Laundry Helper

I was folding laundry last night when Macie came and sat down by me. As I held up a shirt to fold it she pointed and said "Daddy's." She continued naming the owner of every article of clothing I folded. I was pretty impressed that she got them all right. I think she was just making sure that I knew who's was who's. She's kind of bossy like that.

Just a Peek

Here is a sneak peek of Macie's Halloween costume. I chose not to divulge the entire outfit so it still remains somewhat of a surprise, yet you can get an idea of how irresistibly cute it is.

Surprise!

Thursday morning Josh and I were getting some things done around the house when I mentioned how this weekend would be a nice time to go out of town. Since it's General Conference weekend we didn't have too many things planned, so that afternoon we packed up the car (and Macie) and headed to my parents' house. We told my dad we were coming, but not my mom. We arrived around 11:00 pm and my dad was waiting outside. Macie had been sleeping for hours, and waking up to see Papi standing there was very exciting for her. My dad took her in the house and said, "Diane, look who I found outside!" Josh and I came walking in just after that and my mom was still frozen. She looked like a deer in the headlights, it was so funny!

We have been having a great time so far and probably won't be home until Tuesday. I've got some great pictures to post then. In the meantime, we're enjoying the colder change in weather, the gorgeous mountainside, and the wildlife. Macie missed the quail, squirrels, deer, and hawks that pass by the house. I was just here several weeks ago, and since then there were 2 black bears caught in town and a mountain lion sighting. We haven't seen any so far. Needless to say, we don't let Macie wander off by herself.

Piggies

Today was a monumental day for Macie because I finally thought I saw enough hair to try a new style. The outcome: "piggies." I had to have her hair wet so I could slick as much as I could into the ponytails. You can hardly even tell they're in from the front! They turned out quite cute, but didn't last more than 20 minutes before one was out. She won't leave them alone! When I do the ponytail on top she doesn't really bother it, but this must have felt different to her I guess. The hassle of constantly trying to put them back in and getting a smaller amount of hair each time made me realize we'll have to wait until she grows a bit more hair until we try the piggies again.

We also took Macie in for her 18 month well check today, but unfortunately the doctor doesn't prescribe anything to make hair grow faster. We did find out that Macie weighs 24 pounds (barely over the 50th percentile) and is 33 inches tall (barely above the 80th percentile). She was talking and talking the whole time, in true Macie fashion, and the doctor said he could tell she was smart (duh!) and didn't have to ask how many words she could say. I really have no idea anymore anyway. She was a great trooper when she got her shot and only cried for a second. We took her shopping afterwards to get her stocked up on a fall wardrobe. I also ran into the cutest Halloween costume at The Children's Place and had to buy it. I've been contemplating what she should be this year, and when I saw it I knew I had to get it. I'm debating whether or not I should show a picture this early and ruin the surprise. It's so cute I can hardly stand it!

Caught Red Handed

Name: Macie Lee

Age: personally believes she's at least 4 years old

Occupation: Busy body

Crime: The suspect was found sitting on the floor surrounded by an open make-up bag. She was attempting to apply eyeshadow on her right cheek when caught. Approximately 1 minute earlier it is suspected that eyeliner was applied to the opposite cheek. Suspect is now in custody. It is anticipated that the suspect may get off easy with this one, seeing as how it is only a first offense. However, we'll have our eyes on her.

It's kind of hard to see the makeup because of the bright flash and the eyeshadow was a light olive color. I was glad the make-up was only only her face, none on her clothes or the floor.

Celebrity Crap

WARNING: I am getting on my soap box now.

I think television was a great invention and serves some good purposes. But oh how I despise it! I spend most days without watching any tv, except for breakfast time when Macie and I watch The Backyardigans together. I actually really like that show. The characters use their imaginations while playing in the backyard to go on different adventures and learn all sorts of things. Macie loves all the music and has picked up on their great dance moves. I really like this show.

Now let's talk about why I despise the television. I HATE turning it on only to see scantily clad women, profanity, extreme violence, and celebrity crap among other things. How did all this bad stuff end up on even the basic television channels??? My friends LeMira and Elisa both recently brought up Laura Ingrahm's interview on the Today Show regarding the prevalence of pornography in the media. I totally agree with her regarding this issue.

