The Staiger Star

Thoughts on Dr Martin Luther King

2012-01-13T14:23:00.000-07:00

Our breakfast talk this morning turned into a discussion of Dr Martin Luther King.

I am so grateful that the concept of segregation is so bizarre and foreign to my children.

Nathan, who has been studying this in school, asked me, "Mom, is this really non-fiction?"

My little boys cannot imagine this kind of a world.

Although it is not as diverse as most places, I am so thrilled we live in an area where they are exposed to a variety of religions and ethnic groups on a daily basis.

On our little street of 17 homes,

5 of those are families of a different racial background then ours

and although we share some common threads, our religious beliefs are quite different as well.

These are kids they play with an go to school with.

I love how when they tell me about a friend I haven't met, skin color never comes up.

I have no idea they are of another racial background until I meet them in person.

The boys don't even notice.

I am immensely grateful for people like Dr King who took a stand and fought against injustice.

I cannot imagine trying to teach my children that we are all children of God and Christ's message of love and compassion while living in such a blatantly segregated community.

I know that there is a lot of improvement still to be made and stereotypes against religions and races still abound. The most effective way to overcome that is exposure and friendship with a variety of people from various backgrounds and walks of life.

Stereotypes feast on lack of personal experiences.

Just one of the many reasons I am so grateful for the experiences my boys are having.

I know that where we live my boys are missing out on exposure to a variety of economical backgrounds, which is also very important and something we want to provide them more experiences with . . . but for now,

I'm thrilled that the idea of segregation and the need for a civil rights (and women's rights for that matter) movement seems like a "fiction story" to my boys.

32 weeks

2011-12-11T23:46:00.002-07:00

Waving Hi

2011-12-09T11:20:00.002-07:00

Janessa surprised us by waving hi today . . . but of course, once I grabbed the camera the performance slowed down. . . but you get the idea . . .

Carson, of course, was not to be outdone by his sister . . .

Dear Santa . . .

2011-12-02T10:09:00.000-07:00

Dear Santa--

Thanks for the lego advent calendar you left this morning. The boys were thrilled! Thrilled with the idea that you stopped by so early and thrilled with all those little doors to open and the legos hiding inside.

Only one thing. Carson keeps walking around looking outside and saying, "Santa not made it snow! Santa not made it snow!" He's very disappointed. If you could just make it snow one day this year for him, that would be great. All the other days you can keep it nice for me :)

Thanks.

Hilarious Hair Day

2011-11-18T23:08:00.000-07:00

Carson and Ms Tamra ready for Hilarious Hair day at Preschool.

Carson was so excited about his mohawk.

About every 5 minutes he'd ask me if it was still there.

He was very cautious to make sure nothing touched it :).

Overheard at our house . . .

2011-11-06T09:24:00.000-07:00

Setting: Breakfast. We are talking about our budget and the boys want to know why we haven't finished paying for our house . . .

Me: "Kids are expensive!"

Nathan: "No, they aren't they are just handy."

Jonathan: "What do you mean?"

Nathan: "'Cause parents are bossy and just tell them to clean up all the time."

Jonathan and I couldn't stifle our laughter . . . :) Then . . .

Jaron: "Mom, you should put that on your facebook (he means blog--where has he heard "facebook"?)".

Jaron: "What's a catepiller?"

Us: "an insect that turns into a butterfly."

Jaron: "No, a worm wearing a fuzzy sweater! That's funny. Put that on your computer too!"

And not to leave Carson out . . .

Remember my previous post about naptime? The other day I was so tired I tried to skip the tickle part.

Me: "Carson--can you hand me your book, please?"

Carson: "I can't."

Me: "Why not buddy?"

Carson: "'Cause you not tickle me harder, harder yet!"

A few days later, it was Carson who was overly exhausted.

Carson: Puts his head on the pillow and sighs . . . "mom, just tickle me a tiny bit, kay?"

I tickle his tummy supper lightly--for just a second.

Carson: "Dat's nough, mom. I super tired."

Kids aren't just handy . . . they are great live-in entertainment too!

Favorite time of day . . .

2011-10-17T14:16:00.000-06:00

One of the absolute highlights of my day comes right after lunch.

It happens like this (with little variation) . . .

Carson grabs my hand, with a book in the other and says

"Let's race, kay mom?"

We both run and jump onto my bed

He barely beats me. Every time.

Then there is lots of wrestling, tickling and giggling.

Seriously the best sound in the world is a 3-year-old's giggle.

If he isn't giggling to the point of gasping for breath he'll tell me,

"harder mom! harder!"

And I'll tickle him even more.

Until finally, exhausted, we both snuggle up for a story and song

and I hold him close as he drifts off to sleep.

I absolutely love it. Every little second.

25 weeks

2011-10-02T22:06:00.000-06:00

25 weeks . . .

And this is Carson's favorite place to be when Janessa gets a diaper change . . .

Fun with Bubbles

2011-09-25T21:56:00.000-06:00

After having fun with a bubble activity at preschool,

Carson couldn't wait for "the bubba's" to come home for him to share it with them . . .

But then the fun grew . . .

into all sorts of fun bubble exploration!

Love how the popping bubble looks like Spiderman webs!

My little girl . . .

2011-09-25T21:26:00.000-06:00

My friend has a baby named Vanessa.

The other day she asked me if we call Janessa

"Nessa" or "Nessie"

like they have nicknamed their daughter.

Nope.

She's "Princess."

Ocassionally it's Janessa or Janessie but mostly Princess.

Daddy calls her "Prin Prin" short for "Princess, Princess."

She's going to be 2 and think her name is Princess. :)

Here's the princess at 24 weeks.

Saturday we attended our first (of what I hope to be many) Relief Society Broadcasts together . . .

It was so special to be sitting there next to my mom, holding my sweet little girl. I tried to look into the future of having a grown Janessa by my side . . . but preferred to just enjoy the baby on my lap. :)

Finally, here's a behind the scenes look at what those weekly Sunday photo shoots are really like . . .

"But mom, I just LOVE my little Princess!!"

Serious Talent . . .

2011-09-25T21:04:00.000-06:00

Check out Jonathan's serious talent!

He took this . . .

Turned it into this . . .

And then this . . .

Amazing! Aren't I one lucky girl?!?

Hopefully this week I'll get it primed and painted . . .

so excited!!

23 weeks

2011-09-18T18:57:00.002-06:00

super sleepy, but posing for a picture anyway :)

Perfect afternoon

2011-09-12T23:33:00.001-06:00

Now that the weather has (temporarily) dropped below 100 (who knew 90 degrees could feel so cool?) we are seeing a LOT of this at our house . . .

Love the closed eyes and tongue sticking out in concentration :)

Does it look safe? Probably not. Are they having fun? Incredible amounts of fun. Perfect way for boys to spend an afternoon.

22 weeks/5 months

2011-09-11T22:57:00.000-06:00

Dear Janessa,

Today is your 5 month birthday. I cannot believe how the time is rushing by despite my demands for it to slow down. Today I passed on your outgrown baby clothes to someone who needed them more than I. It was incredibly hard to do. I had a huge lump in my throat as I let go of your tiny little clothes that it seems just yesterday were too big.

My precious little baby--you are so curious and interested in the world around you and so eager to be grown up but I just want to hold you and freeze time. In my mind you are still my tiny infant, but then you beg to taste our food, try to scoot across the floor, and stand any chance you get . . . but most telling of all is how your clothes keep getting smaller and smaller.

I am trying so hard to treasure each little moment, but if you could just slow down a little and be my little baby girl a while longer, I wouldn't mind at all.

Transformations . . .

2011-09-09T21:32:00.000-06:00

Here's a sneak peek at an exciting project going on at our house . . .

**Side note: Although I don't love my wall color (it came with the house--and I haven't been ambitious enough to change it) . . . it isn't quite as ugly as it looks in any of these pictures.

That's what you get for taking pictures late at night . . . :)**

Can you guess what I hope we are doing this weekend?!?

Overheard/Overseen

2011-09-07T20:26:00.001-06:00

Jaron's Second Grade Grin

Overheard . . .

Setting: I'm in the bathroom getting ready to take the kids to Grandma's for swimming.

Jaron: "Mom, how come in the olden days mom's had lots of kids and now they don't?"

Me: "What do you mean Jaron?"

Jaron: "In the olden days grandma had LOTS and LOTS of kids, but you only have a few, how come?"

Me: "Well . . . "

Jaron (inturrupting): "I think I know. It's because of the Second Coming."

Me: "Really? Why's that?"

Jaron: "Because you know how we used to be in Heaven and Heavenly Father has lots of spirits to come to earth? We'll lots and lots have mostly been born and you know in the scriptures it says they'll be earthquakes and storms and there just was an earthquake and a Hurricane and a big hug Salami in Japan so it's coming so there aren't many kids left."

