Tagged!

Now that I have been tagged by both Halaulani and Jessie I figured I better get to it. If anyone is interested...a little bit more about me...if that is possible :)


A-Attached or Single: Happily attached
B-Best Friend: Nathan is my number one but I have been blessed with lot's of awesome girl friends in my life, both family and friends.
C-Cake or Pie: Not pie, that's for sure. Not a fan. But cake? Oh yes. The whole thing please.
D-Day of Choice: Thursday has great tv and kicks off the weekend early for me!
E-Essential Item: Hoodie
F-Favorite TV Show: The Office, Amazing Race, Survivor, Jon & Kate Plus 8, Lost...there are more but I better stop cuz this is getting embarassing!
G-Gummie Bears or Worms: Not a big fan of either but worms? maybe?
H-Hometown: Good ol' Boise Idaho...well, Meridian to be exact.
I-Indulgence: reading...shopping at Target...eating out with Nathan...time with girl friends
J-January or July: no contest- July.
K-Kids: Kennedy, Kohen, and Aly
L-Life is incomplete without: My family/the Gospel
M-Marriage Date: ~June 30, 2000~
N-Number of Siblings: Older Sis, Me, Younger Sis, and Baby Brother...who at 20 isn't really a baby
O-Oranges or Apples: I like the mini versions of both- LOVE mini apples
P-Phobias or Fears: That if I write them down they will come true.
Q-Quote: Too many to choose. I'm always a fan of- 'It is what it is'- works for everything :)
R-Reason to Smile: I have a 20 month old and I'm not just about to have another baby like usual, phew!
S- Season of choice: Autumn
T-Tag Six: Heather H., Heather W.,Tiffany, Corinne, Shelly, Shayna
U-Unknown fact about me: Unknown fact? I keep those that way for a reason! Umm, I have kept a journal for at least 15 years now.
V-Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animal: Not a salad shooter but not a huge fan of red meat.
W-Worst Habit: gum, and tying my hair in knots, I look like such a ditz doing both.
X-X-rays or Ultrasounds: X-rays are fascinating to me but Ultrasounds are less risky and usually you get to see a baby!
Y-Your Favorite Food: Spicy Salmon Bowl from Happy Fish (or the version we make that we copied)
Z: Zodiac: Pisces, glub glub. (that was my fish sound in case you are wondering)

Stinker!!!

Kohen has been driving Nathan and I a bit crazy lately. We switched the kids' rooms around and now no one is getting their normal amount of sleep. Hence the mischief and sour moods. Last night when I got Aly out of her high chair after dinner she was all wet because her diaper had leaked (trying to save money I tried an 'off brand' diaper and have been paying for it every day since. Note to self: Diapers are not a place to cut corners. I will not betray my 'Luvs' again!) so I headed upstairs with her to put her in the tub. So there I am washing Aly off when in walks Kohen. He starts peeling off his clothes to get in too. I asked him what he was doing cuz he had had a shower that morning. He calmly explained that he had peed his pants so that he too could have a bath. WHAT!? Unfortunately he was not teasing. My perfectly, accident free potty trained 3 1/2 year old peed his pants so he could play in the bath. Totally irritated I told him that if he really wanted a bath all he had to do was say so and the look of realization that crossed over his face was priceless, like "ohhhh...that would have been easier." So, Kohen got his bath and then a bit later everyone was in bed but of course not asleep. After a quick escalation of trouble Nathan shut Kohen's door. Then we hear sharp bangs on the door. So of course he gets in trouble for kicking the door. A bit later I go in there to talk with him and explain better that he got a consequence for kicking the door. He said emphatically, " I not kick the door." I replied, "Yes you did, I heard you." and he said, "But I didn't!" Suddenly understanding I asked, "Did you hit the door?" and kind of sheepishly he answered, "Yeah...wis my hands." Well potatoe, patatoe kiddo- we don't strike the door. Nathan and I did have to laugh though that Kohen was lobbying for a pardon on the technicality of being accused of breaking a rule with a different appendage then the one he used. We had to give him points for thinking outside the box...

