janell & boys

the city of angels

2009-06-10T08:19:00.006-07:00

surprise! josh is going to ucla. absolutely, positively, the final decision is finally made. not ONCE (since we've made this decision a few times by now) but definitely for ALL. that's right, we're leaving utah on friday, august 21st, to arrive in our new home in los angeles on saturday the 22nd. (the photos are of ucla's campus, from march when josh went out to visit and interview at ucla...)
some of you are imagining we're heading to duke and north carolina next month. yes, that was plan A. then, ucla complicated things by offering josh a sweet scholarship. so we thought about it and decided that it was already a close decision before, now the scales tipped in favor of the west coast. then, to complicate things FURTHER, we thought we'd wait and see if duke would pony up. of course, neither of us thought they would. these mba programs have about 20% acceptance rates, and given that they still admit about 400 students a year...well, they obviously don't exactly need to pay people to get them to show up. and competition is fierce for any funding they do offer. so we just threw that in for entertainment's sake. lo and behold, duke came back with lots of $$! i should have known better than to underestimate my hard-working 4.0/780-on-the-GMAT/Goldman Sachs-loves-him smarty-pants. of course they're willing to pay to get him there! unfortunately, they were willing to pay almost exactly what ucla was (despite having no idea of his other offer). that put us back to square one. good thing is by now we have housing and schools for the kids set up in both places. we've been in touch with people in josh's program and their spouses and people from church. etc. so we would be set either way...

so why ucla? who knows! honestly, it's one of those decisions between two great things you just have to make. we have no doubt both places would have been awesome and love so many things about each of them. one thing we did learn is that josh can get in-state tuition in california. random, since for the past 12 years he's lived in hawaii, mongolia, and utah. but since he went to all four years of high school in orange county, CA and graduated from fountain valley high--he still qualifies. so that will still save us $15k over the 2 years. not exactly petty cash. other bonuses: relative proximity to family and friends; perfect weather; close to beach (josh is a major warm weather/beach nut and already has our 6 year old joshua convinced that he needs to learn to surf ASAP); another HUGE factor is that we think california may be a good place for us long term. lots of job opportunities for josh, lots of great phd programs for me, etc. so it simply makes sense to network and build contacts there. of course we're also aware of the high cost of living and the crazy congestion...but i'm planning on winning the lottery, so we're not going to worry about the first one too much. and the second, well, lots of people also means lots of opportunities. and from living in salt lake (granted, a tiny fraction of the size of LA) we've learned that it doesn't matter if you're in a city, in fact we LOVE it, as long as you have your neighborhood, a reasonable commute, and have some escape to the outdoors (and we'll be super close to the beach and pretty close to mountains--sweet!) so that's the call.

we'll be out in exactly 10 weeks folks. FINALLY! woohoo! come visit!

and here's a little of my hippie girl joni mitchell singing the praises of california: "it's too old and cold and settled in it's way here...oh but california...california!...i might have stayed on with him there, but my heart cried out for you california...oh california...will you take me as i am, strung out on another man...california i'm a-comin home"

three men and a lady

2009-03-29T13:00:00.005-07:00

lately i've been thinking how fun it is being the only girl in this family--me and my three boys. there's a few reasons for this. one is how much of our activities revolve around sports. joshua just finished jr. jazz, which was a major hit. he has started getting pretty aggressive and playing defensively--it's so fun to watch!

now he's back at soccer--practice starts up again this week (which i announced this afternoon to great cheers). and jacob has just started his first soccer team, which is the cutest thing ever.

Then there's all the basketball games,

(go byu!)

wrestling meets, bike riding, and of course march madness complete with in-house dunk contests...

(sorry, but i think this white boy can jump)

the fun never ends! i like sports well enough, but for me it's more of a social event. i don't really know or care much about what's going on on the field/court/etc unless it involves one of my boys scoring (or getting hurt--then i REALLY care.) right now march madness is in full gear, and the boys watch and play basketball while i'm off studying. it's so cute to me! and although i may miss out on some girl things, these boys definitely let me know i'm special. my favorite is when jacob says "i love you mom" out of the blue. then i say "i love you too jacob." without fail he responds "i love you too mom." cutest thing.

then there's me, the sole female of the house. this means that i get to be something i never got to be growing up with a 3 sisters. i get to be the princess! i get to be the girl. when i get a pedicure, my boys are fascinated by my toes--the things girls do! when i wear fishnet stockings, it kind of creeps them out, but i tell them it's a girl thing. when i wear big earings, they say "cute earings mom!" when i buy new shoes or clothes, they say "girls just need a lot of stuff, huh mom?" i get to have the car warmed up for me, doors opened. i also get to be moody. sorry, but it's part of the package and sometimes mom needs alone time. i get to take bubble baths and eat gourmet chocolates. it's wonderful being a woman! the funny thing is, this is a new found joy for me. i've never been a tom boy, but never a girly-girl either. i'm pretty practical and down-to-earth. but i'll tell you what, some of the finest things in life are monopolized by woman kind, and i am taking full advantage.

so if i end up the lone girl in this family, i'm perfectly happy with that. my boys are FUN! besides, if a little girl ever comes along, i'm not sure i'll be ready to relinquish my princess status...

some things i love

2009-01-14T14:59:00.005-07:00

christmas cards! it's so much work that every year i wonder if i'll ever do it again. but then seeing those smiling faces on my mantle--the faces of all those people i love--well worth it.

running! i know i talk about it, and it may be annoying because you're like "yes janell, you run, okay." but i can't really tell you how much i love it. it makes me happy, it calms me. i love how it makes me feel. i totally look forward to it. even when it's cold and icy and snowy and dark--still love it. it's part of me and i hope i can run into my grave.

optimism. i've been realizing lately that i am a happy, optimisistic person. i feel hopeful about the future even when things are hard. i love to smile and to laugh, and it comes very natural to me. i feel i have every reason to be happy, and so little reason not to be. even when things are very busy or really tough, i generally feel calm and happy about things. i'm not a big stresser. it's a mindset i hope i always retain.

the moon. i love full moons. especially when the mountains are covered in snow so that they glow and the sky looks midnight blue instead of black and the world looks lit up. i see this often when i drive home from studying at 12 or 1230 at night, listening to nighttime jazz or norah jones, and the world feels peaceful and calm and magical.

people. i love people and have no desire or inclination to judge them. i am not trying to say i'm awesome--i'm horribly flawed. but i pretty much like everyone, and can't think of anyone i hold any grudge against. i think i am blessed to be able to see people in the best light. i make every effort to try to understand others and not to question their motives or sincerity. i only mention this because it brings me great joy to be able to love people.

high heels, sweaters and coats. i'm grouping them together because i don't want to sound too materialistic! i LOVE high heels and would like to wear them most days and have a million fun pairs. i saw the cutest gold (not shiny, just yellowish) heels with very pointy toes and this big bow over the toe. so cute! don't worry, i didn't buy them. i couldn't because i DID buy my bright, shiny red 5 inch heels that i am in love with. i also love boots, especially knee-length boots. small joy. as for sweaters--who can have too many of them? v-neck, turtle neck, fitted, baggy--they are good for every occassion. i probably have 10 black sweaters alone. love it! and coats--for christmas i got the cutest black wool peacoat with a hood and it's stinkin cute. i love being a girl.

these two monkeys. aaaaahhhhh! can you even believe their cute/fun/silly-ness?! i'm crazy over them. really. i have the best kids EVER. that's right. this picture is them trying to be strong like their dad. some mornings he does sets of push ups, sit ups, etc--with his shirt off. so the boys have their shirts off and attempt to do some workout. jacob is holding his stomache since he couldn't get the 6 pack effect by flexing his gut. really, you can't blame them for wanting to look like their dad. i mean seriously, have you seen him with his shirt off lately?! todd should back me up on this one.

news and politics. the new york times makes me very happy. i'm a nerd. i especially love reading op-eds and the latest research. and i am forever grateful for those wonderful friends--like katie w and david b--who, although i may disagree with them more often than not, will have thoughtful discussions about things that matter, and yet STILL be able to laugh at the political craziness on both sides of the aisle. and lets not forget inauguration day is january 20th. sweet! barack obama is definitely something to love.

this family. it makes me happy to see us because i think we look as happy as we are. from christmas lights at temple square.

by the way, here is a link to more of our fabulous family photos. i LOVE them! there are some great family photos, amazing individual shots of both boys and adorable ones of the two of them together. there are even some shnazzy ones of a good lookin' couple. i love looking at them--it really makes me very happy. my friend kendi took them and she is wonderful, not only because she takes great photos but because there's nothing worse than having a photographer who gets impatient with your kids for being kids. argh! but kendi takes great photos AND is a lot of fun. check her out.

if this photo doesn't whet your appetite for more cuteness, you're hopeless!

2009-01-12T08:20:00.007-07:00

need i say more?

what i'm happy about...

