I stand corrected...

We were sitting in sacrament meeting today and Hayden pointed to the word on the songbook and asked me, "What does this say?" Me: "It says 'Hymns' " Hayden: After a thoughtful pause, "Don't you mean 'His' "

Occupational Hazard...

I am acutely aware that my children have far more exposure to all things childbirth related than the average child, but apparently my work spills over into my home more than I had previously thought. Case in point: Today we were driving to the store and we saw the construction site of the new Banner Ironwood Medical Center going in just up the road from us. A discussion ensued with the kids about how nice it will be for us to have it there in case of an emergency. Hayden piped up from the back and said, “…and in case mom ever needs a c.section.” I just had to shake my head. I mean what other 5 year old girl do you know who has “c.section” in her vocabulary and knows what it means?

Storms

A note to anyone NOT a Stewart: Being born and partly raised in Oregon I naturally have webbed feet so when the rainy weather starts I take to it like a duck to... Okay so maybe I'm pushing that analogy a bit far but the point is I love the rain and the lightning and the thunder even when it scares me and I jump and scream (the kids love that~!).

A note to Stewarts: Remember when we lived on 8th St. and we used to turn off all the lights during storms and pull open the blinds in the front room and camp out to watch the storm? ~~sigh~~~ Awesome memories! Last night when the storm was going on I was getting the kids to bed but couldn't resist letting them stay up late and sit with me in the dark in the front room watching the storm. I hope someday they'll say, "Remember when we used to sit in the front room..."

Anyway...I got this cool picture of some lightning and while it isn't a technically good shot (how good could it be with my little point and shoot digital---hint hint Rob---I really NEED that Nikon SLR) I should get brownie points for actually catching a bolt. (Bragging now...I actually caught three but I figured posting them all would get redundant.)

Toothless

Nate is almost "theven" (7) so he has started on the road to toothlessness. Last night he lost a front upper tooth. He is so happy about it, as am I because I am not sure I would have been able to handle one more day of endless whining: "WHEN will it fall OUT?" I finally asked him, "What is the big freakin' deal about having a loose tooth? Does it hurt? What?" His reply, "I can't eat apples or chicken legs!" Well you can't argue with that logic. Whining aside, he is adorable so check him out with his new gorgeous gap:

Funny and or cute things the kids have said lately:

Max: Cuddling up to me and cupping my face in both of his little chubby hands he says, “You are my best little mommy!” ~~sigh~~

Max---Watching the Disney Channel Games, “Mom, the Jonas Brothers are the dream team!”

Hayden: I was getting ready to go out with Rob and just finished my makeup and hair but was still wearing sweats and a t-shirt. “Um….I think you’d better change your clothes before your date.” I teased, “Nope. I’m just going to wear this.” Hayden with arched eyebrow, “K…first of all…the sweats…not so much! Second of all…the t-shirt…not so much either!”

Caleb recently had a conversation with Beth where she told him that next time we go to Disneyland she is coming with us again. The same week he just finished his last requirement for his Wolf badge and then I was called to scouts. “My life couldn’t get any better. I am getting my Wolf badge, my mom is going to be my scout leader and my Auntie Beth is going with us to Disneyland.” Just then I pulled a bag of salt and vinegar chips out of the grocery bag. “I guess I was wrong…it just got better!” Some people are just easily pleased.

Nate: "Mom is asinine a bad word?" Me: "No. It means stupid or ridiculous." Later that day we found out that our Mesa Public Library cards are invalid because we are no longer Maricopa County residents. Nate: "That is totally asinine!" He now looks for excuses to use that word and I can guarantee that he does it just because it sounds like another bad word he isn't allowed to say. Ugh! That boy!

On the other hand he also asks me questions like: "So mom, if God created us then who created God?" and "Where does wind come from?" Oy!

Congratulations to Caleb...

...on recieving his Wolf Badge at Pack night. He also recieved a gold arrow point and five silver arrow points.

So here’s what happened...