Sisters??

So, seriously now. Do these girls look related at all to you people? When Aly was first born she looked so different than the first two and it has taken a long time but I think I am starting to see at least a resemblence. And I had to add the bottom pictures cuz please, Kennedy was Ms. Hair...and Aly? is not.

Happy Heart Day!

Freezing Rain...Seweeet!

Yesterday Nathan and I both woke up with colds. He decides to call in sick and as I'm getting breakfast going I realize there is ice all over everything outside and school has been cancelled and I am sure the roads were a disaster so it was just as well that Nathan stayed home. We had a wonderfully lazy day with Nathan and I taking turns resting. Ratatouille happened to come in the mail from Netflix so we even had a new movie to veg-out to with the kids. I never would have thought that a sick day with freezing rain outside could have been so enjoyable. What an unexpected surprise.
PS- love how none of my little people can tear their eyes away from the movie for even a millisecond to take a picture, lol.

Some Random Ramblings

Okay, so obviously I cut my hair. Disclaimer: (you know a woman's got to have one)

this picture was taken after a full day of wear so I guess I'm saying I think I could do better but anyway, I finally think I like it. At first I loved it but by the end of the first day I was getting paranoid and thinking that people were lying that they liked it - the only real explanation for that is that I didn't get a nap that day so I wasn't really thinking straight. But at church some friends weighed in and I felt like they meant it when they said they liked it. Why does it matter so much what other people think? Hmm....just a sec, I'm having an introspective moment....okay it's over. Conclusion: I don't know why I would care if other people like my haircut, I don't want to care...I just do.

New subject. My children are easier some days than others, likewise, some days I really stink as a kind, caring, patient mother. Take yesterday. It is an involved story but all three kids have been sleep deprived the last few nights and so we are having some really long and trying days. When they are tired you can't even reason with them and it is so irritating. Kennedy and Kohen each hurt each other kind of on purpose while "playing" throughout the day and after a bloody nose for Kohen (by Kenna) and many tears from Kenna (by Kohen) I had about had it by the time Nathan got home. So for FHE we had Kennedy and Kohen make giant sized Valentines for each other and then make one for Aly together. It was fun to do all together though I doubt if it will have any long term effects but who knows. I just miss the parenting class that Sister Tanner gives in Boise. When going to those classes I felt like I was actively growing as a parent and parenting with the right perspective. It was so nice to feel inspired weekly about the important job that parenting is. I so don't want to fail my children in this area....

Sorry, that was a bit of a downer subject. Here, this will cheer you up. Yesterday I went to check Aly for a poopy diaper and totally stuck my finger right in it. I just want to say that this is one of those things no one mentions before you have children. It's one of those 'special' treats you get to discover all on your own, yay! :) That came off kind of depressing too. I didn't mean it that way, I am just saying, you gotta check the diaper, but for heaven's sake, check it gingerly!

Now, I have no idea if people have time to read rambling diatribes like this, maybe I'm the only one who does but I am going to go have some chocolate now which is sure to brighten my outlook on most anything.

Super Glue Has Many Uses

Super Glue has many uses. Today I used it to glue my son's head back together. During nap time he kept getting up and at one point came in our room saying there was blood on his pillow. Thinking it was probably just another bloody nose I let Nathan take care of it. When he came back in he said something about Kohen hitting his head but that he was fine. Well, Kohen continued to dink around so when he finally fell asleep it was time to get up. Nathan and the girls left for church and I waited 20 min. or so for Kohen to wake up. When I went to spiff him up I discovered a blood clot in his hair. So I clean the area up and discover a full on hole in his head. True it was small- a bit smaller than a mini M&M- but it was like a perfectly punctured hole. I sit there thinking, I'm obviously not taking him to the ER but I can't just leave it open...so I lay Kohen in my lap, grab the Super Glue and seal up his head. I heard that collective gasp, relax, Super Glue is just like what they use in the hospital and taking a lesson from my dad I have sealed up several splits in fingers before. The stuff works great.
And in Nathan's defense it was difficult to see and because of the clot it looked more like a scratch and not really a big deal. Poor Kohen. His dad sent him back to bed with a hole in his head and his mom went all back woods on him and 'fixed' it herself with Super Glue.

