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Monday, December 27, 2010

Bloodirific

For my kids and me, the park is our most favorite place to go. One of the reasons is because other nouns frequent the parks as well. And where other nouns are, there are bound to be crazy things happening, and mysteries to solve. And by nouns, I mean people, places, or things. But not places, because places aren't at the park except parks. And...yeah. I'm confused, too.

Last week's episode was the Mystery of the Strange Lady Leaving Secret Notes Behind the Electrical Box (turned out to be Geocaching, NOT drugs--and yes, my friend Marielle opened the envelope one time when the lady wasn't there).

Today's episode: The Mystery of the Bloody Dog Footprints.

It was a sunny day, a day that seemed light and carefree. But the air teemed with a cold tinge that foreshadowed dark and brooding events, like bloody dog feet. During our regular strutting around the playground, we saw a dark red pool next to a thorny plant.

"Egads!" I said. "Don't step in the blood!"

"I stepped in the blood!" my son cried.

"It's okay, just wipe your feet off in the grass!" I cried.

"Okay!" He cried. Literally.

After the crying was over, we could not deny the strong curious sensation propelling us to follow the bloody footprints that leaped away from the initial crime scene. I took my children's hands for support and we tracked the prints into the local neighborhood, stopping here and there to look at inflatable Santas. (How cute!)

After awhile I noticed we were really far up the street. And THEN the footprints really went crazy--they turned up a driveway and went into someone's front door. And THEN I had to tell my children no, they cannot go onto the porch and track the prints inside. And THEN I hoped there were no bloody footprints inside, because man, that would be hard to get out of the carpet. And THEN I told the kids the dog was probably relaxing in his house, all bandaged up, watching his favorite show and eating a bowl of ice cream. Which they didn't buy.

The question is: Was it really the bloody dog's house? Was it really a dog? Perhaps it was a WEREWOLF? Or just a person with dog-shaped FEET??? And if it's not eating ice cream, then what IS it eating???

I will leave it up to you, faithful readers (or maybe there's just one of you), to solve the mystery with the best tool of all: your imagination.

Friday, December 24, 2010

Best Christmas Ever!

Merry Christmas!

Or, as my son likes to say, Merry Christmas-mas-mas-mas! (Mas-mas-mas-mas!) You see, it has this whole jingle to it, which he sings the same way every time....

This morning we went bowling. I got an awesome high score of 87, which is my best yet, thanks to the sweet way I bounce the ball off the bumpers at just the perfect angle to snag one or two pins at a time. I beat both my children this time, which is a first, while Iceman (that's my husband) pretty much doubled my score. Egads! Well, despite my severe lack of bowling skills, we think Christmas Eve bowling just might be a nice family tradition to start. And who knows? Maybe I'll actually break 100 someday.

Later, the boys went to see the new Narnia while I played the Christmas elf and did some super-special wrapping. Then I made a dinner, which truly was--blog pun aside--freaking awesome. Afterward we read the story of Jesus' birth and acted it out using the Little People Nativity Set my parents bought for the kids (thanks, Mom and Dad!). We each wrote Him a gift--something we want to do better next year--and put it in His stocking (we have a white one just for Him).

And after that, we opened our Christmas Eve presents--new pjs--and put them on to watch The Santa Clause. I bought my 4-year-old son a onesie outfit, footies and all, and he thought it was the most hilarious thing ever. I've never seen him laugh so hard when we had to lay him down like a baby to put them on.

Once the movie was done, we put the cookies and milk on the table next to a letter for Santa, sprinkled reindeer food (oats and glitter) onto the driveway, and left carrots on the porch. I'll never forget my son in his little onesie pjs, standing under the glow of the Christmas lights, sprinkling glitter oat dust all over the driveway and giggling in his highly contagious way. And now the kiddos are in bed, and we are staging the scene for Santa.

This time of year is so much fun! Hope your Christmas is Ho-Ho-Howesome!

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Welcome to the Freaking Awesomeness!

Five reasons why my life is freaking awesome:

1) I am married to the most gorgeous man on the planet, who also happens to be a dentist, and he makes scrubs look dang good.
2) I have two freaking adorable children I get the privilege of staying home with every day.
3) I am going to be an author someday! I don't know when, but I know it will happen if I work hard enough.
4) I love my church and I'm so glad I joined it 9 1/2 years ago (www.lds.org).
5) I can cross one eye and not the other. Freaky AND freaking awesome, right?

I founded this blog so that I can sit and chat about my gratitude for the awesomeness, and to elaborate on the many aspects of it in greater and more awesome detail. And I'd love for you to come and chat about it, too, so stick around!