Merlin, I Just Swallowed a Bug

I had an interesting experience tonight. We have our sub leaser living with us the last week we are here. his American name is Richard. He is really nice. i say his American name because he is Korean. we took him to the Korean market tonight to get some food that would make him feel more at home. he wanted me to try these.

If you can't tell they are bugs. well, silk worm larva. apparently Koreans eat them all the time and josh had them several times in Korea. I didn't want to try them but Richard insisted. By the way, it took us a while to convince Isa to get that close to them.

This is a picture of me right before i ate it.

Of course i had josh video tape this since it will NEVER happen again. Click here.

My Shadow Is Buff

i was feeling rather portly the other day and decided to go running. I didn't go for the reason most people would think of. i didn't go because logically you can lose weight if you exercise. i ran because i knew it was 5:30 and the sun was low in the sky. on my route this would stretch my shadow out so i would look very tone for the whole run. i am deeply into tricking my mind. i really do start to think by the end of the run that that is really how i look. it is amazing how a shadow really smooths out all the not quite so perfect spots on your body. usually that and not the actual physical exercise makes me feel good. kind of weird huh?

The Big 100!

i wasn't going to name this post that but when i logged in i saw that this was 100. i now realize how fitting this post is since it is about Isabella and that updates on Isabella is what this blog has turned into.

i thought it would be fun to show everyone the progress Isa is making in her preschool group. before she started she couldn't write and didn't know any letters. i hope this doesn't end up being really boring.


First we have a little find the difference. she really loves these and is really good at them. i was afraid this would be a little hard since they are the same animal but she finished in about 30 seconds.


She had a little more trouble with this but got the hang of it after the first one.

We had a lot of fun doing this one. she only needed my help a couple of times.


She is doing really well with her letters as well.


She really likes the letter K because the word kite starts with it and she loves kites.

Before she did this one she usually wrote her A's upside down. she still writes her name backward though but that isn't a big deal for about two more years.

My Celebrity Look-alikes

My cool celebrity look-alike collage from MyHeritage.com. Get one for yourself.
i did one of isa for fun. note her lowest % is still higher then my highest. and she got more pretty girls. figures.

i copied josh and did a profile .


so this is the one i got the first time. i realized i could select a layout with more people and ran it again and got this one. just a bit different. several new ones and the % changed.



then i tried a new picture and got this. in this round i had about 5 asians. i never realized until now what it was that really attracted josh to me.

As i was running yesterday i ran past someone who was walking home from class. when i reached them they looked up and said, "good job". i wondered why. i was after all running down hill. after a few minutes it occurred to me that i was the only person running.

i have been running three times, including yesterday, when there hasn't been anyone else running. the first was a day it rained and we had a home football game. the second was during a windy snowstorm when the temp was in single digits and then yesterday during a cold rain/sleet. i also had a neighbor say i must be pretty intense to run in this weather. when i got home i told josh and his response was, "what should you do, take the day off?"

it is just funny because i have tried to get people in the ward to run with me but they wont go because i am to "intense". the thing is i don't go fast. to them i am intense because i run every other. i always chuckle when they tell me this because i know exactly how relaxed i am compared to most runners.



cute isa

My Girl

I told isabella to put her pajamas on tonight and she started whining. She said she couldn't do it but I knew she could because she has every toher night. I got out her pajamas for her and went to do this dishes. I then heard her starting to whine and cry. It would get ouder toward the end so I knew she was trying to force what ever she was doing to work. We have really been trying to get her to ask for help when she needs it instead of crying and screaming so I didn't go in. This went on for a few minutes and finally stopped so I figured she was dressed. I went into her room to say prayer and this is what I saw.



She was pretty upset when I came in and didn't want me to take any pictures but when I told her how cute she looked she agreed.




After the first two pictures she got tired of waiting for me to help and started pulling at it again.


I feel bad but a laughed pretty hard.

Isabella's First Day of School

I realize that this post might look like a copy of Matt's but is just so happens we both put our kids in preschool at the same time.

A wonderful French women in our ward invited Isabella to join a preschool co-op that her and some other mothers are doing. Isabella would be the youngest though and they wanted to make sure she could focus for the full two hours of preschool. She had a trial day last Friday and her first official day today. She really likes it and better yet her friend Eva is in the school as well.

I am very impressed with this preschool. They really focus on learning with fun activities. After each preschool day the mother in charge emails the other mothers telling them their child's strengths and weaknesses. I'm sure Isabella will be able to thrive both socially and academically. Plus it gave me opportunity to take these cute pictures.


Isabella was also asked to give the scripture in primary for the first time. She was pretty nervous but she did a great job. Here is a family picture to mark the event.