Ms.Moxie

Woo boy, our little Aly has some spunk. If she were my first child I would be worried but since she's not I don't take any of her huffing and puffing too seriously. My brother sent us some non-caffinated Chai Tea at Christmas and we made it up the other day- Aly is obsessed. It may have something to do with the fact that we hardly ever have juice around and so anything sweet is a treat but she will guzzle down a whole cup full and then stand at the fridge and grunt and jump and dance all around trying to get us to give her more. This video was taken after I told her no more and little Ms. Moxie came out. Then please enjoy the fastest mood swing ever...and yes. she probably learned that from me.

Party Like A RockStar

So this has nothing to do with the pictures but today I went to court to get this ticket waived for an expired inspection sticker G-A-Y. And I mean the stupid kind. So this is thankfully my first court experience. It is totally silent in there besides whoever else is up speaking to the judge and I was totally intimidated which was good cuz it was the only thing keeping me awake in such a quiet room. Suddenly the judge is calling out "Brin Jensen? Brin Jensen?" and I am thinking, do they mean me? Oh geez, he is just reading it wrong. So I kind of timidly call out, "Erin Jensen?" and the judge is like, "Oh yeah, Erin Marie Jensen, I am so sorry about that." Well, as far as I can tell it all came out in the wash because a few seconds later I called him "M'am" (I don't know, I was nervous!). I figure we are even...except for the $56 in court fees I had to pay. What a serious rip off. Waive the ticket fee but pay court costs. Some days I feel like all I do is bleed money. I really dislike those days.

Root Canal or Cruise?

OR

Root Canal or Cruise? Such are the choices in life. To have a root canal and crown put on or to go on a 7 day cruise with flights come out to roughly the same price. I realized this the other day after having to pass up the opportunity to go on a cruise with friends. I suppose a cruise would lose some of it's allure anyway when you can't enjoy the food because it hurts to chew. But kind of a depressing, polar opposite way to spend a considerable chunk of money. And it seems so ridiculous to spend thousands on a stupid little tooth. Might as well pull it I say. Well. Actually, I don't say that. Please don't pull my teeth...I need them. Did you know that back in the day women lost an average of 2 teeth with every pregnancy? So basically I'd be quite the looker by now missing 6 or so teeth. Maybe it is worth it to shell out the big bucks to keep our pearly whites in tact. Here's a stellar marketing idea: pay for a 7 day cruise get a root canal free!... Anybody?......No?

The Last of the Trip

On Thursday we woke up to another beautiful day and we got on a ferry taking us over to St. John. Some Visitors Center lady had given us free* day passes to the Westin Resort. Usually you would have to listen to their 90min pitch but since our children were with us she deduced that would be ineffective so instead just Nathan had to go listen to a "10-15min" informational which ended up being over an hour but hey- I'm not complaining...much. We headed straight for the pool while Nathan left and they have really nice cushioned loungers in the shade and a nice pool with a kiddie pool in it so we spent a while there. We also got a really nice free lunch so Nathan and Kohen went to get that for us girls. Kohen kept asking Nathan if he could have a "mad dog cup" and Nathan was racking his brain to figure out what he meant and finally realized he was referring to Mug Rootbeer because it has a bull dog on the front. I swear all I am getting Kohen for his next birthday is a 2 liter of soda!

Later Nathan took us all out to the floating trampolines that they have which was unique and fun. We ended up spending the entire day at the Westin and by the time we got home we were all so exhausted, but the good kind where you are pooped from having fun.

