A Merry Little Christmas!

Christmas this year did not disappoint! On Saturday night, we had the Ellison Family Christmas Party/Dinner/Bingo game. It was great fun! For a brief moment Paul thought that he had gotten the "Don't Hassle the Hoff!" stained T-shirt which is a gift from last year, but alas, it was stolen in Yankee Swap by the Radmalls. We hope it returns next year with a new stain. Afterwards, we went to Shelley's where a few men watched the BYU game on the DVR and the rest of us played 31. We enjoyed having the Williamsons there. Some people may think that they have the most entertaining cousins on earth...they haven't met this crew. Endless laughs!

On Sunday we were so happy to see the DC Sampsons at dinner. They were so cute! They ran out to our car right when we pulled up. Sabrina almost instantly warmed up to them again and loved the attention that she used to get weekly. I didn't see her almost all night because Chloe had her...oh, how I miss the days!! Eli entertained me with stories of lost teeth and Noah is always ready with a joke. We really have missed them and are so happy to have them here!

Monday brought the big Christmas Eve Party. My family must love me (and Shelley) because they all complied with the "pajama party" idea. Begrudgingly, Jake and Jeff wore the matching PJ's my mom bought them (as a joke), and we did get them to admit that they have never been so comfortable at a party! We did a nativity reenactment which was cute for about 1 minute before all characters became restless. Then came the talent show where Subby danced with Dad, Maya, and Jack (I wish I could post this video...it's bound to become a classic!) and the Radmalls entertained us all with a kazoo medley. We were smoked in TV Scene-it (too many 70's and 80's shows). Thank you Shelley for a great time!

Christmas morning was a delight as Sabrina and Paul loved their gifts. I enjoyed mine too, but I just couldn't match their giddiness over running shoes. Sabrina got a table and chairs, food and dishes, a vacuum, a rocking butterfly, and many other gifts. She opened them and then made breakfast for Minnie. Paul wasted no time getting his new sweet IPOD set up. Then we were off...first to my parent's for breakfast and then on to the Sampsons for lunch, chit chat, more gifts (a Magic Bullet...Thanks Shannon!)and some deep discussion (and NO I would not wear the same outfit everyday for a year if it meant I got all my clothes free forever!). Merry Christmas everyone! We hope you all had a good one!

Hmmmm...

For our faculty Christmas Party, we played Human Foosball by holding on to PVC pipes and kicking around a kickball. That's all I'm going to say about that.

When in doubt, HIRE out!

And never buy an old (I mean REALLY old) house. We spent all last weekend without a kitchen sink because it was clogged. (I seriously lost sleep because of it). I tried every trick I could think of. NOTHING worked. We even went in there with an auger and cheered (and nearly vomited)when we pulled out a bunch of gunk. But our efforts were in vain. I am happy to report that an actual plumber was just the thing we needed. This house gets less and less charming!!!



Paul is done with 2 out of 3 finals! HIP HIP HOORAY! Sabrina and I have been so lonely. Only one more week and he'll be ours officially. He feels like they have gone well so far so hopefully this confidence translates to a job in DC for the summer. Like his mom told me once, "With those good looks, he can have anything he wants!" I agreed with her then and now.



Sabrina surprised me this week when I sat down with her to look at a toy with a clock on it. I was showing her the numbers and she started counting along with me all the way to 10 (she skipped 8). I was shocked. I have never counted with her (I know, just call me "Mother of the Year"). I think she learned it from Sesame Street or Barney (her two favorites). Like most tricks though we have already worn it out. When I asked her to count today (several times) she said, "No!"

She is a sponge right now, taking everything in. It just all comes out a little funny. I can't say much for her pronunciation. Stories about Shelley translating for me as a toddler are legendary. I called my cousin Trisha "Bisha" until Kindergarten, I swear. I think she's the same way. It's weird to see so much of yourself in your kids.


Miller (Lindsey South) and I got Aish (Ashley) to join us this week for a 5:15 stroll/jog, and man was it cold! It was fun to be with these ladies again though. It felt like we should be toilet papering or something. Today Miller and I met again and were 10 steps into our run when we turned around and headed back to our cars and into our warm beds. Sometimes fitness just isn't worth it!


