Happy Birthday Yousef!!

My little angel boy is 5 years old! Can't I slow this down or put my kids on freeze for a brief moment? They are growing up tooooo fast!! Yousef, of course is thrilled to be five. His birthday fell on game day so everybody was going to come watch my little swinger but we got rained out so we reconvened at the house for dinner and a snake rice cripies "cake". Yousef decided to have a jungle theme this year. And he is my wild little animal!! Yousef is very active and loves to wrestle, jump, run, do donkey kicks, dance, and play with whomever is about and approximately his age - whether he knows them yet or not. He loves music and dancing so when a rockin' tune comes on a movie, I'll see him look around to see if anyone is looking and then he'll start a-boogying. He sees everyone as a potential friend and loves to play. It doesn't matter if he knows them yet or not. Surely they want to have fun with him. He is a really great brother to Ammon - they hate to be separated from each other. Yousef loves to learn and has a great memory. He will ask what a word means and begin using it from then on. Including foreign words. Yousef loves reading books and is great at making connections. He applies Book of Mormon stories in our everyday life. Of course, part of the reason he loves the Book of Mormon is because of all the swords, fighting, and bloodshed. Sad but true, as hard as I try to talk about not hurting others and how violence is not a good answer, my boy loves swords and the like. I don't know....
Yousef is quite a ham and I see a great future in the theater for him! He went to his friend Benjamin's Mario party and came home doing an Italian accent with hand gestures and all, "Luigi, canna you bringa me some more spaghetti?" The other day he leaned against the wall in a James Dean/GQ kind of pose and said, "Mom, do I look cool?" I told him that he did indeed look cool and he replied, "Do you know why? Because when I was still in heaven before I came here I said to Jesus, 'Will you send me down there with some cool?'" Ha! There I was in the pre-mortal life asking for as many challenges as possible and he asked for "cool"! He is one smart cookie! His primary teacher said that last week they told the 4 and 5 year olds that they were going to talk about when Jesus calmed the sea. Yousef proceeded to tell them the whole story and then when they were going to act it out, he wanted nothing to do with the streamers for the storm or the active roles, he wanted to be Jesus. He slept quietly in the back of the boat until his disciples awakened him and then he rebuked the storm and told it to "Be still"! On the Mother's Day the children sang in Sacrament Meeting the chorister had to stop him from hamming it up 3 different times and then he applauded after they and Linda finished their song. I just know his teachers at school and I are going to have a lot of talks! Buckle your seat belts!!
I really love this little guy - he keeps me on my toes, keeps me laughing, has some good spiritual sense, and is a great kid!! I'm one lucky mom!! Happy Birthday to my big boy!

My Brave Little Guy!!

Sweet little Ammy had an itsy bitsy bruise-like thing on his back when he was born. It was about 1 cm. His doctor sent us to see a neurosurgeon at Primary Children's Medical Center who figured it was a hemangioma - mass of blood vessels - that would get bigger for a year and then go down. The MRI seemed to confirm that. It sure did get bigger but it never bothered Ammon. His bump was just part of him. The problem was it never went down - in fact it seemed to get just a little bigger and began hardening aroung the edges. We decided to remove it and low and behold it turned out to be a benign fibrous hammertoma - a tumor. It would have just kept getting bigger so it was good we removed it but it was quite an adventure!
The day before his surgery we went in for a final check and the plastic surgeon suggested a new procedure to help keep him from bleeding too much and having to have a blood transfusion. Basically they put him out and inject him with an alcohol solution that burns up/cauterizes, something like that the blood vessels. It sounded kind of scary to me! I asked what would happen if the solution went into other blood vessels. The radiologist said if it got into his spine he would be paralyzed. Aaah! But they do a test first to see where the blood flows. So they decided he needed to start a fast and come back a few hours later for that procedure, spend the night at the hospital and then have the surgery the next day.
When Ammon came out of surgery with his big Zorro cut across his little back, I felt so horrible! I was sure I had done a cruel thing to my little angel boy! It was so big and some of the skin was black and the doctor was afraid it wouldn't make it. It did die but our great plastic surgeon Dr. Sidiqi, was able to cut out the dead skin and pull the healthy skin together without doing difficult procedures like he thought might be necessary. I account this to many prayers and fasting from our loved ones on Ammon's behalf. I'm so thankful for priesthood blessings and lots of faith. We had so much comfort, support and Ammy was so good-natured through all of it. Amm had a hard time getting back to himself and believe it or not, my boy who wants to munch constantly, wasn't interested in eating or drinking much of anything. So what we thought was going to be one night ended being 5 days in the hospital! But truthfully, it wasn't that bad. Primary's is such a great hospital! They treated us so well and the nurses and aides were really kind and supportive! Ammon was an amazing little trooper! The aides or nurses would come in and he'd hold out his little baby arm for the "doctor hug" (blood pressure cuff)and he was always pleasant and took his medicine so well. And the whole time he was healing - the whole month of April - and going through one procedure after another, he did what was asked, stayed postitive and brave, and took good care of his stuffed animals who also had sore backs and needed tender loving care!
We are grateful to Drs. Riva-Cambrin and Sadiqi and all the nurses, aides, staff at Primary Children's. Our family and friends who called and visited and facebooked gave us strength and love that at least I really needed and appreciated. We didn't come home until Easter day and Mark and Jodi and the kids brought the boys Easter baskets, and Judy and Debbie did too and then when we drove up to our home the Bergstrom Bunnies had visited us and spoiled us!! It's so wonderful to have so many kind and loving people in our life! What would we do without all of you??