Friday morning it was raining when we woke up so we waited until after naps and then headed back to St. John and into the National Park area to Cinnamon Bay which was the most beautiful beach and water we had seen. It was so crystal clear you could swim out to the reef and it was like sticking your head in an aquarium. We played in the sand and swam a lot trying to make the most of our time. The next morning we spent at our own beach back at our condo before we had to pack up and head home. The trip was amazing and a great chance to reconnect as a family, though I will say I look forward to some day going back there with just Nathan and I!

Tuesday and Wednesday of Trip

Tuesday it rained all day. It was still warm so we headed over to Coral World Aquarium. It rained on us a lot while we were there but we didn't mind too much. We got to see some Sea Turtles be fed and then got to feed the iguanas ourselves which was a hit. When asked what their favorite part was Kohen answered 'seeing Bruce.' and Kennedy said 'the Mermaid.' which was a stuffed mermaid in the gift shop. If it was her last ditch attempt to get that mermaid it didn't work :)That evening after dinner it wasn't raining for a bit so we went for a walk along the beach and looked for sea shells.

Wednesday we awoke to a sunny day, finally! We spent the entire day on the beach and as you may have seen, Nathan and I's favorite part of the day was when we realized Kohen and Kennedy were playing out a scene from the Little Mermaid- that had us laughing pretty good. The sun was so intense that we had to apply sunscreen literally every hour to the kids and swim shirts were mandatory. But it was nice to see the sun either way. I went snorkeling and was blown away. It looked a lot like a scene from 'Finding Nemo', and yes, Nemo was around. The water is so buoyant that you can float easily for as long as you want. Lots of people just go out a little ways and float for 20 minutes or so, it was so relaxing...

Unfortunately, Wed. night Kohen came down with the Croup, (the Croup in the Caribbean, who knew) and so he had a hard time sleeping and breathing and actually that lasted until we came home. Luckily it gets much better during the day so he was still able to play and enjoy himself. Aly was also obsessed with the backpack carrier that Nathan carries her around in. We had to be really careful not to say our usual, 'cmon let's go bye-bye' when we were just going out to the beach because she would run into the back room and try to climb into the back pack and then she would cry when she realized the back pack wasn't part of our plan. She would often want to go in it randomly and she would be so insistent that a few times Nathan just put her in and went for a walk to appease her. I love the back pack because Aly loves it so much and because I don't have to carry her or worry about her, love it.

First 3 Days of the Virgin Islands

In spite of everything we made it to St. Thomas of the U.S. Virgin Islands late afternoon on Saturday. Funny story. On our drive to Crystal Cove we were in a full 14 passenger van Taxi. The other passengers were all retirees and they thought our kids were sweet. Kohen picked up on this fact and became very talkative. He kept saying, "Scuse me sir," to the driver and then he would say something random about a bird he saw or whatever. At one point he quietly told me he needed 'to go poopy' and I quietly told him we were almost to our destination. Next thing I know he says, "Scuse me sir, I need to go poopy." He said it all matter of fact and the whole van got a good chuckle out of that.

We dropped off our things in the condo, threw on swimsuits and walked about 50ft out to our beach. Sapphire Beach happens to be one of the best snorkeling beaches on the island which was awesome. The weather was warm but rainy but we didn't care we were just happy to be there.

Sleeping posed a problem the first few nights and naps because Kohen kept the girls riled up until all hours and finally in a literal answer to prayers I thought of using ear plugs. It worked like a charm and they slept well the rest of the trip though Kohen did still have to sleep in our room for the week cuz he remained a bit mischievous.

There was a kitchen and so Nathan got groceries and in a gesture of true love he made, served and cleaned up breakfast, lunch and dinners the entire week...My heart skips a beat just thinking about it :). It made it feel like a real vacation for me. The Condo was older but well kept and met all of our needs. We mostly just got up, went to the beach, came back for lunch and naps and then back out to the beach until dinner. The weather was not perfect the first three days but we didn't care, it was still warm and beautiful.

