5.29.11: This week #3

This week's lesson: Really there wasn't one but I'll try to make something up...families are fun? Which is true, but I already knew that. I've always had a pretty awesome family and now I have several awesome families (the one I grew up, the one I married into, and the one I live with).

Anyway, on to the play-by-play of my week:

For the first part of the week, I tried to look on the bright side of things. I discovered that: the more it rains the smaller my water bill and the longer and hotter I can justify my shower being. Obviously, the weather still was not in my favor and I even threatened to break up with it. I did, however, persist in running even on the gloomy days--and only got rained on for the last mile of my run on Monday so things worked out. In fact I felt so good running, that I overdid it on Monday and Tuesday. By Wednesday I had to walk part of the way home, and Thursday I decided that my pelvic floor muscles just needed a break, so Rex and I did some yoga instead. Really, Rex did it with me. On Friday I did a short, slow run and now I'm feeling much better and am ready for the Provo 6th ward 2nd Annual Memorial Day 5k run/bike/walk tomorrow morning.

Other good things: I found a super good deal on brand new cloth diapers for Baby Alice and then my friend Amy found me another good deal so I'm almost set in the diaper department. I still need a few more things for my new cloth-diapering adventure. You may check them out at my Amazon wish list here--sly I know. My same friend Amy found me another good deal on carpet cleaning--3 rooms and a hall way for $35. Sweet. All-in-all she saved me about $150 this week--if I were really nice and rich, I'd give her that money, but I'm neither so I won't.

By Friday, I had pretty much forgotten how crappy my previous two weeks had been. I finally (I know two weeks really isn't that long, but it sure did feel like it) have a handle on my school work and only spend most of my free time doing that.

On Monday while I was in class, Greg and Rex built a fort in the living room that just came down last night (Saturday), and that was only because Greg built a new fort. Rex spent most of the week in the fort. He ate in the fort; he played in the fort; he read in the fort; he even tried (unsuccessfully) to sleep in the fort. He loved it.

Friday night, Greg and I finally got to go on a date--it feels like forever (again only 2 weeks) since we've been on date. Greg was so kind as to take me shopping and help me find a dress for Emma's wedding. He insists that not only does he enjoy spending time with me, but he likes shopping with me because he likes to see me try on all the different clothes. I'm going to choose to believe that he's telling the truth--and even if he's lying, isn't that sweet of him to lie?

Anyway, after looking online and whining and complaining a lot about not being able to find a dress, Greg picked this one out. And if you'll notice, it's not orange. It's black. But I have some pretty orange beaded jewelry and I plan to buy an orange cardigan and maybe even a little flower to put in my hair. I think it will work.

A side note on why finding a dress was so hard: I'm fat. I thought it was because I just couldn't find anything, as in there literally was not a single orange dress in the entire world. But the fact of the matter is is that there are plenty of orange dresses; I just didn't feel cute or even presentable in any of them because of my recently increased size. In fact, I didn't even like this dress, but Greg did so I bought it, besides, it was on sale. I've tried it on a few times since and have decided that for a maternity dress, it's pretty sexy and with my hair done, I will look nice.

After Rex went to bed on Friday, I again began doing homework, and Greg pondered. And then decided that he needed to build Rex a new cardboard fort to accompany the cardboard house that's been in my living room for over a year now. So off Greg went in search of boxes. It was about 10:30 pm. He decided to go to Wal-Mart because they restock around 11 pm. I stayed home, watched me some Desperate Housewives, and worked on my research paper. Around midnight, I get a call from Greg. I was beginning to wonder what was taking so long anyway, and he said he had locked his keys in his car and wanted me to bring him a spare. But even though Rex was asleep, I didn't want to leave him while I drove to Springville and back. What to do? What to do? Married people (except us) go to bed around 11 pm and most of our siblings went home for the summer, except Noah who was working. Luckily, my cousin Calvin was still awake and was kind of enough to bring his date over to our house while I sped to take a spare key to Greg. I got home around 1 am and went to bed. Greg went back to Wal-Mart to obtain even more boxes.

Saturday we went on a family date. Greg planned the whole thing. First we went to the aquarium in Sandy, which we hadn't been to since Rex's first birthday. We thought Rex would love watching the penguins, since his favorite show is Pingu, which is about a clay-mation penguin. He watched the real Pingu's for about 2 minutes.

But Rex also got to drive a boat in the section about Utah's wetlands.

He got to pet a sting ray--he didn't actually pet it--he just stuck his hands in the water and then pulled them out every time the sting rays came by, but he thought it was fun anyway.
He even posed next to an emperor penguin cutout. I hadn't realized how big penguins are.
After the aquarium, Greg treated us to The Mayan--it's one of those gimmicky restaurants that has cliff divers and rainstorms. If you were to eat a meal while on the Indian Jones ride, that's The Mayan. Rex thought it was pretty cool at first and was amazed at the divers. And then the simulated thunder storm started...and he started to cry. Like a lot. His daddy held him for a while, but that didn't help. He kept pointing to the exit and saying "Home. Home." But we hadn't even gotten our food yet so I took Rex down to the lobby to recover. Greg came and got us when our food arrived. Rex was anxious still. And then more anxious. And then he was screaming again. And we could not comfort him. So we got boxes, paid the check and left.

Once we got to the car, and for the rest of the day, and even this morning, all Rex could talk about was the restaurant. "Dark Mommy. Jump. Rex sad." He just kept repeating it. Apparently we traumatized him.

He fell asleep in the car but didn't stay asleep long once we got home so Rex and I walked to the library for the summer reading kick off while Greg ran some errands and then met us at the library. We all signed up to read. Rex already put stickers on two of his boxes. Greg and I, well...not so much.

After the library we got Daddy Juice (slurpies) and went to the park. Then we came home. Rex and I read and made dinner while Greg finished up his errands. Then Greg and Rex built a new fort (as mentioned). We ate dinner, and then we all got in the fort and watched a movie. It was lovely.

Then today we went to church. Rex was very good during Sacrament and only left our row once when Daddy got up to get some Tylenol. During the actual Sacrament, Rex sat on his own chair with his arms folded and eyes closed and kept saying, "Fader, AMEN!" (He was praying). He even only took one piece of bread, and drank his water quickly and put it back in the tray without sharing with any of the other cups. He was amazing.

After nap time, Greg and Rex watched some YouTube and read while I made dinner. Then we ate together as a family (one of my personal favorite things). Then I did dishes while the boys played with Greg's new iPad in the fort. Then we called Papa and Grandma on Skype, played Find the Sheep, Hide-and-Seek, made cookies, sang songs, and now Rex is knocking on his door asking to come out. We are ignoring him.

So this week's lesson: families are fun. Couple date nights and family dates are the highlight of my week. I just can't get enough of my cute little family.