married? 2 1/2 years

How long did you date? We dated for a record-breaking 8 months before we got married! I never thought I'd be that girl. But we were so that couple. When you know it, you just know it.

How old is he? I think he's 27. I robbed the cradle all right? Back off! I couldn't help myself.

Who eats more sweets? We're both sugar babies but I think that would have to be me. Or Holden.

Who said I love you first? I did - over a tea pot.

Who is taller? Hello! If I married younger I had to at least marry taller. He's a perfect height - 6'3" but he pretends he's 6'4".

Who can sing the best? Is it really best when there's only two? I think it's better. Anyway, we both like to sing but I do it more often. He loves music and knows way more about it than I do.

Who is smarter? Wes graduated high school with honors without even lifting a finger. I did but only because I studied my guts out. College was the exact same. He's naturally smarter than anyone I've ever met. He knows how to do everything.

Who does the laundry? We share that responsibility - as with most chores. Wes is amazing at being a true equal partner. He's the best dad in the world and the best husband.

Who pays the bills? I do. That way I get to yell at him for spending $10.00 for lunch when I spend $60.00 on my hair. I like this arrangement.

Who mows the lawn? Wes does. I love the perfect grass lines he creates. Everything he spends time doing, he does perfectly!

Who cooks dinner? I do mostly - but he always cleans up!

Who drives? Wes thinks I'm the worst driver ever. And I have to confess that my driving record would support that theory, so when we're together he drives :)

Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? I would say that's me - I'm very matter of fact about when I screw up. It takes Wes a little longer to come around when he's at fault (which is rare) but he always does.

Who kissed who first? Ummm, I think it went something like this - Amber: "Are you going to kiss me?" Wes: "Um, uh, well yea! I was getting around to that!" Amber: "Well I have to work in the morning so I can't sit around all night waiting for it!"

Who asked who out first? Wes asked me out and was hilarious about it. I loved talking to him on the phone. I said no, since I was seeing someone else, but he was undeterred. He kept calling me and I was so impressed with his persistence that I finally agreed to go out with him! The first night we went out I knew that I loved him.

Who wears the pants? Wes lets me take the lead but his stubborn, oppositional defiant side keeps me in check from being too bossy.

:)

I am tagging Heather, Jaime and Trisha

The rules for this tag: answer questions about your spouse, list names of people you are tagging in your post, then leave a comment on their blog letting them know they've been tagged.

How to Host a Murder

Last week my family did a "How to Host a Murder," set France in the 40's. I was a haughty, tempestuous French princess and Wes was an American black market runner/hit man. We thought he looked just like Rhett Butler!

I had a french accent the whole time and it turns out I was the murderer. So that was cool.

I like seeing people "act" as someone they are not. I think it's fun to see people in different shoes. Wes had a good time too. I think that's why we get into Halloween. We love dressing up.

This year, Holden is going to be a bat. But we haven't decided what we should be yet. What accompanies a bat? I could pretend Holden is a vampire bat and go as a "bitten" woman. Haha, that would be funny. The first year I met Wes he was a vampire and I was a woman he bit. And Holden really does like to bite me. He hasn't yet drawn blood but that's not for lack of trying. :)

Anyway, do you have any ideas for what I should be? What are you going as?

Greatest Post-Season Comeback Team Ever Does It Again

I was "stuck" at the Fleet Foxes concert last night and was only able to watch the Red Sox v. Rays game 5 of the ALCS into the 5th inning. With the Sox trailing 7-0 in the game, and 3-1 in the series, it looked like the Rays would be moving on to the World Series for sure. But for the last 2 innings I was glued to the glow of my phone, refreshing the at-bats every 20 seconds. Papi (finally) came through for a huge 3-run homerun, and J.D. Drew woke up for a 2-run HR (both delivering in the post season like they did last year). Coco Crisp singled in the tying run (after an 11-pitch at-bat!), and when Youk managed to get on 2B after a Longoria throwing error, J.D. Drew, again, came through with a ground-rule double to score Youk for the win.
I guess there were a ton of Sox fans who left at the end of the 7th inning when the Sox were down 7-0. They should know better. Reminds me of when Payne and I were at Game 2 of the Jazz v. Warriors series when the Jazz battled back with under a minute to go (with D. Fish entering the arena in dramatic fashion) to force the game into OT where we eventually won. Sooooo many fans left when the Jazz were down 5 with under a minute. Jonathan and I scoffed at them all from our seats in a luxory suite - both because they were giving up on the Jazz, and because we were obviously better than them because of our VIP seats.
This was the greatest one-game comeback in post-season history, and what better team to do it than the Sox! I don't particularly expect the Sox to win the next two games (the Rays are absolutely for real), but this game sure felt good.