2009-01-06T13:31:00.009-07:00

i've been sweetly commanded to blog, and it's just as well, since i'll be back to school on tuesday the 13th and don't imagine i'll be blogging for awhile. my final semester of school, and it will be a rough one. but four months and i'll be an MPA grad! even though i'm nervous about ALL i have to do before then, i think i'm about ready to go back. this break has been wonderful--just what i needed. i feel renewed. we had a relaxing and fun christmas and new years, and we got to spend good time with both of our families, and--yeah!--with each other.

now that it's 2009, my goals are very meager.
1) graduate
2) move
that's about it. sure there are all kinds of things i'd like to do, but in all honesty that's pretty much what i'm aiming for. finish and move on! it's time.

i feel unbelievably happy lately. i think part of that is that i'm getting sleep. the other part of that is that i've got the greatest family ever. we were sitting around playing cars with the boys on sunday and i felt like everything i need is right there. so happy. josh is amazing, and joshua and jacob are so much fun! really. i love being with them--they make me very happy. i am a lucky woman.

my big boy joshua. recently he and i have read james and the giant peach, ralph s. mouse, and sideways stories from wayside school together. right now it's boxcar children. it's one thing just he and i do together, and it's probably my favorite mom thing to do. i love it. joshua has taken to spontaneously giving me hugs and saying "i love you mom." such a sweet, sensitive boy.

i can't even say how happy this mischievious little boy makes me. he is a one compact bundle of joy. and he loves to give hugs and kisses. "i wanna give you a kiss mom! i wanna hug you!" he has the silliest giggle and, although he has a temper to run from, he so quickly recovers and gives you that killer smile that you can hardly hold it against him. and i don't. he's his mom's son, after all.

josh turns 30 next week--crazy! i'm close behind. we're moving on up. josh is too good to me, unbelievably thoughtful and forgiving and supportive. it has been so nice to relax with him and enjoy his company. he is one an amazing dad. i hope some day my boys know how lucky they are to have him. josh recently got a big promotion--goldman's latest associate! he deserves it, i don't know anyone who works harder. now he's applying to business schools and we both are so excited for it--somewhere new! we're ready to move on and see what life holds next. i love him, and feel very content with our life. i think we're where we want to be. i can't think of anything more i could need...

here's the big fam. my mom and frank-o were here for thanksgiving which made ALMOST a full crew. we still missed my bro john. i like this picture though--all those kids! and what is better is that they all LOVE each other! they get crazy and noisy together and we love to see it. their cousins are their best buddies, and i am quite attached to my niece and nephews as well. what a great family!

look at these beautiful women! my mom is the best, and i love my sisters. there is so much in them to admire, and i often feel woefully inadequate compared to them. it was great spending thanksgiving with them all, some christmas time, and a hilarious new years. i haven't laughed that hard in a long time! it is such a gift to be by family, and we are appreciating it extra as we know we may be leaving soon.

i'll admit--i've been choked up the whole time i've been writing this. nothing spectacular going on but i have felt SO HAPPY and so blessed lately. i adore my family. i have so much to be grateful for.

a list

2008-11-09T10:09:00.022-07:00

i'll be honest. two kids, two classes, and working 20 hours a week is kind of a lot. but we do still manage to have a lot of fun, i just don't have much time to write about it! here is a quick list of some of what we've been up to over the last month or two...

1. firebirds soccer.

the star...

we loved going to joshua's saturday morning games. he is improving a lot, and had a great coach with excellent practices to help. it's been fun to see. one day joshua proudly said "dad, i was really focusing, and being agressive!"
the fan...

2. kindergarten fieldtrip to the zoo...

i was one of the chaperones, and so got to tag along with my little group of five for the afternoon. all i have to say is BOYS and GIRLS are so different! these cute little girls wanted to hold my hand and tell me everything. the boys are off and running. pretty fun.

3. the circus...

barnum and bailey at the center formerly known as delta. cotton candy. trapeze artists. clowns. motorcycles. elephants. good times.

4. jason mraz

my sister lorri, josh and i went to see jason mraz at the e-center. it was AMAZING. it's been too long since i've been to a good concert, but this one was well worth the wait. i love his music, his voice is incredible live, he's a super fun performer, and i loved having a serious dance party with lors! and yes, great seats. i took that photo, nice huh? there's something so incredible about live music so loud you can't even hear yourself singing along at the top of your lungs. the energy is just intoxicating.

5. halloween

joshua was a teenage mutant ninja turtle. jacoby a dragon. so cute. we had fun carving pumpkins the week before, seeing the witches at gardner village, and then the actual night was perfect. the weatherman gave us a perfect fall day--light breeze, beautiful leaves, but no coats needed for trick-or-treating! candy stash is still slowly dwindling

6. st. george marathon

we did it! josh and i ran 26.2 in st. george. it was freezing cold and rainy the entire time--we're talking SOAKING wet clothes, soggy feet, etc. my ipod died at mile 11 from getting too wet (luckily it revived the next day!). it was tough. but we finished it, and are so glad we did. we went down to st. george with my good friend from school/work lissy, and her husband dan ran it as well. such a fun weekend!

7. voting. and REVELING!

okay, i'm just going to say it...i love barack obama!

8. blogging about voting.
this was a cool little project. one of my professors does this election blog with some other collegues at caltech, MIT, reed college, and the european institue--called election updates. he asked myself and a PhD student at caltech to work on the blog the week around election day, since they were in new mexico observing election procedures. we read all the news we could possibly find about election administration, voting technology, any kind of polling place/pollworker problems, etc. it was CRAZY!! really busy. but the fun thing about it was that i felt very involved with what was going on around the nation. it was a great way to be really engaged in something i've been so excited about for so long.

here's a link to one of my my last posts. the blog got tens of thousands of hits that week, and is generally widely read by other election scholars and administrators--so kind of a big deal in academic nerd land.

9. the ER anyone who knows this adorable little guy will be sad to learn he needed 3 stitches on his eyebrow, but not at all surprised that he tripped at the playground and bonked his head. we've been anticipating this, and know it will not be our last trip to the ER. our pediatrician was AMAZED at how great the stitches look--and you probably are too because you can't even really tell they're there. bruise on the bridge of his nose, puffy left eye, three stitches on the end of his left eyebrow. when the accident happened i was pretty calm, despite blood everywhere, but i lost it when the stitches were put in and my sweet, happy little guy screamed and cried his head off. "hold me mommy! hold me!" rips your heart right out. after probably 5-10 minutes of screaming at the top of his lungs, he gave up and just said "i'm sad!" and sobbed his sweet little heart out. i was right there with him...

10. anniversary getaway at the beach!

7 years on monday. that's right. and we had the perfect celebration. a beautiful resort, perfect weather, a generous mother-in-law to watch the boys, and then days that pretty much went: run, pool, beach, beach, beach, get ready, fancy dinner out, hot tub. and again the next day. who could complain! i love you josh.

so you see we're still alive and kicking...

yee haw!

2008-09-17T11:50:00.008-07:00

we went to rodeo. my first time, and i dressed for the ocassion. but even with a cowboy hat, tight jeans, a nice big belt buckle, i still felt like an observer. what can i say, it's not my thing. don't get me wrong--the bull riding is amazing, mutton busting is hilarious, the horses are magnificent. but i'm not a fan of the calf roping. and, more importantly, i just do not understand these people. i've never understood that "man vs. nature" mentality that would have you conquer an animal. and when they opened the event by saying "we dedicate this to the firemen, policemen, and those great men fighting over seas, not to the politician or the activist!" (with disdain dripping from those last words), i couldn't help thinking that, although i too love this country and am honored by those who serve in uniform, i also have profound respect for "politicians" ie george washington, thomas jefferson, abraham lincoln, FDR, JFK--to name but a few. and i also can't imagine a world without "activists"--those who believe in a cause and, though not in uniform, fight for it--people like martin luther king jr and susan b. anthony. i don't think the announcer meant to demean the efforts of such great people, but it's just that mentality in general that i have a hard time with. a mentality that thinks the job of a rodeo clown is to make crude jokes about wives and mother-in-laws. it's just foreign to me.
BUT it was fun. a cultural experience, no doubt. and, who knows, if i had met a cowboy as cute as these two, i could very well be a cowgirl!

couldn't you just eat them?

first day of school

2008-09-17T11:42:00.004-07:00

it's been a few weeks, but here's my big guy on his first day of kindergarten. isn't he handsome? he loves school. the other day i was taking him and his buddy carter to school. joshua gets more and more excited the closer we get, and then he just bursts out of the car once i stop. carter asks "joshua, WHY do you like school so much?" but joshua was already off, running to line up. maybe it has something to do with his mom and dad's love for school. although i'm sure it's mostly because of one of my favorite aspects of joshua's personality: he loves EVERYTHING. he'll try anything, go anywhere, be friends with anyone. he gets excited about everything and is always up for any kind of adventure. he never gets tired. what a guy!

and he's off...

retrospect: the 4th of july

2008-08-03T11:20:00.014-07:00

lucky for us, the timing of our family reunion worked out so that my family was still here for the fourth. although josh worked most of the day (sad--i know! he's almost done with this crazy project), the rest of the group spent the afternoon at the pool, where josh met us at the tail end. then we all barbequed at my house before going over to sugarhouse park for fireworks. we all had our 4th of july t-shirts on, and i went to the store earlier and bought a few packages of glow-sticks for my kids and their cousins. i love how the kids get so excited about little things like that.

now, i love fireworks, but only if you can be right underneath them. you have to feel like they're going to fall on you or the magic effect is just lost. well we got it--they were great! joshua of course loved them, but jacob wasn't quite so sure. as soon as they started he came right by me and said "mommy tuddle, tuddle mommy" (he says his c's with a t sound, so translated that's an irresistable plea to cuddle.) he laid right beside me the whole time. he was a little nervous and at first he said "doh home mommy." but soon enough he got into it, and since then he hasn't stopped talking about fireworks. it's a late night for the kiddies, but definitely well worth it.

once again, for my family's sake, i'm including all the photos in a slide. the good lookin' guy with the faux, my bro john. the cute couple back to back--my mom and stepdad frank. the family of five--my sisters'. the rest are me and my boys. there's some sweet pics here. so take a break from the olympics and check them out. i'm off to soccer camp, followed by swimming lessons. you've got to love summer...