T-ball = HILARIOUS!!!

T-ball is a riot!! Tonight Yousef, my almost 5 year old, had his first t-ball game. Mind you he has never even been to a practice and he just wanted to play because last summer he had his first taste of whacking that ball and he loves hitting the ball with me. Come on - who doesn't love that thrill of connecting with the ball and feeling the force of your swing sending that ball flying?!? But the poor kid has never practiced catch or even seen a baseball game, let alone run through the bases to home. So he hits his first ball on the baseball diamond and just stands there. Everybody is yelling for him to run so he speeds off straight down the middle of the field. Then everyone is yelling for him to go to first and he just runs in circle because what in the heck is first??! Finally he gets there and when it's time to run to the next base we have more of the same. Then instead of heading for third he's running to outfield! I was laughing so hard! He looked so dang cute in his baseball shirt and helmet running all over the place! The next time he was on first I look out there and he's entertaining the kid who's guarding first with his Mario impression, "Luigi, getta me some spaghetti" (in his Italian accent). Later he is supposed to be catching on third. A little kid hits the ball five feet and Yousef runs and scoops it up and throws it to first base. Two other parents and I are cheering for him, "Way to hustle Yousef!!" "Good job little guy!" and Yousef turns to us, takes off his baseball cap, does a big sweep of his arm, and takes a grand bow! It was hilarious! The coach is cracking up and the lady next to me asks, "Is he always a character?" Oh yes, and if he never learns to play baseball, at least he can offer some entertainment for the crowd!!!

OW!

I must miss my acting days because I just did something stupid straight out of the movies! I was pulling on a shirt, talking on the phone and quickly heading to the back door to tell my kids to come back inside when I didn't notice the stupid McDonald's toy sitting maliciously on the stairs. Curse those Happy Meals!! I stepped on the penguin full on which caused me to do the not so nifty stunt of falling down the stairs, swearing into the phone and landing in much pain!! Wah! Bottom of my foot bruised, knee all scraped up, arm scraped, calf and shin - a mess of purple, screaming pain and other foot bruised! Honestly!! The other day I fell off a little people chair when I was trying to install a basketball hoop and covered my rather large thigh with a humongous bruise! Not long before that I tripped on my brother's step and banged up my other knee and elbow with road rash. Seriously - I'm a glutton for pain lately. The upside of today...my cute sons came running to me when I was writhing in pain and crying my little eyes out today, not sure if I could get up. Ammon hugged me, Yousef ran and got me a bandaid and a toy to play with. Then Ammon went and got his power tools so he could fix me and Yousef laid down on the floor next to me and said, "Let's just lay here for a bit." He got really quiet and said, "I feel sad for you Mom." It's important to be loved and pampered when you get hurt! I love my boys!!