Gramps

Well, things never go quite as you expect do they? Last Friday afternoon as we were preparing to leave I got one of the worst phone calls. My grandpa had died suddenly of a massive heart attack. It was so unexpected, I was totally in shock for several hours after I got the news. I felt helpless because there was really nothing I could do to change our plans. I know he wouldn't have wanted me to do that anyway. There was a private viewing the next day and per his wishes he was cremated the following day. The whole thing is all still so surreal.
As you might guess my mood was less than jovial the first half of our trip. I felt guilty for being where I was and for enjoying myself which is stupid and I know it. And then sometimes I would not be thinking of him at all and then something would remind me of him and I would get teary out of nowhere. It has been tough trying to accept this reality.
What I want to say in regards to my Gramps is that as far as grandpas go- he always met or exceeded my expectations. He was a good man, not perfect, but one who tried to do right. He worked dang hard and had a thumb that was greener than Al Gore. Seriously- he was an amazing gardener. I won't bore you all with details and stories but I will just say that when I reflect on my childhood, nearly all of my fondest memories include my grandpa.
I was not looking forward to writing this post, and my fears have been confirmed as I feel my words are indeed grossly inadequate. Just know that this man was a superstar in my life and I will miss him terribly.

Woo Hoo!!!

The time has finally come! Our little family is getting on a plane tomorrow morning and by early afternoon we will be in St.Thomas, Virgin Islands!!! Several months ago Nathan and I decided that our family had had to spend so much time apart last year that all we wanted to do was go sit on a beach somewhere and play together. So this is Nathan and I's Christmas and we are both so excited to spend time as a family.
That brings me to the unfortunate news that I don't think I'll be blogging for a week while we are away because last night our laptop decided to officially go on fritz. Apparently it wants nothing to do with the Virgin Islands. Killjoy. Frankly I am a little nervous about being away from the blogosphere for a whole week! That, my friends, is an embarassing admission. Reading all of your blogs is such a fun way to procrastinate my other responsibilities. I indulge more than is prudent. But it is so fun I can't bring myself to feel guilty about it.
Randomly, American Idol has started. It is nice to have some new TV but I am also feeling a little disenchanted with the whole thing. For some reason it seems like a lot of the people who are auditioning that are terrible- are slow or something. It is one thing to say 'you can't sing' to an adult who, let's be honest, already knew they couldn't sing. It is something entirely different to make fun of people who are as innocent as a toddler and don't get that you are mocking them. I don't know, am I being overly sensitive? Also irritating this year is that Paula Abdul is recording a reality show of herself going through the Idol process so she is totally playing it up to her reality cameras that are off to the side of the auditioning area. I am so sick of watching her over react for her cameras. But all I can do is roll my eyes. I mean, I'm certainly not going to just turn it off am I? ...Am I?
Anyway, you'll have to keep checking CNN for a new super nova sighting in the Virgin Islands. But don't worry, it's just me. That's what it looks like when my bright white legs are revealed. Though since my skin cancer last year, sightings are more and more rare...to everyones relief :)

A Beautiful Disaster

Oh Aly...We were watching our very favorite movie 'Singing In The Rain' when Aly got upset about something minor and bonked her own head while she was being sassy. So then I had my tutu clad Aly laying prostrate on the floor kicking her legs and the scene was so funny I couldn't resist taping it. Please excuse the movie in the background...Aly had little trouble doing that.

