Umm, Basically the rest of June in a Nutshell

I didn't realize that it had been so long since I posted and quite a bit has happened. Having our baby is not one of them, but hopefully soon, I'm growing very impatient to have our little Tragon in the family. Anyway, so clear back to June 12th. Morgan flew out to Minneapolis for almost a week to take his big final Dosimetry Board Exam. YAY it's done with!!!!! We won't know the results for probably another 6 weeks or so, but we're pretty sure that he passed, but if he didn't he feels like at least he knows a better way to study and a little more how to go about things. It was a pretty busy and stressful week not having him there and we missed him so much.

I have some wonderful friends who helped out with the kids while I had appointments. I finally had my last dentist appointment for what was about a year long procedure. YAY! And we even had some friends come over about midnight while I went to go get Morgan at the airport Wednesday night.

Just after Morgan got home the kids both got a really bad eye infection. It started with Logan, then it got his other eye, and then it got one of Damon's eye's. The dr. never said it was pinkeye, just a bacterial infection. Those eye drops were torture to put in and they sure put up a fight. Logan has some seriously tough eyelid muscles. :) Then after the eye infections cleared up we all got colds. Logan is pretty much better, but Damon is still hanging on to his cough, as am I after about a week. Morgan has been pretty busy lately too, but on Saturday I was finally able to take a"rest" day and Morgan took care of us and I think I'm starting on the uphill now.

On Friday 25th we had the Hadlock Family Reunion. It was fun and our kids actually did quite well for not feeling well. We locked the keys in the van and Morgan had to get a ride down to Lehi and get the spare key ( he was gone for about an hour and a half, maybe two hours)....at least we had a spare key...and we got the diaper bag out before the doors closed. :) As tiring as it was, it was still fun.

Me and Damon stayed home again on Sunday (the Sunday before because of eye infections). Logan made it through one hour of nursery before he was ready to come home too, so we watched some movies until Daddy got home. I got to take a nap and then we had some friends over for dinner and games. They smoked us at Monopoly Deal, so I think there is definitely a re-match on the horizon.

I have a doctor appointment today in just a little while. Today is the day we talk about different labor options, and as much as I would like this baby to come on his own and be patient, if I can have him a little early, I'm all for it. Logan was induced a day or two after his due date and Damon was induced a week early and still bigger than Logan, so at this point I'm all for it, it's all I've known. Being pregnant in the summer is tough...being pregnant in the summer and sick with a bad cough is even worse. I'm afraid I'm going to cough this baby right out. :) So, hopefully my "due date" will get bumped up just a little bit. Until next time.....when I have the energy to post some pictures.

A/C or Heater?

This past week we had some fun. We had a picnic in the park during one of Morgan's study breaks. It was really good weather.The kids know exactly what happens when we get the blanket out and Damon will crowd around the lunchbox to see what's inside.
Then he found the camera and thought that was more interesting. :)
I'm not sure why Logan was clinging on to Morgan, someone might have come over and said hi and he went all shy, but I thought they were sweet pictures.
Both the boys have started to balance out their mommy's-boy vs daddy's-boy and we get to both enjoy those times.
And of course Logan's silly cheese smile.
I think this was actually on Sunday and we decided to have a picnic dinner on the porch. We had popsicles and of course made a mess, so we figured it was warm enough to whip out the hose and clean off the porch and sidewalk.
Both the boys loved playing in the water and especially getting drinks from the hose. I can't wait until the weather is more consistent and we can do this more often.
I was actually surprised at how much Logan loved being in the water, he usually hates to be messy or wet.
And Damon wanted to be just like his big brother.
Logan is telling us about the ants that we washed away on the sidewalk. They like to talk to the bugs and the ants...and then they stomp on the them. I'm allergic to ants, but I don't know if they are, but I don't want to really have to find out the hard way.

Our air conditioner was having some glitches, but we got that fixed and it was sooo nice to have cool crisp air flowing through the house....and then yesterday, I had to turn on the heater...yes, I had to turn the heater back on in the middle of June! I woke up and our house was like 60 degrees. And it turned out that we ended up just leaving it on for the day and it's still on, but I'm hopeful that by the end of the day I'll be able to turn it off again.