Carson with his preschool friends

Overheard . . .

Setting: Getting the boys in the car to go to the library.

Me: "Carson, climb up in your car seat."

Carson (hands on hips and stomping his foot): "Ugh! Mom, I told you and told you! You not the boss! I the boss! I THE BOSS! I told you and told you! You not the boss! I. THE. BOSS!"

Overheard and Seen . . .

Lots and lots of giggling and upon further investigation I found this . . .

Never a dull moment around here! :)

Sundays . . .

2011-09-04T20:24:00.000-06:00

Here's the princess at 21 weeks. Love the smile :)

Sometimes I feel like Sunday entertainment for everyone at church.

Here's what anyone sitting by us this week would have witnessed:

* Janessa sticking her tongue out and spitting (repeatedly!)

* Three boys in fits of giggles at their sister spitting

* Spitting baby smiling at giggling brothers and spitting more

*Repeat repeatedly*

* Carson taking the sacrament bread . . .

looking up at me and then quickly taking another piece and popping it in his mouth

with a huge "I can't believe I just got away with that" grin.

* Carson dumping his sacrament water on his lap and then loudly demanding (repeatedly) to take his pants off. (He HATES dirty or wet clothes)

* Janessa pulling my hair and brothers bursting into giggles and (loudly) whispering "spit again! Janessa! again!"

*Finally Janessa and I go stand in the back--where she can spit to her hearts content :)*

This evening when a family in the ward with grown children stopped by the wife told me,

"I just LOVE watching your family in church!"

followed with

"and that little guy with the curls . . . his eyes . . . they just sparkle with . . with . . . "

me: "mischievousness?"

"oh yes! Exactly! That's it!"

Love it!

The Dance

2011-08-30T07:57:00.000-06:00

This morning, this sweet little boy asked me to listen to some primary songs. I turned on our itunes and watched him listening so sweetly, "yeah, mom! I like this song! I know it!" He came and rested his little head in my lap. I picked him up and together we danced in the kitchen. His little hand in mine, his head resting on my shoulder as we spun around and around listening to songs testifying of Christ. I wanted so badly to slow down time and permanently cement the moment in my mind forever. My mind raced back to dancing with Jaron in this same kitchen when he was an infant. Now he is too big for me to hold and spin around. Where did time go?

My sweet little Carson is so eager to grow, ("I bigger, bigger, bigger, right mom?!?" he asks me each morning) and catch up with his brothers, but his mom knows that will come too quickly. For now, I will try harder to hold onto my sweet little boy . . . and take more time to dance together.

Sunday picture

2011-08-22T22:11:00.000-06:00

Janessa's weekly Sunday picture (19 weeks) . . .

Yes, I do take a picture of her every Sunday before I take her out of her dresses. . .

No, I haven't been posting them . . .

Yes, I'll try to do better . . .

Yes, she LOVES her thumb . . .

No, my attempt to replace thumb with pacifier has not worked . . .

Yes, I've given up . . .

after all--she's my princess :)

1st day of school

2011-08-22T21:53:00.000-06:00

Excitedly heading off to 2nd grade, preschool, and 1st grade . . . and yes, mom was all choked up dropping them off at school.

How in the world did my babies get so big?

Why won't time listen to my demands to slow down?!?

Just writing this is making me tear up . . .

I'm going to go kiss a few sleeping (and silently growing) boys.

8-8-2011

2011-08-08T23:24:00.002-06:00

Jaron and Nathan spent the day with their cousin Alexis, so Carson and I had most of the day to ourselves while Janessa slept.

We had so much fun together . . .

pretending to be Ninja's,

reading books,

wrestling,

laughing,

and even doing our chores . . .

Love the naked belly hanging over the counter :)

. . . pretty adorable helper!

8 weeks

2011-06-08T19:43:00.002-06:00

Mother's Tea

2011-05-28T15:40:00.001-06:00

To celebrate mother's day, I was invited to Kindergarten Mother's Tea. When handing me the invitation he had colored, Nathan informed they would have water for people who don't drink tea. :)

When the big day arrived, Janessa & I got dressed up and headed to the school.

Janessa slept through the party, while Nathan and I had a wonderful time eating cookies, talking, laughing, meeting his friends and seeing his work displayed around the room.

He presented me with this book he'd written and illustrated all about me.

"My mom is the most wonderful mom in the world! Her name is Tamru (Tamra). She is 30 (31) years old. She has gren (green) eyes and red hair. She is as pretty as a presas (princess). Her favorite food is cooces (cookies). I think my mom is funny when she sandec (static hair). I know she is angry when she is age me fr not oba (she is angry with me for not obey(ing)). My mom always says I lov you. I love my mom because she ru es me soes (Reads me stories)."

Nathan and his friends then walked around the room with their mom's cameras/phones and took these pictures . . .

Trevor and Bryce

Thank you so much for sharing this special day with me, Nathan! I love you!!

Little Miss Sunshine

2011-05-26T09:20:00.000-06:00

Janessa ready for church 5/22/2011 6 weeks old

When I uploaded the photos, I found this evidence of the boys goofing around . . .

BUSTED!

Hard to deny messing with the forbidden camera when there is such incriminating evidence!

Loved this . . .

2011-05-23T19:59:00.001-06:00

I found this in Jaron's backpack . . .

"Dear Nathan, You are my best friend. I love you everyday. I love to play with you. I still remember kindergarten. It is very fun. I like your trophy Nathan! I wonder what kind of trophy I'm getting today. I hope you have a great time at the party. Your brother, Jaron Staiger"

love, love, love it!

My Sweet Date

2011-05-10T07:37:00.000-06:00

Saturday night at 7:30-- Jaron and I decided to go on an impromptu date. While daddy put the other two boys to bed, I grabbed Janessa, Jaron and the coupon book and we were off!

First stop was Cold Stone, where we picked up ice-cream.

Jaron and his Cotton-Candy-Reeses-Peanut-Butter-Cup creation . . .

Me with a classic Mint and Oreo treat . . .

Then we headed outside to enjoy the evening festivities in the shopping center's common area.

Janessa spent most of the time sleeping peacefully . . .

We enjoyed our treat, talked, spent a lot of time laughing, and listened to a live outdoor band. Jaron's favorite part, though, was playing hide and seek in the outdoor Texas shaped giant maze (over and over and over--with lots of giggling!.

By the end of the night, we were worn out and ready for bed . . .

and Janessa was wide awake and ready to play!

although a little worried looking : )

FHE treats daddy style

2011-05-04T17:06:00.000-06:00

After the FHE lesson and activity, I was feeding the baby in her room while Jonathan served up his FHE treat (it was his treat night). I came out to find this . . .

They were making S'more's using a blow torch, wooden skewers & mini marshmallows :)

Delicious Fun!

An Easter Princess

2011-04-28T14:29:00.000-06:00

When I think about Easter as a child, I can't remember if we had easter baskets or eggs or other traditions (not that we didn't do those things--I just can't remember). BUT what does stand out in my mind are the Easter dresses. Every year my mom dolled up my two sisters and I in gorgeous new Easter dresses, bows and shoes. I loved it. To me Easter = pretty dresses more than eggs or chocolate. :)

So imagine my delight when this Easter I not only had a little girl to doll up (for her first day at church), but was given a gorgeous dress perfect for the occasion . . .

I love this next picture . . . the nerf gun, the dinosaur book, the train pajama's, the paper crown (he's worn for weeks)--all things that scream CARSON. To top it off is the look on his face as he holds his little sister. Priceless!

A side note: Janessa's first day at church was a rough one . . . she was just fine--but her brothers couldn't stop touching her, playing with her, and poking her--poor little girl! She was by far the most entertainment they had ever had in Sacrament meeting and they just couldn't leave her alone (especially Carson--who kept exclaiming, "I pet her! I pet her now! PLEASE?!?" The more we tried to hush him, the louder and faster his requests would get. :) After that sacrament meeting circus, Janessa and I were worn out . . . we came home and took a long afternoon nap.

My not so little brother visits . . .

2011-04-28T07:26:00.000-06:00

For ~~Easter Weekend~~ to meet his new niece my little brother came up for a visit from Austin where he is attending UT. We all met up at my mom's house for a happy little show-off the baby fest.

It is crazy for me to think that Evan was 8 when Jonathan met him for the first time and we played soccer and basketball and jumped on the tramp with him. Now he's 20 and does those things with my (almost) 8 year old son. Time just keeps marching on . . .

Evan's friend Maran also stopped by. My kids ADORE Maran and ask about her all the time when she's back at school. She's just about as popular as Evan around here--and that is impressive!