'Dungeons' & Dragons

HEAR YE, HEAR YE! On the eve of Saturday the Jensens traveled back to Medieval times to see how Lords and Ladies really lived -minus the lack of plumbing, fresh water, the plague...that was all extra. Nathan heard an ad for Medieval Times which does a dinner show while the Knights really joust and sword fight and they use real horses etc. Nathan and I could hardly wait to see the children's reaction- especially Kohen's. We let Kennedy wear her favorite princess dress and Kohen got to wear his Dungeons (aka.-his armor). We met our friends the Lintons there and all of the children were amazed by the building because it looks like a giant castle on the outside and the inside was decorated accordingly. Kohen was awe struck long before the show even started. When they served us our dinner on all pewter dishes -without any silverware- Kohen thought it was great and dug right in while Kennedy was turned off by the idea of getting her hands dirty, on purpose. The show started, Kohen's mouth dropped to the floor and pretty much stayed there until the show was over. In fact, beside cheering for our sections Knight (who won the tournament, btw) Kohen hardly said a word except for when someone would leave the arena he would get upset and say, 'I want the horses to come back!' or 'I want the dungeon (knight) to come back!'. Kennedy especially enjoyed the Princesses royal role in the show. And even Aly remained pretty entertained. It was so fun to take the kids to see the show, but as Kohen goes around swinging his sword at all of the 'wenches' in our house this morning I am hoping he starts to forget some of the new fighting techniques he saw. Ah, but it was still worth it to see their reactions. And the peasants cheered!!!!

A Tutu For You?

Alyssa has discovered her sister's tutus. The first few days she wanted them on I thought it was sweet. Then she started going to the dress up bin first thing in the morning to pull out the tutu and then come and grunt at me and push at my legs while I'm trying to make breakfast -and by 'make' I mean pouring cereal into bowls- until I put the tutu on her. Next thing you know she's wearing it all day and we would barely be able to persuade the layers of pink tulle off of her for bed by assuring her it would be right there on the rocking chair in the morning. And so the cycle continued until I was gone one night while Nathan got the children ready for bed. I came home just in time to kiss them each good night (what perfect timing) and when I got to Aly she stood up proudly in her crib still wearing her tutu. I figured Nathan had tried in vain to get it off of her and in my mind I told myself surely my superior mothering skills would be able to convince her to take it off. I pictured myself triumphantly carrying out the wad of tutu above my head like a trophy... but Aly gave me a sassy little reality check when she pushed my hands away and kind of told me off, though it was hard to decipher because A. it was baby talk/shout and B. she had her pacifier in since she was in bed, but I got the message loud and clear- NOT HAPPENING. Realizing it was a lost cause I tucked her in, tutu and all. I don't really mind this obsession, I know it could be much worse. Yesterday she decided that it's even better if she wears two tutus. Say that ten times fast.

Nathan's Jr.

Since Nathan has been home Kohen has been his constant shadow. Nathan can't take a shower or go to the bathroom without Kohen following along (hmmm, sounds like my life). I caught this moment as they did their exercises before getting cleaned up for the day. It was so funny to see Kohen try and do the exercises that Nathan was doing. Kohen even inserted a gratuitous grunt every now and again even though he was not working out his abs so much as his neck. He was so proud of himself to be 'working out' with his dad. And I am always glad for the break I get when Kohen is hanging out with dad.

Tubes: Take Two

Right after we moved to VA Nathan and I noticed that Kennedy wasn't hearing properly. We took her in and found out that she had fluid in both ears that didn't get infected but just stayed in there keeping her ear drums from vibrating, thus the lack of hearing. So a set of tubes were put in and over the next few months I was surprised to find Kennedy had several ear infections (when tubes are in the infection just leaks out- yucky, but nice not to wonder if they do or don't have an infection, plus you just have drops to take care of it) though she never complains of pain. Eventually she started having blood coming out of her ears...disturbing the first time to be sure. But turns out it isn't a huge deal, just led us to find out her ears have continued to get infected and the pressure ended up pushing both tubes out and in a matter of days we were back to square one with a Kennedy who said, "Huh?" about a hundred times a day. So last night we got Kennedy's favorite dinner of "China Food" so she could fill up since she would be missing breakfast- and yes she has mastered the art of using chopsticks...showoff. Anyhow the surgery went well this morning minus the part where she proved she has some Wilcox in her by throwing up afterwards (like she did last time) from the anesthesia. She came home and called for Kohen to come up and snuggle with her which he gladly did and I'm not gonna lie, it made my day to see him comforting her. Of all the health problems I am grateful for this relatively minor problem that is easily fixed, and that generally our children are healthy.