We woke up early today and took Morgan to the airport. He takes his big Dosimetry Board Exam tomorrow in Minneapolis. Then he'll be there until late Wednesday night at the big annual Dosimetry Conference. We're sure going to miss him and be praying for him that he'll pass his test the first time (which I'm sure he will). Once it's finally finished we'll get to breath a sigh of relief and school will really really really be done. Our next big event will probably be the baby and then we're going to try and get started on our basement this summer. I'm excited, anxious, and ready for both to happen. :) Until next time...

Memorial Day Goodman Family Vacation

These past couple of weeks have gone by pretty quick. We had a really good Memorial Day and Goodman Family Reunion. First off though, are you jealous, this is our morning view while we're eating breakfast. I love it. The sunrises have been really pretty with the clouds hanging around still. :)

The Goodman Family reunion was over Memorial Day weekend. On Thursday night my parents and brother & fam came up and spent the night so we could leave early Friday morning for Albion, ID. There's a little historical site that has been turned into sort of a family reunion gathering place. It was really neat. We got there and it was quite chilly. We had been hoping for some warm weather all week, but it was rainy and cold the first day. That actually turned out to be okay though, it gave everyone a chance to visit and catch up and sort of get settled in to the place.Saturday warmed up a little bit and Damon loved being outside. That was probably the word he used most...outside..outside. Morgan took him out on the banana bikes and he loved going for rides. Even if he was as frozen as a popsicle, he still wanted to be outside.

On Saturday a lot of the cousins (those my age/generation) got together and had a little airsoft gun game, Morgan said it was fun and didn't hurt as bad as he thought, at least through his jacket. After that several of the guys - including Morgan - drove up to Burley, ID (about 15 minutes away) and played some golf. After that he took up watching the kids while I played in the Minute to Win it game that we had. It was really fun, I wish I would have taken some more pictures. I got out pretty quick though, my reflexes just aren't what they used to be...I'm definitely ready to have this baby (and I still have 7 1/2 weeks to go).
So, while Morgan was away, we tried to play outside when it was warmer. The boys like playing with the tether ball, until Damon got hit in the face, cold nose, hard ball, yeah, it hurts.
But he did enjoy it when he was able to play by himself. And there was a lot of open space to just let them run around. We had a big bounce house set up, but I don't think my kids like those very much, at least not when there are a lot of other kids playing in them.
The wind kept coming and going making badminton quite a difficult task, but on Sunday they were able to get some good games of volleyball and badminton going.
Logan and Kashlynn loved playing on the stage and came up with quite some funny stories and performances for me. I wish I could remember them all.
There was one about tying shoes and Logan attempting tying his shoes that were already tied. Something about a monster and a carousel and his shoelaces???

Anyway, Sunday was a gorgeous day and a perfect way to end the reunion. We had softball games going, volleyball, indoor games and tons of fun, despite several people getting pretty sick. We were lucky enough to avoid the worst and Damon only ended up with a fever for a couple days, which was probably a good thing because even when he was tired and slowed down a little for that, that little boy had sooo much energy and just loved to get into things.

After the reunion my mom came to stay with me for a couple days. I had a dentist appointment and a doctor appointment that she was here for. It was nice to have an in-home babysitter for a while. We're going to miss her. She'll be back end of July though when I have the baby. Thanks for all your help while you were here mom!!

Morgan only has 1 more week until he takes his big test and we both can hardly wait. It will be so nice to have my husband back and I'm sure he's looking forward to having a lot of stress off his shoulders. He's been working so hard and I'm pretty sure he'll pass the first time, even if he has his moments of self-doubt. I love you honey!

Well, I guess that's all for now, I better go turn on Thomas the Tank Engine before Damon has a total meltdown and so I can get the kitchen cleaned. Until next time.....

Other Tidbits

I'm trying to be better at taking pictures so that I can remember silly things that my boys do or things that have happened. Ever since we got this little table for Logan's birthday the kids eat at it for at least one meal - except dinner :) This day, it was breakfast. They are both pretty good to stay clean and not spill, except when Damon decides he's ready for a drink of his milk. Then he will take out every single piece of cereal, set it on the table, drink some milk from the bowl, and then put the cereal back in the bowl to eat it. It's pretty funny. I think Logan ended up having about 3 bowls of Cocoa Puffs this morning. I'm not sure if that's because he really loves Cocoa Puffs, or because he ate no dinner the night before...something I forgot until they were already eating. Usually I plan for oatmeal or other healthier, but less desirable breakfasts when I know they will be hungry in the morning.