Seriously? Delilah?!

I mean, come on!
Does anyone with a shred of intelligence listen to her? I may be ruffling some feathers here (hopefully - I do love controversy!), but I can't imagine anyone with any kind of intelligent thoughts in their head turning on Delilah in the evenings and thinking, "Man, there's no better way to end my day than with lame, sappy, pathetic, smarmy love stories, partnered with history's crappiest soft rock! And the deep profundity of the insights offered by the radio callers is inspiration in its purest form. Wisdom and romantic perception, thy name is is 'Delilah.'"

And by all indications, this is really how Delilah is in real life. Check out her fluffy autobio on her website:


If you had the constitution to make it through that entire snippet without offering up your lunch to the porcelain god, I salute you.
I have the same overriding gripe about the schlock on her show that I do about the horrific indie/emo music that's polluting our airwaves: if you have to contort and manipulate your voice in an effort to emote, then what you have to say/sing is worthless. If your message itself isn't compelling or powerful enough to cause a genuine emotional reaction, it's criminal to try and force that emotional reaction by enfusing your own voice with faked theatrics.

Despite the fact that some of my best friends listen to Delilah religously (on Sundays I can't get Kevin Leggat to shut up about how "awesome" the previous night's Delilah segment was), I defy anyone to convince me how Delilah's show is in anyway defensible.

(If you're not familiar with the show, consider yourself lucky. If you're curious as to why the huge stink about a radio show, tune into COSY 106.5 any week night to find out. Don't get me wrong - I listen to COSY because I loves me some Phil Collins, Hall & Oates, Lionel Richie, and Christopher Cross. But when Delilah comes on, I stop my car wherever I'm at, get out, throw my keys into the night sky, and walk the rest of the way. Kevin will usually drive my car home for me at that point because he's always jonesing for a chance to listen to Delilah.)

My good little eater

I just wanted you all the share in our fun breakfast this morning. Wes and I just laughed and laughed - which, of course, makes Holden laugh and try to be even funnier. Holden ate loads of mush and toast this morning and loved it. He seriously ate more than I did. I love that he'll eat whatever I cook. He has a wider palette than most adults I know. And before you tell me that this will change as he becomes a toddler - save your breath to cool your own porridge! I know this may change but I'm going to revel in it while I can. It's so nice not having to cook two different meals every time we eat. I love it.

I don't know if this has anything to do with our food philosophy or whether it's just him. I guess we'll see in time. We never feed him baby food. The food in jars at the store just look homogenized and creepy to me. Roast beef that has the same liquidy texture as peaches grosses me out. So I actually never bought any baby food from the store. Right out of the gates at 6 mo he was eating table food just mashed up. I did blend up and freeze (in ice cube trays) a variety of foods to try out my own hand in making baby food but even that has texture that more closely resembles the actual food than the stuff you can buy at the stores. And this only lasted a few weeks because as soon as he got teeth, he wanted more to bite into. He loves all fruit, especially peaches and berries; all vegetables, particularly spinach and broccoli; he'll eat lasagna, falafal, shwarmas, musaka, hamburgers, any variety of pasta and any kind of Mexican food.

He doesn't seem to like yogurt. He loves tomatoes and anything salty or really sweet. He gets sick of chicken pretty quickly. And plain wheat bread bores him - he likes it toasted with butter.

Alas, I may be feeding him only PB&J's when he's a toddler but for now, I am truly grateful that he's so adventurous with food.