mountain madness: timberlakes 2008

2008-08-03T10:44:00.004-07:00

last month we had our family reunion up at timberlakes, in the mountains above heber. it was a blast--just perfect. we went up thursday night and stayed until sunday afternoon. in the meantime we played games, went for a hike, went into park city for some swimming, had a talent show, did our own family sacrament meeting, had great food, and just laughed a lot. the kids loved playing with their cousins and, of course, being with their grandma vicki. we missed heide, steve and ethan, but were so glad to finally have my brother john join us! he is pretty much hilarious, and my boys think he's the coolest. i agree.

i decided to make a slide show (like lis) because i know my family is anxious to see ALL the photos. it's probably overkill for the rest of you, so for that i apologize.

number one thing i came away from that with: i have an awesome family. so talented, so caring, so helpful and supportive and loving, and SO FUN!
love you guys. enjoy the photos.

we like each other

2008-07-02T19:49:00.008-07:00

i always get lots of good pictures of my cute boys, as i should. they're cute. but i was just looking at pictures, and was pleasantly surprised to see that we've got a few good ones of me and my hubby lately...

when we ran the slc half marathon together. early a.m.

swimming in provo river.

hiking to stuart falls.

there were a few more good ones, largely thanks to our friends mike and mandie who were just in town. (more about that later.) i'll spare you more. but that's me and josh. 7 years.

as far as cuteness goes, we're not too bad ourselves.

bring on the summer

2008-05-29T06:20:00.023-07:00

at last it feels like summer is here. the past few weeks have been fun but crazy--with josh's sister's wedding and a family reunion and finals and joshua finishing up school and karate and baseball starting up and josh off to san fran and figuring out my new schedule...but at last i think we've got some sort of a routine. i'm only taking one class over the summer and i feel like it gives me a LOT more fun time with josh and the boys. this is great because in the summer there's SO MUCH fun stuff to do. i love it. this weekend we spent saturday at my sister lorri's pool, and the evening we went with some friends to the park for dinner and then to a Real Salt Lake soccer game. fun! it's nice to be able to be together--i mean, i still have to study some, but it's a lot more flexible. i am also working one day a week, which i really enjoy. my wonderful mother-in-law comes up from provo on tuesday's and stays with the boys. they adore her, and i'm pretty sure the feeling is mutual! so we've got a good summer coming our way.
below are a few pictures...
the first few are from the wedding at the salt lake temple. jodi is beautiful, and looked so great, but unfortunately i didn't get any great photos of the bride. when some are emailed my way i'll have to post. it was a lot of fun, and we love justin. they are such a sweet, happy couple.

this is our own sweet, happy family. i like us.

these are our silly boys. joshua is trying to make jacob smile a real smile. at the ripe age of two jacob has perfected the photo-op smile. it's pretty cute and silly, but i prefer the closer-to-real thing.

buffalo! isn't he huge? this of course is at yellowstone. we spent almost a week up in northeast idaho, right by west yellowstone. we stayed in our sister-in-law's family "cabin" which is a huge beautiful home that fit all of josh's siblings and families great (except for the honeymooners, of course). i have great in-laws and we all had so much fun with them. we spent one day in yellowstone, which i always love. we saw TONS of buffalo and got stopped in the road by crossings several times. we also saw two grizzly bears, tons of elk, some pelicans, and i can't remember what else. the animals are fun, but my favorite is just the beautiful mountains and open fields and rivers and canyons. it is SO beautiful! and while i used to be opposed to such superficial outdoor enjoyment (hopping in and out of cars, "hikes" on paved trails, etc), with two young ones i now think it is a great way to go! we loved it.

joshua looking cute at geyser basin. these things never cease to amaze me.

the family at geyser basin. that's opal pool behind us. because the water's so hot and it was kind of a chilly day, the steam made it hard to get a great look at my favorite--grand prismatic spring. but all still very cool.

awaiting old faithful's timely eruption. we bought both of the boys junior ranger binoculaurs which were a hit. i think my kids are so fun to hang around with. they're so silly, not to mention adorable.

josh and joshua intently watching. after the eruption we asked joshua what he thought. "i liked it." then, after a long pause: "but i thought GUYS were going to come out."
what a disappointment! we told him it was a geyser that erupted out of the ground and shot up into the sky. he was awaiting something much more exciting than water and steam. can't blame him.

i ran to the restroom, and had to find the boys when i returned.

this has got to be the happiest, silliest, cutest boy around. he cracks us up.

the crew at yellowstone grand canyon--which i love. it is so amazing! well worth the trip to the east side of the park (especially if you have three boys who will all nap in the car on the way there!)

me, joshua, jacob. they love it. they were troopers. we think they are so fun because they will go and go and go with us. they are little adventurers.

jacob holding a worm. fascinating.

this isn't yellowstone, it's maybe 10 miles outside of ashton, idaho. this is called mesa falls and it is beautiful. and the rainbow was spectacular. jacob kept pointing and saying "green, orange, yellow."

small though we are--that's the four of us down by the falls.

here's a random photo josh took. there i am in the grey fleece talking to josh's sister jerilie in the blue sweatshirt and his mom close by in red. over the guard railings is juliana (other sister) and her great boyfriend (we FINALLY got to meet!) Scott. isn't it beautiful? the cliffs and the trees and the green. plus all the kids got smokey the bear frisbees which were a huge hit.

this sweetness is real, but also hides some serious mischief. don't be too fooled!

my boys! and they are all saying "cheese!" for some reason, it really DOES work to get the kids to smile. who ever figured that out was a genius. this is at lower mesa falls. it started raining and so everyone left. we stayed. as josh and i like to say, a litte rain never hurt nobody!

me and my big boy joshua.

hope you enjoy the photos. josh and i loved having the camera around, especially after i realized it does have a zoom. i SHOULD have already known this, but here i was thinking--we spent $200 on this thing and it doesn't even zoom! what a waste! good thing for josh. he set me straight. i also learned some other cool features. josh researched and looked at camera reviews and picked this one out for us for christmas--small, does a lot of cool things, easy to use, not too technical. good choice

and now, we're ready for summer!

a runner is born

2008-04-23T14:10:00.016-07:00

josh and i ran the salt lake city half marathon on saturday. i finished in 1:53:12. not my best time, but i'm pretty happy about, not thrilled since i really wanted to break 1:50 this time. then again, that still means i ran about 8 and 1/2 minute miles, in a skirt no less, which isn't bad for 13.1 of them. for some reason, it was harder than i thought it would be. but still awesome. i think half marathons are the perfect racing distance--it's a great challenge, you have to train for it, but it's not unnaturally painful and time consuming like a full marathon. don't you think? i finished in the top 13% of my age division (women age 25-29), top 24% overall. so i think that's pretty sweet. josh finished a BIT behind me. we'll leave it at that...

the real excitement of the day came at 10 o'clock, when joshua ran the first race of his running career. at his insistence, we signed him up for the "kids marathon," a 1K. they all got t-shirts, bib numbers (#378), goodie bags at the expo, and a finishers medal at the end. joshua was SO excited. he's grown up around races. i ran my first half marathon when he was 17 months old, a marathon shortly after he turned two. of course he's been there at them all, cheering me on and running around taking pictures with josh, grandpa jay, todd, grandma juna...in fact just yesterday he was saying..."mom remember that one race--you didn't run with katie or with daddy, just by yourself?" he remembers these things, the specific races.

now, at the ripe age of 5, he's thrilled to have joined the runners ranks. he told josh "daddy, you have to tell all the guys at work that i'm running my first race!" in his goodie bag there was some runners dry-mouth gum, as well as a sports drink mix. as soon as we got home from the expo he had me mix up the drink. i assumed he wanted to drink it. but no. he put it right in the fridge and said "that's for my race tomorrow." sure enough, he brought his drink. little did i know, he had also stashed the gum in his pocket, and pulled it out to chew shortly before the race began. afterwards he was saying "i need to find another race to run soon, maybe this summer..." and everyday since, the first thing in the morning, we have the same conversation...

mom! is today show and tell day?

no joshua, what day is show and tell day?

thursdays

what day is today?

wednesday.

so when is show and tell?

tomorrow!

you guessed it...for show and tell he's wearing his running shirt, and bringing his bib and finishers medal.

"mom, i think i'm the only kid in my class that's ever run a marathon..."

pretty cool if you ask me.

check him out...

pre-race, getting in the zone.

his first runner's high.

check out that stride! (not to mention the focus)

coming in strong!

looks like a runner to me...

the good life

2008-04-18T09:51:00.005-07:00

sometimes i get caught up in the day to day, and i need to remind myself that that's not life, that's not me. when this happens, when i'm a little stressed, there are a few things that make me feel like myself. one of these things, and no matter what's been going on, i feel grounded. it makes me calm no matter how crazy things are. they bring me back to myself in the best way...

