Family photos

This morning we had our very first family photo's taken. My good friend Ali Martin took them for us. I was so excited to get them done finally, and I know I had really high expectations. I think that was my doom actually.
We met her at 8am up in the canyon. It was early and also 42 degrees and windy. Jack was a wee bit grumpy. We went up a little trail and got positioned. As she started taking them, Jack wouldn't look at her, or exchange his grumpy face for a happy face. He wouldn't let me hold him, or near him. As some of the pictures prove, he looked unhappy, grumpy, cold and miserable. Even with the photos that Jack and Paul took together, he wouldn't look at Ali. She tried to go around to catch him by surprise, but no, he kept his face in Paul's neck. We were there for maybe 30 minutes, then I had finally had it. I called it a day and vowed to NEVER TAKE FAMILY PHOTOS AGAIN!
On the way home, Paul told me to take a deep breath, and let it be a memory. Next time would be better. I sure hope so.
-ash

"i got it mom"

jack is finding more and more, that he likes to do things all by himself. there are a few things he will let me help him with, but most things, he likes to do them alone. while we were at pebbles, he grabbed a cutie out of his "pack-pack". i asked him if he wanted me to help him, and he just responded, "i got it mom". he was so confident, and before i knew it, he had peeled it and was eating. i can't help but stare at him and wonder...when did he get so big?
other things he has to do on his own... getting out of the truck, going down stairs, cutting his food, going up the playground ladders at the park, carrying my yoga mat to put it away, pulling his pants on, opening up a movie, pruning the plants in the yard, etc...
i continue to be astonished at how big he is getting and how much he is learning, and what he is teaching me.
-ash

playdough

tonight, i had a bit of "therapy" happen. you see, i like to have things clean, in order, and as they should be. i'm learning quickly, that my way isn't the only way when jack is around! i had purchased some playdough for jack a couple weeks ago, and he loves to play with it. of course, the "anal" in me wouldn't let him play with more than one color at a time because, heaven forbid the colors get mixed together. when he is done with one color, and it is put away, he is able to choose another color (lame, i know).
well, tonight was the priesthood session for conference and we sisters got together to visit and eat. the kids saw the playdough and asked if they could play with it. of course they could. as soon as they each picked out their colors, i reminded them to not mix the colors and if they dropped any on the floor, to pick it up. i turned from them then and continued visiting. a few minutes later, i leaned over jack and asked how it was going. of course i looked down and saw that jack had taken some of conrads green playdough and mixed it with his. i will admit i was frustrated at first and tried to take the green off of the purple. jack put his hand on mine and said, "look mom, look what i did!". he was so excited and instantly my frustration left. i realized then that it was important for them to play. i kissed jacks cheek and told him how proud i was at what he created and let the kids continue to play.
by the time the cousins had their fill with the playdough, each color was mixed into one giant ball. conrad and phoebe were so proud of what they were able to accomplish, and i must admit, i am too. it felt so good to let it go, and let the kids play out of the box that i had tried to keep them in. the funny part about tonight was when i told katie what the kids had done. with widened eyes she asked me which of her kids started mixing the colors. abby mentioned that jack was the one who started and she immediately told me how she doesn't like the colors mixed either! i am glad i am not alone...
-ash