Midnight Snack

One of my favorite memories of childhood was getting midnight snacks. We actually never ate our midnight snacks at Midnight per se, but it might as well have been. To my young childhood sensibilities, eating after dark, right before bedtime felt as exciting and scandalous as staying up until Midnight. I loved those times - sitting at the table with my sister and sharing ice cream and cake with our mother or chocolate milk and toast with our dad. Food always tasted better at night. I think I might have passed this excitement down to Holden genetically - which would explain why he was so excited about eating a cracker at 10:00 PM the other night. We put him down for bed and he just kept crying for some reason. We thought he might have a tummy ache so we fed him a cracker and hung out with him the in the kitchen for a bit. He couldn't have been more pleased. Afterwards he went down easily and slept . . . like a baby.

Holden's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week

Holden has been sick all week. I gave my best Anne of Green Gables attempt at nurturing, loving, coddling, treating and doctoring him - but nothing made my poor boy feel any better except for the ibuprofen my doctor assured me I should just keep pouring down his throat.

Tuesday he had a fever all day. He lay there languid and limp while I took a rectal temperature to find out what we were dealing with. If he were well, he would have kicked, screamed and glared at me like "woman, are you insane? Of all the dirty tricks, get that out!" Instead he shook his had slowly and said "nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh." It was so sad. The nurse said the fever wasn't bad enough to come in and to call if he stopped sleeping. He slept all day.

Wednesday his fever continued, unrelenting but still mild. I must say that I slightly enjoyed being able to actually hold him - something he never lets me do when he's well.

Thursday the fever subsided and brought out the monster that has apparently laid dormant in Holden for 9 1/2 months. He screamed all day long. All day long except for two hours when my parents came and played with us. When it was just me he would push me away, pull me close, push me away, pull me close and push me away - all while screaming at the top of his lungs.

(Consequently, he has no voice today. Anytime he tries to cry, nothing comes out. He stops, bewildered, and then forgets what he was crying about.)

Thursday was so bad that I found myself actually lying in bed, under the sheets, hiding from my son. I kept repeating the mantra I'd chanted all day "please stop screaming please stop screaming please stop screaming." Unfortunately it had no magical power to calm my miserable baby so we could both take a nap.

(Have I mentioned that his no voice today is something of a relief?)

We went to the doctor. Who was not my doctor by the way. I paid $25 to hear it was a virus and that there is nothing I can do but keep him comfortable. Which Ive learned in doctor-ease is a nice way of saying drugged. He actually had the nerve - despite my panic and my baby screaming - to interupt me describing what had been going on and what symptoms poor Holds had. Seriously, I was in mid sentence when he looked away from me to the wall across from him at some small holes in it and say "huh, are those new? I've never noticed them before." I stopped. Stared at the wall. Stared back at him with this incredulous look on my face (one might call that look "You're about to get sucker punched you toad") and continued on with my son's symptoms without acknowledging his deflection.

Friday I went to work. Sweet, glorious excuse to leave the house. Wes stayed home with Holden most of the day and we had our wonderful, fantastic nanny Kiera too. Holden was in a sorry state most of the morning, but has been doing better since.

Saturday has shown signs of continued improvement. He's taking good, long naps. But now he has a rash.

(And no voice. But I'm not complaining).

Money is the Root of All

I hate when people say that money is the root of all evil without admitting that it is also the root of all good. Most charitable acts are possible because of money - because we can afford to be generous. People who can give of their share their food, house, cars, clothes, etc have those things to share because of money. While it may be true that some of the most miserable people I've ever known have a lot of money, some of the most generous people I know have a lot of money too. Obviously what one chooses to do with his/her money defines whether or not money is good or bad for them.

I hate being tight on money - I think it's terrifying and uncomfortable. I remember back in college my job as a nanny ended and I decided not to work that semester so I could concentrate on school. I remember not being able to buy toothpaste. I had to use my roommate's toothpaste and she kept hiding it from me. That only lasted for a week (thank goodness) before I went home and raided my mom's house. But not having money sucked. I'm fascinated by money. I'm fascinated how people can make money without really working very hard and others work themselves to shreds and don't get enough. I'm fascinated by the very real feeling that no matter how much money you make, it always seems like you need more. I'm fascinated by people who don't like money (that's as strange to me as a pigeon that doesn't peck). I'm fascinated by I'm fascinated by how people let their money change them.

