Announcement!

After a year-long break, I have decided to continue with my preschool. This is a shameless advertisement for students. If you have a 4-year-old, or know one, I'd like to teach them. I will also take 3-turning 4-year-olds. Pass the word. I do numbers, letters, shapes, letter sounds, science, literature, art, and lots of fun stuff. I haven't worked out a calendar yet, but I usually start the week of Labor Day and finish the week of Memorial Day. I limit the class size, so act fast to reserve your spot!

We have an answer!

I usually try to just post about things that make me laugh or are positive in other ways. For that reason it has been hard for me to think of something to post about in the last few weeks. I have been quite sick and it has been consuming me. It started with a sinus infection. I couldn't breathe through my nose at all. The swelling in my sinuses was making it hard for me to breathe through my mouth as well. I went to the doctor and got an antibiotic. I had an allergic reaction to the antibiotic, but not before I had taken enough to open the floodgates that were once clogged. Now I could feel congestion in my lungs and was coughing, sneezing, tired, achy, etc. I was pretty miserable. Then I got an intense sore throat and ear aches. I went back to the doctor, only to be told that it looked like I had a pretty bad cold. The strep test came back negative. I was annoyed. I just want to feel better. He said if I still had a sore throat in a week to come back and be tested for mono. I started to feel a little better through the week, but the sore throat came back for the weekend. I went to the doctor again today. It was a different doctor at the same office. She said that she didn't think it was mono, but more likely something like walking pneumonia. She gave me a new antibiotic. I should be back to normal pretty soon. For those of you that have seen me in the last 2-3 weeks, don't worry. My kids went through their illness a couple of weeks ago, and since then they have been fine. So I don't think I'm passing the germs anymore. And Josh hasn't been sick at all, and I kiss him the most.

Is it time?

When I was living with Megan and my cousin, Carrie, and our friend, Marianne at BYU, I learned about a springtime tradition of Carrie's. She would go outside on a nice day and shout "It's SPRRRRRING!" Carrie, being rather reserved, would only do this once, so it had to be at just the right time. She had to wait until she was positive that there would be no more snow storms. Every year about this time I have to wonder if it is time to shout "It's SPRRRRING!" Next week is supposed to be a lot cooler than this week, so it's probably not time yet. But I'm ready. I love spring.

Let's play a little game of Who's Who.

I always thought my children had very different looks. While there was definitely family resemblance, they each had their own looks. Sophie is the first of my children that I can look at and say, "She looks like. . ." Mostly it's just Emma, but I thought there was a little Ryan in her too. Last night we were looking at picture books and I asked Josh if he thought Sophie looked like Ryan. He looked at the picture and said, "Yeah, that looks like Ryan." I said, "That is Ryan." So I guess Sophie looks like Ryan. And Sophie looks like Emma. And Sophie looks like Sophie.

Sophie Rae

Sophie had her six month check-up yesterday. She weighs 16 lbs, 6 oz. and is 27 in. long. That's 50 percentile in weight and 80 in height. She is still among our smallest for her age. She is a happy baby.

Listening in.

I love listening to my kids play. They come up with some great games. This morning, Emma is transforming her room into Hawaii for a party she's planning. She has given each of us an invitation, written on Aloha flower notepaper she got from Grandma Davis. She's coloring flowers for decorations to put up in her room. She's planning games to play and treats to eat. She told the other kids that going downstairs to Hawaii is easier than actually going to Hawaii.
Meanwhile, Tyler is telling everyone his plans for a company he's going to start called "Tytow Foods." (Tytow is what Anna called him when she was younger.) He's got some great recipes he will make available, like Salsa Salad and Everyday Buttons. By the way, Everyday Buttons is a food he's invented that is the healthiest food in the world. You'll have to ask him exactly what it is. They get along so well when they've got creative juices flowing. Ryan and Anna love being involved in all of Emma's and Tyler's plans.

This time I thought of it before Megan posted it.

This time it's about Daddy. Since I made him answer questions about me, I'll also answer about him.

1. What is something your dad always says to you?
E. Just a second.
T. I love you.
A. Go to Leatherby's.
R. I love you.

2. What makes your dad happy?
E. When I'm nice.
T. When he hugs me.
A. Cleaning the house.
R. Utah sports.

3. What makes your dad sad?
E. When I'm not nice.
T. I don't know.
A. I don't know.
R. When Utah loses.

4. How does your dad make you laugh?
E. When he tells me funny jokes.
T. When he tells me funny jokes.
A. Tickle me.
R. There are so many ways.

5. What was your dad like as a child?
E. Funny
T. Fun and kind.
A. Go to his friends houses.
R. Wild and happy.

6. How old is your dad?
E. 31
T. 31, I think.
A. 20 hundred million.
R. 31

7. How tall is your dad?
E. Very tall. Like this tall (standing on a chair).
T. I don't know.
A. 20 inches tall.
R. 6'1"

8. What is your dad's favorite thing to do?
E. Play video games.
T. Work.
A. Spank my bottom.
R. Watch/play/read about sports.

9. What does your dad do when you're not around?
E. Talks to mom.
T. Take care of the other kids.
A. Play with Mamma.
R. Watch games he's recorded.

10. If your dad becomes famous, what will it be for?
E. For being so funny.
T. Money
A. He will be like Penny Parker.
R. He will do something to put his sports trivia to good use.

11. What is your dad really good at?
E. Taking care of us.
T. Playing video games.
A. Typing.
R. Helping out.

12. What is your dad not very good at?
E. Writing, you know, his handwriting.
T. Doing cartwheels.
A. Making my eyeball.
R. Believing in himself when he tries something new.

13. What is your dad's favorite food?
E. Pizza.
T. Nachos.
A. Spaghetti and meatballs.
R. Chocolate oatmeal cookies.

14. What does your dad do for a job?
E. He writes.
T. I don't know.
A. Clean the toyroom for us.
R. He's an editor.

15. What makes your proud of your dad?
E. How he's good at basketball.
T. When he fixes stuff for me.
A. Cleaning the toyroom.
R. When he accomplishes his goals.

16. If your dad were a cartoon character, who would he be?
E. I don't know.
T. Johnny.
A. Dora.
R. Jar Jar Binks. Or the male version of Mary Poppins (you know, practically perfect in every way.)

17. What do you and your dad do together?
E. Talk.
T. Go on dates.
A. Dance.
R. Anything we can.

18. How are you and your dad the same?
E. We both like red.
T. We both walk.
A. 'Cause I dressed up like him once.
R. We have the same goals in life.

19. How are you and your dad different?
E. Because I'm a girl and he's a boy.
T. Dad's a grown-up and I'm a kid.
A. 'Cause I didn't dress up like him.
R. He's much more carefree.

20. How do you know your dad loves you?
E. Because he hugs me.
T. By hugging me.
A. Because.
R. Oh, let me count the ways.

21. What does your dad like best about your mom?
E. Because she's nice.
T. Because he married you.
A. Because he married you.
R. He thinks I'm hot!

22. Where is your dad's favorite place to go?
E. To a football game.
T. I don't know.
A. Disneyland
R. Utah football games.