A couple of months ago Caleb was going to go to Cub Scout Day camp for three days and I casually mentioned to the den leader, “Hey if you guys need a hand with anything let me know.” I don’t really know what I was thinking but it was along the lines of baking or filling water bottles or who knows…certainly not what happened next. Next thing I knew it was 6:30 the next morning and I was driving a 15 passenger van with 11 boys aboard to day camp. Can you see the word sucker written across my forehead?

Two things: First: I have an enormous aversion to the heat and it was 111 degrees that day. Second: I know some of you consider me high maintenance and I don't know if I could argue about that. Well, all of the boys had spray bottles and were given carte blanche to spray anyone they wanted including leaders. (Let’s just say that with a stern look I told them that most certainly DID NOT apply to me and my head stayed dry all day.)

At the end of the VERY LONG day (We got home after 10pm) I had to admit it was actually kind of fun. I totally LOVE boys (Always have…with the exception of Beth most of my best friends were boys growing up.) and Caleb and I had fun hanging out together all day so all in all I really kind of enjoyed it.

So moving to more recent events, when we found out that our ward’s Bears Den leader was moving Rob gave me that look he gets and said, “Dude! I hope you like scouts because you know what’s coming don’t you?” A little slow on the uptake it hadn’t occurred to me yet, so I said, “First off…I’m not a dude. Second…what are you talking about?”

Well he was right and I did get called to Cub Scouts as the Bears Den Leader and yes I am happy about the calling. Like I said, I do love boys and if I am helping Caleb along with his requirements I might as well be helping a group of them.

I confess I do have one trepidation: the dreaded scout shirt. Ugh. The colors, the shape, (or lack thereof), the fabric. Clearly it is a garment designed BY men FOR men…and I don’t mean those “men” on Project Runway! Let’s face it people if Heidi Klum herself wore a scout shirt, even she could not make that thing look good. And so it is with bitter surrender that I don the scout shirt and join the ranks of dorky den leaders everywhere. My new mantra: “It’s only your vanity Tracie.” (Kill me now.)

Caleb wanted a few pictures of him and I looking super hot in our scout uniforms---Nate took these pictures.




This pose was Caleb's idea...scout salute and all...he cracks me up!

Rob's 35th birthweek!

You know how most people have a birthday? Well every year I tease Rob that he always ends up dragging out the celebrating until he ends up with a birthweek and this year is no different. Why break tradition right? So in honor of his 35th birthweek, this whole post will be dedicated to my big cookie; the love of my life; the father of my children (most of them anyway); the man who makes me laugh; washes dishes AND does laundry; the man who STILL tells me I am the most beautiful woman in the world EVEN when I have just rolled out of bed and SEEN the horror in the bathroom mirror.

The fact that he believes that is further proof of one of Rob’s best qualities: his fundamental belief that there is something beautiful that can be found in every aspect of life and in every stage of it. As I type this I betray his identity because he loves to portray himself as a cynic but underneath it all he is actually a romantic. His perpetual pessimism (yes Heidi; I still call him Eeyore) is merely a façade for his TRULY optimistic nature. (Who else but a true optimist could continue to believe season after season that THIS is the year the Cubs will take the series?!)

And so…without further ado; here are some highlights of the birthweek:

Friday the 8th (Rob’s actual birthday) we went out for wings at Native New Yorker with a few friends.

In this picture starting at left foreground: Beth Jarman (my BFF; Rob’s hairdresser; our kids’ future stepmother), behind Beth are Ryan and Rachel Olsen (Best neighbors EVER and two of our closest friends) across from them: Donna Lyons (Rob’s former co-worker and lifelong gal pal) and John Gay (Rob’s stalker). In the middle is the man himself: Rob. Next to him are Shannan and Monti Randall (a couple who were panhandling in the parking lot---we don’t believe in giving out cash because they would probably just buy drugs or alcohol with it.)


“Cheers!” This is a classic Rob dorky face! Isn’t he adorable? (BTW; That is Donna’s Corona in the foreground; not Rob's! He's drinking the Shirley Temple.)