Yeah, he knows he got away with it too. Silly mommy!

I love that I can just get them a meal and they can eat by themselves, that will definitely help when I'm going to be feeding another one soon.

Logan has been having this weird rash pop up on his tummy off and on for the last month, so the other day I took him in. We thought he might be getting allergies since we've been outside more, or that spiders are getting him at night since we've seen an increase of those around the house, or that it might be some kind of infection. Well, it turned out to be folliculitis, or basically ingrown hair type infection. Most likely it has been caused from his skin getting irritated or chaffed by his clothes and then the hair follicles get irritated and infected and sometimes spread, don't worry, it's not contagious, and he really hasn't seemed to be bothered by it and it usually goes away within the week. It's probably been because we go outside, and there is a lot of wind and heat and his skin gets sweaty and his clothes rub on him. There's not really a whole lot to do to prevent it, and as long as it doesn't bother him and goes away the doctor said it's not a big deal. I'm just glad we figured out what it was.

If only he would have been that nice and happy at the doctor's office. I had to take them both again, and last time, it was a nightmare, this time, only a bad dream. They sort of calmed down once they realized that they didn't have to get any shots. Whenever we would ask Logan what bit his tummy he would always say, "Daddy bit me", or "My shirt bit me". The doctor got a kick out of that.

After a grocery shopping trip in the afternoon - which we rarely do - Logan fell asleep on the way home at around 4:00. He was so tired. I plopped him down on the couch and he just kept on snoozing. Usually he'll wake up once we get inside and want to play, but I guess he was just tuckered out. It was pretty nice though, it was leftover night so I didn't have to make dinner and I got to just cuddle with him for a little while as Damon happily played with cars, books, and puzzles, and occasionally came up to give me and Logan loves.

This week and neighbor friend and I decided to meet up at the park for a picnic, our first attempt was thwarted by rain. Today it was a little chilly with the wind and the sun hiding every 5 minutes or so, but it really was a fun day and the kids had a blast.

I only got a couple pics of them on the blanket eating lunch. As soon as I get the blanket out they know it's time to eat and they come and hover around the lunchbox excited to see what's inside. Today, bologna. Even though I can't stomach it right now, my kids love it and it's one of the only "meats" I can get them to eat, so it works for me. :)

I'm just so grateful for my boys. They are growing up so fast and becoming such fun little people. Hopefully we'll have lots more fun in the coming weeks before we add another one to the fam. Until next time....

The Still Small Voice

I have to write this down and record this experience before I forget the feelings or forget the instance.

The kids are in bed, I'm in my bedroom listening to the radio and cleaning out some cupboards in the bathroom (nesting). I know that the kids are playing in the other room, but they usually just get back in bed and go to sleep. I kind of feel like I should go check on them, but I decide to finish the cupboard I'm working on.

It's getting more awkward to get up and down when I'm sitting on the floor and I want to just finish the rest of my project, besides I can't really hear the kids that much, I sort of hear Damon a little, but it sounds like he's by the door whining and I usually don't give in to that. Just as I'm about to start the next cupboard I decide that okay I'll go check on them, and hopefully that will be it for the night and then they'll go to sleep, I can finish my project and then just go to bed and not have to go in and turn on the light anymore.

I walk in the door and Logan is cowering in his bed. I can't see Damon anywhere, but I can hear a muffled crying. They have their dresser cupboard that they like to play hide and seek in, but Damon is not there. Then I realize what had happened. Damon and Logan had been playing with a big storage container that I have been putting Damon's clothes that he grows out of in. The top of the container is latched shut. I open it up and there is my Damon scared to death and ridiculously hot from being stuck in there who knows how long. I know it was an accident and I'm sure both of them were taking turns climbing in and out of the box.