(Try to ignore the construction zone in the background :) )

My brother Neldon and his family joined us for dinner--and I had to snap a shot of this. It totally reminded me of being a kid and visiting my Grandma's house--all the adults sitting around in the living room talking. Just like this--except now I'm one of the old people! :) Notice Randi keeping the little one's entertained with horse rides on her leg :). Love it!

Although he was only here for a day, Janessa took quite the liking to him.

Miss you Ev--come back soon!!

Multitasking?!?

2011-04-27T18:45:00.000-06:00

Today I suddenly burst out laughing. Full on belly laughing and couldn't stop. Why you might ask?

Here is the scene . . .

I'm trying to keep an eye on the dinner in the oven while nursing a very hungry little girl, helping Nathan with his homework, ~~calling out correction and instruction~~ helping Jaron with his piano, while trying to stop Carson from dumping water all over the coffee table . . . all after just having found Carson doing this , , ,

(yes, check out he path of destruction he has already left behind him in the playroom . . . all in the time it takes to comfort a crying baby)

Ahhh . . . so THIS is what ~~failing miserably at~~ multitasking is!

(almost) skinny dipping . . .

2011-04-27T12:13:00.001-06:00

What do you do when you are at Grandma's house and are told that the pool is warm enough to play in but you don't have a swimming suit?

Swim in your underwear, of course!

DISCLAIMER: I was inside feeding the baby . . . Uncle Evan was outside doing pool maintenance. . . then I hear splashing and laughing and come out to find this . . .

Notice the solar cover is just being removed off the main pool . . . they were too excited to wait!

Jonathan had taken Carson to the store and must have read the boys minds, because he showed up with swimsuits for everyone . . . it was only a few minutes before Carson joined his brothers (who were now more properly dressed :) ).

Summer time fun!

Hum . . . maybe we should keep extra suits at grandma's for future spontaneous swimming parties :)

The new big brother

2011-04-26T18:43:00.000-06:00

Carson is taking his new role as a big brother very seriously.

While in the kitchen I overheard him telling her

"Bad guys. NO bad guys, kay? Bad guys bad." (repeated over and over)

I peeked in the living room to see this . . .

Of course, after viewing this youtube video (Charlie Bit Me) at my mom's house and quoting it over and over and over all weekend, he had to try it out. First, he looked around to make sure mom wasn't watching (which I was, of course!), put his little finger in her mouth and said, "Charlie bit me! Charlie bit me! Ouch Charlie" and then busted up laughing. Oh the joys of finally being a big brother!

2 weeks

2011-04-26T18:10:00.000-06:00

Here's our little princess at 2 weeks . . .

For the record . . .

Weight: 8 lbs 14 oz (75th percentile)
Height: 21 3/4 inches (90th percentile)

Playing Dress-up

2011-04-15T19:01:00.001-06:00

After I had been discharged and Janessa was still in the NICU, we spent a lot of time together. Her last day there waiting for Jonathan and the boys to take us home, we played dress-up. I had so much fun and just couldn't stop laughing at her expressions.

"Uh. . . mom, what are you doing? This seems a little weird."

"Uhm, are you sure this doesn't look ridiculous?"

"Please mom . . . this is EMBARRASSING! The other babies are in diapers and I have to wear THIS?!?"
(Check out that chin? She was positively the BIG girl of the NICU and the champion eater. The nurses joked that they could hear her eat all the way across the room.)

"Okay, fine, I'll humor you."

All ready to greet daddy and her brothers. Finally taking our precious little angel home!

True love

2011-04-15T16:58:00.001-06:00

Our Janessa is a beauty . . . and it appears that she is already has a flock of admiring boys.

Here is the evidence: Her first flowers from not one, but THREE admiring boys.

Hopefully we like any future admirers as much as we do these!

(side note . . . these poor little boys were so excited to see their little sister again. After school, they quickly did their homework and came to the hospital with grandma. Imagine their dismay when they were told that because she had been moved to the NICU, they were not allowed to visit her. It was heartbreaking--they tried to be such good sports, but you could tell how disapointed they were. Carson kept pointing to my belly saying, "baby come out? Me pet her?")

First pictures

2011-04-15T12:31:00.001-06:00

I just uploaded pictures from my camera. Janessa is less than 5 days old and already we have over 200 pictures . . . I think we are in trouble :)

Here's a sampling from her first few hours. . .

Janessa Elda Staiger

2011-04-11T21:22:00.061-06:00

Tamra prior to delivery. She's very excited to finally be going to the hospital. Thank you friends and family; you all made this such an easy process for all of us! Janessa, one day you'll have to thank your mother for everything that she went through in order for you to be born. She loves you, as do all of us!

Born April 11, 2011 at 3:34 pm 21 1/2" 9 lbs 0 oz.

She's healthy, calm, beautiful, precious, unique, she's Janessa Elda Staiger! Janessa, because Tamra has loved the name for our 12 years of marriage. She heard it while working at Kids on the Move in Orem, Utah, after being acquainted with a mother who had named her daughter Janessa. Elda, for Tamra's grandmother. Elda Hadfield was a hero in Tamra's life! Someone who Tamra admired for her love and charity towards everyone. I too, was able to know Elda for a while. She truly was an example of pure love and selfless actions. Truly a deciple of the Savior, she was.

We are so happy. You should have seen the boys when they first laid eyes on her. It was as if they were awe struck with amazement, they were soft, quiet, and amazed with her. She is an angel.

Tamra and I were relieved when she finally came, we are so blessed to have such a sweet personality/spirit come into our family. She is more than what the doctor had ordered and she will bring happiness and joy for years to come. I am sure that their will be some tears and days of trail, but the exquisite joy of having her with us will for sure out weigh those times. We have been preparing for her arrival for several months. We are grateful that the time has come for us to meet her.

This is our first family picture with all of us including Janessa. We are all so very proud of Tamra and Janessa for the wonderful attitude they had during the whole experience. From a father's perspective, it couldn't have gone any smoother.

Thank you, everyone! We know that you've been praying for us, and for those of you who answered those prayers by your sincere heartfelt actions, we are deeply appreciative. Heavenly Father truely has a marvelous plan for all of us. We are grateful for his hand in our lives! My only hope is that Tamra and I as parents can lead these four little children back to our heavenly home.

CALM after school activity?!?

2011-04-07T15:52:00.002-06:00

What do you do if you have a friend over and mom won't let you run through the sprinklers--even though you SWEAR it is "boiling roasting hot" outside (79 degrees . . . yeah, we are in trouble--wait till they see 105!)?

Gather every pillow in the house and play "King of the Jungle," of course!

Somethings I've heard during this adventure . . .

"Okay, you're the mom"

"Oh man! Why do I have to be the mom?!?"

"Because there are two cubs so there HAS to be a mom!"

"Man! I'm burning hot as a SUNBURN!"

"Wanna be the dad? 'Cause dad's are SUPER TOUGH!"

Could this craziness have anything to do with why Little Sister is less than eager to make her appearance?

**As I type this, the boys have moved on to putting underwear on their heads as part of the jungle adventure.**

The plus to all of this?

Helping me discover how much I need to vacuum out the couch! :)

FHE or sister?

2011-04-06T14:52:00.002-06:00

After school the boys are sitting at the table eating snacks while I am organizing clothes to pack for their visit to Grandma & Grandpa's for a couple days when the baby comes.

I explain that Monday (I'm getting induced for various reasons--that's a entire post itself) we'll wake them up before going to the hospital and then Grandma will be here and help them get to school. After school grandma will pick them up and that night they'll probably come visit their new sister at the hospital.

Nathan's response: "Oh no! what about Family Home Evening?!?"

I tried to explain that baby sisters only come once in a while. It's exciting to go to the hospital. Mom & Dad will be so excited to see them. Mom won't be feeling well.

Nope. Not buying it. I should have known--skipping Family Home Evening or trying an "alternative" type activity never goes over well. I had to switch gears--

So Monday night, you'll find us having FHE at the hospital . . . activity & lesson will be holding baby sister and playing in the sibling room with the treat provided by the family snack room. Knowing my boys, they'll make sure we start with an opening song and prayer :)

Welcome to the family and all our craziness, little sister :)

Nothing Better

2011-03-22T07:11:00.000-06:00

I am convinced that there is nothing sweeter than snuggling with a two-year old and having him put his little dimpled hand on my cheek, his precious blue eyes looking deep into mine and out of the blue hearing him say, "Love you too, love you too!"

One of those memories I want to lock into my heart forever.

Overheard at our House

2011-03-16T12:38:00.000-06:00

Setting: Mom and Nathan in the car on the way to soccer practice.
Nathan: Hey mom, you know what's weird?
Mom: What's that?
Nathan: All of the super hero's have the same last name . . .
Mom: They do?
Nathan: Yep. Man! Super MAN, Iron MAN, Spider MAN, Bat MAN--weird, uh?
Mom: (stifling laughter) Yep . . pretty weird!