My Skull Hates Music

I like to expose my kids to as large of a variety of activities as I can on a limited (basically non-existant) budget. The public library is great for this! We've gone to puppet shows, performing dog shows, storytime, plays, live history shows, and a variety of music concerts. Tonight Doc Young was performing at Whitmore Library. He plays banjo, mandolin, harmonica, and guitar. Yousef was in no mood to go to a concert tonight and said he absolutely did not want to go. I made him go anyway. As we pulled into the library he said, "Mom, why do you like music so much?" I replied, "It makes my soul happy." Sullenly he complained, "Well it makes my skull angry! I hate music!!" I told him that it was so sad he didn't like music anymore since he used to love it and was always singing and dancing. During the first song Yousef ran back excutedly and informed me, "Mom, he's playing without a radio or anything - just his guitar!! Cool!" By the time the next song began he and Ammon couldn't resist it anymore and they jumped up and started dancing for everyone. That was the cue for all the kids in the auditorium to get on their feet and start to shake it!! Yousef led them up to the stage and for the next half hour everyone had a riot dancing and singing! When we left Yousef said to me, "Okay my skull had enough music and I still hate music Mom." I wish I enjoyed all the things I hate as much as he does!

They Crack Me Up!!

I love being a mom!! It is my greatest joy and often quite hilarious - especially with a 2 and 4 year old. They can say the funniest things...for instance....

Last week I was going to a funeral and as I was rushing the boys out the door I put on some lipstick. Yousef looked at me and said, "Mom, why did you put on lipstick? Are you looking for a husband?"

It always makes me smile when I hear the boys say something I can hear myself saying - oh, except when it makes me cringe!! So the other day Yousef says to Ammon the two year old, "Ammon, don't even think about it!" Ammon pauses a minute, gets that look on his face and says, "I'm thinking about it!!"

Just now the boys are playing and Yousef threatens Ammon if he doesn't do something then he's not going to be his best bud. Ammon replies in this soft sweet voice, "Jojo, I happy, you happy." Aaahh, what if we did that in all our relationships - let's make sure you're happy and I'm happy!

A bit ago I was on the floor playing with the boys and Yousef asks, "Mom, are you going to marry Ammon when he gets bigger?" I say, "Don't you want to marry my?" He replies, "Uh Mom, are you going to look like this when I get bigger?" and he holds up an invitation to Bella's Circus Party with a trapeze artist on the front. I laugh and say, "No." "Then Mom, no." Ouch!!

Ammon has that cute little 2-year old voice and is talking up a storm. It's so sweet to hear him talk - even when he's saying things like, "Don't tell me!!" or "Don't call me bad!" if he thinks he's in trouble. I keep telling him he's never bad, he just needs to make good choices but even when he doesn't, he's never a bad person. Still it is kind of sweet/sad how he says it!

Sometimes Life is Just Funny!

So...several things have made me laugh lately. One, I am 40 something and absolutely am incapable of using a round brush. I called my baby sister, and 3 others, in a panic because I had foolishly rolled the brush up in my lovely locks like a smooth curling iron only to realize that it would stubbornly refuse to release its grip after not being properly respected for what it was!! I started panicking like I was under attack, which indeed I was! The more I tried to get that beastly away from my scalp the harder it gripped my every little hair strand!! As I said, I called my little sis to find out how to disenlodge the creature from my scalp and besides laughing at me all she could suggest was conditioner. I lathered my locks, tugged, pulled mercilessly, got advice from the internet via Jodi to ice my fingers - really?? Needless to say, the brush was victor. I had to cut it out free from the front of my head and then do a comb-over to hide the new layers I'd added to my doo! Lovely.

To follow that little event of capture by an object, my cute little four year old somehow got his leg trapped by the seat belt which wrapped around his leg then tightened a latched, refusing to release. No matter what I did to loosen the belt, all it did was get tighter. I tried to find a release through the trunk, trick it into thinking it was time to release, twist my son's foot out - only to secure his trapped appendage even more. Prayer, sweat, frustration, thought of more scissor usage, cancel that thought because of cost of replacing the errant belt, finally turning boy upside down, twisting foot, praying and SUCCESS! Phew! No scissors!

The third thing that made me laugh was a little potty episode. Yousef, my 4-year old called me into the bathroom the other day quite urgently. "Mom! Mom! Bring me a tomato quick!" He hollors at me from the throne. I can't imagine why a tomato is so urgently needed so I ask him why he needs a tomato. "Mom hurray and get me a tomato - my poo is just not coming out! I need to get some vegetables in me!" So, smuggly smiling to myself at just how effect my teaching on the importance on vegetables in our diet has been,I bring him back 3 carrots. A few minutes later he beckons me back to the bathroom and says, "Mom I ate a carrot and it got those little guys working and they pushed the poop right on out!" (Children's book about the body showed little guys pushing food through the digestive track) So next time you're feeling a bit irregular....