Growing up, there was this family in Bountiful who didn't have a ton of money - and they had this son who had a lot of medical problems but he had a lot of friends who would come over the house and see him. Well all of the sudden this family got a ton of money, bought a huge house and gave this son a huge room so that people could come see him and be more comfortable. But then it was like they were ticked off that so many more people came to see him. They assumed we were all there for the nice house and the money. I don't know the situation all that well - I only when twice (once in the small house, once in the big house) but it's like having money made the parents bitter. It was so weird.

And then I wonder if I am any different. When I went to Ghana I remember feeling quite used for my things, particularly in the village of Nsaakina. From what I could tell the people were very nice and helpful.... but I was interested in making deep, lasting friendships but they were just interested in my stuff (ie my money, CD player, etc). I felt lonely and used. And of course all this was compounded by the fact that I was a pasty white freak show they just wanted to come after school to watch. :) It wasn't that bad - but it was interesting to be a minority. Anyway but I wonder if that's how that family felt and that makes it more understandable why they were irritated.

Hmm well now I've been totally sidetracked on what I'm talking about. Now I'm thinking that maybe money has nothing to do with your generosity. Like maybe the two aren't mutually inclusive or mutually exclusive. They are two totally different matters. Well if that's the case then I want both - to be generous and to have money. Just so that I never have to worry about having toothpaste.

Happiest Place on Earth

I hate doing back-to-back posts but I just had to throw up some pictures from Anaheim tonight too. It was so much fun. We stayed in Anaheim and went to Disneyland, the beach and RADIOHEAD! It was the best concert ever. I'm sure Wes will have plenty to say on that score. We met up with our friends Caleb and Trisha and had so much fun together. Holden was such a trooper despite the long days sans regular naps, being off schedule, having to be pushed or carried everywhere, etc. We all had such a fun trip.

"Our Trip to Bear Lake" Or "Finally I Got the Camera Back!"

The New Face on Holden Warren

Holden has this new face that is among the Top Ten favorite things.
(The display of my Top Ten Happiest Things list TBA).

He offsets his jaw like this . . . and then pinches up his nose and breathes really loudly while glowering at you.

He used to display it out only when he was concentrating or irritated. But now he pulls it out anytime he's feeling naughty, precocious or coy . . . consequently we see this face all day.

He's such a crack up.

Why I Like My Hometown

I realized today that I only blog when I have pictures - usually of Holden - to blog about. And since Wes is a camera hog (admittedly much better though at taking pictures than I) I don't have any. You'll have to take my word for it that Holden is as cute as ever. But since this blog was never meant to be a mommy blog - since it was Wes who actually started it, I think I'll expand my writing horizons every now and then and make other posts - non related to the day to day occurrences of my boy.

I always get asked why I live where I do. And I get pressure to move out of the "hood." But I love my neighborhood. I call Salt Lake my hometown because I hated so much where I was actually raised. I still can't drive North into Davis County without feeling a little queasy.

Bountiful to me really is a place of bounty: Bounty of the financially over-expensed. Bounty of steep hills where riding your bike as a kid was truly perilous. Bounty of snow on steep driveways in the winter which I had to shovel - every day. Bounty of homogenization. Bounty of judgment. Bounty of secret keepers. Bounty of the miserable who try very hard to pretend life is perfect.

Sugarhood on the other hand is exactly the opposite. I love this place because our neighbors don't disown us if we haven't cut our lawn in 10 days. But at the same time you don't find beer cans or all over your lawn after your neighbor has a party. I love this place because it's a true neighborhood in the sense that you have stores, libraries, parks, boutiques and gyms close enough to walk to. I love this place because the houses were built to last. I love knowing that someone lovingly picked out this house in the 1900's and that this cozy bungalow style will never be outdated. I love this place because you have easy access to the freeway. I love this place because our neighbors are different from me - but all friendly. I love this place because the trees enclose the houses in a protective, loving sort of way. I love this place because Holden and I can sit outside and watch enough cars and neighbors and pets going by to keep him entertained for at least an hour. And finally, I love this place because there is always something more to work on - just like there is with me.