More good times…Beth you are looking a little scared.



Saturday morning Rob had some “Dad time” with the kids in the pool. I wasn’t exactly strictly forbidden from coming but it was made clear to me by the kids that they were swimming with DAD! It was a big sacrifice for me but I stayed inside and spent some quality time of my own with the Sept. issue of Architectural Digest. It was rough but I managed. (Happy Birthday Tracie!)


Saturday afternoon we dropped the kids off at Grandma’s and picked up Rob’s birthday present from Mom and Dad Stewart---two tickets to the D.Backs game---and headed out to Chase Field.


Aside from the obvious fact that this game was the day after Rob’s birthday, the main reason for getting tickets to this particular game was for the fan giveaway. Our friend Jim Hamilton won the Fan Designed T-Shirt Contest sponsored by the Diamondbacks. This meant that his design was given out to the first 25,000 fans!
Here we got Jim to autograph his design for us. Rob assured him it would be on ebay by morning and that he'd give him a good deal if he wants it back.


Sunday evening we had dinner at Mom and Dad Stewart’s house with all of Rob’s favorites on the menu, followed by cake, candles and the song. This pretty much wrapped up the birthweek.



What is different about Rob in the last two pictures? He is clean shaven and there is a reason for that. Sunday morning he was called to be 2nd counselor in the Elder's Quorum* Presidency. So how is that for rounding out the birthweek?

*From wikipedia: An Elders Quorum is a local quorum organized in each ward, but presided over by a president with priesthood keys, who acts under the direction and authority of the local stake presidency, and under the direction of the presiding High Priest in the ward who is typically a Bishop. Each quorum consists of up to ninety-six Elders.

Check out the big kid!

Guess what Max is wearing now! Yes, he is officially potty trained! (Can you hear the heavenly chorus and see the beam of light shining down on me?) Okay! Sorry if I am a bit enthusiastic but after eight straight years of diaper changing (at times with up to 3 kids in diapers) I am a little due for a break.

Filthy

Rob took the boys on the Father's and Son's Outing and this was what Nate looked liked within a very short period of time! Conversely; about the same time this picture was taken Caleb was asking for yet another wet wipe so he could "clean his shoes"...thank you Mr. Monk.


...and this is what the tub looked like after he bathed! And yes, I had JUST scrubbed it that morning---Murphy's Law!

Where did you get that name?

I love hearing the origin of people's names so I just thought I'd share how we came up with our kid's names...we are often asked anyway so:

Caleb Ethan---Caleb comes from the Bible. Caleb and Joshua were righteous men that were obedient and kept their word to Moses. Plus we liked how it sounded. Ethan (kind of embarassing) comes from the John Wayne character Ethan Edwards in the movie "The Searchers".

Nathaniel Ryan---Nathaniel comes from the Bible also. He was one of the twelve apostles (also known as Bartholomew). It also comes from one of my ancestors Nathaniel Marble who was friends with Joseph Smith and the Smith family. Three of his eleven children were named in honor of Joseph, Hyrum and Emma. Ryan is my brother Eric's middle name.

Hayden Elisabeth---Hayden was a name I have wanted and planned to use for my first daughter since I was in my teens. I don't know why, I just love it. Elisabeth is after my BFF Beth Jarman because I love her so much I thought there should be a carbon. Rob begged for the "s" spelling for it's biblical significance since he and I both have deep admiration for John the baptist's mother. Having experienced years of infertility myself I feel a kinship to her long suffering faith.

Maxwell Hyrum---One of Rob's dearest friends and former companions from his mission to Atlanta, GA is Max H. Molgard. His middle name is "H." only. Rob used to tease him he would name his son after him..."H". Ironically the both of us have a deep love for Elder Neal A. Maxwell and Rob has a special place in his heart for Hyrum Smith. If you put them together it's pretty darn close to Max H. So all in all he is named after 3 stalwart men.