My Kid

I went into our bathroom to get ready for bed a minute ago and as i was brushing my teeth I looked down. That is when I saw it. A cup filled with what appeared to be a yellow liquid. First I thought it was some leftover juice. Then I remembered we haven't had any juice for days. I then smelled it and realized what it was. That's right.....pee. My child had taken a cup we drink out of and peed in it. I asked her about this and her response was "I just like to."

I knew this would gross josh out so I went to show him. I just walked up and told him to look in the cup. I got the desired reaction of him closing his eyes and trying to compose himself. I told him what it was and this is what he said.

Josh: Why would she do that?

Me: I guess because you just took her to the doctor and they have her pee in a cup.

Josh: All I have to say is she better be a genius.



Isa in the snow.


A cute picture from the past.

Happy Birthday!!!

I know that by the time Matt reads this it wont be his birthday anymore. Darn that time change! I figure he will appreciate it anyway. We miss you. Hope you had a great day! See you soon. Becareful:)

A glance at the past.

The Real Album

So I thought I would finish my post on a recent album I purchased. I hope those of you who aren't fans will still listen to the album even after I tell you all the music on the soundtrack was picked by Zach Braff. After hearing what Josh thinks of him I get the feeling that most guys don't really like him.

I bought this album for three reasons. First, we had been out shopping for hours and still hadn't bought anything. Second, I think soundtracks are a safe bet when you don't know the music on them because every song is different so if you don't like one band then you know the whole CD doesn't sound like that. Last, Zach Braff seems like a cool guy. Like someone I would enjoy hanging out with so I figured he probably had decent taste in the music I like. Plus I think he is cute in a dorky way so no bashing or I might have to sensor.

The album is The Last Kiss. It is the soundtrack to a movie of the same title. It just came out and I haven't seen it. I have read all about the movie though so I pretty much don't need to see it. It is really a remake of a 2001 Italian film called L'Ultimo bacio. From what I read the American version ends a lot happier which anyone who knows me knows I prefer.

Anyway, I really enjoyed the album. It does have some light pop music on it like almost every other soundtrack. I did enjoy the album as a whole though. I had actually only heard on of thesongs before. Most of them are mellow and some get stuck in your head and never seem to leave. I liked the fact that even though there were a few popular bands on the CD I had never heard of most of them before. I guess that is why I liked it so much. I really hate when you get a CD and all of the songs on it were singles on the radio so I am already sick of it. I also really like music that doesn't have a busy, loud sound. I prefer it to be more acoustic. This CD has a bit of both so it suits my every mood. I don't know. I am not much of a music critic. Either I like it or I don't. I'm not sure what makes me like it. I just know I want to hit the repeat button.

Great Album

josh and i were out shopping so we could spend some christmas money. i was having trouble .

nevermind. i actually can't even think right now. i'm wonder if this happens to alot of people. you know, when you can't even keep a straight thought in your head. it makes you feel a little crazy. but i don't even have time to think i'm crazy before that thought moves on making room for the next loudest. i just feel like i am rocking back and forth, back and forth. like if i keep doing that my mind will slow down. it never does though. i wonder why that is?

have you ever tried to cry. i mean really tried. it isn't very easy. usually you have to think if something sad which defeats the purpose. i try to cry to relieve stress or whatever and if i think of something sad then it just adds to my crappy feeling. i wonder why that is. i mean if you feel bad then you should be able to cry but it is like you are physically incapable.

i like to sit really still. that feels nice. it's weird because i don't get tired when i do that. it just feels good.

music feels good too. i like how it sounds but it is like i can feel it. not all music. it depends on my mood. it feels like a drug. i can feel my muscles relax and get warm.

i wonder what other people think. you see on tv all the time how that happens to someone and they go kind of crazy. i don't think it would bother me. i just wonder if i annoy them as much as they annoy me. i would assume yes.

why don't people just say what they mean? i think it would suck at first but then we would all get used to it and you wouldn't have to figure out what people really mean.

some people make me tingle. not in a sexual way. when i see them or talk to them i feel something. i wonder why?

isabella'a wishes

i thought this one was cute.


thought i would give a cute shot with all the girls. well, danielle is hiding.


i have made a wish list for isabella on target.com and amazon.com. just in case any of you wanted to get her something but were wondering what to get her. i couldn't get any one site that had everything so i had to do two. they are either under isabella's name or mine.

childhood

when i was a kid my mom had these tapes we would listen to to teach you things and build your self esteem and such. i enjoyed listening to them. i realized fairly quickly that most kids never listened to these tapes.

ok, i was watching tv. there is a new movie coming out with gob bluth where he is in prison.
i didn't think much of it until the end of the preview. there is this clip where he is sitting on the floor of his cell crying and his cell mate looks at him really annoyed. he then says this: "it's alright to cry. crying lets the sad out of you".

my head pops up when i hear this and i look at josh who gives me that blank stare i got so many other times when i told people about those tapes. what i want to know is this. how many of you know this quote/song?