-playing guitar, singing loud, getting lost in the songs, feeling the words.
-sitting in the sun, just thinking. or not thinking.
-driving nowhere on a sunny day, especially in the mountains, windows down, wind in my hair, music LOUD.
-a so-hot-you-can-barely-stand-it bubble bath with a few candles, maybe a good book.
-a long run with good music and sunshine when miles melt away and i alternate from being completely lost in thought, my body on auto-pilot, to being completely in the moment, feeling strong and aware of every muscle. and even when it hurts it feels good because your doing it. your imperfect, sleep-deprived, i-have-two-children body is running miles and miles and loving it.

today it's sunny and warm. i played guitar and sang and the boys danced around the living room. we're going to the park for lunch and i'm bringing my book to read, but maybe i'll just sit in the sun and watch my boys play, and think or not think. tomorrow is our half marathon. so maybe after the run, and after an afternoon at the city library studying for finals, i'll have to take a bath just to round things out. i can't complain.

vicki sue

2008-04-16T22:15:00.011-07:00

my mom is pretty amazing.

she is thoughtful and insightful. she really watches people and has a great sense of what they need. especially her own kids. i admit, sometimes i feel like the third wheel when grandma vicki comes around. the kids adore her. she adores them. and i'm chopped liver. but when push comes to shove, my mom would do anything for me, for her kids. not that she wouldn't for her grandkids...she would...she finds SO MUCH joy in her grandkids. but it's her kids she worries about. my sister lis just had her third baby. my mom comes to help take care of the kids, but her concern is for alissa. she worries, she notices. she knows she raised a few competent, strong-willed daughters who have a hard time asking for help, so she helps without being asked. she extends her visit because she can see her help is needed.

my mom worked her tail off while she was here. she came to stay with me the night before she left because we live close to the airport (and because joshua was very envious of all that time grandma spent at his cousins.) she was exhausted. normally she'll stay up late into the night laughing, playing games, or usually just talking with me. or with josh. a couple of nights i'd have to study, and i'd get home at 1230 and there they'd be, my mom and josh, sitting on the couch. talking away. i'm still hearing about some of the things they talked about those late nights. but tonight she tried to stay up for a little while, but we could tell she was completely worn out. her eyes were tired. her voice was tired. there's just no one like a mom to be there. to love you. to know what you need, and to do it even when they need a break too.

now, this was for my sister. but it means a lot to me because
1) alissa's my sister and i worry about her too
2) it could have been me she was doing it for. it has been me before.

there's so much more to my mom...i could go on and on...but you get the point. i saw this picture of her and i from this last visit. (joshua actually took this picture--nice work bud!) doesn't my mom look happy? she is happy. she's fun to be around. she's kind and silly. and she always tell me she thinks i'm doing alright, that i'm a good mom, that i'm doing a great job of balancing my full load. may sound simple, but it's the most wonderful thing to hear when these are the things you want and the things you work so hard at and the things you worry about. and they're things you don't hear too often. i feel greedy when i do hear them because i savor it so much. plus i know my mom's honest. she notices things. i love her.

Representative Tom Lantos

2008-04-11T07:25:00.009-07:00

I wrote this awhile ago, and for some reason didn't post it....

An amazing man recently passed away. I imagine that most of you probably don't know much about him. Tom Lantos. He was a congressman--a democratic representative from California--but that's just the begininng. He was a Hungarian Jew. Survived the Holocaust. Lost his entire family but met his wonderful, adorable wife Annette, who had the same awful background. I first met him in 2000, when I was an intern in Washington, DC. On Febraury 4th of that year he spoke to a group of interns, and I was in awe. He spoke about how there are only two relationships of importance in life: 1) your relationship with a higher authority; and 2) your relationship with others. He spoke about how we need to share in our common humanity. He's an atheist, but his wife Annette, his children and grandchildren are all LDS. So he knew what it meant that we were from BYU. Yet, or maybe because of this, he stressed that theological committment is irrelevant. What matters is integrity, values, and your approach to humanity. As a Holocaust survivor, this view takes on added weight and meaning. He said that you have to be a free thinker--think for yourself! He said that you have NO IDEA how much power an individual has--as long as you don't approach others with arrogance. He pleaded with us to learn about other's way of life. He lived what he spoke. He amazed me.

I got to know him more personally that semester. My friend Kim interned for him, and so I would occassionally go by their office. My friend Matt and I decided we couldn't stand the Colonial Singles Ward scene, so we alternated between the Anacostia Branch and the Capitol Hill Branch, and it was one of the best things I did while there. In the Capitol Hill Branch I got to know Annette Lantos--this wonderful, strong Hungarian accent, these huge, black rimmed glasses. She was short, she was sweet, she was wholly devoted to her husband Tom. She also fell in love with Matt--which earned us personal capital tours and lunches in the Congressional dining room.

You can imagine my joy when I found out that he, of all people, would be receiving an honorary degree from BYU, and would therefore be speaking at my graduation ceremony in April of 2001. For me that small and simple thing was a gift from above.

I hope you will take the time to read this article about him--to read more about his life and what he stood for. He was a man of principle, of integrity. He was devoted to helping others. One of the most moral people I've ever encountered.

the darndest things...

2008-03-25T09:33:00.005-07:00

after church, easter sunday.

"joshua, what did you learn about in your class today?"

"jesus' erection."

joshua has no idea what he just said.

josh is trying not to laugh.

"i mean...jesus' RES-urrection! the resurrection."

and joshua loves talking before bed.

after stories he'll ask "can we just talk for awhile?"

he's a real thinker. he asks great questions.

last night josh laid in his bed with him.

as usual they talked about whatever came to joshua's mind.

yesterday it was the tooth fairy.

"dad, is the tooth fairy married?"

"um...i'm not sure."

"does the tooth fairy have a body, or is she just a spirit?"

"well, i think she has a body..."

joshua, matter of factly: "dad, you dont' really know."

"where does the tooth fairy live?"

"i don't know bud..."

"that's okay dad. we can just look it up online."

when i grow up

2008-02-09T22:32:00.000-07:00

the other day, as soon as i got out of the shower, joshua came running upstairs to tell me something. he gets this big happy kind-of-shy smile, and looks like he's going to burst from holding all this excitement in.

"mom, do you know what i want to be when i grow up?"

"um...a surfer?"

this was not mother telepathy, this was a result of the fact that joshua was playing his "surfing songs"--beach boys--downstairs at full blast.

"YEAH! a surfer!...and an astronaut."

we had just gone to the planetarium on saturday, and talked all about space shuttles and rocket ships and walking on the moon.

"mom...how did you know that?"

"i don't know bud..."

later he called his dad to tell him his life-changing news:

"dad, i want to be a surfer and an astronaut when i grow up!

but not a real astronaut...

i mean, like for halloween.

but when i'm big i want to go surfing for real."

one heart and one mind

2008-01-24T21:21:00.000-07:00

anyone who knows much of me, knows that i love the new york times. i've probably sent most of you an article or two (or hundreds, ie dave). another thing you probably know is that i love hillary clinton. i find her a beautiful, amazingly well-spoken woman. i don't think she is the best orator of the group, but i do think her commitment is genuine. she has showed a commitment to children--especially with poverty and universal health care. she has shown an extremely knowledgeable grasp of policy that i think is missing in all the other candidates. she has a clear plan for iraq, and has spent her last 7 years in the senate cultivating military and international diplomatic relationships. i could go on, but i think those are the main things i love about her. i also really like obama and edwards. obama is inspiring, and i will happily vote for him if he gets the democratic nomination. my personal experience with edwards when i was in dc has forever endeared him to me. i don't love any of the republican nominees, but i do respect mccain. he stands up for things--his positions on immigration, environment, campaign finance and torture are all very principled and not always popular, as is his stance on the war. i don't agree with his stance on the war, but i appreciate his frankness and dedication. i once liked huckabee but i think he's gotten out of control. romney i'm skeptical of, and have been thoroughly disappointed by his performance in the debates. many people think that, if elected, he will center. but in the meantime he is doing his best to make all kinds of extreme promises to prove he is the most conservative. i think he could be good for the economy, however, and is probably the only republican up for tackling the tough issues of entitlement reform (whether or not he would, would have to be seen...) i won't touch giuliani, as i can't stand him. and i think ron paul is a nut, but to each their own.

while the two democratic front runners are running to the center--to be moderate and speaking of bridging the partisan gap--the republicans are in a rush to the right. the republican debates have been painful for me to see, them each trying to prove that they are the ones who hate immigrants the most, who have the most guns, who are the most religious, etc. i don't think this is good for our country.

i bring this up because today the nytimes announced that they are endorsing clinton and mccain for the primaries. these are of course my top choices for each party. we're of one heart and one mind, me and the times...

now i must say, lest i be accused of blind partisanship, that i am supporting democrats because my core beliefs align with them, and not just because they bear the name. social justice, progressive taxation, equitability, active government, social safety net. i don't believe in the death penalty. i do strongly support stricter gun control laws. i think we need to do more to help the environment, and reduce our energy dependence even at the risk of offending the big energy companies. i think we should spend more money on international aid than on defense spending. i think health care should be universal, that everyone should be able to go to the doctor, receive necessary treatment. it appalls me that people think otherwise. i believe immigrants--even illegal ones--still have "certain inalienable rights," simply because they're people. i believe they should be treated as such. i don't think deportation and building a magic wall will stop the things that bring them to our wonderful country--they come for opportunity, to feed their families, the same reason our ancestors came. and if we want them to stay in mexico, we do this by bolstering the mexican economy, take those billions spent on deportation, on wall-building, on boarder patrol--and invest it in their economy thereby providing them jobs and opportunities in their own countries. i believe in helping people, at cost to myself and others equally privileged. i believe in helping people without judging their deservedness. i believe that i am very blessed, and don't think that myself and others in similar positions are harder working, more honest, better people than those who have less and could use a hand.

i could go on. i constantly engage in political banter, and love it. however, i rarely say what i really feel or think and why, because it is personal to me. these aren't things i take lightly. i feel very strongly about them. i am not trying to defend or prove the correctness of any of my opinions. i know these are extremely complex issues. based on my limited understanding, i have tried to come to grips with these issues the best way i can, in a way that feels right to my conscience. i don't apologize for that, but i do hope not to offend...