The Perils of Vanity

Sounds like a conference talk, huh?
Oh, and he was fine. He was just shocked that someone so good looking would attack him like that.

Yesterday

8:00 AM - Holden wakes up not super happy like usual (relatively strange for him)

8:15 AM - Holden decides he HATES his changing table. Or that he hates getting his diaper changes. Not sure yet at this point which it is.

8:20 AM - Holden decides he hates ME. He thrashes, kicking me in the stomach several times despite my entreaties.

8:25 AM - Holden, usually independent, cries every time I try to put him down.

8:30 AM - Food, usually the solve-all, also makes Holden's hate list. He screams for five minutes while I try to feed him.

9:00 AM - I put him down for a nap - which also makes him scream. But at least he sleeps eventually.

11:00 AM - Repeat all items above twice

5:30 PM - Wes comes home and I leave the room. Holden is good for him.

5:45 PM - Holden sees me pass by the room and starts crying and "stomp crawls" toward me and begs to be picked up.

5:47 PM - He's not happy being held by me or sitting next to me. He just wants to complain and be mean to me.

6:00 PM - I give Holden over to Wes and Holden calms right down. But then I pass by a minute later and he starts throwing a tantrum again!

And that was my day until I went to Mamma Mia (feeling quite sorry for myself) with my friend Jaime. I totally take it personal. Like somehow, subconsciously he knew I was going to be going to a movie that night and was ticked off about it all day long. It was so sad.

Today has been better. We've thoroughly enjoyed each other - except for the 15 minutes coming back from the gym when he screamed the whole way home. Such a love.

My Kid Is a Freaking Genius

Yes it has happened. I've turned into one of those mothers that thinks her kid is a genius. A freaking genius, if you want to know the truth. Holden is 7 months old and he's so alert, aware and deliberate that I feel like I'm hanging out with a 7 year old. I can't even imagine what it will be like when he's seven! It'll be like hanging out with Nietzsche (heaven forbid) or Rand; he'll be so advanced he'll be thinking I'm the kid and he's the adult.

Ok I'm getting ahead of myself. Anyway - we broke the camera in NC so I have no proof of any of this, but he can say Mama and knows what he's saying. Today we went for a walk and I said "Hi buddy" and he looked at me and said "Hi Mama." Well he sort of growled it. We're both sick with colds so our voices are funky right now. He's so much fun. He can follow orders and understands so much of what I say, even if he deliberately chooses to disobey. He sniper-crawls everywhere, gets into everything, fears nothing, laughs with me all the time, eats anything I give him and knows that he's got me wrapped around one of his cute fat little fingers.

Sci Fi Geek vs. Drama Queen

Ode to Battlestar Galactica:

I know that many don't love you
they judge your book by its cover
and despite your many attributes
they refuse to accept you because of your roots
You're Sci Fi! Science Fiction, Science! Fiction
which the haters think is only for dorks, trekkies and Asimov freaks



So I am declaring to all the haters
That I know better than those anti-raiders
Because I sat down at my husband's behest
and let BSG give me what it does best
And that is drama, pure people drama
Where all the players are flawed and you love them all
despite it all.

Starbuck, Lee, President Rosalind I love you!
Adama you rock, handsome Helo and Anders too
But BSG you certainly make sure men get their fix
With Sharon the Cylon and the Six
And I must give props to Baltar
even if he did wipe out an entire civilization. Twice.






And as I end my ode to you dear Battlestar
even though you're leaving the air I'll not be far
I'll work my hardest to create true conversions
just like your Cylons to correct spiritual perversions
I'll make them realize that Sci Fi shouldn't scare them away
because you're really just a drama queen in a uniform.

Summer Concerts Preview...

You missed it, didn't you?
Jim James and the rest of the My Morning Jacket crew rocking out on Conan. Don't worry, friend - I've got your back.