Here's another one . . .
Setting: Nathan, at breakfast after a long restless night.
Nathan: Man, I didn't sleep very much last night!
Mom: Really, how come?
Nathan: Because I was totally nocturnal!

Overseen at our house

2011-02-23T12:17:00.002-07:00

This was the scene waiting for me before breakfast on Tuesday morning:

Yep, that's 4 loads of laundry and one in the dryer waiting to be folded and put away. Darn, I guess laundry doesn't take a break for pinched nerves or early contractions . . .

And one more reminder why I prefer a load a day to wash and put away instead of a bajillion late at night.

Please tell me that occasionally your house is like this . . .

Carson and Dogs

2011-02-17T19:46:00.001-07:00

Carson LOVES dogs. He loves to pretend to be a dog. Much to the delight of his brother's he will obey their "fetch puppy" commands.

A few weeks ago when he found out that Lucky, my mom's dog, would be visiting us while Grandma and Grandpa went on a trip, he was so excited he wore his puppy costume all day just waiting for Lucky to arrive. The poor kid was sweating like crazy!

Carson is Lucky's constant companion--much to Carson's pleasure and Lucky's dismay :).

Today, though, I was brought to the abrupt reality that this obsession has gone too far. While I was working out something with the boy's school on the phone, Carson (who had been pretending to be a dog all afternoon) pooped on the front porch and lawn. Lots of nasty, big, human boy stuff.

All in the name of being a puppy.

Saturday and Headaches

2011-02-17T01:45:00.001-07:00

Poor Jaron. He has inherited his mom's nasty headaches. It is so hard to watch such a little guy in so much pain. He came down with one Saturday afternoon and suffered until Tuesday with "big hammers in my head". This meant he had to miss his school valentine parties-- "Mom, this is the worst day EVER to be sick!"

My heart went out to the poor little guy. I wished so bad I could take the pain away from him.

So last Saturday while his brothers did this . . .

My sweet Jaron spent the afternoon like this . . .

Anybody have tips for childhood headaches?

Winter Weather part 1

2011-02-13T14:21:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks the weather has been CRAZY around here. My boys are completely convinced they started it.

Here's the story . . .

Sunday morning a few weeks ago, bath time turned into this . . .

A HUMONGOUS bubble bath!

Both boys kept pretending to be Santa Claus making it snow.

Much to their amazement, when they got out of the tub they saw this . . .

"Nathan, Nathan, we made it snow!" Jaron exclaimed excitedly.

"We did! We did it!" Nathan replied jumping up and down.

They were completely convinced that playing santa claus in the tub with bubbles had made it snow. Clothes were thrown on quickly and a few minutes later this was the scene in our backyard . . .

Where we live, this is such a rare event that of course Carson had to be woken up from his nap to join in the fun . .

In just a few minutes there was enough snow to start doing this . . .

Which resulted in a " the BIGGEST most HUMONGOUS SNOWMAN EVER!" right before it was time to leave for church. :)

A cup of hot chocolate later and a super quick change of clothes, we were in the car slipping and sliding our way to church.

Overseen at our house

2011-02-12T10:49:00.004-07:00

Overseen: Sunday's at Our House

What does 1:00 church, a sick dad and a mom who spent the day in meetings look like?

cereal & milk for dinner . . .

and

falling asleep in your bowl. :)

Sunday afternoon entertainment

2011-02-11T22:03:00.003-07:00

What do you do on a Sunday evening when Dad reveals that he has a candy bar hidden in the pantry?

Play the chocolate dice game, of course!

Nathan eagerly looks on as Carson rolls for his chance to attack the chocolate (which had started out wrapped) . . .

He got a six and stole the gear from Jaron!

We just had too much fun playing to stop so play turned from just unwrapping the chocolate bar into a stabbing it into pieces game :)

Congratulations Jaron!

2011-02-10T22:00:00.000-07:00

The many hours of practicing, early morning lessons and hard work really paid off for Jaron when he participated in his first ever piano festival in January. He played "Go Tell It On The Mountain" (memorized) for a judge and was awarded a superior 1+ rating!

He was super excited and extremely proud of his "fancy ribbon." Look at how he is just beaming in this picture (taken in front of the piano he played on) . . .

I was so thrilled for him. Although he was frustrated about having to wear his "church clothes on Saturday" and extremely nervous about the event, he had a wonderful judge who really put him at ease (for which his mom is extremely thankful!).

In addition, he is eagerly awaiting the gold medal he won earlier this winter by earning a high score on the state theory test--something he had prepared almost a year for. It is so neat to watch him experience the satisfaction of setting a goal, really working hard, and being rewarded for his efforts. Way to go, Jaron!

The incredible $0.01 make-over!

2011-01-04T12:31:00.001-07:00

Yes, you read that right. This is the tale of the incredible one penny make-over.

See this faucet?

Nasty, nasty, nasty--nothing more could describe it and it's been driving us nuts for . . . oh . . . forever.

But, new faucets are expensive and we have about a hundred other things that are higher up on the priority list (like a van--four kids won't fit in our car! :) ).

The story: I walked past a clearance aisle in a local big box hardware store and my eye fell on the faucets. One in particular. I picked it up and admired it. Nice tall neck, pull out faucet, beautiful. . . marked down from $170 to $42! $130 off! I asked several employees if anything was wrong with it--they assured me it had just been discontinued to make room for newer models.

A phone call to Jonathan for the go ahead and a few minutes later I'm in the checkout line. The faucet rings up for $.01. The employee grins at me and tells me it's my lucky day. They were supposed to send it back to the vendor (it had been marked down too far to make it worth selling) but someone had missed this one. Store policy is that if a customer brings it to the front they are required to sell it. For one cent. I offered to pay the $42 . . . but was told no--it's one cent. Two other employees nearby agree.

Now that is a BARGAIN! :)

So the next few hours at my house looked like this . . .

(yep. NASTY!)

Men at work take a lunch break

Before:

After:

The best cent we ever spent!

My Christmas Present

2010-12-28T14:45:00.000-07:00

I'm a lucky girl.

Here's my Christmas present.

I owe a huge thanks to my parents and a very hard working husband for making it all possible!

BEFORE

(that was some nasty, nasty carpet--with holes to the concrete in some places)

taking out the three small rows of tile was A PAIN! . . . but we don't mind using our very willing underage labor :)

Good thing it was like 80 degrees here :)

Are we done yet?!?

AFTER . . .

I'm in love! It's like a brand new house :)

Finished . . . with new carpet installed!

Bonus . . . leftover carpet for Carson's new spot in the fort . . . more on that later . . .

Overheard at our house . . .

2010-11-03T19:55:00.000-06:00

Setting: Trying to get through another sacrament meeting with three active boys . . . Carson is making a ruckus. I focus in trying to understand what he is so upset about. . .

Carson: "My Madoni! My Madoni!"
Me: "Madoni?"
Carson: (getting louder and more frustrated) "MY MADONI! MY MADONI!"
Me: "Your Moroni?"
Carson: (almost yelling now) "Yes! My Madoni!"
Me: (trying desperately to figure out what his "Moroni" is . . . pointing to things . . . then finally, "A Book of Mormon?"
Carson: (breaking out into a huge smile of relief) "My MADONI!"

Moroni . . . Mormon. . . at least he's got a prophet name attached to the book :)

And just a side note for the record . . .

Our boys seem to latch onto a primary song in the first year or two of life and it becomes a life time favorite. The only song they request for ANYTHING (family prayer, FHE, night time song, etc). For Jaron, it is "I See My Mother Kneeling," Nathan's is "Did Jesus Really Live Again" and Carson demands, "I Love To See The Temple."

The older two will now let me shake things up with different songs at night, but Carson--if you try anything else he'll call you on it. "No! No Jesus Song Mommy! Temple! TEMPLE!!" No messing with the favorite (or a two year old) :)

Overheard on our radio . . .

2010-10-27T17:12:00.001-06:00

So this morning I was coming back from run/walk club with the boys and listening to "mooosik" (carson cannot handle being in the car without music. . . so much for my love of NPR.) It was interrupted with this important forecast . . .

"Today's temperatures will reach 80 degrees but enjoy it because a cold front comes in tonight dropping temperatures to the low 70's tomorrow."

Oh really! . . . what a cold front . . . brace us . . . we might freeze.

I couldn't help but crack up at the seriousness in the tone of voice. :)

Confession

2010-10-01T00:16:00.002-06:00

Maybe I shouldn't write this because it is late and surely i will regret it in the morning . . .but it's nice to get my thoughts out.

As Jonathan put it, "this baby is seriously kicking" me. Yep. And no, he doesn't mean actually kicking of legs . . . but long nights and days of nausea, throwing up, and only eating toast and cream of wheat :) .