i'll claim him

2008-01-17T16:46:00.000-07:00

i know i sound like an ogling mom. but, well...i am! i can't help it. i am hopelessly in love with this little guy, jacob andrew. he's almost 2. on march 7th. i'm not quite sure where i found the joy in my life before i had his little smile to look at every day. generally i'm not a real sap, just ask my husband, but i must admit i can get a little over-the-top about my two boys. jacob's little smile just kills me. he really IS the greatest thing since sliced bread. sorry apple, it's not the iphone.
now, i don't mean to suggest that i don't equally adore my (almost!) 5-year old joshua. he is the sweetest, tenderest, funnest little man. he has such a senstive soul. i often stop and think just how special he is. but, well, he's FIVE. he whines, and always wants treats and snacks, he wants to play with his friends, he has an agenda--all normal little boy things which i don't begrduge him. however, the only thing on jacob's agenda is to be with me. his favorite thing to say is "hold you!" which sounds like "eatchyou" and means hold me.
jacob has the most wonderful, happy personality. he excudes sweetness and love and warmth. now, granted, the boy knows what he wants. he's a picky eater ("no! nooooo! juith, juith" or "reat, reat" ie, juice, treat. like any self-respecting parent, i don't give in. food all over the floor. i showed him!) he has clothes he wants to wear (he cries every time i take off his dinosaur pajamas, and laughes with joy when he sees me folding them once they're clean: "dinos!"). he does the whole arch his back and yell and flail around on the ground when he doesn't get what he wants--yes, he'll throw a tantrum. these are all problems we never had with joshua, who is very laid back about that type of thing.

jacob is also a little mischievious. there's this certain 2 and 1/2 year old boy in nursery who is very territorial and whiny. jacob knows this and antagonizes this boy to no end. i'm pretty sure jacob knows what he's doing. one day, any time any of the kids would come near this other boy, he would push them away. he did this to jacob several times and jacob just walked away--no problem. however, as soon as this other boy wasn't looking, jacob would come up behind him and whack him in the head. i do reprimand him at times like these, after all, we don't hit. but, i also find it endlessly amusing, i'm sorry to say.
a smile like that, and i can forgive anything. really. and it's not just the smile--he is so silly and so sweet. he loves dancing--he wiggles his back and little shoulders. he says "mommy, are you?" when he wants to know why i'm not with him. when i'm studying at night i'll talk to him on the phone and he says "i uv oo, mommy!" unfortunately he isn't cuddly and whenever i try to rock him he says "bed, bed" and then if i even try to sing to him he says "mommy, mommy, mommy..." until i stop and ask "what jacob?" to which he sweetly replies "bye-bye." and if i keep singing he says "bye-bye, bye-bye, bye-bye." it's a little sad, what mom doesn't want to rock her baby? but it definitely endears him to me. he just has his own personality. he knows what he wants and what he likes. you can't hold that against the guy. however, whenever i can hold him down for a moment and kiss his squishy cheeks and warm neck and squeeze his little chubs, i do take full advantage. josh and i often say we wish we could just keep him like this forever (maybe minus the flailing around on the ground thing). i told josh the other day that i think jacob is one of the funniest people i've ever met. he really is. he cracks us up. he is pure joy. sometimes kids are CRAZY, i'll be the first to admit. but the happiness you get from these little guys has just got to be what heaven feels like.

the holiday vacay

2008-01-15T14:20:00.000-07:00

lest i get in trouble for posting about myself and not my boys...here are a few photos of my two cute boys. seriously. they're cute.

fluckiger fam at temple^2, with the moore's. josh and i love the moores, joshua loves carter, and jacob loves talking about their daughter "bess, bess!" and we always say "why don't we do more stuff with them?" well over the break we went to temple square with them one cold night, and had them over to our house on another night--and loved it. they're fun, and funny, and laid back about things. and by the way, aren't we a cute family? nice pic!
for new years eve we went out to my sister alissa's for games and yummy food and family time. it was a great time, and our kids love their cousins. love, love, love. cousin arianna got a new baby stroller for christmas, and she and jacob both thought it was the best thing in the world to push jacob around in it.
and here's the whole crew. arianna's got jacob and joshua's got enzo. this was the only way they'd do the picture--they wouldn't let their siblings hold them. aren't they cute though? and all in their jammies--we put our kids to bed at their place, so that we could stay until the ball dropped.

before bed we gave the two little ones a bath--jacob and enzo. you don't want to start out the new year dirty, after all. and they had the time of their lives. two little fishes, they were so silly...

new years day we went to gargoza park in park city. it is a huge tubing hill. we learned some lessons, like don't go up to park city when the high for the day is 11 degrees, for example, but still had a fun day of it. hmmm...do you think jacob looks cold at all? a little chilly! afterwards we went to park city mountain resort. i had hoped to go ice skating there, but let's face it, when it's that cold who wants to do ANYTHING? so we got dinner at the baja cantina and got warmed inside and out.

these last two photos are my friend brooklyn's kids--cambria and maya. maya is the exact same age as jacob, but she just had to hold him like a baby. i can understand it, his baby chubs do make him extra cuddly. you can see below that big sis cambria agreed also. kids are so cute. you can't blame us for going on about it...

our vacay was wonderful, and we were happy to spend it in our own cozy little home, with lots of friends and family around. now it's back to the grind. i'm back in school, joshua's back in school, we've all been sick...the joys of january.

now, i confess we had been without camera for a good few months, rellying solely on the photos emailed by those of you generous enough to do so. however, josh investigated and told santa to get us this new, wonderful little power shot camera, which santa was so kind as to do. so now we're up and running. unfortunately, we're a little rusty on the point-and-click habit familiar to so many parents. and i have a slight camera aversion that i'm trying to overcome. something about wanting to live life, instead of just taking pictures of it. and, in all honesty, i'm still trying to figure out how to get my money's worth from this high-tech machine that fits in the palm of my hand. we'll get there mom, and soon you'll have more photos than you can stand!

ladies i love

2008-01-15T13:51:00.000-07:00

for some reason i've been missing my girlfriends lately. i was chatting with susan in dc yesterday and told her as much. you know what she said? "okay, i will set up a fare tracker for SLC." seriously?! sweet! that would be fabulous. and you know what else is fabulous? my friend mandie c. is coming out in june with her super fun, generous husband mike. this photo below is from october when josh and i stayed with her in chicago (thanks mom and frank for watching the boys!) it was a wonderful time. she is the one person from high school that i keep in touch with (although i must give a shout out to sam s), and every time we're together it is exactly like old times even though we don't chat on the phone all the time or anything like that. i still think she probably knows me better, understands me better, than most people. and she's beautiful... see what i mean? now this other lovely lady is brooklyn herself, who i know i've blogged about before. she and her hubby and two cute girls were in utah and came for a visit. we were so happy to have them! i love b, and her husband dave, who i had only briefly met a few times before, is equally wonderful. brooklyn and i don't have a ton of shared experiences, aside from our semester being roomies in wash dc. but there's just this mutual love and understanding and respect and (on my part) wonder at this wonderful woman. josh and i would love to move to san fran just to hang out with them. plus, she too is beautiful...

again, see what i mean? i have other ladies i love, but they definitely don't come out of the wood work. girlfriends like these are hard to find, and worth holding on to. don't ask me how i con ladies as lovely as these, not to mention the likes of katie and susy q., et al, into being my friends. it's a mystery to me. other women are friends with me because we have kids the same age. others are friends with me because i was friends with their husbands. my three sisters, equally lovely, are just plain stuck with me. but then there's the rest and, well, it's a mystery to me...but regardless, i will challenge anyone who thinks they know a better group of women! (don't worry, i won't challenge you to a duel or anything, i'll just assume you haven't met the likes of these fair dames.)

no place like home

2007-11-10T16:50:00.000-07:00

last night we had dinner together, and then, as usual, i set off on my own to study away. i've got two big projects due this week that i've been slaving away on. for some reason, after getting up to campus and working a little, i just started to get so sad. i felt lonely and just wanted to be with josh and the boys. generally i'm somewhat of a loner, and i love what i'm studying so it's not bad--it's kind of a break. but sometimes, especially on friday nights, it does leave me a little sad and lonely, but you do what you have to do. last night was worse, maybe because it's been kind of a hard week, or maybe i'm just a little stressed out. anyway, so after getting all choked up and feeling generally miserable i thought, "janell, you CAN go home!" wow, what a concept. so i did. i arrived there about 830, and was just getting out of the car when josh and the boys pulled up after having a fun night at gateway. i opened joshua's door and he was so excited and said 'mom, how come you're back?!" and jacob just started giggling. i gave joshua a hug and josh got jacob out, who immediately came running around the car to me and hugged my legs. i was even MORE happy to see them. granted, i had only left the house two hours earlier, after a fun day of playing at the park with the boys. but still, for some reason it was just SO GOOD to be back home. i walked into the house with jacob on my hip and joshua's little hand in mine, a very happy mom.
we got the kids ready for bed, and joshua wanted me to put him to sleep which i always love doing. we read 'cool chameleons' and i sang him a few songs and he fell sweetly to sleep.
then, i talked josh into watching one of my three favorite movies which i've seen a million times. don't laugh. it's you've got mail. WHY have i seen it a million times? well, i used to put it on for a few minutes while i folded laundry, or was nursing or working on christmas cards or other tasks like that that don't require much thought. (my other two favorite movies, by the way, are both pride and prejudice--the keira knightly version and the jennifer ehle/colin firth version. i love jane austen.) i pretty much want to be meg ryan living on the upper west side (or, of course, elizabeth bennet. what girl doesn't want to be elizabeth bennet?) last night it was you've got mail--i think it's smart-funny, clean, sweet and happy, and they talk a lot about politics and literature--my two favorite hobbies. and it has a fun soundtrack. and tom hanks is amazing, greg kinnear is hilarious in this movie and nora ephron who wrote/produced/directed it is very good (and also writes for the nytimes, which earns her extra janell points). one of my favorite dialogues is:
"keep those west-side-liberal-nuts-psuedo-intellectuals happy"
"they're called READERS dad"
"don't do that son, don't romanticize them."
anyway, we put this on and i told josh "it's like comfort to my soul. it's like eating soup on a rainy day." this is true. don't ask why it has this calming effect on me but it does. so watching it with josh while we ate peppermint ice cream, i just felt like, okay--life is normal again. life is good. of course, i still studied throughout the movie (and actually did get a lot done). and josh was fast asleep on the couch in under an hour, but it was a great night. i love my family. it's good to be home.