This is what will be blowing my mind when I see them in Vegas this September.

Who else am I catching in concert this summer? The prestigious Red Butte Garden Amphitheater is playing host to one of America's best bands ever, Wilco. Here's Jeff and the gang performing a couple awesome, folky new songs on Saturday Night Live. As you'll see, Wilco is one of those unique bands that would fit in on A Prairie Home Companion (in fact, they have), MTV, CMTV (Country Music TV, for the luckily uninitiated), or most importantly, our blog's music player. I feel comfortable recommending them to my grandpa, my dad, my friends, co-workers, and young men in my ward. Here, take a look-see:



and...




In other music news, the lineup for SLC's 2008 Twilight Concert Series was recently announced. If my Thursday evening softball games don't conflict, you know where I'll be. However, I will be missing any softball game to go see Andrew Bird. I happen to know a couple other Ivins Ward socialites that should also be in attendance that evening (that means you, Leggats & Hartles...). But all should attend - numerous are those who frequent this blog that can bear solemn witness to the truthfulness and musical veracity of Brother Andrew Bird.

I'd now like to open up the rest of the comments section for any and all who feel moved to bear their testimony of the musical stylings of My Morning Jacket, Wilco, Andrew Bird, or any other musician of good report or praise-worthy.

Here's a list of the performers this summer...

Ahoy Matey

My parents, Wes, Holden and I went to Roanoke Island Festival Park and had so much fun. We saw a play about The Virgin Queen and Bloody Mary and walked around and saw all these old artifacts and tools used in the 1500's.

Then we went to see this Elizabeth I ship replica - which brought over like 55 people in this tiny ship to Outer Banks. Holden wore his pirate shirt (it says Argh! on it) and totally loved it.

"Argh! I love me the smell of the sea and salt in me hair."

The Graveyard of the Atlantic

We just back from one of the funnest trips I've ever been on. My whole immediate family (and it's huge) went to Outer Banks, North Carolina and stayed in this awesomely-huge beach house. We had so much fun, we played tennis, went kayaking, boogie boarding, swimming, running . . . and of course ate loads of food.

This was Holden's very first introduction to the beach. He hated it. But I blame the 110 degree freak weather that first day.

And as you can see, he was still pissed later on when we transferred him to the pool.

The next day we got family pictures and they made us wear purple! My mom tried to get pink (Wes' favorite color) but they didn't have it, so she thought the next best thing was bright purple. I felt like part of the Barney cast. But Holden didn't mind.

8 Ways to be a Happier Mom

"Kids do bring joy," says Daniel Gilbert, Ph.D., a psychology professor at Harvard University and author of "Stumbling on Happiness." "They bring transcendent moments that outweigh all the hard work. It's just that children do not increase your average daily enjoyment."

The article had some really good ideas on how mom's can increase their hour-to-hour, daily happiness:

Admit when you're stressed

Ironically, once you stop expecting motherhood to feel warm and fuzzy all the time, life as a mom gets easier. "It's okay to feel frustrated, angry, or irritable sometimes," says Dr. Ubel. "You're not a bad parent. It's not even a bad parenting experience. It's just normal."

Get enough sleep

Most of us know that money can't buy happiness, but who knew that a good night's sleep just might? That's a key finding of that University of Michigan study. "Making $60,000 more in annual income has less of an effect on your daily happiness than getting one extra hour of sleep a night," says study author Norbert Schwarz, Ph.D., a professor of psychology.

(Re)consider your priorities

It may sound simplistic, but one key to being in a more positive mood is to structure your day so you do more things you enjoy. "It's how you spend your time, not your money, that counts," says Dr. Ubel. "If you have any financial flexibility that lets you maximize your family time, use it now. For instance, do you really need to be the one to clean the house? How about paying someone to help out? And if that's not an option, think about how clean your house really needs to be -- do you need to make the beds, or is bed-making time better spent drawing pictures with your kids?"

Go with the flow

Time seems to slow down when you're doing what you enjoy, whether it's gardening or running laps. People who experience this level of engagement -- which psychologists call "flow" -- are happier than people who rarely do. And you're lucky to have a master of it right before you: your child. "To you and me, every leaf and ant is pretty much the same, but not to a toddler," says Reivich. "So try to actively notice things as your child does -- the ant dragging a piece of bread, for instance."