Funny thing is . . . usually I'm okay in the morning. In fact, my preschool kiddos seem to emit some sort of energy that I need. I love all their smiles and love. I seriously thrive on it. But from 2pm-3am . . . (and sometimes longer) it's a totally different story.

Occasionally, I make the mistake of thinking I can take a nap when the boys get home from school. Once that resulted in Carson painting the kitchen, hallways, and doors with peanut butter and another time I was awaken by a 6-year old neighbor girl who had wandered into my house and woken me up to let me know that my boys were trying to get on the roof. I found Nathan in his spiderman costume ready to use his string web to fly. (His dad did the same thing at that age as superman) Yep. No more after school naps :)

There's the insanity . . . when several attempts to walk in the kitchen to make school lunches ends up with me leaning over the toilet . . . so finally, like a crazy person, I load all the kids in the car to go to the bank and withdraw lunch money . . . and get them to school 20 mins tardy. :)

But there is a silver lining . . . for the first time in my life I am pregnant and will give birth without moving states at least once during the pregnancy. For the first time, I am surrounded by friends who were there before, are here during and will be here when I have a sweet bundle to hold. Friends who bring me frozen dinners for those rough days; who show up out of the blue to take Carson to the park; who pick up my laundry and bring me pre-cooked meat to keep in the freezer to make dinner a little easier.

I have a wonderful family support group to call and moan to . . . even if sometimes those calls get interrupted by a sudden nausea induced emergency (re-typed that a bajillion times to get it right without being gross :) ). I have a mom who will let me spend the day at her house--to provide a much needed break, provide some sympathetic conversation and wrap a 100 sucker ghosts with fabric . . . just for fun.

I have an incredible husband who understands when he comes home to a table covered with laundry to be folded instead of dinner or a wife who suddenly can't stand another moment without cherry tomatoes. Who is thrilled with the opportunity to have another child in our home.

I have three precious boys who remind me everyday that this is worth it. From the happier moments like Carson rubbing my tummy saying, "Baby, me soft, me nice to baby!" to those tender but sad moments like finding a son hiding in his closet because he hates hearing mom being sick. To the more painful ones like overhearing a son, while looking at an old family photo book in another room, say to himself, "I remember the days when we were a happy family."

The end result is worth everything it takes. Just spending time reviewing this blog and the journey we've taken over the years. All the future memories, the laughter, the wonderful joy of having another child in our home--is so worth it.

Now . . . if only I can make it till breakfast . . .

Overheard at our house. . .

2010-09-30T00:39:00.000-06:00

Tonight we (Jonathan and I) are finishing up dinner and Nathan excitedly walks in and exclaims . . .

"Hey guys, let me show you my STUPENDOUS idea!"

We looked at each other and as soon as he was outside cracked up.

Reminded me of this from a few years ago.

What was the stupendous idea, you wonder?

Getting down a frisbee that was stuck on the roof by using a step ladder, climbing the fence and reaching it with dad's grilling tongs.

Pretty Stupendous! :)

The moment Jaron has waited for!

2010-09-29T19:21:00.000-06:00

Today was an incredibly exciting day for Jaron.

He left for school this morning with a tooth that has been slightly wiggly for a couple of months.

He came home, thanks to accidently banging his head on a desk and a trip to the school nurse, thrilled to announce that both his bottom teeth were bearly hanging in.

This exciting announcement, of course, called for a trip to Sonic for some nice cold slushies :). Within an hour his smile went from two loose teeth to this . . .

And after another hour of wiggling . . .

For a little boy who has been "WAITING TOTALLY FOREVER!" to loose a tooth . . . nothing could be more exciting then 2 teeth in one day!

One slipped down the sink drain while he was washing it for the tooth fairy. . .

but here he shows off the survivor . . .

After exploring his gap with his tongue, trying to whistle, and discovering the gap is just big enough to hold his straw, he exclaimed . . .

"Man, this is TOTALLY a different kind of LIFE!"

Naptime

2010-09-20T10:57:00.000-06:00

This is how Carson insists on sleeping at naptime and night too . . .

First its reading a book in the rocking chair

Then he climbs up in his bed lays on his pillow and says "blankie!!"

. . .On goes the silky blue blanket (a gift from the hospital when he was born)

. . . On goes the ABC blanket.

Next it's "Puppy! Puppy!" and "Teddy Bear!" until all his friends are snuggled close and tucked in . . .

And finally, the process isn't complete until he says, "Temple!" He insists that I sing "I love to see the Temple" everytime.

If I try to change things up . . . he'll shake his head and repeat "Temple! Temple!" until I comply.

Apparently, though, when Daddy puts him down, Carson will let him sing anything he wants :)

Overseen at our House: Texas Thunderstorms

2010-09-14T19:12:00.000-06:00

What do you do if you are those crazy Staiger boys and it starts down pouring?

Why strip down to your underwear and do a rain dance, of course!

(okay, some stripped down farther than others :) )

What's almost as fun as the rain dance? Warming up in a tub of bubbles afterwards!

Treehouse

2010-09-13T15:46:00.000-06:00

My boys were up to something. They were spending many hot hours out in the garage "building." Dad had given them left over wood from the fort he built in their room, they had found his hand saw and a couple of hammers and some nails. For weeks this project has been over taking the garage. I just gave them their privacy as they worked . . .

Until Saturday when they announced they were finally finished & Dad helped them attach it to the tree. They couldn't have been more prouder of their accomplishment.

Here is the tree house they literally built by themselves. Cut the wood, hammered it together, etc. . . and yes, dad will be attaching it more securely to the tree/fence in the very near future. :)

Yes, Nathan wears that spiderman costume EVERYDAY, EVERYWHERE (except school and church).

They like to hang out up here and use their binoculars to "check out stuff."

Oh the joys of boys! And yes, Carson is forbidden to enter the tree-house--mommy's rule is if you can't climb up there on your own, you aren't big enough to be in it. :)

Coming to our House . . .

2010-09-10T14:38:00.000-06:00

This spring!

The secret is out . . .

it's starting to get obvious and the kids know . . .

so now you do too!

Big OOPS!

2010-09-08T16:07:00.000-06:00

So . . . Nathan and Carson are in the living room playing a game (that involves a dice) happily . . . laughing . . . giggling. . . and I think to myself, "ah, how nice it is that they are playing so well together . . . i'll go hang up the laundry." A few minutes later I hear this horrid shattering sound.

A stray dice had hit the oven door. SERIOUSLY? It shattered like this!?! A DICE???

Do you see dinner cooking happily in there? Got to clean up all the glass before I dare get it out . . .

First Day of School

2010-08-29T23:34:00.000-06:00

Last monday morning found this at our house . . .

Nathan--ready for his first day of kindergarten! (Carson insisted on being in each picture, exclaiming while pointing vigorously at his chest "Me, School! Me, School!"

The boys are wearing their new Rueben Johnson Elementary School shirts--too excited to wait for spirit day on Friday!

Jaron was so excited to go . . . no patience for mom and her camera! This is the only picture I got of him before he ran to his bike.

Jaron, being a big experienced 1st grader, insisted that Carson and I not walk with them . . . so we followed them like this . . .

Once the bikes were parked the boys were so excited to go in and the lump started building in my throat. I was happy for them and the new adventures that awaited, but I knew I'd miss having them around! I love having my kids home with me and have a hard time sharing them for 7 hours EVERYDAY!

Like a pro, Jaron leads his brother down the hall.

Jaron and his teacher, Ms Shade. Stopping for a picture was a lot to ask for such an excited little boy!

Nathan was too excited to get to his desk to get a picture with his teacher . . . but there is Ms Woods in the red shirt in the background.

One last picture before Carson and I walked back to my car, the tears silently rolling down my cheeks. I love these two boys and know that I'll miss them so much . . . but they'll have so much fun and learn so much. I'm so grateful for the wonderful chance I've had to be their mom! Love you guys!

Carson & I

2010-08-29T23:32:00.001-06:00

So just what do Carson and I do while his brothers are at school??

We play trains . . . lots and lots of trains . . .

. . . play the fishing game--Carson style . . .

Wear whatever we want . . . and maybe not even comb our hair (well, Carson's at least . . .) (Carson kept begging me to take a picture of him. He's pointing to himself saying, "me! Me! Me!")

And play whatever else Carson wants to . . . even if it is "Play sick! Please? Play sick?"

He came up with this all on his own . . . laying on the couch, the blanket, the large water bottle on the table (the table which I thought was well hidden under the couch . . . nope . . . he went right over and pointed under the couch saying, "table, please! Sick! table please!"

And sometimes he even comes to preschool!