elections are for nerds

2007-11-05T12:45:00.000-07:00

nerds like me. so in honor of election day, i'm posting some of my most recent, favorite thoughts on elections. i am a member of the university of utah's MPA student association. nerdy? i know. but fun! at our recent halloween party/fall food drive kickoff (benefitting the Utah Food Bank), one of our activities was a mock election. now, i must give credit where credit is due--the idea was not mine, but rich's, and a great idea it was. i, however, was given charge over it. so below is my setup... the polling place sign is great. i borrowed that from one of my professors who researches elections and so has all kinds of random election things lying around. i made the un-stuffable and completely fraud-proof ballot box (sorry we're not diebold. no DRE's, no optical scan ballots, not even an antique lever machine--we're clearly underfunded. write your representative!) for authenticity's sake, i even had some old "i voted"stickers for people to wear around, which must have been left over from my days as a poll worker. we spared no expense, after all we wanted it to be a good experience--it's all about "voter confidence" these days. most importantly, i made the ballots. the ballots were sweet--they looked semi-professional, so much so that i had to include a disclaimer saying that they were "For MPASA Mock Election use Only. Not an Official Ballot." (but sorry again, no VVPAT). it was fun. we voted for 2 of the leading presidential candidates (old-school style, the first runner-up gets to be vice), as well as for the SLC mayor, and the current ballot referendum #1 which has created all sorts of local debate about school vouchers.
the results...barack obama is our new president, with not one but TWO vice-presidents. that's right my girl hillary tied with none other than mitt romney himself. while rudy pulled in a few votes, actually tying john edwards, i am sorry to say mccain got none. i am not sorry to say that fred thompson got none, since he drives me crazy. my favorite though, is that stephen colbert got ONE redeeming vote, which of course was a write in. colbert is hilarious, and is claiming he WILL run. but only in his state of south carolina. he wants to run as a republican AND as a democrat, so that he can be the first person to lose both. you've gotta love that.
ralph becker-democrat, beat dave buhler-republican for mayor. and the school voucher referendum #1 went down hard core. this is a good thing in my opinion, because even if you think vouchers may be good in some situations, this referendum allows everyone to get vouchers, even the wealthiest people who would send their kids to private school regardless. (that, by the way, is a unique utah twist on the voucher debate, and not an issue up for consideration in the national voucher debate.) in the real election today, the referendum is expected to lose 40-60, although there can be no doubt that we have not seen the last of the pro-voucher, milton friedman followers.
my last point here is to plug one of my favorite blogs: Election Updates: "New research, analysis and commentary on election reform, voting technology, and election administration." i check it regularly. (nerd? i already told you--i know!) that same professor who gave me the polling place sign is one of the bloggers, along with a few colleagues. it's a lot of academic, technical talk, but here are two of my favorite postings recently. Photo ID Comment from Justice Dept. is about john tanner of the DOJ's embarrassing speech regarding minority disenfranchisement caused by voter ID laws (here's a link to the actual youtube video where he says "they die first...just the math, is such as that.") Be Careful What You Wish For discusses an article that absurdly links election machine manufacturers to big tobacco. it's funny news without intending to be, which is the best kind.

okay i'm done...go vote! me and my kids did, and afterwards as we picked up the other two kids we carpool to school with, joshua asked them "do you guys vote?" and proceeded to tell them all about it, while proudly wearing his "i voted" sticker. so don't be outdone by a 4-year-old. elections may be for nerds, but according to joshua "voting's really cool."

why we love halloween...

2007-11-03T08:40:00.000-07:00

i LOVE this picture of joshua. he looks so happy, which he really was, and he's showing off his big muscles. jacoby on the other hand was rather intent on his candy. he walked around with a tootsie roll in one hand, sucker in the other, and at one point also had another piece of candy tucked in between his neck and shoulder, which i could NOT take away without inducing a tantrum. we let him get away with it, it's halloween right? i wish we had more photos of my happy pumpkin, but our camera is broken so we do what we can.

one thing i love about both of my boys is that they are very adventurous and love doing things and being out and trying new things. i like to think they get this from josh and i, but maybe that's wishful thinking. anyway, so jacob's latest thing is that he gets very excited says "yes, yes YES!" and giggles and just can't hold it in. this happens when he's playing basketball (or ba-bee-bah, as he calls it), or when we're about to go outside, or when we show up at my sisters house and he realizes he gets to play with his cousins "anna" and "e-nose" (translation: arianna and enzo). all the time. and now, it happens for CANDY! joshua is so sweet and always asks me before digging into his candy bag. yesterday he asked and i said "you can have one or two things, but give jacob something as well." jacob was SO excited when he realized joshua was unwrapping that dum-dum just for him. he happily giggles, wiggles and dances around and stomps his feet and of course yells: "Yes, yes YES!" isn't he cute? i think he's the cutest thing in the world. one thing he does now that i find especially cute is follow his brother around. first thing when jacob wakes up he wants "ja-shu-a!" he says it just like that--three very distinct syllables. he will stand at the foot of the stairs yelling "ja-shu-a! ja-shu-a!" they are playing more and more and i love hearing them giggling together (until inevitablly i hear jacob crying, then i'm the one yelling "joshua!")

here's spiderman in full regalia...

this is joshua with two friends from school--carter and elsie, who we carpool with. they are cute. elsie wil always hold my hand and tell me what they are doing in school, while joshua and carter are busy running around and laughing at the non-sensical words they make up to call each other. below is joshua's class....he had a great day at school, of course. he loves his friends, although i am sorry to say his favorite recess activity is "chasing the girls." he definitely hangs out with the boys, but i must say the girls love him and he definitely does not mind. this could be trouble. i mean, i'm sure i'm biased, but he's a cute, cool kid. i'm dreading the little girls that will be calling our house in a few years...

happy haunting

2007-11-01T09:17:00.000-07:00

supposedly, halloween is over. not at our house. we have a few halloween cd's that joshua loves and we've been listening to all month--monster mash, love potion #9, ghostbusters--all the spooky classics. this morning while i ran upstairs joshua turned off my morning news and got the cd back out (i had already started putting the halloween stuff away.) when i came back down he had "adam's family" playing and said, "mom, what button do you push to get the song to play over and over and over and over?" since then, we've heard about the creepy cooky mysterious & ooky family well over 100 times this morning. and still counting. i figure i can't complain too much because lately, when we're in the car and i'm flipping stations to find a song i like, joshua will say, with a sigh and an exacerbated tone of voice, "mom, let's just listen to the news!" how's that for training?
so halloween...originally, i wasn't thrilled about joshua being a superhero, it's like how all the little girls have to be princesses. but he loved it, so it was definitely a good thing. there is a mask with the costume, which of course he won't leave on, so i decided to die his hair red, which made him a little more original. the kids at school thought the red hair was the coolest. damien kept wanting to touch it, and carter just stared at him with this amazed smile on his face and asked "woah joshua, how'd you get that stuff in your hair?" jacob's little pumpkin was actually one my mom made years ago for my sister heide. when we were back in wisconsin we put jacob in it and he loved it. we all thought he looked adorably hilarious, so decided that would be his costume. the only downfall is that, while trick-or-treating, joshua kept getting asked "do you want some candy for your little sister?" oh well, i still say he's the cutest pumpkin i've ever seen, and the happiest. i will post some pictures of just the cute boys in the next few days...

rainy day songs...

2007-10-22T23:18:00.000-07:00

i have two personalities (well, at least). one sets in with the fall--relaxed and mellow and pensive. i want to take long quiet walks in the fall leaves, drink chamomile tea, hang out in bookstores, reminisce, read good classic lit, listen to slow jazz and acoustic music...all that sort of thing. here are two songs i love this fall, though neither are new. this song is so i'm-looking-out-the-window-on-a-cold-rainy-day. lors introduced me to the garden state soundtrack when she took me to the airport at 5 am. (you can check out josh's blog on the left to read a little about our trip to chicago, although i WILL write something. i WILL! ) and one night driving home from the library i heard this. it was just the right mood, and now i love it. and how could i forget this song i got from katie when we were in austin. reminds me of sitting in their place, so relaxed, with such good friends and feeling so content, and also of running in the mist at my sisters place in houston, along the path by the river, just thinking about things...
i want to hear what your favorite rainy day songs are. you know the type.