And I have one more thing to report... (I am shocked if you are still reading this by the way!) Polar Express Day in the first grade went well. The kids enjoyed the movie (I thought it was a snoozer...the book is way better) and hot chocolate and punching their tickets and wearing their pajamas. They were more than a little disappointed to find out that a Read-a-thon is nothing more than reading. Happy Holidays everyone!

First Grade Funnies

You'd never guess that the following story problem would be confusing to understand, but then I'm not 6:

Amy ate 6 candy canes. Then she ate 3 more candy canes. How many candy canes did she eat?

Seth: Zero. She didn't eat any.

Me: Let's read that again. (We read it again)

Seth: Zero. She ATE some, but she didn't EAT any.

With a quick explanation that ate and eat both actually mean that you eat, he was fine. Next time I'm going to phrase things like this:

Amy eated 6 candy canes. Then she eated 3 more candy canes. How many candy canes did she eat?

Much more clear...right?

Tantrums, Colds, Weird Rashes, and Loneliness

Say goodbye to babyhood, welcome to the toddler years. So this week Sabrina has grown an official opinion about everything. The problem is that her opinion is always in conflict with my opinion. On issues like, "How much Barney should one watch per day?" and "How many pancakes are good for your health?" and "How many meals should mom be making pancakes?" and "What should we do with our food, eat it or throw it violently all over the floor?" our ideas differ greatly. Where did my sweet, calm, content girl go? Ever since one Jack Radmall taught her how to say "no," it's been her favorite word. She's still great, we've just been spoiled for so long that I don't know quite how to handle the instant (and loud) tears or the half-hour long tantrums. (Suggestions are welcome!) We're hoping it's just because she's been sick.

We've all been sick in fact. Last night, Sabrina broke out into a weird rash that spread over her body in 20 mins. It looked kind of spotty so I took her to the after hours clinic to make sure she didn't have chicken pox. She didn't thankfully, and when she woke up today, it was all clear except on her thighs and knees. Bizarre.

I have one more thing to vent about...law school. We have officially not seen Paul before about 10:30 or 11:00 any night this week (11:30 tonight). He also leaves at 7:00 AM. Isn't there a limit to how much your brain can absorb in one day? Sabrina gets SO EXCITED when Dad's home that she pulls out all her cute tricks. They had a dance party the other morning that was hilarious. When I turn on the music and dance, she just shouts her favorite word (NO!!) and runs away. I can't wait for Christmas Break!

All I (don't) want for Christmas...

This $200 Lakers bathrobe tops my "what I don't want for Christmas" list. Just letting you know.

Paul

P.S. How did the Lakers get Andy Reid to be their model?

And this is why I hate Baron Davis.

Here's to another Thanksgiving!

I wish I had taken some pictures of our Thanksgiving feast, but I didn't. We did double duty this year by attending both families' festivities. We ate dinner with the Sampsons (the food was great!), and then we did pie with the Ricks fam (my sister made the best apple pie I have ever had). We capped off our evening by losing in a game of Cranium because Paul and Jeff (my little bro.) couldn't guess my humming rendition of "99 bottles of beer". We came home pretty tired but happy to be around family.

My Black Friday plans didn't work out so well as I started the day thinking I had pressed the snooze button on my alarm. In reality, I turned it off. I had every intention of taking advantage of door buster deals at 5 AM for the holidays but rolled out of bed around 8 AM. Oh well, there's always next year. Why do they call it "Black Friday"? Is it because most businesses end up in the black today?

We hope you all had a great holiday!

What!!

I am a little (or a lot) embarrassed to admit that I got sucked in to this season's Bachelor. I just watched the finale. What the heck was that? No one got their dream of marrying a Texas millionaire! Why couldn't he pretend he was in love like every other bachelor? Darn you Brad Womack for wasting an hour of my time for the last 8 weeks!