I got pretty upset with Logan and after consoling Damon I talked with Logan and apologized for getting so mad, but tried to explain to him how dangerous that was and that Damon couldn't breath....I think he got the message, I hope he did, I was sobbing by then.

I think this is one of the first times and true testament to me to how soft the Spirit whispers and I was lucky enough to be granted a second chance to listen. If I had not gone in there I probably would have later that evening when all was quiet turned out the light and not even really checked to see if the kids were in bed and Damon would have been stuck in the airtight container all night and I can't imagine, or at least don't want to imagine what could have happened.

I am so grateful to a Father in Heaven who loves his little boys enough to help me hear enough to take care of them. I have since moved the container into the closet where they can't get into it, I'm just glad something worse didn't have to happen to teach me that lesson. I know that I will definitely be listening a lot more closely for those little promptings that sometimes don't even really feel like a prompting.

I Love Springtime

I just lost my post, twice, so here goes, third time's a charm I guess. Here are just a few pictures. We had some fun this week, but of course I only took pictures on one day. Oh well. The boys love the train tracks and they do pretty good together playing if I make the track big enough.

They've also got a nice system going when they play cars and usually have fun for quite a while before one of them decides to get greedy with the cars.

I was trying to get Logan to smile normal, but he insists on saying cheese now and that gives him a weird face if I don't catch it right. He kind of looks like he's in pain, but he's really happy. :)

We were trying to get Damon to look at the camera, but he kept looking at Daddy instead!

So this past week has been pretty fun. We're basically over our colds, just a little runny noses here and there, so we've been keeping the tissue handy.

I had a doctor appointment and everything is looking fine, only 10 more weeks to go (seems like forever, but I'm sure it will go fast). I was a little anemic though which helps explain why I've been so exhausted the past couple weeks despite being sick and everything else, so now I take a little extra iron with my prenatals and within a week I've really been able to tell a difference. Thank goodness for modern medicine.

On Saturday it was beautiful weather and we wanted to take advantage of that. Morgan and his brother were fixing a leaking pipe at their parent's house, so we went up early and had a picnic lunch in the yard and watered the garden and played until his brother got there. Then my SIL and I entertained the kids while they got their projects done and they headed out to grab a bite to eat at the park. We were able to fly kites for a bit, throw the frisbee, kick the soccer ball, and play on the playground. We had a lot of fun, even if there were a few tantrums. :) That's just to be expected.

We sure wore the kids out though, they fell asleep within about 5 minutes of driving and then when we got home were able to change diapers and get them into pajamas without them waking up. It still didn't help them sleep in any longer, but that night Morgan and I just sat out on the porch and it was so nice to just sit and relax in the nice weather. I hope it lasts a while before the hot summer hits. This week has another good outlook, so hopefully I will get more pictures. Until next time....

6 Years Later & Still in Love

Morgan and I celebrated our 6 year Anniversary yesterday and it was such a good day! I brought the camera with us through all of our fun stuff and didn't take one pictures, but oh well. I had been planning a surprise to get tickets for a REAL Salt Lake soccer game because Morgan has been dying to go, so on Friday night I surprised him with his RSL jersey shirt that he's been wanting so he could wear it to the game that he had no idea about until then. It was a good surprise since he'd had a hard day at work.

The next morning we woke up and I made a new pancake recipe and some delicious syrup. It was sooo good even though I messed up the syrup once had to start over and spilled flour all over me and had anything else gone wrong in the kitchen I probably would have thrown it all in the sink and said we're having cereal today. (I've been getting a cold and pregnantly emotional and tired on top of that and just wanted everything perfect and it just wasn't working, but we pulled through and by the end of the day I'd pretty much forgotten about the little mishaps at the beginning).

Morgan cleaned up the kitchen and the boys while I got ready for the day and then he headed up to his parents to help plant the garden we're sharing. I got the kids ready and packed our snacks for the day and we went to the airport to pick up my brother and his wife so they could pick up a car they bought and drive it home. It was fun to see them a visit for a while. After we dropped them off in Orem we headed back to Sandy and Logan and Damon got to play with his cousins for a while and eat a picnic outside in the beautiful weather.