I'm loving it! Helps take my mind off the other two at school :)

Overheard: Daddy BIlls

2010-07-02T23:04:00.000-06:00

Setting: Nathan is in his grandparents room and notices a computer

Nathan: Why do you have a computer in here?

Aunt Chic: It's Daddy Bill's

Nathan: What does he do with it?

Aunt Chic: He pays bills

Nathan: OH! That's why he's called Daddy Bills!

Mozart and Beethoven

2010-06-23T07:22:00.000-06:00

Jaron and Nathan are becoming quite the musicians. In May they performed at a nursing home (Nathan's first public performance) and a week later on the stage at a "real recital." I forgot the camera for the recital, but captured these moments at the nursing home.

On the way to the nursing home--doesn't everyone look thrilled? It was only 15 minutes away . . . but the boys were tired!

Excited and ready to perform. I like the crooked ties in this picture! The night before a friend scratched Nathan so he has war marks on his face.

Jaron

Nathan

Afterwards we celebrated by taking the kids to McDonald's and playing on the toys.

Carson was very upset about sharing this picture with the other little boy. He is protesting!

One of my favorite things

2010-06-15T12:13:00.002-06:00

One of my absolute favorite things is my little boys climbing up to snuggle me in the middle of the night after a bad dream or just because. I love holding my sweet child, my arms creating a safe comfortable place and drifting off to sleep together.

Last night I was awakened by the familiar tap on my arm and pulled Nathan into a snuggle. As I lay there with him thinking how much I loved this, I realized how long it has been since the tap belonged to Jaron. He is growing out of this stage and doesn't seek for the middle of the night comfort and reassurance in my arms like he used to.

I remembered the first time I held Jaron as we slept--his first day in the hospital, and my first day as a mother.

And our many naps together.

He is seeking more independence and I love experiencing with him the new exiting things growing up brings.

(together at kindergarten Mother's Day tea)

What a reminder to keep treasuring everyone of the little moments as long as they last. So here's looking forward to what the future brings Jaron and (hopefully) many more nights snuggling Nathan and (soon) Carson . . . and if Jaron needs a little night time comfort, I'll be here waiting.

Mom, Guess!

2010-06-06T14:50:00.001-06:00

Jaron, after lots of cutting and taping, ran into my bathroom and exclaimed . . .

"Hey mom! Guess what I am!" . . .

Me . . . "uh, a dinosaur? a scarecrow? a monster?"

All incorrect guesses.

"C'mon mom guess!"

Maybe these pictures will help you guess . . .

Any guesses?

A camouflaged tree trunk, of course!

The picture window

2010-05-24T20:18:00.003-06:00

These are the kinds of things that are frequently spotted out our back window (especially when kids think mom isn't paying attention) . . .

What is more fun than playing baseball naked with an upside down bat and a football!

Or how about this way to entertain yourself after school on a sunny spring day . . .

When I saw this out the window, I grabbed my camera and started snapping pictures . . .

This was the look he gave me when he realized I was watching . . .

"What mom? Look, I'm a monkey!"

Last day of being one

2010-05-18T16:53:00.005-06:00

This is how carson looked after dinner on his LAST DAY OF BEING ONE . . .

Turning 2 is a BIG DEAL!

So, of course, after his bath we did lots of singing and candle blowing out practice for the big day . . .

Whoa . . . didn't see that coming!

2010-05-14T15:32:00.001-06:00

I can't believe I just had this conversation with my kindergarten attending 6-year-old boy.

"Mom, when will we get our cellphones?"
"Uhm, I have a cellphone--i just try not to use it much."
"No, mom, not yours, I mean OURS."
"YOUR cellphone?!?"
"Yeah, I'm just wondering when."
"You want a cellphone?"
"Well, I don't WANT one, just so, so, so many kids at school have one. I'm just wondering when will we get ours?"
"Uhm, I'm not sure. Your dad and I still have to talk about that."

Wow. I thought there were still several years before he'd even notice. In fact, I was crazy surprised to find out kids at his school have them.

So, what's your take on elementary school kids and cellphones? And I don't care about "social pressure or being cool or whatever" but your take on the practical aspect. Is it a great way to keep in touch/track of your kids ("like--I'll pick you up at the carpool lane instead of the walker door today" or "Sam's mom will pick you up" last minute changes) Or completely unnecessary and ridiculous, especially at such a young age (under 12)? I already know what I think, but am just curious as to what your take is. Chime in. I can't wait to read your comments.

Overheard at our house. . .

2010-05-13T11:19:00.004-06:00

(The boys at soccer practice with a tired looking Coach Ashley)

Overheard #1

Setting: Jaron, after falling and scraping his knee (bleeding) for the second soccer practice in a row,

said in total seriousness . . .

"Hum . . . Maybe I should just get a peg leg."

Overheard #2

Setting: Nathan is ALWAYS singing . . . while riding his bike, playing, cleaning, etc . He just sings songs he makes up, usually sharing his testimony. We ALWAYS know where Nathan is . . . inside or out.

(And now I know to make sure my camera is facing the right direction when making videos!)

Little Artist

2010-05-11T10:53:00.001-06:00

An artist lives at our house . . .

He was hard at work this morning.

And, like any good artist, he cleaned up his project.

Then, by this afternoon, he decided it was time for a new medium . . .

Then mom said it was time for a nap. She'd clean that one up herself.

A side note: don't look too closely, but a necessary requirement for good artwork is no underwear.

The adventure

2010-05-10T18:19:00.000-06:00

Today I . . .

gladly received flowers from my oh-so-handsome Nate-Pup;

ignored dishes and laundry and danced in the kitchen with little boys . . .

trying to hold on forever to their smiles, giggles, and little hands in mine;

snuggled and read books in a tent with the living room lights overhead as stars;

rollerbladed to Jaron's school, Carson in the stroller, Nathan on his bike

tried to run across the grass, in rollerblades, to catch Jaron's blowing away "must have to pick up your child" number . . . which ended unsuccessfully with grass stains on my jeans;

comforted a sick child with homemade apple pie;

and just relished in this adventure of motherhood.

Little boy heaven

2010-04-25T19:41:00.002-06:00

For a little boy who wants to be a fireman when he grows up, this day of preschool was paradise.

Take a look--his face says it all!

And because mom couldn't let Jaron miss out on the fun,

he stayed home from school to do this . . .

Nothing like real life hero's to make a kid's dream's come true!

2010-04-12T21:04:00.000-06:00

Tonight for FHE we took the kids to see this in 3D . . .

It was SO MUCH FUN!

The movie was great, but better yet was the boys' reaction to the 3D effects . . . and seeing how cute and nerdy they looked in those big 'ol thick, black plastic 3D glasses.

They were thrilled at how things kept popping out of the screen at them and even did a few of those duck -to-the-side moves and tried reaching out to grab stuff. Carson even did surprisingly well--making it through the first half our.

This was a rare treat for us (we did do matinee at the cheaper theater), but it was so worth it . . . one we'll repeat when the much anticipated Toy Story 3 comes out! It is so fun to share these kinds of moments with the boys especially as they are getting older and get into the stories more.

We asked Jaron if he liked it . . .

"Oh yeah! I want to watch it again and again when it is flat. You know--on one of those round things?"

Ahhh . . . those old fashioned DVD's??

overheard at our house. . .

2010-04-11T15:20:00.001-06:00

Nathan came home today from church with a missionary name badge and singing (over and over and over) to the right tune . . .

"I hope they call me on a mission, For ordinary and as do!
I hope they call me on a mission, For ordinary and as do!"

At least he's got the most important message of the song down . . .

A year ago . . .

2010-04-08T08:24:00.001-06:00

A year ago my boys looked like this . . .

Where does the time go? They are growing so quickly!

That is why today I am tuning totally out of everything . . . no computer, no phone, no email, no Relief Society, no preschool . . . ABSOLUTELY NOTHING

but my home and family.

The rest will be there tomorrow . . . but they will be a little bigger, a little older. So, today I'm going on strike against everything else. Today I am only going to be what I love best . . . mom.

Mommy's make-up

2010-04-07T21:32:00.001-06:00

My last post was about Carson's adorable angelic curls . . .

This morning, though, those curls where back to the usual toddler mischief.

I was putting on my make-up and turned around to see him applying my mascara. I was very impressed with what an expert job he did . . . but then he rubbed it with his hand and it turned into this . . .

He knew exactly what he was doing. He has also put lipstick on his lips before and tries to use hairspray. And yes . . . first thing in the morning his hair is less then adorable--he looks like a little Denis the Menace!

Melt your heart curls

2010-04-05T20:00:00.000-06:00

Carson has these curls that I just love . . . check these beauties out--don't they just melt your heart??

Here's a profile . . .

Yep, that's right . . . the top and front are straight as can be . . .