Having Fun in the Sun

Sabrina and I decided to run away this weekend with my sister Shelley so we could give Paul time to study. (I now officially know what the term "law school widow" means. Only a few more weeks though!!) We headed down to St. George (Utah's Dixie) to run a 5K, get some Christmas shopping done, and just relax a little. The race was fun (although I did clip some heals with my jogging stroller), and the shopping was great. We bought so much that we barely had room for Sabrina in the car (see the picture). We also enjoyed 75 degree weather. I always have a good time with my sisters (missed you Nat!). The one downside to the events of this otherwise perfect weekend was one TERRIBLE movie that we rented. I do not recommend THE ULTIMATE GIFT for so many reasons, too many to mention. If you would like the detailed retelling of this really dumb movie that Paul got upon our return, you are going to have to call or e-mail me. If not, enjoy these pics and just trust me when I say, "Don't waste your time!"

I've been tagged...

I know this won't surprise anyone, but in elementary school I was the kid who HATED tag and usually sat on the sidelines rather than risk getting tagged and spending the rest of the game "it." I'll play this time... but just this once!! Kristi tagged me.

Rules: Write 7 facts about yourself...silly, serious, random - you decide. List who tagged you and then who you will tag at the bottom. Leave a comment on their blogs and let them know you tagged them.

1. I (Lindsay) love singing in my car. I don't even care if someone sees me. That's how much I love it.

2. I love Fall, the leaves, smells, colors, cool days, but most of all the sweaters and boots.

3. I love food (new foods, old foods, different foods) and out eat Paul at every meal, and I am not ashamed of it at all.

4. I have absolutely no preference when it comes to BYU vs. Utah sports even though I am moderately knowledgeable about sports for a girl.

5. I have never and will never watch a single Star Wars movie.

6. I am endlessly entertained by Sabrina and Paul. I think they are the two most fun/funny people I know.

7. I watch Regis and Kelly almost every day even though I don't live in a retirement community. (Okay, I admit I am slightly ashamed of this one!)

I tag Paul, Tara, and The Dansies

Field trips are fun...right??

So today I took the first graders to Dear Old AF High to see their production of Peter Pan. Since I only work half time, I only have to go on one field trip as opposed to two. Well, today was my day. And BOY was it a day. Let me just give you a running time-line.
8:00 AM: Larissa shows up over an hour early for school with the early birds because yesterday I had mentioned that they might want to come a little (meaning 5 to 10 min.)early so that we can make it to the play on time.
8:30: Not having anything to do with Larissa, she sits at my back table and reads with me.
8:45: Larissa (getting bored) tells me that Thurl Bailey lives in her neighborhood.
9:10: The later gators show up ready to go.
9:20: We board the bus to the tune of Shania Twain (bus driver was a big country fan). The kids can't help but dance.
9:30: We arrive at the high school and take our seats. I am forced to put two of my kids several rows behind me (I pick two well mannered little ones for obvious reasons).
10:00: The play starts.
10:15: Jaxon leans over to me and asks me if Peter Pan is played by a boy or a girl. I say boy, but laugh within myself.
10:45: Taylor needs to go to the bathroom. I take her.
11:00: Seth needs to go to the bathroom. I take him.
11:15: I hear rustling behind me. I turn around to find that the well behaved students I selected to not sit with the rest of class have snuck in their lunches and are chowing down. I take the lunches away and put them in my purse.
11:30: Hannah REALLY needs to go to the bathroom. As I am taking her, Megan runs up the aisle to join us because she REALLY needs to go too.
11:45: Taylor tells me that this play is way too long. I tell her to turn around, but secretly agree.
12:00: Play ends. We head out for the buses.
12:05: Jacob decides to follow a teacher from Greenwood to their bus and leads about half of my class with him. They are almost to the marquee before I realize they are gone and have to run after them.
12:20: We arrive at Evergreen park to eat our lunches.
12:25: The two half eaten lunches in my purse have leaked.
12:30: We can't find the juice that Rhett's mom requested go in his school sack lunch and he's allergic to milk.
12:35: Rhett tells me he's really thirsty.
1:15: We return to school and to normal life as we know it.
2:15: Larissa's mom shows up over an hour early to pick her up. I let her go.
4:00: I come home and crash!