The RSL game got re-scheduled from 7:00 to 2:00, so it actually worked out perfect for us. We headed over to the game, found some parking and ended up with great seats. It was such a beautiful day on the way in that we left our jackets in the van...bad idea. As soon as the game started a little breeze blew in. The temperature was fine, but the breeze made it really chilly and you can't leave the stadium once the game starts, so we were stuck. It was pretty cold, but it was a really good game and RSL won 3-0. Damon ended up falling asleep after a while and Logan was a little cold so he was nice and cuddly and we all stayed warm enough, so despite that chill and lesson learned it was a really fun game.

After the game we were still debating whether or not to go out and eat since we had a gift certificate. Initially we were going to drop off the kids and go by ourselves, but decided to just take the kids with us so we could get there earlier. It was perfect. We walked right in to Outback Steakhouse and were seated immediately. The kids colored and were actually pretty well-behaved and they even ate!!!! It was such a good night out.

After dinner we went back to Morgan's parents house for a little bit to visit and we had to pick up his car anyway. Logan and Damon got to play with their cousins for a little while longer. We headed home, got the kids ready for bed and then crashed. It was such a good day and I love my husband so much and I'm so glad that I married him. He takes such good care of us and works so hard for us. Especially today on Mother's Day, me and the boys all have a really bad cold and we stayed home from church and Morgan made breakfast and has been taking care of us. It's actually been the best day to be a little under the weather since he can be home with us. So much has happened in the last 6 years and I can't wait to see what lies ahead for the next 6 years and the next and the next and the next for all eternity! Until next time...

May...really....

A couple weekends ago we went down to Provo to visit some friends. Morgan's buddy and his wife just had their first baby, so we went to visit and then we went to visit our other friends that were ready to have their second baby any day. Morgan's friend lives on BYU campus and around the apartments they have little playgrounds and Logan was just dying to go on the slide and play. So we went and played for a while and the kids had a blast. It was a perfect little playground for toddlers. And I even remembered the camera. I was going to take some pictures of the new baby, but forgot until we were at the park, but at least I did get some pictures of my own boys these past couple weeks.

Logan has a lot more fun on playgrounds now that he is a little more brave. He'll actually go on the slides without any encouragement now and doesn't wait until the last minute.

He still has a weird fascination with pine cones. On one hand and at certain times he's absolutely petrified and won't touch them, but will make sure to point them all out and wants you to hold them for him. And other times he'll actually pick them up. I think you can tell by his expression, he's just not sure about this one and is ready to put it down. :)

My boys love being outside and the crazy weather lately has been, well, crazy. One day it's beautiful weather and warm and sunny so we go outside, the next day it's snowing. Sheesh! We're taking advantage of the good days though.

Damon is so happy and loves to climb on things and try to do whatever Logan is doing. It's making me feel like Damon is growing up a lot faster than Logan did.

Logan has quite the imagination and lately is really into imaginary food...despite his lack of appetite most of the time. And oddly enough, whenever he is "sharing" food like this, it's always broccoli, or carrots, or tomatoes, or grapes, the only one of which he'll actually eat is grapes.

Logan had a blast when Morgan was chasing him around the playground and down the slide.

And Damon is going to be the happy, lovey, peacemaker of the house. He's always ready and willing to give loves and kisses and makes you feel so good when he sees you and shouts Mama, or Daddy with so much enthusiasm.

He's pretty good with slides, but sometimes still needs a little push. He doesn't like the twirly ones as much because a lot of times he gets turned around and ends up upside down at the bottom.

The boys love bathtime. We've been breaking out the foam letters again and Logan was sticking them on Damon.

Damon actually liked it and tried to put them on himself.

He's such a funny little boy.

His favorite letter right now is "B" Anytime he wants us to draw something, the first thing he says is "B" and then he gets really excited when he sees it.

And on the home front. I'm glad we haven't finished the basement yet because it flooded again....