But . . .that face . . those cheeks. . . the eyes . . . he's just so dang adorable!

Thought I ought to show you that yes, sometimes he wears clothes and isn't ALWAYS into mischief . . . and why when he is, he has his mommy's heart wrapped around those little fingers.

BUT--you CANNOT imagine how hard it was to get photos of the back of this little guy's head!

. . . or maybe you can . . .

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T21:12:00.000-06:00

We had a wonderful Easter and conference weekend. I wish the two would always fall together! We woke up this morning to homemade cinnamon rolls and a table set with fancy china. On each plate was a picture of an event from the Savior's last week and resurrection. Before breakfast, each of us held up our picture and talked about that event. It was a really neat experience that we enjoyed so much we want to do it every year (which is why I had to write it down here--so we can remember it next year!).

The kids had a lot of fun opening the Easter basket sent from Grandma Karen then it was off to Grandma & Grandpa Hadfield's to listen to the prophet and have an in between sessions easter egg hunt.

Happy Easter from 3 adorable boys!!

Quicky Update

2010-03-26T13:30:00.000-06:00

It has been super busy around here, but here's a quicky update . . .

Carson LOVES hats . . . not just hats, but hats worn like this . . .

Perhaps that is why Nathan has started saying "Dude!" ALL the time. As in, "Hey, dude, let's go outside!" or "Dude, it's dinner time" or even, "Dude, I'm fast on my bike, dude" . . . and it was shortly after that last one that he had a bad accident and scraped up his forehead which has finally healed to look like this . . .

Jaron has discovered an online lego game that is very similar to pac-man and now is often seen like this . . .

We had a spring break that ended like this . . .

causing church to be canceled and melting that afternoon.

During that spring break Jonathan built this in the boys room . . .

A three level fort that is still a work in progress, but VERY popular.

And after 3 (yes THREE) spring break hair cuts I ended up with hair like this . . .

That looks like this in the back . . .

And . . . there's your short and sweet update!

overheard at our house. . .

2010-03-12T11:52:00.000-07:00

Setting: Nathan and a friend had just walked in from playing basketball, ready for lunch.

Mom: "Go wash your hands, sweaty boys."

In the bathroom I hear . . .
Friend: (laughing) "Your mom called us sweat boys!"
Nathan: (spoken very matter of fact-ly)"We are NOT sweaty boys! I am her little Angel. That's what she calls me!"

Yep. My sweet little angel. Love that kid!

Our new pet

2010-03-07T06:51:00.003-07:00

A few days before valentines, as the boys and I were walking out of the grocery store, A store manager gave my boys a GINORMOUS blow-up bear as a gift "for being so cute."

(In reality, they were changing their font soda display and we happened to walk by at the right time--

but he sure made the kids feel special!)

Nathan LOVES the thing. He calls it "little pet."
He brought it to Pet Day show and tell at preschool.

In fact, he loves it so much that it has become his new "snuggle" at night . . .

Sweet Dreams little pet!

Little Daddy

2010-03-07T06:38:00.001-07:00

While working in the Kitchen, I heard the cutest little singing and chatter coming from Carson so I carefully peeked into the playroom/preschool room and discovered Carson busy at work . . .

putting little babies to bed.

This blog would make you think that he is always destroying or climbing . . . although sometimes this seems true . . . he really is a sweet angel. A VERY SMART little boy who is full of curiosity as he tries to make sense of the world around him.

Texas Winter??

2010-03-05T09:35:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago we woke up to find this . . .

This is the view from the boys' bedroom window.

(yes . . . the ground might be covered with snow . . . but he still won't keep clothes on!)

We live in Dallas, Texas. This is NOT normal. Not expected. We usually rejoice if we get an inch and it is usually gone before noon.

But this time, the snow just kept coming . . .

and coming . . .

Until we reached record levels. This single snowfall became the most snow in one day in recorded Texas weather history (11 inches), made this not only the February with the most snow ever, but the winter with the most snow. . . and officially brought us out of a very long drought.

But most of all . . .

It made for a whole lot of fun and VERY HAPPY little boys!

So much snow in fact, everything closed down--

It was better than a Saturday or Holiday.

No expects you to do ANYTHING except be at home

With your family

In the snow.

Doing this . . .

Which led to this . . .

An enormous capture the toy hippopotamus family snowball fight . . . which eventually led to a tackle and snow wrestling event . . .

It was a BLAST!

But now . . . we are ready for Spring!

Carson has been here . . .

2010-03-03T14:17:00.000-07:00

We have this giant cold air return vent in our kitchen.

For months, Carson has been fascinated with it's ability to make objects disappear.

He has watched with fascination as his friend ate:

the contents of daddy's wallet,

mom's kitchen knifes

brother's legos

as well as a large variety of other items--

including car keys.

Usually I don't know what is in there

(he has learned to only feed his friend when no one is watching)

until I unscrew it to make a rescue.

A few Saturdays ago, he decided to fed his friend in the wall three chocolate cookies

(which he got by climbing up the kitchen counter, of course).

. . . but I didn't know this (although the chocolate smeared on his face and wall should have clued me in)

until later in the day when Carson decided to get a closer view of his friend . . .

He bent and tore the metal vent right off the wall!

Seriously . . . Can we say "Carson's been here?!?"

What season is this tree??

2010-03-03T13:51:00.001-07:00

The other day Nathan's little friends were over here and climbing a tree in our backyard. Can I just mention how thrilling that is? We finally have trees big enough for little boys to climb (key word. . . little boys) . . . one of those Texas benefits . . . trees grow fast here!

(Poor confused tree . . . some leaves have not turned brown yet, some have, some have fallen off, and then the new spring buds are starting!)

The boys scrambled up the fence and into the tree (don't worry--one of their mom's was with me watching). Then they climbed around to the other side and swung on the lower branches and jumped down. Nathan wanted to do it so badly. I helped him the first time and he was terrified. But true to Nathan's personality he was not to be discouraged. He spent all afternoon practicing. When Jaron came home, he was eager to teach his big brother.

After a few times, Jaron was done with it . . . but Nathan just kept practicing--because he really wanted to show his Dad when he got home from work.

When Jonathan walked in--Nathan was beaming with pride as he showed his dad his tree climbing trick.

I was proud of him for setting his mind to do something and working at it until he could really succeed. Way to go nate-pup!

Valentines

2010-02-28T19:59:00.001-07:00

Yes . . . its been almost a month . . . but at least I'm in the right year . . .

I love Valentines. It has gotten much less romantic and more of a really fun family holiday that the kids really get into.

We celebrated for an entire week over here--

love notes left all over the place,

"heart attacks" in lunch boxes,

hearts everywhere,

valentine treasure hunts,

heart cookies for neighbors,

lots of hugs, kisses & chocolate

and

all sorts of love-y stuff.

The final day of celebration involved a "fancy dinner."

What did the kids pick for our dinner menu?

Crepes, whip cream, lots of berries, bacon and orange juice. (Gotta love the fancy tastes of 4 & 6 year-olds!)

All served on Great-Grandma's China.

Here are my four adorable valentines:

Hope your valentines was wonderful too!

Rock Stars!

2010-02-28T19:54:00.001-07:00

Nathan has these buddies.

They have this thing for dressing up in each other's clothes.

Anytime they go to each other's house they play dress up with that child's clothes.

So the other day they come out of Nathan's room dressed like this . . .

Posing like "Rock Stars" and making rap like noises.

I was cracking up.

Especially after checking out Collin's shorts (on the left).

Those are Carson's church pants.

Yep. That's what happen when a five-year old rocks out in 18 month old pants!

STYLISH!

Tragedy

2010-02-28T18:53:00.003-07:00

A moment of silence.

Today our family experienced a great loss. When did this occur? After a very long night with kiddos, I fed Jaron and Carson a very early breakfast. After cleaning that up and realizing they were playing together happily, I snuck to my room to get a few more minutes of sleep in. It was, after all, 6 AM on Sunday morning.

A few moments later tragedy struck.

Carson, aka "monkey" or "the destroyer" had his sights set on one forbidden object. He used a chair and his incredible climbing skills to get that forbidden object. Once it was firmly in his grasp, he threw it to the ground. Tile. And it broke. Into pieces. Lots of pieces. Teeny, Tiny pieces. Okay--well, maybe not LOTS but the lens was destroyed into lots of pieces.

The item? My camera.

Jonathan just read this and told me the story is not complete. That I must include ALL the details. That I am missing a very important detail.

Okay . . . I'll confess . . . This loss was felt deeply. Once the pieces were gathered together, behind the closed door of my room I went into mourning. Tears were shed. Good-byes were said to a friend that I used almost daily. . . that faithful (although sometimes irksome) camera that has been in our family for almost five years.