Let's just say I don't get paid enough!

What seeq ye?

May I please introduce you to my favorite website, Seeqpod.com? Here's just a small sampling of the possibilities. Push play, kick back, and enjoy the tunes. You can thank me later.

Paul


SeeqPod Music beta - Playable Search

Thank Goodness for Daylight Savings!

I don't know about any of you, but I feel great today. I think it's the extra sleep. My sister Shelley, Lindsey South, and I have been running at 5:15 and 6:00 AM and thank goodness that I received an extra hour of sleep because I was just about to give it all up! Bring on the holiday desserts!

Cindy Lou and Crew

Here are some pictures of our Halloween! We went trick or treating with my sisters and their kids. It was quite the adventure. As you can see from the pics, the kids were VERY excited. It didn't help that Grandma Shar showed up dressed as a witch. After trick or treating, we went to my mom's for some great soup and rolls. I am wondering if Sub is feeling well because after she ate her own food, she went around and ate everything off everyone else's plates (I think she ate her weight in Cheetos!).

Bring 'Em On Out , OUR Utah Jazz!

With all the Halloween festivities going on this week, we almost forgot the start of the NBA regular season. There are a lot of things we miss about Virginia, but not seeing the Jazz (or staying up until 1 or 2 even if they are on) isn't one of them. We are thrilled to be able to watch them all the time. Last night for FHE, we carved pumpkins. For 3 years running, Paul has carved a Utah Jazz pumpkin. This is this year's masterpiece next to my goofy face. GO JAZZ.

Note: Paul has requested that I mention that this isn't his best effort. It's not mine either. I guess there's always next year.

Everything I Want in a Movie!!!

I had to copy Aryn's post because I just loved this movie!! I laughed, I cried, I loved the music. If you see no other movie this year, go to this one!!!

Is this for real?

Paul insisted I post this. If you find it rude, blame him. A special thank you to my good friend Lindsey Miller South for sending this to us!

Progress Report

I nervously took Sabrina to the doctor on Tuesday for her 18 month appointment. I have come to HATE when they measure her. Here are her numbers from the last 6 months:

12 months:
Weight 18.2 oz, Height 29" (10th percentile for both)

15 months:
Weight 18.1 oz. Height 29" (5th percentile for both)

18 months:
Weight 19.6 oz Height 29 1/2" (No longer on the charts for weight and 5th percentile for height).

I am happy to say that her head remains average.

Time to start buttering everything and eating ice cream at every meal. Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

Cindy Lou Who?

Today we attended Paul's law school Halloween party. Being the Halloween "Scrooges" that we are, Paul and I didn't dress up, but Sabrina insisted. She went as Cindy Lou Who. I decided after about the sixth time we'd been told that she looked like the beloved Christmas character, we'd just go with it. It's a costume you kind of have to explain, but after we did, we got a lot of ooos and ahhs. She even won a small prize for her costume. Paul also impressed me when he won the donut on a string eating contest. He buried the competition. Afterward, the kids all went trick or treating to different students' study carrels. Paul is totally thrilled to have a lot of candy around. Today he is going to try to trade Sabrina smarties for a snickers. Hopefully she's smart enough not to go for it! Here are some pictures...

Can you believe it?!

Our baby girl is now 18 months old! She has been to nursery a few times already because Sabrina is lucky enough (or maybe Paul and I are lucky enough) to get to go with Mom and Dad and about 20 other kids. We are so enjoying her right now. I always think that every stage is my favorite. Really, I just think that SHE is my favorite. What can I say, she just gets more and more fun. Here are some recent pics.

It must be Primary Program time again!

You know you teach in Utah when during your writer's workshop in the first grade, your students spontaneously all join in singing "Love is Spoken Here" with parts and everything. This is what happened today. Later, Madison M. was reading a story to me called "Max and His Grandpa." It's a tale of a boy and his grandpa who do something together on different days of the week. Well, when it came to Sunday and they go fishing, Madison stopped and said, "Mrs. Sampson, that's bad. They really shouldn't go fishing on Sunday." I've also been given pictures of various temples across the globe. I can't complain; I only hope Sabrina one day draws pictures of the temple for her teacher.