good reads

2007-08-31T06:32:00.000-07:00

lately i've been thinking of all the wonderful people in my life--i definitely have more than my fair share. some have stayed around, others come and go, but all have enriched me so much and it makes me feel so happy to think of it. well, last night i was thinking about books, and i actually had the same feeling. a coworker of josh's, miki who i love, told him about this website, goodreads.com, and she said i would just love it. so she sent it to him, he sent it to me...and she was right! it's really fun, if you're a book lover like me. josh has been asking me forever to make a list of books i've read and rank them (he loves rankings--my numbers guy). those of you who know me, know i've read a lot, and the task seemed like too much. however, i must say i had the best time doing exactly that last night thanks to the website. it is wonderful to think of all the amazing things i've read. i felt so lucky to have read them. i thought of how books i've read have influenced me, changed the way i thought, helped me understand something or someone completely out of my realm of experience. recently i read in cold blood and felt how little there was separating myself from this criminal put to death by the state--we're much the same. you read english patient, age of innocence, anna karenina--and you don't condone what they do--but you see the tragedy and the humanity. on and on and on...i feel so lucky that i've been able to read all of these things--some uplifting, some depressing, some informative, some entertaining. i thought of all my different reading kicks--i read all of jane austen, most of wallace stegner. i had a spurt of reading adventure/outdoors books like desert solitaire, into thin air, endurance, etc. i had a time where i was SICK of uppity british lit and read lots of american classics. i had a time where i only wanted non-fiction, and read ghandi, churchill, john adams. i had an asian kick--read wild swans, good earth. all in all, i've read tons of great books. i am not an elitist, but i am a literary snob, i admit it. i am very picky about what i'll read and who i'll take recommendations from--because there are a million books i'd like to read and i'll be lucky to have time to read a couple of hundred more before i die. plus, people have this ridiculous assumption that if a book is a "classic" that it's hard to read or not as good as the latest NYTimes best seller. not true! once a friend of mine said "janell, not everyone can read the books you do!" what? everyone can! i am not any smarter than anyone else. i don't automatically know all of the symbolism and deeper meanings. the difference with great literature is it is entertaining AND enriching. you enjoy it, and afterwards you have a deeper, richer understanding. right now--in school--i read for school only because i have so much of it. over my summer break i did read two fiction books and was reminded of how wonderful it is to get lost in a book. there's just nothing better. sometimes a good book is as wonderful and gratifying as your favorite person. sometimes it's even better.

saggin

2007-08-30T10:54:00.000-07:00

this cracks me up. it's from an article today in the new york times:
Are Your Jeans Sagging? Go Directly to Jail. the article itself is interesting, if you're interested in constitutional issues. some towns are trying to ban sagging your pants, ruling it is indecent exposure. but the real entertainment is in these pictures. i love it--we've all seen it and it's hilarious. banning it? seems silly to me. don't we have more important policy issues to be worried about?

sad commentary

2007-08-30T10:47:00.000-07:00

this article in the new york times is sad to read. i don't agree with the death penalty under any circumstances. i do, however, understand people's feelings of hopelessness and not knowing what else to do with serial criminals. but here you have a man, now 30, who when he was just 19 years old was in the car with a guy who killed someone. just 19 years old. and you learn that when he was a toddler his dad used to take him on drug runs. and now we're killing him--an eye for an eye. i can't see any justice in that. i don't understand it...

i love dc

2007-08-26T18:03:00.000-07:00

today i have been bed ridden. barely gotten out of bed at all. josh got the kids up, fed them breakfast, gave them baths, took them to church...i laid in bed feeling weak and nauseous, my stomache rumbling, a lovely case of the stomache flu, about which i'll spare you the details. finally at about four this afternoon josh brought me some juice and cut up watermelon (with some lime--which i love), the thought of which actually didn't make me feel worse, so after getting a little something back in my stomache i feel a little better. not much. thank goodness it's sunday and i can just rest all day, sleep all day, stay in my pajamas all day, and finally finish reading 'the red tent.' i did read a big stack of library books with joshua this morning, but other than that i've really done nothing--so if i blog a little, maybe i'll feel semi-productive.

i'm going back three months, to the end of may when i was in washington dc, which i want to blog about because a) several of you loyal readers were with me back in the day and share my love for the place. b) i had a wonderful, perfect time. c) something about being back there makes me very introspective. i went on my own, and josh was a stay-at-home dad for a few days. although before i left i had 5 meals prepared, a fridge full of groceries, laundry all done, etc--afterwards josh still told me we should hire a maid, which idea i fully support! it's been awhile since i've traveled without my kids, and it was refreshing and relaxing--and a very fun getaway with my girl susan.

isnt' that beautiful? the jefferson monument. it was a beautiful day, and i was alone for most of it. this reminded me how much i love being alone--and i love being alone in a big city, there's just something about the anonymity of it. i was filled with thoughts of 2000. when i was over on this side of the river i thought about the cold day nick and i went out to the awakening--such a beautiful sculpture, the man freeing himself from the ground. and this, the einstein monument just barely off the mall, hidden away in the trees on constitution ave, reminded me of matt--his favorite. one day i studied (yes i brought my books and studied a lot--i can't let go) at the national gallery of art and thought of brooklyn, the artist. we were MIRACULOUSLY assigned as roommates at our humble ghetto abode in alexandria, VA, where your nights are filled with the incessant banging of bedposts against the neighbors thin walls. the fact that she was my roommate is proof that heaven was smiling down on me, i may very well have lost it with some of the others (ie. right-wing nut). but brooklyn was perfect--she is all light and sunshine, thought and honesty, reality and beauty. just what i needed.

anyway, this time i also had a wonderful long run, i lost track but it was somewhere between 10 and 15 miles. i just took off and ran and ran all over the city, then down the mall, across the river, along the parkway, and into one of my favorite of all the monuments--roosevelt island--the nature preserve in honor of teddy. it's beautiful and quiet and a refuge from the city. when i was in dc, sometimes i would get so restless to be out of the city, into the mountains, away from all the people, the traffic, the noise, the endless political debates. so i learned to appreciate the beauty of small little refuges the city provides. a small grove of trees, a little stream, everything means more and i learned to appreciate them more and to feel alone and peaceful even as the city rushed by. this picture to the left is the mall. but really, you can't see how beautiful a day it was, how beautiful the place is, although it's true i may wear rose colored glasses. the entire city is just magical to me. i've always thought of the cheesy phrase "i found myself in paris," but for me it was dc. i think i found myself there. not that i felt particularly lost--but it was there i learned to really know what i cared about, what i believed, what i liked, without reference to those around me. for awhile i actually think i went too far, it was a far out experience after which, back at school, i was able to be centered. but it was in dc i stopped worrying about what other people thought or what other people were doing--i was happy by myself, i was happy being myself. i loved spending time alone on long walks, at kennedy center concerts, on the metro reading the new york times or 'the alchemist' or writing in my journal, ice skating to jazz music at national archives. i learned the joy of eating out by yourself, of being alone in thought. this may sound funny, because i think i've always been a bit of a loner, but at college i had so much fun all the time, i had so many great friends all the time, and maybe that didn't leave me enough time to take it all in. so in 2000 i did.

now, don't get me wrong--many of my favorite people in the world are people i met in dc in 2000. a lot of what i loved and learned stemmed from my interactions with others. the endless debating forced me to learn to give voice to my thoughts, to not be afraid of disagreement or disapproval, and taught me to understand that my opinions are as valid and as educated as anyone else's--that other people don't know more simply because they speak emphatically or use absolutes. or simply because they are men. i also learned a lot about my religious beliefs from nick and matt and from one guy ryan that i interned and took long lunches with--from the questions, sometimes painful, that forced me to ask myself what i believed and what kind of person i wanted to be. i also had an experience at the national cathedral, participating in a non-denominational religious ceremony when the Rev. Jesse Jackson spoke, for which participation i was severely castigated by my mormon peers--which forced more personal reflection. and my grandpa passed away that semester. this was much harder for me than i ever would have thought, i still don't quite understand it. but i'll never forget matt's kindness--bringing me ice cream and sitting up with me without talking--nor the tulips emily left on my table.

back to the near past--at some point in my run i had to head back over arlington bridge, and then i wandered around the FDR monument, which i also love. all the water, the fountains amidst all the stone, and right next to the river. it's beautiful. and what's more beautiful are the FDR quotes engraved on the stone. here's one i love...
but there are many more. he talks a lot about social justice, which is huge for me--almost everything politically for me. i feel like there's so much in dc that's inspiring. not that it isn't easy to be disillussioned by things, by politics. i worked for senator hatch, i know all about disillusionment. but really--there's so much good. i ended up going by the white house, and of course here you see the permanent peace protest--which reminded me of dave who told me he joined them one day, fingers in a V and singing give peace a chance. cracks me up. way to be a part of the process!

speaking of dave, it was great seeing him and matt s, friends from BYU, and even jozsef who i met in dc in 2000, an entirely different context, and now he randomly lives out there with some good friends of mine who previously had no connection. small world. it was fun eating out with the noisy and interesting debate matt always fosters, now moderated by his sweet wife, and cracking up watching the office, talking late. best of all was hanging out with susan. what a great time. we just talked and talked and talked and talked--all day and up late and off to lunch and in the car. just like old times. there aren't many friends like that in the world. but susan has got to be one of the best people to talk with. you can bet we're laughing like crazy, crying a lot--talking about old times, but also about politics, religion, relationships, families, future plans, fears, hopes. everything is on the table. susan is simply the best. that's why she's one of my very best friends and favorite people. she's beautiful, intelligent, compassionate, hilarious... on and on. thank goodness for the dorms that brought us together!
other good times from my trip included walking the cobblestone streets of georgetown, and the tow path and rock creek park. it's such a beautiful, historical, fun place to be, especially with company this good. and dupont circle, off to the left here, with lots of fun shops and restraunts and expensive living. it's somewhere i now love especially. but enough details...
the whole trip was perfect, the timing was perfect, the people were perfect. i love the place more than ever.

a little unconventional

2007-08-20T20:47:00.001-07:00

monday night we went down to fairmont park to see a skating competition. fairmont park is just north of i-80, right on the border of sugarhouse and sugarhood, which isn't much of a hood. salt lake doesn't really have a hood, unless you're from holladay or sandy, and then you think everywhere northwest is hood. this would explain why i have friends who fear liberty park, and surely wouldn't be caught dead at fairmont, least of all with this crowd. we loved it. josh starts reminiscing about the good ol' days in miami where he was the only white kid around, but could still shoot hoops with the best of them. all the smoke and black flag t-shirts take me back to my days of watching indy bands, which all began because i had a thing for a drummer who ended up dating my sister. and then a bass player who had a thing for me but also a girlfriend, and then a guitar player that actually went my way. but back to skating...these kids were amazing, and some old men also. one guy i swear was bill gates jr. the wavy brown hair, the glasses, and the nerdy white-boy look--only wearing a helmet and dropping into a pit, instead of making millions and starting foundations with melinda. yep--that's him...

joshua loved it, and was very disappointed to learn that his dad can't do any tricks, and actually ate it pretty bad the one time he was on a half pipe. joshua decided he wants to learn, but when josh told him the skate park is pretty tough, joshua said--"that's alright dad, we'll go home and PRACTICE, and then come here." my one complaint is that in the hour or so we were there, my two sweet, innocent, sheltered children must have heard the f-bomb a few hundred times. luckily it means nothing to them, and they don't notice. but when we got in the car josh and i had to laugh. "well boys, at least now you know what the f in fhe stands for." we thought it was a great family night, if a little unconventional...

this is us, life is good.