Actually . . . ironically . . . it has been a part of our family ever since the camera before it faced the same fate by an almost 2-year old Jaron. Exactly the same age as Carson. Same kitchen. Same tile. Yes, it's true. And you would have thought I'd learn my lesson. I'm obviously a very slow learner.

Luckily I have quite the back log of pictures--so it will be a while until I catch up. But after that? It will probably be a very long time before there is a replacement--so I guess I'll keep writing and you'll have to use your imagination . . . and in the meantime, I'll try to do better at learning from life's lessons.

Benefits

2010-02-05T20:18:00.000-07:00

Here's one of the benefits of having an in-home preschool teacher for a mom . . .

Moundfulls of fresh kool-aid playdough. Jaron walked in the door, saw it on the counter and instantly couldn't wait to get his hands in it and it all over his hands!

The BIG day!

2010-02-04T09:44:00.003-07:00

The day has finally arrived.

The countdown to this incredible day started months ago.

So much anticipation and excitement has been building up . . .

This moment that has been discussed for weeks. . .

THE 100th DAY OF SCHOOL!!

In honor of the momentous occasion, each child was told to decorate a white t-shirt with 100 items of their choosing.

Anything they wanted.
100 of them.

Jaron . . . unsurprisingly choose . . .

100 dinosaur stickers.

He was so excited he could hardly sleep and woke up an hour earlier then usual this morning . . . full of great anticipation.

Happy 100th day!

Missing you!

2010-02-03T20:15:00.001-07:00

Today I'm really missing these girls . . .

Two of my best friends from high school. They both were here to visit a few months ago, and I loved it.

I miss the laughter . . . and the memories. (FYI Jaron was our photographer)

(that picture cracks me up . . . I sure hope I don't have that many chins in real life!)

But I think most of all, I miss the innocence of the time our friendship is based off of. We haven't seen each other in years, but when we got together it was like stepping back into those moments a dozen years ago when we could just laugh and talk and the most stressful things we had to deal with was an upcoming calculus test or figuring out who was going to be our next date victim. So much has changed since then. Our lives have taken each of us down separate paths. It's no longer talk of "what it will be like when . . ." because we are there. We are grown up. We are the moms. The wives. The homemakers. The leaders.

Life has thrown each of us different curve balls that we never could have imagined when we dreamed of the future. But I am eternally grateful for the friendships we built then that carried me through and shaped me into a better person. These girls and the other friends we grew up helped me build my testimony and strengthened my love for the gospel. It was through our friendship, the things we experienced together. and our incredible church leaders and teachers that really shaped me into who I am today.

I have the best memories of our days together. I hope that my children can have friends like these to help them through their teen years.

Here's to innocence, laughter, good examples and the best kind of friends.

Love, Love, Love

2010-01-30T19:50:00.001-07:00

Picture of the day . . .

Except it was taken in November (how's that for being behind?). Poor little Carson had been so sick . . . we had been spending the last several days and nights in this position. Doesn't he just have such a miserable look on his face? Love that kid!

Overheard at our house. . .

2010-01-29T21:06:00.000-07:00

Setting: Jaron has just gone into his room to get in bed when I hear:

Jaron: "Uuugggh! . . . I do NOT treat my bed this way!"

Much to Jaron's dismay, Nathan had tossed his shoes onto Jaron's bed.

It made me laugh because we often say things like, "Boys, this is not how we treat the furniture" or "Boys, that is not how we treat your little brother." . . . Now I just wonder where he gets his tone of exasperation??

Lego's

2010-01-28T15:58:00.000-07:00

We LOVE legos at our house. And by we, I mean Jaron and Nathan love to build with them, Carson loves to throw their creations on the floor and watch them explode, as for me? It's complicated. Lego's and I have a love-hate relationship. I love the creativity and hours of enjoyment it brings the boys . . . but am still trying to figure out the perfect storage solution . . . ideas??

Here's Jaron's latest creation. Thayden--these pictures are for you. He wanted me to make sure and get all the sides so you can see what it looked like. Enjoy!

Lellow-Lellow-Lellow

2010-01-27T15:55:00.000-07:00

Carson has a new BFF . . . . .

His name is Lellow-Lellow-Lellow (said very quickly . . . so it sounds like yodeling) and yes, he's a tape measurer.

They first met up on Saturday and have been inseperatable since. We are talking snuggling at night, car companion and even at the table during meal times. If Lellow-Lellow-Lellow isn't in site Carson has a serious melt down. Inseperatable. Best Friends Forever!

PS--Any tips for getting little fingerprints off of my camera lense? That's why the pictures are so blurry in the middle. I'd love some tips. Obviously "mommy's camera is not a toy" isn't working. :)

Overheard at our house. . .

2010-01-23T00:29:00.000-07:00

Setting: Jonathan is tucking Jaron in for the night

Jaron: Dad, our family love is as big as the universe!
Dad: It sure is!
Jaron: Uhm . . .Dad? How big is the universe?

So sweet. I love my boys! I really enjoy this age when they are just so full of love and want to share everything with us. I know Jaron is slowly getting more and more independent and things will be changing as he is getting older. Right now, though, I am cherishing the endless hugs, kisses, and "family love" moments.

Mr. Charming

2010-01-20T09:08:00.004-07:00

Carson is at such a fun age! I love it! He is talking more and more and working so hard at making sense of the world around him. I love playing with him and just watching him. Personally, I think he is completely adorable.

Last night at the movies (we took the kids to the matinee showing of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs at the dollar theater--how's that for cheap?) Carson had decided he had enough. He and I ended up playing hide and seek and other non-theater appropriate games in the hall. Every once in a while he'd suddenly stop make huge kiss-y lips and come running right at me for some lovin'. If I tried to open the theater door he'd start moaning loudly. We had so much fun together--I loved it.

At our ward Christmas Party--he also charmed my friend by playing peek-a-boo with her camera.

Where were this child's parents while he rolled around on the ground looking adorable?

Each assuming the other was with him of course!

Overheard at our house. . .

2010-01-19T09:07:00.001-07:00

You know you are raising children in digital age when you hear this . . .

Setting: Nathan and his friend are playing Dinosaurs
Friend: "Oh no! T-rex is hurt!"
Nathan: "Quick! Go to 911.com! It's an emergency!"

If you recall from this post we have been emphasizing calling 911 in an emergency. . .hum. . . looks like we need a little more emphasis on the CALL part.

A few moments later I served the dinosaurs some toast. Nathan takes a bite and with admiration in his voice says, "Yum! . . . My mom makes the BEST toast!" Oh. . . if only he'd stay this easy to please!

Swashbuckler

2010-01-07T21:52:00.002-07:00

Well--here I am dipping my toes back into the blogging waters . . . not sure how much more of this I'll be doing. The reason for my absence? Basically trying to juggle my new calling as Relief Society president, being a homemaker & preschool teacher, while, most importantly, focusing on the important message in this fantastic short video:

Isn't that great? I love Mormon Ads! When I saw this--I knew I had to share it! I love it!

The Staiger Star

Thoughts on Dr Martin Luther King

32 weeks

Waving Hi

Dear Santa . . .

Hilarious Hair Day

Overheard at our house . . .

Favorite time of day . . .

25 weeks

Fun with Bubbles

My little girl . . .

Serious Talent . . .

23 weeks

Perfect afternoon

22 weeks/5 months

Transformations . . .

Overheard/Overseen

Sundays . . .

The Dance

Sunday picture

1st day of school

8-8-2011

8 weeks

Mother's Tea

Little Miss Sunshine

Loved this . . .

My Sweet Date

FHE treats daddy style

An Easter Princess

My not so little brother visits . . .

Multitasking?!?

(almost) skinny dipping . . .

The new big brother

2 weeks

Playing Dress-up

True love

First pictures

Janessa Elda Staiger

*CALM* after school activity?!?

FHE or sister?

Nothing Better

Overheard at our House

Overseen at our house

Carson and Dogs

Saturday and Headaches

Winter Weather part 1

Overseen at our house

Sunday afternoon entertainment

Congratulations Jaron!

The incredible $0.01 make-over!

My Christmas Present

Overheard at our house . . .

Overheard on our radio . . .

Confession

Overheard at our house. . .

The moment Jaron has waited for!

Naptime

Overseen at our House: Texas Thunderstorms

Treehouse

Coming to our House . . .

Big OOPS!

First Day of School

Carson & I

Overheard: Daddy BIlls

Mozart and Beethoven

One of my favorite things

Mom, Guess!

The picture window

Last day of being one

Whoa . . . didn't see that coming!

Overheard at our house. . .

Little Artist

The adventure

Little boy heaven

overheard at our house. . .

A year ago . . .

Mommy's make-up

Melt your heart curls

Happy Easter!

Quicky Update

CALM after school activity?!?