Also, Paul and I would like to publicly congratulate Shelly and David for finally posting. Keep up the good work guys!

Subby and Her "Bubby"

It's a good thing that the Sorensons were thoughtful and bought Sabrina a baby doll and stroller for her first birthday because it has become her favorite toy. The first thing she says in the morning is "bubby" and then she follows it up with "Oh." We take the baby for walks, feed the baby, I even caught her trying to change the baby's diaper the other day. She had removed about 20 to 30 wipes and a diaper in order to do so. I tend my friend's baby (Kate) 3 days a week; so I have my baby swing, bouncy seat, baby gym, etc. out. The other day I found the bubby in the baby swing. She had turned on the swing and was using one of Paul's shirts as a blanket. Paul named the baby Linda. We'll see if it sticks.

On Park City, weird weather, and pretending we are still young...

Ok, so me and my high school gals went to Park City for an "over-nighter" this weekend. It was a total blast for me to be able to have a night away. We loved the fall canyons, the outlets, and the eating out. Despite the snow (yes, SNOW! I hate Utah weather sometimes), we shopped, and shopped. I think I've already spent our budget for clothes for about 2 months, but I got great deals. We also pretended we were still young by staying up until 5 AM talking! I am still recovering, but it was well worth it. I smell a tradition. Pictures to come later.

On Motherhood...

I'm relatively new to this whole mom thing, but still found this to be slightly amusing. I saw a bumper sticker the other day that said, " The person who first called it a "rest"room must have been a mom." Enjoy!

I found Curt's long-lost red-headed brother. His name is Jason Garrett. He's the Cowboys' offensive coordinator. Shout out to Lindsay for noticing this one.

Love, Paul

City Slicker

So on Wednesday, I thought it would be fun to meet up with some of the other law school wives and go to Farm Country with Sabrina. You know, she loves the farm books we read, Old MacDonald, and such; so I thought it would be a great time. Well, turns out, farm animals are only cool to Sabrina in books or in delightful little songs or nursery rhymes. She was terrified!! I had to hold her the entire time, or put her in the stroller. The other kids would go right up to the goats/chickens/roosters/baby chicks...not my girl! She wouldn't even ride the cute little pony. In the pictures below, you'll see the other kids having a great time and one lonely pony wishing Subby wasn't such a wimp. I guess next time we'll have to try Rodeo Drive or something a little more classy. Maybe then she'll be into it.

Home Sweet Home

Okay, so I'm playing catch up (3 posts in 2 days). We know we can't compete with Nate and Aryn, but here is our new pad. It's just about as big as our apartment in DC, but it costs us 1/3 the price and has a great yard that Sabrina loves. Here are some pics.

Get Excited...

We are totally excited for The Office to start again. A big thank you to Dansie for letting us also put this link on our blog.

Forgive Me!!

Hey all... I am sorry for the brief hiatus Paul and I have taken from the blogging world. With the start of law school, our new house (yes, it's actually a house!), a killer trip to Boise, first graders, a car accident, and of course, Sabrina, there hasn't been much time for blogging. But I am repentant and ready to return! Here are a few pictures from our family reunion in Boise. We had a blast!

Day 1: Dansie = Lou Brock

Shooting this video was like capturing lightning in a bottle. It reminded me of that video of Den-Den getting thrown out at first base, and by the time he made his way back to the dugout, he had a pulled hammie. Dansie did the exact same thing.


About 2 seconds after this picture was taken, Griffey slammed a line-drive foul ball off of Dansie's palm, nearly breaking his thumb. We got the ball, though. All-in-all, day 1 was a success.

Did Tim Donaghy ref Game 6 of the '98 Finals?

