Blog Marathon - Mile 26 - TWENTY SIX on Tuesday :)

1. I auditioned for THIS choir mid September and with delight received word that I made it. Oh how I've missed gorgeous choral music. It's been a challenge and a push to dust off a talent and put it back in use. I've been assigned to sing in the Alto 1 section (I've sung soprano my whole life) so it's really forced me to read music and memorize harmonies. SUPER FUN!!!

2. I am inviting you to come to our Christmas Concert. If music puts you in the Christmas Spirit, you have to race over and purchase tickets HERE before they all sell out. Remember that we sing with a live orchestra and share the stage with the Children & Youth Choirs. Delightful!

3. My daughter also sings in a choir with a bunch of her friends. She loves it when it is choir day and has been singing, "Go Tell it on the Mountain" around the house this week. Cute!

4. Jayson's vocabulary (and our ability to understand it) has dramatically increased. My lists of his cute phrases (and my unpublished and incomplete blog posts) are constantly outdated. What he says a lot THIS week is, "I don't want to go to bed" or "I don't want to...." We've also noticed that he calls me "Mommy." He's the only one that does. To Jessica I am MaMa or Mom and to the boys I'm just Mom.

5. I haven't used my gym membership for nearly two months. I do have guilt. I'm walking more on my own or doing nothing at all :) - great.

6. Another of Jayson's phrases is, "a go now." Don't tell him we are going somewhere until you are REALLY ready to walk out the door. The other option is to set a timer and tell him we will go when it rings. The minute it dings he expects to GO.

7. On a roll with Jayson - when the kids get home from school, they like to ride bikes or run around with the neighbor kids. They are always darting through the house and slamming doors because they don't want to get "stuck" watching Jayson. "a funt" (the front) or "a pay a me" (who will play with me in the front yard) are daily phrases. He hates being stuck inside or in the back yard.

8. Jacob has a new nickname given lovingly by Goose. OHBUD. That's how he says Jacob. ohbud this and ohbud that. "A ohbud is?" (Where is Jacob). Jacob builds the best trains and legos and owns the best Nerf guns. He has won a favorite spot in Jayson's heart. Especially when he takes him in the front to ride bikes.

9. James is in an after school basketball camp. I think he plays every morning before school too.

10. Jon's foot is in it's SECOND cast. The foot doctor has ordered x-rays again for later this week. Then they determine if Jon should have surgery on it.

11. Do I have sympathy pains or has my twisted ankle STILL not healed from July? It's bugging me. I do use that as an excuse for not going to the gym :)

12. Since I started this list, Jon's second cast has been removed. He wears a brace and doctor says he does NOT need surgery - YEAH!!!

13. Some days I wonder if all children quarrel as much as mine. It makes me so sad. Both Jon & I try to be clear, consistent, and engaged in keeping them on task and involved in good things. Sometimes it doesn't feel like it even matters. Our biggest issue is respect. It's so frustrating and exhausting. Where is that blissful, happy family I imagined in my head??

14. I am looking forward to upcoming visits from my sister and family & my parents and Brandon. Despite the fact that we don't live near family, it looks like we will be spending holidays with family. YEAH!!!

15. Jayson loves going to PlaySchool. I have to set a timer so he knows that I haven't forgotten. He keeps bugging me, "a go now. a go now." I remind him to wait for the ding. When the timer goes off he is super excited.

16. Jayson throws a fit when it's time to leave a friend's house. After all the blissful play and entertainment, I carry him out screaming "a don't want to go. WHY???? a don't want to."

17. Drama seems to be a very HIGH component of our life right now.

18. With a few of my dearest friends currently going through divorce or talking with me about a past divorce, I'm increasingly grateful for my marriage to Jon. I appreciate his constant love towards me.

19. Jessica talks about a girl at school who is the luckiest because she has her ears pierced AND she has braces :)

20. Jessica has already prepared her birthday wish list with three VERY important items. She would like an ipod, a phone, & a camera. Seriously - is she just six or sixteen???

21. Jon found the most awesome bundle of Legos at a garage sale - by our calculations, hundreds of dollars worth of complete or nearly complete advanced sets. Jacob paid $40 bucks for them and has enjoyed building.

22. Jacob has also been building fancy tracks for Jayson's train. It is a delight when he is there to man the tracks and fix any broken spots, but a pain when he is away and Jayson can't get the track to work. "a ohbud a play with me."

23. Jon recently traveled for work and was gone one night. This always sets my children off. Jayson kept saying, "my Dad gone. a Dad is?" I told him he was away at work and he kept checking the home office.

24. It dawned on me one day while i was working in the kitchen that my son, James, is almost 12 years old. That's a huge step in our church. He will be old enough to pass the sacrament and he will attend weekly young men activities.

25. Going hand in hand with the above realization, Jayson will be turning three in January. This explains why the 2T clothes are not fitting. My kids usually move up a size 6 months before they turn that age. 3T here we come :)

26. I wish I blogged more because this is our family journal and my personal journal. I always feel like I'm too exhausted or pressed for time. Thanks for those who encourage me to keep it up.

POINT 2 miles: so glad this marathon is over :) I'm worn out.