2007-08-15T10:35:00.000-07:00

yes, i know this is many photos, but literally hundreds ended up on the cutting floor. and it very well may be three more months before i blog again, so you may as well take what you get. that includes you nick--mr. blogosphere regulator. besides, these kids are CUTE (full disclosure: they are mine.)

todd and katie, two of our favorite people in the world, were just here. the sad fact is they took off tuesday morning, but only after katie and i got to run together. she's the world's best running partner, even if our husbands do think we have a bad, all-too-liberal influence on each other. todd is like a brother--lovable even as he harasses me. and there aren't really words to describe katie, aside from irreplaceable. she has a skillfull way of avoiding all praise, which means if i do say more, she'll have my head. todd, creative man that he is, took these pictures, and many more, for which we are in his debt. of course we are already way, way WAY in the debt-hole to todd and katie. put it on our tab.

one thing you've got to love about this zion of ours is that almost every night of a salt lake summer you'll find free outdoor music. monday night was no exception, which is why many of these photos are taken at liberty park--mondays in the park. the rest are from red butte gardens, where we melted the 100 degree day away until we found the water fountains in the 'children's garden.' then we escaped for a cold drink. with company like this it doesn't really matter how hot it is.

here you have it! the picture of happiness. joshua's face is pure, simple, boyish happiness. i may add that this happiness is derived from throwing little berries from yonder tree at us. no, he's not a trouble-maker. it was his dad's idea, and one he's had before, not surprisingly. of course this only goes along with my theory that all good dad's are only good dad's inasmuch as they are little boys themselves.

now here is the face that brings me sheer joy. you can't see that and not just want to grab him up and kiss those cheeks. he is adorable. even if i am his mom.

i love the picture of tall 6'03" josh towering over his little 10th-percentile-height 18 month old. the contrast is just too cute.

and there you have jacob playing in the water, unable to figure out how he keeps getting splashed when he tries to grab the stream. it was a love-hate experiment in cause and effect.

okay so maybe we're not QUITE as cute as our boys...but i happily take back seat to their cuteness.

that's us, and i'd say it's a good life.

back by popular demand

2007-08-13T11:07:00.000-07:00

so what if it's been three months since i last blogged? i was hoping to keep you all in suspense so that when i did finally write again, no matter what i say will bring endless approval. regardless of what i say, that cute boy right there should bring your approval. that's my little jacob on a hike up in big cottonwood canyon a couple of weeks ago. the guy is adorable. he is FINALLY walking--at 17 months, and talking more and more. the best part about this is that now instead of angry grunts when he wants something, he smiles and says "bees!" (translation: please)

joshua is still our soccer star, but has also learned to swim (in a way), ride his bike sans training wheels, and is starting to read! the reading is my favorite accomplishment--although his repertoire is still largely limited to three letter words (unless he has the book memorized in which case he knows LOTS of words, and lots of dr. suess non-words).

josh and i just ran the provo canyon half marathon last weekend. i came in at 1:55. not fabulous but it will do. josh was three minutes behind me, and in pain the next day. i can only say that because we all know josh is in much better shape then me, he just doesn't run as much. we had fun, and enjoyed running together for the first 9 miles, while grandma juna watched the boys.

as for me, i am well on my way to saving the world. that's right. i just finished my second semester in the university of utah's MPA program. (confession: i LOVE the U, much to the chagrin of some. don't worry, i do still rise and shout for the Y.) so far i'm at a 4.0! i know that sounds much like bragging--but i did work my tail off so i'm entitled to a little pride. i am obsessed with school. really. i love it--it is a regular old party for me. what can i say? i'm a nerd.

i will write more soon, blogging is one of my semester-break goals, thanks to some of you angry readers. but first, i need you to check out this link... http://www.sistercommunity.org/?pageid=24&OuelessebougouSess=5f11fddd7dc29468ccfc842ddbbb15d5

i have recently started working with the Ouelessebougou Utah Alliance (OUA). this is one of our events we're putting on--a concert in downtown slc to get out the word about what we do, and hopefully raise a little funds for the beautiful people of mali. all the cool people will be there. while you're at the link, check out the website. it's pretty sweet. you can see what we do, and why i love it so much. that is your homework. check in and report back to me. if i am satisfied, i'll blog again.

stuck in the net

2007-05-15T10:20:00.000-07:00

so at last night's soccer game--to which we had all kinds of fans--joshua had a minor setback. he was putting his time in as goalie, because he told the coach he needed a rest. eventually, lo and behold, the hive of soccer players came his way. of course, like the rest of the kids, when joshua is goalie it is prime time to play in the net. unfortunately this meant that when he saw them coming and tried to go after the ball, his hand was stuck in the net. he gave it a very valiant effort, but to no avail. a goal was scored. what makes it even better, is that the goal was scored by his own teammate while all the parents are yelling "other way eli!" it was great.
now i love this picture because of the sweatbands on his wrists. these were a gift from his aunt lorri who was at the game last night. joshua loves these things, and so spent the entire game swinging his arms around like this. then he would look our way and wipe his wrist across his forehead, just making sure we noticed how cool he was. we noticed.

are you going to george washington?

2007-05-15T09:46:00.000-07:00

i'm going to washington, dc this week, sans my three boys. i keep telling joshua about it, so that he's ready for me to be gone, and now he keeps asking me about when i go and what i'll do when i'm in "george washington." i keep having flashbacks to 2000, and the all too short time i lived there as a lowly intern for the senator who shall not be named (although "clout" might ring a bell). one of the greatest moments of the semester was when omar kader told mary bell she was a right-wing nut, which of course matt, nick and i knew all along. sweet validation! i think of leaving union station each morning after my metro ride and hearing a homeless man playing jazz standards--he made my day everyday. i think of endless debates--because i was one of three democrats in the group, and matt usually refuses to engage (and i think he's too smart so no one wanted to mess with him) and nick was very confrontational, maybe without meaning to be, so that left me to take all the heat. i think of dying to get out of the city and so three of us going camping without any real gear (because we left everything at home) and FREEZING (it was march). i think of three or four of us sitting on the steps of the supreme court on one of our last days. jeff and i had been offered jobs to stay on. nate hadn't, and he was one of the only ones planning on staying, and was desperately looking for a job. it was so pitiful as he sat there telling us how much his life sucked (his girl had just broken up with him as well) that it was one of the most hilarious moments. i think of night after night after night of kennedy center concerts--that was the life. and many many many other good and great times...

bee happy, b-e-e

2007-05-12T06:57:00.000-07:00

for an exciting friday night, after putting the kiddies to bed, josh and i watched this documentary--spellbound--about 8 kids and their journy to the national spelling bee. it documents their family lives, and has something positive to say about 'the american dream.' it's from 2002, and was actually nominated for an academy award that year for best documentary, so many may have already seen it. if not--watch it! we were cracking up. it is a bizarre world, and you end up just loving the kids, and being frightened by some of the parents. my favorite parts are: one of the mothers with these huge red glasses that has all these super cheesy things to say--one of which is "bee happy, b-e-e!" i also love these two old ranch owners who employee some illegal immigrants who are parents of one of the girls. they are typical hilarious old-style, well-meaning but prejudiced texans. very funny. and the mom of this adorable black girl ashley--from DC--is so stereotypical it will crack you up. one thing she says is "fo' 10 thousan dolluhs i could do anythin! i'd know every word in the dictionary for 10 thousand dolluhs." worth the watch--thanks matt and anna b for the recommend!

gray thunder

2007-05-08T20:13:00.000-07:00

so i said i had two cute boys, here's number one. joshua himself. please take special notice of the cleats; joshua sure does. when he's goalie, you'll see him over there jumping around in his cleats, and when he's on the field, he may very well stop mid-dribble for a look at his cool digs. he really does love the game itself, and asks if he can go over to his friends house to practice 'soccer ball.' he may very well be the next beckham (minus the spice girl).
now, i can't exactly tell you gray thunder's--the team--record. most of the goals scored, on both sides of the field, seem to be made by the opposite team (although the goalies do seem to be getting more and more ruthless.)

jumping on the band wagon

2007-05-08T20:05:00.000-07:00

and not just any bandwagon, the mommy brag blog wagon. that's right, all you other mom friends of mine with your cute stories of your cute kids and their cute pictures and the cute things they say...you've inspired me to jump on board. this week alone (and it's only tuesday), i've gotten 2 new friend blogs. so lest i be too horribly behind the times, i'll give you another blog to check. after all, i have 2 cute kids of my own...