Not to re-post what has already been said about this issue, but instead I do want to go further and add my thoughts. I can't stand how much time is spent on celebrity "issues." WHO THE HECK CARES?!? I sure don't. I don't want to know who is dating who, cheating on whoever, in or out of rehab, pregnant, getting too fat or too skinny, blah blah blah. And the worst part is that these issues are actually discussed on news channels. It makes me very angry. I think time is precious and I don't want to waste it watching garbage that doesn't matter. When I sit down to catch a top news story or flip through the channels (which is rare as it is!) I most definitely do not want to see anything about celebrities. Living in Vegas makes it really hard to avoid. I turn on the radio in the car only to hear dj's talking about who was at what party at what casino and what happened and blah blah blah. Get over it!!! What makes their lives so fascinating that it cripples our society? I do mean that by the way. Whatever a celebrity is doing, wearing, going, buying, etc. becomes popular for everyone else. How can that be? I really, really, REALLY don't want to see Macie (or any other young child) 10 years down the road watching these things and thinking that they are even remotely acceptable. Can you tell I have strong feelings about this? I think I just might.

Strut Your Stuff!

My toddler is better at walking in heels than I am.

Nursery Woes

Macie is a very good eater. She isn't one of those kids that will eat anything, but she is willing to give most things a try. I try to feed her good foods with natural ingredients and low sugar. I am actually pickier about what goes into her body than mine. I guess I know I'm not as good as I should be, but I'm trying to teach Macie how to eat healthy. She very rarely eats any treats, and when she does it's because someone else gave it to her. I can't recall her having had any candy yet, and I hope it stays that way!

Macie will be 18 months on the 20th of this month, allowing her to go to nursery on Sundays. I know most people are excited about this, but I am a little apprehensive. While visiting my parents' ward I took Macie into nursery during the last half hour of church when she was starting to get pretty restless. She was thrilled to watch other kids her size running around playing with toys. The last Sunday we were there it was snack time. Macie sat up to the table just like all the other "big kids" with a smile on her face. I gasped when I saw the leaders pull out the snacks. Each child was given a cup of kool-aid, creme-filled sandwich cookies, and cheetos puffs. WHAT?!? I didn't think it would be too polite, or Macie would be too happy, if I decided to leave right then so I observed instead. Macie stared at the food for a few seconds, because she didn't recognize it I'm sure, watched the other kids eating, then daintily took a small bite of her cookie. Her face said it all and that cookie was gone as fast as she could chew. And the leaders kept giving the kids more! Macie was the last child to leave the table because I'm sure she wasn't used to eating so much of anything so sweet and thought it was wonderful. I just could not believe the leaders were serving junk food that was so obviously bad for the kids. Why not a healthy snack or AT LEAST something with half the sugar? When I was nursery leader the kids had pretzels, cheerios, goldfish, and water. What happened to that???

A True Hero

My family has some excellent news...my mom is in complete remission!!! I can't tell you how excited I am. My parents met with the doctors in SLC yesterday to find out the results from her bone marrow test. My stomach was in knots all day while I waited for a phone call. Of course we hoped and expected the results to be good, but there is always a chance for a problem. Luckily the doctors think she is doing remarkably well and there is absolutely no sign of leukemic cells or Myelodysplastic Syndrome.

My mom's journey to recovery still continues. She is still at risk for developing chronic graft vs. host disease and has a supressed immune system. She still must avoid crowds and contact with other people who may be sick. Once she makes it to 3 years from the transplant date wothout a relapse she will be considered cured. We strongly believe that she will survive this experience and live a long, long life.

Thank you to everyone that has expressed concern and kept us in your thoughts and prayers. My mom is a true hero to me for all that she has been through. Fighting for your life takes a strong will and determination. My mom endured it all without complaint and has been a wonderful example to everyone. 22 months ago she was initially diagnosed with acute leukemia and struck with disappointing odds. To be where she is today is truely a miracle.

This was taken when my mom came through Vegas on her way home about 3 weeks ago with Macie and Gus, my nephew.

Say What?

I'm still staying with my parents and am really getting a kick out of my 15 year old sister. This is a true conversation we had:

Miranda: Guess what! Josh took me driving around the neighborhood and I almost hit a deer and a bat. It was crazy!

Me: What kind of bat was it?

Miranda: What are you talking about? I don't know.

Me: You know, maybe it was a ding bat or something.

Miranda: Oh yeah, I think it looked like a ding bat to me.

Hilarious! This one happened yesterday:

Miranda: (in reference to her friend she wasn't allowed to go out with) Well, she's gonna be in Carson City.

Me: So what, you'll be in Genoa.

Miranda: No, I'll just be in Rome! (She was being an angry teenager at this point.)

Me: Well have you ever been incognito?

Miranda: What? No...wait where is that? Mom, where is Cognito?

I really crack myself up. Oh the life and times of a clueless teenager!