I called our warranty people and was expecting a huge runaround and trying to get out of it and lots of garbage, but they had someone out to the house within a couple hours to look things over and had a plumber over that afternoon to fix it. There was a little bit of blockage in the main drain which could have been caused by multiple things, some of which is that a lot of debris gets washed down there during the construction of the home, but the main thing was that our expansion tank on the water heater was busted, so the water heater would build up pressure at night and then when we would use it in the morning it would do an emergency drain so it wouldn't explode from all the pressure (that's what the expansion tank prevents and regulates). But I'm grateful for the clogged drain, because if the drain wasn't clogged and backed up when it tried to drain all that water we wouldn't have known there was a problem. Luckily the plumbers had a replacement tank and everything is all fixed and ready to go and I only had to make one phone call and it was all taken care of. So, that's pretty much life right now. Until next time.....

Live and Learn

With our new-found parenting skills - really a lot of it was coming together with a really consistent method that we both liked - our kids have made some good strides this past week. After only a few days of the new "system" (which is a lot more detailed and better than I make it sound on the last post - we've learned more about it since we started) Logan has shown a notable difference in behavior. He is still his stubborn little self, but I'm starting to feel like we are getting through to him a little more and he's actually been a lot more helpful around the house and obedient. I think part of that too is me being happier and nicer and having more patience with him and actually letting him do more.

One thing that I have noticed is that when I'm disciplining one, the other is learning. If Damon has to go to "calm down time" (that's what we call it) for something, I notice Logan veering away from that and vice versa, especially if it is a new boundary or limit that we have recently talked about. And because we have been consistent with both of them on the rules, Logan doesn't get as mad at Damon when something happens because he knows I'll take care of it...at least if it really is worthy of the now dreaded "Uh-Oh...." It does require me to be a little more on top of things, but I'm finding that because I am, there is less fighting between the two of them and I actually can get things done while they are playing together as long as I still have them in sight. I can clean the kitchen while they are playing cars in the living room and I've even been able to fold laundry in the living room with the door open where I could see them playing outside and they stayed in the boundary...that really was a glorious day for me, you have no idea!

One last quick cute story about that. The other night it was time to clean up and we gave the usual warnings and choices and such that goes into that and Damon was helping clean up all the little cars really well. (He loves to throw them in the bucket and say YAY) Logan was over playing with another toy and I told him that it was time to clean up and we needed his help, and he said no. So I said, Logan, I need you to come and help us clean up please. He said no again, so I said Uh-Oh.....and he immediately jumped up from his chair and was frantically saying, "I can help, I can help" you should have seen the dedication that little boy had to clean up every last toy in the room. It was an awesome mommy moment and exactly the way the Uh-Oh is supposed to be working. It was a rough few days while I was trying to train myself, and them, and it's still a work in progress, but it has been so worth it.Morgan is now in study mode with his final final final final certification board exam in only about 8 weeks. He usually gets to stop at home to grab some dinner play with the kids for a few minutes, maybe throw in a story or two with them and then heads to the library for a few hours of study. Friday night we still get our "date/movie" night and as long as he gets a couple study sessions in on Saturday we can go play together in the evening. This past Saturday after two study sessions we went to the Pleasant Grove Discovery Park.

The boys had a blast. Logan loved this swing because he didn't feel like he was going to fall out. He never lets me push him so high, but he was having a blast with daddy.

Of course we had to have a little snack break and the boys would wander over and grab and handful of fruit snacks and then go back and play some more. It was such a beautiful day. I'm so loving spring and warmer weather.

Damon and Daddy playing with the letters. Damon is really good at his letter sounds, but is still working on the actual letter name. One week every letter is "b" and the next it is "a" :) silly boy.

Logan loves his letters too. He'll sound out a word and then say it spells a completely different word. My favorite is still when he's looking at the letters on the van and says S-I-E-N-N-A spells mama van, now he just does that with letter sounds. :)

Damon is coming out of the little beehive. I don't think he really liked the confined spaces all that much, not with so much to explore.

We've been having a lot of fun with Logan's birthday presents, especially Play Doh and train tracks lately. Some days just those two things will keep them entertained for hours, but other days for only a few minutes.

Logan is getting the hang of putting the tracks together by himself now, so it's a little less work for me and it's fun to see what he comes up with. It's so fun to see them having fun together, I just love it! I know we are still going to have rough days and rough times, but the last few days have just been extra good and I really needed that. I'm just glad that we're starting to figure things out a little better when hopefully they are too young to remember all the mistakes we have made so far. :) So, until next time.....