Savor the moment

"Take ten seconds every hour to look at what you're doing from a higher place." While you're at it, appreciate what a wonderful child you have -- those chubby cheeks, that toothless smile -- and share that joy with someone who'll rejoice in it with you. That's another way to grab onto the good stuff and prolong your happiness.

Take the long view

If the drudgery is getting to you, think about life without children. "It's easy to get caught up in the details, but you need to step back and realize how empty your life would be without these people in it," says Gilbert.

Reconnect with your spouse

A supportive group of friends and family is one of the cornerstones of a happy life, and for many moms, the center of that social circle is their partner. That's why it's so important to keep the lines of communication open, especially during the "diaper years" -- infancy to age 3 -- that experts say are the most stressful on a marriage.

Even discussing how stressed you both are can help. "If you can both just say, 'Raising a kid is hard,' putting it out there diminishes the strain," says Sauer.

Say thanks

Feeling grateful is a mood booster. It can be as simple as saying grace every night or finding new ways to acknowledge others. "When our extended family gets together, we go around the room and say one thing we appreciate about each person," says Elizabeth Howard, mom of Reilly, 2, in Anaheim, California.

Another effective way is to put what you're thankful for down on paper: Write the three best things that happened today. Experts say that if you do that every day for two weeks, your feelings of well-being will increase.

Of course, you'll still have bad days. But at least you'll be less likely to think there's something wrong with you. And the more you engage in positive thinking, the more you'll realize how much happiness is under your control. "I think of happiness as three things -- enjoyment, satisfaction, and fulfillment," says Ryan. "Mothering can give us any one of those at any given moment  yep, if not necessarily all of them at the same time!"

Just Out of Reach

Holden just loves gadgets - I wonder who he gets that from!

An Evening With My Morning Jacket

My Morning Jacket
September 24th, 2008
The Joint - Las Vegas, NV

Who's in, who's out?

Here's a camera picture from my vantage point the last time I saw these guys, when they were in SLC (mind you, I had to lean waaaay back just to fit him in the frame. Front row will do that to you.):

Can you say "radical?" I knew you could.

Oh, you're not sure if you're in to MMJ, you say? Behold these thigh-melting clips:


Feast your eyes upon MMJ on Conan O'Brien. This is, without a doubt, the most incredible late night musical performance in the history of television. You can even tell that Conan's socks were knocked on their butts.


For a local spin, here's MMJ on Letterman playing "Gideon" with the Boston Pops, lead by Keith Lockhart. Hey, you can actually see Jim James' face!


One of Amber's new favorites, "Mahgeeta." (Code word for "my guitar.") Hold on to your knickers at the 5 minute mark.

YouTube just doesn't do these guys justice, but if you're into music that really doesn't suck, consider making the Vegas trip with us.

Believe me, My Morning Jacket is for you. If it's for Amber, it's for anyone.

Golden

I'm sure we've all heard the idea that couples who stay together over time start looking like each other. There's this article/study that talks about the 4 reasons why this is the case:

1) Diet (um....self explanatory)

2) Environment (dust sure is bad for the skin)

3) Predisposition ("like" attracts "like")

4) Empathy (you start mimicking each others' expressions over time)

For the record I want to say that I'm ok with this theory being an actuality for Wes and me because Wes is HOT. But I am a little concerned about other implications. Like what about talking like each other and liking the same things all the time. I have just realized that because Wes doesn't like onions, I go around saying that I don't like onions. And because he thinks Blue Cheese tastes like butt (however that tastes), I don't order Blue Cheese for myself anymore. And I watch basketball now! And now I'm starting to really like all of his music. Like the other day I realized I LOVE My Morning Jacket. I couldn't stand them when I first met Wes. What is happening to me? I love my contradicting opinions!

But for the record, I still hate Sufjan Stevens. Well I really like "Godbird" but I don't like anything else. Well at least on the Illinois album. Crap! It's happening again!