On December 1, 2006, after a horribly reffed, nationally televised Jazz blowout at the hands of Kobe Bryant -- who scored 30 points in the 3rd quarter alone, 15 of them free throws -- I (Paul) wrote the following email to my friend, Dansie:

"I stayed up until 1:30 watching it [the game]. So disappointing. I think it would be easy to be an NBA ref. Just blow the whistle anytime a Jazz player comes within 2 feet of Kobe. I hope David Stern enjoys spirit prison."

I know, the tone of the email is a bit harsh, but recent revelations about the state of NBA reffing back up my ire. Turns out, at least one NBA ref has been throwing games to satisfy his gambling habits and mob ties, and I'd be surprised if he's the last to be outed. I just feel bad for the kids out there (my nephew Andrew, to name one) who keep hopelessly rooting for their Jazz. It's an impossible uphill battle. We simply don't have the resources to pay off the Joey Crawford's of the world.

That being said, "It's Our Year!" next year.

P.S. I hate to ruin the surprise, but Lindsay is now a beautiful brunette. I give her 6 months until she's back to being a beautiful blond.

Keys Please!

Paul is always getting after me for losing my keys. I'm a little air-headed when it comes to putting my keys, cell phone, purse, etc. away in the same place. This morning I was headed out to a stake primary meeting and was looking all over for my keys. I kept saying, "Paul, where did you hide my keys?" and "Have you seen my keys anywhere?" Just as I was about to grab Paul's keys and head out the door, Sabrina turned the corner, and handed my keys to me. She was also holding her own keys in the other hand. What can I say? She's already taking care of her mother.

Thank you Craig!

Paul and I are really getting anxious to come home. We are currently eating at a card table (thank you Kyle and Noelle) and staring at blank walls because almost all our stuff has been sold on craigslist. I don't know Mr. Craig (the one who started the list...not the creepy physics teacher at AFHS), but I do know that we owe him a big thank you! Moving will be a lot better this time because there is hardly anything to move.

In related news, we found a tiny 2 bedroom house in Pleasant Grove (near the temple) to rent for less than half of what we pay here...we are going to love not hauling groceries up to the 7th floor anymore.

Also, we have been catching up with the rest of the world by watching the first season of Lost (or as I like to call it "Felicity on an Island"... some of the story lines are strangely similar... that J.J. Abrams is a one-trick pony). I have been enjoying it a lot more than I thought I would but knowing the Abrams model all too well, I am guessing that Kate ends up with Sawyer instead of Jack.

Happy Fourth of July!

We'd like to say that our 4th was totally exciting, but Sabrina got sick (flu) and we had to cancel most of our plans. We did manage (being the patriots that we are) to go to the Civil War battle sight at Bull Run though and walk around a little bit. We also had a delicious BBQ at Kyle and Noelle's, followed by some killer fireworks at home.

Golf at your own risk ...

So Kyle and I (Paul) went golfing yesterday at Langston Golf Course, a municipal course in N.E. Washington -- i.e. the scary part of town. About halfway through the round, we got stuck behind an extremely slow moving twosome. Kyle politely asked if we could play through, to which they responded with a terse "No." We thought, "Okay, let's take the high road, and just let it go." For the last nine holes of the round, we patiently waited at every tee box while the hacks ahead of us turtled along. Finally, when we reached hole #18 (nearly five hours into our round, mind you) the fairway seemed to be clear. Kyle and our third playing partner, Sabino, teed off first. Then me. I smashed a booming drive, and as I watched it sail down the middle of the fairway, I realized that it was heading straight for the two clowns in front of us. We hadn't seen them hacking away in the bushes. Luckily, I hit it well enough that it flew over their heads. But I could tell by their gestures that they weren't happy with me.


They waited for us, and when we reached them they unloaded a litany of expletives on me. One of them, a self-proclaimed convicted felon who was just released from the slammer for murder, said that he'd happily go back for killing someone who hit into him on the golf course. I apologized. He wouldn't hear it and continued with his expletive laden tirade. My favorite part came when, as they drove away in their cart, one of them looked back and screamed, "What did you say?!" I threw my hands up and said, "Nothing." He mockingly retorted, "That's right!" I bet he laughed himself to sleep last night.