Haircut

The other day after I trimmed her bangs Isabella came up up me and said "Mommy, if you keep cutting my hair it will be short like Daddy's."

Isabella and I have been having quite a few battles about her hair. If she even sees me with a brush she starts to cry and I am very gentle. I asked her if she wanted a haircut and she gave me several answers. In the end she decided no. That is until we were able to open the video of Stella drawing on the sidewalk. When I asked Isabella if she wanted short hair like Stella she immediately said yes. I thought if she was going to let me cut her hair I would try learning how to layer. In the end she only got about 1/2 inch of layers but I didn't want to really screw up and make her hair really short. I wasn't happy but didn't want to go any shorter for now. Isabella and josh like it though so I guess that's good.

I was trying to take a picture from the side but at the last minute she turned.





Here is a side shot.




Watching Fantasia




One more smiley.




I'm sad to say that we lost this hat in park city last Saturday. we haven't told Isa yet. It was her favorite.

Boring

I have decided that my life here is unbelievably boring. Isa and I go to the library every other week and do the laundry at least once a week. Other than that she doesn't see other kids much. Well, church I guess but in Boone we were always going somewhere. It's not that I am sitting at home thinking about how great it would be to have more friends. I don't really care. I actually prefer to be alone. I know, I know, it's not "healthy". It's just that I have friends, great friends and I don't really want more. I know there are people who want me to blossom and realize how great it is out here. Here is the thing. It's not. The only people I really get along with are people who hate it here too. Even then all we talk about is how annoying it is here.

I am perfectly content to sit at home and clean or read. On an up note our house has never been cleaner. I only go out when Isabella starts to freak out. That is my only driving factor. Even though I want to stay inside I can't make Isa. She loves to be outdoors and with other kids so I try to go and take her somewhere as often as I can.

I guess the bottom line is that people try and tell me that I should get out and do things so I will feel better. The thing is I don't feel bad. I think I should but I don't. I only feel bad when I go out.

Here Dad.

Halloween and Everything

I have quite a few pictures to put on here. I didn't really want this blog to become just pictures of our life but it has been made clear by those who will remain nameless that that is what is wanted. So here.

Better pictures of me with my bangs.




Isabella has been practicing her bike. She is really adorable with her helmet on.



We also had our ward costume carnival tonight. My downstairs neighbor convinced me to sign up for the pumpkin carving contest when the list came to us on Sunday and then she didn't even sign up. Oh, well we had fun carving them. Josh did strongbad and Isabella picked a profile of homestar runner for ours. Well, I have never won anything in my life so I wasn't really investing anything in the contest but everyone loved it. I actually won first place out of like 12 pumpkins. I am super excited about it! Here is a pic josh took.


Here is Isabella with both pumpkins. Josh's kind of fell over.

They did costume contests for everyone. Here are some of the kids. Eva is the unicorn. The alligator is Caleb and the pumpkin is Jackson. All the kids were adorable.


Isabella really loves this little boy named Gordon. He is two years old and really sweet. It's not that he doesn't like Isabella it's just that she really really likes him and I think it freaks him out a bit. Anyway, Isa wanted a picture of them all dressed up. This picture was taken right after he had his picture taken with his cousin for 15 very loud minutes.



We also had our first snow so I went outside and got Isa a big bowl of snow which she loved.

Here is a cute one of Isa reading the comics that I couldn't resist putting in.

Pics

Isabella really wanted a picture of us. this is the first glimps at my new bangs. i will post better pictures later. i haven't had bangs in 11 years. it is an adjustment.


I got some cute new shirts while we were at the mall. i like the elephants.


We took isa to buy a new outfit for dog. she has been doing a great job potty training so we wanted to give her a special treat. she picked a pajama set with hello kitty on it with matching panties. she carried her around the mall all night. she even took her down the slide at the play area. we didn't know until tonight that dog was a girl. she keeps calling her a him though. i think she said dog was a girl so she could get a pink outfit.

Another cute one.


Isabella took this one of dog herself.

foley

democrats use bookmarks. republicans like to bend over pages.

how do you know when it is bedtime at mark foley's house? the big hand is on the little hand.

Happy Birthday!!!

Happy birthday Appy!!!

We miss you bunches. love you two.



Another one for good measure




ok, maybe one more